The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 61

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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 61. Name Your Price.

Arsein gazed up at the sky for a long while before finally speaking once the rainbow had completely faded.

“A… a Mage Deacon…?”

Before he was a magical artifact craftsman, Arsein was a Mage. He recognized immediately that the otherworldly rainbow was Bella’s magic.

“How could a member of the Theocracy’s Clergy use magic…?”

Arsein himself had been persecuted by the Theocracy for using magic.
So it made no sense that a Deacon under a Heresy Inquisitor—a member of the Theocracy’s Clergy—would wield magic.

“Shall we head inside for now?”

The City’s Guards were scurrying about in alarm. They must have assumed the rainbow was artificial.
Of course, there was no chance they’d discover it was our doing, and even if they did, it wasn’t malicious magic—we’d likely face nothing more than a warning.

“….”

Arsein stared at us with wavering eyes. A storm of conflicting thoughts flickered across his gaze.
Just then, one of the Guards approached Arsein.

“Master Arsein. Did you happen to see that rainbow just now?”

Arsein seemed to hold some standing in this city. After all, Mages weren’t common even in the Empire.

“I did.”
“Ah, I see. Then do you know why the rainbow appeared so suddenly? It hardly seems like a natural phenomenon…”

Arsein’s gaze turned toward us.
He could have driven us away by telling the Guard that we were responsible.
Of course, he would have claimed we were using magic, questioning how members of the Theocracy’s Clergy could possibly do such a thing.
But it seemed I didn’t need to open my mouth at all.

“A large amount of magical energy leaked from my Workshop during the creation of a magical artifact. That energy met the sunlight and formed the rainbow. My apologies for the disturbance.”
“Ah! So that’s why you were outside!”

The Guard nodded.

“But it’s no trouble at all. In fact, I’ve never seen such a grand and beautiful rainbow since I was born.”

Bella flinched momentarily. With her lips pressed firmly together, she was suppressing her joy, so I gently tugged at her cheek.

“So feel free to make such mistakes anytime, haha!”
“Still, I’ll be more careful.”
“Yes! Then I’ll be on my way.”

The Guard saluted once and turned to leave. As he did, he caught sight of my robes and brought his palms together lightly in reverence.
I released Bella’s cheek and gave him a gentle nod. Once the Guard departed, I turned my gaze toward Arsein.

“You have a talent for acting.”
“It was an essential skill for surviving in the Theocracy.”

Arsein turned and approached the Workshop. As he placed his hand on the Workshop door and channeled his mana into it, the door opened with a metallic click.
He stood before the entrance and glanced back slightly.

“Come in. I’ll prove that our magical artifacts are far from mediocre.”

It was a rather plausible excuse. I chuckled lightly and followed him.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

The interior was lined with various magical artifacts, and the scent of mana permeated the air as craftsmen worked on their creations.
Though some glanced up in surprise at my robes, they returned to their work once Arsein raised his hand slightly.

“That rainbow was beautiful.”

Arsein spoke as soon as he sat in the chair at the crafting table on the highest floor.

“I’ve witnessed countless spells and created various magical artifacts over the years, but I’ve never seen magic quite so warm.”

Bella was once again biting her lip to contain her joy. Since there was no need to hold back anymore, I lightly touched her forearm with the back of my hand.

“Thank you!”

Bella’s voice burst forth like a dam breaking.

“It’s a spell my parents created! They said it was for me and everyone!”
“A spell for everyone, you say….”

Arsein closed his eyes quietly, as if reflecting on the scene before him.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“I understand the heart with which they brought that spell into being.”
“R-really?!”
“Yes. I suspect they envisioned you as a newborn when they conceived of it. There’s something about it that resembles you, after all.”
“Wow! You can tell all that just from looking at it?”

Bella was delighted, like a fish discovering water. This was likely her first conversation with another mage.
Arsein scratched his cheek awkwardly, perhaps surprised by the intensity of her reaction.

“No… it’s merely my intuition. Don’t take it too seriously.”
“I see!”
“But….”

Arsein touched the frame. He stood with a solemn expression, his wife and son clinging to his side.
It was a ‘photograph’—a moment frozen in time by magical artifice.

“To bridge the hearts of those far apart. And to perform miracles that would never occur naturally.”

Arsein wore a faint smile.

“That is what I call ‘magic.'”

Arsein turned back to Bella.

“Your parents created such magic. People who were walking their own paths actually stopped and gazed upon your spell.”
“….”
“One day, I too wish to create such a magical artifact. I lack the great talent for magic that your parents possessed.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to!”
“…Thank you.”

Arsein smiled faintly.
I found myself taken aback by his reaction. The Arsein I knew was stubborn and rigid, a man of unyielding principle.
Yet it seemed that genuine passion for magic could crumble even that obstinacy.

“What is your name?”
“I am Bella, Deacon!”
“I see. I will remember it.”

Arsein nodded and turned his gaze toward me.

