Rhodes Island does not exist.

Skadi shook her hand and scanned the interior scene behind the wall through the swirling dust.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone around, so why don't you go in and get the box yourself, and then we'll leave."

She stood beside the opening, which was about the height of a person, pointed inside, and spoke to the doctor.

-

Thank you segment.

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Chapter 97, Chapter Ninety-Six: Deep Sea Tales - The Source of Thirty-Two Faiths

After that, everything fell into place naturally.

The doctor retrieved his black leather case from the empty storage room and, after confirming that the contents were correct, left the prison with Levini and Skadi through the main ventilation duct.

No accidents occurred along the way.

In fact, with Skadi around, the Doctor felt that an accident was unlikely to happen.

This woman's power was so extraordinary that it was almost unbelievable, like a deus ex machina on a stage—both reliable and terrifying.

"Ah, the familiar air is back."

Standing on the sand outside the prison, Skadi looked up at the sky.

Dark clouds obscured the sun.

It seems that the sun hasn't shone in Iberia since this morning.

"The air smells of the tide... no matter how many times I smell it, it always smells the same." She sighed.

"Now that we've escaped, where do we go next?" The Doctor asked Skadi, holding Levini in his arms. "We definitely can't go back to the church."

“Go to the places you’ve been before,” Skadi said expressionlessly, “though you might not be able to find your way.”

"The places I've been..."

The doctor was lost in thought. "You mean..."

“The seaside area is under lockdown, let’s head that way.” Skadi stretched out her hand and pointed in a direction.

It's the place the professor inexplicably went to this morning.

"That area used to be called the Seaside District."

He secretly memorized the place name, tightened his arms around the girl, and followed Skadi, step by step, setting sail.

-

The journey was not peaceful.

Although the prison was not in a particularly remote location, it was still situated within the high walls of the diocese, guarded by countless church soldiers and jury, and even had papal knights patrolling at some intersections, exuding an imposing aura.

The knights, who were once a source of comfort and support, have now become an obstacle in front of the Doctor and his companions.

Even someone as powerful as Skadi couldn't possibly confront them head-on. So, in the end, they could only move like rats through the gaps in the high walls and dark alleyways, avoiding the gazes of the guards and soldiers.

"When I went into the city yesterday, I didn't expect it to end like this."

Skadi, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

It gives the impression that they are making conversation for no reason.

Moreover, this skill in finding conversation can only be described as tragic.

But this was only the beginning of the tragedy.

"You know how

"If that unexpected event hadn't happened, what would today's trial have turned out like?" Skadi asked again before the doctor could answer.

The doctor looked at her silently.

“Have you ever heard of the wheel torture?” Skadi walked to the side of the Doctor and raised her right hand.

Wheel torture.

The word sounded somewhat familiar to the doctor.

Perhaps he had seen it in that third-rate publication in Lungmen, or perhaps he had heard about it during his travels, but Skadi clearly knew more about it than he did, so he left the opportunity to explain in detail to Skadi.

“In Iberia, believers adhered to religious laws more deeply than in Lateran, and therefore took the sins and corresponding punishments recorded and prescribed in the laws more seriously,” Skadi said. “And theft and blasphemy were among the most serious offenses.”

“I don’t understand… why is theft so serious?” the doctor asked.

“The answer is simple.” Skadi’s tone remained unchanged throughout. “Theft is essentially a barbaric act of plunder, an infringement on the property of the people. Before Iberia was blessed with gold mines, it was a poor place, so such behavior was treated even more strictly.”

“As for blasphemy… I think you already understand enough, so I won’t go into details,” Skadi said.

"Then why was the wheel torture mentioned?" the doctor asked again.

“Because the wheel torture was a punishment for theft.” Skadi peeked out from behind the wall, and after confirming that there were no soldiers guarding the intersection ahead, she continued slowly, “The executioner would bind the victim to one side of the wheel, then smash the victim’s limbs with a hammer, and then thread the limbs—soft enough to be twisted in the opposite direction—through the spokes of the wheel, and bind them to the other side of the wheel with thorny branches, and then…”

"And then?"

