Chapter 328 Inquisitor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
One full day had passed since the night Neil began his translation work, and as night fell once again, Espera, an Inquisitor, sat in a room at the Theocracy’s clinic in the frontier settlement, glaring at the stack of papers delivered that morning.
”(To think he would actually finish translating it by yesterday…)”
The papers were none other than the memo pad of Masayoshi Sudo that Neil had translated. In the end, Neil had ignored his own three-day deadline and completed the work in a single night. Thanks to that, he ended up sleep-deprived, received a severe lecture from Diana, and was forced to grapple with a mountain of paperwork with a sluggish brain.
Setting aside Neil’s circumstances, Espera scanned the contents of the translated memos. She did not read them page by page; instead, she flipped through them, stopping briefly to check a passage before flipping through again, confirming bits and pieces.
”(I was a little worried due to how fast he was, but the accuracy of the translation is not an issue.)”
Perhaps she had no real interest in the content, as she made no attempt to read further, simply tossing the papers onto the bed.
”(This confirms he possesses the means to accurately translate Japanese. Up to this point, he is the same as the others…)”
In truth, Espera—or more accurately, the Theocracy—was not the first to request a translation of the memo pad left behind by Masayoshi Sudo. Decades had passed since the Theocracy acquired it. Had they not asked anyone else to translate it before approaching Neil yesterday? That was impossible. In other words, Espera had long since known what was written in the memo pad. That was precisely why she could glance at it so casually and affirm that the translation was correct.
”(It was impossible to entrust ‘that’ to others. But if it is him…)”
From the shelf of the desk beside the bed, Espera retrieved a wooden box. It was something entrusted to her previously by Pope Arcanimus.
Espera sat on the edge of the bed, hugging the box carefully, and stroked the lid with her fingertips for a while. Finally, as if making up her mind, she hooked her fingers on the edge of the lid and moved to open it.
”……?”
It was the slightest sense of discomfort—no, it was too trivial and vague to call it discomfort. It was a strange feeling that could not be ignored, like a premonition1. Espera looked around the room.
”Was it… my imagination?”
She scanned the room while hugging the box tightly, as if to protect it. Nothing had changed. The moment Espera surrendered to that strange feeling and sharpened her awareness to observe the room more carefully—
”――!”
A sensation pierced her spine. It was magic power released directly at her—a rough signal sent specifically for her, like a doorbell ringing.
”I see, you have come. Was this the source of that strange feeling earlier?” Espera said, her voice calm and measured in her Received Pronunciation.
Holding back her frustration, Espera returned the box to its original place, left her second-floor room, and headed for the stairs. A man was standing at the bottom.
He was wearing the same black vestments as Espera.
”You are, if I recall, an Inquisitor under Bishop Calm,” Espera noted, her tone refined and restrained.
”It has been a while, Espera. The reason I came here is… you know without me having to say it, right?” the man replied, his speech clipped and procedural with the rigid air of the military.
”Yes. So, you were the one assigned to monitor me this time,” Espera responded, maintaining her elegant, aristocratic poise.
As they continued to converse calmly, Espera’s mind raced.
”(The fact that he came today instead of yesterday when the incident occurred… he probably came to observe how we would act, and because it wasn’t in line with the Theocracy’s wishes.)”
”Answer me, Espera. What are you doing?” the man barked, his military demeanor sharp.
”Doing, you say? If you are going to ask, please be specific,” Espera replied with icy, aristocratic detachment.
”(His superior, Bishop Calm, is of the ‘Heterodox’ faction. At least it is better than a ‘Dogmatic’ Inquisitor showing up.)”
The “Dogmatic” faction, as the name suggests, were stubborn, inflexible individuals who believed the doctrine was everything. For Espera, the best outcome was for a “Middle-of-the-road” Inquisitor like herself to be assigned, while the worst was a Dogmatic one. In that sense, the arrival of a Heterodox Inquisitor was neither good nor bad. Espera believed that, at the very least, “hope” was still hanging by a thread.
”Specific, huh. Well, I don’t like beating around the bush either, so I’ll say it straight—everything you are hiding,” the man stated, his tone direct and assertive in his urban American accent.
”It is offensive to suggest I am hiding anything. I report everything without reservation during my regular reports, and while I have not done so yet for this instance, if it were an urgent matter, I would report it immediately,” Espera countered, her speech elegant and composed.
