Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 123

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 123

 

“A promise…?”

 

“High Priest, I am a very fearful person, so I worry that if my sister manages to escape the divine trial through vile methods, her vengeful heart might turn toward me. So High Priest, please make one promise with a divine oath.”

 

Though the initiative had somehow passed to Schubel, the High Priest was so blinded by the immediate profit that he didn’t even notice.

 

The small pouch filled with platinum coins made Schubel’s words no different from God’s words at this moment.

 

However, the High Priest knew the dangers of divine oaths.

 

He had accumulated many vices and neglected his prayers, causing his divine power to greatly diminish.

 

If his divine power dropped any further, he might lose his authority and have to step down from his position as High Priest.

 

And yet he had to make a divine oath that would greatly reduce his divine power if broken.

 

The moment the High Priest’s brow furrowed with suspicion.

 

“When using the Eye of Truth to interrogate Belinda Blanche three times, do not clearly ask if she is a dark mage. Just swear to God about that alone.”

 

“…Is that all?”

 

“Yes, that alone would put me at ease.”

 

Schubel smiled benevolently as he removed his hand from the pouch of platinum coins.

 

“Very well. I swear to God that I will not clearly ask Belinda Blanche whether she is a dark mage.”

 

As the High Priest made this declaration, a golden light representing divine authority flickered in his murky eyes.

 

“Then I’ll prepare the witnesses on my side. I’ll see you next in the courtroom.”

 

Having obtained the High Priest’s promise, Schubel rose from his seat without lingering.

 

Unlike when he came here, his pouch was lighter, but this was a cheap price to pay.

 

When his plan to identify the casino’s counterfeit chips failed, Schubel had no choice but to recall all chips and mint new ones with a different design for circulation.

 

Naturally, this caused enormous financial losses that made the Blanche family’s finances waver for a moment.

 

But the misfortune didn’t end there.

 

“Mother… left a letter talking about my origins?”

 

At his injured aide’s report, Schubel let out a hollow laugh.

 

If God exists, He must surely hate me terribly.

 

Otherwise, how could all the currents flow in favor of Belinda Blanche?

 

However, he thought of himself as someone who defied the fate God had set for him.

 

“I-I saw with my own eyes Lady Belinda handling ravens, magical beasts. Sh-she’s a dark mage! The young lady is a dark mage!”

 

“Come to think of it, there were various rumors. There were rumors that the young lady offered sacrifices in a blood-soaked room. Considering that…”

 

The moment he heard Mary’s accusation, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

 

‘The ability to command magical beasts. If I could frame that as the work of dark magic…’

 

Assassination attempts to kill Belinda had failed repeatedly.

 

If Belinda crossed the casino’s threshold again before recovering the finances lost due to counterfeit chips, this time it would truly be irreversible.

 

If Belinda couldn’t be killed by human power, she had to be killed even by borrowing God’s name.

 

“God’s will is incomprehensible.”

 

Long ago, when he saw Belinda awaken her ability to protect herself from magical beast attacks.

 

Schubel lost his faith in God.

 

The noble bloodline he could never obtain no matter what, and even the awakening of abilities on top of that.

 

But ironically, that chosen bloodline would strangle her neck.

 

And that day, news that Belinda Blanche had been accused of being a dark mage, arrested by holy knights, and dragged to the temple struck the Royal Capital’s social circles.

 

* * *

 

Everyone in the Royal Capital was talking about one piece of news.

 

The same was true for the nobles gathered at the equestrian club.

 

“I heard Marquess’s Daughter Blanche has to face trial immediately without even appointing a proper lawyer.”

 

“Hey, it’s not just any trial, it’s a divine trial. Lawyers are useless from the start. Do you think a divine trial is an ordinary trial?”

 

“But dark magic, really. It’s plausible yet absurd.”

 

“Wait, then what happens to the dowry? Will all of that really be returned to society?”

 

Rachel Dukoff, head of the Dukoff family, was listening to people’s conversations while tending to the leather of her saddle.

 

Belinda Blanche’s arrest two days ago.

 

And the divine trial opening tomorrow.

 

Everything was proceeding strangely fast.

 

It looked calm on the surface, but like watching a river with rapids flowing underneath.

 

‘No, the most suspicious thing isn’t that.’

 

She recalled the contents of a letter she received three days ago.

 

Late at night.

 

She didn’t know how it had been trained, but instead of a pigeon, a pitch-black raven had tapped on her room window.

 

The contents of the small note tied to the raven’s ankle were very simple.

 

I will tell you a truth that will tip your golden scales. If you have the confidence to handle it, please show yourself in the courtroom that judges me.

 

A truth that would tip the golden scales.

 

Though no sender was written, she could immediately tell it was a letter from Belinda.

