Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 271

These people are insane! Esel thought, his face red with fury.

How dare this small, unimportant kingdom stop the temple from doing its work? It was an insult!

“Do you think your kingdom will be safe after you defy the gods?” Esel shouted, his voice shaking with anger.

His threat was born from rage, but it was not just empty words. Even the mighty Ares Empire was careful when dealing with the temple. And this tiny kingdom dared to stand against them?

But the Sword Master, facing Esel’s fury, remained completely calm. He didn’t even blink.

“It’s not the will of the gods, but the will of the temple, I presume. With their level of divine power, reattaching their own arms wouldn’t be that difficult.”

Esel was so shocked, he stopped shouting and stood still.

Before he knew it, the battle had stopped.

The Inquisitors, who seemed devoid of emotion, recognized the anomaly in their command and stopped fighting, gathering in one place, and the McLaine knights didn’t bother to stop them.

“Well, no one is dead yet, so maybe we can still fix this. What do you think?”

“Are you really in your right mind? Do I have to show you the country collapsing before you come to your senses…!”

“Unfortunately, the Cardinal is unlikely to see whether this country collapses or not.”

When had he approached?

Suddenly, a gust of wind seemed to blow through the battlefield. Before Esel could blink, the Sword Master was right in front of him, whispering, and Esel’s tongue stopped against his will.

“Ah, can you reattach severed heads if you’re a Cardinal?”

A low voice echoed in his ear.

A thick wave of murderous intent washed over Esel. It felt like ice water, making his breath catch in his throat, and cold sweat poured down Esel’s wrinkled face like a waterfall.

He wasn’t really holding a sword to his neck, but it was an abnormal sight to anyone who looked.

“Your Eminence!”

“Your Excellency!”

“How dare you!”

The Handlers, whose arms had been severed, began to emit brilliant white light from their bodies, flickering like flames, and smelling faintly of incense once more.

However.

“S-stop!”

At Esel’s sudden shout, the storm-like momentum subsided like a spring breeze in an instant.

“Oh, there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Put down your weapons!”

Despite his grand position as Cardinal, Esel possessed neither the divine power of a high priest nor the combat prowess of a knight. His mind and body couldn’t keep up with the aura user’s blatant display of power.

“Your Eminence! Don’t give in to threats!”

“We will fight to the end!”

“The will of the gods will not be broken!”

The Inquisitors, who had been expressionless all along, shouted from here and there with flushed faces.

As they began to step forward one by one, seemingly ready to resume the battle with the Handlers at the forefront, Esel’s face contorted.

‘Damn it all.’

How could he not feel ashamed at this moment?

But the promising figure of the temple, who had risen to the rank of high priest at a young age by deeply understanding the doctrine and accepting God, was not here.

All that was here now was a petty man corrupted over decades, who now valued himself more than God. Esel remembered the days when he truly believed in the gods. Now, all he believed in was his own comfort and power.

‘I need to survive first.’

And that petty man made the most of the acting skills that had brought him to this position.

“…Faith does not yield to threats. This area is where Sister Ilia allowed that taboo. We were hasty.”

“However, Your Eminence! That Bishop Ilia is currently being repatriated for religious inquiry…”

“Until the results are out, that is the official position of the temple. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Ah…!”

The Inquisitors all made expressions as if they had realized something.

And watching them, the McLaine knights all had the same thought.

– Crazy bastards.

The Cardinal’s words were clearly just a desperate attempt to survive to anyone who listened. Yet everyone seemed to understand the nonsense and put down their weapons all at once.

‘I should never associate with fanatics.’

Even the Sword Master, who had created this situation, could only chuckle in absurdity. The Sword Master had a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Your Eminence.”

As the Sword Master smirked and bowed his head, Esel’s eyes flashed strangely, and he replied in a very small voice.

“Heu… Hee hee. I will remember this humiliation.”

The fact that he only smiled at those words made him feel even more frustrated.

Who would have imagined?

That there would be someone who would threaten the head of the Inquisitors, who could be said to hold the fate of the country in his hands, with force.

‘Crazy bastards. I will make you shed tears of blood.’

