Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Thwack
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The falling ice wasn't intricate, just rough shapes, but strangely, it captured my features well enough that I could tell it was me.
*Tatatatat-.*
I didn't know why she was hailing down ice so earnestly, but her expression was so serious I couldn't say a word.
So I just had to stand there and take a hail shower of mini-me ice cubes.
“Aron, you're here? Oh my! That’s our genius Kanna for you!”
Hana and the Washing Machine immediately clapped, reacting with all their heart and soul.
And watching the customer bastards rush over, panting, to pick up the fallen ice cubes, I felt incredibly conflicted.
I realized it when I saw an ice cube that looked like me peeking out from under the pot-bellied guy's stomach.
‘This is a problem.’
The other clueless fools didn't seem to notice, but my sharp senses could tell.
There had to be a huge problem with the Air Conditioner's upbringing.
*Tatatatat-.*
The ice cubes shaped like me, tapping against my face, were powerful proof.
‘What should I do.’
I thought for a moment, then placed my hand on the Air Conditioner's round head. A light tap on her warm crown, as if it were a power button, and the hail shower stopped.
‘Hmm… so that's how it works.’
The Air Conditioner hesitated before approaching and clinging to my right leg. The body heat I felt on my right side was deeply unsettling.
“Ah, Kanna waited in the hall all night because you didn't come back yesterday, Aron. She wouldn't listen even when I told her it was okay.”
Hana said, looking at me with strangely sharp eyes.
‘...All this fuss because I was gone for one day.’
Feeling as awkward as if I had a fishbone caught in my throat, I scratched it lightly with my hand.
“Something came up.”
“It looks like it. You're completely covered in dirt.”
“Ah, right. Hey, get off. You'll get dirt on you.”
The Air Conditioner, who had been looking up at me, took a small step back. I was about to brush some dirt off her face, but I stopped myself, realizing her face was smaller than my hand.
“You've returned.”
Soon, the Washing Machine came over and cast a simple spell, and the dirt around me swirled away.
“Should've done that outside.”
“It's fine. The kids will clean it up quickly. You haven't eaten yet, have you? By the way, who's this next to you…”
At Hana's question, I turned my head and saw the bracelet donor.
‘I'd forgotten about him.’
“That's what I'd like to know. Who's this scrawny bastard?”
The Weasel standing next to me narrowed his eyes, looking the bracelet donor up and down. He must have thought he could win in a fight, because the Weasel struck his signature swaggering pose.
“Oh, that's the guy who was looking for Kanna earlier!”
One of the Three Stooges pointed at the bracelet donor and yelled. His voice sounded like he was reporting a crime.
“That's…”
“That's right, I saw him too! That bastard kept glancing inside!”
The customer bastards who had picked up the ice cubes added their two cents.
“What?! Our Purple One! I didn't like the look of this bastard from the start!”
The Weasel, now triumphant, suddenly rolled up his sleeves and slipped behind the bracelet donor.
The atmosphere turned strange in an instant, and Hana hid the Air Conditioner behind her.
“Th-that's not it, I…”
As the bracelet donor stammered, the pot-bellied customer stood up and casually blocked the door.
I nonchalantly rested my hand on the hilt of my sword.
The bracelet donor looked around, bit his lip, and then made a resolute expression.
After a short silence, the bracelet donor shouted.
“…I am Swaroits, a mage of the White Magic Tower!”
He introduced himself with a voice full of confidence and pride, but the reaction from the crowd was lukewarm.
‘A mage from the White Magic Tower?’
There were a total of five magic towers in the empire.
Mages were all a bunch of oddballs with a screw loose, so the towers didn't have the best reputation, but I knew the White Magic Tower was the most decent one among them.
It was a position worth bragging about.
The problem was that the folks in this backwater region didn't much care about the White Magic Tower, and besides him, there were two other mages in this very tavern.
Everyone had blank faces. Some were even muttering, “But his hair is gold?” and “But Kanna's is purple?”
“Oh my, you're a mage. Please, have a seat over here.”
Amidst the confusion, Hana changed her attitude and spoke in a soft voice.
Hana smiled warmly, like a parent welcoming a teacher for a home visit, and seated the bracelet donor at a spacious table.
‘This bracelet donor is a mage from the White Magic Tower?’
I sat down across from him, sizing him up.
