The Demon Hunting Method of the Regressed Inquisitor

Bandit (2)

After dealing with one, Titan raised the corners of his mouth and asked.

“Sorcerer, tell me. What can you do?”

“Well, something like this?”

I immediately unleash divine power.

In front of the coachman, I had only shown the power of the hearth and home goddess, Vesta. A typical priest serves only one god.

So what I’m doing now is quite unusual.

Bang!

I pour divine power, incomparable to before, directly onto the floor of the carriage.

And immediately, I borrow the miracle that the god bestows in exchange for that power.

This time, what I receive in return is the white shade of Heimdall, the guardian god who guards the rainbow bridge connecting heaven and earth.

A pure white curtain envelops the carriage where the children and I are.

“Good.”

Titan’s evaluation was simple. With his response, he immediately raised the hammer he was holding high.

I had already seen the result once before.

The explosion that sent dirt and gravel flying when Titan appeared.

It came again, with even greater power.

BOOM!

It wasn’t a special technique. The only thing contained in that strike was sheer force.

Everything else was excluded from that strike, and the correctness of that method was soon revealed in the result.

“Ahhh!”

After the deafening roar passed, what followed was a scream.

The result of the massive wave of power that swept through the bandits, the surroundings, and even the area where the carriage was located.

“I intended to filter out the riffraff, but it’s a pity.”

The hellscape created by a single strike unfolded before my eyes.

What remained were those who had lost parts of their bodies and were screaming, and those who had fallen at a relatively far distance, half out of their minds.

That’s what bandits are.

No matter how large their scale or who is behind them, they are still bandits.

If they had any real skill, they wouldn’t have resorted to banditry in the first place.

“W-wait! Spare me…!”

“There were only riffraff.”

CRACK!

Titan stabbed the necks of the still-breathing bandits with his spear, finishing them off for good.

He chased down the ones trying to escape and crushed their heads one by one.

There were no survivors among the bandits.

“There’s nothing more dangerous than leaving a wounded beast behind.”

He leaves no future threats. Despite his appearance, he is thorough.

“Now that all the tomatoes are crushed, shaman, do you have anything to say?”

Having perfectly dealt with the remnants, Titan approaches the carriage.

As he gets closer, a smile forms on his lips, as if he finds the intact carriage interesting.

The moment he gets within reach, he dismantles Heimdall’s shadow.

The other kids step back, creating distance, and finally, I find myself face-to-face with Titan.

And as Titan promised, he grabs me by the collar.

His expression is blank, and his eyes are as cold as ice.

“Wait.”

Ignoring the overwhelming pressure, I close my eyes and borrow Vesta’s spark, lighting it at my fingertip.

“I’ve been holding back for a long time.”

I take out the cigarette I bought from the village and light it.

Taking a puff of the cigarette.

“Whoo…”

Extinguishing Vesta’s spark, I quietly open my eyes. In front of me is still the ferocious-looking orc.

“Don’t you have anything to say? Any complaints?”

“Hahahahaha!”

Dropping the act of being weak, Titan bursts into laughter as if he finds it amusing.

Yes, I knew orcs would prefer this confident demeanor.

“The result was disappointing, but it was quite an entertaining game.”

Titan finally lets go of my collar.

“And that black fox over there, your courage is commendable, but your killing intent is too strong. You won’t succeed in a surprise attack like that.”

Looking in the direction Titan pointed, I saw Linnea with her hood off, possibly due to the aftermath of the storm.

As everyone’s gaze focused on her, the fox ears on top of her head twitched. She must have felt burdened by the sudden attention.

Linnea hesitated and quietly pulled her hood back on.

“How did you know?”

Linnea, with her hood back on, asked in a small voice.

For a moment, I thought she was asking how he noticed the killing intent, but her gaze was directed not at Titan, but at me.

It was a question about me.

“What do you mean?”

“How did you know I was a noble?”

She seemed to have been paying attention to me from the beginning, but now her interest had turned into suspicion.

It’s only natural.

Handling things like this, how could she not be suspicious?

But the explanation is simple.

“It’s not just the hood that’s the problem.”

“Ah.”

Linnea, who was looking in the direction I was pointing, is shocked as if she had been hit on the head. It’s not just the hood that was blown away by the aftermath of the storm.

The front of the cheap robe she wore for camouflage is the same.

“Clothing that can’t be seen in the Empire or other foreign countries. Isn’t that outfit a special product from Nidavellir?”

“Ah.”

A light pink shirt and a black skirt.

Black stockings under the skirt.

A white coat draped over it.

The level of completion is 2-3 steps ahead of the general level of civilization.

If it weren’t for the future city, Nidavellir, it would be impossible to make such clothes with the current level of civilization.

Even if it could be made, the cost would be the same.