”Oh? So you mean the matter of yesterday was not urgent enough for a regular report?” the man pressed, his voice retaining that confident, urban edge.
”(As I thought, he would ask that. But he does not know everything. The question is, how much does he know?)”
”Yes. I judged it to be a trivial matter for the Theocracy,” Espera said, her tone smooth and sophisticated.
”That is your judgment, is it not? The upper echelons might not think so,” the man retorted.
”If you say that, I would have to report every single thing that happens. Besides, I was granted individual discretionary power upon being dispatched. What content to report and when—that is for me to decide, not you,” Espera declared, her superiority clear in every syllable.
”I see, I see. That is certainly true. However, I have also been granted individual discretionary power. You understand what that means, don’t you?” the man said, his tone carrying a note of restrained intimidation.
Unlike Espera, the Inquisitors sent to monitor the dispatched personnel possessed no authority within the frontier settlement. However, that was regarding the settlement; they held absolute authority over the dispatched individuals.
”Speak. What happened at that mansion yesterday?” the man demanded.
”……”
Silence. Attempting to hide the truth at this moment was a dangerous act that could be perceived as treason against the Theocracy. Just as the light faded from the man’s eyes and his hand was about to touch the pommel of the sword at his waist, Espera opened her mouth.
”I see. Since you are not of the Dogmatic faction, I suppose I can tell you. Yesterday, an attack by a Lycus occurred at the mansion of the heir to the House of Count Atmiras,” Espera explained, her voice steady and refined.
”And?” the man prompted, his tone strictly professional.
The fact that his expression did not change at the mention of the name Lycus suggested he was already aware of that much. However, Espera had anticipated this. The problem was what came next.
”(I had the Lycus transferred using Neil-sama’s different space magic so that no one would see, so he cannot know about that. That is why…)”
”Fortunately, there were no injuries, and we have secured the attacker, the Lycus. She is currently being restrained in the clinic’s basement,” Espera lied with practiced ease, her tone impeccable.
”What did you say?” the man exclaimed, his military composure slipping.
Even though she was certain he did not know, Espera deliberately revealed that she had secured the Lycus.
”When did you secure her… no, more importantly, why didn’t you report it immediately after securing the Lycus?” the man questioned, his suspicion mounting.
It was a natural reaction. She had captured a Lycus—a sworn enemy of the Theocracy—and neglected to report it. The man showed his distrust of Espera’s actions, which could be considered treason against the state if she lacked a valid reason.
”Depending on your answer, you know what will happen,” the man warned, his tone dark and threatening.
”There is no need for such an intimidating attitude; have no fear. I have no intent of treason. A story that could potentially benefit the Theocracy fell into my lap, and I simply did not want it ruined by some strange interference,” Espera said, her voice cool and aristocratic.
”Strange interference?” the man repeated.
”If I had reported this to the home country, they would have ordered me to hand over the Lycus immediately to use as a bargaining chip with the Kingdom. But I do not think that Kingdom would cut off a limb for the sake of a single dog. They would almost certainly choose to abandon her. If the captured Lycus had been that ‘Mountain Echo of the Twilight,’ it would be a different story… regardless, if the Kingdom does not engage in the deal, it would end with her being used to vent the anger of those who hold a deep grudge against the Lycus,” Espera reasoned, her intellectual precision shining through her elegant delivery.
”That would be true. But I don’t understand. What use is a stray dog with no status?” the man muttered.
”Are you aware that there is another Lycus at the mansion? It seems the Lycus I captured attacked me to prevent that one from being handed over to the Theocracy, but Neil Atmiras wanted her,” Espera stated with poised detachment.
”The Prodigy of Atmiras? For what purpose?” the man asked.
”He seemed to want to save her, understanding how she would be treated if she were sent to the Theocracy, but an Imperial Noble rarely shows his true nature. I cannot tell if that is his true intention,” Espera replied, her tone perfectly restrained.
The man seemed to think about it for a moment, and once he reached his own conclusion, he spoke.
”I see. I understand your line of thought. You are thinking that rather than using her for a deal that will never materialize, you would rather sell her to somewhere where you can gain at least some profit, right?” the man said, his tone shifting toward a pragmatic, urban directness.
