Chapter 20

The Demon Hunting Method Of The Regressed Inquisitor 20

Festival of the Dead (1)

Before Belial could intervene directly, I hurriedly left the Duke of Foris’s territory.

It was a quiet carriage journey. It didn’t take more than a day to prepare the horse, carriage, food, and various travel supplies.

Until we reached the next destination, we would spend most of our time in the carriage. Of course, I didn’t plan to just idle away that time.

“93 points. Fortunately, you seem to be able to read. You have some culture and common sense.”

I was teaching Claire, who had been almost imprisoned until now.

“…I’m a noble, after all. Did you think I wouldn’t know this much?”

Claire looked at me with half-closed eyes. It seemed her trust in me was low.

Well, we didn’t have a good relationship to begin with. Even though I was kindly teaching her, to her, I was nothing more than her family’s enemy.

The fact that she wasn’t rebelling and was complying was rather surprising.

“Even royalty might not know this.”

“That’s right. Overconfidence is dangerous.”

“???”

Titan nods, as if he knows he is being referred to.

I can’t understand why he is standing there so confidently.

“How about you take this opportunity to learn how to write?”

“Lost, if you are stronger than me, I will learn.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

“I do not follow the orders of someone weaker than me. Let alone teaching? Even the royal tutors who tried to teach me couldn’t prove their qualifications. Do you think you can?”

“What is this madman talking about?”

I never thought that was the reason he couldn’t read.

“Using your head is only for when you can’t solve things with your body. But how can I trust those brainy people who can’t even handle me physically?”

“……”

For a moment, I am at a loss for words at his strangely logical yet odd answer.

Anyway, he was declaring that he had smashed the heads of all the tutors who tried to teach him.

“Linea, watch the front. It will be a big problem if you bump into something.”

“Ah! Yes……”

I scold Linea, who is staring at us.

If she took the reins, she should drive safely.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Should I just do it?”

“No! I’ll do it.”

“Alright……”

But Linea strongly refused. It seems she feels burdened to do nothing……

“How about teaching Claire? You are a noble, so you must know much better than me, right?”

“……That’s true.”

I am not even a noble, my identity is unclear. It’s ridiculous for someone like me to teach a noble.

“Let’s take this opportunity to teach each other what we are good at. The more you know, the better. I will teach theology, Linea will teach general education, and Titan will teach combat techniques……”

“You intend to kill me.”

“Exclude Titan.”

I lacked consideration.

The current Claire was not the steel-like existence I knew.

Because of that gap, I find myself being cautious with her.

Well, I still have to be careful when dealing with him, just like before. After all, he is the one who killed Burke, regardless of the reason, not just a coward who broke his promise to Burke.

It seems like my relationship with Claire will worsen even more than before…

“Then should I teach you how to fight? Since you decided to follow us, you should at least have a means to protect yourself.”

“Is it that dangerous?”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”

There’s a troublemaker sitting in the corner right now.

“If you’re going to teach me, I’d like to learn from Linea.”

“Uh… Haha. Well…”

“Unfortunately, Linea is a non-combatant, so that’s not possible.”

At least until she tries to appear that way. Although, seeing her clumsy side, I don’t know how long she can keep it hidden.

“You are a bit…”

“Don’t like it?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s even better. You can use that dislike to fuel your training.”

“….”

Just like before. Nothing has changed.

Claire and I will never have a relationship that aligns. It’s regrettable, yet quite nostalgic. Because it continues just like our past relationship.

Of course, it’s just an escape…

Ending this relationship will be a task for the future. We can’t stay like this forever.

“Shall we prepare the weapon you’ll use when we reach our next destination?”

Taking in Claire was partly because of my promise to Burke, but also because I had high hopes for her potential.

The title of the strongest paladin in the Pantheon is not just for show. She was a monster in both offense and defense.

“By the way, where are we going now?”

“They said the capital of the empire.”

“The capital is too far. There are places we need to stop by on the way.”

“Is that so?”

There is an urgent matter that needs to be dealt with. Before the ＜Corruptor＞ starts moving in earnest, I need to find and crush the reason in advance.

The city that awaits the year-round rain, ‘Rubia’. There lies the reverse scale of the ＜Corruptor＞.

If there’s one thing I need to resolve first, it’s him.

Because I already know the result of touching his reverse scale.

It’s simple. Everything between him and Rubia will be destroyed.

