At the gates of the Church of Selephis City, Sister Pamela arrived with two accompanying nuns.They were part of the delegation sent to deliver an award to Lord Hel.The leader, Sister Pamela, was the same titled powerhouse who had once escorted Vivian from Heim City.
Night had already begun to fall by the time they arrived. They decided to rest at the church for the evening before setting out for Heim City the next morning.
However, when they entered the church, they were met with an unexpected sight — there were scarcely any clergy present. After asking around, Pamela finally received a grim report:
A detachment of the Inquisition Knights had conscripted the church's transcendents to assist them in Heim City, in order to capture a witch.
"Heim City? A witch? Impossible."
Pamela's expression darkened as she stepped out of the church. She turned toward her two companions — both fifth-order transcendents, the reason they had been chosen for this journey.
The group had traveled by flight, but compared to Pamela's sixth-order strength, their speed was much slower.
"I must reach Heim City immediately," she said. "You two stay here and rest. Come after me tomorrow."
Without another word, she lifted off into the night sky, leaving the two nuns standing at the church entrance, exchanging uneasy looks.
Time flowed like fleeting light.Within Heim Castle, Lord Hel rose from bed as usual — calm, unhurried, every motion precise.
Outside, the young Inquisition knight who had been watching from the shadows had spent the entire night spying on him.
And by now, he was questioning everything.
This man… is too composed.
No panic, no midnight meetings, no nervous pacing.He had simply slept. Peacefully.
This was completely unlike any nobleman the young knight had investigated before.Normally, when lords learned that the Inquisition Knights had surrounded their city, they would panic — either scrambling to investigate the women in their households, or secretly sending messages to their political patrons, begging for protection.
As for doubting the authenticity of a witch sighting? Hardly any ever dared.
Witch artifacts might occasionally circulate among the great noble houses, but witch blood, a strictly forbidden substance, was so rare that even royalty rarely laid hands on it. Only kings themselves could access such things.
"The new Queen of Selephis is said to be a cousin of the Mandrake Grand Duchess," he mused."So is this witch hunt another royal power play?"
Such things weren't unheard of — history had seen it before.
A hundred and fifty years ago, the Emperor of the Magic Empire had done the same —he used the Church as a blade to destroy a powerful duke.
The victim had been the duke's youngest daughter, and the family had been utterly annihilated: the main line executed by the Church, the branch stripped of their nobility.
Of course, the Inquisition Knights were not fools; they would not willingly be anyone's pawns.That case had been one of the only successful false accusations in centuries.
The reason? That family had grown too close to the western elves.
So close, in fact, that they had built an elven Temple of Life in their own lands — an act bordering on blasphemy.
Though the Inquisition also revered the Goddess of Life, their faith was not centered upon her.
And now, Heim Territory seemed to be walking a similar path.
"Hel Heim…"
The young knight murmured the name. It sounded oddly familiar — as if he had read it in one of the Inquisition's old dossiers.
Then, his eyes widened sharply as realization struck.
The slandered Grand Duke from that case… had also borne the name Heim.
"If that's really the connection… then what a fascinating twist of fate."
After a full night's rest, Lord Hel rose, dressed, washed, ate breakfast, and returned to his study — as calm and methodical as ever.
By midday, his steward Anna arrived and informed him that the Church's representatives had entered the city.
Hel gathered his attendants and made his way to Heim Square.
By then, the Church had already completed most of its setup.At the front of the square stood a raised platform, and upon it loomed a massive, weather-worn stone cross.The ancient carvings upon it were faded beyond recognition.
Not far away, Pablo — the Inquisition Knight Captain — turned toward Hel and said with polite courtesy:
"We meet again, Lord Heim.Our Church's preparations are nearly complete. To ensure that no witch hides among your people, we will be testing all women within the city.Of course, the Inquisition is not without manners. I understand you nobles value dignity above all else, so I assure you — your retainers will be the last to undergo testing."
He even gave a knowing wink, as if to say, I'm already giving you face by not accusing you directly. Don't make trouble for me in return.
"Sir Pablo, please proceed," Hel replied calmly, gesturing for him to continue his performance.
However, Pablo insisted that, as the local lord, Hel should join him on the platform to witness the ritual personally — for propriety's sake.
When all the city's women had been assembled in the square, Pablo raised his voice and addressed the crowd:
"Citizens of Heim, I know you are wondering why the Church has come to your city today."
He paused for effect, sweeping his gaze across the crowd before continuing:
"The Mandrake Grand Duchess reported that her merchant fleet discovered traces of a witch here in Heim City. That is why we have come to investigate."
But as soon as his words fell, the square erupted in murmurs.
"The Mandrake Merchant Guild? Did they even come here?"
"Weren't they blacklisted by the city?"
"If they weren't even allowed to enter, how did they 'discover' anything?"
"Sounds like they're just fabricating a story for revenge!"
The growing noise made Pablo's forehead twitch with veins of irritation.
Was the Mandrake Duchess seriously this careless?Her people hadn't even set foot inside the city — and yet she dared claim they'd "discovered" a witch?Did she not realize this accusation was transparent slander?
If Lord Heim had just a bit more political sharpness, he could easily seize on this inconsistency and crush the accusation entirely—
And, as fate would have it, that was exactly what happened.
From behind him came Hel's calm, steady voice:
"Sir Pablo, I don't recall you mentioning that the so-called witch in Heim City was discovered by the Mandrake Merchant Guild.
As far as I remember, they were denied entry to the city.
So tell me — how exactly did they manage to 'discover' traces of a witch from outside the walls?"