This Isn’t an E*otic Game?

Chapter 25

"Witch Tuidel, do you still harbor doubts? We have examined both his memories and his soul. The Silent Order found no trace of evil or blemish within the saint's soul."

High Priest Gerson of the Silent Order spoke firmly to Tuidel.

"You were the one who suspected him most and even viewed his memories yourself. If there had been even a shred of suspicion, you would have pointed it out immediately. Did you see anything? Any vision that could be used as evidence that Saint Amayel was a worshipper of a dark god or a servant of demons? Was there even a single moment like that?"

Witch Tuidel hesitated, clearly flustered.

Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead as her eyes darted nervously.

This isn’t right.

This can’t be happening.

Her expression was filled with determination to paint me as a villain, no matter what.

"Speak, Witch Tuidel! Was there any evidence in Saint Amayel’s memories of worshipping dark gods or demons? Answer!"

Gerson's resonant voice filled the hall, and Tuidel let out a shrill scream, pointing at me with trembling fingers.

"Does this make any sense? Does it?! A saint without divine power—how can that be? This is fraud! Fraud, I say! Fraud!"

Like a petulant child, her protests incited an uproar among the Lilia Church followers.

"The witch of the Mage Tower has crossed the line!"

"Arrogance from treading the path of magic has clouded her judgment! Her disrespect for the Grace Church knows no bounds!"

"Bring out the Tower Master! We demand the Tower Master!"

Among them, bald elder Yodel stood out, entirely transformed into a furious Mozgus-like figure. His bloodshot eyes and enraged face made him look as though he had stepped straight out of a berserk warrior manga.

As the atmosphere in the Lilia Church grew increasingly hostile, it seemed the magicians and witches could no longer stay silent.

"Tuidel, stop this now! His memories and soul were examined! Even the most disgraceful self-proving rituals, reserved for dark god worshippers and demon servants, were performed! There’s nothing left to dispute!"

"Enough already! Do you intend to bring shame to the Mage Tower's name?"

Several witches and magicians surrounded Tuidel, urging her to stop, but she remained obstinate.

"No! I’m not wrong! He’s definitely a worshipper of a dark god! Can’t you all see how cleverly he’s deceived everyone? He has no divine power! No divine power! Has there ever been a saint without divine power? No! He’s a fraud! A fraud!"

Gerson stepped forward, his expression stiff, and began to explain calmly.

"The Healing Saint is mentioned only in the scriptures of Grace. There has never been a recorded appearance of such a saint before. Witch Tuidel, it is natural for him to differ from the saints we know."

"But his lack of divine power—"

"Saints and saintesses are not beings molded to human desires. They embody the will of the gods who send them. If the Goddess of Grace wished for a saint without divine power, then it is only right to call him a saint, regardless of that absence."

Tuidel was rendered speechless, her body trembling as she stared at the ground.

After a pause, Gerson continued, his gaze sharp.

"How can fallible humans comprehend the will of the gods? Do you expect saints and saintesses to conform to human standards? Obsession with proving divinity is the act of fraudsters! A true saint is recognized upon sight. Was this not the case with Saint Amayel?"

The Lilia Church followers raised their arms and shouted in unison.

"Indeed! His words ring true!"

"Though he bears no stigmata or divine power, he has healed the impoverished and raised the sick in the most humble of ways, just as the Grace Church scriptures foretold! When the saint arrives, you will know him—it has been fulfilled!"

"Exactly!"

Once again, applause filled the courtroom.

Gerson turned his gaze back to Tuidel.

"Only you refuse to acknowledge the saint’s divinity. If you persist in this obstinacy, I cannot stop you. However, I can ensure that the Pantheon rejects your appeals. Witch Tuidel, you are free to continue insulting Saint Amayel, but..."

He directed a pointed glance at the old man presumed to be the Tower Master.

"The Pantheon will not overlook such actions. You understand what it means to insult a saint recognized by the Pantheon, do you not, Tower Master Jorgen?"

