The Lost Lamb Finds His Path
The lost lamb had found his path. "Me?" Priest Giri asked in a calm tone. Under normal circumstances, the question would have meant whether she had to handle the demon herself, but Jenkinson already knew what she truly meant. She was an exorcist, after all. The question was not "Must I deal with this demon?" but rather "May I be permitted to face the demon first?" She was delighted that the opportunity had been granted to her.
Jenkinson answered her flatly. "It is your duty, Priest Giri."
She was an exorcist. Dealing with demons was her rightful work. Of course it belonged to her.
Shrrng. At that moment, Giri drew a stake from her sleeve, her face alight with exhilaration. "Thank you, Chief Inquisitor Jenkinson."
After bowing her head in gratitude, Giri began to fight the demon. Watching her, Asa asked, "Do you not need to help?"
To that question, Giri—now locked in fierce combat—replied, "There is no need to assist me, Sir Asa."
Clang! The claws that had sprouted from Linieri's hands clashed violently against Giri's stake. The room had already been reduced to chaos, and wounds were accumulating on both fighters.
"Should we not intervene?" Asa asked with a worried expression, but Jenkinson remained composed. Then he strode forward and drove his fist straight into Linieri's abdomen.
"Kuh!"
Thud! With a single blow, Linieri collapsed unconscious without the slightest resistance.
Jenkinson's reason for intervening was simple. It was not because he feared Giri would die. Rather…
"…We cannot kill her. We need to extract information."
It was the opposite.
"Ah, you are right. I got a little too excited."
This woman… had tried to kill the demon in that instant. He had seen it clearly. Her magic accumulated damage dealt to herself and returned it twofold through the stake. In other words, the exorcist had deliberately let the demon wound her in order to build up enough damage to finish it in one strike.
Click. "Then I shall take my leave! May the grace of God accompany you on your path."
After fastening handcuffs on the unconscious Linieri, Giri drew a cross in the air. Jenkinson returned the gesture. "May God's blessing be upon your future."
Once Priest Giri had departed with the demon, Jenkinson spoke. "Well then… the case is closed. We did not find the body, but if that woman was a succubus, the outcome is obvious."
She was dead. Jenkinson left the rest unsaid, yet Asa seemed to sense it already and offered a quiet prayer.
"Now, let us return. There is still much work to be done."
Jenkinson began walking, thinking how difficult it was to deliver bad news.
—
After comforting the woman who had wept upon hearing the news, Jenkinson returned to the inn and sat lost in thought.
"What has you so deep in thought?"
Ilena, looking somewhat tired from her own demanding work, sat down across from him and asked. Jenkinson answered, "Whether I am using my power correctly. That sort of thing."
"Hmm… Do you want to become an exorcist?"
Ilena saw through him at once, and this time Jenkinson did not deny it. She looked surprised. Normally, even when Archbishop Hermann made the suggestion, he had always refused.
"What? Did something change your mind?"
"It seems more people suffer at the hands of demons than I thought."
"…True."
Ilena did not refute him. Demons continued to be active, and many people died or suffered because of them.
"So… perhaps it would be better for the world if I became an exorcist instead. The thought crossed my mind today."
It was not that he was dissatisfied with his current work, but perhaps using his power in that way would be more correct.
"Hmm… I think the opposite, actually. Not many people can do either job—Inquisitor or exorcist."
Jenkinson nodded at Ilena's words. Indeed, such priests were rare. Those clever enough to serve as Inquisitors usually lacked the combat ability required of exorcists, and vice versa.
"Especially priests capable of serving as Inquisitors are extremely scarce. Perhaps this is exactly where you belong? It is not as though you refuse to exorcise demons when the need arises."
"…"
The Inquisitor shortage was indeed severe…
"Perhaps you are right."
It had been needless worry after all. Just as Jenkinson thought this, having been persuaded—
"Whoa. That man is huge. Is he even bigger than you?"
Ilena spoke with admiration as a massive man entered the inn. Black hair, wounded black eyes—he was the sort who intimidated everyone at a glance.
"H-he is coming this way?"
Ilena grew flustered as the man approached, and Asa immediately placed a hand on her sword.
Swish. "He is my guest, Sir Asa."
Yet Jenkinson stopped her. This lost lamb was his guest. He had known the moment he saw him. This man was the very lamb Limia had mentioned—the one who wished to meet him.
"So, lost lamb, have you found your answer?"
"…She was certainly strong. But she was no warrior."
