I Aggressively Stack Steel of the Heart in the Knight Order

Penance World.

Helun Prison.

Sister Superior Eleonor had long since lost her dignified air. Disheveled and distraught, she paced back and forth alone in her cell.

This prison, a joint creation of the Secret Order, the Judgment Court, and the Mechanical Order, was built specifically to incarcerate Transcendants. Fragments of Radiant Holy Artifacts were fused into every steel bar of the cells.

Furthermore, the floors and walls had been treated with Ancient Witchcraft Technology, rendering them indestructible.

In addition, the warden of Helun Prison, Church Knight Solomon, was rumored to be an Earth Knight of Seven-star Military Rank. No one had ever seen him in action—or rather, anyone who had was already dead.

Even if Reinhardt himself were imprisoned here, escape would be impossible.

This was the very reason why opposition factions within the Judgment Court had always sought to capture and imprison him through legal means.

Although it was a prison, compared to the Holy Judgment Secret Prison in Lundnia, the luxury of its facilities rivaled that of a classical noble’s estate.

Aside from the loss of freedom, the daily amenities were even more extravagant than those of a typical Provincial Governor.

After all, nine out of ten prisoners here were important figures, and they hadn’t committed grave sins like blasphemy or collusion with Demons.

As for those who had committed such grave sins, the Secret Order naturally had other prisons to deal with traitors. Alternatively, they would be captured, briefly judged, and then executed directly by white phosphorus fire to prevent any further complications.

”No, this is impossible... I had an agreement with Judge Chadwick! He was going to represent the Ash Soil Star Zone’s Judgment Court and recognize the Holy Rose’s official status...”

Before she could finish, a sarcastic, mocking voice drifted in from outside the cell.

”What a naive thought. Those idiots from the Blue Rock Island Rune Faction are too poor to feed themselves. How could they possibly have the surplus funds to support a moron like you?”

Eleonor looked up, her eyes fixed on the Judge standing outside who looked like he was at death’s door. ”All the procedures were completely legal!” she shrieked hysterically.

”You traitors who have betrayed the Divine Emperor! I curse your souls to never return to the Divine Emperor’s light!”

Hearing such a vicious curse, Robie first cracked a grin, then bent down to point at Eleonor’s nose. As he laughed maniacally, the three skulls hanging from his waist swayed and clacked against one another.

”That’s right... HAHAHA! That’s right! The Soul Furnace of the Demon Void Realm is the final destination for both you and me, sister! HAHAHA—!”

The two of them going mad was one thing, but their behavior sent a chill down the spines of the two Church Knights on guard duty.

They glanced at Judge Robbie Hiling and thought, ’Divine Emperor above, this notorious madman has the nerve to say someone *else* has something wrong with their head?’

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the tension. When the two guards saw the sacred parchment Reinhardt carried, which bore the seal of the Sect Leader, they hastily stood at attention, saluted, and cleared the path.

When Reinhardt and Lu Jia stopped outside the cell, Eleonor’s expression froze. She never would have dreamed that Lu Jia would appear before her, alive.

The wall sconces cast a soft, pale yellow glow.

Lu Jia, now clean and tidy, wore a crisp, dark black military uniform. Her white hair was tied back in a small braid. Apart from a few faint scars and an iris tattoo on her face, her eyes held only merciless indifference.

In contrast, Eleonor stood in the shadows, disheveled, her hands gripping the steel bars, her expression utterly haggard.

”I imagine you didn’t expect this. I’m still alive, Sister Superior Eleonor.”

”You...”

Then, she looked up at Reinhardt standing to the side and instantly understood everything. She had lost this struggle.

Her hands slid down the steel bars, and Eleonor’s body slumped to the floor like a deflated ball. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Lu Jia’s eyes.

After a long silence, she merely whispered, ”Forgive me... child.”

Lu Jia had come with a thousand things to say, but now, standing before Eleonor, she couldn’t utter a single word.

The wide corridor had a floor of polished obsidian. Reinhardt stood at Lu Jia’s side and said in a low voice, ”Make your decision.”

Lu Jia took a deep breath and asked coldly, ”What about the others?”

”I... don’t know.”

At that moment, Robie, having had his fill of laughter, stood up and interjected, ”The other members of the Holy Rose Order are being held temporarily at the Cathedral of Atonement. But you need to make a decision quickly before you can see them.

”The Judgment Court and the Shepherd Leader are waiting for my report.”

As he spoke, he flashed Reinhardt a morbid smile and said, ”We meet again, old friend.”

Even as Eleonor begged for forgiveness, Lu Jia’s eyes showed no pity or sympathy, only disappointment.

She was no longer the naive Battle Sister she once was.

She could see that this so-called plea for forgiveness was nothing more than a lie from a madwoman who refused to accept defeat, an attempt to use her to escape.

Realizing this, Lu Jia took a step back and gave Reinhardt a slight nod. Then, with an incredibly complex expression, she looked at her childhood idol. ”For what she has done, the Judgment Court and the Secret Order will give her a fair trial. Judge Robie, take her away.”

Moreover, Lu Jia had never felt so clear-headed in her life. She knew that even if she were deceived into pleading for leniency, and even if the Judgment Court and Reinhardt agreed to spare Eleonor for the moment, they would still secretly execute the madwoman behind her back.

In a struggle of life and death, there was no room for compromise.

Besides, she and Eleonor no longer owed each other anything.

She had already repaid the kindness of being taken in years ago with her life in the Holy Judgment Secret Prison.

Having made her decision, Lu Jia had no desire to look at this traitor who filled her with physical revulsion. She turned and walked away.

Only the Nun Superior’s voice, no longer feigning remorse and now shrieking with desperation, echoed through the corridor.

”You can’t do this! Lu Jia, I should have seen your true colors long ago! You traitor to the Holy Rose—! Have you forgotten who took you into the Monastery?! Traitor—! Liar!

”You are unworthy of being a Cultivator of the Holy Rose Order!

”Come back! I said come back...”

They walked out of the prison.

The two of them stood on the edge of a cliff in a majestic mountain range.

The low temperature of Penance World, the snow drifting through the air, and the harsh, cold wind were just like that winter twelve years ago.

Lu Jia subconsciously rubbed her hands together, trying to ward off a cold that should have had no effect on a Knight. After a brief silence, she turned to look at Reinhardt.

”Sir, I want to see the sisters of the Monastery alone. They are warriors loyal to the Divine Emperor and should not be held responsible for Eleonor’s betrayal.

”My sisters can die a glorious death in battle, but they cannot die in this frozen prison.”

Reinhardt lowered his head, his gaze fixed on Lu Jia’s dark eyes.

The storm, carrying with it a blizzard, howled past between them.