---

As soon as I heard the news that an incident had occurred, I rushed to a village located on the outskirts of a city.

It was a picturesque village, with soft snow blanketing the ground, a small stream flowing gently under a stone bridge, and cute brick houses lining the paths where a train seemed to glide by.

However, chaos had arrived in this serene setting like an uninvited guest.

At the center of the commotion were Lucia, a man, and a small child.

“Priest.”

“Yes, here I am.”

The man facing Lucia was indeed a cleric.

To fend off the biting wind, he wore a thick coat over his black priest robe and a pure white clerical collar, unmistakable symbols of a cleric of the Cult.

In stark contrast, Lucia donned a white priest robe reserved solely for popes and saints, gazing intently at the cleric before her.

“Why were you intent on conducting an inquisition?”

“Because I am an Inquisition Officer.”

He was indeed one.

A carefully selected talent among the devout. A guardian of faith tasked with preserving beliefs, teaching proper doctrine, and discerning and punishing heresies.

“The Inquisition knows no bounds of time or place. Conducting an inquisition in foreign lands is permissible under canon law.”

Listening attentively to the Inquisition Officer’s words, Lucia suddenly posed a question.

“Who permitted you to conduct the inquisition in the first place?”

“Director Petrus and His Holiness authorized it….”

“That’s not what I meant; who gave the priest here permission for the inquisition?”

The Inquisition Officer fell silent. With a look of concern, as if hoping it wasn’t true, Lucia carefully continued.

“…You were going to conduct the inquisition without any approval?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Priest.”

Lucia pressed the Inquisition Officer softly but firmly.

“I may lack knowledge of the internal laws of the Inquisition, but I am aware that conducting an inquisition without permission is indeed a clear reason for punishment. You must know that, right?”

“Correct. And I also know that conducting an inquisition without approval is a reason for excommunication.”

However,

The Inquisition Officer continued in a resolute tone.

“If there was an unavoidable reason that prevented me from obtaining approval at the time, then though I did not receive permission for the inquisition, both excommunication and punishment do not apply. It’s an exception.”

“Even if it’s an inquisition on a child?”

Before Lucia could finish her sentence, the child flinched and trembled in fear.

The scruffy-looking child retreated behind Lucia as if seeking shelter from lightning, and Lucia instinctively reached out to protect the child.

Yet, the Inquisition Officer only gazed at Lucia without sparing a glance for the child.

“If that little one is a heretic, then yes. That is correct.”

“…….”

The Inquisition Officer quietly opened his mouth as Lucia remained silent.

“As you have not yet undergone canonization, St. Lucia, you do not have the authority to intervene in the inquisition I am about to conduct.”

“…That’s true. Canon law states so.”

Lucia nodded her head in a gesture that seemed to convey resignation or agreement.

However,

“But even if you have not been beatified, I do have the authority to seize your holy scriptures. So, hand over the scriptures you possess.”

“…Are you serious?”

“I am.”

Lucia regarded the Inquisition Officer with slightly tense eyes.

As I watched the intense gaze exchanged between Lucia and the silent Inquisition Officer, I turned to Francesca, who stood beside me looking utterly confused.

“…What in the world is going on?”

“I can’t answer that for you, Colonel.”

What an absurd situation this is.

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician in History

As soon as I received word that the Cult had stirred up trouble, I rushed over, only to find a bizarre scene unfolding. An older middle-aged priest was arguing with Lucia.

Even just observing Lucia clashing with the cleric was enough to make my head spin, but when you added the clerics, who either came with Lucia or appeared out of nowhere, cautiously watching the spectacle, along with a suddenly wailing child, it was complete chaos.

Eventually, the military police stationed nearby intervened and dispersed the crowd, finally allowing me to grasp the situation accurately.

“You say there was an inquisition conducted in the village?”

“To be precise, it was more of a near-thing. It didn’t actually happen.”

Lucia dropped her tense shoulders and summarized the events.

“A little child was seen by an Inquisition Officer praying to a goddess of the North. The Inquisition Officer attempted to conduct an inquisition without prior approval, and I intervened. What you witnessed earlier was merely a dispute that arose during that process.”

“Oh, so that’s why you were arguing….”

“It wasn’t fighting. It was merely a disagreement stemming from differing views.”

I stifled a small gasp and smiled.

