The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 83

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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 83. Digging Around….

I couldn’t bring all the Aholo Tribe to the Papal See, so I decided only Pupu would accompany me, leaving the remaining arrangements to the guards of the wetland.

“Welcome, Kael Inquisitor, Deacon Bella. Please, come this way.”

We gained entry smoothly the moment we arrived at the Papal See.
It was thanks to having explained the situation to Cardinal Barun via communication magic stone on our way to the Papal See.
Of course, even so, a Heresy Inquisitor couldn’t normally meet the Pope so easily.
It was possible because I was also a figure described in the Primordial Scripture, and I had accumulated considerable achievements over time.

Creak—

Bella pushed the cart as she followed behind me.
On the cart sat a water basin, from which Pupu poked out only his face and two small hands.
The Aholo Tribe, being a species that dwelled in wetlands, were somewhat sensitive to temperature.

“What is that adorable creature?”
“Oh, that’s right. I heard the Aholo Tribe was coming today.”
“Their mucus is used in the highest-grade healing remedies, isn’t it?”

Those within the Papal See whispered among themselves upon seeing Pupu.
Pupu turned his head toward them.
I expected Pupu to shoot them a glare of hostility. The Aholo Tribe had always been antagonistic toward humans except for mages.

“Greetings, humans!”

But instead, Pupu waved his small arms in a friendly greeting toward them.

“Huh? Oh? Ah, hello…?”
“How adorable….”
“It can even speak….”
“That was directed at me, wasn’t it?”
“No, it was for me.”

Their reactions were favorable.
The Aholo Tribe had never caused harm to humans; rather, they had supplied materials for healing remedies.

“Pupu~ Pupu-pupu~.”

I glanced at Pupu, who was humming contentedly.
It seemed my presence had dulled his hostility toward humans. Whether that was good or bad, I couldn’t say.
Still, he wouldn’t lower his guard simply because someone was a Mage or human, as he once had.

“Your Holiness, I have brought the Kael Inquisitor and your guests.”
– Show them in.

We followed the Guide into the Conference Hall.
Cardinals in crimson robes lined both sides, while an elderly man in white garments sat at the center.
The old man smiled gently.

“Welcome, Kael Inquisitor. It’s my first time seeing you in person.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”

I gave a slight nod.
This was my first time seeing the Pope’s face as well. During my days as the Sword Demon, only the Pope’s lackeys and the Goddess had come seeking me.

“And welcome to you as well, Bella.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Holiness.”

The Pope nodded graciously.
I swept my gaze around the room, moving only my eyes.
There were more Cardinals gathered here than I expected. Likely they had come to see me.
Then my eyes met Barun’s, and for some reason, he looked anxious.

‘Is he worried I might make a mistake?’

But I’ve always been rational. There was no reason I would suddenly draw my sword here.
I gave him a light, reassuring smile with my eyes. Yet Barun’s expression only grew more troubled.

“Then this charming guest must be from the Aholo Tribe.”

At the Pope’s words, Pupu raised one hand high.

“Hello, Pope! I’m Pupu! Nice to meet you!”

The Cardinals exchanged bewildered glances, stealing nervous looks at the Pope. Pupu was the only one here who addressed the Pope with such casual disregard.
Then the Bald Man Cardinal stepped forward, pressing the matter.

“Now listen here, Pupu. Regardless of your race, you should show proper respect to His Holiness.”

This Cardinal was likely Gregory, the one Barun had mentioned—the one notorious for despising magic.
Pupu turned to face Gregory.

“Among the Aholo, all are equal regardless of station. There are only friends or symbiotic relations. The Theocracy is a symbiotic relation.”
“Still, as long as you belong to the Theocracy, you must follow its laws. Are you saying the Aholo have no respect for their elders?”

Pupu tilted his head quizzically.

“How old is the Cardinal?”
“Not to boast, but sixty-one.”
“Right. Pupu is one hundred thirty-seven. So why does the Cardinal speak informally to me?”
“What, what….”
“Is the Cardinal older than the Pope? The Pope speaks respectfully to everyone.”

Gregory’s face flushed with profound embarrassment, and scattered laughter mixed with coughs erupted throughout the hall.
Even Barun kept his head bowed, his shoulders trembling with suppressed mirth.
Look at that. Barun is the real problem here, not me.
The only reason I’m covering my mouth right now is because a yawn is threatening to escape.
As Gregory’s face deepened to crimson, Pupu spoke.

“But I understand what the Cardinal means. Since we belong to the Theocracy, we will show proper courtesy. The Pope spoke respectfully to Kael and Bella too, after all.”
“No, that’s not necessary.”

Those words came from none other than the Pope himself. Pupu turned back to face him.

“Really?”
“Yes. The relationship between the Aholo and the Theocracy has endured for a hundred years. Besides, I’m actually younger than you are.”
“The Pope is kind!”
“Haha, thank you.”

The Pope smiled benevolently.

“So you’ve come to reveal the truth about Necron?”
“Yes, that’s right! Pupu will tell you everything! The whole story about Necron!”

