16. Operation Name: Breaking the Chains
*
The morning at Inquisition Keep was peaceful. Fernandez, feeling the gaze of the crowd focused on him, was filled with excitement.
It reminded him of his days holding a teaching position at the magic academy. Of course, he was no longer a dark mage, and the people before him were not passionate college students but seasoned Inquisition Officers.
He was now standing on the podium of the grand cathedral, about to begin his presentation in front of all the Inquisition Officers of Dragonsting.
“Let’s begin, brothers.”
“Proceed.”
Monastery Head Beorn pushed up his monocle and spoke. He was a man with a fierce appearance, a large scar tearing through one eye. He was the representative of the Heretics and the head of the Inquisition Office.
So, he’s the top dog here. Fernandez recalled the days when he used to present his research to the board to secure funding.
“First, let’s briefly summarize the last mission.”
Fernandez approached the blackboard on the cathedral podium. He quickly wrote down:
[Gloridaine City]
[Cult of Demdrizard]
[Demidrako]
[Inquisition Keep]
“As you all know, Gloridaine City is a major city right under the Inquisition Office. But some crazy cultists dared to summon a demon here. Why?”
“Correct!”
“Yes, Brother Fabiano.”
“Uh… because they’re crazy…?”
“No, brother.”
Fabiano raised his tree-trunk-like arm, spoke a word, and then, under the gazes of Zephis, Beorn, and Marco, he sheepishly lowered his hand.
Fernandez continued.
“Summoning a demon consumes enormous human and material resources. To conceal the summoning process, almost the entire force of the demon cult must be deployed. So, why would they carry out such a massive operation right under the nose of the Inquisition Office?”
“Get to the point, brother.”
Beorn was uncomfortable. The Heretic Inquisition Officer, Laurencio, who was sacrificed in Gloridaine, was a capable veteran.
“It was a smokescreen to divert our attention.”
“Are you saying the demon cult used the act of summoning a demon as a mere decoy?”
“The Demdrizard in Gloridaine City is just a small faction. Their main body is somewhere entirely different.”
“I heard they killed a bishop. What makes you think that?”
“The heretic I killed knew no magic. On the other hand, the altar where the demon was summoned was a magically constructed structure of exceptional skill.”
As Beorn fell silent, Zephis stroked his chin and spoke.
“Have you figured out what they’re trying to achieve by sacrificing a mid-level demon?”
“Yes. A completely different cult emerges here.”
Fernandez drew a line on the blackboard and wrote on the opposite side:
[Bronze Scales]
[Phaeirn Kingdom]
[Walker Plague]
“The Demdrizard has joined hands with the Bronze Scales. They sent a faction to Gloridaine City to divert our attention. If it weren’t for Brother Zephis here, we might have been tied up in Gloridaine City for quite some time.”
“Too modest. From demon slaying to tracking remnants, it was all you.”
“Indeed, modesty.”
Zephis chuckled. Fernandez also smiled briefly and continued.
“According to the information I obtained from the demon Demidrako, Tetragalan, the Bronze Scales are preparing a large-scale ritual to overthrow the Phaeirn Kingdom.”
“…? Is that possible?”
The Phaeirn Kingdom is a powerful nation with unparalleled military strength among the Eastern Kingdom Alliance. It boasts numerous prestigious legions, including the Royal Griffin Knights and the Merlin City Guard.
Can such a powerful nation be overthrown by just one or two demon cults? Beorn frowned.
“Isn’t that speculation?”
“The Bronze Scales are the ones who created and spread the Walker Plague.”
“What?”
Marco was shocked. He stammered.
“Wasn’t that a naturally occurring disease?”
“The Walker Plague is a plague the Bronze Scales obtained from demons based on the secret arts of the High Council of Aseas. They spread this plague to gather sacrificial offerings or perform rituals.”
The Walker Plague. A vicious fever transmitted through saliva. It’s a disease similar to rabies, where infected humans lose their sanity and indiscriminately attack those around them.
Humans without pain or self-awareness bite their relatives, brothers, and acquaintances, and the victims become Walkers, seeking out other victims.
In this way, the Walker Plague spreads, destroying everything from a small village to an entire city. Fortunately, Walkers are slow, so they don’t spread widely to other regions…
“So, if we root out those cultists, will the Walker Plague disappear into history?”
