"Last night, the religious court had urgently interrogated your landlord," Selene informed me again even though she had already told Nicola.

"His name is Janot. I believe you must know this name... Actually, it's not just you two angel ladies, according to his confession, Janot had also molested another young female tenant. However, that woman did not make a police report and only quietly moved away. That's why it further emboldened him."

"He had previous offenses?"

I found it hard to believe. He looked so gentle and refined, only knowing to bury his head in books. I didn't expect him to have done so many filthy things secretly.

"The key is, didn't you pay attention when you rented the house?"

Selene couldn't help frowning a little when she said this.

"Just now I asked Miss Nicola, your rent seems to be a bit too cheap. I guess this was Janot's deliberate move to attract victims. In Norvale, rents around this area are at least a thousand silver a month!"

"This..."

Nicola and I looked at each other, neither of us had expected this trickery. After all, when we were poorer previously, we could only focus on the rent amount when looking for a house, other factors were secondary considerations.

"Forget it, anyway it's all in the past, and we won't be staying at that place anymore!"

Nicola waved her hand, not wanting to linger on these things anymore, and instead asked:

"So what's the verdict? How do you plan to try him?"

This was what we cared about the most.

"Of course, severe punishment!"

Selene answered without hesitation, seemingly also very disgusted with such landlords.

"Originally, if it was only molesting and harassing human females, the religious court would not be able to intervene since those fall under the city defense's jurisdiction. But this time, he was just unlucky. The victims were angels, making the nature completely different..."

"Molesting angels can be seen as heresy! In the Astralrealm Kingdom, the True Church has the authority to privately dispose of heretics! So after the interrogation, we have already castrated Janot first..."

"Castration?"

I couldn't help shuddering when I heard this. Although I felt this punishment was satisfactory enough, somehow I still felt a little uncomfortable.

I guess this is expected of the religious court! Going all out from the start.

"Just that?"

However, Nicola seemed to have differing views from me. Clearly, she still wanted the landlord dead.

"Of course not. As the victim with a special status, you can naturally increase the punishment to the maximum according to church code if you want!"

Hearing this, Selene dared not slight Nicola and thought for a while before quickly adding:

"How about this - the next steps would be parading the convict on the streets to the central lake. After circling the lake once, stop at the lakeside plaza to publicly announce his crimes, then impose death by burning at the stake! This is basically the highest punishment in the church already."

"Okay! Now that's more like it. Hurry up and do it then!"

Finally satisfied, Nicola nodded and urged Selene to make it happen quickly.

"We'll go and watch it on site later!"

"I'll go and prepare now..."

Selene nodded. With no trace of mercy on her face for someone who dared violate Nicola, she walked out the door after speaking.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Now, only Nicola and I were left in the room.

"Isn't this going overboard?"

Both of us fell silent for a while before I couldn't help speaking up first.

"Although the landlord was very hateful, castration should be enough. Why must he be killed?"

She had insisted on doing this back downstairs at the rented house. At that time, I reckoned it was due to seeing Cyra's predicament that made her overly furious.

But after a night, her temper was still so bad! That's going overboard!

"Why can't he be killed?"

Hearing me, Nicola immediately retorted.

"Firstly, the landlord - Janot - actually laid hands on me. Not splitting him in half on the spot was merciful enough, what more him assaulting Cyra later... Didn't you hear just now too? There was another previous victim! No matter how you see it, he deserves death!"

"But he didn't take any lives! Based solely on these offenses, it's not enough for the death penalty, much less being burned alive!"

Of course I was unwilling to back down and immediately refuted:

"Selene lives in this world so perhaps has differing views that can't be helped. But you're a transmigrator, you should understand the difference clearly! Besides, after being castrated, I believe Janot won't be able to commit the same crimes ever again. Wouldn't it be better to give him a chance to repent and reform?"

"Repent and reform?"

Unexpectedly, not only was Nicola not reflective after hearing me, she even gave a cold laugh and looked at me disdainfully as she mocked:

"Since when did you become so merciful? Don't forget, we're in another world now! Maybe by Earth's laws, his actions don't warrant the death penalty or even life imprisonment. But in this world, disrespecting angels is a capital offense in the church's eyes. It completely conforms to laws and regulations!"

