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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Operation Name: Breaking the Chains
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*
The morning at Inquisition Keep was peaceful. Fernandez felt exhilarated under the gaze of the numerous inquisitors focused intently on him.
It reminded him of his days lecturing at the magic academy. Of course, he was no longer a black mage, and the audience before him now wasn't a crowd of passionate students but seasoned, cunning heretic inquisitors.
He stood on the pulpit of the grand cathedral, beginning his presentation before all the inquisitors from Dragonsting Fortress.
"Let's begin, brothers."
"Proceed."
Abbot Beorn pushed up his monocle with a swipe. He was a rugged man with a massive scar that had torn across one eye. As the representative of Religiosa Heretica and the Minister of the Inquisition Tribunal, he was the highest-ranking person here.
The top dog, in other words. Fernandez recalled his old days presenting research to the chairman to secure funding.
"First, a brief summary of the previous mission."
Fernandez approached the blackboard on the pulpit of the grand cathedral. He quickly scribbled across it.
[Gloridein City]
[Cult of Demdrizad]
[Demidraco]
[Inquisition Keep]
"As you all know, Gloridein City is the great metropolis right below the Inquisition Tribunal. Yet those mad cultists dared to summon a demon there. Why, I wonder?"
"Correct!"
"Yes, Brother Fabiano."
"Uh... because they're crazy...?"
"No, Brother. That's not it."
Fabiano raised his tree-trunk-like arm, muttered a word, then lowered it meekly under the stares of Zephys, Beorn, and Marco.
Fernandez continued without pause.
"Summoning a demon requires enormous manpower and resources. To conceal the process, nearly the full strength of a demon cult would need to be committed. So why conduct such a massive operation right under the nose of the Inquisition Tribunal?"
"Stop beating around the bush and get to it, Brother."
Beorn was in a foul mood. Laurenzo, the Heretica inquisitor who had fallen in Gloridein, had been a capable veteran.
"It was a smokescreen to hold our attention."
"You're saying the demon cult used a demon summoning as nothing more than a diversion?"
"The Demdrizad cult in Gloridein City was just a minor branch. Their main force is elsewhere entirely."
"I heard you killed their bishop. What makes you so sure?"
"The heretic I killed knew nothing of magic. Yet the altar where the demon was summoned was a magical construct of exceptional craftsmanship."
As Beorn fell silent, Zephys stroked his chin and spoke.
"Have you figured out what they aimed to achieve by sacrificing a mid-tier demon?"
"Yes. And it involves an entirely different cult."
Fernandez drew a line across the blackboard and wrote on the opposite side.
[Bronze Scales]
[Fairn Kingdom]
[Walker Plague]
"The Demdrizad cult has allied with the Bronze Scales. They dispatched one branch to draw eyes to Gloridein City. Without Brother Zephys here, we might have been tied down there for quite some time."
"You're being overly modest. You handled the demon extermination and the pursuit of remnants, didn't you?"
"Modesty confirmed."
Zephys let out a chuckle. Fernandez gave a short laugh of his own and pressed on.
"From the information I extracted from the Demidraco demon Tetragalan, whom I sealed, the Bronze Scales are preparing a massive ritual to topple the Fairn Kingdom."
"...? Is that even possible?"
The Fairn Kingdom was a superpower with unmatched military might among the Eastern Kingdom Alliance. It boasted prestigious legions, including the Royal Griffin Knights and the Merlin Guard.
Could one or two demon cults really overthrow such a powerhouse? Beorn scowled.
"Isn't that speculation?"
"The Bronze Scales are the ones who created and spread the Walker Plague."
"What?"
Marco gasped in shock. He stammered in disbelief.
"Th-that was a natural disease, wasn't it?"
"The Walker Plague is a pestilence the Bronze Scales obtained from demons, based on forbidden arts from the High Council of Aseas. They spread it to gather sacrificial victims for their rituals."
The Walker Plague. A vicious fever transmitted through saliva. Akin to rabies, it stripped humans of reason, turning them into mindless attackers who assaulted anyone nearby.
