A fortune-telling princess Chapter 180

Just as Jaynor had guessed, Arison had indeed been holding back.

But if the fight had gone on just a little longer, he wouldn’t have had the luxury to do so.

‘A magic swordsman is definitely a tough opponent.’

Jaynor had actually considered going all out.

But the moment Arison turned away so easily, as if the matter was already settled, he simply tilted his head in mild amusement.

“So, just saying Camilla’s name is enough to end everything?”

A quiet laugh escaped him as he recalled how Arison had disappeared without a trace.

“This place is full of annoying people.”

****

Meanwhile, at the Church

Tch.

Even after the meeting had ended, Cardinal Stela remained seated, clicking his tongue in irritation.

‘So that’s it? We’re just letting this go?’

Ever since Camilla had sent the Sword of Judgment, all accusations of her being a heretic had completely vanished.

And now, even this meeting had ended without any resolution.

‘I can’t just leave things like this.’

What she had said that day still lingered in his mind like a thorn in his throat.

Her unwavering gaze, as she directly spoke of receiving a divine revelation—it was unsettling.

‘Does she actually know everything?’

How?

How did she know so precisely about all the things he had done?

‘A revelation? Don’t be ridiculous.’

There was no way God had told her that.

He, Cardinal Stela, had devoted his entire life to serving God.

Would God truly abandon him over a few questionable actions?

“How dare she.”

She must have heard those things from somewhere and was now using them to threaten him.

He wanted to send the Inquisitors after her immediately, have her dragged in and eliminated.

But… things had become complicated.

Even in today’s meeting, no one had dared to openly bring up any charges against her.

Tch.

Clicking his tongue again, Stela slowly rose from his seat.

There was no point in lingering in this empty hall.

Camilla—her existence had become an obstacle.

‘Maybe I’ll have to handle this… quietly.’

If he couldn’t condemn her publicly, then he would simply have to find another way.

That woman was deceiving people with her fake divine power.

She needed to be silenced before she had a chance to speak nonsense again.

‘But her status is a problem.’

Of all things, why did she have to belong to that family?

House Sorpel was one of the Empire’s most powerful ducal houses.

Even though she wasn’t his biological daughter, Duke Sorpel still treasured her greatly.

This made the situation… tricky.

Bang!

“Y-Your Eminence!”

The meeting hall doors burst open, and a young priest rushed in.

Stela’s brows furrowed in immediate displeasure.

“Have you forgotten your station? You were taught to always remain composed.”

“My—my apologies!”

The young priest, who appeared to be in his early twenties, quickly bowed his head.

But his urgency was clear—he immediately rushed to speak.

“Y-you need to see this, Your Eminence!”

“……?”

“These… these have been posted all around the temple grounds!”

He held out a poster.

Stela took it with a look of disdain, but as his eyes skimmed over the text—

His expression hardened.

“…W-what is this?!”

“These posters have appeared all over the temple!”

“…All over?!”

The posters contained detailed records—

Of everything he and the temple had done.

From young priests to clerical trainees—countless individuals had suffered humiliation, abuse, and even sexual assault, some driven to suicide because of it.

「…From young priests to clerical trainees, many were subjected to disgrace and despair, some driven to the point of taking their own lives.

All of this was carried out under the silent approval of Cardinal Stela, who not only permitted these atrocities but actively participated in them…」

“WHO DARES TO SPREAD SUCH LIES?!”

Cardinal Stela crumpled the poster in his fist, his voice booming in a fit of rage.

“Tear them down—all of them, immediately!”

“Y-yes, Your Eminence!”

One of the priests hurriedly ran out of the chamber.

Meanwhile, Stela’s eyes remained wild and unfocused, darting around as if searching for something.

Then, his fury took over.

Whoever was responsible for posting these accusations had to be captured and silenced—no matter the cost.

“If I can just get my hands on them…”

It wouldn’t take much—just a little bit of torture, and he’d extract a forced confession that these were all false allegations.

Then, this scandal would be wiped from people’s memories—as if it had never existed.

“Yes… there’s no need to panic.”

At least, that’s what he believed.

But two weeks later, Stela would come to realize just how foolishly optimistic he had been.

“Cardinal Stela, I assume you’re well aware of the current situation.”

“…What are your thoughts on the matter?”

“It’s all lies.”

