The Inquisitor (2)
People who don't know what an inquisitor actually does tend to show curiosity at first. There were times when I received those friendly glances and wondered how long it would take for them to change. 'The more interest they show, the faster that look will shift.'
Don't take an interest in what inquisitors do. The church doesn't say that for no reason. The more priests ignore that warning, the faster their illusions about inquisitors shatter. In the end, only those who maintain a certain distance can look at inquisitors with any fondness.
That's why I've developed the habit of giving short answers when talking with others—so the conversation doesn't drag on. It's better for me, and better for the priests who will eventually learn the crimson truth and feel disappointed. Building unnecessary closeness will only make the sense of betrayal that much worse later.
'This place is doomed from the start.'
I'd arrived at my mission site and slipped away from the people who, without fail, showed curiosity toward me. Their goodwill was nothing more than a mirage that could vanish at any moment, so I didn't pay it much mind. Since I already knew our relationship would end badly, there was no reason to invest in something so meaningless.
'They said there's a high chance heretics are lurking near the Labyrinth.'
The mission I'd been assigned was to eliminate heretics. Word had it that heretics were running rampant both inside and outside the Labyrinth with alarming frequency. Before the church officially dispatched inquisitors, I needed to come here first and assess the situation outside the Labyrinth.
But the Labyrinth's condition was more serious than I'd expected.
'To think I'd run into a heretic on the very first day.'
The heretic I'd encountered at an unexpected moment. There was no mistaking it. The bastard had been wearing a necklace bearing the symbol of the Evil God.
'Wearing an Evil God symbol necklace right out in the open.'
I couldn't understand how the heretics, whom I'd thought were sufficiently suppressed, had begun to run so wild. Naturally, I kidnapped the man and tortured him. Since I'd caught one heretic, I had to use him to track down the rest of their roots.
The only problem was that my talent for healing was despairingly nonexistent. That was what had led to this situation.
“Hmm.”
I confirmed that the traces of torture I'd painstakingly created had vanished, leaving only a few faint scars behind.
'A peculiar priest.'
He'd shown the heretic far more kindness than the man deserved. But I couldn't stop him. I figured the priest himself knew it was unnecessary.
'Does this mean I have to start over?'
Torturing heretics was familiar work, but it was always difficult. Having to begin again from the beginning made it even more grueling. Still, I silently began preparing the torture instruments once more.
I couldn't bring the man back to be healed again, so this time I had no intention of holding back. I'd already extracted nearly all the information I needed, but I had to make absolutely certain until the very end.
First, I splashed cold water on him to wake him up.
“Huk! Cough! Hack, hack!”
The man woke with a violent cough. I held a knife in front of his eyes. There was no need for many words. Seeing the blade before him, the man screamed.
Today, even without me asking, this man would willingly spit out everything he knew. Even if the price was nothing more than a merciful death that would end his suffering.
Unfortunately, the priests of the temple were unable to offer their apology that day.
It wasn't that the priests had changed their minds after saying they would apologize. It was because the inquisitor hadn't given them the chance to do so.
'If I could see his face and talk to him, I might at least try.'
Sadly, the inquisitor had vanished after that day and hadn't appeared at the temple again. It seemed he came and went from his quarters at dawn, but he truly only used the place to sleep.
'I wonder what keeps him so busy, but anyone can see he's clearly searching for heretics.'
Otherwise, he wouldn't have suddenly dragged in a tortured man. Thanks to that, the priests' expressions grew gloomier with each passing day.
Unless they were planning an expedition into the Labyrinth, it seemed unlikely they'd see the inquisitor at the temple anytime soon.
'I had my suspicions, but are there really that many heretics around the Labyrinth?'
If word spread that an Evil God Altar had been found inside the Labyrinth, wouldn't every heretic scattered across the world come flocking here?
Of course, it wasn't entirely a bad thing. The reason they couldn't uproot the heretics was because the bastards hid like cockroaches to survive. What if they spread rumors on purpose this time, lured the heretics toward the Labyrinth, and wiped them out?
'The inquisitors would probably love that, but for priests like us, just having heretics nearby is already unpleasant.'
They might even steel themselves and terrorize the temple. The knights were protecting the temple, but when you considered the horrific things heretics were capable of, even the attempt itself would be devastating.
