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“Keeping an eye outside, the Inquisition Officer spoke.

“Heretic has entered the village. Currently, he’s in contact with two of the residents.”

“What are they doing?”

“It seems they’re having a conversation, Priest.”

Priest Rebecca lifted her binoculars to check outside. After staring at something for about four seconds, she handed the binoculars to the Inquisition Officer and relayed the situation to me.

“The villagers are noticing the Inquisitor’s presence and are gathering. There are quite a few of them. Are you ready?”

“Almost.”

I replied while attaching the silencer to my pistol.

With my left hand, I twisted and attached the silencer, slid it back to chamber a round, then packed two or three extra magazines. After safely holstering the pistol and stuffing magazines into my jacket pocket, I finished off by putting a knife and amulet in my trouser pockets.

Priest Rebecca remarked.

“You’ve even brought a silencer.”

“If gunfire is heard, the residents would start to suspect. You should also prepare a silencer beforehand; Debok must have had one too.”

“I understand, but just keep in mind that what we’re doing today is not a capture operation.”

Priest Rebecca’s plan was to imbue the amulet with the Inquisitor’s divinity.

After storing the Inquisitor’s divinity in the amulet, we would take it to the Inquisition for close analysis to find out who is behind the terror. That was today’s plan.

However.

“Things don’t always go as planned.”

“…That’s true.”

“It’s best to be prepared.”

Having completed my preparations, I stood at the front door. The two Inquisition Officers and Priest Rebecca didn’t say much, but I could read a hint of worry in their eyes.

Well, I understand.

Nothing serious will happen.

Probably.

In December, with the blizzard swirling.

A season where the cold north winds blow.

“I’ll go now.”

I calmly started my steps into the biting chill.

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician Ever

I left the lodging provided by the villagers and headed toward the square.

The Inquisitor, who had promised to stop by the village once, had come back to this place again.

The middle-aged priest appeared in the village as promised, and the residents recognized him at a glance.

“Oh, who could this be! Priest!”

“Good to see you, Brother Kiril. Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing very well! Haha!”

The elder, belonging to the younger tier among the remaining men in the village, welcomed the Inquisitor vigorously.

Next to the elder was another old man, and behind them were children and women.

Not just one or two.

Perhaps because he had been coming to help the villagers for a few months, upon hearing that the Inquisitor had arrived, the villagers flocked around like clouds. The once-tranquil rural village turned into a bustling marketplace in an instant.

The residents, regardless of age or gender, enthusiastically welcomed the Inquisitor.

“Priest! Please come in!”

“You’ve done well to travel such a long way.”

Even the village chief, who had been rude to the civil servant (undercover spy), respected the Inquisitor.

Looking at the age difference, I could tell there was quite a gap between him and my father, but the elders graciously treated the Inquisitor as something precious.

In response, the Inquisitor made the sign of the cross and offered a blessing.

“May the Lord’s grace be with you all.”

What a brazen heretic. With a straight face, he talks about divine beings while not even changing color.

Religious folks are something else.

I blended into the crowd of residents and observed the Inquisitor’s actions. Comparing the responses of the residents with his demeanor and the intel I had gathered, it was clear that this man was indeed the one I had been tracking for days.

“……”

Just as the Inquisitor finished his blessing and leaned on his staff to move on.

“…Hmm?”

Suddenly, as if recalling something belatedly, he opened his mouth with a puzzled expression.

“But who is that person? I haven’t seen them around.”

The Inquisitor murmured while gazing at someone.

As if that statement were a signal, the villagers turned their heads in the direction of the Inquisitor’s gaze.

At the end of those gazes, I stood there.

“……”

Having blended into the crowd, I faced the Inquisitor’s gaze. It must have been quite conspicuous for a young man, in a suit no less, to be standing in a village where there were only old men around.

As the eyes poured over me in silence, I opened my mouth with a nonchalant expression.

“I come from the City Hall’s Welfare Department.”

“A civil servant?”

The middle-aged priest looked at the resident as if doubting the truth.

“It’s true, Priest. That person is indeed a civil servant.”

“What brings a public official here…?”

