Chapter 83
A few days later.
Internal conference room of the Order.
Esther attended the meeting and listened quietly.
"What do you think we should do with him?"
The topic of conversation was, of course, the noble.
The Pilgrim with the alias of the Judge.
They were talking about Callius.
"Of course, we must appoint him."
"But he is still a Pilgrim. One without a scabbard, one who has not become one with his soul, one who has not found his sword."
An incomplete person.
To seat him as an Inquisitor.
"Not only giving a Pilgrim the position of Inquisitor, but seating him as a Captain is unprecedented since the Order was established in Carpe."
"There has not been a single instance where someone who is not a Paladin became an Inquisitor."
Tradition is an important law.
Leaving new footprints in an unprecedented matter would cause discipline to fall apart...
"But his status is that of a Count."
The leader of the moderate faction, Albatto, answered as he looked at the hardliners sitting across from him.
"A Count becoming an Inquisitor... there is nothing more attractive than this."
"Now that the Order's prestige has fallen to the ground. If we use him, we'll uproot the filthy corruption of those arrogant noble bastards."
Albatto's head nodded along with the other bishops who were chiming in.
"Many nobles, including Artemion, have already died by his hand. Furthermore, just as he is called the Judge, he possesses the Sword of Judgment."
A sword that distinguishes lies.
Couldn't that be used to root out Carpe's impurities?
There was nothing that couldn't be done.
"A sword that changes color when a lie is told. With just that, we can weed out the corrupt and save the sick Carpe! Whining about precedent and tradition is not what should be said right now!"
"But-"
"But nothing! This is what he wants, so what are you going to do! Callius is on the lips of the citizens. From those mouths that always curse the incompetent Order, even praise is coming out!! Isn't that enough said? The benefits the Order will gain from making him an Inquisitor aren't just one or two. Approve it immediately!"
In comparison, the reason not to appoint him was tradition. Precedent, that was all.
There was no loss in appointing him, and no benefit in refusing him.
"Then wouldn't it be fine to just make him a Paladin?"
"What did he say?"
"He said he couldn't do that since he hasn't found his sword yet."
"What stubbornness."
While the sluggish arguments were just getting tangled up.
Right as Esther, who had been quietly listening to the meeting, let out a sigh.
"Your Holiness!"
"What brings you here..."
"Came to see my granddaughter."
An old man approaching with a shuffle, as if he had just come out for a neighborhood stroll.
Wrinkles and age spots on his face.
His withered skin, like dried hide, made him look like a man about to die, but his voice and actions were full of vigor.
The Pope of the Valterus Order.
Felice du Evader Valus.
He mentioned the word granddaughter and sent a look of infinite affection toward Esther.
"Your Holiness."
"Call me Grandpa."
"I cannot call you by such a title to the Pope who represents the Order."
"If you are Silvian's granddaughter, you are my granddaughter too. Try calling me Grandpa."
"...Silvian told me not to call you that."
A silence swept through the room.
The Pope, Felice, let out a hearty laugh as if his face had never stiffened.
"...Hahahaha! Being rudely honest is exactly like her!"
"We are not related by blood."
"Blood is not a problem. We are all creatures created by God, so if you trace it back, aren't we all of the same bloodline?"
This man, who seemed like a straightforward neighborhood grandpa, was the center of the Order.
He was the 12th Pope, called the Pillar.
Although he had now stepped down from active duty, he was originally the Lutz Paladin who had firmly held his place in the Master's domain for a long time.
Therefore, the bishops present never forgot their respect for him.
"But what's the problem?"
"Well..."
The Pope listened to the story for a moment, frowned slightly, and then said simply.
"Do it."
"Pardon? But..."
"Do it. What's so difficult about it? Put him in as a Captain right away. He's the Hero of the North, right? What's the use of stuffing him at the bottom?"
"A, as a Captain right away? There's no precedent for such an exception..."
"That's the problem because there's no precedent. A problem. We don't know if it's good or bad to do this, right? So take this opportunity to make it happen and find out if it's good or bad. Grown men are fighting over something that's not even a big deal. Is this a school!?"
"......"
