Chapter : 188

The Heretic Inquisitor, having been transported instantly by a large-scale teleportation magic comprised of artifacts, could not help but be inwardly astonished.

The great Archmage, Evan Lisitoel.

He had heard plenty about the man’s reputation, but he hadn’t known it would be to this extent.

To be surprised by just this much. Freya, the new Sword of Doctrine and the only one with a calm face amidst the Heretic Inquisitor’s exclamations of admiration, let out a faint sigh.

It hadn’t been long since she became the new Sword of Doctrine, yet to think she would be issuing a convocation order for the Heretic Inquisitors.

Watching the sight of hundreds of Heretic Inquisitors gathered, Freya fiddled with the pattern engraved on her right hand via Holy Magic not long ago.

“Are you nervous?”

Hartain Ignos, wearing a polite expression, approached Freya, whose face was stiff and hardened.

At his appearance, Freya sneered lightly.

“Since we arrived at the Academy, I thought you would go look for Fel first.”

“Hey, I have some tact too, you know.”

The current head of the Ignos family, Hartain Ignos.

The meaning he symbolized within the Heretic Inquisitors was significant.

Although they had strayed far from their past glory since the previous head, Benaya Ignos, became a demon and perished, there were few places crazy enough to make the family business that of a Heretic Inquisitor.

Furthermore, there was no family that approached the role of Heretic Inquisitor as sincerely as Ignos.

The current head of such a family could not officially visit Fel, who was practically excommunicated, in a public setting. Even more so when the Sword of Doctrine was present at this very spot.

“You have it hard too.”

At Freya’s monotonous evaluation, Hartain laughed refreshingly, “Hahaha!”

“Although my master is Fel, I also love Your Eminence, Sword of Doctrine Freya.”

“I know.”

That must be why he was guarding Freya’s side.

She wanted to kick him in the shin and ask who he was to worry about her so presumptuously, but Freya quickly folded that thought.

It was because she spotted a man with a stiffly hardened expression striding toward her.

“Nice to meet you, Sword of Doctrine Freya.”

“…It is not the first time. We met once before, you just do not remember.”

At that time, Freya was a mere priest, let alone a Cardinal, so it would be natural for Evan not to remember.

“Normally, I would have apologized for not remembering, but right now, I don’t even have the leeway to do so.”

“Haha, there is no need to be humble, so do not mind it. We cannot waste precious time on such trivial things, can we?”

Even more so in a state where the Beast of Destruction was stirring, as it was now.

As if not denying it, Evan slowly nodded his head.

“I heard the sinner’s location has been pinpointed. However, is it true that the place is a dungeon and there are specific entry conditions?”

At Freya’s question, Evan nodded and answered.

“As a result of the analysis, the entry condition was ‘must be a current student of Lapis Academy.’”

“Ha!”

Hearing those words, Freya swallowed a gasp of shock.

If the condition had been belonging to any other ordinary group, she wouldn’t have been this surprised at least.

But Lapis Academy had a different meaning.

Basically, even if the Academy protected the Empire by handling dungeons and Gates, they could not easily let students get entangled in matters involving taboos.

“And currently, four Academy students have entered, and one is expected to be detained.”

That detained one must be Evan Lisitoel’s only son, Theo Lisitoel.

Freya vaguely recalled the face of the young man she had seen from afar, who looked very much like the man in front of her.

She felt it last time too, but he really did get involved in all sorts of incidents and accidents.

At this point, it felt as if God was giving him trials. Just like a Hero who received the Holy Sword and faced endless trials until he possessed the power befitting it.

No, it must just be a feeling. Theo Lisitoel was just an ordinary mage with a great mage for a father.

He probably just had the bad luck of getting swept up in all sorts of incidents.

“Has the Academy made a plan? If you wish, it is fine to enroll some Heretic Inquisitors of the appropriate age as students.”

Although, since the very nature of a Heretic Inquisitor was a profession where blood flowed, the number of Heretic Inquisitors in the right age range wasn’t that high anyway.

At Freya’s proposal, Evan shook his head firmly.

“Age is not very important to the Academy.”

People usually thought the age for entering the Academy was sixteen, but in fact, age wasn’t that important to the Academy.

What was important was the record book where every student’s name was written.

Once a name was written, erasing it was not permitted until graduation.

“It is an exceptional situation, so we must cooperate somehow.”

“That would be good, but breaking magic created 1,000 years ago is not an easy task, even for me. Moreover—”

Annoyance was evident on Evan’s face.

Freya swallowed her breath and tensed at that face, which looked like he was dying of displeasure at this situation.

Anyone living in the same era as Evan had heard a rumor or two about his notoriety.

It was enough to reach even Freya, who had lived her entire life within the Church of Light.

“If it were just magic from 1,000 years ago, it might be different, but ancient magic is mixed in, so I have only analyzed about 30% at best.”

“Usually, that alone is considered sufficiently amazing.”

This remark, at least, was absolutely not empty flattery.

An ordinary mage would struggle to interpret even 1%, after all.

Compared to that, Evan, who had interpreted a whopping 30%, could only be described as amazing.

“Furthermore, even if we erase the names later, due to the nature of the record, it will be impossible to completely erase them, so they will inevitably become linked with the darkness of the Church. That is no different from accepting future danger to avoid the current danger.”

