Ex opened his mouth.
Not many people were surprised by that.
At most, Darius and Beatrice were.
But right now, the silence of those two alone was enough.
"I stand before you today as a citizen of the Empire and a devout follower of the Goddess Deuslute. I pray for the peace and prosperity of the Empire, and I have always offered my unwavering faith to the Goddess."
Those were hardly the words one would expect from a man who had been branded a demon worshiper only moments ago.
Naturally, the crowd dismissed it as nothing more than a shameless excuse.
Ex didn't care.
He simply posed a question to the people staring at him with open distrust.
"I ask all of you this. Do you want me to be a demon worshiper, or do you want me to be a devout believer?"
It was a strange question.
An answer born of raw emotion rose all the way to the crowd's lips, but reason barely managed to hold it back. After all, carelessly casting doubt on the Goddess's grace was no small matter.
As the people began to waver, Beatrice realized what Ex was trying to do and cut in.
"What exactly are you trying to say? Every piece of evidence and every witness points to you being a demon worshiper. Do you intend to appeal to people's emotions and make them turn away from the truth?"
"Of course not, Imperial Princess. I'm saying that I'm innocent. A devout and upright citizen such as myself could never be some demon worshiper."
"What kind of nonsense…"
"First, allow me to explain what happened at the mansion."
Ex fell silent for a moment and glanced toward Darius.
Darius was staring back at him with a complicated expression. It seemed he still hadn't reached a final judgment concerning Ex.
Once the brief silence had drawn every eye and every shred of attention toward him, Ex spoke again.
"A banquet of demons, held so corrupt nobles could gain twisted power through wicked potions. It is true that I was there. It is also true that I was the one who opened that banquet. There is no lie in any of that."
The crowd stirred when Ex readily admitted to everything Beatrice had exposed.
Ex waited until the noise had risen enough before continuing.
"But everything I did was for the sake of the Empire. It was all part of a single operation. My objective was to capture the one behind the demonic banquet and prevent the banquet's true purpose from being fulfilled."
"Its true purpose…?"
"The potion served at that banquet was no Mana Awakening Potion. It was something far more horrifying."
"…You!"
Beatrice instantly realized what Ex was about to reveal, and fury flashed across her face.
No matter how dire the situation had become, there were certain truths one demon should never expose about another.
But Ex wasn't a demon.
"That potion was a Demonization Accelerator. It's a demonic elixir capable of turning whoever drinks it into a demon in an instant. In other words, if those nobles had drunk the potion believing it was a Mana Awakening Potion, a considerable number of demons might have been born right then and there. I don't think I need to explain what kind of catastrophe that would have unleashed upon the Empire."
The citizens held their breath at the sudden revelation.
They had never even heard of an elixir that could turn a person into a demon simply by drinking it.
There was only one response ordinary people could have to a claim so far beyond common sense, and Beatrice voiced it for them.
"Proof?"
Of course they didn't believe Ex.
A man who had been accused of demon worship only moments ago was now claiming that everything he'd done had actually been part of some grand effort to save the Empire.
No one was going to be moved by such a conveniently heroic story.
"I have none."
Unfortunately, Ex had no evidence or witnesses he could present.
The only people who could corroborate his story were Lola and Circe, and testimony from those two would be of little help here.
As for the Demonization Accelerator itself, every last drop had been absorbed into Ex's body that day.
He had nothing physical to show them.
"…"
Darius merely remained silent after hearing Ex's explanation.
That was enough.
"So now you're planning to invent excuses and lie your way out of this without a shred of evidence?"
At Beatrice's mocking words, the crowd joined in with derisive laughter.
Ex's absurd story sounded like nothing more than a desperate last struggle.
Amid that laughter, Beatrice quickly reached a decision.
'I can't let him reveal anything more.'
No one believed Ex right now, but she couldn't afford to take any more risks.
"I've heard enough. We didn't gather here to listen to nonsense and delusions. Hurry and deliver the verdict…"
"Let's hear a little more."
The one who interrupted Beatrice was Darius.
While everyone else had been laughing, he alone had remained grave. Without so much as glancing at Beatrice, he stared directly at Ex.
"Tell me everything you know. That's an order."
The laughter immediately stopped.
No one present was foolish enough to take an order from an Imperial Prince lightly.
This was exactly the reaction Ex had been waiting for.
"What I saw in the mansion's basement was enough demonic elixir for every invited guest, cages containing beasts and other creatures, and the demon who was behind the entire affair."