The man answered lightly and sat down in front of Jenkinson without asking. Ilena was startled by the sudden intrusion beside her, but when she saw that his gaze was fixed solely on Jenkinson, she quietly made room.
"A warrior… I am no warrior either."
Rather, was she not closer to being one? Just as Jenkinson thought this, the man spoke.
"A warrior is not merely someone who fights. It is one who possesses power and knows how to wield it correctly. At least, that is what I was taught."
"Hmm…"
So in this man's eyes, Limia was not someone who used her power correctly.
"What does it mean to wield power correctly?"
"I wanted to ask that, but… you do not know either?"
The man—Alkai—felt disappointment at the magical power he sensed from the man before him. It was nothing like the strength of Gilbert or Limia. Had he been deceived? At that moment… Jenkinson opened his mouth.
"I do not. That is why I constantly agonize and ask myself whether what I am doing is truly right, whether I am living properly."
Jenkinson said he did not know. Alkai nearly felt disappointed at those words, but—
"Humans are imperfect. Therefore, it is impossible for a human to live in perfect righteousness. That is why God's law exists."
Alkai fell into thought at the continuation of Jenkinson's words. So choosing to follow Yuno's teachings was his answer?
"…Is that your way?"
At Alkai's question, Jenkinson rose from his seat. "It seems you wish to see my power."
"…Yes."
He wanted to confirm it honestly—the power of this man.
"Shall we change locations?"
Alkai thought the inn was unsuitable for fighting, but Jenkinson thought differently.
"Let us do it here. Honestly…"
The moment he saw Alkai, Jenkinson had been certain it would not take long to subdue him.
"It will not take much time."
Tremble. Tremble.
"Those words…"
Alkai's body shook as he drew his sword. "You will regret this."
It was the first time in his life he had been so thoroughly disregarded. Neither the shaman, the great warrior, nor the monstrous Gilbert or that woman had dismissed his skill. But—
Clang! "…!"
Alkai's swung sword rebounded with a sound that could not possibly have come from striking a human body.
Thud! Jenkinson then drove a front kick into Alkai's exposed abdomen. With the sound of breaking bones, Jenkinson grabbed Alkai's head as he flew backward and slammed it lightly against the floor.
Crack!
"…Ah, the repair bill is going to be expensive."
Jenkinson scratched his head with an awkward expression as the floor was destroyed with a tremendous noise.
"Of course it is! What kind of nuisance is this?!"
Ilena immediately scolded him. This fellow's thoughtlessness had not changed at all.
"Apologize at once!"
"I… am sorry. He was sturdier than I expected."
Jenkinson apologized honestly to the innkeeper. He had thought one kick would suffice, but the man had been tougher than anticipated. That was why he had added another strike…
"My control was a little lacking. I did try to hold back. He is not dead, is he?"
"…"
Alkai gave no answer to Jenkinson's question. He had already lost consciousness.
"…I suppose treatment comes first."
Muttering quietly, Jenkinson took a pouch from his robes. After handing the innkeeper a pouch of gold coins for repairs, he dragged Alkai toward his own room. For now… what this lost lamb needed was treatment.
—
"…Hahk!"
Alkai woke drenched in cold sweat. Only then did he realize he was lying on a bed. He looked around. What had happened to him? It was the first time. A match that had not even been a contest. That overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
Creak. The door opened and the monstrous priest entered.
"You are awake. You are weaker than I thought."
Jenkinson, who had brought porridge at just the right time, spoke to him with a gentle smile. "Can you eat porridge? I treated your broken bones and jaw, but I would not recommend chewing meat just yet."
"…Thank you."
As he accepted the porridge… Alkai's body trembled with exhilaration. This man… was the real thing. Respect had already begun to fill Alkai's eyes. Gilbert had been right. This man was truly the strongest. In other words… this man was the truth itself.
Alkai spoke. "May I serve you?"
"…What?"
In that moment, he had realized who he should follow. This man. This man was true strength, and…
"I beg you."
This man was the truth. The lost lamb had found his path.
"Hmm…"
Scratch. Scratch.
Jenkinson could not ignore such a lamb. "If that is what you want."
The moment Jenkinson gave his permission while scratching his cheek, Alkai's expression brightened instantly. Whoosh! Seeing him rejoice like a child at the permission, Jenkinson found himself at a loss for words.
'Well…'
It did not matter, did it? He was already carrying one burden; one more would not cause any problems.
Thinking this, Jenkinson smiled as he watched a pigeon approaching the window. It seemed his mission here was slowly coming to an end.