Hero’s Downfall Report

32 – Devotion with the Sword (7)

“Investigator. Please testify.”

The judge moistened his throat. Father Heinrich continued with a dry tone.

“Firstly, I want to make it clear that the purpose of this trial is not the judgment of heresy but to confirm the presence of malice and investigate the followers of malice.

The investigator has embarked on a comprehensive and detailed investigation into the Earl Usher’s directive and has found the following decisive evidence.

But before that, we must explain the collapse of the gangway, which is the beginning of all this tragedy. Your Honor, may I request to bring someone more authoritative and knowledgeable on this matter?”

“Do so.”

After a while, a man who had experienced the Imperial Army’s conquest entered.

His clothes seemed about to burst, and his face was even more swollen, so much so that in Cain’s eyes, it looked as if it couldn’t be filled any further, like a tightly packed blood sausage. The level of puffiness was such that his lips were buried in his cheeks like a fish.

“Lieutenant Rikhter von Kruger, Senior Engineer of the Imperial Army Southern Command.”

The audience stirred again. Bringing an Imperial Army senior engineer to a religious trial was perplexing. Judge Malachia rummaged through documents.

“He is introduced as the top expert in the Imperial Army in sieges. Is this true?”

“I am not the top, but I am striving to live up to the position and responsibilities bestowed upon me by His Imperial Majesty.”

The judge frowned, displeased. Even so, the Imperial title in Magdeburg, which was no different from the Pope’s backyard, seemed somewhat irritating.

“Investigator, continue.”

“Thank you.” Father Heinrich bowed deeply.

“General Kruger, during siege warfare, is it true that there are methods not only to cross enemy castles but also to infiltrate abandoned gangways, tunnels, or underground burrows?”

“Yes. We can drill through the floors of villages or houses near the castle, then dig tunnels to penetrate weak points in the foundation walls. The gangways are supported by pillars.

If we determine that we have dug deep enough to collapse the castle wall, we burn the pillars to quickly bring down the wall, breaking the defensive will of the defending side.”

“It must be incredibly difficult and arduous.” Heinrich sent a stern gaze. General Kruger chuckled.

“It’s difficult, dirty, and messy. It doesn’t look cool, like climbing a castle wall bravely or throwing a catapult. It’s not a manly tactic.

But if shedding ten drops of sweat today can spill one drop less blood tomorrow, the commander must do it. For the sake of the lives and victories of the subordinates, the commander can be as cowardly as he wants.”

There was a sense of pride and confidence in Kruger’s face.

“So…” Father Heinrich glanced at the judge, then at the manuscript.

“You deeply studied the exploration and development methods of the entire empire’s tunnels to find a more efficient way to dig tunnels. In the process, you also discovered ‘flammable air.'”

“Yes,” Captain Kruger replied slowly.

“In places where there are often legends or traditions that say the sea or river used to be there and turned into land, such occurrences frequently happen when digging deep underground. There are places where the smell of dead animals wafts out.

Experienced miners immediately extinguish the flames and grab the lifeline to climb back up as soon as they smell it, being cautious not to strike a spark against the rocks. They carefully light a fire and wait until the ‘flammable air’ disappears.”

“Did the smell of the air in Lord Usher’s territory smell like that?”

Cain watched Roderick twitch at the corner of his mouth. The senior officer replied calmly, “Yes.”

“That’s all.”

The senior officer, finished speaking, was escorted out of the courtroom by the guard. Father Heinrich continued speaking as dryly as reading a boring history book.

“The stench did not appear until the unfortunate Lord Usher expanded the tunnels. After that, the stench spread throughout the entire territory. A reasonable person would think that the explosion and the unquenchable fire in the tunnels were not like a witch’s flame but rather that the ‘flammable air’ had risen to the surface.”

The judges examined their notes. The person on the left asked a question.

“It’s been reported that dogs and cats were found burned to death. How do you explain that?”

