251. Secret Operation: Judgment
The Inquisition Office was bustling with more Inquisition Officers than ever since its founding. Following Beorn’s general summons, every Inquisition Officer, regardless of rank, was tied to the headquarters.
Even the Diemonica lowered their voices amidst the strange atmosphere permeating the monastery. Despite the largest gathering of agents in history, paradoxically, the monastery was quieter than ever.
And within the depths of that monastery, a Diemonica was walking. A towering man approaching his twilight years. It was Zephis.
– Knock knock.
“Who is it?”
“Brother, it’s Zephis.”
“Come in.”
The door to the Monastery Head’s office creaked loudly and opened heavily. Through the gap, Zephis paused for a moment. Beorn, with dark circles under his eyes, was buried under piles of documents.
The Monastery Head’s massive desk was cluttered with numerous stacks of papers. It was an unusual sight for Beorn, who was usually meticulous in handling reports.
Zephis glanced at the document in his hand. Was it morally right to hand this over? His hesitation was brief. He placed the report on the table and stood before Beorn.
“What is it?”
“A proposal for an operation.”
“By order of the Papacy, all operations of this office are temporarily suspended. Go back.”
“Then why aren’t you resting, Brother?”
Zephis pulled a chair and sat across from Beorn. As Beorn handed him a teacup, Zephis nodded slightly and took a sip.
“How long has it been?”
“Three days.”
“Brother, you are not a Diemonica. If you collapse now, the monastery is finished.”
Beorn chuckled at his words. If the absence of one person could collapse the entire organization, it was a problem with the system. Zephis’s words were less of a concern and more of a critique.
The Pope’s ban on heresy investigations was an impractical decision given the circumstances. Heresy investigations inevitably required the cooperation of the Secular Kingdoms. They might not see it as cooperation, but it was nearly impossible to eradicate heresy and conduct investigations solely on the Church’s authority.
The nobles of the secular world, and the cultists closely linked to them. To burn the heretics hiding in back alleys and shadows disguised as ordinary people, both justification and practicality were needed. And the Church was experiencing its greatest loss of secular authority since the Council Declaration.
Attempting heresy investigations could unnecessarily provoke the Secular Royal Families. The Royal Families of the Eastern Kingdom were already suspicious of the Vaitas Church, and after the Shield Church violated the neutrality pact, the Church’s authority was increasingly and fatally eroding.
If this continued, the Inquisition Office could no longer exist. Their biggest justification for capturing the people and burning heretics was the Church’s neutrality.
However, therefore. There was something strange about Beorn’s overwhelming workload now. If the Inquisition Office had lost its function, what could possibly keep the Monastery Head so busy?
“Let’s see. A request to investigate cultists in the Pargas Plains. A series of disappearances in Wolfram City. Hmm. This is from the Gardan region. This is the work of trolls.”
“…Brother.”
“Are you categorizing heresy cases? What’s the point of all this? We can’t even start an investigation right now.”
“Brother. If we stop, who will save them?”
Beorn pushed the report aside and spoke. He pressed his tired eyes with his fingers and groaned.
“I don’t know when this situation will resolve. But one thing is certain. For every moment we stop, for every step we halt, the demon worshippers will take one step forward.”
“Good intentions without action are no different from evil.”
“We will repent together later. All of us. But now, our inaction is to eradicate a greater evil. Temple of the Gods… no. Lord Vaitas, grant us your blessing.”
Beorn removed his hand from his eyes. His single eye was bloodshot with fatigue.
“On the day our shackles are broken again. At the very least, we must be prepared. The cultists will be more rampant than ever, and false prophets and apostates will rise against us.”
“You don’t have to shoulder all that preparation alone, Brother.”
“Brother. My work goes against the will of His Holiness the Pope and the Papacy. If problems arise later, one apostate should suffice.”
“As it is said, our path has always been the same. Let us pray until we meet again.”
Zephis pushed the report he was holding in front of Beorn. Beorn slowly opened the pages. It was an ordinary operation proposal. But the destination…
“Paltennoia… Targeting the Imperial Palace?”
“And the Shield Church.”
The capital of the Empire, Paltennoia. Home to the largest diocese of the Shield Church and the heart of civilized society. And perhaps… the largest nest created by vampires.
Sometimes, some tumors must be carried for a lifetime. The kind of tumor that, if cut out, would immediately kill the host. From the Church’s perspective, Paltennoia had become such a tumor.
The high monks of the Temple of the Gods all suspect the Emperor’s corruption. To be precise, not as a demon cultist, but as a vampire.
However, the moment they oppose the Emperor, the entire Empire…
