The tension in the room reached its peak when Sylvester started tapping the floor with the tip of the dagger. "Answer me, Cardinal."

The Cardinal looked nervous and gulped his saliva. He seemed nervous and hesitant while telling this, which made no sense as he had revealed so much. "I-I do not wish to put his life in danger, my lord."

"You have nothing to fear here, Cardinal. Your secrets are safe with us, so go ahead and tell me everything." He assured.

"I… I…" The Cardinal slowly made up his mind. "He's alive, Lord Bard. The witch didn't know that my two subordinates were, in reality, twins. In fact, most of the clergymen in the Monastery didn't know that, as the two men had little to no contact with anything outside my office. The man she killed was the wrong one. The real one I have kept hidden for I know he'd be dead if found out."

"Not just coercion, rape, sabotage but also murder now. I'm not surprised, but the fate of that woman is sealed now. She's going to die soon enough." Sylvester said, comforting the man. "But why didn't you run away, your eminence? I'm sure you could have found many ways to do so. You are the highest clergyman in the Duchy."

"I can't." Cardinal Cornelius held his chest and clenched the robes tightly. "That Witch has put some dark creature inside me—some sort of a worm that has clenched my heart. It's called Heart Eater Vine, a rarity from the lands of Vampires in Beastaria. I have no idea how she got it, but I know that if I were to go a certain distance away from the castle, my heart would be crushed."

Sylvester didn't reply and silently tried to think if he could do something. He wondered if his light would help since the creature was supposed to be darkness related.

"Please help me, my lord. That woman does not even hide anything. She comes to my bedroom, uses me, and orders me. If I don't, she threatens to call the guards and have my head for raping her. She's a demoness—she deserves nothing but a painful death."

Sylvester rubbed his chin. "Hmm, if they killed you now, I'd call the entire Inquisition. But worry not, I will try to get you out of this place soon. But first, I need to solve this murder mystery because if I kill the witch now, we'd likely never reach the end of it. Is the Duke also compromised?"

"No! That bastard! He's using the witch instead. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. The Duke wishes to use her less-than-holy methods to get to the throne and become stronger. Meanwhile, the Duke provides a safety umbrella for the witch to keep practising—I know not what else they have exchanged. This was all that the Witch revealed to me on one of the nights."

"Hmm, strange. I almost felt they actually loved each other," Sylvester muttered.

"They likely do at this point, my lord. You mix dirt; it remains dirt. They are like one another, so I believe their love is also true." The Cardinal added.

Thud!

Isabella fell to her knees and cried while pressing her mouth with her palms. She was probably broken as this was a reality check that her family, whom she saw in a good light, was not that nice. This was a lesson for her, teaching her how to look at the world. Not everything is what appears from the outside. Sometimes, vile-looking men like Bishop Lazark turn out to have a heart of gold, and handsome men like Duke Daemon turn out to be actual demons.

Lady Aurora quickly sat down and hugged her while patting her back. But Sylvester didn't bother addressing her.

"You are after that murderer because of Sir Dolorem, correct?" Cardinal Cornelius asked, eyeing Sylvester.

'How does he know Sir Dolorem? The man is a simple inquisitor with not much fame.'

Cardinal seemed to realise the suspicions, so he explained. "Bishop Charles told me what occurred in the Green City. He wrote to me, worrying about the safety of Sir Dolorem.""How do you know Sir Dolorem?" Sylvester asked.

"We all started in the same Unit as Sir Dolorem, Unit 109. We were all rookies with not much real-world experience. But Sir Dolorem was a tough and thoughtful man from the beginning. A man who once decides something never wavers, even if the cost is his own well-being. He was like a big brother to all those in Unit 109. He once saved me from a venomous snake under the effect of a demon's aura. Sir Dolorem got bit while protecting me—he spent a whole month unconscious, fever high enough to kill a horse. But he came out stronger than before. You don't know, but the man is more respected than I among the Inquisitors, haha."

Sylvester chuckled, agreeing that Sir Dolorem was indeed that kind of a man. A senseless fool who did not value his own life in Sylvester's eyes, but that was also why Sylvester trusts and cherishes that man.

"I never knew he had friends in such high places, your eminence." He said in amazement.

"Oh, there are many more. Sir Dolorem was gifted with experience, skills and mind, but sadly not in Solarium. His talents didn't allow him to rise in the ranks of clergymen, but he certainly enjoyed life as last I heard, he got married and now has a son too." The Cardinal was all smiles and smelled of truthfulness and happiness while talking about Sir Dolorem.

