The Fifth Inquisition Office (8)
The Fifth Inquisition Office (8)
It was fully spring now. Soon, even that would likely come to an end. Summer would arrive. Ra's season.
Dimona opened the window. Fresh air swept in, clearing her head. Someone knocked on the door. At the steady rhythm, Dimona spoke without turning around.
"Come in, Inquisitor."
"Excuse me."
The door creaked open. Radatok appeared, arms full of documents. Dimona, who had been staring blankly outside, turned around. She frowned at the enormous amount, but soon answered with a deep sigh instead.
"Is that everything for today?"
"There is another batch this size."
"...From trivial civilian requests to all sorts of paperwork, we have to get through everything. Dwayne is petty. Beyond words."
"I will help you, Judge."
"Normally I would have refused, but not today, Inquisitor. Could you start with this work here?"
"Understood."
The pen moved. Dimona wiped away the nosebleed trickling down. As the workload intensified, the nights spent awake had increased.
When had she last slept properly? Dimona wanted to rest. But she knew that if she rested, everything would fall apart.
When would it end?
When would she be free?
Her questions carried her back through her memories, tightening around her as they led her upward. Old memories. The scent of the past.
When she had first come here.
"...Radatok was so dependable back then, too."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, I'm talking to myself. I just remembered something from the past."
Dimona had not been perfect from the start. Rather, she had been nothing more than an apprentice paladin whose enthusiasm got ahead of her, leading to mistake after mistake.
"You know, at first. When I first landed in a place like this, did you know I was completely devastated?"
"I know."
"Huh? Really?"
"It was all over your face. Back then, Judge, you weren't very good at hiding your expressions."
Radatok fell into thought.
"You were much smaller than you are now."
"Hey. I wasn't that small even then, you know?"
"It was to the point that Belstein confronted the Holy See, demanding to know why such a little kid had been admitted."
"...Belstein did that?"
"Because he was righteous. He thought you would die the moment you went to the front lines. So he must have gone to the Holy See to protest."
A benefactor.
Belstein.
The one who had once served as Divine Judge of the Fifth Inquisition Office. Her predecessor as Divine Judge.
Dimona set down her pen. She spun her chair around. She looked out the window.
Back when she had first met that person, he had been looking out the window like this, too. Staring blankly at the warm sunlight.
"...They were both built like mountains."
Dimona puffed out her cheeks.
"I'm average height for a woman, you know?"
"I believe Rosemary is over 170."
"She's the tall one! It's not that I'm short!"
"I know."
"Your calmness is infuriating."
Belstein.
Radatok.
And Rosemary.
The only people she had been able to trust in the Fifth Inquisition Office.
"...A genius."
Dimona glanced back slightly. The woman who had once thought of herself as a genius stood there. Standing stiffly, believing she could do anything.
The woman who had simply stood tall stood there.
But...
Not anymore. Dimona had changed. She had hidden her former self and become an adult. Perhaps she had not wanted to become an adult.
But the environment had pushed her into it.
But her subordinates had pushed her into it.
But the things in her hands had pushed her into it.
Dimona had had to become an adult. Belstein's will and conviction. His unbending convictions had been slowly destroying the Fifth Inquisition Office. His good deeds had turned against him, becoming the very thing that pressured the Fifth Inquisition Office.
Belstein had done the same things she was doing now. He had sheltered and embraced the weak whom the Holy See had cast aside, and had slowly fallen. Dimona had been one of them: talented, but cast aside because she had disobeyed the Church's orders to save people.
Because he had sheltered the weak, the strong had collapsed.
The man who had helped others was ultimately abandoned by everyone.
That man had been a genius, too. Like her.
And when he fell, no one had been able to help him. Because it had been beyond their capacity.
"...Radatok."
"Yes."
"Once this work is done, new work will pile up again, won't it?"
"...Probably."
"And after that, even more new work will come flooding in?"
"That's right."
"Will there ever be an end to it?"
"......"
"Will I be able to keep handling all of this forever without breaking down?"
Dimona flipped through the documents.
"If I ever break down from exhaustion...will I end up like Belstein?"
"...That will not happen."
At Radatok's loyal voice, Dimona let out a puff of laughter.
