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“Most of the students here will probably become priests, and while a few of you might end up as exorcists, you must understand what a demon truly is.

There are many terms used to refer to evil beings: demon, devil, Satan, jinn, ifrit, evil spirit… The list goes on.

Fundamentally, all the evil entities spoken of in religion share a common trait: deception.

Evil beings, and certainly those termed ‘villains’ by the common folk, aren’t anything particularly special or unique. You might find wickedness among those around you, and there may even be some seated here with you today. In fact, even I, your teacher, might harbor a seed of wickedness deep within my heart.

Evil is like a mushroom that exists within us.

When the air flows freely and warm sunlight shines in, mushrooms and mold do not thrive. On the other hand, in a damp and musty place where neither air nor sunlight penetrates, mushrooms and mold spread like a plague.

Demons penetrate that very spot. It’s the work of evil beings to bizarrely blind and deceive our eyes and ears.

It doesn’t matter how kind-hearted or pious an individual may be; the moment a single mistake opens a door in their heart, the demon will surely step through that crack.

If you cannot cultivate your inner self and imprison the evil thoughts and tendencies that dwell within, a demon will creep into your heart before you know it.

…Indeed.

That student over there could very well be possessed by a demon for dozing off during this hallowed lesson.

Wake up this instant, you little demon spawn!”

– Archbishop Theodosius, Former Professor of Theology, during the ‘History of the Inquisition and Grand Exorcism’ class

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Episode 12 – The Mightiest Magician in History

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The New Year is just a week away.

For some, this time signifies becoming a fully recognized adult, and for others, it heralds a fresh turning point in life. Thus, the end of the year is always filled with blessings and expectations.

However, this year’s end can’t be welcomed with any warmth whatsoever.

“Colonel, has there been no progress today as well?”

“Sadly, that is the case.”

The North is enduring a winter colder than ever before.

I’m not referring to the drop in temperature due to the bizarre cold wave.

“There are sorcerers, soldiers, and Inquisition officers all around… They’re quite a mixed bag, but there’s absolutely no sign of them being caught. Not even a shadow.”

Since consecutive murder cases have erupted, the atmosphere in the North has turned chillingly frigid to the point of being lethal. The Military Government Headquarters, dispatched personnel from the Church, Magic Tower representatives, and foreign armies are all on high alert, eyeing each other with suspicion.

“Recently, I’ve heard that the Inquisition personnel visited the Cathedral along with government sorcerers; do you know anything about that, Colonel?”

“Ah, that? They just went to visit a patient. It’s nothing serious. But how did the Administrator find out about that?”

“From a friend at the Imperial Ministry of Magic.”

Naturally, the biggest problem lies elsewhere.

“Administrator, what’s the status of the Magic Tower?”

“Are you referring to the Magic Tower in Nashitashia, or the one in the North?”

“The former.”

Francesca let out a deep sigh.

“The atmosphere isn’t good.”

*

After the delivery of a letter from Archbishop Theodosius and high-ranking priests from the Church to the Empire, the Kien Empire accepted a joint investigation proposal with the Inquisition.

The Duke, a war hero and a member of the royal family, even sent a personal letter to Lucia, permitting the Inquisition’s forces to be stationed in the North for investigative purposes.

The issue is that from the perspective of the Magic Tower, having Inquisition troops stationed in the North for investigations feels like a significant threat.

“There was a lot of talk about this from the start. Most of the Tower Master and Oracle committee members opposed the Inquisition’s presence. Since the Duke granted permission, they’ve shifted their stances to respect his decision and fallen silent like a bunch of dumbfounded mutes. But honestly, the situation isn’t too pleasing for the Oracles either.”

I might not be a magician, but from what I gather from Francesca’s words, it seems that there’s quite a bit of chatter even among the Oracles.

To compare, it’s like the Arab nations watching the Jews plant their flags in Jerusalem.

They’d like nothing more than to stop it by any means necessary, but they’re left silently watching with no way to intervene.

I placed my hands on the armrests and muttered,

“Then we really need to catch that investigator quickly. There’s nothing good about dragging this out.”

“We’ve already given a heads-up to Sir Evangelos.”

Francesca had informed Evangelos Rysidike, commander of the Magic Battalion.

Since the issue involves either a necromancer or a possessed person, Evangelos has promised to help us without any demands in return. He’s set the Magic Battalion on the case, while Francesca is personally sending people to collaborate.

“A necromancer…”

Francesca murmured absently.

She perched on the edge of her desk, chin resting on her hand, staring blankly into space.

“Honestly, it’s hard to believe. Necromancers haven’t stirred up trouble like this in nearly 20 years.”

“Are you well-versed in necromancers?”

Francesca placed her hand atop a book, geometrically patterned spelled tome. She gently tapped the thick volume.

“I’ve never seen one in person, but I’ve read books about them in my family’s library. I even brought back some books about necromancers and possessed individuals from the Magic Tower.”

Necromancers, commonly known as dark sorcerers.

As expected, beings who toy with human lives aren’t welcomed in any country. Not only does the Inquisition oppose them, but even the various national magic departments, and especially the Magic Tower, are hostile towards necromancers.

If they’re lucky, they might end up locked alive in the Tower’s ‘Crystal Prison,’ managed by the elemental and sorcery schools, but if they’re unlucky, they lose their heads and become a spectacle for the press.

However, due to their scarcity and thorough underground operatives, chances of encountering a necromancer have remained low.

At that, Francesca nodded.

“A necromancer appears almost indistinguishable from an ordinary magician on the surface. If they set their mind to it, they can effectively mask their identity.

However, the idea that a necromancer or a possessed individual suddenly appeared in the North is less convincing than the notion that the Inquisition is trying to evade responsibility by throwing out excuses. After all, there’s no solid evidence to back it up.

