“Oh my, what an honor it is to meet the famous head of the Inquisition like this!”
Uncle Paul chuckled as he said this, but for some reason, his voice carried weight. Or rather, even with a smile that seemed amiable, there was an undercurrent of tension. Anyway, it seemed that his words were not entirely genuine.
“At the moment, I’m here as the commander of the Knights, but it is still an honor to meet the commander of the Saint Knights. Although it’s a newly formed order, I have heard that it’s made up of loyal knights selected with great care. I look forward to working with you.”
Andrea, slightly bowing her head as she spoke, seemed genuinely sincere. However, if she were truly being sincere, it might be better to skip the part about it being a ‘newly formed order.’
“Though it is called a new order, it has been 50 years since a saint has appeared. We may be called the Saint Knights, but originally this order is structured to be formed whenever a saint appears, so in terms of actual history, we encompass all past orders.”
After saying this, Uncle Paul shrugged slightly and added, “I’ve heard that the Inquisition has been significantly reduced over the years but is being reassembled recently. However, just because new members are joining doesn’t mean the past glories are completely overshadowed, right?”
“That’s true.”
Andrea smiled warmly before bowing her head again.
“I seem to have been rude. Please forgive me.”
“Oh no, it’s quite alright! In fact, I think I was the one who spoke too long. But it’s an honor to witness the grandeur of the Inquisition’s knights, which are a significant part of the Church’s power. Once again, I look forward to working with you.”
Uncle Paul, you can often meet at the Central Church, right? … Well, even if it is at the moment, we are waiting far from the Central Church in the 21st District.
“That being said, it is again an honor to meet the commander of the elite Saint Knights who has selected only the best. I apologize for not being able to recruit any members for you. We are just beginning to expand ourselves.”
As Andrea shook hands with Uncle Paul, she said, “I understand. It’s said that this is the busiest time in the history of the Inquisition.”
Was the internal organization being conducted that intensely? Perhaps fleeing here was indeed the right answer. If the other knights were aware, it meant they were moving quite vigorously. They might have reported to me.
And in the process of receiving that report, I probably lost the remaining week of vacation time.
… I really don’t know what’s better, getting involved in a religious dispute or following the traces of witches. Still, from my standpoint, the latter seemed much more productive.
Fortunately, it seemed those two were not thinking of fighting. I thought they might be entering a loyalty competition, but that was my overactive self-consciousness, and it seemed their rivalry was so intense that it merely looked like they were about to clash.
The heights of the two who were shaking hands differed considerably. Uncle Paul looked to be a full head taller. Even though Andrea was quite tall for a woman, Uncle Paul had to look down at her.
But when it came to presence, comparing who was bigger felt impossible.
If one could see a person’s spirit as an aura, then the energy rising above Andrea’s head would likely be at a similar level to Uncle Paul’s.
“You both are here.”
Feeling awkward just watching silently, I walked over to them to say something.
The two turned to look at me simultaneously, and the energy that seemed to be rising above them instantly disappeared.
Is that also a skill that a knight should have? Hmm, having it isn’t a bad thing. It seems that in martial arts or fantasy worlds, hiding one’s energy is often considered a sign of skill.
“Saintess.”
The first to respond was Uncle Paul. His big smile and bow felt a bit overwhelming, but considering his amiable nature, I understood, and thus I smiled back and greeted him.
“Thank you for calling me that.”
“…….”
That was something I would never say. Frankly, if someone told me to come to work while I was trying to rest, I would have scrunched my face. Even if I managed to wear a smile in front of a boss, it would still be a forced expression.
… Or maybe it’s the case that this uncle is managing his expression in front of a boss in a certain sense?
“No, I should be thanking you for coming.”
Then I turned my gaze towards Andrea.
“Clara.”
Andrea has consistently called me that since the beginning. Maybe it’s the same reason as with Linea and Aurora.
Well, I’ve heard that even past saints and holy ones sometimes disliked the titles they received. So perhaps noticing the difference in my attitude when being called Saintess versus my name influenced how she addressed me. Even though she is now a commander and technically the head of a law enforcement agency, she likely excels at reading people’s expressions.
Indeed, having someone like Andrea treat me strictly with honorifics would be quite uncomfortable.
However, the eyes of the surrounding people, excluding Linea, Aurora, and Rina, widened at seeing Andrea call me that.
“It’s been a while.”
“Um, since the last time we met in the Elven District this is the first time, right?”