Esel engraved his resentment in his heart.

However, his and the investigation team’s ordeal had only just begun.

“Haha. The investigation team has ruled that there are no heretical charges against drinking deer blood, you know.”

“Oh, really? That’s a relief. That’s a real relief.”

The knights met the residents in every village they visited on their way to Raftan Castle, spreading the word. The journey to Raftan Castle felt long and tense. The Inquisitors were silent, and Esel fumed, thinking of revenge.

They were deliberately manipulating public opinion.

Perhaps those short conversations would soon spread throughout the kingdom on the wings of gossip.

‘They just postponed the judgment?’

The Inquisitors were dumbfounded, but they didn’t bother to refute it because their leader was silent.

Meanwhile, their leader was groping in his bosom, inwardly grinding his teeth.

‘Your smiles won’t last much longer.’

Esel tried to ignore the knights’ behavior, thinking only of that one thing.

Neigh!

“Inform them that the Inquisitors have arrived.”

Even when he confidently shouted those words at the gates of Raftan.

“Oh, Your Eminence! It’s an honor to meet you.”

Even when the lord rushed out as if flying and bowed his head.

Esel thought he would soon be able to repay this humiliation.

He passed the lord with an arrogant face and went inside, and as soon as he was guided to the guest quarters, he slammed the door shut and took out a pure white crystal ball from his bosom.

However, contrary to his expectations, the response of the savior he believed in was not so good.

The Pope, who could be seen as his only superior, frowned instead of listening to his desperate appeal.

[The reaction to the investigation team within the kingdom is not good… Did you call me to say that obvious thing, Esel.]

“N-no, it’s not just that! They even used force to stop the heretical trial, Your Holiness!”

[Oh, so? Did any of the priests die?]

“Not that, but… many were seriously injured…!”

Esel appealed once again, recalling the Handlers who were staggering because they couldn’t shake off the remnants of the aura even after reattaching their severed arms.

[No one died. Haa… Cardinal Esel, you are becoming an embarrassment to the temple.]

Were the words he heard really from the mouth of the Pope?

Esel was too shocked to speak. The Pope looked at him with sharp eyes and said in an angry voice…

[Esel. You don’t think your mission is just to secure evidence of heresy, do you?]

“Yes? Th-that’s all I was ordered to do…”

[Hmm… Esel looks weak. Did I make a mistake letting him get comfortable for so long? He’s lost his bite.]

Esel saw the Pope’s eyes become like ice. The Pope’s sharp words had stung him. Esel quickly stood up straight.

“Your Holiness, please tell me what to do! My mind is slow, please guide me!”

Thud. Thud. Each thud of Esel’s head against the cold stone floor echoed in the silent room. But the Pope’s voice stayed calm, like ice cracking on a frozen lake.

[Your mission is to find a reason for us, for the temple, to get involved in the McLaine Kingdom.]

“……Yes? Does that mean…….”

[Finding evidence of heresy is acceptable, but if that proves too difficult, then some of the priests ‘greatly’ doing wrong would also serve as a good reason.]

The communication ended with a voice so cold it felt like his heart was freezing over, and Esel couldn’t leave his spot for a long while.

And the next day.

“All priests, scatter and find evidence of heresy! Do not compromise, ever! Even if it costs you your ‘lives’!”

At Esel’s roar, the Inquisitors scattered throughout the Raftan territory.

Behind them, numerous knights followed.

It’s like everything else in the world.

Rules change depending on who is in charge. If someone doesn’t know the rules, that can be used against them.

“What is that?”

“Th-that is meant to honor the spirits of the village ancestors…….”

“Idol worship, is it. Heresy.”

As the Inquisitor declared and drew his warhammer, the face of the villager who had been answering him turned pale in an instant.

At that moment.

Clang!

“That’s far enough. I cannot guarantee your safety if you move any further, Priest.”

“There is no compromise before heresy!”

As if he had already forgotten the deer blood incident, Inquisitor Rupert knocked away the sword with his gauntlet and swung his warhammer.

‘In the name of God.’

He was prepared to be martyred if it meant eradicating heresy.

However.

Wham!

Thwack.

