The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 48

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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 48. Who Dares Touch My….

Of course, it was Bella’s magic.
She had been hiding all along, seized the opportunity, and unleashed her spell—nothing more.
Dealing with mages was always tedious, so seizing the initiative this way made combat far more manageable.

‘Still, she managed not to get caught.’

Mages were sensitive to magic rather than presence, so Bella had concealed herself without casting spells.
If this were someone seasoned in actual combat, the chances of detection would have been high, but Bella had hidden herself well.

“Magic? Where on earth did it come from….”

At Rabek’s words, I corrected him with a gaze as deep and cold as an abyss.

“The Goddess herself delivered divine punishment.”

Rabek, uncertain whether I was serious, pondered briefly before deducing.

“There was a Deacon. Heretic Inquisitors are typically accompanied by a Deacon.”
“Ah, you’ve seen through it.”
“Isn’t falling for a lie just foolishness?”
“Which is precisely why I expected you to believe it.”
“….”

Rabek’s lips twitched convulsively. Then, suppressing his emotions, he spoke.

“I never imagined it. That a Deacon would be a mage…. How did the Theocracy grant such a position?”
“She was an ordinary Deacon. She simply manifested her magical talent after becoming one.”

Had the Theocracy known from the start that Bella was a mage, ordaining her as a Deacon would have been difficult.
But now that she was already a Deacon, stripping her of the title solely for being a mage would have put the Theocracy in an awkward position.

“Still, there would surely be whispers among the clergy.”
“Which is exactly why we’re apprehending someone like you.”

I pointed my blade of flame at him.

“I will change the Theocracy’s perception in a different way than you. Even if it takes time, moving forward like a turtle, something will eventually shift.”

But I won’t concern myself overly with that aspect. I’ll simply continue as I have been, occasionally pondering the matter.
In time, someone will surely take notice.

“A futile dream.”
“We are beings of that nature, after all.”

Rabek fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“Your Deacon is fortunate. He has gained many opportunities because of you.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
“But I have never been afforded such opportunities. The hatred the Theocracy bred cast me into shadow.”

Rabek gazed at me with eyes like the moon.

“So will you not grant me that same opportunity?”
“…What?”
“I’m saying I wish to serve under you. Though only one arm remains, it should prove useful.”

I didn’t ask for clarification because I failed to understand his words. It was simply an answer I had not anticipated.

“You seem quite desperate to live.”
“I am sincere.”

His gaze suggests he speaks truthfully.
Of course, accepting him is another matter entirely.

“You’ve come too far for that. You know it as well as I do.”
“I have not killed a single person thus far.”
“Then that creature must be a beast.”

I gestured toward the charred corpse behind me. It was killed by Rabek’s magic.
Rabek nodded.

“A beast indeed. A creature enslaved by greed.”
“And you are the architect of the chaos that creature brought upon others.”
“…”

Rabek’s mouth clamped shut. It was a fact he couldn’t refute.
And this wouldn’t be the first time he’d done such things.

“So in the end, you’re saying you’ll kill me.”
“If you’re only understanding that now, we have a problem. Perhaps my meaning wasn’t clear enough.”

Flames flickered quietly along my blade. Rabek, watching them, asked a question.

“May I ask one thing?”
“If it’s your final words, by all means.”

Rabek let out a bitter chuckle before speaking.

“Were you sincere about changing the Theocracy’s perception of mages?”

I tilted my head.

“What have you been listening to all this time? Am I perhaps speaking to a wall?”
“….”
“Remarkable—these days even walls bleed.”

I marveled at the blood trickling steadily from his shoulder.
He exhaled a long, heavy sigh.

“…I see.”

Then he drew upon his mana. I immediately braced myself for the spell that would come flying.

Whoooosh!

Scorching flames erupted from his fingertips.
I raised my sword to deflect it. But strangely, the flames were not directed at me.
Fire engulfed Rabek’s entire body.
It wasn’t Bella who had struck—Rabek had cast the spell upon himself.
The flames, consuming him like kindling, illuminated the forest’s darkness. From within the inferno, his silhouette wavering black, he spoke as though laughing.

“I hope such a day comes someday.”

He made no sound after that. Only the crackling of embers and the acrid stench of burnt flesh spread through the forest.
Soon the flames dwindled and the logs collapsed into ash. I sheathed my sword and approached the corpse.

“….”

The Wol Young Order was a collective of mages gathered to destroy the Theocracy, which rejected magic users.
However, in my past life, their cause had failed, and many among them were nothing more than garbage indistinguishable from other villains.

‘Yet at least this one’s conviction to change perceptions of mages was genuine.’

Of course, that didn’t excuse the harm inflicted upon innocent residents.

‘Hmm? Now that I think about it….’

