Chương 150: Chapter 142 – The Offenses of the Criminal Scum

"Are you ready?" Chelsea whispered down to the kneeling Kira. They stood in the same massive chamber where Chelsea had been sentenced to death only the day before. The judges' stands had since been removed, revealing a curtain she hadn't noticed behind them. The heavy fabric had been drawn aside, exposing a single throne raised upon nine wide steps.

"I am," Kira replied quietly. Chelsea smiled at her daughter, then activated Blessed Travel and rose several inches from the third step they were on. She turned toward those in attendance. The officers of the Holy Knights stood in orderly rows throughout the chamber. Liam waited near the throne, while Ivy stood off to one side holding the tiara Chelsea had selected from the former Empress's collection. Freya remained nearby as well, watching the event.

"Officers of the Holy Knights," Chelsea declared loudly.

"We are gathered here to recognize a monumental event that will take place today. In the Church's grand and vast history, there have been many rulers. Empresses and Emperors, for better or worse." Her voice carried through the chamber.

"Today, the Church recognizes something it has never had. Dame Kira has been offered the class of Knight Princess of the Holy Church. Up until this morning, there had never been a Holy Princess, and across the world, there has never been a Knight Princess. This is an extraordinarily rare event." Chelsea turned her attention back to her daughter. Kira remained on one knee, her head bowed.

She appeared composed from a distance, but Chelsea could see the tension in her shoulders and the way her fingers pressed into her thigh.

"Dame Kira, I have called all of these officers together today to bear witness to this incredible moment." Chelsea deactivated Blessed Travel and lowered herself to the floor. She stepped closer and held her hand beside Kira's head. Her daughter leaned her temple into Chelsea's palm, granting her full access to the class evolution prompt.

"So I ask you, in front of all in attendance." Would you like to select the class Knight Princess of the Holy Church? Y/N"Yes," Kira answered simply and loudly. Several notifications appeared across Chelsea's vision, but she pulled her hand away before reading them. She wanted to see the change herself. A pale light began spreading from Kira's body. It was nowhere near as bright as the divine glow surrounding Chelsea, but there was no mistaking it.

The white and gold clothing Kira had awakened in caught the light and reflected it across the floor. Chelsea stepped back and allowed the transformation to settle. Then she turned toward Ivy and held out her hand. Ivy carefully passed her the tiara. Chelsea accepted it gingerly before returning to Kira. She lowered the delicate piece onto her daughter's head, taking a moment to straighten it among her freshly washed hair.

Once it was secure, Chelsea activated Blessed Travel again and turned toward the assembled officers.

"Now rise, Dame Kira, Knight Princess of the Holy Church." Kira stood as commanded. She turned to face the crowd, and the officers began to applaud. The sound filled the chamber and continued until Kira's nervous expression gave way to a proud smile. Chelsea allowed her daughter to enjoy the moment before raising one hand. The applause gradually faded.

"I thank you all so very much for being in attendance," Chelsea said.

"I have a few items I need to discuss with you all on another topic." The officers returned their full attention to her.

"The Lord Commander has said you're the knights he trusts most. With that, I need to clean up some messes left by my predecessor." Chelsea glanced across the chamber. The fear she had seen in the city had begun under Holy Empress Mary, but it had continued because generations of people had accepted her laws and practices without questioning them.

"I'm not going to command that you assist in these matters. I'm going to request it. They are things some of you may not agree with, and that is okay." Several officers shifted slightly, but none looked away.

"My first step is to retry each and every prisoner in the dungeons. If I find they were unjustly imprisoned, they will be given compensation equal to what they would've earned before being sent to the dungeon, plus an additional fifty percent." Chelsea remembered standing before the cardinals while they twisted her attempts to help children into evidence of some hidden conspiracy.

"I myself was tried unjustly and sentenced to death because I gave money to orphanages and fixed some orphanages up. If I was sentenced for that, I can only imagine the charges waiting for me down there." She looked toward Liam briefly before returning her attention to the officers.

"I'll need someone to bring me all files being kept on the current prisoners, if there are any." Chelsea scanned the crowd.

