113: Chapter 113 The Scarlet Heresy Case Closed! Recommended List! Reactions from All Sides!

Gino City, Dawn Cathedral.

The Hall of Judgment, located in the east wing of the cathedral complex, was the exclusive venue for the Church's important internal meetings.

At this moment, a dozen or so people sat around the conference table.

Bishop Cole, Priestess Aliyah, and Commander Calvin were seated separately at the very front.

The air was stagnant, and the scratching of the scribe's quill on parchment was faint.

"..."

"In summary, the Scarlet Heresy incident in Gino County has been resolved. The prime culprit, Count Farrell, has been executed, and the remaining peripheral strongholds and undercover personnel have basically been purged."

"The chain of evidence is complete, and the culpability of the implicated nobles has been preliminarily determined."

"I believe the investigation can now come to an end. It is time to form a final conclusion, close the case, and report the disposal plan to the Holy Edict Court in the Imperial Capital and the Imperial Senate."

Aria stated her decision, then looked at Bishop Cole in the main seat.

Bishop Cole nodded slowly and said softly: "Gino County has been in turmoil for too long, and the people yearn for peace."

"Now that the main crimes have been uncovered and the filth cleansed, we should indeed close the case as soon as possible to soothe the hearts of the people, let the living enjoy peace, and allow the souls of the dead to rest in comfort."

Commander Calvin sat as straight as a spear and said in a deep voice:

"The Temple Knight Order has no objection. Please rest assured, Priestess, regarding the maintenance of order during the subsequent handover of the territory."

Aria nodded, withdrew her gaze, and looked at the detailed final report on the table:

"Since there are no objections, we shall immediately, in the name of the Church of Dawn in Gino County, report the final disposal conclusion and the territorial disposal proposal to the Holy Edict Court in the Imperial Capital, and send a copy to The Senate Secretariat for the record."

"Yes, Priestess!" everyone responded in unison.

...

Once the Church's resolution was issued, it didn't take long for Princess Alice and The Senate observation team to receive the formal written notice from the Dawn Cathedral.

The content of the notice was concise:

The investigation into the Scarlet Heresy Case is concluded, and the Church has formed a final disposal plan and submitted it.

The recommendations for the succession and disposal of the relevant noble territories have also been submitted along with the case files.

Princess Alice, in the study of Tinglan Manor, looked at the resolution report with complex light in her eyes.

It was over... just as she had expected.

At a time when the war in the Western Territory was straining the Empire's nerves, the Church chose to end the troubles in the Northern Territory as quickly as possible.

Looking at the candidate proposed by the Church, Rowan Flynn, she breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart did not feel much lighter.

This meant that she also needed to put forward the Royal Family's public recommendation.

She put down the document, rubbed her brow, and instructed the female official standing by:

"Reply to the Cathedral that the Royal Family acknowledges and approves of the Church's decision to close the case."

"At the same time, in my name, formally submit the Royal Family's recommendation for the heir to the Golden Flame Territory to The Senate Secretariat."

She paused here before continuing:

"The Royal Family's recommendation is a member of the Gino County Council's Upper House... Viscount Willis..."

"Yes, Your Highness."

...

Oak Manor.

The five-member observation team held a meeting.

Vanessa read the notice with a relaxed smile.

Purple Thorn Territory, recommended heir: Vanessa Bryce.

Although it still required Senate procedures, the Church's clear support and plan had already made her more than halfway successful.

The ownership of a Viscount territory was a minor motion; no one would reject the Church's motion on this to start something of their own.

Only the final choice of the Earl of the Golden Flame Territory was a major motion, requiring voting and maneuvering in The Senate.

Thus, she neatly signed the receipt on the document, indicating her approval of the Church closing the case.

Theodore Witton looked at the notice with no expression on his face, but a glimmer of gloom flashed in his eyes.

The Church really didn't dig any deeper...

But the Pale Knight was dead, and the Bloodthirsty Knight was also dead.

Could this result only be described as neither good nor bad?

He suppressed his thoughts, signed the receipt, and began to calculate how to report to his father after returning to Aksai City.

Lucius Winter and Eli Holmes also had their own thoughts as they signed the receipt.

Kevin Brennan watched everyone's actions, understood in his heart, and also directly signed the receipt.

They simultaneously submitted the recommended candidate for the Golden Flame Territory after the observation team's discussion.

No surprise, it was Viscount Hawke.

Vanessa did not raise any objections to this matter.

She needed her nomination for the Purple Thorn Territory to be supported by Lucius and Eli, using this as an exchange.

As the receipts were sent back to the Cathedral one after another—

The Gino County Scarlet Heresy Case was officially declared closed!

This also meant that the Royal Envoy and The Senate observation team's observation mission was over, and it was time to return to the Imperial Capital.

...

The next morning.

The Royal and Senate convoys began to assemble.

