The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 20

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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 20. I Don’t Repeat Myself.

One of the Seven Great Virtues’ relics of charity—the sacred sandals of Saint Bertior.
Whenever one wore those sandals, the body’s fatigue would heal with each step.
I asked him a question.

“What’s your name?”
“R-Rak. My name is Rak.”

Rak.
It was indeed the same name I had heard from the Chain Hunter before.

“Where did you get those sandals?”

I knew that Rak had possessed the sandals before encountering the Chain Hunter, but I had no knowledge of how he had obtained them.

“Ah, there was an Old Man I once shared bread with. When he saw me barefoot, he removed the sandals he was wearing and gave them to me….”
“Where is that Old Man now?”
“A few days later, I returned to that same spot, but I found him there with his feet severed, dead.”
“Hmm.”

I observed Rak carefully.
Rak was emaciated to the point where his bones were visible. He must have been in a similar state when he shared his bread with the Old Man.
Rak was a human who strove to be virtuous even in the darkness.

“Sigh….”

Saint Bertior was the ‘charity’ of the Seven Great Virtues.
He had been one of the most distinguished figures in the Theocracy, and he donated all the wealth he had accumulated over the years, saving countless lives.
Thus, his other epithet was the Father of the Poor.

‘Perhaps it was destined that his sacred relic would reach Rak.’

As my silence grew longer, Rak hurriedly removed the sandals.

“W-Wait, if you need these sandals, please take them. As repayment for the help you’ve given me, Father….”

I stared intently at the sandals Rak offered and his bare feet.
Would this fool have handed them over to me even if he knew these worn sandals were a sacred relic?
For some reason, it seemed likely he would.

‘At least the information I heard in my past life appears to be accurate.’

Chain Hunters sever the ankles of debtors when they judge them unable to repay their interest.
And Rak was also a debtor.
The Chain Hunter had severed Rak’s ankle, then noticed the sandals’ mysterious properties and wore them himself.
The Chain Hunter was a mercenary who had made quite a name for himself, after all.

“For now, keep wearing them.”

Had I been a villain, I would have severed his ankle on the spot and taken them. I had done so in my past life as well.
But this time, I wanted to obtain the sandals through a different method.
If I simply seized them by force, I would be no different from garbage like the Chain Hunter. Besides, there was no urgent need for them right now.

“Pardon?”
“I said keep wearing them for now. I’ll collect them later.”
“Ah, yes….”

Rak cautiously put on the sandals.

“Your name is Rak, then.”
“Yes….”
“I hear you have someone you care for. Take me to them.”

I already knew where his house was, but going there as if I didn’t would obviously look suspicious.
He was already wary as it was.

“Why, why would you…?”
“Well then, I’ll search for them myself. Using my authority as a Heretic Inquisitor, I’ll inspect every house in this district. Day and night….”
“….”
“Then the angry residents will come bursting out their doors and ask, ‘Just who the hell is this Rak?'”
“Ah, I’ll guide you there.”
“Good.”

Rak hurriedly led us to his house, and Bella and I followed behind.
The place we arrived at was a shabby, cramped dwelling.

“Yes, that’s her….”

Inside the coffin lay no small remains. Only a girl breathing in ragged gasps, sprawled upon the ground.
Unlike Rak, the girl’s bones were not exposed—her condition was otherwise ordinary.

“Your sister?”
“Yes… Her name is Rami.”
“Your parents?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I see.”

I turned to face Bella.

“Bella, if you have any cold medicine in your pack, give it to her.”
“Yes, Interrogator!”

Bella’s face brightened as she immediately retrieved cold medicine from her large bag and approached Rami. It seemed she had prepared for this from the start.
After administering the medicine to Rami, Bella asked:

“Interrogator! May I also share bread and water with her?”
“You may.”
“Thank you so much!”

Bella withdrew bread and water from her bag. At this point, I found myself wondering what that bag did not contain.
Rak, upon seeing the bread and water placed on the ground, spoke to me:

“We don’t have the money to buy such things….”
“This is charity, not a loan.”
“Charity? Why would you do such a thing for us….”

It was because of the sacred relic Rak possessed. Had it been otherwise, I would not have involved myself so deeply in his affairs.
Yet upon reflection, this reasoning was not entirely false either.

“Perhaps because you yourself have given something to another.”