Sylvester had sad news, though. "You seem to not be updated, your eminence. But, some years back, his wife and son were killed—murdered, in fact. In a riot instigated by two men fighting to become the chief of the town."

Cardinal's shoulders fell. "Did he get justice?"

"I'm afraid not. But please do nothing, for I have promised him vengeance with his own hands. For now, he rests in the Holy Land, blinded due to an injury to his head. And I have vowed to not only bring him the eyes of the culprit but also heal him. That is why I am here… and ask for your help." Sylvester asked with genuine feelings. But he also had something to offer.

"I also might have a way to fix your situation, but that will require me to open your chest and see your beating heart so I can shine my light on the dark, vile creature. So, I ask you to wait until I have caught the culprit. After that, I will heal you before killing that witch."

The Cardinal was smart and thoughtfully agreed. The man understood that if the surgery was done now, he wouldn't be able to stand up due to the wounds. "Agreed, my lord. But I am coming to my wits' end trying to survive. You have no idea how hard I had to try to get those Knights of the Holy Army to come as disguised clergymen."

"What I need, Cardinal, is the background of that witch. Can you look into it?" Sylvester requested.

"Certainly—I already know she's from the Sand Continent in the south. These days, when she tries to use me on the bed, I ask a few questions while she's ecstatic. It has worked over time. Hopefully, it will be the same now."

But Sylvester knew it was too dangerous. "As a safety measure, if she ever tries to kill you, simply tell her that now I know about her actions, as does Lady Aurora. If you died now, that would call forth the entire wrath of the Holy Land. First on her, then on the entire Gracia Family."

"W-Won't that put you in danger?" The Cardinal asked in genuine worry.

Smelling it, Sylvester appreciated the man. But he shrugged, remembering the Shadow Knight was still after him. "I have faced worse, your eminence. The witch also likely knows her limits, as she didn't try anything funny with me in the castle—but went after my second in command. I saved him, thankfully."

"May the Lord enlighten us! That witch needs to die." Cardinal slammed his fist on the table.

"She will. For now, let's return you to the Monastery. I will start other work on my end. The Lord Inquisitor needs to know about your situation." He stood up and took a glance at Isabella."Take some crusaders with you." Lady Aurora suggested, remaining behind with the Princess to help her.

Sylvester didn't bother replying and moved out. They got on his horse, and he called one of his commanders with five men to surround them. After that, they calmly made their way back.

"How many little snakes live in the town?" Sylvester asked.

"Many, almost under every rock you may pick."

Sylvester nodded and looked left and right. He could sense many scents, many of them hostile or scared of him. 'I wonder if they are even followers of Solis. I hope they are, or this entire town will soon be torched.'

"Ah, can we stop there? I was supposed to inspect that street. There are words that a lot of orphans have taken over that street and are loitering there." The Cardinal stopped his horse suddenly and pointed at a small backstreet. It looked unkempt and dirty.

"Sure, your eminence." He agreed and soon unmounted the horse.

He, the Cardinal and the six crusaders enter the unkept small street. It was behind the lines of shops and houses. The buildings looked rundown in this part of the town, and inside the street, the sunlight was blocked due to twin-story buildings with their tiled rooftops.

"I took on the task of rehabilitating the orphans of this street a few weeks ago, but sadly, the more I help, the more appear out of nowhere." The Duke roamed around, showing various spots where he saved some kids.

Even during the day, they could find a few older kids sleeping near the edge of the walls, as if dead, in their dirty, torn clothes. There were at least ten of them in the street.

Sniff! Sniff!

Suddenly, Sylvester smelled something, it was the scent of emotions. 'What's this? Fear, jealousy, sadness and hope combined? What's with this strange combination?'

"Haaaaa! Die!"

Instantly, all crusaders unsheathed their swords and aimed to strike. Everyone turned around.

But, they calmed down as the scene was too absurd.

Finally, Commander Eros rubbed his beard and asked Sylvester. "My lord, should we kill her?"

Sylvester amusedly looked at the frail little girl running towards him with a small knife pointed at him. She appeared young, likely ten years old. She shockingly had golden eyes; untidy, dirty blond hair, and a large sack with holes for her arms and neck for her clothes. Her face was scowling as she screamed.

"I will kill you!"

Sylvester chuckled and folded his arms as he smelled no danger. "She has got to be the worst assassin the world has ever seen. She's still a good twenty metres away from us."

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GT = 1 Bonus chapter.

Super Gift = 1 Bonus chapter.

APE TOGETHER STRONG!