Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 944 - 203: I Want to Report This (Part 2)

Well said!

Given what Carlo has done so far, he indeed deserves the evaluation of being "a pile of shit."

"While the Choir project was underway, the person in charge foresaw this situation, so he placed a 'shutdown command' in the bodies of the Choir members, hoping to ensure they wouldn't be abused as far as possible, something even Julius himself wasn't aware of."

"It seems that you have close ties with the Margaret Clan."

Veronica said, "Let me guess, Mr. Ethan."

This wasn't a particularly difficult deduction. In fact, back in the confessional, the young man had left her clues. He had allowed those who came to the confessional to call him "Old Sen." In addition, his freedom to come and go in the Crown of Dawn Cathedral suggested that the only one who met this standard was the omnipotent existence described in the Imperial Truth.

Veronica personally believed that the Imperial Truth greatly exaggerated and was inconsistent with reality but it was evident that the empire had welcomed a being stronger than the Saint.

"Judge, the situation is quite obvious now, isn't it?"

Ethan asked, "The Choir is the property of the empire, yet it appeared in the Far West. I am going to accuse your Pope Carlo of theft, and considering the empire's financial investment in them, according to the empire's laws, Carlo would face charges amounting to 897 years of imprisonment."

He paused slightly, "Of course, if we consider other crimes as well, with multiple offenses combined, he would probably be sentenced to be burned at the stake seven times and then beheaded five times."

"Just like how you once treated Julius."

Before Carlo built the wall in the Far West, Veronica had heard about Julius being publicly executed in the Imperial Capital.

It was a long execution.

Julius's flesh was burned and then regenerated in the flames, taking a whole day before it finally extinguished.

Veronica gripped her warhammer tightly, not lowering her guard, "So this time you are here to overthrow the Far West as well."

"Overthrow the Far West? How could that be? I was merely entrusted to come and report the violations and misconduct within the Church Court."

Ethan said, "Your Honor, you know, even though the Church Court has established the appropriate reporting department, the proper channels are excessively difficult to navigate, as the whistleblower might inexplicably vanish into thin air before presenting the evidence."

The confrontational stance with which Veronica had been poised suddenly lost some of its momentum.

As the manager of the enforcement team, she was partly to blame for this state of affairs.

It's not just the reporting department that became mere decoration; departments and rules that didn't favor Carlo's one-man rule did as well. The Ascetics represented by Solaris were the last neutral faction within the Church Court that had not publicly supported Carlo. Not long ago, the faction leader Solaris died at the border, also providing Carlo a good excuse to wage war against the empire.

"I, Ethan, formally accuse Pope Carlo of the Life Divine Teachings of misconduct and violations, including but not limited to election manipulation, theft of imperial property, illegal mining, murder to hire, and framing and defamation."

"And then?"

Veronica watched the righteous Ethan. If she recalled correctly, this whistleblower had recently committed multiple murders in the cathedral, forcing church leaders into hiding in the Praise Sanctuary.

"If I remember rightly, Mr. Ethan, you are also facing multiple murder charges."

"I deeply regret the death of Mr. Dalton, but I had to do it because I had substantial evidence that Mr. Dalton was still attempting to harass and even mentally control my friend with spells."

Ethan answered fluently, "Furthermore, according to the empire's laws, Dalton should have been publicly executed just like Julius, but the Far West sheltered him, allowing him to commit more crimes. Don't you think this itself is another powerful proof of Carlo's misconduct and violations?"

"So, about Mrs. Aurora?"

Veronica knew she would gain no leverage with Dalton's issue; she quickly turned her aim toward another appalling murder case, "The faction led by Mrs. Aurora was comprised of people who cared about the environment and were dedicated to improving the harsh conditions of the Far West, yet you brutally murdered her, hanging her from a tree."

She was eager to see how Ethan would explain this matter.

Veronica knew how Carlo would respond.

If she questioned Carlo in this way, he would first be taken aback, then show a remorseful expression, then praise Aurora's death as a noble sacrifice, claiming it was a necessary means for the eventual arrival of the Day of Redemption.

And Ethan?

She listened very intently.

If Ethan put forth the same theory, it would prove he and Carlo were essentially the same, both willing to achieve their goals by any means necessary.

Such a person, what right would they have to speak eloquently here and even presume to judge others?

Veronica was poised for an attack, just waiting for Ethan to begin his excuse.

"Mrs. Aurora got along very well with the Elemental Elf, and she had recently proposed thirteen insights on the perennial drought problem in the Far West."

"What do you mean?"

Veronica furrowed her brows, "You brutally murdered her, and now you're using her for amusement!"

This was even worse than Carlo's behavior; at least Carlo would feign remorse for his misdeeds, sometimes even squeezing out a couple of fake tears for show.

"Haven't you seen today's news?"

Veronica took the newspapers Ethan handed her in confusion, and a series of headlines caused her expression to freeze:

"Desert Turned into Fertile Land? Mrs. Aurora Demonstrates New Model of Elemental Symbiotic Agriculture."

"Exclusive Interview with Aurora: Revealing How to Communicate with Elemental Spirits and Direct Water to Heal Drought-Stricken Land."

"Science or Miracle? Aurora Collaborates with Mysterious Partner, Climate Improvement in the Far West Shows Promise."

All of them were today's newspapers.

Aurora had left the Imperial Capital, not only spoke in multiple public venues but also took part in a personal interview, and with the reports frequently mentioning Elemental Elf, her subsequent encounters became self-explanatory.

The Imperial Truth describes Ethan as the greatest Elemental Shaper of this era, who pioneered a new system of co-existence between humans and Elemental Elves.

Veronica's cheeks burned, and all her prepared soul-searching questions couldn't come out, leaving her in a state of complete speechlessness. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

She became yet another young woman who blushed in front of Ethan.

After quite some time, she finally squeezed out a question, "Then... what about the body in the garden?"

This question wasn't sharp at all.

Even though she'd been convinced, she couldn't let go of her pride and just had to voice a bit of doubt.

"Special effects."

Remaining impeccable, Ethan replied, "I don't know if you've encountered the emerging film industry since the closure of the Far West, but just to inform you, we don't actually kill actors during filming. All the bodies and gruesome scenes are accomplished with special effects."

He needed to clarify because upon arriving in the Far West, Ethan discovered Carlo had taken out-of-context scenes from films to portray them as evidence of the empire worshiping the Evil God, with many people in the Far West actually believing it.

"If you don't believe me, I can arrange a meeting with Mrs. Aurora afterward."

His calm demeanor completely dismantled Veronica's internal defenses, and she vaguely realized the fundamental difference between Ethan and Carlo.

If it were Carlo, even if there were options like "special effects," he wouldn't expend the effort to keep Aurora alive, just like the two attendants of Yayouma who died in the chamber.

Because compared to the "Day of Redemption" and the "Great Future," the life of a small faction leader was of no importance. To Carlo, taking a life was that simple and rightful.

"You..."

Veronica took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind silenced by Ethan, "What do you plan to do?"

"I want to initiate a witness protection program."

"Witness protection program?"

"As you know, everyone who attempted to accuse Carlo before has disappeared. I will testify in court, but before that, you need to protect my personal safety."

Veronica blinked, sinking into a prolonged silence.

The corners of her mouth twitched; she opened her mouth but not a single word came out.

She seriously suspected Ethan was trying to make fun of her.

She protect Ethan, really?