Old John sneered:

"Mad? No... the mad one is not me, but you."

"Mr. Judgement Bishop, you are high above, forever unable to understand the struggles of the common people..."

As he spoke, Old John’s expression gradually became excited, and his voice carried a hint of anger:

"Have you ever experienced working tirelessly all day, only to harvest not enough to fill your stomach?"

"Have you ever experienced constantly struggling for a livelihood while also enduring the bullying and oppression by the nobles?"

"Have you ever experienced the miserable event of having a child only to be unable to bear the pressure of raising it, ultimately forced to kill the infant?!"

"Have you seen the tragic aftermath of a demon invasion, where nobles flee early, abandoning their citizens to leave them to the demon’s slaughter?!"

"No, you haven’t! Some of these things you don’t even know about!"

"Your communication is only with nobles and the Church, you’re accustomed to judging and punishing, yet have never thought about why people resist."

"In your eyes, there’s only you!"

As he spoke, it seemed to awaken some sad memory within himself, and Old John gradually became angrier.

His eyes were bloodshot, his voice trembling:

"These things happen almost every moment throughout the Human Kingdom; people are helpless, people are miserable, people are perplexed, people hope for help, yet where are the Eternal Church and the nobles?"

"They are at banquets, they are flaunting, they are enjoying themselves with an easy conscience, and everything they enjoy is obtained through the exploitation of ordinary people!"

At the end of his speech, Old John shouted in anger, his loud voice almost echoing throughout every corner of the square.

Hearing the anger in his words, recalling what they encountered in daily life, it seemed the masses resonated, and commotion began to emerge faintly, with many casting subtle glances at the nobles and Eternal Church.

And Old John became more and more excited as he continued:

"You believers of the Eternal Church are like the fireflies in a summer forest, living in your world, forever unaware of the winter’s icy cold..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"You maintain your own interests, never considering the vast populace!"

"You hold the rising channels, you kill the progressive ideas, you oppress, you exploit, you are the enemies of the people!"

"It is precisely because of your existence that ordinary people cannot obtain liberation; it is precisely because of your existence that ordinary people can only struggle at the subsistence line!"

"Such a decadent kingdom! Such a depraved Church, only by being overthrown can the people be liberated from oppression and have a more beautiful future!"

Old John spoke his surprising words.

Upon hearing his words, the nobles on the high platform turned pale with anger, and the clergy’s expressions changed dramatically.

Duke Correns snorted coldly and cursed:

"Let him rant more? Quickly shut his mouth!"

"He’s already gone mad! Burn him at the stake!"

The Archbishops sitting high above scolded as well.

Judgement Bishop was even more panicked.

Speaking of it, this was merely his first time serving as a Judge, therefore, he was promoted from Priest to Bishop, initially thinking it was a lucky good job, yet it was unforeseen to encounter such a situation.

At this moment, he seemed to feel the pitying gazes from his colleagues on him.

Judgement Bishop’s face was somewhat pale, only seeing him glancing at the angry nobles, and then looking at the displeased Church Bishops, eventually resting his gaze on Pope Benedict II.

Benedict II, however, didn’t have any emotional fluctuations due to Old John’s blasphemous words, not even the subtle commotion below seemed to stir him.

He watched all this coldly, like a bystander different from it.

Only after feeling the Judgement Bishop’s gaze seeking help did he lower his eyelids and nod slightly.

Judgement Bishop immediately understood.

He took a deep breath and commanded the surrounding Knights:

"What are you dawdling for? He’s already mad! Execute him! Burn him!"

He took a deep breath suddenly, shouting:

"Citizens of the Empire! Look, this is the Eternal Church! The fallen Eternal Church! Once their sore spot is touched, they won’t consider solving the problem, but rather will resolve the person who poses the question!""The nobles are already decayed, the Church is already depraved, people, do not remain numb, wake up! Unite! Stand up anew!"

"No longer endure oppression! Join the Life Church in battle! Overthrow this rotten kingdom, expel this depraved Church, truly establish a new order belonging to us: fair and just!"

"Shut up! Quickly seal this bastard’s mouth!"

The great nobles on the high platform were in a rage, standing up to scold.

The fierce demeanor startled the young Princess Theresa.

Judgement Knights swarmed up, soon gagging Old John’s mouth with cloth strips, yet his high-pitched voice still echoed in everyone’s heart.

That was one of the high-level divine arts of the Life Church—[Mental Resonance]...

"Don’t you want to live in an era without nobles, no oppression, full of hope and light, where everyone can enjoy the benefits of magic, and everyone can have a bright future?"

"Folks, join us! Life Church can guide everyone to a wonderful future, every village, every city, can become rich and beautiful like Zelolan!"

Under the influence of Mental Resonance, Old John’s voice seemed more infectious, and this infection quickly spread; the populace below the platform became more restless, and even the soldiers maintaining order felt immense pressure.

"Burn him! Quickly burn him! Burn this vile heretic!"

The nobles and bishops cursed.

Judgement Knights quickly ignited the flame beneath Old John, the platinum-colored fire flared instantly.

It wasn’t usual fire but the "Fire of Purification" specifically targeting those blessed by Divine Power.

The fire blazed fiercely, quickly engulfing Old John, but his voice continued to echo in people’s hearts:

"Hahahahaha... The Eternal Church is just like this! Just like this!"

"A spark can start a prairie fire, one Old John falls, thousands of Old Johns will rise!"

"You can destroy my body, but you cannot destroy my soul!"

"You can persecute the reformers, but you cannot stop the progress of the era!"

"The future belongs to the people, the future belongs to the Life Church!"

"Citizens of the Empire! Stand up! Join the Life Church, overthrow this rotten kingdom, expel this depraved Church, establish our own new order! Establish an order where no one goes hungry or cold, where everyone has endless bread and ale!"

"The Life Church shall immortalize, the great Eve Goddess shall immortalize!"

"The Life Church shall immortalize, the great Eve Goddess shall immortalize..."

Old John’s voice grew weaker and weaker.

The raging fire thoroughly engulfed him, and finally, his voice ceased completely.

However, his resounding mockery and anger echoed still in the people’s minds, unable to dissipate for a long time...

Old John’s figure transformed into nothingness within the "Fire of Purification", but in the seats of the great nobles and archbishops, there was not a bit of victorious joy.

The commotion among the observing masses was even greater, with the City Guard starting violent suppression.

Watching the terrified yet angry masses being brutally suppressed by the guards, Princess Theresa on the high platform felt somewhat unbearable:

"Lord Wenstar, do the commoners... not have bread and ale?""Princess, life is inherently unequal, everyone has their own destiny; when someone is wealthy, inevitably there will be someone poor."

Lord Bishop Wenstar said.

Theresa nodded gently, yet couldn’t help but ask:

"Without bread and ale, can they buy cake and milk?"

Lord Bishop Wenstar paused slightly.