“Not all, but most had deep burn wounds on their legs, bellies, and tails. Since the ‘flammable air’ rises from the ground, these should be considered as part of a natural phenomenon, not someone deliberately setting a fire.”

“The foul stench can also be explained by that. The smell of rotting animals. However, this

The interior was completely invisible except for the lining, and the bride pulled something out of the box.

“What did you pick up?”

“It’s badger fur. A material often used with premium brushes, quite rare and expensive in poor places like an usher’s residence.”

“What does badger fur have to do with this?”

“This badger fur was found on the walls of the Countess’s hut. In a very small crack, there was some liquid residue with a sticky and sweet smell. It was honey that flies hadn’t finished eating.”

The murmuring intensified. The judge slammed the desk. “Silence!”

Heinrich waited until the people quieted down. However, he didn’t look towards the manuscript.

“Someone spread honey on the Countess’s hut with badger fur, and flies attracted by the ‘burning air’ stuck to the hut to eat the honey.

The Countess, unable to go outside due to the grief of losing her husband and the swarm of flies buzzing outside, couldn’t even bring herself to have a proper meal. Starvation, horrifying nightmares, and the constant emergence of insects led to hysteria, and she suffered from lack of sleep and mental anguish.

According to the diagnosis of a doctor in Magdeburg, judging from the wounds on her head, back, and shoulders, it seems she had several seizures, thrashing on the floor. Not wearing proper clothes was due to a lack of the mental and physical strength to do so, and also because there were no decent clothes available. And ultimately.”

Heinrich nodded to the nun. She pulled out documents from her robe. Two neatly rolled documents.

“This is unbelievable.”

Father Edgar Usher groaned.

“According to this pledge signed by the Countess, she has decided to donate half of her property to the parish after her death. The recipient is Father Edgar Usher. Father Usher, can you explain all the details?”

“There was nothing to explain! It was written, so she just had to read and sign it, and the Countess clearly read it all and wrote her name correctly! She even said to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand! The Countess received the education befitting a noble!”

“Oh, really?” Heinrich smirked.

“The Countess can’t read or write. You seemed to have missed that. No, let me rephrase. She can’t read ‘properly’ or write ‘properly.’ The letters seem all mixed up. This is not a trick of the devil or a problem of learning ability. It’s just an optical illusion. Since the establishment of the academy, many cases showing this phenomenon have been recorded, and doctors call it ‘dyslexia.’ The Countess is one of those cases. So.”

Heinrich pulled out the second document.

“Here. This letter, handwritten by the Countess herself, claims that unless it’s a forgery, half of the estate will be bequeathed to Roderick Usher, the so-called ‘beloved family,’ after the Countess’s death. The handwriting is meticulous and perfectly square.

Interestingly, it closely resembles the handwriting of the maid who supposedly attached it to the Countess. Yes, Roderick Usher, the maid you attached.”

Heinrich looked down at the two men sitting at the manuscript. His voice was gloomy and melancholic.

“Revisiting the origin of causality is a thing of the past, but let’s boldly make an assumption. We don’t know why there was such a bad atmosphere under the glory gang. There must be a deep meaning beyond our comprehension.

However, these two here have used that misfortune very cleverly.

They lured insects and flies to the widow’s cabin by spreading honey on it, caught dogs and cats, and naturally placed them on the burning fire. They incited the people of the Usher estate, falsely accusing the Countess of being a witch, pushing her into a dire situation, and even sent her to a religious trial.

Just the fact that she was sent to a religious trial is enough to make the Countess a pariah. They couldn’t burn her as a witch, or else her property would be immediately seized and incinerated.

With no food, no drink, and everyone she once trusted turning away, among the few family members who reached out, the young widow didn’t have many options. So, tell me.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“Which of the two caused the Countess’s demise.”

Cold sweat dripped from the faces of the two brothers.

“T-This is going too far.”

The investigator turned silently to the judge.

“Your Honor. I mentioned the influence of the devil on this place. This poor woman has suffered not because she made a pact with the devil but because she was tormented by the devil.