Just hearing this made the doctor feel a little uneasy, but he didn't expect that this was only part of the story.

"Then push the wheels down the ramp from the top."

Skadi spoke calmly and casually.

"...A very vivid description, as if you experienced it yourself." After a moment of silence, the doctor spoke.

“I have indeed experienced it firsthand,” Skadi replied. “Three of my kin were subjected to this punishment right before my eyes… but to be honest, because their tactile nerves are not well developed, it was difficult to see just how much pain they were in.”

“But no matter what, when it comes to tormenting life, humanity always has an inexhaustible supply of ingenious ideas.” Skadi shook her head.

It seems that although she was expressionless and spoke in a flat tone, she probably still had normal feelings inside.

"So, if I hadn't arrived on time, would today's trial have turned out like that?" the doctor asked with a hint of trepidation.

“No, even if you came, it would still turn out the same.” Skadi turned to look at the Doctor. “Because, to be honest, in the eyes of the Church and the bystanders, your compassion is insignificant.”

"why is it like this……"

“And don’t forget,” Skadi turned her head back, “even if they were to suddenly lose their minds and agree to your pardon for her, blasphemy cannot be forgiven. Besides, I think you can tell the difference between the importance of blasphemy and theft in the church.”

“I understand…” The doctor’s expression was somewhat bitter as he looked down at the girl in his arms. “But if the kind of wheel torture you just mentioned were actually used on Levini, would she still survive? Didn’t those priests keep saying they wanted to adopt her and give her an education?”

“There’s no conflict, outsider.” Skadi shook her head. “Not at all.”

"Because the wheel-carrying punishment does not kill a person, nor does the punishment for blasphemy."

"The girl in your arms, named Levini, may suffer unimaginable torment, may become permanently disabled after the torment, and may have to rely on a wheelchair and feeding to survive, but she will also survive. And when that time comes, it will be time for the priests to fulfill their promise."

"Because discipline and compassion are one."

"They value salvation as much as punishment, and even if the victim dies after being punished, they will do everything in their power to save the soul of the dead."

"And this is the source of Iberian faith."

Chapter 98, Chapter Ninety-Seven: Deep Sea Tales - Thirty-Three Hymns of the Holy Mother

The two walked one after the other in the quiet alley, with the constant ringing of bells in their ears.

The bells have been ringing non-stop since five minutes ago.

It seems their escape from prison has been exposed, and now the entire city's security should be focused on the Doctor and Levini.

"So, if the crime is blasphemy, what kind of punishment will she receive?"

Ignoring the chimes that had blended into the background, the doctor asked a question he was afraid to hear the answer to.

"...bubbles."

Skadi spoke.

Her voice was so soft that the doctor couldn't be sure if she was actually answering his question.

"What, please say it again?"

“Blow bubbles,” Skadi said, raising her voice slightly.

"I don't understand," the doctor said, completely bewildered.

“Blowing bubbles is a form of punishment, or rather, a colloquial term for a form of punishment. Its formal name is drumming, and it is used on sinners who have committed blasphemy by speaking disrespectfully,” Skadi began to explain her earlier statement. “But it’s not the drum that beats a drum, but the drum that swells up.”

“The victim subjected to the drum torture would be bound to a specially designed chair, with their entire body tied up except for their head. Then the executioner would insert an active metal ball into the victim's mouth and infuse it with Originium Arts.”

"Blowing bubbles, could it be..." The Doctor felt that the punishment Skadi mentioned sounded somewhat familiar.

“That’s right, that’s where the nickname ‘blowing bubbles’ comes from.” Skadi nodded. “The active metal spheres infused with Originium Arts will gradually expand due to the increase in internal energy, eventually filling the entire mouth of the victim, and this process is just like blowing bubbles.”

“It’s just that blowing bubbles is an outward action, while drumming is an inward action,” the doctor said in a low voice.

