The military barracks in Baibu was fogged by burning smoke. The coldness of autumn haunts the edge of the morning. In the air, there is a strange and choking smell, which is inexplicably familiar and terrifying. In the mountain wind, moans of despair and weeping were faintly brought, as well as hoarse shouts.

"O Lord! Please! Save us... from the hands of the devil! Save us!..."

Shouts came from the barracks, but were separated by armored guards. The leaves fluttered, passing by the dignified and stern faces, the burning torches held high, and the gray cross smocks on their bodies. And in the center surrounded by these guards were the old and the strong, the two highest-ranking figures in the entire Crusader camp.

The old man was wearing a cold black robe and a plain black hat, with no bright colors visible all over his body. And his eyes are even colder and solemn than the black on his body, like the glacier on the top of Mont Blanc in the Alps. The only thing that shone slightly was the golden bishop's cross on his neck, which symbolized the lofty status of a high-ranking servant.

As for his name, everyone on the peninsula knows and fears it, and even the great nobles of Castile are frightened. He is the first justice of the Spanish Inquisition, a Dominican friar in black, Tomas de Torquemada (Tomas de Torquemada).

In the six years since Thomas the Inquisitor took office, he has promulgated 28 judicial decrees, expanded the crimes of religious trials to more than 20, personally sentenced more than 5,000 people to fire, and more than 40,000 people were punished, ransacked their homes, and sentenced to life. Imprisonment... an average of 1,000 people are burned to death a year, and 8,000 people are arrested and imprisoned! Most of the people who were tried were the so-called "Jewish superficial converts" and "Moor superficial converts".

That is to say, in the Spanish diocese, as long as you are a Jew or a Moor, even if you convert to God, you will be questioned about the authenticity of your beliefs and will be examined by the Inquisition. In the past six years, almost no Jews or Moors have passed the censorship. This crazy inquisition is the embodiment of Castile's religious fanaticism and the essential characteristics of its Crusader country.

Another identity of Thomas the Religious Judge is the confessor and mentor of Queen Insabella, and it can also be said to be the Queen's closest supporter and ally.

The marriage between Queen Insabella and King Fernando originally came from his suggestion and plan. After the combination of the two kings, he, as the third figure after the two kings, represented the theocracy of the Spanish diocese and closely supported the regime of the two kings. In fact, the smooth start of this jihad against Granada is inseparable from his full support and appeal!

Listening to the cries in the barracks, Justice Thomas looked calm. There was no cruelty or pity in his eyes, only firmness without hesitation.

"Fernando, are you all here?"

"Dear black monk...the Lord forgives! The 1,600 people who were corrupted by the devil are all here."

King Fernando lowered his eyes a little, showing a bit of unbearable in his eyes. He sighed deeply, and there was obvious pity on his face, for the surrounding guards to see. The king of Aragon was in his prime, with a long face, broad forehead, and deep eyes, in line with the aesthetics of this era, and he could be regarded as handsome.

He was wearing a set of flexible chain armor, covered with a brightly colored cross smock, and gilded plate armor boots on his feet. The bright color of this suit formed a very sharp contrast with the dark priest's robe next to him. The red and yellow stripes on the cross smock are the Aragonese stripes, the symbol of the King of Aragon.

"O merciful Lord! May you lower your eyes and save the souls of the unfortunate from the flames that are about to burn!"

Before the next "salvation" took place, King Fernando bowed his head and looked devout, praying for the dying crusaders imprisoned in the barracks. Seeing the king's performance, the surrounding Castilian lords and military priests also bowed their heads and prayed devoutly.

"..."

Justice Thomas turned his head, his expression unchanged, and took a deep look at Fernando. He received the news of the outbreak of the plague, regardless of the danger, and traveled day and night from the court of Seville, it was Fernando's invitation. And the first thing the other party did when they saw him was to ask him to host this scene, "Salvation from the erosion of the devil's power"!

As for the way of "rescue", in the name of rescue, all the sick soldiers were gathered together, tied with ropes, imprisoned in the barracks, and piled with flammable firewood. Then, at the command of the priests of the Inquisition, light the flames of judgment!

Justice Thomas waited a moment calmly, without urging or praying. It wasn't until King Fernando, who was next to him, finished praying and wiped the tears from his eyes, that Justice Thomas solemnly recited the Book of Revelation and announced it loudly.

"God said, 'Again I saw the dead standing before the throne, great and small. The scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is the book of life. The dead lived by the things written in these scrolls. and be judged according to what they have done.'”

"The trial begins! Light the fire!"

The Lord Chancellor's voice was firm and powerful, like some kind of mountain going forward. The king's guards held torches, and under the instructions of the priests, set fire to the firewood outside the camp. Then, with one more throw, they threw the burning torch deep into the barracks. Soon, raging flames emerged from all over the barracks, rising two or three meters high, and then gradually connecting together!

"Ah! O merciful Lord! Please! Please!..."

"Ah! Ah! Don't! Don't burn me! Ahh!..."

But a moment later, in the burning barracks, a shrill cry erupted, as sharp as a throat cut, and as if emerging from a terrible hell. When the surrounding guards heard such screams, they finally couldn't help but look moved, either showing fear or resentment.

Among the crowd, only Justice Thomas remained calm, and King Fernando had tears in his eyes. The expressions of the two remained unchanged from the beginning to the end.

The fire was getting bigger and bigger, and the flames were burning higher and higher, and even continuous black smoke came out. The sharp and shrill shouts quickly became hoarse and low, and then disappeared one after another. The entire barracks was burning in bright flames, but it was as if in the deepest darkness, dead silent.

Justice Thomas waited patiently for a moment, again without urging or praying. It wasn't until the raging fire burned through the entire barracks that all the sick soldiers in the barracks were turned into fuel, and there was no possibility of surviving, he lowered his eyes and announced again loudly!

"And God said, 'They were all to be judged according to what they had done. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire; this lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name is not written in the Book of Life, he will be cast into the lake of fire. into the lake of fire.'”

"The judgment is complete! They will go to where they deserve according to their actions! And the power of the devil will be burned by the flames of judgment!"

Hearing the venerable Justice Thomas' declaration on behalf of the Lord, the expressions of the guards present gradually settled down. Because, in the eyes of most of the jihadists, this "rescue" ceremony is not a cruel killing, but a rescue!

Only the divine judgment held on behalf of the Lord under the auspices of the Grand Inquisitor can burn out the invading devil power in the sick soldiers~lightnovelpub.net~, thus saving their souls!

After such a cruel "rescue", the morale of the surviving jihadists in the camp not only did not decline, but even recovered slightly. As for how long such morale can last, it depends on how long the next large-scale plague outbreak can be delayed.

The black smoke gradually dissipated, and what came out was the scorched lake smell of protein and the aroma of roasting. In such a strange scent, King Fernando quickly frowned. He turned sideways, saluted Justice Thomas, and was about to leave. The troops in the battalion were in a state of uncertainty, and he still had too many affairs that he needed to find a way to deal with. And the effect of this "rescue" ceremony also needs to find a way to play out, try to stabilize the morale of the army.

"Fernando, don't rush away. Before I came this time, Yin Sabella asked me to send you a message."

Justice Thomas remained unchanged, sniffing the aroma in the air and looking into King Fernando's eyes. He looked serious and asked a crucial question.

"Yin Sabella asks you, how long can the siege camp outside Basa mountain city last?"

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :