The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 73

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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 73. Perhaps…?

I gazed blankly at the two men before me. The middle-aged man was Earl Rainward, while the other in his thirties was someone I’d never seen before.
Earl Rainward, having regained his composure, spoke.

“Welcome, Kael Inquisitor. I’ve heard much of your exploits. I’m told you’ve even slain Gluttony, one of the Five Great Calamities.”

It wasn’t widely known information, yet true to his station, the Earl was well-informed.

“Indeed. Gluttony proved formidable, befitting one of the Five Great Calamities. However, it stood no match against us and Holy Knight Arvin.”
“Haha, I see. It’s thanks to people like you that we can enjoy such peaceful lives.”

Earl Rainward studied me intently.

“But what brings you here without prior notice?”
“Haha. If I were to contact someone beforehand and move accordingly, I wouldn’t have been able to capture Gluttony either. I couldn’t very well tell them to flee immediately since I’d be coming to arrest them soon, could I?”
“…Yes, that’s true.”
“Of course, that applies only when dealing with heretics. I trust you are not a heretic, my lord, so there’s no need for concern.”
“I see. Thank you.”

Despite my words, the Earl’s eyes grew more guarded. But since that was precisely my intention, I paid it no mind.

“But why are you out here in such a place rather than at your mansion?”

This was merely a small field with no notable infrastructure nearby—hardly the sort of location where an earl would ordinarily be found.

“…An uninvited guest answers questions with questions? Don’t you think that’s rather impolite?”

Though Heresy Inquisitors wielded authority that could make even nobles tremble, high-ranking nobility rarely yielded so easily.
Pride played a role, and appearing frightened served no advantage.

“You needn’t answer if it’s uncomfortable for you, my lord. I could ask the gentleman beside you instead, or I could simply investigate the matter myself.”
“….”
“However, I doubt the outcome would differ. Using alternative methods would only create tension between us.”

Earl Rainward studied me for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“It doesn’t seem like you’ve come to help me.”
“I cannot give you a definitive answer without knowing the full details of the situation. However, if things go well, there is a possibility it could benefit you, Earl Rainward. The choice is entirely yours.”

Earl Rainward fell silent for a moment, then exhaled deeply.

“Well, there’s no reason to hide it. Just don’t spread word of this anywhere. It’s information I’d rather not have known to the public just yet.”
“Of course. If there are no major issues, I have no reason to file a separate report with the Papal See either.”
“I see.”

Earl Rainward nodded.

“I was watching Rorik here harvest the crops he brought in previously. You’ll provide the detailed explanation.”
“Ah, yes.”

Rorik turned to face me.

“The crops in that field are a cultivated variety we’ve improved. They grow well in any season and can be harvested in approximately one month. Their caloric content is also comparable to other emergency crops.”
“Ho, that’s quite remarkable.”

Sweet potatoes require at least seventy days to harvest, no matter how quickly.
Yet this crop could be harvested in merely a month, and it could even be sown in winter.
If this were true, far fewer people would starve to death.

“Would you mind if I took a closer look?”
“Of course. If you’d like, you could even taste it.”
“I’ll pass on that—I’m already full.”

I approached the field, grasped the stem, and pulled. A tuber that resembled a cross between a potato and a sweet potato came free.

‘As I thought… this is definitely Galma.’

In my past life, Galma had rapidly become one of the staple crops of the Theocracy.
It lacked nothing—not in survivability, harvest time, nor caloric value.
Most farmers began planting Galma, and naturally, dishes made from it appeared on the tables of the residents.

‘Even those in the Slums who had starved were eating Galma.’

A crop bestowed by the Goddess. A monster that devoured human hunger. The salvation of the poor.
Galma bore many such epithets.

‘But three months after Galma spread throughout the Theocracy, a major crisis erupted.’

The Galma they had been consuming all along contained narcotic compounds.
It was an extremely minute amount, but people had been ingesting Galma as one of their staple foods.
As a result, it gradually accumulated in their bodies, leading to Galma addiction.
An endless emptiness that bred apathy. When consumed, that emptiness was filled, but if one went even a single day without Galma, everything became meaningless.

‘Had the narcotic concentration been higher, they would have noticed it long ago and the problem would never have spiraled so catastrophically.’

Even I had consumed Galma without realizing it.
During my time as the Sword Demon, I rarely had proper meals, so I had to make do with Galma.
Above all, the subtle comfort that came from consuming Galma had provided me with a small measure of stability.

‘Fortunately, I could return to normal after just a few weeks of abstinence.’

Unlike other drugs, it lacked both immediate perceptible effects and strong psychological dependence.
Thanks to this, the Theocracy, upon recognizing the problem, was able to resolve the crisis by eradicating Galma.
Of course, it was not so simple.
As Galma became scarce, addicted nobles even waged war, and the common people suffered withdrawal symptoms for quite some time.

‘Afterward, alternative uses for Galma were discussed, but due to various complications, eradication was chosen.’

All of this stemmed from a single crop.
During the Galma crisis, more people took their own lives than fell to monsters.

– The Galma crisis did not arise by chance. When I traced back to whoever first refined Galma, Barsenon appeared. He deliberately spread Galma to plunge the Theocracy into chaos.

That is why I originally tried to prevent Galma from spreading throughout the Theocracy. I knew all too well what would happen if I let it be.

‘But they moved faster than my previous life, just as I anticipated.’