And right now, these two devils are contaminating this courtroom with every breath they take. However, there are more devils, and it’s appropriate to call them a legion.”

“Who are they?”

“First, an unscrupulous merchant. He is currently on the run, with pursuers on his tail. Roderick Usher and Reverend Edgar Usher intended to return half of the portion received from the Countess to that merchant and keep the rest for themselves.

The second group consists of the people from the Usher estate. Over there. The mayor of the mining village is sitting, so let me ask him once…”

It was an old man trembling in fear. He had now collapsed, his chin hitting the ground. Father Heinrich approached him silently, like death finding its way.

“Who taught you about the Belzebuth? Knowledge about demons is not something anyone can come across. Who whispered it to you, and who paid you to keep your mouths shut?

And why do you base your actions on a story that you yourselves don’t even know, insulting the one who once showed you kindness?”

“P-p-please, spare us…”

“Judge. As the demons have sealed their lips, I await your wise response.”

Judge Malachiah slammed the desk.

“This is truly absurd and outrageous. How can you treat the widow of a respected count so cruelly, disguising yourselves as humans? And yet you dare to shamelessly spread lies in the sacred land of the honored warriors of the sword.

This could not have happened without clear demonic intervention. Therefore, I shall render my verdict.

Bring forth the manuscript, the people of the count’s village, and all those involved in this matter. Pierce their ears with arrowheads and hang them upside down from the warehouse ceiling for three days. Do not give them food or drink, and let their throats dry up from thirst.

Anyone who dares to speak or groan, let it be known that it is the demon roaring from within their bellies, and they should be spun around in the air to extract the evil.

During this time, they shall not have access to the Inquisition Magistrate, and the Magistrate shall not respond to any conversation. For anything spoken before being prepared to tell the truth is all falsehood.”

“P-please, spare us, spare us! Please forgive us just once!”

“Guards!”

The guards struck the old man’s belly. He bent over without even making a sound. The old man struggled as if he wanted to say something, but the guard gripped his mouth with an iron gauntlet.

Instead of speaking the truth and revealing it, they submit to force. Truly, they are the ones possessed by demons. You wretched ones. You offspring of the false serpent. By the glory of the double-headed eagle, I will see if there is any trace of humanity left in you. Who orchestrated this? Who planned all of this?”

“It was my brother!” Roderick shouted.

“It was my brother!” Father Edgar cried out.

They looked at each other and fiercely denounced each other’s actions. The Countess wept. The nuns surrounded her, comforting her like guardian angels.

“Such despicable creatures!”

Roderick pushed Edgar. The plump priest stumbled and fell to the ground. In Roderick’s angry eyes, the inkwell on the manuscript stone caught his attention.

“All I had was a heart!”

Rodrick clenched the iron pen. He stared down Edgar. Guards rushed in, but Rodrick’s intention remained unfulfilled.

Thunk.

Cain lifted Rodrick’s chin with his staff. The staff struck Rodrick’s wet forehead.

“Oh, my goodness!”

Cain casually tossed the staff to the ground, trembling as if he found the situation distasteful. None of the approaching guards paid him any mind.

Magistrate Malachia, as if tired of the noise, lowered his head and withdrew. A shadow fell over Cain.

“It was a courageous act.”

It was Father Heinrich. Cain scratched his temple nonchalantly.

“It was an impromptu action, but…”

“I heard you wanted to meet me.”

“Ah… yes.” Cain stood up, Lily rising with him.

“We, uh, as a couple, have something important to tell you…”

“It’s too noisy here.”

Heinrich raised his head again. The unruly brothers shouted like slaughtered pigs, each time the guards’ iron gloves struck them.

Nuns quickly rushed out, carrying the unconscious Countess. Cain suddenly felt the gaze of a nun with golden-brown hair. It seemed vaguely familiar.

“…Let’s discuss this in my room.”

Heinrich handed Cain his staff.