Yet, as I continued the conversation naturally without breaking my demeanor, the expressions of those around me subtly changed. It seemed they thought it looked quite plausible. They may have assumed we’ve known each other for a long time.
In reality, if I were to be precise, Andrea fell under the category of people I’ve known the longest since coming here. But that was only about six months or so.
Well, considering that only a handful of people in the Church know about my past, it’s not surprising. The highest officials of the Central Church likely have done their research and realized I materialized out of nowhere, but most people were unaware of such a fact.
The Inquisition has been the most visibly active in the ongoing reforms within the Church, and since it was one of the units called to uncover hidden demons in the government, it would not be strange for them to think that I was at the center of all the actions undertaken against the demons and for the Church’s reform.
Actually, it’s better to let such misunderstandings slide for easier utilization down the line.
“Where is the knight order stationed?”
“Outside the camp. They are stationed in the opposite direction from where Clara sister entered.”
“How many?”
“Fifty, including myself.”
… That’s quite a lot.
It’s certain that even counting all of the Saint Knights, they wouldn’t total thirty. The number has only gradually increased to about thirty recently, and when I went to the Elven District it was only about ten.
Since Andrea is here, not all the Inquisition knights are probably present, so it is more correct to see this as a ‘part’ of the expanded Inquisition knight order.
“What is the experience of the knights here?”
“I brought only veterans with at least five years of experience since becoming knights. Among them, only about 10% were originally from the Inquisition, and all of that 10% have ‘real combat experience.'”
It seemed Andrea had precisely grasped what I wanted. Perhaps we might have to fight a witch or a high-ranking demon. Having real combat experience would certainly be reassuring.
I nodded enthusiastically and then turned to Uncle Paul.
“All of our knights have arrived as well. In total, we are thirty-one. Of course, that includes me.”
Uncle Paul replied with a friendly expression. I nodded in agreement.
After all, I was technically the head of the Saint Knights. This knight order existed because I existed.
While the knights of the Saint Knights don’t have the strict, mechanical image of the Inquisition, following orders, they are comprised of individuals who have reached the peak of their respective fields.
It’s like this: those who begin a fight with a grin and, once in combat, skillfully handle things before joking on the way back. That’s who the members of the Saint Knights were.
The reason these two knight orders have such different images lies in their purpose.
The Inquisition operates as a sort of special unit, receiving orders and executing specific missions. They don’t need to do anything outside of that. While adaptability and flexible thinking are necessary, it’s actually more helpful to stay within the roles assigned to each knight for the operation.
The phrase “one in ten” fits more with the idea of an ‘elite soldier’ rather than a hero standing alone in the Inquisition.
On the other hand, the purpose of the Saint Knights was straightforward: to protect the Saint.
Their mission was to protect the Saint’s life, even at the cost of their own, and naturally, it didn’t need to be that large in scale. Rather than soldiers who follow orders, they needed individuals who think and act independently.
They had the right to refuse orders if necessary. The existence of the Saint Knights was fundamentally to do whatever it takes to protect me.
Therefore, to survive for as long as possible and protect the Saint in the worst scenarios, the individual strength of each soldier was more important than obedient soldiers. At least one person must survive to stay by the Saint’s side. Of course, cooperative engagement and executing orders are also important, but in comparison, those were secondary.
“Alright.”
I nodded as I spoke. That made it a total of eighty-one. Adding in volunteer workers and those supported by the government would push the number well over a hundred. Of course, not everyone can leave the camp at once, but even so, it would be sufficient to turn an entire area upside down.
… The regional government might freak out over it, but well, when things are urgent, they have to be dealt with.
And since I had already caused a disruption last time, seeing such a gathering of forces would likely lead them to quickly realize the situation.
“Then… we should explain the situation. Priest, could we borrow your office?”
The volunteer camp consisted of one five-story building and numerous tents lined up outside. Naturally, not every volunteer could have a room to themselves. It would be challenging for just the three of us to talk privately in any room.
Therefore, I thought it would be better to borrow the priest’s office.
Seeing the priest’s face turn pale at Andrea’s expression that was tense, he nodded vigorously.
… Well, there is no priest who wouldn’t turn pale at the thought of accompanying the head of the Inquisition and the Saint into his room. With the recent incident involving the cardinal and the tumultuous events happening in the Church, it would certainly be easy to misunderstand.
