Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

Abel returned to Northern Ark, but he couldn't find anything. Cordell McNeil, who was monitoring the crime bosses, also found nothing unusual. Far from any hint of collapse, the city continued on peacefully. So, Abel went to Jaren Burgess. After all, the underworld had superior information networks in this area.

"Are you saying there's an organization trying to destroy Northern Ark?" Jaren asked.

"Yes. That's what the priest of the Sordin Order said," Abel replied.

"Ah! I heard His Majesty, the Duke, restored it to normal."

"As expected, you're quick with the news."

"If you want to make a living in a back alley, you have to be. By the way, about that organization..."

"Yes?"

"I think it refers to the Growlers."

"A Growler?"

Abel tilted his head at the unfamiliar term. He couldn't understand what could possibly threaten the city. Jaren Burgess continued with a somewhat uncertain look on his face.

"Growlers are ghosts that ride in four-wheeled carriages. They can be considered a type of undead."

"Huh? That's what would bring down a city?"

"If it were a normal undead monster, it would be impossible. Even a few priests of the Sordin Church could destroy them. However, they're more terrifying than you might think."

"How so?"

"They load explosives in the back of their carriages and drive around, setting places on fire."

"… …"

Honestly, Abel thought Jaren was joking. But Jaren Burgess' eyes were serious.

Well, fine. Let's say a Growler is a bomb wagon driven by a crazy ghost. But how much damage could that do? As Abel stared at him, Jaren continued.

"If a Growler gets hold of something imbued with divine power, it would cause a huge explosion. Not even a trace of Northern Ark would remain."

For a moment, Abel was at a loss for words.

"But that won't actually happen. Who would be foolish enough to give holy water to an undead monster like a Growler?" Jaren added with a shrug.

"… …"

"No way. Oh, right?" Abel stammered.

"There seem to be more stupid people in the world than you think."

"Oh, damn."

Abel felt his pulse race as Jaren's face turned pale. It seemed he'd encounter all sorts of crazy people in this world. After Peltron, now there were Growlers?

***

Abel didn't know who had stolen the sacred waters of the Sordin Order, but one thing was certain: it had to be stopped as soon as possible. If the Growlers acquired the sacred water, the entire Northern Ark would evaporate, taking hundreds of thousands of people with it.

'Horrible to even imagine,' he thought. Since this place was also imperial territory, he couldn't just ignore it. Abel immediately called Cordell McNeil and Jaren Burgess and went into a strategy meeting.

"The best way would be to catch whoever has the sacred water. But realistically, that's difficult," Abel said.

The two nodded with stern faces. Even though Cordell was a black agent of the Imperial Guard and Jaren a boss of the underworld, they felt helpless. Without knowing the culprit, how could they catch him? In that case, the only option left was to wait for the last moment.

"First of all, we should find the Growler. If he wants to cross the water, he'll have to show himself," Abel continued.

"If we get there, it shouldn't be hard to find. Growlers only appear at night, but the water glows brightly," said Jaren.

Cordell and Jaren each offered their opinions, which made sense. But there was too much risk in this operation.

"If we fail, it's over. You know that, right?" Abel pointed out.

The two coughed awkwardly.

What if they couldn't stop the Growler in time? Not only would Northern Ark be destroyed, but they'd be in danger too. To carry out this operation, they'd need to get very close to the explosion's center. Even for the empire, the risk was significant.

"If there's no other way, then we'll do it. But let's not focus only on the last moment," Abel added.

"Yes, that would be better. I'm old, so it doesn't really matter to me, but my family will be affected by this," Jaren replied.

"I, too, have left behind a fox-like lover and a rabbit-like lady in the capital," Cordell added, casting a bewildered look at Jaren.

Jaren looked back, silently questioning, 'What on earth are you talking about?'

Abel shook his head, trying to concentrate. "That's just the way he is. Don't worry about it too much."

"No, Your Majesty? Isn't that a bit harsh?" Cordell protested.

"Then should I just relay what you said to the beauty salon?" Abel retorted.

"Huh?"

"You mentioned 'ladies' like rabbits," Abel stressed.

