4. Religious Trial (1)
*
The Inquisition Office is an institution run by fear, performance, and rumors. They burn heretics, hang devil worshippers, and execute demons.
Hunting dogs who have castrated all emotions solely for their mission. Those who act more fanatically than anyone else to protect humanity’s reason.
However, looking more internally, Inquisition Officer Marco was performing a role more focused on fear than performance or rumors. The so-called Religiosa Enmagika.
Among the many rights of an Inquisition Officer, they exercise the transcendent authority of “legislative, administrative, and judicial powers over heresy trials.”
In other words, Inquisition Officers are those who can officially use the stake and the guillotine.
Therefore, it is a relatively safe and comfortable job among the roles of a typical Inquisition Officer, and it is a profession that comes with social respect and awe.
For example, it is close to an honorary position with considerable authority.
*
Fernandez looked at the old man, who was laughing heartily, and thought.
Many Inquisition Officers he had actually faced in the past were all young, cold, sharpened steel swords of men.
But this old man, although he was clearly wearing the sharp uniform of an Inquisition Officer, seemed somehow simple.
‘Has he become relaxed because he’s in a comfortable position, not on the front lines of hunting heretics?’
“Hahaha, Baron Sernerd. I’ve heard all about your story. It was a very dramatic succession, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, yes. Thanks to the Bishop’s concern.”
Bishop. All Inquisition Officers are treated as diocesan bishops on paper.
Fernandez’s words meant that he would treat him as a religious person, not as a judge, since he was not a heretic, and Marco laughed heartily as if he hadn’t heard anything.
“What could this old man have been worried about? This old man’s only worry is heretics.”
“Ah, I swear by the great Temple of the Gods. I am also worried.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Marco exaggeratedly looked surprised at Fernandez, then smiled and clapped his hands. At the sound of the clapping, his attendants swiftly made three men kneel before him.
They were all familiar faces. The former lord’s chamberlain. Fernandez’s attendant. And even the guard who first spoke to him.
“It’s truly fortunate that this old man can ease your worries. As a religious person, isn’t it a beautiful thing to reassure a faithful believer?”
Fernandez frowned and said.
“These are my subjects.”
“They are also children of the Temple of the Gods.”
Ignoring Marco’s swallowed words of ‘for now,’ Fernandez said.
“Their parents are also my subjects, and there is no guarantee that they are believers of Vaitas. Bishop. Our territory affirms all the sacred temples of the gods according to the solemn laws of the kingdom.”
“Ah, the Church is the same. If it’s the ‘sacred’ Temple of the Gods. And the Temple of the Gods has transferred the authority to judge and interrogate heretics to Vaitas. The Church also affirms religious freedom, but heretical faith is not a religion.”
It was a very blatant tone, and if another noble had spouted such nonsense, it would have been a diplomatic discourtesy worthy of applying the Noble Duel Code.
But the problem was that the opponent was not a ‘diplomatic’ target, but a ‘religious’ one.
Under international law, the authority of the Temple of the Gods’ Inquisition Officers could not be ignored, at least in human nations belonging to the sacred Temple of the Gods.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“A complaint has been filed. It says that you are possessed by demons, exploiting your subjects, summoning demons, and using wicked magic. As you know, unauthorized mages are ‘correction’ targets.”
“I don’t even remember learning magic…”
“Where the light is strong, the shadow is deep, but darkness is always revealed before the sun.”
Marco recited a scripture and removed the gags from the mouths of the kneeling men one by one. Then he reached out to the attendant standing stiffly by his side.
The attendant handed him a lavishly decorated silver sword. Marco recited a short prayer and stood before them.
“Now, let’s begin the first testimony.”
The first was the former lord’s chamberlain.
“Lord Alejandro, Captain Basel, and Baron Daniel Sernerd all died by his magic!”
“Is it certain that it was magic?”
“When he pointed his index finger, all three covered their faces and fell! In the meantime, that cruel and ruthless man brutally killed them while they were disarmed!”
Marco looked at Fernandez and said with a smile.
“Quite a specific statement, isn’t it?”
“I can explain.”
“You should. First, wait for the procedure.”
Marco approached the second man, Fernandez’s attendant, and said.
“Let’s begin the second testimony.”
“Long live the great Vaitas! Long live! Long live!”
“Testify.”
“He, he, Baron Sernerd bought strange foreign objects and herbs!”
“Out of curiosity?”
“No! He used them until the baron’s treasury was empty. There were other uses in the territory…”
“There are many… but the Baron is decorating his room… um, um, um…”
“A workshop?”
“Yes! He said he would turn it into a workshop!”
He definitely said something like that. Of course… the term “workshop” itself is a very neutral expression. Not only mages, but also alchemists, blacksmiths, and craftsmen call their workplaces workshops.