“I hope so too… but I can’t be sure. At least the momentum will decrease.”
“Can the Phaeirn Kingdom be brought down by something like the Walker Plague?”
Beorn looked skeptical.
Although highly contagious and lacking a proper cure, it was nearly impossible for Walkers traveling on foot to reach other villages and find new victims.
At best, a small, closed-off village or a densely populated urban area…
Most Walkers would either become lunch for monsters, drown in rivers or valleys, or simply wander and starve to death.
Moreover, how would they even reach another village? What village would foolishly let in a stranger visibly suffering from a plague?
Fernandez roughly sketched a map of the Phaeirn Kingdom on the blackboard. He marked several places with chalk.
“Here, here, here, and here. A total of four cities are the factions of the Bronze Scales, as told by the demon. And…”
Fernandez marked other parts of the map.
“These six villages are the areas where the Walker Plague has broken out in the Phaeirn Kingdom so far. If we connect them like this…”
Fernandez’s chalk moved quickly. As he drew lines across the map… a bizarre magical formation appeared.
“The demon said… they are drawing a massive summoning circle covering the entire nation of the Phaeirn Kingdom.”
“!!!!”
“…By Vaitas…”
“…Hoo…”
The Inquisition Officers looked at the map in horror. Marco made the sign of the cross and cautiously asked.
“How likely is this information to be true?”
“There are definitely smokescreens among them. Even if we uncover the truth, they will try to buy as much time as possible. So, let’s assume a 30% chance that these checkpoints are correct.”
“We can’t deploy our full strength to the Phaeirn Kingdom.”
Beorn frowned.
“About half of the brothers who haven’t been assigned a mission yet will have to leave within this month to carry out other missions. We don’t have enough brothers available right now.”
“I will take action myself. Just assign me one personal attendant.”
“That’s too dangerous, Brother Fernandez. You’re not a disposable pawn, value yourself more.”
“Please let me do it. Isn’t this the mission I brought up?”
Fernandez knew what Beorn was worried about. What if this young saint died during the mission? From Beorn’s perspective, each Inquisition Officer was a precious asset, especially the ‘Saint who appeared after 30 years,’ who was a talent that couldn’t be lost.
“I will accompany Torchman Kirhas.”
“…? With Torchman?”
“There will be hardly any direct contact anyway. We will move to investigate the truth and locate their living areas. After that, you can assign a new extermination mission, right?”
“…Fine.”
This was the best compromise Beorn could make. Zephis silently watched Fernandez.
“I saw your abilities well in the last mission. You’re skilled in interrogation and investigation. Can you definitely come back alive?”
“Please trust me.”
“Good luck.”
Marco clapped his hands and said, “So, this is your first solo mission, Brother Fernandez? What will you name the operation?”
“Breaking the Chains. How about that?”
“Breaking the chains of the scales… Good! Go see Brother Martirio. Make sure to pack your weapons as best as you can.”
This was half the battle won. Fernandez smiled. The current mission briefing was a setup to secure a solo mission. The [Bronze Throne] was a relic that couldn’t be yielded to anyone.
*
“Your Excellency, what is this?”
“Operation orders. Haven’t seen them before? It’s only my second time.”
Fernandez went to find Kirhas, who was reading a book in the library. The librarian was quite flustered when Fernandez, a Diemonica, entered the library.
After all, Diemonica rarely visited the library. Fernandez smiled and patted the librarian on the shoulder.
“I haven’t been in training for long, have I?”
“Impressive! You’ve already started training?”
The trials of the Inquisition Office were harsh. Of course, they couldn’t compare to the baptism of a Diemonica, but the conditions a civilian had to meet to be recognized as an attendant were extremely stringent.
Yet, Kirhas was a monster who broke through all obstacles in just a week with her innate senses and talents.
‘That’s what it takes to become the great noble Kirhas Hearttaker.’
“Breaking the Chains… Not an extermination mission?”
“Already eager to get blood on your hands?”
“Haha, aren’t we here for revenge?”
Kirhas smiled brightly and carefully folded the orders. She gently touched the edges of the paper.
“Take care, Sir Angelo.”
“Sure, Basila.”
Kirhas blushed and lowered her head. Her beautiful black hair swayed, covering her sharp jawline.