“I came to check on the distribution issue in the village. Was it a census? That’s why I’m here.”

“Oh, I see.”

With a satisfied smile, the priest nodded.

“The Lord has said that He will protect His faithful through His servants and bless those who work diligently. May the Lord’s grace be upon you as well. Given that you’ve traveled this far through rough roads, you must be a diligent person fulfilling your duties. Hmm… Did you come alone?”

“No, about three others came with me.”

“Are they also civil servants?”

“Yes, Priest.”

“I see.”

With a tap, tap, the Inquisitor moved along, using his staff to poke the soft ground.

The villagers parted ways, allowing him to pass through as if the sea had split, and the Inquisitor slowly walked toward them, expressing his gratitude.

Finally, when he stopped right in front of me, the middle-aged priest rolled up his brown tunic sleeves and reached out for a handshake.

The Inquisitor spoke to me with a fluent accent.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Brother. May I ask your name?”

“…I am Vadim. Nice to meet you.”

I grasped the Inquisitor’s extended hand. He shook my hand slowly while I moved mine up and down in response.

The Inquisitor continued to smile. It was an inscrutable smile.

“Now then.”

With a smile, the Inquisitor addressed the villagers.

“Please guide me to where the sick are.”

—

The heretical priest taught sorcery to the child.

Suspected of being behind the recent series of mysterious murders and terror activities, he set to work the moment he entered the village.

The direction he headed was toward a house in the village.

“Where are you hurt?”

“My hand got torn while farming.”

“Show me.”

As the villager offered his torn hand, a white light began to swirl.

In the dusty and cold house, light emerged, and as the sparkling light settled on the wound, it began to heal instantly.

It was no exaggeration to say that it happened in the blink of an eye.

“All done. Do you still feel pain?”

“Ah, no, not at all.”

“You should be fine working in the fields now, Brother.”

“Thank you! Really, thank you, Priest!”

The elder bowed deeply, expressing gratitude for the Inquisitor’s kindness.

However, instead of receiving thanks, the Inquisitor made the sign of the cross and bowed his head.

“I haven’t done anything, Brother. I merely prayed for the great Father’s grace to descend upon this land.”

The Inquisitor moved around the village, healing people.

Elders who injured their hands in the fields, middle-aged women suffering from pneumonia, and children burning with fever.

As soon as the Inquisitor entered the village, he started knocking on doors under the guidance of the villagers, never taking a break.

The residents let him into their homes without any suspicion.

“Welcome, Priest!”

“It’s good to see you, Marian. It’s been a while.”

“There’s still some pie I made recently, would you like it?”

“Thank you for the thought, but I am not hungry. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share it with those who are in need. I heard your son is unwell; is that true?”

“Don’t get me started. My son went up into the mountains a few days ago and hurt his leg. Why on earth would he go to such a dangerous place…?”

“Please don’t scold him too much, Marian. A child’s innocence may seem reckless to adults, but sometimes it can exceed adult imagination. If not now, when will they ever have such adventures?”

The Inquisitor reached out and gently touched the boy’s leg. The child who had been moaning in pain suddenly found his smile again and jumped off the bed.

Although the Inquisition claimed he was a heretic, the Inquisitor’s skills were quite impressive. With abilities like that, he surpassed many military chaplains or regular priests one would commonly see in cathedrals.

One peculiar aspect was the Inquisitor’s belongings; unlike military chaplains or healing priests, he did not heal with his bare hands.

“Oh no, I’ve run out of incense.”

“Oh dear, is that okay? Is it not going to cause any major issues…?”

“Well, there won’t be a problem for the villagers. If it’s alright, could I borrow a flame for a moment?”

“Here you go, Priest.”

The Inquisitor held a peculiar censer in one hand. Unlike when he was outside, he carried a smoking incense burner tied with metal chains when entering buildings.

The uniquely patterned censer emitted a rancid-smelling smoke.

Thinking about the religious significance often attributed to the incense during ceremonies by the cult’s clergy, it seemed to hold some sort of deep meaning, but even considering that, the smell was awful. It resembled the scent of burning marijuana.

Could it be some kind of hallucinogen? Perhaps. It was strong enough to outweigh the smell of mold and the body odor from the villagers.

