novelraw Chapter 100 : Chapter 100
Chapter 100 : Chapter 100
Chapter 100: Seria (2)
'The Guillotine.'
It was a grisly nickname.
He must have lopped off a variety of necks.
If the Church had the ability to single out and kill only mages, mages would not have been called demons.
'Still, they'd be treated as Magical Beasts.'
Unfortunately, Ellen's attempt at intimidation was ineffective.
"Thank you for recognizing me, Ellen."
To a priest, a grisly nickname is the highest praise.
"I've heard stories about you too. That you're from a branch family."
Ellen, whose attack had failed, glared at the blameless Harad.
"It's not a secret, is it."
"It's not something to go around talking about either."
"Don't be like that. It was necessary."
Harad spoke indirectly.
The identity of a Serzila was needed. It was a leash to control the zealot named Seria.
"That's true."
Ellen seemed to understand.
Her eyes showed that her mind was working properly.
She had had the same look yesterday when she was Elaine.
"If it's not too much trouble, may I go and attend morning worship?"
Seria asked gently.
Ellen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Would she not do it if she was told not to? She was clearly thinking along those lines.
"There are no churches in Serzila."
"As long as there is piety, the place is not important."
Seria looked up at the Inner Fortress wall.
Her gaze was asking if it was alright to go up there.
Within the Inner Fortress, that was the place closest to the sun.
"Go ahead. Don't feel burdened."
"Thank you."
Seria thanked the heavens as if even that permission was Laan's will.
"She's completely insane."
Ellen let out a hollow laugh as Seria climbed the stairs of the Inner Fortress wall.
"Not all priests are like that."
Just as mages are people, so too are priests.
"Really?"
"Probably?"
But Harad couldn't be sure.
All the priests and paladins he had encountered in his past life were zealots.
"Would she not have done it if I had told her not to? The prayer, I mean."
"You just answered your own question. She's completely insane."
"Ah, right."
Seria would have offered her prayers no matter what.
If she had been told not to, she would have done it while walking. As she said, the place is not important.
"What's important is the heart. Faith."
"Have you ever believed?"
"Of course not. I just picked it up here and there."
He didn't believe, but he had been to church quite a few times. He had even been to the Church's main sanctuary.
"Faith. No, that determination to offer prayers every day is at least worthy of praise. Offering prayers doesn't increase one's divine power."
Prayer and the increase of divine power are unrelated.
Nevertheless, the Church offers prayers to the sun and moon three times a day.
They believe without a doubt that the power given to them is from God, and they are truly in awe of that benevolence.
"Then how do you increase divine power?"
"I hear it's similar to Aura."
It's like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it grows.
"How do you create it in the first place?"
"They say it comes from receiving baptism."
Sun and Moon.
It is under the jurisdiction of the two Popes and their respective five Cardinals.
"There is a very large spring in the main sanctuary. They say that if you receive baptism administered by the Pope or a Cardinal there, you will gain divine power."
"……Does that make sense?"
"What can you do? It's the truth."
The Harad of the past life had never seen the baptism himself, but he knew someone who had undergone it.
He was clearly someone with nothing, but after visiting the main sanctuary, he came back with divine power.
"That's why baptism is called the proof of God's existence."
A faithful believer who had only offered prayers every day receives baptism and becomes a powerhouse on par with a knight.
"There's no other way to explain it. Unless it's a miracle of God's power descending."
Divine power was unreasonable.
Because it was the power of the Sun God Laan and the Moon God Luan.
"I can't believe it."
"To be honest, neither can I."
Divine power was too easy to obtain.
Of course, there must have been its own set of hardships, but still.
It was not only easy to obtain but also powerful.
It was a cause and effect that deviated from the principles of the world.
But it didn't deviate completely.
Divine power is, in crude terms, a full hexagon.
Its versatility is great, but when you dig deeper, it eventually falls short of the destructive power of Aura. It is not as precise or distinct as magic.
If it were truly a miracle of God, that shouldn't be the case.
'It should be even more nonsensical.'
They say it's the power of God.
Divine power is categorized in the same group as Aura and magic.
"You know a lot."
"Is that new?"
Harad didn't hide what he knew.
The more Ellen doubted, the better it was for him.
"What's the rank of the black vestments? They said it seemed high."
It was a sudden question.
"The Grand Heir said she killed a priest in black vestments in a dream. On the eastern great plain."
"Ah."
Ellen confessed without hesitation.
It seemed she found it bothersome to come and speak as Elaine later.
She preferred to interact with Harad as Ellen.
'So it was then. Pinel?'
It was a day in Harad's memory.
It was also an embarrassing day. The fact that Ellen had seen it made it even more so.
