All three opened their eyes simultaneously and found themselves in a bedroom unmistakably styled after the Grand Tribunal. Traces of Order were everywhere—the Grand Tribunal's insignia emblazoned on every surface.
Thanks to the Dream Peeping Candle's effect, they existed in the sa phantom state as a Dream Peeping Ranger infiltrating soone else's dream: invisible to the dream's inhabitants, yet unable to stray too far from the mory's host.
Since this was Chernosly's dream, they floated beside the First-Class Inquisitor.
At this mont, Chernosly stood in the center of the room, face grave, gripping another man's shoulders. His voice dropped to a fierce whisper:
"You're the only one I can trust! There's no way my teacher is a blaspher—he must have discovered sothing!
But Lord Esa Res won't hear any defense, won't allow any appeal. He insists my teacher blasphed Order. I... I still can't accept it!"
The man facing him frowned: "Then what do you plan to do?"
"I want to..." Anguish flickered across Chernosly's face, but it quickly hardened into resolve. "I want to bypass the Supre Court and petition him directly for the truth!"
"Have you lost your mind?!" The man seized Chernosly's arm, about to shout—then caught himself and hissed: "Have you forgotten how La Quis ended up in prison?
You can't provoke the Supre Court the sa way!
Wake up, Chernosly. You're the Son of Order—Lord Esa Res's chosen successor. If you do this and you're caught—no, you will be caught!
He'll strip your successor status. Your own teacher will lock you in the Howling Iron Prison with his own hands!
You'd be betraying Order. Do you understand that?!"
Chernosly's expression shifted wildly. His heart refused to settle. But after several deep breaths, the determination in his eyes grew even fiercer.
"But what if... as my teacher said... he has a problem?"
"Chernosly! Watch your tongue!" The man pulled him back, shot a panicked glance at the door, then dragged him deeper into the inner room. In an even lower voice he growled: "How could he possibly have a problem?! How?!
He is the foundation of all order in the world! The source of fairness and justice across the entire universe! He is a god! He is HIM! He is our Benefactor!
How dare you question your own Benefactor!"
Chernosly spoke with full gravity: "My teacher said he..."
"Enough! You'd sooner doubt your Benefactor than doubt your teacher. Has it occurred to you that maybe Grand Justice La Quis was wrong?!"
"Impossible!"
"You..." The man faltered, then snapped: "Fine, fine—La Quis is never wrong. Then have you considered that Lord Keinlaur could be wrong?
That Lord Esa Res could be wrong?
That my own teacher, Lord Artair, could be wrong?
That all three of them would make the sa mistake simultaneously?!"
"..." That silenced Chernosly.
Indeed—in his eyes, those three were equally noble and just.
"But..."
"And Grand Investigator Lid Yara—our Lord's sharpest eyes—chose not to publicly challenge Lord Esa Res's verdict on the spot. That ans... that ans..."
The man trailed off into silence as well. Clearly, voicing the idea that La Quis—the most just man in the Grand Tribunal—had committed blasphemy was agonizing for him too. He didn't believe it either. But facts were facts, and he couldn't overrule the Supre Court's judgnt.
"Heh. You don't believe it either, do you."
Chernosly managed a bitter laugh, then imdiately reclaid his previous resolve.
"I have to try. This is my only chance!"
"You..." The man's expression grew conflicted. He knew the man before him. Once this senior of his made up his mind, no one could talk him out of it.
The determination in Chernosly's eyes burned brighter.
"If Order can be questioned, then he should grant everyone the right of defense.
If Order cannot be questioned, then he... already has a problem.
I refuse to believe that my teacher—the most just, most orderly Grand Justice under heaven—would blasphe his Benefactor.
And I refuse to believe that my Benefactor—the most revered, most exalted Order in all the universe—could develop a problem.
So I must uncover the truth of this myself. I cannot let his radiance fail to reach the Supre Court's filthy corners!"
"...Filthy corners, is it? Even you've started imagining injustice. Heh. How ironic."
"..." Chernosly paused, then seized the man's arm again. "I need your help, Moxius. Will... you help ?"
Indeed—the man facing Chernosly was none other than his junior fellow disciple, Moxius.
The mont Cheng Shi realized who it was, his eyes went wider than saucers.
'Him!'
'The Son of Order who inherited the Grand Tribunal's Execution's Hour!'
'So the "Son of Order" title had originally been Chernosly's—and only passed to Moxius after Chernosly's fall?'
Cheng Shi's startled reaction caught Hong Lin's attention. She raised an eyebrow and leaned in: "Know him?"
"Moxius. After Chernosly's disappearance, he succeeded him as Son of Order. A First-Class Inquisitor hailed as the Grand Tribunal's rising star—Supre Inquisitor Esa Res's second-choice successor.
Sadly, he died young. Killed while investigating a case involving the Nature Alliance within Grand Tribunal territory.
He also lost the Grand Tribunal's legendary scepter, Execution's Hour."
Those words ca not from Cheng Shi but from Li Jingming beside them. The man's gaze was fixed on Chernosly, watching the scene unfold—yet his ears stood tall like antennae, absorbing every scrap of surrounding information. The instant a question arose, he delivered the answer without hesitation, narrating like a film's voiceover.
Cheng Shi was genuinely impressed. The Dragon King's encyclopedic knowledge of history was undeniable—he seed conversant in virtually every detail of the Land of Hope's past.
Fortunately, the man appeared unaware that it was Cheng Shi who'd killed Moxius and stolen Execution's Hour.
Still... at this point in ti, Execution's Hour was probably still in the Grand Tribunal's possession?
If he could get his hands on it, wouldn't that complete a full set of Thundering's divinity?
His eyes blazed montarily with avarice. 'Could I actually exploit this loophole?!'
Oh wait—this was a dream... Never mind. No point dreaming about it.
The corner of his mouth twitched. He nodded to acknowledge the Dragon King's historical expertise, then scooted closer to Hong Lin and whispered: "He's not the leader of the History School, is he?"
"Hm? You didn't know?" Hong Lin looked mildly surprised.
'Oh no—what am I supposed to know?'
"He's not even considered a mber. The History School's founder rejected his application to join."
"Huh? Why? Who could possibly know history better than the Chosen of mory? Has the History School lost its mind, turning away talent like that?"
Hong Lin's expression turned peculiar. She shot a glance at Li Jingming and whispered with a smirk:
"The History School isn't crazy. But it's not really about knowing history—it's about faith.
Because their leader is...
Zhen Xin."
"???" Cheng Shi's mind blanked. His voice ca out in a stunned yelp: "Who?!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)