Chapter 14: Who evaluates the examiners? Part 4

The sharp words caused Erjena’s divine energy to falter for the first time.

As the ominous aura slightly receded, the air around the two of them became lighter, and a breeze blew in.

The Saintess and Mohaim’s eyes met.

Just as surprised as her, Mohaim had a shocked expression.

‘How on earth…’

Mohaim’s plan to pass through the Crossroad Kingdom had no flaws.

Since sending only the Holy Knight and the Saintess north could be perceived as a political move, they formed a pilgrimage group to dilute that impression.

They also gathered an unprecedentedly large number of people, disguising the supplies needed for war as relief goods and holy artifacts.

By the time the inspectors, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of goods and people, noticed something suspicious, it would have been too late.

By then, the key members of the pilgrimage group would have already passed through and headed north.

As long as the First Order and the Saintess could pass through the Crossroad Kingdom, it didn’t matter if the rest were held back.

‘But to be blocked from the start like this?’

‘It was supposed to take at least half a day for them to notice…’

Erjena clenched her fists tightly to hide her agitation.

‘I need to stay focused. The opponent is a member of the Evil God Cult. This level of suspicion is expected.’

Fortunately, it seemed the inspector was still in the stage of suspicion rather than certainty.

If he had truly known the real purpose of the northern expedition, he would have done everything to prevent the Saintess from entering from the start.

But until the final moment, when he was about to stamp the entry permit, he had been extremely cooperative.

If not for one single element, she would have already crossed the border.

‘The documents the attendant handed over. His attitude changed after looking at those.’

After seeing the documents that had blown over in the wind, the cheerful and polite young man was gone.

Now, in his place, was an inspector staring at her with piercing eyes that seemed to see through her soul.

***

-Whirr-

In the silence, only the sound of sand flowing could be heard.

“Please answer me, Saintess.”

The inspector, with a voice stripped of any emotion, pressed on.

“What is the true purpose of the pilgrimage group?”

The psychological pressure of running out of time was evident in his calm, yet unnerving tone.

His expression, devoid of any trace of a smile, seemed prepared to tear her apart at the slightest fault.

Erjena slowly opened her mouth.

“I don’t understand what you mean. True purpose, you say?”

The inspector tapped his fingers on the table.

Each time, the sand in the hourglass beside him seemed to flow faster.

“From my perspective… it seems your journey to the north is not purely for pilgrimage.”

“What did you just say?”

“To be precise, I feel that the pilgrimage is secondary and that there’s something else behind it.”

His words, close to diplomatic rudeness, were spoken without hesitation.

Doubting the intentions of an entire group, especially when its representative was present, was a significant offense.

Erjena snapped back sharply.

“Watch your mouth, Inspector. Your words are highly inappropriate.”

“My apologies. However, as part of my duty, I must question intentions.”

“Are you suggesting the Holy Order is lying?”

“In my line of work, I’ve seen many priests hide contraband under their robes.”

“You…!!!”

Contrary to his previously gentle demeanor, the inspector did not back down even once.

Instead, he spoke even more bluntly, provoking Erjena.

In her anger, the Saintess burst out.

“Then what do you think it is? What do you think our true purpose is?”

Her raised voice echoed at the border.

“Saintess.”

Mohaim, startled, gestured to her not to provoke him, but it was too late.

The inspector remained silent.

For an uncomfortably long moment.

No trace of surprise or joy.

The jet-black eyes remained unwavering, staring directly at her.

The silence, in stark contrast to his previous sharp retorts, made the Saintess tense.

‘There’s no way. A mere cultist can’t possibly know about our great mission.’

Her palms became sweaty.

Excitement, anxiety, and anger made her heart pound fiercely.

‘Could he really know? Or was he just fishing for a reaction?’

The Saintess prayed inwardly.

‘Please, let this heretic not know our grand purpose.’

Finally, the inspector spoke, his voice low.

“You are heading to wage a holy war.”

The heretic already knew.

“Ha.”

Erjena let out a hollow laugh.

“A holy war?”

Her second reaction was disbelief, accompanied by an exaggerated movement.

I nodded.

A holy war.

A word used when any religion decided to wield absolute force.

It signified the intent to utterly crush something, whether a place or a concept, as a collective act of the order.

‘There is no other answer.’

After considering all the clues, no other purpose but a holy war seemed plausible.

‘It’s not a war. The order would never wage war against a nation.’

After all, a nation is a potential pool of believers, and provoking it is not wise.

But a direct conflict with another order? That was possible.

Historically, there have been cases where one religious group accused another of heresy and annihilated them, seizing their followers.

That’s why I took a shot in the dark.

Erjena looked up at the sky silently.

Then, she closed her eyes and whispered quietly.

“The world has fallen so far… If you’ve already discerned our purpose to this extent…”

Right on target.

