“Follow your heart, only God can issue the ruling.”
He choked with sobs and said, “I was wrong. I am willing to tell you everything I know, I will do anything I can to save my mother.”
“Such a clever child,” Zero patted his head then took out a plant with slender leaves from her pocket and held it in front of him, “Eat this, and you will have a good sleep. It will also help you stabilize your mood.” She tore off half a leaf, put it into her mouth, and began to chew, before saying, “Just like me. Wait until tomorrow, after breaking through the walls of Wolfsheart City you might be able to see your mother again.”
Mayne puckered his brows, the Peacefully Sleeping Bracken was something used in the making of Dream Water. It didn’t show any effect on witches, but when taken by ordinary people it was a very severe poison, which required that they intake the Winterflower to neutralize its toxicity. Sure enough, after eating it, it didn’t take long until the prisoner’s face turned ashen. He forcefully gripped his throat, and looked with an expression of absolute disbelief at the smiling Purified, only able to release some incomprehensible ‘och och’ sounds. His own fingernails quickly tore open his skin and blood vessels before the blood that came splashing out dyed his neck bright red. His painful struggle continued for half an hour until his body gradually turned limp and he finally stopped breathing.
“It’s such a pity that God didn’t forgive your sins,” Zero said while smiling. Then she walked over toward the Archbishop and bowed in greeting, “Your Excellency, how do you feel about the trial? Did it have the same elegant manner of Excellency Heather?”
“Why must you deceive him into eating the Peacefully Sleeping Bracken?” Mayen asked with a heavy tone, “If it had been Heather, we could have added one devote believer to our ranks. Rather than making him kill himself while thinking he is moving back on the right path.”
“If the situation of the captive’s loved ones were like I had said, I would naturally have recruited him as a believer, but unfortunately I do not know what really happened to his parents. Those words of mine were nothing more than me talking nonsense.” She said in a carefree voice while shrugging, “The moment he discovers that my words were all lies, he would obviously turn against the Church. Believe me, I serve the Church wholeheartedly.”
If you served the Church wholeheartedly, you would have properly waited for my orders in the tent, Mayne thought while impatiently turning his head and stating, “The attack will begin soon. You must immediately prepare yourself and move according to the plan, the Wolf King and the Queen of Clear Water —”
“—Must die, Your Excellency,” the Purified said, “If it was me alone, I might not have been able to do it. But since even Isabella has come with me, they absolutely won’t be able to run away.”
“Woo-woo-”
The bugle horn’s trumpet, which was the signal to attack, rolled across the horizon. Under the pressuring dark clouds and in the middle of the rustling autumn wind, it raised the curtain to the second act of the siege against Wolfsheart City.
One mile away, the frame of the ‘Siege Beast’ that launched the spears gave out rays of magical light. The moment the light was as bright as the sun, the iron spear suddenly burst straight toward the walls. Flying as though it had been thrown by a giant’s hand, it reached a speed that made it difficult to sight, and a moment later was followed by an earsplitting roar.
After crossing such a long distance the spear had hardly lost any of its might. The moment it hit the wall, it crushed the stone into powder. Even the house-sized boulders were easily pulverized and the soldiers standing behind the wall were coincidentally also shot dead. After merely three rounds of fire, the city gate was completely smashed, and the surrounding walls utterly broken.
Even though the firing rate of the Devil’s siege weapon was equivalent to an ordinary catapult, its range was several times further. Against this kind of offensive, it was absolutely impossible for the garrison force to try and strike back. Unable to see the trajectory of the launch, they weren’t even able to determine where the next attack would be hitting, The Church’s army hadn’t moved, yet the defensive line was already in imminent danger.
Just then, a world-shaking loud boom suddenly sounded behind the wall!
Seeing a massive fireball soar into the sky, the people on the battlefield all felt the earth starting to shake beneath their feet. Then, accompanied by black smoke and fire, the wall collapsed with a loud rumble. Finally creating an opening in this mottled wolf’s tooth.
The sharp horn sounded again, the mixed forces composed of the Army of Judges and God’s Punishment Army initiated their charge against the city wall. Looking at it from afar, they looked like a flowing reddish-gold ocean, mercilessly swallowing everyone who even dared to stand against it.
Now Wolfsheart’s defenders would have to rely on their own flesh and blood in order to withstand these soldiers who stood apart from the mortal world.
Chapter 312 War of Mortals (Part 2)
Mortals cannot defeat the Devils, Isabella thought to herself, therefore the Church created the God’s Punishment Army.
They possess considerable strength, feel no pain, and know no fear, making them the best weapon against the Devils. Although they don’t possess the ability to act on their own, that isn’t necessarily a disadvantage in battles between armies.
Against such a powerful force, a garrison of mortals naturally would never be able to resist.
Especially after losing the backing of their city wall, seeking to beat the Church’s elite force in a melee fight is nothing less than a wishful dream.
Like a powerful golden current, the Army of Judges dashed through the main gate of Wolfsheart City’s wall, entering hand to hand combat against all of the assembled defenders. The red colored God’s Punishment Army looked as if they were walking on level ground as they climbed over the collapsed city wall and started to massacre those who attempted to stop the flood of enemies.
“Do you want to go and help them?” Isabella asked after turning towards Zero.
The latter yawned and then said uninterested, “No, my magic is limited, so I have to save it for the important targets.”
“You could just use the sword, hammer, or crossbow to fight ah,” Isabella said, feeling displeased, “No matter what they wouldn’t be able to beat you.”
Zero shook her head, “If I go, they will easily win. If I don’t go, they will still easily win. There is no point in doing it, so I don’t want to.”
“Alright,” she changed the subject. “Why did you do that before?”
“Why?”
“While you were playing with the prisoners, the Bishop’s face was stiff for the whole time,” said Isabella. “It seems that he doesn’t appreciate your kind of trial, and also he is the most likely candidate to be the next Pope, when that time comes you might suffer a lot.”
“The reason why Excellency Mayne becomes angry is only because he hasn’t become the Pope yet,” Zero said carelessly. “When he goes into the library at the top of the Pivotal Secret Temple, he will come to understand that my way of handling things is exactly the way in which to please God.”
“What… way of handling?”
“Playing with, ah,” the Purified ran her hands through her hair to tidy the mess created by the wind. “God has never descended on the world, he also doesn’t protect his people. Only by having a single illusory objective can we guarantee to take over when someone else fails to reach it, in hopes of receiving his favor. Doesn’t this concept resemble the trial I just held? I at least provided him with a real objective, something that God never will. It isn’t even guaranteed that his objective is realistic or whether everything is our own crazy raving. Yet even with so much uncertainty, we still dash onward with no thought to our personal safety… Tsktsk, it is truly the most thorough play.”