323. Workshop (3)
A long time had passed before Logan arrived at the workshop with Inquisitor Valery.
This is because after first confirming that the Inquisition Prison was truly empty, the horse was properly led back from the stable.
“Oh my, Belinda…” … !”
Valerie ran into the barn, found Belinda’s body, and was momentarily speechless. It was as if he could not believe it even though he was seeing it right in front of his eyes.
“There was no arrest, just surveillance. I feel like I’ll die right away if I even touch it. But while I’m letting my guard down, won’t he suddenly lunge at me? “It was so sudden that my escort had no choice but to quickly take action.”
Valerie blankly looked to the side at Seongjin’s explanation.
As he said, a strange man was standing next to the corpse, holding a blood-stained dagger. Even at a glance, it is impossible to know who did the work.
“Because my safety was at stake, I had no choice but to end the prisoner’s life. “If the Inquisition holds me accountable, I will gladly accept the punishment.”
No. 19, who had just taken off his stealth suit and was wearing a beard on his nose, bowed his head and apologized.
When a person appeared in such a low manner, Valerie also had no choice but to face him indifferently.
“Above all else, the safety of Seonghwangga members is our top priority. “I understand your position.”
First of all, the red-haired inquisitor did not particularly take issue with the prisoner’s disposition. He just seemed very heartbroken over Belinda’s death.
Only Logan, who guessed the inside story, looked at Seongjin with a slightly confused face.
“Together with Lord Valerie, I came to check the prison where the prisoner was imprisoned.”
In the heavy atmosphere, Logan opened his mouth softly.
“They say she was imprisoned in a small, windowless cell. But I really couldn’t understand it. “The guards were in good condition, and the inside of the prison was a completely secret room with no blemishes.”
I asked the guards and guards simple questions, but none of them said they had any clue about the circumstances of the prisoner’s disappearance.
Perhaps Logan’s investigation is true. Because he catches people’s lies like a ghost.
‘As expected, the portal to the normal world was at work. ‘Who on earth opened the portal?’
Whoever it was, Seongjin could not guess his intentions.
Either he was trying to save Belinda, or he was trying to kill her and destroy the evidence. How could it be possible to deliberately summon someone to such a remote barn and then leave them there without doing anything?
What on earth were you planning to do?
“… “It is truly a shame that Belinda lost her life.”
Gently closing the wide-open and cold prisoner’s eyes, Inquisitor Valerie said sadly.
“Even though things are like this, they haven’t revealed anything about the headquarters of the Penitent Church. “Isn’t it easy to guess how strong her spirit is?”
It straightens out twisted and disheveled limbs and straightens wrinkled clothes. At first glance, it seemed pious, as if it were commemorating the death of a saint, so Number 19 became curious and asked Valerie.
“Aren’t they just remnants of the Dark Church? But it looks as if the Lord mourns her with all her heart.”
Then Valerie nodded solemnly.
“Why not? “Belanda had a way of capturing people’s hearts in many ways.”
“… Captivate?”
“That’s right. I have yet to see anyone who endures her tortures with the courage she does. Oh, of course she has Seo Yi-seo, who recently became a saint, but she can’t think of him as an ordinary human… … .”
Sir Valery paused for a moment and made the sign of the cross towards the blood-soaked Belinda with somewhat sad eyes.
“Of course, Belinda is an unquestionable heretic. He is a sinner. However, no matter how wrong the belief is, wouldn’t uprightness be considered quite noble at this point?”
“… … .”
“That’s why I hope that at least after she dies, she goes where she truly wanted to go. Of course, it is a very blasphemous idea to hope that the Lord’s lost lamb falls into the hands of the devil.”
Number 19 closed his mouth as if speechless.
If it were any other paladin, I wouldn’t have dared to say it for fear of being brought to trial for heresy. But this Nalali Inquisitor picks up such scary words without any hesitation.
Seongjin looked at Valerie blankly with a new feeling.
“Are you in a position to say something like that now? “He was the one who was most eager to torture her until now.”
“I will not deny that, sir. But at least I didn’t want her to die this way. “She wanted to be influenced by me, the cause of her pain, instead of her demons controlling her.”
Valerie, who answered in a quiet tone, raised her head and looked up at Seongjin with a smile on her face.
“Belinda definitely deserved that much. He was a high-ranking member of the Penitent Church, which meant that he still had many secrets that he had not revealed. But maybe that’s why someone truly wanted her dead.”
“… … .”
“Belinda probably had an assistant who helped her escape. If she really escaped prison on her own without any help, wouldn’t she deserve a more detailed investigation into the circumstances? But now with her death, the whole truth has become a mystery.”
Valerie, who had shed her usual inertial smile, had a rather cold-looking face.
“Lowering. “It would be presumptuous of me to ask you now, but I am well aware of your skills.”
“… Sir Valerie.”
Logan, who guessed what he was trying to say, tried to dissuade him, but Valerie did not hide her suspicions toward Seongjin at all.
“I do not dare to believe that the prisoner, who was completely injured due to torture, would have felt a threat to his life if he suddenly attacked him. And yet you had to kill her anyway?”
At least it seemed certain that this Inquisitor was truly heartbroken by Belinda’s death. Otherwise, there would be no way for him to reveal his fangs, which he had been hiding so skillfully, so defenselessly.
Seongjin responded by making a complaint.
“Even if you think so, I have nothing to say. “I may have let her guard down, but there must have been a better way to stop her.”
“… … .”
“But know this, Sir Valerie. I also feel very sorry for her death. “She had so many things I wanted to ask her.”