The ornate carriages were carefully inspected, luggage was loaded into the carriages, and the fully armed escort knights checked their saddles and weapons. The horses snorted white mist and pawed the ground.

Princess Alice, surrounded by her maids, walked out of the manor and boarded the luxurious carriage emblazoned with the iris emblem.

She took one last look at this great Northern city where she had stayed briefly, her gaze seemingly sweeping past the direction of Still Lake inadvertently, then withdrew it and lowered the carriage curtain.

In front of Oak Manor, the five members of The Senate observation team also boarded their respective carriages.

Theodore's face was gloomy, Lucius was expressionless, Eli still wore a merchant-like smile, and Kevin looked calm.

Vanessa Bryce, before getting into the carriage, paused for a moment, looked towards the city, a mysterious arc at the corner of her mouth, and then bent down to enter the carriage.

"Depart!"

The command rang out.

The convoy briefly converged on the central avenue of Gino City, then, according to protocol and order, slowly drove out of the city.

...

Meanwhile.

Duke Weiduns Estate, study.

Dawn Knight Mason picked up the bone china teacup, took a sip, and said in a steady voice:

"The Royal Family's final recommendation has been officially submitted to The Senate Secretariat: it is Viscount Willis. Based on the information I currently have, his chances are very high."

He paused and continued:

"The candidate put forward by The Senate observation team is Viscount Hawke, who is mainly backed by the Winter Duke family of the Southern Territory and the Purple Gold Merchant Alliance of the Eastern Territory."

"They have deep roots in The Senate, especially the Eastern Commercial Alliance, which is best at canvassing votes for such matters."

Duke Witton sat in his large high-backed chair, thought for a moment after hearing this, and said: "What about the Church? That... Baron Rowan they recommended?"

He had originally thought this minor noble was just a puppet pushed by the Church, but now he had suddenly displayed Great Knight-level strength, and even killed the Bloodthirsty Knight in public.

This made him take some considerable interest in this country Baron.

Abnormal events must have a demonic cause.

With the Church pushing him so hard, this person was likely not simple.

Mason put down the teacup and shook his head, a look of disapproval on his face:

"A frontier Baron, even if he had the luck to break through to a Great Knight, in the eyes of those old guys in The Senate, his foundation is too shallow and insignificant."

"The Church's support is indeed a card, but wanting to take the Golden Flame Territory with it?"

"Far from enough!"

"The greatest possibility is just a feint by the Church, with the target only being the slightly lesser Black Mountain Territory."

"After all, he is just a country Baron; even if he made a great contribution, a wealthy Viscount territory is about enough..."

He did not view Rowan Flynn as a competitor capable of challenging Viscount Willis or Viscount Hawke.

The difference in qualifications was too great.

Wanting to jump from a Baron to an Earl at once?

It could only be called wishful thinking.

He only needed to use some means to make some of the Church's traditional ally families cast abstention votes.

Qualifications were the fatal flaw!

Duke Witton heard this, and although a little uneasy, he still nodded.

The major forces in The Senate had intricate relationships, with each having you in me and me in you.

Their tendencies towards some people were not very clear, and could only be speculated.

The two then conducted a possible analysis of the vote tendencies of the major factions within The Senate.

The Imperial Senate currently had ninety-one seats, representing the Empire's highest power structure.

The Northern Territory's five provinces had twelve seats, the Eastern Territory's six provinces had fourteen seats, the Southern Territory's eight provinces had eighteen seats, and the Western Territory's five provinces had thirteen seats.

The Empire's core, the three Central provinces, held thirty-four seats alone, gathering a large number of long-established magic nobility, academic families, and court nobles, with deeply intertwined relationships.

Excluding the approximately twenty seats that were usually uninterested in local lord affairs and routinely cast abstention votes, the remaining seventy seats were the main battlefield for this contention.

"The votes the Royal Family can influence on my side, plus the votes you can influence, are about thirty or so."

"But considering that the competitors include the Eastern Commercial Alliance, some votes might be pulled away by them."

"The final vote count is expected to be between twenty-three and twenty-seven," Mason analyzed calmly and continued:

"The Southern Winter family and the Eastern Commercial Alliance combined can pull a number of votes not much different from ours."

"As for the Church and its traditional allies..."

"Even if I find ways to interfere, they should still be able to get over twenty votes."

Duke Witton nodded slightly, agreeing with this judgment.

Viewed this way, Viscount Willis's biggest opponent should be Viscount Hawke. The votes of both sides were close, and the outcome might depend on one or two votes.

But in any case, it would not be the turn of that suddenly emerged candidate, Rowan, with the gap expected to be over three votes.

The families with Senate seats were each weighty and could not be canvassed for votes just like that.

"I will return to the Imperial Capital immediately and sit in command personally to push this matter."

Mason stood up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes:

"In the subsequent plans, this important node of Gino City must be firmly in our hands."