Good Thinking
I'd thought this through carefully.
I turned Lunatic into a furnace.
Bella stretched an impossibly thin membrane around the shop—tight enough that no air could leak free—and I poured flame and wind from both hands into that sealed space with relentless care.
As meticulous as making charcoal…
Of course the townsfolk who normally never looked twice at anyone else kept shooting us glances, but they must have decided that getting involved would only invite disaster. Soon enough they went about their own business and left us alone.
"That's enough, Sub-deacon Bella."
"Yes, Inquisitor!"
The moment Bella dissolved the membrane, the trapped heat collapsed outward in a rush. Even so, the air that greeted us when we stepped inside was still scorching.
"Hot. Too hot. Sub-deacon Bella, leave the door open for a bit."
"Yes!"
I searched the shop for Alturo and found him farther in, eyes rolled white, completely out cold.
Knew it.
I'd come here to bring Alturo over to my side. But if his nature had been exactly the same as in my previous life—when he became the Avarice of the Seven Deadly Sins—I had been fully prepared to kill him. Leaving him free would have become a headache in more ways than one.
So I tested him.
I needed to know whether he was the sort of man who fed poison even to a complete stranger. If it had been a lethal dose, he would have ended his own life. If it had truly been water, I would have proceeded with the plan as scheduled.
Thud—
But a sleeping draft, huh…
Did that count as a narrow safe? Feeding a sleeping draft to a priest he'd never met before wasn't exactly normal behavior, but given the scheme he was cooking up, it wasn't entirely strange either.
Thud—!
Well now. Sleeping like a baby.
He would have drunk the draft counting on his own resistance, but even a slight rise in body temperature was enough to throw the dosage calculation off. And if he had sensed the mana and bolted outside, I had planned to use an Inquisitor's authority to keep him from leaving—on the grounds that a more thorough interrogation would be required if he tried to flee.
Looks like the draft was strong enough that even he didn't notice in time.
I seized him by the collar and slapped his cheeks from side to side.
"Wake up! Wake up! You've got a shop to run!"
"…Hah!"
He sucked in a huge breath and his eyes snapped open.
"Sleep well?"
"It's been a while…"
"If you're tired, feel free to sleep some more."
"I'll pass."
"Fine."
I let go of him and leaned back against the wall.
"So. Why try to feed a sleeping draft to an Inquisitor you'd never met?"
I already had a fair idea, but I needed to hear it from his own mouth.
"I didn't pass out because of any sleeping draft. It's because you two turned my shop into a furnace. What the hell was that about?"
So he was still trying to talk his way out of it once more. I studied him for a long moment, then spoke.
"Wipe the antidote off the corner of your mouth before you answer."
"……"
Alturo sheepishly swiped at his lips. When he still refused to speak after that, I opened my mouth again.
"Think carefully about why an Inquisitor would bother coming to a tiny workshop like this. And the crime of attempting harm against an Inquisitor is not a light one."
Alturo let out a heavy sigh and rose to his feet.
"Will saying anything change a thing? Seems to me the crime of trying to drug an Inquisitor will cost me even more."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that."
He stared at me for a while, then finally laid out his plan.
"I intended to detonate a bomb laced with a lethal poison and kill Baron Viper along with his entire household."
"Why?"
"They are the masters of this territory, yet they never look after their people. Perhaps because of that, the townsfolk never look after one another either."
I let my gaze sink deep and cold.
"Is that all?"
"Words alone can't convey the scale of it."
"I see."
I brushed a hand along my sword's scabbard.
"Your plan is an act of terrorism that would shatter the order of the state. Knowing that, I have no choice but to stop you."
"……"
"So will you kill me and run, or will you lay everything bare and leave the choice to me?"
"You… already know a great deal, don't you."
Meeting my eyes, Alturo heaved another long sigh.
"Fine. Since it's come to this, I'll tell you everything."
I had known from the start that he wouldn't attack me. If that had been his intention, he would never have drunk the sleeping draft himself; he would have come at me from the beginning.
"I run this little workshop now, but ten years ago I was drifting through the slums. A place so wretched that no one would spare even a single coin no matter how miserable your lot became."
"……"
"So stealing food or water from shops was common. The only mercy was that, given the people's nature, all you got was sneering curses—no one but the shopkeeper ever bothered to chase you."
Alturo gave a small snort of laughter.
"Then one day I got greedy, got caught, and was beaten half to death. Both my legs were broken, so for a while I couldn't steal a thing."
"Good news for the townsfolk."
"Well, I can't exactly deny that."
He shrugged.
"Still, I had food stockpiled, so surviving alone wouldn't have been a problem. The trouble was that I wasn't alone."
His eyes stayed flat as he continued.
"There was a girl about my age. Not family, not a friend, not a benefactor—just another kid I'd met by chance on the street."
"……"
"She was missing one leg and couldn't even steal. I still don't know why I took care of a girl who was no help at all, but…"
"You must have been lonely."
"True enough—I wasn't bored, thanks to her. She was the only one who ever spoke to me without an agenda."
He hesitated a moment, then pressed on.
