Episode 10: Heretic Inquisitor Wilhelm (1)
Episode 10: Heretic Inquisitor Wilhelm (1)
"Those goddamn connections!!! Open the door!!!"
Deep within the Papal Palace, in an unknown location, inside a splendid room.
In a place densely packed with Mana Sealing Stones, a woman was shouting while kicking the door.
It was the Witch of the Swamp, Priscilla, showing off her silvery-white hair and possessing mysterious, star-like eyes.
The Sealing Stones suppress mana users nearby from releasing the mana in their bodies.
A single one of these stones is enough to reduce mages of average level to ordinary people.
Such objects were laid out throughout the Papal Palace to seal the power of Priscilla alone.
"No, if you've sucked out enough mana to drain it dry, there should be something in return! Are you just going to keep me locked up?!"
As if furious to the tips of her hair, she yelled at the top of her lungs and thrashed about.
As the commotion continued, a small voice came from behind the door of the room where Priscilla was confined.
"Priscilla-nim is currently under detention. What could we possibly do for you?"
"No, you said if I stopped throwing a fit and cooperated, you'd set me free! That's not what you said!!"
"That's why we provided you with a free and comfortable room and meals. What more could you hope for?"
"I can't use magic!!"
"If you could use magic, you'd clearly smash everything and run away, so how could we allow that?"
The argument between Priscilla and the person outside the door continued.
"Hey! Then bring at least one bottle of top-quality wine! I'll eat and sleep! The room is dry, let me use a little humidifying magic too!!"
"We will bring you wine, but magic-related items cannot be brought in. Wouldn't you throw a fit if you saw even the slightest gap?"
"Clever, aren't you? No gaps."
She was also trying in various ways to resolve this situation.
At first, she was captured by the Empire's army and had her mana forcibly drained.
But Priscilla wasn't one to stay still during that process, so the Empire, which needed to drain her mana, faced major setbacks in their plans.
Amidst this, the Holy Knights, acting as mediators under orders from the Papal Palace, stepped in and negotiated with her.
Thanks to that, the somewhat bleak situation improved, but Priscilla was still trapped in the Empire's clutches, unable to do anything.
Soon after, the door opened slightly, and a bottle of wine and a glass were brought in.
"No, this is cheap crap!! Forget it, there's just no communicating, really."
Priscilla took the cheap wine to the table, drank a glass, and then headed straight for the bed.
"Fucking tasteless. It was bad enough, but drinking alone makes it even worse."
She flopped down on the bed as if collapsing and, perhaps feeling a sense of emptiness, glanced at the spot beside her.
"Normally, I'd fall asleep with Ban every day, but look at this state."
As if feeling lonely, Priscilla curled up and hugged the blanket.
"Ban... I wonder what he's doing right about now. From the day I first brought Ban, I've never been apart from him this long."
She was trying hard to act strong, but she probably knew it herself.
What situation she would be in if the mana she possessed ran out, and that if she became a being no longer useful to the Empire, she could face death.
Just as Priscilla, missing Ban, was about to fall asleep, the label on the cheap wine she was drinking suddenly caught her eye.
Feeling an extremely faint but unmistakable aura of mana, Priscilla hurriedly got up and picked up the wine bottle.
[If you are willing to join us for freedom, please answer.]
Words written with faint mana, hidden behind the wine's name.
It was writing composed of such a minuscule amount of mana that only a high-level witch like Priscilla could have noticed.
Priscilla smiled slyly.
"Noble and holy mana... but the owner of the mana and the person who wrote this are different."
She whispered as if talking to herself and then used the mana from the written words to write her answer.
Then she quietly placed it by the door so the caretaker could take it.
"I wonder what kind of scheme they're plotting~ I'm looking forward to it."
Priscilla's star-like eyes sparkled as deep night fell.
Fishel was astonished.
She had realized this man was strong when he broke through the gate and appeared.
But the expression on her face said she never expected him to be this strong.
Even after defeating the Empire's strong warrior, Reinhardt, Ban was now single-handedly facing hundreds of enemies right before Fishel's eyes.
He even fought while thoroughly excluding approaching enemies, as if considerate of Fishel, who hadn't yet recovered her momentum.
Fishel thought. Perhaps this man really could single-handedly invade the Empire and rescue the witch named Priscilla.
-Schwak!
Sensing that the situation seemed to be resolved, Ban shook the bloodstains off his Great Sword and looked around.
All those soldiers were gone, and the field was stained with blood.
A few soldiers could be seen fleeing far away, but Ban did not pursue opponents who had lost their will to fight.
"Ban, looks like it's roughly cleaned up."
"That seems to be the case. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, thanks to you. I have a few wounds, but I'm fine."
Ban observed Fishel's body closely.
"Don't look so much, it's embarrassing."
Fishel avoided Ban's gaze and covered her body with her hands.
"Wounds aren't good to leave alone."
Ban rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a potion.
"Drink it. I made it myself, but it should be effective."
Fishel's face turned red as she received the potion Ban handed over.
"You have many talents besides fighting. A hexagonal man... no!! I'll drink it well!!"
As Fishel drank the potion, the refugees who had scattered earlier had now gathered and were watching the brutal battlefield.
"They're not thinking of attacking, are they."
Ban placed his hand on the Great Sword once more.
"No, Ban. Look carefully."