"Would anyone like to assist in this endeavor of retrying prisoners? If so, please raise your hand." Every hand in the chamber rose. Chelsea stared at them for a moment before laughing.

"I love all of you. You're all too good to me." The officers remained at attention, though several smiled at her reaction.

"Lord Commander, who among those who volunteered would be best suited to this task?"

"Sir Guile." Liam gestured toward a knight wearing black armor. Chelsea had asked earlier why some Holy Knights wore black rather than the dragon-scale equipment seen among the senior officers. Liam had explained that the darker armor marked those who had yet to reach level forty-five. That threshold was far higher than Chelsea had expected. Suffering had been the highest-level Valkyr at level forty-seven.

Before gaining the Empress title, Chelsea had estimated that her maximum attributes placed her somewhere near the strength of a level fifty. The number of Holy Knights who had surpassed forty-five made the power of the empire much clearer.

"He has worked with the cardinals during many of the sentencings and knows his way around the dungeons quite well." Quiet laughter moved through the officers as Sir Guile's cheeks darkened. Chelsea glanced between him and the others. There was clearly an inside joke she wasn't aware of, but she decided not to interrupt the meeting to ask.

"Wonderful," she said.

"Sir Guile, I would love to have your help on this."

"Yes, Your Grace." Guile brought a fist across his chest in salute.

"Next up, I want to go over the financials of the empire. Is there someone who can assist in making that possible?" The enthusiasm from the officers disappeared. No hands rose this time. Several knights looked toward one another, but no one seemed willing to answer.

"The gennies are…" Kira began. Liam cleared his throat before she could finish. Another round of quiet laughter passed through the chamber.

"Sorry," Kira said.

"The Treasury Department is run completely by Church officials. We aren't allowed inside."

"That doesn't sound suspicious at all," Chelsea said loudly enough for everyone to hear, though the comment wasn't directed at any particular knight. She looked toward Liam. His expression confirmed that he shared at least some of her concern.

"Then we'll conduct a raid on the treasury. This will be to ensure they don't destroy any condemning information. I need someone to lead this. Anyone want to volunt…" Every hand rose before she could finish. Liam's hand joined the others, as did Kira's. Chelsea laughed.

"Very well. Sir Liam." The Lord Commander smirked at the other officers and gave a small fist pump.

"Who would you recommend?" Chelsea asked. His smirk disappeared. The gathered knights laughed again.

"If I don't get to go fight the greater dragon, then you don't get to lead this task force." Murmurs spread through the chamber.

"Quiet," Liam said loudly. The room immediately settled.

"I'd say Sir Erik would be best for this. He's skilled at delegating and being thorough."

"Sir Erik, would you be interested in this job?" Chelsea asked. Erik stepped forward and saluted.

"It would be my honor, Your Grace."

"Wonderful. I need this accomplished as soon as possible, before anything can be destroyed. I need as much information as you can gather." Erik nodded once before returning to his place. Chelsea drew in a slow breath. The final subject would probably be less popular than raiding the Church treasury.

"Lastly, this might sting a bit, but it's for the betterment of the knights. From what I've seen, you guys aren't great at fighting." The chamber became completely silent. No one moved. Several expressions became disbelieving, but none of the officers openly objected.

"You're all very high level, but your technique is sloppy. The fighting style you all train in is pretty solid, but it's as if it's taught early and then you just spar. There seem to be some bad habits ingrained in the fundamentals. Nothing we can't fix, though." Liam studied her from beside the throne.

"Would you care to give an example?"

"Of course." She replied. Chelsea lowered herself into a curtsy.

"Sir Samuel, please step forward." She assigned the titles that strengthened her during single combat. Samuel left his place among the officers and walked toward the open space before the throne. Chelsea descended the steps to meet him.

"I want you to punch me with a hook. Left or right, it doesn't matter. Don't worry. You won't hurt me." Samuel looked toward Liam. The Lord Commander gave him a single nod. Samuel shrugged before settling into a solid fighting stance. He moved within striking distance and threw a right hook. Chelsea allowed the fist to come within millimeters of her face before slipping away from it. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Interesting," she said. As Samuel's arm passed her, Chelsea placed her left foot in front of his right and pulled lightly on his wrist. He immediately tried to correct his balance by moving his right foot. Chelsea caught it with her own. Samuel fell forward and struck the crystal floor chest-first.

