The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 41

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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 41. You Clean Well.

“What in the….”

The man I’d struck still wore a bewildered expression. But after spitting blood-tinged saliva onto the floor, he glared at me.

“Is it proper for such a virtuous Priest to strike a commoner so?”
“It is. Depending on the circumstances.”

I replied.

“What you did amounted to coercion. And I have every right to respond accordingly.”
“I was unaware the Priest possessed such authority. I shall report this matter directly to the Bishop.”

I folded my arms across my chest.

“Hmm, you still fail to grasp the situation—truly foolish. Go tell the Bishop. Tell him some mad Priest was threatened and struck back.”
“….”

At my composed demeanor, the man regarded me with puzzled eyes before something seemed to dawn on him, and his eyes widened.

“You couldn’t possibly be….”

I let out a soft laugh and answered.

“Be grateful it ended with just my fists.”
“Why would a Heretic Inquisitor be in such an establishment….”
“Who knows. You might know better than I, or perhaps no one does.”

The man decided he should speak no further with me and fell silent.

“If you’ve seen enough, get out. Before my Deacon brings his sword.”
“…I beg your pardon.”

The man wiped the blood from his lips and his companion helped him to his feet.
As they moved toward the exit of the shop.

“Wait.”

I remembered something I’d forgotten and called them to a halt.

“…Yes?”
“Clean up the spit you left behind before you go.”
“Me, sir?”
“Or would you prefer I do it? Whether you wipe it with your backside or lick it clean, just hurry up and get it done.”

The man fell silent, his pride wounded.
Just as I fixed him with a steady gaze, Bella opened the door and stepped inside.

“Interrogator, may I be of assistance?”

I extended my hand toward Bella, who held my sword sheath cradled in both arms.

“Perfect timing. My sword, if you would….”
“I’ll take care of it.”

The man dropped to the floor and scrubbed frantically with his sleeve. I watched the scene unfold and nodded approvingly.

“He cleans quite thoroughly. Proprietor, you could hire this fellow as a janitor.”
“I… I beg your pardon?”

Katrina’s expression suggested she was still struggling to comprehend the situation.
The man eventually polished the floor until it gleamed, then rose and bowed respectfully.

“Farewell to you.”
“Very well.”

They departed from the shop.
Now they would report to their master that a Heretic Inquisitor had visited this place. It would be worthwhile to see how he responds.
After retrieving my sword sheath from Bella, I turned back to Katrina.

“Now then, proprietor, shall we settle the account?”
“…Ah. There’s no need. What you’ve just done is payment enough.”
“You seem to have debts as well. Accept it.”

I withdrew a gold coin from my pocket and handed it to her.

“Wait, wait just a moment! Isn’t this gold currency?”
“I know. I want to show the Deacon that I’m willing to spend a little money.”

I handed the clothing to Bella.
She immediately exclaimed, “Oh yes! Thank you so much, Interrogator!” and went off to change.

“Still, even so….”

Looking at her genuinely troubled expression, it was clear she lacked the ambition to impersonate an Archbishop.

“If nothing else, I could buy some information. I heard earlier that you impersonated an Archbishop—is that true?”
“Ah, well….”

To summarize Katrina’s account, it was as follows.
Someone had come to her requesting ten sets of clothing for use at an Aristocratic Ball, providing a contract and documents bearing the Archbishop’s seal.
He instructed her to purchase the necessary materials with the funds, so Katrina borrowed money from the Marken Trading Company.
However, when the period for the clothing’s completion and collection passed without anyone appearing, Katrina went to meet the Archbishop herself.

“But the seals on those contracts and documents were all forgeries, they said. They were so meticulously crafted that ordinary people couldn’t tell the difference.”
“….”
“Still, the Archbishop said he would purchase the clothing if it was satisfactory, but when I returned to my shop, the garments I’d made had vanished.”

Katrina’s brow furrowed.

“Because of that, rumors spread that I’m a swindler, my customers dried up, and I was left with nothing but debt to the Marken Trading Company.”
“I see.”
“I should have been more careful. I got carried away thinking my skills were finally being recognized.”

I don’t quite see it that way.
Would some madman really impersonate an Archbishop? Especially when deceiving Katrina would yield no benefit.

‘That means whoever orchestrated this must be someone who could profit from deceiving Katrina.’

I asked.

“So the Merchant Lord is saying he’ll clear your debt if you accept his proposal of marriage?”
“Yes.”
“But you must have known the Merchant Lord before this incident occurred, right?”
“We were acquainted. He visited my clothing shop several times.”

Katrina pondered for a moment before her eyes widened in realization.

“Surely you don’t think the Interrogator did this?”
“The Merchant Lord is the only one who profited from it.”

At that, Katrina covered her mouth with her slender hand and offered a subtle smile.

“Why would I go to such lengths? It’s a matter of life and death if I’m caught.”

She certainly had the looks for it. In this world, the one thing a man must guard against most carefully was beauty.
Of course, even accounting for that, it would be excessive.

“Perhaps your purpose wasn’t the only one at stake.”

As I narrowed my eyes, Katrina swallowed hard.

“Then…?”
“The original cloth of Saint Lumen.”
“….”
“You likely possess it, being a descendant of Lumen.”

Katrina’s eyebrow twitched once before she replied composedly.

“The original cloth of Saint Lumen? Surely something so precious wouldn’t be in my possession.”

If she continued to evade, it would be difficult to uncover the truth. But in situations like this, my position always proved invaluable.