As expected, the pilgrimage was not the real purpose.

The only plausible explanation left was a holy war.

“Alright, so what now?”

However, the problem remained unresolved.

This situation was entirely different from an individual trying to enter illegally.

The Crossroad Kingdom never opens a path for war or military action.

No matter who it is.

Therefore, I had to immediately stamp the [Entry Denied] mark for the entire pilgrimage group.

But before that, I recalled the minister’s words.

“Make sure nothing happens to the Saint. Whether good or bad.”

It meant not to cause any trouble if it involved the Saint, no matter the situation.

The minister’s order usually takes precedence over regulations.

It’s a mechanism for flexible response during crises or urgent matters.

Also, the incentives and safety records tied to this cannot be ignored.

However, that only applies to minor regulations, not major incidents like opening a path for military action.

“But an order is still an order…”

If I rashly stamp the denial according to the regulations, all the responsibility will fall on me.

A contradictory situation where orders and regulations clash.

‘What to do?’

‘Should I contact the minister first?’

I was lost in thought, trying to find a solution, when suddenly, the Saint, still with her eyes closed, stood up.

“Huh? Is something the matter?”

When she opened her golden eyes again after finishing her prayer, they were filled with determination and anger, staring straight at me.

“If that is the will of the Lord, I will carry it out right here.”

Slowly, she took out a makeup brush from her sleeve and began writing something on her forehead.

[Heaven for the Devout, Hell for the Faithless]

‘What on earth is that?’

‘Why write such a brutal phrase on such a beautiful face?’

She even drew a red cross on her cheek, and then spoke.

“Enough with the nonsense. Central Officer Nathan Kell. We knew your true identity from the start.”

Her outstretched finger pointed precisely at the center of my forehead.

I couldn’t respond to her statement.

‘Well, I am the head of border control, so of course she would know me.’

I introduced myself earlier.

‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

“This won’t affect the inspection results—”

“Silence! Stop trying to deceive me!”

With a single shout, Erjena silenced me completely.

***

“First Order of the Knights, hear me! Our enemies have already taken root across the world!”

A thunderous voice erupted from her delicate frame.

The moment I saw it, I immediately understood what she was trying to do.

‘Ah, this is a common type.’

Some people act like this when they think they might be denied entry.

They start causing a fuss with absurd claims.

The most common type among troublesome visitors.

‘Seeing the Saint act like this is quite new, though.’

No matter how high a person’s status, they’re still just human.

Even when they act noble and graceful, once their true feelings are exposed, their temper flares.

‘People are the same everywhere.’

A bitter smile crept onto my face.

“Are you mocking me!?”

Seeing my reaction, she became even more enraged, pointing at me and shouting.

“How dare you impersonate the Lord’s love and hinder our great cause—”

“Saint!”

But her rant was interrupted by Mohaim, who spoke with a serious expression.

“That’s enough. You’ve caused enough commotion for today.”

“Mohaim! But that man, that person—!”

Whatever grievance she held, the Saint stomped her feet in frustration.

Mohaim sternly cut off her complaints.

“Conflicts at the border are as significant as wartime disputes. You have already broken your promise with me and violated diplomatic manners. Please stop. From now on, I will take charge.”

“But even so, this matter—”

“Enough.”

“Ugh! Just this once!”

The Saint huffed and puffed for a while but eventually sat down, wiping away the ominous markings from her face.

Mohaim turned to me and spoke firmly.

“Inspector.”

“Yes, Commander Espirence.”

“I’ll be honest. We are on our way to the north for a holy war.”

“So you’re admitting that my suspicion was justified.”

“I agree.”

Oh, a direct approach.

That’s rare.

I was intrigued by this unusual attitude.

‘What excuse will you use to pass through?’

“That’s why I wanted to show you this.”

Mohaim took out a crystal orb.

“What is this…?”

“You uphold the rules and protect the border, correct? But we also have a duty to cross this border.”

“Everyone has reasons. Even the church is no exception.”

“I believe you’ll change your mind once you see this.”

“And what does this crystal orb have to do with crossing the border?”

“It has a significant connection.”

With a short answer, Mohaim infused mana into the orb.

Inside it, an elderly man appeared, watering flowers in a garden.

“Sorry to disturb your break.”

The elderly man lightly waved at Mohaim.

Ah, the head of the First Knights.

Turning on the orb must mean there’s trouble.

“Yes. As you predicted, we’ve been caught at the Crossroads Kingdom’s border. It was exactly as you said.”

-‘Haha. I figured that would happen.’

They exchanged words comfortably, as if they knew each other well.

‘Wait, who is this old man?’

“Excuse me, but who is this?”

When I cautiously asked, Mohaim pushed the orb closer to me.

“Inspector, please greet him. This is His Holiness the Pope.”

Oh, shit.