Devoid of pain or self-awareness, these walkers bit into kin, siblings, and acquaintances, and those bitten became new walkers, seeking fresh victims.
Spread in this manner, the plague could annihilate a village or even an entire city. Fortunately, the sluggish walkers rarely spread it far beyond...
"Th-then... if we eradicate those cultists, the Walker Plague will vanish into history?"
"I hope so... but I can't say for certain. At the very least, its momentum will wane."
"You're saying they can topple the Fairn Kingdom with something as trivial as the Walker Plague?"
Beorn looked skeptical.
It was highly contagious with no ready cure. But walkers traveling on foot to another village intact and creating more victims? That was nearly impossible.
At most, a single isolated village or a densely populated urban area...
Most walkers met their end as monster fodder the moment they left their village, drowned in ravines or rivers, or simply starved while wandering.
And even if one reached another village, what then? What fool would welcome a stranger visibly afflicted with some strange affliction into their midst?
Fernandez roughly sketched a map of the Fairn Kingdom on the blackboard. He marked several spots with chalk.
"Here, here, here. And here. These four cities are the Bronze Scales branches the demon told me about. And..."
He marked other areas on the map.
"These six villages are the sites of Walker Plague outbreaks in the Fairn Kingdom to date. If we connect them like this..."
Fernandez's chalk moved swiftly. Lines crisscrossed the map, revealing a bizarre magic circle.
"The demon said... these cultists are drawing a massive summoning array across the entire territory of the Fairn Kingdom."
"!!!!"
"...By Beitasser..."
"...Hoo..."
The inquisitors gaped at the map in horror. Marco crossed himself and asked cautiously.
"What's the likelihood this intel is accurate?"
"There's undoubtedly some misdirection among them. Even if we uncover the truth, they'll drag it out as long as possible. So let's assume a 30% chance these checkpoints are correct."
"We can't commit our full strength to the Fairn Kingdom."
Beorn frowned.
"Half the brothers not assigned to current missions must depart for others this month. We don't have enough immediately available."
"I'll go personally. Just assign me one personal attendant."
"That's too dangerous, Brother Fernandez. You're no sacrificial pawn—value yourself higher."
"Make it possible. Isn't this the mission I brought to light?"
Fernandez knew what troubled Beorn. If this young saint died on mission? From Beorn's perspective, every inquisitor was a precious asset, and a 'saint appeared after thirty years' was irreplaceable.
"I'll travel with Torchman Kirhas."
"...? With a torchman?"
"There'll be almost no direct contact anyway. We'll investigate the truth and pinpoint their habitats. Then you can assign a purge team afterward, right?"
"...Very well."
That was the most Beorn could concede. Zephys watched Fernandez quietly.
"I saw your abilities on the last mission. You're skilled at scouting and reconnaissance. Can you guarantee your return alive?"
"Trust me."
"May fortune favor you."
Marco clapped his hands and said,
"Well then, Brother Fernandez, your first solo mission? What's the operation name?"
"Breaking the Chains. How's that?"
"Scales, so breaking the chains... Perfect! Go see Brother Martirio. Get the best gear from the armory."
Halfway there. Fernandez smiled. This mission briefing had been crafted to secure a solo assignment. The [Bronze Throne] was an artifact he wouldn't yield to anyone.
*
"Bene factor, what's this?"
"Operation orders. First time seeing them? Second for me."
Fernandez found Kirhas reading in the library. The librarian looked flustered at the sight of a Demonica entering.
Demonica rarely visited the library, after all. Fernandez chuckled and patted the librarian's shoulder.
"I've only just started training."
"Impressive? Already begun?"
The Inquisition Tribunal's trials were brutal. Comparable to the Demonica's baptismal rites, perhaps, but the requirements for a civilian to qualify as an attendant were exceedingly stringent.
Yet Kirhas had bulldozed through every obstacle in a single week with her innate senses and prodigious talent—a true monster.
'No wonder she's Kirhas Hearttaker of the Great Catfolk.'
"Breaking the Chains... Not a purge mission?"
"Thirsty for blood already?"
