Chapter 525: The Goddess Demands Justice

Maria froze, her lips parting in disbelief.

“The…Goddess?”

“She spoke to me. In my sleep. More than once.” Joy nodded slowly, her tone unwavering. “She told me to purify the faith of a man named Cassius Vindictus Holyfield.”

“To cleanse his soul and bring him back into her light. She said his faith has strayed—and that he must be purified.”

Maria stared at her daughter, her hands trembling slightly.

“Are you serious Joy? The Goddess…spoke to you directly? Are you certain?”

“I am.” Joy’s gaze turned distant, her voice almost reverent. “Her words were clear. She said, ’Seek out the man who wears sin beneath his charm. Strip the lies from his faith. Burn away the false purity.’”

“And every time I’ve closed my eyes since, I’ve heard her whisper his name again.”

She looked back down at the reports, her tone sharpening.

“So even if the evidence says otherwise, even if the world worships him, I know the truth lies hidden beneath it all. The Goddess does not lie. There must be something about this man, something the rest of you cannot see.”

“And I will uncover it, no matter how deep it lies.”

“I will not stop until Cassius Vindictus Holyfield is judged.” Her voice dropped, firm and final.

The air in the carriage grew heavy. Even Stella, who was used to Joy’s resolve, looked uneasy.

After a pause, Stella sighed softly, turning to Maria.

“It’s exactly as she says, Sister. Her Holiness has been visited in her dreams several times now. None of us doubt her visions. But…it’s made her fixation on this man absolute. She won’t rest until she uncovers the truth.”

Maria leaned back, eyes filled with mixed wonder and worry.

“I see…My daughter is stubborn, yes, but when even the Goddess commands her, how could she refuse? Yet…”

Her expression softened, troubled.

“It’s strange. The Goddess has given her many visions before—words of wisdom, warnings, teachings—but never has she spoken a name. Never has she singled out a person so directly.”

Her gaze drifted toward Joy again.

“Why him? Why Cassius Vindictus Holyfield? What could make him so special that even the Goddess herself demands his purification?”

“That, Sister Maria, is the question none of us can answer.” Stella shook her head slowly. “Not the priests, not the sisters, not even the Empress.”

“This man is…not ordinary. He’s a mystery that even heaven seems to notice. And that…” She said, her voice low. “…is what makes this case so tangled, so perilous, and so fascinating.”

Hearing this, Maria looked at her daughter—calm, beautiful, terrifyingly determined and whispered softly, almost to herself.

“Then may the Goddess protect you, my child because you’re about to walk into something far greater than either of us can understand.”

“There’s no need to speak of this case in such a manner, Mother.”

Joy said flatly.

“He’s simply a man who’s very good at hiding his crimes. Nothing more. And soon enough, whatever he’s done in the dark will come to light.”

“When it does, I’ll take the Goddess’s words to heart and I’ll see to it that he’s punished properly for every sin he’s committed.”

Maria sighed. That quiet, obsessive resolve frightened her more than any outburst ever could.

Her daughter had been blessed by the Goddess, yes, but she feared the line between divine duty and obsession was growing ever thinner.

But just then, the carriage rocked gently beneath them as they passed through the towering gates of the royal palace.

Outside, the golden towers gleamed under the sun, the banners of the empire fluttering proudly in the crisp air.

Maria tore her gaze away from Joy and looked out through the window, her curiosity returning as quickly as her concern.

“Well, leaving all of that aside.” Maria said finally, her tone shifting to one of inquisitive warmth. “Why exactly have we come to the royal palace today? And why has Her Majesty summoned us so suddenly?”

At this, Stella gave a small, mysterious smile, one that immediately piqued Maria’s interest.

“Strangely enough, Sister Maria.” She said. “This also involves Cassius Vindictus Holyfield.”

Maria blinked, surprised. “It does?”

Stella nodded.

“Yes. You see, there’s been a…development. Until now, all we ever had were rumors. Bothing but whispers and tavern gossip.”

“But just last week, something far more tangible appeared. An actual video transmission began circulating among the nobles and clergy.”

Maria’s eyes gleaned in intrigue.

“And in that recording…” Stella continued. “Cassius himself appeared and confessed to some…unspeakable things.”

Stella hesitated briefly, then continued in a low voice.

“In the video, he admits he was going to steal many womem away, the family of bandits.”

“He said he was going to punish them for the sins of the men in their families by locking them in the dungeons beneath his mansion, and…commit vile acts upon them.”

“He spoke of making them his slaves, of breaking them completely.”

Maria’s eyes went wide in horror.

“He said that? Himself?”

Stella nodded grimly.

“He did. His voice, his face—everything matched. And before we could even process that, another video surfaced a few days later, this one from a fishing village along the eastern area.”

“In that one, it’s claimed that Cassius had rounded up all the women from several nearby villages, locked them in a warehouse, and spent the night there with them.”

“By morning, word spread that he had…had his way with every last one of them.”

Maria’s mouth fell open. She turned beet red before stammering.

