While working in his office, Viscount Alec faced an unexpected situation.
“My lord, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor? There shouldn’t be anyone coming here today.”
First came suspicion.
As a noble, it was only natural for con artists to try to cozy up to him, so Viscount Alec instinctively frowned.
“…It seems they’re from the cult.”
“What?”
But the explanation that followed made Alec’s face brighten.
“Yes! They’ve finally recognized my faith! Bring them in at once!”
Viscount Alec had long devoted himself entirely to serving the cult.
Surely, this was the moment his piety would finally be acknowledged.
Greeted with a smile, the guests turned out to be youths who looked to be in their teens.
They’re quite young. But age doesn’t matter. Even the Prophet still wears the mask of purity. What matters is…
A boy who appeared to be the leader and a girl who stood just a step behind him.
However, Alec’s eyes weren’t on either of them, but on a swordsman standing at a distance.
The Prophet’s most cherished paladin… even within the cult, contact with him is strictly forbidden. For someone like him to come here personally…
Dietrich, paladin of Eden.
With someone like him following the other two as if escorting them, Viscount Alec couldn’t even begin to doubt their legitimacy.
On the contrary, they were clearly of a far higher status than he could have imagined.
“How disappointing.”
“…Huh?”
And so, when the boy who was clearly the representative spoke those words, Alec was stunned.
Disappointing?
After all the devotion he had poured into his faith?
To be suddenly met with criticism….it stirred a deep sense of injustice within him.
“Still, if this is what the Prophet has chosen, it’s too early to complain.”
“R-Right… I see.”
A way of speaking that tossed people around like a toy.
Viscount Alec was so delighted he could barely hide the upward curve of his lips.
He had been acknowledged.
And not just by anyone…..it was the Prophet’s choice.
Viscount Alec was completely at the mercy of the boy’s words, the one who seemed to be the leader… in other words, Johan.
“You will wait outside the door.”
“…….”
At Johan’s command, Dietrich bowed silently and stepped out of the room without a word.
That clear display of hierarchy made Viscount Alec tense up once more.
To be commanding Eden’s paladin?
Then who in the world was this boy, and what was his position?
Alec was beginning to feel something close to reverence.
And from that moment on—
“You must be curious who we are. You’ve likely never seen us before, even within the cult.”
“Y-Yes, that’s right…”
“It would be wise of you to appreciate that fact. We are the heresy inquisitors of the cult. Encountering us in daily life, in itself, would be a disaster for someone like you.”
Johan’s performance had begun.
***
When impersonating someone, it was best to pose as a little-known department within the same organization.
Of course, impersonating such a group could also raise suspicion, but it was still easier and came with fewer risks of being exposed than posing as a well-known division.
“And this one here is my Punisher. You’d do well to show her proper respect unless you want your skull split open, hehehe.”
“…….”
Viscount Alec swallowed dryly.
Rather than maintaining an entirely serious demeanor, tossing in these half-joking, half-menacing remarks helped dispel the feeling that this was all just a ruse.
In reality, the very fact that we had brought Dietrich made it hard to believe we were merely pretending to be high-ranking members of Eden.
Still, if we were going to do this, it was better to do it thoroughly. That way, things would go much more smoothly.
“You must be wondering why we’ve come to you.”
“W-Well…”
“That’s enough. Trying to recall something you don’t even remember will only give you a headache. I’ll get straight to the point. We’re here for the Paladin’s Trial.”
“…The Paladin’s Trial, you say?”
“That’s right. You’ve probably figured it out by now, but our other companion is the one the Prophet cherishes most. However, he has yet to realize his power and his calling. We’re merely here to guide him.”
First, we attach a plausible reason.
In truth, Dietrich was brought along as a living symbol of Eden. But if that were the only reason, it might actually invite suspicion.
“Y-You don’t mean… me…?”
“Ha! Do you really think someone like you could be the trial? The Prophet sees the future. You, you’re the one holding that runaway Holy Knight, aren’t you?”
“Yes… Is that a problem? Ah! If you mean to use him as the subject of the trial, then—!”
“Wrong.”
As expected of an Eden follower.
He seemed to feel no guilt whatsoever about kidnapping and imprisoning someone.
To them, treating human lives like insects is just standard practice.
“Then… why are you looking for him? Don’t tell me… you’re here to release him…?”
“No.”
Our true goal was to free Jeff, but presenting it like that wouldn’t be wise.
If it came across as a one-sided request, it could rub him the wrong way. Once that happens, everything else starts to look suspect.
“Underground Chain will make a move to retrieve him.”
“Huh…?”
“An attack is coming soon. The Prophet foresaw it, so it’s certain.”
“Why would Underground Chain…?”
“So you really didn’t know. That man tried to conspire with the Underground Chain. We were letting it play out so we could trace the connection, but your premature actions threw things off a bit.”
So we take the opposing stance.
We’re not here to ask Viscount Alec for help. We’re here to clean up the mess he made.
But if we just scold him like this, human nature will make him want to redeem himself.
“No need to worry. In the end, we’ve still managed to catch the tail.”
“Ah… y-yes…”
“So keep this in mind. You’d better not interfere with the Paladin’s Trial out of some misplaced sense of glory.”
“Understood.”
Viscount Alec blinked and gave a reluctant nod.
