Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 908 - 187: The Martyr_2

Could it be that he never knew what had been happening in this city all along?

When he chose to turn a blind eye, when he ceased to inquire about the theft of supplies, but rather was invited to witness those thieves being executed publicly, he should have known that there were more people like that fool in this city.

He ignored it, pretending that none of this ever happened.

This was the dam he built for himself in his heart, and now Solaris forced himself to face the corners he had previously overlooked.

He had never been a messenger of justice, but rather an accomplice to them.

The image of the bureau chief groveling on the ground, humble and ashamed, flashed through Solaris' mind; suddenly, he felt maybe to the Goddess of Life, he was just as repugnant.

"Trust me, Bishop, this is the best outcome."

The chief struggled to say.

"What else don't I know? The Devoted Battle Group, and the mines."

Solaris asked.

"Stop here, just like before, leave these matters to me."

The chief's face turned crimson, squeezing words through gritted teeth.

He could see the bigger picture, as long as Solaris walked away, he would consider this old man's behavior today as an aberration, casting aside the humiliation suffered, for he faintly sensed Solaris's aim—they were rushing towards a dangerous place.

Over the years, they indeed concealed many secrets from Solaris, but not all were by their own choice. Even the believers within the Church Court were the same, everyone concealing the same secret from those ascetics indulged in unrealistic reveries.

Let these people live in their own "courtyard of life," for they were content with this.

But now, the chief found Solaris had opened the gates of the courtyard and returned to the real world.

The lines spreading on his neck probed his heart and ignited a burning pain on his skin.

"...Sacred Remains."

Solaris did not stop, after a brief silence, he finally asked what he should have cleared up, "What are you planning to do with the Sacred Remains?"

"War."

The chief's face twisted, but he could not resist the power of the Holy Word Art, "The Devoted Battle Group and the weapons developed from the Sacred Remains will be used in the forthcoming war... Carlo Esposito will declare war on the Empire, hence he needs a large number of hands, a large supply of cannon fodder, they transport the Church Court's secret weapons into the Empire, by the time the Empire's Knight Order figures out the truth, everything will be too late... We will win the war."

"What exactly are the Sacred Remains?"

Solaris intensified his tone, posing the question he should have understood long ago.

At that time, he vaguely sensed the harshness of the truth, therefore chose to escape.

"The Goddess's remains, we are excavating Her remains."

A deathly silence enveloped the duo, the chief's eyes bloodshot, clearly aware of what such a truth would mean for a devout ascetic, even Pope Carlo deliberately concealed the secret of the Sacred Remains from Solaris.

Every word spoken by the chief struck Solaris's heart like a heavy hammer, making him endure agony.

This made him gradually comprehend everything.

To comprehend the reason the Goddess let him have an audience, he seemed to hear those faint laments and wails.

Her believers were extracting Her remains, using them as a tool for instigating war.

Carlo must be stopped!

This was the first thought that emerged in Solaris's mind, but he quickly realized the truth was far beyond his capability.

After Julius's death, would the increasingly radical Carlo even listen to his persuasion?

This city... The deeds of the Border Administration Bureau, the mines, and the Kingdom Army had already invisibly answered everything, for them, laws and the Church's decrees could be easily trampled upon, as long as it was for "greater victory."

At this moment, Solaris couldn't help but question whether the prophecy of the Seventh Epoch and the Day of Destruction were just lies meticulously crafted by Carlo.

And he really wanted to do only one thing—declare a Holy War on the Empire!

Solaris seemed to see his own end.

The fool arrested on the charge of being an Evil God's follower would be publicly executed at noon in the church square tomorrow, and this might also become his end for opposing Carlo, by then those ascetics following him, like the fool's family, would also be executed under various pretexts.

But even so, he must do it!

Solaris's eyes shone like torches.

The border city, the gateway to the Far West, would become his battlefield.

"Write down everything you know."

He gripped the scepter tightly, first, he must make more people aware of this, to clarify to those wavering factions within the Church Court about Carlo's actions.

Carlo Esposito's actions had already tainted the title of Pope, he had long been lost in anger and hatred.

Solaris pointed the scepter towards the desk, his mind racing.

He also needed to contact the press in the Far West, once he grasped enough evidence—

All thoughts abruptly ceased, and the chief, like a puppet controlled by strings, came to a halt.

Solaris lowered his head, looked at his chest.

A sharp dagger pierced straight through his chest, the sharp blade replacing a hand, fused with the assassin's entire arm, not just his arm, his whole body had been transformed into a precise killing machine.

Solaris turned his face, a slightly familiar face entered his view, he almost immediately realized the assassin's identity.

The Choir.

This group, which should've disappeared with Julius's death, appeared here.

The assassin withdrew his arm, leaving a wound on his chest that allowed a straight view to the other side, Solaris could even see his shattered heart, the beating frequency gradually slowing until it completely halted.

The splashed blood stained the floor and walls, leaving the chief standing dazed.

Solaris's staff dropped to the ground, his body collapsing uncontrollably, as his vision was about to plunge into darkness, a cold mechanical command from the Choir came from behind.

"Bishop Solaris has been assassinated, the killer is an agent sent by the Empire."

Then came the light sound of an object hitting the ground, he tossed a pendant towards the stunned Border Administration Bureau chief.

It was the family emblem of the Margaret Clan, enough to certify the authenticity of the reports.

This was by no means a sudden impulse.

So it was, so it was!

It turned out this was the true intention behind Carlo dispatching him to the border city.

This did not stem from years of friendship; Carlo knew from the beginning, knew he would inevitably uncover the secret of the mines and Sacred Remains, and when that happened, a dagger from the shadows would pierce his heart.

Solaris hadn't expected Carlo to actually inflict a lethal blow on him.

An assassin from the Empire, an emblem representing the Margaret Clan's honor.

These two were enough to push the ascetics representing the neutral faction to the Empire's opposition, also providing Carlo sufficient reason to launch a war against the Empire.

"I understand."

The chief came to his senses, respectfully saying, "I will ensure this news spreads along the entire border by tomorrow."

With that, he shot a cold glance at Solaris lying in the pool of blood, "I warned you, this is all your own doing."

All sounds that Solaris could hear became increasingly distant until they vanished entirely.

Until in the end, only one thought remained in his mind:

Goddess,

I have failed your expectations.

My death has become the fuse of war.

War is inevitable.

This time, he would never return to the courtyard of life, awaiting him seemed only eternal darkness.