The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 50

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

Chapter 50. Why Act So Surprised?

The battle ended before the sun completely set.
They were skilled mercenaries, certainly, but against me in the throes of fury, they were no match.
At best, the Leader could cross blades with me. Even that didn’t last long before he fell.

“Are you alright?”
“Yes….”

As I sheathed my sword and approached, Sena nodded carefully.

“But who were they…? Pretending to come rescue me like that….”
“Those who sought your life.”

They likely intended to separate me from Sena first, then eliminate her.
Not knowing my true strength, that would have been their most certain and safest approach.

‘After that, they would have either killed me or framed me for the Holy Maiden’s murder.’

It was convenient that many had witnessed me abducting Sena—the false accusation would have fit perfectly.

“Who, who would do such a thing….”

I stared at Sena and asked.

“You truly don’t know?”
“What?”
Bishop Litvel.

Sena’s pupils dilated in that instant.

“You already know. There’s no one else who would do such a thing.”

Sena hid her expression behind her long hair as she spoke.

“Bishop Litvel… he raised me even before I became a Holy Maiden. Though I’m his adopted daughter, he treated me like his own.”
“He did. A former mercenary turned bishop needed to improve his image. That’s why he chose you—an orphan.”

Litvel was an unusual case—a mercenary who became a member of the clergy.
But for a mercenary who had chased gold to become a bishop, the eyes watching him were hardly kind.
Sena gripped the hem of her garment tightly and glared at me with difficulty.

“Why… why are you saying such things…! He’s someone I’m grateful to…!”
“The affection he showed you may have been genuine. I can’t know that much either.”

I bent one knee and met her gaze.

“But humans kill even their own children for greed.”
“But he has no reason to kill me…!”

In a way, that was true. Bishop Litvel had benefited greatly from Sena becoming the Saint of Foresight.

“You know much about him. What crimes he committed using your abilities.”
“….”
“If you revealed those facts to the Papal See, he would fall from bishop to criminal.”

In my past life, Bishop Litvel was dragged before the Papal See on multiple criminal charges not long after the Saint of Foresight died.
Yet I didn’t believe Bishop Litvel was the one who killed Sena, because the Saint of Truth had already confirmed that fact.

‘So it’s certain that Sena took her own life.’

Then why? Why did she, who could overcome even such heavy responsibility, face such a future?

“I suspect you’ve already seen the future where he kills you.”
“…!”

A great ripple spread across Sena’s eyes. Even when trying to hide it, there were still clumsy parts.

“So you fled. So he wouldn’t kill you and the Religious Kingdom wouldn’t be implicated. That’s why you said taking your own life was the best future.”

I recalled what Sena had said just before.

– This way, with me disappearing, it’s the best future. Otherwise, I take my own life….

Perhaps in my past life, she was eventually caught by the Knight and brought back home.
But knowing that if she delayed any longer, Bishop Litvel would kill her, she shed tears and grasped a dagger herself.
She endured the agony of death that even saints feared—all to protect the foster father who had raised her.

‘Yet Bishop Litvel failed to notice even that as he attempted to murder Sena.’

In my previous life, Sena would have acted first before I could even instigate the murder, allowing her to escape the Saint of Truth’s grasp.
But this time, seeing our escape as an opportunity, she moved immediately.
So this time, there was no way she could evade suspicion.

“Is he truly precious to you? Precious enough that you would take your own life for him?”

Sena nodded silently, her voice trembling with tears.

“Even if he is a criminal?”
“Yes….”

Sena wiped her tears away with her hands and confessed.

“Once a month, I used my stigma to show the Bishop his future. And the Bishop prepared himself accordingly….”

The Saint of Foresight could see her own future, but she could also foresee the futures of others.

“At first, I didn’t understand how the Bishop was changing the future. But as time passed, I naturally came to realize it. That the Bishop was eliminating the very source of that future….”

In other words, he killed those who would become the root cause. I already knew this from my previous life.

