The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 64

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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 64. Who Do You Think You Are?

“Reckless Heresy Inquisitor Kael. I have returned with the Zarkan Empire’s magical artifacts in hand.”

Those were my first words to Father the moment I arrived at the mansion.
I explained everything that had transpired to Father, who wore a displeased expression, and afterward, I immediately went to install weather prediction magical artifacts throughout the estate.
True to their reputation as craftsmen sent by Arsein, the installation was completed in just a few hours.

“By observing the graph that appears on this display, you can predict the weather for an entire week. For further details, please refer to this manual.”

They explained the weather prediction magical artifacts to each lord.
Since we only had five units, we installed them exclusively on Luminara Mainland, but we would gradually distribute them to Haven City as time progressed.
Above all, we needed to introduce them slowly—rushing too eagerly could invite backlash.

We decided to remain on Luminara Mainland for a while, observing the situation.
Since no major incidents were occurring in the immediate future, I focused on helping the residents adapt to the magical artifacts while maintaining vigilance.

“Hmm, magical artifacts… Can they really predict the weather?”

The residents encountering the magical artifacts for the first time seemed quite bewildered…

“No, wait! The rain actually fell just as predicted!”
“Impossible! Is this prophecy?”
“Wahaha! With this, I won’t have to worry about the weather every single day!”

The residents, most of whom were farmers, accepted the magical artifacts far more quickly than expected.

“Listen! Tomorrow there’s supposed to be a downpour!”
“Oh my, I need to maintain the drainage channels quickly.”
“I, I need to check the grain warehouse! I can’t have it flooded like it used to be.”

Certainly, weather prediction alone had greatly stabilized their lives. Previously, sudden downpours causing flooding and crops being swept away were commonplace.
A month passed in this manner.
When September arrived, some began sowing winter wheat, while others started brewing fruit wine.

“What was the weather like yesterday?”
“Brilliant and clear.”
“Then how about we all share some fruit wine? I’ll bring enough for everyone.”
“Oh, now that’s splendid.”
“My, the world has truly become a better place. We Farmers no longer need to worry about the weather.”
“Isn’t this all thanks to Young Master Kael!”
“Haha! Long live Young Master Kael!”
“Long live the Luminara Family!”

As the true value of magical artifacts became apparent across multiple domains, the people’s sentiment grew more favorable with each passing day.
The plan to introduce magical artifacts to the Estate appeared to be succeeding splendidly.

‘Now what I need is capital.’

I smiled to myself and began moving forward with my next scheme.

* * *

At the Papal See, the Pope and the Cardinals had gathered for their regular assembly.
After several matters were raised, Cardinal Gregory, the bald man, finally spoke.

“I’ve been hearing rumors that the Luminara Viscounty’s Mainland has been using magical artifacts to predict the weather.”

The news had naturally spread far and wide, reaching even the Papal See—a sensitive matter indeed within the Theocracy.

“There is considerable discussion among the Clergy regarding this matter. Naturally, most opinions are decidedly negative.”

The Clergy harbored a deep hatred of magic, for they understood its history intimately.
How many humans had perished since ancient times by the sorcery of Demons?
It was no accident that Mages and magical artifacts were nowhere to be found in the Theocracy.

“However, it seems some of the nobility hold differing opinions on the matter.”

These were Barun’s words. Cardinal Gregory’s gaze shifted toward Barun.

“What do you mean by that?”
“Kehehehe, precisely as I said—they envy it. After all, the ability to predict the weather accurately grants tremendous advantages.”

The nobles, being from the Theocracy, trusted Ella, but unlike the clergy, many of them prioritized their family’s interests over faith.
Until now, they simply hadn’t dared use magical artifacts for fear of drawing the Papal See’s attention.

“How much damage have we suffered by persecuting magic? Look at the Zarkan Empire. They’re actively harnessing magic to strengthen their national power even now. Before long, our Theocracy will fall behind them entirely.”
“We are the Theocracy. How could we possibly prioritize national strength over faith in the Goddess?”
“National strength is what allows us to preserve our convictions, Cardinal Gregory.”

The two Cardinals’ gazes clashed. The other Cardinals dared not interject into their exchange.

“Both of you, please compose yourselves.”

Yet at that gentle voice, their eyes immediately dispersed. It was the Pope.

“Your Holiness, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

At Gregory’s question, the Pope stroked his staff before speaking.

