Chapter 403: True Blasphemy

Chapter 403: True Blasphemy

"You want to return that thing to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church?" Cattleya glared at Hastur with a disapproving look.

Although she didn't believe it was truly the eye of a god, Cattleya held no fondness for the Eternal Blazing Sun Church. Rather than returning it, she'd sooner toss it to a dog.

It was the Eternal Blazing Sun Church's alliance with the Sauron family that led to Emperor Roselle's downfall at White Maple Palace - a historical fact that had been proven.

Without the church's support, the Sauron family alone could never have assassinated Emperor Roselle. The Gustav family wouldn't have faced persecution, and the Queen wouldn't have been reduced to a mysterious ruler of the seas.

She should have been the most noble princess of the entire Intis Republic!

"This object harbors ominous energy. Keeping it will only bring us misfortune," Hastur explained.

"I disagree!" Cattleya flatly refused, leaving no room for negotiation on this matter.

Hastur remained calm, pouring himself a cup of hot tea before asking, "How do you propose we handle it?"

"Throw it to the dogs!" Cattleya exclaimed.

"Not a bad idea," Hastur's eyes lit up. "Let's do that."

Feeding the Eternal Blazing Sun's eye to a dog would certainly be an interesting affair. If the deity happened to be observing through that eye, it would be even more amusing. It would witness its own eye being swallowed by a dog.

Cattleya was visibly stunned. "You can't be serious?"

"Don't you think your suggestion is excellent?" Hastur winked. "The holy relic the Eternal Blazing Sun Church has been desperately seeking, fed to a dog. What delightful blasphemy."

Cattleya's pupils dilated slightly as she gave Hastur a complex look. "You're more insane and daring than I imagined."

"But Lady Cattleya, this was your idea," Hastur reminded her.

Cattleya didn't argue further. She had spoken out of anger, but Hastur truly intended to follow through. Even Sharon, who usually showed little interest in such matters, looked over with confusion in her eyes.

She knew Hastur must have his reasons for choosing this course of action, but feeding what might be a god's eye to a dog seemed far too reckless.

"First, we'll find a suitable dog on the street, then notify members of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church to witness this historic moment," Hastur continued.

"You'll go?" Cattleya asked, implying his plan should be carried out by him.

"I won't," Hastur replied.

"What?"

"Let Ulrich go. In the church's eyes, he's already a blasphemer. It won't be strange for him to do something outrageous."

Hastur didn't want to risk the possibility of the Eternal Blazing Sun deity descending due to this act. Since Ulrich brought the object, he should be the one to conclude this affair.

Yes, that seemed reasonable.

"Me? I won't go!" Ulrich, who had just woken up and was still clutching his blanket, turned pale upon hearing Hastur's arrangement. He shook his head desperately, crying out, "It'll be the death of me! They'll surely hang me on a stake and burn me for three days and nights!"

"With your current crime of blasphemy, wouldn't you be put on the stake if caught anyway?" Hastur crouched down, persuading gently.

"But, but I haven't been caught yet, have I?" Ulrich's expression changed slightly, then he loudly protested, "You promised to get me safely out of Trier. Are you going back on your word?"

"Arranging for you to do this is part of the plan to get you out of the city," Hastur explained with a kind smile. "Think about it. With the city under such tight security, only by appearing in their sights will their guard be lowered, giving you a chance to leave Trier."

"No way, what if I get caught?" Ulrich seemed somewhat convinced but still shook his head vigorously.

"That's why we're having you throw the object to divert their attention," Hastur replied, as if he had everything planned out.

"No, it's too dangerous!"

"Well then, I suppose I'll just hand you over to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church along with the object. After all, I wasn't the one who promised to help you escape last night."

After some friendly persuasion, Ulrich tearfully agreed to the task.

Cattleya, who had been listening, watched Ulrich's departing figure as if he were marching to his death. She remarked, "You really shouldn't have taken the Black Emperor path."