*
[Operation: Breaking the Chains]
Operation Area: Throughout the Phaeirn Kingdom, Checkpoints 1, 3, and 12.
Operation Overview: Search for the hidden bases of the Bronze Scales and heretics. Locate the source of the Walker Plague.
Task Force Team: Diemonica Fernandez Sernerd. Torchman Kirhas Hearttaker.
Call Signs: Fernandez – Angelo (A), Kirhas – Basila (B)
We will burn demons, heretics, and witches.
Final Approval: Abbot Beorn Shieldbane of St. Bartholomew Monastery.
*
-The Bronze Throne… It certainly seems useful.
“I need it more than anything right now.”
The Bronze Throne. A relic of demons.
In reality, it wasn’t a throne or even a chair, but a small bronze bracelet. However, the reason it bore the grand title of ‘Throne’ was different.
The Bronze Throne’s function was to absorb and release hellish magic. In his previous life, it was useless to Fernandez. He already had more than enough magic capacity and output.
But in this body, he couldn’t possibly use hellish magic. A body marked with stigmata couldn’t have a magic circuit implanted.
‘But if I could find a relic to replace the magic circuit…’
He could manifest magic. While hellish magic generally corrupts the caster, the Bronze Throne could absorb the residual magic.
A perfect artificial magic circuit for dark magic. Although there was a limit to the total amount of spells that could be cast in a day, imagine how many plans could be advanced with the ability to use magic.
-Knock knock.
As he was packing, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
“How’s the preparation going?”
“Just about done. I might stop by the armory.”
“Haha, Brother Martirio is really holding a grudge. You lost all your equipment in the last mission, didn’t you?”
“It was a professional mishap.”
Zephis stroked his chin and sat down. His size miraculously turned the side table into a ‘narrow table.’
“What brings you here, Brother?”
“Just worried, perhaps?”
“A devout monk shouldn’t lie, should he?”
“Is that so?”
Zephis looked at Fernandez intently and said, “Then tell me. What’s the real reason you volunteered for this mission?”
“…? To burn demons, heretics, and witches, of course?”
“Not a devout monk, are you?”
“…Not really, Brother Zephis. It feels awkward for a Diemonica to be interrogated.”
“True. I can’t do it as well as you. Brother, there must be another reason. A reason to be assigned an independent mission. I’m curious about your goal.”
Fernandez looked at Zephis. No matter what he said, Zephis would leave without further comment. But Fernandez needed Zephis and the Inquisition Office’s ‘trust.’
Not trust in Fernandez as a ‘saint,’ but as an ‘Inquisition Officer.’ To achieve the grand plan ahead, their trust and support were essential.
“Brother. The plan of the Bronze Scales will fail.”
“Quite definitive. Why?”
“The Cult of Demdrizard is active throughout the Phaeirn Kingdom. While their goals seem similar to the Bronze Scales, according to my information, there’s another layer underground.”
In his previous life, Demdrizard succeeded in swallowing the Phaeirn Kingdom. After their failure, the Bronze Scales were reduced to a minor faction.
To cause such a seismic shift, there was another ‘piece’ beyond Demdrizard’s power. Though he didn’t have information from this period in his previous life, the outcome was clear.
(1) There is a mysterious organization that brought down the once-mighty [Bronze Scales].
(2) The shadow organization can exert influence throughout the kingdom and remains undetected by the Inquisition Office’s surveillance.
(3) Demdrizard later took advantage of the conflict between the Bronze Scales and the shadow organization to seize the Phaeirn Kingdom.
To satisfy these conditions…
“There is someone in the royal palace.”
There had to be someone in the capital who could neutralize the Phaeirn Royal Griffon Knights. Someone with that level of authority would at least be a royal or a high-ranking court official.
“So, Brother, please keep an eye on the Phaeirn Royal Family.”
Zephis raised his eyebrows slightly at the mention of the ‘royal palace.’ Fernandez smiled as he looked at Zephis.
‘Until I get my hands on the [Bronze Throne], don’t mind me.’
The plan was to gain Zephis’s trust, keep a heretic sect in check, save the Phaeirn Kingdom, and simultaneously acquire a demonic relic.
And all of this was just the first step in the grand plan.
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