Chapter 140: Establishment of the Inquisition

Link nodded. "Saints do not place heavy demands on foundation; what is required is acquired effort. You possess the potential and temperament to become a Saint, and perhaps you may have the opportunity to gain the recognition of the Father God and become a Saint. I ask you, are you willing to join the Reserve Saint Legion?"

"This subordinate is willing!" Aldebaran made his choice without a second thought. "Archbishop, this subordinate is a rough brute who was born without a talent for using his brains. Rather than becoming an officiating priest, this subordinate would much rather become a Saint and charge into battle for our Church. Therefore, I ask the Archbishop to grant my wish!"

"Very well. Take him to report to the Reserve Saint Corps," Link nodded, speaking to an attendant priest nearby.

Seeing this, Aldebaran prepared to leave with the attendant priest, but at that moment, he seemed to remember something. He turned back and asked, "Archbishop, if you are going to deal with those damned heretics, I wonder if this subordinate might..."

Understanding what Aldebaran meant, Link smiled and said, "Of course you may, but you must first become a Saint. Otherwise, I will not let you go."

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Aldebaran's face, but then his expression turned solemn as he nodded heavily. "This subordinate understands. Rest assured, Archbishop, this subordinate will definitely become a Saint!"

With that, Aldebaran left with the attendant priest.

After Aldebaran departed, the amiable smile on Link's face instantly vanished. He immediately ordered all the high-ranking members to be summoned for a discussion, and whispered in a voice that only he could hear, "It is time to establish the Inquisition."

Before long, all the high-ranking officials gathered. Upon learning what had happened at the branch church, everyone was shocked, and then plunged into a state of fury. Wearing the pious and sorrowful expression of a holy man, Link said, "The Father God is above; may their souls find eternal happiness in the beautiful heaven." He paused, withdrawing his sorrowful expression and replacing it with an icy coldness. "My friends, the exalted Father God has already transmitted His instructions, and these instructions are the new dogma. The despicable heretics have used vile means to attack our Church. Even in death, the Father God shall cast their souls into the abyss of hell. The Father God has told me that to deal with heretics, we have no choice but to use their own methods against them. I hereby announce that our Church shall establish a new department named the Inquisition, dedicated exclusively to dealing with all heretics. We shall fight, we shall exact vengeance, and we shall let those despicable heretics know that to blaspheme the divine might of the Father God is to pay an unimaginable price!"

By the time he finished speaking, Link was filled with passion, which infected everyone present, drawing resounding cheers from the crowd.

Now that the decision to establish the Inquisition had been made, it was time to carefully study the specific guidelines. Ling Feng took the lead, asking, "Archbishop, how shall the Inquisition be established, and how should it be structured? Do you already have a plan?"

Link nodded. "The Inquisition shall report directly to me, and it will comprise three departments beneath its banner. The Assassin's Creed shall be incorporated into it as the first department, specializing in assassination and intelligence gathering. The second shall be the Judgment Legion, specializing in direct frontal warfare against heretics. We are not short on funds right now, so let us set the initial quota at five hundred men, and increase it later if necessary. The third shall be an elite force whose members must all possess specialized skills or formidable combat prowess; they will be the ultimate elites of the Inquisition, known as the Judges. The missions executed by the Judges shall be the most arduous and vital ones; none may join unless they are absolute elites, though there are no restrictions on their profession—anyone who meets the criteria may enter."

After listening to Link's words, everyone nodded, feeling that this plan was viable. Ling Feng then asked, "Then who shall be chosen to lead this department?"

"I intend to have Altair serve as the Grand Inquisitor of the Inquisition, but he cannot return for the time being, so I shall oversee it directly for now. As for the leaders of the three subordinate departments..." As Link spoke, his gaze swept toward the back of the crowd, then fixed upon a single individual. "Ezio, you have been by Altair's side for several years now. The Assassin's Creed department is now handed over to you to manage."

The man named Ezio was in his twenties. His full name was Ezio Auditore, and he was a disciple of Altair. He had been by Altair's side even before Altair was converted by Link. Later, after Altair joined the Church of the Father God, Ezio was brought along as well, and was jointly converted by Link and Altair to become Altair's deputy. Now that Altair could not return, Ezio was the undisputed successor to lead the Assassin's Creed department.

Ezio was a quintessential cold-blooded assassin—taciturn and a man of deeds rather than words. Although he was startled by Link's arrangement, he quickly regained his composure and respectfully replied, "Yes, Archbishop. This subordinate will surely fulfill his duty properly."

It was a typical assassin style: no passionate, high-sounding words, just a resolute promise that filled everyone with a sense of reassurance. Link nodded and shifted his gaze to the person beside Ezio. "Darian, the formation of the Judgment Legion is entrusted to you. I hope you will not disappoint me."

Darian Mograine was a talent who had been converted by Link half a year ago, when the Wrath Temple and the God of War Church jointly attacked the Church of the Father God. He had appeared in earlier events, but because he had always stayed in the rear acting as an instructor, he had been almost forgotten by everyone. However, his talent for commanding armies and training soldiers was exceptional. By rights, he should have become a frontline military commander, but unfortunately, he could not pass the trials of the Saint Knight Hall, nor could he attain other powerful professions. He could only remain in seclusion behind the scenes, serving as a professional instructor.

