The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 185 - 12: Visitor (2)_3

Chapter 185: Chapter 12: Visitor (2)_3

"Fine, suit yourself." Black Cat shrugged helplessly.

After sending out the letter, Gray once again threw himself into the reform and trials of the Cardinal Court.

The reforms had yet to even make it onto the agenda, and as for the trials in the Cardinal Court, they were nothing short of a messy ledger. At first, the cardinals stubbornly denied their wrongdoings, shielding one another and even claiming they had been framed. The supposed framers were, of course, clearly pointing to Gray. Naturally, such sophistry was completely useless. As time went by, Jones began to crack open one hole after another, uncovering all kinds of unbelievable evidence. Soon after, the cardinals shifted from mutual protection to mutual incrimination, desperately hoping to reduce their own sentences. Piles of evidence were laid out on Gray’s desk, leaving even the typically detached Gray completely stunned.

This group of men—they could be said to have committed every imaginable disgraceful act.

The personal desires that violated church doctrines in private weren’t even worth mentioning; they formed a substantial heap, countless in number. At the very least, those were relatively minor infractions, not causing harm to others.

Looking at bigger offenses, there was an endless list of instances where they helped powerful families oppress smaller ones, exploited commoners to gain improper profits.

These were still matters of private greed. For political purposes, acts such as covering up crimes and distorting the truth were equally prevalent. One notable example was their abandonment of intervention in the Isaac Royal Family and their decision to cease protecting Bob—actions exchanged for Benedict II’s approval of religious reforms. The most recent example was their covert agreement with the Gustav Empire, where the cardinals secretly ordered the destruction of all evidence unfavorable to the Gustav Royal Family, followed by forcibly incorporating the Lorand Islands into the Gustav Empire.

"My God, how could they do such a thing?" Gray was dumbfounded.

Undoubtedly, these revelations had an immense impact on Gray. At one point, he even felt these cardinals should all be executed immediately, without the need for trials.

From an initial shock, to numbness, to finally just wanting to investigate further and see what else could be unearthed. If it weren’t for subsequently discovering some acts of virtue—like cardinals adopting large numbers of orphans, funding schools out of their own pockets, or risking their lives to mediate conflicts between nations—Gray might have outright announced the dissolution of the Cardinal Court.

Alright, the cardinals were not only engaged in wrongdoing; they also performed acts of good, and not in small quantities. On the whole, they weren’t saints. At best, they were merely human—with a good side and a bad side. In terms of normal human standards, they might even be considered respectable. But unfortunately, they wore the halo of being cardinals. In Gray’s eyes, this meant they could no longer be judged using ordinary human standards.

Meanwhile, sensing the shifting dynamics, ten of the Southern Seventeen Countries close to Gray sent letters expressing their support for him. Then, one month after Gray had fully taken control of Church Court Mountain, in August of Holy Calendar 10757, Gray received a second letter from Emperor Gustav.

"Honorable Holy Knight: Two friends have arrived at Gustav’s imperial capital. I hear you are pursuing them. Yes, I am referring to the two cardinals who ’went missing’ from the Church. They are currently visiting as guests in my Imperial Palace. They’ve informed me of some startling news, which I find deeply surprising. For this reason, I firmly believe you should come immediately and personally explain what has happened on Azlan Mountain. Note my use of the word ’immediately.’ It matters not whether you have other more pressing affairs. Signed: Gustav and Lorand Islands’ ruler, Emperor endorsed by the Holy Spirit, Protector of the Northern Boundary of the Holy Sect, Arbiter, Heir of the Holy Sword, Cedric V."