'I should probably find out what he's been up to.'
Because he wouldn't show his face, I couldn't even meddle. If it came down to it, I'd have to wait until late at night and visit his quarters to talk.
'He probably won't like that.'
I was starting to feel a bit lost about how to handle my relationship with this person.
While I was worrying about the inquisitor, the moment finally arrived for Princess Lasiel as well.
“That bastard has arrived.”
Princess Lasiel, who had come to the temple early in the morning and was now grinding her teeth. Today, of all days, the prince she so detested had arrived at the Labyrinth.
“Shouldn't you have gone to greet him?”
“Why would I go greet him?”
Princess Lasiel sat in a very crooked posture, swinging her leg back and forth as she answered sullenly. She had probably come to the temple instead of staying in her quarters just to make an excuse.
“You can't use being at the temple as an excuse.”
“Even the gods will overlook my behavior today. They can't help but pity me.”
She really seemed to hate meeting him. I knew that it was unusual for siblings to actually get along. But what Princess Lasiel displayed went beyond dislike—it was outright disgust. I couldn't help but be taken aback.
She couldn't have hated him this much from the beginning, so I guessed the other party must have steadily piled up karma to deserve it.
“I understand this isn't a situation you can keep avoiding.”
“That's right. If I hide, he'll come find me no matter what and throw a tantrum. That's just how that persistent, petty, narrow-minded bastard is.”
She continued her scathing criticism of her brother, then suddenly stood up from her seat.
“If avoiding it actually made it go away, that would be one thing, but there's nothing more foolish than putting off something that must be done just because it's annoying. My sister wouldn't have expected this kind of behavior from me either. Right?”
She asked with the solemn determination of a general heading to the battlefield to face the enemy.
“If my words made you uncomfortable, you don't have to do this. If it's too difficult, it wouldn't be bad to rest here for a while.”
I felt uneasy because it seemed like I was the one chasing her out. But Princess Lasiel shook her head.
“No! You didn't chase me out—you gave me courage. The courage to correct my weak heart!”
'When did I do that?'
She didn't seem to notice my bewilderment at her absurd words. Declaring that she would go, Princess Lasiel really opened the door and left.
I couldn't just sit there, so I followed closely behind her.
“Little sister!!”
“Hik!”
As Princess Lasiel was walking, a man in the distance spread both arms wide and shouted with joy. The moment she saw him, Princess Lasiel recoiled in disgust. She even backed up all the way to where I stood behind her.
Her face was so horribly crumpled that I thought even eating shit wouldn't have twisted it this badly.
“I heard you'd suddenly become deeply devoted to religion. When you didn't even come out to greet your brother, I thought it couldn't be true—but here you really are!”
“Ah… my stomach suddenly feels terrible.”
Princess Lasiel clutched her forehead and staggered, claiming she felt nauseous. Since she'd been perfectly fine just moments ago, the sudden change was startling.
“Are you all right?”
“Ugh, he's coming closer.”
The reason Princess Lasiel was complaining of nausea was clearly the man approaching them. The closer he got, the worse her complexion became.
“Is that gentleman…?”
“Yes. That's the bastard.”
She looked so utterly revolted that I'd assumed the prince must feel the same hatred toward her. But the prince I actually met was clearly delighted to see Princess Lasiel.
“Lasiel, you must have been praying too hard. You've lost so much weight!”
The man—no, the prince—approached Princess Lasiel and examined her complexion with concern.
Still wearing that shit-eating expression, Princess Lasiel snapped at the prince.
“Why the hell did you follow me all the way here?!”
“Hahaha! I was worried because you'd lost weight, but your energy is still the same as ever.”
Even as Princess Lasiel shouted sharply, the prince accepted it generously, as if indulging a younger sister's tantrum.
Moreover, the prince's impression was nothing like what Princess Lasiel had described.
'After hearing so many harsh criticisms from Princess Lasiel, I thought he must be truly ugly and strange...'
The prince I met in person was tall and handsome, and he even showed the magnanimity of generously overlooking his sister's sharp retorts. Because of his attitude, Princess Lasiel—who kept spitting out barbed words—ended up looking like the immature one.