Player-Hunting Inquisitors

Chapter 2

Looking out the window, I saw the sun just beginning to rise.

With a loud crash, a large hole appeared in the door, and beyond the hole, red hair could be seen—the culprit of this disaster.

It's obvious who would do something so reckless.

"Riel? What is going on?"

"Hmm... The door was a bit weak, wasn't it? Who knew it would break just from a little knock?"

A knock? The sound was loud enough to break the door, and she calls that a knock?

"You fix it yourself."

"Okay, got it!"

Whatever I say to her won't change anything, so I let it slide. She'll probably fix it herself anyway.

"More importantly! Why didn't you come to see me? You said you'd meet me after your mission was over."

"I arrived yesterday afternoon. When would I have had the time to visit you?"

"If it were you, I'd welcome you even in the middle of the night."

"Shut up. Why would I visit you at night and cause misunderstandings?"

This reckless woman's name is Riel Scarlet.

Despite her behavior, she is an Apostle and the top candidate for Saintess.

Her red hair, tied near her neck, was slightly disheveled, as if she hadn't properly groomed it.

She must have come straight to my room as soon as she woke up.

Riel and I have been together since our orphanage days.

Riel entered the orphanage before I did, and I ended up staying there after my village was destroyed, led there by Teacher.

Both she and I lost our families because of the players.

Players, who coveted Riel's talent, killed her parents and kidnapped her to raise her as a slave for the Goddess.

Fortunately, before she was kidnapped, the Cult's Inquisitors rescued her, but her parents lost their lives.

With nowhere else to turn, Riel stayed at the orphanage.

Well, Riel and I have spent so much time together that we're like childhood friends without any barriers.

When we're together, I often feel warm gazes directed at us, but... we're not like that.

"Anyway, congratulations on becoming a Saint!"

"Thanks. You found out quickly, huh?"

"Actually, I arrived last night. The Pope told me then."

This brat?

"Then it's only natural I couldn't visit you yesterday."

"I was hoping you'd come even in the middle of the night. You always suffer alone. You were even tormented by nightmares until just now, weren't you?"

"..."

Really, I can't bring myself to hate her.

The reason she came to my room this morning must have been to wake me from my sleep.

Feeling both embarrassed and grateful for her consideration, I express my thanks.

"Thank you."

"Between us, this much is natural!"

Riel puffed out her chest and gave a triumphant expression.

***

Listening to the procedures for the Saint appointment ceremony or preparing the theology to be taught at the academy.

After leaving the room, I toured the Papal Palace with Riel.

Passing through the old corridors, we admired the portraits of past Popes hanging on the walls and took a brief rest while looking at the flowers in the garden.

I received a brief explanation about the Saint appointment ceremony and was also given theology books to teach at the academy.

However, a heavy sense of responsibility for the upcoming tasks weighed on a corner of my mind.

As the afternoon sunlight stretched through the windows, Riel cautiously opened her mouth.

"Kian, I think we should talk about the mission for a moment."

Once we had some leeway, Riel brought up the purpose of her visit.

As the Pope had mentioned, she and I would be dispatched to the academy together. Therefore, we decided to coordinate our opinions on the mission in advance.

We moved to the Inquisitors' room located underground.

It's a space given to the Inquisitors to maintain secrecy about the mission.

As soon as we entered the room, Riel's demeanor shifted from a childhood friend to a cold Inquisitor.

The smile on her face disappeared before I knew it, and her relaxed posture straightened into that of a devout believer.

It's not that she has a split personality.

Like me, she takes her role as an Inquisitor seriously, which is why her attitude changes.

In fact, this serious demeanor is closer to the real Riel. When I first met her, I couldn't even imagine her smiling.

Over time, her lively personality emerged, but she, like me, is someone who has lost precious things because of the players.

The scars we bear will never fade. They can only be hidden.

Clearing my thoughts, I begin discussing the mission with Riel.

"Yuria will join us at the academy. Let's at least have a light discussion between the two of us."

"Got it. First, I'll stay at the academy as a professor. You and Yuria will enroll as students, right?"

"Yeah. And I'm not sure when Natasha will arrive."

Yuria, she's the only daughter of the Tenia Family, one of the Empire's four major ducal families.

She's about the same age as Riel and me, making her eligible to enroll in the academy.

For now, she's temporarily taking a break from her duties as an Inquisitor to fulfill the responsibilities of an heir.

As for Natasha..., we'll meet her someday. That Apostle is so free-spirited that even when a mission is assigned, it's hard to get in touch with her.