Alright, the excuse has been established.
Now it’s time for the advanced step. That is using the elaborate lie we’ve built up.
“I’ll ask in advance. Are there any places we should avoid?”
“N-No, of course not! You’re free to go wherever you like.”
“You still don’t get it.”
“Huh…?”
“The Paladin has yet to receive Eden’s baptism. That means he still carries worldly prejudices.”
What I’m saying was simple.
“I’ll ask again. Can you truly say your affairs could withstand public examination? Take this as a warning. This is us being considerate.”
“…Please avoid the west annex, the second floor of the main building, and the central tower.”
“We’ll do that.”
The west annex, the second floor, and the central tower. That’s where Jeff and the kidnapped children were being held. Good. That’s all the information we need.
Now all that’s left is the signal to begin.
“M-My lord!”
“How dare you barge in here! Can’t you see we have important guests?”
“B-But the Judge has appeared in the streets!”
Hmm. Good timing.
“She has destroyed the west street and is heading straight this way!”
Hmm. That’s less ideal.
Even so, targeting a street full of civilians? That’s pushing it.
“U-Um…”
Viscount Alec, who had just exploded at the messenger for barging in, now glanced nervously in our direction.
Well, the Judge wasn’t exactly someone you could ignore. And we picked this timing for a reason.
“Don’t worry about us. Just go and do whatever you must. Just make sure there’s no direct conflict.”
“Y-Yes…! Then I’ll immediately gather whatever forces we can spare in the mansion and send them to stall for time!”
“That’ll be a death march!”
“So you were just planning to sit on that money and do nothing?! Who said anything about killing the Judge? I told you to at least buy us some time! Are we supposed to just stand by and watch that lunatic destroy the entire domain until the Imperial Knights decide to step in?!”
Hmm. Not a single wrong word in there.
For a fanatic, he was doing a decent job managing the territory.
Whether it was a standing army or knights, it made sense to pay top coin for them in preparation for exactly this kind of situation—
Not just for show.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
“Go ahead.”
Was it because the situation was that dire?
Viscount Alec left us behind and rushed out without a second thought.
We’d been pretending to avoid suspicion, but it seemed the Judge showing up had a bigger impact anyway…
I stood up and approached Dietrich, who had been waiting outside the door.
“The west annex, the second floor of the main building, and the central tower…those are our suspects. And if you come across anyone from Under Chain, just play along and share information.”
“What? But isn’t Under Chain just as evil as Eden?”
“They’re actors I recruited. They only look like Under Chain.”
“Aha!”
He actually bought that.
Well, makes things easier. No need for a long-winded explanation.
“As expected of you, Senior. I get the initial part, but how did you figure out the potential locations in just a few minutes…?”
“Oh, I’ve got my ways.”
I used your name.
They paid good money for it.
I’m going to keep selling it, too. It’s not like a name wears out from use, right?
“Alright, let’s split up now. We’ll check the central tower, you go start with the west annex.”
“Huh? Wouldn’t the second floor be faster? He mentioned something might be in the main building too.”
“I’ve got a rough idea about that part. But if you’re really curious, just go check the west annex first.”
“I’m sure you’ve got your reasons, senior. I’ll be off then!”
“Good.”
And with that, Dietrich was gone.
Yuna, who had been silently playing the role of a mysterious woman all this time, finally spoke.
“You were pretty convincing. I didn’t even get a chance to step in.”
“Who knows? Maybe it would’ve gone even smoother if you’d helped.”
“Puhihi, maybe so?”
Though she said that, Yuna had done her part too.
Normally, shady people like us would’ve been stopped at the entrance.
But her looks and presence convinced them she was someone important.
The moment we got a face-to-face with Viscount Alec, the game was already over.
“Alright, let’s get moving too. I’m guessing Jeff is locked up in the tower. The structure just screams it, doesn’t it?”
“It kind of does.”
There were probably a good number of kidnapped kids, so they’d be in the annex.
But for someone taken from the outside, the tower was the typical cliché spot.
“But what’s on the second floor of the main building? You said you had a good idea.”
“Oh, that?”
Honestly, it doesn’t take much thinking to figure it out.
The main building was a central, important location.
Alec’s nervousness in front of the Hereticus Marquisate.
And the fact that he had a desperate wish. One desperate enough to make him cling to a god.
And most telling of all…
“He’s married.”
A trivial bit of personal information.
Viscount Alec’s wife was probably in a coma.
And he must love her.
Enough to give up everything in the world just to save her.
“It’s true that someone who blindly follows a single shred of hope can be a problem, but…”
I turned my head toward the now-closing office door.
Through the crack, I caught sight of a picture frame sitting on the office desk.
“Anyone who takes advantage of that kind of desperation is trash on a whole other level.”
Kult had enough power to heal someone as long as they were still alive.
There were lives he could save with just a single touch.
Of course, I didn’t think he was obligated to do that.
People often demand the whole world in return for a little help, so it’s understandable that he couldn’t save everyone.
But this case was different.
Choosing not to help is one thing, but exploiting someone’s desperation—
That’s just pure evil.
“…Yeah, Kult has to die.”
He already crossed the line a long time ago.
I may not be the one who gets to decide how the game ends…
But if I’m ever given the choice, I don’t think I’ll be showing him any mercy.
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