"It's fine. I was just having a moment of weakness."
Belstein had said.
That priests were people who sheltered the weak and could always show Ra's mercy.
Dimona had thought it was a platitude. It wasn't much different now. A platitude was just a platitude.
But even so...at least for the people she had decided to shelter...
Like Belstein had done...even just a little.
"Dwayne looked down on me. I'm going to finish all of this just to spite him."
"...Judge."
"It's fine. I can do it. I'm Dimona, aren't I? The most capable of all the Divine Judges in the history of the Fifth Inquisition Office! Haah. The thing we lack most is money, after all. Radatok. Could you look into where we might get some money? If we could just spend money, things would get easier, but we can't even hire people, so that seems to be the problem. Cut unnecessary expenses... save a bit of the budget... and while we're at it, maybe gradually replace the furniture in the dormitory?"
"That is a luxury."
"What's wrong with that? Sometimes you have to indulge a little."
Dimona rolled up her sleeves. She tried hard to act strong, but even so, in a corner of her heart, she was wishing.
If only someone would help. If only.
...But that won't happen. I have to do it. Because I'm the only one who can.
"I'll show Dwayne exactly who Divine Judge Dimona is...!"
Clunk.
The door opened. Dimona looked at the priest who had walked in without knocking. A priest about a hand's width taller than when she had first seen him.
Apprentice Paladin Zahard.
Dimona let out a shriek.
"Knock! Knock!"
"Knock, knock."
"Not with your mouth!"
What am I supposed to do with this troublemaker?
Dimona sighed. Zahard closed the door again.
A priest who was capable but unpredictable. Worse than she had been in that position, a man who might have made even Belstein throw up his hands.
He was certainly helpful. But...
She couldn't predict him. What he might do.
"...Zahard. I heard the news. They say Group 2's performance has improved dramatically?"
"Because capable me took the time to teach them."
"But what did you teach them? One uses an axe...one uses a spear...one uses a greatsword I've never seen or heard of? It's completely different from the Inquisition Office's manuals, isn't it?"
"I dug through the church's library and found a few usable weapon arts. They happened to look useful for those guys, so I taught them, and they turned out to fit better than I expected."
"...You expect me to believe that? There's no way the library has books containing usable weapon arts..."
"I guess I found a hidden book. Well."
Dimona rubbed her face. This stubborn bastard. Fine. Well, it was a good thing. The weapon arts of the Group 2 inquisitors she had glimpsed in passing were clearly nothing sinister.
Rather, they were weapon arts that fit Holy Arts so well you would think they had been the Sun God Church's weapon arts from the start. Seeing the flames that arose naturally, the swordsmanship of the other inquisitors was almost embarrassing by comparison.
"...By any chance, could you also teach the Group 1 inquisitors?"
"No problem."
"...Thank you."
"Hey. Between you and me, Divine Judge Dimona, what's a little thing like that? Radatok. Have you been well?"
"Of course. And you, Brother?"
"Me? Same as always. Wow. Why are there so many documents? If we used them all as firewood, they'd burn for three days."
Zahard rummaged around the office. He pulled out one document.
"Why didn't you approve this one? It's well within our capabilities, isn't it?"
"Because we have no money."
"Are we that short on funds?"
"Not just very. We're far short. We're somehow managing with the budget we do have. Most requests get rejected. Why? Do you want to run off to the Punishment Office again like last time?"
Dimona pouted. For some reason, it was hard to offer warm words to the priest in front of her.
How to put it.
Dimona had rarely met someone on her own level. Everyone had either helped her, or she had leaned on them, or they had protected her.
Among capable people, she had almost never met anyone as an equal. She had never even made a friend. Everyone was either beneath her or above her.
Dimona blew her nose briefly. The remaining nosebleed soaked the tissue. Sniffling, Dimona reached out to pull a new tissue. But it was a little too far.
Zahard snatched the tissue. He rolled it up and tore it off.
"Here. Blow. Blow."
"...Am I a child?"
"Hurry up."
Ugh. Annoying.
Dimona blew. She blew so hard the whole office might have shaken. Zahard wiped her nose and then casually opened up the tissue.
