Ch.27Heresy Inquisition Office (1)

The Inquisition. A faction that appeared from the second game, and one that didn’t have a particularly good relationship with me when I played as a Homunculus.

That was understandable. Armed with relics from an era when gods still existed, their purpose was to exclude all foreign elements.

And the “foreign elements” primarily included the Three Clans and the monsters created by them.

I was the latter, one of the beings they concentrated on trying to eliminate.

I felt screwed. That’s why I quickly got up from Isla’s soft lap pillow and hurriedly put on my armor.

“You won’t be able to escape.”

“You…!”

The mayor spoke calmly. He had already mounted a horse he’d brought.

Should I kill him first? As I clenched my fist in contemplation, he opened his eyes wide in surprise.

He looked as if he hadn’t expected my reaction at all. He seemed extremely flustered, which made me confused until I belatedly realized my mistake.

The mayor didn’t know I was a Homunculus.

“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you…?”

The man’s eyes scanned Isla, and only then did his expression turn to one of realization.

“If it’s about that… I understand. Don’t worry.”

There were quite a few beastkin who inherited the bloodline of shapeshifters.

They were more common than expected, to the point where different shapeshifter companions joined in each series.

The Inquisition knew this well, so unlike the prejudice against shapeshifters, they were relatively tolerant of beastkin shapeshifters.

However.

“That’s a relief.”

Unlike Isla, who quickly picked up on the situation, and the mayor who smiled without concern, I was still anxious.

Could I hide the fact that I was a Homunculus?

If my opponents were just Black Knights, it might be different, but those pursuing me were Inquisitors.

They might already have suspicions, or even be certain about my identity.

And if I were exposed, I’d have to fight, and I didn’t want to face Inquisitors when I wasn’t at full strength.

“You’ve arrived just in time. I’ll mediate, so you needn’t worry.”

Despite the mayor’s reassuring tone, I maintained my silence.

There was no chance to escape.

They might have already taken positions, waiting for me to accept. I raised my still-stiff body and watched the approaching figures.

The number of people emerging from the forest shadows wasn’t large.

Six presences. Three visible. The three hidden ones were clearly either mages or wielding ranged weapons, as there was no sound of armor or bustling movement.

The three who came forward were different. Two of them wore heavy armor.

Only one could be considered lightly armed, and even that wasn’t particularly light.

Ordinary people wouldn’t see or hear it, but I knew. The breastplate hidden beneath the noble attire and the jack chain openly displayed.

A swordsman. Probably a skilled one at that.

Though the small stature compared to the longsword at the waist was concerning, it wouldn’t be an issue if they had a dexterity build.

Assuming this person was an Inquisitor, I stood straight, not letting my guard down.

She had an appearance close to that of a young girl.

Her narrowly opened eyes didn’t reveal her pupils, and her short bob hair was a noticeable reddish tint against a pale base.

Her body was slender, and she wasn’t very tall.

Considering my monstrous body was over 190 cm, her height seemed to be around 150 cm.

Despite her small stature and youthful appearance, as she emerged from the dark forest into the firelight, she simultaneously gave off an impression of being both elaborate and well-adorned.

A sly expression that suggested many schemes, along with those narrowed eyes.

She stopped in front of me, where the bonfire cast its light on her.

Flap!

She bowed elegantly, dramatically sweeping her cloak.

A cute appearance that looked underage, a small stature, and elaborate attire that didn’t match the position of an Inquisitor.

Seeing her exactly as I remembered from the game, I momentarily forgot what to say.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Hero of Servan.”

She spoke with a voice as beautiful as Isla’s, but in a different way.

It was a voice suited for oratory or theater, yet it didn’t feel cringeworthy or cumbersome.

As if it had always been natural to her, she spoke and bowed to me.

It was an elaborate greeting. Knowing her identity and name, I could anticipate what she would say next.

“I am the New Continent Branch Director of the Inquisition and an Inquisitor.”

The woman smiled as she swept back her dramatically fluttered cloak. It was a natural and sly smile, but somehow unsettling.

“My name is Melody.”

The Golden Nightingale, Melody.

The woman before me was a companion in Grim Darker 2 and the protagonist’s secretary.

“Please call me Mel.”

*

The Golden Cloak, the Golden Nightingale.

Melody, known by various titles, was an irreplaceable character in the second game.

Grim Darker 2, where she appeared, was different from the first game’s linear progression.

Perhaps due to the game’s increased size, it was more exhausting, with many traps, ambushes, and dialogue branches.

With limited camping spots, if you didn’t move wisely, you’d face major battles with depleted resources.

So the party always needed at least one versatile problem-solver.

Especially in dungeons.

With traps and gimmicks everywhere, I always remembered including Melody in my party when playing the second game.

She was the epitome of versatility.

A talented individual with many skills and extensive education who could handle all the needs of a typical party.

Whether it was persuasion, interrogation, investigation, magical knowledge, or magical abilities, she excelled in various fields.