"Haha, didn't you say we should get revenge?"
Kirhas laughed brightly as she carefully folded the orders. She stroked the paper's edges.
"Please take care of me, Sir Angelo."
"Of course, Basila."
Kirhas blushed and bowed her head. Her beautiful black hair cascaded, veiling her sharp jawline.
*
[Operation: Breaking the Chains]
Operation Area: Fairn Kingdom nationwide, Checkpoints 1, 3, 12.
Operation Summary: Locate hidden lairs of Bronze Scales and search for heretics. Trace origins of Walker Plague.
Operation Task Force: Demonica Fernandez Cerned. Torchman Kirhas Hearttaker.
Call Signs: Fernandez – Angelo (A), Kirhas – Basila (B)
We shall burn demons, heretics, and witches.
Final Approval: Abbot of St. Bartholomew Monastery, Beorn Shieldbane.
*
-Bronze Throne... yeah, that'd definitely be useful.
"Exactly what I need right now."
The Bronze Throne. An artifact of the demons.
Far from a throne or even a chair, it was merely a small bronze bracelet. Yet it bore the grandiose moniker 'Throne' for a reason.
Its function: absorb and emit hellish mana. In his past life, it had been useless to Fernandez. His mana reserves and output had been excessive enough without it.
But he couldn't wield hellish mana with this body. He couldn't implant mana circuits into a body bearing stigmata.
'But if I acquire an artifact to substitute for mana circuits...'
He could cast spells. Magic using hellish mana typically corrupted the caster, but the Bronze Throne absorbed the lingering aftereffects.
A perfect artificial mana circuit for black magic. The total spells usable per day were limited, but how many plans opened up with magic at his disposal?
-Tock tock.
As he pondered and packed, a knock sounded.
"Come in."
"Preparations going well?"
"Just about to hit the armory."
"Haha, Brother Martirio was sharpening everything. Didn't you lose all your gear on the last mission?"
"Occupational hazard."
Zephys stroked his chin as he sat. The side table became miraculously cramped under his bulk.
"What's the occasion, Brother?"
"Worried?"
"Lying doesn't suit a pious monk."
"Is that so?"
Zephys gazed steadily at Fernandez.
"Then tell me. Why volunteer for this mission?"
"...? To burn demons, heretics, and witches?"
"Not very pious, are you?"
"...Not particularly, Brother Zephys. Feels awkward coming from Demonica."
"True. I lack your skill. But there's another reason, Brother. A reason for a solo assignment. I'm curious about your true goal."
Fernandez met Zephys's eyes. Whatever he said, Zephys would leave without further comment. But Fernandez needed Zephys's—and the Inquisition Tribunal's—trust.
Not as a 'saint,' but as an 'inquisitor.' Their trust and support were essential for the grand schemes ahead.
"Brother, the Scales of Chains' plan will fail."
"Quite certain. Why?"
"The Cult of Demdrizad operates across the entire Fairn Kingdom. Their goals may align with the Bronze Scales now, but my intel says there's another faction underground."
In his past life, Demdrizad had devoured the Fairn Kingdom. The Bronze Scales fell to a mid-tier gang after failure.
To cause such upheaval required one more 'piece' beyond Demdrizad's power. He hadn't known the details then, but the outcome proved it.
(1) A mysterious organization toppled the thriving [Bronze Scales].
(2) This shadow group wields influence nationwide while evading the Inquisition Tribunal's watch.
(3) Demdrizad later profits from the conflict between Bronze Scales and the shadow group to seize the kingdom.
To satisfy these...
"There's someone in the royal court."
To neutralize Fairn's Royal Griffin Knights required a presence in the capital with that authority—at least a royal or high courtier.
"So, Brother, please monitor the Fairn royal family."
Zephys's eyes widened slightly at 'royal family.' Fernandez smiled at him.
'Till I claim the [Bronze Throne], just look the other way.'
He'd gain Zephys's trust, check a heretic faction, save the Fairn Kingdom, and secure a demonic artifact—all in one.
And this was merely the first step in the plan.