Chapter 42

The Demon Hunting Method Of The Regressed Inquisitor 42

My ■■■ (1)

Linea did not apologize.

Even though it was clear that her response was somewhat excessive. In fact, she had no reason to apologize.

Regardless of what I thought at the time, I was a patient who had escaped from the hospital room.

The attending physician was angry because he was worried about me, wasn’t he?

So, I couldn’t resist Linea’s actions as she slapped my back repeatedly, as if she were a nagging wife.

“How is your body feeling?”

“After hitting me so much, you ask that…?”

“You seem fine since you’re talking. But still, take a rest today.”

“I know. I just came out to get some fresh air.”

“To here?”

“I wanted to get a lot of fresh air.”

“…How about coming up with a more sincere excuse?”

Linea sighed deeply.

“Let’s go back. I have something to talk about and a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes, I’d like to benefit from holy magic too, if that’s okay?”

“There’s no reason it wouldn’t be.”

I know she was injured too.

I felt her blood soaking my clothes just before I passed out.

But the way she spoke so confidently, as if she were collecting something she had left with me, made me feel strange.

Well, it’s a good thing.

It means we’ve become close enough for her to speak so confidently.

*     *      *

Right after returning to the lodging.

I decided to check Linea’s wounds immediately. I had already healed my wounds with holy magic, so I just needed to monitor the progress.

“Let’s see.”

“Yes.”

Linea took off the white coat she always wore and began to unbutton her shirt one by one.

Of course, while turned around.

After taking off her clothes and even her underwear, she gathered her ebony-like hair neatly and pulled it forward, revealing her pure white back and a scar that looked like it had been clawed by a beast.

A diagonal scar.

Seeing it made me feel somewhat bitter.

“What happened to you?”

“Um, I don’t know. I was attacked from behind.”

The treatment is perfect.

Even if I don’t touch it, the wound will naturally heal over time.

But if I add holy magic here, I can shorten the process.

There won’t be any long-lasting scars either.

“Hey.”

While examining the wound, Claire, who was sitting quietly reading a book, spoke up.

“Isn’t it too natural, no matter what?”

“What is?”

“Even though you’re turned around, isn’t it too indifferent to each other while undressed? Don’t you feel any impure thoughts or anything?”

“You little thing, you have no filter.”

I understand what she’s saying.

But Claire doesn’t seem to grasp the importance of the situation.

“There’s no way I’d look at an injured person like that. Especially when I’m looking at the wounds of someone who got hurt because of me. Have you ever seen a doctor feel embarrassed while looking at a patient?”

“I see. But isn’t there any awkwardness between someone you’ll see once and someone you’ll see again in the future?”

“No.”

I’m not so fresh that I’d feel awkward about every little thing.

I’ve already been worn out on the battlefield, so I wouldn’t fall into such a dilemma.

“Oh, wait a minute…”

But it seems Linnea was different.

Linnea, who had been listening quietly, spoke up as if she was embarrassed.

“Um, I think it would be better to be treated by someone else after all?”

“Don’t worry about it. It was similar in Nidavellir anyway.”

“But the situation was different back then…”

It is different.

At that time, she was in a miserable state, but now she is relatively fine.

The back that was covered in burns then and the white skin I see now are naturally different.

Moreover, there is a difference between her being unconscious then and being fine now.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I can’t help but worry.”

Perhaps due to tension and awkwardness, Linea’s actions become even more awkward.

And tension tends to affect those around it.

“…I’ll be outside.”

Claire, who brought up this topic and ruined the atmosphere, fled.

With Claire leaving the room, it was just me and Linea left.

The awkwardness of the atmosphere intensifies and infects me as well.

It’s better to end this quickly.

“Hiyah?! Wh-what is it?”

“Just checking if it hurts.”

When I lightly poked the wounded area with my finger, Linea jumped up.

It was an enormous reaction. Because of her tension, it startled me as well.

“…Please give me a warning next time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Linea pouted and used her tail to push my hand away.

She couldn’t turn her body because she was undressing to show her back.

I had no intention of peeking, but seeing her cautious actions made me unnecessarily self-conscious.

“It might tickle, so don’t hit me with your tail if you’re surprised.”

“It doesn’t hurt even if I hit you with this, you know?”

In response to my joke to lighten the mood, Linea tapped my arm with her tail as if she was displeased.

Every time her fluffy and soft tail swung, it felt like I was being enveloped in a feather blanket.

It seemed like it would be warm and soft to hug and sleep with in winter.

As Linea said, it didn’t hurt at all, only a soft sensation was felt.

Of course, she was just lightly hitting me.

If you hit hard, even a flower can hurt.

“It must have hurt a lot. Why didn’t you get treated by another priest?”

There must have been other priests in the city. There is always a church or temple wherever you go.

Even in a dying city or a rural village with few people, there is a priest.

There must have been one here too.

“This is something left for Mr. Lost. Do you know how much the consultation fee of a doctor affiliated with the Count of Spirine is? I’m giving you this opportunity for treatment so you won’t feel burdened.”

Linnea grumbled.

“If I had known it would be this awkward, I would have just treated you…”

Did she really have to add that last part and ruin the atmosphere even more?

Anyway, I understood that she left the wound untreated to reduce my sense of debt.

But, is this really consideration?

Isn’t she protesting that she got hurt because of me?

I don’t know.

I can’t easily judge whether this is a joke or not.

I can’t see her expression because she’s behind me, and her tail, which usually shows her emotions, is stiff with tension.

“Mr. Lost.”

