Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Heresy Inquisitor
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Sunlight streamed through the intricate golden stained glass, bathing everywhere it touched in the same hue. It was the sacred color of the divine.
In the room dyed golden, a woman with radiant blonde hair like the blazing sun and green eyes gazed down from the highest step with a faint smile.
At the end of her gaze was another woman with bright blonde hair and green eyes. Their eyes met, and a beaming smile returned. The two women shared the exact same hair and eye colors.
However, their appearances weren't entirely identical.
The woman looking down from the stairs had blonde hair so voluminous it seemed to envelop her entire body, while the one looking up from below had a bob that reached her collarbone.
The woman on the stairs embodied the symbol of benevolent maternity, whereas the one below appeared utterly innocent yet brimming with mischief.
The only things identical were the color of their hair and the hue of their eyes.
"What business do you have with me, Your Holiness the Pope?"
The woman on the stairs was the Pope, and the one below was the Heresy Inquisitor. The Heresy Inquisitor looked up at the stairs with her usual beaming smile.
"The time of purification has arrived, Heresy Inquisitor."
"Oh my. Has it really been that long already? I thought we'd just received a report about traces of demons and planned to investigate further."
The Heresy Inquisitor widened her eyes in genuine surprise. The Pope nodded slowly in affirmation.
The phrase "time of purification" referred to one specific thing.
The discovery of demonic traces. It meant that, no matter the methods employed or the sacrifices required, all beings connected to demons must be eradicated.
In other words, the commencement of a holy war.
"Understood. How many battle nuns shall we mobilize?"
"As you see fit, Heresy Inquisitor."
"Then I'll take them all. That won't be a problem, right?"
"Yes, that will be fine."
With the Pope's permission granted, the Heresy Inquisitor hummed a cheerful tune, gave a light bow of respect, and picked up the weapon she'd set aside.
It was a flail with a spiked head far larger and heavier than her own. The spikes protruding from the weight were viciously shaped. Just looking at it sent chills down the spine.
The Heresy Inquisitor effortlessly lifted the flail—nearly twice the size of her head—like a bag and slung it over one shoulder.
"There is one more thing I must entrust to you, Heresy Inquisitor."
"Yes? What's that?"
The woman paused, her flail draped over her right shoulder as she turned to leave.
"The revelation has come that the man we spoke of before will be found during this campaign."
"Wow! Really?"
Her grass-green eyes sparkled. They brimmed with the curiosity of a child discovering a favorite toy.
"Yes, indeed."
In response, another pair of green eyes crinkled in a smile.
"Where can we find him? In the village we're heading to now?"
"That, I do not know. However..."
The Pope clasped her hands before her chest.
"The Lord will guide us."
A small village on the outskirts of the Empire had been enjoying its own modest peace.
The occasional stray monster that wandered in was something the villagers could repel together without casualties, and the rare outsiders who visited only stayed for lodging and food before departing promptly.
As long as they paid their taxes to the Empire on time, their ordinary, peaceful days continued without issue. The villagers believed this routine would persist indefinitely.
Until the moment an uncountable horde of monsters suddenly descended upon them.
"Aaah! Help!"
"Run together!"
The peaceful village turned into a hellscape in an instant.
Fires blazed from countless spots—no one knew who had lit the first one—and screams filled the air as people were devoured alive by monsters. The acrid stench of blood assaulted the nose.
James, now just another desperate survivor clutching only his life with no time to grab his belongings, had been one of the villagers living quietly here.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
James ran and ran.
He ignored the pleas for help around him, the anguished wails over the village's tragedy—nothing mattered but preserving his own body as he fled in panic.
It was all he could do to save his own skin. There was no spare thought for others.
The entire village was a pit of fire swarming with monsters. James spotted one devouring a human in the avenue ahead, frantically scanned his surroundings, and bolted into the alley right beside him.
He froze on the spot, not even able to scream.
Deep in the alley, a man flailed his limbs as a wolf-like monster tore into his guts. He seemed still alive, but it was futile.
The alley was soaked in red blood, evidence of multiple victims besides the man. Realizing this, James silently thanked himself for not screaming. The monster hadn't noticed him.
All he had to do was back away quietly. James retreated step by step, praying desperately that the monster wouldn't look up. His trembling legs made his pace agonizingly slow.
Just a little more. A few more steps—
*Crunch.*
The moment his foot snapped a charred wooden plank, James sensed disaster and froze rigid.
The monster, nose buried in the now-lifeless man's corpse as it gorged on entrails, lifted its head. A low growl rumbled from its maw.
*Thud.* His legs gave out. His body shook like a leaf. He had been so close—just a few more steps and he could've escaped.