"You and Dame Kira have two very different hooks," Chelsea said. She stood over him and offered her hand.

"Glad to see it's not just me," Kira mumbled. Chelsea helped Samuel to his feet and patted his arm before gesturing for him to return to his place.

"I would like to hold an exhibition. A competition for different knight-tier levels. This will help me and a few trainers from Valhalla assess your shortcomings and identify the issues we need to work on." She looked toward Freya.

"Would you be okay with lending us Marcus, Phillip, and Savi for, like, a couple of days?"

"I'd have no problem with it," Freya replied.

"Perfect. I need this to be organized and a date set. Anyone wan…" The hands that hadn't already received assignments rose. Chelsea laughed again.

"Very well. I'll have three knights make arrangements for this. Sir Samuel, I'll give you the chance to redeem yourself." The officers laughed while Samuel lowered his head, accepting the teasing. Chelsea turned toward Liam and leaned closer.

"Hey, I need one more, and who is that female knight?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Sir Rodney would be perfect, and that's Dame Reyna. She would be great for this as well." Chelsea straightened and addressed the room again.

"Sir Rodney and Dame Reyna, you two will work with Sir Samuel on this." All three knights saluted.

"Yes, Your Grace," they said in unison.

"Fantastic. Well, that's all I have for today. I would like to start retrying prisoners as soon as possible. Sir Guile, please stay behind for further instruction." She looked over the assembled officers one final time.

"The rest of you, I thank you again for everything you do. You're all dismissed." Most of the officers filed out of the chamber. Only two remained behind. Sir Guile waited near the foot of the throne while another knight crossed the room to speak with Kira. Chelsea recognized him as the lieutenant Kira had mentioned the night before. Chelsea smiled as she watched her daughter turn toward him. Kira still carried the faint glow of her new class, and the tiara remained carefully positioned within her auburn hair.

"Sir Guile." As she stepped toward him, Guile immediately dropped to one knee.

"Please rise. Like I said, I want to start retrying people. Please take me to the dungeons. Point out anyone you personally believe was tried unjustly." Guile stood, but uncertainty remained across his face.

"Take you to…" He looked toward Liam.

"Are you sure, Your Grace? The dungeons are…"

"I'm sure," Chelsea interrupted. Guile closed his mouth and nodded.

"Hey, Chels, mind if I don't follow you down?" Ivy asked.

"Not great memories." Chelsea looked toward her. Ivy had only escaped those dungeons the day before. Chelsea had no intention of forcing her to return so soon.

"Yeah, actually, can you run to the manor? Invite the other Wixxes here?"

"Yeah, I can handle that," Ivy replied.

"Any specific time they should come?"

"Anytime. I'll make time for them," Chelsea answered.

"Especially Amber." She missed her family already. Learning that she could no longer live in Junstruce had made the distance feel far greater than a single teleportation trip.

"Take this," Liam said. He opened his bag and removed a card smaller than the ones used for teleportation. He held it out to Ivy.

"It'll give you free rein to ask for what you need as an emissary of Her Grace."

"I was wondering why anyone would believe me," Ivy said with a laugh. She accepted the card and examined the markings across its surface.

"Make sure you request enough teleportation cards," Liam instructed.

"Also, make sure they lead to the teleporter outside the cathedral. You can have one internal card for yourself, but no one else."

"Understood," Ivy replied. She slipped the card away while Chelsea turned toward Freya.

"Do you want to go to the dungeons with us, or do you have business back in Valhalla?"

"Chels, you know I don't have any business," Freya replied with a laugh.

"Plus, I need to get to know my soon-to-be stepdaughter." Chelsea laughed and glanced toward Kira. Her daughter hadn't heard any of it. She remained focused on her lieutenant, who spoke to her in a low voice near the edge of the room. Kira's earlier excitement had faded, and her expression grew more guarded the longer the conversation continued. While they waited, Chelsea looked back up at Freya.

"How is everyone back in Valhalla?"

"Chels, you were there yesterday," Freya replied.

