Gospel of Blood-Chapter 602 : Rescue

She glared angrily at the judges on the platform, her eyes seemingly ablaze. When her gaze fell upon the crowd, pain and desperation showed.

As she opened her mouth wide and let out a hoarse, angry whimper, the front-row spectators hesitated.

“She can’t speak?”

“No, wait, it looks like… she doesn’t have a tongue.”

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances as they watched the judge questioning the “witch.”

But the judge didn’t wait for long. He slowly approached Susan, lowering his voice.

“Miss, I’ll give you one last chance. If you tell us where you’ve hidden it, we can spare you, heal your throat and body, and release the children in the prison.”

“Don’t worry, I can swear by the Great God; I won’t deceive you.”

“If you agree, just nod. A simple nod will stop this trial.”

Every judge of the Inquisition is protected by the Holy Light.

Even the most powerful mind-control magic cannot extract information from a devout believer.

Because of this, the judge’s tone softened for a moment when he offered the “deal.”

Susan lifted her head.

She looked at the judge with anger in her eyes, her thin frame straight as an arrow.

Seeing her expression, the judge knew her decision.

He sighed, his voice losing patience.

“It seems… you still refuse to speak.”

“I don’t understand you stubborn people. So be it… we’ll have to ask the dead for this information.”

Susan trembled slightly upon hearing this, her eyes widening in shock, as if realizing something.

But the judge’s expression had already turned icy.

“It seems the Gray Swan Witch refuses to repent.”

“Begin the execution.”

He gave the order coldly.

At his command, the executioner stepped forward, pouring pitch and resin over the girl and the dry wood beneath the cross.

But just as he was about to light the fire, the sound of hooves echoed from afar, accompanied by a heart-wrenching shout.

“Stop the trial—! Stop the trial—!”

The crowd became chaotic as the voice drew closer.

“Stop the trial?”

“Look! It’s the clergy! So many of them!”

“Wait, the one in the middle… could that be the Saintess?!”

Exclamations erupted as the trial’s judge turned to see the source of the shouting.

It was Angus, the Grand Master of the Templar Knights.

Behind him were numerous church knights and clergy, including some dressed in purple robes, the vestments of cardinals. They hadn’t even changed out of their prayer robes, clearly having rushed from the prayer hall.

But the most attention-grabbing was the girl surrounded by the knights and clergy.

With her signature flowing golden hair and bright blue eyes, her angelic features, and the gold-embroidered robe with the ringed cross—attire reserved for those of the highest rank and divinely blessed…

There was only one person in the Holy Court with such an appearance: the newly appointed Saintess, the one who had brought about a miracle, a figure even the Pope had to respect.

The 43rd Creation Saint, Queen of Starfall, and Northern Lord—Charlotte de Castell.

Holy light enveloped her like a devoted servant.

Seeing the newly arrived Saintess, the judge’s expression changed completely.

“What are you waiting for? Execute her!”

He shouted at the executioner.

The executioner hesitated.

Seeing the approaching clergy and Saintess, and the red-eyed judge, he was momentarily at a loss.

“Useless! I’ll do it!”

The judge cursed, snatching the torch from the executioner, kicking him aside, and setting the pitch-soaked wood ablaze.

With a roar, the flames engulfed Susan on the cross.

“Damn you!”

Angus, the Grand Master of the Templar Knights, cursed.

The judge, torch in hand, let out a derisive laugh, straightening up to face the furious Grand Master.

And in the next moment, he heard a voice, ethereal and cold.

“God said, ‘Let there be rain.’”

“Boom——!”

A thunderous roar echoed.

Large raindrops instantly fell, slanting down.

The rain seemed to carry some extraordinary power. Although the flames, ignited by pitch and resin, should have continued burning, as the rain fell, the fire quickly extinguished.

The judge’s smile froze.

“Holy Word… Decree!”

He looked in disbelief at Charlotte, who was surrounded by the others. Then, gritting his teeth, he drew the sword of a nearby executioner and swung it toward Susan on the cross.

But just as the blade was about to strike, a sword imbued with holy power flew in, effortlessly knocking the executioner’s sword from his hand and shattering it into pieces before embedding itself into a distant statue in the square.

“Bastard! Didn’t you hear me?!”

The Grand Master of the Templar Knights descended from above, angrily grabbing the judge by his collar.

Holy power in platinum light surrounded him, and the terrifying pressure of a Legendary forced a large part of the surrounding crowd to the ground.

