Chapter 267: The Pope's Verdict

"Enough of this nonsense, Juke. An incomplete old sacred mission? How absurd!" The Pope's derisive tone filled the nave as he fixed his gaze on Cardinal Juke. His boundless holy aura radiated from his body, making the air stifling and hard to breathe. 

Compared to the Pope's oceanic holy aura, Cardinal Juke's holy aura felt like it was nothing more than a mere droplet. That was the difference between their power level. 

The Pope reined in his holy aura, restoring the air to become breathable again. He glanced at Cardinal Juke with skepticism and added: "You accuse the captain of the Holy Knight Crusaders of our church without proper evidence? Baseless accusations are perilous, Cardinal, and you should be well aware of that. Moreover, you dare to deceive me about the completion of sacred missions."

Cardinal Juke, realizing his blunder, hastily adjusted his demeanor. He attempted to muster a genuine smile but could only manage a feigned one. Then, he quickly said: "I apologize, Your Holiness. It was a misunderstanding on my part. Please forgive my hasty judgment."

The Pope's expression remained stern as he observed Cardinal Juke, his silence speaking volumes of his distrust in the apology or any remark he makes in attempt to justify his actions. 

Cardinal Juke noticed the Pope's indifference to his attempts at reconciliation and assuaging his actions, but he still continued to explain.

"As for the sacred mission, I suppose I—"

"You will address this matter later. For now, dismiss your guest. There is something more important to discuss."

The Pope chose to disregard any further ramblings from Cardinal Juke. He proceeded to seat himself upon the throne positioned at the rear of the podium. He then cradled his tilted head in one hand, assuming a relaxed posture, and wore a contemplative expression as he fixed his gaze upon the congregation within the sacred chamber.

Cardinal Juke realized that the Pope was waiting for the meeting to commence. With this understanding, he swiftly turned to Holy Knight Randy and said, with an air of indifference: "Sir Grant, you may leave us now. I must attend to the Pope and the Council of Cardinals."

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Cardinal Juke motioned in the direction of the gate, directing Holy Knight Randy away as if shooing away a stray animal.

Holy Knight Randy did not react to Cardinal Juke's treatment. Instead, he nodded respectfully and exited the chamber, leaving Cardinal Juke to face the consequences of his actions.

Meanwhile, as the gate closed behind Holy Knight Randy, Cardinal Juke's forced smile faded, replaced by an expression of worry and apprehension. He feared that something terrible was imminent, which prompted him to dispatch 'Zolat Grant' before the Pope could extract more information from him. His current position was precarious, as it appeared that the Pope had begun to doubt his loyalty to their church.

Contemplating how his plans could be jeopardized due to a momentary lapse in judgment while admonishing 'Zolat Grant,' Cardinal Juke was filled with indignation. He attributed his current predicament to 'Zolat Grant,' who had failed to follow his instructions and instead resorted to playing tricks.

Once his impromptu meeting with the Pope concluded, he intended to confront 'Zolat Grant' and, if necessary, threaten to expose some of his secrets. He wondered how 'Zolat Grant' would react when confronted with the consequences of his actions. 

However, in the event that if the Pope decided to punish him because of the events that transpired on this day, 'Zolat Grant' would have to forget about holding onto his his esteemed position as a Holy Knight Captain of the Holy Church of Light. If he somehow lost his position as a Cardinal of the church, he would drag 'Zolat Grant' down with him without failure.

With these thoughts in mind, Cardinal Juke approached the Pope, who had arrived unannounced. Upon seeing the Council of Cardinals flanking the chancel, he initially displayed a bewildered expression but swiftly regained his composure as he confronted them.

"...Your Holiness." 

Cardinal Juke tentatively greeted the Pope in a composed manner. Internally, he grappled with confusion as he hadn't anticipated the Pope's sudden arrival on the same day he had dispatched his message. Nor had he expected the presence of the Council of Cardinals. He couldn't help but wonder if a grave matter had arisen, necessitating the Council's presence as well.

What puzzled him even more was the Pope's failure to mention his imminent arrival when he had sent the message earlier. Cardinal Juke, however, set aside these doubts and patiently awaited the Pope, who now sat on his throne, gazing down at him with an inscrutable expression.

After surveying the entirety of the sacred chamber from his elevated seat, the Pope inquired in a meaningful tone: "Cardinal Juke, have there been any recent discoveries?"

Cardinal Juke found himself taken aback by the Pope's abrupt question, which gave the impression that the Pope possessed prior knowledge and was seeking confirmation from him with his current query. However, Cardinal Juke chalked it up to his anxiety, dismissing his own apprehensions without dwelling on them.

