In the Name of the Mother (3)
“Only the Goddess herself would know the truth of it.”
Special Envoy Radien Barcas said this with a smirk. To him, it was apparently a very amusing joke.
He took one step closer.
Then another.
And another.
His intent to intimidate was blatantly obvious.
Radien tilted his head and looked Elian up and down. His clothes, his hands, his shoes, his posture. It was a blatantly dismissive gaze that refused to even acknowledge him as a person.
“Hm. More ordinary than I expected.”
He muttered to himself, then turned to his subordinates.
“Hey, you lot. This is supposed to be the Saint.”
A few members of the investigation team let out low chuckles.
Radien deliberately let out an audible sigh.
“When the rumors reached the Holy Kingdom, I thought some kind of monster would appear. But he’s just a country boy?”
He raised his hand casually.
At that single signal, the men behind him simultaneously flipped back their cloaks.
Clack.
Weapons gleaming in the light were revealed all at once. Longswords engraved with the Holy Kingdom’s crest, gauntlets woven with silver chains, daggers stamped with blessing runes. Equipment that had clearly been meticulously maintained.
Radien smiled as if savoring their reaction and looked around.
The villagers’ stiff faces, their hunched shoulders, their eyes that avoided his gaze.
Only then did he nod in satisfaction.
“These, you see…”
He lightly tapped the hilt of his sword.
“…are equipment belonging to the Holy Kingdom’s direct investigation unit. Touch them without permission and you might lose your head.”
An overt threat.
“So let’s not make things difficult for each other.”
Radien stepped right up to Elian.
“Cooperate with our orders and it’ll be over quickly. A few interrogations. Some questions. Once we stamp ‘No Issues’ on the report, you can go back to your pathetic little routine.”
He paused for a moment, then grinned.
“On the other hand, if you don’t listen… well.”
He stroked his chin as if pretending to think.
“The Heretic Inquisitors will come. And their methods of handling things are… rather… enthusiastic.”
A few men behind him snickered.
“I hear the screaming lasts a long time.”
“They say once they start, three days is the minimum.”
Radien waved his hand.
“Come on, don’t scare him. He hasn’t even been confirmed as a sinner yet.”
Yet he himself was clearly enjoying the current situation, laughing openly.
And all eyes turned to Elian.
They were all curious what kind of reaction he would show.
Would he get angry? Make excuses? Or plead his innocence?
But Elian showed no reaction at all.
He thought for a brief moment.
“…Understood.”
He answered calmly.
So calm that it was almost anticlimactic.
Radien’s laughter stopped for a moment.
“…”
He narrowed his eyes. The man before him was not reacting the way he wanted. And that raised a question. Was this simply because he had unusually large guts?
Most of all, it wasn’t fun.
He hadn’t even gotten to see a single expression of fear.
Radien clicked his tongue like someone who had lost his appetite.
“How boring.”
He turned away.
“We’re moving. Secure lodgings first.”
The place they headed to after finishing their one-sided announcement was a tavern in Brunel Village.
When the investigation team burst through the door, the noise inside the tavern died down for a moment.
The Holy Kingdom’s uniforms looked completely out of place in this space, but no one dared to protest that sense of alienation.
Radien sat down heavily at the largest table without hesitation.
“Alcohol. The strongest you’ve got.”
When the owner hesitated, he flicked a gold coin over.
Clink.
The tension melted away in an instant.
Soon glasses were filled. Armor was hung over chairs, and the men’s postures began to loosen.
“Khaa… Not bad for country booze.”
One member emptied his glass in one go.
Laughter soon burst out.
“Did you see that guy’s face, Envoy?”
“I saw it.”
Radien smirked.
“He was completely frozen. Looked like he couldn’t even breathe properly!”
“And they call him a Saint? Haha!”
Another member said, shaking his shoulders.
“‘Understood~’ he says… Ha, just thinking about it is hilarious.”
Laughter erupted across the table.
Someone imitated Elian.
Standing expressionless before giving an exaggerated bow.
“Understood.”
Explosive laughter followed from the group.
Glasses clinked. Alcohol spilled. Caught up in the mood, even Radien laughed along.
“Rumors are always like that. After passing through ten mouths, even an ordinary man becomes a monster.”
He put his legs up on the table.
“To me, he’s just a country bumpkin who wanted a little attention. He gathered a few people and started playing Saint.”
“Will we begin the interrogation tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
Radien shrugged.
“Apply just a little pressure and they all spill. That’s how humans are.”
He swirled his glass.
“Especially the ones who pretend to be good. They break the fastest.”
Radien Barcas laughed as he said this.
The glass he had set on the table tilted, filling to the brim.
The surrounding members laughed along. Some pounded the table and cackled while imitating Elian’s blank face.
The noisy laughter and light atmosphere continued for a while.
But that was the moment.
Radien’s laughter suddenly cut off.
Without any warning, the corners of his mouth slowly dropped.