Still, she'll appear when it matters most, so let's not worry about her for now.

So, for now, it's just Riel and me at the Papal Palace. The two of us reviewed the list of suspects assigned to us and discussed how to confirm their identities.

"The professors I'm in charge of might take quite a while to investigate."

I said, slightly furrowing my brows.

"It's hard to determine whether the unusual theories they present stem from knowledge of another world or pure creativity."

"I guess the students will be a bit easier to handle."

Riel nodded.

"Yuria and I plan to infiltrate the magic department and the swordsmanship department, respectively, to monitor them."

Suspicious players exist not only among the faculty but also among the students.

Faculty members are especially dangerous. It's hard to predict what they might do, using their positions as professors at the academy.

The same goes for the students. They could deceive other innocent students to use as shields while carrying out their schemes behind the scenes.

Therefore, the first step is to investigate those with high suspicion and use the identified individuals to expose other players.

"I can help with monitoring the students. From what I've learned, professors often observe each other's classes. We can use that opportunity to keep an eye on them together."

"Sounds good."

However, it's not easy to uncover the players' identities just by observing them a few times.

That's why it's important to take turns observing them, gather evidence, and set traps to force them to reveal their true identities.

'The direction of the scenario the prophets mentioned seems to have three possibilities. Figuring out which scenario is the correct one will be our top priority.'

The prophets are not exactly prophets but analysts who interpret the Goddess's intentions to predict actions.

Their opinions are so important that they must never be taken lightly.

Even the suspected objectives this time are nothing short of terrifying.

'War between the Empire and other nations, conflicts between commoners and nobles, the lifting of the academy's neutrality... Even if just one of these occurs, it would be a catastrophe.'

The previous scenario was the Demon War.

Since this scenario follows the abandonment of the previous one, its impact will likely be just as significant.

Therefore, the weight on our shoulders is heavy.

If we can catch even one player and learn their quest, it will be easier to grasp the Goddess's purpose and the scenario.

Then it will be easier to find players acting according to the scenario.

"Let's do our best, Riel. Once this scenario is over, you'll be able to become the Saintess."

"Thanks. I'd prefer it if you'd personally support me, but that's probably too much to ask, right?"

Since I've become the Saint, the Saintess will likely be chosen soon. It will probably be either Riel or Yuria.

Since I'm connected to both of them, it's difficult to support just one.

'Still, if I had to choose...'

**

After finishing our discussion, Riel and I returned to the surface, and it was already late afternoon. Since we'll need to continue discussing for the next week before leaving for the academy, busy days lie ahead.

"Let's pray before dinner."

Following Riel's suggestion, we head to the building's lobby for evening prayers.

Many believers were praying while holding scriptures in front of the statue.

We found an empty spot in the corner and joined in prayer.

'Katia, I pray to you, your faithful servant. Please help me fulfill the mission entrusted to me.'

The judgment of the Player is the only mission given to us by the divine. It is an honor to be an Inquisitor who can carry this out.

Therefore, the divine will surely watch over our work carefully.

'I pray that there will no longer be people on the continent harmed by the Players.'

My prayers to the divine are always the same.

Like me, I hope that no one will be hurt by the Players.

Perhaps all Inquisitors pray for the same thing.

'This world is ours, judgment to the Outsiders.'

Finally, I conclude my prayer with the Inquisitor's motto.

Looking up at the sky, the time of the Goddess of Light ends, and our time, the night, approaches.

Riel tugs at my sleeve and gives me a look.

'Let's stop by there before we go.'

'Alright.'

The place we headed to was the hill behind the Papal Palace. When we first visited the Papal Palace, Riel had discovered a spot with a special view.

Afterwards, we promised to visit that place every time we completed a mission and the sunset approached.

"It was tough finding this place back then, wasn't it?"

"To be precise, Riel, you wandered around on your own. I just got dragged along."

"If the result is good, then it's a good memory."

At sunset, the long shadows cast by the Papal Palace create a unique scene.

When the shadows meet the patterns of the Papal Palace building, the old Papal Palace transforms into a work of art.

'At first, I wondered why such patterns existed, but to think it was for this reason.'

It's a secret that even I wouldn't have discovered without Riel. If she hadn't wandered, and if I hadn't followed her, this place would never have been found.

Just like the first time we came, she quietly appreciates the scenery.

'An artwork looking at an artwork, it truly is a magnificent sight.'

I hope that we can continue to see this scenery forever.