“Did the church send someone to follow us?”
“...You mean they were trying to watch Lady?”
When I explained what had just happened, Karia snickered as if she couldn't believe it, while Faibi's voice, tinged with unmistakable displeasure, came out cold.
“Lady. What was that inquisitor's name again?”
“Do you really think I’d remember the name of that lunatic?”
“It was Nian. Nian, the Inquisitor, Lady.”
Because of the Mesugaki skill, which makes it almost impossible for me to call someone by name, I furrowed my brows, and Benedict, who was standing beside me, spoke up on my behalf.
“If it's Nian, then he's one of the direct subordinates of the Pope's secretary. He's known for being a bit extreme, but other than that, he's considered to be without flaws.”
...Directly under the Pope!?
Wait a minute. Does that mean the Pope has taken an interest in me now!?
Because I caused a miracle, now I’m being watched by the Pope!
Agh, I’ve thought countless times since coming into this world that I was screwed, but this time... it feels like I’m really screwed.
I’m not ready to deal with that man yet!
Damn God! Why did you give me a miracle and cause all this trouble!?
Why did you set this trap!?
Was my easy life lately too disappointing for you!?
Was it so frustrating to see me walking around, nose in the air, all smug!?
“No. Lady, the situation’s a bit different now.”
“...What?”
“You’ve heard rumors about how things are chaotic inside the Church, right? That the Holy One is restructuring the internal factions.”
I remember hearing that story before. They said the Church was in chaos, didn’t they?
That was a few months ago. Is it still in turmoil? What exactly have they been doing?
“I’ve heard about that. However, he is trying to make the Church more efficient.”
“Of course, those who carry out purges always make excuses like that.”
The moment the word “purge” was said, the air in the room grew cold.
It was a word that should never have come out of the Church, which preaches love and mercy, but it fit better than any other word, clearly describing the current situation.
“When there was chaos in the kingdom before, they said it was for suppressing rebellion. Or for standardizing districts. But just because they make excuses, it doesn’t change the reality. Lady.”
“....”
“You may not have known before, but now you know that the Church is not as clean as it seems, right?”
“...I’ve come to realize that to some extent.”
Even if she was a fake saint created by the Church, everything she had done under the name of a saint wasn’t easily erased.
Faibi, who had heard some things from the people who had supported her, wasn’t entirely disconnected from the Church’s situation.
“However, the fight happening inside the Church right now is, I believe, to resolve internal corruption.”
Those being purged by the inquisitors were the ones who had used the Church’s authority for personal gain.
They had no seeds of faith left, and sensing the purge, they screamed in panic as they disappeared one by one.
“I’d like to say that people who carry out purges always say that.”
“This time, it’s different. Because those people really... had no faith.”
Faibi, who hesitated for a moment, bit her lip before continuing.
“I know, Lady. This time, it's an exception.”
Karia didn’t dispute Faibi’s words.
The way Faibi spoke with such conviction was enough to make her look somewhat confused.
“Banar Renatru. The second son of the Renatru family and the bishop of the Nebido territory. He was involved in child abduction and molestation, among other crimes. Recently found decapitated.”
Karia slowly continued, pulling a notebook from her robe and flipping through it, mentioning several names.
“Pravi Kena. The third son of the Kena family. Currently stationed as a bishop in the Kena family's territory. He colluded with the family to embezzle taxes in the name of donations. Recently arrested by the Church, and the Kena family is also under investigation by the kingdom.”
Karia kept turning the pages quickly, mentioning a few more names, before shrugging and placing the notebook back into her robe.
“Besides them, there were many others who were purged, all of them dark-hearted scum. Just as you said, Lady.”
To put it another way, the fact that the Church had reached the point of openly committing such crimes was a clear indication of how deeply corrupt it had become. But Karia didn’t mention that, returning to the original topic.
