The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 77

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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 77. I’m in the process of forgiving.

I spoke to Lenika, who had not yet regained her composure.

“To capture him alive, this was the only method available. Quite an environmentally friendly approach, wouldn’t you say?”
“Y-yes, that’s true.”

Lenika nodded in agreement.

“I understand. Dealing with heretics is your responsibility as an Interrogator, after all. Besides, this creature has long since abandoned any claim to humanity—he is nothing but a Demon.”

Her blue eyes, gazing down at Haber, were glacial.
When we first met, she had seemed to exist only among flowers, but something about her had shifted.

“So my role is simply to discern whether what he says is truthful?”
“Precisely. I’ll conduct the questioning.”
“Yes. I believe that arrangement would suit me better as well.”

I regarded Haber, planted in that flowerpot, and posed my question.

“How long has it been since you and Baron Scalen received blood from Barsenon?”
“….”

Haber stared at me in silence.
The Saint of Truth’s stigma discerned the veracity of spoken words, but if he refused to answer at all, there was nothing to be gleaned.

“Perhaps you don’t grasp your predicament. Or has that place already become comfortable for you?”
“Kill me instead. I have nothing to tell you anyway. Even if you are the Saint of Truth, silence cannot be penetrated.”

At that, Lenika nodded.

“That is the truth.”

I regarded Lenika with a wry expression.

“I’m already aware of that.”
“Ah.”

As expected, there remained a purity within her that I had yet to taint. No matter how much my darkness had seeped into her, Lenika’s fundamental nature remained unchanged.

“But Barsenon? Surely you don’t mean that demon who harmed the previous Saint of Foresight?”

She had likely only questioned Rorik about Galma.
After all, I had made no separate mention of Barsenon to Earl Rainward.

“That’s right.”
“How chilling. Not only did that demon harm the Holy Maiden, but it attempted such treacherous schemes as well….”
“Which is precisely why we must investigate this wretch further. How else could it have wielded ‘that’?”

The world knew only that she possessed the ability to discern the truth in words.
But had that been the entirety of her power, she could never have been called the Saint of Truth.

“…Did you know about my ability?”
“It happened by chance.”

Her true ability was ‘Confession’—the power to compel absolute truth from all who fell under its influence. Only a select few within the Papal See knew of this ability.
That power compels anyone subjected to it to reveal the truth to every question. Only a few people at the Papal See knew of this ability.

“I see. Still, I predicted it to some extent. It’s not strange that you, as a Holy Knight hidden by the Papal See, would know classified information.”

Still, thanks to this misconception, I was spared the need for tedious explanations, so I let it stand.
But it’s not unreasonable to think that way. After all, he possessed divine power and vast information for someone to be called an ordinary Interrogator.
“So you can do this?”

“So it’s possible then?”
‘Confession’ consumed sacred power at an absurd rate, befitting its overpowered nature.

“Confession” consumes a lot of divine power, befitting its deceptive nature.
“I’ll begin at once. My sacred power can sustain it for only about one minute, so please bear that in mind.”

“Ah, I see.”
“That’s enough. If it’s not sufficient, I have my divine power as well.”
Lenika nodded and approached Haber.

“Then I ask for your assistance.”

Then I’ll leave it to you.

When she reached out her hand, Haber thrust his neck forward like a turtle, snapping his jaws to bite it.

“Get away! Where do you think you’re putting those filthy hands! Once I recover my strength, you wench─!”
“Be quiet!”

Thud!

Lenika seized his thrashing hand as he tried to dodge her attack, then brought it down hard against the crown of his head.
Haber, still bereft of his strength, crashed face-first into the dirt.

“For a heretic, you certainly have a lot to say!”

Lenika snorted once and placed her pale hand upon Haber’s head.
She closed her eyes and began to chant.

“O Goddess, I beseech you to unearth this wretch’s sins in their entirety, and illuminate the world with the light of truth. I pray you show mercy upon your innocent lambs, that they may not be swept away by the waves of deception.”

The scale mark inscribed on the back of Lenika’s hand glowed faintly as divine power enveloped Haber in an instant.
Lenika withdrew her hand and gave me a meaningful glance. I nodded and opened my mouth.

“Haber.”

He lifted his head. His eyes were vacant and unfocused.

