Preparation for Escort Duty
Preparation for Escort Duty
The Saint.
Her name is Triana Oquel, and her original name before receiving the title of Saint was Teria.
Coming from the New Heart Orphanage located in the Shaman City of the Lekhatos General Bureau, she spent a very ordinary childhood before being moved to the Goddess Church Headquarters nunnery by nuns who recognized her extraordinary aptitude for holy power.
The orphanage peer who moved to the headquarters with her at that time is none other than Escort Adjutant Lesha, currently belonging to the 3rd Escort Unit.
From their time at the nunnery, the two showed off talents like two stars shining brightly within the headquarters.
Of course, because Teria's talent was so overwhelming, Lesha's radiance felt a bit faded, but that wasn't something anyone could blame.
Because she was the deeply beloved daughter, personally crafted by the Three-Eyed Goddess, who poured her own essence into her.
Since she is an existence outside the standard from birth, isn't it perhaps inevitable that anyone standing by her side would look shabby?
Except for monsters like the Sword Master standing at the pinnacle of the continent, the Archmage exploring the truth, the Sage reading the flow of stars, the Dragon Shaman wielding ancient power, the King commanding the grasslands, or fragments of the Demon King, there is probably no one who can compare to her light.
And that naturally includes me, who just rolls around doing Heretic interrogations.
Well, I'm someone who was far from having any natural talent to begin with, though.
Anyway, the Saint is a core character who pierces through this worldview.
Triana Oquel.
I clearly remembered hearing it when my brother recited the main characters of the work in the past.
So, her peer, Escort Adjutant Lesha, must also have held quite a heavy weight in the novel 'War of Love'.
If things had gone according to the original logic of the novel, it would have been standard for her close friend, Escort Adjutant Lesha, to accompany her as a bodyguard.
However, because I was worked so brutally at this Goddess Church Headquarters, and because the things I handled roughly out of laziness appeared strangely competent, the protagonist of the escort duty ended up being swapped to me.
And this sudden change of roles was a strong signal that I had been dragged into the center of this novel.
"Is the genre of romance fantasy finally starting to show?"
"Huh? What was that?"
At the mutter that slipped out of my mouth without me realizing it, Juliana, who was furiously stamping documents next to me, narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
I did my best to turn my head to avoid that sharp, icy gaze.
"It's nothing. Just talking to myself."
But perhaps she got even angrier at that...
"Ugh, seriously! Does it make sense for the Chief Inquisitor to suddenly leave for escort duty? We're the ones left behind who are going to work our bones off!"
She shouted.
I had no choice but to say this with an embarrassed expression.
"...If you think about it, I didn't really do much practical work to begin with."
"...Hmm, hmm... hmm... Well, now that you mention it, that's true."
The fact that I didn't actually handle much practical work within the department.
Juliana, who had been missing this crucial fact, accepted it surprisingly quickly.
"Haha."
Adrian, who had taken over the duties of the Acting Chief Inquisitor in my absence, burst into a snicker while stamping documents.
"The Chief Inquisitor held enough symbolism within the department just by existing. You provided an unparalleled, reliable pillar of support for our members, and a bottomless, despair-inducing abyss for our enemies."
Juliana shook her head at Adrian's words and drove the nail in.
"No. To be cold about it, you were close to a surplus resource in terms of practical work. Of course, I'm not denying the Chief's martial prowess, status, or the ripple effect you emit in the field."
The rest of the members who had been silently listening to the conversation also joined in, adding a word each.
"That's true. Anyway, if the Chief is away, the trivial tasks will become annoying."
Han Jun, with brown hair and oriental features, said with a smirk.
"Hehe, I'm actually looking forward to it because work seems like it'll get more stimulating and fun! It's boring work that repeats every day, so it'd be better if things exploded in a more interesting way! We couldn't do that when the Chief was watching us from the side."
Dominique, a woman with blue bobbed hair and eyes filled with murderous madness, licked her lips and revealed a faint expectation.
"Dominique, that's not a good thing at all. It just means the workload will get more intense. Ah, seriously, I want to quit right now. I just want to quietly open a cafe on the outskirts of the headquarters city, Narozam."
Veronica, with red bobbed hair and healthy tanned skin, complained with a tearful face.
"A cafe, that's a good idea. By the way, Chief Inquisitor, exactly how long is this escort duty? Are you accompanying her until the Saint's entire academy life is over?"
Ciel, a man with long hair reaching his waist, asked in a calm tone.
I shrugged lightly at that question.
"I don't know the exact duration either. But in my opinion..."
And I added, packing it with my desperate hopes as much as possible.
"I think it'll be about one semester for now. After that, there might be personnel transfers or additional staff redeployments depending on the difficulty of the local escort."