"How long are you grown men going to just growl at each other? Albatto, are you the only one who doesn't know why your head is bald?"
"Why is my head suddenly..."
"Milliman! Cut your hair and beard! How long are you going to tease Albatto? Do it in moderation."
"...Understood."
"Let's go, granddaughter."
"I am not your granddaughter, Your Holiness."
"Hahaha, how cute. So how is Silvian doing? Is she still telling me not to come visit her when she's sick?"
"Yes. She says not to come."
"What a foul old woman. But that's also her charm."
The Pope rambled on with nonsense that if he had been just three years younger, he would have won Silvian's heart.
However, Esther shot back that even three years ago, he was no different from how he is now.
The Pope laughed heartily and skipped to a story from thirty years ago.
In the conference room, where only an awkward silence lingered after the storm had swept through, Albatto smacked his lips and said.
"Then we'll give him the position of Captain of the Sixth Division."
No one objected.
* * *
A few days later.
"This is the insignia symbolizing the Captain."
A badge. A pure-white mantle.
Crossed swords in the center.
The pure-white mantle, embroidered with the crest symbolizing the Inquisitor, contrasted with his black hair, creating a very fine appearance.
With this, Callius was now in the Sixth Division.
He became the Captain of the Sixth Inquisition Division.
'I didn't expect to become a Captain right away.'
He had sufficient strength and a splendid track record, but there was still a procedure to follow.
He planned to rise as quickly as possible, but for the Pope to shove him up here...
It was an unexpected gain.
"Congratulations. Callius."
"Thank you."
A simplified inauguration ceremony.
Held briefly in Bishop Albatto's office at Callius's request.
They could have made a grand inauguration ceremony, but Callius did not do so.
Partly because time was precious.
'No need to create annoying situations.'
It was to avoid the various events that would occur when holding an inauguration ceremony.
For example, things like the Sisters who said they would kill him.
Of course, avoiding the inauguration ceremony wasn't really because of them.
'Albatto du Valus.'
Leader of the moderate faction.
One who aims for the position of the next Archbishop and competes with Milliman.
And.
'The one who becomes the King's teacher.'
The current King.
The one who becomes the teacher of Clara von Agatha Bright, and her ally.
It was better to form a friendship with Albatto.
'The King is absolutely necessary for the goal I want to achieve.'
So naturally, it was necessary to form friendships with those who stood on the King's side.
Because the King of Carpe was a person who would be second to none when it came to cautiousness, so one had to approach carefully.
"I also really wanted to see you up close at least once."
"What is the reason? Perhaps the holy..."
"It's not because of the holy relic. I don't believe such nonsense."
"Pardon?"
Pat pat. Albatto looked at Callius with deep eyes.
"How much you must have suffered. I know everything, so it's okay."
"...Yes. Thank you."
I didn't know what he was talking about, but he shed a few tears saying he knew everything.
'What's wrong with him.'
It wasn't to the extent of shedding tears.
He was a bald man with rich emotional sensitivity.
"How much must your heart have suffered. Abandoned even by your own parents! The strength you protected while acting like a scoundrel has finally bloomed, so how...!!"
"......"
Whatever it was, he seemed to be under a pretty strange misunderstanding.
He didn't look like a bad person, so there was no need to correct him.
"Ah, right. This is no time to be doing this. I showed a disgraceful sight."
"Not at all."
"There was a recommendation, you wanted it, and we wanted it too, so you took charge of the Sixth Division, but there is one problem."
"What is it?"
"The Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division made a suggestion."
"Vice-Captain? What kind of suggestion?"
"That... he asked for the right not to have to listen to your words if he defeats you."
The Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division.
Callius roughly understood how things were going.
Was it a tradition within the Inquisition?
Or maybe something like hazing.
There are various reasons, but the main point is that it's hard to trust.
As expected of the Inquisition, it's a group that is filthy with suspicion.
It was natural since their doctrine itself was something like "do not trust those close to you."
"The Inquisitors of the Sixth Division are all suspecting something. They're wondering if you killed Druma."
Albatto clicked his tongue, saying they were suspecting something ridiculous, but honestly, it was true, so there were no words to refute it.