“How long has it been since you and Baron Scalen received blood from Barsenon?”
“Three years for me, five years for Baron Scalen.”
“Then can Barsenon see the future like the Saint of Foresight? If he can, what is the method?”
“Barsenon consumed the previous Saint of Foresight and gained the ability to see the future. I don’t know the details, but it seemed he couldn’t see as clearly as the Saint did. Barsenon never explained the details to us when he spoke of the future.”

This confirmed that Barsenon could indeed see the future.
The stigmata of the Saint of Foresight likely hadn’t completely faded—a portion of it must have been absorbed by Barsenon.

“Interrogator.”

Lenika called out to me. Cold sweat was dripping down her forehead.
Haber’s resistance was quite fierce.
I gently grasped her wrist and channeled divine power into her. Her expression eased somewhat.

‘But this is only a temporary measure.’

Even if it were the same sacred power, it belonged to another, and continued infusion would damage the pathways through which sacred power flowed.
Still, this was sufficient.

“Why does Barsenon target our family?”
“When Lord Barsenon consumed the previous Saint of Foresight, he witnessed a future where a descendant of Luminara would suppress him. Beyond that, I know nothing more.”

So it was for that reason that he targeted the Luminara Family.
A demon as powerful as Barsenon had no other reason to pursue an agricultural-focused baronial house.

“Then where is Barsenon currently?”
“Within the Theocracy. I do not know his exact location.”
“If you were to compare me and Barsenon, who would be stronger?”
“Both are overwhelming. However, the last time I saw Lord Barsenon was two years ago. Above all, my judgment cannot determine this with certainty.”

So he might be slightly weaker than me now, or far stronger.
In any case, it was certain that he was no demon to be taken lightly.

“That will suffice.”
“Phew….”

Lenika dimmed the light of the scale mark and exhaled deeply. Haber’s head drooped like a puppet with its strings cut.

“There is much to report to the Papal See. A demon that can see the future… If left unchecked, it will become a catastrophe.”
“Indeed.”

In truth, Barsenon would later be called the Great Demon of Deicide.
But I had no intention of hunting for Barsenon. Since I didn’t even know where he was, searching through the vast Theocracy would be far too inefficient.
If his purpose was me, we would meet eventually. Until then, I would leave it to the Papal See.

“But according to what this one said, Barsenon was targeting the Luminara Family. Then could the demon that killed the previous head of Luminara also be…?”
“It was him. I only learned this recently myself.”
“Ah, as I thought…. Should we keep this secret?”
“The Saint of Truth would do such a thing?”

Of course, it would be beneficial if she were favorable to me, but it was merely a question born of curiosity.

“I now understand that honesty is not always the answer. Just as when I interrogated Baron Scalen.”

At that time, she had known that Baron Scalen was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt, yet she had lied to protect others.

“I see.”

I let out a soft chuckle.

“Then there’s no harm in telling everything.”

In fact, once the Papal See learns that Barsenon is targeting the Luminara Family, they’ll keep a watchful eye on us—in a favorable sense, mind you—to apprehend Barsenon.
In other words, I’d gained a first line of defense.

“Of course, I’ll leave out the part about me being a Holy Knight.”
“Hmm, not everyone at the Papal See knows that fact, do they?”
“Well, that’s true.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. The entire Papal See simply didn’t know about it.

“What the…?”

That’s when Haber regained consciousness.

“What on earth did I just say…?”

It seemed that even under the effect of ‘Confession,’ his memories remained intact.

“You certainly ran your mouth well. Most helpful of you.”
“You bastard…! Did you truly not understand what you were saying to me before? Were you testing me?”
“It’s unfortunate that you’re only now grasping this. Your intellect is truly pitiful.”
“How dare you—!”

*Slash!*

I severed his neck with my blade of flame. His severed head rolled across the floor.
I had extracted all the information I needed; there was no reason to keep him alive any longer.
Lenika, witnessing that gruesome sight, turned away and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Ah, I suppose I lacked consideration. He was talking so much, I simply couldn’t help myself.”

At my words, Lenika cautiously opened her eyes.

“No, that’s not it. The Interrogator simply fulfilled his duty.”
“How can this murder be forgiven?”
“He was someone who abandoned his humanity of his own accord. And the Interrogator’s blade merely judged a demon.”
“I see.”
“Then, has the Interrogator forgiven himself?”

I recalled the confession that Lenika had presided over before.

– This is merely my opinion, but it seems you need to forgive yourself first, brother. Then the Goddess will also show you mercy.

I had responded to that.

“I am in the process of forgiving. That is why I am here.”

