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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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The Papal Office was a massive, spire-like building located in the center of the Holy City. As the central governing body of the Holy City, it was also the largest structure. I had only visited the Papal Office twice since becoming a paladin.
The first time was when I was appointed as Ophelia’s escort knight. And the second time was now.
“Are you not going to tell me why I’m being summoned?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
The Holy Knight walking ahead of me replied curtly. I didn’t sense any animosity from him; he simply seemed to be a man of few words.
“May I ask your name?”
“Rowan Dictus.”
Rowan said, then fell silent. No matter what I asked, he didn’t respond.
“….”
I quietly followed Rowan, lost in thought. Why had the Papal Office summoned me? Had they heard rumors about the harsh training I was putting Ophelia through? Were they going to punish me?
No. If that were the case, they would have brought Ophelia along as a witness. But she wasn’t here. Actually, she had tried to come along initially but…
‘Hmph. Well, since my escort knight is being summoned, I’ll make a special exception and accompany you. Be grateful, Elliot.’
‘There’s no need for that, Saintess. The Papal Office specifically requested only Sir Elliot.’
‘…What?’
‘Please rest comfortably in your chambers.’
I could still picture Ophelia’s bewildered expression after Rowan’s words.
Then what was the reason? I couldn’t think of a single reason why the prestigious Papal Office would take an interest in a mere paladin like myself.
The worst-case scenario was that they had discovered I was a transmigrator. But in the six years since I arrived in this world, I hadn’t heard a single mention of transmigration.
“We’re here.”
After a while, Rowan stopped. He pointed towards a passage leading down to the basement of the Papal Office.
“…The basement?”
“Yes.”
A tall, towering spire. I had assumed we would be going up, but Rowan was leading me down.
There was only one organization located in the basement of the Papal Office. Its name was feared by every clergyman in the Holy City.
“…The Inquisition.”
—
“Hmm…”
Ophelia lay sprawled on her bed, scratching her cheek. The Papal Office had taken Elliot away. It couldn’t be anything good. That’s how the Papal Office operated.
If you achieved something, they’d take all the credit, claiming it was God’s will. If you committed a sin, they’d punish you severely, claiming it went against God’s will. They were a bunch of hypocrites.
“That Elliot bastard… he went too far.”
He had slapped the Saintess, beaten her with a wooden sword… and there were witnesses. The paladins and servants at the training grounds had seen everything.
A mere commoner knight acting as if his life wasn’t on the line. It was only natural for the Papal Office to punish him.
“Serves him right, the idiot.”
She muttered. Things had gone exactly as she had hoped. Elliot would be drawn and quartered, then burned at the stake. All Ophelia had to do was sit back and enjoy the spectacle with a glass of wine.
“….”
That’s what she wanted to think.
“…No, that’s not right.”
She had thought it would be satisfying, but imagining the scene made her feel sick. She didn’t know why. It just felt… wrong.
“Damn it.”
Was she losing her mind? Ophelia abruptly sat up. She was already exhausted from spending the day with Emily, but she slapped her cheeks and forced herself to move.
She headed to the Archbishop’s room. Belwin opened the door.
“Ophelia? What’s wrong? You rarely come to my room…”
Belwin looked at Ophelia with surprise. Too tired for small talk, she got straight to the point.
“Old man, I heard Elliot went to the Papal Office.”
“I’ve heard.”
“Do you know why?”
“…It must be the will of the Papal Office.”
“Old man.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to see me suffer?”
Ophelia glared at him, and Belwin wiped the sweat from his brow. He reluctantly replied,
“I heard he was summoned by the Inquisition.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know the details. As you know, Ophelia, the Inquisition is the most secretive organization in the Holy City…”
Slam! Ophelia closed the door before he could finish.
The Inquisition. The organization feared by everyone in the Holy City, including Ophelia. Fanatics who relentlessly hunted witches in the name of God.
Madmen who even sent agents to the Empire and other kingdoms to capture non-believers. It was said that no one who entered their clutches ever came out unscathed.
The fact that they had summoned Elliot…
“Fuck.”
Ophelia’s face crumpled, her fears confirmed. She hesitated for a moment, then felt the brooch in her pocket.
“….”
She considered doing nothing. If she just ignored it, she wouldn’t have to see Elliot again. She wouldn’t have to endure that brutal training. But she shook her head.
“He entrusted his life to me…”
Ophelia recalled the words of the geas Elliot had spoken a week ago.
“Welcome.”
The Inquisition’s headquarters were surprisingly modest.
He had expected torture devices and instruments of pain, but there were none. Instead, there was just a single table with a young man sitting behind it.
He introduced himself as Ured, an Inquisitor.
“Sir Elliot, I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
“Should I consider that an honor?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s an honor.”