“You seemed quite angry for just a disagreement! Though we haven’t known each other long, it’s the first time I’ve seen the saint speak so sharply.”

Lucia, whose nature is gentle and calm, exhibiting such intensity was rather unfamiliar and even strange to me.

While visiting shelters on the city outskirts to provide healing and sick calls, Lucia had received reports of an inquisition happening in a nearby village and had immediately rushed over, discarding everything else.

With how dedicated she was, skipping meals or even normal work times for rescue efforts, it was no wonder I could sense how urgent the situation was when she flung her work aside.

“I never flung any patients aside….”

“Sure, that’s what you say. That just means you’re feeling a bit defensive, huh, Saint? You didn’t actually throw anyone aside, did you?”

“Absolutely not… You’re taking it too far with your jokes.”

Lucia blushed slightly, waving her hands in denial. She mumbled about how such irreverent behavior was unthinkable.

“Well, at least we dodged the inquisition entirely.”

I lightly joked to lighten the mood.

Beyond the window, I dusted off the snow accumulated on the window sill and filled three pre-prepared cups with hot coffee. One for me, another for Lucia, and the last for Francesca.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Of course, this coffee and the office we were in belonged to neither me nor Lucia.

This place was intended as a temporary stay for Francesca, who was planning to repair the railway crossing the village.

“How effortlessly you flaunt another’s belongings, you do realize that, right?”

Francesca scrunched her face in apparent disapproval. To avoid any wrinkles forming on her delicate brow, I tossed out a quick joke.

“Administrator, are we in a position to distinguish what is yours and what is mine?”

“…….”

In that moment, Francesca’s lips slightly twisted into a smirk.

To avoid incurring the wrath of the descendant of the Archmage, I advanced Lucia as a human shield while taking a sip of coffee.

Lucia, who was pulled into this scenario and was about to explain what happened, tilted her head curiously with an innocent expression.

“You two, did anything happen while I was away?”

“Nothing much. Still, why did that man suddenly try to conduct an inquisition? It’s not common to do that to a child.”

“Oh. That’s….”

Lucia let her words trail off awkwardly before exhaling a deep sigh. It wasn’t a long, drawn-out sigh, as though she was weighed down, but rather a short and sharp release of breath.

After gathering her emotions, Lucia began to speak.

“It was due to idolatry.”

“And on the surface, that’s what it was.”

The mention of it being merely “on the surface” hinted that there were more intricate reasons at play.

Often, such talk reflects underlying complexities, entangled matters, or topics that are too delicate to share openly—making this more the latter.

“According to the Inquisition Officers, based on the arrangement of objects left at the scene and the composition of the offering, there were signs, however faint, that sorcery was about to be attempted.”

“Sorcery signs?”

“Oh, thinking back, that’s not an official term. It’s convenient jargon used within the Inquisition, so there’s no alternative term. How should I explain this to you….”

Lucia paused, glancing at me with a perplexed expression, grappling with how to define the terminology exclusive to the Cult, let alone the Inquisition.

At the mention of “sorcery,” my gaze flickered toward Francesca.

“…….”

“…….”

Francesca, clearly irritated, shot me a sidelong glance and spoke in a brusque tone.

“What is it, Colonel?”

“I thought you might have something to say since we’re discussing sorcery. I’m not well-versed in theology or magic.”

“…….”

She only calls on me when it suits her.

Muttering under her breath, Francesca glared at me before finally starting to explain, as though tired from the verbal sparring.

“The ‘sorcery’ referred to by the Cult is somewhat different in nature from the sorcery of the Magic Tower. It’s more, let’s say, of an encompassing concept.”

With her thumb and pinky finger folded in, she extended two fingers with grace.

Leaning slightly back with her arms draped over the chair and legs crossed, the alchemist began to sway her elevated legs.

“You’re aware that the three major schools of magic at the Tower include the school of sorcery, right?”

“Elemental, astrological, sorcery. Yes, I am aware.”

“The ‘magical sorcery’ as defined by the Tower usually refers to two things: defensive counter-sorcery and offensive curse magic.”

Her two fingers alternated between being half-folded and fanned out, mimicking the motion of waves.

“However, the sorcery Lucia mentioned is more primitive and encompassing than ‘magic.’ It’s closely tied to astrology, meaning that if we differentiate the sorcery as understood by the Cult from that of magicians, we could refer to it as ‘faith-based sorcery.'”

