"Enough of this nonsense, Juke. An incomplete old sacred mission? How absurd!" The Pope's derisive tone filled the nave as he fixed his gaze on Cardinal Juke. His boundless holy aura radiated from his body, making the air stifling and hard to breathe.
Compared to the Pope's oceanic holy aura, Cardinal Juke's holy aura felt like it was nothing more than a mere droplet. That was the difference between their power level.
The Pope reined in his holy aura, restoring the air to become breathable again. He glanced at Cardinal Juke with skepticism and added: "You accuse the captain of the Holy Knight Crusaders of our church without proper evidence? Baseless accusations are perilous, Cardinal, and you should be well aware of that. Moreover, you dare to deceive me about the completion of sacred missions."
Cardinal Juke, realizing his blunder, hastily adjusted his demeanor. He attempted to muster a genuine smile but could only manage a feigned one. Then, he quickly said: "I apologize, Your Holiness. It was a misunderstanding on my part. Please forgive my hasty judgment."
The Pope's expression remained stern as he observed Cardinal Juke, his silence speaking volumes of his distrust in the apology or any remark he makes in attempt to justify his actions.
Cardinal Juke noticed the Pope's indifference to his attempts at reconciliation and assuaging his actions, but he still continued to explain.
"As for the sacred mission, I suppose I—"
"You will address this matter later. For now, dismiss your guest. There is something more important to discuss."
The Pope chose to disregard any further ramblings from Cardinal Juke. He proceeded to seat himself upon the throne positioned at the rear of the podium. He then cradled his tilted head in one hand, assuming a relaxed posture, and wore a contemplative expression as he fixed his gaze upon the congregation within the sacred chamber.
Cardinal Juke realized that the Pope was waiting for the meeting to commence. With this understanding, he swiftly turned to Holy Knight Randy and said, with an air of indifference: "Sir Grant, you may leave us now. I must attend to the Pope and the Council of Cardinals."
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Cardinal Juke motioned in the direction of the gate, directing Holy Knight Randy away as if shooing away a stray animal.
Holy Knight Randy did not react to Cardinal Juke's treatment. Instead, he nodded respectfully and exited the chamber, leaving Cardinal Juke to face the consequences of his actions.
Meanwhile, as the gate closed behind Holy Knight Randy, Cardinal Juke's forced smile faded, replaced by an expression of worry and apprehension. He feared that something terrible was imminent, which prompted him to dispatch 'Zolat Grant' before the Pope could extract more information from him.
His current position was precarious, as it appeared that the Pope had begun to doubt his loyalty to their church.
Contemplating how his plans could be jeopardized due to a momentary lapse in judgment while admonishing 'Zolat Grant,' Cardinal Juke was filled with indignation. He attributed his current predicament to 'Zolat Grant,' who had failed to follow his instructions and instead resorted to playing tricks.
Once his impromptu meeting with the Pope concluded, he intended to confront 'Zolat Grant' and, if necessary, threaten to expose some of his secrets. He wondered how 'Zolat Grant' would react when confronted with the consequences of his actions.
However, in the event that if the Pope decided to punish him because of the events that transpired on this day, 'Zolat Grant' would have to forget about holding onto his his esteemed position as a Holy Knight Captain of the Holy Church of Light. If he somehow lost his position as a Cardinal of the church, he would drag 'Zolat Grant' down with him without failure.
The Pope's voice resonated once more, cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Cardinal Juke? Are you prepared to confess to your scandalous activities as the Head of Cardinals?"
Cardinal Juke could discern the nature of the documents held by Holy Knight Randy, and he was confident that there were no discrepancies. He had meticulously ensured that everything was properly documented to ensure that no one would be able to discern a flaw.
Unbeknownst to him, Zolat Grant had also kept his eye on his actions during his tenure as a Holy Knight Captain and chose to keep his mouth as he didn't have access to the documentation to accuse him.
"I have nothing to confess, Your Holiness." Cardinal Juke responded with unwavering confidence.
"I can assure you that I have conducted my duties with unwavering integrity and precision. I have no knowledge of what falsehoods that ingrate may have presented or spoken to you, but they are all baseless lies. He is merely attempting to besmirch my honorable name."
Cardinal Juke's piercing gaze landed on Holy Knight Randy with a palpable look of disdain.
"I never insinuated that Knight Captain Grant accused you of any wrongdoing, so why the defensiveness?" The Pope retorted while shaking his head.
"I merely inquired whether you were willing to admit to your deceitful and sacrilegious actions. Your assumption that our Knight Captain slandered you already suggests evasion of my question."
With that remark from the Pope, a domineering holy radiance emanated from the him, directed solely at Cardinal Juke. In a cold and demanding tone, the Pope repeated his questions.
"I shall ask you once more, Cardinal Juke. Have you dishonored the Holy Church of Light to further your selfish ambitions during your tenure as the Head of Cardinals? Have you attempted to blackmail Holy Knight Captain Grant and manipulate him to your advantage? Have you violated the principles of our faith? Have you lied to me, Cardinal Juke?
Do you confess to committing all of these transgressions, Cardinal Juke?"
As the Pope spoke, Cardinal Juke felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on his body, compelling him to involuntarily kneel as soon as the Pope concluded his statement. He attempted to raise his head to meet the gaze of the other cardinals, especially one particular Cardinal who held the second-highest rank and was akin to a friend.
However, what met his eyes was the collective expression of disdain and disgust from all the cardinals present, including his supposed friend.
Unwilling to accept the unfolding situation, Cardinal Juke persisted in his attempts at redemption. "I can explain, Your Holiness..."
"Enough! Were it not for the impending war with the demons, which requires all capable personnel from our revered church skilled in holy magic, I would have had you executed immediately for dishonoring and disgracing the Holy Church of Light."
The Pope declared coldly and sternly, his powerful voice resonated throughout the chamber.
"Our Holy magic and divine ritual is the sole force capable of restraining the vile demons. Bringing you to justice today would only deplete our manpower in the face of this demonic threat. That is the sole reason you still draw breath!"