The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 124

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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 124. Allow me to explain kindly.

Malkion regained his composure after his initial shock, his eyes scanning my attire.

“A Heresy Inquisitor…? How did you find this place? There shouldn’t be any slash-and-burn farmers who ventured outside…”
“The Goddess informed me.”
“…I see.”

From what I could observe, he appeared no different from his previous life.
So I asked.

“Why are you doing this? What benefit could causing a drought possibly bring you?”

Of course, I already knew the reason.
I was merely verifying whether there was any special basis for his actions occurring four months earlier than expected.

“Well, from the perspective of ordinary humans, there would be no benefit. Most people’s motivations ultimately boil down to money, after all.”
“…”
“But for a Mage like myself, money is utterly useless. What matters to me is knowledge alone. In fact, thanks to those foolish slash-and-burn farmers, I was able to restore the Demon’s magic that had been corrupted.”

So he had indeed impersonated an Apostle of the Goddess to fully complete the Demon’s magic.
The progressively expanding scope of the drought served as evidence of this.

‘There’s nothing here that differs from what I already know.’

Fortunately, it seemed the timing was not accelerated due to any special variable.
Most likely, just as I had anticipated, he accelerated his plan by four months because I had defeated the Demon and the Five Great Calamities.

“How remarkably forthcoming. Revealing everything to a Heresy Inquisitor like myself. Have you already accepted death?”

The cave had only one entrance. For him to escape alive, he would have to defeat me first.

“No, quite the opposite.”

Malkion laughed with a sinister edge.

“Since I’m going to kill you here anyway, there’s no harm in revealing my thoughts.”
“Hoh, overflowing with confidence, aren’t you? Well, this place must have been like your own courtyard.”
“Haha, you’re certainly strong among those I’ve encountered. Just by how easily you shattered the Barrier, I can tell you’re different from the rest. Had we fought outside, I surely would have lost.”

Malkion spoke with casual ease.

“But this is my domain. It seems you don’t know that as a Theocracy clergyman, you shouldn’t set foot in a Mage’s territory.”

It was an arrogance I could understand.
In terms of pure combat ability, Malkion was merely a Mage who couldn’t even perform Double Casting.
But he drew mana from this Mana Stone Mine in a special way.
In simple terms, as long as the Mana Stones here weren’t completely depleted, his mana would never run dry.
Moreover, with multiple defensive systems prepared throughout the mine, he could easily crush several powerful Mages here.

‘In fact, a Mage who fulfills these conditions is far more dangerous than most powerful Mages.’

But…

“For one who coveted knowledge, you’re remarkably foolish.”

Precisely because his method wasn’t orthodox, there was a fatal flaw in his setup.

“…What?”
“Since you seem to know nothing, allow me to kindly explain your fatal weakness.”

I lowered my stance into a thrusting position. Startled, he extended both hands, preparing to manifest magic at any moment.

“First, because you draw mana from the Mana Stones, the time it takes to manifest magic is far longer. In other words, even if I use a powerful technique, you’ll struggle to respond swiftly.”

I let the black flames wreathing my blade flow to its tip.
They formed into a small sphere, then began to gather more flames alongside the sacred power rising from within me.

“…!”

Sensing the ominous momentum, Malkion deployed magic to intercept my technique.
Since he was a Mage, he could manifest magic even without the Mana Stones.

“May I fire?”

But that was a foolish decision.

“If you fail to block it, you will surely die.”
“….”

Malkion was a Mage incapable of double casting.
It meant he could only cast one spell at a time.
So if he wasn’t certain he could block it, it would have been wiser to gather mana from the Mana Stones and prepare for my technique instead.

‘Above all, the moment he hesitated like this, there’s no longer any way for him to interrupt my technique.’

Indeed, Malkion seemed to lack confidence in his own mana alone, so he lowered his offensive stance.

Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!

But even during that time, black flames were steadily compressing at the tip of my blade.
The flame sphere vibrated as if about to burst, growing darker and darker with each passing moment.
Tremendous heat began to spread throughout the cave.

“Tch! Destructive power is still my domain! Let me show you exactly who holds the advantage!!”