The residents seemed fine on the surface, so it didn’t look like it was something toxic, but I purposely observed the Inquisitor from outside to avoid inhaling even a little of the smoke.

With the censer in hand, the Inquisitor walked ahead, tapping the ground with his staff, while the villagers followed him, eager to watch him heal patients.

“Oh…!”

“Look at that. Isn’t it amazing every time?”

“He’s really incredible. Like a saint.”

For the villagers, who barely had any televisions, the sight of a priest wielding divine powers was quite the spectacle.

Even for military chaplains or for someone like me who had watched Lucia heal people daily, it was still fascinating; after all, how often would a priest visit such a remote mountain village? The Inquisitor, who healed patients and taught children, had become more than just a religious figure to the residents.

Of course, if the Inquisition heard about this, they would have a fit, yet even though there were already Inquisition officers in the village, I chose to turn a blind eye to the residents comparing the Inquisitor to a saint or a holy figure.

“……”

The Inquisitor knocked on the door of a house, leading the group of villagers with him.

Heaping people around him resembled the scenes of Kim Jong-un inspecting local sites played repeatedly on the Korean Central Television.

Even though there were no reports of the heretical teachings spreading in the village and there was still no confirmed evidence, the villagers were merely following the Inquisitor out of curiosity.

But I wondered if the high-ranking officials of the Inquisition would just sit back and do nothing after hearing about this.

I squeezed through the crowd of villagers.

“Excuse me.”

I decided to blend in with the residents and keep an eye on the Inquisitor.

According to Priest Rebecca, it appeared that there was no one in the village who dealt with the divine, and the only person using the divine energy nearby was that Inquisitor; if I wanted to collect it, now was the time.

Thanks to the residents crowding around the Inquisitor, keeping an eye on him was quite easy. I simply had to move about amongst the villagers.

Of course, I wasn’t there just to see the Inquisitor’s face.

As expected, every time the Inquisitor used his divine energy, the amulet reacted.

When the moment to heal the patient arrived, the amulet gathered and stored the divine energy spread in the air, and I covered my pockets with my coat and jacket to conceal the light spilling out.

Perfectly timed, I heard Priest Rebecca’s voice through the earpiece plugged into the radio.

-‘Is everything going well?’

“Yes. Far better than I imagined.”

-‘Good to hear.’

The likelihood of being noticed is almost nonexistent.

I lightly covered the earpiece plugged into the radio brought from Dvok with my jacket, extending my hand to adjust the dial and slightly increasing the volume.

“How much do I need to store?”

-‘The more, the better. The more you collect, the thicker the concentration will be.’

“Understood. The employees from your company must be watching from nearby, right?”

-‘They’re keeping their distance for the moment since the heretics might notice as soon as they get close. However, they are in a position to respond immediately if something goes wrong.’

From the moment the Inquisitor arrived in the village, Priest Rebecca alerted the Inquisition Officers.

Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, two Inquisition Officers disguised as civil servants began monitoring the investigation with me nearby, while others who had been waiting on the outskirts gathered their equipment and approached the village.

They were in a location that allowed them to intervene in the village at any time if anything were to happen.

Though they wouldn’t arrest anyone today, you never know with people. I fidgeted with the knife in my pocket and blended back into the crowd of residents.

The Inquisitor moved throughout the village, healing the residents: from those suffering from grave illnesses to those with minor ailments. The range of cases was diverse.

While it’s expected for a cleric to heal others, it seemed the residents had different thoughts on it.

The villagers, risking danger to seek help, presented the Inquisitor with crops and herbs gathered from the mountains, fields, and hills, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.

“Thank you for helping us once again. I can’t express how grateful I am, Priest. How can we ever repay this kindness…?”

“It was merely my duty. You should thank the one who sent me, not me.”

“Yes! Naturally! You must be tired, so please take a rest today, Priest. I’ll offer you the finest home in the village!”

Just to note, that last line came from the Village Chief.

He enthusiastically invited the Inquisitor to what he boasted as the best house in the village.

It’s punishable under the National Security Law to provide shelter, goods, or funds to spies, yet I wondered if the villagers who aided a heretic would be safe in a place where laws far stricter than those on Earth prevailed.