From the very beginning, Ex had never intended to persuade the crowd.
There was no chance of beating Andras at a battle of public opinion when she had prepared specifically to incite these people.
He only needed to convince the one person here who was capable of determining whether his words might be true.
"That demon's name is 'Andras.'"
From the start, his first objective had been to tell Darius the truth.
"…"
After hearing Ex's words, Darius's gaze briefly shifted toward Beatrice.
Even now, Beatrice merely looked down at Ex with an utterly unruffled expression.
After observing her reaction, Darius sank into thought. At last, he let out a sigh and spoke coldly.
"Is that the end of your excuse?"
It's over.
That was what the citizens thought.
Anyone could see that Ex had been desperately trying to convince Darius. Yet in the end, even Darius hadn't believed him.
Surely this was the end of Ex's futile resistance.
"There's one misconception I need to correct."
But it wasn't over yet.
"A misconception?"
This time, Ex turned toward the masked Inquisitor.
"Brother Andersen, as a bishop, you should know better than anyone here how demonic objects and the curses placed upon them affect the human soul. So allow me to ask you something."
Andersen was displeased that a mere demon worshiper had dared address him directly, but he decided to maintain his composure.
"What is it, fallen one?"
"Is it true that merely possessing an object imbued with a demonic curse can corrupt a human soul?"
"Of course. Demon Contract Scrolls are no exception. Any object carrying such a curse can corrupt the human soul at any moment."
That was precisely why cursed objects were considered taboo, and why merely possessing one was enough for a person to be branded a heretic.
Only an institution on the level of the Imperial Family could handle such things for purposes of research or containment. For an ordinary person to possess one was strictly forbidden.
"Then even the most devout believer would be abandoned by the Goddess's guidance once their soul became corrupted. Naturally, they would no longer be able to wield the miracles of divine power, correct?"
"Naturally. The Goddess grants no miracles to the fallen. People like you, for instance."
Divine power was, fundamentally, power bestowed by the Goddess through prayer.
Naturally, the moment someone worshiped demons or allowed their soul to become corrupted, all divine power would be taken from them.
Ex deliberately reminded everyone of that fact.
"Then according to you, my soul must have been corrupted simply because I possessed that object."
"Correct. You turned your back on the Goddess's guidance. Her miracles can no longer reach you."
"That's the misconception."
Andersen flinched at Ex's confident response.
His face was hidden behind the mask, but the rage in his voice made it obvious that his expression had twisted with anger.
"You dare call yourself a Brother despite your corruption, and now you would defile the Goddess with that filthy mouth?"
"Brother Andersen, answer one thing for me clearly. That supposedly wicked object, are you absolutely certain it is a Demon Contract Scroll? Is it possible you were mistaken?"
"What ridiculous nonsense…"
"Why don't you check again? You may have made a mistake."
It was an absurd suggestion.
This had gone beyond a desperate struggle. Ex sounded almost as though he'd simply given up.
Andersen had never once made an error in one of his examinations.
Knowing that better than anyone, he found Ex's behavior pathetic.
"Why should I waste my time on such a pointless exercise? Are you suggesting there was some flaw in my examination? Do you truly believe the result will somehow change if I inspect it again? Such a convenient fantasy…"
"Do it."
Darius spoke without emotion.
"It isn't as though the examination takes long. If the result truly won't change, then perform it once more in front of me. Yes. There is no harm in making absolutely certain."
"Brother Darius, that is…"
"Remember this well. The only reason you're standing here after violating the laws of this land is because my patience has yet to run out."
"…If that is your command, then I will examine it again."
At that, Beatrice's expression subtly stiffened.
For a moment, she'd thought everything was finally going her way because Darius had half given up on the matter.
Instead, that very resignation had somehow sent the situation veering in a strange direction.
'It doesn't matter. I confirmed with my own eyes that the Demon Contract Scroll is genuine.'
No matter how well it was concealed, a demon like her could never fail to sense the demonic aura flowing from the contract.
She had personally verified it before handing it over to Andersen.
There was no possibility that examining it again would produce a different result.
That was what she believed.
Right up until an almost imperceptibly faint black light flickered at Ex's fingertips.
"…H-how?"
Andersen trembled in shock as he received the Demon Contract Scroll and examined it closely.
He turned the parchment over, lifted it, folded it, unfolded it again, and inspected it over and over.
