Player-Hunting Inquisitors

Chapter 21

When I was about to prepare dinner, Riel came to visit.

"This is everything that happened at the library."

She came to inform me about what happened with Professor Thomas and to ask for my opinion.

"Riel, if you're okay with it, how about accepting Professor Thomas's proposal?"

You should keep suspicious people close.

That way, you can react at any time.

Riel seemed to think similarly to me, as she nodded.

"Yes. I think that's a good idea too. Who will take over Ella's surveillance that I've been handling?"

"Leave that to Yuria. Instead, I think I can take over the investigation of the Black Market."

Since Riel caught Thomas's attention, the investigation target is adjusted accordingly.

"As Professor Callas mentioned, those materials are quite suspicious. I found documents related to them, and Thomas seems to be connected to the Cult of Light.

'It seems that the hidden things in the Empire are finally crawling out.'

Our cult aims to follow the teachings of God.

On the other hand, the Cult of Light seeks to bring God down to the world.

Just like in the old days when the Goddess directly ruled over her creations.

"First, I'll report to the Pope. If what you said is true, we need to establish a response plan."

"It also seems like there's something suspicious hidden in the Black Market besides Thomas. It's strange to bring dangerous materials into the academy."

As Riel said, the Black Market should also be included in the surveillance targets.

Even though we are apostles, the Inquisitors are always short-handed.

Yuria and I must be deployed to the next mission without rest.

"Understood. You keep watching Thomas. I'll personally visit the Black Market."

"Alright. If you're the one investigating, that's reassuring."

After finishing her business, Riel headed back to the dormitory to meet the curfew.

I saw Riel off and fell into deep thought.

'Is the priority to investigate who sold the materials to Thomas and why they sold them? Next, we need to search for traces of the Cult of Light in the Black Market.'

I calmly reviewed the plan, setting priorities one by one in my mind.

The next day, since it happened to be the weekend and there were no lectures, I decided to visit the Black Market myself.

"Here. If you hand this token over, the guide will recognize it."

"Thank you."

I briefly met with Yuria to receive the items needed to enter the Black Market.

"Oh, by the way. I recommend wearing this mask. The Saint's face is somewhat famous, so it could cause trouble."

I put on the mask I received and slowly turned my head to check if it fit well.

The black mask had a sharp expression.

Looking closely at the mask, it felt as if I were looking into a mirror.

Suppressing the uneasy feeling that arose for no reason, I boarded the carriage Yuria had prepared.

"Well then, I'm off."

"Good luck."

**

The Black Market was located at the border between the Academy and the Empire.

Unlike a typical market, there were no lively sounds of haggling over prices or merchants promoting their shops.

Instead, it was filled with wary glances at outsiders and customers busy watching each other.

Despite the sun being high in the sky, the Black Market exuded an oddly dark atmosphere.

I showed the token Yuria had given me to someone who appeared to be a staff member of the Black Market.

"Ah, you're a VIP member. Please follow me."

The staff member led me to a secluded shop.

The building looked precarious, as if it could collapse at any moment.

However, upon entering the shop, a luxurious lobby awaited me.

The floor was covered in marble, and priceless art pieces were placed throughout.

The staff member guided me past the lobby to a room located in a corner.

"Please wait here. One of our staff will arrive shortly."

"Understood."

The room shone with a golden hue.

This was not a metaphor—it was literal.

The edges of the table were finished with gold, and the chandelier on the ceiling also seemed to be made of gold.

Even the sofa was matched with a similar golden color.

'They must really like gold. This level of obsession is close to madness.'

While I was looking around the room, there was a knock, and a staff member dressed in a suit entered.

"Good day, valued member. What brings you to our district?"

The people here referred to the Black Market as a "district."

This was a deliberate choice to avoid using words associated with darkness, as they didn't want to offend members of the Cult.

"Do you have these materials in stock?"

I showed the staff member the list of materials Thomas had ordered.

The staff member glanced at my mask before shifting their gaze to the list.

Tapping his fingers on the table as if calculating in his head, the staff member expressed regret.

"We are currently out of stock. I apologize. If you wish, we can deliver them to you as soon as they arrive."

"No, that's fine. Instead, can I meet the person who sells these materials? I'd like to get recommendations for alternative materials."

Even though it was the Black Market, I didn't expect them to procure those materials immediately.

From the beginning, my purpose was to meet the merchant.