“Lord Angus, there are civilians here.”

A clear voice rang out, with a hint of a reminder.

The Grand Master glanced around and sighed, withdrawing his pressure.

He flung the judge to the ground and then turned to salute.

“Your Holiness.”

The other clergy and knights had already entered the square.

They dismounted and then escorted the girl in the white robe of the Saintess to the execution site.

The crowd parted on their own, and many bowed down.

“Your Holiness…”

Charlotte walked through the crowd.

When she reached the altar and saw Susan, who was on the brink of death from the flames, a flash of anger appeared in her eyes.

“Untie her.”

She commanded the knights and clergy who had followed her.

The knights were about to move, but in the next moment, they were blocked by the judge in charge of the trial.

“Your Holiness, this is a trial of a heretic witch under the order of the Chief Judge. Even you, Your Holiness, have no authority to stop it!”

Charlotte gave him a cold look and said icily.

“Arrest this heretic who dared to judge one favored by the Divine.”

Upon hearing this, the knights moved at once and subdued the judge.

The executioners around them turned pale and began to draw their swords, but in the next moment, they heard an elderly voice rebuking them.

“What’s this? Do you all intend to turn heretic too? We have come by divine decree! Our Lord has just sent a warning: The Gray Swan Director is not a witch, but a devout believer under the protection of the Holy Light. You are guilty of harming a true believer. Drop your weapons and submit to investigation!”

The executioners hesitated, but seeing the angered clergy and knights, especially the cardinals in purple robes and the Grand Master of the Templar Knights standing before them, they eventually dropped their swords.

A few clergymen rushed forward to free Susan from the cross.

As they examined the unconscious girl, a high-ranking clergyman sensed her condition with holy power for a moment, then turned and sighed.

“Your Holiness, her injuries are severe; I fear she may not survive…”

“Let me see.”

Charlotte stepped forward, kneeling on one knee.

She extended her right hand, about to place it on Susan’s forehead, but then she paused, looking up at the sky, filled with lightning and thunder.

“God said, ‘Let there be light.’”

She spoke.

In the next moment, the clouds in the sky began to churn and then dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The thunder stopped, the wind ceased, and the downpour gradually came to an end.

Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining down on the earth, bringing warmth and casting beams of light across the Holy City.

Only then did Charlotte lower her head and place her right hand on Susan’s forehead.

The platinum light of holy power spread, enveloping the unconscious girl. In the shocked and astonished gazes of the crowd, they saw the life force spreading outward from Charlotte.

Grass sprouted, flowers bloomed, and the burns on the girl’s body healed at a speed visible to the eye, replaced by fresh, smooth skin. Even her complexion turned rosy, looking nothing like someone who had been tortured for days.

In the distance, those at the front of the crowd felt a cleansing of their bodies as the holy light washed over them, as if they had been reborn. All ailments and pains vanished.

Even more astonishingly, a few crippled civilians discovered with delight that their missing limbs had regrown under the holy light!

“A miracle! This is a miracle!”

Someone shouted, then excitedly knelt before Charlotte.

“Praise the Divine! It’s a miracle! This is a miracle brought by Your Holiness!”

Soon, more people bowed before Charlotte.

Even the clergy who had rushed over were filled with excitement as they looked at her.

For none could deny that the Holy Word and miraculous healing were beyond the reach of ordinary priests.

Your Holiness may become the most powerful Saintess in the history of the Holy Court…

This thought occurred almost simultaneously to all the knowledgeable clergy present.

But Charlotte’s thoughts were elsewhere.

Her gaze focused on Susan, who had been defiled as a witch.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Susan slowly regained consciousness, coughing.

“I’m… still alive?”

Her expression was dazed.

“Yes, you’re alive, but you’re weak and need time to recover.”

Charlotte replied gently.

Susan stared blankly at Charlotte.

When she recognized the distinctive robes and the golden hair and blue eyes, her eyes widened in surprise, and she grasped Charlotte’s hand excitedly.

“You… You are the Saintess? Did… did you save me?!”

Charlotte nodded slightly and said,

“I am Charlotte de Castell.”

Susan grew more agitated.

Her face flushed, and her expression was a mix of excitement, urgency, and fear.

“Your Holiness, escape… run away! Please tell everyone to flee!”

“They’re planning to sacrifice the entire Holy City, they want to kill you. They… they intend to summon an evil god in the Theocracy!”