A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The Inquisition. The sole information agency of the cult and a long-established investigative body.

As the name suggests, the main enemy of the Inquisition is heresy.

However, if you were to ask, “Is heresy the only enemy of the Inquisition today?” even the inquisitors would tilt their heads in confusion.

The cult has many rivals, not just heretics.

Having held a hegemonic position as the mainstream religion for thousands of years, the cult has accumulated a myriad of foes, be it wizards in the past, or spies, terrorists, dark magicians, other races, and industrial spies today…

One thing remains unchanged since the dawn of creation, despite the passage of thousands of years: the enemies of the cult.

—

Episode 12 – The Most Powerful Wizard in History

When I opened my eyes, the sun had already set.

The world I peered into through the window was dark. A soft, ambient light filled the room, perfect for a restful sleep.

The sensation of the blanket against my fingertips was vivid.

The soft fabric and plushness were so comforting that I could forget even the pain, and for some reason, the agony emanating from my rotting flesh seemed to ebb away.

As I vacantly scanned the room, I turned my head at the presence I felt beside me and met the gaze of Lucia, blinking as if just waking up.

She was looking at me with eyes still hazy from sleep.

“Saint?”

“You’ve awakened.”

“…When did I fall asleep?”

“You closed your eyes about three hours ago.”

Lucia brushed her hair back. Her golden locks, as if made from melted gold, cascaded over her shoulders and collarbone as she moved her hand.

Having tidied up her messy hair, she rose from the bed and headed toward the table.

Though she was wearing underwear, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was half undressed, so I turned my gaze from Lucia to the window.

I heard the sound of her clothes brushing against her skin. I fixed my attention on the window.

Since the northern regions experienced dusk quickly, estimating the exact time was difficult, but judging from the faint voices of people outside, it seemed curfew was still some time away.

However,

“…”

A few crows were perched on a branch in the cathedral yard.

While there are differences in cultural perceptions, there is hardly any disagreement that crows symbolize bad omens.

Although I don’t believe in superstitions, the sight of five or six crows sitting neatly on a branch, staring at me, felt a bit…

Eerie.

“Are you alright?”

“…Ah.”

By now, Lucia had dressed and was looking at me with concern.

“That is…”

As I muttered while pointing at the crows outside, Lucia’s expression subtly changed. She quickly stalked over to the window, looked outside, then grimaced and pulled the curtains shut.

“Swish!”

With a somewhat jittery, almost angry demeanor, Lucia drew the curtains without a hint of hesitation, then turned and flung the door open.

Before stepping outside, Lucia, gripping the doorknob, posed a question to me.

“Are you able to move?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Please follow me. We have somewhere to go.”

—

Where Lucia led me was Archbishop Theodosius’s office.

The office of the archbishop, situated on the highest floor of the Cathedral of Saint Basil—the tallest building in the city—was surprisingly modest for someone of his rank.

An office overlooking the city, filled with a fragrant smell of wood burning and the gentle scratching of a fountain pen…

The seasoned clergyman welcomed Lucia and me warmly.

“Welcome, Saint, and Brother.”

Archbishop Theodosius adjusted his glasses and smiled pleasantly.

Given that he was wearing glasses he usually didn’t use, it suggested that he probably had quite poor eyesight and couldn’t read the writings on paper without them. His desk was cluttered with documents and letters, the ornate handwriting filling the pages densely.

Lucia exchanged light greetings with the archbishop, who had been her professor at the theological college. Then she abruptly asked:

“What happened?”

“This morning, I informed the National Affairs Council, and I received a response around noon, Saint.”

Archbishop Theodosius handed her a letter.

As soon as Lucia received the letter, she immediately began reading the contents. Though it was a lengthy text written in elegant script, for someone who often carried a Bible at her side, this was hardly a challenge.

The papal seal stamped on the wax was clear. Without skipping a beat, Lucia frowned even before opening her mouth.

“…They cannot send an exorcist? What is going on?”

“That is as I mentioned.”

“Doesn’t His Holiness know the current situation here?”

“The National Affairs Council is well aware of the northern conditions, given that the bodies of four inquisitors were delivered. However, there is currently no exorcist who can come to the north, and those operating in the north are also in a difficult position.”