"Anyway, the water and food eventually ran out. It hadn't rained for a long while either, and even her lips—the ones that used to talk to me—had cracked dry. I went out to beg, but as always, everyone ignored us."
"……"
"And then one day, Baron Viper walked past."
Darkness welled up in Alturo's pupils.
"I had no idea why he was in the slums, but that wasn't what mattered. I crawled to him on the spot and begged for even a single cup of clean water. And that man…"
He bit down hard on his lip.
"He didn't even glance our way. Just kept walking in one direction, as if he had somewhere to be."
"……"
"Of course, having wealth doesn't oblige anyone to feed the poor. But he was the lord of this territory. Shouldn't a lord at least be able to spare a cup of water for a resident dying of thirst?"
The words tore out of him like venom rising in his throat.
"Just one cup of water. A person died because of that."
"And that's why you decided to kill Baron Viper?"
"Yes. It was impossible for a worthless boy from the slums—but if I pour every scrap of power I've built and every scrap of knowledge I've learned into it… now it's possible."
Murder flickered in his eyes.
In my previous life, Alturo had indeed wiped out the entire Viper family with a bomb steeped in lethal poison. The blast radius had been larger than expected—townsfolk had died as well. After that he had lived as the Avarice of the Seven Deadly Sins, until he died by my hand.
I tapped my forearm with a finger, then spoke.
"As you know, Baron Viper's actions don't violate the law of the land. A lord is supposed to look after his people's welfare, but that duty doesn't extend to paupers who pay no taxes."
"……"
"If anything, you're the one who belongs on the gallows—for plotting to take so many lives."
At that, Alturo's brow twisted hard.
"You clearly steered me as if a better path existed. Was that just a ploy to hear the full story?"
"A ploy?"
I tilted my head.
"You're the one who pulled the ploy."
"What do you mean?"
I tapped the water cup with a fingernail.
"Someone of yours died over a single cup of water—and yet you handed me water laced with a sleeping draft. If that isn't a ploy against me, what is it?"
"Th-that…"
Whatever excuse he had been about to offer, Alturo shut his mouth tight.
"So keep quiet and listen. Right now I'm giving you a chance."
"A chance…?"
"Yes. A way to bring Baron Viper down without becoming a criminal yourself."
"There is such a thing?"
"There is a condition, though. From this point on, you put your knowledge to use helping other people."
Helping me and my house, to be precise—but it wasn't exactly a lie.
"Is that truly all?"
"You of all people should know how hard it is to be of help to others."
"Ah…"
Alturo had been born in a slum where people wouldn't even look at one another. To him, the idea of help was something he could never quite grasp.
"Very well. I don't exactly have other options."
I had counted on exactly that, but I saw no need to say it out loud.
"Good thinking. Then let's continue this conversation elsewhere."
"Elsewhere where?"
I walked toward the counter as I answered.
"Where else? The Viper family manor."
As if on cue, a man stepped through the open door. His presence was faint—the kind of man who made his living in dirty work.
He shut the door behind him, looked us over, and addressed me.
"An Inquisitor?"
Judging by the way he had clearly never learned manners, I answered in kind.
"Possessed by a demon, are you? Where'd you sell off any scrap of sense you might have had?"
The man's eyes narrowed.
"Watch your tongue. I am here under the orders of House Viper."
In other words, even if they were only a baronial house, he was speaking for the family and expected the proper respect. Unfortunately, formality had been swallowed by my darkness long ago, so I no longer knew what that even looked like.
"So you're a dog raised by the Vipers."
"How dare you—!"
As the dog barked, I dug a finger in my ear and spoke again.
"Enough. What does your master want?"
"…He wants to speak with you at the manor."
The townsfolk might not have paid Bella and me any mind, but the Vipers would have been watching every outsider. They were up to something foul in this territory, after all.
"I see."
I nodded.
"Then deliver this message to your master. The dog they raised has such atrocious manners that I've lost all desire to go."
The head of House Viper always chased his own profit and discarded anything he judged useless without a second thought. That nature had let the family prosper quickly—but it was far from an unalloyed virtue.
"You…"
He ground his teeth, glared at me, and shouted,
"Even after this—!"
The rest of his sentence never arrived. I had already launched myself forward and driven a fist into his face.
CRACK!
He tried to react, but my fist was faster. His body went flying out through the door, door and all.
He pushed himself up in a daze, cradling a face already swelling red.
"What is the meaning of—"
I spoke to him, voice cold.
"I am an Inquisitor selected by the Holy See. I may not demand the full measure of ceremony, but I am not someone to be treated with contempt."
"……"
"If you understand, get lost. Next time you come, try opening those eyes a little more politely."
Then I let a smirk curl my lips.
"Though I can't say whether we'll be seeing each other again."
"……"
He ground his teeth once more and fled the shop in a hurry.
After he was gone, Alturo stared at the door lying discarded in the street and muttered,
"My door…"
I looked at the now wide-open workshop and offered some comfort.
"You'll get more customers."
It wasn't long before a young woman with long violet hair arrived.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Inquisitor. I am Ravenna Viper, the legitimate daughter of House Viper. Allow me to apologize on our behalf for the discourtesy just now."