Whether deeming fresh human better than corpse or simply compelled to hunt the living, the monster trampled the body and advanced slowly toward James.
James flailed to retreat, but with his legs powerless and terror paralyzing his arms, widening the gap was impossible.
"Eeek! Eeeeeek!"
The monster prepared to lunge at the shrieking human. As it gaped its jaws and leaped, James squeezed his eyes shut.
*Clang!*
"......?"
*Clang?* A sound that shouldn't have been possible. James cracked his eyes open. Something massive loomed right in front of him. Bewildered, he shifted his gaze further.
Only then did he identify the enormous obstruction blocking his path. A shield. One massive enough to cover an adult man's entire body and then some.
Someone shoved James aside and stepped forward. A woman holding a flail in one hand and a shield larger than herself in the other. Blonde hair cascading to her waist, green eyes.
Her attire exuded utmost sanctity.
More skin exposed than covered, garter belts on her thighs, and her privates barely shielded by a long, wide cloth dangling nearly to the ground.
Strange characters embroidered in gold adorned the cloth over her privates—letters unlike any he'd seen.
The sides were slit open from armpits to hips, barely connected, and even her breasts seemed an afterthought to cover.
Only two triangular scraps of cloth from her shoulders concealed her chest. A gust of wind or vigorous movement would expose them entirely.
That sacred attire, brimming with the Lord's blessings. James had heard of women dressed like this.
Battle nuns of the Holy Kingdom of Raphaella.
Specifically, those under the direct command of the Heresy Inquisitor.
Despite standing on death's doorstep moments ago, James instinctively bowed his head upon seeing the nun. The outfit radiated such holy aura.
Of course, the infamous reputation of the Heresy Inquisitor and her direct battle nuns played a part too.
The battle nun ignored James entirely, banging her shield with her flail to taunt the monster. It let out a ferocious screech and charged.
*Thwack!*
What could hardly be called a fight—an utter death sentence—ended in a flash. The monster's jaws, poised to devour everything in reach, never grazed the nun's neck.
Her flail had crushed its skull first.
The battle nun casually shattered the monster's head, emotionlessly raised her arm, and smashed down twice more. The corpse turned to pulp in moments. Blood dripped from the fulfilled flail.
James, witnessing the gruesome scene, soaked his pants. A hiccup escaped him. The battle nun, having neatly finished the kill confirmation, straightened up.
Her green eyes turned to James sprawled on the ground. The gaze snapped him back to reality.
"Thank you for sav—Guhk?!"
Before James could finish his gratitude, the stone-faced battle nun slung her flail to her waist, grabbed his nape, and dragged him out of the alley like a sack.
Her movements were utterly merciless, like handling an animal.
Yet James dared not resist or complain, silently submitting to her brute grip. Resist? Complain? As if that were possible.
How far was he dragged like that? When she finally flung him to the ground, he let out an undignified yelp. Spitting out the dirt crammed in his mouth, he looked around.
Familiar faces surrounded him. The village survivors amid this chaos.
All wore baffled expressions, confusion plain on their faces about why they were gathered here or what was happening.
"Is that the last one?"
A clear voice rang out.
So pure and lovely that the bewildered crowd turned as one toward its source.
"Yes, Lady Stella, Heresy Inquisitor."
"Very good. Prepare."
Yet the atmosphere felt off. Battle nuns had encircled the survivors in a ring. Not just a few—all of them present.
With the airtight perimeter complete, the woman called Stella the Heresy Inquisitor stepped forward. Like all the other battle nuns gathered here, she had blonde hair and green eyes.
"Now, everyone. You're the lucky ones who survived the monster attack. The rest either died or got eaten—one or the other. You've lost all your possessions, sure, but isn't survival enough?"
*Clap.* Stella clapped her hands. Her breasts jiggled left and right in sync. Her outfit outdid even the battle nuns' in exposure. Immensely so.
It was attire so sacred, so divine, that it was worthy of the Heresy Inquisitor herself. Demons would surely purify and vanish at the mere sight.
Perhaps due to the clothes, her face looked utterly innocent and kind. Her speech was soft and gentle, a beaming smile playing on her lips.
Utterly unlike the emotionless, golem-like battle nuns.
"I'd love to just let you all go now, but first, you need to have your purity verified. To check if those things have clouded your eyes or not—your purity, that is. Oh, don't worry too much. It'll be over quickly."
Purity? The survivors tilted their heads. James did the same. Purity? What exactly were they supposed to prove?
"Iris."
"Yes, Heresy Inquisitor."
Iris—the battle nun who had dragged James here—modestly took position beside Stella.
"Proceed."