The man, referred to as Jorgen, closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head.

"I apologize. It was not my intention to insult the saint. I apologize once more..."

"You will all regret this! Accepting this fraud will cost you dearly!" Tuidel screamed in defiance to the very end.

Her outburst seemed to have finally exhausted the patience of the witches and magicians.

"Just shut up already!"

"Enough of this! Anyone can see he’s the saint!"

"Why do you keep creating unnecessary trouble?"

Amid the barrage of criticisms, Tuidel fixed her venomous glare on me.

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder.

I cautiously stepped down from the defendant’s stand and approached her.

Tower Master Jorgen noticed my approach and began to bow apologetically.

"Please forgive the inappropriate remarks of my subordinate. Saint Amayel—"

"It’s fine. Do not concern yourself."

I gestured to reassure him and continued toward Tuidel.

The crowd naturally parted, making way for me.

Tuidel stared at me with a venomous expression, filled with hostility.

Meeting her gaze, I asked, "Why do you despise me so much? Why are you so determined to tear me down?"

No matter what I do, people insist I’m a saint.

There’s no escaping the punishment of the Goddess of Grace.

The world is hell-bent on tormenting me.

And now, this witch, openly antagonizing me, only sharpens my nerves.

Her accusations initially seemed like salvation, but in the end, they’ve doomed me!

Even now, I’m still the saint!

Damn it, I’m already in a terrible mood, and her hateful glare only makes it worse.

"Because I know your true nature. You’re just a lucky fraud."

Bullseye.

But you’re still not answering my question, are you?

[Skill: Absolute Hypnosis activated.]

"Answer my question. Why are you so determined to tear me down? Speak only the truth!"

Tuidel opened her mouth, her expression twisted in mockery, as if she was about to unleash a tirade of venom.

"If you’re exposed as a fake saint, that bitch Erfa will fall too... Hrk!"

Her hands shot up to cover her mouth in shock.

But I wasn’t about to let her off the hook.

You’re already under hypnosis.

I’ve rested for two months, so my mental power is fully recharged, and my aim was spot-on.

"Don’t move. Don’t try to escape. Look me in the eye and continue. Speak only the truth! What do you mean, for Erfa’s downfall?"

Tuidel’s mouth moved automatically.

Horrified and shocked, she began spilling the truth.

"Exactly what I said. You healed Erfa. So, if you’re exposed as a fake saint or accused of worshipping a dark god and declared a heretic, Erfa can become an abomination again. I planned to use the White Order to bring down that spider bitch and position myself as the next Tower Master."

Everyone has their schemes and plans.

But the moment they voice those schemes and plans with brutal honesty, humans can sometimes become utterly disgraceful.

As the raw truth spilled out uncontrollably, the faces of the magicians and witches of the Mage Tower twisted in disgust. High Priest Gerson of the Silent Order, the Lilia Church's followers, the Supreme Court, the Senate, and everyone else present furrowed their brows.

Tuidel’s face clearly showed that she wanted to run away.

But under my hypnosis, she couldn’t move. Frozen in place, she continued to spill every dark secret buried within her.

"Why go to such lengths... even attacking me, just to harm Erfa?"

"Because I can’t stand her! She’s better than me, and it infuriates me! I wish she didn’t exist! If only she weren’t around, I’d be the brightest talent in the Mage Tower! Everything fell apart the moment she appeared! Everything! That’s why I wanted to get rid of her! No matter what it took!"

"Enough! Stop it!"

Tower Master Jorgen shouted, covering his face with one hand in a gesture of despair.

"The academic conferences, gathering the witches and magicians, and mobilizing the White Order… Were all of those your plans, Tuidel?"

Tuidel now had tears streaming down her face. Her lips were tightly pressed together, as if she was desperately trying to stop herself from speaking, but the power of Absolute Hypnosis lived up to its name—it was absolute.