But if it’s a workshop made by someone who can use magic, the metaphor is too clear.
“Workshop, workshop.”
Marco chuckled and approached the third man. It was the guard who had first shown kindness to Fernandez.
‘Is it because of the Devil’s Advocate?’
The Vaitas Church had established the “Devil’s Advocate” procedure as a minimal measure to prevent bias in trials, consisting of unconditionally defending the accused.
The problem was that it had rarely been particularly meaningful in religious trials.
“Let’s begin the third testimony.”
“Baron Fernandez Sernerd was, until a week ago, beaten daily by young master Alejandro.”
“And?”
“And, um, the Baron immediately checked the financial situation upon succession and personally managed the territory, and, um, the lights in the lord’s residence didn’t go out until late at night.”
“So, he was diligent?”
“Yes, yes! Everyone fears the Baron, but I, I saw him in his youth. He was a clean man who had no contact with magic, let alone sorcery, demons, or heresy!”
Marco stroked his short-bearded chin and said.
“So, what you’re saying is. A weak man who was beaten daily by his peers suddenly killed his giant cousin, defeated the guard captain, took control of the territory, and the same man who had no interest in magic suddenly started using magic?”
“Yes, yes? No, absolutely not…”
“Got it!”
Marco chuckled and looked at Fernandez. Fernandez, looking at the old man’s friendly face, finally realized.
This man’s eyes had never smiled, not even once, from the beginning until now.
A chill ran down his spine. No matter how frivolous he seemed, precisely because of that impression, this seasoned Inquisition Officer was a true veteran.
‘After all… surviving and maintaining the Inquisition Officer profession until old age…’
This man must hold a very high rank. Even in the Inquisition Keep, the headquarters of the Inquisition Officers, ‘old’ Inquisition Officers were rare talents.
The only bad thing for Fernandez was that he had encountered such an old Inquisition Officer for the first time, and that such an Inquisition Officer had come to the Sernerd Territory.
“Now it’s your turn to rebut, Your Grace.”
Fernandez swallowed a mouthful of saliva under Marco’s cold gaze and slowly opened his mouth.
“Bishop. Injuries caused by unforeseeable accidental techniques are treated under the Special Assault Law, not the Magic Usage Law, and in cases where the Noble Duel Law applies, they fall under the Kingdom’s Assault Law and the extenuating circumstances of murder and parricide.”
-In other words, what are you religious folks meddling in a noble duel for?
“Three official statements. There is no room to judge the technique used only at critical moments as an accidental technique, and under the Noble Duel Law, both parties must share their armament information before the duel, which was not disclosed beforehand, so I will dismiss it.”
-So it was a duel, right? And you used magic, didn’t you?
“Bishop, according to the Standard Magic Encyclopedia. The use of ‘low-level techniques’ that occur without the three elements of magic—’ritual,’ ‘incantation,’ and ‘sacrifice’—is recognized as an accidental technique. That is, no matter what technique I used, if it violates those three factors, it’s not magic but a technique. Innate or acquired techniques are not recognized as ‘armament’ under the General Civil Armament Regulations.”
-No? It was just a trick? You’re the real idiot.
“That’s because low-level techniques do not always produce the same results. However, there is testimony that you achieved the same result in all three duels. To call this a coincidence, you would have to demonstrate the technique you used for verification.”
-Show your cards.
Marco struggled to suppress his laughter as he looked at Fernandez. For a sixteen-year-old noble orphan, it was a fairly logical rebuttal.
Should I praise him, or find him cute?
Under Marco’s gaze, Fernandez pointed his finger at the fallen leaves on the ground. His fingertip flickered, and the leaves burst into flames.
-Fizz!
“Hmm.”
“Great Vaitas, bless us, save us from the power of evil…”
Marco solemnly watched the burning leaves, and the witnesses simultaneously recited prayers and made the sign of the cross. Fernandez shrugged.
“It’s a flint.”
“A flint…”
A trick anyone with even a penny’s worth of magical talent could use when there’s no flint or when camping in wet conditions.
It’s not even magic. Just a small spark.
If you have even a penny’s worth of magical talent, and you know how to use it, anyone can do it.
Thinking the other way around, if you have no magical talent, you can’t use it in any way.
‘He has magical aptitude, can use this trivial trick at the right moment, and has the sense to catch his opponent off guard. Logical, knowledgeable, a sixteen-year-old noble orphan boy…’
Marco smiled deeply as he looked at Fernandez’s shameless expression. This is an unexpectedly good catch.
‘I want to raise him as an Inquisition Officer.’
“Shall we see the workshop?”
Fernandez let out a deep sigh. The most dangerous charge was over. If he could just get through one more hurdle, maybe he could get out of this safely.
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