Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Sinners (2)
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The priest who had come looking for Kaien, a man with a somewhat gloomy air, spoke in a low voice.
"I am Joseph, Heresy Inquisitor of the Church. Brother, would you spare a moment to speak with me?"
In that emotionless voice, Kaien already sensed something ominous and tried to protest in confusion.
"Haha, there must be some misunderstanding. Our shop is—"
But the priest quietly raised a hand to cut him off.
"......"
"........"
In the silence that fell once more, he held up three fingers.
"I will ask you just three questions, Brother."
Under that calm pressure, Kaien could only stiffen his expression and nod.
The man said,
"First question. Did you swear, at your baptism, to live according to God's will?"
Kaien hesitated for a moment before nodding uncertainly.
"Y-yes, of course...."
Becoming a follower of the Radiance Church was a simple process.
All it took was answering "yes" to the single question asked during baptism.
["Do you swear to live from this day forward as a brother or sister of the Radiance Church, in accordance with God's will?"]
A simple affirmation, and that was it—no expensive tithes, no rigorous background checks.
Anyone could access affordable medical services and receive the church's protection through the holy emblem.
Naturally, Kaien had sworn the oath as well.
One finger folded down as the response came.
"Now the second question. The gambling den [Neon Hold'em] and the pleasure house [Loose Palace] on Ashburn Street... They belong to you, don't they, Brother Kaien?"
By then, a bad premonition stirred, but somehow, those eyes made lying impossible.
So Kaien answered haltingly once more.
"Yes, that's right, but...."
"Good. Now the final question."
The inquisitor's gaze had turned icy cold as he stared him down.
"Is it the will of the Radiant One... to manipulate games of chance, saddle customers with crushing debts, drive them to bankruptcy, and ultimately force them to sell off their wives and daughters? Is running a pleasure house with those women the fulfillment of your oath to live as a brother?"
"Gasp....!"
Kaien scrambled for a defense amid the suffocating interrogation.
"W-wait, hear me out! It was a legitimate loan agreement! Legally, there's no issue..."
He was half right. In this city where everything could be bought and sold, claiming rights to sexual labor in exchange for debt forgiveness wasn't outright illegal by city statutes.
But the inquisitor cut him off and continued.
"Of course, the courts of this city might rule that your actions are no crime."
"Th-then...!"
"But do you know the difference between law, morality, and ethics, Brother?"
"Pardon...?"
"Law is the bare minimum of rules to maintain social order. Morality and ethics, however, are standards of right and wrong defined by individuals or specific groups. And..."
In the brief silence, the low voice resounded again.
"You, who entered the fold of our Radiance Church and swore to abide by its morality and ethics as a believer under its protection... that was you."
The priest then drew a necklace-shaped holy emblem from his robes.
The exact same one hanging on Kaien's chest—a symbol that even major gangs dared not touch, signifying the church's protection.
"So I ask again."
Those chilling eyes pierced through every sin as if seeing it all.
"Do your actions align with the will of the Radiant One?"
"......"
Only then did Kaien grasp the full situation.
Until now, he'd dismissed the church as just a cheap security service—no need to fuss over vows or anything.
The baptism oath was mere ceremony.
Like the endless pages of terms when signing up for a service, something to ignore.
Just share the tithe profits, and that was that.
'What nonsense is this...!'
It was absurd. But the atmosphere was far from normal.
The inquisitor called priest wasn't even glancing at the money bags on the floor.
A chill of dread ran down his spine—he'd hooked something big this time.
So Kaien forced a grin to buy time.
"Haha, what are you talking about..."
Keeping the smile plastered on, he slyly flipped the switch on the concealed electric shock implant inside his wrist.
'Gotta bolt—knock this guy out and flee to another sector...!'
The moment he resolved to strike, a powerful blow smashed into the back of his head.
Thwack—!
"Urk....!"
The impact rattled his skull, his mind clouding as he collapsed face-first.