I clasped my hands together and prayed. It was to offer up Haber.

‘I am accepting the me of my past life. So I hope you will smile upon the me of now.’

A grandmother with a heart as vast as the ocean. A beauty of heaven bearing a compassionate smile. O Goddess who gazes down upon all mankind….

A soft rustling sound.

Then demonic energy seeped from Haber, transforming into divine power that flowed into me.
An amount comparable to when I faced Baron Scalen. The Goddess, too, was moved by the changed me from my past life.
I opened my eyes. Even after absorbing the demonic energy, Haber’s corpse remained.
I left the cleanup to the Knights who had accompanied the Holy Maiden.

“Then let us go.”

To receive my reward from Earl Rainward for this matter.

* * *

– Barsenon. It seems the Galma Plan has failed, and Haber has been dealt with as well.

A voice echoed from the communication artifact placed in the cave.
Then, from the darkness, crimson eyes slowly revealed themselves. Barsenon, who sat upon stone with his massive form, asked in a heavy voice.

“Who is that bastard?”
– Nothing is known yet, but I suspect it might be a Holy Knight. An ordinary Heresy Inquisitor or Knight couldn’t possibly stand against Haber.
“How did those fools learn about Galma?”
– I suspect the one who went to meet Count Rainward made a mistake.
“What mistake? Did he accidentally blurt out that Galma contains narcotic components?”
– That, that is….
“Enough. Even if we uncover his identity, it won’t change the fact that we failed. Get out of my sight.”

Barsenon, having ended the call, ground his teeth fiercely.
Today, the scar across his chest throbbed with an irritating itch—a wound inflicted by Alderian Luminara eleven years ago.
Though my entire body had regenerated completely, this scar alone remained. It was because I had exhausted too much demonic energy at the time.

‘Alderian Luminara…. If only you didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be troubled with such tedious matters….’

Suddenly….
No, the future that had tormented Barsenon since eleven years ago surfaced once more.

“….”

Two eyes gleaming with ethereal radiance. A sword blade tilted at an angle. And beneath its edge, Barsenon gazing upward from an abyss of despair.
The face and attire remained obscured—a murky future as if ink had been scattered across the vision itself.
The Barsenon within that future asks a question.

– Who are you….

Then the opponent stomped on Barsenon’s head, responding with a voice distorted by deafening tinnitus.

– I am… Luminara. I’ve come to crush you.

Crack!

At that moment, the real Barsenon struck his own temple hard with his fist. Flesh and blood scattered, clinging to his knuckles.
The half-shattered skull regenerated the instant the fist withdrew.

‘I am a demon destined to devour this entire world. I am one worthy of becoming the Demon God!’

Decades ago, I slew Holy Knights, and eleven years past, I consumed the Saint of Foresight.
No matter how powerful a human stood before me, they would bow their heads and beg for their lives.
Yet to be trampled by some unknown existence from an obscure family? It felt as though I had been crushed beneath an ant I’d merely stepped over.

‘When will this cursed future finally disappear! I killed Alderian, yet it persists!’

The future I witnessed the moment I consumed the Saint of Foresight.
Was gaining the ability to use the Saint of Foresight’s mark a curse or a blessing?
Now I could no longer tell.

“….”

Then a new future flashed through Barsenon’s mind.
Multiple Knights storm into the cave. Even though their faces and uniforms aren’t clearly visible, I can discern they are agents of the Papal See.

‘Should I kill them?’

No—I could slaughter all of them, but I have no way of knowing when the Luminara bloodline will come seeking me.
The most threatening member of the Luminara Family currently is the eldest son, Kael, yet I have no clear understanding of how powerful he truly is.

‘Perhaps it was he who interfered this time, and perhaps it is he who will appear in my future.’

If I act rashly now, the same tragedy that befell Alderian might repeat itself. Or I could face the same overwhelming defeat by a Luminara descendant that I witnessed eleven years ago.
So I must grow stronger first. I need such overwhelming power that I can crush this future with a single hand.

“Jenzang!!!”

Barsenon’s roar echoed through the cave as he drove his fist hard against the wall behind him.

Crack—crack—crack!

Spider-web fractures spread instantly across the stone, and the wall crumbled into countless fragments that tumbled down in a thunderous cascade.
Barsenon rose to his feet, breathing heavily with fierce rage.

‘One day, I will annihilate every last descendant of the Luminara line with my own hands.’

Only then can I escape this suffocating future.

(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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