“I apologize, father. I’ll only be talking briefly. It’s a conversation that shouldn’t be overheard… Once the camp for the stationed troops is completely set up, we’ll hold meetings there instead.”
As I bowed politely, the priest hastily waved his hands in response.
“Oh, no! Please use it anytime you need! My office is always open!”
Knowing that saying a few more words would only frighten him further, I simply nodded and alternated my gaze between Andrea and Uncle Paul.
“For now… please follow me.”
*
“So, are you saying there could be a witch in this area?”
Uncle Paul’s eyes widened in disbelief after hearing my brief explanation.
Of course, I didn’t elaborate on how I figured it out. I simply said, as a Saint, it seemed likely.
However, Uncle Paul didn’t seem to hold any doubts. After all, to become a member of the Saint Knights, they had to verify their thoughts about the Saint. If someone despises or doubts the Saint, they would be unfit to provide proper protection.
Moreover, even without mentioning Rina, there was at least a witness. The problem was that she wasn’t saying anything.
“Could we meet that girl?”
Andrea asked this after listening to my story.
“… If that girl doesn’t respond, are we going to kill her?”
“… Do I look like that kind of person?”
Andrea seemed a bit shocked by my question, so I chuckled and shook my head.
“If you don’t plan to kill her, I don’t think she will speak. When we asked, she said, ‘If I speak, I will die,’ and wouldn’t answer.”
“Indeed, so that was the implication…”
Just as expected, Andrea quickly composed herself and nodded as if she understood.
“Then, if needed, we’ll have to look around here ourselves.”
“When we start moving, won’t she disappear?”
Paul’s point was certainly valid. In fact, after we rescued that orphan, all the street orphans had vanished.
The orphans probably served as informants and funding sources, so hiding them means they really wanted to avoid being discovered.
However—
“You won’t be able to hide everything.”
Exactly. If a witch is here, or at least if her plans are in motion, there must be Magic Points nearby. We do not yet know for what purpose these Magic Points are being created, but just as modern weapons made using contemporary science are vital, Magic Points are incredibly important tools for the demon race’s military force.
Moreover, creating them is exceedingly difficult. It wouldn’t be easy to willingly give up the Magic Points after putting in so much time and effort.
Even if they were to abandon them, Rina could probably locate where they used to be. In that case, we should at least be able to find some clues. In fact, it would be ideal for them to give up and leave, as it proves our long efforts were in vain, and importantly, no incidents have occurred within Human Society.
After hearing my explanation, Uncle Paul slowly nodded.
“Indeed, if that’s the case, finding it somehow is crucial.”
“Right.”
“However, there is one issue.”
Having quietly observed my discussion with Uncle Paul, Andrea interjected as if waiting for our conversation to conclude.
“… An issue?”
“Hmm.”
Andrea responded somewhat hesitantly, then continued her explanation.
“The problem is that this isn’t human society.”
“… But this is still human society, right?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, Andrea shook her head.
“No, it’s not. Humans and beastmen are all still people, that’s the official stance of the central government. However, this perspective is only one that people like you, Clara, who have very few or no prejudices, can hold. In reality, it’s quite different.”
“That’s correct.”
Uncle Paul also nodded in agreement with Andrea.
“Just like in the Elven District, the regions inhabited by beastmen or gnomes are fundamentally separated from human regions. Each race has its own territory, so it’s easy to forget, but the culture and ideas they inherently possess are completely different.”
“You know, even though humans occupy several regions, thinking of the local governments of human regions and other races simply as equal local governments is a mistake. The regions of humans have a strong consensus formed around a common language or ideology, especially religion. Yet, the areas of other races, where the Church has not been able to make strong inroads, lack that.”
Therefore, even though they are under the central government’s control, the relationships between local governments outside the Elven District and the central government are somewhat okay; at the same time, there exists a ‘line that cannot be crossed.’
“And that line is the military line.”
Stationing human soldiers within their territories is a whole different story.
“But you are here now, right?”
“I’m still within the borders. But the moment we cross that line, the order will be outside of the Church’s influence and support. While we can’t know the exact strength of the military in this area, a mere hundred troops would be insignificant compared to the military strength of the entire area.”
“If we attack beastman civilians without the permission of the local community, it’s hard to say how they will react.”
“Of course, judging by how the central government usually operates, it seems more likely they would side with the Saint. But it would be better to at least confirm before acting.”
“…….”
Huh.
This is going to get complicated again.
… It seems I will have to visit the regional government offices again.
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