After checking it countless times, Andersen seemed to lose the ability to speak.
"Well, Brother Andersen?"
Ex leisurely addressed the speechless bishop.
"Could it be that you were mistaken after all? Calling my private cookbook a Demon Contract Scroll is a little extreme, don't you think? If secretly writing down a recipe is somehow a crime, then I suppose I have no defense…"
The parchment Andersen held contained neither demonic aura nor a wicked curse of any kind.
Far from containing anything sinister, it was nothing more than a recipe for some kind of food.
"Kimchi, a dish from my homeland, is admittedly red enough to look a little demonic, but calling a cooking recipe a Demon Contract Scroll…"
"You bastard!! What wicked trick have you used!! Have you no shame, doing such a thing before the eyes of all these people and the Goddess herself!!!"
Rather than admit what had happened, Andersen exploded in fury.
Something impossible had just occurred.
The very evidence that was supposed to definitively condemn Ex as a demon worshiper had transformed before his eyes, almost as though it were mocking him.
Beatrice took the parchment herself and examined it while everyone was distracted.
'The contents changed.'
There was no possibility that the parchment had been switched.
Which meant some kind of power had altered what was written on it.
'Demon of Lies. So this is the kind of ability he possesses.'
She immediately recognized that it had to be connected to a demon's ability.
Unfortunately, she could see no way to prove that fact right now.
Still, she didn't necessarily need proof.
She only needed to apply pressure in a way no one could ignore.
"Look carefully. This is the desperate struggle of a creature trying to escape judgment. He destroyed the evidence and altered it to make himself appear innocent. But we know…"
"What are you talking about, Imperial Princess?"
Once again, Darius interrupted her.
He merely sighed, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"You were the only ones claiming that evidence was a Demon Contract Scroll. The Imperial Family never conducted any examination of its own, and as far as I can tell, not a single person attending this trial ever confirmed with their own eyes that it was truly a Demon Contract Scroll."
"Prince Darius! Bishop Andersen is an Inquisitor, and he confirmed it under a Sacred Covenant!"
"Those are the words of a foreign bishop who entered this country illegally. From where I'm standing, it seems he simply made a mistake, exactly as Ex said. Or what?"
Darius's demeanor abruptly turned oppressive as he glared at Beatrice.
"Are you telling me I should accept evidence that was never independently verified because I'm supposed to bow to the political pressure behind some bishop? Make an argument that at least resembles reason, Imperial Princess."
"Are you seriously going to ignore the demonic trick that happened right before your eyes? Do you think the people will simply stand by and accept that?"
Beatrice intended to frame everything that had just happened as the work of a demon.
The people were still shaken and had no idea what the truth was, but that didn't mean they weren't suspicious of this sudden, inexplicable change.
"It seems you still see me as a demon. In that case, there's something I'd like to show everyone here."
Naturally, Ex wasn't about to let that suspicion go unanswered.
"Brother Andersen, you said someone with a corrupted soul cannot wield the miracles of divine power. You also said that because I kept a Demon Contract Scroll near me, my soul must have been corrupted. But you were wrong."
"What?"
"It's the exact opposite. My devout faith in the Goddess has granted me the proof I need."
Andersen flinched at Ex's confident declaration.
"Proof…?"
"Answer one thing for me clearly."
Ex finally played the card he had been saving until now.
"If, here and now, I pray for a miracle from the Goddess."
He touched one of the listings in the system's Talent Shop that he had yet to purchase.
"And if the Goddess answers my prayer and bestows Her grace upon me."
『Warning! A penalty is currently being applied to this item.
Are you sure you wish to purchase it?』
"Could you still call my soul corrupted?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Ex pressed 'Yes.'
And then it happened.
The instant his points were deducted, Ex felt his soul connect to something so distant and sacred that he could barely comprehend it.
'Please be worth the 50,000 points.'
As his soul connected to that indescribably holy presence, Ex sensed power and authority descending from it.
He brought that miracle forth at the tip of his finger.
"…How?"
"Brother Andersen. You said that if you spoke falsely, you would offer up your faith and devotion to the Goddess, didn't you? Then answer me."
Ex raised his hand slightly, making the faint light at his fingertip easier for Andersen to see.
"What does this light look like to you?"
『Divine Power Manifestation (E) purchase complete!』
That light was divine power, the very power Andersen had so confidently declared that no corrupted soul could ever wield.
–TL Notes–
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