"You don't know?"
"Inquisitor."
Black cassock.
It is a vestment only permitted to Inquisitors.
"They are also called demon hunters. The color of the cassock is black to signify that they will only be stained with blood."
The young Ellen might not have known.
There are no churches in the North. Priests are rare, so how would she know about Inquisitors?
"It's rare to meet one. They don't come to the North often."
"Why?"
"Because it's legal to kill them."
"What?"
"Ah. It's closer to self-defense than legal. The Church doesn't protest the death of an Inquisitor."
It was a fact that the Harad of the past life had also learned late.
But Elaine, who had visited the Imperial Capital every birthday, knew.
Inquisitors are not protected by the Church.
"Because they are those who have abandoned everything to hunt only demons. It is the will of the Inquisition. It might be the will of the main sanctuary as well."
Harad thought it was the latter.
Inquisitors will do anything to kill mages.
As such, the aftermath was terrible.
Even for the Church, it was bound to be a burden to protect them.
That's why the Church shifted that responsibility to the Inquisitors.
"It is to hunt demons. If they say that, the continent usually lets it slide. But the North charges in first."
The North deals with its mages on its own.
That's why Inquisitors are reluctant to come to the North.
Because they would have to fight the northerners before the mages.
If such a conflict arises, the rear knight orders of Serzila will surely come.
The knights who are second only to the six knight orders that protect the Wall.
"They're like outlaws."
"Exactly."
It's not that they value their lives.
They value them because they might not be able to be used for demon hunting.
If the mage they are chasing is in the North, the Inquisitor will naturally enter the North.
"I need to be more vigilant."
Ellen looked at Seria.
She had finished her prayer and was coming down the Inner Fortress wall.
"Why?"
"She's the designated appointee for next year's Inquisition."
Meaning, in a month, that cassock will turn black.
"Truly a Guillotine."
* * *
Find and kill the mage who killed Pelatz.
That was Seria's objective.
"It's not my place to say this as someone who received your help yesterday, but keep this in mind. The only demon you can kill is the demon who killed Pelatz."
"There will be more demons."
"That's likely. But it would be an overreach of your authority."
Grand Duke Aratus's permission only went that far.
"It is my task to punish demons."
"Only on the continent. This is the North."
Dealing with the mages of the North was the North's responsibility.
“……."
Seria's face contorted.
"However, I will investigate the ones you identify as demons separately."
Harad created a pretext for her to back down.
"……I will respect that."
At that, Seria reluctantly agreed.
As befitting a future Inquisitor, she seemed to know the customs of the North.
'Her way of thinking is strange.'
Why does she think Pelatz was killed by a mage?
Harad couldn't keep up with Seria's thought process.
But surprisingly, she was correct.
Pelatz was killed by Harad.
'How did she know? Did Laan really show her?'
Then he should have shown her me.
Harad laughed inwardly.
The answer must be a near-paranoid exclusion of mages.
The Church had a strong tendency to assume that any bad thing that happened was the work of mages.
'She's Inquisition material.'
The Empire would believe that Serzila was behind Pelatz's death.
They would have judged that Pelatz had crossed a line.
But Seria was convinced it was the work of a mage.
It was an inference impossible for anyone but a considerable zealot.
"It's a vibrant land."
Seria was smiling gently as if nothing had happened.
In front of her, two muscular men were exchanging fists.
She had described a barbaric scene as vibrant.
It didn't seem like pretense, but sincere.
"Are you a nun, big sister?"
"That's right?"
A running boy asked.
Seria patted the child's head.
"You're pretty."
"You are more lovely."
A faint light flowed out. Seria smiled as she healed the child's bleeding knee.
It was a benevolent smile befitting a clergywoman.
"I don't think they're here. Let's move on."
After the child left, Seria nodded with a satisfied expression.
Ellen had a complicated expression.
Just now, Seria hadn't been like a guillotine at all.
If only there were no mages.
"Let's go for now."
Harad started walking.
Guiding them was his role.
"Could I ask you to take us to a place with many people?"
"Alright."
Harad left the alley and walked down the main street.
Footsteps echoed uniformly from behind. Seria's were light, and Ellen's were soft yet heavy.
Between the sounds of their footsteps, a steady stream of low laughter could be heard. Chuckle. Seria was enjoying the unique vibrancy of the North.
It was just as Harad was passing a salt seller.
Tap. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. So did the laughter.
When he turned around, Seria's face was contorted.
It was an expression of someone who had discovered the most disgusting thing in the world.
"A demon."
At the end of Seria's gaze was a middle-aged woman. She had just bought salt and seemed to be an ordinary housewife out for grocery shopping.
But every time the woman moved, Seria's face continued to contort.
