Chapter 026. Spirit Sword (3)

"Wait… what did I say?"

The Inquisitor clenched his teeth at the sight unfolding before him.

Perhaps it was a mistake to be swayed by a student's boast that he knew the exact location of the suspect.

"Are you messing with me right now?"

"I'm not joking."

"You're not saying that the guy is here, are you?"

As he spoke, the Inquisitor spread his arms, gesturing around.

They were currently standing in a dark alley located in the industrial area of the northern part of the academy.

He had followed them here, thinking they were in a completely different place from the commercial district in the south, and now he felt utterly foolish.

"I've wasted my time."

If it were the usual him, he would have punished this insufferable brat. But now was not the time for fiery anger; it was time to carry out his mission with a cold heart. Thus, the Inquisitor slowly turned his body and began to move.

The commercial district in the south, where the suspect supposedly lived, was directly opposite this northern area. Since it was already late afternoon, securing the suspect before sunset had become difficult.

The academy was so vast that it was often referred to as an academic city. It would be right to punish this big guy for his clearly visible intentions, but the Inquisitor thought that now was not the time.

However.

"You can't pass."

"Ha! What kind of confidence is this? I know you're a friend of the suspect, but do you really think you can stop us all by yourself? Isn't that a bit arrogant?"

The Inquisitor gestured with his chin at the large figure blocking their way.

At the end of that gesture stood a group of paladins, their expressions showing disbelief. They probably couldn't believe that a mere academy student was trying to stop them.

"Do you know about the moths that gather around the light every night, noble paladins?"

"What?"

"I am the leader of those moths."

The large man, Gunther, smiled.

He knew very well that this was a meaningless act. He had simply overheard what their goal was and wanted to give them a little surprise.

"Crazy bastard. Attack!"

At the Inquisitor's command, the paladins charged like the wind. They couldn't draw their swords against an academy student, so they all kept their weapons sheathed.

Gunther was in the same situation; the problem was that his physical condition was not yet perfect.

─Thwack!

"Wait a moment!"

"...What is it?"

"I got hit in the bone."

"Crazy bastard. Subdue him!"

"Ugh!"

Seeing him rampaging like a wild boar, the Inquisitor let out a deep sigh.

He had lived a life of slashing down the enemies of the divine without a second thought. But he couldn't even begin to guess what these people standing in his way meant.

* * *

"Who are you?"

After subduing the boar-like man and entering the southern district, the paladins found themselves halted once again. A girl stood in their way.

Behind her was a kind-looking middle-aged woman, and if one's eyes weren't deceiving them, it wouldn't be hard to recognize her identity.

The empire's chief court magician, Hedel. She appeared with a gentle smile, as if to protect the girl.

What did that mean? The girl standing before her was under the protection of the famous chief magician of the empire.

"I've heard the rumors, but this is truly absurd. Are you causing this ruckus while receiving the academy's cooperation?"

"...Who are you?"

The unexpected appearance of an uninvited guest made the Inquisitor sigh.

The sun had already set, and the evening was darkening. He had wasted time being deceived by the one who introduced himself as Gunther, and now another person had appeared to obstruct their mission.

"Hmm."

As if she had been waiting for the Inquisitor's words, the girl let out a small laugh.

She then lowered her hood, revealing her face.

She was a girl of extraordinary beauty, enough to make even the faithful of the divine take a breath of surprise. But the problem was not her appearance.

"My name is Maria."

─Flap!

Her cloak fluttered in the wind, rising into the sky.

And with a smile reminiscent of a little devil, the girl revealed her identity.

"I am a princess."

"W-what? A princess?"

The Inquisitor was left dumbfounded.

The one who had blocked them in the afternoon was said to be a swordsmanship genius known throughout the academy. Now, another heavyweight, a princess, had appeared to interfere with their mission; at this point, it would be foolish not to understand the situation.

'Why do such heavyweights keep appearing?'

Even just beating the son of a famous marquis would bring about future troubles. But a princess?

It was well-known that the emperor of the empire had a special affection for his children, making it practically impossible to subdue her by force! This was something that far exceeded his authority. To stand on equal footing with her, at least a Saintess or a figure of papal rank would be required.

Even escorting a student from a count family to the holy nation would consume tremendous political power. Of course, killing a target within this academy would also be a problem that couldn't be easily overlooked. Yet now, it seemed that carrying out the mission was becoming a burden greater than the mission itself.

"Why is a princess blocking us? We are in the middle of carrying out a task for the holy nation."

"Why, you ask? Hmm… just because?"

The Inquisitor could only gape in disbelief.

He knew that the academy was filled with eccentrics to the point that the people of the holy nation wouldn't understand them. But he couldn't grasp what they wanted by engaging in such nonsensical behavior.

