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Chapter 25







24. Emergency Order: Rat Hunt

Fernandez sat cross-legged, staring at a rusted bronze mirror. His hands twisted and turned in strange directions, intertwining in ways that defied logic.

Every gesture, every single movement, was magically precise. Each motion was efficient yet mechanical. A divine mantra was completed.

-Goooh…

A black crown-shaped halo floated behind his head. The vision scope around Fernandez’s neck trembled. The magical energy stored in the Bronze Throne was rapidly drying up.

-Sssss…

White steam rose from Fernandez’s mouth as he slowly opened his eyes. He shook his hand, and the halo vanished into thin air.

“This isn’t working. The side effects are too severe.”

-Yeah. You don’t look like an Inquisition Officer.

“If I did this openly outside, I’d be branded a heretic and sent straight to the stake.”

There wasn’t anything particularly heretical about him. But that black halo! The spiky, crown-shaped halo looked downright blasphemous.

He had seen it a few times in his past lives, but he had always thought it was just his personal way of manifesting magic, not a side effect of using the Bronze Throne.

But to the ancient who first designed the Bronze Throne, the black halo must have been a fashion icon of the era! No matter how hard he tried, the halo wouldn’t disappear when he used magic.

“There’s no problem with the magic itself. The issue is the halo that appears when the magic manifests.”

-Isn’t that a good thing? If you can use magic, you can still cast spells like the Magic Spike.

“Remember when we tried reverse magic last time? The halo appeared then too.”

-Hmm…

No matter how he looked at it, the halo didn’t seem to serve any functional purpose… Fernandez clicked his tongue in disappointment.

After three sleepless nights of experimentation, Fernandez had failed. The only thing he learned was the limit of his mental and physical efficiency as Diemonica.

-Knock knock

“Yes, come in.”

Someone knocked on his door. Fernandez hid the Bronze Throne as he spoke. The door opened, and a giant entered.

“Ah, brother! Shall we go praise together?”

“Hmm… It’s already that time? I was about to practice swordsmanship with Brother Allen…”

“Too bad! Brother Allen is away on a mission!”

“Then I’ll spar with Kirhas…”

“Sister Kirhas is currently in Torchman training!”

“Then I’ll join Brother Enmagika and…”

“Hey now!”

The giant, Fabiano, grabbed Fernandez’s wrist tightly. Like being crushed by an agricultural press, Fernandez couldn’t move. Fabiano spoke cheerfully.

“I’ve always been worried about your physique, brother! You’re too frail for a Diemonica! Don’t worry. A healthy body houses a healthy mind and healthy praise!”

“Isn’t it usually the other way around?”

“What are you talking about? A healthy mind comes first for a healthy body!”

Fabiano dragged Fernandez out by force. As he was being pulled, Fernandez shouted.

“Honestly, you’re bored, right? All the brothers are on missions, so you’re just left alone, aren’t you?”

“Hmm! Seeing the outdoor praise hall empty breaks my heart! But I’m glad you’re here, brother!”

Fabiano nodded.

*

“Ughhh!”

“Come on, you can do it, brother! One more time!”

“Ughhhh!!!”

Fernandez’s arms trembled with pain and fatigue. This was the limit! He felt the strength slowly draining from his wrists as he held the barbell.

“Do you feel the pressure on your biceps?”

“Ughhh!!!”

“No?! Brother! Your posture is wrong! Focus on your arms!”

Holding a barbell with a heavy iron bar that could bend a wheel, Fernandez was drenched in sweat as he did curls. Fabiano, doing squats across from him, shouted.

“Brother! Shout! Praise!”

“This… damn it!”

“20? Impressive stamina! Good! Just twenty more!”

You bastard!! Fernandez clenched his teeth so hard they might break, barely managing to lift the barbell.

His biceps and elbows were being destroyed in real-time. At the same time, a monstrous divinity flowing through his blood vessels was healing the damaged muscle fibers.

Literally, muscle destruction and repair were happening simultaneously! What kind of hellish training is this? Fernandez groaned as he lowered the barbell. His arms were shaking.

“Brother Fernandez?”

“Huh? Yes! It’s me! Me!”

-Boom…

When Inquisition Officer Enmagica suddenly appeared and called his name, Fernandez almost drew a holy cross in panic. He quickly dropped the barbell.

“Brother Fabiano! I’m really sorry! Something urgent came up! Ah, Brother Enmagica!”

“Yes, yes?!”

Inquisition Officer Enmagica looked terrified as he glanced at Fernandez’s angry biceps and Fabiano’s furious thighs (which looked three times bigger than Fernandez’s).

“Is it for me?”

“Ah. Yes… yes. Abbot Beorn is looking for you.”

Perhaps because there weren’t many people staying at the Inquisition Office, Beorn had been summoning him more often. Fernandez, slightly nervous, headed to Beorn’s room.

*

[Emergency Order: Rat Hunt]

Operation Area: Dane Kingdom, Barves Barony, Checkpoint 2.

Operation Summary: Emergency dispatch of an investigation team due to unexpected Walker incident.

Operation Task Force: Diemonica Fernandez Sernerd, Torchman Kirhas Hearttaker.

Call Signs: Fernandez – Angelo (A), Kirhas – Basila (B)

We shall burn demons, heretics, and witches.

Final Approval: Abbot Beorn Shieldbane of St. Bartholomew Monastery.









As soon as Fernandez entered the room, Beorn handed him a report without a word. Fernandez slowly read the report, folded it in half, and tucked it into his pocket.

“A Walker incident has occurred in the Dane Kingdom…?”

“Yes. A request for support came from the Barony of Barbes. I contacted the nearby defense forces and the knight order, but three days later, all communication with them was lost.”