I nodded along and blurted out my question.

“So, it’s akin to praying to animals or natural elements by primitive tribes in remote areas.”

“Exactly! How did you know that, Colonel?”

“I studied history, so I often went out to survey historical ruins.”

Francesca opened her mouth slightly, as if realizing something. A sigh escaped her lips as she regarded me with a sympathetic expression, as if she only now understood.

“Ah, the Department of History….”

“…What are you staring at?”

“Nothing. Just….”

“……”

*

Ignoring Francesca’s peculiar gaze that seemed to question my intent, I spoke to Lucia. Lucia, who was quietly sipping her coffee, politely answered my question.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Saint Lucia, if what the Administrator just said is true, then the little boy that the Inquisition Officer was about to interrogate was caught trying to perform some kind of sorcery, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Lucia nodded gently, making the sign of the cross.

I set down my coffee and let out a faint sigh. Lucia continued speaking clearly.

“As the Magic Tower says, all things contain magic power; the cult teaches that all things in the world possess their own divinity. That divinity could belong to the Lord or to another god.”

“…….”

“Sometimes, when people without theological knowledge pray at home, incidents similar to today occur.”

“For example?”

As soon as I asked, Lucia softly closed her eyes and then opened them.

“Most incidents just turn into commotions. There are cases where a white light appears in a house during a dark night. Such fleeting disturbances happen, and it’s extremely rare for anyone to get hurt. However, when folk religion knowledge mixes in, the story changes.”

Lucia briefly mentioned those who went wrong while worshiping folk beliefs. There are instances of spirits appearing and swirling around, and miracles similar to those performed by priests of major religions happening right before one’s eyes.

The difference between the stories mentioned earlier and the one I was hearing now was that the protagonists of this current tale usually did not meet a good end.

“The woman who summoned a spirit lost her body and wandered around the city for three days and nights, harming people until she was caught, and the old man who spread distorted beliefs through the sorcery he wielded was executed by the Inquisition Officer. Of course, the followers of that false faith also faced similar fates.”

“Did the Inquisition handle all of these cases?”

“Most incidents that occurred on the continent were handled by them. I’m not sure about the Mauritania Continent and the east; they might have their own religions like cults. Still, the stories I mentioned earlier are somewhat fortunate since, if they accidentally summoned demons, it would have required the dispatch of an exorcist rather than an Inquisition Officer.”

From what Lucia and Francesca said, it seemed like there were quite a few instances where ignorant people made mistakes while praying.

“Do mages even pray at the Magic Tower? I thought they didn’t believe in gods.”

“They don’t believe in gods, but they do have accidents while doing research and tend to discard things carelessly. The underground waterways of the Magic Tower are filled with every kind of debris that was birthed that way.”

Ah, so that’s why there were so many ridiculous things in the underground waterways of the Magic Tower?

I recalled the days when I led the Royal Intelligence Department and Military Intelligence Agency’s Quasi-Military Operatives through the underground waterways of the Magic Tower. Corpses swollen with water, creeping fog, vines of plants sucking blood from rats….

It had been a few months since that incident, and so many shocking things had happened afterward that I had almost forgotten. Yet, after hearing Francesca’s words, it all came rushing back as if it were just yesterday.

It seemed like there was no way I would sleep soundly tonight.

“After hearing the situation, it was indeed right for the Inquisition Officer to mediate with the child. Still, I couldn’t just stand by while a priest tried to interrogate a little kid.”

“You did the right thing.”

“Thank you for the kind words. However, my heart is troubled by the fact that such issues are occurring frequently of late…”

“Has there been an increase in similar issues?”

“Yes.”

I questioned Lucia, surprised.

“When did such incidents start to happen?”

“After corpses began appearing from the rift….”

Lucia, who had been speaking well, suddenly fell silent. A look of embarrassment flashed across her face as if she had just misspoken.

Her blue eyes rolled around and then stopped abruptly, as if caught by her chin. At the end of that gaze was Francesca, sipping her coffee.

“Um.”

Clink, Francesca placed her teacup down with a smile and waved her hand.

“I’m fine, Saint Lucia. Please feel free to speak.”

“…Thank you, Administrator.”

Grateful for Francesca’s consideration, Lucia continued her explanation.

From what I gathered, it seemed that after the corpses began appearing from the rift, incidents like today had been occurring frequently in the northern regions.

