Chapter 323
Chapter: 323
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 323
>Chapter Title: Workshop (3)
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>Logan arrived at the workshop with Inquisitor Valerie only after quite some time had passed.
It was because they had first confirmed that the Heresy Tribunal's prison was truly empty, then properly retrieved horses from the stables and returned.
"Oh no, Belinda...!"
Valerie rushed into the barn and, upon discovering Belinda's body, momentarily lost her words. It seemed utterly unbelievable even staring right at it.
"She was just under surveillance without restraints. She looked like she might die the moment anyone touched her. But then, out of nowhere, she lunged at me while I was off guard. It was so sudden that my guard had no choice but to act."
At Seongjin's explanation, Valerie blankly turned her head to the side.
Just as he said, next to the body stood an unfamiliar man holding a bloodied dagger. It was an obvious situation where no one could deny who had struck the blow.
"Your Highness's safety was at stake, so I had no choice but to end the prisoner's life. If the Heresy Tribunal holds me accountable, I will gladly accept the punishment."
No. 19, having shed his nightclothes and even pasted on a plausible mustache on his nose, bowed his head in apology.
With the man humbling himself so thoroughly, Valerie had no choice but to respond awkwardly.
"Above all, the safety of a member of the Holy Imperial Family is the top priority. I understand your position."
For now, the red-haired inquisitor did not make an issue of the prisoner's disposal. She simply showed deep regret over Belinda's death.
Only Logan, who roughly grasped the situation, looked at Seongjin with a somewhat troubled expression.
"I checked the prison cell where the prisoner was held, together with Lady Valerie."
In the heavy atmosphere, Logan quietly spoke up.
"She was confined in a small solitary cell without even a window, she said. But it's truly incomprehensible. The guards were properly at their posts, and the prison interior was a flawless sealed chamber without a single flaw."
He had asked simple questions to the jailers and guards, but they all claimed they hadn't noticed the prisoner vanishing at all.
Logan's investigation was probably accurate. The guy had a knack for spotting lies like a ghost.
'As expected, a portal from the dimensional realm was involved. But who opened the portal?'
Whoever it was, Seongjin couldn't fathom their intentions at all.
Whether they meant to rescue Belinda or silence her to destroy evidence—summoning her to this remote barn on purpose, then leaving her there doing nothing? It made no sense.
What on earth were they trying to achieve?
"...Belinda's death is truly regrettable."
Gently closing the eyes of the stiffening prisoner, Inquisitor Valerie spoke with sorrow.
"Even in this state, she revealed nothing about the Penance Church's stronghold. Doesn't that give you an idea of how strong her mental fortitude was?"
She straightened the twisted, disheveled limbs and smoothed out the rumpled clothes. The act looked almost reverent, like mourning a saint's passing, leaving the puzzled No. 19 to ask Valerie.
"Isn't she just a remnant of the Dark Church? Yet you seem to mourn her sincerely."
Valerie nodded gravely in response.
"Why wouldn't I? Belinda had qualities that captured people's hearts in many ways."
"...Captured hearts?"
"Yes. I have yet to see anyone endure torture with such composure as her. Ah, of course, there's Lady Se-i, who recently became a saint, but we can't consider her an ordinary human..."
Valerie paused briefly, then drew the holy sign toward the blood-soaked Belinda with somehow sad eyes.
"Of course, Belinda is an undeniable heretic. A sinner. But even if her beliefs are misguided, when uprightness reaches this level, can't we deem it somewhat noble?"
"......"
"So at least after her death, I hope she went to the place she truly longed for. Of course, wishing for the Lord's lost lamb to fall into the devil's clutches is terribly irreverent."
No. 19 fell silent, at a loss for words.
Any other holy knight would fear being put on trial for heresy just for voicing such thoughts. Yet this wild inquisitor spouted such dangerous words without hesitation.
Seongjin looked at Valerie with renewed curiosity.
"Are you in a position to say such things? You were the one most zealous in her torture until now."
"I won't deny that, Your Highness. But at least I didn't want her to die like this. Rather, I hoped she would be swayed by me, who inflicted the pain, instead of the demon controlling her."
Answering in a quiet tone, Valerie looked up at Seongjin with a smileless face.
"Belinda certainly had that much value. As a high-ranking member of the Penance Church, she held many secrets yet to be revealed. But precisely because of that, perhaps someone truly wanted her dead."
"......"
"Belinda likely had an accomplice who aided her escape. If she truly broke out alone without help, we must investigate the circumstances in detail. But now, with her death, all truths are lost in a maze."
Stripped of her usual habitual smile, Valerie's face looked quite cold.
"Your Highness. If I may be so bold now, I am well aware of your abilities."
"...Lady Valerie."
Logan, guessing what she meant to say, tried to intervene from the side, but Valerie didn't hide her suspicious gaze toward Seongjin at all.
"I dare not think you felt a life-threatening danger from a prisoner mangled by torture suddenly lunging at you. Yet did you truly have to kill her?"
At the very least, it seemed this wild inquisitor was genuinely saddened by Belinda's death. Otherwise, she wouldn't expose her hidden fangs so defenselessly after keeping them concealed so skillfully.
Seongjin smiled wryly in response.
