Taming the Evil Saintess

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The Holy See is a massive spire-like building situated in the center of the Cathedral of the Saint, overseeing almost all affairs within the Saint’s domain, thus its grand scale.

Since I was appointed as a Knight of the Saint, I had only visited this Holy See twice.

The first time was when I was assigned as the escort knight for Ophelia.

And the second time is right now.

“What matter do you wish to discuss?”

“You’ll find out once you go in.”

The Cathedral Knight leading the way replied curtly.

However, I sensed no ill-intent from him; he seemed to have a naturally taciturn personality.

“May I know your name?”

“Rowan Dictus,” he said.

After that, no further conversation was exchanged.

“…”

Eventually, I quietly followed behind Rowan, lost in thought.

What could be the reason for the Holy See summoning me?

Could it be that rumors of harsh training imposed on Ophelia reached their ears? Are they going to punish me?

No, if that were the case, they would’ve brought Ophelia along as a witness.

But she wasn’t present here.

In fact, she initially wanted to come along.

“Hmmm. Well, since my escort knight is being called, I’ll allow myself to accompany you this time. Elliot, you should be grateful.”

“Saint Lady, that’s unnecessary. The Holy See insisted on bringing only Knight Elliot.”

“…Huh?”

“Please rest comfortably inside.”

Even now, I can still picture Ophelia’s face, wide-eyed in surprise at Rowan’s words.

Then what could be the reason?

No matter how I think about it, I can’t fathom why the esteemed Holy See would take an interest in a mere Knight.

The worst-case scenario would be that my possession could be exposed.

But for six years since arriving in this world, I’ve yet to encounter any mention of reincarnation from another world.

“Here we are.”

How much time passed? Rowan came to a halt.

He pointed towards a staircase leading down into the depths of the Holy See.

“…Downstairs?”

“Yes.”

A tall tower extends upwards. Naturally, I thought we would ascend, yet Rowan led me to the lower levels.

There’s only one organization located beneath the Holy See.

Its name is one that even the clergy residing in the Cathedral of the Saint dread.

“…Inquisition Bureau.”

*

“Hmm….”

Ophelia sprawled across her chamber, scratching her cheek.

They took Elliot from the Holy See.

There was no way this could end well.

The Holy See is such a place. They flaunt divine will when they achieve something, and enforce severe punishment for any wrongdoing, labeling it contrary to divine will.

They are certainly a bunch of bastards.

“Speaking of which, Elliot really went too far.”

He slapped the Saint Lady’s cheek and struck her with a wooden sword.

And it wasn’t as if there were no witnesses; all the knights and attendants in the training grounds witnessed it.

A common-born knight acted as if his life meant nothing, so it’s only natural that the Holy See would punish him.

“Serves him right, the idiot.”

I muttered under my breath.

Things turned out just as Ophelia had longed for. Elliot would be hung up and burned, limbs severed.

Ophelia could simply enjoy a drink on the terrace while witnessing that spectacle.

“…”

That’s what I wanted to think.

“…No, that’s not it, after all.”

I initially thought it would be satisfying, but picturing that scene left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

But somehow, I just felt uneasy.

“Damn it.”

Maybe something’s off with my head.

Ophelia suddenly sprang up from the bed. Her body was already worn out from Emily, but she slapped her cheeks and regained her composure.

Her destination was the Archbishop’s room.

As she knocked, Belwin emerged.

“Ophelia. Is there a problem? It’s quite rare for you to come visit my quarters…”

Belwin looked at Ophelia with surprise.

Having no energy left to spare on frivolous talk, she immediately got to the point.

“Grandpa, I heard that Elliot got taken to the Holy See.”

“I know.”

“For what reason?”

“…That would be the Holy See’s intent, I suppose.”

“Grandpa.”

“What is it?”

“Do you want to see me go wild over this?”

Ophelia glared, and Belwin wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Reluctantly, he spoke again.

“I’ve heard he was summoned by the Inquisition Bureau.”

“What? For what reason?”

“I cannot say. But you know as well as I do that the Inquisition Bureau is the most secretive institution within the Cathedral…”

Bang!

Before he could finish, Ophelia slammed the door shut.

The Inquisition Bureau. An organization feared by all within the Cathedral, including Ophelia.

Self-proclaimed agents of God, they endlessly pursue witch hunts. They even send agents to empires and kingdoms, capturing unbelievers as they see fit.

It’s said that no one who has walked out after being taken by them has done so unscathed.

The fact that they summoned Elliot suggests…

“Damn it.”

Ophelia scowled, realizing her worst fears had come true.

As she pondered momentarily, she recalled the feel of the brooch in her possession.

…

She hesitated for a moment.

If she remained a bystander, could she avoid seeing Elliot again? Wouldn’t that mean she wouldn’t have to undergo that merciless training?

But soon, she shook her head.

“That idiot’s life is something I carelessly entrusted to….”

Ophelia recalled the lines of Gears that Elliot recited a week ago.

*

“Welcome.”

The Inquisition Bureau was modest.

I had expected there might be torture devices, but there were none of that grotesque sort here.

Instead, a single table stood with a handsome young man seated beside it.

He introduced himself as Inquisition Officer Yurede.

“Knight Elliot, I have heard much about you.”

“Is it an honor to be here?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is an honor indeed.”

“This too must be a grace from God.”

After exchanging such childish banter, Yurede gestured for me to take a seat.