Malkion ultimately abandoned any attempt to block my technique and began drawing mana from the Mana Stones to mount a counterattack.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As if connected by threads, mana from the Mana Stones spread throughout the surroundings rapidly flowed into Malkion.
Indeed, a formidable mana that could not be easily dismissed.
The cave stretched in a straight line, so neither he nor I had any place to evade each other’s attacks.
We could only settle this through sheer destructive force.
Malkion, using countless Mana Stones dormant in the mine, against me, manifesting my technique with only the divine power I possessed.
On the surface, it seemed like a battle I could only lose. But his weaknesses were not limited to just one.

“And your second weakness is….”

I said nothing more and focused entirely on amplifying the power of my technique. I had no intention of explaining myself graciously.

‘His second weakness is that no matter how vast his mana reserves are, without high-tier magic to match it, it’s meaningless.’

The power of magic has an upper limit determined by the type of spell.
Of course, a mage’s skill greatly influences the potency, but one cannot exceed that threshold.
This is why mages must continually improve themselves and pursue ever-higher knowledge.
One who endlessly thirsts for knowledge—that is what a mage truly is.

‘But aside from the demon’s drought magic, he possesses no advanced spells of note.’

This meant that no matter how much mana he extracted from the Mana Stone Mine, his power’s ceiling was fixed.
Therefore, in this clash, I would not lose.
Malkion knew nothing of my techniques, but I had already seen through his level.
In my past life, it was I who killed him, after all.

“Die!!!!!”

Malkion, who finished his incantation first, unleashed his spell.

A roaring inferno erupted.

A tidal wave of flame engulfed the entire cave, surging forward with devastating force.
Though he lacked the breadth of knowledge other mages possessed, his immense mana more than compensated.
The flames poured down so densely that there was nowhere to escape.
But I had never intended to flee or evade—only to stand firm and overwhelm.

A piercing, agonized sound tore through the air.

The sphere, pushed beyond its limit, emitted a grotesque noise. Tiny black flames scattered wildly in all directions, as if it might shatter at any moment.
The inferno was upon me now.
I drew my blade and released the flames I had been containing.

‘Point Detonation.’

A deafening explosion erupted.

Black flames infused with searing heat spread outward, tearing through the air with a roar that split the ears.

A strangled cry echoed through the darkness.

The crimson and black flames collided with violent intensity. Neither yielded an inch, and the cave trembled as though seized by an earthquake.
At first glance, their destructive power seemed evenly matched. But I possessed something Malkion did not.
The Demon Sword Cartanos—its ‘Corruption’.

Ssssshhhhh!

Cracks spiderwebbed across the crimson flames as though drought had ravaged them, and darkness poured through the fissures.
The once-unyielding red inferno, gnawed from within, began to crumble slowly—surrendering to the demon’s power.

“What—what is this!”

Malkion’s eyes widened in shock.
Even drawing upon the mana of the Mana Stone Mine, he was being overwhelmed. His composure shattered.
But my black flames knew no mercy.

Kabooooom!

The black flames devoured the wave of crimson fire, and without pause, they erupted toward Malkion in a cataclysmic torrent.

“No, wait—!”

The voice that had proclaimed itself an Apostle of the Goddess mere moments before never finished. It was simply buried beneath my inferno.
Yet the ferocity of the black flames remained undiminished. They burrowed through the sealed wall behind him like a mole, and only after expending their full force did they finally extinguish.

“….”

I stared ahead in profound silence.
The cave lay open before me, a gaping wound. Where the ‘Point Detonation’ had passed, neither Malkion’s corpse nor a single Mana Stone remained.
Yet the mine still held countless stones buried within. Only a fraction had been swept away by the blast.

‘Excellent.’

I nodded in acknowledgment.

Whoosh!

The sensation of obstruction vanished in an instant. With Malkion’s death, the drought-inducing magic had been dispelled.
Curiously, this demon’s magic possessed remarkable potency, yet its mana signature had felt so faint I only recognized it after entering the cave—a testament to its efficiency.
It must have been channeled through human life force itself.

‘This year will be a bountiful harvest.’

I stepped out of the cave with a lighter gait.

* * *

At roughly the same moment, on the Luminara Mainland.

“Just as the weather forecast predicted, there’s no rain today either….”
“Surely this won’t continue? There are already fields where we’ve begun sowing….”

The farmers’ worries were mounting by the hour.
Last year, they had been unable to tend their crops during the critical season due to the plague Baron Scalen had spread.
Though Kael had resolved the plague and they had farmed afterward, the damage had been substantial.

‘If the harvest fails this year as well….’