”Yes. However, if I report this to the home country and it reaches the ears of the Dogmatic faction, they will immediately make a fuss about sending the Lycus over. They would say that the Kingdom’s dogs should be judged by their own hands,” Espera noted, her voice dripping with subtle condescension toward the lower factions.
”Hah… to have no real power, yet to have them be so troublesome because they have the numbers… it really is a pain,” the man grumbled with a tired, urban edge.
The Theocracy consisted mainly of three factions: the Heterodox, who prioritized gaining profit and sometimes twisted the doctrine to their convenience; the Dogmatic, who believed the doctrine was absolute and, in their fanaticism, blamed all responsibilities on the ‘ihomono’ and hated them intensely; and the Middle-of-the-road, who protected the doctrine but did not consider it absolute, seeking profit while ultimately aiming to save people. The majority of the upper echelons were Heterodox, with the rest being Middle-of-the-road, and there were almost no Dogmatic individuals in the upper echelons. However, the ratio reversed the lower one went, and looking at the state as a whole, the Dogmatic faction was the largest, comprising eighty percent of the populace.
Because the majority of believers were Dogmatic, it was difficult for other factions to ignore their opinions, and the upper echelons were constantly troubled by the existence of the Dogmatic faction. This was entirely their own doing, as they had fed the destitute sweet lies, claiming the cause of their poverty lay with the ‘ihomono’ and that they themselves were not at fault.
”The best course of action is to tell only the upper echelons about this story and keep it from reaching the ears of the Dogmatic faction, but secrets usually leak out from somewhere. Considering the possibility of a leak, I am currently relying on my superior to pave the way so that the Dogmatic faction will tacitly approve,” Espera explained with refined, bureaucratic precision.
”That is true, reporting it so carelessly would be risky…” the man admitted, his tone softening.
Convinced by Espera’s explanation, the man dispelled the threatening air he had been exuding and lowered his right hand, which had been poised to draw his sword at any moment.
”I understand the situation. Then I will not pursue you on this matter,” the man stated, his tone turning into the standard, neutral cadence of an officer.
”I told you there was no need to worry,” Espera replied with a touch of elegant superiority.
”My bad. But you can’t blame me, it’s my job. If I do a lax job, I’ll be the one punished next,” the man said, his speech returning to its confident, urban American style.
”I understand. Is there anything else you wish to ask?” Espera inquired, her tone impeccably polite.
”No, this is enough for today. Even at this hour, if we talk too long, we might be spotted by others. I will take my leave here. Well, just in case, I will say that I came here—” the man began.
”I understand without you having to say it. I will not tell the others that a monitor came,” Espera finished for him, her voice cool and graceful.
”That’s fine. Well, you’re a pain-in-the-ass stickler for rules, so I wasn’t worried about that to begin with,” the man said with a rough, street-smart laugh.
Just as he said, the man did not doubt Espera. If he had truly doubted her, he would have reported it to the Theocracy in silence without even showing himself. The fact that he came to confirm it in person proved he had trust that Espera would not do anything to betray the Theocracy.
As the man vanished from the clinic without a sound, Espera exhaled, as if released from the tension.
”(Did I make it through? I didn’t lie, but it takes nerves of steel to talk to an Inquisitor without letting them realize your true intentions.)”
It was an undeniable fact that she was trying to extract profit from Neil for the sake of the Theocracy and the people seeking salvation. But it would be a lie to say that was everything.
”(There is a part of me that wants to answer his wishes as much as possible. Why is that? Because I hold onto the hope that ‘if it is him’?)”
An indescribable feeling churned in the depths of her chest, and unable to settle, Espera turned her gaze toward the door leading to the basement.
”(I don’t feel like sleeping anymore. I think I will go check on her.)”
A day had passed since then, and although she had spoken to her several times when bringing her meals, Foru had never once replied. Perhaps it was one of the reasons that she was constantly struck by fatigue due to the special magic tool that relaxed her muscles to seal the Lycus’s physical strength, but even excluding that, it was unlikely that a Lycus—called a dog of the Kingdom—would speak to an Inquisitor of the Theocracy.
Espera opened the door to the basement and placed her hand on the wall, causing the candles in the basement to ignite, and the dark room was faintly illuminated.
”…?”
Espera, who had been descending carefully so as not to stumble on the stairs, felt a sense of discomfort and shifted her gaze from the stairs at her feet to the basement room.