Since the first day those posters had appeared, they had continued to surface every single day.

Throughout the entire empire, temples were being plastered with the same accusations.

‘Damn it all!’

Stela had exhausted every possible measure trying to catch the culprits.

He had deployed Holy Knights, bribed underground information networks, and even hired assassins—offering enormous sums to capture whoever was behind this.

Yet, no matter what he did, those responsible left no trace.

Like ghosts, they moved unseen, swiftly putting up posters before vanishing into thin air.

Even with guards patrolling all night, by morning, new posters would be everywhere.

It was infuriating.

“…Are you sure these accusations are false?”

Thus, an official hearing had been summoned.

The Pope himself was present, and the entire atmosphere in the chamber was heavy.

The Church’s reputation had taken a catastrophic hit from these ongoing revelations.

Though Stela had demanded more time to disprove the claims, nothing had changed.

More and more voices were now calling for an explanation—even among the devout followers of the faith.

“This is all the work of slanderers attempting to discredit me!”

Had this been any lower-ranking priest, an investigation would have been immediate, and a trial would have followed.

But Stela was a cardinal.

They had granted him time—and now, they had summoned him to speak.

“Even discussing these falsehoods is an offense to the divine!”

Despite the heated discussions, the meeting made little progress.

Stela adamantly proclaimed his innocence.

And… there was no direct evidence against him.

The priests mentioned in the posters had indeed committed suicide, but there was nothing officially linking Stela to their deaths

“There is one way to settle this.”

The voice belonged to Cardinal Martio, who had remained silent until now.

Though a high-ranking member of the Church, Martio was unlike the other cardinals.

Rather than seeking power, he dedicated himself to missionary work, often preferring to work alongside common priests.

“The Sword of Judgment has returned, has it not?”

“The Sword of Judgment?”

“Surely, you’re not suggesting we use that relic?”

His words sent a ripple through the chamber.

Everyone knew exactly what he meant—but no one had wanted to say it out loud.

“In the past, the Church relied on the Sword of Judgment to reveal the truth.”

“Hah! But we don’t even know if this so-called sword is genuine or not!”

“That is why we should confirm it—now.”

A heavy silence followed.

Martio then turned his gaze to the Pope, seated at the highest position.

“I believe this is the best course of action.

Rather than wasting any more time, we should let the Sword of Judgment decide the matter once and for all.”

“Hmm…”

The Pope fell into deep thought, before slowly nodding.

This was not a bad idea.

In truth, he had long wanted to confirm whether this sword was authentic or not.

No one had dared to test it yet, and now, here was the perfect opportunity.

“…Indeed, that may be best.”

As the Pope’s decision was made, the room was filled with a mix of relief and dread.

If this sword truly was real, it would mean every single member of the Church would now be held accountable.

“…I agree as well.”

Even Cardinal Stela agreed.

At first, the mention of the sword had made him panic.

But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a golden opportunity.

He was convinced the sword was a fake.

After all, if the Church itself had failed to find it for centuries, how could a mere noblewoman like Camilla have possibly retrieved it?

This was clearly a deception.

Now, by exposing it as a forgery, he could finally put this nonsense to rest.

“The Sword of Judgment has been prepared.”

The sacred weapon was placed before Cardinal Stela.

With zero hesitation, he grabbed the hilt.

Hesitation would be seen as guilt—so he had to appear completely confident.

“I…”

His voice rang out boldly in the chamber.

“…have committed no crime.

I have never once gone against the will of God.

I swear this in His name.”

With his declaration complete, Stela looked down at the sword—

And nothing happened.

Or so he thought.

Until—

WOOOOOOOM!

“…?!”

The blade vibrated violently, emitting an intense, blinding light.

“M-Madness!”

Stela’s shocked voice echoed through the chamber.

The Sword of Judgment was real.

Stela immediately tried to drop the sword—

But his fingers wouldn’t move.

No matter how hard he strained, his grip remained locked around the hilt.

His eyes widened in horror as the blade turned itself toward his chest.

“No… NO!!”

The sword had passed its judgment.

It had deemed him guilty.

His face drained of color as he screamed in panic.

“I CONFESS! I CONFESS TO EVERYTHING!!EVERYTHING WRITTEN ON THOSE POSTERS IS TRUE!”

He begged for mercy, his voice shaking.

“…But it was too late.”