The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 55

Inquisitor Torquemada Slobryn, affiliated with the Papal States, is a man who has executed an unparalleled number of heretics at the stake, gathering the Pope’s trust as a singular inquisitor.

While the goal of capturing heretics aligns with that of the Holy Knight Order, Inquisitor Torquemada operates under direct orders from the Pope, the pinnacle of the religious world, which sets us apart. What business could he possibly have with me?

Upon arriving at the VIP room, Inquisitor Torquemada, clad in white ceremonial robes, was already seated, not bothering to stand or even open his eyes in my presence.

“Inquisitor Torquemada, sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Only when I spoke did Inquisitor Torquemada finally open his eyes, revealing a clarity that seemed to see right through to one’s soul? It was hard to believe that this handsome man with his well-defined features had once ordered entire villages burned at the stake for harboring heretics.

“Knight Captain Cecil. You are the last subject of my inquiry.”

“Inquiry? What do you mean?”

“We at the Papal States view the events that unfolded today in the western great forest area as problematic. Without presuming, we have conducted inquiries with all knights involved, and you are the last on my list.”

“Wait. Do you mean to say you’ve interrogated even those who were injured? Many of them are severely wounded.”

Inquisitor Torquemada didn’t answer my question but stated, “This is a very dangerous sign.”

“If the knights’ testimonies are true, then a low-ranking knight named Leon Stein defeated the notorious heretic Grittz Mars. The Papal States view this as a deeply concerning situation.”

“Why would Leon’s capture of Grittz be a matter of concern? The damage was significant, but capturing a dangerous heretic should benefit the royal capital.”

Inquisitor Torquemada shook his head. “We believe that Leon Stein is a heretic, holding a particularly malicious heretical skill.”

“On what basis? My right hand, Sword Saint Lilith, asserts he is not a heretic. Her judgment is rarely wrong.”

“There is testimony. Come in.”

At Inquisitor Torquemada’s call, the door to the VIP room opened, and to my surprise, Bumpy Woods, a junior knight, entered. He was one of the knights who had returned safely from that scene.

“While other knights may have been reserved in their statements, possibly out of gratitude for saving their lives, this knight provided valuable testimony. Bumpy Woods, you indeed witnessed Leon Stein manipulating the heretic Seneca Forest at will and enhancing his agility with an enchantment skill, did you not?”

“Yes, fortunately, unlike other knights, I wasn’t directly attacked by Grittz, so I observed the entire battle from the bushes. Just as Inquisitor Torquemada said, Leon manipulated Seneca like a limb, and upon Leon’s command, Seneca’s body lit up, clearly gaining agility.”

Inquisitor Torquemada closed his eyes, nodding slightly with each of Bumpy’s statements. Bumpy continued, “Most importantly when Leon dealt the final blow to Grittz, he moved with a speed I had never seen before. Without a doubt, that was a heretical skill. Such a vile, dangerous man should be captured and killed immediately.”

At that moment, I lost all restraint on my emotions.

Before I knew it, I had stood up and kicked Bumpy in the stomach.

“Ugh!”

Bumpy collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach. This was not enough to calm my emotions. I stepped on Bumpy’s head as he groaned on the floor.

“If it weren’t for Leon, you’d be lined up in the morgue. To speak ill of someone who saved you, isn’t that disgraceful?”

“Captain! It hurts! My wounds are going to open!”

“Who saved your life? Say it.”

“Leon! Leon saved me!”

“A knight with such a rotten nature, willing to betray his savior, has no place in our order. If you don’t want to be expelled, tell the truth to Inquisitor Torquemada.”

“Inquisitor Torquemada! I’m sorry! Leon is not a heretic. Captain! It hurts! Please forgive me!”

After summoning another knight to take Bumpy away, I turned to face Inquisitor Torquemada.

“That man changes his story easily due to his weak will. The information that Leon is a heretic lacks credibility.”

Inquisitor Torquemada looked me in the eye before speaking. “Are you aware of why Grittz Mars, Capone’s mad dog, killed the sister at the Marianne Monastery?”

I was taken aback by the sudden question, unable to respond. Why would an inquisitor affiliated with the Papal States know about Grittz’s murder of the sister? Only those who had examined the sister’s body and understood Grittz’s abilities were supposed to know this.

Inquisitor Torquemada took a shadowgraph from his ceremonial robes and placed it on the table. “The Capone family had planned to kidnap this girl.”

“This girl is…”

The shadow graph depicted a black-haired girl, someone I recognized. It was undoubtedly the same girl I had seen on Triumph Street upon returning from an expedition.

“Who exactly is this girl?”

“Her name is Nina Nightsky. She is prophesied to manifest a special heretical skill, making her an anomaly among anomalies. The sister at the Marianne Monastery, who was murdered, had been monitoring her on our orders until the skill manifested.”

“So, Grittz attempted to kidnap this girl, and the sister was killed in the process?”

Inquisitor Torquemada nodded in confirmation. “Yes, but Nina escaped with the sister’s help and is missing.”

I understood why the Dark Guild would be interested in someone predicted to develop a special heretical skill.

“And what exactly is the relationship between this girl and Leon?”

Inquisitor Torquemada presented another shadowgraph.

I couldn’t make sense of it at first glance.

The shadow graph showed Leon and the girl, likely in Pornai. But something was off. The girl’s facial features resembled Nina’s, but she had horns on her head and a tail extending from her rear. Most strikingly, this figure was the spitting image of Demon Lord Manina, who was said to have once reigned over the earth.

“No, this can’t be possible…”

If this shadowgraph depicted the truth, it would be a historical event capable of overturning the Holy Knight Order, the religious world, and the entire world. Above all, why was Leon there?

Inquisitor Torquemada stood up and extended his hand. “As a saintess, you have the power and duty to capture both Leon Stein and Nina Nightsky. Of course, the Papal States will spare no effort in assisting you. Captain Cecil, no, Cecil, I will support you directly from now on. Let’s unite and eradicate these demons.”