Rhodes Island does not exist.

As the two followed the priests ahead through the alleyways filled with Iberian charm, some slightly unfamiliar sounds began to reach the Doctor's ears.

"It sounds like metal plates clattering together," the Doctor mused. "I think I've heard something similar back in Ursus."

"The Emperor's Imperial Guard?"

Levi thought for a moment and asked.

Earlier, while in the car, she had heard the doctor tell stories about Ursus.

“No, no.” The doctor shook his head. “It’s not that scary. It just sounds like the sound of armor plates from the Ursus regular army. But if you think about it, the sound of metal knocking is pretty much the same.”

"Susu..."

The sound became increasingly clear.

The doctor knew that they were heading in the direction of the sound source.

what does this mean?

He frowned.

Their first and foremost direction was undoubtedly towards the church. The priests had mentioned this about twenty minutes earlier, saying the walk would take approximately twenty-five minutes.

So that means the sounds were coming from the church entrance.

"Once you leave the alleyway ahead, you'll see the Sunset Cathedral."

At that moment, a priest in front suddenly turned around, looked at the doctor, and spoke.

A pale light shone dimly on his and another priest's shoulders.

Within that light, the doctor saw the source of the sound.

-

The spires are towering.

Bright light pierced through the clouds.

The majestic cross, as described in the sacred texts, stands above the door, flawless and immaculate.

Despite its small size, it is comparable to Laterano in terms of completeness.

But the doctor's gaze was not on the building, on the sacred church.

“These are…” he blurted out involuntarily.

Even the most composed person would be unable to help but exclaim upon seeing this scene.

White robes, white armor, white helmets.

That was a noble color reserved for those belonging to the Lateran Papacy.

Of course, this doesn't mean that white is a special or taboo color.

There is no such statement.

On the continent of Terra, no one will force you to believe in or follow anything, and there are no taboos regarding the use of colors.

However, if anyone were to wear the same color armor as these knights in front of them, it would be an offense and a challenge to them.

A well-equipped cavalry patrolled the spacious church square.

The metal plates on the armor rattled and clattered as they walked.

They had repeating guns hanging from their waists, short guns tucked to their sides, and a huge handheld revolver slung over their backs.

The sound the doctor just heard came from them.

"The Papal Knights' Special Mission in Iberia." The priest stopped at the edge of the square, his gaze on the knights filled with a hint of respect. "One of the symbols of the Papacy's power."

"Is this the Papal Knight...?"

The doctor murmured to himself.

“No,” a priest shook his head, “this is not a Papal Knight.”

"What do you mean?" the doctor asked, puzzled. "Didn't you just say that this was a special force dispatched by the Papal Knights?"

“What I mean is, these are not the Papal Knights known to the world,” the priest explained slowly. “Those Papal Knights who appear before the world, are revered by the world, and live in the world’s mouths, only stay in the Lateran Palace and around the Pope, and are not sent out like troops.”

"Ah, similar to the Imperial Guard of the Great Yan Kingdom." The doctor seemed to understand.

“That is indeed the case.” The priest nodded. “That is the noblest and holiest part of the Papal Knights, just like the saints described in the scriptures.”

“Even the Papal Knights’ garrison here is powerful enough.” The doctor couldn’t help but smile wryly as he looked at the Papal Knights’ revolvers.

"The Cathedral of Afterglow is just ahead."

Another priest looked toward the church and said, “We will take you into the church to settle you in before proceeding to the next place.”

“Let’s go.” The priests stepped forward and continued on their way.

But the doctor had a new question arising from the conversation.

"Wait a minute!" He took two steps forward, stood next to the priest, and looked at the priest's cloudy eyes from the side, asking, "What do you mean by settling me in the church and then going to the next place? Isn't this our destination?"

“Ah…that’s not it.” The priest smiled and shook his head. “You are a key witness to this trial and a guest of Iberia, so naturally you will be treated to the hospitality we offer. The place of hospitality is the Cathedral of Afterglow, where there are guest rooms prepared especially for guests. You can rest assured…”

“That’s not what I meant.” The doctor’s voice sounded calmer than usual. “You know what I’m referring to—Levinie. I thought Sunset Cathedral would be where she stayed here, but it sounds like there’s another place coming up.”

“Ah… if you’re talking about that, then of course, of course.” The priest replied with a smile, his wavy hair under his hood swaying like the sea. “The Cathedral of Afterglow is just a place for you to stay. As for Levini, she’s going to the Court of Judgment.”

Courtroom.

The doctor had heard of this place in a book.

And it's not a good book.

In his memory, it was a third-rate folklore and legend magazine that he bought at a stall in the Longmen Night Market.

The book contains a story about Lateran and the witch hunt that mentions the courthouse.

But what impressed him most was not how bizarre or vulgar the story was, but that the publisher that printed the magazine had been shut down.

The shop owner who sold him the book said that because the book contained content suspected of smearing Lateran, it was shut down by Lateran after only a few copies were printed.

What does this mean?

Does this suggest that the Inquisition and witch hunts did indeed exist? Are the stories in this book actually true?

Perhaps either way is possible.

But for the Doctor, the most important point is that it shows Laterano is serious about this matter.

If the authorities remain silent, ordinary people will at most just treat it as a source of amusement.

