Baator Hell Promotion

"Little Knight, why don't you think about it?" Hopper saw his neck slowly turning red and smiled evilly. "What on earth is the reason that prevented the Inquisitor from executing the devil on the spot? What is the purpose of the public trial?"

"This city has been deeply influenced by the Church of the Perfect Man. The roots of this great tree are so deep that even the nobles are beginning to feel uneasy. Now, the archbishop is dead, and his maid has been accused of the murder. How much secrets can the nobles get from Miss Rachel? You don't think my people have any noble sentiments of selfless sacrifice and loyalty, do you?"

"Now, even if I jump out and say that I am the murderer, the nobles will deny it on my behalf."

Idiom ignored politeness and turned to glare at Hopper, trying to refute her with his own logic: "If you think the nobles are so vicious, how could they spare Miss Rachel's life? You are contradicting yourself."

"Because your Ms. Rachel is a devil," Hopper said, spreading his hands. "Devils are like this. If she doesn't get what she wants, she'll take the secret to her grave. As for forced confessions? I guarantee you, we've seen more torture in Barto than everyone else in this city combined. Finger pricking or riding a wooden horse can't scare Rachel."

"More importantly, the nobles stand to lose nothing," the Inquisitor continued, explaining, "Killing the devil is certainly possible. But what if we don't? All the damage she causes will be borne by the Church. What does that have to do with the nobles? They're happy to trade this worthless bargaining chip for the information they seek."

The expression on Edim's face was a bit hard to accept. Hopper knew that he was not completely ignorant of the political games among the nobles, but letting a pure embodiment of evil go for the sake of profit was beyond his ability to accept.

After a long time, Edim raised his head. It was obvious that he still hadn't figured out the problem. But the fire burning in his eyes made Hopper feel uneasy.

"Whatever the nobles decide, I will not allow a single devil to escape punishment. I will track her down until one falls between me and her."

Chapter 193: The Prosecutor

"I don't think things are that bad yet," the Inquisitor rubbed his temple and said soothingly, "Don't be too hasty to sacrifice your life. There are many beautiful things in this world that need your sword, and there are also many ways to punish the sins that have escaped judgment."

"But we haven't failed yet," the Inquisitor muttered to himself, staring at the steaming steam. "Since this is a public trial, the nobles must approve the verdict. We just need to get them to sentence him to death."

"You're overly optimistic, Mr. Judge." The succubus nudged his face against Aaron's muscular arm, satisfied to see Edim lower his head. "If I were Verinster or Furnace Heart, on the day of the trial, I would absolutely ensure that the entire courtroom was mine. No other opinions would be voiced."

The Inquisitor smiled. It was the first smile he had shown since entering the herbal medicine shop. Confidence overflowed from the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

“That’s normal, but the information you received may be a little delayed.”

"Oh?"

"You have received a commission from Lady Hearthheart, this is one side..." Igor stretched out a finger to indicate the power of one side.

"Then, three knights received the commission from Lord Monte. This is the second party." Igor stretched out his second finger.

"Finally, Golden Dome Cathedral, whoever succeeds Archbishop Eichmann must be a third party." The Inquisitor raised his last finger and said seriously, "Perhaps they are no longer strong enough after losing the Archbishop. But since they are using 'assassination of the Archbishop' as the grounds for the public trial, the nobles cannot ignore their opinions."

The Devil nodded, thoughtfully saying, "I understand. Since their positions differ, there must be cracks in their alliance, and cracked dams can be broken down. It seems likely that even the selection of the Chief Inquisitor will be subject to open and covert fighting."

"I do know about this," Knight Aaron looked at the Inquisitor, feeling the dampness of his palm against his skin. "To ensure fairness, Lord Verinster usually follows tradition and has the trial presided over by Lord Emery Gray, the hermit of the Hall of Solemnity."

The Temple of Solemnity is the temple of Ossius the Condemner. His priests usually only care about the fairness and execution of trials, and never get involved in the struggles of the nobles or other churches.

"And I, as Blood Father's executioner, can request to participate in this public trial." The Inquisitor produced the pendant hanging from his neck. The jeweled holy emblem reflected a blood-red glow in the firelight. "No matter what crime the nobles lay, I, as the prosecutor, can demand the death penalty for Miss Rachel."