"I've already gotten the church to handle it as you wished. What more do you want from me?"

Her rebuttal could be said to be very just and confident. Looks like Nicola was determined not to listen to my advice this time.

"It's not being merciful..."

I lowered my head, not knowing how else to persuade her. I felt Nicola's temper was becoming more and more irritable unknowingly. After all, gaining all kinds of privileges on the way here, she was somewhat complacent. But even so, you can't force someone to die just like that, what more being burned alive!

"This is human nature! Compared to here, Earth's laws are indeed much more lenient. But that is the best outcome achieved after thousands of years of accumulated experience and lessons! Not all criminal acts must be paid back with death. The fact that almost all cruel punishments have been abolished on Earth is the best proof of human nature gradually gaining the upper hand!"

"Don't tell me you forgot your humanity after pretending to be an angel for so long!"

Suddenly raising my head, I glared fiercely at Nicola. Also not wanting to hear her say any more, I stormed out of the room directly.

Crap... I actually argued with Nicola again!

But I felt regretful immediately after leaving the room. Did I go overboard just now? What if Nicola gets so angry she directly breaks ties with me?

Yet I don't feel like I can go back and apologize either because I don't think there's anything wrong with what I said. After all, the landlord doesn't deserve death. Castration is already fully sufficient to punish him.

As the room door shut behind me, I looked up at the ceiling and suddenly felt a little tired, softly sighing as I walked out of the church.

The street parade progressed very quickly...

At this time, Selene somehow prepared a prisoner transport wagon outside the church doors and was directing some followers of the True Church to load the landlord Janot into the vehicle, getting ready to set off.

"Selene, can you come over for a while?"

I stood at the church entrance and waved at her, unable to help taking another look at the prisoner in the wagon.

He was lying flat on the bottom, not knowing if it was because his wounds from the castration were not treated or because he was mentally unable to take it.

"Feliciana?"

Seeing my gesture, Selene immediately abandoned what was in her hands and ran to my side.

"What do you need me for?"

"Um..."

After hesitating for a long time, I finally mustered my courage to speak:

"About this street parade and burning at the stake punishment, why not just cancel it? I feel castration is enough already!"

"Cancel it? Are you serious?"

Selene was stunned to hear this. The preparations were almost complete, the prisoner loaded. Everything was ready, only missing the east wind! But now I was suddenly calling for a halt, making her find it hard to accept.

"Does Miss Nicola agree to cancel it too?"

"Uh... she doesn't actually. It's just my idea!"

I told the truth and decided to try persuading her rationally again.

"Listen to me. Janot's offenses have not reached such a severe stage. I believe you know it too, so won't giving him a chance be good?"

"I understand what you mean..."

As expected, Selene was also a reasonable person. She nodded and acknowledged what I said.

"Indeed, if these offenses were brought to the city defense, at most he'd be jailed for a few years, or sent to the borders for a stint before being released..."

"So you agree then?"

I was instantly delighted and asked eagerly, but her reply dashed my hopes.

"No!"

I saw Selene shake her head and reject my request firmly.

"The laws of the city defense are one thing, but the ones conducting the trial and verdict this time are not them, but our True Church's religious court! So following the church's code, the victim has the right to increase the punishment on the offender. Janot almost succeeded in raping an angel. It's an unforgivable sin that fully meets the criteria for burning at the stake. So you have no right to ask for cancellation!"

"Unless Miss Nicola personally comes and says she doesn't want to pursue it, only then would the halt request be valid!"

After saying all that, Selene turned and walked towards the prisoner wagon.

"If you want to watch too, hurry up and get ready. The street parade is starting soon!"

"Sigh..."

Although I had predicted this outcome long ago, I still felt very discouraged.

Walking back to my room, I saw Cyra staring at me widely with anticipation.

"Ah—"

Crap! I opened my mouth wide and thought, this is bad!