Religiosa Heretica. The Heretical Monastery. Hunters of heretics.
Religiosa Enmagika. The Witch’s Monastery. Hunters of witches.
Religiosa Diemonica. The Demon’s Monastery. Hunters of demons.
Thus, the three factions located in St. Bartholomew Monastery each took their main enemies as their banners. Though the naming was hardly appropriate for a monastery, it had a certain dramatic flair.
Fernandez had pondered deeply. What if he gathered those he knew from his past life—those who weren’t entirely hopeless, had some use, and might repent… or at least compromise—and formed a faction?
The idea that emerged from this was the group he had organized during his confrontation with Mumto, within the illusion. Religiosa Maledika. The Monastery of Sin. Commonly known as—
‘Hunters of the Wicked.’
Though the details were classified, unlike the other three officially sanctioned factions by the Church of the Temple of the Gods, the inquisitors of Maledika could never engage in official activities.
Their weapons were those of heretics, demon worshippers, the fallen, and exiled mages, and their beliefs were solely survival and profit.
But that was better. A clear enemy is easier to deal with than ambiguous goodwill. Moreover, the fact that these inquisitors lacked official sanction meant that even if they were sent on missions with extremely low survival rates and were consumed, the Church would suffer no loss.
If Maledika dies in the operation? The world’s evil disappears.
If the operation succeeds and Maledika executes the wicked? That also results in the world’s evil disappearing.
No matter the outcome, it’s either the lesser evil or the worst evil being sacrificed. The Church loses nothing.
“If anyone has complaints, speak now. I’ll persuade you.”
“……”
Gripping the sword hilt, Fernandez spoke coldly. The mages, well aware of the persuasion methods of an Inquisition Officer, silently stepped back without a word.
A stranger suddenly appears, threatening them to join his organization, and it just so happens to be the Church institution that has placed the largest bounty on their heads. The mages were both bewildered and resentful.
Marlin, trying to maintain composure, asked, “Didn’t you say we are driven by survival and profit? If you personally intervene, our lives might be spared, but what profit would we gain?”
“Bold.”
At Fernandez’s words, Marlin flinched. If this man were truly a devout Inquisition Officer, his words would merely be a judicial deal guaranteeing survival.
Follow me, and I’ll spare you. That one sentence would determine their fate. But as the representative of the group, Marlin had to push further.
A mage never gives up their own for cheap. Even if it’s their life. And Fernandez liked that attitude. A cold, calculating mage who understands the basics of a deal has great potential for growth.
“A few years ago, I promised my subordinates money and freedom. Allowances for each operation, basic salaries, and subsidies for maintaining their faith and free activities.”
“If you’re trying to buy our loyalty with cash, you’ll need quite a lot of money.”
“Haha, loyalty? Loyalty is the least valuable commodity I expect from you.”
Nothing is as cheap and volatile as the loyalty of wandering mages. Their highest values are survival and greater profit. Thus, in the operations of an Inquisition Officer where lives are at stake, they are dangerous elements who might betray their allies at any moment.
Fernandez shook his head and said, “There are two others who joined this organization before you. One in the Great Wilderness was guaranteed life and the power to become the shadow ruler of his tribe.”
“And what did the other receive?”
“Power.”
Partak in the Great Wilderness gained power, and Orion in the north obtained a line of the Secrets of Magic. During the subjugation of Ksharlax, Orion, seeing Fernandez’s combat techniques, craved the Secrets of Magic and swore loyalty to him.
Gaining sincere loyalty from wandering mages and heretics is extremely difficult, and even that loyalty is unreliable without a proper leash.
But power, the logic of power, is trustworthy. The alpha of a wolf pack must always be able to bite the throats of its subordinates.
“I will grant you power.”
“Are you not human, sir?”
“Not yet.”
Wasn’t that statement too arrogant? The mages dared not voice it, but dissatisfaction began to show on their faces.
Even if he possessed spellcasting abilities that could easily make him the head of a school, that only meant he was an outstanding mage, not a Transcendent Absolute Being.
And wandering mages were those who had kicked aside their own schools, seeking freedom and wandering aimlessly. A new constraint was hardly a welcome condition for them.
But Fernandez had a trump card to secure their obedience.
“Marlin. The biggest problem with your research on the Melting Curse of Flame Magic is that you’ve only learned the unique magic of Philainneil University. They’re obsessed with explosions, making delicate tasks like melting and erosion tricky with their magic circuit traits.”
“……!”
“So, look at this. If your spell is roughly like this now……”
As Fernandez gestured in the air, blue magical energy began to condense. The Bronze Throne activated, and a black halo ignited behind his head.
The beastman smoothly grasped the air and drew it out. Everyone present was a mage, so they could clearly see how precise and swift his magic formation was.
A level of expertise impossible for someone so young. And an overwhelming talent that revealed his age and experience. Not the reckless passion of youth, but a refined and steady… glimpse of perfected talent.
Like the scalpel of an imperial surgeon with decades of service. Like the chisel of a master craftsman with hundreds of apprentices. The mage’s gesture, with just one stroke and variation, exuded dignity and presence.
A masterpiece of fire magic at its peak. The thrill and awe of watching a stroke run across a blank canvas, and witnessing such a thing firsthand, swept through the room.
“Instead of this, like this.”
Fernandez crossed his gestures again. The nearly completed magical formation crumbled, and a new spell began to weave itself at his fingertips. The precise and exact central nodes shifted, this time with a dreamlike touch, forming a completely different shape.
The previously demonstrated magical formation was one…