“Take a rest, you crazy fanatic.”

The knights, unable to hide their contempt, easily knocked out the Inquisitors who were burning with faith.

After arriving in Raftan territory, the difference in power became even more severe as the knights of the 4th Corps joined.

“Absolutely do not kill them!”

“Just knock them out!”

Before long, a bizarre scene unfolded throughout Raftan territory as unconscious Inquisitors were carried one by one into the inner castle.

“The priests’ zeal was excessive, you see. So, I had no choice but to intervene.”

At the Sword Master’s absurd excuse, Esel asked back with a crumpled face.

“……I would like to know if this ridiculous situation is your doing, or the King’s.”

The Sword Master and the Knights’ attitude had already crossed the line by far.

Even if the incident in the mountain could be overlooked, making the temple angry in front of numerous commoners… he couldn’t even begin to guess what their intentions were.

“We are merely protecting our kingdom’s people.”

The Sword Master’s ambiguous smile was enough to turn Esel’s stomach.

‘Damn it, what do I do now.’

Esel’s worries only deepened.

The rumor that Inquisitors had entered the kingdom slowly spread.

The faith of the Nine Gods was the basic belief that dominated the continent’s feeling, and going against it was such a serious matter that even gossips were careful with their words.

However, as the investigation team headed to Raftan territory, and the Sword Master and the elites of the 2nd Corps were seen following behind, the rumors spread rapidly. However, there wasn’t as strong of a reaction as the royal family had feared.

“Aren’t we in big trouble?”

“Eh, what kind of person is our Majesty.”

“What does the Inquisition have to do with His Majesty?”

“What does it have to do with it! He overcame the plague, and the place he visited had a bountiful harvest. Our Majesty is a hero chosen by God.”

“Ah…… now that I hear it, that’s true.”

“If our Majesty is called a heretic, then those who call him a heretic are the heretics.”

“Indeed, the temple priests, their bodies are plump with fat, only chasing after money……. Disgusting fellows.”

It was an unexpected public opinion created by the results of what Logan had done and the corruption of the temple, which had ignored the difficult public feeling.

On top of that.

The Inquisitors ruled Raftan territory ‘not guilty.’

A completely different verdict from the legendary terrible acts of the Inquisitors soon joined the tide of rumors, and it soon created a reaction that no one had expected.

Our Majesty is a hero sent by God, even recognized by those terrifying Inquisitors!

“Haa…… this is interesting. So, this is how things turn out.”

Logan let out a hollow laugh at the overly positive public opinion.

Of course, he couldn’t just laugh it off. What he had to do from now on was like a gamble on the fate of the country.

The matter was too important to be optimistic just because the public opinion was good right now.

Dwayne, who knew his heart, also gave a bitter smile.

“Still, it seems the Sword Master is doing well.”

“Yes, I suppose so. He’s holding back better than I thought.”

“Yes? Holding back, you say?”

“Yes. It’s the first time I’ve seen my teacher get so angry.”

“……I hope there won’t be any problems?”

“He’s a sensible person. He won’t create any factors that could cause problems with the plan.”

Despite Logan’s assertion, Dwayne couldn’t shake off his anxiety.

“But Your Majesty. Are you really going to proceed with that plan?”

“Why, are you changing your mind now? You agreed to it all.”

“Well, no matter how I think about it, it seems too dangerous. If even one thing goes wrong, the kingdom could be shattered.”

“Even if we let the investigation team do as they please, it will be a mess anyway. If either way leads to the abyss, we have to take a gamble.”

Logan bit his lip tightly and dismissed Dwayne’s concerns.

He hadn’t grasped whether the Stella’s situation was that serious, or whether the temple had other intentions.

However.

“This is an important time. We can’t let the temple shake the country during this time.”

“If things go wrong, it’s not just shaking, it could be ruined…….”

“Either way, it’s the same in the end.”

“Augh…….”

Dwayne tore at his hair as if frustrated, but Logan’s mind was firm.

‘If the temple throws an unexpected tackle, we will respond in a direction the temple never imagined.’

Everything was ultimately for the sake of protecting this country.

Flames blazed in Logan’s red eyes.