In this incident, I hadn’t killed anyone with my own hands.
Jacob died by Rabek’s hand, and Rabek died by his own convictions.
What a peaceful resolution this was.
I wish every day could be like this, but unfortunately the world won’t be so kind to me.

‘Goddess, may the day come when blood no longer stains my blade….’

One should carry at least one futile dream in one’s heart. Only then can we move forward.
The Goddess, too, granted me a small measure of divine power to support such aspirations.

“Interrogator!”

At the sound of the voice, I opened my closed eyes.
The Goddess who had been hiding in the forest…. No, Bella was approaching me.

“Why did he suddenly cast magic at himself?”

I looked at the fallen Rabek before answering.

“Who knows. Perhaps he couldn’t bear his own foolishness any longer.”
“I see.”

In any case, the most troublesome problem in Haven City had been resolved.
Had I not summoned him today, I would never have captured him.

“…?”

I felt a gaze upon me and turned to find Bella staring up at me intently.

“Hehe.”
“…?”
“Hehehehe.”

I couldn’t quite tell what was amusing her, but she seemed delighted. It reminded me of how a village dog once looked at me with that same expression.

‘Does she want praise for using magic well?’

Her offensive magic had certainly improved, but I made it a habit not to give her treats too often—I didn’t want her to develop bad habits.

“Did you eat some luminescent mushroom or something? Why are you grinning like that?”
“It’s nothing at all!”

Fine then.

“Let’s head back now. Keep it quiet that the Wol Young Order is behind this.”

There was no benefit in giving those who despise magic any ammunition to use against us.

“Yes!”

Bella’s response was as bright as moonlight, as always.

* * *

Upon returning to Haven City, my first act was to round up every merchant connected to Jacob.
Some tried to flee the moment they saw me, but the instant I drew my sword, they mysteriously became docile and allowed themselves to be captured.
I wondered if someone had enchanted this blade—perhaps with magic that made the guilty obedient.
I gathered the captured merchants in one place and spoke.

“If anyone here believes they’ve been wronged, raise your hand.”
“….”
“Don’t be shy. Speak up now, or you might be taken away unjustly without a chance to defend yourselves.”

At that, one man raised his hand. I toyed with my sword as I questioned him.

“Wronged?”
“No… that’s not it. What happened to Jacob?”

I spoke in a measured, deliberate tone.

“Curious?”
“…No. Not at all.”
“Good. Everyone will go to the Diocese Office and undergo thorough interrogation. If their crimes are minor, they’ll be released soon enough.”

I had someone escort the trembling men to the nearby Diocese Office.
The next day, I made the truth known throughout the city—that someone had engaged in malicious hoarding for profit, and I had exposed them.
With testimonies from merchants who had been pressured by those men, no one doubted my account.
Having removed the threat to the city, the people’s sentiment toward the Luminara Family improved dramatically overnight.

“Good day to you, Young Master.”
“Good morning.”

As proof of this shift, whenever I passed through the streets, residents would greet me readily.
However, one problem remained.
With Haven City’s largest merchant guild now defunct, the prices of various goods would inevitably rise.
If I failed to address this, the people’s goodwill would evaporate.
But this was not my concern to bear.

“Handle the rest yourself. You’ve had plenty of time to rest.”

Sriben, whose skin had become noticeably more vibrant, adjusted his glasses.

“Leave it to me, Young Master. I’ve already mapped out all the distribution channels—I just need to find people to manage them.”
“I see.”
“And I plan to select personnel primarily from merchants who endured their pressure and coercion.”

These were people who had remained steadfast despite temptation and intimidation. They would not seek unfair profit.

“Good. Call me if something like this happens again.”
“Don’t worry. I can handle matters at this level now.”

I studied Sriben intently before patting his shoulder twice.

“This bastard’s really fighting to stay alive.”
“Haha, well, he can’t very well die.”
“That’s true enough.”
“But Young Master, I heard you visited the Archbishop’s Territory before coming here?”
“Just to buy some clothes. Why?”
“Oh, no reason. I was just wondering if you’d gone to capture the Archbishop himself.”
“Well, if there’s a problem, even the Pope wouldn’t escape my reach.”
“I, I see.”

With that, my business here was concluded. The rest could be left to Sriben.

“Then let’s meet again alive.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure to stay alive.”
“Good.”

I chuckled softly and turned to leave.
I had entered this city quietly, yet I departed amid the well-wishes and gazes of its residents.
Perhaps because of that, something swelled within my chest alongside the divine power.

* * *

Upon leaving Haven City, we made our way directly to Litbel Territory. There was important business to attend to there.
In my previous life, shortly after the Demon God descended, I spent much time traveling alongside Ludian.
At that time, Ludian had lost all justification to pursue me, so he prioritized defeating the Demon God.
As a result, Ludian often shared various stories with me.
Though I knew not the reason, perhaps even he—who seemed as solid as tempered steel—could not endure without doing so.