After that, Pupu laid out every detail of his meeting with Necron and their parting.
As the truth came to light, some Cardinals grew uncomfortable, while others listened with evident interest.
It was surprisingly evenly split. I’d expected the former to dominate, since higher-ranking clergy tend to view magic unfavorably, but that wasn’t the case.
It seemed my influence had made a difference.

“I see. To sacrifice his own life for the protection of the Aholo Tribe… Such resolve is no different from that of a martyr.”

The Pope nodded after hearing the account.

“We shall set the record straight. Thanks to him, we were able to join hands with the Aholo Tribe.”
“Thank you, Pope!”
“It is merely a truth that should have been revealed long ago.”

Looking at the Pope, a question suddenly occurred to me.

‘Did the Pope truly not know the truth?’

Of course, the Pope who conversed with the Aholo Tribe a hundred years ago is not the current Pope.
So it was possible he didn’t know the detailed circumstances.
But there was a chance he knew that the story of Necron circulating among the masses had been distorted.
His silence could have been due to concern for the Cardinals’ opinions, or there might have been another reason entirely.

“And on behalf of the Theocracy, I offer our apologies to the Aholo Tribe. We are sorry for failing to correct the misinformation all this time.”
“I forgive you! It’s not the current Pope’s fault!”
“Thank you. Furthermore, we shall strengthen the borders of the Eldmire Wetlands to ensure such an incident never occurs again.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The Aholo Tribe are precious partners to our Theocracy. We cannot afford to lose them.”
“Awesome! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”

The Pope’s response and compensation were always reasonable, as expected. Neither insufficient nor excessive.
His standards applied equally to everyone.

“And Kael Inquisitor, thank you for helping us uncover the truth.”

But as Ludian said, this man’s true intentions remained utterly inscrutable.
Even recalling my past life, I could discern nothing. The Pope was known to have passed away fighting a Demon that appeared before him.
Still, I had a rough sense of how to handle the Pope.

“I was merely fulfilling my duty as a Heretic Inquisitor.”
“I see.”
“Then I shall leave the matter of Necron in your hands and take my leave.”

I nodded and turned to go. There was nothing more to gain by remaining here.

“Kael Inquisitor.”

The Pope’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“It seems the Kael Inquisitor is working to change the Theocracy’s perception of magic. However, it will not be easy.”

I let out a light chuckle in response.

“I never thought it would be easy. I simply believed it was necessary, so I walk this path.”
“Heh, you are indeed a righteous one.”

A glimmer of interest flickered in the Pope’s eyes.

“Then I shall offer my support as well. May your aspirations be realized, Kael Inquisitor.”
“What of lending your hand instead of merely offering support? If Your Holiness were to step forward, it would be a simple matter.”
“I am the highest authority of the Theocracy, but I do not lead it alone. I would appreciate your understanding of this.”

In other words, the Cardinals and other clergy had their opinions too, so he couldn’t simply force the matter through.

“Do you know what, Your Holiness?”
“What do you mean?”

I met the Pope’s gaze directly.

“What we need now is not understanding. It is respect.”
“….”
“So I too shall respect Your Holiness’s opinion. However, you will eventually bear responsibility for the actions that follow—whether it be me or anyone else present here.”
“That is certainly true.”

The Pope’s lips curled slightly upward. I turned and left.

“Then I shall take my leave to apprehend the heretics. I wish you peace in the interim, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, I am grateful for the efforts of the Kael Inquisitor.”

I nodded and exited the conference hall, the door closing firmly behind me.

* * *

Pupu would be escorted back by someone from the Papal See. We had completed our business in the Eldmire Wetlands, and there were other matters requiring our attention.

“Kael, take this!”

Before departing, Pupu handed us a round, flat container.

“What is this?”
“The Pope sent it! He said it’s a healing remedy made from our mucus!”

Having consumed Necron’s elixir, I no longer had need for such remedies.
However, it could prove useful for Bella and others, so I accepted it. Such a remedy was not easily obtained elsewhere.

“Use it well.”
“Okay!”

Pupu grinned widely. Bella, standing beside him, spoke.

“Pupu, would you like some bread? I’m afraid I have nothing suitable to offer….”
“It’s fine! We’ve already received so much from you! You protected us from the attackers and cleared up the misunderstanding about Necron!”
“Still….”
“If you really insist, then visit us again! That would make us happiest!”

Bella then turned to look at me, as if seeking my opinion.

“If we pass through the area, we’ll stop by. Otherwise, you’re welcome to visit our Estate in the future.”
“Great!”

Pupu nodded and waved his short arms.

“Then Kael and Bella, see you again!”

Pupu departed with the Knights, taking the cart laden with water containers.
As Pupu began to shed tears while smiling, Bella, who had been waving back at him, found herself wiping away moisture from her own eyes.
It was likely the first time the Aholo Tribe had shown such kindness to someone merely for being a Mage.
I placed a healing potion atop Bella’s head.

“At least take this with you.”
“…It’s alright. We’ll see each other again anyway.”

Bella sniffled once and carefully placed the healing potion into her bag.
I opened my mouth only after Pupu had vanished from sight.

“Then let’s go.”
“Yes!”