Usually, such versatility would come at the cost of combat ability, but while she might be inferior to dedicated frontline fighters, she was more than capable of holding her own.

Add to that her cute appearance, and even I, who rarely used mods, considered the Melody romance mod.

Her dark past, her determination to overcome it, and her kind heart despite her scheming demeanor.

She was the first companion that came to mind when reminiscing about the second game.

And now that girl was standing before me, stretching as if stiff.

“Really, you covered your tracks so well that it was quite a challenge.”

The girl yawned and covered her mouth, appearing tired. Hearing her words, Isla beside me was staring at her expressionlessly.

While I didn’t know Isla’s exact level, someone of her caliber should be able to shake off most trackers.

Isla seemed both frustrated and astonished at being caught. It was evident from how she grabbed my collar, pressed close, and wrapped her tail around my wrist.

But in this case, the opponent was simply too good.

“Even though I’m quite skilled at tracking, I couldn’t find you without using magic.”

The opponent was probably at max level.

With such a significant level difference, no matter how exceptional a hunter Isla was, flawless tracking evasion would be impossible.

I patted Isla’s shoulder to reassure her it was okay.

“So what brings a celebrity like you to us?”

Melody smiled and shook her head.

She extended her long finger toward me with a smiling face.

“I was looking for you. Hero of Servan.”

Hero of Servan. Glancing at my reputation window, I saw the same words.

[Hero of Servan / Servan

-You will be remembered as a famous hero in Servan. Villains fear you, and the innocent call out your name in times of crisis! A hero indeed!]

A hero. A name too grand for me.

All I did was close some coffin lids and clean up my own mess.

It didn’t warrant being called a hero. Feeling awkward, I didn’t respond, and Melody laughed with a sweet voice.

“Does being called a hero make you uncomfortable?”

She wasn’t using thought detection. Considering her primary profession as a “bard,” she was simply reading my demeanor.

“Of course it’s awkward. I’m a Black Knight…”

“No, you’re not.”

She knew that much? I glanced at the mayor, who closed his eyes and slightly shook his head.

She figured it out on her own.

“Are you surprised?”

“A little.”

“Then you’ll be even more surprised from now on.”

Chuckling, Melody cleared her throat.

Her subordinates and attendants from the Inquisition were resting at a distance, with only her being close.

I wasn’t sure if I could win even with a surprise attack.

If the “Lucilla” in this world was just a protagonist character and not my sister, I wouldn’t think she’d have trained Melody carelessly.

One should never underestimate an opponent in any situation. I assumed Melody was at her strongest state as I imagined.

I couldn’t win even using Ado. As I tried to suppress my wariness, Melody chuckled and said:

“First… I heard you were curious about why the New Continent is in such a state.”

I was already surprised.

I wondered how she knew that, but she had no intention of explaining.

“As you might vaguely suspect, it’s because it’s treated as abandoned land by the Empire. The original reconnaissance team went missing, the expedition team declared abandonment, and even the justice magistrate who migrated to maintain order has fled.”

She was talking about Vetus. As the mayor smiled awkwardly, Melody clenched her tiny fist.

“Behind all this is a complex domestic situation.”

If this were a game, I’d be mashing the space bar, but I couldn’t do that. As I tried to keep my mouth shut, Melody slightly opened one eye to look at me.

Golden eyes befitting her name as the Golden Nightingale. Bright eyes that seemed to peer into my thoughts.

She continued with her eyes still narrowed:

“To summarize, as you seem bored with the details… it’s the aftermath of a civil war. The Empire’s appearance of stability is just a bluff to suppress other countries; in reality, factions are engaged in fierce political strife.”

Melody pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them.

“Some of these factions are influenced by the Three Clans.”

And as she had promised, I was shocked.

“Because of them, the Imperial Guardian who should be leading the New Continent expedition is tied up in bureaucracy, exploration of the New Continent is prohibited, and some heinous criminals are being exported to the New Continent.”

I wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but it made sense.

The Cannibal Baron, the Star Blade, the Black Mages of the Research Faction.

They all had evidence suggesting potential connections to the Three Clans. My face hardened inside my helmet.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Despite my sudden shift to formal speech, she wasn’t flustered. She knew I wasn’t a Black Knight.

Instead, she spoke as if pleased:

“Let’s say the Imperial Guardian is interested in you.”

Imperial Guardian. As I flinched, this elaborate girl smiled brightly.

“The Imperial Guardian, who is practically imprisoned for political reasons, needs someone who can act in his name. If you could act on behalf of the Imperial Guardian, we would be truly grateful.”

Her additional comment about offering a suitable reward would have updated a quest log if this were a game.

There was no reason to refuse. I accepted while feeling relieved.

At least my identity as a Homunculus hadn’t been exposed.

“But why me specifically?”

So I asked.

“Because only you, a Homunculus like the Imperial Guardian, can do this.”

At her immediate response, I froze.

Silence fell.