With that conclusion, he offered a slight bow and solemnly replied: "Nothing of note has been discovered lately, Your Holiness."

"Is that truly the case?" The Pope sought confirmation, prompting Cardinal Juke to assert confidently: "Yes, Your Holiness."

At this juncture, a fleeting trace of disappointment flashed across the Pope's countenance. Without delay, he gestured with his hand, sending forth a radiant light imbued with a wave of holy aura that swept through the room, targeting the two gates of the Sacred building.

This sudden shift in events left Cardinal Juke with an unsettling feeling in his heart. As he sensed the holy light emanating from the Pope, he cautiously inquired: "Your Holiness, this is…?"

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Creak!

Cardinal Juke's attention shifted toward the gate, where he witnessed the recently departed Zolat Grant approaching with an air of arrogance or confidence. 

Perplexed, Cardinal asked: "What is the meaning of this, Your Holiness?"

As Cardinal Juke attempted to comprehend this unfolding situation, the voice of the Pope resonated through the chamber.

"I attempted to offer you an opportunity to rectify your actions, Cardinal Juke, but your performance has been profoundly disappointing." 

The Pope declared, his voice carrying authority. He continued: "Not only did you withhold information from me that could potentially pose an unknown threat, but you also resorted to scheming and exploiting a member of our esteemed and sacred church to claim full credit without putting in the required effort."

At this juncture, Holy Knight Randy ascended and took his position beneath the chancel, clutching a collection of documents pertaining to various missions, including sacred ones assigned by the church. These documents also detailed the numerous schemes concocted by Cardinal Juke over the years.

The information contained in these documents, which encompassed Cardinal Juke's schemes, was knowledge Zolat Grant possessed but had never before accessed. Holy Knight Randy had utilized the Pope's authority to obtain them and identify discrepancies among certain missions, including an unlisted recent mission assigned to Zolat Grant.

The Pope's voice resonated once more, cutting through the tense atmosphere. 

"What do you have to say for yourself, Cardinal Juke? Are you prepared to confess to your scandalous activities as the Head of Cardinals?"

Cardinal Juke could discern the nature of the documents held by Holy Knight Randy, and he was confident that there were no discrepancies. He had meticulously ensured that everything was properly documented to ensure that no one would be able to discern a flaw. Unbeknownst to him, Zolat Grant had also kept his eye on his actions during his tenure as a Holy Knight Captain and chose to keep his mouth as he didn't have access to the documentation to accuse him. 

"I have nothing to confess, Your Holiness." Cardinal Juke responded with unwavering confidence. 

"I can assure you that I have conducted my duties with unwavering integrity and precision. I have no knowledge of what falsehoods that ingrate may have presented or spoken to you, but they are all baseless lies. He is merely attempting to besmirch my honorable name." 

Cardinal Juke's piercing gaze landed on Holy Knight Randy with a palpable look of disdain.

"I never insinuated that Knight Captain Grant accused you of any wrongdoing, so why the defensiveness?" The Pope retorted while shaking his head. 

"I merely inquired whether you were willing to admit to your deceitful and sacrilegious actions. Your assumption that our Knight Captain slandered you already suggests evasion of my question."

With that remark from the Pope, a domineering holy radiance emanated from the him, directed solely at Cardinal Juke. In a cold and demanding tone, the Pope repeated his questions. 

"I shall ask you once more, Cardinal Juke. Have you dishonored the Holy Church of Light to further your selfish ambitions during your tenure as the Head of Cardinals? Have you attempted to blackmail Holy Knight Captain Grant and manipulate him to your advantage? Have you violated the principles of our faith? Have you lied to me, Cardinal Juke? Do you confess to committing all of these transgressions, Cardinal Juke?"

As the Pope spoke, Cardinal Juke felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on his body, compelling him to involuntarily kneel as soon as the Pope concluded his statement. He attempted to raise his head to meet the gaze of the other cardinals, especially one particular Cardinal who held the second-highest rank and was akin to a friend. However, what met his eyes was the collective expression of disdain and disgust from all the cardinals present, including his supposed friend.

Unwilling to accept the unfolding situation, Cardinal Juke persisted in his attempts at redemption. "I can explain, Your Holiness..."

"Enough! Were it not for the impending war with the demons, which requires all capable personnel from our revered church skilled in holy magic, I would have had you executed immediately for dishonoring and disgracing the Holy Church of Light." 

The Pope declared coldly and sternly, his powerful voice resonated throughout the chamber. 

"Our Holy magic and divine ritual is the sole force capable of restraining the vile demons. Bringing you to justice today would only deplete our manpower in the face of this demonic threat. That is the sole reason you still draw breath!"

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