CHAPTER 99

The sorrow of becoming an orphan was not merely limited to the sadness of losing parents.

"You son of a thief!"

"I didn't steal it!"

Now, there was no one left to deny it for the boy.

The reality of not being able to rely on anyone wore young Vlad down endlessly.

"Unlucky brat! That's why bastards without parents don't make it!"

The world had trapped Vlad within prejudices, and eventually, the young boy had no choice but to adapt to the life of an orphan in the back alleys.

Thus, Vlad lived a life where he had to look only a step ahead, somewhere crumpled.

However, there was one person who told the boy, who was now standing alone on the court, that it was not his fault.

"From now on, I will answer for Sir Vlad."

He did so while hiding the boy who hesitated in answering behind his back.

He believed it was a bit late to unfold the boy's crumpled soul, but not too late.

※※※※

"Of course, from now on, all his actions will be accompanied by my voice. And I believe that voice comes from the God above."

Pierre's question was pushing Vlad to be seen as a person with bad omen, but Andrea's answer depicted Vlad as a blessed person.

Although it was the same person, it looked so different depending on how you looked at it.

"Born to a mere brothel whore as a mother. Do you think God's blessings come so easily?"

To a mere back alley orphan like him, calling it God's blessing.

If Vlad was truly blessed by God, he would have been born into a noble family, not in a dirty back alley.

"The founding king of the Empire, Frausen, also suffered many hardships as the child of a fallen noble family. But you know what? In the end, he was blessed by God."

As the bishop of the church looked upon the place where Vlad was born, the priest of the church was watching the boy looking ahead.

Even though he was born in a humble place, Andrea was a person who believed that the boy had the potential to shine more than anyone else.

"······Next question."

Only iron-made swords are not sharp weapons.

Although not a sword, there were people wielding sharp weapons here in Shoara's church, piercing and parrying each other.

"Knight Vlad grew up in the back alleys of Shoara and has committed countless crimes to this day. Is this true?"

Stealing, robbing, and sometimes killing.

Vlad had clearly lived committing sins.

"It was a tragedy that he had no choice but to survive. His sins are like emergency measures to survive."

However, the boy clearly carried the coffin and nailed it for the poor woman and child.

No one approached them for fear of curse, but only the boy approached them with a sympathetic heart.

It certainly wasn't Vlad's fault that he couldn't live the way he was born.

"Knight Vlad defeated an evil being and killed a dragon within just a year of wielding a sword! Is this logically acceptable?"

Within less than a year, he awakened aura and killed a dragon, defeating a knight from the west.

Vlad's growth, which is logically incomprehensible, would surely raise doubts when seen from the outside.

"······."

Before answering Pierre's question, Andrea briefly recalled that day.

The boy, who was just a mercenary, had run through the dark night for his duty.

That day, the world of Vlad, who ran through the night sky, was undoubtedly dazzling white to anyone.

"······The shining world of Knight Vlad is not something only I have seen, Lord Bishop."

And it wasn't just Andrea who saw Vlad's world.

"Here are testimonies collected from each family."

Andrea clenched the papers Josef had handed him and raised them high.

Sentences of noble people engraved on each piece of paper.

All the names written there were people who had clearly seen the boy's potential.

"From Duncan of the Hainal family to Yustia of San Rogino, and Bolcorp of Baranov family! They all testify that all the achievements so far are his achievements!"

In the end, the only one who can protect oneself is oneself.

Andrea was pulling Vlad out from Pierre's clutches, but the rope he sent was made of the facts the boy had been accumulating all along.

Vlad stood in suspicion akin to hell, but ultimately, he was rescuing himself.

"······Testimonies of the knights. Confirmed."

Pierre's face hardened as he looked at the testimonies of the knights delivered by Andrea.

Doubts about sincerity, the humble origin, shameful crimes, and even suspicions about the created potential.