“But the metal bubble won’t stop once it fills the entire mouth,” Skadi continued. “The executioner will continue to pour Originium Arts into the metal bubble and let it continue to expand. Only then does the real punishment begin.”

The doctor looked uneasy as he stared at Levini in his arms.

"At first, the person being punished will feel their upper and lower jaws gradually separating as the bubble expands, and at the same time suffer great pain."

Skadi's voice was like a sea breeze, quiet and profound.

"Then, the spherical, evenly spreading bubbles will begin to compress the teeth surrounding the mouth because they cannot extend laterally. At this stage, the victim will clearly hear the sound of their teeth breaking and their gums groaning, and the pain caused by the forced extraction will be irrelevant."

"Throughout the entire punishment, the victim's saliva would leak from the gaps around the edge of his over-swollen mouth, dripping incessantly like a water valve that could not be turned off. After a while, those dripping drops would turn into bright red blood beads."

"A feeble wail will be transmitted through the metal from the depths of the throat, sounding as if the bells of Iberia were placed hundreds of meters underground. As for the audience sitting in the trial hall, they will be excited and praying at the sight of the tortured, and the intense chanting of sacred words will intertwine with the piercing wails to form a beautiful love song that lingers in the hall."

"Next, the victim's upper and lower jaws will be dislocated and misaligned under external pressure, and the tongue will become numb due to blood loss from the double crushing of the metal bulb and the jawbone. At the same time, the nasal passages will be gradually closed, blocking the entry and exit of air."

"Since the victim's mouth is blocked, they cannot breathe through their mouth. Therefore, the victim whose nose is blocked will gradually suffocate and eventually fall into a coma—the punishment ends. After the punishment ends, the executioner will remove the metal bubble from the mouth, wake the victim up, and then reassemble the dislocated upper and lower jaws while the victim is conscious."

"By the way, many audience members love the crisp sound when the upper and lower jaws come together, calling it an instrument from heaven. So when the church tries blasphemers who sin with evil words, the courtroom is often packed with people."

Skadi recounted the entire process of the drumming torture with a blank expression, and incidentally told a slightly unsettling anecdote.

“But even if someone has been subjected to the wheel torture and the drum torture, it wouldn’t necessarily lead to death.” Skadi stopped and turned to look at the Doctor, and also at Levini in his arms.

That look made the doctor feel uneasy.

“The wheel torture would destroy her limbs, depriving her of the ability to move freely. The drum torture would destroy her tongue, depriving her of the ability to speak freely,” Skadi said. “Both of these punishments are intended to cleanse her of the sins she has committed; for example, theft is a sin of the hands and feet, while blasphemy is a sin of the tongue.”

"And the education and care that follow is a mercy to sinners... As I said before, she will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, wearing special protective gear, under the care of the church."

"So now you know what today's trial would have turned out to be if that unexpected event hadn't happened."

Skadi's gaze fell on the Doctor's eyes, staring intently into his pupils.

"Everything you cherish will eventually become a plaything used by believers to practice discipline and faith."

"Everything you cherish will eventually become a symbol in the eyes of the priests for achieving salvation and mercy."

"When you first arrived in Iberia yesterday, did everything you saw in this city—peace and tranquility—now seem distorted?"

Her three sentences were like three arrows flying towards the doctor, and the doctor could not catch any of them.

Those scenes were not fake.

The people are indeed very happy, and life here is indeed very peaceful.

But as the bishop once said.

That's because when I entered the city, I was led by the priests, so they didn't treat me as an outsider.

In an atmosphere of complete assimilation, everything is naturally peaceful.

However, once a single discordant note is introduced, a chain reaction can throw everything into chaos.

Their cruelty and their peace are not contradictory.

"...Since you know so much, who is the real culprit behind this incident? Who killed the cardinal? And what was the scene like inside the courtroom?"

After a moment of silence, the Doctor turned the question he most wanted to ask into a rebuttal to Skadi, and blurted it out.

"You'll know when you get back to the seaside."

She turned her body back to the front, and everything was as before.

-

Thank you segment.

Thank you, Shinichi, for the monthly pass.