As I continued the treatment in the tense atmosphere, Linnea spoke again.

It seems she doesn’t like just sitting quietly and receiving treatment.

“I went out to gather herbs. There was something strange.”

“Something strange?”

Linnea bent down as if to rummage through her bag, then quietly returned.

And then she shrank even more, as if embarrassed.

“Ahem! Let’s talk after the treatment.”

“Uh, okay.”

Are you trying to make the atmosphere weird again?

*     *      *

“This is it.”

After the treatment. For some reason, Linnea, who was dressed thicker than usual, rummaged through her bag and took out some herbs.

I was familiar with the herbs too. I remembered they were somewhat useful for external wounds.

But the color was…

“They turned into poisonous herbs.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Any medicine can become a poison depending on how it’s used. The composition can vary depending on the environment, so it’s best to be cautious with everything.”

“Was this one of those cases?”

“No, this is closer to a mutation. It’s not that the existing components have changed or strengthened, but entirely different components are mixed in.”

“……”

Entirely different components are mixed in, not the existing ones. This means it was influenced by something more direct rather than environmental differences.

“A poisonous plant, you say.”

Then what kind of influence did it receive?

In fact, something did come to mind the moment I heard Linnea’s words.

“Erosion……”

The power of the ＜Eroding One＞ is poison. A poison that even erodes the soul.

There is no antidote for that poison. In some sense, it’s more lethal than magic.

The soul of ‘erosion’ affects both the body and the soul.

If either one is not resolved in time, death follows. Well, no one has survived exposure to the poison of the ＜Eroding One＞ so far.

Just meeting its eyes from a distance is enough to erode the soul. Isn’t that the case with me right now?

Just witnessing it.

This deadly poison that clings to me even to the past.

The poison it emits directly must be beyond imagination.

“Now I understand.”

“What? Do you know something?”

“I think I know where that brat is.”

Linnea frowned at my conclusion and then hit me on the back.

“Take a rest today.”

“Say it with words.”

“Put down that raincoat in your right hand and then make such excuses.”

Wait, why is this in my hand?

*     *      *

Three days later. I still haven’t found that damned brat.

I wanted to be in the best condition, and I needed to gather information until my guess turned into certainty.

“Ah! I told you I don’t know!”

One of the things I did was interrogate the opportunists who had been flattering and picking up the scraps from the rampage of the brat named Lilia.

“No, our sister doesn’t usually tell us when she’s going somewhere.”

“Sister, huh…”

A guy who must be around thirty is calling a kid who looks about fifteen his sister. Isn’t that something?

How can a person be like that?

“Well, let’s admit what needs to be admitted. You must be truly loyal.”

Though it was sarcastic, it was surprising.

Even in this captured state, he can still act so defiant.

Of course, this isn’t loyalty.

From the start, he doesn’t have any ideology to attract others.

So, these guys are inevitably opportunists.

Even in this situation where their parasitic host has disappeared, and they’re imprisoned.

The fact that they can be so confident.

“Are you sure she’ll come back?”

There can’t be any other reason.

“It seems like you don’t know nothing at all, huh?”

“Wow, as expected, a guy with a sharp mind is different. Is this the difference in education?”

“Yes, Kurud Master. Do you understand why basic education is important?”

“…It’s not to that extent. I was joking, why are you so serious?”

“I’m serious.”

See, when the breadth of thought expands like this, even the head of a group doesn’t hold back on praise.

It doesn’t have to be anything extraordinary. Just basic education is enough.

In this world, there are many people who live by using their bodies rather than their heads, so that’s special enough.

And our Claire needs to be more special. Our kid will become a judge when she grows up.

“Now, shall we increase the intensity of the interrogation? Hmm? What should we do?”

“Let’s go out.”

“Yeah! That method… huh?”

“From now on, it’s going to be something you don’t want to see, so you’d better leave.”

I rummaged through my pocket and found the item I was looking for.

It’s something I’ve used before when fighting that damn kid.

“Uh, now that I see it…”

“Let’s finish this within 8 hours. Don’t even think about talking about human rights.”

A pure white mask engraved with an inverted cross.

The mark of an inquisitor, almost like an urban legend.

From noble mtl dot com

The only one who knows that this is not a bluff is Kurud, who knows that I am actually a priest belonging to the Pantheon.

“Those who have become demons, or those who have colluded with them and taken advantage of it.”

The guy in front of me?

It doesn’t matter.

“We punish the sin with the same weight.”

As long as they realize it.

“From now on, we will conduct an inquisition against heresy. This is an act of punishing rebellion against God.”

It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

My main job, that is.

So far, it has been the work of the Holy Knights or the Crusaders to crush Belial’s plans rather than the inquisitors.

Of course, what I do also fits that. It’s just that it’s a bit more miscellaneous than professional.

So how can I explain my work most clearly?

“This will never be torture, but a cleansing of impurity.”

Perhaps there is no word that fits better than ‘the person who performs the most brutal acts across all orders.’

“Wait a minute.”

Only then did the guy in front of me realize that the atmosphere was strange, and his complexion turned pale.

“I’ll tell you everything! So please, wait a minute! I know a lot!”

“Don’t worry.”

But it was already too late.

This guy is an example.

So he will suffer as painfully and miserably as possible.

So that others can know this fear. I spoke, borrowing the appearance of the most terrible fanatic I knew.

“What the corrupted brother needs now is purification. This is truly the will of God!”

People fear what they cannot understand. And what cannot be made to understand is the same.

That is the incomprehensible fanatic.