Chapter 296 Bad Omens Always Hit the Mark
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after I collapsed in that ridiculous lotion bath, I found myself groaning in my office right before noon.
”Uuunnngh…”
”No matter how much you groan, nothing will come of it, you know,” Diana said, sounding more exasperated than concerned.
”I get that, but still… pretending there’s nothing to worry about just because I can’t fix it isn’t the answer either, is it?”
When I shot back with that, she tilted her head, clearly unimpressed, and asked me in that calm, slightly scolding tone of hers.
”Are you truly that unsettled about the Inquisitor’s arrival?”
”I’ve told you already—this frontier settlement has ties of friendship with the elves, but beyond that, the Theocracy doesn’t even recognize half the races living here as human. Not just here, but across the entire empire. Telling me not to be nervous is impossible. And now they’re arriving in only a matter of hours? How am I supposed to stay calm?”
That was it—the priest and the Inquisitor we’d been talking about for ages were finally coming to the frontier settlement this very afternoon.
”Please calm yourself. Even an Inquisitor, when stepping into another nation, must consider matters of diplomacy. Those infamous witch hunts you’ve heard rumors of will not be carried out here.”
”I think so too. I really do. But the thing is… it’s always when I tell myself it’ll be fine that the worst possible things end up happening.”
”…That may be true, but such coincidences cannot continue forever.”
”I’d really like to believe that…”
I was still gnawing at the unease in my chest when the office door rattled with a sharp knock. Before I could even respond, it swung open and Lewya stepped in, slightly out of breath.
”Neil! The Theocracy’s people have arrived!”
”Already? They’re earlier than expected. And why are you so winded?”
”Well, I tried to guide them to the reception room, but they refused, said they had too many people. They’re waiting at the front entrance right now.”
”…I see.”
Leaving foreign dignitaries standing around outside was no good at all. I rose from my chair immediately, heading briskly toward the entrance. Diana followed close behind, her voice laced with disapproval.
”To make Neil-sama come to them, insisting on waiting outside… what an attitude.”
”Even if they’d accepted the reception room, I still would’ve had to go to them, right? Though… I suppose the meaning changes depending on who chose the location, and in that sense, you have a point.”
If we specify the place, then they’re “waiting” for us there, and it’s only proper etiquette for me to go meet them. But if they themselves dictate the spot, then it becomes “we’re here, come to us,” a subtle tilt in authority. Honestly, I couldn’t care less—but noble society in the empire is made of creatures who’ll wrestle over even such trifles, obsessed with proving whose status sits higher.
”Our guests are from the Theocracy. I doubt they meant it that way.”
”Are you sure? Traveling abroad, they must’ve studied the manners expected of their hosts. To act so deliberately… I suspect they know exactly what they’re doing.”
”Well, then we’re in for trouble.”
Praying they might at least be friendly, I stepped out through the entrance doors. A group of eight stood waiting, their clothing distinct and solemn. One figure, a woman clad not in priestly garb but in stark black robes, stepped forward.
”It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Espera, an Inquisitor dispatched under Bishop Macleam. You must be Neil-sama, the one who manages this frontier settlement?”
”Yes, I am Neil Atmiras. Thank you for traveling all the way from the Theocracy.”
”It is our mission, so think nothing of it. On the contrary, I must beg your forgiveness for compelling Neil-sama to step outside to greet us in person.”
”Not at all. I’m not the sort who frets over that kind of thing.”
”I am grateful for your magnanimity. Then, if I may, I would like to move immediately to the matter at hand—”
Ah, I could tell already, just from that short exchange. Polite, deferential even, but utterly businesslike. She had no desire for extra conversation, no interest in camaraderie. She wanted to finish her duty and leave. No hostility, no friendship—just a clinical demonstration of their stance. In fact, it almost felt intentional, like she wanted to make sure I noticed.
While I wrestled with the sinking realization that becoming friends with her was impossible, Espera-san drew a letter from her sleeve.
”I have here a message entrusted to me by Bishop Macleam.”
”A letter, hm? Diana.”
”Yes.”
She accepted the sealed envelope and passed it into my hands.
I hadn’t read it yet, but I could already guess what it said. Father had been the one in direct correspondence all along. This was likely just a polite acknowledgment, an official greeting to me as the settlement’s administrator.
”I’ll keep this safe. Do you have any other business?”
”No, that was the extent of my errand. Though if it is no trouble, might you direct me to the Clinic?”
So that was it. No desire to linger. Not even the pretense of friendliness.
”The Clinic is straight out the main gate and to the right. You’ll find the building you’re seeking easily enough.”
”I understand. Then we shall take our leave for today.”
With that, Espera-san gathered the priests and quickly departed. Once they were out of sight, Lewya, who had been barely restraining herself, finally blurted out:
”So those were priests? Really?”
”Yeah, I get what you mean. They were… a little otherworldly.”
Theocracy’s high priests… their vestments weren’t far removed from what anyone would imagine priests to wear. But there was one striking difference: the hats. From all four sides hung long cloth veils, completely hiding their faces.
