The citizens of Kamarlon, heavy-hearted, returned home, spending almost the entire night discussing the big event of the magical child Rody's trial. The next day, they got up early, eager to know how the situation would unfold. What would be the stance of the Human Grand Alliance military? What kind of support would come from the nineteen countries, including Felik? What about the son of the elves, Chris, and the elite squad? Would the interrupted magical martial arts competition continue?
Everyone left their homes filled with questions, but soon, upon receiving the news, they were all transformed into shock. The elite squad, including Chris, and the girls from the fan group, were taken away by the military overnight. General Quentin, with Marshal Fondsman's 'Command Ring', came to take Chris and his group. They had all left through the teleportation gate at midnight. The temple, not falling behind the military in its actions, held a trial meeting overnight and unanimously decided to try Rody at noon the next day.
All teleportation gates were shut, and the capital of Kamarlon, Bray City, was under tight guard with its gates closed. All citizens were informed to gather at the Garden Square at noon to watch the angel and the temple judge the evil necromancer Rody...
The magical broadcast repeatedly spread the news of the temple's trial of the necromancer Rody, and countless people spontaneously went out, forming a huge crowd converging towards the Garden Square. There, the city's garrison troops and the temple's holy knights were already in a tight formation, with people only allowed to watch the trial from a designated area outside. Any attempt to cross the boundary would be considered an attempt to rescue the evil and would lead to arrest.
Overnight, a huge pyre had been erected in the Garden Square. People were no longer strangers to burning evil, and many knew what was about to happen. First would come the holy light's trial, the temple's accusation of sins, the punishment of the wicked, followed by repentance and redemption. If the evil person was deemed irredeemable, this step would be skipped, and they would proceed directly to the burning punishment, letting the fierce flames completely consume the evil.
On the high platform of the pyre, the magical child Rody was bound in magical shackles to a giant silver cross. A dozen holy knights and magic masters were guarding him, with thousands of holy knights below. In the sky were large griffin squadrons and deer-eagle cavalries, and around them were magical alert towers with archers and crossbowmen ready, fearing someone might try to rescue Rody.
As for the temple's side, the holy light was continuous, indicating more troops were continuously arriving. Seeing such a formation, people couldn't help but sigh in despair for Rody...
Even if the military wanted to intervene for a rescue, it seemed too late. Was the magical child Rody really going to be burned to death here? When everyone's gaze turned to the high platform where Rody, bound in chains, they were surprised to find him reading a book.
His hands were tied behind his back, but a magic book floated in front of him, turning pages as he read. The expression on Rody's face was one of tranquil indifference.
As if the person about to be burned alive was not himself, but someone else. When the holy knights tried to take his book away, the magic book automatically disappeared. After several attempts, all the holy knights pretended not to see this odd behavior of the magical child. After all, he couldn't escape, and a magic book wouldn't make any difference. If he wanted to read, let him read, as long as he didn't try to beguile the hearts of the world, wasn't that better? Everyone in the temple acted as if they didn't see, allowing this magical child to read his book as if no one else was there... People knew Rody well, as gossiping magic journalists had already exposed his behavioral habits.
The magical child Rody, when idle, liked to read books. But to be so calm and focused on reading a book, knowing that he was about to be burned alive, was beyond everyone's expectations. Magic journalists used memory crystals to capture this moment, which might be the last surprise the magical child gave to everyone. The delegations from various countries, all in positions prearranged by the temple, set up magical broadcasting devices.
Citizens across the continent could see the current scene. Last night, the magical child Rody, labeled as an evil necromancer by the temple, was bound under the pyre, about to face the angel's trial. In the sky, a massive column of holy light descended, and angelic chants echoed throughout Kamarlon. Two four-winged Seraphim descended from the heavens, their divine and majestic presence, glittering like diamonds, made them impossible to look at directly. Following them were five two-winged Powers, equally majestic and sacred, with holy light emanating with every flap of their wings... People looked up, many who believed in the God of Light raised their hands to greet them, praying in unison.
The red-robed Archbishop Gao Peiro knelt on the ground, hands flat on the ground to welcome the arrival of the two Seraphim. The previously arrived Power angel Phoebus also performed elegant rituals to welcome them.
"We do not judge directly, nor do we intervene in any national affairs; everything is governed by the people themselves. But to prevent evil backlash, the respected Seraphim sent us. Besides bringing a divine artifact, we will also pray for the world in the main temple of the God of Light..." The pleasant voice of the left Seraphim captivated everyone, as if their souls were cleansed by his words.
"This divine artifact, imbued with the will of the God of Light, will annihilate any evil under its strike," the right Seraphim granted Phoebus a sphere of holy light.