A mage who had entered a magic tower was as good as having a stamp of quality. It meant he was, at the very least, not some bottom-feeder mage.
Hana sat next to me, holding the Air Conditioner in her arms. Behind her, the Weasel and the Washing Machine stood side by side.
The Weasel was glaring like a thug, his hand gripping his sword hilt. He'd been walking with too much of a swagger ever since the last selection trial.
The Air Conditioner was still glaring at me, even while nestled in Hana's arms.
“I told you, I couldn't help it. Something came up.”
At my words, the Air Conditioner relaxed her glare, but her eyebrows were still furrowed.
While I was having a staring contest with the Air Conditioner, Hana nudged me in the ribs, and I turned my gaze forward.
“Alright, Swallow.”
“It's Swaroits, not Swallow. Anyway, I'll get straight to the point. The child next to you…”
Hana muttered in a small voice, “Kanna! Kanna!”
“Right, Kanna. That child possesses incredible talent. It's a shame for her to be in a backwater place like this.”
“Oh my! He says Kanna's got it! Aron!”
“First, let's just listen…”
“Ahem…”
“Right, I'm listening.”
“Her talent is too great to rot away in a provincial castle like this. Although her mana reserves seem low, her intelligence and concentration appear to be exceptional. If she were to come to the magic tower…”
“Oh my! He says Kanna is smart! Aron!”
“No, just listen… Ah, I'm listening. Sweet and Sour Pork.”
The Air Conditioner suddenly lifted her chin, and the Weasel behind her broke into a wide grin before quickly scowling again.
“It's Swaroits, not Sweet and Sour Pork. I mean, there's nothing confusing about the two… Anyway, opportunities like this are rare… but I will write you a special letter of recommendation. With my letter, she'll have no trouble getting into the White Magic Tower. And with that talent, she'll receive their full support.”
A silence fell after Sweet and Sour Pork's words.
Everyone looked back and forth between Sweet and Sour Pork and the Air Conditioner with strange expressions.
I studied the Air Conditioner. She was looking up at me with what seemed like an urgent gaze.
First, verification was necessary.
“But are you really a mage from the White Magic Tower? You look like you smell of books, I'll give you that.”
“…”
At my words, the guy muttered something and twisted his hands slightly. A massive, flaming rock materialized above his palms.
A furiously burning boulder.
It was a cool and magnificent sight.
However, there was a problem.
“Ah, it's hot.”
A wave of scorching heat instantly filled the room, making me break out in a sweat. Summoning a flaming boulder indoors during an already hot summer… this Sweet and Sour Pork was definitely crazy.
“Um… this is the most convincing proof…”
“Get rid of it. I'm dying of heat.”
“Well, it's already been cast…”
I was dumbfounded as he trailed off, looking at me with an awkward expression. He could have just used a small, simple spell. Why did he have to summon a flaming boulder…?
“Sweet and Sour Pork, are you sure you're a mage?”
“It's Swaroits, not Sweet and Sour Pork… I mean, they're not even remotely similar.”
“Sir, please come this way.”
Hana led him to the back door, and the guy stood up awkwardly and followed her cautiously. His retreating figure looked so stupid I wanted to smack him one.
“Boss! Our Purple One… No! We can't! Our cute Purple One… but if her future is at stake… Still, no! Without the Purple One, Casedic Castle is doomed!”
“…The White Magic Tower provides the best environment among the towers. I've heard it's very difficult to get in because so many people apply. …It is a rare opportunity.”
The Washing Machine muttered in a reluctant tone.
Beside me, Kanna gripped my forearm tightly.
“…I'm sorry about the hail earlier. Please let me stay here.”
Kanna spoke clearly and at length for the first time in a while.
She'd been so terse lately that I'd worried her language skills were regressing, but that didn't seem to be the case.
‘So she really meant it, huh?’
I touched my still-stinging cheek where the ice had hit me and met her gaze.
She looked at me with such a pleading face, as if I were about to abandon her. It made me feel guilty for something I hadn't even done.
The choice wasn't mine to begin with.
This was Hana's inn.
“The White Magic Tower is the best of the best. It has ties to the imperial family. Just getting in sets a mage up for life. You won't be called a bottom-feeder who gave up on books. You could become a very successful mage and even enter the imperial court one day. A White Magic Tower mage I used to know wore very high-quality robes. He said it's tough at first, but once you're established, you can earn as much as a knight, and also…”
I told her everything I knew about the White Magic Tower. It was disorganized and jumbled, but I dredged up every memory I could.