Not just the Foris Duchy, but even the trial of ＜The One Who Draws the Future＞.

Just moving was enough to bring disaster, let alone holding them back.

However, even if we solve that problem, the road to Rubia is still long. So before that.

“We’ll go to the future city Nidavellir first.”

That city is said to be 2-3 steps ahead in technology.

We’ll gather the necessary supplies there, and if needed, we’ll temporarily get Claire’s weapon as well.

She said she had the strength to protect herself, but she still can’t run around.

The weapon for her can only be found in Nidavellir.

“So for now…”

Screeeech!

While explaining the future plans, the carriage comes to a sudden stop.

When I looked back, thinking that Linnea, who had been glancing back and forth, had finally caused trouble, I realized that wasn’t the case.

“Mr. Lost…”

Linnea was looking at me with a hardened face, and in front of her was a man covered in a black robe, like a shadow had risen.

And around him, countless undead were gathered.

“……”

Yes, I thought they would come.

I knew Belial wasn’t the type to leave suspicions alone.

But it was faster than expected.

He contacted us even faster than ＜The Wanderer＞.

“Hmm.”

At that moment, Titan stood up, resting his hammer on his shoulder.

Just by looking at the opponent’s momentum, he could tell they were enemies.

But no.

“Stop, Titan. He’s my guest.”

“……”

“As a warrior, you’ll respect that, right?”

“Hmph, the fact that you’re stepping forward without hiding behind makes me think I can concede.”

Titan had already been killed by Mez, the ‘Sword of Restraint’, before the regression.

It’s the one right in front of me.

I must not let Titan fight. He wouldn’t appreciate others interfering in his battle.

Soon, I’ll have to change that thought, but not now. It will take time for him to understand the way humans live, not orcs.

Of course, I don’t think I can defeat the opponent who could kill Titan.

I’m not standing here by force.

If that were the case, I wouldn’t be persuading Titan like this.

“You’re a demon.”

“Oh, you recognized me?”

“Still a demon.”

“…What?”

But even Mez, the Sword of Restraint, who was called a one-man army, is not perfect.

At this point, he hasn’t yet become a full-fledged demon.

Could there be better news than this?

“What are you doing? Are you just going to keep watching? Was it an order to stall for time?”

“…Looking at you, it seems it’s okay to cut off a limb or two.”

“You were told to bring him?”

That’s why I like a loose-lipped guy.

Even with light provocation, he spills such important information.

I draw my sword. It’s different from when I faced Burke. No mercy, no fairness.

An unnecessary opponent.

Crunch!

I break the skeleton’s bones closest to me with my sword.

Smash!

I kick the skeleton whose bones I crushed, collapsing the undead army’s formation.

And I dig into that gap.

The opponent is a dark sorcerer. A half-demon who hasn’t yet become a full demon.

Then, even the most troublesome regenerative power wouldn’t be that great.

His strength wouldn’t be exceptional either. The closer the distance, the more advantageous it is.

I hold my sword horizontally, stepping on the fallen skeleton’s head.

Taking advantage of the collapsed formation, I fix my eyes on the enemies in front of me.

Skeletons and zombies, ghosts floating in the air, and Mez.

With all of them in sight, he swung his sword.

Skaak!

The swordsmanship that was supposed to draw the horizon was blocked by the hard bones of the skeleton, unable to fully unfold.

But he cut more than half of its neck.

Soon, the bones would reattach, showcasing the power of the immortal army…

“Let’s see how far this will go.”

Paaat!

He poured out his divine power.

The world, which had been slightly darkened by the undead’s darkness, began to embrace bright light again.

What he borrowed in exchange for his divine power was the lightning of Jupiter, the god of the sky.

The lightning pierced a straight path and flew towards Mez.

“Your greeting is rough, Inquisitor.”

Uduk!

The spear of lightning, which had been advancing fiercely, was caught and broken by Mez’s hand.

That hand was covered in a black shadow. Proof that he had received magic directly from Belial. It endowed him with defensive and offensive capabilities.

With just that, he could erase the weaknesses of a frail wizard.

If he stood directly on the battlefield and swung his arms, he could massacre soldiers with just that.

No need for techniques for close combat. Just wearing it would exert the power of both offense and defense.

“As expected… Not yet.”

The spear of lightning, imbued with the light of divine power, advanced fiercely.