After a soul-purifying prayer, the two Seraphim, at the kneeling invitation of Archbishop Gao Peiro, headed to the temple's teleportation gate, preparing to go to the main temple of the God of Light on Mount Light, to personally pray for all the people to the God of Light, keeping evil at bay forever. Inside the temple, one by one, the red-robed archbishops appeared, and finally, even the current Pope personally welcomed the two noble Seraphim to the main temple of the God of Light on Mount Light.
Throughout, the two Seraphim never glanced at Rody. Nor did they look at the common people of Kamarlon; perhaps in their eyes, humans were as insignificant as ants. Even when the dignified rulers of the earth, like King William II of the Kamarlon Empire and Prince Norn, paid their respects, the two Seraphim merely nodded slightly in return.
Because of the arrival of the Seraphim, there was a delay, but the temple did not forget to judge Rody. The red-robed Archbishop Gao Peiro was commanded to step forward and loudly proclaimed the judgment. In the sky, the Power angel Phoebus hovered, quietly observing the people's reaction to the judgment. What else could the people do besides sigh in despair?
At this moment, not even a single person stood up to plead for Rody's forgiveness.
...
After hearing Archbishop Gao Peiro's judgment, Rody closed his book, yawning with apparent boredom. "Judgment by the Holy Light!" commanded Archbishop Gao Peiro. The holy magic masters chanted, gathering a huge ball of holy light and hurling it at Rody.
"Ah!" Rody yawned again. He was supposed to be struggling in agony under the holy light, but his expression showed no pain. The holy light, which could torment an evil necromancer to the point of wishing for death, was nothing but a bright glare to Rody. The people watched, a bit restless, and many shouted for Rody's forgiveness, but since no one spoke up, no one dared to be the first to act.
From this, the world could be sure that this magical child was definitely not evil. Even if he was a necromancer, he did not belong to the evil camp.
"Light Arrows!" The Power angel Phoebus pointed at Rody, his wings unfurled, transforming the holy light into millions of light-feather arrows shooting towards Rody. "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..." More than a dozen holy knights also drew their bows and arrows, and under the enhancement of the holy magic masters, furiously shot their arrows at Rody, who was bound on the pyre. In an instant, blood splattered. Rody was hit by more than ten arrows, and by Phoebus's even more ferocious light-feather arrows, his body was riddled with wounds. Yet, he indifferently looked at the arrows in his chest, at his blood-stained body, his eyes still as calm as ever.
Even, through the enlarged images on the big screen, people could see a kind of silent mockery in his eyes...
Perhaps there was also sadness, loneliness, and indifference, but more than that, people saw the almost cruelly calm expression on his face. On the battlefield in the land of evil, people had seen this expression on Rody's face; when he was injured by the orc-demon soldiers, his face wore the same expression.
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No anger, only that faint mockery, and a chilling calmness.
The main purpose of the Holy Light Judgment was for the world to watch the evil entity struggle and wail in agony under the righteous holy light, but obviously, the temple had not achieved any effect on Rody. Rody did not struggle or wail, he didn't even show any emotion. The arrows shot at him were blunt and did not penetrate deeply enough to cause immediate death, but those in the know understood that the arrowheads were coated with a toxin causing unbearable pain, a common practice among all nations.
All the faces of the holy knights turned pale, unable to imagine how an ordinary person, even hit by one arrow, would go insane. But this Rody, hit by more than a dozen arrows, remained completely unmoved.
Could it be that his nerves were made of steel?
"The evil necromancer Rody, do you acknowledge your guilt?" Seeing the crowd becoming restless, Archbishop Gao Peiro hurriedly followed the usual procedure for interrogation. He was eager to burn Rody alive, but in front of hundreds of thousands of onlookers, he obviously couldn't skip the step of accusing him. If the accused showed repentance, they could still receive the temple's prayers and a reduction of sins after being burned. However, he suspected Rody wouldn't cooperate with his questioning, so he planned to ask only once as a formality.
As expected, Rody ignored him.
"Next, we proceed with the whipping of the wicked... Does anyone have accusations against the evil necromancer Rody?" Gao Peiro asked again.
"Pray for justice and redemption from the God of Light!" Some characters arranged by the temple appeared, crying out about the harm Rody had inflicted on them. For instance, the blacksmith Indel, whom Rody had injured as a child, complained that he still couldn't have a normal sex life, claiming Rody's attack had ruined his family, even though it was known that he was a bachelor.
Besides those injured by Rody, there were also people unknown to him, crying about the harm he had done to them, like taking away their fiancées, daughters, or wives.
Archbishop Gao Peiro commanded the holy knights to whip Rody with each accusation, ten lashes for each crime. However, when the knights approached Rody with the whip, they trembled, especially under the complex gazes of hundreds of thousands of people, making it hard for them to act.
