The Princess, the Attendant, and the Inquisitor
Princess Karin gazed down from the upper floors of the tower with a bored expression. How long do I have to stay here?
She honestly wanted to talk with that priest, but... due to Airelos's judgment that the priest's magic was dangerous, she remained under strict protection inside this tower. Her body was already burning with need. She wanted sex. Being locked away like this and relying on fantasies to masturbate was slowly reaching its limit.
Should I try seducing one of the soldiers? Maybe flirt with the guards standing watch outside? She was pondering exactly that when—
"Halt! If you come any closer, we'll have a problem!"
Hmm? A soldier's scream-like shout echoed from outside the tower. When she peeked out, she saw the priest and the holy knight walking straight toward them.
Are they seriously forcing their way in? She was stunned. Were those two really prepared to wage war against this entire place? Their actions were so brazen that the thought actually crossed her mind.
--
"Two soldiers with guns. Can you subdue them?" I asked Asa while looking at the pair aiming their firearms at us.
"It's possible, but... I'm not sure what standard of force you mean."
"Exactly what it sounds like—until they're combat ineffective. You mustn't kill them."
The moment I stated my conditions, one soldier fired immediately. I blocked the bullet for now. A sharp hiss cut through the air.
"I'll only block it once. So, is it doable?"
I caught the bullet in my hand and tossed it carelessly to the ground as I spoke. Asa answered without hesitation.
"Yes! I'll handle it."
"Stop! Stop! Do not approach... Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The soldier screamed as Asa advanced, completely ignoring the warning. Guns took time to reload. Since I had already blocked one shot, subduing the two soldiers was not particularly difficult for her.
Thud!
True to form, Asa didn't even draw her blade. She simply struck both soldiers with her scabbard and knocked them unconscious.
As expected... Watching her neutralize two armed men without resorting to her Unique Magic, I felt reassured that she had taken her holy knight training seriously.
Clang!
"I blocked them all!"
When additional soldiers arrived after hearing the commotion, Asa calmly deflected their gunfire using her Unique Magic.
Clink!
Impressive... Her Unique Magic appeared to be the ability to clad herself in steel. The faithful steel wall protecting her reliably bounced every bullet away.
Well, not many people can block bullets with mana reinforcement alone...
Those capable of deflecting gunfire using only mana reinforcement could be counted on one hand across the entire continent. Excluding myself... there was my father Greg, Limia, Archbishop Hermann, and Duke Gilbert. So the mere fact that she possessed a countermeasure for bullets already marked her as an excellent holy knight.
That was probably why she carried that sword. Honestly, a blade did feel somewhat like an outdated relic. It wasn't that the thought never occurred to me... but still, I couldn't deny that her Unique Magic paired remarkably well with her swordplay.
"Ugh!"
Crack. The instant a soldier thrust his bayonet at me, I seized his arm, snapped it, then stomped on the writhing man until he lost consciousness.
Crunch!
"...Hmm."
By then the soldiers targeting us had vanished. I observed the now considerably larger group of troops and began calculating when I should step in. With her current skill level...
Five soldiers really is her limit, huh?
She could handle five at once, but beyond that she visibly began to struggle. The moment knights started arriving on the scene, I intervened.
"That's far enough, Sir Asa."
Boooom!
All the soldiers were instantly flattened against the ground by the magic I unleashed.
"Your Eminence, this is..."
Asa stared in astonishment. I answered as if it were nothing special.
"It's gravity magic. More importantly... here they come."
They were arriving in earnest now. Watching the knights prepare for battle, I gave Asa an order.
"Step back."
"B-but—"
Asa hesitated as she watched the knights. It seemed she believed she ought to fight alongside them now that they had arrived, but...
"Sir Asa. If I say you're in the way, will you please move?"
She truly would be a hindrance. After telling her so, I loosened my wrists.
"Does this constitute a declaration of war, Priest Jenkinson?"
Despite trembling, the knight still spoke his mind. I answered with a smile.
"If war exists in your heart, then yes. But I am merely carrying out my priestly duties."
At my reply, the knight ground his teeth and readied himself for combat.
"Then I shall block—"
He faltered.
"Your Unique Magic won't activate, by the way."
I smiled at the knights, who now stood frozen with flustered expressions.
I possess two Unique Magics. One is a rather useless ability that lets me see those I've been intimate with. The other...
"Or to be more accurate, the moment you try to use it, it gets canceled?"
A magic that forcibly dispels the opponent's spells. That is my Unique Magic. In that regard, I was the natural enemy of every being who relied on magic.
--
"It's finished."
Jenkinson lightly dusted off his hands. Even though Asa had witnessed it with her own eyes, she could scarcely believe what she was seeing—the knights falling helplessly, unable to offer the slightest resistance.
"Right, then. Shall we head inside?"
Jenkinson opened the tower door without permission. From the spiral staircase leading to the top, the urgent sound of descending soldiers echoed, but...