"W-why are you opening that?!"
"That's no joke..."
"Shut up!"
Watching the two bickering, Radatok smiled quietly.
"It's a pleasant sight."
"What's pleasant about it?! Hey! Put that down!"
"Maybe all your height actually went into your nose?"
"You son of a bitch!"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. Dimona. Do you know what?"
Zahard tossed the tissue into the trash and stuck close to Dimona's side.
"Today's my last day as an apprentice paladin, isn't it? Right?"
"Go out to the field and die already."
"Good heavens. How can you say something so cruel? I'm so sad...I think tears are going to pour out."
"Argh. Seriously! I'm busy enough as it is...!"
Dimona cut herself off. Her eyes went wide.
Zahard was holding something up to his eyes. A check. And the amount was no joke.
200 million Talent. Dimona was horrified. Her chair slid back and tipped over.
"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w...?"
"I can't exactly scoop up the tears I've already shed...haah..."
Zahard sighed and casually handed over the check.
"Want it?"
"Y-y-y-yes?"
C-could it be fake?
Dimona hastily took the check. She flipped it over. But what was stamped on it was unmistakably the Imperial Bank's seal.
A real 200 million Talent. Real money.
"U-u-u-uh?"
Like a deflated balloon, Dimona broke down.
. . .
"U-u-u-u-uh."
"Hehehehehe."
"Waaah."
"Hehehehehuk."
Dimona's expression changed rapidly. From shock to joy, then suddenly bursting into tears, then laughing again.
That's what I'm talking about. That's the stuff!
Pleased with the reaction, I shrugged in satisfaction. Now that was a good reaction!
"Brother? Where in the world did that money come from?"
"It's not dirty money. It's money I earned legitimately. It's official money recognized by the Imperial Bank, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Z-Zahard."
Dimona's voice trembled. Tears welled in her eyes.
"Th-this...can I really keep it?"
"I brought it for you to keep."
"Wh-why?"
"Why do you think? I saw you struggling for money, so I got some money and came."
"H-how?"
"The method is a secret. I sold something I had, so you don't need to worry too much."
"Wh-what did you sell?"
"Just..."
I can't tell her I have Nectar.
"Something reasonably expensive?"
"Ah...aaaaah..."
Dimona looked down at the money several times. She hugged it and rolled around. Then she sprang to her feet.
She threw herself at me. And hugged me and rolled around.
"W-with this money, we can do anything! Zahard! Starting with hiring someone to help with the paperwork...! Repairing the crumbling facilities of the Fifth Inquisition Office...we can do everything!"
"Your posture is a little suggestive."
"Z-Zahard...but this money is your money...can I really take it? Really...?"
"My money?"
"Huh?"
Pinned under her, I smirked.
"It's money sent by an 'anonymous donor,' isn't it?"
"...Awww."
Dimona sniffled. Tears dripped down.
"Wh-why are you helping me this much? What do you get out of it?"
Why do you think?! Because I'm using you people as my backing!
I suppressed my true feelings. Goodness. How hard must it have been for her to cry? I casually reached out.
I wiped Dimona's tears.
"You helped me, Dimona."
"...Huh?"
"Only one side helping is unfair, isn't it? I don't like living in debt."
"B-but you...you helped the other inquisitors..."
"I considered that settled with the Divine Court matter. So? You don't regret it now, do you? Bringing me here?"
She beamed.
"There's no way I'd regret it! Reallyyyy!!"
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded. Radatok winked at me.
"I'll go see."
"Hehehe. Zahard...Zahard...can I buy just one bolt of silk with this? I won't buy anything expensive...just something a tiny bit expensive..."
"Spend it however you like. I know you'll handle it well."
"R-really?! Yes!"
Dimona, her eyes unfocused, rubbed her face against my chest. She was completely disarmed.
Divine Judge Dimona: capture complete!
Radatok returned. But for some reason, his expression had darkened.
"Divine Judge Dimona."
"Yes?"
"I think you need to go somewhere urgently."
"What is it?"
"There is a new piece of news."
Radatok spoke.
"They say the Serpent Church has submitted an application to become an imperially recognized church. It seems...the Serpent Church is trying to become an official church."