“This too must be God’s grace.”
After this somewhat playful exchange, Ured offered me a seat. I sat down cautiously, observing Ured and the room.
He had a friendly smile, but as an Inquisitor, he would be skilled at masking his true emotions. The room was completely sealed. Anything could happen here.
Moreover, the divine power emanating from Ured was unsettling.
Rowan, the Holy Knight I had met earlier, was powerful, but Ured’s divine power was practically radiating off him, swirling around me.
I frowned.
“What kind of divine magic is this?”
I had nothing to hide. So, I asked directly.
“Have you seen through me? Your perception is remarkable. It’s a waste for you to be stuck as an Escort Knight.”
Ured chuckled and placed an hourglass on the table.
“Would you believe me if I said it’s divine magic that detects lies?”
“I’d have to.”
“Indeed. There’s no need for bloodshed to uncover the truth. Such barbaric methods are not to God’s liking.”
A high-performance lie detector, then. Was that why there were no torture devices in the interrogation room? I realized that lying to him would be pointless.
Ured flipped the hourglass and placed his clasped hands on the table.
“So, Sir Elliot, do you know why you’re here?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hmm. That’s unlikely.”
I really didn’t know.
Ured, seemingly unable to detect any deception with his magic, shrugged.
“The geas.”
“….”
“You used a geas. Seven days ago, in the Holy City’s sky garden.”
So that was it. The geas I had used to motivate Ophelia. The Papal Office had sensed its power.
“A contract with God holds a significance beyond mere words. While I don’t believe a blasphemer could use a geas… in these peaceful times, it’s possible for someone to use it for personal gain.”
“…I see.”
“I want to know why you used the geas, Sir Elliot.”
He wanted to know if I had used the geas for something suspicious. I had used it to liberate the Saintess from God’s will. That would be considered blasphemy by the Inquisition.
“Answer me. Why did you use the geas?”
The corners of Ured’s eyes crinkled. Lying was futile with his magic. If I lied, my tongue would be cut out, and I would be punished.
I had to tell the truth, but in a way that could be interpreted positively. I chose my words carefully.
“It was for the Saintess.”
“What?”
“I used the geas to fulfill the Saintess’s great ambition, even at the cost of my own life.”
It wasn’t a lie. Ophelia’s desire was to be free. I had simply declared that I would give my life to fulfill that wish. It might be considered blasphemy, but in the Holy City, the Saintess’s will was God’s will.
Ured had no right to question her intentions.
“….”
Ured tapped the table, focusing on his magic, then nodded.
“So, you used the geas for the Saintess, as her escort knight?”
“Yes. To fulfill her will, even if it means losing my life.”
“…There’s no deception in your words.”
“I am a paladin. I never lie.”
“….”
Ured fell silent for a moment, then pushed the hourglass aside. He stood up and clapped.
“Excellent. Your devotion… it’s admirable. I, Ured, am deeply moved.”
Inquisitors were essentially fanatics. And they revered the Saintess even more than the Pope.
Ured, unable to contain his emotions, continued to clap.
“Ah, the Holy City is truly great! To think that a mere paladin possesses such a noble heart!”
“…Haha.”
“I’ll inform the Papal Office. Sir Elliot, you deserve a higher position.”
“There’s no need…”
“No, it’s necessary. Knights like you, with such deep faith, should be in positions of leadership. Ah, is this God’s will? I’m glad I became an Inquisitor.”
“….”
‘What the hell is going on?’
As I sat there, dumbfounded, I heard a commotion outside.
“You can’t go in there! The Inquisitor is…”
“Fuck off.”
The door burst open. Bang! Standing there, with a disturbingly wide smile, was Ophelia.
“Hey, Elliot! Big sis is here to save you!”
“…Big sis?”
I stared at Ophelia, bewildered. She coughed awkwardly, then continued,
“Um, Inquisitor. This knight here… he has a twisted personality, a face like a bug-eaten corpse, and an annoying way of speaking… but he’s not a bad guy.”
Ophelia paused and glanced at me, then quickly added,
“He just used some… slightly drastic methods for my training. So, um… leniency? Is that the word? Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could go easy on him.”
The Saintess had barged in. Ured blinked, then bowed politely.
“S-Saintess? What do you mean?”
“What I just said! Show some leniency to this slightly inadequate escort knight of mine. Ahem.”
Ured tilted his head, confused. The Saintess had suddenly appeared in the Inquisition and was spouting nonsense.
Oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, Ophelia winked at me, seemingly proud of her heroic act.
“….”
“Um…”
Silence filled the interrogation room. Ophelia, slightly flustered, scratched the back of her head.
“…Was I wrong?”
“Very wrong.”
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m still new to translating as this is my second novel to pick up, so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