The man who had been lounging with his legs carelessly propped up quietly lowered his feet. The chair creaked.
One of the members stopped laughing and glanced at him.
“…Envoy?”
Radien set down his glass and spoke.
“Right.”
It was the first word that changed the subject.
“We do have work to do, after all.”
His tone was playful, but there was no laughter in it.
The surrounding members naturally straightened their postures. Shoulders that had been relaxed grew tense again, and hands moved to rest on knees.
He tapped his fingers on the table.
“So how should we verify our dear ‘Saint’?”
His voice was clearly laced with mockery.
“Anyone have good ideas?”
One member spoke first.
“How about demanding a miracle? Make him heal a sick person on the spot. If he’s truly a Saint, there’s no reason he couldn’t.”
Radien nodded.
“Safe choice. Next.”
Another member set down his glass and spoke.
“Make him drink holy water. An impure person wouldn’t be able to endure it.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
Yet another voice.
“Make him kneel before a holy relic. They say false ones are crushed by the divine power.”
“Hm.”
“Or…”
One man grinned.
“How about making him subjugate a monster? Alone. If he’s a Saint, he’ll have the Goddess’s protection.”
It was something an ordinary villager could never do. In essence, a death sentence.
But their discussion did not stop there.
“What about a three-day fasting prayer?”
“There’s also the purification ritual by fire.”
“We could check if stigmata appear. If they don’t… well.”
The end of the sentence trailed off, but the meaning was clear.
Tests that would be difficult to survive.
The more opinions were offered, the more strangely excited the atmosphere became.
Radien listened to everyone without saying a word.
Slowly circling his finger along the rim of his glass.
A moment later.
He lifted his head.
The corners of his mouth rose again.
“Everyone.”
He paused briefly.
“Thank you for the excellent suggestions.”
His eyes sparkled.
A gaze mixed with playfulness and cruelty.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Laughter erupted once more.
The now-relaxed members raised their glasses.
Radien raised his as well.
Swish.
The alcohol rippled.
He took a large swig as if nothing had happened.
Once again, boisterous laughter filled the tavern.
“Please… faster! We must hurry!”
Dominica Alba yanked the reins hard and spurred her horse. The horse breathed heavily, but she had no intention of stopping. Her cloak whipped violently behind her.
This was the road leading from the Holy Kingdom to Brunel Village.
What would normally take a full day of travel, she was pushing almost recklessly.
All because of the faces that kept flashing through her mind.
The dispatched investigation team… and the man leading them.
Radien Barcas.
“…Of all people, why those men.”
Dominica’s face twisted into a frown.
Having once been a Heretic Inquisitor, she knew them better than anyone.
What kind of ‘investigation’ they conducted.
What kind of expressions they wore while cornering people.
What standards they used to create sinners.
Evidence didn’t matter.
The conclusion came first. The process came later.
There was always a pretext. If there wasn’t one, they simply made one.
“Damn it…”
She urged her horse even faster.
What if they had already begun the interrogation?
What if they had already crossed the line? What then?
At that moment, her thoughts broke off.
A sudden question had risen in her mind.
…Why am I doing this?
Dominica’s eyebrows twitched.
Elian.
Meeting him had been pure coincidence.
Nothing more than a passing connection.
The old her would have simply received the report and ended it there.
Then why.
Why was she rushing like this?
No. It wasn’t that. Dominica shook her head fiercely.
“…Don’t misunderstand.”
She was speaking to herself.
“It’s not because of that man.”
Strength entered her hands.
“I simply hope… that the Holy Light Church does not walk further down the wrong path.”
Yes.
That was all.
Her responsibility as a former Heretic Inquisitor.
Her actions to set the faith right.
There were no personal feelings involved.
Absolutely none.
…Probably.
The horse passed the entrance of Brunel Village and turned onto the stone path.
Soon the spire of the chapel came into view.
Dominica pulled the reins while catching her breath.
The horse came to an abrupt stop.
She practically jumped off, landing on the ground.
In front of the chapel.
The chapel door was half open.
“…I hope I’m not too late.”
She strode inside.
And shouted quickly.
“This is Heretic Inquisitor Dominica Alba! Everyone, stop right—!”
She couldn’t finish her sentence. Her eyes widened. Her mouth wouldn’t close.
Shattered chairs.
An overturned long table.
Holy Kingdom investigation unit members sprawled across the floor.
And at the center of it all…
Thud!
A dull sound rang out.
“…You—!!!”
Thud!
“Blasphemous—!!!”
Thud!
“Bastards!!!”
Thud!
Elian was holding a Bible in one hand and slamming it down on Radien’s head.
“…”
Perhaps sensing her gaze, he released Radien’s collar.
The man collapsed limply to the floor.
Elian turned his head toward Dominica.
And with a bright smile, he said,
“Ah! Miss Dominica. Have you been well? It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you again.”
At his words, Dominica could only manage,
“Hah…”
She was at a complete loss for words.