"Understood. Please wait a moment, and I will bring them to you right away."

Fortunately, the staff member nodded and left the room to fetch the merchant.

'Thomas sent several urgent letters, which helped me discover that the merchant's handwriting matched that of the mysterious benefactor.'

I waited anxiously for his return.

Soon, I sensed movement outside, and the staff member entered the room first.

"Here they are, collaborator. Thank you for waiting, valued member."

Following behind the staff member, the mysterious merchant entered.

Contrary to my expectations, their appearance was entirely unexpected.

"Uh... excuse me... I'm sorry."

Trembling like a newborn deer, she entered the room and immediately bowed her head upon seeing me.

Her pointed ears, which she couldn't hide, revealed themselves near her cheeks.

'An elf? I never thought I'd see an elf in the Black Market.'

I was curious, but I first calmed her down and had her take a seat.

"Oh, I don't have any complaints. I just wanted to ask for recommendations for alternative materials to these."

"Really?! That's a relief..."

When she raised her head, her appearance was far from intact.

Her white skin, characteristic of elves, was marred with soot, and her neck bore marks from chains, hinting at her long suffering.

'A former slave. If she ended up in the Black Market, she must have lived quite a difficult life.'

Slavery had always been a contentious issue between the Cult and other nations.

Our cult, which claims equality under God, believes that slavery should not exist.

On the other hand, other nations, especially the Empire, strongly opposed this belief.

After a long cold war, slavery was abolished in the Empire, and the status of slaves disappeared into history.

However, it was an open secret that nobles with status still bought slaves to this day.

"Ahem. The things I know are mostly focused on plants... I mean, they are. Please take that into consideration."

Turning my thoughts back, I showed the list of materials to the timid elf.

Hmm-. The elf, deep in thought, took out a piece of paper and began writing down the names of materials with elegant handwriting.

Like a fish in water, the elf listed the materials without hesitation.

Immersed in her own world, the elf moved her pen swiftly.

"Oh, this is... all done! Here you go. I mean, here it is."

The paper, densely filled with materials similar in effect to those on the list I provided, was handed to me.

"Could you explain why you chose these materials?"

"Yes! Of course. This one can hold a lot of magical power, so it's used to store magical power during experiments. So, this and this have similar effects..."

The elf, contrary to her timid attitude earlier, passionately began to explain.

I half-listened to her words while focusing on the list she had written for me.

'Hmm... the handwriting is exactly the same as the one I saw before. But did she do it alone? Or is there another story behind this...?'

While she was writing down the list of materials, I noticed the old chain marks on her wrist.

Lost in thought, I was brought back when the elf finished her explanation and looked at me with a satisfied expression.

"It's all done. Which one will you choose?"

To hide the fact that I wasn't paying much attention, I decided to give an answer she would like.

"Hmm... I'll leave it to your recommendation. The opinion of an expert is surely more important than that of a mere errand runner like me, isn't it?"

"Thank you! I'll go prepare them right away!"

Excited, the elf immediately jumped up and dashed out of the room.

The employee who had brought her in was trying hard to hide their embarrassed expression.

"Excuse me, sir."

"I apologize. Despite appearances, she is quite skilled."

The employee deeply bowed their head as if apologizing for the elf's behavior.

"No, it's fine. By the way, I don't think I heard her name. Could you tell me?"

"Ah, her name is Neno. As you can see, being a former slave, she doesn't have a family name."

'Neno, an elf slave from the Empire. I should remember that.'

The Empire abolished slavery almost a hundred years ago.

Among those alive now, the only one who remembers that time is Natasha.

'The more I investigate, the more things keep coming up... Am I missing some connection between all of this?'

I furrowed my brow.

Thomas, the Black Market, Neno, and the scenarios of the past... I had no idea how to piece together the scattered clues, like fragments of a broken puzzle.

'Is all of this part of the Goddess's plan? Just how much effort has gone into this scenario?'

A foreboding feeling weighed heavily on my mind, suggesting that the Goddess's scheme might be far larger and more complex than I had imagined.

I stood up and informed the employee that I intended to leave.

The employee gladly escorted me to the lobby, where the one who had brought me earlier took over and led me back to the market.

"Thank you for today."

"Not at all, sir. Please feel free to visit anytime."

Sensing that this wouldn't be my last visit to the Black Market, I turned and headed home.