Only God

All eyes shifted from Eden and fixed onto the Emperor, as the sovereign slowly ascended to the Great Shepherd's position, who without saying much, quietly stepped aside.

According to Danschel's laws, the Emperor had the right to intervene in any trial within the Empire's territory and replace the Judge.

The Emperor, from his elevated position, asked,

"Accused, do you have anything else to say?"

"Your Majesty, you say I have offended you, but you have offended God."

Eden spoke, his tone firm and powerful,

"You are torturing me, hoping I will submit, while you wield absolute power."

The Emperor spread his arms and declared authoritatively,

"My absolute power exists to suppress heretics like you!

Priest, what do you think you are? A Prophet? No, there is another person who is the Prophet, it is he who sent a letter asking us to judge you."

Eden retorted loudly,

"The Prophet did not call me a heretic!"

The Emperor looked at the priests all around, smiling as he said,

"See, a heretic never admits to being a heretic!

Heretics always think they are right and daringly reckless. To combat these heretics, we need three forces: collecting taxes, threatening with swords, and enforcing beliefs."

Above, the co-ruling Emperor Philip perked his ears; he remembered his father telling him that it only took three forces to conquer the people, and similarly, just three forces to build absolute power.

Now, Constantine VI, the ruler of the Empire, was showing his heir that this was not only a trial but also a demonstration of power.

The Emperor gazed at Eden and continued,

"Arrogant, ignorant, heretics like him abound too much.

He claims to be the so-called Savior, but priests, under the guidance of the Church and with your wisdom, would the world face apocalypse again?"

Constantine's words were extremely precise and cunning; he instantly tied the priests present to his vessel.

"Are you not pious enough, or have you become too corrupt, to the extent that the world must suffer again and face destruction?"

Those priests sympathetic to Eden immediately fell silent.

Continuing their sympathy for Eden would mean admitting to his prophecy, admitting the world might face apocalypse again, confessing we are not pious enough, too corrupt.

The priests supportive of the Emperor glared at Eden with indignation, pulled along by the Emperor's words, their anger surging.

The imperial heir, co-ruler Emperor Philip, silently nodded.

This was the first form of power in shaping authority—authority itself.

The Emperor looked at Eden and continued,

"Look back, priests.

On this path of thorns, how many have fallen, how many have risen, we have made so many sacrifices for the kingdom of God.

Since the Disciple era, we have been bleeding.

Yet now, among us, pus has formed, this Eden slanders me, the Guardian of the True Religion's world, accusing me of using God's name in vain, my priestly brothers, he is defaming you too!

We made such sacrifices, but to face the apocalypse again, is it not to say our sacrifices were in vain, is it not defaming us?"

The anger in the venue intensified, the skilled Emperor successfully stirring everyone's emotions, many glared at Eden.

The co-ruling Emperor Philip listened intently to these statements, understanding that this was the second form of building authority—history.

Soon, under the cohesion of these three forces, the priests boarded the Emperor's battle ship, following him to completely destroy this heretic.

The Emperor's argument continued, not just aiming to enforce the heretic's guilt but also to make him submit, beg for his mercy.

"Priest Eden, you are merely a person who has gone astray; you take the prophecy you heard as the truth, but how could you comprehend God's will?

Don't mention yourself; among mortals, who truly understands God's will?

You and us, we are equally ignorant of God's will, but unlike you, we are humble, while you are arrogantly presumptuous, falsely claiming the truth.

This Savior, does Scripture ever say the world would face apocalypse again?"

The third force played a tremendous role in the venue, as the priests, hearing the Emperor's stirring arguments, involuntarily bowed their heads, seemingly displaying their humility.

Indeed, who can truly understand God's will?

God is an absurdity.

But here stood Eden, treating an obscure prophecy as truth—what is this if not arrogance?

Co-ruler Emperor Philip surveyed his surroundings, internally admiring his father's tactics, those powerful words convincing many priests who sympathized with Eden.

This was the third form of building power—uncertainty.

And God's will is uncertainty.

The Emperor concluded his speech, looking down from above,

"Priest Eden, do you have anything else to say?"

As he spoke, everyone's eyes turned towards Eden.

Facing the Emperor's accusations, what would he say?

Insults, rebuttals, or would he submit and beg for mercy?

Any of these were possible with the Emperor's powerful words; how could he overturn such authority?

The Emperor stared at Eden, waiting for the priest's submission.

In the face of power, everyone submits, if they don't, it's only because the power isn't great enough.

This is human nature.

Only absolute power can rule and conquer the world.

For Constantine, even God was just another form of power.

With so many martyrs in the world, people respect and praise them, but do they truly mean it? No, it's because of power that demands their respect and praise.

For religious faith, what matters is not the martyr, but the power that shapes the martyr.

And he, the ruler of the Empire, the Guardian of the True Religion's world, commanding over sixty legions, hundreds of cities, and vast territories, where treasures of the land and sea belong to him, he is the power.

This Empire's power will never falter.

Under thousands of gazes, the priest finally spoke,

"I… I pity you."

Everyone thought they had heard wrong.

He looked around solemnly, like a Prophet surveying fools,

"I pity you all, and pray that God pities you too."