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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 33 – The Sun God’s Inquisitor (1)
A reception room welcoming guests.
There was a woman there.
Her hair, shining like silver, flowed softly, and her eyes glittered brilliantly red.
She was an extremely beautiful woman.
Dressed simply in a priest’s garb, her holiness almost compelled one to kneel unconsciously.
The only flaw was her expressionless face, like that of a doll.
She looked like a machine devoid of emotions.
The lord sitting before her swallowed hard.
“…Welcome, Inquisitor. I am Luke Barkan, the lord of Barkan territory.”
“Thank you. Despite the sudden visit, you have welcomed me warmly.”
The woman bowed politely.
“I am Aquaz. Although I am unworthy, I hold the position of judging heresy for the Sun God.”
Her posture was exceedingly polite, but the lord couldn’t let his guard down.
An inquisitor.
Those who dealt with the enemies of the church.
They held a significant position within the church.
With their own judgment and will, they had the power to annihilate an entire village alone.
Moreover, she was an inquisitor of the Sun God.
Currently, the church of the Sun God was the most powerful on the continent.
Even the empire was stepping back and yielding to them.
An inquisitor from such a church wielded more power than the lord of a country.
And Aquaz was someone the lord was familiar with.
The youngest inquisitor.
A person authorized to execute heretics alone.
A genius among geniuses, predicted to become the chief inquisitor one day.
She was the one who single-handedly decapitated seven black magicians who had made a pact with demons and thwarted a large-scale ritual.
‘Why on earth.’
Why had such a person come to this small territory?
The lord’s lips grew dry.
The fate of the territory could be decided by her mood.
Aquaz’s red lips slowly opened.
“The territory seems to be in turmoil. Are you alright?”
“…Do you not know what happened?”
“After visiting the church in the territory, I came straight to you, so I don’t know the details.”
“I see.”
The lord looked at the inquisitor’s face.
It was expressionless, making it hard to read her emotions, but it didn’t seem like she was lying.
The lord, thinking hard, opened his mouth.
“There was a bit of a problem in the dungeon. It’s been resolved now.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
The inquisitor’s expression was very calm.
With that demeanor, the lord was convinced.
‘She didn’t come because of the lich.’
Thinking about it, the lord himself had only learned about the lich yesterday.
There was no way she could have come to this remote territory within a day.
Then there must be another issue.
“May I ask what brings you here…?”
It meant she had come for another reason.
For an inquisitor to visit a territory, it had to be a significant matter.
As far as the lord knew, inquisitors didn’t act unless they were certain.
The lord’s mind grew more complex.
The inquisitor remained silent.
The lord grew uneasy in that silence.
“Is it related to a divine oracle by any chance?”
The inquisitor’s lips did not open.
The silent response was as good as a confirmation.
The lord felt dizzy.
A divine oracle?
Here?
This was no small matter.
Depending on the oracle, the Sun God’s forces could come here.
‘Why on earth.’
Why is this happening to him?
He’s just the lord of this territory….
The inquisitor, perhaps sensing the emotion from the lord’s expression, spoke.
“I can inform you about the content of the oracle. At least in that regard, you don’t need to worry.”
“I-Is that so.”
The lord felt a bit relieved.
There were two types of oracles.
One that could not be told to anyone except the believers.
And one that could be widely known to the world.
If it was the latter, there was less likelihood of major trouble.
The inquisitor continued speaking.
“Before I tell you the content of the oracle, could I first confirm what happened in the territory?”
“Is it possibly related?”
“I cannot give you a definite assurance.”
But there was a possibility.
The lord hesitated.
Should he tell the Sun God’s emissary about the lich?
The hesitation was brief.
It was better to borrow the power of the divine.
He detested the idea of imperial intervention.
The Sun God’s church held such power that even the empire could not ignore.
If the inquisitor handled the matter, the empire would have no pretext to intervene.
Having made up his mind, the lord explained the incident.
The inquisitor’s previously impassive eyes widened.
“…A lich?”
“Yes. It might even be Karthos Branius Kesiensis.”
“What? That being was here?”
“I understand that lich is related to your church.”
“…Yes, indeed.”
The inquisitor’s brow furrowed slightly.
Karthos enjoyed toying with those of devout faith.
There were quite a few priests who had fallen to his influence, thus tarnishing the church’s honor, and among them were also followers of the Sun God.
He was one of the enemies the Sun God’s church had declared heretical and was pursuing.
The lord shook his head.
“It’s a troublesome situation. It’s too big a problem for a small rural lord like me to handle. It’s distressing. If things go wrong, the Empire might intervene.”
“…Are you asking for help with this matter?”
Indeed.
She grasped his intentions immediately.
The lord quickly continued.