Many residents would suffer greatly.
The head of the Luminara Family had assured them that if there was a poor harvest, he would provide support using the proceeds from selling high-grade mana stones, but they did not wish to rely upon such aid.
The Luminara Family had helped them time and again. So this time, they wished to harvest their crops and pay their taxes faithfully.

“Still, don’t worry, everyone. Young Master Kael said it won’t be long before rain comes!”
“Young Master Kael said so?”
“He did!”
“But the weather forecast showed clear skies….”
“Hah! My friend! Would you trust that mere magical apparatus…. No, it’s not mere, is it? Such a splendid magical apparatus—would you trust that, or would you trust Young Master Kael’s word?”

Ordinarily, they would all have chosen the former without hesitation.
Everyone knew, though they didn’t say it aloud, that Kael was an unpredictable reckless youth.
But Kael had changed. His temperament seemed much the same, yet his actions had undoubtedly become their salvation.

“Then naturally, it’s Young Master Kael….”

So there was no hesitation in that answer. Yet the worry did not vanish.

“But this is a matter of nature. No matter how capable Young Master Kael is, surely this is beyond his reach….”
“Ah! Your faith is still insufficient!!!”
“No, I truly believe…. It’s just, if I think about it realistically….”

That was when it happened.

Plink—plink—

Droplets falling from the sky touched the bridge of their noses.

“Huh? What…?”
“Water? Where did it suddenly come from…?”

They lifted their heads to gaze at the night sky. Dark clouds began creeping across the heavens where moonlight had been descending moments before.
And then, shortly after….

Whoooooosh—

A torrent of rain poured down, filling the empty air. A refreshing sensation swept across their entire bodies.

“Rain….”

Someone murmured in a daze.
Rain that had not fallen in recent times was now steadily drenching the parched earth.

“Haha! Look at this! Young Master Kael was right, wasn’t he?”
“It’s… it’s really true….”
“This is impossible….”
“This… this is a miracle!!”
“The miracle of rain!!!”
“Hahaha! Long live Young Master Kael!!!!!”
“Long live!!!!!”

Though starlight and moonlight were obscured by the dark clouds, a similar radiance glistened like dew upon their lips.

* * *

Emerging from the cave, rain was falling. It was unmistakable proof that the Demon’s curse had been lifted.

“Interrogator!”

Bella, spotting me, came rushing over in a flurry.

“Are you alright? The entire mountain was trembling as if thunder itself had struck!”
“I’m fine. And that sound was probably just your stomach growling.”
“How rude! Even when you’re worried about me!”
“Suit yourself.”

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. Then I turned my attention to the others.
The woman who had emerged from the black veil was shielding her son from the rain with her outer robe.
I addressed the others first.

“Your punishment has been decided. You will assist in mining the Mana Stone Mine in the future. I won’t be paying wages for now, but I’ll ensure you’re fed regularly.”
“B-but the Mana Stone Mine?”
“Yes. Or would you prefer I execute you now instead?”
“N-no! This is truly merciful punishment….”
“Merciful?”
“Ah, I mean to say, it’s utterly cold and—”
“Cold, you say?”
“I-I apologize! I’ll remain silent!”

I nodded in approval.

“A wise decision.”

Another man asked cautiously.

“But… isn’t this Count Cavinel’s Territory? Are we permitted to mine mana stones here…?”

He was right—I possessed no authority over the mines in this land.
However, if I played the cards my family held wisely, obtaining such rights would be simple enough.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it. You just focus on working hard.”
“Yes, understood….”

I then pointed toward the mother and son.

“And you slash-and-burn farmers are to come to our Luminara Territory. We’re in the middle of planting season and short on hands, so you’ll be quite useful.”
“Us…?”
“Yes. The wages will be handled by those in charge. After all, you slash-and-burn farmers live hand to mouth, don’t you?”
“That’s true….”
“But if you come to our territory, you’ll be able to live from today’s earnings until the day after tomorrow. Of course, that’s assuming you work diligently.”

The woman watched her son with wide, vacant eyes, then nodded with firm resolve.

“I will do my best.”
“Excellent spirit. Now, explain this well to the other slash-and-burn farmers, and wait here for a time. I shall meet with Count Cavinel and return.”
“Yes, I shall handle it.”

I nodded and turned to leave.

“Bella, follow me.”
“Yes, sir!!”

Now then, shall we go claim the Mana Stone Mine?

(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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