“So a few months ago, I asked him to stop doing bad things. But the Bishop said this wasn’t something evil—it was merely changing an unfortunate future.”
“….”
“But I couldn’t bear it. I could no longer watch innocent people die because of the futures I saw….”

Now I finally understood clearly why Bishop Litvel had tried to kill Sena.
Sena, who no longer used her foresight, was nothing more than a dangerous liability to Bishop Litvel—someone who knew his secret.

“But the Bishop kept demanding it, and eventually….”
“You used your stigma.”
“Yes….”
“Did you see the future where Bishop Litvel kills you?”

Sena held back her sobs, her lips trembling slightly as she slowly nodded.

“Will you arrest the Bishop, Interrogator?”
“Of course. I’m a Heretic Inquisitor, after all.”
“Couldn’t you just pretend you didn’t see anything? I’ll do whatever you ask.”

Sena gazed up at me with desperate eyes.
I answered her firmly.

“That’s impossible.”
“Ah….”
“Even if I turned a blind eye, his crimes would eventually be discovered by someone else.”

In my past life, her sacrifice had been meaningless in the end. His darkness was far too vast for her small frame to conceal.

“I-isn’t there any way…?”
“The future can be changed, but the sins of the past cannot be erased. So the only way you can help him now is one thing alone.”
“What is it…?”

I gazed into Sena’s hopeful eyes and spoke.

“Confess his crimes to the Papal See before he dies by my hand.”
“….”
“He will certainly die the moment he meets me. If you don’t believe me, verify it by looking at my future.”

I extended my hand toward Sena.
Sena squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head vigorously. She didn’t need to see the future to know—I was someone who would follow through.

‘Hmm.’

At that moment, I sensed movement in the ‘Tailwind’ I had released earlier. They were likely the ones truly pursuing me to reclaim Sena.
I looked at the hesitant Sena.

“Can’t you decide?”
“Yes… I want to run away.”
“Then let’s run away together. Sometimes that’s the right choice.”

I wrapped one arm around Sena’s body and lifted her.

“But….”

With my other hand, I gently touched the communication artifact nestled in my breast pocket.

“Whether you wish it or not, we shall cross paths again someday.”

I pushed off the ground and distanced myself from the sounds of human presence.

* * *

Four days later, in Bishop Litvel’s Office.
Litvel, bearing a long scar beneath one eye, spoke.

“It seems the Papal See won’t be able to dispatch the Holy Knights. They’ve all been sent out on assignments, apparently.”

The Knight responded to him.

“Then it will take longer to locate the Holy Maiden… He was no ordinary Heresy Inquisitor, after all.”

The Knight bowed deeply at the waist.

“My sincerest apologies, Bishop. This situation arose because I failed to apprehend the Holy Maiden….”
“It’s fine. Sena used her stigmata to escape, and an uninvited guest appeared on top of that.”
“Still….”
“We can assign blame later. For now, let us focus on finding Sena.”
“Yes….”

Litvel stroked his chin in contemplation.

‘I cannot let this opportunity slip away. Somehow, our mercenaries must find her before those Knights do.’

Originally, Litvel had been planning to kill Sena.
Though she had certainly helped him solidify his position as Bishop, she knew far too much about him for her to remain alive.

‘Besides, she no longer uses her stigmata for my sake anyway. She’s become useless.’

Thus, this kidnapping incident was a golden opportunity for Litvel.
A chance to murder Sena and pin all the blame squarely on the Heresy Inquisitor.

‘But I never expected those bastards would fall so easily.’

The mercenaries who had faced the Heretic Inquisitor were no ordinary soldiers.
Yet the Heretic Inquisitor had dispatched them with ease, and had been evading the Knights’ pursuit ever since.
All while dragging a girl along with him.

‘Even if he utilized the stigma of Yejis, he’s an exceptional specimen compared to other Heretic Inquisitors. I cannot even guarantee victory against him.’

