Chapter 509 - 112: Settling the Storm
"His Holiness the Sword of Divinity!"
"His Holiness stopped the Sun from falling!"
"Oriane bless us! No... His Holiness blessed us!"
Many of the citizens were so moved their eyes filled with tears. They embraced one another, waved their arms, and gazed up at the figure in the sky—a figure like an unshakeable pillar.
Their vision was limited, and they knew little. Many hadn’t even heard the argument between Adrian and Eleanor.
They only saw, only felt, the reality before their very eyes.
The terrifying Sun fell, bringing with it apocalyptic panic. Then, His Holiness the Sword of Divinity appeared, the Sun vanished, and all disaster was averted.
Thus, these tears were a cathartic release of fear, the thrill of survival, and even more, a deep gratitude for every bit of change, every sliver of hope and peace that figure had brought over the past eleven years.
It was as if, so long as that figure remained, no difficulty was truly insurmountable, no disaster was truly unconquerable.
Eleanor clenched her fists. She looked up at the familiar yet somehow different figure in the sky, her heart surging with emotion, yet she also felt a strange and profound sense of peace.
Mo Ling was already smiling through her tears. With teardrops still clinging to her little face, she beamed a smile brighter than the sun. She jumped up and down, waving her hands forcefully at the sky. "Father! Father!"
Bobby had also forgotten his fear, jumping along with Mo Ling, his small face flushed with excitement.
Amidst the roaring cheers, Adrian collapsed to the ground as if all his bones had been removed. Ashen-faced, he could only mutter unconsciously, "Impossible... This is impossible..."
Ambrosius closed his eyes, seeming to age another ten years in an instant.
The Wizards from the Silver Tower looked at each other, and after the initial shock, their eyes held nothing but deep apprehension and gravity.
The gray-robed tutor in the lead composed himself, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. He bowed deeply toward the figure in the sky, his voice respectful with a barely perceptible tremor:
"Great His Holiness the Sword of Divinity! Please allow me to explain the recent misunderstanding! We of the Silver Tower... no, we who are employed as ’tutors’—our words and actions just now were by no means malicious! In truth... in truth, we were concerned that while you... while you were otherwise occupied, the embers of the Tower of Revelation and the Path of the Priest might meet with disaster! Our passion is solely for the sake of preserving the Path you have created! We have no ulterior motives! We beseech Your Holiness..."
He was unable to finish his sentence.
Because Murphy, from his place in the sky, gave him a faint glance.
The gaze was placid and rippleless, yet it seemed to contain a power that could pierce a person’s heart. It sent a chill shooting up the gray-robed tutor’s spine, and all the excuses, justifications, and pleas he had prepared were caught in his throat as if by an invisible hand, unable to utter another word.
He remained in his bowing posture, but a cold sweat had already soaked the robes on his back.
Murphy’s gaze swept past him and fell upon the limp form of Adrian and Ambrosius, who had his eyes closed, resigned to his death.
Murphy’s voice rang out, calm and not loud, yet it clearly cut through all the cheers and entered everyone’s ears:
"Adrian Vincent, Ambrosius Marconi, as Cardinals of the Church, you have for many years abused your authority, amassed wealth through greed, harmed the innocent, colluded with hidden factions, and conspired to subvert the Church Court. Furthermore, today you have deliberately created panic and obstructed the evacuation of the populace. Your very intentions are damnable."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over several other ashen-faced Old Faction Cardinals.
"You have sided with traitors, concealed what you knew, and fanned the flames of their conspiracy. You are hereby stripped of your positions as Cardinals and all holy offices. Your power shall be sealed, and you will spend the rest of your lives in repentance at the Hermitage."
Finally, his gaze returned to the members of the Silver Tower.
"You were hired as tutors, yet you harbored ulterior motives and ill intentions. Your crimes deserve severe punishment. However, considering the Tower is newly established and still requires manpower, and that you have contributed in some small way to promoting reform and compiling texts... the death penalty shall be waived. You are stripped of your current positions and all ill-gotten gains shall be confiscated. You will remain at the Tower to atone for your crimes and redeem yourselves through service as ’tutors’. Should you harbor any disloyal thoughts in the future..."
He did not continue, but the chilling implication in his unfinished sentence sent a shiver down the necks of all the Silver Tower Wizards.
The cheers in the square gradually subsided. The people listened to the pronouncements, a hint of confusion on their faces.
They didn’t know much about the specific crimes of the Cardinals, but compared to those high-and-mighty figures who were now ashen-faced, they were more willing to trust the judgment of His Holiness the Sword of Divinity—the one who they had witnessed perform countless miracles, bring tangible change, and even save the Holy City from peril twice.
"A wise judgment, Your Holiness!"
"We support Your Holiness’s decision!"
"Those villains deserve to be punished!"
Murphy said no more.
He formed a sword with his fingers and swiped gently downward.
A ray of Dark Gold sword light, so condensed it seemed capable of sundering yin and yang, swept silently across the square.
Where the sword gleam passed, the bodies of the collapsed Adrian and the resigned Ambrosius trembled slightly. Then, the light in their eyes faded completely, their life force was instantly extinguished, and they slumped to the ground without a sound.
The other Old Faction Cardinals who had been named, as well as a few extremists at the edge of the square who had just revealed themselves to stir up trouble, simultaneously erupted in a mist of blood. They fell with screams, and though not killed instantly, the foundation of their power was clearly destroyed, their auras weakening to an absolute minimum.
As for the Wizards of the Silver Tower, they felt a cold and powerful seal brand itself deep within their minds. It was like the strongest of shackles, making them feel a bone-chilling terror at the slightest thought of defying the being before them.