I Became The Pope, Now What?-Novel

"What?" Sylvester was speechless. "I only sent him to get the reports. Why would he kill three clergymen? And where is he kept?"

"I don't know, Max. I only saw him being taken in a prisoner transport carriage. I stopped them and questioned them for their actions myself. This is bad, Max! They will kill him without blinking an eye. He killed a Bishop from Administration." Felix spoke nonstop.

Sylvester remained calm, however. Having been through abrupt life-threatening situations had taught him to be calm in all conditions. But that didn't mean he didn't feel any headaches. In fact, he was seething in anger.

"Zeke is too simple-minded to kill someone for no reason, not to mention he's extremely docile. If he attacked someone, then he must have a big reason. He's my underling, and if they wish to hurt him, they must first investigate everything. Come with me." Sylvester walked towards the stairs.

He didn't ask the Inquisitor High Lord for any help, however. He knew better not to rely on such overpowered beings as that might reduce his image in their minds. However, he could feel that Inquisitor High Lord was going to do his own investigation later.

Rushing, Sylvester only informed his mother that an emergency had arrived and he had to go. He didn't tell her about Zeke yet as that could produce a lot of anxiety, which could be bad for her health.

After that, he mounted his horse and galloped towards the prison cells of the Holy Marshals. It was the nearest facility to the gates where the unruly visitors were kept.

Sylvester arrived at the gates of the walled prison and tried to enter. However, the guards there barred him from doing so.

"It's late in the evening, Lord Bard. Please come back tomorrow morning."

But Sylvester didn't budge and glared right into the man's eyes. "If I come back tomorrow, and my subordinate who has been arrested here—dies—Will you pay for it with your neck? If you say you will, I shall leave."

Sylvester was only trying to stall, however. He had sent Miraj inside to check the condition of Zeke already.

The guard started to shiver in fear after Sylvester's warning. He turned pale and looked at his partner at his side.

Sylvester patted the man's shoulder. "Brother in faith, I am not your enemy nor here to harm you. I am here to take the initial statement of Sir Zeke. You see, he's an extremely talented man, but sadly, god made him a little slower in mind. So, he must be very confused, like a small child in an unknown place. That man is loved by Solis, and I'm sure you don't want to anger the lord."

Religion was the easiest way of manipulating and scaring someone. Sylvester was a master at using it to his advantage by now.

Woosh!

Just then, Miraj returned from inside and jumped back onto his shoulder to whisper. 'Maxy! They're beating poor Zeke.'

Sylvester clenched his fist and started walking inside, followed by Felix. This time, the guards didn't stop him.

Miraj showed him the way, while Sylvester didn't bother with any marshal trying to shout and stop him. Instead, he just shoved them to the side and entered with no care.

Soon, he climbed down the stairs and arrived at the basement level, where rows upon rows of prison cells were visible. Each one of them was full of people, primarily commoners who had dared commit a crime or make trouble. Most of them were only going to spend a night there.

Sylvester didn't stop and walked to the end of the long corridor.

Bam!

Bam!

Sylvester's eyes glowed in gold as he saw five men beating Zeke, who was hung from the ceiling, his hands tied with metal chains.

"Raise another hand, and I will ensure you lose it." Sylvester boomed from outside the cell. "Who ordered you to beat him? Who ordered you to commit such heresy?"

The five men turned around and saw Sylvester. Of course, they recognised him due to his looks. No other man was as widely known to have blond hair and golden eyes in the Holy Land.

"He's a filthy murderer! He deserves nothing but this!" They argued.

Sylvester moved forward.

Bzzz…!

A long, shining blade of solidified light appeared on Sylvester's fist. He slashed it at the gate's lock like a hot knife on butter. It easily opened, allowing him to enter.

"Are you the judge now? Do you know why he killed the Bishop? Do you know what happened? If you do, then show me the proof. If not, then get ready to face the repercussions." Sylvester argued.

He ignored them and helped Zeke get down from the hold. Zeke's tunic was removed, and his torso was full of bruises by now. On his face, multiple wounds from punches were apparent, including a swollen eye and a broken nose.

"Now go and bring me water. Do not disturb me either. I shall be legally representing him and must record his statement. Any further physical violence caused to him will also be met with full scrutiny." Again, he threatened them, this time legally.

Of course, they didn't want any trouble as they were just a few simple prison guards. So they left silently.

Sylvester took out a few Solarium Crystals and minor healing potions to feed him. "What happened, Zeke? I only sent you to bring me the gate report. Why did you kill a Bishop?"

Sylvester could feel sadness, fear and confusion from Zeke. It was understandable as Zeke was likely unable to realise what wrong he did, as he probably did what he did from the goodness of his heart.

"I help the woman… I saved her." Zeke answered.