Pierre had laid a tight net to catch Vlad, but the defense of Priest Andrea was tearing that net to shreds.

The dagger of truth that Andrea held was indeed sharp.

"······."

Pierre glanced at the inquisitors surrounding Vlad.

Every question Pierre asked, a crystal ball went out.

However, since Andrea arrived, not a single crystal ball went dark, and now there was only one crystal left inside the circle.

'In the end, do I have to take it out?'

If he were to make a decisive move, it would be now.

Pierre realized that with just one question, he couldn't render Vlad incapacitated, so he decided to use the contingency plan he had prepared just in case.

Though Josef and Pierre were on opposite sides, they still had one thing in common.

"Bring in what we've prepared!"

That was preparing for the worst.

Following Pierre's orders, the holy knights were bringing a large sealed box into the courtroom.

An item whose identity was unknown, brought in directly by the holy knights, not priests or servants.

The large wooden box surrounding the area clearly indicated that something extraordinary was inside.

"I, Pierre, the judge of this trial, still have one question remaining."

Pierre's gray-white eyes were fixed on Andrea.

Things had become so troublesome because of that one priest who dared to go wild in front of the bishop.

"And I have decided to uncover his suspicions through direct action rather than asking questions."

With Pierre's signal, the inquisitors began to unseal the large wooden box.

People held their breath, and the inquisitors tensed up.

"Oh, no······."

When Andrea finally saw the revealed object, he couldn't help but sigh.

"A mirror?"

"Why the mirror all of a sudden?"

The object that came out of the large box was a mirror.

And Andrea knew well about this mirror.

"Instead of the last question, I command you to perform the exorcism ritual on Knight Vlad."

The Mirror of Saint Marello.

Marello's Mirror, an official holy relic designated by the Vatican, was a treasure known to reflect the entire truth of the person looking at it.

"If Knight Vlad is truly righteous, then accept my proposal."

And the only time when heretic inquisitors used the relic.

It was when they wanted to discover the presence of evil within a person's soul.

"This is outrageous!"

There's a demon inside Vlad.

Pierre's exorcism ritual was an act based on that assumption.

"We've proven his innocence with truthful answers so far, why would you want to perform the exorcism ritual on Sir Vlad?"

And now the exorcism ritual would mark Vlad like a stigma, following him as a symbol of dishonor.

"Priest Andrea, I have an obligation to uncover even the slightest suspicion."

However, Pierre didn't bring out the Mirror of Saint Marello simply to tarnish Vlad's honor.

Vlad showed significant hesitation when asked if he could hear voices.

Experienced Pierre did not miss the moment when the witness was shaken.

"But!"

"If his soul is truly pure, then sitting still should be enough."

Nothing was wrong, but it wasn't right either.

It was clear that the current act itself would burden Vlad significantly.

"······."

Andrea couldn't help but look at the boy behind him with a helpless expression.

Pierre's last resort was nothing short of an outrage, and even Andrea, who had done his best to defend, couldn't prevent this.

"Don't worry. It's just an item used to uncover any evil presence within."

Andrea, believing Vlad to be faithful, thought that if he just got through this attempt, the trial could end safely.

"······."

Andrea was one of the few who could see through the boy's genuine nature.

But there was one aspect of Vlad that he hadn't yet examined.

The boy wasn't standing alone.

Even now, there was a presence in his soul, a voice that had endured trials and tribulations with him.

The Mirror of Saint Marello.

Vlad's gaze as he looked into the mirror was trembling.

"······."

Even Pierre, who was quietly observing the situation, noticed Vlad's shaky gaze.

Perhaps he was hiding something after all.

Vlad's determined eyes were flickering slightly.

※※※※

It was a moment of crisis where the true identity might be revealed, but the sound that reached them was calm.

From the moment this trial began, the voice was prepared.

[······It's okay. Keep going forward.]

The voice remembered.

The old blacksmith who gave the boy his sword.