“Why they are acting this way is quite perplexing…”

“Umm.”

From my perspective, it seemed like they had been diligently crushing mages, only to suddenly be labeled as murder suspects, which seemed wildly unfair. Was it some kind of persecution?

What kind of madman would persecute Inquisition Officers and Knights in this land? However, from the perspective of the Inquisition Officers, such details were of little importance. Faith is fundamentally a matter of value judgment rather than factual judgment.

The issue was that the murderer of the Imperial Army Combat Magician is indeed one of the clergy. The Inquisition Director publicly confirmed this.

Yet, if I were to voice this, not only Petrus and I but many others would be in danger.

“Ha….”

“…….”

This time too, I chose to maintain my silence.

Determined to keep my silence, I refilled Lucia’s cup with coffee as she sat there helplessly, suffering from her headache.

“I don’t know how this happened. I really don’t.”

“Sometimes there are days like this, and other days like that.”

I, who couldn’t do this or that, thought it was inconvenient for Lucia to rest her hand on the Bible placed on the table. It was the very Bible seized from the Inquisition Officer who had attempted to interrogate the child.

I motioned towards the Bible she was fiddling with.

“Why did you seize that Bible? It seems like there’s a meaning behind taking it from the Inquisition Officer. Is it something important?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”

“Mm.”

I examined the Bible placed on the table closely. At first glance, it appeared no different from the kind of Bible priests carry during Mass.

If anything, it seemed a lot thicker and inconvenient to carry around. But originally, Bibles were supposed to be thick, so that wasn’t a huge difference. It seemed too trivial to even qualify as a difference.

“It’s not just an ordinary Bible.”

Lucia’s soft voice halted my thoughts as I pondered.

“This Bible is a specially made one by the cult. When you imbue it with divinity in specific verses and tear it, the miracles recorded in history manifest. There are various forms, but some are made this way to maintain portability.”

“Why would you create something like that?”

“Because it is only used for special purposes.”

Lucia explained that this Bible was produced and distributed only by the Inquisition. More precisely, it was for the Inquisition Officers, Knights, Exorcists, and Combat Priests who had to fight against evil.

“Of course, the Bible is made in different shapes and methods depending on its purpose. For instance, Inquisition Officers can’t afford heavy ones since they need to rely on other Inquisition Officers and support priests while traveling long distances, so the weight is kept to a minimum, while Knights only use the Bible when going out on missions, so it tends to weigh a bit more.”

“I see. Then Pereyti and other Knights as well….”

“Ah, did you not see Sir Pereyti and the Knights using them when they battled in the rift before?”

“Was it that barrier-like thing?”

“That’s right. That’s it.”

So that was what it was. No wonder it suddenly tore paper.

Now that I thought about it, something occurred to me. As I stroked my chin in thought, I locked eyes with Lucia.

“That, um… at the rift. Right before the spider died, didn’t you, Saint, deploy a barrier or something?”

“Yes. You remember it.”

Lucia rummaged through her belongings and placed a book on the table. Lucia’s Bible showed a distinct difference compared to the ones carried by the Inquisition Officers.

The Inquisition Officers’ Bible was simply inscribed with a plain cross, while Lucia’s Bible had a much more ornate cross. The bindings were similar as well; the Inquisition Officers’ Bible was made to be flexible for portability, but Lucia’s was encased in a sturdy cover.

Though there were also minor differences like the golden patterns engraved along the edges, the only question I wanted to ask was a single one.

“Saint Lucia. You said that this Bible is issued only to Inquisition Officers, Knights, and Exorcists.”

“Yes.”

“But why do you have it?”

Lucia’s mouth suddenly shut.

The once chatty Lucia, who had explained like a warbler announcing the dawn, fell into contemplation and silence.

“Saint Lucia?”

“……”

Did I say something wrong? Did I perhaps misspeak? I glanced at Francesca, but she also shook her head as if saying she didn’t know what was happening.

So, we waited in silence until Lucia chose to speak. It wouldn’t be polite to hurry her if she didn’t want to divulge.

After a while of silence, Lucia finally opened her mouth, just as the coffee in her cup began to cool down.

“…I inherited it from someone I know.”

Lucia replied in a calm tone.

One,

Lucia’s expression as she spoke those words was so sorrowful.

That I couldn’t continue to ask questions.

 

---