Kanna's expression grew more and more tearful, but I didn't stop.
To make the right choice, the more information, the better.
I didn't want her to have any regrets later.
When I finally finished, Kanna looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears.
“I've told you what I know. You choose.”
“…”
Kanna's eyes widened.
A tear rolled down her cheek. I was about to wipe it away but stopped, remembering her face was smaller than my hand.
A moment later, Kanna nodded firmly and mumbled something with her lips.
Just then, Sweet and Sour Pork returned.
“Ahem… this is a first for me.”
“Yeah, it happens. Not all mages are smart.”
“Anyway, I'll prepare a carriage as soon as possible, so come with me…”
He seemed certain we would accept. After all, what idiot would refuse an invitation to the White Magic Tower?
“She'll be the one to decide.”
I pointed to Kanna beside me, and Sweet and Sour Pork tilted his head in confusion.
It was understandable. A child's opinion didn't matter much here. This was an era where children were treated as their parents' property.
I gestured to Kanna with my chin.
Kanna nodded firmly in response. She looked so foolish that I clicked my tongue without realizing it.
Kanna suddenly stood up and gestured behind her. As if it were some kind of secret signal, the Washing Machine scurried over with a large water bucket.
Kanna poured water on the table, muttered something, and waved her hands. Then, like a 3D printer, ice began to rise from the tabletop.
The ice took the shape of Sweet and Sour Pork. He let out a small gasp of admiration and nodded.
‘Did I only tell her the good parts?’
The thought that she might give a positive answer put me in a strangely bad mood. It was probably because I'd feel like I wasted the gold I invested in the Air Conditioner.
‘Little brat.’
I muttered under my breath and smirked.
“Ohh… what unbelievable precision. Even I couldn't do this so quick…”
As he reached for the finished ice sculpture, Kanna raised her hand to stop him.
Kanna then began to knead her small hands, and a large chunk of ice started to form.
Soon, an ice club the size of her forearm was created, and its shape was…
‘Me?’
It was an ice club in the shape of me with my arms crossed arrogantly.
The precision was so remarkable that even the scars on my face were etched one by one.
I grew very anxious.
Kanna glanced at the Washing Machine again, who came over and held the base of the ice sculpture shaped like the wizard.
“…Hoo!”
With a small shout, Kanna swung the ice club shaped like me.
*Thwack!!*
With a crisp sound, the upper body of the ice-Swaroits shattered.
A momentary silence fell.
Even the people around us, who had been cheering nonstop, were gaping.
I blinked a few times, trying to understand the situation.
It seemed like her own way of expressing refusal…
‘But, couldn't you have just said no?’
Kanna's incredibly original answer was deeply bewildering.
‘And why is her form so good?’
Seeing Kanna put her whole back into it gave me a headache.
Then, as if once wasn't enough, Kanna swung the ice club in my image again-.
*Thwack!!*
The rest of the ice-Swaroits was smashed to bits.
“Woah-! Kanna is a genius after all!! An ice club!”
“Ugh! That's our Purple One! That guy looked like a swindler from the start! I bet he's never even held a girl's hand!”
The unhinged cheers from the crowd.
Swaroits, staring wide-eyed as if he couldn't comprehend the situation, and Kanna, apparently not yet satisfied, smashing the ice club against the table-.
The ice club shattered into pieces as it hit the table.
As my eyes met with the chunk of ice shaped like my face rolling on the floor, I realized one thing for sure.
‘This crop has failed.’
It seemed I was raising this kid all wrong.
***
*Knock, knock.*
Razvet, who had been sorting documents late into the night, turned her head at the unexpected knock.
“Gillian!”
When there was no response, she turned and saw the dumbass sleeping, drool and all.
Every time she saw that foolish face, the word ‘demotion’ came to mind, making her blood boil. She smacked his face with the paper she was holding, but he didn't even stir, just kept snoring.
*Knock, knock.*
‘…So irritating.’
*Hoo-.*
Razvet sighed, forcibly calming herself, and walked to the door.
She hid the weapon she had recently acquired behind her back and opened the door slightly with her other hand.
