The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1682 473: The Distance Between Faith and Legend_5

"... The enthusiasm among the people is high; they are deeply grateful for the mercy of His Holiness the Pope and are tearfully thankful for the order and food you've brought. As long as a little more time passes, those rumors about Witch Caren will dissipate completely."

"Good." Himenes nodded, feeling satisfied with the restructuring of Twilight City.

The only blemish was the Campbell people.

The subordinate swallowed nervously and cautiously added.

"It's just... the army of the Campbell Duchy seems not to have exerted full effort in eradicating the remnants of the 'Salvation Army.' According to the evidence we've gathered, it is precisely because of the leniency from the Campbell people and the Sword Saint that allowed Holy Maiden Carian and her servants to escape into the Ten Thousand Ridges Mountain Range."

Himenes nodded expressionlessly, this time saying nothing, his inscrutable gaze revealing no emotion.

The Sword Saint is not easy to deal with.

His legend has been spread by the Church as a positive exemplar, which itself is a testament to the Rhode Kingdom's religious piety.

Moreover, they still need this watchdog to guard the Brass Pass, where few nobles are willing to go.

As for the Campbell family...

That is the Holy City's recognition of the Ryan people's piety, and the Judicial Court is indeed not easy to handle; to deny the Light of Praise would be to deny the holy battle against the Demon King, and thus to deny themselves.

The sword of the Judicial Court is invincible when facing "rootless duckweed," but when dealing with those within the same system, it must be exceedingly careful.

They are all melons on the same vine, a slight misstep could sever their own artery, leading to unexpected troubles.

They are here to cut through the Gordian knot swiftly, not to create more problems.

The subordinate dared not speak further and bowed out.

It seemed he finally awaited his turn, watching the departing black-cloaked warrior; Court Manager Skylar emerged from the side corridor.

He first saluted Himenes respectfully, then spoke with a worried tone, inadvertently mentioning the King's fears.

"Your Excellency, Grand Referee, if I may speak frankly, I always felt... the Campbell family's fervor towards God seems to have waned."

Seeing the Referee Chief ignore him, Skylar paused, gritted his teeth, and spoke forcefully.

"I do not wish to suspect our heroes with the vilest of intentions, but certain people seem to have forgotten whose servants they are. For instance, in this war, I've heard the Campbell people boast of their bravery, crediting their victory to Princess Aileen and Prince Edward... yet I've not heard the names of the King and the Church!"

"I am not saying they must thank us, but they have lost the respect due to the King. It's as if their Strength is not bestowed by the King and the Holy Light, but by their own people... it's a complete reversal of Heaven and Earth!"

This statement made Himenes furrow his brow.

Seeing his expression, a trace of delight surfaced in the heart of old Skylar.

As long as the Judicial Court set its sights on the Campbell family, those increasingly inflated nouveau riche would cease to covet the King's title.

Just then, the crisp clash of Armor sounded at the grand hall entrance, and Erin Campbell walked in, dusty from travel.

She had previously left Twilight City for a visit to Jing Shui Beach Territory, now controlled by the Campbell Army, and had just returned to this city bathed in Holy Light once more.

Ignoring Skylar, that loyal yet stubborn old dog, she walked straight to Himenes, green eyes burning with fury.

"Your Excellency, Grand Referee! I demand an explanation!"

"Bold!" The black-cloaked Guard at her side glared at her angrily, hand already resting on his sword.

Himenes raised his hand, signaling the guard not to mind but turned to face Erin, speaking coldly.

"What explanation do you need?"

Erin stared at him unflinchingly, gritting her teeth as she spoke.

"I do not oppose you hunting down the remnants of the Green Forest Army, but why involve innocent villagers?! Do you know what you're doing?"

"Of course we know, we are purging the corruption of Chaos."

Facing Erin's questioning, Himenes' voice remained icy and unwavering.

"And, we have not implicated any innocents; your accusations are unfounded. Each person we arrested has evidence of having once participated in the Green Forest Army, each death sentence approved by the Judicial Court. I acknowledge that among them are inevitably the wronged, but sometimes to right the wrong, one must err on the side of excess, lest Chaos re-emerge... This is the necessary evil permitted by the Holy Word Book."

"The locals may fear now, but soon, they will thank us for the true peace we've brought." He drew a cross on his chest, seemingly thanking himself on behalf of the locals in advance.

Or perhaps, he did so intentionally to provoke someone.

Erin's eyes widened, for a moment unable to retort against such cold twisted logic, shoulders trembling in anger.

She could hardly believe...

This Priest from the Holy City could utter such words!

Compared to Prince Colin from the same Holy City, this hypocrite seemed akin to a maggot born in the Hell Demon City!

Skylar beside her bowed his head, not daring to meet Erin's gaze, his conscience fiercely clashing with his loyalty to the King.

At this moment, Himenes suddenly squinted, his muddled gaze landing on Erin's head.

If he remembered correctly, the Campbell family was supposed to have blonde hair.

This imagery appeared not only in widely circulated epics but also a corner of the murals in Saint Clement Cathedral.

Previously, his presbyopia didn't perceive clearly, now he saw it, it was clearly a head of silver-white like the bright moon—

"What's going on with your hair?"