Lucia and Archbishop Theodosius exchanged sharp words.

Judging by their discussion, it seemed the Holy See had not offered any support, and Lucia appeared to be in strong opposition to the council’s decision.

The two engaged in a calm conversation as the atmosphere gradually settled.

“As you already know, Saints are quite scarce. They are considerably fewer than the inquisitors, who are already a rare breed.”

“Still, this involves demons.”

“The status of whether a demon is involved or if someone is utilizing a demon’s power cannot be confirmed without specific information. Director Petrus staunchly asserts that without detailed intel, we cannot dispatch an exorcist.”

“Is fact-checking that crucial? Even when lives are lost?”

“Precisely because lives are lost, we must investigate with utmost certainty. Surely, Saint, you know there is no one more dangerous than an exorcist sent out for the first time.”

“…”

Lucia bit her lip and averted her gaze. It seemed there was something she wanted to say, but held back from voicing it.

While Lucia remained silent, Archbishop Theodosius turned to me and inquired about my well-being. We had exchanged glances upon entering, but the conversation with Lucia had made my greeting delayed.

The seasoned cleric leaned over the desk and walked toward me.

“Brother, are you feeling alright?”

“Ah… yes. I’m feeling a bit better now.”

“Hmm. May I take a moment to check your condition?”

I consented, and Archbishop Theodosius carefully examined my wounds.

He inspected my injuries with a keen eye, a hint of urgency marking his demeanor as he clicked his tongue softly.

“The wounds have not improved. Fortunately, they have not worsened.”

“Um… Archbishop.”

“You seem to have something you’re curious about. Please feel free to ask, Brother.”

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t quite understand. What were you two talking about, just now?”

“Ah, that was your curiosity? There’s no need to hide it from the main party, so feel free to ask. Hehe.”

With a hearty laugh, Archbishop Theodosius headed over to the small bookshelf in the office, suddenly posing an unexpected question.

“Brother, do you believe in the existence of demons?”

“…Demons?”

“Oh, that was a rather philosophical question, wasn’t it? Let me rephrase it. How much do you know about demons?”

Demons. I momentarily pondered what I knew about demons.

Always taking notes. Always losing jobs. Constantly captivated and applauding. Occasionally shedding tears. Red-faced with horns on their heads. The demon lord Lucifer is said to run a club in LA and is a major stakeholder in a tobacco company. He also told Constantine to shove it.

“…”

No matter how hard I tried, that was all that came to mind about demons. Maybe I had watched too much drama and movies.

“I don’t know much, Your Grace.”

“That’s understandable.”

Archbishop Theodosius offered a faint smile. He ran his fingers along the thick religious tomes on the shelf.

The bookshelf was filled with books related to religion. They looked to be self-published, meaning they were likely manually bound rather than commercial books.

“Different regions and religions have various names for evil beings. Demon, devil, ifrit… In our cult, we primarily refer to such beings as demons.”

As he rifled through the bookshelf, the seasoned clergyman began to recount glimpses of his own past.

“I was an exorcist in my youth. My main task was to identify demons residing in human bodies and expel them through exorcism rites.”

“Your Grace was an exorcist?”

“Don’t I look like one? Well, it’s been over ten years since I retired, so that might be expected.”

This was a rather humorous remark, as the archbishop chuckled while pulling a few books from the shelf, his face bright with a childlike smile.

“People often refer to demons as the main enemy of exorcists, but the actual foes they confront are not demons themselves. Rather, it’s the minions that demons command—those are the real adversaries for us exorcists.”

“Minions… You mean demonic creatures?”

“Not just demonic creatures; those are merely one type of minion.”

Thud. Archbishop Theodosius placed the hefty books down with a sigh.

“In practice, the beings exorcists combat most often are necromancers and possessed individuals. Do you know what necromancers are, Brother?”

“I do, quite well.”

Necromancers.

Also referred to as dark magicians, they fit precisely the concept of ‘dark magicians’.

Necromancers resurrect the deceased from their graves and manipulate their bodies and souls.

While the necromancers in the Magic Tower also summon and communicate with the spirits of the deceased, there’s a fundamental difference in how they are perceived: uttering the words necromancer in front of a sorcerer is a self-evident insult.