"You want to use blasphemy?" Hopper immediately understood what he meant. "That's an idea, but have you ever been a prosecutor?"

"Not once, that's the problem." Igor said helplessly. If you look closely, you can see that he is a little embarrassed. "And I'm not that proficient in words."

Oh, semi-illiterate. Hopper knew that, as Blood Father's hounds, the Inquisitors were all raised by the Church, their only textbook probably being Blood Father's "Hanging Head Codex." They could certainly learn basic reading and writing, but studying the laws of a particular region was surely beyond their capabilities.

"So you didn't need to file a prosecution before?" Hopper asked curiously.

"Oh, that's right," the Inquisitor regained his usual composure and confidence in response. "When I bring accusations of blasphemy, the nobles I encounter usually have two reactions: either they take the initiative and bring the blasphemer to me, bound, or they watch in silence as I personally tie the blasphemer and hang him from the city gate. Blood Father's servants hunting down blasphemers don't need a public trial."

"Another privilege that I cannot enjoy," the Devil pursed his lips.

"So, this is why I asked to speak with you." The judge's voice became much more sincere. "Ms. Hopper, your professional qualities are very suitable for being an assistant to the prosecutor, aren't they?"

Before Hopper could say anything, Edim jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He asked in disbelief, "Sir Igor, you don't want to work with this devil again, do you? Didn't she kill Judith and Bishop Salia? She even admitted that she killed the Archbishop! She's more dangerous than Ms. Rachel! Working with her is like trying to get the skin of a tiger!"

Without waiting for the Inquisitor or Hopper to say anything, the knight took two steps forward to the succubus and pulled Hopper, who was half nestled between Aaron's legs, up. He stared at her and roared, "Why are you doing this! You can't even take the souls of Salia and the Archbishop! They didn't hurt you!"

The knight's eyes were red, and he was panting heavily. The humiliation of repeated setbacks, the panic of shattered faith, and the rage of murder all made him desperately need an outlet. Veins bulged in his sturdy arms, and his last bit of reason controlled him from wringing the succubus's neck.

Hopper wasn't nervous at all, she first turned to look at the Inquisitor.

Igor expressed his frustration and replied, "I hope you can answer this question as well. After all, does the expected reward for you still require the approval of the three knights?"

The succubus sighed. Humans with such a high sense of morality have a nasty habit of asking questions. However, this is actually a good thing.

When a man asks why instead of resorting to knife-punching, he is actually waiting for you to find an excuse that can satisfy his conscience.

Hopper waved her hand, signaling that Aaron didn't need to stand up. It wasn't time to calm down her anger yet. She lifted one leg, leaning her weight back, deliberately revealing her swan-like, graceful yet fragile neck, and resting her entire weight on Edimu's arm.

"How do you know he didn't tell me to kill you?" The succubus spoke slowly, gazing at the anguished and enraged knight. A flicker of surprise flashed in her amber eyes, followed by a doubled-up fury.

"You don't need to deceive me with such a clumsy lie," Edim said coldly, his hand reaching for the sword at his waist.

"Poor little knight," Hopper held his wrist, approached the knight, and softly uttered a few words, "If he hadn't told me himself, how do you think I knew the weakness of his invincible shield?"

The knight was obviously confused, but he immediately dismissed the thought: "I don't believe you. Your words have no credibility."

Hopper chuckled and turned around, so that he was in the knight's arms. The dark wings and long, dark hair almost buried Edimu's face in them. The smell of the hair reminded him of the metallic smell of swords, the faint scent of blood, the frankincense of the church, and roasted wheat.

Hopper certainly knew this. She could feel that the knight's restraints were no longer effective. She lowered her voice so that the vibrations of her chest could be transmitted to Edim's chest when she spoke.

"Of course you don't have to believe it, dear Edim. But you don't have to worry about me taking on this mission. Can you really offer me any compensation worthy of my service? I doubt it."

The Inquisitor watched with interest as the two knights, devoured by the succubus, sighed inwardly. But he didn't show any emotion on his face. Instead, he said briefly, "I'm afraid you'll have to cooperate with us, so I'll have to explain things to the knights."

