Translator: Cinder Translations
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Amid growing anxiety, the Gabella Imperial Guards rushed into the church. The people inside had no time to react, and amid the terrified shouts, loud scolding, and various other noises, the soldiers blocked all exits and began searching every room of the church.
Soon, Archbishop Whitman, who presided over the Gabella Church, appeared. He stood tall, projecting an air of authority, but instead of anger, he spoke in a disdainful tone, questioning the soldiers as to who gave them the courage to desecrate this holy place.
Because of his usual authority, the Imperial Guard soldiers did not show disrespect to him. However, when General Anbolov appeared, he immediately ordered the soldiers to chain the Archbishop.
The soldiers, obeying the orders of their superior, moved forward with the chains.
"Have you gone insane?!" After the cold shackles were placed on his hands, Whitman lost his earlier composure and struggled in disbelief.
He was the Archbishop in charge of a vast diocese, the emperor ruled the material world, and he ruled the spiritual world. Who would dare disrespect him?
However, the events unfolding was nothing but a nightmare for Whitman, and despite his privileged position, he could not resist the powerful Imperial Guards, who overpowered him, forcing him to repeatedly shout, "You are all insane!"
Anbolov stepped in front of him and sternly explained the reason for their visit.
"We received reports that the Gabella Church has colluded with Felix's rebel faction. We have come under the Emperor's orders to search for evidence!"
"Defamation! Complete defamation!" Whitman's protest sounded powerful, but deep down, he was uneasy. The truth was, the Gabella Church had indeed colluded with Felix's faction.
Before Antonio became emperor, the Church had disliked the rumors about the emperor's son being born of a witch. They openly and secretly supported Prince Felix's rise to power.
And during the crucial events that decided the inheritance of the empire's supreme authority, the Church had failed to react in time. Antonio's swift actions sealed the outcome before they could intervene. As a result, they had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence.
As for their alliances with factions in various regions? They simply hoped to overthrow the new emperor when his foundation was still unstable, to gamble for a chance.
However, as the new emperor's suppression of the rebellion grew more severe, all factions of revolt were crushed one by one, and the Gabella Church gradually accepted reality, planning to abandon the past and foster a good relationship with Emperor Antonio.
Standing with the victors was a principle the Church had always followed.
Unfortunately, it seemed they were a step too slow.
From the Archbishop down to the servants, everyone in the Church was shackled and gathered in the main hall. In this sacred place where people prayed to the divine, those who once held themselves with pride were now reduced to lowly prisoners. Their former arrogance was gone, replaced only by trembling bodies and fear of the uncertain future.
"It will be fine." The Archbishop whispered to a few trusted confidants among the crowd, trying to reassure them. "All the important letters have been burned to ashes. No one will find out…"
"Cough, cough!" Anbolov, who had walked over, cleared his throat, causing everyone to shudder. They quickly ceased their conversation.
"I'm sorry, Archbishop Whitman, but we've found evidence of your church's collusion with the rebels!" Anbolov calmly showed a piece of paper.
"This is impossible!" Whitman nearly jumped in shock, his gaze fixed on the paper in Anbolov's hand.
His eyes widened in surprise, and then, uncontrollable rage forced his muscles to twitch.
"You… you are slandering me! This is a shameful defamation!"
Whitman's voice was filled with grievance. Unlike his previous nervousness, this time his emotion was raw and sincere.
The so-called evidence in Anbolov's hands contained content he had never seen before, and judging by the handwriting, it was neither his own nor anyone he recognized.
In other words, the Imperial Guards had come with the intent to falsely accuse the Church of colluding with the rebels. The search was just a show for appearances.
Whitman was genuinely scared now. If the Emperor had merely suspected them, there might have been a chance to present evidence and reason their way out.
But now, with the intent to kill him from the start, reasoning was useless.
"The Heavenly Father will punish you!" he yelled.
"I will ask the High Holy See to seek justice!"
"We are innocent!"
The captives realized from the Archbishop's reaction that the inevitable dark future was rapidly approaching. They each began their final struggles in their own way.
Anbolov only sneered, waving his hand, "Take them all away!"
The sudden raid on the Gabella Church had a significant impact. Some devout followers of the Church gathered in the streets, marching to demand the release of the servants of the divine.
The Imperial government's response was swift and decisive — suppression.
Various powerful departments seemed well-prepared for this, and the soldiers executing the orders had been carefully selected. Each one placed their superior's orders above their personal beliefs, and when the marching followers questioned them in the name of the divine, they were met with merciless strikes from clubs and chains.
Years ago, the Church's control over the people's spirits was unshakable. But since the religious wars in the Horn's Bay, cracks had appeared in this once-solid spiritual wall.
The rise of the New Faith Alliance and the spread of "heresies" from them reminded people that the Church of the Light was not synonymous with the Lord of Light Himself.
These heretical ideas, spread either intentionally or unintentionally, grew more widespread. From whispered conversations between spouses at night to murmurs in taverns, and from there to open preachings in the public square.
In the past, the Church would have demanded secular rulers cooperate in suppressing these heresies, but now, secular authorities had become increasingly indifferent to such matters.
The Church's great crime of collusion with the rebellion was quickly established, and the Imperial government took the opportunity to investigate other related cases within the Church.
Many unspeakable and obviously immoral actions, contrary to the clergy's code of conduct, were exposed, as well as the lavish and corrupt personal lives of high-ranking Church officials. This severely damaged the Church's reputation.
As Whitman and others were tried and convicted, Emperor Antonio Griffin of Gabella quickly issued an imperial decree—appointing a new Archbishop for Gabella.
It was like a massive stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples across the entire continent. The Emperor's decree shocked the entire world.
It is known that the appointment of archbishops was traditionally within the power of the Holy See. Naturally, the Holy See was furious with Emperor Gabella's actions. When the Holy See's emissaries made a long journey to Gabella to demand accountability, they never even saw the Emperor himself.
Only a low-ranking ceremonial officer received the emissaries and solemnly informed them: "From now on, everything in Gabella will be decided by the people of Gabella, both materially and spiritually."
The emissaries were forbidden from meeting local church officials and had to return to the Holy City in disgrace, carrying only a humiliating message.
The Holy See was enraged, but it was unable to take immediate action against Gabella, as it was deeply entangled in the quagmire of the Horn's Bay.
The higher-ups realized that if they did not quickly end the chaos in Horn's Bay, situations like Gabella's might become more common.
(End of the Chapter)
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