Hastur clicked his tongue. "You know nothing about a lawyer's eloquence."

As Ulrich set out on his mission, he fled desperately, quickly attracting the attention and pursuit of patrolling soldiers and Eternal Blazing Sun Church members. Finally, he escaped to a bustling marketplace, surrounded on all sides by his pursuers.

Faced with so many people and eyes upon him, Ulrich shuddered. The situation was dire indeed. But at this point, he could only trust in that young man's plan.

Wait, he realized he had forgotten to ask for the young man's name! If he ended up in hell later, he wouldn't even know who to blame. How could he have forgotten such an important detail?

Ulrich's expression changed, but there was no time for other thoughts. Looking at the Eternal Blazing Sun Church members, including some priests he had known and even a bishop, he slowly pulled out the unremarkable round stone from his coat pocket. With a heavy heart, he declared, "Don't come any closer, or I'll destroy it!"

A commotion arose among the church members. Then, a priest who had once been on good terms with Ulrich stepped forward, forcing a smile. "Ulrich, you were always the most devout believer. I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. If you just come back to the church with us and explain everything, you can still be a respected priest."

"You may believe me, but I don't believe you. You were the first to break into my home!" Ulrich laughed coldly, raising his right hand holding the Eternal Blazing Sun's eye, poised to smash it on the ground.

"What do you want?" The priest who had been pushed forward to negotiate dropped his fake smile and coldly regarded Ulrich.

"Prepare a carriage for me and let me leave this place. Then I'll return the object to you," Ulrich seized the opportunity to make his demand.

"Very well, we'll grant your request."

Soon, a luxurious carriage drawn by two horses appeared.

"Stay back, don't come any closer!" Ulrich warned them to keep their distance as he slowly backed towards the carriage, feeling some relief as the tension in his heart eased slightly.

Suddenly, he felt the space around him freeze as if paralyzed, unable to move as he watched helplessly as the priest approached to take the object from his hand.

"We have many ways to retrieve the object from you. Did you really think you could escape?" the priest said.

"You break your word!" Ulrich, somehow regaining control, angrily threw the round stone far away.

As everyone's attention was drawn to the flying object, Ulrich quickly climbed into the carriage. The driver immediately urged the horses forward, crashing through the crowd of ordinary soldiers and clearing a path to escape.

"Damn it, wasn't that driver supposed to be one of ours? How could he follow the blasphemer's orders?"

Inside the carriage, Ulrich heard the angry voices fading behind them. He was equally curious about how cooperative this driver was.

"Hold on tight, I'm fulfilling my promise to get you out of the city," came a familiar voice.

"It's you!" Ulrich's anxiety turned to joy as he recognized the speaker.

Meanwhile, the Eternal Blazing Sun Church members paid little attention to Ulrich's escape, their focus drawn to where the round stone had landed.

When they reached the area, they collectively fell silent.

The stone, which had just hit the ground, had been eaten by a dog.

Yes, a mangy stray dog that appeared out of nowhere had devoured what was believed to be a god's eye!

That was supposed to be the eye of a deity, their holy relic!

And it had been desecrated by a dog!

After a brief silence, they unanimously decided to cut open the audacious mutt and retrieve their long-sought holy object.

The smell was nauseating.

This relic, which should have been enshrined in their temple for all believers to revere and worship, now seemed tainted, its sanctity forever lost.

The elderly bishop held the round stone in his palm and declared, "Forget what happened here. Remember only that the eye of our god is eternally sacred and glorious!"

"Praise the Sun!" the other church members chanted in unison.

They then reverently escorted the divine eye back to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church.

Cattleya, who had witnessed the scene from hiding, scoffed at the display.

Praise the Sun? The eye of a god?

It was nothing more than a worthless stone that had been fed to a dog.

Where was the sanctity and glory? It was merely a self-deceptive charade.

Cattleya now found herself hoping that the round stone truly was the Eternal Blazing Sun's eye left behind in the mortal realm.

Now that would be true blasphemy!