 

However, what was incomprehensible was the content written in the letter. A courtroom that judges Belinda.

 

At the time, she thought it was some difficult metaphor and couldn’t understand its meaning, but soon her questions were resolved.

 

The next day, news that Belinda Blanche had been accused of being a dark mage struck the Royal Capital.

 

What was strange was that Belinda’s letter arrived one day before the accusation, as if she had foreseen the future.

 

“Hey, Count Dukoff. Will you ride the course today too?”

 

At the club member’s question, Rachel, who had been pondering briefly, shook her head.

 

“No, I have a trial I must attend tomorrow, so I need to hurry and prepare from now.”

 

* * *

 

Divine trials are conducted in the most sacred and splendid place in the Grand Temple.

 

This was because it was a place where people could directly witness God’s authority.

 

Belinda entered the Temple of Judgment, which boasted dazzlingly brilliant beauty with its incredibly high ceiling and stained glass windows on all sides.

 

As she stood on the antique platform installed in the center of the temple, dozens of gazes pierced down at her from the spectator seats that surrounded the sinner in a circle like a colosseum.

 

This was judgment rendered by God’s representative.

 

The judge was the High Priest, who could use ‘Eye of Truth,’ God’s authority to see through all lies.

 

“Defendant Belinda Blanche, listen. You have been accused of being a dark mage and stand before God as a sinner.”

 

The divine trial began with the judge’s solemn declaration.

 

Two magistrates, whose role was to investigate whether the defendant was guilty and interrogate to reveal crimes, summoned witnesses they had prepared to the courtroom one by one.

 

The most enthusiastic among them was a woman who introduced herself as Belinda’s personal maid.

 

She explained how wicked Belinda usually was and raised her voice, claiming she had clearly witnessed Belinda commanding magical beasts with her own eyes.

 

Throughout all this, Belinda remained silent and even seemed bored. As if she were watching a terrible play.

 

When all the witnesses prepared by the magistrates finished their testimony, the judge finally spoke.

 

“As God’s representative, under God’s authority to see through all lies and reveal truth, I pose three questions to the defendant.”

 

The Eye of Truth gives a person only three chances.

 

In other words, a person who received three judgments from the Eye of Truth would be free from God’s authority.

 

Therefore, the questions the judge asked the sinner after declaring the Eye of Truth always had to elicit clear and definite answers.

 

Soon the judge drew up his divine power.

 

The stained glass windows on all sides, responding to the divine power emanating from him, cast sacred rays of light that illuminated the temple’s interior as cozily as afternoon sunlight.

 

The judge, having fully savored the people’s exclamations bursting out here and there, asked Belinda.

 

“Belinda Blanche, as God’s representative I ask you. Do you command demons as your minions?”

 

Belinda looked up at the judge for the first time.

 

For a moment, something like a smile flickered across her face, which had only shown expressions as dry as a salt doll.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

Belinda gave an affirmative answer.

 

The Eye of Truth immediately discerned the black and white of her words.

 

“It is the truth.”

 

The Temple of Judgment became tumultuous.

 

“Good heavens, she commands demons!”

 

“How could she commit such heinous acts!”

 

Belinda paid no heed to the people’s shock and still looked straight up at the judge as she spoke.

 

“Before receiving the second question, I have a rebuttal to make.”

 

“…Permission granted.”

 

“I do command demons as my minions, but this is by no means the result of black magic. It is merely a byproduct of my ability.”

 

“How is an ability to command demons any different from black magic!”

 

One of the magistrates standing on either side of the judge shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment.

 

At this sight, Belinda twisted the corner of her mouth.

 

The Blanche Family’s ability was remarkable enough to be recorded in the ability registry, but it wasn’t particularly well-known among people.

 

This was because no ability awakener had been born in the past 100 years.

 

‘No, what do you mean 100 years. Since Adelia Blanche hid her ability awakening, it’s been nearly 150 years since this ability was forgotten from people’s memories.’

 

Yet a high priest who wasn’t even a citizen of the Kingdom of Jenos immediately denied it without even asking what kind of ability it was. He must have been bribed by Schubel.

 

‘In 【Hirome】, the temple wasn’t corrupted to this extent. Did Giuseppe root out corruption when he took office as High Priest?’

 

With such somewhat carefree thoughts, Belinda continued speaking.

 

“Judging that would be the main focus of this sacred trial. And it seems everyone present has one misunderstanding.”

 

Belinda leisurely surveyed the gallery arranged in a circle.

 

Spotting Schubel among them, Belinda opened her mouth as if mocking him.

 

“The Blanche Family’s ability is to make contracts with otherworldly beings and command them. Accordingly, my ability is to command fairies, not to command demons.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————