"...Duty?"

The sense that something was wrong grew stronger and stronger.

"That is correct. Her Holiness the Saintess—I asked her to rest for the time being, because she should not be involved in something so dangerous. If anything happened to her, then even ten thousand deaths would not be enough for one part of my crime."

"Archbishop Ision’s" tone was calm, as if he were speaking of some trivial thing.

"Please rest assured. I will show her sufficient respect."

"Heh..." Muen sneered, not believing a word.

To be able to hold up the current Liya, as well as An beside Liya, Muen did not think this "Archbishop Ision" would have used any gentle method.

"I admit my methods were somewhat rough, but that was forced by necessity, was it not? Many things cannot be done perfectly. That is the helplessness of creatures called human beings."

"Archbishop Ision" continued smiling, only the smile shifted from a gentle one into a bitter one.

"As for the crisis this city is facing... the Salvation Society. I know they are gradually gnawing away at this country’s upper ranks. I also know their influence over this war. They even wanted to use that matter to threaten me. But please rest assured. Everything I promised them is false. I deliberately used it to make them lower their guard. I will not give them any opportunity."

The Goddess statue bloomed with light.

And within that light, "Archbishop Ision" suddenly clenched his fist, making that aged body seem... incomparably towering.

"This operation is bait. I have already fished them out. Watch. I will eradicate them completely, even if I must sacrifice my life. Consider this my... atonement!"

"...Huh?"

Listening to "Archbishop Ision," Muen grew more and more bewildered, more and more doubtful.

He even began to wonder whether he and the person before him were standing in the same world.

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Muen finally could not control himself and asked aloud.

"Aren’t you a member of the Salvation Society?"

A Salvation Society bastard, standing here with a face full of resolve as he made a grand vow to wipe out every last Salvation Society remnant in the royal capital.

Why did this scene look so bizarre... and so infuriating?

Was it because the other party had already dragged him out, yet still insisted on performing this boring little act?

"Hm?"

"Archbishop Ision" was also stunned. He pointed at himself. "Me?"

"That’s right! You. How long are you going to keep acting out this boring farce? I’m already sick of it."

The image of the true Archbishop’s death flashed through his mind, making Muen even angrier. "Stop pretending. That ridiculous disguise of yours has already been exposed. You are not the Archbishop at all. You are an impostor from the Salvation Society. The real Archbishop is already dead! Murdered by you people!"

"Dead?"

But "Archbishop Ision" did not react the way Muen had imagined. He thought for a long time, then asked in deep confusion, "When? Why don’t I know about this?"

"Thirty-eight hours ago!"

Muen said coldly, "Killed by that nun named Fubeka with her own hands!"

"Impossible!"

When Muen had said something like "Archbishop Ision is already dead" just now, the man had barely reacted. But now, this "Archbishop Ision" suddenly became agitated.

"That is absolutely impossible!"

"I already said... this performance has gone far enough..."

"Fubeka would never kill me!"

"Archbishop Ision’s" reaction was even more intense than Muen had imagined.

And the reason for that intensity did not seem to be because Muen had exposed his ridiculous act, but because of...

That young nun named Fubeka?

"Who exactly are you?"

"Archbishop Ision’s" beard trembled, and anger stained that kindly face for the first time.

"You clearly came to investigate that matter, yet you deliberately say such things. Are you mocking me?"

Blazing Holy Light rushed toward him. Muen felt the gaze falling on him become sharp, but he did not resist that direct probe, because doing so would expose Absolution in his hand.

No matter what form the situation before him took, no matter how strange its direction became, to Muen, as long as Absolution remained in his hand, nothing was truly over.

And... now his curiosity had also been stirred by this "Archbishop Ision’s" series of strange statements.

"It’s me."

Muen met "Archbishop Ision’s" eyes without the slightest fear.

"Muen Campbell?"

"Archbishop Ision" recognized Muen at a glance.

"You? Why is it you? Why would it be someone completely unrelated like you? Shouldn’t the person who came be from the Judgment Temple... or someone from the Holy City?"

"Completely unrelated?"

Muen sneered. "I am, at the very least, an honorary sacred knight personally appointed by His Holiness the Pope. How am I completely unrelated?"

"...That does make sense."

"Archbishop Ision" nodded, accepting that explanation, but his anger did not fade.

"Then what exactly did you mean by what you said? What do you mean, Fubeka would kill me? If you do not give me a reasonable explanation, then even if you are the son of an imperial duke, even if you are an acquaintance of Her Holiness the Saintess, I absolutely will not spare you."

"It means exactly what I said. This Archbishop Ision you are playing was killed thirty-eight hours ago by the Church traitor Fubeka herself!"

Muen repeated it again.

"So please stop this act of blaspheming the dead!"

"Impossible!" "Archbishop Ision" repeated as well. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Absolutely impossible! Because..."