It pierced a straight path, blinding the view with its light.

Then it was only natural to exploit that gap. Mez hadn’t thought that far yet. He lacked combat experience.

Yes, the dark wizard who once dominated the battlefield was not here.

Kang!!

He stabbed the sword into the nape of his neck. It sounded like hitting steel, not flesh.

“What the…?!”

It was hard. He couldn’t cut through.

Belial’s shadow was limited to his arms, but even without that, the magic flowing through his body was thick.

Even so, he should have been able to cut through it. But an unexpected problem arose here.

I even borrowed the power of Vidar, the god who hunted the half-river monster.

“This is…”

Yes, it can’t be a lack of strength. It’s not strength that’s lacking.

Yes, the problem is…

“…what is this made of?”

It was in the sword I was holding.

The sword I received from my master when I descended the mountain. I intended to imbue it with divine power and cut off its neck, but the sword itself was resisting the divine power.

“That’s unfortunate. You might have been able to kill me if you had done well.”

Mez grabbed my sword with his other hand, the one not holding the spear of lightning. Despite holding the blade directly, his hand was unscathed.

It was because no force was applied.

Only a monster like a Titan could exert such a force with just a weapon.

“No, there’s nothing to regret.”

I kicked his arm away and retrieved my sword.

I never thought I could kill him with this attack anyway.

Mez doesn’t die even if his neck is cut. It must be because of such factors that he could kill a Titan.

A body that doesn’t die even if killed. The regenerative power of a demon combined with the power to reject death of a dark sorcerer.

It’s truly a terrifying combination.

“There’s no need for that in the first place, right?”

I stepped into his domain again.

Behind me, Mez’s undead were starting to rise again, reaching out one by one.

Mez’s hand, which had completely broken Jupiter’s lightning, was empty.

At most, there was only a scratch on his neck. I knew that mere swordsmanship couldn’t even cut his skin.

But still.

“You can’t kill me.”

Capturing someone alive is harder than killing them.

I didn’t avoid Mez’s shadow hand that reached out as a check.

I didn’t protect my body with holy magic either. I charged forward, filled with power solely for attack.

If I were caught by that huge and destructive hand, it would be the end.

“I thought you would…”

“It doesn’t matter what you think. Rookie demon. You still don’t know.”

Flinch!

The arm that was about to kill me stops.

It’s not by its own will.

It probably thought it would just kill me now that things have come to this.

That would be the wisest decision and the one that wouldn’t get caught up in the opponent’s plan.

But it said,

“You said it would be fine to cut off one or two limbs, right? But there’s no way you can make an attack that could kill me.”

At least it’s clear that it received orders to capture me alive.

So it can’t kill me.

Regardless of its will.

“Belial’s orders are absolute, aren’t they?”

“……!”

“See, right?”

I topple Mez, who was stopped by the force, and climb on top.

I press down on the shadow’s arm with my foot, pin its torso with my knee, and twist its remaining arm with one of mine.

With the power of a demon, even a wrong swing could kill a civilian.

So it didn’t protect its body.

While it flinched several times in the state of being held.

“Wait, wait…!”

Crunch!

I thrust the sword into its neck.

Still, the holy power didn’t imbue it. But didn’t it leave a scratch?

Anyway, no matter what I do, it’s impossible to kill Mez in one blow. So I have no choice but to torment it little by little.

“Stop…”

Crunch!

The important thing is to provoke it. To make its head heat up and keep failing to control its strength.

By the time it gets used to it, I’ll gradually increase the intensity.

That’s how I paint a vivid death.

I strike down several times. To make the opponent uncomfortable.

“Stop…!”

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Crack!

The approaching undead grab my body to stop it.

The sharp bones of the skeleton and the poisonous claws of the zombie dig into my body. The rough force pulls me away from Mez.

The banshee’s scream disturbs my ears, and the ghost curses.

“Stop, you b*stard!!”

Finally, his composure broke.

It was clear that his composure had disappeared to the point where he even abandoned his polite speech.

“No.”

Crack!

The opportunity came. Do you think I would give up such a golden opportunity just by raising my voice after coming across this battlefield?

It doesn’t matter if it’s a monster in the realm of heroes.

If the composure is gone, it’s already over.

Since I’ve dragged it into this muddy fight, it’s my stage.

So I won’t stop.

“You will die here today.”

No matter what.

This worm-like b*stard must be erased from history.