“… “Is there something you want to ask?”
Yes, Sir Valerie.
I still vividly remember how you blocked my path the other day and forcibly covered Belinda’s mouth. Belinda definitely said that back then.
-No, I’m dumbfounded to hear such a question from you, not someone else. Don’t you know anything about yourself?
Also, didn’t you ask Seongjin this before you died?
-Prepared one, aren’t you curious why I am here?
If you carefully reflect on those memories, there is only one keyword that can be identified. Seongjin, who had come to that conclusion, opened his mouth in an awkward manner towards Valerie, who was still giving him a suspicious look.
“Is that so? Finally, as Belinda lunged at me, she shouted: So, obviously, you told me she was [prepared] or something, right? But before I could even wonder that, my escort cut her throat… … .”
Breathe!
Valerie suddenly came to her senses and attempted to resolve the situation by hastily interrupting Seongjin’s conversation.
“no! That is a misunderstanding after all, sir! It’s not that I particularly suspect degradation. I just meant that someone in the Inquisition might have this suspicion! So, don’t pay any more attention to what the remnants of the Dark Church say!”
Well, Seongjin also had that level of risk in mind early on.
Could it be that that prince has some connection with the Dark Church? So maybe they tried to kill the prisoner and destroy the evidence?
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Isn’t it suspicious that he was the first to find the missing prisoner? Could it be that he was the one who helped escape?
‘It’s obvious that suspicion is predictable.’
What should I do? I knew it and did it anyway.
As I once said to Sisley, fanaticism can only be covered with more fanaticism, and doubt with more doubt.
“okay. If anything catches you, do whatever you want. I will also obediently participate in the investigation. “If possible, I want to be cleared of the charges.”
“… yes?”
“So it would be best to properly publicize this matter, Sir Valerie. To do that, we must first let the world know that a prisoner who was on the verge of death succeeded in escaping from the tight prison of the Inquisition.”
“that… … .”
Valerie’s expression becomes mysterious.
Why not? If that were really the case, there would be concerns that the high status of the Inquisition would be seriously damaged.
Seongjin clapped his hands towards him, who seemed to be thinking about something complicated, and continued speaking.
“Now that I think about it, I was a little suspicious about how Belinda escaped from prison, right? “If there is a helper, wouldn’t the inside of the Heresy Tribunal be the most suspicious?”
“Oh!”
“So, the Heresy Tribunal’s own investigation cannot be trusted. Should we just file a formal complaint with the Holy See and request a large-scale investigation and audit?”
“No, sir. for a moment… … .”
The red-haired Inquisitor’s complexion turned pale.
Even so, after the Demon Gate was opened in the Imperial Capital, the Heresy Tribunal went through a difficult time hunting down the remnants of darkness.
But repeating that crazy thing again?
“Wasn’t he a precious prisoner with many secrets that he hasn’t revealed yet? So, I highly doubt who deliberately stole her away and tried to cover up everything about her. “I’m sincere.”
When Seongjin repeated exactly what she had heard earlier, Valerie stared at Seongjin with a bewildered expression.
-No sir, are you openly threatening people now?
-Then you don’t think so? Everyone is self-employed. First of all, who was it that went against my will?
After a moment of silent glances, the Inquisitor began to laugh weakly.
“I understand what you mean. But I am only an Inquisitor. “I have no authority to ignore such a big incident.”
“Well, how about… … .”
Of course, Seongjin didn’t believe him at all.
In addition to freely reading banned books that others were afraid to even mention, he also resolved the issue of the Knight of Grace against the strict Cardinal Benitus so as not to cause too much noise.
Where is that? He even had the audacity to arbitrarily place the god’s symbol on the chest of the magical beast, the Glacher Troll. How can someone like this just be a lowly Inquisitor?
“Well, it seems like the Heresy Tribunal has more power than I thought. Is it just my imagination?”
“… … .”
“So make the most reasonable choice for the Inquisition, Lord Valerie.”
Unless you plan to completely overthrow the Inquisition starting tomorrow.
“If you are going to conduct your own investigation, stop at the line of re-inspecting the prison and preventing escapes. Let’s not tire each other out with unnecessary doubts. Or, from this side, I can show you for myself how far your doubts go.”
Parr.
Seongjin looked straight into the eyes of the Inquisitor, who was shaking with embarrassment, and smiled warmly.
“Do you know? I have a lot of faith in your abilities and rely on them. Sir Valerie.”
At least what he said was Seongjin’s sincerity.
* * *
Sir Valery, feeling discouraged, quietly returned with Belinda’s body.
Seongjin stayed behind with Logan to investigate the workplace.
I wondered if the matter would end so peacefully. If only Logan hadn’t carefully started talking to Seongjin, who was looking around the barn.
“Lee Seong-jin. “You can’t just live in this world like that.”
“… what?”
Seongjin blinked his eyes. She had heard something she never thought she would hear in her life.
But doesn’t Logan’s eyes look sad and he smiles softly as if he understands everything?
“I can completely understand your sympathy for the prisoner’s situation. I guess he wanted to help her in any way possible. But in such times, it is more important to have a cool-headed attitude to properly consider the position you are in.”
“Huh?”
“Being kind is not the answer. You must also know how to be selfish in everything you do. “How are you going to get through this difficult world from now on?”
“… … !?”
It was so absurd that my mouth fell open without me realizing it.
wait for a sec. It would be sad to be the second-best child in this world. What are you saying to someone now? uh?
fantasy,
