Leaving aside the overall reputation of the Foster family, the head of the family, Marquis Foster, was a real power player in the council of fairness.
"Damn, we've hit a snag!"
This was the instantaneous thought in the minds of everyone from the Church Purification Squad. They had encountered a scion of a great family, temporarily assigned to the guards for gold-plating his resume…
The man who had tried to ingratiate himself with Queller now wore an expression of embarrassment. No wonder this young man seemed unfamiliar; despite having mixed in Fort Ness for many years, meeting people from both the underworld and high society, he had only ever encountered those of his own level. And today, unexpectedly, he had run into a real noble, making him wonder, was Fort Ness really this small?
"Ha ha…"
Quintus's companion forced a sycophantic smile, unable to control the cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Lord Foster, we were wrong today. We drank a bit too much. On behalf of my brothers, I apologize and we'll disappear from your sight."
He waved his hand backward: "Brothers, let's go!"
The members of the Church Purification Squad started moving, avoiding Queller Foster's cold gaze, ready to leave. Liszt, thrown aside by Quintus, stumbled to the ground, gasping for breath, still in pain from the punch to his abdomen.
Just when everyone thought the matter was resolved, Queller Foster gestured: "Hold on! Did I say you could leave?"
The Purification Squad members halted in their tracks.
The same man who had tried to cozy up to Queller turned and asked, "Does Lord Foster have any further instructions?"
Queller Foster, with a stern face, said, "As the head of the guard, I absolutely cannot be negligent in handling public security issues. You all…"
He pointed at Quintus and his group.
"And you two…"
Then he pointed at Liszt and the woman who had been forced to drink.
"Come with me and let's clarify the whole incident."
The faces of the Purification Squad members turned ugly.
Quintus pushed his companion aside, as if resigned to his fate, and said, "Lord Foster, I know you look down on us, but please consider this – what would Bishop Elvis think if you arrested us? Though we are lowly, we are still servants of the Lord of Light."
Queller Foster frowned: "What, do the servants of the Lord of Light not have to abide by human laws?"
"Marquis and Bishop Elvis have always been on good terms. I hope you won't act rashly and harm the relationship between the two families."
"I think my father would support my actions."
Quintus's eyes shifted, and he suddenly pointed accusingly at the woman cowering in the corner.
"Lord Foster, do you remember what I told you at the beginning?"
"What?"
"We are fulfilling our duty!"
"This again?"
"It's true! That woman is suspected of practicing witchcraft. I was testing her! If we confirm she's a witch, we'll execute her!"
With Quintus's words, the entire hall was stunned, falling silent.
"No!"
The woman, previously forced to drink, stood up from the corner in terror and rushed to Queller, kneeling before him.
"I'm not a witch~ I'm not a witch! Lord Foster, please save me, I beg you to save me."
Looking at the girl with tears streaming down her face, her expression filled with despair, Queller Foster furrowed his brow.
Again, the chapter had a numbering error.
"I'm not a witch!"
The girl, her expression collapsing, desperately explained to Queller, as if the word "witch" carried a tremendous curse.
"Humph!" Quintus walked over triumphantly, grabbing the girl's arm and forcefully lifting her up, then covering her mouth.
"Master Foster, there's no need to trouble your guards with this. We will take her to the church's dungeon for a thorough interrogation."
As he spoke, his companions from the Purification Squad dropped their wary attitude towards the guards, instead revealing sleazy expressions.
Queller frowned deeply, seemingly pondering what to do next. Dealing with a witch was a tricky matter.
Just then, a voice rang out, "Release this poor girl, you bunch of villains!"
It was Liszt, who strode up to Queller, filled with righteous indignation, and urgently said, "Captain of the Guard, I can testify that these so-called Purification Squad members were just bullying the girl. All those accusations of witchcraft were just made up on the spot to deceive you."
"Can't I see that myself?" Queller muttered to himself.
Now that someone had come forward to testify, Queller once again put on a stern face and interrogated Quintus, "You say she's suspected of being a witch, but what kind of suspicion is that? I can't let a law-abiding citizen be taken to prison just like that!"
"This…"
Quintus was suddenly at a loss for words, his irritation rising internally. Did this son of the Foster family have no respect for the church? Initially, he had tolerated Queller's show of authority, but repeated disrespect was unacceptable.
Witch suspicion? Should he fabricate a reason on the spot? Quintus knew that with the brains of his group, this was indeed a challenge; they were more adept at violence and robbery.
As Quintus and his men were momentarily stunned, Queller snorted coldly, "I'll handle it myself then!"
He then pulled out a milky white stone.
