Chapter 130: Truth Seekers Revisited

Chapter 130: Encounter with the Truth Seekers Again

As dusk fell, Lyman arrived at the Green Dragon Tavern.

Kasten Wegner had already been waiting in his usual seat for some time. As soon as Lyman sat down, he pushed a cup of mead in front of him.

Lyman took the cup coldly.

"I'm a busy man. Get to the point."

Wegner smiled and picked up his own cup.

"Actually, the reason I asked you here today is that I'd like to collaborate with you on something," he said.

"Oh? I'm just a lowly research clerk. I can't imagine what I could possibly do for the great Truth Seekers," Lyman said, mimicking Lutz's sharp, sarcastic tone as always.

Wegner cleared his throat loudly and said with great solemnity, "We Truth Seekers have recently developed a groundbreaking invention—a machine that can run forever once given an initial push! To mass-produce it, we need sufficient funding. I wonder if Minister Lutz could be so generous as to chip in..."

Lyman got up and left.

"Wait! Minister Lutz! Don't go! I haven't finished yet!"

Wegner jumped up and grabbed Lyman by the sleeve. Lyman shook him off and kept walking, at which point Wegner wrapped his arms around Lyman's leg. Lyman dragged him a few steps but ultimately couldn't keep going with a leg attachment in tow, so he stopped.

"If you spout any more of this heresy to me, I'll throw you into the Spring of Rebirth!" he warned.

Wegner scrambled to his feet, brushing himself off. "Uh, well, if you won't fund us, fine! I was just asking! Now let's talk business—real business!"

Lyman glared at him before reluctantly sitting back down. "It had better be real business!"

Wegner climbed back into the chair across from him, putting on an air of profound mystery.

"I hear there's been some friction between the Tribunal and the Knights lately." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "We Truth Seekers have always been close partners with the Tribunal. Maybe I could lend you a hand?"

Lyman took a sip from his cup, studying Wegner over the rim, wondering what these crackpots wanted from him this time.

"So who among you got locked up this time?" he asked, imagining another scholar, Nikola, squatting in a cell singing prison blues in his miserable state.

"We've been on our best behavior lately!" Wegner protested indignantly, then broke into a fawning smile. "However, we could also do some not-so-legal things—for you."

"Such as?"

"Killing Grand Master Antonella."

Pfft! Lyman sprayed mead everywhere. Wegner deftly grabbed a plate to shield himself from Lyman's spray attack.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Lyman looked around, afraid someone might be listening in. Fortunately, the second floor of the tavern was empty at the moment.

He lowered his voice and warned, "With that one sentence alone, I could throw you in prison for life!"

Wegner was still smiling, but the smile had faded from his eyes. His gaze was deep and cold, his whole body like an ice sculpture carved into a smile.

"Let's be straight with each other, Minister Lutz. I've seen plenty of political infighting within the Church. The new Cardinal of Sacred Rites accuses Antonella of killing your people. Whether that accusation is true or not, at least the Tribunal believes it, right? The Tribunal and the Knights are already at each other's throats. Even if you don't make a move, Antonella will come knocking eventually. In times like these..."

He paused, letting the implication hang in the air.

Lyman caught on and finished his thought: "Whoever strikes first gets the advantage!"

"Exactly! The Tribunal must act before the Knights do. Do you know the best way to eliminate a political enemy?"

He picked up a wooden fork, snapped it in two, and tossed the pieces onto the table.

"That is to eliminate the opponent physically."

Lyman leaned back, doing a tactical recline. "The Grand Master isn't so easily defeated. Unless you've got some clever plan?"

"Of course not," Wegner said without hesitation.

"You—"

"How to kill Antonella is your problem. What I'm thinking about is what happens after she's dead."

Wegner said with an inscrutable air, "If the Grand Master were assassinated without cause, the Holy See would definitely launch an investigation. That wouldn't end well. But if we can pin a solid, undeniable crime on Antonella, then your actions become completely justified—during the Tribunal's attempt to apprehend a criminal, the criminal violently resists arrest and gets killed on the spot. Who could possibly fault you for that?"

Lyman tensed up without realizing it. "That still requires a crime. Given Lady Antonella's esteemed status, a trivial charge wouldn't be enough to make her 'execution' look justified. What crime do you plan to fabricate for her?"

"Fabricate?" Wegner looked amused.

"Have I misunderstood something?" Lyman frowned, staring at Wegner.

Wegner's expression was like someone watching a college student fail elementary math. "I'm just surprised. You haven't noticed? Haven't you been investigating the Church's top brass?"