Cordell's face turned pale, realizing his mistake.

"I didn't think you were such a womanizer," Abel teased.

"That's not true! The future isn't decided, so I'm leaving all possibilities open," Cordell stammered.

"Wow! Trash."

"Ah, His Highness the Duke would do the same."

"I haven't had any gossip until now."

"… … You're not really going to say anything, are you?"

"I see what you're doing."

"I am loyal to His Highness the Duke!"

Abel smirked. Cordell had never once listened obediently but still had the audacity to claim loyalty. Shameless.

"Alright, let's get back on track," Abel said.

"Yes, we're already releasing our organization members and looking into everything. With luck, we'll have good news soon," Jaren reported.

Jaren had deployed all his men and sought cooperation from other underworld bosses. They had no choice but to move since their homeland was in danger.

"Well done. What about Sir McNeil?" Abel asked.

"Yes? Me?"

"You've been doing espionage work, so you must have gathered something, right?"

"Nothing much. I was just tracking Sordin's assassins."

"Haaa!"
Stay connected through empire

Abel sighed. This guy was really out of touch. To have a proper conversation, special measures were needed.

"What are you planning to do?" Cordell asked nervously.

In times like these, Abel thought body language was the best answer.

"Wait! I was going to explain, Your Majesty! You're too hasty," Cordell stammered, backing away.

"Tell me where."

"We tracked the assassins' location, but they quickly retreated. We no longer have to monitor the Sordin Order."

Cordell's response was more sincere than before, but still held little value.

"Okay. Answer like this in the future, sincerely," Abel advised.

"Ha, haha! Of course."

Judging by his awkward smile, it was clear Cordell would revert soon enough. But Abel decided to let it go; Cordell was just that kind of person.

As Abel rose to gather his strength, a thought struck him.

"Huh?"

"Why? What's wrong?" Jaren asked, noticing Abel's pause.

As Abel froze in an awkward position, they mistook it for unwellness. He gestured that he was fine and looked toward a corner of the room.

"Hey, you two."

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Why's that?"

Shuguri and Peltron answered, sounding as if they'd just woken up from sunbathing.

"When I visited the Temple of Sordin, didn't you say there were two mid-level priests left?"

"Yes, that's right," one of them replied.

"One is Father Terence, but who's the other?"

"You don't know? I didn't tell you at the time, and you didn't ask either."

Suspicion clouded Abel's mind.

If something was lost in a secret space like the temple basement, the culprit could be from within the sect.

'It seems possible.'

Doubts turned into certainty as Abel jumped up and grabbed his coat.

"Oh, where are you going?" Jaren asked.

"I need to go to the Sordin Church to find out who the other intermediate priest is," Abel replied.

Just as he was leaving Jaren's house, Peltron's voice echoed in his mind.

"Huh? I know him."

"Huh? How?" Abel asked, surprised.

"He's the one I was controlling."

"Ah?"

For a moment, clarity dawned on Abel's mind. If Peltron's words were true, they might catch the suspect right away. Abel grabbed Peltron and brought him closer.

"Do you know where he is? Can you control him again?"

"My power's too weak for that, but I can track him."

"Oh?"

It was exactly what he needed to hear.

Abel placed Peltron and Shugly on his shoulders and ran outside. Meanwhile, Cordell McNeil and Jaren Burgess, left alone, exchanged glances.

"What on earth is going on?" Jaren wondered.

From the outside, it probably looked strange, as Peltron only communicated with Abel via telepathy. To an observer, it likely appeared that Abel was holding a white bat in his hand and talking to himself, as if he were crazy.

Unlike Jaren, who looked puzzled, Cordell McNeil was calm. "He's a hard person to keep track of. I'm used to it."

But wasn't it a bit strange?

Abel was able to overhear this conversation even while outside. The reason was simple: when Cordell didn't come out, he went back inside.

"Sir McNeil? If you want to see her at the beauty salon again, you'll need to keep quiet and move quickly."

"Tta-tta!"

Perhaps because his private life was at stake, Cordell McNeil came running out, making a strange noise.

With someone like him, Abel couldn't take his eyes off him for even a second.