Absolution

A dead silence fell over the temple.

At this moment, whether it was the female attendant standing beside Lu Li silently recording everything, the solemn Cardinal in her crimson robe, or the tightly bound, deathly pale prisoner, their eyes were filled with shock as they looked at the youth upon the throne in utter disbelief.

What had he just said?

He was going to forgive the assassin who had nearly killed him?

Julia clenched her fists, a sense of absurdity rising in her heart. But when she remembered that the person sitting on the throne was the Holy Son—a youth once renowned for his tolerance and gentleness—it didn't seem so surprising after all.

As for the prisoner branded as an assassin, she stared blankly up at the youth's soft, handsome face, two streams of tears flowing uncontrollably from her eyes.

Fifteen years ago, when her mother died under the butcher's knife of the northern kingdom's Hellfire Legion, she had not cried. Twelve years ago, when her father passed away from a severe illness brought on by grief, she had not cried. Ten years ago, when she joined the Templar Knights and fought in endless campaigns, she had not cried even when she was severely wounded and surrounded by enemies in the wilderness, nearly returning to the embrace of the Lord.

Yet now, she wept.

The youth she had nearly killed did not hand down holy punishment for her crime, nor did he offer even a word of reproach. But the more forgiving and merciful he was, the stronger the agony in her heart grew—strong enough to consume her, to utterly destroy her.

“O Great Holy See! Sob... I, I have committed... an unforgivable offense... sob... I understand that no amount of words... can, can ever wash away my sins. I beg you... withdraw your mercy and hand down holy punishment... Let me die as a sinner... Even that would be a grace.”

The prisoner tried her best to restrain herself, but by the end, she was sobbing so hard she could barely speak.

She had been born in a remote village of the Holy State, and in the past, she had never possessed the right to behold the Pope, let alone receive his grace. Who would have thought that at the final moment of her life, she would receive such an honor?

“Your Holiness, since the sinner has already accepted her fate...”

Julia spoke up, trying to steer the derailed events back on track.

But midway through her sentence, she was interrupted by Lu Li.

“Julia, I am the Pope of the Holy Court, the shepherd of all living beings. Since she calls me holy, she is a believer of the Lord. If she truly has sinned, then that sin is mine as well.”

“Your Holiness!”

Julia gasped in shock, but before she could interrupt him further, holy light burst forth from the youth's body. The light was warm and gentle, as if it could cleanse the soul.

As the light washed over the prisoner, her wounds began to heal at an astonishing speed. The bloody scabs left behind from torture crumbled away, revealing newly formed, smooth skin. The pain on her face gradually faded, replaced by an unparalleled devotion.

“A miracle... This is truly a miracle!” The female attendant's eyes widened in sheer shock, her body instinctively sinking into a kneel on the floor.

Having served as an attendant to the Pope for over thirty years, she had witnessed the holiness of the Holy See before, but never anything like this. Cleansing a mortal's sins with a single word—if this wasn't a miracle, what was?

Right at that moment, a piercing pain erupted from Lu Li's heart like a volcano, spreading through his veins to every corner of his body.

“Ugh—” Lu Li let out a muffled groan. Fine beads of sweat instantly broke out on his forehead as he clenched his teeth, barely holding back a scream of agony.

Pain! It was too painful! It felt as if steel needles were traveling through his blood vessels, a sensation so agonizing he wished he were dead.

“Your Holiness!”

Seeing this, Julia instantly lost her composure. She took a swift step forward, wanting to check on the youth.

But Lu Li stopped her. Waving his hand, he forced a strained smile onto his lips. “I am fine.” He then pointed a finger at the prisoner, who was struggling to remain kneeling. “As you can see, she is no longer a sinner.”

Julia said nothing, silently retreating to her original position.

The prisoner lifted her head with difficulty, her devout gaze tinged with a hint of confusion.

She was merely an ordinary knight, neither clever nor talented. Yet even so, she had received the favor and grace of the Holy See.

Unable to understand, she prayed to the great entity for an answer. “But Holy See... why? Why would you forgive a sinner like me?”

Silence. A long silence followed.

Finally, once the pain subsided slightly, Lu Li deliberately lowered his voice to prevent any groans from escaping:

“Because I heard you.”

“I heard a lost sheep begging me for direction. I heard a soul trapped in thorns crying out to me for redemption. And I heard the silent repentance and prayers within your heart.”

“Thus... I have answered your plea and forgiven your transgressions.”

In truth, from the moment he was shot, Lu Li had detected something amiss. None of the thousands of believers in the plaza harbored any ill intent toward him. How could a believer with no malice shoot an arrow at her Holy Father?

When he arrived at the temple and met the prisoner Julia had brought, he still did not sense even a shred of malice from her. This only made him more certain that there was more to this arrow than met the eye.

So he had made his decision: to pardon this devout believer.

Of course, the sudden onset of intense pain was an unexpected variable, one he had not factored into his calculations.

“Holy See...”

Deeply moved, the prisoner nearly wept once more. She had already received so much today and should not have dared to ask for more. But if she could not repay the Holy See's benevolence, she would rather die on the spot.

“Your humble and devout believer begs you to accept this lowly servant. Whether to become the sharp sword in your hand to clear away the thorns, or the mounting block for you to ride your steed...”

“I only ask that you grant me a chance to repay your grace and make amends for my offenses.”

Lu Li gazed at the figure on the floor, showing neither joy nor sorrow. After a long moment, he sighed softly.

“I understand. In that case, you shall stay by my side.”

Hearing this, Julia parted her lips as if to say something, but in the end, she held back.

Lu Li accepted the obeisance of the prisoner—no, she was his servant now.

Once he had accepted his servant's obeisance, he instructed the female attendant to untie her and take her to change into clean clothes. After acknowledging the order, the attendant led her out. With their departure, only Lu Li and Julia remained inside the vast temple.

Sitting high upon the throne, the youth looked down at this youngest and most powerful Cardinal of the Holy State.

“Julia,” he began slowly, his tone calm. “Can you tell me now what exactly you are trying to do?”

By now, even though Lu Li had pardoned the “assassin,” it could no longer affect Julia's plans.

She simply smiled, feeling gratified by the youth's cleverness. Yet, when she spoke, her voice carried a touch of harshness:

“The news of Your Holiness's assassination has already spread. It is time for the Kingdom of Northland to pay the price for their actions!”

So that was it.

In an instant, Lu Li understood everything.

Still, the way she smiled was really quite ugly...

“Um... Julia, I think I still prefer your solemn, unsmiling look,” the youth said, blinking as he spoke in a remarkably serious tone.

Realizing the implication behind his words, Julia's expression instantly froze.