"Coward! Let me do it!" Lot snatched the whip and brutally lashed Rody, tearing his clothes and splattering blood.
"Evil necromancer Rody, are you willing to repent under the radiance of the God of Light for redemption?" Archbishop Gao Peiro didn't really want to ask this, fearing Rody would agree and the masses would seize the opportunity to plead for forgiveness. But the required question had to be asked, hoping the severely injured Rody hadn't heard.
"..." Rody remained silent, his eyes filled with even more mocking meaning.
"Forgive him! Forgive this child! The God of Light is loving and kind to all people, selfless, great, He cherishes every person, including this poor child! Forgive him, forgive him!" An old woman cried out with tears, trying her best to shout towards the platform.
"Forgive Rody, forgive him..." No one dared to be the first to speak, but upon hearing someone shouting, thousands of people immediately joined in.
"No, no, impossible! Judging Rody is the will of the God of Light!" Archbishop Gao Peiro anxiously looked at the crowd, shouting: "Necromancer Rody is evil, he must be judged! This is the will of God, no one should disobey!" His voice was drowned out by the noise of thousands, and the situation turned chaotic.
"People of God, why are you still deceived and beguiled by evil?" Phoebus flew out, shouting authoritatively.
As soon as he appeared, the people quieted down.
People could confront and protest against the temple's red-robed archbishop. But when faced with an angel, everyone's courage drained away. An angel represents the omnipotent deity, faith, and supreme authority.
"I, the angel Phoebus of Heaven, will personally judge the necromancer Rody, skilled in beguiling hearts and spreading evil!" Phoebus's words left all the spectators in despair. No one could stop the tragedy from happening, and the ending of the magical child Rody being burned at the stake became inevitable. Even if the military arrived, they could only watch helplessly.
No wonder General Quentin and others only took Chris and the elite squad away, they had known the outcome all along.
Archbishop Gao Peiro seized the opportunity to signal the holy knights and holy magic masters to ignite the wood beneath Rody. Lot also joined in nervously, quickly pouring fuel and lighting several spots with a torch, then watching with satisfaction as Rody was engulfed in the raging flames.
"Great God of Life Water, if you think my heart is as pure as a spring, then please let a spring emerge under my feet." Rody's voice came out from amidst the flames, speaking for the first time.
...
A melancholic song seemed to sound faintly, as if it came from the far horizon, yet also as if it resonated deep within the heart. Everyone felt it, everyone heard it, someone was singing a sorrowful song.
Magical ripples twinkled within the fierce flames, and a magical fountain sprayed out from the high platform amidst the fire.
Everyone was stunned... Could it be that the God of Life Water really considered Rody innocent? Did the God think Rody's heart, judged as evil, was as pure as a spring? This was a miracle; as soon as the magical child Rody prayed, the deities sang for him, and a magical fountain emerged to protect him in the midst of the flames.
"Great God of Nature, if you think my kindness is as rich as the fertile soil of the earth, then please let the wood under my feet sprout tender buds and leaves..." Rody spoke slowly. With his second sentence, the flames around the wood quickly diminished and finally disappeared. On the charred wood, sprouts and green leaves began to grow.
"It's a miracle, a miracle!" People cried excitedly with tears streaming down their faces.
"The gods don't recognize Rody as guilty, he is innocent, innocent! Let him go, he is a good and kind person, let him go!" someone shouted, leading to thousands of people echoing in unison.
"Let him go, let him go!" People excitedly raised their hands and shouted together.
On the high platform, where the fire had just been raging, lush green leaves now grew, and unnamed little flowers bloomed rapidly. The holy knights were dumbfounded, and even Archbishop Gao Peiro didn't expect such a move from Rody. This completely stunned him. If it wasn't for the previous judgments that made it impossible for him to turn back, he would have wanted to lock up Rody and quell the surging public sentiment.
But now, it was too late for him to turn back.
Why didn't this magical child do this before the trial? Why did he wait until now to pray for a miracle? Was he trying to strike at the entire temple and the angels of heaven?
What exactly did he want to do?
"Spiritual magic, elven magic, natural magic... you know a lot!" Phoebus scoffed: "But no matter how much magic you know, it's just a joke. Don't think that by beguiling hearts and playing some magic tricks, you can save your life!"
"Are you talking to me? Foolish bird-man!" Rody's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Listen, don't get too complacent! Before you understand our true power, you can only make the most futile struggle! Everything will only become a laughingstock in the legends, a glorious and sacred exemplary event of the Light," Phoebus laughed loudly: "You don't know, we have prepared a gift for you early on, this time, you will definitely be satisfied, because it is a divine artifact!"