At Evan’s point, Freya shut her mouth.

Freya, too, would have rejected it immediately if she were in Evan’s position.

However, at the same time, Freya had to persuade Evan.

This matter was by no means simply their own affair.

“I can understand Lord Lisitoel’s feelings as well. However, right now, we are in a state where we do not know when the Beast of Taboo might pop out. The Church cannot just sit idly by either.”

The very significance of the Heretic Inquisitors’ existence was to prepare for the Beast of Destruction warned of by the Great God of Light.

Evan didn’t not know that either.

“I am thinking of lifting the restrictions on Fel’s radius of action, limited to this very moment.”

“That part is—”

The Pope’s permission was required.

Before Freya could express her refusal, Evan beat her to it.

“As the Sword of Doctrine said, we are in a state where we do not know when the Beast of Taboo might emerge, so isn’t that a bigger matter than an old sinner of the Church?”

That, too, was an undeniable statement.

“Surely, Sword of Doctrine Freya would not refuse due to a personal grudge, simply because you do not wish for Fel to go to a dangerous place.”

He was pointing out her position. Freya made a groaning sound.

Evan’s point was correct. Freya wanted to protect the child whom her friend, Elin, had willingly sacrificed her life to save.

That heart must have been clearly visible even in Evan’s eyes. Of all people, in Evan Lisitoel’s eyes.

“I have no intention of making it an issue. Unless you oppose it to the end.”

“If Fel himself wants it, I have no intention of stopping him either. However, let us enroll Hartain Ignos as a student as well.”

In any case, the name Ignos was exceptionally famous as a Heretic Inquisitor.

Even if Hartain Ignos’s name went up and wasn’t erased later, it wasn’t a huge secret, so it wouldn’t become a danger to the Academy in the future.

As far as Freya knew, Hartain would protect Fel even if he had to risk his life. He was the best card to protect Fel.

Watching Freya’s eyes shine sharply, Evan nodded.

“Other Heretic Inquisitors will be guarding the dungeon entrance. You could call it the 1st defense line.”

They couldn’t enter the dungeon, but it should rightly be the Heretic Inquisitors who first faced ‘the one who committed the taboo’ coming out of the dungeon.

Even if everyone were to die, the Heretic Inquisitors had to defend the line with their lives to the end.

They were born solely for that mission, and they were permitted to exist even after committing terrible crimes for that sake.

“Let us do that.”

“As for the Academy—”

“The professors will take charge of the 2nd defense formation, and the Imperial Knights will establish the 3rd defense formation.”

“Since you express it as the 3rd, there must be a last one.”

“For the last… we plan to accept student volunteers.”

Even after saying it himself, Evan frowned as if displeased.

If the 2nd defense formation established by the professors and the 3rd defense formation made up of Imperial Knights were breached, the possibility of the last line stopping it was practically non-existent.

The Academy’s professors and knights would also risk their lives to prevent the 4th defense formation from being breached, so the fact that all of them were breached would mean hundreds of strong individuals had already lost their lives.

In the end, the reason for establishing the last defense formation was to bet everything on a faint hope.

On the faint hope that they could eliminate the Beast of Destruction, which would have exhausted its energy breaking through three layers of defense formations.

“Truly, it is damnably hopeful.”

Freya clenched her fists tightly as she watched the Heretic Inquisitors moving to the dungeon to prepare the defense formation.

“If possible, I wish for it to end without anyone dying.”

“That is excessively hopeful.”

Indeed. A matter where the destruction of the world was at stake; for it to end without anyone dying would truly be pinning excessive hope on it.

“Is the Hero not joining Fel and Hartain’s side?”

Freya recalled another hope attending the Academy.

Lucian hadn’t opened his eyes yet. Although the curse was dispelled, he had basic injuries, so she didn’t expect him to wake up in time.

“The Hero is scheduled to join the 4th defense formation.”

“I see. Then, are Fel and Hartain the only ones being deployed into the dungeon primarily?”

If he said yes, Freya couldn’t help but be dissatisfied.

No matter how important the Hero was to the Academy, Fel was also an important figure within the Church.

However, a remark that seemed to overturn all of Freya’s expectations flowed from Evan.

“There is one other person besides them.”

Evan recalled the man who would be changing into a school uniform and willingly raised one corner of his mouth.

He seemed to have hatched some evil plan…. Seeing that smile, Freya, whose body froze like a herbivore discovering a carnivore, eventually decided to shut her mouth.

* * *

“This is crazy.”

At the sight before her eyes, Beatrice tore at her hair and muttered several times.

She hesitated once more, took him into her vision, and then squeezed her eyes shut because it was too terrible. This isn’t right!

“Professor, we are ready to enter the dungeon.”

Just in time, Fel, who had finished preparing, and Hartain Ignos, who had changed into a school uniform, entered the room where Beatrice was.

At the appearance of those who were no different from saviors, Beatrice brightened up and welcomed them.

At least it would be better than looking at this terrible sight alone!

“Ah, that person is….”

“Yes, this is the one who will accompany you—”

Beatrice introduced him herself but gritted her teeth because it was too terrible.

“—It’s Mordin.”

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