Anyone could easily notice that she was the daughter of a noble or a wealthy merchant.

“You don’t seem to know how to wear a cheap robe properly. If you want to hide your identity, wouldn’t it be better to fasten the collar more tightly?”

“Ah.”

Finally, when I give her advice, she can’t lift her head.

Her face, hidden by the hood, must be blushing.

I’ve thought about it since the village, but she has a lot of clumsy sides.

“I’m, I’m sorry…”

Linnea shrinks into a corner.

I saw children approaching her and comforting her.

She had a clumsiness that couldn’t be hidden even by her noble status.

And that clumsiness must have reduced the distance between her and the children.

She was despised by people not because she was a beast or a noble, but because of a momentary scene that should have happened today.

“But shaman, what will you do now? Haven’t you lost your guide?”

The coachman disappeared without a trace under the hammering of the Titan.

“Well, then shall I go find the guide for a moment?”

“Wouldn’t it be faster if I went?”

“If you go, who will protect the ones here?”

“Hmm…”

Titan turned his head to look at the children huddled together.

Every time his gaze touched them, the children shrank back in fear.

“Well, they do look weak enough that they can’t even protect themselves.”

Titan nodded in approval, and the children fell into despair.

Quite a few of them seemed to resent me.

Well, how many of them would still see me the same way now that I’ve revealed my true colors? The respect in the children’s eyes had vanished, leaving only a sense of betrayal.

This is a common occurrence for an inquisitor.

*     *      *

Bandits move in groups, but not all at once.

Of course, if the group is small, they might, but if the bandits are of a certain size, there will always be some waiting at the base.

There is a hierarchy among bandits too, and those at the top rarely step forward.

That means.

“From now on, I’ll leave only one alive.”

This means that the main force of the bandits is still nearby.

There’s no need to go back to a distant village to find a guide.

At least one of them will know the way.

The preliminary skirmish was left to Titan, so now it’s my turn to work.

From the beginning, I never thought I could make them repent like the saint.

I, as myself, as an inquisitor in the shadow of the pantheon.

It’s time to do something disgraceful.

I draw my sword.

The pure white blade, a gift from my master when I descended the mountain, reveals itself.

“We’ll talk in detail after clearing about half of them.”

At first, the bandits, who were staring blankly in confusion, began to shout loudly as I drew my sword.

“That…!”

But I couldn’t hear them.

I didn’t hear any sound.

What I borrowed in exchange for divine power was the starlight decoration of Latri, the god of night.

The surroundings fell silent as if submerged in water. The once bright world was trapped in a quiet darkness.

This is the first time I’ve wielded a sword since my return.

Bridging the gap between the past where I had once laid down my sword and the prime of my body.

Just as the bandits, who were bewildered by the sudden turn of events, began to regain their senses and charge towards me.

Once more, I ignite the divine power.

This time, I borrow the strength of Vidar, the god who hunted the half-river monster.

The swordsmanship I wield is a technique that I could not originally use with my own skills.

An alien technique, to the extent that even I, who use it, cannot comprehend it.

It’s good that I can use techniques that are dozens of times more powerful than my actual skill level, thanks to my master’s teachings.

But if my body cannot withstand it and I do not compensate for the lacking parts, I will end up in the same state as before my regression.

I had once pushed myself to the brink, unable to wield a sword ever again.

Grit!

I grasp the sword with both hands and hold it horizontally. I gaze at the world illuminated by the small starlight in the night sky.

The bandits before my eyes, the trees and the forest, the rocks. And beyond them.

I gaze at the horizon.

Slash!

In an instant, the horizon becomes clear as if it swallows everything else.

“……”

The sword was swung, and the bandits who were charging at me gaped at the horizon etched onto their bodies.

Soon, a red light spread over the horizon that had swallowed their bodies.

The starlight decorations that created the silent night were lifted, and at the end, where the bandits, trees, and rocks collapsed together.

“With this, half.”

A clean horizon was visible before my eyes, and a different kind of silence settled in the bandits’ stronghold.

“Only those who know the way to the Duke of Foris’ territory, raise your hands.”

The bandits’ will was broken, and now only a simple selection process remained.

Among the remaining half, only one person could survive.

*     *      *

After bringing along a guide and a coachman, we headed towards the Duke of Foris’ territory again.

While I was finishing the selection process, Titan decided to walk alongside the carriage without hiding anymore.

The children still felt uneasy about Titan, but at the same time, I could see that they felt reassured.

Thanks to this, the temporary coachman we had hired couldn’t entertain any other thoughts, which was the best outcome.

Everything had changed from before.

The result was the same, but the children no longer feared Linea.

Instead, that fear was directed towards Titan, but that wasn’t a problem.