I felt a slight worry but shook my head to dispel those thoughts. This was not a matter I could decide on.

“Thank you for the invitation, Village Chief. However, I hope you’ll hold on to the gifts. Your kindness is more than enough for me.”

The Inquisitor returned the gifts offered by the villagers, speaking earnestly.

The villagers insisted that he shouldn’t be so formal, yet the Inquisitor firmly refused their goodwill.

“Even so, it’s a gift we prepared, so please accept it.”

“Restraint is a virtue of a monk, so it can’t be helped. However…”

The Inquisitor smiled gently as he quietly shook his head.

His gaze met the faces of the villagers one by one. With a look that conveyed deep empathy for their suffering, he proposed in a calm voice.

“If it’s alright with you, I would like to have a conversation with Brother.”

The Inquisitor turned his gaze toward me.

I smiled awkwardly under the barrage of eyes silently fixed on me.

“Um…”

“Do you have a moment, Brother? If so, I’d like to discuss the village.”

“Sure, why not.”

I reached into my pocket.

The handle of the knife hidden beneath the thin cloth felt distinct.

“If you wish, then let’s proceed.”

*

Disguising myself as a local civil servant to collect intelligence on the Inquisitor.

If it fails, I’ll continue observing under the guise of an itinerant doctor or merchant based on the intelligence gathered.

This is a prolonged operation grounded on prior reconnaissance.

The plan we set seemed plausible.

We aim to gather information about the Inquisitor, who has been identified as a backer supplying black magic for terrorist activities, and clarify their identity by contrasting the divinity mentioned in the murder case documents against that of the Inquisitor.

While there’s no direct connection between terrorism and the murder case, if the operation is successful, the outcomes could be substantial.

At the very least, we could apprehend a heretic, and ideally, we might uncover clues about those behind the terrorist acts. If luck permits, we might resolve the murder case in one go.

However, what I hadn’t anticipated was that the Inquisitor would request a conversation with me.

“…So, you want to talk?”

“More like it’s a request for assistance. It might seem like solicitation in some ways.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Would it be alright to chat while walking?”

“Sure thing.”

The Inquisitor, claiming to know a good spot, began leading the way, his staff tapping against the ground. In the direction he took, the hill overlooking the village loomed ahead.

Though secluded, it wasn’t far from the village, and given its relatively low height, it was easily visible from below. Thus, if any problems arose, the Inquisition Officers could arrive in time. I slipped out the earpiece as the Inquisitor walked ahead without looking back. The conversation would be transmitted to Priest Rebecca through the radio from now on.

The Inquisitor maintained silence while steadily advancing.

The censer I always carried had long been extinguished, but the rancid smell still lingered in the air.

Whether it clung to him or was his own odor, it was nauseating. To avoid the smell, I positioned myself into the draft, following the Inquisitor.

After walking for some time, the Inquisitor stopped on a gentle hill.

“Here we are.”

“…”

“It’s a nice spot, isn’t it?”

The view from the hill was quite splendid. The entire village lay before us.

The middle-aged Inquisitor, leaning on his staff, maintained a gentle smile as he settled onto a rock.

I scanned the surroundings, checked the positions of the Inquisition Officers, and turned to face the Inquisitor.

“It’s inappropriate to solicit a civil servant, you know.”

The Inquisitor smiled cheerfully.

“As a servant of the divine, I cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of those in pain. Human laws can’t persecute me.”

According to Priest Rebecca, no matter how close you are, you can only confirm the presence of an amulet through direct visual confirmation. Its divinity is simply too faint.

Of course, the same goes for the clerics’ divinity, but a person with developed sensitivity can sense a cleric’s divinity. Just like how military dogs track special forces by scent.

But that’s only possible up close. At the distance we’re currently at, unless you’re an Archmage, an ordinary person wouldn’t catch a whiff of the Inquisition Officers.

I discreetly covered the pocket containing the amulet with my coat and quietly spoke.

“…Let’s hear it then.”

With that invitation, as though he was free to say whatever he wished, the Inquisitor leaned his staff against the rock and began speaking.