‘In any case….’

Among the things Ludian had told me, there was this:

– If the Saint of Foresight hadn’t taken her own life, perhaps things would have turned out better.
– I don’t know why.
– I don’t know the details myself. Perhaps it was because she bore too great a burden of responsibility at such a young age.

I pondered for a moment before asking him.

– Is there a possibility someone fabricated this?
– No. Given the magnitude of the incident, the Saint of Truth interrogated everyone involved. But no one had murdered or instigated the Saint of Foresight.
– I see.
– However….

Ludian in my memory gazed up at the crimson sky.

– When she received the stigma, she saw her own future. A future where she wept and drove a dagger into her own abdomen.
– ….
– And it was an immutable future.

After that silence, I opened my mouth.

– The Goddess made a mistake.
– What?
– If the Goddess had not granted her the stigma, she would never have faced such a future.
– That’s….
– Tsk, tsk. Why burden such a fragile girl with something so heavy? Why not place it upon me instead?

Ludian seemed to have much to say, but recognizing the logic in my words, he simply fell silent and kept walking.
That day was another victory for me.

“By the way, I’ve been curious about this for a while—how do you know so much about everything, Interrogator?”

It was Bella’s voice that pulled me back to reality. This was after I had told her I had business with the Saint of Foresight.

‘Well, she would be curious. I’ve been moving as though I knew the locations of all the holy relics.’

If anything, it was surprising she was only asking now.
I offered a vague excuse.

“When I left my home to undertake a pilgrimage, I witnessed and heard many things. I simply combine those observations to guide my actions.”
“Ah, I see.”

Though my explanation was laden with truth, it was somewhat crude as an excuse, yet Bella harbored no great suspicions and continued walking.
I would keep the fact of my regression hidden. Since I don’t even understand why I regressed, revealing it would only invite unnecessary complications.

“….”

Litbel Territory was crowded despite its modest size. Pilgrims came to visit because the Saint of Foresight resided there.
We too were swept along in the throng, walking through the masses.

‘But most of them will leave without ever seeing the Saint’s face.’

The Saint of Foresight was rumored to be confined to her home. Because of this, I was also pondering how to meet her.

‘Times like these call for leveraging connections.’

I extended my hand toward Bella.

“Bella, lend me a communication artifact.”
“Yes!”

Bella retrieved a small crystal orb from her bag—one she had received from Cardinal Barun.

“Here it is!”
“That’s—”

Thud!

At that moment, I felt an impact against my buttocks.
The audacity of this person. Regardless of how crowded it was, to brazenly lay hands on a Heretic Inquisitor’s body.
I tucked the communication artifact into my robes and turned my head.

“Who dared touch my—”

I surveyed the shameless perpetrator of this assault.
A girl with disheveled long hair obscuring her eyes, sitting crumpled on the ground and rubbing her head.

“Why is there a wall here…?”

It seemed she had been running and collided with my posterior.

‘Then is this sexual harassment, or not?’

As I contemplated this seriously, Bella extended her hand to the fallen girl.

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere…?”
“Gasp!”

Whoosh!

The girl fled as though she had witnessed something unspeakable. I watched the molester disappear into the throng of people.

“Young people these days have no manners…?”

I had intended to overlook the matter with an adult’s patience if she apologized, but her recent conduct warranted a proper reprimand from someone of my station.
Just as I turned to follow her.

“Sena! Stop right there!!”

A man who appeared to be chasing the girl came rushing toward us.

‘Sena?’

I tilted my head in confusion.
If my knowledge was correct, the Saint of Foresight’s name should be Sena. Now that I thought about it, the girl’s age seemed to match as well.
Since I had never laid eyes upon the Saint of Foresight before, I had no knowledge of her appearance.
The man weaving through the crowd caught sight of us and bowed several times.

“My apologies, my apologies!”

Judging by the armor and sword at his side, he appeared to be a Knight.
If my suspicion was correct, he would be the Knight protecting the Saint of Foresight. In that case, the girl who collided with me was likely the Saint of Foresight herself.

“Sena!!”

The man resumed his pursuit of Sena.
For some reason, the Knight appeared to be tracking the fleeing Saint of Foresight.
It was peculiar that a Knight couldn’t apprehend a single girl, but it was not a matter of immediate concern to me.

‘First, I must extract an apology directly from her.’

I lowered my posture and spoke.

“Lend me your shoulder.”
“…What?”

Fortunately receiving immediate consent, I pushed off the ground. Then, using the Knight’s shoulder as a springboard once more, I launched myself into the sky.
After savoring the azure expanse above, I descended upon the fleeing girl with her small frame like a hawk diving for prey.
I had always been earnest when it came to apprehending sexual offenders.

(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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