“The Goddess has never once said that magic is a remnant of demons. But neither has She instructed us to embrace it.”
“….”
“I am well aware that opinions on magic are divided within the Theocracy. However, I will not lend my authority to any single viewpoint.”

The Pope regarded the Cardinals.

“Clash your opinions and reach your own conclusions. The Goddess’s silence surely contains some divine arrangement.”
“Understood.”
“However….”

The Pope’s gaze fixed upon Gregory.

“I will not tolerate trampling those merely for their favorable stance toward magic. The same applies in reverse.”

The Pope mediated to prevent war from erupting over attitudes toward magic. It was the Goddess’s will, after all.
In the end, they would have no choice but to consume one another through different methods and different pretexts.
The Pope knew this as well, but he would not intervene beyond that point.

“We shall bear this in mind, Your Holiness.”

At the Cardinals’ response, the Pope merely nodded. Then he murmured softly.

“An era of upheaval….”

Once again, it all stemmed from Kael, mentioned in the Primordial Scripture.
For now, it was merely a gentle ripple, but it would soon become a massive wave that would overturn the Theocracy itself.

‘I too am curious to see how this will unfold.’

The Pope found himself intrigued by the prospect of witnessing this upheaval.

* * *

Now that I had transformed the Luminara residents’ perception of magical artifacts, it was time to introduce other artifacts.
But that required money. A tremendous amount of it.

‘Just five weather-prediction artifacts alone cost nearly a year’s operating budget for the Barony.’

There was no way our Family, living off agriculture, could easily earn such sums.
But who was I? I was the Sword Demon, carrying memories of my past life.
And naturally, those memories contained information on how to earn vast fortunes.

‘The Mana Stone Mine.’

Mana stones—ore infused with magical power—were typically used in crafting magical artifacts.

‘But the Theocracy doesn’t use magical artifacts.’

Which meant the Theocracy had little interest in mana stone mines. At best, they used mana stones to illuminate light.
Of course, there was the option of exporting to the Empire, where mana stones were needed, but even the Empire had sufficient supplies of lower-grade stones and saw no need to import them.

‘But I know the location of a mine where the highest-grade mana stones sleep.’

This wasn’t a betrayal of trust.
This information came to me as the Sword Demon of my past life, not as a Heresy Inquisitor.
In my previous life, Baron Scalen had acquired that mine through the Evil Book Society.
The reason he hadn’t moved on it until now was that he lacked the capital to purchase the mountain’s rights and had no distribution channels.

‘But now, I can work through Arsein.’

In fact, he would likely be the one begging me to sell. Highest-grade mana stones were rare even in the Empire.

“Relax your shoulders. You’re making too many unnecessary movements. Focus before you place the poison herb in your mouth.”
“Yes, understood, Arturo!”

Arturo was instructing ten men and women across a vast open plain. They had been sent by the Viper Family.
Though they appeared docile now, when they first arrived, their eyes had been filled with defiance.

‘This shrimp of a man dares to teach us?’

That was precisely the sentiment. Of course, it had been a month ago, so my memory might be somewhat distorted….

‘Regardless.’

They had all been beaten by Arturo before accepting his instruction. Even when they rushed at him together, they couldn’t land a single blow on him.
I stood with my hands clasped behind my back and remarked to them.

“Tsk, tsk. How could you protect anyone being so weak?”

Of course, they weren’t weak. Arturo was simply abnormally strong compared to ordinary people.

“What?”

At that moment, the man who had been sprawled on the ground after being struck by Arturo turned to glare at me sharply.
He was a new recruit who had joined today. That was also why I had come to this place.

“Listen, why don’t you just leave? This isn’t your concern.”

He approached with long, confident strides. I had deliberately come dressed as an ordinary passerby rather than in priestly robes.

“Uh, wait…. That person is….”
“Leave him be.”

When the others tried to stop him, Arturo held them back.

“He’ll only understand through experience. The world is far wider than he imagines.”

I assessed the approaching man.
Not bad momentum. When he was living in the neighborhood, he probably carried himself with considerable confidence.

“I told you to leave, so why do you keep staring….”

The man extended a massive hand toward me.
I freed one hand from behind my back, as if we were about to shake hands, and raised it above my shoulder.

Crack!

But my palm was not aimed at his hand—it was aimed at his cheek.
His heavy frame lifted off the ground, and he crashed to the floor with his hands clasped together as if frozen in place.
I pointed at the humbled man and spoke to Arturo.