“Are you saying the knight order was wiped out by just a Walker incident?”

“Not entirely wiped out, but it seems some of the dispatched knights didn’t return from their mission.”

Beorn took a sip of his tea and pointed to a corner of the map.

“Due to the Phaeirn Royal Family incident, we’re extremely short on personnel to dispatch right now. And this is the first Walker incident to occur outside the influence of the Bronze Scales. If their influence has reached the Dane Kingdom…”

Beorn looked at Fernandez.

“If the Dane Kingdom falls, half of the Eastern Kingdom Alliance will be pushed out of the Temple of the Gods’ influence. We cannot allow that.”

“Isn’t the Barony of Barbes within the territory of the Franzrit Bloodline…? I doubt they’d let a heretical sect flourish on their land…?”

“…? What are you talking about? Franzrit is a noble family from Serpent’s Isle. They don’t leave that island, do they?”

“???”

Fernandez was confused as he stared at the map. Among the vampire noble families, Franzrit was undoubtedly the one with the most influence in civilized society.

In his past life, their area of activity was clearly the entire Widow’s Coastline around Serpent’s Isle.

– Maybe they haven’t expanded beyond Serpent’s Isle yet.

‘No, could they really grow that much in just a few decades?’

– Hmm… There was some major event, but it’s been too long to remember.

Beorn glared at Fernandez with fiery eyes.

“We must show the power of the Temple of the Gods. If those who dared to burn Phaeirn are trying to expand their influence… we’ll show them the wrath of the Temple.”

“I will lead them straight to hell, Monastery Head.”

“Good. Brother, go. Make sure to pack all the necessary equipment. It’ll be a long journey. Come back alive.”

The Barony of Barbes in the Dane Kingdom was a five-day journey from the Inquisition Office, following the main road.

Fernandez, who wasn’t fond of long journeys, stood up to leave.

“For glory.”

“For the glory of Vaitas, brother.”

– Creak.

Beorn watched the door close and took off his glasses. He sighed and looked down at the red marks on the map. The entire Eastern Kingdom was stained red, as if bleeding.

These were the heresy incidents that had occurred this year.

The Eastern Kingdom was currently deploying its military forces for the Empire’s western expedition, slowly suffocating economically.

Famine and starvation were all too common. And in such times, demons and heretics were creeping into the hearts of the impoverished people.

It was an era where death was common. Demons howled in the shadows, and the virtuous were burned at the stake. He had seen such scenes far too many times.

By the time an Inquisition Officer finished training and entered the field, ten or more Inquisition Officers had already died in operations. As time passed, the victory of civilized society was becoming increasingly faint.

The old Inquisition Officer rubbed his tired eyes and sighed deeply. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rosary of Vaitas, embedded with a Keyblade.

“Lord, show me the way.”

As always, God gave no answer. He traced the small inscription on the rosary with his rough fingers.

– Seek righteousness, desire goodness, and practice virtue.

– Then your Heavenly Father will add justice to you.

God’s judgment is God’s to make. Beorn opened his eyes. Reports and documents on heresy were piled high on his desk.

– Ding.

“Yes, Monastery Head. Did you call?”

“Summon Brother Fabiano.”

“Yes!”

Inquisition Officer Enmagika quickly left the room. Beorn watched him go and thought.

God’s judgment is God’s to do.

And it’s our job to bring the heretics to His judgment.

*

Brother Martelio seemed fortunate not to have been assigned a mission. Fernandez awkwardly smiled as he entered the armory.

“What do you want to break this time, Brother Fernandez?”

“Oh, come on, Brother. You make it sound like breaking equipment is my hobby.”

“Isn’t it? On your first mission, you lost the greatsword, dagger, and even the knife in your bag. Then on the next mission, you broke all sorts of weapons and ended up killing a Walker with your fists?”

“That was unavoidable! I had no idea I’d be fighting a Lich, Brother Martelio. Your weapon was truly the Lich Slayer!”

“Hmm…”

Martelio shrugged. He didn’t seem too displeased.

“So, what do you need?”

“One shield, one greatsword, one longsword. And a silver stake.”

“…You’re really going all out, Brother.”

“Haha… I have to come back alive!”

“Make sure you do.”

Martelio chuckled at Fernandez’s joke. He rummaged through the armory and laid out the weapons.

“A silver stake… Is this mission about hunting vampires?”

“Just in case. There’s a vampire bloodline in the operation area.”

“Hmm. Seldonberg?”

“No. Franzrit.”

“Oh, you’re going far.”

As he checked the equipment, Fernandez muttered under his breath.

“Whether it’s Franzrit or Seldonberg, I hope I don’t run into them.”

The Great Noble Franzrit. Rulers of the Widow’s Coastline and the nightmare of the Eastern Kingdom. Before they were wiped out by Diran Shrike and his nine disciples in their later years, the damage they caused was immense, and the human and material resources consumed at that time greatly contributed to the collapse of civilized society.

The Franzrit bloodline had to be eliminated eventually, but it was nearly impossible for Fernandez to do it alone. If only Dr. Carlomanno Pavilos were here… Fernandez clicked his tongue and equipped his weapons.

“Well, I’ll return these friends safely!”

“I don’t expect that. Just come back safely, Brother.”

What a kind-hearted brother. Fernandez was deeply moved by this immense goodwill.

*


The Heretic Inquisition Method of the Reincarnated Warlock

The Heretic Inquisition Method of the Reincarnated Warlock

Score 8.4
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2020 Native Language: Korean
Pray, earnestly, to any God, in any words. A warlock, shrouded in guilt, becomes a heretic inquisitor. “I will burn the demons, the heretics, and the witches.”

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