"I know. Just being here makes me feel so secluded from everyone." The cathedral was filled with people, but nearly all of them treated Chelsea as a ruler before they treated her as a person. Even after only one night, she missed the casual familiarity of Valhalla and the Wixx manor.

"Your Grace." Kira's lieutenant bowed to Chelsea as he passed them. He didn't remain long enough for her to respond before continuing toward the exit. Chelsea watched him leave, then looked toward Kira.

"He seems nice."

"Not really," Kira replied. She approached them with her shoulders tense and annoyance showing across her face.

"He basically just told me he doesn't understand why powerful people keep vouching for me." Chelsea let out a loud laugh.

"Join the club. Adriane Wixx adopted me, and I'm getting married to the Goddess of Battle. What even is this life?" Freya joined her laughter. Sir Guile looked toward Liam with surprise.

"Adriane Wixx?" he asked calmly. Liam nodded in confirmation. The dungeons were far worse than Chelsea had imagined. The smell struck her the moment the doors opened. Bodily waste hung heavily in the air, mixed with damp stone and bodies that hadn't been properly washed in far too long. Breathing through her mouth barely helped. There was no chance these conditions were healthy. Sir Guile led them down several floors before turning into the wing reserved for nonhumans.

The corridor narrowed there, with small cells set into both sides of the stone passage.

"First up, we have this gentleman here," Sir Guile said. He stopped in front of a cell containing a dwarf. The man raised one arm to shield his face from Chelsea's light. His clothing hung loosely from his body, and his beard had become tangled from neglect.

"What did he do?" she asked.

"He was accused of staring suggestively at a female member of the Church," Sir Guile replied. Chelsea stared at him, waiting for the rest of the explanation. There wasn't one.

"Oh, gods damn it," she muttered.

"That's the stupidest reason to have someone locked up."

"Your Grace, it doesn't get better," he said with a sigh. Chelsea looked back into the cell. The dwarf hadn't lowered his arm. He seemed more interested in hiding from her light than listening to what they were saying.

"On his behalf, I reopen his case and deem him innocent." She moved closer to the bars and softened her voice.

"Sir, I am the new Holy Empress. I am so, so sorry for the mistreatment and disrespect the former leadership of this Church showed you. You are to be released as soon as possible, and we plan on compensating you."

"Wha…?" he asked. The dwarf's voice was weak. He lowered his arm slightly, but his eyes remained unfocused. Chelsea suspected that being kept in these conditions for any extended period of time would break almost anyone. Ivy had acted differently when Chelsea first found her in the dungeon, and Rose had barely seemed aware of the world around her. A jailer approached and unlocked the cell.

"Please, come on out," Chelsea said as politely and sweetly as she could.

"This isn't a trick. You're being released. Sir Guile, please have him escorted to the throne room along with anyone else released. Get them a good meal and some clothes."

"Your Grace." Guile bowed before entering the cell. He carefully offered the dwarf an arm. The man resisted at first, more from uncertainty than strength, but eventually allowed Guile to help him through the narrow doorway. Chelsea remained in place while Guile escorted him away and issued orders to the guards and jailers farther down the corridor. She looked into the empty cell. There wasn't enough room for the dwarf to stand upright.

The ceiling had forced him to remain hunched whenever he wasn't sitting or lying on the floor. The other cells appeared just as small. Ivy had spent months down here. Rose had spent years. Sir Guile returned, and they continued three cells farther down.

"Your Grace, this young lady…" He gestured into the cell. A fairy sat against the back wall. Her wings were the most unhealthy Chelsea had ever seen. They sagged against the floor, with portions folded at unnatural angles from the lack of space.

"Is down here because she was talking during a Church service."

"Are you joking?" Chelsea exclaimed.

"No, Your Grace," he replied with a bow. Chelsea stared at the fairy, then toward the endless row of cells. The process continued. Four more prisoners were presented to her, and every charge was just as ridiculous as the first two. None had committed anything Chelsea would consider a real crime, yet each had been confined in conditions worse than anything she had seen in Junstruce. After the sixth prisoner, Chelsea raised a hand.