Necromancy is not officially recognized as an academic discipline but regarded as a dark art (邪術), while sorcery has been recognized as such.

To be honest, for those indifferent to magic or religious vocations, there might not seem like a significant difference between the two; both are often seen as performing grim acts, their numbers far fewer compared to other schools, and their dark aura cast too many similarities to discern.

However, sorcerers of the school firmly believe that being compared to necromancers is akin to an insult akin to slander against one’s parents.

Using necromancy requires making contracts with demons, while sorcery can be practiced without such an alliance, hence the claim of moral superiority and a higher level of competence.

Even recognized as an official discipline, recalling that a list of suspected individuals in the Military Intelligence Agency’s office included serving necromancers, it hardly paints them as particularly outstanding.

“Then you would also know the difference between necromancers and sorcerers.”

“Yes.”

“The one conspiring against the inquisitors and harming you is likely either a necromancer or a possessed individual. Personally, I suspect it is someone connected to necromancers, but considering the aspect of divinity, it might also be the case that a demon resides within a clergyman.”

“And regarding the possessed individual? Is that the one you mentioned that the Saint spoke of yesterday?”

“Yes, that’s right. You remembered.”

While I was quietly listening to the discussion, Lucia added that she remembered well.

I glanced back and forth between Lucia and Archbishop Theodosius, my expression one of confusion at their exchange of ideas.

“However, why is the topic of exorcists suddenly being brought up? I understood that the investigation is suspected to involve necromancers or possessed individuals….”

“Well, you should already know that, right?”

Archbishop Theodosius pointed with his finger towards the vicinity of my chest.

“Your flesh is rotting away, is it not?”

“…”

“The powers of demons cannot easily be explained through science, magic, or even the knowledge of the cult. They can rapidly afflict a healthy person with cancer, cause one to cough up blood profusely, and make one’s skin rot away… These are all very real phenomena that cannot be defined by medicine or healing arts.”

“Could it be a curse?”

“That could be one way to view it. Curses are closely linked to sorcery, and primitive spells can indeed replicate issues similar to what you’re currently experiencing. How that’s possible, however, varies widely among scholars.”

Suddenly, a description Francesca once shared about an inquisitorial curse flitted through my mind.

Didn’t she say that a child caught using sorcery inherited knowledge from the inquisitor?

“…”

Just when I felt like something might surface, Lucia spoke up again to Archbishop Theodosius.

“Oh, speaking of which, I have a question, Your Grace. Have you found a way to heal the wounds?”

“It’s only been less than a day since the word was sent, Saint. However, the scribes and priests are mobilized to look for solutions in the ancient texts.”

Lucia and the archbishop entered into an intense discussion about the methods to heal my wounds and how to summon an exorcist.

“We have to summon an exorcist before lives are lost.”

“I wish I could, but the enemy is a dangerous individual capable of killing four inquisitors in one strike. Even if we do bring in the exorcist right now, there’s no guarantee they will remain unscathed.”

“What about asking for assistance from the Imperial Ministry of Magic?”

“The activities of the Inquisition are politically sensitive. In principle, we cannot disclose exorcism rites to outsiders. If the Ministry gets involved, we will inevitably have to make the rites public, won’t we? Beyond that… the Duke in the north is an archmage. The activities of exorcists might provoke him and potentially lead to political issues.”

“But aren’t inquisitors and paladins here?”

“If it weren’t for the unusual situation with the demonic incursion, the Duke would have never allowed the Inquisition to set foot in the north under any circumstances.”

Lucia and Archbishop Theodosius challenged each other. However, it was more a constructive debate than a quarrel.

Yet, unheard of from Lucia, her expression was consistently serious. The usually optimistic Lucia presented a stiffened face throughout her discourse with the archbishop.

“Are you saying there’s nothing we can do right now, Your Grace?”

“…Unfortunately, yes.”

“…”

Lucia stared at Archbishop Theodosius with an impassive face. The look she was giving him was hard to believe it belonged to someone who had once been her mentor; her gaze was icy, laced with an oddly sharp tone.

The archbishop, as if to soothe Lucia, spoke in a gentle tone similar to how a grandfather might calm a grandchild.

