In the name of the true god

"I'm still thinking about it too." Jude leaned against the railing of the watchtower, mentally rehearsing the scene of wizards and resonators rushing out of the special prison building and being shot dead on the spot by the prison guards on the watchtower.

"Has your brother revealed any new developments regarding the church faction?"

"No. He doesn't usually talk to me about these things, and I can't ask him too often," Jude said. "But if the Church really wants to transfer the implicated wizards and resonance sorcerers imprisoned in the heresy ward, it will definitely cause quite a stir."

Allen sighed worriedly, "I'm afraid they'll launch a surprise attack, and we won't be able to react at all..."

After hearing this, Jude reached out and patted Allen on the shoulder.

Judging from the current situation...

The Divine Descent Society is unlikely to find a solution to the impasse in the coming months, or even a year and a half.

The only hope lay with himself—or rather, with Edmund.

As for whether Edmund can bridge the long span of twenty-nine years and help him solve such a thorny problem...

Jude didn't actually have any expectations.

Ultimately, the difficulty of secretly digging a tunnel inside the capital's heavy prison is on a completely different level than the difficulty of entrusting Vincent Monroe to wait for him in the prison.

Unless Edmund becomes the king of the Kingdom of Florence and possesses supreme power...

But there's no need to bring such unrealistic ideas to the forefront...

-

At the same time, inside the high-level conference hall of the Royal Capital Heavy Prison.

At the strong request of Deputy Warden Chambers, Warden Urban Adel once again convened a group of high-ranking officials, who lined up in two rows, to discuss the matter of "transferring heretics."

As the highest-ranking officer of the Holy Wind Church stationed in the capital's heavy prison, Deputy Warden Chambers stated bluntly, "Warden, we still hope that you will carefully consider transferring the thirty-nine heretics to the church's temple."

"This matter has already been discussed last time. I am following His Majesty Leonard's orders. If the Holy Church of the Wind insists on its own opinion, it would be best to ask the College of Cardinals to come forward and directly finalize the exact details of the transfer with His Majesty Leonard." Warden Urban Adel coldly distanced himself from the matter.

Deputy Warden Chambers let out a heavy breath.

He knew very well that King Leonard of the Kingdom of Florence, who was the greatest contributor to the arrest of the number one heretic Edmund Ravenscrown, had also lost an eye in the heretic's subsequent retaliation.

From the background.

From achievements.

From a logical and emotional perspective.

In all three aspects, the other side has the upper hand.

Even the cardinals did not have sufficient reason to force Leonard to make concessions.

The best course of action right now is to first soften Warden Urban Adel's stance, and then have him try to persuade Leonard by arguing that "the Royal Capital Heavy Prison no longer has the capacity to imprison heretics."

Therefore, even if Leonard hates the heretics and wants to keep them under his control and torture them slowly, he has to carefully consider whether his own venting of anger is more important, or whether it is more important to completely eliminate the potential for the heretics to escape from prison.

"Warden, let's look at it from a different perspective," Deputy Warden Chambers pleaded. "If the heretics were really transferred away, wouldn't your burden be lighter?"

Warden Urban Arnold remained silent.

Deputy Warden Chambers then explained the pros and cons: "But if we keep these heretics in the Royal Capital Heavy Prison, what if they actually manage to escape someday...who will bear the primary responsibility?"

"The heretical prison is guarded by your Holy Church the whole time. Who do you think bears the main responsibility?" Warden Urban Adel asked rhetorically.

"The interior is impregnable, but it can't withstand external obstacles." Deputy Warden Chambers glanced at Melanie Gilbert, the first-level guard in charge of the general ward. "Even if we take responsibility, you'll be the one most affected."

Melanie crossed her legs, arms crossed, her gaze chillingly cold: "Are you saying I'm holding us back?"

"I'm just stating the facts," Deputy Warden Chambers said innocently, spreading his hands.

He was obviously making a fuss about the prison break that happened in the ordinary prison ward.

He didn't care at all whether this would offend Melanie, the head of the first-level guards in the ordinary prison ward.

Not to mention that he is a deacon of the Holy Wind Church, even his rank in the capital's heavy prison is superior to the other party's.

"Warden," Melanie said, turning to Urban Adler, who sat at the head of the table, "the escape from the ordinary ward one was very suspicious."

"explain."

"There are two main oddities," Melanie reported her findings. "First, I cross-referenced the statements of the prison guards who were on duty at the main gate at the time. They all said they didn't see any unfamiliar faces that night, but they confirmed that the three guards who sheltered the escapee had left the prison together. Second, none of the three guards revealed any information about assisting the escapee's breakout afterward, and one of them even attempted suicide by biting his tongue."

"Your conclusion."

"My conclusion is that the escaped convict may never have left the prison at all," Melanie earnestly stated her analysis.

"Heh..." Deputy Warden Chambers grinned mockingly, "Melanie, you're really shameless in trying to absolve yourself of responsibility..."

Melanie sneered, "It's my responsibility, and I will take it."

"Alright. Let me ask you, do you even understand human nature?" Deputy Warden Chambers spoke eloquently, dissecting Melanie's analysis point by point. "If the guards at the main gate admitted to letting the prisoner escape, they'd all be fired. Isn't it normal for them to claim they didn't see any unfamiliar faces leaving to evade responsibility? You can ignore that excuse, but you actually had the nerve to report it to the warden?"

"Prison guards must sign in and out of the prison, leaving an entry and exit record. And the entry and exit record only contains the names of those three prison guards," Melanie retorted without backing down. "Even if the prison guard on duty at the main gate didn't recognize the prisoners, he would never mistake four people for three and miss an entry and exit record."

"Couldn't they be two real prison guards and one fake one?"

"Then tell me, why did the three prison guards return to the prison knowing that their plan to protect an escaped prisoner would inevitably be exposed?"

"How would I know? Isn't this a matter for your first ward? By asking me this, can I take it as you not being qualified to manage an entire ward?"

"Enough," Warden Urban Adel interrupted the argument. "The investigation into the breakout from the regular ward continues. Report any developments to me immediately. Today's topic is whether or not to transfer the heretics. Let's not stray from this subject any further."

Melanie tried to suppress her anger.

After failing to suppress the attack, he stormed off, citing the need to intensify his investigation.

Looking at the two remaining wardens, Deputy Warden Steele and two other first-class guards, Deputy Warden Chambers chuckled and said, "Warden, an escape from a regular prison block and whether or not to transfer heretics are two different things."

"I'll say it one last time," Warden Urban Adler said, unmoved. "If the Holy Church wants to divert heresy, it must first obtain His Majesty Leonard's consent. Without His Majesty Leonard's decree, no amount of talking to me will change anything."

"...I understand." Deputy Warden Chambers had anticipated the warden's reply and then brought up his real purpose for the visit, "Then I'd like to discuss something else with you."

"What is it?"

"A seduction scheme."