"So silence them and fight the Vice-Captain and win."
"Must I really do that?"
Honestly, it was annoying.
Rather than having such a quarrel, he wanted to catch at least one of Carpe's spies quickly.
『Kingdom Quest』
[Imperial Spy]
◆ Kill the Empire's spies and save the Kingdom that has entered the path of ruin.
◆ Number of spies killed: 8/?
Kingdom Quest.
The Banner of the Monarch was an item he absolutely had to obtain. The Archbishop was a difficult existence possessing power and resourcefulness close to a Master.
Right now he was crushing the guy's foothold, but it was an opponent he would eventually have to face.
To catch his tail and fight to win, he needed stronger power than he had now.
Growth in swordsmanship was also necessary, but above all, what he needed was...
'A Holy Domain.'
A Holy Domain.
But the swords he had now were Spirit Swords, so he could not manifest a Holy Domain.
However, if he had the Banner of the Monarch, the story changed a little.
There was a limit to the number of times and a large risk, but if he had the banner, even if it was a Spirit Sword, even if it meant destroying the soul, just once.
It would allow him to manifest a Holy Domain.
The sword would break, but it was a trump card that could overcome the difference in power.
It was a holy relic that could not be missed.
Because the only way to break a Holy Domain was with another Holy Domain.
"If you became a Captain but have no subordinates below you, handling affairs will be difficult, and your execution ability will drop. Besides, this is also a tradition of sorts. If you accept the duel and get your ability recognized, they won't be able to say anything unnecessary. With your skills, it should be fine."
* * *
Tap, tap.
Coming out of Albatto's office, I pondered deeply.
While thinking about how I could catch those rat-like spies all at once.
I suddenly stopped walking as I looked at the man leaning against the front of the corridor.
"Callius von Zervan. I should now call you the Captain of the Sixth Division."
"Who are you."
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
A scar on his nose.
Among the Four Great Noble Families, the one with a sacred mark on his nose was the Eastern family.
"Gradas, huh."
It was only Gradas.
And if it was the Inquisition Commander of Gradas, there was only one.
"Xenos von Gradas."
"Yeah, yeah, you know me. Zervan's brat."
"I've heard of you."
The man who oversees the Inquisition.
Commander Xenos.
True to the Eastern family, he was a man who used a sword focused on swift strikes.
All the other families had their own characteristics, but Gradas of the East was particularly famous for its fast footwork.
And Xenos was especially so among them.
Swish-! He is famous for his fast and stealthy footwork. I drew my sword the moment his figure blurred.
Clang-!
Xenos's sword and my sword collided.
Screech, sparks flew, and Xenos's figure was pushed far back in an instant.
"Thanks for the welcoming greeting."
"No, but how long are you going to speak informally... whatever, it doesn't matter. The age difference isn't that big anyway, and while my rank is higher, your title is Count, so I'll just let it slide right here! Because I'm your superior."
Contrary to his flippant tone, the weight carried on his sword was quite extraordinary.
Faster than I had thought.
If I hadn't drawn my sword immediately because there was no killing intent, I might not have been able to block his sword.
'Katar.'
He was using a sword that only assassins used.
He was wearing a Hidden Blade.
That was his Spirit Sword.
Katar.
An assassination weapon worn on the arm, where a hidden sword appears when force is applied.
The Katar's unique ability didn't have anything special, but when it met Xenos, the synergy was no joke.
Since an ability called [Silence] was attached to a guy who was already fast on his feet.
If he put his mind to it, the number of people who could stop his assassination could be counted on one hand.
"Today is a warning."
Swipe.
He only took one step, but he appeared right in front of me like a ghost.
"Let's not be too cocky. It becomes annoying for both of us."
"......"
"If you work too hard, piles of documents will stack up. Got it? Take care of it well, neatly and with sense. You know?"
Swoosh.
Gradas disappeared abruptly with those last words.
"Another annoying one has appeared."
Cat-footed Xenos.
It was a quiet and swift footwork fitting of that alias.
Inquisition Commander, Xenos.
An existence with a peculiar personality, but the Gradas family's footwork was quite interesting.
Enough to make me want to have it.