"Oh?"

The Inquisitor took out the bag from another room and was satisfied to see that Hopper's expression changed from a hint of pride to extreme surprise. She even broke free from Edimu's embrace and walked quickly over to inspect it.

"You killed the bloat demon?" She looked at the Inquisitor with bright eyes.

Igor smiled and bowed, saying, "It was I and the three knights who broke into the orcs' lair and defeated Ms. Rachel. However, the credit for this demon belongs to the two knights."

Chapter 194 Playing with

Hopper was amazed as she walked around the faintly smelly corpse. Now, in her eyes, neither the unruly Yaron nor the naive Edim were as attractive as this ugly corpse covered in greasy slime and bloated with intestines.

Hopper hadn't actually observed the bloat demon closely. In fact, these low-level creatures, also known as "low-life demons," were like the cockroaches and rats of Emerald Harbor. No decent devil would even look at them, let alone observe them closely.

It was roughly half a man's height. Apart from the tentacles, which were no longer pink, the bloat demon was a flour bag with a small head and limbs. Hopper couldn't understand why Lady Harsh and Yuti (and Gracia behind her) were interested in this scavenger and cannon fodder that was everywhere in Avernus. Did they have a special interest in tentacles?

She chuckled at her own wild thoughts, then suddenly realized something. She turned to the Inquisitor and asked, "That's not right. A bloat demon is a denizen of Hell. It wouldn't leave behind a corpse after death. It would simply turn into coal ash or sulfur. How did you preserve it?"

The Inquisitor raised his holy symbol and smiled proudly. "It's not only priests who can perform miracles. The gift of my Blood Father allows me to perform many divine arts. Embalming is one of them."

"Well, does this reward tempt you?" Igor asked, tucking the holy emblem back into his collar. "If I'm not mistaken, this is the 'mission target' you've been looking for."

Hopper sighed, and now she had a headache. "I admire your wisdom immensely. I don't think I told you I was here to hunt it. Okay, okay, it's really late at night to see Aira. I admit that your reward is very tempting."

The Inquisitor leaned back, settled himself comfortably, and made a gesture of invitation: "Then please explain the murder of the Archbishop. After all, the reward was paid by the three knights."

"Oh~ dear Aaron," the Devil changed his strategy like the wind, drifting towards the black-haired knight, reaching out to touch his face, looking at him affectionately, "You will agree to give me this little gift, right?"

Yalon winked at her. Unlike Edim, he was not as pure-hearted and understood the devil's intentions completely.

This woman wasn't bargaining at all; she was simply trying to provoke Edim. But Yalon was actually quite open-minded; it was just flirting.

"That's unethical, my lady," Aaron said in a low voice, boldly reaching out and squeezing the succubus's palm. He glanced at Edim's face, which had already turned green, and he felt the urge to tease his friend. "You're asking for the spoils of war for all three of us. I can't grant you that."

"That's enough!" Edimu couldn't hold it back any longer and reached out to pull Hopper down. "Explain your problem!"

Wow, so exciting, I love it. Hopper chuckled and watched Edim's face getting redder and redder, then he explained: "First, the witness."

"You can ask the sextons of the Perfect People. I believe that there are very few dwarfs who would be brought into the Golden Dome Church by Ms. Rachel herself."

The knight remained unmoved and retorted, "You're going to say that you, Ms. Rachel, and the Archbishop conspired in the room. Was there a fourth person present?"

"Of course not." Hopper stood up straight and looked down at the knight. "But there is physical evidence. I think the cleaning servants must know that I broke a cup on the night of our conspiracy."

"What kind of physical evidence is this?" the knight sneered.

"Because I used this cup to test the Archbishop's defense boundary." Hopper took a step forward. "That night, I smashed the cup on the Archbishop's barrier. The water bypassed him, but it soaked Rachel's shoes. That taught me that ability can only protect one target at a time."

"Now that I've preliminarily proven collusion with the Archbishop," the succubus smiled and explained his motives in a gentle voice, "then explaining my motives is simple."

"You see, Lady Hearthheart wants to use me to injure the Archbishop and shatter his myth of invincibility. And the Archbishop wants to turn the tables on me and use me to shoot an arrow at him, stirring up anger and fear among all his followers. That way, he can guide them and seize more power. I think you can guess what I'm going to do."

