The Three of You

Access to the imperial palace was blocked.

“From now on, all personnel in the palace are to undergo investigation according to the instructions of the heresy inquisitors.”

For more than 10 years, a demon had openly operated in the heart of the Empire, the highest level of power, and not a single person had noticed this fact.

This alone caused unimaginable shock to the Empire’s leadership.

A large-scale heresy inquisition was initiated.

Under the Emperor’s thorough orders, inquisitors gathered at the imperial palace began the process of rooting out traitors and demons.

“If anyone refuses investigation and attempts to escape the imperial palace.”

The voice of the Chief Heresy Inquisitor overseeing the inquisition echoed throughout the palace.

“They will be immediately considered a traitor and executed.”

Heresy Inquisition Office.

Underground interrogation room.

A closed space permeated with chilling cold.

In a room without a single window, only a faint magical light barely pushed back the darkness.

Beyond the desk in the center of the room sat three heresy inquisitors cloaked in pitch-black robes and bizarre masks.

Eerie magical power rose like a heat haze around them. It was an aura that would devastate the mind of an ordinary human just by facing it.

Heresy Inquisitors.

A secret group existing solely for the purpose of identifying traitors and hunting demons. They were those who willingly cast aside even their humanity to hunt demons.

Creak—.

With the sound of rusty hinges, the iron door opened.

Through the gap, the first subject of interrogation entered.

A man with golden hair and eyes, and an arrogant impression.

It was the First Imperial Prince Regnum.

“Sit down.”

There was no emotion whatsoever in the inquisitor’s voice beyond the mask.

Regnum, suppressing his rising displeasure, silently sat in the chair opposite.

‘How dare they, to show such an attitude toward me, a Prince..’

But his opponents were heresy inquisitors who followed only the Emperor’s orders.

He couldn’t carelessly express his discontent. Not even imperial family members were exempt.

Gulp.

Regnum unconsciously swallowed dry saliva. It was his first time actually facing heresy inquisitors. Their presence, which he had only heard about in rumors, was more gloomy and ominous than he had imagined.

“Prince Regnum. I’ll ask directly. Did you truly not know that Aide Bernel was a demon?”

Regnum hesitated for a moment but soon shook his head firmly.

“I had no idea.”

The inquisitor’s eyes beyond the mask grew colder.

“Despite spending over ten years together, you never once felt anything suspicious?”

A memory flashed through Regnum’s mind.

The image of Bernel extending seductive hands with secretive eyes when they were alone in his office. But that alone wasn’t enough to definitively identify her as a demon…

Regnum shook his head once more.

“There was nothing.”

“We’ll see about that.”

At the inquisitor’s mocking words, the muscles in Regnum’s face twitched.

It was clearly an attitude of suspicion toward him.

The questions continued relentlessly.

“There has been a confession that Aide Bernel secretly contacted forces of the Allied Nations. Do you know anything about this?”

“What was the real reason you so strongly opposed the dispatch of the Capital Corps to the west?”

“One of the causes of the recent deterioration of imperial finances has been identified as abnormal financial support for specific factions.”

Questions building upon one another.

Regnum defended himself desperately, sweating cold sweat against the inquisitors’ sharpness that delved like setting traps.

The inquisitors seemed to believe that he knew she was a demon but pretended not to know.

It was maddening.

Regnum was truly innocent regarding that.

As the lengthy interrogation neared its end.

Regnum was barely able to prove his innocence.

But his mental state was already in tatters.

“You may leave now.”

As Regnum let out a sigh of relief and was about to rise from his seat, the inquisitor’s chilling voice pierced his ears once more.

“However, as there will be additional interrogations, please remain in your designated location without contact with anyone. Another inquisitor will guide you when you exit.”

“…Understood.”

Regnum’s face contorted.

This was merely the first interrogation..!

When he was already busy dealing with the aftermath of the purge, to be tied down here!

His fists trembled with anger and humiliation.

Afterward, numerous palace officials passed through the interrogation room.

Inspectors were no exception.

Since everyone who had stayed in the palace even briefly was subject to interrogation, Loen’s group also had to wait their turn.

Finally, it was Loen’s turn.

“Haa..”

After taking a short breath, Loen entered the interrogation room, hiding her nervousness.

The three inquisitors stared at her as she entered.

There was no sign of coercion or hostility at all.

Rather, their eyes were full of curiosity.

That made it more confusing.

What’s with this atmosphere?

Loen hid her confusion and stood before them.

Just then.

“Loen Franz.”

The inquisitor sitting in the middle stood up abruptly and extended his hand to Loen.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you too.”

Loen shook his hand with a bewildered expression.

The inquisitor exchanged handshakes and sat back down, then offered Loen a chair.

“Please sit comfortably.”

“Yes.”

Loen inwardly swallowed her puzzlement at the quite gentle attitude, unlike the rumors.

This was too courteous for an interrogation?

After a brief silence, the inquisitor looked at the documents and asked the first question.

“Did you know that Aide Bernel was a demon?”

“No, I didn’t.”

It was a half-truth.

To be precise, she knew the fragmentary information that a demon was hiding among the Prince’s close associates. Naturally, this was thanks to her knowledge of the original work.

After investigation and deduction, Loen judged that it was most likely Bernel, and that judgment proved to be exactly right. That was also the reason she somewhat forcefully raided the Cabinet Palace.

“Then how did you discover that she was a demon?”

“She refused summary execution, and a violent conflict ensued. In the process, the moment I cut off her right arm.”

Loen continued.

“She revealed her true form with a tremendous scream. That’s all.”

“I see..”