It was likely because Barsenon accelerated his plans upon learning of Baron Scalen’s death.
In my previous life, I killed Baron Scalen about a month from this point in time.

‘Had I failed to deduce the relationship between Baron Scalen and Barsenon, I would not have been able to prevent this.’

I grasped the Galma and rose from my seat.

“Rorik, have you tasted this yourself?”
“Of course. We went through every step of the process before presenting it to the Earl. Surely you don’t think we’d offer an untested variety.”

Yes, you would know well about Galma.
What kind of consequences this single crop could bring about.

“I see.”

I took a large bite of the Galma.
As the subtle blandness mixed with a peculiar sweetness, my mind and body grew somewhat calmer. Of course, it was such a minuscule amount that it was like pouring water onto lava.
I still needed to extract more information. After all, Galma cultivation wasn’t limited to this place alone.

“Now that I think about it, Kael Inquisitor. You were certainly the eldest son of the Luminara Family, weren’t you?”

I shifted my gaze toward Earl Rainward.

“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then why don’t you have a conversation with Rorik here. Rorik mentioned he wanted to distribute Galma to the Luminara Territory, which has weather prediction magical artifacts.”

Galma to our Territory?
If Ludian’s information was accurate, Rorik was likely a man acting under Barsenon’s orders.
Yet the fact that he specifically wanted to distribute it to my Territory meant that Barsenon had planned to slowly destroy our Family with Galma.
With this, it was now almost certain that Barsenon was targeting our Family.

“E-Earl? If you say that in front of him….”
“Well, what of it. If I say it was me and not you, then the Papal See won’t have reason to keep watch over you all.”
“That may be true, but….”

Judging from both their reactions, Earl Rainward appeared to have no connection to Barsenon.
In my past life, had he simply been deceived by Rorik and spread Galma?

‘The Earl must have verified it multiple times too. He was simply unlucky.’

After the Galma incident, Earl Rainward loses his title and most of his Territory.
It was an incident significant enough to shake the Theocracy greatly.
From the shock and the withdrawal symptoms of Galma, Earl Rainward eventually takes his own life.

“You want to supply Galma to our Family?”

When I asked, Rorik let out a deep sigh before answering.

“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you come directly?”
“I was concerned that becoming entangled with a Family that uses magical artifacts would cause complications. That’s why I made a separate request to Earl Rainward.”

That was merely an excuse.
If he had come directly, I—a Heresy Inquisitor—might have grown suspicious, so he chose to go through Earl Rainward instead.

“Had I not come to this place, I would never have learned the full truth.”
“If I’ve displeased you, I sincerely apologize. However, I hope you’ll understand that every action I took was driven by the desire to reduce the number of those who go hungry.”
“Those who go hungry….”
“Since we’re already here, allow me to ask you first, Inquisitor. Would you have any interest in obtaining Galma seeds and cultivating them in the Luminara Territory? Surely this crop would save those who are starving.”
“Hmm….”

Rather than answer immediately, I stood before the field where Galma was planted.
I had already gathered nearly all the information I could obtain from this place. Rorik wouldn’t know the details about Barsenon.
Judging by how he moves about directly here, he’s likely nothing more than a subordinate of a Varsenon Follower.

‘The real problem is how to persuade the Earl.’

I know the truth about Galma, but Earl Rainward remains completely unaware of its dangers.
Rather, he likely plans to use this to elevate his Family’s reputation.
I cannot prove that this contains narcotic properties. It would be possible given time, but it’s absolutely impossible in this moment.
It was no coincidence that the Theocracy only discovered the truth three months after Galma began spreading in earnest.
That timeframe was more than enough for Barsenon’s followers to hide like cockroaches.

‘Should I interrogate Rorik?’

Yet I had a feeling he wouldn’t confess anyway.
If he denied the charges, I’d have no way to learn more about Galma on the spot—so what would be the point?
With the Earl watching, there was also a risk that I’d be stripped of my authority as a Heresy Inquisitor for abusing my power.

‘Then there’s only one way.’

After my deliberation ended, I opened my mouth in a quiet tone.

“I too hope that no one on this Continent dies of starvation. It would be truly tragic if someone were to perish simply from hunger when they’re already suffering from the pain of an empty belly.”

Even during my time as the Sword Demon, I had endured several days of hunger while fleeing the Theocracy’s pursuit, and the rage had boiled up to the crown of my head without warning.
I had barely restrained myself from slaughtering every last pursuer and devouring a meal.

“But if a crop were to emerge that even those with nothing could consume, that would surely be a blessing.”
“Then—.”
“However….”

I hurled the half-eaten galma into the field and drew my blade. The steel sang out with a soft, crystalline ring.

“If there are those who would mock them by exploiting that hope and aspiration, I cannot stand idle. I will dismantle them thoroughly and cast them out without exception.”
“What…?”

Without answering Rorik’s bewilderment, I channeled flame across the blade’s surface. As fury enveloped the steel, I swung it lightly, scattering sparks across the field.
Like burning weeds upon the earth to prepare the soil for cultivation, my unleashed inferno began to consume the galma.
Fire and smoke spread gradually, and silence descended upon the surroundings.
When I turned my head, Earl Rainward and Rorik stood with eyes wide open.
I let my gaze settle and asked them.

“Do you have any objections?”

First, I create the situation. Then, I handle the aftermath.
That was my way—the way of the Heresy Inquisitor, or rather, the way I had cultivated since childhood.
And this method had always proven correct.

(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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