“But how did this come to pass? A Mage becoming a member of the Clergy? I cannot believe the Theocracy’s perception of magic has shifted.”
“You are correct. The Theocracy remains unchanged, then as now.”

I settled into a nearby chair before answering.

“It was only after she became a Deacon that her nature as a Mage was discovered.”
“Then the Theocracy would have found it difficult to revoke her ordination.”
“Indeed.”
“Yet surely the scrutiny from the Clergy was still considerable?”
“There is a Cardinal sympathetic to magic. He has been watching over her.”

At this, Arsein’s brow furrowed.

“Could that be Cardinal Barun?”
“You know of him?”
“Every magical artifact he uses comes from our Workshop. I have not sold to him directly, but he obtained them through the market.”

Arsein’s fist clenched tightly.

“I nearly burned that merchant’s hair off. How dare he sell my magical artifacts to the Theocracy without my permission!”

Now Barun’s words made sense. Arsein had cut off the sales channel, leaving no way to obtain magical artifacts.
Even if one sought alternative suppliers, no merchant would dare sell to the Theocracy while under Arsein’s watchful eye.

“Then you will not sell to us either?”

At my question, Arsein stroked his chin and shook his head.

“No—a demonstration of true magic after so long deserves compensation. I shall make an exception this once.”

Arsein regarded me with a measured gaze.

“What magical artifacts do you require?”
“First, communication artifacts. Three of them, all capable of reaching one another.”
“What effective range?”
“Far enough to span from the Theocracy to the Empire. Anything beyond that would be even better.”

Since I couldn’t predict how far my travels would take me, the greater the effective range, the better.

“Hmm, the Empire is currently short on the highest-grade mana stones, but three should be manageable.”

Mana stones referred to ore infused with magical essence—essential materials in crafting magical artifacts.
Their grade determined both the price and the artifact’s performance.

“But will this be manageable for you? It’s quite a substantial sum for a Heresy Inquisitor to bear.”

Arsein glanced at my worn sandals.

“These may look humble, but they’re expensive. A luxury item.”

They were, after all, a sacred relic. No amount of gold could purchase them.

“They do appear rather extraordinary, I’ll admit….”
“Never mind that. Just name your price.”
“Well, let me see….”

Arsein calculated carefully before speaking the figure aloud.

“A thousand gold coins should suffice.”

A thousand gold coins—nearly equivalent to a year’s operating expenses for the Barony.
Yet it wasn’t an inflated price. Communication artifacts were expensive to begin with, and the cost increased exponentially with effective range.

“Sriben, our Treasurer. Does our Family Clan possess a thousand gold coins?”

Sriben, standing quietly until now, adjusted his spectacles with an impassive expression.

“We do not. Unless we collect taxes from the residents.”

I had already anticipated his answer, so I turned my gaze back to Arsein.

“So that’s how it is.”
“….”

Arsein’s mouth fell slightly open—a look of bewilderment, as if asking what sort of fool I was.
After a prolonged silence, a man who appeared to be in his late twenties entered.

“Father, I heard we have a guest from the Theocracy.”

The face matched the photograph exactly. It was Aidel, Arsein’s son.
Arsein furrowed his brow.

“Why did you come in? There’s no need to concern yourself with this.”
“Still, they are our guests, are they not? I’ll simply offer them tea and take my leave.”
“Tsk, useless boy. You should be crafting magical artifacts at this hour.”

Aidel, accustomed to such remarks, merely offered a faint smile as he handed us tea.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

Aidel bowed once and departed from the Third Floor.
After taking a sip of the tea he had provided, I spoke to Arsein, who was clicking his tongue.

“There must be a method easier and better than magic for connecting hearts with others.”
“That’s not your concern.”
“Is that so….”
“More importantly, I have no money. How do you plan to purchase a communication artifact? You appear to be nobility, but even so, I cannot extend credit.”

That would be the case. If I were nobility of the Empire, perhaps—but I hail from the Theocracy.

“What if I were to offer you assistance? The kind that could transform your entire life going forward.”
“Transform my life?”
“Yes.”

I moistened my lips with tea to maintain my composure before continuing.

“Arsein, you fled from the Theocracy to the Empire thirty years ago. Your talents were nothing but persecuted in the Theocracy.”

Arsein shot to his feet, his voice sharp with indignation.

“You investigated me! Get out of here this instant—!”
“Your mouth.”

I narrowed my eyes, fixing him with a cold stare.

“You’d do well to be careful. Words can sever bonds just as easily as they forge them.”
“….”
“Your son seems to understand that well enough. Pity you haven’t grasped it yet.”

The oppressive silence that descended over the Workshop made Arsein break into a cold sweat. He swallowed hard before speaking.

“…Is this a threat?”
“Advice. Simply a reminder not to regret careless words.”

After studying me for a long moment, Arsein exhaled deeply, releasing the surge of emotion, and sat back down.

“I apologize. I was being oversensitive.”
“That’s the nature of your years.”
“….”