She saw a massive piece of red iron. Looking up, she saw *him*, his eyebrows deeply furrowed.
A different atmosphere than usual.
He was always intimidating, but now he was an intimidating man in anguish.
A sudden chill ran down Razvet's spine, and she took a step back.
‘…Through the door?’
It should have been obvious, but the man who always came through the wall suddenly appearing at the door felt twice as scary as usual.
“Are you still open?”
“…Pardon?”
‘Does it look like it?’
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but her head was already nodding automatically. She stepped aside, and the man entered.
The man walked over to the table and sat down as if he owned the place.
Razvet suppressed her unease and sat across from him.
To any observer, it would look like this was the man's home and Razvet was the visitor.
“Hmm…”
*Snore-.*
The man's humming and the damn bastard's snoring.
Razvet bit her lip and forced the corners of her mouth into a smile.
‘Why is he here? Did he find out about my connection with Berman? But…’
Razvet's mind raced as she looked at the man, who seemed unusually somber.
Then, the man spoke first.
“Do you have any kids, by any chance?”
“…Pardon?”
Razvet replayed his question in her head. Unable to guess his intention, she answered the surface-level question.
“No. I don't like children.”
“I see. Do you have any information on child-rearing?”
“…Pardon?”
“Child-rearing.”
“Ah, child-rearing. Child-rearing? You mean raising a little brat… no, raising a child?”
“Is there another meaning?”
The man's face seemed to scowl, so she didn't dare ask more.
‘Child-rearing? Why would we have that here.’
There was no way the information guild would have such information. The guild dealt with major incidents and influential figures.
They didn't handle such useless, worthless information. She wondered what this man thought the information guild was in the first place.
“We don't handle that kind of thing. We deal with matters that could affect the continent…”
“Useless.”
The man cut Razvet off, stood up, and turned around.
Razvet stared blankly at the retreating man-.
‘That's the opposite direction of the door.’
She shot up and hurried to where the man had disappeared.
A gaping hole was punched clean through the wall.
‘What is with this bastard?’
In through the door, out through the wall….
Is this some new intimidation tactic?
The wind blowing through the wide-open hole was chilly.
‘…He asked if I have a kid?’
Razvet's face contorted at the strangely unpleasant question.
***
[Thwack!!!]
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Waking up, I hurriedly….
reached for my sword.
‘I think something strange was mixed in there.’
I shook my head slightly to clear the afterimage of the thought and got up.
When I opened the door, the Abbot was standing there with the same expression as always.
“A fine dawn for prayer…. Your expression is good today. Usually, your face is scrunched up with all its might.”
However, his greeting was different from usual.
I studied the Abbot for a moment. Blond hair slicked back with streaks of white. Crow's feet fanned out from the corners of his stubborn-looking eyes.
His cranky personality showed through, but you could call him handsome. He looked like he could have a child.
“Abbot, do you have any children?”
“…Hmm.”
It was only for an instant, but the Abbot winced. He had the same expression as when he was stabbed in the chest.
“Why do you ask?”
“I have a concern. Never mind.”
I shook my head and left the room.
I went to Choco's room to wake him, then headed to the backyard.
We did a light run and I warmed up by swinging my sword.
Choco kept up with me for longer than last time.
In the middle of it, he collapsed, but it was a noticeable improvement.
His recovery speed was faster than I'd expected.
“You'd better be careful. I'm not the same as before.”
Choco pointed his broadsword at me with a confident smile.
I nodded, and Choco readjusted his grip on his sword and kicked off the ground.
Choco charged straight at me.
His sword path was a very honest straight line, much like his stubborn personality.
We had crossed swords many times before, so I knew his blade well. I also knew where its center was.
My sword drew a fluid arc and gently pressed against the center of Choco's blade.
Choco's arm muscles bulged as he tried to resist, but….
“…Huh?”
My sword guided his with incredible smoothness. His blade moved aside, against its master's will.
His front was wide open. I struck his temple with the flat of my blade.
With his legs giving out, he fell backward.
He looked up at me as if he'd seen a ghost.
‘So this is what it feels like.’
I looked down at my sword in renewed admiration.
Though not fully recovered, Bermunt possessed monstrous strength, incomparable to that of an ordinary adult male.
Yet when I pushed his sword, I felt no resistance at all. His blade moved aside as naturally as if it were meant to flow that way.