“H-Hundreds of women? That’s…that’s utterly preposterous! How could one man possibly…?”

She stopped mid-sentence as the realization of what she was implying struck her, and she hurriedly clasped her hands together, bowing her head in a quick prayer to cleanse the impure thought.

“Merciful Goddess, forgive me for even imagining such depravity.”

Stella chuckled softly at Maria’s reaction, shaking her head with amusement.

“No one truly knows if that part is even possible, Sister Maria. But still—the transmission exists. And it clearly shows him in that warehouse, surrounded by women.”

“So it’s true, then?” Maria gulped. “He was really there?”

Stella frowned slightly.

“He was there, yes. But what he was doing…well, that’s the strange part.”

“When we sent investigators to the village, expecting to hear testimonies of assault and suffering, what we found instead were songs of praise.”

“The very same women in the recording told us Cassius had saved them from bandits, they said. That he had fought off a group of raiders who’d planned to sell them into slavery, and that he’d sheltered them in that warehouse overnight for their protection.”

Maria stared, completely dumbfounded.

“Saved them? But…but how?”

Stella sighed, lifting her shoulders helplessly.

“That’s what none of us can understand. Every witness, every villager, even the clergy stationed there all told the same story. They say he fought with the strength of ten men, that his eyes glowed with divine fire, that he carried no weapons and yet struck down armed soldiers with his bare hands.”

“Divine fire?” Maria blinked several times. “You mean to tell me they think he’s actually someone dangerous in terms of strength?”

“Exactly.” Stella said, almost wryly. “Some say he’s protected by angels, others that he’s possessed by demons.”

“But every time a scandal arises, every time something like this happens, the same thing follows—testimonies of miracles, acts of kindness, impossible stories that turn him from villain to savior in the same breath.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Maria let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I thought we were finally getting somewhere. And now it’s back to the same cycle again.”

“Rumors, confusion, and no proof of anything.”

Stella chuckled softly.

“Don’t be too disappointed, Sister Maria. There’s still one thing we can act on—the transmission itself. Even if it’s fabricated or misinterpreted, it’s still evidence.”

“Using that, we have finally submitted a case to the Royal Court and demanded a full, open investigation into Cassius Vindictus Holyfield. No more whispers or half-measures.”

“If the Empress approves it, we’ll have the authority to investigate him publicly and thoroughly.”

Maria brightened at that.

“Oh, that is good news! Whether he’s good or evil, such a mysterious man certainly needs the truth brought to light. And perhaps…” She added with a faint smile. “…if this case is approved, I might even get to meet him.”

“I’d like to see what sort of man he truly is. If he’s wicked, I shall pray for his soul and if he’s kind, I shall thank the Goddess for it.”

Her voice softened as she added,

“I only wish to look into his eyes and see what kind of spirit lies within them.”

Stella smiled warmly, unable to resist the older woman’s contagious optimism.

“You truly are remarkable, Sister Maria. Always seeing light in every shadow.”

“Someone must, dear.” Maria smiled back brightly. “The world already has enough who look for darkness.”

But then Stella’s smile faltered slightly.

“I do hope your optimism endures…” She said quietly. “…because there’s one more complication.”

“Oh? What now?” Maria tilted her head curiously.

“Well…” Stella began hesitantly. “Not everyone in the Royal Court wants this case to proceed. In fact, quite a few powerful figures are trying to suppress it altogether.”

“And there’s one person in particular—someone very determined—who has been working tirelessly to ensure the Empress does not approve our investigation.”

“Someone opposing it? Who?”

Stella hesitated, glancing toward Joy, who sat like an unmoving statue. Then she leaned closer to Maria and whispered,

“You actually know her quite well. In fact, she’s the Saintess’s dearest friend—”

Before Stella could finish, the driver’s voice rang out from the front of the carriage.

“My Lady! We’ve arrived at the Royal Palace!”

Joy immediately rose from her seat, gathering her papers in swift movements.

“We’ve wasted enough time.” She said curtly. “Bring the reports, Stella. We’re going straight to the Royal Court. There’s no room for delay.”

“Yes, My Lady.” Stella replied quickly, collecting the stacks of parchment and following behind.

Maria blinked, startled by how quickly everything was moving.

“Wait—wait for me, Joy!”

She exclaimed as she hurriedly gathered her robes and stepped down from the carriage.

“Don’t leave your poor mother behind!”

Outside, the grand courtyard stretched before them, filled with sculptures, soldiers, and the distant tolling of the palace bells.

Joy strode ahead with the calm, purposeful grace of a woman on a divine mission, her red robes catching the sunlight.

Stella followed close behind, her arms full of documents.

And as Maria hurried after them, her mind buzzed with questions.

Who was this mysterious opponent waiting inside the court?

And why did it feel like everyone tied to this case—Cassius, the Goddess, and even her own daughter was walking toward something none of them could truly understand?

Whatever the answer was, it would soon reveal itself in the halls of the Royal Court, under the watchful eyes of the Empress herself.

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