Yidim looked at her in confusion, not understanding why she said that for a moment, as if he knew her very well. Then, a sense of déjà vu struck him.

"So you used them in return, just like you used the Harvester and me," the knight said through gritted teeth. "You had no intention of fulfilling their contract, just like you didn't want to give me time to save Judith and my father."

"Front, Father," Hopper corrected.

The enraged knight didn't care about the overall situation and didn't even think about drawing his sword. He threw the devil to the ground and tightly grasped her neck with his strong and thick hands. He watched her flap her arms weakly, gradually falling limp, and finally her hands fell weakly to the ground.

At first, Yalon and Igor thought Hopper was joking, but then they realized what was happening and quickly pulled Edim away. Yalon reached out to check her breath, looked at Edim in disbelief, and said tremblingly, "She's dead."

Edim was struck by lightning. He crawled to Hopper's side, held up her head and patted her cheek.

"No, no, no"

Just when he was in a state of panic, the "corpse" suddenly opened its mouth and bit his finger.

"Wow!" Yaron and Edim were so frightened that they stepped back together, watching in shock as Hopper sat up and rubbed his neck where the handprints were still left.

"Miss Hopper!" The judge almost fainted, feeling that everyone in the room was about to be played to death by this vicious woman. "Please don't make such a joke!"

The devil laughed loudly. "That's my explanation of my motive. You can't even see through the simplest lies I come up with on the spur of the moment, so why are you still worried about me lying about things that have already happened?"

This was a lie. Hopper knew full well that the devil only needed a small amount of air, but if they used the right method, it wouldn't be difficult to discover that he was actually faking his death. However, taking advantage of the other party's panic and carelessness was also the devil's skill, wasn't it?

"Are you still worried that I'm throwing mud at Archbishop Eichmann?" Hopper looked at the obviously unconvinced Edimu. "Can an archbishop who colluded with the Devil of Pleasure be considered a kind and glorious person?"

"Pleasure Demon?" As Hopper had expected, this sudden new word caught the Inquisitor's attention. He asked sharply, "What's that? Are you talking about Rachel?"

"I don't know if you've ever seen Rachel's true form," Hopper smiled. "Don't be fooled by the fact that one of her wings is broken. Her true identity is a Barakina, the ultimate succubus. She specializes in reaping the souls of those in high positions of power."

The Inquisitor and Edimu exchanged glances, their thoughts converging. Hopper hadn't participated in the battle, so the fact that she knew Rachel's true form lacked wings could only mean she had seen it.

"How do we know this isn't a conspiracy between you two devils?" Edim said, still unconvinced. "It's all about plotting to bring the Archbishop down."

"So you admit the Archbishop is corrupted," Hopper said, smiling, interrupting the Knight. "Then my killing of the Archbishop has nothing to do with you. The devil and the corrupt are fighting each other, so why would you choose sides?"

"That's enough," the Inquisitor interrupted the farce. Hopper's arguments were more than enough, and Edimu was no match for her rhetoric; further explanation would be futile. "As for whether the Archbishop is corrupt, I'm sure some nobles will use this as a topic of discussion during the public trial. We'll have to decide for ourselves then."

"I believe this means you're willing to hire me in exchange for the corpse of a bloat demon?"

Yidimu stared at her intently, and finally said dejectedly, "I agree."

"Okay, I won't disturb you all," Hopper said, pulling open the door to the basement. "I still have to study the laws of Emerald Harbor tomorrow."

"Oh, right." She seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly turned around and said to Edim, "Dear Edim, think about it carefully. When Judith died, how did you feel differently from when I died~"

She winked at the knight, who froze again, and closed the door.

Chapter 195 Trial I

The Twinkling Star District is named after the eternally shining light of the Sailing Star, a guiding star for sailors. However, many first-time visitors to Emerald Harbor find the name "Dense Shade" more fitting than the now treeless Thick Shade District. The reason is simple: the nobles' large courtyards are filled with lush trees transplanted from various regions. It's said that a squirrel can jump from one end of the Twinkling Star District to the other without touching the ground.