Is that so? Lutz was investigating the Church's leadership? Lyman recalled the list he'd found in Lutz's possession—the names of high-ranking Church officials clearly listed, each marked with symbols. Lyman had never figured out what those meant. Was Wegner referring to that list?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lyman decided to play dumb to the end. That's probably what Lutz would have done too.

"You might think you've been discreet, but to someone with the right means, your actions have been quite conspicuous. It's a miracle you've survived this long. The deity watching over you must be very powerful."

If the deceased Minister Lutz had heard that, who knows what cold laugh he would have let out. Lyman laughed coldly on his behalf and said, "So, you're someone with the right means?"

Wegner gazed at him, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.

"Many people think we Truth Seekers are a bunch of madmen, but there's often only a fine line between madness and genius."

"That's a fine quote—suitable for your epitaph, if you keep speaking in riddles with me."

"I thought I'd made myself quite clear, Minister Lutz." Wegner smiled. "In the entire Dawn Church, there is only one crime that would allow the Tribunal to act first and report later, without anyone raising an objection."

Lyman slowly leaned back in his chair. Of course, such a crime did exist. Regardless of one's position in the Church, if one could be proven guilty of it, even if an Inquisitor cut off their head right in front of the Holy See, the Holy See wouldn't bat an eye.

"...The crime of heresy." Lyman said in a low voice.

Wegner's eyes lit up, looking at Lyman with the expression of a teacher proud of a teachable student.

He meant that there was no need to "fabricate" a heresy charge against Antonella—she was already a heretic?

The Grand Master of the Dawnlight Knights? The Holy See's "Divine Hand"? A heretic?

"The infiltration of heretic cults knows no bounds. The Church's high-ranking officials have long been corrupted," Wegner said.

Antonella was colluding with a heretic cult?! Which heretic cult?

First, rule out the great Lord of the Abyss, the Shadow Mentor, and the Patron of Art and Beauty. Then, among the heretic cults Lyman knew of, the only one with such far-reaching influence would be...

The Black Sun Cult?

Come to think of it, he'd always had this question. When he was imprisoned at Cape Prison as the sole survivor of the Black Sun Cult's branch, that was supposed to be a confidential matter within the Church. How did Livia know about it?

She had said to Aether: "After my brother disappeared, I asked around. My family has some connections within the Dawnlight Knights. A knight told me that during a mission, he arrested a young man with silver hair and red eyes."

Lyman was sure the Wieschard family didn't know anyone from the Dawnlight Knights. So where did Livia get her info? From Antonella?

But it was also the Dawnlight Knights who wiped out that Black Sun Cult branch—and it was Lyman's original body—unable to stomach the cult's evil—who'd personally ratted them out to the knights.

If Antonella was in cahoots with the Black Sun Cult, wasn't that a contradiction? How could she be wiping out the cult while helping Livia at the same time?

Or maybe Antonella's grip on the knights wasn't as strong as Lyman thought. The knight squad that wiped out the cult branch went in without the Grand Master's say-so, planning to strike first and beg forgiveness later. Antonella got caught flat-footed, and all she could do was tip off Livia about where Lyman had gone?

Or maybe Antonella wasn't all that tight with the Black Sun Cult—she backed Livia publicly while scheming behind the scenes?

He couldn't wrap his head around it, not one bit!

Since he couldn't crack it, he'd shelve it for now. Lyman's eyes narrowed, and he said sternly, "If we're gonna accuse the Grand Master of a crime this serious, we need hard proof! The Tribunal can't just haul someone in without evidence!"

Wegner took a casual sip of his beer and wiped the foam off his lips: "Sure, I've got evidence. But what are you willing to swap for it?"

"You got any more members rotting in jail?"

"Hahaha!" Wegner laughed. "Nope, what I want is way more important than that."

"With my authority, I'm afraid I can't give you much more than that."

"If Minister Lutz can't swing it, can't His Eminence, the Cardinal of Sacred Rites?"

Lyman stared at Wegner in silence. The head of the Truth Seekers gave a sly little blink back.

"His Eminence, the Cardinal of Sacred Rites, probably wants Antonella's head more than anybody, right? He'd jump at this deal."

"What do you want?"

Wegner leaned in and whispered in Lyman's ear: "In the underground vault of the First Sanctum, there's a real treasure. The Church calls it the 'Judgment Hammer'—a holy sword that can supposedly slice through iron like butter. I'm willing to swap the evidence of Antonella's collusion with the cult for that artifact."

Lyman gaped at Wegner, dumbfounded: "You might as well ask me to swipe the chair right out from under the Holy See's butt!"