* * *

As I rode in the carriage, I perused a news pamphlet I had brought from the Capital of the Holy Nation.
The Empire had developed newspapers into a refined art, whereas the Theocracy possessed only such modest pamphlets, and even those existed solely in the capital.
Had the Theocracy lacked Holy Knights and Holy Maidens, it could never have matched the Empire’s strength as it does now.

「Valter, the Wrath of the Seven Deadly Sins, is Dead.

News arrived from the Empire that Valter, once called the most wicked man on the Continent, had perished.
Though Valter was a citizen of the Zarkan Empire who had never inflicted any harm upon the Theocracy, the latter had proclaimed him the Wrath of the Seven Deadly Sins due to the astounding might and deeds he had demonstrated.
The reason he had been called a villain was….」

Valter… So that time has already come.
With this, the seat of Wrath among the Seven Deadly Sins lay vacant. Originally, it would have become mine in time, but that would not come to pass now.

「The Truth About the Aholo Tribe and Necron.」

Another pamphlet contained the story Pupu had shared with me.
I did not expect this alone to dramatically improve perceptions of Mages, but it would have its effect nonetheless.
Thus we arrived at the High-Grade Magic Stone Mountain by carriage.

“Chief Kael, welcome!”
“It has been far too long!”

As I descended from the carriage, men wielding pickaxes offered their greetings. They were Bandits who had converted to labor.

“How is the work treating you?”
“Excellent, sir!”

Mold, the bandit captain, answered my question.

“Before, I was merely going through the motions of living. But now, I truly feel alive. My body aches, certainly, but you provide meals and grant us reasonable free time.”
“I see.”

According to Sriben, by neither strangling them with excessive control nor allowing them complete freedom, they worked diligently.
I couldn’t predict how long this arrangement would last, but for now, there seemed no cause for concern.

“Young Master, you’ve arrived.”

Sriben approached me at that moment.

“Yes. So you were ambushed while distributing the high-grade magic stones?”

That was precisely why I had come here.

“Indeed. And those brigands made off with the high-grade magic stones we were transporting.”
“What was the extent of the damage?”
“The lost stones represent considerable wealth, but relative to our reserves, the loss is negligible. Several of the mercenaries we hired as escorts sustained serious injuries, but fortunately, there were no fatalities.”

I tilted my head thoughtfully.

“They deliberately avoided killing anyone?”
“It appears so. They likely anticipated that deaths would escalate the situation, so they simply took the high-grade magic stones and withdrew.”
“I see.”

Since the operation spanned multiple nations, I had always anticipated such an incident would eventually occur.
And when it did, I intended to ensure they would never dare touch our operations again.

“What can you tell me about their appearance?”
“Their faces were concealed behind masks and hoods, so we couldn’t identify them. More importantly, their combat prowess was overwhelmingly superior.”
“Were there many of them?”
“No, sir. We numbered ten, while the thieves were only three. And the mercenaries we hired were hardly cheap—we paid good coin for them.”
“So they were no ordinary bandits. It’s possible they spared your lives intentionally, planning to steal the stones again at another opportunity.”

I continued my questioning.

“What weapons did they use? How did they fight?”
“We heard there were both Mages and Knights mixed together. Since it happened so quickly, even they don’t know the details.”

Mages and Knights, then….
That meant they were likely from the Empire. Specifically from the Magic Tower or Workshop that required the highest-grade Magic Stones.
The Empire was currently in a shortage of high-grade Magic Stones, after all.

“I contacted the Young Master because this situation seemed like it would disrupt the Magic Stone distribution. Rumors about the bandits’ combat prowess have spread, so even mercenaries are reluctant to take escort jobs.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make them repent.”

I ran my hand along my sword.

‘Once this matter is settled, I should go meet him. There’s much we need to discuss.’

Conveniently, I had important business near the Empire anyway. Sending these bandits to heaven and then heading there would be perfect timing.
If my prediction was correct, they would appear again this time. There was no way they’d pass up the chance to obtain precious high-grade Magic Stones for free.
Reckless bastards, the lot of them. Not content with targeting the Empire, they dared lay hands on citizens of the Theocracy…. And a Heresy Inquisitor’s shipment at that.

“Digging their own grave….”

As I let my gaze turn cold, the workers flinched.

“W-we should get back to work, boss.”
“Y-yes, we’ve rested long enough.”

Once they disappeared, I turned to Sriben.

“Do we have inventory ready for distribution?”
“Yes. It should have departed several days ago, but we waited for the Young Master’s arrival.”
“Good. Load the carts full of Magic Stones. Don’t let them abandon their greed.”
“Understood. But what exactly are you planning to do?”
“I’ll pose as a mercenary. And when they show up—swift justice.”

Sriben nodded.

“Simple enough.”
“They’ll show up somewhere along the Church Nation-Empire Border Region anyway.”

In other words, no one would object even if I sent them straight to Hell.

“Then prepare immediately.”
“Yes, Young Master.”

Ah… at this rate, I might end up claiming the vacant seat of Wrath among the Seven Deadly Sins.

‘I need to resolve this before that happens.’

That was absolutely right.
I nodded and moved to maintain my peace of mind.

(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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