“Wouldn’t it also help elevate the prestige of the Sun God?”
An evil sorcerer who had caused chaos in the world long ago.
If the Sun God’s church intervened to prevent his resurrection, it would further elevate their prestige.
“That’s not important. What matters is devout faith. That is the only thing.”
The inquisitor’s words were decisive.
Realizing his mistake, the lord fell silent.
After contemplating for a moment, the inquisitor spoke.
“…Verification is needed.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“You mean confirming whether the lich is indeed Karthos.”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The lord shook a bell under the table with his hand.
Soon, a trembling maid brought in the life vessel.
The inquisitor’s eyes widened upon seeing it.
“The life vessel… is intact.”
“Oh, yes. Is there a problem?”
“A life vessel is the core of a lich. It holds their soul, and as long as it remains unbroken, the lich can continuously revive.”
“What? What do you mean?”
The lord was horrified.
Did that mean Karthos had not been destroyed?
However, as the inquisitor examined the life vessel closely, she grimaced.
“…But I don’t sense a soul. What on earth…?”
The inquisitor’s face grew complex, as if witnessing something impossible.
After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she examined the life vessel carefully.
And she came to a conclusion.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“You mean…”
“This is indeed the life vessel of Karthos Branius Kesiensis. I heard a hero defeated him, but he must have hidden his soul to attempt resurrection as a lich.”
“Oh…”
The lord let out a sound unconsciously.
It was truly Karthos.
The evil sorcerer from the history books had been right next to their territory.
“Why in this remote territory?”
“He probably needed time to regain his strength. This… is certainly a problem.”
The inquisitor groaned.
The sorcerer, believed to have been destroyed, was plotting his resurrection as a lich.
This was no trivial matter and required a thorough investigation.
“We will handle this. The Empire will have no grounds to intervene.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The immediate issue was resolved.
The lord sighed in relief.
However, the inquisitor’s expression remained complicated.
After a moment of thought, she asked,
“…I understand this territory is the home of the Swordmaster. Was he by any chance present?”
“Oh, yes. He visited recently.”
“I see. If it was him, he might have been able to defeat Karthos.”
Karthos was a sorcerer who had shaken the kingdom.
His power was beyond superhuman.
A single Swordmaster would not suffice.
But Karthos had been defeated by a hero.
Though he had hidden his soul in a life vessel to become a lich, he might not have been at full strength.
If that were the case, Cain’s power might have been sufficient to defeat him.
“But this…”
The life vessel was intact.
This meant that the lich’s soul had been purely annihilated.
An impossible feat, even for a Swordmaster.
“Could I meet Cain? I’m curious about how he dealt with it.”
“Oh, it wasn’t Cain who did it.”
“What?”
The inquisitor’s eyes widened.
“Then who defeated Karthos?”
“A barbarian.”
“…What?”
A bewildered voice echoed.
The mechanical tone of the inquisitor now carried emotion.
The lord found it somewhat amusing.
“There’s a barbarian in the territory?”
“It hasn’t been long. A barbarian came to our territory and has been staying here recently.”
“No problems?”
Barbarians were known for revering strength and disregarding order and law.
The troubles they could cause were countless.
The inquisitor’s question was only natural.
The lord nodded.
“Yes. Surprisingly, he is a very sensible barbarian.”
“Sensible? That’s not a word one usually associates with a barbarian.”
“It isn’t, indeed.”
The lord gave a wry smile.
A barbarian who was courteous and sensible.
Now that he had adapted to Ketal’s presence, he could accept it, but in hindsight, it was a ridiculous notion.
“This barbarian defeated Karthos? Is that even possible?”
“It is possible.”
At least there was no need to doubt that part.
“Even Sir Cain was defeated by him.”
The inquisitor’s eyes widened further.
“…Which tribe does this barbarian belong to?”
“That, I do not know. He had no particular symbols or tattoos.”
He claimed to be from the White Snowfields, but without physical evidence, it was hard to believe.
“Do you know his name?”
“Ketal.”
“Ketal.”
The inquisitor closed her eyes, probably searching her mind for information on barbarians. Soon, she opened her eyes.
“It’s a name I’ve never heard before. I know barbarians capable of defeating Sir Cain, but their names are different, and they have no reason to be here. This must be a new powerful warrior.”
One strong enough to defeat a Swordmaster and annihilate Karthos’s soul.
“….”
Suddenly, the inquisitor’s eyes turned sharp.
The lord felt a chill run down his spine.
“…Is there a problem?”
“That barbarian might be the reason I came here.”
“What?”
The lord was startled.
The inquisitor spoke again.
“Could I possibly meet this barbarian in person?”
“…What?”
The lord’s eyes grew as wide as they could.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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