Chapter 951: 143. True and False

With his back to “Archbishop Ision,” Muen continued focusing on singing the sacred hymn, while every muscle in his body silently tensed. His whole body was like a drawn bowstring, ready to fire at any moment.

From the moment “Archbishop Ision” began praying before the Goddess statue, Muen’s opportunity had already arrived.

“Archbishop Ision” was right behind him. The distance between them was less than three meters.

Although it was acting, he was clearly also praying with full concentration.

Therefore, all Muen had to do was draw the blade and swing, and tonight’s grand performance would come to an end.

There was only one chance.

Muen tightened his grip.

Absolution gradually slid from its sheath.

Its touch was cold, like holding a block of ice, without much real sense of being a sacred weapon.

But that chill did not sting. It was very gentle.

And beneath that gentle surface, only Muen could feel what a terrifying, violent power lay hidden within this sacred white blade.

Like an ancient beast gradually waking, that muffled heartbeat echoed beside Muen’s ears like war drums.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

As a one-use killing weapon forged from a fragment of the Holy Sword’s original blank, as a terrible weapon that truly existed only to “kill something,” it would only be swung once.

And that one swing would cleanse all sin.

Thump!

The aura emitted by Absolution was still concealed well enough that even “Archbishop Ision” did not discover the slightest abnormality. Combined with the light-bending Illumination spell Muen was using to hide his posture, the pale gleam of the blade gradually emerged, unnoticed by anyone nearby.

Everything was ready. Everything was going very smoothly. Absolution trembled continuously in Muen’s hand, the terrifying power within it already eager to move, while “Archbishop Ision” still had no awareness of the death about to come. So next, all that remained was—

“Goddess, please forgive my sins...”

“...Hm?”

Muen’s movement paused.

He frowned in confusion. The Illumination spell changed once again, reflecting the light in front of him so he could fully see “Archbishop Ision’s” figure.

“Archbishop Ision’s” prayer was still continuing. No, it should be said that the prayer had already ended.

What he was doing now was confession.

Devoutly kneeling on the ground, his fingers clasped tightly, his head lowered, facing the statue of the Goddess before him... confessing.

It looked so normal.

But... confession?

That “Archbishop Ision” was confessing to the Goddess?

What kind of joke was this? A member of the Salvation Society who had betrayed the Goddess and loathed the Goddess—praying was one thing. Perhaps he still retained some of his former faith. But confession...

Didn’t that seem too ridiculous?

Or was it... still acting?

Acting meant to deceive the enemy?

Muen looked at “Archbishop Ision” in the reflected image. Through that slight reflection of light, he could clearly see... tears hanging at the corners of “Archbishop Ision’s” wrinkled eyes.

“Goddess, please forgive my sins... Please... forgive her sins... Everything was because of me... She is innocent.”

No.

Muen instinctively felt something was wrong.

Setting aside the fact that this acting had risen by far more than one level compared to earlier, if this really was acting, then Muen had finally discovered a problem.

Who was he performing for?

Liya and the Judgment Archbishop, who represented the Church?

But neither of them was here. They had both been held up by some method he himself had used.

Here... only these meaningless “NPCs” remained inside this enormous false appearance he maintained, didn’t they?

He would go so far as to confess to a god he loathed just to perform for these “NPCs”?

“Goddess...”

The sound of prayer gradually rose. Amid the sacred hymn’s chanting as it was about to reach its climax, the “NPCs” throughout the entire Ritual Hall also began kneeling and praying along with “Archbishop Ision.”

Praise, prayer, and confession rose and fell one after another, to the point that not even the sacred hymn and the music could drown them out.

Muen was overwhelmed by those voices, and his hand gripping the blade gradually began to tremble slightly.

Something was wrong.

Something was absolutely wrong.

The feeling that he had overlooked something ever since entering this city once again floated into Muen’s heart.

This entire week of exploration, analysis, deduction, and life-or-death struggle—he had practically risked his life to obtain so much intelligence, analyze the truth of the entire Saint Blancfazesiya, and reach this moment only one step away from success.

But that feeling that he had overlooked something, that there was still something very important he had not noticed, still wound around Muen’s heart like a nightmare.

Even now, it had not diminished in the slightest.

Where...

Where exactly...

“No! I can’t do this!”

Muen abruptly came back to himself and tightened his grip again.

He had almost gotten ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) stuck in a dead end.

Time was short.

Now was absolutely not the time for him to hesitate over something like this.

Indeed, he might have overlooked something. Indeed, “Archbishop Ision’s” actions now were somewhat strange, and his behavior was extremely illogical.

But...

“Archbishop Ision” was fake. The fact that someone was impersonating him was certain.

Whether it was the Church discovering certain abnormalities about him, or the scene Muen had personally witnessed in the “true royal capital,” both could prove that.

No matter what he had overlooked, he had to respond to something already confirmed.

Because there was only one chance.

If he abandoned the entire operation out of indecision merely because of a few doubts he had not yet figured out, then he really might completely lose the chance to save the “true royal capital” hidden behind the curtain.

