Capítulo 70: His doom (1/2)
"Don't speak the Lord's name, you sinner! You are accused of blasphemy, murder, high treason, heresy, witchcraft, and the practice of dark magic! Confess!"
"I am a man blessed by the Lord! Even the high priest agrees with that!"
"Silence! Do not speak of the high priest, you criminal!" The priest who had been interrogating Rafael from the moment he sat down cut him off sharply, but Rafael ignored the enraged old man, raising his voice to drown him out.
"Paper, the printing press, cement, and distillation—it was I who taught you all that! That knowledge was given to me by the heavens! Are you all defying the Lord's will?"
The other priests sprang to their feet, shouting angry retorts. They began to argue, hurling accusations at Rafael. His strategy was to outmaneuver them with words, knowing escape was impossible.
As the exchange of heated words continued, Frederic stood on the sidelines, watching the chaos unfold. A few things caught his attention. There's more! It's not just paper but three other innovations! Perhaps those food recipes were also part of this divine knowledge... What if he truly was chosen by the heavens and could receive more knowledge in the future? The baron made up his mind.
"Everyone, silence!" Frederic commanded. "Priests, it has become clear that this man has committed murder, and it would be truly shameful and detrimental to the church's reputation to maintain him in the position of a cleric."
"You're right; let's end this once and for all. In accordance with the priests here, we strip you of your position as cleric and decree that your punishment shall be torture for a week, followed by hanging in the public square! Guards, take him!" Six of the eight priests stood in agreement.
"Stop right there!" Frederic shouted, pointing—not at Rafael—but at the two soldiers advancing toward him. A smirk crossed his face.
"The now-commoner Robert will be my captive! He is a highly wanted criminal, and by the kingdom's law, I, as the highest authority in this city, have the right to decide his fate." He approached Rafael and whispered for him to stay calm.
"What?! You can't do that!" The priests began to shout, outraged at being outmaneuvered. "You tricked us!"
Of course, these old men would go mad, but they can't do anything. Frederic kept a serious expression, though inwardly he was smiling.
"There's nothing more for me to do here. Thank you for your cooperation, priests. Let's go." He placed a hand on his chest and gave a slight bow, mocking them. Rafael, sweating bullets and visibly pale, nodded and followed, leaving the furious shouts of the old men behind.
Earlier that same morning, before the sun had risen above the horizon and the light barely illuminated one side of the sky, Julius was awakened by someone calling him outside his tent. Normally, he would wake up half an hour or an hour later, thanks to his internal clock.
He felt a headache coming on and struggled to get up.
"High Priest Julius Hera, please wake up," a soldier called out, his voice strong and insistent.
"By the heavens! Who is it?" Julius's gruff voice responded from inside the tent.
"Sir, Knight Lothar requests your presence. He has important matters to discuss with you." Angry murmurs came from within the large tent. After a few seconds, an old man emerged, his white hair and beard illuminated in the dim light, dressed only in a brown robe with a yellow stripe.
"Why didn't you send him away?" He glared at the two guards stationed outside his tent for security.
"Forgive us, High Priest, but he insisted and even showed us the knight's emblem to prove his words." The soldier then presented Lothar's emblem to Julius. "He requests your presence, sir."
*Sigh* "Now that I'm awake, there's no point in refusing. Let's go—but first, wake my two assistants." Julius, his two clerics, and the guards followed the soldier. Despite being accustomed to early rising, the roads of the small village were nearly deserted at this hour.
"What does he want to discuss with me?" Julius asked as they walked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but he did not inform me."
Julius and the clerics yawned repeatedly as they walked. "Wait, where are we going?" The High Priest asked when they crossed the village and found themselves passing through a large encampment filled with small, simple tents near the outermost houses.
I knew it! Floutt really sent a large group of people here, and he knows about the relic! Julius was ready to turn back to his still-sleeping soldiers, but he was stopped by the sight of a knight waiting in front of the forest.
"Julius Hera, High Priest of Calistoga. It's an honor to meet you. I'm Knight Lothar," a burly man in fine clothes, carrying a sword, greeted him.
"You're one of his vassals, a follower of the fallen angel!" Julius retorted, his voice filled with accusation.
"Whoa, calm down, old man. You may be a High Priest, but that doesn't mean you're right about everything you say. Come, I have something to show you."
"I'm not going anywhere! Let's go back." Julius turned and began to lead his group away, but they all halted. Soldiers, fully armed, emerged from some of the tents, blocking their path.
Sigh "As I said, follow me." Lothar's voice was the only sound as the group reluctantly followed him.
"You all... you all are on the devil's side! A false promise!" Julius spat, but the soldiers drew their swords and forced the group into the forest. A clear path had been worn through the trees, as if many people had walked there daily.
"Sir, we'll split up here and try to run back to our camp. Give your yellow stripe to one of the clerics to draw their attention," one of Julius's guards whispered urgently.
"I don't think it will work." Just as Julius began to feel a glimmer of hope, the other guard pointed into the woods. They could vaguely see silhouettes lurking in the shadows, watching them closely.
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