Eventually, the one who retreated was Lucia.

“…If that is the Holy See’s decision, then there’s nothing more I can do.”

“I am grateful for your understanding, Saint.”

Archbishop Theodosius glanced back at Lucia once and then at me before speaking carefully.

“The National Affairs Council has delegated this matter to Director Petrus. Orders will be issued to the inquisitors as soon as the autopsy is completed. For now, please have faith in the head of the Inquisition and wait. I will inform the exorcists; if there are no urgent matters, a few will willingly come to the north.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“In the meantime, what do you intend to do, Saint?”

“I….”

Lucia’s gaze shifted slightly to the side. She cast a sidelong glance at me before looking back to Archbishop Theodosius.

“I intend to focus on caring for the wounds for the time being.”

“Would you mind doing that?”

“At least until we can receive a holy relic capable of healing the wounds, someone needs to continue treatment, right? I will do it.”

“…”

Archbishop Theodosius met Lucia’s gaze. His deep-set eyes and cerulean pupils entwined in the air.

A myriad of emotions crossed the seasoned clergyman’s face as he looked at Lucia. He looked both sorrowful and concerned.

The archbishop watched Lucia in silence for a long time before letting out a subtle sigh and bowing his head.

“…I would be grateful if you would do so, Saint.”

“…….”

“Instead, please promise me you will be careful.”

He gave a silent reverence to Lucia.

After what felt like an eternity, the archbishop finally lifted his head. He turned to me with a solemn look.

And then he delivered a vague phrase that I couldn’t quite decipher its meaning.

“I leave Saint in your hands.”

Though the intent of his words eluded me, I merely nodded in agreement.

The archbishop nodded heavily, and Lucia led me out of the office.

—

I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but things aren’t going according to plan.

The investigation I suspected to be led by heretics turned out to be linked to either demons or dark magic wielded by necromancers. A monstrous figure capable of taking bullets had killed four inquisitors, and I sustained severe injuries at its hands.

Archbishop Theodosius handed the bodies to the cult and requested support from the Holy See. Yet, Director Petrus of the Inquisition firmly refused to send exorcists without conclusive information.

I’m utterly perplexed about how things are unfolding. After what felt like an eternity of pain, I woke up only to find everything has progressed rapidly.

In light of this, I decided to contact the embassy.

I relayed a short report to Pippin and Jake via phone, which subsequently made its way to the Military Intelligence Agency through the embassy. From there, the information officers stationed by the cult would likely begin entangling themselves in the ongoing situation, and that intel would eventually be relayed to me.

Having wrapped up my work, I intended to visit Priest Rebecca.

However, it seemed Priest Rebecca had sustained injuries as well since she was receiving treatment in her hospital room. The healing priests donned hygienic gear, indicating that her injuries must be quite serious. Ultimately, I was left with no choice but to turn back without seeing her.

Though I couldn’t obtain information from Priest Rebecca, there remains no shortage of tasks ahead.

First, I need to check through Francesca if there are any intelligence reports from Hormoz, and whether I can deploy the personnel from the Magic Tower to track the creature.

I’ll need to remember the descriptions of the suspect and check if the list of apostates and missing persons that Camila has includes it. Although I’m unsure, I’m fairly confident that because it deals with the divine, I might be able to find a clue there.

I lay back on the bed, making all sorts of plans.

Yet, before I could execute those plans, I stumbled into an obstacle.

“…Uh, what did you say?”

Lucia spoke.

“Please guide me.”

“…Huh?”

“No one knows the way to the village. All the inquisitors are bedridden. I’ll help you so your wounds don’t worsen, but you need to guide me along the quickest route. We must go, and swiftly.”

I looked at Lucia, utterly flabbergasted.

She was telling a patient like me to guide her in this cold winter. Seriously, is it April Fool’s Day or something?

Yet, Lucia appeared exceedingly serious. Clad in thick winter garments, mumbling her prayers, she took me by the hand and led me toward the cathedral’s rear exit.

“Wait, where are we going?”

“We’re heading to the village where the investigation occurred.”

“Why are we suddenly going there?”

“Why else?”

Lucia replied firmly.

“We need to search for the investigation!”