The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 122

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 122. Congratulations.

As I rode out from Luminara Territory, I gazed up at the sky.
A pristine Blue Sky without a single cloud. There was no sign of rain approaching.

“Interrogator, is this truly the work of magic?”
“Yes. Ancient demon magic at that.”
“To bring such a severe drought not just to Luminara Territory but to the entire region… It’s terrifying, as befits demonic magic.”
“It requires a corresponding price, so there’s nothing particularly strange about it.”

The cause of this drought was demonic magic wielded by a creature named Malkion.
Malkion was a dangerous existence who would later be called the “Drought Demon.”
Of course, the Theocracy at that time didn’t know that the Drought Demon was Malkion, nor did they realize it was the work of a human.
They merely suspected that someone was behind the severe drought that continued in a certain region and bestowed upon them the epithet “Drought Demon.”

‘But I know the truth about that creature.’

After all, it was I who killed Malkion.
During my days as the Sword Demon, I couldn’t stay in one place and had to wander constantly, making it difficult to replenish my water supply.
When such a severe drought overlapped with that, my fury was inevitable.
So I sought out the Drought Demon and killed it, and only then could I finally drink rainwater.

‘Still, this time that creature moved faster than originally.’

From my memory, Malkion’s drought was supposed to occur about four months from now. Yet somehow the timing has accelerated.
But I can hazard a guess as to why.

‘Originally, by now the Theocracy would have been in chaos with the Holy Knights and Holy Maidens dead. But thanks to me, they maintain peace.’

Perhaps that’s why Malkion could move more freely?
After all, demons and the Five Great Calamities are enemies and obstacles even to the wicked.

‘Well, it’s not a critical issue. I anticipated this much when I twisted fate.’

That’s why Yejis’s stigma is so important.
Thanks to it, even with the timing altered, I could act before the situation spiraled out of control.

“It’s been a week without rain. According to the forecast, there won’t be any for another week either….”

That’s when I overheard the Farmers talking ahead of us.

“It’s almost planting season, so this is troublesome. But surely rain will come eventually, right? Two weeks without rain isn’t that unusual.”
“That’s true, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. No matter what happens, Young Master Kael will handle it somehow. He’s Young Master Kael, after all.”
“Haha! Is that so? Well, he did defeat the Five Great Calamities, which were so terrifying, so maybe he could make it rain too… uh, um?”
“Huh? Huh?”

The Farmers who had been joking around suddenly noticed us and jumped in fright.

“Y-Young Master!”
“W-We apologize for speaking carelessly behind your back! Please forgive us…!”

Behind my back? Weren’t they just praising me?
My reputation has changed greatly, but it seems they were remembering the reckless fool I used to be.
Though I wouldn’t have scolded them for their praise anyway.

‘Perhaps?’

In any case, I’m no longer a reckless Young Master but a reckless Heretic Inquisitor, so I spoke.

“It will rain.”
“…Pardon?”

I spoke while observing the bewildered Farmers.

“So do not worry.”

He drove the horse straight ahead, and the farmers blinked their eyes before bowing at the waist.

“Be careful, Young Master!”
“Thank you as always!”

I waved my hand in response instead of speaking.

* * *

Deep in the mountains where the slash-and-burn farmers gathered.
In the terraced fields growing increasingly parched without rain, five slash-and-burn farmers huddled together in a single cottage, whispering anxiously.

“Still no rain again….”
“Could it be that we need to make another offering…?”

This was not the first time rain had failed to fall where they dwelled.
Over the course of three months, there had been two inexplicable phenomena in total.
The first anomaly occurred when dark clouds and rain surrounded the entire area, yet the sky above their mountain remained perfectly clear.
As the slash-and-burn farmers reeled in shock, a solemn voice echoed down from the heavens.

– Offer an old man upon the bowl-shaped rock at the peak. Should you ignore this proclamation, rain shall never fall upon this mountain for all eternity. The same fate awaits should this message be revealed to others.

At first, they dismissed it. They assumed some madman was playing a prank.
After all, who could possibly command nature itself?

– That’s… that’s impossible….

Yet even as rain fell for an entire week elsewhere, sunlight blazed relentlessly only above their mountain.
They were in dire straits.
They were slash-and-burn farmers who supplied crops to the lord in exchange for the use of his land.
If the fields continued to wither, nearly a hundred slash-and-burn farmers would surely be driven out with no recourse.
Still, hoping it might be mere coincidence, they waited several more weeks, but when rain came again, only the sky above their mountain remained blue.

– I shall become the offering. My time is short anyway, so at least I can be of use to you all.

It was the Elder who spoke. Six representatives of the slash-and-burn farmers protested vehemently.

– We cannot allow this! Let us instead seek aid from the lord! This land is undoubtedly part of his territory, so surely he will take interest!
– That is not an option. If word of this spreads despite the voice’s warning, there is no telling what calamity might befall us.
– Then who will lead us without you, Elder?
– Greb will. His temperament may be abysmal, but he has accumulated enough experience and knowledge through the years. Besides, we still cannot be certain whether that voice spoke truth.
– But….