He hoped that his ugly sword would not catch Vlad's ankle, and even though they had never spoken before, the voice felt a deep kinship with him.

'But.'

[So far, I have told you everything you need to know.]

Vlad's hesitant steps at the sudden response.

But the piercing gaze of the inquisitors did not forgive Vlad's hesitation.

[In order not to be reflected in that mirror, I have to dive into a deeper world.]

The voice had once retreated deeper into its inner self to avoid Andrea's gaze.

But what lay before him now was a relic boasted by the Vatican.

To avoid the gaze of that remarkable relic, the voice would have to delve into a world deeper than ever before.

'If that happens······.'

[The world of a knight is as vast and deep as the sea. The world you've unfolded so far is merely dipping your toe in,]

Rutger flicked his sword, and Gregory stamped his foot.

The knight, Pablo, who had guided Vlad's world, clashed sword and shield.

All these actions were like keys to pulling up their own world from deeper depths.

[The basics have been laid out, now it's time to strive for higher ground.]

Vlad had finally reached the world of knights, but there were still many stairs to climb.

But now, merely knowing the way forward wasn't enough.

The voice knew it was time for the boy to stand up on his own.

"Knight Vlad, open your eyes! And look into the mirror in front of you!"

"······."

Vlad finally reached the mirror with heavy steps, but couldn't easily look into it.

He knew what might happen if he opened his eyes now.

'I'm still not enough to reach that world.'

[But you'll get there someday.]

'It might take a long time. It might even be impossible in my lifetime.'

He didn't realize it when he looked, but he understood when he finally arrived.

What kind of world he was dreaming of, and how high a wall he had to overcome to get there.

[Now, I think it's time to do it alone.]

However, the voice was determined and now was the moment to do it.

Just as the unadorned sword that has finished its work has been broken, it is time for the voice to leave his place as well.

[Until then, farewell.]

The murmurs of the spectators grew louder.

Amidst it all, Vlad clearly heard the voice bidding farewell.

"······Understood."

Vlad standing before the mirror bowed his head.

Because he could feel it because the worlds were touching each other.

The world that had always protected him was crumbling and sinking into those depths.

"What are you doing now?"

Pierre's eyes began to sparkle as he looked at Vlad hesitating.

Perhaps there was something unexpected within the boy after all.

"Open your eyes and look ahead! Vlad!"

Now so submerged that he couldn't feel it anymore, Vlad remembered.

What kind of world his roots belonged to.

The world of the voice.

His world is full of storms and thunderstorms. And it was a world full of vivid white.

"...!"

Vlad finally faced the Mirror of Saint Marello.

Vlad boldly opened his eyes, beholding the remnants of the world that had touched him.

It was the white world that the voice had left behind.

"That's..."

"The mirror... it's glowing?"

The mirror facing the boy was shining brightly.

Pure white, as if bursting forth.

"Oh my God..."

The faithful priest stands up and the inquisitors don't know what to do.

And even Pierre is shocked by the unexpected results.

The boy's world, sparked by the relic of Saint Marello, was pouring out of the courtroom as if it were exploding.

".....I don't see anything I've done wrong."

Lightning is born from clouds and starts from the sky.

White is a noble color, one that only those without a hint of shame can possess.

The world of the voice, which formed the roots of the boy, began in the sky.

"...But why all this meddling and nonsense?"

Giant worlds had always crushed the boy.

In the past, he would crumble without even being able to scream, but now he can scream out loud at least once.

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

Kwak-! Bang!

Along with the boy's anger, lightning began to strike from the sky.

Suddenly, the gathered white clouds unleashed a bolt of lightning toward the highest point of the false church.

Boom! Crash! Boom!

The boy is innocent.

He simply survived and did what needed to be done.

And the last witness to testify to his innocence was none other than the voice that had always been with Vlad.

The bells announcing Vlad's innocence began to ring loudly throughout the city of Shoara.