“Why do you think I stopped by this clothing shop? Truly by chance to purchase garments?”
“….”
“If you don’t speak truthfully, I cannot help you. And Marken will continue to covet the cloth of Lumen that you possess.”

Katrina gazed at me quietly before releasing a deep sigh.

“Did you come seeking that cloth as well, Interrogator?”
“Well, it would be a lie to say I don’t covet it. I wouldn’t mind obtaining it.”
“….”
“But it’s no lie that I intend to help you.”

Katrina fell silent for a moment.
During that pause, I glanced at Bella. She pointed to her changed outfit and asked softly, “How does it look?”
I simply gave her a thumbs up to brush it off, and Bella raised her shoulders with smug satisfaction.

“I despise Lumen.”

That was when Katrina finally spoke.

“Others praise him as a figure worthy of the Seven Great Virtues’ temperance, but to his descendants, he is nothing but hateful.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they all coveted his sacred fabric, imbued with mysterious power. Our grandparents and parents fell victim to that desire as well.”

Katrina’s eyes narrowed.

“As you know, when cutting the sacred fabric, one must use water diluted with the blood of his descendants, and the dyeing process is no different.”

Lumen had wanted his descendants to create garments for those they cherished, but once the fabric became a holy relic, his wishes could no longer be fulfilled.

“When we refused to make them, others killed us to take our blood. Because of that, there is hardly any fabric left now.”
“….”
“For the same reason, I despise the Goddess as well. If she had not blessed such a fabric, I would have had no reason to hate Lumen, and others would not have had to die.”

Of course, the Goddess had acted only out of a desire to fulfill Lumen’s wishes, but reality proved far colder than what she had envisioned.

“Is it strange for me to feel this way, Interrogator?”

Katrina looked at me with tears glistening in her eyes.
Even in the story of a saint who shines so brightly, profound darkness exists. It is the truth hidden by the world’s prejudices.

“There is nothing strange about it. Human greed simply made you this way.”

I watched Katrina wipe her tears with a handkerchief before I spoke.

“There is one thing I’m curious about, though.”
“…Curious about?”
“Yes. If you hate Lumen and the Goddess so much, why didn’t you dispose of the sacred relic long ago?”
“Because I feared that revealing the existence of the Origin would make me a target….”
“The Papal See was also an option. They would have protected you while compensating you for the sacred relic. Of course, your debt problem would have been resolved as well.”
“….”
“Surely you’re not going to claim you didn’t know?”

Katrina remained silent, her head bowed.
Bella fidgeted beside her, but I was already a discourteous human who had long since abandoned such pleasantries.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting an answer. I was merely puzzled.”

I knew what situation Katrina would face going forward, but I did not know the details about her.
So I refrained from voicing my speculation. The conclusion that follows must be reached by Katrina herself.

“In any case, Marken must also be suspecting that you possess the Origin of Lumen. That’s why he’s made his move in this manner.”

This is fact. I have heard this story in my previous life.

– ‘The proprietor of a clothing shop called Four Seasons. I happened to learn of it during my investigation as well….’

Katrina asked.

“How on earth did he discover that I am a descendant of Lumen?”
“Finding an unspecified number of Lumen’s descendants who hide their identities is difficult. But thoroughly investigating a single person is a simple matter.”
“You mean it was coincidence.”
“Probably.”

Katrina exhaled a deep sigh and gazed up at the ceiling.

“How relentless. I thought I had finally escaped….”
“Life is like cloth—you cannot tailor it to your liking as you wish.”

And it was the same in my previous life.
In my previous life, Katrina was not at Marken’s side. Her clothing shop, Four Seasons, had also vanished.
By my estimation, she who had stubbornly refused his proposal was ultimately consumed by Marken’s greed.

“Do you think the Interrogator’s life was like that too?”
“Perhaps it was.”

In my previous life, I had been no different from her.
Having lost everything, I was left with only vengeance and rage—a life stripped of direction.

“But not anymore.”

Slowly, I am remaking this life, one stitch at a time.
Though it may seem like nothing more than a single seam now, through this act something meant for me will be completed in the days to come.

“I see….”

Katrina offered a melancholy smile.

“Then, if you have the time, could you help me as well?”
“You’ve decided not to sell it to the Papal See?”
“Yes. For now… I simply cannot bring myself to do that. I want to hold on somehow.”
“I see. Then I will help you.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. But there is a condition.”

I looked at her directly.

“When this is finished, you must decide what to do with the fabric—whether to hand it over to the Papal See, use it to make clothes, or burn it entirely.”
“….”
“My help is only for this once. Do you understand?”

Katrina swallowed hard and nodded solemnly.

“I understand.”
“Of course, I hope you will use it to make my priestly vestments.”

Katrina let out a soft laugh.

“You’re quite forthright, aren’t you?”
“If I can obtain what I desire.”
“Then I too shall make the effort. To discover what I truly wish for.”
“Good.”
“But how do you intend to proceed? The claim that Marken impersonated the Archbishop is merely speculation, and you have no evidence.”

A fair point. Unless I could prove that fact, resolving this matter through ordinary means would be extraordinarily difficult.
Especially since the Marken Trading Company was a merchant power substantial enough to dominate this very city.
And yet….

“Do not worry. That wretch is far more contemptible than you imagine.”

I know what he is capable of.
What atrocities he has committed, and what further depravities he seeks to perpetrate.
It was no coincidence that he fell by my hand in my previous life.

“And now, I possess a sword.”

A Heretic Inquisitor wielding a blade is capable of anything.

(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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