The game difficulty
is insane
A place some distance away from the Confession Hall.
Glen, who had been brought to the main headquarters of the Holy Spear Knight Order near the Grand Cathedral, was sitting with a rather relaxed attitude.
“Hm…….”
The middle-aged man sitting across from him—the investigator of the Holy Spear Knight Order—was reviewing the reports with a cold and stern posture.
Several minutes of silence passed, then the investigator broke it first.
“Sir Glen Wordsworth.”
Sending a sharp, pressuring gaze typical of an investigator, he continued,
“Even if you are the son of a prestigious noble house that once supported the Papal State, you are a suspect in a murder that occurred inside the Grand Cathedral. Keep that in mind and cooperate actively with the investigation.”
Wearing an expression that said this is only proper procedure, the investigator interrogated Glen.
But Glen calmly answered the questions while insisting that Amelia Cluny was a member of the Black Cult.
Later on, the investigator even raised his voice, telling him to stop playing dumb.
Then another investigator appeared and whispered something to the one conducting the interrogation.
From that moment on, the investigator’s expression turned so awkward it was almost pitiful.
“What’s wrong, sir? Did you uncover something interesting?”
Even though he knew what the conversation must have been about, Glen asked with a gentle eye-smile.
The investigator avoided his gaze and answered vaguely.
“The autopsy results came back.”
Calling it an autopsy was generous—it was far below the level of technology from Seong Yo-hwan’s modern world, so it wasn’t very reliable.
But at the very least, it could clearly confirm the point Glen had asked Commander Ignat to check.
“Oh? And what did the results say?”
“There were traces of a power other than holy power left in the victim’s body.”
It matched Glen’s expectations perfectly.
If the dead person was Amelia Cluny, there was no doubt what that “other power” was.
“Demonic energy… to be precise. And not the kind used by demons, but the kind used by Black Cult followers…….”
The investigator trailed off.
It was as if he was being forced to acknowledge undeniable evidence.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
Instead of a long explanation, Glen teased him with a soft smile.
Of course, that didn’t mean all suspicions around Glen had vanished.
The investigator did not give up.
While acknowledging that the person Glen killed was a Black Cult priest, he pressed him on how he had known Amelia Cluny was part of the Black Cult.
In simple terms—
You bastard, you knew because you’re in league with the Black Cult, didn’t you? Are you trying to cut your tail and run?!
With that stance, the investigator began calmly but persistently pressuring Glen.
‘He’s good at his job.’
At times, the investigator’s persistence felt annoying and unsightly, but Glen actually held him in high regard.
Unlike the Republic of Korea where Seong Yo-hwan had lived, investigators in the Papal State applied a presumption of guilt.
There was no clear written law, but it was a method where they conducted investigations while tentatively assuming the person had committed the crime.
The investigator simply wanted to remove every suspicious element surrounding Glen, following their own methods.
Still, that didn’t mean the innocent Glen needed to suffer losses.
“That will be revealed soon as well.”
With that short reply, Glen continued giving vague answers to the investigator’s questions.
The investigator’s eyes sharpened, as if he had gained the upper hand.
“You should be aware that giving passive answers to this investigation may result in various disadvantages.”
Clank—
But that pressure was cut short by Glen’s second card.
The thick iron door opened, and Ignat entered the interrogation room.
“Investigator Gilliam.”
“Sir Ignat.”
The investigator stood and gave a formal Holy Spear Knight salute.
Ignat replied quickly.
“Stand by for now.”
“……Stand by, sir?”
The investigator’s eyes asked what is going on?
Ignat didn’t elaborate.
“Cardinal Grazia Deleda has arrived at the knight order’s headquarters.”
“Pardon……?”
This time, it was Glen who showed confusion.
“Her Eminence has ordered that all interrogation of you be suspended until she arrives.”
“She’s coming here personally?”
“That is correct. Investigator Gilliam. So stand by for now.”
The interrogation room door closed.
From that moment on, the attitudes of the investigator and Glen clearly diverged.
The investigator, flustered, reexamined the reports he had received.
‘No, but she’s coming in person?’
It was true that Glen had sent a letter to the Inquisition, but he never imagined that the head herself—Grazia Deleda—would personally come.
Either way, the fact that the person backing him was the head of the Inquisition and a cardinal of the Papal State hadn’t changed, so Glen waited for her calmly.
Meanwhile, the investigator sitting across from him visibly stiffened by the second.
And that only stirred Glen’s sadistic side.
“The Cardinal is coming, huh?”
“I—I heard that as well.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it? To think Her Eminence would come in person. All I did was inform her that this case was related to the Black Cult.”
Glen smiled gently.
“It seems Cardinal Grazia truly cares about me.”
“Ahem…… This has nothing to do with the case.”
The investigator coughed awkwardly.
He tried not to show it, but interrogating someone favored by Cardinal Grazia was clearly a burden.
“Of course. You’re right, Investigator. Even if His Holiness the Pope were to come here, revealing the truth would still be the right thing to do. However.”
Glen leaned forward.
A crafty light shimmered in his ash-gray eyes.
“If all the truth is revealed and I turn out to be innocent, I can’t help but wonder how your discretion will be evaluated.”
“…….”
“Well, since the Inquisition is involved, would it also affect the honor of the Holy Spear Knight Order?”
At last, anxiety seeped into the investigator’s eyes, breaking through his poker face.
This wait didn’t seem like it would be boring.
Cardinal Grazia Deleda personally appearing at the Holy Spear Knight Order was highly unusual.
