Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 85

“…Ma, Magic Tower, you say? I, I have no idea what Giuseppe is talking about…”

“Of all things, selling information to the Magic Tower. How truly unfortunate. Isn’t that right, Marquess of Marshan?”

The Marquess of Marshan, suddenly singled out, nodded awkwardly with a strangled expression.

“Th, that’s right. How dare he try to deceive the Temple… To commit such a grave sin.”

“How regrettable that you knew it was a sin. If you understood that, why did you deceive the Temple and collect tolls from the pilgrims who came here to see the ‘White-Robed Saint’? And under the pretext of donations to the Temple, extorting money from them—the nature of your crime is particularly vile.”

“Th, that is…”

“The relics of the ‘White-Robed Saint’ are known to warm the temperature within their radius. The climate of Porbett Village proves this. Yet to steal the relic and plan to create some new tourist attraction. I was deeply impressed that relics could be used in such a manner.”

“…”

The Marquess of Marshan could say nothing. He could only bow his head, avoiding Giuseppe’s penetrating gaze.

In the midst of the suffocating silence, Belinda spoke for the first time.

“This is the most pathetic dinner I’ve ever attended.”

Giuseppe’s gaze turned to her.

She looked back at Giuseppe without hiding her irritated expression.

“Do you plan to say the same thing to me? That I stole because I coveted some measly relic?”

“That is not the case.”

“When I want something, I pay for it, no matter the cost. If I had coveted the relic, I would have purchased this entire estate to make it mine.”

“The reason I invited you to this dinner is…”

Giuseppe closed his mouth for a moment, then held back his words. He seemed deeply hesitant about whether he should say this.

“You smell like an unbeliever. It’s as if I’m looking at someone who has touched the forbidden. That’s why I invited you. You fit well with this group of sinners.”

Depending on how one heard it, those words could sound light or heavy as a mountain.

The Temple called those who didn’t believe in God, or those who had dabbled in dark magic, unbelievers.

The former couldn’t be punished, but the latter could be executed on the spot.

When Belinda closed her mouth as if his words weren’t worth answering, a funeral-like silence fell.

Only Mellio was rolling her eyes uncertainly when Giuseppe suddenly clapped lightly and changed the atmosphere.

“Unfortunately, everything I’ve said here tonight lacks evidence. Therefore, I cannot arrest any of you as criminals.”

“Th, then you’re saying you treated me like a criminal without any evidence?”

The Marquess of Marshan was quick to calculate.

He quickly managed his expression, dramatically pushed back his chair and stood up, veins bulging in his neck.

“How can a priest act so recklessly! Just as the Marquess’s Daughter said, this is truly an unpleasant dinner. I shall take my leave now. Good grief.”

Starting with the Marquess of Marshan fleeing the scene, the courier also quietly stood up.

Belinda, who had become the last guest, moved her lips toward Mellio but ultimately said nothing and left.

The dinner table after all the guests had departed.

Mellio, who had barely managed to exhale the breath she’d been holding, spoke with a pale face.

“Giu, Giuseppe, is all of this true? Is there a criminal among them?”

“Otherwise, why would I have prepared such a dinner?”

“Then, could you make a divine oath?”

Giuseppe hesitated and looked back at Mellio.

A divine oath meant that when priests made any promise or vow, they called upon God as their witness.

It wasn’t merely a verbal expression—if priests broke what they had declared to swear to God, their divine power would be diminished as consequence.

Therefore, priests didn’t casually speak of divine oaths.

When Giuseppe didn’t readily answer, Mellio, realizing she had acted too anxiously, added in an apologetic tone.

“All three of them have extraordinary backgrounds. The Marquess of Marshan and the Marquess’s Daughter are nobles of the Kingdom, and Iden’s matter could escalate into full-scale war with the Magic Tower if handled carelessly. Every matter is serious, so I simply want to act prudently.”

“Indeed. I fully understand that sentiment.”

“Then Giuseppe, no, Your Eminence the Cardinal. Would you speak a divine oath to give me certainty? With Your Eminence’s support, I feel there would be nothing to fear.”

Normally, a priest on pilgrimage wouldn’t reveal their identity even to fellow priests.

However, in the serious situation of the relic’s disappearance, Giuseppe had no choice but to reveal his identity to Mellio.

Yet to speak of his identity so carelessly.

Giuseppe gazed at Mellio with eyes as cold as metal.

But that raw stare was soon hidden behind a gentle smile, leaving no trace.

“Of course, Mellio. There is a criminal among those who attended tonight’s dinner. I swear to God.”

The moment he said that, a strange light briefly flickered in Giuseppe’s eyes.

With that declaration, Giuseppe had to identify one of the dinner attendees as the criminal. If only to avoid breaking his divine oath.

Finally reassured, Mellio placed her hand on her chest and caught her breath.

“Thank you, Your Eminence. Since the relic was stolen due to my carelessness, I will definitely identify the criminal and recover the relic.”

Mellio, who spoke as solemnly as if making a divine oath herself, hurriedly left the dining hall.

Only after everyone had disappeared did Giuseppe rise from his seat and stand before the large window overlooking the village.

It was a peaceful scene beautiful enough to be preserved as a painting.

However, when divinity filled Giuseppe’s eyes, everything looked different.

The power of divine sight, called the mark of receiving God’s love.

Those born with this power were so rare that even within the Holy Empire, those who knew of its existence could be counted on one hand.

The power too immense to dwell in a mere human body showed Giuseppe fragments of the future.

The future that would come to this land in over a decade.

The earth was blackened and dead, poison flowed in the air, and the only living things were demons and monsters that fed on death.

It was truly a scene fitting to be called the end of the world.

Giuseppe calmly looked around from the center of that apocalypse.

If there was any hope, anything that could prevent this tragedy.

But Giuseppe, as always, found nothing.

“There are no answers here either.”

His brain throbbed as if burning from seeing the distant future for too long.

Since the pain from using his power couldn’t be healed with divine power, Giuseppe closed his eyes and waited for the pain to subside.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Belinda following behind Mellio.

The power of divine sight could glimpse not only the broad future but also individuals’ pasts and futures.

Therefore, when Giuseppe had placed his hand on Belinda’s forehead to give his blessing, he had been able to glimpse fragments of her past.

Malice toward others and unreasonable, merciless violence.

Belinda Blanche was exactly the type of human Giuseppe despised most.

However, there was another reason she had caught his attention and been invited to tonight’s dinner.

“Your Eminence, we have stationed watchers around the residences of today’s visitors.”

Lionel, the Knight Commander who had accompanied the pilgrimage to assist the Cardinal, approached secretly and reported.

Giuseppe spoke without taking his eyes off the departing Belinda.

“Station more watchers around Belinda Blanche.”

“…Is she truly connected to dark magic?”

Lionel asked in a cautious tone.

Giuseppe had invited Belinda to the dinner because, unlike her clearly readable past, her future was obscured as if shrouded in fog.

There weren’t many who could evade God’s power.

Either they possessed divinity of higher rank than Giuseppe, or they weren’t beings belonging to this world’s fate, or they had deceived God’s eyes with dark magic.

Most cases fell into the last category.

Therefore, he suspected whether Belinda might be a dark mage.

She was the type whose expressions were hard to read, so there hadn’t been any substantial results, but at least he could use her as bait to draw out whoever stole the relic.

Giuseppe smiled gently and answered Lionel.

“It’s not certain yet. So we must find out.”

What kind of person Belinda Blanche truly is.

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