Link's arrangement meant handing the task Darian excelled at most over to him. As a fanatical believer, Darian had no complaints whatsoever and immediately accepted the assignment. His words were far more passionate than Ezio's, making the blood of those who heard them boil.

With the matter of the Judgment Legion settled, only the Judges remained. For this very special position of Judge, Link was not in a hurry to make appointments. Instead, he stated that once the department was established, a Grand Judge would be selected based on the strength and merits of the Judges themselves. Furthermore, the recruitment of Judges had to be strictly confidential; to join, one either had to await a proactive invitation or possess a recommendation from high-ranking officials. At the same time, the welfare of the Judges would be superior to ordinary positions, and becoming a Judge would allow one to concurrently hold other posts without conflict, equivalent to possessing a special secondary status.

To put it simply, Link intended to turn the Judges into a special agency similar to secret agents. The members had to be the elite of the elite, capable of ensuring the completion of missions under any circumstances. Even some inhumane tasks would have to be carried out by the Judges. Yet, the identity of a Judge had to remain strictly confidential, forever hidden in the shadows, and they could only present themselves to the public using their overt identities.

With the matters of the Inquisition arranged, Darian Mograine immediately took Link's orders to select talents for the Judgment Legion. At the same time, the three Cardinals, acting upon Link's command, used highly emotional rhetoric to spread the news about the branch church incident, stirring up indignation throughout the entire Church and among the majority of the believers. Propelled by this wave of public outrage, the establishment of the Inquisition proceeded smoothly. Indeed, once news of the Judgment Legion spread, quite a few people expressed their desire to join it.

However, the selection criteria for the Judgment Legion were extremely harsh. The single most important requirement was that one could show no mercy whatsoever toward the enemy; even if the enemy were the elderly or children, one had to strike without hesitation. This caused the Saints and Saint Knights to recoil in hesitation. Their faith and convictions conflicted directly with such matters, and as a result, ninety-nine percent of the Saints and Saint Knights had no intention of joining the Judgment Legion, while the remainder harbored deep misgivings.

Yet, there were exceptions to every rule. Not long after the public recruitment for the Judgment Legion spread, a "problem child" who had only recently become a Saint came to find Link. This was none other than the Unicorn Saint, Manigoldo. Upon learning of the incident at the branch church, a murderous intent toward the enemy had instantly surged within him. Having been independent since childhood and having had to care for a large group of little brats, he valued the Church of the Father God—which had given him the warmth of a home—to the absolute extreme. He would never allow anyone to touch the Church of the Father God. Therefore, as soon as he learned of the matter, he went straight to Link to apply to join the Judgment Legion.

Upon seeing him, Link could not help but frown. To be called a legion, the Judgment Legion required the capability for cooperative combat, yet the fighting style of a Saints was unsuited for group warfare. Furthermore, letting a Saint with such immense potential join the Judgment Legion would be a terrible waste.

However, given Manigoldo's temperament, joining the Inquisition would allow him to truly unleash his value. Unlike other Saints who were "merciful," for the sake of the faith and the Church, he would dare to slaughter cities and exterminate clans—let alone old folk and children—without it affecting his state of mind in the least.

Thinking of this, inspiration struck Link, and he spoke up: "Manigoldo, I understand your sentiment, and I will not reject your resolve. However, you are not suited to join the Judgment Legion. In truth, the specific operational plan for the Judgment Legion is still under study, and it is still too early to form actual military strength. But while the Judgment Legion is not right for you, another department within the Inquisition is—I ask you, are you willing to become a Judge?"

"A Judge? What is that?" Manigoldo showed a blank expression. As a classified agency, matters concerning the Judges were absolute secrets, and given Manigoldo's status, he was not permitted to know.

Link then gave Manigoldo a brief explanation of the Judges, concluding with words filled with profound meaning: "Manigoldo, you must think carefully. Once you become a Judge, there is only one thing you must remember: all heretics, regardless of whether they are harmful to the Church or not, so long as an order is given, you must strike them down. Your life shall consist solely of loyalty to the Church and faith in the Father God."

Hearing Link's words, Manigoldo swallowed hard. Although young, his mind was already mature, and he understood very well that becoming a Judge meant completely eradicating any pity and compassion within his heart.

Yet, after the initial shock, Manigoldo broke into an arrogant and wicked smile. "Archbishop, I am willing! This job is practically tailor-made for me. I, Manigoldo, have been good for nothing since I was a child and have long since been the scum of the earth in people's eyes. As long as I can protect the Church and those around me, let alone killing the enemy upon encounter, even if I have to eradicate my own humanity, I will do so without regret!"

Nodding silently at these words, Link immediately declared, "Since you have already decided, I will not try to persuade you otherwise. From this moment on, you are the very first Judge, with the codename 'Mad Shadow'!"

"Codename 'Mad Shadow'?" Manigoldo repeated the words, then flashed a wicked grin. "Thank you, Archbishop, for bestowing this codename. It suits me to perfection."

Link nodded and immediately recorded Manigoldo's file, then instructed him to step down and attend to his duties. He intended to keep the department of the Judges firmly in his own hands, and this dark, sharp blade could only be wielded by him alone.