“You mentioned being a civil servant. I heard you came to the village today; what are your impressions of it?”

“It’s quite poor.”

“Indeed! It’s very impoverished.”

The Inquisitor, nodding his head, replied in a calm tone.

“When I first came here, the small village was overflowing with patients. There were even those on the brink of death. The situation has improved, but many in the village still need help.”

His gaze was directed toward the village. Seen from the gentle hill, the village appeared small and quaint.

“There were those starving. Children were on the brink of death without even a bowl of porridge to eat. Even infants were not spared. How could a newborn thrive when there’s no milk?”

“…”

“To those with plenty in their granaries, skipping a meal might be a choice. But for the people here, eating is not a matter of choice. If they don’t eat today, they might die tomorrow.”

The Inquisitor momentarily paused while looking down at the village from the hill.

Then, he turned to me with a smile.

“Is it wrong to solicit help for them?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Do you know what a civil servant’s duties entail?”

Civil service is represented in Chinese characters as 公務, with 公 meaning “public” and 務 meaning “duty.”

In essence, a civil servant is someone who works fairly for the public good.

Therefore, civil servants must perform their duties with kindness and equity, fulfilling their responsibilities transparently and justly. Though, reality is often a different matter.

“I understand your intentions, but while I can assist the villagers, I cannot focus solely on them. There must be others suffering elsewhere too.”

“Well… that might be true.”

The Inquisitor seemed to acknowledge this with a calm demeanor. It appeared he had said it knowing it might not be accepted.

I couldn’t grasp what thoughts prompted him to say such things. According to the Inquisition Officers, he was deemed heretical, but if he didn’t believe in their doctrine, should he not be one of those con men pursuing personal gain?

His unpredictable demeanor continued as he spoke in a composed voice.

“In that case, it cannot be helped. However, all I desire is for the villagers to be healthy and for children to grow up in a good environment.”

“…”

“How long do you intend to stay in the village?”

“I’ll be leaving soon. There’s much to do.”

That wasn’t a lie.

I needed to sort through materials regarding the murder case and terrorism upon my return, and I also had to report to Leoni. Priest Rebecca would also be busy for a while—she’d need to inspect the divine power contained in the amulet and monitor the village.

I likely should assist Lucia and Francesca as well. Francesca had intervened with the black market issues to help me, though it seemed a way to also capitalize on aiding in the investigation as well, but without my help, she would certainly struggle as well.

And I must keep watch over Camila, the troublemaker. Truth be told, she’s the one I worry about most. She’s always bouncing around like a bouncy ball, causing mischief.

The Inquisitor, observing my expression, nodded in understanding.

“You must be very busy. I hope you won’t forget to revisit the village.”

“I’ll likely return.”

The Inquisitor, finishing packing his staff, stood up and brushed off the snow. The middle-aged man, carefully rising, extended his rough hand with a gentle smile.

Though considerable time had passed, my headache persisted from the lingering stench, but I reflexively put on a smile and shook his hand.

“This must be fate. I wish you blessings on your journey, Brother.”

“Thank you. May your path be filled with the Lord’s grace as well.”

“…”

The common greeting to a cleric met with the Inquisitor’s mere smile and silence.

I took a moment to shake his hand gently. The handshake lingered for a time.

For a long time. An exceptionally long time.

“…”

Ten seconds passed, then thirty. Before I knew it, our handshake extended into over a minute, yet the Inquisitor showed no signs of releasing my hand.

It felt uncomfortable.

Despite the cold wind, the stench remained oppressive, as the Inquisitor, still smiling, continued to shake my hand. I began to perceive him as someone odd, but this felt beyond merely strange—it was bizarre.

Eventually, unable to endure further, I snapped at him irritably.

“When are you going to let go of my hand?”

“…”

“Inquisitor?”

He did not respond.

Instead of answering, he posed a question.

“May I ask you one thing, Brother?”

As the Inquisitor opened his mouth, I was assaulted by an indescribable stench.

“I’ve been unable to suppress my curiosity about one specific question since our first meeting.”

“Wait, what does that have to do with—”

“What exactly do you have in your pocket?”

 

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