The Emerald Temple is the most beautiful gem surrounded by all the green leaves. This vast temple building is older than the Star Region. The main body is surrounded by tall columns made of dark green granite, serpentine, green slate and Egyptian basalt, which is silent and deserted.

Originally a temple dedicated to the God of the Sea, it later relocated the Sailor King's temple closer to the sea as the Wave District developed. As the number of nobles in the Sparkling Star District grew, this beautiful building became a theater and gathering place, and today it serves as the trial site for a demon.

Hopper stood before the gleaming bronze gates of the Emerald Palace, gazing back at the massive bronze fountain sculpture in the main square. The weather was inclement today, the wind thick with the earthy smell of a rainstorm. Even so, the square was packed with a variety of beautiful horses, from majestic steppe horses to the pony ponies favored by ladies. Nearly all of Emerald Harbor's nobility had turned out for today's public trial.

"If I cast a fireball here, can I destroy the upper level of Emerald Harbor?" The devil fantasized maliciously, delighted by the tragic scene in his mind.

"Is there anything to be happy about, Miss Zoe?" the Inquisitor standing beside her asked politely. He looked at Hopper carefully. The devil had chosen a plain-looking woman today, a head shorter than the Inquisitor. Her brown curly hair was braided and piled on her head. She held a neatly arranged parchment scroll in her hands, looking like an unworldly library scribe.

"I see our target," Miss Zoe said, raising her chin towards the fountain. The Inquisitor looked over and saw a group of inner city guards in blue and green uniforms lined up in a tight formation, surrounding a short old man in a gray robe.

The chief judge this time is the hermit Emery Gray.

Not only did they notice this, but almost all the nobles waiting outside had noticed it. The inner city guards performed their duties well, rejecting all the families who tried to approach them for conversation or greeting.

The nobles stopped in tacit understanding only when the hermit stepped onto the steps of the temple - only participants in this public trial were allowed to stand on the steps.

Igor led Zoe back two steps, bowing his head in humility. The hermit returned the greeting. He had a pair of nearly transparent gray eyes. Zoe felt his gaze like a beam of icy light, piercing through her in an instant. But Lord Gray remained silent, simply nodding briefly before leading the way through the bronze gates.

The Court of Inquisition was located deep within the temple. The circular structure lacked torches or lampposts, its primary source of light coming from a circular skylight carved into the center of the dome. Pale light streamed down from the skylight, illuminating the stone platform at the bottom and the red-haired, black-winged devil perched on the ground, bound by silver-plated chains.

Zoe followed Igor to the last step. According to Emerald Harbor's laws, as the accuser, Igor's seat was on the far left of the first step, and as an assistant, Zoe could only sit behind him.

This, however, gave her an opportunity to observe the courtroom. Igor sat closest to the presiding judge. To his left stood a solemn-looking, white-robed elder with deep wrinkles. The holy emblem on his chest and the yellow ribbon on his arm indicated his ancestry as that of the Church of the Perfect. To Zoe's left, a young, white-robed priest sat opposite. Further to his left stood a gray-haired dwarf, flipping through a scroll before him, his ink-stained fingers scribbling away. The remaining figures were likely the accusers and assistants of the various nobles, though Zoe couldn't see their family crests from her vantage point.

The presiding judge held a position higher than both the accuser and the accused. Perched high on his seat like an eagle perched on a cliff, he surveyed everyone. Across from him, hidden in the darkness beyond the reach of light, sat the gradually filling jury of nobles, who would ultimately vote on the judge's verdict. The remaining, unaffiliated nobles sat opposite the accuser.

"Aurathyss, Aurathyss (ancient language in Emerald Harbor: silence, tranquility)" the presiding judge rang the small bell on the table and shouted as the door closed.

The entire hall quickly fell silent. The presiding judge struck the small bell again, and it swung gently, emitting a circle of bright yellow light. As the light passed through Zoe's body, she felt a tingling sensation in her throat and tongue.

"The eyes of Osus are watching today's ruling, and the ears of Osus are listening to your words. Please be careful with your words. Deliberate lies will be punished by this court for contempt of court and blasphemy." The presiding judge's voice was not loud, but steady and majestic.

After saying that, he stood up, raised a plain silver headband and put it on his head.