One semester at the academy is usually half a year.
After half a year, vacation comes, and students return to their respective continents, countries, or hometowns.
Of course, some might stay, but it's customary for most to return. So, if I return to the headquarters after the first semester finishes, there might be a chance to be liberated from this tedious work.
If the escort difficulty is lower than expected, I can just go through the proper handover procedures.
Above all, could the security system of the Sepenteria Continental General Academy, called the best educational institution in the world, possibly be terrible?
It's a place where the Empire's princes, the General Bureau's high-ranking children, and even the children of the King of Joseon from far away enroll, so the level of security must be world-class without even needing to see it.
So, there shouldn't be much for me to actually roll up my sleeves and do in the field.
"That sounds like a typical mental victory, Chief."
"...Juliana, please, I'm begging you, stop pouring cold water on me."
"I'm just saying. Anyway, here, take this."
Juliana dropped a handful of completed document bundles onto my desk.
I couldn't help but ask with a dumbfounded expression at that hideous thickness.
"What on earth is this ferocious-looking pile of paper?"
Juliana responded to that question as if it were extremely obvious.
"What do you mean, what is it? It's the documents related to authorizing the proxy for the Chief's official seal, the reports on the deployment and summary execution authority usage you've been putting off, and the final decision documents for the Heretic classification items. Did you really intend to leave lightly, using the escort as an excuse while leaving a mountain of work behind?"
"..."
The thickness of the documents was enough to make me doubt my eyesight.
Is this really made only of thin sheets of paper? Did they hide a brick inside or something?
Strong distrust and skepticism welled up in my heart.
I didn't want to believe it.
So I asked again as if to confirm.
"Is this a prank, Adjutant Juliana? Like a farewell prank or something?"
"...Do I look like I'm in the mood for pranks right now? Chief Inquisitor 'Lu Niginna'?"
"Ah."
She was serious.
I looked again at the documents that felt violent enough with hollow eyes.
Fuck.
I definitely never neglected my duties.
I haven't slacked off for a single moment.
I rolled around in the field all day, came back and reported again, and worked while cutting into my sleeping time.
Why on earth do the backlogged documents and the new work to be processed multiply so endlessly?
Do the tasks breed with each other and have offspring?
Does this make sense logically?
Toward me, looking at the pile of documents in despair with shaking eyes, Juliana indifferently bowed her head and bid farewell.
"Then, we'll be heading out on our deployment. We have four cases to handle today as well. Chief, please finish signing everything before the sun sets today. It's almost academy admission season, so we don't have time to dawdle."
"..."
I couldn't bring myself to answer. Because I had no confidence I could finish it.
But my head was nodding slowly and mechanically.
"Juliana, is that all the report for the Chief?"
"Yes, Deputy Chief Inquisitor."
"Right, then let's deploy. Chief Inquisitor, we'll be going now."
Deputy Chief Inquisitor Adrian, who gives the deployment report with a dignified posture.
I muttered weakly toward his receding back.
"To the Goddess's enemies... deliver a stern judgment befitting their sins..."
"Yes, as you have commanded, we shall do so."
The members of the 1st Special Inquisition Department left the office like a storm.
Inside the empty office where silence suddenly arrived.
I couldn't even remember when it was that I was left alone like this.
It seems like it's the first time since entering the headquarters, but it wasn't bad as it was quieter than I thought.
Perhaps the optimal environment for fully immersing myself in work has finally been created.
Of course, there is the fatal downside that a corner of my heart feels a little lonely and empty.
I opened the drawer and took out an old stamp and a pen.
Let's focus properly and finish as quickly as possible.
The goal is before I leave work today.
+++++
Goddess Church Headquarters.
Holy Decision Council Meeting Hall.
A total of 8 members who decide on the important major and minor affairs of the church gathered in one place.
"I believe everyone here guesses the reason we gathered urgently today."
At the heavy voice of the chairman, who sat at the head of the huge circular table in the center of the conference room, the other seven members nodded and opened their mouths.
"Of course we do. Isn't it because of the Saint's academy admission and the unprecedented decision made by His Holiness the Pope?"
"It was a decision that was beyond unconventional, it was shocking. I even doubted my own eyes when I first received the report."
"The Saint's academy admission itself was something we already expected. We were all worried and agonizing over solutions. Since the Saint would not bend her will, we hoped the Pope would strictly block it, but the Pope instead opened the way."
"Yes, that's right. And behind that permission~ lies that surprising and dangerous decision made by His Holiness the Pope."
The Saint's impulsive behavior was somewhat foreseen.
Therefore, the council was concerned and wanted the Pope to put on the brakes.
However, the Pope chose permission instead of restraint, and at the same time, brought out a card that would shock everyone.