"Okay. Let's speed this up. Sir Guile, you have my full authority to collect as many people as you can and send them up if they have ridiculous crimes like these. I'll be waiting in the throne room to give my official final verdict. Sound good?" Guile's eyes shifted toward Liam. Chelsea followed his gaze. The Lord Commander was smirking.

"Y-yes, Your Grace." Chelsea looked between the two men. She felt as though she had missed some silent exchange, though neither offered to explain it. It was probably connected to whatever inside joke had caused the knights to laugh at Sir Guile earlier. Chelsea turned away and followed Liam out of the dungeon. The clean cathedral air hit her the moment the doors opened. Chelsea drew in a deep breath, but the smell still clung to her skin and clothing.

She felt as though she needed three baths before she would be clean again. Those poor people. Even using the cells for actual criminals would've been inhumane. No one should've been forced to live surrounded by filth without enough room to stand. She also needed to devise a punishment for the cardinals that fit what they had done. Exiting the dungeon into the room that led to it, she found Freya and Kira chatting.

"It's so depressing. Those idiots really fucked this Church up. I have so much work to do. The smell alone down there is impossible to live in."

"How bad were the charges?" Kira asked.

"Life imprisonment for an elf man accused of defacing the Church. His horse shifted his cart off course enough to run over a few flowers in the main plaza."

"I think that might've been the worst of the few I heard, but they were all stupid like that."

"So you're going to release them all?" Freya asked.

"Yeah." Chelsea shrugged.

"I can't keep them all locked up. I plan on asking them what their trade is, though, just like with Rose. There might be some real talent down there." She glanced back toward the dungeon entrance. Hundreds of people remained below, and she had only heard the charges against six of them. Another thought occurred to her.

"Wait, could your area of influence not make it down to the dungeons?"

"No. It only extends to places my light can reach while I'm inside the cathedral."

"Oh, fascinating. It's strange how these lights actually serve a purpose. I wonder what Kira's does." Kira looked down at the faint glow surrounding her body as they climbed into the elevator.

"Is there a way I can find out?"

"Let's see," Freya said.

"Throne Room." Liam instructed the elevator operator. Freya's attention settled on Kira for several seconds. Then she shook her head.

"It's like Chelsea's. It doesn't say what it does in your stat sheet."

"Ah, thanks for checking." Kira replied quietly.

"I do have a question, though," Freya began.

"Is there a reason you don't use a weapon? I understand that your class was Brawler, but now that it's changed, would you be interested in adding one?"

"Do I need to? I'm more comfortable using my fists," Kira replied.

"I'm so far behind with using a weapon that I wouldn't even know where to start." Chelsea started laughing.

"You're not behind. I didn't pick up a spear until I was four years older than you."

"Yeah, but… you're the Holy Empress," Kira argued. Chelsea turned toward her with a wide smile. Her eyes moved pointedly toward the tiara resting on top of Kira's head.

"And you're…" she began. Kira sighed.

"Point taken. So, Lady Freya, what weapon should I learn?"

"She…" Chelsea hurriedly interrupted, remembering the conversation she'd once had with Edgar.

"Won't be suggesting any weapon. No one will. A weapon is a part of you. It's something that calls to you. Is there anything you'd like to try? It would be totally fine if you wanted to stick with your fists but you can try anything." Liam began to interject.

"It's customary for knights to first lear…" Chelsea whipped her head toward the Lord Commander, cutting him off as well.

"It's customary for those in the Wixx family to choose their own weapon." Chelsea hadn't yet spoke to Liam with any real severity, and the firmness in her voice left no room for argument. Kira's future weapon would be her choice, not something assigned because of tradition.

"Of course," Liam said. He saluted and lowered his head in apology. Chelsea turned back toward Kira.

"Don't think you have to use a weapon. If you want to be all fists, then I'd say go for it. Just know that, since you aren't a Brawler anymore, a world of options has opened to you."

"I'll think about it," Kira said. They finally made it to the floor with the throne room and entered. Chelsea expected the chamber to be bustling with activity. Six prisoners had been freed, and Sir Guile had been instructed to send more as quickly as possible. Instead, the room remained quiet. The six released prisoners sat against a far wall with two guards standing in front of them.

"No." Chelsea marched toward the guards.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Both knights immediately dropped to one knee. One answered while keeping his head bowed.

