The Inquisitor's Burden
The Inquisitor's investigations were sometimes rather difficult. Gilbert first met the man during a particularly brutal war. The Empire had gone to war with the Yura Kingdom over a newly discovered mine along the border, and the conflict that followed proved merciless. The Yura Kingdom was an undeniable military powerhouse. The war between the Empire and Yura grew in proportion to the profits the mine could yield, and the casualties soon became uncontrollable. Countless lives were lost—so many that widows and war orphans flooded the land.
Gilbert killed many men on that battlefield. It was there he first learned how deeply unpleasant it felt to take a life… and how effortlessly his magic could end one. Emotions wore thin on the front lines. After killing again and again, the sensation gradually dulled. Before long, people hailed him as a hero while enemies trembled at the mere mention of his name. Gilbert found himself indifferent to both the cheers and the terror. He could no longer find any meaning in that wretched war.
It was in the midst of that battlefield that Gilbert encountered a man—an apprentice priest who had not yet received formal ordination.
The Order of Mercy took no side in any war except a holy crusade. If they favored anyone, it was the wounded soldiers on the field. Their field hospital treated the injured without regard for whether they belonged to Yura or the Empire, making it an inviolable sanctuary. For all who entered, it was a place to forget the war and receive treatment. Not everyone viewed it as sacred, however. To some, it was nothing more than a hateful place that healed hateful enemies.
Gilbert had been powerful back then, yet still inexperienced as a commander. He failed to prevent a group of disgruntled soldiers from deserting and attacking the hospital. Upon receiving word of their desertion and its purpose, he spurred his horse in desperate haste. He could scarcely imagine the slaughter that seasoned soldiers might inflict upon priests and wounded men alike. A rigid soldier at heart, he could not comprehend the very notion of attacking clergy who were treating the injured.
Gilbert naturally assumed a massacre was already underway. Yet what he found was neither the corpses of the wounded nor the tragic deaths of priests trying to stop the attack. Instead, soldiers lay scattered across the ground like neatly arranged merchandise. Their rifles, still smoking from recent fire, had been piled together like refuse.
Standing alone in the midst of it all was the man, calmly brushing blood from his hands with brisk, businesslike motions. After laying his latest victim on the ground, he glanced over and spoke in a light tone.
"Are you in charge of these fellows?"
The moment Gilbert heard that low, pleasant voice, a shiver ran down his spine. The thirty new casualties the man had just laid out were elite soldiers who had deserted from Gilbert's own unit. Who would believe that thirty armed elites had been subdued by a single apprentice priest? Gilbert himself would not have believed it had he not witnessed the scene with his own eyes.
"Quite the spirited bunch. Honestly, it was a bit dangerous," the apprentice priest remarked nonchalantly, fiddling with his tattered robes. Not dangerous at all, from the looks of it, Gilbert thought. The simple robes of an apprentice were riddled with bullet holes and soaked in blood. Clearly the man had been shot, yet his face remained so serene that it seemed nothing had happened at all.
Gilbert offered an apology while still processing the sight. "I must apologize for failing to control my subordinates. This was their independent action, not the will of the Empire. I hope the Goddess Yuno will not be angered by this."
His tone was respectful; one could not be discourteous when apologizing to a priest on the battlefield. The apprentice priest quietly drew a holy symbol and replied, "Well, that is not for me to decide… In any case, once these injured men have been treated, I would appreciate it if you took proper charge of them."
Gilbert felt a quiet admiration as he watched the handsome apprentice speak so matter-of-factly. That well-trained physique was not the body of a typical priest. Moreover, the natural way he protected himself with mana was flawless even to Gilbert's eyes. Most impressive of all was the overwhelming martial prowess that had allowed him to subdue thirty armed elites single-handedly—something no general under Gilbert's command could have accomplished.
Before he realized it, Gilbert found himself asking, "Would you… consider enlisting?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he knew it was a foolish question. Why would someone already undergoing the apprenticeship process for priesthood suddenly enlist? Besides, he did not even know where this priest had come from. Yet the apprentice priest accepted the absurd suggestion with grace.
"It is a generous offer, but I must decline. As one who has become a servant of God, even the illustrious Duke Gilbert cannot take precedence over the Goddess Yuno."
The humble yet dignified refusal, which elevated Gilbert while declining, left a deep impression on him.
"No, I am grateful you even considered it. More importantly, about these men…" Gilbert clicked his tongue as he looked at the injured soldiers on the cots. After seeing this man, his own subordinates suddenly seemed inadequate. "I will send an adjutant to retrieve them properly. You need not worry, Father."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Watching the man bow politely before resuming treatment, Gilbert thought that if he ever met this man again, it would surely be interesting.
The investigation had felt hopeless from the very beginning. All the information the Emperor had provided was the vague report that his daughter, the current Duchess of Logan and wife of Gilbert, had been making frequent nighttime outings. The chances of obtaining meaningful intelligence by asking around on the streets were slim, and openly gossiping about the imperial family's hidden shame would only make one's future far more difficult.
She might not even be having an affair. Either way, it was a difficult case. Honestly, it seemed like it would be quite a troublesome investigation.
Well, nothing to be done about it. I muttered inwardly and fiddled with my robes. At this rate, the investigation would make no progress whatsoever. So I set the reverse cross aside for the moment. There was no strict deadline, after all. I could afford to take some time.
She believed she had lived a life others could only envy. Born into the imperial family, she had been sent abroad with her brothers to study statecraft. The country she was sent to was the Yura Kingdom, a nation that had once waged fierce war with the Empire—a military powerhouse capable of rivaling the Empire itself, unlike a border state such as Rucella. There, she had forged connections with various political figures and even ambitiously eyed the throne. But she could not surpass her excellent brothers. What she received instead was a political marriage to Duke Gilbert, whose star was rising at the time, meant to secure him firmly to the imperial family.
Of course, Duke Gilbert was a man anyone would desire. A handsome face, a kind demeanor, overwhelming magical power and authority, and as the lord of Logan—the wealthiest city in the Empire since time immemorial—immense wealth as well. Even her accomplished brothers seemed diminished beside him. He was a man who possessed everything, as if the world were testing how much it could bestow upon a single person. Everyone envied her for becoming his wife.
Honestly… at first, she too had thought it fortunate that this man was her husband. After failing to achieve what she had originally aimed for, the position of duchess was the best outcome she could have hoped for.
"There seem to be quite a few people gathered over there. Is something happening?"
She voiced her curiosity upon seeing the crowd in the garden. If it had been familiar faces, she would not have felt puzzled, but most of the people there were strangers to her.
"The master has decided to hire a new gardener to manage the grounds," the head butler replied politely. He was known for being fastidious. She turned her gaze toward the gathering. A gardener… Well, it was necessary, she thought. The previous gardener, Gider, had retired, leaving the position vacant. Personally, she had hoped they would hire someone younger and more stylish this time.
Not that it concerns me. She sneered inwardly. After all, it was not her place to concern herself with such matters. The affairs of the household were entirely handled by that man. Feeling disgusted by her own powerless position as nothing more than a figurehead duchess, she slipped away as if fleeing.
Yes—she was currently disgusted with this marriage. Unable to even change a single piece of furniture as she pleased, trapped in nothing more than the hollow title of duchess.