Rak had given bread to the Old Man and obtained a sacred relic in return. And I was now extending kindness to Rak to receive the sacred relic he possessed.
None of this would have transpired without Rak’s small act of charity.

“Ah… Thank you.”
“Go eat.”
“Yes.”

Bella watched over Rak as he carefully bit into the bread. Rami’s ragged breathing gradually began to settle.
I observed them for a moment before opening my mouth.

“Bella, Deacon. Get up.”
“Yes?”
“It’s time to work. They’ve finally arrived, it seems.”

I gazed toward the doorway without a door. At that very moment, a brutish-looking man stepped into the house.
I watched him approach, his feet treading on the floor, before I spoke.

“Get out.”
“What?”
“Step any further with those filthy feet and I’ll cut them off.”
“What the hell—”
“Listen, Bald Man.”

I pointed at him with my index finger.

“Leave. You’re going to anyway.”
“….”

He drew a sharp breath. After swallowing dryly once, he let out a snort and walked outside.
I spoke.

“Keep your shoes on. I’ll be coming to collect them soon.”

Rak, who had been rigid with bread still in his mouth, managed only to nod his head with difficulty.
After that, I stepped outside, and Bella followed in my wake.
Outside, ten sturdy men were waiting. I asked.

“What’s your business?”
“Someone is calling for you.”
“The Chain Hunters?”

The men exchanged glances before one of them nodded.

“That’s right.”
“But why have so many of these bastards gathered here? Did the master throw them some scraps?”

The men laughed in unison. I was quite the entertainer.

“He does throw them something from time to time. So they follow obediently?”
“Of course we have to go. Then guide us to your master, you mutts.”

The ones who had been frowning eventually turned around. Bella and I followed them.
One of them approached me and started talking.

“Hey, friend.”
“What is it.”
“Judging by the priest’s robes and the sword at your side, you look like a Heretic Inquisitor, but you’d do well to watch your tongue here.”
“Why’s that.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered.

“This place doesn’t care about rank or station. The Theocracy’s reach doesn’t extend to a filthy place like this.”
“….”
“So if you value your life, don’t cause a scene. Just pass through quietly.”

I scoffed and brushed his hand away from my shoulder.

“The Theocracy’s reach may not extend here, but my blade does. So don’t test my patience—you’d be wise to shut up and move on.”

He clicked his tongue and backed away from me. This time, a voice came from behind.

“You certainly keep impressive company with that Deacon.”
“Don’t come any closer.”
“She doesn’t look particularly skilled in combat. Why did you choose this woman? Could it be…?”

I sighed and stopped walking. Looking up, the sun greeted me.
The sun seemed to say to me: Please, Inquisitor, exercise restraint….
But I had always been a reckless fool who never listened to anyone.

“With so many of these bastards around, my pace keeps slowing.”

I glared at them.

“First come, first served. One of you.”
“What?”
“From now on, kill each other. I’ll let live only the one who survives.”

The dazed men soon tilted their heads back and laughed. Their pathetic laughter struck my ears.
Then suddenly, the face of one of the laughing men vanished.
A head and blood falling from the sky.

“Ha… ha…?”

The laughter of those who witnessed the sight gradually faded.
I flicked the blood from my blade and glared at them.

“I don’t repeat myself.”

The killing intent emanating from me crushed them.

“First come, first served. One beast.”

A brief silence fell. Then one of them drew an axe and brought it down on the man beside him.
As one man collapsed bleeding, what followed was absolute chaos.
I planted my blade in the ground and clapped my hands.

“Oh, who’s more pathetic than whom? This is getting interesting.”

Screeeech!

“Wow, he’s dead? You should have dodged instead of attacking just then.”

Gack!

“That’s it, that’s it! Well done, you bastards!”

As I clapped and praised them, they drooled and began thrashing about with even greater ferocity.
Not long after, the match was decided. The one survivor was the man who had tried to enter Rak’s House.

“You lived.”
“Yes….”

The man gasped for breath, his axe still dripping with his comrade’s blood.

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up and move? Why won’t you listen? Are you the Goddess herself? Testing my patience?”
“…I apologize.”
“Now stop talking and take me to your master.”
“Yes….”

We followed him. The place we arrived at was a two-story wooden structure that resembled a Mercenary Building.

“Are there Chain Hunters here?”
“Yes. They’re probably with a guest right now.”
“Good work, you bastard.”
“Yes!”

