“…M-Magic Tower? I, I don’t understand what Priest Jusepe is saying at all…”

“To think you’d sell information to the Magic Tower of all places. It’s a very regrettable situation. Isn’t that right, Lord Marchand?”

Suddenly singled out, Lord Marchand nodded awkwardly with a strangled expression.

“Y-yes, that’s right. To dare to deceive the temple… To commit such a grave sin.”

“It’s even more regrettable that you knew it was a sin. Knowing that, why did you deceive the temple and collect passage fees from pilgrims coming here to see the ‘White Salt Saint’? To extort money under the pretext of donations to the temple, the nature of this crime is particularly heinous.”

“T-that is…”

“The sacred relic of the ‘White Salt Saint’ is known to warm the temperature within its radius. The temperature of this Forbes village proves it. However, to plan to steal the sacred relic and create a new tourist attraction… I’m quite impressed that you thought you could use a sacred relic in such a way.”

“….”

Lord Marchand couldn’t say a word.

He could only lower his head, avoiding Jusepe’s gaze that seemed to see through everything.

In the midst of silence where even breathing was suppressed, Belinda spoke for the first time.

“This is the worst banquet I’ve ever attended.”

Jusepe’s gaze turned to her.

Without hiding her irritated expression, she looked back at Jusepe.

“Are you planning to accuse me like that too? That I stole some measly sacred relic out of greed?”

“That’s not the case.”

“When I want something, I buy it with money, no matter how much it costs. If I wanted the sacred relic, I would have bought this entire territory to make it mine.”

“The reason I invited you to this banquet today is none other than…”

Jusepe closed his mouth there and held back his words.

It was as if he was deeply hesitating whether to say this or not.

“You… smell of an unbeliever. It’s like seeing someone who has touched a taboo. That’s why I invited you. You fit well with this group of sinners.”

Depending on how one heard it, it could sound light, or as heavy as a mountain.

The temple called those who didn’t believe in God or those who dabbled in black magic, unbelievers.

The former couldn’t be punished, but the latter could be subject to immediate execution.

At those words, Belinda closed her mouth as if it wasn’t even worth responding when suddenly Jusepe clapped lightly and smiled warmly.

“Actually, everything I’ve said here has no evidence. So I can’t arrest any of you as culprits.”

“T-then are you saying you’ve accused me of being a criminal without any evidence?”

Lord Marchand’s tone was harsh as he quickly spoke up to reverse the atmosphere, but undeniable relief was evident on his face.

“As Lady Blanche said, this is truly an unpleasant banquet. I shall take my leave now. Good grief.”

Starting with Lord Marchand, who left as if fleeing, the postman also quietly rose from his seat.

Belinda, who became the last guest, looked at Jusepe as if confirming something, then promptly left.

Only after all the guests had departed did Priest Melio, who had been holding his breath, speak with a pale face.

“Priest Jusepe, is all of this true? Is the culprit among them?”

“Why else would I have held such a banquet?”

“…Can you swear by God?”

“Swear by God?”

Swearing by God meant that when priests made a promise or oath, they would call upon God as a witness.

It wasn’t just a verbal expression; if priests broke a vow they declared to God, they would lose Divine Power as a consequence.

Therefore, priests didn’t carelessly invoke God’s oath.

When Jusepe didn’t answer, Priest Melio, realizing he had acted too anxiously, belatedly spoke in an apologetic tone.

“All three of them have extraordinary backgrounds. Lord Marchand and Lady Blanche are nobles of the kingdom, and Priest Eden’s matter could potentially escalate into an all-out war with the Magic Tower if we’re not careful. Each situation is grave, so I just want to proceed cautiously.”

“Indeed. I fully understand your concern.”

“Then, Priest Jusepe. Would you swear by God to instill in me the confidence to interrogate those three? With the support of Cardinal Jusepe, I feel I would have nothing to fear.”

Normally, a priest on a pilgrimage wouldn’t reveal their identity even to the priest managing the holy site.

However, due to the extremely serious situation of the missing sacred relic, Jusepe had no choice but to reveal his identity to Melio.

Yet, to speak of his position so carelessly…

Jusepe looked at Priest Melio with eyes that shone cold as metal.

For a moment, Priest Melio felt a chill down his spine, as those eyes lacked any human warmth.

However, that raw gaze was quickly masked by his usual gentle smile.

“Of course, Priest Melio. Among those who participated in this banquet today, there is a culprit. I swear to God.”

A strange light flashed in Jusepe’s eyes at those words.

With this declaration, Jusepe was now bound to identify one of them as the perpetrator.

If only to keep his sacred oath to God.

Finally at ease, Priest Melio pressed a hand to his chest and drew a deep breath.

“Thank you, Your Eminence. Since the sacred relic was stolen due to my negligence, I will certainly find the culprit and recover it.”

Speaking as solemnly as if making a divine oath himself, Priest Melio left the banquet hall.

In the now empty banquet hall.

Jusepe rose from his seat and stood before the large window overlooking the village.

It was a peaceful scene worthy of being preserved in a painting.

However, when divinity filled Jusepe’s eyes, everything looked different.

The power of insight, called the eyes of God.

A power too vast to dwell in a mere human body showed him fragments of the future.

The divine power revealed a glimpse of the future, about 10 years ahead.

The land was blackened and dead, poison flowed in the air, and the only living things were monsters that fed on death.

It was a scene befitting what one would call the end of the world.

Jusepe carefully looked around from the center of this apocalypse.

Hoping to find anything that could prevent this tragedy.

But as always, he found nothing.

“There are no answers here either.”

His head throbbed as if his brain was burning from looking at such a distant future for so long.

Since the pain caused by using this power couldn’t be healed with Divine Power, Jusepe closed his eyes and waited for the pain to subside.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Belinda following Priest Melio.

The insight could not only see the broad future but also glimpse into an individual’s past and future.

That’s why when Jusepe placed his hand on her forehead to give a blessing, he could catch fragmentary glimpses of her past.

Malice towards others and unprovoked, merciless violence.

Belinda Blanche was the type of human Jusepe despised the most.

However, there was another reason why she caught his attention and was invited to today’s banquet.

“Your Eminence, we’ve placed observers around the lodgings of today’s guests.”

Lionel, the commander of the Holy Knights who accompanied the pilgrimage to assist and protect the Cardinal, approached discreetly to report.

Without taking his eyes off the departing Belinda, Jusepe said,

“Place more observers around Lady Belinda Blanche.”

“…Is she really involved with black magic?”

Lionel asked cautiously.

The reason Jusepe invited Belinda to the banquet was that, unlike her past which was clearly readable, her future was as foggy as if shrouded in mist, not visible even a step ahead.

There weren’t many who could dare to evade God’s power.

Either they possessed a higher level of divinity than Jusepe, or they weren’t beings of this world, or they had used black magic to avoid God’s eyes.

Most cases fell into the last category.

That’s why he suspected Belinda might be a black magician.

Although there wasn’t much of a harvest as she was a type whose expressions were hard to read, at least it seemed possible to use her as bait to draw out the culprit who stole the sacred relic.

Jusepe answered Lionel with a gentle smile.

“It’s not certain yet. That’s why we need to find out.”

What kind of person Belinda Blanche really is.