Because of that, the entire order was in a state of unprecedented tension.
“I never expected Your Eminence to come to the knight order headquarters in person.”
After a brief exchange of greetings, Ignat spoke to Grazia.
“It’s work.”
With her characteristically short reply, Cardinal Grazia lifted her teacup.
Although a murder had occurred inside the Grand Cathedral, the victim had now been identified as a Black Cult priest.
Even if the Holy Spear Knight Order was responsible for the cathedral’s security, the Inquisition was in a position to take over this case.
“Still, I don’t think this is a matter big enough for Your Eminence to come personally.”
Under normal circumstances, they would have sent a high-ranking inquisitor.
Ignat believed there must be a reason why Cardinal Grazia herself had come.
“You’ve always been like this—far too upright. You question the intentions of a cardinal without hesitation.”
Grazia’s eyes sharpened.
“I may sit in the seat of a cardinal, but my duty is, above all else, to interrogate heretics. Do I need any other intention to do my job as an inquisitor?”
Her voice was low but cold.
Though her tone was calm, the chilling pressure around her clearly bore down on Ignat.
“Are you suggesting that you doubt a cardinal of the church?”
At that moment, the Holy Spear Knights standing rigidly around the room swallowed hard.
In contrast, Ignat did not yield to her pressure and maintained his usual righteous and sincere demeanor.
“How could someone as insignificant as I doubt Your Eminence? I am merely clearing all doubts for the sake of His Holiness the Pope and the security of the Grand Cathedral.”
“Hmph. Knowing your words aren’t false takes all the fun out of it.”
The threat just now had only been a playful greeting.
Since long ago, Grazia had never been an authoritarian person—she simply did her duty in silence.
Of course, someone as stubbornly honest as Ignat responded seriously even to her jokes.
“You’re still no fun to tease. Enough joking—let’s get to the point. I came here because I received a letter stating that the Confession Hall murder from a few hours ago was related to the Black Cult.”
At her words, Ignat quietly placed a report on the table.
“An examination of the body confirmed it. Fake demonic energy used by Black Cult followers was found on the corpse.”
“Then there’s no need for further discussion. From this point on, the Inquisition will take over the case.”
Grazia calmly lifted her teacup.
“Understood. From this moment, the Holy Spear Knight Order will withdraw from the Confession Hall murder case. We will transfer all investigation records as quickly as possible.”
“Good. No pointless stubbornness.”
“It’s simply that we cannot infringe upon the Inquisition’s authority.”
Ignat’s face showed not the slightest hint of regret.
According to principle and priority, handing it over was the right thing to do.
“Even though the case has been transferred, the investigation will proceed according to proper procedure. Do not worry.”
“Yes. And separate from transferring the case, I would like an answer to the question I asked earlier.”
Why she had come personally instead of sending a high-ranking inquisitor.
As if tired of his persistence, Grazia let out a small laugh.
‘He’s always been like this.’
Excessively honest—and possessing the strength to uphold that honesty.
That was the man Ignat was, in Cardinal Grazia’s eyes.
“Because he will be one of the most important figures in eliminating the Black Cult, the enemy of the church.”
“You mean Sir Glen Wordsworth?”
“Yes.”
Confusion appeared in Ignat’s eyes.
“Does he perhaps have some means of identifying the Black Cult?”
“Oh? That’s a sharp guess.”
“I only considered the possibility based on today’s incident and Your Eminence’s actions…….”
Glen Wordsworth had found and eliminated a Black Cult priest inside the Confession Hall.
Catching a spy that even the Holy Spear Knight Order and the Inquisition had failed to detect was suspicious no matter how one looked at it.
Yet he calmly claimed he was not part of the Black Cult—and on top of that, a cardinal came to retrieve him personally.
It was impossible not to consider the possibility.
“Is something like that truly possible?”
“I don’t know myself. That’s why I always consider the possibility that he may be connected to the Black Cult. However.”
Clack—
Grazia set her teacup down.
Then she softened her gaze and looked at Ignat.
“I am fairly certain that he is not on the Black Cult’s side.”
If he were, he wouldn’t have told her the identity of Vasili, who would kill her in the near future.
Rather, Glen Wordsworth seemed to wish for the total annihilation of the Black Cult.
As she left the reception room, Grazia glanced back at Ignat.
“And if my guess is correct, we won’t be able to prove Glen Wordsworth’s guilt. He’s a very cautious man.”
Ignat could tell that this did not mean she intended to protect Glen.
“Once our interrogation is finished, he’ll probably come looking for you as well.”
“For me…?”
“He’s someone who needs many hands.”
Leaving behind a faint smile, Cardinal Grazia Deleda exited the room.
It was likely an instruction to speak with Glen Wordsworth directly.
“…….”
A man who found and killed members of the Black Cult that both the Inquisition and the Holy Spear Knight Order had failed to uncover.
A man trusted by the head of the Inquisition herself.
“Glen Wordsworth.”
Ignat softly repeated the name of the man shrouded in mystery.
“Come out.”
Cardinal Grazia did not waste words when she appeared in the interrogation room.
“Then I had a pleasant time.”
As if he had been waiting, Glen bid farewell to the investigator—who had gone completely pale—and followed Cardinal Grazia out.
“Pleasant?”
“Oh, I had a very enjoyable conversation with the investigator.”
“You’re probably the only one who would say that to an investigator while being a suspect.”
Grazia let out an incredulous chuckle.
Soon after, Glen boarded the carriage she had arrived in, heading toward the Inquisition headquarters.
TO BE CONTINUED....