‘…What is this?’
I used it because I could, but not knowing the principle behind it, I was the one who was surprised.
Still, it was undoubtedly an extraordinary sword art.
‘This wasn't a swordsmanship dollar store, it was a swordsmanship Santa Claus.’
Thinking about it now, his appearance was similar too.
Like a Santa Claus who'd been bulking up for about ten years.
If that were the case, he'd probably put Rudolph in the sleigh and pull it himself.
“…What was that? That sword technique?”
Choco looked up at me, dumbfounded.
“I don't know either.”
Thinking my answer was a joke, Choco's face contorted.
“This is impossible! The gap hasn't closed, it's gotten wider!”
Choco, still on the ground, thrashed about and screamed.
The Abbot, who usually would have rushed over to heal him, was standing there in a daze. He'd been like that ever since my question. Then he met my eyes and finally came over.
After being healed, Choco charged at me again, full of determination, but his fighting spirit was not enough to change the situation.
I used Choco to review what I had learned.
Choco was tough, making him an excellent practice partner.
When his sword approached from angles I hadn't learned, I slightly altered my stance, familiarizing myself with the sword art.
Eventually, Choco's face was as swollen as mine had been yesterday, and he burst out in frustration.
The Abbot, after healing him, quietly retreated and disappeared, which was unlike him. After he left, the Air Conditioner and the Washing Machine approached, the former looking somewhat triumphant.
The Washing Machine washed me, and the Air Conditioner handed me a mug of beer. Seeing myriad reflections of myself in the beer, I was speechless for a moment.
After cooling down, I went inside and had a chaotic meal, enduring the Air Conditioner's clumsy attempts at rubbing against me under the hail of mini-Aron ice cubes.
I grabbed a wooden bucket, collected the fallen Aron ice cubes, and went to work.
Arriving at headquarters, I greeted Berman and headed to the Captain's room.
The Captain was still practically melted onto his desk. I handed him the wooden bucket, and he shot up, overjoyed.
“As expected of my most trusted and beloved Aron… ughhh… Jojang! How did I ever live without Aron Jojang… ughhh… I don't know!”
The sight of him stuffing ice into his clothes and shivering was not a pretty one.
“Ah, Aron Jojang, Nova was looking for you! Ughhh…”
Another moment of watching him and I might have thrown a punch, so I gave a curt nod and left. I sent Berman on ahead and headed to the inner castle.
“Hey, bastard-squared who cries from top to bottom.”
“…What are you talking about, commoner.”
After a heartwarming exchange with Jayce, I went to Nova's room.
*Knock-knock.*
“Come in.”
When I entered, Nova, sitting with a posture so straight she might have had correction training, greeted me.
“Posture-correcting orange?”
“…Don't say useless things.”
Nova frowned, then sighed and leaned back in her chair, gesturing.
“This is information I bought from the White Leaf Guild. They say the guys who attacked us before are on the move again.”
Nova handed me a piece of paper covered in dense text.
The paper detailed the Society’s suspicious movements.
There was no specific information, but based on their unusual activity, it was a speculative report that something was bound to happen.
Since they had attacked several times already, it was highly likely they would target Casedic Castle again as long as the Young Lady was here.
“I've spoken to the Lord about it, and there will be a separate meeting. I called you not just because you're an honorary scribe, but also an honorary monk, right?”
Nova wagged her finger back and forth.
“That's right.”
“So, you talk to the church. I heard you're close enough with the Abbot to meet him every morning.”
At Nova's words, I let out a small ‘hmm…’. If an attack was imminent, it was best to gather as many troops from the church as possible.
And having me, an honorary monk, make the request would certainly be effective.
“Right. Ah, can you keep an eye on Jones Village?”
“The village? The one you patrolled yesterday?”
“Yeah, that one.”
‘…But did I tell her about that?’
This indoor NPC seemed to know a little too much about everything.
“We're short on manpower, but… if we lose that village too, our production will completely collapse… I'll think of a way.”
“Thanks. Commander Orange.”
“…What did you say?”
At the sight of Nova's sharply raised eyebrows, I hastily left the room.
***
The area around the chapel was still patrolled by the expelled monks, but their numbers were much smaller than before.
The chapel building was so clean it looked brand new, and the surrounding grass was cut as short as a buzz cut.