Ravenna bowed with perfect courtesy.
The apology was far more by-the-book than I had expected, so I decided to prod her a little.
"It's fine. Looking at the top of the young lady's head has already soothed my resentment."
"Thank you."
Bella and Alturo both looked mildly startled, but Ravenna answered as if nothing were amiss.
Hmm.
Having a retainer return after being punched should have been enough to wound their pride, yet she showed almost no reaction even when I openly slighted the family's legitimate daughter. Strange. Or perhaps they had something to hide and were being careful.
If not that, then they have some other scheme in mind.
My instincts leaned toward the latter.
"So. House Viper summoned me?"
"Yes. Would you kindly follow me?"
"Gladly. I was hoping for a conversation with them myself."
"Thank you."
Guided by Ravenna, we arrived at the manor—a place that used dark colors throughout and gave off a thoroughly gloomy atmosphere. Before we entered, she turned back to look at me.
"Um…"
Her lips moved as if she had something to say. When she hesitated, I spoke first.
"I already know."
"Pardon…?"
"Whatever it is. So just show us in quietly."
"Ah—yes…"
Once we were inside, she took the lead, and I offered Bella and Alturo a quiet word of caution.
"If they offer you food, don't eat it. Don't touch anything carelessly either. Sub-deacon Bella especially—be even more careful."
The baronial House of Viper was the sort that stopped at nothing. Alturo had resistance to poison and would be fine, but Bella could be in real danger if she slipped. Of course, my own resistance was nearly nonexistent in this life as well, so I needed to stay sharp too.
"…Yes."
Bella nodded as casually as she could manage. I had already told her everything about the Vipers.
When we reached the hall, a violet-haired man approached with a genial smile.
"A pleasure, Inquisitor. I am Gras, eldest son of House Viper."
I looked at the hand he offered, declined to take it, and answered,
"Cael, Inquisitor. Is the head of the house not present?"
"Indeed. He has a brief matter to attend to."
"I see."
"Which is why I must ask—would you be so kind as to return for today? In exchange, allow me to offer you this."
Gras held out a small glass vial filled with a purple liquid.
Ravenna's eyes flew wide in protest.
"Brother! You said—!"
"Silence. We are speaking. Do not interrupt."
Gras's cold glare made Ravenna press her lips shut and drop her gaze.
I took in their reactions, then asked,
"And that is?"
Gras kept his smile, though his eyes had gone icy.
"Poison. If you fail to take the antidote once a month, you die."
"And the meaning of handing it to me?"
"I don't know what you've uncovered, but take this and leave quietly. Do that, and we'll let you live."
In other words: overlook everything happening here, leave, and come back every month for the antidote.
"For reference, appealing to the Holy See will do you no good. We made this poison ourselves—you won't find the antidote anywhere else."
As expected, they hadn't strayed from my predictions.
Killing me here would give the Holy See leverage over them, so from their perspective this is the most efficient and safest method.
In fact, I preferred it this way. No—more accurately, this was exactly what I had wanted them to do.
"Someone failed to raise you properly. Were you taught to open with threats when hosting a guest?"
"Haha. I don't call someone a guest if they mean me harm."
"Talking back, too… This won't do. I need to see your father."
"And you know where he is?"
"Oh, somewhere brewing Human Poison, I expect."
"……"
The already chill air grew colder still beneath the silence that followed.
Human Poison—a toxin refined from human bodies mixed with various other materials. It was a lethal poison in its own right, but when ingested by someone who had built up a special resistance through training, it could also serve as a miraculous elixir. Of course, simply preparing or using something that treated humans as raw material was enough to brand a person a heretic.
And yet the head of House Viper had already racked up enough achievements with Human Poison to earn a baron's title and a territory of his own.
"This place is perfectly suited for making Human Poison, I'll give you that. The townsfolk never pay attention to one another, so even if someone is dragged off as raw material, no one makes a fuss. And if that someone comes from the slums, all the better."
Gras, who had been listening in silence, narrowed his brow.
"You… know far more than I anticipated."
"Something like that."
That the head of House Viper used Human Poison was something the Holy Empire had only learned after Alturo's rampage in my previous life. I had come across it while reviewing information on the other members of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Drink it. Leaving you as you are is clearly no longer an option."
Gras thrust the poison vial forward. Black-masked retainers had already surrounded us.
I brushed my scabbard and spoke.
"Listen, Gras."
"What is it?"
"From this moment I give you two choices. First: you drink that poison yourself. Second: you take a cut from my sword."
"And if I refuse both?"
"Then I have no choice."
In that instant, a keen blade burst from the scabbard like a ray of light. The surging edge locked dead onto Gras's shoulder.
"……!"
He flinched and scrambled backward—but the distance was too short. The wrist holding the poison was sliced clean through.
Shhk!
His hand hit the floor in a spray of blood, and the glass vial shattered, spilling purple liquid across the boards.
Gras clutched the spurting stump and glared at me from the space he had managed to create. I wound flame around the blade and gave him a slight smile.
"Looks like I'll have to send every last one of you to hell."
From the start, you never had a choice.