"Even if you think that, I have nothing to say. Even if I was off guard, there were surely better ways to stop her."
"......"
"But keep this in mind, Lady Valerie. I also deeply regret her death. There was so much I wanted to ask her."
"...Things you wanted to ask?"
Yes, Lady Valerie.
I still vividly remember how you blocked my path before and forcibly silenced Belinda. Back then, she clearly said that.
-No, it's absurd hearing such questions from you of all people. Do you truly know nothing about your own [Vessel]?
And right before dying, didn't she ask Seongjin this?
-Vessel, aren't you curious why I'm here?
Carefully recalling those memories, the only distinct keyword stood out. Reaching that conclusion, Seongjin casually opened his mouth toward Valerie, who still eyed him suspiciously.
"Exactly. As she lunged at me at the end, she shouted something like that? Calling me the [Vessel] or whatever? But before I could even wonder, my guard slit her throat..."
Gasp!
Valerie snapped to attention and hurriedly cut off Seongjin's words, trying to cover it up.
"No! That's entirely a misunderstanding, Your Highness! I'm not suspecting you at all. I just meant that someone in the Heresy Tribunal might harbor such doubts! So please, don't mind the nonsense spouted by a Dark Church remnant!"
Well, Seongjin had anticipated such risks long ago.
What if that prince had some connection to the Dark Church? Did he kill the prisoner to eliminate evidence?
Finding the missing prisoner first—doesn't that seem suspicious? What if he was the one who directly aided the escape?
'The suspicions one might expect are obvious.'
So what to do? It was done with full knowledge.
As he once told Sisle, fanaticism is countered only with greater fanaticism, suspicion only with greater suspicion.
"Fine. If something bothers you, do as you wish. I'll cooperate fully with any investigation. I'd prefer to clear my name properly."
"...Pardon?"
"So it would be best to make this public properly, Lady Valerie. To do that, we first need to inform the world that a near-death prisoner successfully escaped from the Heresy Tribunal's ironclad prison."
"That's..."
Valerie's expression turned subtle.
Why wouldn't it? If that were revealed, the Heresy Tribunal's lofty reputation would suffer severe damage.
Toward him, looking deep in thought, Seongjin clapped his hands with a smack and continued.
"Come to think of it, I was a bit suspicious myself about how Belinda escaped? If there's an accomplice, the Heresy Tribunal itself is the prime suspect, naturally?"
"Uh!"
"So I can't trust the Heresy Tribunal's internal investigation. How about formally petitioning the Holy Assembly for a full-scale probe and audit?"
"No, Your Highness. Wait..."
The red-haired inquisitor's face paled.
Even after the monster gate opened in the imperial capital, the Heresy Tribunal had endured headaches for a while purging Dark Church remnants.
To repeat that madness again?
"Wasn't she a precious prisoner with many unrevealed secrets? So I'm deeply suspicious of who deliberately spirited her away to cover everything up. I'm sincere."
Returning Valerie's earlier words verbatim, she stared at Seongjin with an incredulous face.
-Are you openly threatening me now, Your Highness?
-Do you think otherwise? It's all self-inflicted. Who started provoking me first?
After a brief exchange of silent glances, the wild inquisitor finally gave a helpless laugh.
"I understand Your Highness's intent. However, I am merely a lowly inquisitor. I lack the authority to casually cover up such a major incident."
"Hmm, I'm not so sure..."
Of course, Seongjin didn't believe him for a second.
He freely pulled out forbidden books others wouldn't even mention, and handled the Grace Knight issue with the strict Cardinal Benitus without much fuss.
And that wasn't all. Boldly carving the Lord's emblem into a glacier troll's chest. How could such a person be just a mere inquisitor?
"You seem to wield more power in the Heresy Tribunal than expected. Or is that just my misconception?"
"......"
"So make the most rational choice for the Heresy Tribunal, Lady Valerie."
Unless you plan to turn the Heresy Tribunal upside down starting tomorrow.
"If you're investigating internally, just recheck the prison and prevent escapes. Let's not tire each other with needless suspicions. Otherwise, I can show you just how far my suspicions go."
Tremble.
Staring straight into the wild inquisitor's eyes quivering with dismay, Seongjin gave a warm smile.
"Did you know? I quite trust and rely on your abilities, Lady Valerie."
At least that much was Seongjin's sincere truth.
* * *
With her momentum broken, Lady Valerie quietly left with Belinda's body.
Seongjin stayed behind with Logan to investigate the workshop.
It seemed the matter would conclude peacefully. If only Logan hadn't cautiously approached Seongjin, who was looking around the barn.
"Yi Seongjin. You can't live in this world being so purely good."
"...What?"
Seongjin blinked. He never imagined hearing such words in his lifetime.
Yet Logan curved his eyes sadly and smiled gently, as if he understood everything!
"I get why you pitied the prisoner's plight. You probably wanted to help her somehow, no matter what. But that's exactly when you need a cold, rational assessment of your own position."
"Uh?"
"Kindness isn't always the answer. You have to know when to be selfish too. How do you plan to navigate this harsh world otherwise?"
"......!?"
It was so absurd that his mouth gaped open unwittingly.
Hold on. Who was this second-to-none pushover lecturing whom right now? Huh?