Thud. There was never any chance they could stand against this monstrous priest.
I didn't want to handle it this way, but... Time was short. Or rather, he simply no longer felt like giving them any. Jenkinson had no intention of granting them time.
Creak. He simply pushed open the door to the room where the princess waited. Seeing this, Asa muttered under her breath.
"That door wasn't supposed to unlock by pushing... was it?"
No matter how she looked at it, wasn't that a pull door? And could anyone really shatter an iron door just by pushing it? Asa was horrified, yet she had already given up. Her direct superior had long since transcended common sense.
"Whoa... You're tougher than you look."
The moment they entered, a woman with striking blonde hair spoke up, her blue eyes sparkling. She lightly licked her lips with a long tongue and ran a lust-filled gaze over Jenkinson's firm body from head to toe.
Asa honestly found it chilling. The woman was undeniably beautiful, but her eyes already belonged to someone completely ruled by sexual desire.
"...It seems what this woman needs isn't punishment but treatment."
Perhaps sensing something in that gaze, Jenkinson muttered those words and engraved a mark on her forehead.
"Then let's begin."
Considering her promiscuous lifestyle, the duration alone would have been enough to reach a verdict immediately. Thinking this, Jenkinson activated his Unique Magic the moment he heard footsteps ascending from below.
--
After examining all of her sexual encounters through magic, Jenkinson was genuinely surprised. He had expected a promiscuous lifestyle, but...
This is beyond what I imagined. Wasn't this far too many? Even a rough count showed at least ten partners, and that was only from searching through the past week.
Did he really need to punish all ten attendants? Even if he did, no one could complain, but if such harsh punishment were truly enforced, the position of Inquisitor would never have existed in the first place.
She was...
"The verdict has been reached, Brother Airelos."
The man who had climbed the tower with a pale face had witnessed every single act of intercourse thanks to the magic. Well... having seen his own daughter's debauchery firsthand, it was no wonder he looked so conflicted. Jenkinson thought this as he delivered the judgment.
The word "verdict" made Airelos react sharply.
"What is their punishment? Isn't this already an abuse of authority?"
Jenkinson gave a small chuckle at Airelos's biting tone. Suppressing the knights and rampaging through the royal palace could indeed be considered a grave crime in any nation. However...
"If you wish to try, go ahead."
That was only true if the power to carry out such punishment existed.
"..."
Tremble. Tremble. Airelos's body shook with humiliation at those words, but the man was correct. If punishment was possible, it should be delivered. But could he? Against this man? Airelos knew very well that it was impossible.
"So... what is the punishment?"
Watching Airelos, who had half given up and returned to a polite tone, Jenkinson spoke.
At first, he had considered Heresy Condemnation and two years of service within the church as the punishment, but...
"Princess Karin appears to be suffering from sex addiction. This is not a case for Heresy Condemnation, but rather a patient requiring treatment."
After seeing her in person, his mind had changed. She was neither heretic nor criminal. Rather... she was a patient who needed care.
"Wh-what addiction...?"
Airelos looked bewildered. Was there truly such an illness? It was completely unfamiliar to him.
But Jenkinson remained serious.
"Therefore, I order the treatment of Princess Karin. Could you summon a physician? I need to provide a prescription."
"Your Eminence knows how to write prescriptions too?"
Asa asked in surprise. Meanwhile, Karin—still in heat—continued sending seductive glances toward Jenkinson.
Asking whether an Inquisitor could prescribe medicine... Jenkinson found it slightly absurd.
"I... am a priest first, you know?"
Priests were masters of healing magic and, naturally, outstanding physicians. Jenkinson, a priest long before he became an Inquisitor, of course held a medical license.
"Well, to a certain extent... we'll monitor her progress with long-term use. His Majesty will need to assist as well. Otherwise, there will be absolutely no improvement."
Jenkinson took a notebook from his bag, wrote out the prescription, and instructed Airelos on what needed to be done for her sake.
"Ah, I'll keep it in mind."
Airelos accepted it immediately and read the contents with great care. If her problematic behavior truly stemmed from illness... then treatment would bring improvement.
"The treatment will be quite difficult. Please approach it with patience and perseverance. And..."
Jenkinson spoke as he walked past the man.
"This time, there will be no need to punish the attendants, correct? If you think about it, they are victims as well."
"...Understood. Bring a doctor at once! And make sure Prince Maxim is informed of this matter immediately!"
Airelos issued orders to the soldiers who were just beginning to regain consciousness. Jenkinson adjusted his belongings and said,
"Then let's go, Sir Asa."
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
Asa quickly shouldered Jenkinson's bag and followed after him.
"Where are we heading now?"
"Well, you'll find out soon enough if you wait."
Jenkinson smiled as he answered her question. Sure enough, at that very moment a pigeon began flying toward them. He wondered where the next destination would be... Jenkinson thought this as he waited for the bird to arrive.