As Fishel gestured to the refugees, their murmurs soon changed to cheers.
"The Great Warrior!!! defeated the Empire's troops in the area!!!"
"He's a hero!!! The hero will liberate the Empire and save us!!!"
The enthusiastic refugees soon surrounded Ban and Fishel, expressing their gratitude.
"O Great Warrior, please take this!!"
"Hero-nim!! From now on, will you head to the royal capital to save the people?"
As the crowd poured words of respect and questions at him, Ban seemed flustered, unlike when he faced the Empire's army or Magic Beasts.
"Now, now!! Everyone, the brave warrior needs to rest now, so please return to your tents or leave the Empire through the collapsed gate!!"
Seeing Ban's state, Fishel winked and took the lead in making the refugees back off.
"Ban! If we go a little further toward the royal capital, we'll reach a valley. Let's rest there and then set out."
"Got it."
Fishel whispered as if into Ban's ear and then ran ahead, telling him to follow.
Leaving the refugees' cheers behind, the two quickly crossed the field and disappeared into the forest.
**
As the sun set in the evening, Ban and Fishel prepared to camp by lighting a bonfire by the lakeside.
Ban took off the black cloak and light armor he was wearing, washed them in the water, and tended to his Great Sword.
Fishel also washed the clothes she was wearing, then bandaged the wounds on her body while sneaking glances at Ban's upper body, which was now bare.
"Is something the matter?"
Ban, noticing Fishel's gaze, asked while wiping his Great Sword.
"No..! It's just that you seem to be in good shape. You must work out hard or something."
"I worked hard to get stronger. You also have excellent skills and physique that don't match your small frame. There were those among the kingdom's knights who pulled their weight."
"My body is excellent? Hehe."
For a moment, Fishel unconsciously covered her mouth, which had let out a giggle.
She was surprised by the high-pitched sound that had escaped without her realizing.
Having finished bandaging, Fishel remained in a crouched position, continuing to sneak glances at Ban.
"If you're done with treatment, eat and go to bed early. Starting at dawn tomorrow, we'll keep running towards the Papal Palace."
"Wait, I expected as much, but it's not certain, so let's gather more information before setting out."
"No, Reinhardt told me she's being held at the Papal Palace."
"Reinhardt did? Why would he tell you..."
"Reinhardt serves the Empire, but he doesn't agree with the current Emperor's actions. His eyes weren't lying."
Fishel nodded as if she understood.
"Anyway, we must rescue her before the Empire absorbs all of Priscilla-nim's mana."
Ban clenched his fist tightly and continued.
"If Priscilla-nim's mana runs dry, it's not just a fatal injury, we don't know what the Empire will do with a now-useless Priscilla-nim."
"That's right. This isn't the time for giggling..."
Fishel scratched her head as if embarrassed and got up from her spot.
"I'll look around the area for a bit. Sleep well, Ban."
"Alright. I won't sleep deeply, so don't overdo it on guard duty. Get some proper rest."
"Okay..."
Fishel left the campsite and walked for a while under the moonlight.
Walking with an empty expression as if deep in thought, she whispered quietly to herself.
"They seem like lovers, but they don't wear rings... Hmm. In times like these, is there a law that says you can only have one partner..."
It was a night where Fishel made some meaningful resolution.
**
Not far from the Empire's capital, the royal city, stood the Papal Palace's huge fortress.
Though called the Papal Palace, the building was no different from a fortress.
High fortress walls, thorny bushes positioned in between, and strict security maintained within by the Holy Knights and Heretic Inquisitors.
To those who believe magic is solely a gift from God and should only be used by the chosen nobles, witches are heretics.
Though said to be held at the center of such an organization, the fact that there was a witch there had heightened their security even more.
On top of that, having received word that the Empire's border line had been breached, they further strengthened their guard.
On the forest path where the huge fortress begins to come into view.
Two people with a single purpose arrive.
"It's enormous. If it's visible from here, the height must be considerable."
"Right. It should be called a fortress rather than a building serving God."
Ban and Fishel stopped for a moment to look at the fortress.
Then, Ban sensed a suspicious presence and drew his Great Sword.
"Who's there?"
Soon, soldiers wearing clothes marked with peculiar patterns emerged from the bushes.
"They don't seem to be the Empire's army, Ban."
Fishel also drew her sword warily. From among the soldiers surrounding Ban and Fishel, a woman whose face was half-covered by a robe approached.
She bowed her head respectfully before Ban's greatsword and spoke.
"Please lower your guard, O Great Warrior who has come to save the Empire... We are those who serve not a false faith, but the true God and Saintess Charlotte-nim."
"Saintess...?"
The woman carefully pulled something from her bosom and held it out to Ban.
A small scrap of paper, as if torn from somewhere.
But Ban instinctively felt it.
The aura of Priscilla contained in that paper.
"Where did you get this?"
Ban glared with a crumpled expression.
"Priscilla-nim has answered our letter."
The woman lowered the robe she was wearing, revealing her face.
Burning crimson eyes beneath deep black hair.
A mysterious atmosphere enveloped her.
"Our goal is the same, O Great Warrior... Please join us and save the Empire."
Ban and Fishel looked suspiciously at those who called themselves followers of the Saintess.
Beneath the massive fortress of the Papal Palace, the situation was rapidly changing.