At least there was one consolation—Litvel’s objective was not to deal with the Heretic Inquisitor, but to eliminate Sena.

‘Then a single opportunity would suffice.’

For now, I had instructed the mercenaries not to approach the Heretic Inquisitor if they found him, but to report back to me instead.
Everything else, I could handle personally.

‘The only problem is, I cannot fathom why the Heretic Inquisitor abducted Sena in the first place.’

The Heretic Inquisitor would know nothing of my crimes. Yet it didn’t seem as though he had kidnapped her for the stigma of Yejis either.
I posed the question.

“The Deacon has said nothing of note?”
“Well… he seemed rather composed about the whole affair.”

The Heretic Inquisitor’s Deacon was currently imprisoned in the Underground Prison.
I had interrogated him about his purpose in abducting the Holy Maiden, but his responses were these.

– I don’t know. I’d like to ask the Inquisitor myself.
– Then where would he flee to?
– I wouldn’t know. If I did, wouldn’t I have gone after him?
– ….
– And if you’re thinking of capturing the Inquisitor, I’d advise against it. You won’t catch him unless the Holy Knights hunt him down like dogs.

The Deacon continued speaking as he sipped his soup.

– Once he finishes his work, he’ll return on his own anyway. That’s just how he is.
– Hmm….
– By the way, is there more of this soup? It’s delicious.
– ….

Abducting a Holy Maiden was an extraordinarily grave matter, yet even the Deacon’s indifference left me utterly unable to discern the Heretic Inquisitor’s true purpose.

Tap, tap—

At that moment, a hawk struck the window. It was a letter from the Papal See.
Litvel examined the contents of the letter.

「We have located the position of Kael Inquisitor. The location is….」

Though the Papal See hadn’t sent Holy Knights, they apparently had been tracking the Heretic Inquisitor’s whereabouts.
Well, from the Theocracy’s perspective, the Holy Maiden was an important asset.

“Is that a letter from the Papal See?”

At the Knight’s question, Litvel tucked the letter into his garment.

“Yes. They said they would dispatch the Holy Knights immediately once they return from their mission.”
“That’s fortunate. Given that corpses have been discovered from combat, it seems there are others targeting the Holy Maiden besides the Heretic Inquisitor.”
“Indeed.”

Litvel grasped the window that hung as decoration on the wall.

“In any case, I cannot simply remain idle. I shall search for Sena myself as well.”
“Yes. We will contact you if we discover anything on our end.”
“I appreciate it.”

Of course, by that time she would likely be found as a corpse.
Litvel concealed his smile as he stepped outside.

* * *

– I have leaked Kael Inquisitor’s location as you requested. I suspect the letter has reached Bishop Litvel by now.

A man’s voice flowed from the communication artifact. It was Cardinal Barun.

“I see.”
– Still, you’ve done something quite unreasonable. Had you been unable to contact me, the two Holy Knights would have immediately pursued Kael Inquisitor.

That would have been troublesome as well.
Ludian might have come.

“I had already thought things through to this point.”
– Even to the extent of granting the Kael Inquisitor’s request?
“You did grant it, didn’t you?”

I had asked Cardinal Barun to hold back the Papal See’s movements for a moment, saying I had something to consider.
And to keep that fact hidden from Litvel as well.

– Sigh… It wasn’t easy. It’s only thanks to His Majesty suggesting we observe for now, given that the Kael Inquisitor has accumulated achievements.
“That’s fortunate, then.”
– But we won’t be able to hold out for long. To the Theocracy, the Holy Maiden is in some ways an irreplaceable existence even more important than His Majesty.
“Don’t worry. The matter will be settled by today at the latest.”

Barun pondered for a moment before speaking.

– Are you certain about this? The Holy Maiden seems to be hoping the matter won’t be settled.

Naturally, I had explained the situation in detail to Barun. There was no reason to hide it, since only Litvel needed to remain ignorant.
I answered while watching Sena wash herself at the stream bank.