"We were instructed to keep these citizens safe and not to let any harm come to them." Chelsea's steps slowed.

"Oh." She looked past them toward the former prisoners before asking in a more curious tone, "Why do you have them against the wall?"

"It's where they wished to wait for you, Your Grace." Chelsea took another look. The prisoners were eating from plates balanced in their laps. They had clean clothing now, though each still appeared exhausted from their time below. None were restrained.

"Oh. Thank you. I'm sorry for assuming the worst." Chelsea gave the guards a curtsy before walking around them. As she approached, all six prisoners raised their hands to shield their eyes from her glow. Chelsea slowed and stopped far enough away that she wouldn't make the light any more painful than necessary.

"Hello again. I'm sorry about the light. Unfortunately, I can't turn it off." She lowered herself to her knees so she wouldn't tower over them while they sat on the floor.

"As I said, I am the Holy Empress of the Forgotten Children. I cannot express my apologies enough. Not a single one of you deserved to even know what it looked like down there, let alone be imprisoned there." Chelsea bowed her head.

"The Church has failed all of you in a huge way."

"You…" The dwarf's voice was gravelly from neglect, even rougher than Rose's had been when Chelsea first met her.

"You didn't put us down there."

"This is true, but the responsibility for all decisions within the Church falls on me. Past, present, and future." Chelsea raised her head and looked among the six of them.

"Please, tell me about yourselves. Before being sent there, did you have professions?" The fairy woman reacted immediately. She set aside her food and threw herself flat against the crystal floor.

"Yes, yes, Your Grace. I'm an enchanter. If you wish, I'll do this for you. I can be useful. Please don't send me back down into the darkness."

"Oh, no," Chelsea gasped.

"That's not why I was asking." The fairy remained pressed against the floor. Her damaged wings trembled around her while the other former prisoners watched in frightened silence.

"You're all free citizens now. I… I was just asking to see if you wanted to return to doing those jobs or not. I'm going to set each of you up with enough money to live on for the rest of your lives." Chelsea's voice began to break.

"Please don't bow to me. I don't deserve it. Not from you." Tears blurred her vision. The fairy slowly lifted her head, squinting against Chelsea's light, but she didn't dare rise any farther.

"If you all wish to take the money and move far, far away from the Holy City, I wouldn't blame a single one of you. But please do so knowing I'm going to do my best to make sure the fate you all found yourselves in doesn't befall any more innocent people in this empire." The guilt became too much for Chelsea to hold back. She bent forward until her forehead touched the crystal floor.

"Again, I'm so, so sorry," she wheezed through a hard cry.

"M-m-mi… eh… uh… Y-Your Grace," the fairy said. Even through her sobs, Chelsea noticed that the woman's voice hadn't become rough from her imprisonment. It remained crisp and high-pitched, unlike the damaged voices of Rose and the dwarf. It must have been something unique to fairies.

"P-please." The fairy sounded terrified. Chelsea's apology hadn't comforted her. It had made her more afraid, as though allowing the Holy Empress to bow before her would somehow become another crime. Chelsea suddenly understood what she had done. This woman had been imprisoned merely for speaking during a Church service. She could only imagine what punishment the fairy expected for remaining still while the Holy Empress pressed her forehead to the floor.

"No, you won't be in trouble for that," Chelsea said quickly. She pushed herself upright and waved both hands in front of her.

"You can't control what I do. That would be horrible." The fairy released a shaky breath, though she remained low to the floor. Liam stepped closer to Chelsea.

"Your Grace, you must understand that they were down in the dungeon for a long time. You are, uh… Your personality is a lot for someone in their frame of mind. Maybe save all of that for when they don't think their every movement will get them sent back." Chelsea drew in a quick breath.

"Oh. Right." She sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her apology had come from a sincere place, but Liam was right. The former prisoners weren't ready for Chelsea.

"My apologies. Please eat. You won't be sent back down there. The throne room is a safe place." Chelsea sat back on her heels and tried to make herself appear less overwhelming.

"If you want to speak, please feel like you can speak freely." She nodded, "If you want to say fuck the Church, you're more than welcome to without getting in any sort of trouble."