But once the authorities take action, it becomes very difficult to determine the true nature of the matter.

Chapter 78, Chapter Seventy-Seven: Deep Sea Tales - Thirteen: A Feather

The last rays of twilight shone through the stained-glass windows onto the cross in the church hall.

A statue of an angel stands in front of the cross.

The angel had six wings on its back, a halo above its head, and carried a huge and long anti-material sniper rifle in its hand; it was pale and indifferent.

The doctor sat down in the seat beneath the angel statue, pondering the matter of Levini.

His reason ultimately prevailed over his emotions.

The PhD student knew that, both morally and logically, he could not stand on the high ground.

Levi will eventually have to face trial.

And wasn't he already informed of this from the beginning?

The priests took her to Iberia so that she could be tried, educated, and raised.

The trial was to make her realize the extent of her crimes.

What is her crime?

Theft, robbery, blasphemy.

Is it reasonable to try such a crime?

Of course it's reasonable, it couldn't be more reasonable.

But she was just a child.

Because she is just a child, the trial should be put first, followed by education and upbringing.

Because they are children, they must first know what is wrong, then correct it, and then understand what is right.

But the place she was going to was the courtroom.

The doctor was secretly worried.

At that moment, a voice interrupted his self-mediation.

"Hello, sir who has come from afar." The speaker's voice was clear and melodious.

The doctor looked up from his reverie and at the person who had spoken to him.

The man was dressed similarly to the two monks who had brought them there before. He wore a hood, a ceremonial robe, and a silver cross around his neck. His face was gentle and friendly.

"I am the bishop of the Cathedral of Twilight. I heard that two parishioners brought you here from a remote diocese. I wonder what your impressions of Iberia are?"

It turned out to be a bishop.

In other words, he is in charge of the Sunset Cathedral.

The doctor thought to himself.

"It feels like everyone here lives a peaceful and stable life," the doctor said honestly, recounting his observations along the way. "They all seem very happy."

"This is because we are all brothers and sisters, siblings," the bishop said with a smile. "Everyone is a relative living in the same family as each other, so naturally there will be no conflict or violence, and everyone can live in peace and stability."

"That sounds like an ultimate ideal that other countries might take hundreds or thousands of years to achieve." The professor blinked. "Universal harmony, right?"

“You seem to be questioning me,” the bishop said, still smiling. “But in fact, I am merely explaining what you see, without adding anything beyond that.”

“Ah no, I have no doubts.” The Doctor waved his hand. “I already know that you are closely connected to Laterano and that your faith is even stronger and more devout than theirs. I suppose your happiness and stability are also built on this firm faith, which I can understand.”

"Are you familiar with Lateranism?" The bishop's expression brightened.

“I’ve done some research on it,” the Doctor nodded. “After all, it’s the most complete religion on the entire continent of Terra, and I’ve also had the privilege of visiting Laterano and meeting the Sarkaz there.”

“I must say,” the doctor said, looking at the bishop, “you Iberians are truly something else, able to execute laws and doctrines that even the Laterans find difficult to follow so perfectly.”

"Thank you for your praise." The bishop gently closed his eyes and then nodded in acknowledgment.

“However, there’s one question I don’t quite understand.” The doctor changed the subject, turning his question to the bishop before him. “Why is the blockade of Iberia so thorough? You and the others in the city don’t seem to be xenophobic at all.”

“That’s because you came in with our priests, and you are an outsider guaranteed by the Church.” The bishop shook his head. “If they hadn’t led you, the brothers and sisters in the city would probably have treated you like a stranger.”

"Is it because of different religious beliefs?" the doctor asked, voicing a question that concerned him. "For example, does everyone here think that outsiders are heretics?"

“That’s one reason, but it’s not the whole reason,” the bishop replied. “Because even in this city of Iberia, not everyone is a devout believer.”

"Oh?" Upon hearing this information, the Doctor sat up straight. "This is the first time I've heard of this."

“Because the ethnic composition of Iberia is somewhat complex… Ah, perhaps I shouldn’t be saying this to pagans.” The bishop realized he might have spoken too quickly, so he smiled apologetically. “In short, not all Iberians are believers in the Lord, but as you can see, they still live together harmoniously.”

"That's true."

The doctor nodded and casually echoed.

Although he was very concerned about what the bishop hadn't finished saying, since he thought it was something that was inconvenient to reveal, he decided to keep it in mind for the time being and investigate it later.

After all, not everyone has the opportunity to enter Iberia, so if you're going, you should make the trip worthwhile.

So, the professor decided to change the subject.

"By the way, about that little girl who stole my bag—Levini, will I be attending her trial?" the Doctor asked, voicing another question that concerned him.

“Of course,” the bishop replied. “You must attend her trial, because that is the purpose of bringing you here. After all, you are on the side of victim and witness in this trial, and your words will be decisive.”

"What if I decide to forgive her?" the doctor asked again.

“Forgiveness is good,” the bishop smiled. “However, you can only decide to forgive the sins that are related to you.”

indeed.

After all, besides robbery, Levini also had a charge of blasphemy. The Doctor thought to himself, this was something that couldn't be avoided no matter what.

"As for her blasphemy, that needs to be discussed and decided on the day of the trial," the bishop said slowly. "Only after the decision is made and a specific punishment is determined can we plan for her future education and upbringing."