The inquisitors nodded and whispered among themselves.

Loen Franz’s dual attributes are the cause…

Though the principle is unclear, her magical power itself directly damages demonic souls…

Soon after, they finished whispering and asked a new question.

“We heard you repelled a high-ranking demon named Mammon in the south.”

“Yes.”

“Could you explain the battle situation in detail?”

Loen calmly explained the process of joint attack with the Investigation Division team members.

Mammon’s abilities, battle methods, and even the final moment of self-destruction.

After her explanation, only formal questions were exchanged.

The atmosphere was consistently friendly.

Loen couldn’t shake off the question, ‘Is heresy inquisition usually like this?’

Soon, silence fell again.

The central inquisitor folded his arms and gazed steadily at Loen.

His eyes beyond the mask shone seriously.

Eventually, what came from his lips was not a question, but a radical proposal.

“Would you consider becoming a heresy inquisitor?”

“Me?”

Loen’s eyes widened.

So suddenly?

The inquisitor added.

“Becoming an inquisitor doesn’t mean you have to quit the Inspection Corps. Just as you hold the position of Corps Commander, you could also hold the position of Heresy Inquisitor.”

However, Loen gave her answer without a moment’s hesitation.

She never had the slightest intention of chasing demons for the rest of her life.

“While I appreciate the offer, I must decline.”

“Hmm.. That’s unfortunate.”

A clicking tongue sound was heard from behind the mask.

The inquisitor announced as he rose from his seat.

“The interrogation ends here. You may go now.”

Loen bowed her head in greeting and left the interrogation room.

Loen was able to meet her companions again in the annex palace lobby.

“Ugh.. I truly thought I was going to die from fear!”

“I feel the same. To think they would show such a coercive attitude even toward us who have no suspicion at all. No wonder they’re called heresy inquisitors.”

Psyche and Seraphine, who had finished their interrogations earlier, were intensely expressing their experiences.

Loen found this very bewildering. Coercive attitude?

“What about you, Loen-nim? How was your interrogation?”

At Psyche’s question, Loen answered with tact.

“Mine was similar.”

A few days later.

The strict atmosphere that had gripped the imperial palace lifted, and the blocked doors finally opened.

The first round of heresy inquisition had come to a tentative conclusion.

Those subject to additional interrogation remained confined in designated locations, but Loen’s group fortunately could become free.

Incidentally, the support division inspectors who had headed to the Cabinet Palace together were still in the midst of cleaning up the palace, and Team Leader Ead had already returned to headquarters.

The group left the imperial palace as soon as the blockade was lifted.

At the main entrance of the palace, Psyche spread her arms wide and exclaimed.

“Ahh~ This refreshing air. Being cooped up in the annex palace all this time, I thought I was going to die of boredom!”

Seraphine chuckled and brushed her golden hair with her hand.

“The food quality was exceptionally high, befitting the imperial palace, so I was quite satisfied.”

Psyche twisted her head with her hand and said.

“That’s true, but still, there’s no avoiding the boredom.”

Then Loen commented.

“For someone who says that, you were moving around quite a lot.”

“No~ That’s because you wouldn’t play with me, Loen-nim!”

Psyche grumbled to Loen.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she tilted her head.

“By the way, when do you ever rest, Loen-nim? You were just scribbling on paper all day… Are you perhaps a golem?”

“Not a golem.. Just, I had a few things to think about.”

Loen too wanted to just collapse on the bed.

She wanted to sprawl out carelessly without any worries, like Psyche who lounged around all day.

She wanted to live the life of an unemployed… no, a white swan.

But thinking about the western expedition, she couldn’t do that.

In fact, there was a reason for her recklessly moving and directly confronting the Prince’s faction.

It was a gambling move with Loen’s own calculations.

The conflict with the Prince’s faction had reached its peak.

In such a time.

What if, like in the south, she achieved overwhelming results in the west that everyone would have to acknowledge?

The result was obvious.

The Emperor’s trust would become even more solid, and the neutral nobles who had been observing would stop their weighing and gladly tilt toward her side. Conversely, the Prince faction’s position would shrink even further.

Therefore, the western expedition must not fail.

It shouldn’t end with a mediocre success either.

An overwhelming victory was needed.

After all, Loen had swung her sword at the Prince faction solely based on the Emperor’s trust.

Guaranteed, there would be more than a few people grinding their teeth at Loen from unseen places.

Especially the eastern nobles and military faction who still supported the Prince, with their powerful military strength, would only be hoping for Loen’s failure.

Therefore, the western expedition had to succeed, no matter what.

Because of this background, Loen couldn’t rest even during the rare rest period given at the annex palace. Rather, it only made a corner of her heart uncomfortable.

‘I also just want to rest without thinking anything..’

Psyche was still chattering away in her ears.

Loen swallowed a deep sigh privately while letting that bright voice flow by like distant background music.

The group headed to the Inspection Headquarters for the formal report on the Prince faction purge incident, exchanging casual conversation.

As soon as they arrived at headquarters, Loen’s group was summoned to the Commander’s office.

Inside the Commander’s office, Loen, Seraphine, and Psyche stood in a row.

Commander Muston’s intense gaze swept over the three of them in turn.

His gaze lingered longest on Loen in particular.

“You three.”

The group’s shoulders stiffened with tension at the Commander’s low voice.

What was he going to say that he suddenly summoned them?

Eventually, the words that came from the Commander’s mouth were completely beyond their expectations.

“You’ve all been confirmed for promotion.”

The air in the Commander’s office momentarily stalled.

“Ehhh?”

“What?”

“…?”