The Inquisitors tasked by the Church to root out dark mages were relentless. Their reputation for extracting desired answers was nearly mythical.@@novelbin@@

Gerhen didn’t know the exact methods these inquisitors used, but one thing was clear in this moment: the High Pontiff had no intention of pressing the wandering mage for answers.

"Is it true?"

"It is not true."

"Then it is not true."

That was no interrogation. Even an indulgent parent scolding their misbehaving child would’ve been stricter.

What is this special treatment?

Gerhen was flustered. The inquisitors he knew erased the concept of compromise the moment they sensed even the faintest trace of dark magic. It was why he had planned to provoke the High Pontiff into doubting Lisir and, by extension, gain full control of the situation. Convincing a suspicious inquisitor to back down was harder than extinguishing an oil fire.

If the Pontiff had turned her suspicions toward Lisir, that alone would’ve bolstered Gerhen’s position.

But instead, something unthinkable happened: the Pontiff displayed absolute trust in a suspect of dark magic.

The result was the exact opposite of what Gerhen intended.

The murmurs spread quickly through the gathering crowd.

"Isn’t that an inquisitor’s uniform?"

"Judging by the red cross, she’s not just any inquisitor—she’s a High Pontiff."

"But what was with that absurd question-and-answer session?"

"...Do you think she sensed something unusual about him?"

Gerhen had chosen to confront Lisir at the Tower’s main gates, where traffic was busiest, precisely to draw as much attention as possible. The point of his plan was to publicly accuse Lisir before the largest possible audience and turn the tide of public opinion in his favor.

Instead, the crowd began to buzz with curiosity.

"Everyone knew he had extraordinary abilities, but for the High Pontiff to recognize him at a glance?"

"And yet, they’re accusing him of being an accomplice to a dark mage?"

"What do you think?"

"Are you really asking me to choose between the Pontiff’s judgment and a dark mage’s? Give me a break—I’d rather not test my luck against the inquisitors."

"Heh, fair point."

"No, the foolish comment wasn’t yours. It was—"

The Pontiff’s unprecedented trust in Lisir piqued the crowd’s interest instead of casting doubt on him.

Far from turning the tide of public opinion, Gerhen was only accelerating its shift. Alarmed, he quickly adjusted his strategy.

"I find this... surprising. Is that all you have to say?"

* : "Pick it up and prove your purity!"

* : "It’s not about holy power, it’s about karma, smh."

-[OP]: "The only 'karma' I know is level-up karma, WTF."

* : "Check your status screen, there should be something labeled 'Karma.'"

-[OP]: "Karma?"

* : "Yeah, that’s your ‘karma.’"

-[OP]: "Ah, shit... why does that sound like a personal attack?"

-[OP]: "So, what is it, then?"

* : "Basically, it quantifies the good influence you’ve had on the world."

-[OP]: "Oh, that’s what karma means? I always thought that champ’s name was random."

-[OP]: "Is 21 a high number?"

* : "Does it sound like it?"

-[OP]: "WTF, how do I raise it, then?"

* : "It goes up automatically when you clear destiny quests."

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