Neither the Church, Empire, nor the Magic Tower shared any information originally, did they? Hence, rumors were bound to surface like this.”

“They’re controlling things, hoping it doesn’t escalate into more chaos. Well, it’s true that there isn’t any physical evidence.”

“And that’s why the Tower members are objecting. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have believed it either, but…”

Francesca’s gaze slowly shifted.

It approached me.

“…Whether it’s a Necromancer or a Possessed Person, I can’t help but believe it after witnessing the sight of flesh rotting while still alive.”

I cautiously looked at the wound on my chest.

“Is there no method to treat this?”

“Well, I did manage to contact some acquaintances in the Alchemical School and got a few potions that are said to be quite effective. However, I can’t guarantee their efficacy.”

Francesca had offered me various potions over the past few days. Yet none seemed capable of healing the rotting wound.

“If it were an Elixir, that could work….”

“Isn’t that a real-world potion? I believe the recipe for it has completely vanished.”

“It existed but became legendary. If only the recipe were safely locked away in a vault!”

Francesca tossed out the joke lightly and then turned her gaze away. Her eyes, which showed signs of fatigue, were drawn to the curtains covering the window.

“Of course, the wounds on the Colonel’s body are significant as well… But I’m most concerned about ‘those’.”

Francesca carefully pulled back the curtains. Peering out through a narrow gap that barely unveiled half of her face, she suddenly frowned delicately.

-Caw! Caw…!

The sound of crows echoed from outside. Flap! Among the rustling sounds of wings, occasional caws blended in.

Francesca shut the curtains and stepped back from the window.

As she flipped through a magic-related book adorned with geometric patterns, she ran her fingers through her silky hair, which waved like a tide before falling onto her shoulders.

“Well, crows are whatever… But while investigating the Necromancer and Possessed Person you mentioned, I found something a bit curious.”

“What is it?”

“The Necromancer.”

Suddenly, Francesca tilted her head, deep in thought.

“As for the Possessed Person, there’s limited material as it pertains to religion, but there’s an abundance of information on Necromancers at the Magic Tower. However, what you mentioned, regarding a cleric masquerading as one handling the Divine, is unprecedented even among all Dark Magicians.”

“Could it be brainwashing? Or perhaps they took measures to appear Divine.”

“To figure that out, we would need to collect either Magic Power or Divine essence….”

“…….”

Suddenly, I recalled the amulet. The amulet that contained the Inquisitor’s Divine essence. No one except an Archmage could sense the Divine essence within it, but eventually, he caught on and succeeded in destroying the amulet.

“…Damn.”

I cursed briefly and focused again on Francesca’s words. She sat perched on the desk, tapping the geometric-patterned book with her quill.

“Regardless of brainwashing or whatnot, it seems the situation is entirely different from incidents caused by traditional Necromancers. They usually just snatched a few people from villages for sacrifices and experiments. Moving so openly like this is quite rare, you know?”

“Given their usual small numbers, they hardly got the chance to cause major incidents by only operating in the shadows.”

“Exactly, that’s what makes it strange.”

Francesca looked up and met my gaze.

“Why would those who’ve kept to the shadows suddenly appear in the Northern Regions and cause such trouble, I wonder?”

“…….”

“Well, we will continue to investigate, but please be careful, Colonel. Don’t wind up getting hurt anymore, okay?”

I nodded.

*

Apart from joint investigations or intelligence gathering, Francesca promised to assist in pursuing the investigation. While the people from the Magic Tower may be unaware, for the time being, the Magic Battalion and a few mages will operate under Francesca’s guidance.

I mobilized my information network to trace the Inquisitor’s movements.

Through the internal records of the joint investigation team from the Imperial Ministry of Magic and the Cult Inquisition, I pinpointed several villages where he was presumed to have visited. Like the village where Priest Rebecca and the Inquisition officers had gone, these were all located far from the city.

However, when the mages of the Ministry of Magic and the clerics from the Inquisition visited these villages, it was far too late.

Just like the village where I discovered the undead alongside Lucia, those presumed to have been visited by the Inquisitor were completely deserted. The Military Government Headquarters estimated that around 300-500 citizens had gone missing.

The joint investigation team attempted to collect and analyze the remaining Divine essence left at various locations for identification and evidence, but the negligible amount of essence present provided no meaningful results.

Ultimately, I decided to share some of the information I had regarding the Inquisitor with the joint investigation team.

After all, I had no formal investigative authority, and whoever it was, I just hoped they would capture the Inquisitor quickly.

Of course, it was impossible for me, disguised as a diplomat, to casually provide information to the joint investigation team. If things went sideways, I might get caught for espionage before they apprehended the Inquisitor.

So, I provided information indirectly.

“Please accept this, Your Grace.”

“What is this…?”

I handed over the document containing the details of the inquiry to Archbishop Theodosius, who managed the diocese in the Northern Regions.

The Archbishop had previously served as an exorcist in the Inquisition, but as he wasn’t involved in intelligence work, I believed I could trust him to some extent since he was connected to me through Lucia.

Also, given that a significant amount of time had passed since the Archbishop retired from the Inquisition and that, being an exorcist, he was somewhat distant from overseas intelligence and counter-espionage operations, Director Petrus’s assessment had some influence on my decision.

“Hmm…. This is a record regarding the missing monks. Could it be that the monk in question is the one I have in mind?”

“If the person you’re thinking of is the one everyone is currently searching for, then yes.”

“…What would you like me to do? Brother.”

“Please ensure that these documents are delivered securely to the joint investigation team.”

With that, some information regarding the inquiry was safely passed on to the joint investigation team.

However, what I didn’t anticipate was that this information would wind up in the hands of the wrong person.

 

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