Arsein regarded me with evident displeasure. My words and actions had contradicted each other just now.
But I harbored no regrets, so I pressed on without concern.

“At that time, there was a Heresy Inquisitor pursuing you—a Mage. You shook him off and fled to the Empire.”
“How could you possibly….”
“There are ways to know such things.”

I tapped my teacup thoughtfully.

“In any case, he hasn’t abandoned his pursuit of you. He’s still hunting.”
“The Heresy Inquisitor’s authority holds no sway here. If a Heresy Inquisitor from the Theocracy so much as lays a finger on someone who has become an Imperial citizen, the Empire won’t take it lightly, would they?”

True enough. Arsein wasn’t merely an ordinary Imperial citizen—he was a promising artificer of magical constructs.
And the Empire wouldn’t pass up such a convenient opportunity to lodge a formal protest against the Theocracy.
But….

“That man is no longer a Heretic Inquisitor. After he lost you, he abandoned his position in the Clergy and vanished without a trace.”
“Just to capture me…?”
“It wouldn’t have been ‘just’ for him. Does anything come to mind?”

Arsein pressed his forehead, thinking hard.

“My eye… I took one of his eyes. I was left with a scar across my chest.”
“Then that must be it.”

I nodded.

“I came here after learning that he was targeting you. I also needed magical artifacts.”
“….”
“He will likely try to kill you. And just as you took his eye that day, this time he will take what you possess.”

In my past life, that man had killed Arsein’s wife and only son.
In the process, he died at Arsein’s hands and those of the Empire’s soldiers who came at the commotion, but Arsein’s rage at losing what was precious to him remained.

‘Later, he would join the Wol Young Order and provide magical artifacts for killing people—precisely to bring down the Theocracy.’

Through this, he became the master of the Magic Tower, which held the highest share of magical artifacts in the Empire, and was designated as a villain by the Theocracy.
Of course, the Theocracy didn’t know Arsein was part of the Wol Young Order, but I knew, so I sought him out directly.
I had slipped into the very top of the Magic Tower and spoke with Arsein.

– Why did you, who loved magic and sought asylum in the Empire, create magical artifacts that kill people?
– The Theocracy started this first. They simply paid the price for it.
– …I see.

Arsein died without resistance. Whether it was to keep other craftsmen from being caught up in it, or simply acceptance of death, I could not say.

“That man….”

Arsein clenched his teeth and looked at me.

“So you’re saying that in exchange for stopping him, I should hand over a communication magical artifact?”
“If they’re worth that much to you.”

Arsein thought for a moment before speaking.

“But how am I supposed to believe you? You could be lying just to deceive me. And before that—are you truly a Heretic Inquisitor?”

It was only natural that he couldn’t bring himself to trust easily.
A Heretic Inquisitor was a devout follower of the Ella Faith, yet here I was, traveling with a Mage Deacon.

“Bella, who stands here with us, finds herself in circumstances much like yours. In fact, one could argue her past has been far more brutal. Her parents were killed by a Heretic Inquisitor.”
“…!”

Arsein’s eyes widened. Bella had already given her consent to this revelation beforehand.

“But why does she seem so… bright?”
“That’s precisely her greatest strength.”

Bella scratched the back of her head, looking embarrassed.

“I intend to reshape the Theocracy’s perception of magic going forward. For now, I plan to introduce magical artifacts to our Estate.”
“…That’s madness. The other Clergy and nobles of the Theocracy won’t simply stand by and watch.”
“It doesn’t matter. I have several cards up my sleeve.”

I regarded Arsein carefully.

“But to make that happen, I need your help first. More precisely, the magical artifacts you create.”
“….”
“Well, if you don’t believe me, I have no intention of pursuing this further. I’ll simply have to find another way.”

Arsein’s brow furrowed. He fell silent for a long moment, lost in deep contemplation.
Soon, Arsein grasped the frame lightly and murmured softly.

“A Theocracy where magic isn’t persecuted….”

Arsein rose from his seat and bowed deeply.

“I ask this of you. Please protect my new home. If you safeguard this place alone, I will provide as many magical artifacts as you need.”

Arsein had little choice in the matter. The Empire didn’t know of his origins in the Theocracy, and seeking help would inevitably expose that truth.
No matter how much the Empire valued ability over origin, one’s background could become a fatal weakness.
Or perhaps Arsein simply didn’t wish to reveal it himself.

“Why not try the same approach with your family?”
“It’s not as simple as it sounds.”
“Best to do it while your joints are still intact.”

At that, Arsein straightened his back and fixed me with a bewildered stare.

“…Are you really a Heresy Inquisitor?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

If my memory served, it wouldn’t be long before he came looking for Arsein directly.
With the future altered, he might arrive even sooner.

“Have a communication artifact prepared by then.”

I adjusted my sword and stepped outside.
It was time to show my predecessor—the former Heresy Inquisitor—who the true Heresy Inquisitor really was.

(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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