Greb remained silent. He had never imagined he would assume leadership so suddenly.
It was meager authority, but at least he would be the representative of this group.

– Greb, if I truly become a sacrifice and die, I entrust these people to you.
– Do not worry, Elder. I will never forget your sacrifice.
– Greb.
– Yes.
– Live with integrity and without greed. Otherwise, you will meet a miserable end.
– I will remember your words.

After that, the Elder lay his body upon the Bowl-Shaped Rock at the Mountain Peak.
The others watched in silence, tears streaming down their faces as they held their breath.

Sssssss!

– Gahhh!

In that moment, the Elder’s body convulsed violently, and the vitality slowly drained from his skin.
Before long, his flesh withered and shriveled until he resembled nothing more than a mummy.

Whoooosh!

A pillar of flame erupted from the rock, consuming the Elder’s body in its inferno.
Those watching gasped in horror and stumbled backward. It was a sight none of them had ever witnessed before.

Patter… patter…

Droplets fell upon my nose. Looking up at the sky, dark clouds gathered overhead as rain began to fall slowly.

– T-The Goddess’s Apostle…

Someone muttered in a daze. There was no other way to comprehend what was happening.
As they trudged down the mountain in a stupor, the Slash-and-Burn Farmers asked them a question.

– W-What of the Elder…?
– He became the sacrifice…
– Ah… Elder…

They could not decide whether to grieve or give thanks as they watched the relentless rain fall.
Yet afterward, no further calamities befell them. The rain fell equally upon this mountain as well.
However, a month later, the same phenomenon occurred not only on this mountain but across the nearby Open Plain as well.

– Offer an adult male to the Bowl-Shaped Rock. Should you ignore this divine word, no rain shall fall upon these lands. Furthermore, should you attempt to flee, you shall be denied grace for all your days.

Now Greb, who had become an Elder, gathered with five representatives to deliberate.
Brina objected.

– An adult male?! Now that I know this is the truth, I cannot continue offering people as sacrifices!
– Brina….
– Let us abandon this place instead! We have perhaps one or two years left before the land’s vitality is exhausted—we should leave now!
– That is not an option.

At those words, Brina turned her head.

– Greb!
– I am Elder now.
– ….
– Did you not hear the divine word just now? That we shall be denied grace for all our days if we flee?
– Why would you believe that! An Apostle of the Goddess would never do such a thing in the first place!
– Hmph, then are you saying an ordinary human could do such a thing?
– That, that is….

Greb spoke.

– Tern, you shall become the sacrifice. You lost an arm fighting monsters—at least this way you can be of use.
– No! Think of all Tern has done for us!
– Not anymore, has he? And those one or two years are precious to us.
– This is absolute madness! At least, let us not act hastily…!
– Yes, I shall become the sacrifice.
– Tern!

Tern opened his eyes, which had been closed, and spoke.

– After all, I am the only one here without family, am I not? If I can be of help to those who raised me as an orphan, that is fortune enough.
– No, this cannot be! Will someone please say something!
– ….

The others remained silent. Observing the atmosphere, Greb clicked his tongue and spoke.

– We shall wait and observe until tomorrow. Withdraw.

Brina left the cottage with a sense of relief. But as everyone slept, rain began to fall in the early dawn.
When Brina stepped outside in confusion, they were descending from the mountain peak. Her face grew ashen as she asked.

– W-where is Tern…?
– …He went of his own accord.
– He’s lost his mind. Truly, utterly lost his mind…

Brina collapsed to the ground.
But she knew as well. There was no other way. She was merely a hypocrite intoxicated by her own morality.
That was what made it all the more agonizing.

“Yet… there’s been no divine proclamation still. Is this merely a natural phenomenon this time?”
“It might be. Rain has stopped falling in this area now, after all.”

Now they had begun to feel uneasy whenever the rain ceased. Perhaps they would need to offer another sacrifice.
Still, this time might pass without incident.
But that expectation was utterly shattered.

– Offer a child no older than five and an adult woman. The Goddess has decreed that she shall liberate the lambs from the calamity of drought.

At the divine proclamation that came once more, their eyes widened in shock.

“A-a child no older than five and an adult woman, you say?”
“And the Goddess herself has spoken… So he truly was an Apostle of the Goddess?”
“But among us, a child no older than five would be…”

Their gazes fell upon Brina. She snapped back to awareness and cried out.

“Not Den! Please, I’m begging you!”
“But your son is the only one here who meets the criteria…”
“Would you truly sacrifice even a child? And what comes next? If the rain doesn’t fall again after this, what will you do then?”

As silence fell over them all, Greb spoke.

“Brina.”
“Yes, Elder….”
“This is no longer merely a problem for our slash-and-burn farmers. If this is not a natural phenomenon, then a severe drought will come to this entire region.”
“….”
“This sacrifice is martyrdom. A martyrdom that will save so many from suffering! We must prove our faith with these very lives!”
“No matter what you say, this is too cruel!”
“Well, if you dislike it so much, then we shall do this instead.”
“How…?”