"This is ridiculous."

As the situation continued to test his patience, the Inquisitor muttered.

Turning his head to look at his subordinates, he saw fatigue etched on their faces. Normally, when carrying out tasks for the holy nation, the locals would show a friendly reaction, but everyone they encountered in this academy was obstructing their work...

"Shouldn't I be the one to be ridiculous?"

Whether they understood the Inquisitor's feelings or not, a clear voice rang out from behind.

"Who are you?"

The Inquisitor turned his head. What entered his sight was a man with blue hair and red eyes.

Even at a glance, he exuded an extraordinary presence. Just facing him made his knees tremble, and his legs felt weak, as if he were meeting an absolute being of power.

"Me? I'm the one you were trying to catch."

"...What?"

The Inquisitor was taken aback by the current situation.

Clearly, the person who was supposed to 'wear' the identity of the suspect was judged by the holy nation to be an ordinary B-Class student.

But what was this feeling?

Was this really just an academy student? Even one enrolled in the relatively lower B-Class?

"Finally, the moment has come."

The composure he had shown all day vanished without a trace as he drew the scythe strapped to his back.

It was a symbol of light, a companion he had carried with him throughout his life, meant to slay the minions of evil who defied the divine will and spread faith.

"Veris, I will take him on."

"...Arwen, you?"

"Yes, I'm also feeling quite displeased."

"Hmm..."

Veris looked back and forth between Arwen's honest response and the Inquisitor.

It was uncertain whether they had exhausted themselves searching for him all day. They had finally encountered him just as evening was approaching, and unexpectedly, Arwen was stepping forward first.

"Didn't we agree to conduct the investigation diligently?"

"Did you intend to be investigated, Veris?"

"Well, not really."

"Hmph."

As their peaceful conversation continued, the Inquisitor let out a breath of frustration.

Yes, now that he faced him, even he couldn't help but be astonished by that man's presence. But look at the elf standing beside him. She was not one who received the glory of the divine or its radiance... she was a 'heretic' relying on the World Tree.

How could such a person dare to confront him?

He had thought that fighting Veris might be a bad move, but now that thought seemed trivial.

"Then, go, Arwen! Headbutt him!"

"...That's a rather unpleasant thing to say."

─Swish.

An old iron sword, dull and unsharpened, was drawn into Arwen's hand.

The opponent was clearly igniting a fighting spirit. The Inquisitor's eyes began to shake violently.

In this tense situation where scythes were drawn, a calm judgment revealed that it was not a good idea to fight in the plaza on the outskirts of the commercial district, regardless of the holy nation's mission.

Just look at that man. Just by seeing him, he realized that this man was not his opponent, and he wondered if there was any benefit to engaging in a fight with his people.

The Inquisitor lowered his scythe. In his judgment, conversation was the best course of action.

"Excuse me."

"Hmm?"

"I didn't come here to fight."

"What? What nonsense is this, holding a scythe?"

"It's true that the Inquisitor has the authority for summary judgment and the authority to escort criminals. But I came here for an investigation, not to exercise my authority."

In the end, as the situation continued to spiral toward catastrophe, the Inquisitor had no choice but to lie.

The elf swordsman before him?

He could tell at a glance that she possessed considerable strength, but he still thought he could ultimately win. The problem was the man standing behind her, Veris.

The Inquisitor had keen eyesight. Having lived his life as a paladin and later as an Inquisitor, crossing the boundaries of life and death, Veris appeared to him like an endless darkness, akin to the universe.

"Strange, isn't it?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I heard that you planned to create crimes that I didn't commit and either kill me or escort me to the holy nation."

"..."

No, how could the execution site know that?

The Inquisitor swallowed the words that were about to escape his mouth.

"Hey."

"...What is it?"

"Do I look like a demon worshiper to you?"

The Inquisitor shook his head vigorously.

The minions of the Demon Cult each trained in dark mana, and just getting close to them would allow one to feel their sinister aura.

But what he felt from that man was not a sinister aura; rather, it was a refreshing energy that lifted his spirits. What did that mean?

"Anyway, you said you came to exercise your power, so at least we should receive some kind of fee."

'Crazy bastard!'

The Inquisitor swallowed hard at his attitude of mentioning fees to a figure of the holy nation.

It was a mystery why such a man was in the academy. Moreover, what about the judgment of the papacy that had foolishly marked him as a suspect?

"I'm not saying I want money; I just want you to fight with my kids a bit."

"Your kids? What do you mean...?"

"What do you mean, what? I'm asking for experience points. It's hard to gain experience points in the academy."

At Veris's wicked smile, the Inquisitor trembled.

An unknown fear. That fear was certainly not an illusion.

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