“This one raises his hand against residents. Reeducate him properly. Otherwise, next time I’ll come looking for him in priestly robes.”
“Leave it to me, Young Master.”

To be honest, these men could not be said to possess good character. They came from the Viper Territory, where indifference to others was the norm—so in a way, it was inevitable.
But these foolish ones had one redeeming quality: loyalty. With a bit of mental restructuring, they would become decent men.
The others trembled at the sight of the unconscious man.

“So we truly were frogs in a well….”
“But this isn’t a well—it’s a den of monsters….”
“Monsters?”

When I seized on his words, they flinched in alarm.

“We, we apologize, Young Master!”

I nodded.

“Monsters is right.”

Then I turned and walked away. Noah followed at my side, waddling along on short legs.
Those watching let out bewildered murmurs.

“This place is… strange….”

On my way back to the mansion, I organized my plans for what lay ahead.

‘It’s about time I departed. The people’s sentiment toward magical artifacts has stabilized, and Arturo and these men will protect this place.’

What remained was the matter of the Mana Stone Mine….

‘I’d already purchased the rights to the mountain containing the highest-grade Mana Stones a week ago through Sriben.’

The mountain lay near Haven City, and since it didn’t fall within any noble’s territory, the rights belonged to the Papal See.
However, the Papal See had surrendered them at a surprisingly low price. It was, after all, a mountain notorious for harboring quite famous bandits.
Still, even at that price, the sum was substantial enough that I needed Father’s approval for our Family to manage it.

‘Sriben was the one who secured that permission.’

If I were to speak of it myself, they’d immediately suspect I’d obtained the information through my position as a Heresy Inquisitor. But Sriben had multiple excuses to offer.

– I claimed to have heard the news from merchants visiting Haven City… but even that wasn’t easy.
– Right. It’s far too much money to act on mere hearsay.

Purchasing the mountain’s rights was only the beginning. Developing the mine would require substantial capital as well.

– Are you truly certain there’s a highest-grade Mana Stone mine there? If there isn’t, then I…

At that moment, Sriben had regarded me with an anxious expression.

– You’re not trying to cast me out, are you? I’m working as diligently as an ox.
– Sriben.
– Yes, Young Master.

I responded to him with utmost seriousness.

– Would I really need such a tedious method to dismiss you?
– Ah!

Sriben, satisfied with my simple logic, returned once more to Haven City.
In any case, I would soon visit Haven City myself. My strength would be needed to deal with the bandits infesting that mountain.

‘What was that bandit organization’s name again…? I recall it being quite notorious, but since I never encountered them in my previous life, the name escapes me.’

Then came the sound of hoofbeats.
A carriage gleaming with ostentatious splendor, utterly at odds with the surrounding landscape. Yet it was not from the Papal See.
The coachman shouted at me as the carriage came to a halt before me on the road.

“You there! Move aside so the carriage can pass!”

Based on their tone, they don’t seem to be a faction favorable to our Family Estate. If they had come to request something, they wouldn’t have treated the residents so carelessly.
That’s why I tilted my head in a questioning manner.

“Who are you?”
“We’ve come to meet with the Luminara Viscount!”
“Why.”
“That’s none of your concern—”

Just then, someone with a menacing appearance opened the carriage window.

“What’s the problem?”
“Ah, some lunatic is blocking the road, sir…”
“This is tiresome. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Yes, sir.”

The driver turned his gaze back to me.

“We are the Haulk Mercenary Corps! There’s no need for us to explain the details to you!”

The Haulk Mercenary Corps? Where have I heard that before…?

‘Ah, that’s the mercenary group the bandits from that mountain used as their public front.’

This is still an undisclosed fact. It only became known after the bandits were eliminated.

‘But why would they be seeking out Father?’

A week ago, we received the rights to the mountain where they operate from the Papal See. And not long after, they came looking for Father.
This could hardly be a coincidence.

“Then I cannot step aside.”

At my words, the driver examined my clothing. I was clearly dressed as an ordinary resident, yet I spoke with such confidence—it must have seemed strange to him.

“Who are you?”

By now, a hint of unease crossed his face. He had begun to realize that something was amiss.

“I am Kael Luminara.”

So I smiled wryly and introduced myself with courtesy.

“I am the eldest son of the Luminara Family.”

The man’s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly shifted his stance, bowing his head respectfully.

“I-I apologize, Young Master!”

It seemed I had found a guide who could lead me to where the bandits were hiding.

(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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