In his fading vision, he glimpsed another priest in identical robes.
'When the hell did he...?'
That was Kaien's last thought before blacking out.
It was no surprise he hadn't sensed a thing; the second inquisitor had been cloaked in optical camouflage, clearing out the pleasure house interior without Kaien's knowledge before approaching from behind.
The inquisitor reported to Joseph.
"All testimonies, evidence of heresy, and the victims have been secured safely."
He glanced down at the fallen Kaien.
"What should we do with him?"
A trace of contempt laced the question, likely from the horrors they'd just witnessed in the basement.
But Joseph shook his head.
"Our role is to investigate sins. Judgment belongs entirely to Her."
He added softly,
"Don't forget. We are not judges. We are inquisitors."
"...My apologies."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Los Pecadores, the Sinners.
They knew the weight of sin better than anyone.
Thus, they never prejudged. They were the Heresy Inquisitors of the Radiance Church.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I was listening to the priest's report.
"We've identified all thirty-seven suspects who were maliciously exploiting the church's businesses."
Escorted to the cathedral by the inquisitors, they would now face warnings or punishments according to the severity of their sins.
I turned to him and said,
"Good work, Joseph."
"I merely fulfilled my duty."
There, after a long while, was a familiar face.
A man whose presence had grown even more solemn in the time apart.
Yoanna's older brother and the leader of the Heresy Inquisitors, Joseph.
"It's been too long. Really."
"Have you been well, Saintess?"
There was a reason Joseph had stayed out of sight until now.
'It was his own choice.'
In the past, ravaged by Cybernetic Rage, he'd massacred One Heart Society followers in a gruesome frenzy.
The victims' families forgave him, but Joseph still carried the weight of responsibility.
So he'd avoided the church's forefront, handling internal affairs from the shadows all this time.
And most of the inquisitors who'd just arrived in the city were cut from the same cloth.
Those who'd unwittingly caused disasters through Cybernetic Rage.
For those who felt genuine remorse, the church helped them atone sincerely to victims and families. And for those with even deeper guilt, they abandoned their old lives to become the church's shadows.
They were the Heresy Inquisitors, Los Pecadores.
The ones who called themselves sinners.
Precisely because they knew the unbearable weight of irredeemable mistakes, they could weigh others' sins with utmost care.
'Truth is... I'm still not sure.'
Whether that massacre was truly their fault.
Cybernetic Rage was an uncontrollable mental disorder.
The tragedies it wrought had nothing to do with their own wills.
Could you blame the individuals for implanting so many augmentations in the first place?
Or was it the fault of this world that forced such modifications just to survive?
That brought another thought to mind.
The primary cause of Cybernetic Rage was excessive body modification, of course... but it could worsen from total collapse of one's support in life—mental trauma, emotional desiccation, or lack of social ties.
What if even one person had stayed to cheer them on?
Was their total isolation entirely their own doing?
Or was it this city's failing, for denying the alienated their last shred of hope?
'In a way, they were victims too.'
So perhaps giving them a chance to atone wasn't so bad—which was why the church took them in.
Though their atonement was owed not to God, but to the victims.
Thus, the inquisitors currently donated their entire cathedral salaries to the bereaved families.
Thanks to their service, our church supported those families' lives.
It might even be a role of self-imposed penance without reward.
For the inquisitors' duties extended beyond investigating internal sins.
As the church's shadows, they handled all sorts of information and the dangerous, unpleasant tasks.
I was always grateful for their efforts.
So I asked Joseph cautiously once more.
"Isn't the work of a Heresy Inquisitor... too hard?"
As always, he replied that it was fine.
"Without you, Saintess, I would have died wallowing in regret forever. I'm thankful just for the chance to help people and do what's right."
"......."
Watching him leave after the report, I thought.
Some burdens of responsibility etch into the soul, following one for life.
I could only hope he found peace soon.
"......."
Let me pray for him a moment... Was it my imagination?
A faint light seemed to flicker in my heart.