The decision he made was exactly this.
"How can you appoint the Chief Inquisitor of the 1st Special Inquisition Department as the Saint's dedicated escort!"
Selecting Lu Niginna, the head of the 1st Special Inquisition Department, as the Saint's escort.
"How can you send the department with the greatest cruelty even among the mad murderers, and the worst evil sword of the church who leads them, to the hall of learning called the academy? This is by no means a wise choice."
"The academy is a sacred site of education and a place where the Goddess's children cultivate wisdom. Yet how can an inquisitor who has spent his whole life amidst the smell of blood and screams go there? This is a matter that the Empire, the General Bureau, and the affiliated nobles will never overlook."
"That's right. Above all, the diplomatic backlash will be fierce. If you send a big shot like Lu Niginna, other forces will also try to dispatch strong individuals of equal standing to balance it out. In the end, the academy could become a battleground for showing off military power rather than a place of study."
"It's a decision that is hard to accept morally, not to mention the political risks. My head aches just thinking about it."
"It's also questionable what kind of confidence that Chief Inquisitor had to accept the escort duty. How can someone who spent his whole life on the battlefield and in the torture chamber perform delicate protection?"
"It's the same for the Holy Inquisition Bureau Chief; I don't understand it either. With how many Heretics are swarming in this world, how can you remove the church's greatest fighting force from the field?"
Just then, as the members were pouring out negative opinions and venting their anger.
A beautiful woman with green hair quietly raised her hand.
Unlike the other seasoned members, she had a very young and vibrant impression.
The chairman, having confirmed her, calmed the noisy meeting hall and passed the right to speak to the woman.
"Councilor Galua Sabrina, please state your opinion."
The woman called Sabrina slowly opened her mouth.
And from her mouth flowed a voice that was the exact opposite of the previous members' complaints.
"First of all, I would like to say that I fully understand His Holiness the Pope's judgment."
"Galua! What are you talking about...!"
"Listen to the end."
"...Yes, Mr. Chairman."
Sabrina, who caught her breath for a moment, confirmed the chairman's positive nod and continued.
"To reiterate, I see His Holiness the Pope's decision as extremely rational. The point is simple without being complicated. Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna is the best expert in the church when it comes to tracking and eradicating Heretics."
"I don't deny that fact, but this is an escort mission. Isn't it a field strictly different from tracking or slaughter?"
"No. It might be different if you divide it into simple protection and killing, but if you change your perspective just a little, it becomes the same field. If you consider what we need to protect the Saint from."
"From what... hmm, by any chance, are you keeping Heretics in mind?"
"Yes. If the Saint leaves the protection of the headquarters and heads to the academy, the Heretics will try to assassinate her by any means necessary. Perhaps all the Heretic sects hiding around the world could gather there."
"...So, you mean to deploy Lu Niginna, the strongest and best expert when it comes to Heretics."
"You are correct."
The chairman's expression changed to one of slight agreement, unlike before.
Because there was some practical justification for the Pope's decision.
However.
Even with that much justification, there remained unresolved questions.
"But what about the political friction, the mental state of that person named Lu Niginna, and the problems regarding his character?"
"That's right. The 1st Special Inquisition Department is the group of madmen who are the most poisonous, vicious, and enjoy murder like a game, even within the Inquisition. Will the Empire or various forces tolerate sending the head of such a group of lunatics to the academy? Such a dangerous person like a ticking time bomb?"
"According to rumors, he doesn't even blink an eye after slicing Heretics alive like chunks of meat, and he feels pleasure while slaughtering regardless of age, gender, or status, and his appearance is said to be just like a demon."
"My goodness, just keeping such an ominous person by the Saint's side is an act of blasphemy. I simply cannot understand it, how His Holiness the Pope could make such a choice..."
Just then.
Clack─!
Sabrina lightly slammed the table and retorted coldly.
"Councilors, do you really know properly about that Rugin you are talking about?"
"...What do you mean by that? How could we not know Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna? He is one of the greatest assets the church possesses..."
"No, not that public title, I mean do you know him personally?"
"...Of course we don't. But according to the rumors..."
"Rumors are just rumors. They are illusions without substance."
For some reason, unpleasantness was etched in Sabrina's gaze.
"His Holiness the Pope and I have been watching over Rugin for a very long time. All this time, in fact. His Holiness the Pope is the one who personally rescued Rugin from a village swept up in demonic madness, and I have grown up with Rugin since I was young. So I know for sure."
"..."
"That guy is not the mad murderer you all are talking about. He is certainly not a pervert who enjoys murder. He is just an ordinary man who lives buried in work, and a faithful child of the Goddess. He is a human being no different from me, you, or the countless believers of the church."
"..."
"So, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from such rude talk. I ask you politely."