So those doubtful points could be thought about later. First, he had to—

“You are from the Judgment Temple, aren’t you?” “Archbishop Ision’s” voice suddenly sounded, gentle and calm, as if he were greeting an old friend.

“...”

Muen’s movement paused again, and his heart clenched along with it, squeezing blood into his limbs and bones so that he could flee without regard for anything else in the next instant.

But Muen did not flee.

He knew that at this distance of less than three meters, he had a chance to assassinate “Archbishop Ision” with Absolution. And likewise, as the Crowned One, “Archbishop Ision” could also leave him with no chance to escape whatsoever.

Was it still because he had hesitated for a moment...

“How did you discover me?”

Muen dispersed the Illumination spell, turned his head, and looked directly at “Archbishop Ision.”

From the very beginning, he had not held onto the lucky possibility that “Archbishop Ision’s” words had not been directed at him, because at the same time the voice sounded, that aura that did not make people feel afraid also landed on him.

“So that’s it?”

A trace of realization appeared on “Archbishop Ision’s” face. “So you really were sent by the Judgment Temple.”

“...You weren’t sure?” Muen’s cheek twitched.

“I only knew there was something wrong with you. But as for whether you were truly sent by the Judgment Temple... before you admitted it, I indeed wasn’t very certain.” “Archbishop Ision” smiled like a cunning fox.

“I never said I was sent by the Judgment Temple.”

Muen returned to his expressionless state. “I only have a slight connection to them.”

“Many who serve the Judgment Temple say the same thing.”

“Archbishop Ision” shook his head. “But I believe there is no difference between the two. You were only able to stand here with the Judgment Temple’s help, weren’t you?”

“...Whatever. If you insist on thinking that, fine.”

Muen narrowed his eyes, and the fingers hidden in his sleeve lightly stroked Absolution’s blade.

This calm reaction... “Archbishop Ision” seemed not to know he carried Absolution, which could kill a Crowned One. Otherwise, no matter what, he should have arrested him on the spot and confiscated the murder weapon first, rather than chatting so calmly.

Just as he had said, in his eyes, Muen was only some small fry sent by the Judgment Temple?

Then... if he stalled for time, or made him lower his guard, maybe there really would be a second chance?

“You still haven’t answered my question from earlier, Archbishop.”

Muen looked at “Archbishop Ision” and deliberately prolonged the conversation. “How did you discover me?”

“Kore.”

“Archbishop Ision” did not keep him in suspense and directly said the name.

“It was because of Bishop Kore.”

“So it was him...”

Muen’s eyes narrowed, somewhat surprised.

He had thought Kore was already worth trusting. But that weak-willed fellow, if he could betray once, sure enough, he could betray a second time...

“Bishop Kore has not betrayed you.”

As if seeing through Muen’s thoughts, “Archbishop Ision” said, “At least, not yet.”

“He hasn’t?”

Muen raised his brow in surprise. “Then you...”

“It is because Bishop Kore was in my field of vision from the very beginning.”

“In your... field of vision?”

As if remembering something, Muen abruptly turned his head. At the edge of the crowd, the nun who had awakened a perverted preference... lowered her head apologetically toward Muen.

Damn it...

He had been played.

“Why?”

Muen secretly gritted his teeth. “Why were you monitoring Bishop Kore from the beginning? Could it be that even this was already within your predictions, Archbishop?”

If that was the case, this “Archbishop Ision” was far more terrifying than Muen had imagined.

“No.”

Unexpectedly, “Archbishop Ision” actually denied it. “I did not predict this situation at all. Discovering your movements was only a coincidence.”

“A coincidence?”

“Yes. From the beginning, my goal was only Bishop Kore.”

“Why?”

Muen grew even more puzzled.

“A mere Kore, and one who was... worth your personal attention?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Archbishop Ision” looked at Muen in confusion.

“One of my own subordinates turned into a fat worm. As the Archbishop, of course I had to pay attention to him at all times, didn’t I? I simply did not expect that while observing the worm, I would obtain a special harvest.”

“Pay attention to... a worm?”

Muen’s brows knitted tightly, and he felt more and more that something was wrong.

Logically speaking, there was nothing wrong with Archbishop Ision paying attention to his own fallen subordinate, but...

“In fact, I knew long ago that you would come.”

The ceremony had not stopped, and the sacred hymn was still being sung. “Archbishop Ision” looked somewhere with a trace of melancholy.

“I simply did not expect you to come so quickly. In just a few short days, you had already infiltrated to my side. All I can say is, as expected of the Judgment Temple? No, perhaps this time, that One’s will has personally descended as well. Her Holiness the Saintess’s return is proof of that. Clearly, during her last procession, she did not take the Kingdom route.”

“After doing so many bad things, you should have been prepared for this,” Muen said.

“Yes... If you do bad things, you should be prepared. So I have also been preparing all along...”

“Archbishop Ision” suddenly turned to look at Muen again.

“Do not worry. I admit that I am an evil man who betrayed the Goddess. But the duty I must complete, I will complete.”

“Du...ty?”