Greb gazed at Brina.

“You shall become an offering alongside Den. After all, wouldn’t it be less painful if you weren’t alone?”
“Elder, what are you….”

Brina stared at him in a daze. He showed no sign of changing his mind whatsoever.
Soon, having made her decision, Brina bit her lip.

“Very well. I shall become the offering. I cannot turn away now after condoning the sacrifice of others. But please, I beg you—spare Den.”
“That cannot be. Den is the only child under five years old.”
“Elder…! Ugh….”

At that moment, a man struck the back of Brina’s neck, rendering her unconscious.
As she collapsed to the ground, Greb nodded in approval.

“Well done. We shall proceed in secret from now on. If the others learn of this, there will surely be resistance.”
“Yes, Elder.”

As evening fell, they quietly led a cart carrying Brina and Den toward the mountain peak.

“Mother, mother.”

Den shook Brina’s shoulder as she lay unconscious. Brina’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of her son’s voice.

“Den…?”

She then looked around in alarm. The cart ascending toward the peak, and her limbs bound with rope.

“You all…!”

Brina glared at those pulling the cart. They were the ones who had dragged even Den here to resolve the drought.
Den asked innocently.

“Mom, are we going to play with our uncles?”
“Ah, Den….”

Watching Den, who knew nothing, Brina shed tears. She embraced the tiny Den and pleaded.

“Please…. Please just save Den….”
“…We’re almost at the peak, so push faster.”
“Yes, Elder.”

But they ignored Brina and continued pulling the cart. They had no intention of turning back now.

“You all really….”

An overwhelming sense of helplessness engulfed Brina. If this continued, she would inevitably become a sacrifice along with Den.
Yet with her limbs bound, she had no confidence she could break free from adult men and escape.
And she would have to run while carrying the small Den in her arms. No matter how hard she thought, she could find no way out.

‘Ah, Goddess…. Is this truly the Goddess’s will?’

Though she lived in a remote mountain village and had never visited a chapel, she had faithfully believed in Ella the Goddess.
When she gave birth to Den, she had genuinely thanked the Goddess, and when she lost her husband to a demon, she had only prayed that he did not suffer in death.

‘But this….’

She could only feel resentment. What great blessing could come from taking the life of this innocent child?
Was this truly doctrine? Or were they perhaps overlooking a tragic sacrifice under the guise of the noble word “martyrdom”?
Brina could no longer understand her own faith.
The moment she lowered her head, heavy as if soaked in water.

“You look like you’re struggling. Want me to push?”

A chilling voice seeped into the darkness. At that, Greb’s brow furrowed sharply as he bellowed.

“Why aren’t you pushing faster─!”

Greb’s cry cut off abruptly as he turned his head. A man he’d never seen before stood at his side.
Eyes that gleamed like a bird of prey. An immaculate black priest’s vestment. A dark blade hung at his waist.
A man of refined bearing, utterly out of place in these mountains, smiled with a bloodthirsty edge.

“Is that so?”

Thump—

He gave Greb’s shoulder a light push. That alone was enough to send Greb’s body tumbling down the steep mountainside.

“Ugh, uuuaaaaaagh!”

Crash-crash-crash-crash-bang!

“Argh! Kack! Ugh!”

Greb tumbled helplessly, striking jagged rocks multiple times before finally slamming into a massive tree and coming to a stop.
Kael gazed down at him coldly.

“My, you do roll well.”

* * *

“W-who are you!”

The men pulling the cart looked at me in bewilderment. On the cart lay a small child and a bound woman.

Crack!

I slapped the guy who asked the question across the face. When his head came back to its original position, I spoke.

“…A-a Heretic Inquisitor?”
“Why would an Inquisitor be here….”
“That’s something you’d know better than I would.”
“You guys would know that better than me.”

I looked down at the old boulder rolling down the mountainside, ignoring those guys.

“Are you alright?”
“Ah, it hurts… I think my leg is broken…”
“Well, that won’t do.”

The kind Heresy Inquisitor that I was bounded toward the man’s location. Then I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and leaped back to where I had been standing.

“Can you stand?”
“Ugh…!”

I released the back of his neck. But because his leg was broken, he collapsed to the ground.

“Tsk tsk, that little child over there walks better than you do.”

I gestured toward the child in the cart and rebuked him. At that, the woman in the cart, who had been dazed, asked.

“Who…?”

I didn’t answer her question and issued a command instead.

“Bella, take us away.”
“Yes, Interrogator!”

Bella, who had been following from behind, extended her hand. Mana blossomed from her fingertips, and soon the cart was enveloped in a black veil.
It was magic that blocked vision and sound. Which meant I no longer needed to be kind to others.
I grabbed the old man by the scruff of his neck and lifted him to my eye level. As I saw his pale, murky gaze, I declared.

“From this moment on, you are a five-year-old child.”
“…What?”
“Shut up. If I say so, then it is so. You pathetic newborn who can’t even walk on your own.”
“…”
“Congratulations. You’ve been rejuvenated.”
“…”

He opened and closed his mouth as if asking for formula.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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