A Hospital in Another World? Chapter 828: We Voluntarily Hand Over the Keys, Inviting the Church to Investigate

"Duke, you are our esteemed leader. Our family has ruled the Lowlands for over five hundred years. You must shoulder this burden!"

"Duke, if the Radiant Church continues like this, we won't be able to survive!"

"Duke, I don't want the Church barging into my castle one day, wielding holy light and spraying holy water everywhere. They take whatever they see, and destroy anything they don't like..."

"My wife's family has been ruined by them! Every collection, swept by holy light, either smokes or explodes! Even his favorite carved four-poster bed, from the embroidered canopy to the silk bedding, is soaked in holy water and unusable!"

Duke of Nederland had a grim expression, looking left and right. The nobles before him seemed furious, but when the time came, who knew how much effort they would actually contribute.

Moreover, the top nobles present were less than half of the Nederland family—

Mentioning the Nederland region, everyone thought of it as a commercially prosperous and wealthy area. But in reality, the north thrived on agriculture, the central region on fishing and shipbuilding, and the south on woolen textiles.

The poorer areas were less affected by this decree. Merchants, who dealt most with heretics, were hit hardest by tariffs and economic policies.

Northern lords, such as the Earl of Groningen, Earl of Essen, and Earl of Nordwald...

They were sitting comfortably, not even bothering to come here, not even writing a single letter!

"Everyone, calm down, please." He raised both hands, pressing down, his voice steady:

"We must believe in the mercy and justice of the Radiant Lord, in the wisdom and integrity of the Church, and in the wise leadership of the King. Let's visit the Archbishop first and hear his thoughts, shall we?"

The Duke's decision left the Earls with no choice but to comply. After all, the Duke was the most powerful local lord in Nederland, with a 15th-level swordsman in his family.

If he refused to take the lead, none of the Earls could withstand the Church...

The group collectively left the Earl's mansion to visit the Radiant Cathedral in Nederland City. After completing the service and making their offerings to the Radiant Lord, they were led into a private room by the Archbishop, who managed the cathedral, with a beaming smile.

The Archbishop, with a head full of silver hair and a round, rosy face, smiled kindly. After hearing the Duke's plea, he clasped his chubby hands together in a prayer gesture:

"The Lord is most holy, the Lord is most merciful. His light illuminates the world, seeing all evil and recognizing all good..."

The nobles exchanged glances and had no choice but to lower their heads for a second round of prayers. The Archbishop preached for over ten minutes before finally stopping, to comfort them:

"Do not fear. The Church is tolerant and merciful. As long as you sincerely believe in our Lord, even if there were slight mistakes before, the Church will forgive and give an opportunity for redemption. All you need to do is sever ties with heretics and deviants..."

Another ten-minute sermon followed, soft-spoken and soothing, with an innate power to captivate hearts.

Every clergyman, especially those who served as acolytes, deacons, priests, and bishops, and shepherded the faithful, had this ability.

The higher their rank, the stronger their oratory skills. The current Pope could speak for five or six hours on any topic, captivating his audience despite his platitudes—a basic skill...

If an ordinary person, or one not trained in such rhetoric, listened for ten minutes, they would be dizzy and believe every word, ready to follow his guidance.

The Duke, possessing both strength and experience, managed to ask a question after listening:

"Respected Archbishop, we are devoted followers of the Lord, obedient to the Church's leadership. However, we hope our lives, property, and dignity will not be unjustly violated. For instance, no sudden searches..."

"Of course, of course," the Archbishop smiled. As the nobles began to relax, he continued:

"We understand your concerns and the public's emotions. Before any searches or arrests, we will communicate thoroughly and ensure the Inquisitors follow proper procedures to minimize harm to citizens' rights..."

Another ten minutes passed. Even the Duke of Nederland could barely endure. When it finally ended, the Archbishop pulled out a thick, two-foot-square holy book and extracted a document:

"It's fortunate you are here. This is a pledge drafted by our legal experts. Please review and sign it."

The Duke respectfully received it, scrutinizing the document. It was short, readable in under a minute, yet he couldn't believe his eyes. He read it thrice, feeling dizzy and his blood boiling, then handed the parchment to Earl Flanders without a word.

Earl Flanders, seeing the Duke's expression, sensed trouble. A quick glance at the parchment left him stunned:

Residents voluntarily hand over house and castle keys to the local Inquisition for searching heretics and deviants;

The Inquisition will purify homes for free, removing and destroying related items;

Residents will voluntarily bear all losses from the purification process...

"We need to discuss this...discuss it..." they muttered, taking their leave from the Archbishop. As they exited the cathedral, they halted:

A long line of dark-clad cavalry, guarding two pitch-black carriages, waited outside. The cavalry, fully armored and helmeted, revealed only two cold glints from their helmets' gaps.

The Inquisition's Black Knights had arrived.

The nobles hurried back to the Duke's castle. Once the meeting room door was shut, the hot-tempered Earl of Dodderemet slammed the table:

"Sign the pledge! We have to voluntarily agree to their entry, even invite them in! If not, it's considered disrespectful to the Radiant Lord, making us unworthy lords, destined for the pyre!"

"And what if we refuse? Against the righteousness of faith in the Radiant Lord, can we afford not to be devout and obedient?"

The Duke of Nederland coldly replied:

"Do we have the strength to oppose the Church? Remember, in Nederland, Brolin Kingdom, and the entire continent, the Church monopolizes all spellcasters!"