In situations like this, who did it is more important than what was done. If Linea had chopped up the bandits, it would have been unsettling, but if Titan crushed the bandits, it would be considered natural.

The image according to appearance.

Because of that, it wasn’t much of a problem for Titan.

“Excuse me.”

After the leisurely carriage journey resumed.

Linea, who had been crouching in the corner in embarrassment, slowly approached me.

There was still suspicion and wariness in her eyes.

“Who is that person?”

“Hmm.”

Well, it’s natural to be suspicious when someone who went to find a guide comes back with a terrified person.

“I brought him from the bandits’ hideout. He said he knew the way to the Duke of Foris’ territory, so I brought him along.”

Normally, saying this would make people think of someone who had been captured by bandits. Of course, they might also think I captured a bandit.

But most people would find the former more credible.

“He’s a bandit, right?”

Despite this, Linea concluded that the coachman was a bandit without hesitation.

“Why do you think so?”

I wasn’t surprised that she figured it out, but I was curious about the reason for her certainty.

It seemed she hadn’t even considered the other possibility.

“Because I smelled blood. Not from him, but from you.”

“Oh dear, I tried to be careful not to get any on me, but I guess a little got on.”

I forgot that she was a beastkin.

Well, there’s nothing to hide.

I’ve already shown my confidence in front of Titan, so this level of suspicion is reasonable.

Anyway, no one would blame me for it now.

“Thank you for saving me and taking on the dirty work.”

Linea bowed her head.

It seems she has a clear sense of discernment, so I don’t need to worry.

“May I ask your name?”

“…….”

Rinea looks at me with a suspicious gaze and asks. As I pause for a moment at her appearance, she adds as if she had forgotten.

“Oh, I am Rinea… I mean, Rinea Spirine.”

The latter part was in a voice so small that only I could hear it.

Although it was already revealed that she was a noble, she probably didn’t want others to know about her origin.

“……?”

Even with such an introduction, when I remained silent, Rinea tilted her head. Her ears, sticking out from under her hood, moved along with her head.

It wouldn’t be boring to watch.

“Yes, a name.”

But contrary to her worries, I wasn’t ignoring her.

I was just contemplating.

I had lost my name once. No, it would be more accurate to say it was taken away.

The one who gave me a second name was the Pantheon and the Saint.

Since then, I have always used that baptismal name as my own.

That’s why I hesitate.

Because I feel like I am not yet worthy of using that name.

“Hmm…”

When I looked at Rinea, she was looking at me with half-closed eyes as if she was seeing something strange.

The Rinea I know is someone who always tried to reassure anxious people with a gentle smile.

I changed, and many things changed.

And change means.

It also means that I lost something I had been holding onto.

Today, I changed many things.

I saved someone and lost memories.

– To gain something means to lose something at the same time. So always think carefully and pick up what you need. If you try to hold everything in your hands, you will end up losing everything.

Suddenly, I remembered what my teacher, who taught me how to live in this world, said.

To gain something means to lose something, right? At that time, I couldn’t understand it well.

But now I think I understand.

I gave Rinea a bright future in exchange for losing the memories with her.

The bitter and painful memories that only she and I shared.

And those things became things that could never be found again.

Yes, is there another word as fitting as this?

“It’s ‘Lost’.”

That’s why this name suits me now.

Because I plan to keep losing many memories in the future.

*     *      *

The carriage journey continued.

The terrified bandit drove the carriage, looking only ahead, while the Titan, who couldn’t fit in the carriage, guarded beside it.

“Hmm…”

In the meantime, I checked my belongings once more.

Since I moved so hastily from waking up to getting on the carriage, I hadn’t had time to check what I had and what I didn’t.

Upon checking,

I had plenty of money. No, rather, it was excessive.

It must have been the worried teacher who prepared it for me.

And the sword given by the master.

Looking at the pure white blade, I felt a chilling aura.

This is also quite a sword.

And finally…

“Did I have something like this?”

Two small stone fragments.

I never imagined I would have something like this.

Rare, but with few who know its value.

A double-edged sword whose use was erased from the Pantheon. Just holding it made me feel uneasy.

＜Fragments of Morpheus’ Dream＞

A stone fragment emitting a faint light.

If the teacher knew and put this in, it was quite a harsh lesson.

Though it made me feel quite uneasy, I should keep it just in case for an emergency.

“Wow!”

Just as I finished checking my belongings, cheers came from the other children in the carriage.

In the distance, a massive fortress wall came into view.

It was the moment they finally arrived at the place where the criminals related to the bandit incident were hiding, the grand city of the Poris Duchy.

“Stop!”

“Don’t move! If you move, I’ll shoot immediately!”

Along with some minor trouble.

“Annoying fellows.”

And the one causing that trouble quietly raised a hammer.