Sylvester patted his shoulder. "Zeke, no need to be sacred. I stand with you, but if you want me to help you, you must first tell me everything in great detail. Tell me all you did and saw from the moment you went out to get the report from the gates."

Felix also sat on Zeke's other side and patted his shoulder. "Don't be scared, buddy. You're a mighty knight."

Zeke finally felt some confidence and started. "First, I completed my work at School of Dawn and left sister Isabella at home. Then, I went to the gate to take the report. But, when I was halfway, I heard a woman shouting for help.

"At school, they said I should always help the needy. So I wanted to do that. But, when I arrived, I saw the Bishop and two Archpriests hurting her inside a stagecoach. I heard them saying that they would help her pray at M… Magn… Magna Sanctum if she did as they wished. She was crying and fighting them, but they didn't listen and even beat her. There was also a little boy shouting for his mother from outside.

"I didn't like the cries of the child, so I opened the stagecoach's door and asked them to stop. But they tried to cast magic on me or pick swords. S-So I stabbed my sword into their necks and backs. After that, I saved the lady, covered her body with my cloak and dragged the three bad men out. Then, some people came and brought me here."

Sylvester glanced at Felix as they understood what had likely happened there.

"They must have dared to take advantage of her helplessness and enticed her for a faster entry in return for certain favours that she didn't want to give. You did nothing wrong, Zeke. But where are that woman and her kid now?" Sylvester inquired, as that was the crucial evidence for proving Zeke's innocence.

"I… I don't know, my lord."

Sylvester rubbed his chin in frustration. 'I must find the mother and son before someone tries to put this mess under the rug. But I need something for tomorrow's initial trial too.'

"Sir Zeke, here, eat more Solarium Crystals and be healthy here. Just wait for me, and I will fix everything. Don't start a fight with the guards either, and if they try to hurt you, just tell them about me. Also, when you are presented to the judge tomorrow, you must tell the truth. All that you saw." Sylvester ordered him.

Zeke diligently nodded and vowed to do so.

Sylvester then stood up and decided to go out and look for clues.

…

The Next Day

In the early morning, Zeke was taken to the judge in the Administrative building of the Holy Land. There, an Archbishop was presiding over the case and scrutinising all the details.

As many of Sylvester's supporters had come to see the trial, the small hall was packed. The judge's table was at one end, while Sylvester's was opposite the judge's. The spectators could also watch from farther behind. But what caught Sylvester's eye was that two Cardinals from the Supreme Council were also among the spectators.

'Hmm… What's their connection to this case? Could it be that Bishop was their underling?' Sylvester wondered and silently listened to the Judge.

"The case is clear. Sir Zeke has also confessed to killing the three clergymen. So what's there to defend, Lord Bard? Why waste the Holy Court's time?" The old, white-bearded Judge asked Sylvester.

Sylvester stood up. "Your Grace, I understand your sense of urgency as the caseload has increased significantly. But we should not take this matter lightly. What Sir Zeke spoke about, if the assault on a pilgrim did happen—Done by a Bishop and two Archpriests under the false pretence of help—We must get to the bottom.

"Because it's not the demons or the non-believers who hurt the faith the most. No, it's these heathens who sit in the house of god and commit the sin of the devil. So, I request the court to allow me to investigate and look for the woman and her son. Give me a few days, and I shall present them in the court." Sylvester requested after a short speech.

The Judge sighed and tiredly wrote. "Fine, I'll give you one week. Sir Zeke will be held under house arrest until then. Since you are already a Sanctum Inspector, I see no problem in appointing you to investigate and bring me non-biased facts. As you said, I may seem impatient, but if what Sir Zeke said is true, then be it ten, hundred or a thousand—I shall sign the death certificates of all the heathens!"

Sylvester bowed his head. "May the holy light enlighten us!"

With that, the first hearing came to an end. But Sylvester had a massive grin on his face. He walked over to Zeke and patted his shoulder. "You are to live in my house for the coming seven days, understood?"

"What about you? How will you find the woman in the huge Holy Land?" Felix asked him, as he was also a Sanctum Inspector.

The grin on Sylvester's face only intensified as he glanced at the two Cardinals who voted against him in the council. "That's the easy part. But, my friend… With this Holy Court's permission, I can freely investigate nearly all locations in the Holy Land… I wouldn't be surprised if I were to 'mistakenly' find something incriminating against a few 'important' people. I also have a hunch that someone very high, right in this room, is related to this."

Felix's jaw well as he noticed the two Cardinals. "D-Did you plan all this?"

Sylvester denied it immediately. "Zeek's actions? Not at all. But when the heads of my enemies are falling on my sword, why should I remove the blade? On the contrary, I'd rather utilise that opportunity and sharpen the edges."

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