As I cautiously lowered myself onto the chair, I surveyed the room, including Yurede.

He remained ever smiling, but as an Inquisition Officer, he must be skilled at hiding his true feelings. The room was a complete closed space. Anything could happen here.

Above all, the divine power exuding from Yurede was unsettling.

The Cathedral Knight Rowan I had seen earlier was of considerable strength, but Yurede’s divine power was already swirling around my skin, hovering nearby. It sent chills down my spine.

“What kind of holy magic is this?”

I had nothing in particular to hide, so I asked straightforwardly.

“Have you been caught? Your sensitivity is quite remarkable. It is somewhat a waste for a mere knight.”

Yurede chuckled heartily and placed an hourglass on the table.

“Would you believe me if I said it was holy magic that detects lies?”

“I can’t say I wouldn’t believe it.”

“Yes. You don’t have to draw blood to know the truth. Such barbaric methods wouldn’t please the Lord.”

It referred to an ultra-high-performance lie detector.

The absence of torture instruments in the interrogation room must be because of this.

Ultimately, I realized that lying in front of him would be pointless.

Yurede flipped the hourglass and clasped his hands on the table.

“Now, do you know why you were summoned here, Knight Elliot?”

“I don’t know at all.”

“Hmmm. It’s unlikely you wouldn’t know.”

Is this a leading question?
I spoke honestly because I truly didn’t know. Yurede shrugged his shoulders, seemingly having sensed no deception.

“You used Gears.”

“….”

“You used Gears exactly seven days ago in the public garden within the Cathedral grounds.”

Could that be it?
It was the Gears I used to inspire Ophelia. It seemed the Holy See had detected that energy.

“The pact with God means more than simple words. I wouldn’t expect a blasphemer to harness Gears… But in this age of peace, perhaps it’s entirely possible for personal gain.”

“…I see.”

“I want to know the purpose for which you used Gears, Knight Elliot.”

Simply put, he wants to know whether I used Gears in a suspicious context.

In truth, I had used it with the intention of liberating the Saint from the will of God.

That, too, would be seen as blasphemy from the Inquisition Bureau’s perspective.

“Now, answer me. Why did you use Gears?”

Yurede’s eyes narrowed.

With his magic in play, lies would be pointless. The moment I told a falsehood, my tongue would be cut out, and the punishment would follow.

So I needed to speak the truth in a way that could be interpreted positively.

I carefully chose my words and spoke.

“It was for the Saint Lady.”

“What?”

“To fulfill the great wish of the Saint Lady I serve, I declared I would even sacrifice my life using Gears.”

That’s not a lie.
Ophelia’s desire is to be free.

I merely proclaimed that I would give my life for that.

If it’s blasphemous, then so be it, but within this Cathedral, the Saint’s will is essentially the will of God.

Yurede had no authority to question that truth.

…

Yurede paused momentarily, tapping the table while concentrating on his magic, then nodded.

“So you used Gears as her escort knight.”

“Yes. To fulfill the Saint Lady’s will, even at the cost of my own life.”

“…That’s not a lie.”

“I am a Knight. I never tell lies.”

“…”

Yurede was silent for a moment before pushing the hourglass aside.

Then he stood up and clapped.

“Excellent. Your faith is indeed commendable. I, Yurede, am impressed.”

Inquisition Officers are fundamentally zealots.
They revere the Saint beyond anyone else, even above the Pope.

Thus, Yurede clapped incessantly, unable to hide the surging emotions he felt.

“Oh, yet again, the Cathedral is magnificent. I never expected a mere knight to possess such noble resolve in carrying out his duties!”

“…Hahaha.”

“I shall inform the Holy See. Knight Elliot, you deserve to hold a higher position.”

“Really, that’s not necessary…”

“No. It’s crucial for devout knights like you to be in high places so that the waters below may also remain clear. Oh, could this be the divine will bestowed upon me? Indeed, becoming an Inquisition Officer was the right choice.”

…

‘What is all this nonsense?’

Such thoughts whirled in my mind as I silently sat in the chair.

-You must not enter. There’s something…

-Fuck off.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and before I knew it, the door burst open with a bang!

Standing at the door was Ophelia, wearing a strangely unnatural smile.

“Hey, Elliot! Big sister has come to rescue you!”

“…M-me?”

I stared at Ophelia, bewildered by the absurdity of the situation. She cleared her throat awkwardly and continued speaking.

“Uh, this Inquisition Officer here, though his personality is a tangled mess and his face looks like something a bug has chewed on, and his way of speaking is a pain… he’s not a bad guy, you know?”

Ophelia paused for a moment, glancing at me.

Then she continued, speaking rapidly.

“This knight, he might’ve had to use some vicious methods for my training, so I’m hoping for some… leniency? Is that the term? You know, something like that.”

Suddenly, the Saint Lady entered the Inquisition Bureau.

Yurede blinked in surprise, performing a proper bow.

“Uh, Saint Lady? What do you mean?”

“As I mentioned before! I’m asking for leniency for this somewhat slow-witted escort knight here. Ugh.”

Yurede tilted his head, confused.

It is unheard of for a Saint to enter the interrogation chamber and speak such words.

Regardless, Ophelia seemed lost in her heroic bravado, giving me a wink.

“…”

“Um, yes.”

Yet only a heavy silence hung over the interrogation room.

Ophelia looked a bit flustered, scratching the back of her head, then finally said, “…Was that not it?”

“That’s quite far from it.”