“Please, if there is a god…”
The prayer of a monk scrubbing the wall while squatting sounded strangely chilling.
I steeled myself and headed inside the chapel.
It was even cleaner inside than out.
The monks, whose faces had once been greasy, now looked gaunt, wearing forced, serene smiles as they bustled about.
“Ah, Honorary Monk.”
The good-natured Monk Eins greeted me with a bright smile.
‘His complexion is even better.’
I gave a small nod.
“Are you here for the service? It was just about to start…”
“No. I'm here to see the Abbot. I'm still on duty, so unfortunately, I can't attend. I'm a bit busy.”
I quickly cut Monk Eins off.
Monk Eins nodded, his expression one of genuine disappointment.
“The Abbot is conducting a small service with the children, so you'll have to wait a little.”
“…A small service?”
“Yes, he invites the children from the castle who can't afford to eat, blesses them, and gives them bread… It's a special service the Abbot created.”
A look of reverence filled Monk Eins's face.
‘He’s quite a man.’
I nodded slightly and said I would wait.
Monk Eins led me to a small room, bowed, and left.
The room contained only a hard chair.
I sat on the chair and zoned out for a moment.
*Clatter-.*
A small sound came from somewhere.
It was so faint I might not have noticed it, but the surroundings were so quiet that I heard it clearly.
I was reviewing the sword art the old man had taught me when my thoughts drifted to Kanna. As I was pondering, the door opened.
“It's a surprise to see you here.”
It was the Abbot, his face still stern, but with a hint of weariness.
“Ah, yes. I have something to tell you…”
“Even if it's honorary, you are still a monk. Don't you think your visits to the chapel are too infrequent? I won't ask you to come every day, but you should at least stop by once every three days. Are you reading the scriptures I gave you? There are so many good words in there…”
The downpour of lecturing made my head spin.
The man who had seemed so listless during morning training was now full of energy, words pouring out of him. The Abbot recited his favorite scriptures, then went on to criticize the monks whose faith was weaker than that of the children these days.
“I looked into it, and you haven't attended a single service since becoming an honorary monk. The title itself is rare, so nothing has been said so far, but this could later be seen as an act of deceiving the church. It could become a huge headache down the line.”
“Yes… I'll attend the service. Let's attend. Yes.”
It seemed that sitting through a service would be over faster than listening to this sermon, so I nodded.
Besides, if I wanted to bring in troops from the church, it was better to be on the Abbot's good side.
It seemed right to endure the service and then discuss the support.
“Yes, a good thought. Your perspective will change after you attend a service. I know you're busy, so we'll hold the service right now.”
“But wait a moment.”
He seemed ready to start the service right here and now, so I quickly raised my hand to stop him. Then, I headed toward the source of the faint sound from earlier.
A room in the back. There was a very small door at the far end. I opened it and went inside. It seemed to be a storage area, with a large wooden box that resembled a wardrobe.
I felt bad, but there was a saying that pain shared is pain halved. And having been caught by the excellent Abbot, I desperately needed a painkiller that would cut my suffering in half.
“That's where the monks' robes are stored. There shouldn't be anything in there…”
*Clatter.*
At the Abbot's voice, the wooden box twitched ever so slightly.
I grabbed the handle and gave it a light pull.
It didn't budge, as if it were locked.
‘…I'm sorry.’
I apologized silently and put more strength into my hand on the handle. With a creak, the wooden wardrobe opened.
Inside the wide-open wardrobe, the Inquisitor was munching on something.
Then, spotting me, the Inquisitor tilted her head.
‘I'm sorry.’
I nodded with sincerity, and she reflexively nodded back.
“Hmm? Inquisitor? What are you doing in a place like this? I've been looking all over for you. As I've said time and again, just because you've done the dawn prayer doesn't mean your day's work is finished…”
At the appearance of the Abbot beside me, the Inquisitor's eyes widened as if they would tear.
She quickly turned her gaze to me, and the emotion in her dark eyes was one of profound betrayal.
“It's time for the service, Inquisitor.”
Haha….
I offered a greeting with an awkward laugh.
The Inquisitor's face crumpled up like when she ate the fish bread… no, even more hideously.
‘Wait, but you're an Inquisitor.’
I nodded slightly, rationalizing my actions, but the Inquisitor did not nod back.