"What would I do with a chair? I've got plenty at home."

"Mr. Wegner, your request is basically a death sentence!" Lyman fumed. "Do you have any idea how tight security is at the First Sanctum? If I had skills like that, I could off Antonella without anyone knowing and wouldn't need to go digging for evidence!"

"I know it's tough, which is why I'll help you." Wegner said, all mysterious. "If you agree to work with us, on the day of the job, my people will find a way to pull the guards away from the First Sanctum, giving you a real opening."

Lyman scoffed: "I thought you'd send ten superhumans to back me up!"

"If I had that many guys, I'd just steal it myself—why would I need a partner?" Wegner shot back.

Lyman choked back his sarcasm and his anger: "Mind telling me why you want to steal the 'Judgment Hammer'?"

"Once it's in my hands, I'll tell you."

"With that attitude, it's hard for me to sign on with you. Maybe I should just lock you up and sweat the truth out of you instead?"

Wegner smiled: "Why not go ask His Eminence, the Cardinal of Sacred Rites? Maybe he'll say yes. After all, he's the one running point on this operation."

That was anyone's guess, Lyman thought.

"I'll pass your proposal along to His Eminence the Cardinal."

Wegner got up, sliding his empty glass forward: "That'd be perfect. I'll be waiting for your good news. You know how to reach me."

With that, he gave an exaggerated bow, strode off toward the stairs, and vanished into the stairwell in a flash.

Lyman drained his honey wine and was about to pay up and leave when a burning sensation suddenly hit his palm. He knew this feeling well. He smoothly summoned the Book of the Evil God, and sure enough, a few new lines of text had shown up in his chapter.

【You have triggered a new quest: "Heresy Judgment."】

"Description: Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute betrayal. The ranks of the divine must stay pure—no betrayal allowed. (This quest may be completed with others.)"

"Objective: Purge the heretics who have abandoned the True God (0/3)."

"Reward: Unlock a new chapter of the Book of the Evil God."

"Huh?" Lyman couldn't help but make a weird noise.

What a weird quest. The Book of the Evil God wanted him to purge heretics, but who in his crew could possibly be a heretic?

Sylen had gone off the grid, Tove and Sylvira were busy building their home, and Captain Dorian was eating prison grub. None of them seemed like the type to abandon him.

Looking more closely, the quest description only said to purge heretics who had abandoned the "True God," but it didn't specify who the "True God" was. So could he purge traitors of other religions too?

For example, heretics who had abandoned the God of Dawn?

Every time the Book of the Evil God dropped a new quest before, it was because he'd run into some kind of trigger.

Today, he had just met with Wegner and learned about the Grand Master Antonella's background, which triggered the "Heresy Judgment" quest. The "heretics" in the objective surely referred to Antonella, right?

But the Book of the Evil God was asking him to purge three heretics. Besides Antonella, who else?

Lyman thought for a moment, and an answer came to him. He would have to go see Aether.

The waitress at the Green Dragon Tavern shuffled over, gathered up the empty glasses, and asked in a bored voice, "Would you like anything else?"

Lyman shook his head.

"Please settle the bill—twelve silver coins." She spotted the remains of the wooden fork. "Sixteen silver coins, you'll need to pay for the fork."

Lyman: "..."

Wegner, I'll remember this!

*

Late at night. Starlight spilled over the summit of Mount Galgag, and the pristine First Sanctum emitted a soft, clear glow, like a diamond crown atop the mountain.

In the private chambers reserved solely for the Cardinal of Sacred Rites, Aether knelt before the bed, elbows resting on the mattress, hands clasped against his forehead, engaged in his customary pre-sleep prayer.

"O most high God of Dawn, source of all light, Your eyes survey the heavens. I do not ask for immediate daylight, only for a heart that will not be swallowed by darkness. For You have promised: everything that falls shall rise again..."

He suddenly stopped, because out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something moving in the pocket of his white robe hanging on the coat rack.

He looked over warily and saw a little straw effigy struggling to wave its tiny arms and legs, trying to climb out of the pocket.

...This thing could actually move.

Suppressing his shock, Aether reached out and pulled the little straw effigy out.

Then something even more astonishing happened. This thing, which clearly had no mouth, somehow emitted the voice of Mr. Shadow: "Is it convenient for you to talk right now?"

Aether quickly rose, opened the window, and checked the surroundings. His chambers were in a secluded palace, and the guards were wise enough to keep their distance, lest the sound of patrol footsteps disturb the Cardinal's rest.

He closed the window: "Go ahead."

"About killing Antonella," the little straw effigy said, "I have an idea."