”Watching a group of people covering their faces like that—tell me it doesn’t feel ritualistic, even creepy.”
”Why do they hide their faces?”
”To conceal which of them can use healing magic. High priests with that power are targeted all the time.”
”I see… hiding the face may be wise, but wouldn’t such attire make them stand out more? Even unseen, they’d be targeted just for the way they look.”
”That’s the problem. Unless you know who the real one is, it’s tricky.”
”The real one?”
”Out of that whole group, only one of them can actually use healing magic.”
”What? Then the others…?”
”Decoys. The high priests of the Theocracy always travel in groups of five or more, just to mask which one is genuine.”
”I see… oh, that reminds me. Neil, you once said you were poisoned and had to summon a whole host of priests.”
”Ah, during the Natto Incident [T/N: a previous poisoning crisis]. Over ten came, but I bet only two or three of them could actually heal.”
Even though they saved my life, I have to admit—lying there surrounded by faceless priests was downright terrifying. Like something out of a horror play.
”Rumor has it they only bare their true faces when alone. Even among themselves, never.”
”So they wear those strange hats at all times? That’s… extreme.”
”That’s not the half of it. Supposedly only the Pope, the sole person allowed to pass on healing magic, knows which priests actually possess the ability.”
”Even within the Theocracy, only the individual priest and the Pope? Incredible discipline.”
”Yeah, it has to be that strict. Otherwise, the secret would’ve been lost centuries ago.”
Lewya hummed, and I found myself nodding—but my mind was circling darker thoughts. Of the three great nations, the Theocracy had the oldest history, stretching back a thousand years. Healing magic had existed since its founding. Countless other “secret” magics in the world had eventually been exposed or replicated, their mysteries shattered. Even a clan-guarded spell struggled to remain hidden for more than a century. Yet somehow, on a national scale, healing magic had remained a secret for over a millennium. Not a single priest, in all that time, had betrayed it? Not one captured and forced to give it up? It was… abnormal.
”By the way, earlier you mentioned Bishop Macleam. Is that the Theocracy’s king?”
”No. A bishop is more like a feudal lord. The Pope is called Arcanimus, though that’s not his real name. Every Pope inherits that title.”
”Arcanimus… what does it mean?”
”Eh? I don’t know. Not sure it even has a meaning.”
”Strange. If it’s a name worth inheriting, you’d expect significance.”
”Never heard of such.”
Maybe it was just the name of the first Pope. But as a human name, it sat oddly on the tongue. Perhaps there was something more to it.
”Why don’t we continue this discussion inside? Standing out here is drawing eyes.”
Diana was right. I glanced down the street and spotted a few passersby sneaking curious looks. After all, a veiled procession had just passed. Of course people were gawking.
”Fair enough. We’re done here anyway.”
”Indeed. And truthfully, they seemed easier to deal with than expected. Not the sort to stir trouble. Perhaps your worries were unfounded, Neil?”
”I hope so…”
We were speaking casually, hand already on the entrance door, when—
”Neil-sama!”
I spun around. Momoka was dashing toward us, breathless and wide-eyed.
”What is it, Momoka? Why so flustered?”
”A message from Niya—urgent! She found someone collapsed in the forest!”
”Collapsed? A hunter who lost his way?”
”No, it’s not like that!”
”How can you be so sure?”
”Because—because Niya says the one collapsed is Lycus!”
”Lycus? That name… I’ve heard it before somewhere…”
”Probably from Jott-san in the dining hall?”
”Jott? …Right. He mentioned someone with wolf blood, though without the ears or tail. So if this Lycus being here is strange… what’s going on?”
”Ah… well…”
I hesitated, reluctant to spell it out. Diana stepped in smoothly.
”Lycus belongs to a clan under the Kingdom’s protection. In return, they work for the Kingdom.”
”And their work is…?”
”Espionage, infiltration, assassination. Shady things. They only appear abroad when on a mission. Many of the priest assassinations and kidnappings of the past are said to involve them. That’s why Lycus is despised by the Theocracy as the ‘Kingdom’s Dog.’”
”…I see. Then it really is strange to have one in the frontier settlement. Wait. You’re telling me—Lycus appeared here exactly when the Theocracy’s priests arrived?”
The weight of it hit me a heartbeat later. Momoka’s face tightened as she stared between me and Diana.
”This… this is going to be a disaster…”
Bad omens always hit the mark. And now, alongside the Inquisitor, a powder keg had just landed in our settlement. My head was already aching from the sheer inevitability of it.
Notes:
• Momoka – The strongest one on ihomono Niya’s group. The one who absorb MC’s Crimson.
• Niya – Former soldier with a quick mind, part of the ‘Ihomono’ group. The one who command the group. Her abilities include mutual sharing of vision and hearing and telepathic communication. Focuses on practical needs like a training ground and security. Her military background influences her perspective on settlement safety.
• Jott – A versatile member of Harmon’s group, often handling reconnaissance and communication thanks to his sharp senses from his Lycus blood. He contributes to combat and defense with his decent fighting skills and limited magic abilities. Jott first appears in Chapter 221.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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