My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Saint Zefa pushed open the wooden door to the Ivory Tower conference room.

The twenty-odd people inside the room all stood up.

These people were representatives from various countries, and they sat around a giant obsidian round table, each ten feet in diameter, in the conference room.

At the center of this round table is a huge, pure white crystal of holy light.

This crystal echoes the projected crystal on the top of the church tower.

The crystal at the top of the tower is responsible for announcing the final ruling, while this crystal is responsible for broadcasting the entire meeting live to every corner of the mainland.

May all intelligent races witness this sacred trial against Lin Mo.

"You're finally here. You were so slow at the last meeting too."

Before Saint Zefa could even take his seat, a red-haired dwarf wearing golden armor spoke first.

He is Ironheart, the Dwarf King of the Dwarfs.

The lords of several small human kingdoms exchanged glances and bowed to Saint Zefa.

The Elf King Aize simply stood there without making a statement.

In addition, there are representatives of the orc race wearing animal skins, representatives of the goblins looking around, the only vampire who did not get up, and other minority intelligent races.

They each occupied one seat.

The two seats at the very top of the round table were empty, with a dragon pattern and an ornate badge engraved on the back of the chairs, respectively.

Those were reserved for the Dragon Clan and the Holy Ancient Empire.

The former has always remained hidden in the Dragon Realm and has not been involved in the conflicts of the continent. As for the reason why the latter did not come, there is no need to say more.

As for the merfolk, being a marine race, they did not receive an invitation to the conference.

King Saint Zephat adjusted his royal robes and, with a dignified expression, took the seat of honor at the round table.

Bishop Weaving stood beside him, flicking his fingertips, and a ray of holy light flowed into the pure white crystal in the center.

The crystal was activated, and streams of energy flowed towards various countries on the continent.

A huge white curtain of light suddenly illuminated the skies above each country.

The light screen clearly projected the images inside the Ivory Tower conference room.

From city-states to villages, from grasslands to forests, all the people who looked up could simultaneously witness this sacred judicial assembly.

……

Within the territory of the Holy Kingdom of the Tower.

The crowd on the street instantly erupted in excitement. Everyone stopped in their tracks, looked up at the light screen above them with fervent eyes, and shouted incessantly.

"It's finally begun! The meeting to punish the demon Lin Mo!"

"That demon destroyed our cathedral and killed members of the Papacy; he should have been punished by the entire continent long ago!"

"Long live His Majesty the King! Long live the Holy See! Lin Mo must be torn to pieces!"

"He is a jinx to the mainland. Only by completely eliminating him can we live a peaceful life!"

They were the most devout and wished they could kill Lin Mo outright.

……

Fairy Forest

The elves leaned against the giant tree, gazing at the light screen with calm expressions, showing little excitement.

"Lin Mo... is he the new emperor of the Holy Ancient Empire? The master of that ghostly army outside the city?"

"This ghost army is too weak; it won't affect us at all."

"Let's see what the Papacy has to say first; we elves don't easily take sides."

……

矮人要塞

The dwarves put down their hammers and furnaces, gathered around the light screen, and drank ale in large gulps, their voices rough and loud.

"This human brat dares to wreck the Vatican's territory, that's interesting!"

"Who cares what kind of demon he is? The dwarves only care about strength! He can take on the Holy See single-handedly; he's quite capable!"

"Listen to the crimes. If it's truly indiscriminate killing of innocent people, then we support the condemnation; if it's a frame-up by the Vatican, then it's just a load of bull!"

……

Of all the places on the continent, the human empire has the most eerie atmosphere.

On the streets and in the squares, countless people looked up at the light screen with complicated expressions.

Occasionally, you can even see spirits floating around some people.

An elderly man with white hair stroked his beard and sighed at the spirit of his son beside him.

"The Holy See is going to punish His Majesty Lin Mo. What do you think? Is His Majesty good or bad?"

The middle-aged woman next to her picked up the conversation, her tone conflicted.

"When His Majesty ascended the throne, he was truly ruthless. He killed 50,000 people in the arena. Logically speaking, he certainly deserves the title of 'demon'."

"That's not how you say it."

A young man clenched his fist and retorted loudly.

"Since His Majesty Lin Mo ascended the throne, those bloodsucking nobles have either died or fled, taxes have been reduced by 30%, and no one dares to seize land anymore!"

"That's right!"

A woman holding a child next to her had tears in her eyes.

"My husband died in the arena back then. His Majesty gave us ten years' worth of pensions and allocated us land. Just three days ago, he even allowed us to be with the spirits of our deceased loved ones. We can never repay such kindness in this lifetime!"

"The previous Li emperors only knew how to appease the nobles and indulge the church, while we common people lived worse than pigs and dogs! Although His Majesty Lin Mo is ruthless, he is still on our side."

"The Vatican calls him a demon, but what good has the Vatican done itself? Back in the Holy Ancient Empire, the Church plundered wealth and disregarded human life; it deserved to be wiped out by His Majesty!"

"Heh, isn't all of that just for fame? Let me tell you, the shady things Lin Mo did..."

……

The people argued back and forth, but there was never a unified answer.

They hated Lin Mo's ruthlessness, but they appreciated his benevolent actions even more.

They had heard the Vatican's slander, but they had witnessed firsthand the empire's complete transformation.

This complex mix of fear and respect, conflict and protectiveness, is a feeling that no other race on the continent has ever experienced.

Inside the palace at this time.

In the main hall, Lin Mo's clone sat on the dragon throne, surrounded by piles of official documents. His pen never stopped, and he was methodically handling the affairs of the empire.

Several civil and military officials stood below, anxiously pacing back and forth as they looked at the light screen above their heads.

"Your Majesty! The Sacred Judgment Conference, broadcast live across the entire continent, has begun! You should go and take a look!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! This matter concerns your reputation, and even more so, the face of the empire. The entire continent is watching; you cannot ignore it!"

"The Vatican is clearly trying to frame you. You have to explain to the people; we can't let them smear us!"

……

Lin Mo's clone then put down his pen, looked up at the ministers, his expression calm and composed, and said indifferently, "If you want to see it, then go ahead and see it."

He paused, then lowered his head to continue reviewing official documents, his voice clearly echoing throughout the hall: "Justice resides in the hearts of the people; there is no need for further debate."

The ministers looked at each other, shaking their heads and sighing.

"Your Majesty is so dedicated! Even at a time like this, you're still concerned about state affairs!"

"His Majesty is magnanimous and unafraid of the Holy See's slander, but we are very worried!"

"Alas, Your Majesty is too stubborn. How can you be so indifferent to such an important occasion!"

……

The crowd left in hushed whispers, each heading outside the palace to watch the live broadcast.

In the vast hall, only Lin Mo's clone and Shi Qin standing below the steps remained.

The clone looked up at her and asked calmly, "Aren't you going to go see?"

Shi Qin smiled gently yet firmly, her eyes bright: "I believe in Your Majesty. No matter what the Holy See says, I believe you."

Lin Mo's clone paused slightly, then nodded gently, said no more, lowered his head again, and continued to deal with complicated government affairs, as if the trial sweeping across the entire continent above him had nothing to do with him.

……

Just then, King Saint Zefa's voice rang out loudly from within the light screen, passing through the crystal and reaching every corner of the continent.

"Representatives from the mainland, please read out Lin Mo's heinous crimes in turn. If the crimes are justified, the campaign against this devil will begin immediately."