Could it be? Did he actually have that? The Purification Squad's members' eyes widened in shock.
"This is a Witch Detection Stone!" Queller announced, holding up the stone in the hall.
"If this girl has any traces of witchcraft on her, it will be easily detectable!"
A wave of surprise filled the hall, everyone's eyes glued to the milky white stone. It was indeed like the scion of a great family to carry such a rare item with him.
After speaking, he moved the stone towards the girl's forehead.
Unexpectedly, Quintus pulled the girl behind him and said with a hostile tone, "Captain! This is a great insult to us—the servants of the divine on earth!"
Queller retorted, "I have no intention of insulting you! I am merely performing the duties of the Guard!"
Neither side was willing to give in, leading to a stalemate.
"Master Foster!"
A cold voice arrived, drawing Queller's attention.
Everyone looked towards the entrance and saw a figure in armor slowly walking in.
As this person entered, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop suddenly.
Some noticed the three silver leaves pinned on his armor. "It's a Knight of the Church!"
"Knight Vileus." Queller called out the man's name.
The knight approached him and saluted, "I apologize for the trouble our people have caused you."
He then glanced at Quintus and commanded, "Bring the girl here!"
Since the knight's arrival, Quintus seemed to be frozen in place. Hearing the command, he trembled and whispered, "But… but… Lord Vileus…"
"What? Are you defying my order?"
"No, no, no! I would never dare defy your orders, Lord Vileus."
With trembling hands, he pushed the girl, whom he had restrained earlier, forward.
Queller swiftly touched the stone to the girl's forehead.
The attention of everyone in the room was fixated on the stone, while Quintus quietly swallowed hard.
Several seconds passed, and the white stone remained unchanged.
Queller's gaze towards Quintus sharpened.
"Master Foster…" Quintus, no longer composed, explained in panic, "If she hasn't been in contact with witchcraft recently, the Witch Detection Stone won't react."
"Quintus, since she hasn't been in contact with witchcraft recently, have you found any other traces?" asked the knight, questioning Quintus before Queller could respond.
"This… this… Lord Vileus…"
Quintus stammered, his face streaming with cold sweat, unable to articulate a proper response.
"I'm sorry! Lord Vileus, I… I was wrong, I've shamed you!"
He suddenly knelt down, pleading in a remorseful tone.
The knight, not allowing any excuses, kicked Quintus in the chest, sending him flying.
"You're not just shaming me; you're tarnishing the glorious image of the Holy Church!"
The knight's tone grew colder and he turned to Queller, "Master Foster, please deal with him for inciting trouble, as is within your authority."
"Thank you, Knight Vileus!"
Though he said this, Queller's tone carried a noticeable distance. He knew the man and was well aware of the fanaticism towards his own beliefs hidden behind his facade of fairness—a fanaticism that sometimes led to irrationality.
Without another word, the knight gestured and left.
Quintus's comrades hurriedly followed him, maintaining a distance, and quickly left. Queller was unconcerned; his target had been Quintus alone.
"Thank you! Thank you, Master Foster! You will surely be rewarded for your kindness!"
The girl, nearly mistaken for a witch and taken away, knelt on the ground, repeatedly thanking Queller. For her, it was like surviving a catastrophe.
"Be more careful in the future!"
After offering the girl a few words of comfort, Queller ordered his men to take the dejected Quintus away, then turned to Liszt.
"From your accent, you're from Northwest Bay?"
"Yes, sir, I am from there," Liszt quickly responded.
Queller smiled, "Well, for certain reasons, I have a good impression of your region, so…"
He suddenly became serious, "A word of advice: keep a low profile in Horn Bay, especially in matters involving the church. These are… special times."
"I… I understand… Thank you!"
Liszt didn't need reminding; he was already acutely aware.
"Remember my words. Of course, I still appreciate your actions today, but…," Queller patted his shoulder, "standing up for justice also requires knowing your limits."
"I'll be careful next time," Liszt's face flushed.
"Dismissed!" Queller gestured and led his men away.
"Phew!" Liszt wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"You idiot! You almost got yourself killed!"
He felt a heavy punch on his back and heard his companion, McKinley's voice.
"McKinley? You're still here? I thought you had run off!"
"Calling you an idiot is right! Am I that kind of person? Ah well, let's leave this place of trouble and settle our scores later."
The two hurriedly moved through the now bustling hall, heading outside, with people along the way raising their glasses in a gesture of respect towards Liszt.
"Good job, northerner!"
"A toast to justice!"
"A toast to standing up for what's right!"
Whether they were genuinely honoring him or mocking him, he couldn't tell.