“Now, regarding Inquisitor Nian. He was one of the more extreme ones among the inquisitors. He has repeatedly carried out actions beyond his orders and has been disciplined for it, but instead of changing his ways, he preferred to quietly handle things without getting caught.”
Nian’s secretive actions were fairly good at going unnoticed. In fact, there were even those who believed that Nian had changed his heart after receiving the grace of the Divine.
However, his cruel nature didn’t disappear, and the Church had been keeping a record of his wrongdoings.
“Recently, someone who did something similar to Nian has been imprisoned. There are multiple charges against them, and they’ll likely face the death penalty.”
The targets of the purges weren’t just those without faith. They also extended to those with distorted faith.
“I don’t think he’ll ever admit he was wrong. He probably wanted to prove that he was right in some way. Then, when he heard reports of a miracle happening, he must have acted. I think he believed that if the Divine granted him a miracle, it would validate his actions, and he could proudly claim his righteousness.”
It seemed that Karia had done extensive research on the turmoil within the Church. There was not a single gap in her words.
“Is this reliable information?”
Despite everything, Benedict did not make any quick judgments and asked for proof.
“I’ve spread some rumors through Bishop Johan. The credibility is high.”
“Is there concrete evidence that this was an act of the Inquisitor’s own will?”
“First, there’s been no word from Bishop Johan, who is supposed to become a cardinal soon. Neither the Lady nor anyone from the Academy Church knew about it. The Pope and his subordinates have been too busy dealing with the Church’s internal chaos to even show their faces at the events at Soul Academy.”
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Thinking about it, that’s true.
It’s rare to see something like this happen, and if the Church’s higher-ups are nowhere to be seen, it’s unusual.
Normally, a cardinal would be standing beside Faibi.
So, for them to send an inquisitor to watch me instead? That doesn’t add up.
“Besides, it’s a miracle that’s occurred once in a hundred years. Why would that lunatic show up to find the person responsible? It would be normal for at least a cardinal to come and speak officially.”
<Do you understand now? Why I said things were a mess?>
As soon as Karia finished explaining, my grandfather spoke up. Considering the lack of information compared to Karia, he must have made this guess the moment he saw the inquisitor’s face.
‘As expected of Grandpa! You’ve got the mind of a politician! If you weren’t a hero, you would have founded a country!’
<...Is that really a compliment?>
‘Of course! If this isn’t a compliment, what is it!?’
<It doesn’t sound like one. I feel like you're mocking me.>
I ignored the subtle tone in Grandpa’s voice and sighed in relief.
Phew. So I haven’t really caught the Pope’s attention yet, right?
That crazy man hasn’t set his sights on me.
Thank goodness. If I had, I’d be ready for a time attack in real life.
...But it seems like the Church’s internal situation has changed a lot from what I knew. Normally, the corruption inside the Church would be cleansed after Faibi awakens as the real Saintess.
In the story I know, Faibi leads a revolution with the virtuous members of the Church to cleanse it from the inside.
But now, the reforms inside the Church are happening completely outside of Faibi’s influence. What’s going on?
What is the Pope thinking?
Ugh. Like the first Queen, that real lunatic’s thoughts are impossible to follow.
“So, the matter will end once Lady reports it to the Church.”
“Yes. I’ll report Inquisitor Nian’s actions to the bishop of the Academy Church. With my name, his extreme actions should be suppressed quickly.”
Ugh. I don’t care anymore. At least for now, this issue is resolved. If the Pope really tries something, that lousy God will let me know.
Whatever that man does, it’ll always lead to a deadly incident that’s marked by a game-over screen. What I need to think about now is definitely dealing with the First Queen...
Knock knock. The sound of someone knocking on the door made me turn my head. A man’s voice came from beyond.
“It’s Prete. I’m sorry for the intrusion. I know Lady Arln is inside.”
...That guy woke up already!? How!? I tried to make him a eunuch! Can the strong in this world train that area too!?
“What? What is it?”
“The adjustments to the clothes are finished, so now we need to paint.”