“I am a Heresy Inquisitor, after all. There are things I must do afterward.”
– How cold of you.
“Hearing her sob every night is torture in itself.”

Because of that, her eyes were swollen every time.

– Still, you’re going this far for the Holy Maiden’s sake, aren’t you? Normally, you would have stormed directly into the office.
“I simply want her to realize it herself—that she cannot run away forever.”
– I see.
“In any case, I’ll contact you again.”
– Yes. I’ll inform you if anything changes.
“Thank you. I’ll repay the favor with results.”
– Kehehehe, I look forward to it.

I tucked the crystal orb into my pocket, then handed Sena the fish I had roasted over the campfire.

“Eat.”
“Thank you…”

Sena took small bites of the fish before suddenly speaking.

“It hurts. It’s as if there’s a thorn lodged in my throat.”
“Seems like there really is one.”
“I suppose so….”

Sena massaged her throat and tilted her head quizzically. Then she resumed chewing the fish before speaking again.

“Would it be easier if I died?”
“Rather than easier, it would be more accurate to say you’d feel nothing at all.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad….”
“Not just the pain. Even the memories that kept you alive would vanish.”
“Hmm, I don’t like that part….”

Sena’s expression grew dejected. I took the twig from her, now stripped of flesh and bearing only thorns.

“As long as I’m here, you won’t be able to die so carelessly. Even if you want to, you’ll have to live.”

Sena pouted her lips.

“You’re cruel.”
“Why state the obvious?”

I let out a light scoff and tossed the twig into the campfire. Sena stared up at me before letting out a weak laugh. She rubbed her eyes and asked.
Sena asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Figure it out yourself. I’ll handle things my own way.”
“I see….”
“Besides, there’s nowhere left to run now.”
“At this point, there’s no way to escape anymore.”

In the distance, a branch sharpened like a spear approached, wreathed in blue mana.
It was an attack I could easily evade. But if I dodged, the spear would pierce through Sena’s head behind me.
It’s an attack I can easily dodge. But if I do, the spear will pierce through Sena’s head behind me.

“A coincidence?”

As I gripped the sword tightly, sparks danced along the blade. With that, I swung it forcefully into the spear’s trajectory.
He gripped the sword tightly, and flames flickered across its blade. In that state, he swung the sword forcefully along the spear’s trajectory.

Crash!

In an instant, sparks erupted in the empty air as mana unraveled, and the spear shattered without a trace.
Had it been an ordinary spear, it would have bounced away, but since it was fashioned from a tree branch, it crumbled instead.
I fixed my gaze on one spot and spoke.

“Come out.”
“….”
“Or turn back.”

A moment later, a man wielding a spear slowly emerged from the Forest. He bore a long scar across his eye.
Sena’s eyes widened.

“B-Bishop Litvel!”

Litvel turned to Sena and spoke softly.

“I’ve come to rescue you, Sena.”

Litvel smiled faintly—like a tender yet formidable father.

“Don’t worry now. I will….”

At that moment, I pushed off the ground with force and launched myself forward. The instant I saw his face, my body moved on pure instinct.
I reached him in moments and brought my blade down in silence.
Litvel showed no panic, swiftly angling his spear across the sword’s path to intercept.
Just as his spear and my blade were about to collide.

Whoosh—

I released my grip on the sword and drove myself into his embrace instead. My fist clenched tight as I stared at his exposed abdomen.

Whirr—

My fist burned with fury. Twisting my upper body using my core, the fist that had been behind my shoulder extended toward his ribs.
It was an attack he couldn’t block.

Boom!

“Gack!”

A groan escaped his lips as his body suddenly hurtled through the air.
He thrashed about mid-flight to regain his balance, then drove his spear into the ground below, barely managing to reduce the impact.
He clutched at his ribs, glaring at me with seething hatred.

“You….”

I extinguished the flames wreathing my fist and let out a contemptuous laugh.

“Coming to rescue someone? How absurd….”

He came here to die before me.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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