"Yes, it was all my plan. Most of them supported it enthusiastically. There were plenty of people in the Mage Tower who were envious and resentful of Erfa. I figured that if I gave them even the slightest excuse, they’d all join in to drive her out. And that’s exactly what happened."

"Damn it all."

The priests of the White Order hung their heads in shame.

The magicians and witches of the Mage Tower, too, looked down at the floor, their faces red with humiliation.

The truths spilling from Tuidel's mouth were a spectacle of disgrace unparalleled in its intensity.

When she finished speaking, her face turned pale, and she shook her head frantically.

"No, no! This… This is… That saint must have used some vile trick… I-I…!"

"Tuidel."

Tower Master Jorgen looked at her with an icy expression.

"Out of personal greed and jealousy, you’ve tarnished the reputation of the Mage Tower. On top of that, you’ve provoked the wrath of the Pantheon with your baseless accusations. The Mage Tower will not take any responsibility for your actions. The wrath of the Pantheon is yours alone to bear."

"Tower Master! Jorgen! Master! Wait! No, no! Please, listen to me—!"

"By the authority of the Tower Master, I declare this: You are excommunicated. You are no longer affiliated with the Mars Branch of the Mage Tower. Go and continue your research elsewhere."

Tower Master Jorgen turned away.

The witches and magicians followed suit, their gazes fixed on the ground in shame as they silently filed out of the courtroom.

The only witch who remained was the walking disaster herself—Erfa.

The priests of the White Order approached her cautiously.

"Once again, we deeply apologize for our misjudgment. Witch Erfa, the Healing Saint has opened our eyes. Please, forgive us..."

Erfa nodded gently.

"I accept your apology. I trust that you will ensure such an incident never happens again."

"We will... We absolutely will."

The priests of the White Order bowed deeply to me, tracing holy symbols in the air, before hurrying out like the magicians of the Mage Tower.

But no one else left the courtroom.

In fact, everyone seemed more intrigued than ever, eagerly watching the unfolding drama.

Why?

Because High Priest Yodel of the Lilia Church, now exuding an aura of malevolence that could make even Mozgus pale in comparison, was advancing toward Tuidel.

As I discreetly lifted the hypnosis on Tuidel, Yodel reached her.

"Wa-wait… I… I…!"

"The Healing Saint—the first ever to be sent by the Goddess of Grace herself, since the founding of the Grace Church—you dared to exploit and defile him for your selfish greed? Is there any greater blasphemy than this? High Priest Gerson!"

Gerson approached, flanked by priests of the Silent Order clad in masks and black robes.

"Yes, speak, High Priest of the Grace Church."

"The witch before us is the true heretic! The Lilia Church formally requests the Pantheon’s Heretical Inquisition against Witch Tuidel!"

"Conveniently, everyone is already present. You’ve all witnessed the events firsthand, so we can dispense with the tedious and time-consuming procedures. Let us proceed directly to a vote. All who believe that Witch Tuidel’s actions constitute blasphemy against the Grace Church, raise your hands."

The Supreme Court.

The Senate.

The 23 other sect representatives remaining after the Mage Tower and White Order left.

Every single hand was raised.

Tuidel’s face contorted in despair.

"No! Wait! No, no, that’s not it! I was just being thorough! Please, don’t do this!"

As she babbled incoherently, Erfa approached her cautiously.

And delivered a single, cutting remark:

"I pity you, Tuidel."

Tuidel’s face twisted further, consumed by rage as she shrieked in fury.

"Get lost, you fucking bitch! You spider whore! You goddamned wretch! Die! Just die! You should’ve never been born! I curse you! Curse you! Die! Die already!"

"Take her away! Sever her magic circuits, throw her into the filthiest dungeon, and let her rot for life! She stands accused of blaspheming the sacred Pantheon saint!"

At Gerson’s command, the priests of the Silent Order cast their miracles upon Tuidel.

In an instant, she was subdued, swallowed by shadows, and vanished from the courtroom.

And with that, it was over.

The long, drawn-out heretical inquisition had finally come to an end.