The man bowed his head deeply.

“Thank you for sparing me…!”

Mid-sentence, he suddenly vomited blood. My blade had already pierced his heart.

“Why….”

The Bald Man’s question—I answered it.

“Light reflected off something on the way here and struck my eyes. Since you ambushed the Bald Man first, you have no complaints, right?”

He tried to say something, but his body went limp.
I withdrew my blade, grabbed the corpse by the nape of its neck, and approached the building. Then I kicked the door open violently.

Crash!

The commotion drew the attention of everyone inside toward me.

“What the—?”
“Priest’s robes? A Heretic Inquisitor?”
“This lunatic.”

There appeared to be roughly fifteen of them, and compared to the Chain Hunters, they were clearly small fry.
I held the Bald Man’s corpse by the nape and shouted.

“I’m looking for this bald man’s master! This bastard slaughtered all my comrades! He’s the lowest scum of the earth!”

I surveyed the surroundings.
The building’s center was open, allowing a view of the second floor from the first.

“Do you happen to know where this bastard’s master is? His master’s probably just as pathetic, but I’d really love to see that face!”

The others stared at me with dumbfounded expressions.
Just as they began rising from their tables one by one—

“What’s all this commotion?”

A voice echoed from the second floor.
A man with an aquiline nose and sharp, piercing eyes. That was Mordak, the Chain Hunter.
He was also the one orchestrating loan-sharking operations in these slums.

“Are you this bald man’s master?”

Mordak glanced at the corpse in my hand and nodded.

“And?”
“Then discipline your dog properly!”

I hurled the Bald Man’s corpse directly at Mordak.
The body soared through the air and split in half the moment it reached him, scattering across the floor.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Mordak spun a sickle-shaped weapon with a chain attached to its end in one hand.
I nodded approvingly.

“They say dogs resemble their masters—there’s truth in that. When the master so readily kills his own dog, what fate awaits those beneath him?”
“Didn’t you just kill that man?”
“No, he was merely unconscious—still alive. So you’re the one who killed him.”

I clicked my tongue.

“I threw him to you alive, yet you’re so callous. All of you here will die the same way at his hands.”
“….”

Mordak exhaled deeply and ceased his spinning scythe.

“So? What brings an Interrogator to these Slums? You’re not here to borrow money, are you?”
“You seem to know the reason better than I do.”
“Hmm.”

Mordak planted both hands on the railing and looked down at me.

“I was just thinking we should have a conversation… but forget it. Leave.”
“Why? Afraid you’ll bark like a dog now that we’re face to face?”

Mordak let out a bitter chuckle before responding.

“Did you stop by the Diocese Office before coming here?”
“I plan to after I finish here.”
“So you haven’t been there yet. That means if you die here, no one will know. Suspicion might arise, of course, but if I burn the body, no one will ever find out.”

Mordak continued his tirade.

“You look young. Why not leave while you still can? I’d rather not suffer unnecessary losses myself.”

My ear suddenly itched, so I scratched it.

“Stop your incessant barking. Or perhaps I should put those chains around your neck instead.”
“….”
“Whether you suffer losses or not is none of my concern. I simply cannot stomach watching someone who has stolen from others’ bowls have their own bowl overturned.”

Mordak narrowed his eyes as he asked.

“You’re really going through with this?”
“I’ve always despised dog traders.”

At my killing intent, Mordak’s teeth ground together. Those around him began drawing their weapons one by one.

“Then I shall now proceed with the judgment of heresy.”

I addressed those gathered here.

“Your sins are countless, but your greatest transgression lies in exploiting the desperate hopes of the faithful to satiate your own desires.”
“….”
“Therefore, accept this judgment with humility.”

I glanced back at Bella, who had been waiting in the shadows.

“Bella, Deacon.”
“Yes, Interrogator.”

I shielded my eardrums with divine power and covered both ears with my hands.

“Show these heretics the majesty of the Goddess.”

Bella nodded silently and stepped forward.
Standing before me, she closed her eyes with reverent solemnity and clasped her hands tightly together.
The others watched in confusion.
And the moment Bella slowly opened her mouth.

Kuguguuu!

I felt an immense torrent of magical power surge forth from Bella’s body.
With my hearing completely severed, I smiled wickedly as I watched them.

‘There’s no way I could be the only one spared from this.’

Soon, this place would become Hell itself.

(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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