Ellen threw a "is it true?" glance at Harad.
Because she trusted Harad, who could distinguish mages.
Ellen didn't believe the words that God shines upon mages.
And it was the same for Harad.
But it was worth observing.
This was the first time he was watching a priest's mage hunt up close.
Harad needed to know its accuracy.
"Are you just going to leave her be?"
Seria asked with a chilling expression.
"Is that woman the demon who killed Pelatz? Then step forward."
If this were the continent.
Whether she had killed Pelatz or not, Seria would have lopped off that woman's head long ago.
But this was the North, where even Inquisitors hesitate.
The presence of Ellen, from a branch family of Serzila, was restraining Seria.
"If not, I will investigate that woman separately later."
Seria nodded with difficulty.
* * *
The North is likely the land with the second-most mages in the world.
The words he had once said to Ellen were highly likely to be true.
The North is close to the Otherworld, known as a haven for mages. Also, there are no churches, which are common elsewhere.
Even if one has no intention of seeking asylum, there is no land better for a mage than the North.
Harad did not go out of his way to touch such mages.
It was a problem he couldn't solve right away.
There was a need to weed out mages from the Otherworld and the Liberation Tower. Even criminals.
There were many criminals among mages.
The gravity of their crimes also had to be considered.
It was a task that required a lot of time.
"A demon."
That time, Seria was shortening.
"A demon."
Actually, whether she was shortening it or making things more complicated would have to be checked separately.
"A demon."
Seria's eyes never rested.
She continuously scanned her surroundings, intermittently contorting her face and pointing out demons.
'There's no hesitation.'
The basis for it was Seria's attire.
The cassock.
That pure white uniform is one of the ways the Church hunts demons.
Since they are hard to find, they reveal themselves instead.
That way, the Church weeds out those who react.
Of course, he had heard that its effectiveness was minimal.
"A demon."
Seria was pointing out everyone who became nervous or flinched at the sight of her cassock.
'If she points them out like that, one or two are bound to get caught.'
Harad let out a hollow laugh.
Ellen had an even more dumbfounded expression.
"Is that right?"
Seria was being reckless.
It was a scene that showed how the Church usually finds mages.
"It's not entirely ineffective."
However, Harad thought it was a surprisingly good method.
Even in his eyes, there were some who showed particularly strong reactions.
"It seems to be because it's the North."
Preparing for asylum, or fleeing the Church.
Mages hiding in the North were usually one of the two.
Seria was unintentionally weeding out the latter.
Mages who had settled in the North to escape the Church and were feeling safe, only to have their hearts pound at the sight of a priest suddenly walking around.
'The accuracy might be high in the North.'
It was a new discovery.
It seemed like a good idea to prepare a cassock of his own.
Since there were no churches to distinguish a fake priest anyway.
“……Still, isn't it too many?”
The number of people she had pointed out had already exceeded dozens.
If this were the continent, it would mean that dozens had died.
Of course, it was also particularly numerous because this was the North.
There were surely mages who were surprised to see a priest, but there would be far more northerners who were surprised at the rare sight of a priest.
"This is starting to get annoying."
Before he knew it, Ellen's anger was palpable.
It seemed that among the people Seria had pointed out, there were some she knew.
"She is being excessive."
Even considering the uniqueness of the North, Seria was being excessive.
"Demon!"
Her emotions were also becoming excessive.
It was probably because she had discovered dozens of demons but couldn't kill a single one.
Seria's voice as she shouted "demon" was getting louder.
Her contorted face now resembled a ghost's. She seemed to have forgotten her original purpose.
"Are all priests like that?"
"……Not really. As long as the opponent isn't a mage, there are quite a few who are men of character. They don't just brand people like that either."
Of course, they miss their mark a lot, but they don't go on a rampage like that.
"What's with that bitch, then?"
"I've heard that Inquisitors tend to be like that."
"The Church's eye for people is truly excellent."
Seria was already an excellent Inquisitor.
To the point of being unpleasant to watch.
"Are you going to tolerate it?"
"I'm in a position where I have to. Given my status."
The precedent of Pelatz had been set.
Harad had to be a little more careful publicly.
"What about me?"
"Did I not tell you? You don't have to tolerate it."
"……You didn't."
"I brought you along from the beginning so you wouldn't have to tolerate it. You're the leash. You're a Serzila too."
It was then.
"Demoooooon!"
Seria was looking down at a little girl making a snowman with glaring eyes and shouting.
"This dog-eyed bitch, I've had enough of you."
Ellen, who had disappeared from in front of him, suddenly appeared in front of Seria.
By the time Harad noticed, her fist had already been thrown.
……There was the sound of a castle wall collapsing.