Phoebus launched a ball of holy light at Rody. Upon being struck by it, Rody shuddered and his head drooped. The magical fountain at his feet disappeared, and all the blooming flowers rapidly withered and scattered. The lush greenery visibly wilted, dried up, and died. With a wave of Phoebus's hand, the fire reignited fiercely around Rody, engulfing him in flames...
"Is it an artifact that restrains my spiritual power?" Rody's voice calmly emerged from within the flames.
"No, not only your spirit but also your soul will be forever imprisoned, never able to escape, forever suffering the torments of hell! This is heaven's judgment on you!" Phoebus's declaration reignited hope in Lot and others, who cheered. Rody's two previous prayers and the resulting miracles had almost driven them to despair, but now, with this divine artifact, the detested bastard was finally going to be reduced to ashes.
"Do you think earthly flames can burn me?" Rody, engulfed in flames, spoke clearly.
"The Holy Silver Cross!" Seeing Rody break free from the magical chains in the fire, Phoebus immediately cast another holy silver cross to firmly bind Rody. As thousands watched in tears, Phoebus conjured an unquenchable divine fire and hurled it at Rody, shouting, "If earthly flames can't kill you, what about divine fire? Under this annihilating divine fire, you'll turn to nothingness immediately!"
"It's okay, the restraining artifact will protect my soul!" Rody laughed heartily: "Thank you for these long-desired gifts. Now, let me give you some small gifts in return."
Rody, bound by the Holy Silver Cross, suddenly slipped out of its confines and caught it in his hand. To Phoebus's astonishment, Rody patted off the flames on his body and smiled: "Sorry, this thing only judges evil, it has no effect on me! Of course, the will of the God of Light could restrain me, but I won't resist, so its power will only be minimal. Ah, I wonder how it will affect you?"
Rody threw the Holy Silver Cross at Phoebus, who screamed and shot up into the sky. But it was too late; the cross expanded instantly, silver chains flying out to bind him. When Phoebus fell back to the ground, Rody ignited the unquenchable divine fire on both of his knees. Smiling, he said, "I've wanted to do this for a long time, holding back just to let you show your endurance in front of everyone... Oh, it seems you lack it!"
"Ah, ah, ah, ah!" In contrast to Rody, who was engulfed in flames, Phoebus, with only small flames on his knees, wailed in agony.
His face contorted, tears and saliva flying.
Everyone was stunned and disoriented. A human had just judged an angel?
How is this possible? Is this a dream? How could Rody judge an angel? He even caught the pure angel with the Holy Silver Cross of the God of Light and remained unscathed himself. When Phoebus threw divine fire at him, he felt no pain, yet just a little bit of it on Phoebus's hand caused such agony. Could it be that Rody truly isn't an evil person?
"I feel sorry for you!" Rody patted Phoebus's shoulder, making his howls even louder because Rody's body was all aflame, and the slightest touch reignited the fire on Phoebus's shoulder.
"No, don't come any closer... stay away!" Lot and Gao Peiro were trembling with fear.
"Don't worry, my brother, I won't burn you with divine fire, because you're not worthy of it!" Rody raised his hands and pressed down towards Lot and the others. A golden wave of light shone brilliantly, and everyone touched by the light wave fell to the ground in agony, rolling around and howling in pain.
"Please, this has nothing to do with me, I was just following orders!" Archbishop Gao Peiro, surprisingly unharmed, soon realized that Rody had deliberately spared him. His face turned pale with fear, and his diamond-studded high crown fell to the ground.
He lay trembling on the ground, begging Rody, who was slowly approaching, to spare his life.
"What Lot and the others are experiencing is 'soul cleansing', which isn't very painful. Even for the most evil, it feels as simple as taking a bath in lava. I know you wouldn't like it, so I specially prepared 'soul redemption' for you, Archbishop. You like redemption, don't you? From now on, every time you do something bad or have a bad thought, you'll be redeemed! Congratulations, your heart is not far from a pure soul! Of course, before that, you must redeem all your past sins!" Rody spat a golden breath at Archbishop Gao Peiro, causing him to fly painfully into the air, struggling desperately, then crashing to the ground, rolling around like a madman.
"Terrifying, what kind of person is this guy?" King William II and the other royals were immensely shocked, feeling as if they were suffocating.
"Rody... we love you! Long live Rody!" Some girls, unable to contain their excitement, cheered even though Rody had become a man of fire. With a wave of his hand, he had defeated the angel and the temple's holy knights, reviving their hearts that had died in despair.
"Wow, that's terrifying!" The temple knights and holy magic masters, fearing they would end up writhing on the ground like their companions, all ran away, scattering in all directions.