”Wha—”
There were two individual rooms called treatment rooms in the basement, and Foru had been locked in the one at the back from the stairs’ perspective. However, the door that should have been locked was now wide open.
Espera rushed down the stairs and dove into the back room, but as expected, Foru was no longer there.
”(Did she escape? How on earth? She should have been too lethargic to even stand up on her own, and there are no signs that the door was forced open. I was the one holding the key to the door—!?)”
Espera realized the key she should have kept in her inner pocket was gone, and as she searched her person, she found a set of keys with the treatment room key attached in her left outer pocket.
”(Why is this key set here? I was certain I put it away in my inner pocket.)”
The wide-open treatment room door, the keys appearing from a place she did not remember—they pointed to the fact that someone had picked her pocket, opened the door with that key, and then tucked the keys back into her outer pocket.
What method could have been used to make such a feat possible? Espera had no clue, but she had a suspicion.
”(It must have been then. She must have picked my pocket when I felt that strange sensation in my room.)”
If there was someone to help the Lycus, it would be her own kind, but Espera understood that they could not pull off such a stunt. If there was anyone else who would think to help the Lycus and had the means to do something like this—
”Neil-sama…”
That small murmur leaked from Espera’s lips, dissolving and vanishing into the dimly lit basement.
—
Summary:
Espera, an Inquisitor, examines translated memos while concealing her knowledge of their contents and her secret dealings with Neil. A monitor from the Theocracy arrives to question her, creating a tense stand-off regarding a captured Lycus, which Espera manages to diffuse through manipulation. Later, she discovers the captive Foru has escaped her basement cell by way of a pocket-picked key, leading her to suspect Neil’s interference.
—
Trivia:
The Theocracy has held Masayoshi Sudo’s memo pad for decades without previously tasking anyone with its translation.
The Theocracy consists of three main factions: Heterodox, Dogmatic, and Middle-of-the-road.
Dogmatic faction members make up 80% of the Theocracy’s population.
Espera is secretly holding the Lycus, Foru, in her clinic’s basement.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Espera – A crisp-tongued, brutally honest middle-rank Pentis Inquisitor in black vestments who serves the Theocracy in a frontier town. Though she charges high fees to fund aid and holds individual discretionary power, she is currently hiding a captured Lycus. The object of Forutis’s hatred, she quietly assesses Bearty before departing, and once gave Neil a police notebook and memo pad for translation.
• Neil – An analytical Empire noble, outworlder, and “Prodigy of Atmiras,” this young man hides his ihomono identity while serving as a translator with unique space magic. Balancing managing a frontier settlement with decoding records of Masayoshi Sudo and Seiji via modern knowledge, he works alongside Lady Niya and Momoka to navigate social divides and uncover the sinister reality of the summoning system.
• Masayoshi Sudo – Masayoshi Sudo is a former detective from another world who was teleported here five years ago. To protect his villagers, he became entangled in a dangerous smuggling network, an act that led the world to brand him the “Crime King.” Though viewed as a notorious criminal, his actions are driven by a desperate loyalty to those under his care.
• Masayoshi – Masayoshi Sudo is a former detective from another world who was teleported here five years ago. To protect his villagers, he became entangled in a dangerous smuggling network, an act that led the world to brand him the “Crime King.” Though viewed as a notorious criminal, his actions are driven by a desperate loyalty to those under his care.
• Diana – A substitute for Lewya, this frontier settlement supervisor exudes an “interrogator” aura feared by laborers, yet maintains their trust. Her distinct perfume was used to track a letter writer, and she recently lectured Neil about his translation schedule.
• Sudo – Masayoshi, a professional investigator identified by his family name, is a man who left behind a memo pad currently held by the Theocracy, bridging his past work with his ties to the organization.
• Arcanimus – A Pope who entrusted a wooden box to Espera.
• Calm – A Bishop who commands the Inquisitor sent to monitor Espera.
• Count Atmiras – MC’s family
• Atmiras – The Atmiras family name, a high-ranking lineage of Counts currently headed by Dirac and featuring the heir Neil.
• Foru – Foru-tis is a female Lycus beastman with grey hair, animal ears, and a hidden tail under a heavy robe. Possessing superhuman senses and arrow-fast movement, she fiercely protects her sister-in-law, Betty. While tracking a scent from Betty’s letter to find her missing sister, Foru-tis was captured by Espera and is currently held in the clinic’s basement.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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