"Archbishop Ision" suddenly frowned, as if he had understood something. A good deal of the anger bursting from his eyes dispersed along with it. He was no longer furious, but instead began sizing Muen up with great confusion.

"Strange. Could it be that you did not come to investigate that matter?"

"That matter?" Muen froze. "What matter?"

The truth of Saint Blancfazesiya?

Was there any need to ask something both of them already knew? Had this guy really acted so long he had lost himself in the role...

"You truly did not?"

Once again, contrary to expectations, "Archbishop Ision" did not mention anything about Saint Blancfazesiya. He only stared straight at Muen, growing even more confused.

"Did the Church not have the Judgment Temple send someone here precisely to investigate this matter? To investigate the greatest sin I, Archbishop Ision, committed—the illegitimate daughter I had with an evil believer, Fubeka?"

"...Huh???"

"Hm? That reaction... You truly did not know? But if you are not here to represent the Church in pursuing this sin of mine, then why did you go to such effort to infiltrate this place? You even had Kore investigate Fubeka earlier, didn’t you?"

"..."

Boom.

Muen felt as if something had slammed into his brain.

Illegitimate daughter?

Fubeka was Archbishop Ision’s illegitimate daughter? And with an evil believer?

Wait. That was too...

It made sense.

Muen suddenly remembered the intelligence Bishop Kore had provided.

A young nun.

A promotion path so smooth it seemed someone had paved it in advance.

Even though she clearly could not help much, and might even cause trouble, Archbishop Ision still personally kept her by his side.

Every bit of it was indeed very hard to understand. But if the precondition was added that Fubeka was Archbishop Ision’s illegitimate daughter...

Then it became so perfectly logical there was nothing left to say.

But...

But...

How should the scene he had seen before be explained? That scene of Fubeka stabbing the dagger into Archbishop Ision’s chest.

And this "Archbishop Ision" before him—he had clearly been talking to Muen for so long, but why did it always feel as if the two of them were not on the same wavelength at all?

Was he really acting?

For the sake of this so-called acting, would he even fabricate a plot about an illegitimate daughter?

"No... wait..."

What if... he was not acting?

What if... what he was saying was the truth?

But if that was not the case, then what were those previous deductions, those previous experiences?

What was this [false royal capital]?

And what was the [true royal capital] hidden behind it?

Clearly, everything up to now had proceeded along the path that best fit logic and the evidence.

Yet at this most crucial moment, at the moment when he was about to take the most important step, simply because he had overlooked something extremely important at the very beginning, the entire direction of events... was not quite right.

Countless chaotic thoughts tangled in Muen’s mind. Muen clutched his forehead, his head aching as if it were about to split.

What exactly was the thing he had overlooked—

"Oh my, to see such an interesting scene as soon as I come in. The real show clearly hasn’t even started yet, but you’re already turning on each other?"

A familiar voice.

Muen raised his head and turned around, looking toward the entrance of the Ritual Hall. A woman in luxurious priestly robes swayed forward, walking among the clergy as if no one else were there.

This time, she had not disguised herself, so Muen recognized her at a glance.

"Witch of... Repentance!"

This woman... why had she come?

Was it because of the bait "Archbishop Ision" had just mentioned?

But according to his previous deductions, shouldn’t the Witch of Repentance in this [false royal capital] also be nothing more than an illusion?

How could an illusion...

Wait...

What if...

Just like a moment ago, this was not an illusion either?

"You’re here."

The conversation stopped for the moment. Although he had many questions just like Muen, at this moment, every stray thought that should not exist was instantly cast aside. The Archbishop displayed the composure that belonged to him. His robes billowed, his majesty overwhelming.

"Heh heh. It seems this time is not the... cooperation we agreed on before."

The Witch of Repentance smiled as she looked to the side.

Clearly, everything had been arranged long ago. As the Witch of Repentance walked in, a vast number of clergy immediately took their positions, swiftly forming an enormous array.

Holy Light wreathed the air, blazing like the sun.

It did not seem false.

"This is not cooperation. This is... atonement."

Archbishop Ision stepped forward, and a powerful aura instantly spread outward.

Majestic and radiant, sacred and towering.

It did not seem false.

"How heartbreaking. And here I was... being sincere."

A brilliant crown descended from the heavens and landed on the Witch of Repentance’s head.

Bone-piercing cold, pressure like a tide.

Likewise... it did not seem false.

Holy Light.

The array.

The heaven-granted crown.

As Muen understood it, none of these were things an illusion could perfectly reproduce.

"What is going on... If they are all real, then does that mean there are two Archbishop Isions and two Witches of Repentance in this world?"

Muen felt as if he no longer had any idea how to understand the scene before him.

It was as though all his searching, thinking, and struggling over the past several days... had been futile. Had all been a joke.

Two worlds. Two Archbishops. Two Witches of Repentance. What exactly was...