Inquisitorial Hearing (3)

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A hippogriff flew into the castle of Fireglyph.

-Boom!

When the hippogriff perched on the roost, the building shook. Dust fell in clumps inside the Chapter Master’s office at Fireglyph Fortress.

“Ah, Selim, that bastard. I told him not to perch on top of buildings while riding a hippogriff. Does he have an ox head and can’t understand human speech?”

Prince Kalintz, the Chapter Master of Fireglyph, assumed it was obviously the work of Selim, the hippogriff enthusiast, and rose from his seat.

But a moment later, the person who came to see him was someone unexpected.

“It is our first time meeting, Uncle. I am Triodana of the Rioneir clan. I am your nephew.”

Sir Triodana, the Celestial of the Wisdom Order, had come to visit Prince Kalintz.

Prince Kalintz frowned as he looked at Triodana, who greeted him politely.

“Uncle, you say. That makes me want to vomit, Brother.”

“Hahaha. You knew? As expected, did Sir Azadine tell you?”

Triodana burst into hearty laughter.

Sir Triodana was officially Prince Kalintz’s nephew, but in truth, he was the reincarnation of Prince Triton, Prince Kalintz’s elder brother.

“Where did the manly spirit of a northerner go, leaving you with this pretty face that only southerners would like… No, good heavens. How did you do that? I heard you died in battle while fighting ogres. Was that just a false rumor?”

“Shh. Birds hear words spoken by day, and mice hear words spoken by night. Kalintz. You have some idea why I came here, don’t you?”

“Well? I’m not sure. I’m a discarded stone who didn’t even know that my family members were being reincarnated as Celestials.”

“Don’t say something stupid. Why would anyone reincarnate you as a Celestial when you are perfectly fine? They reincarnate you because if you are wounded in war, or if you die, they don’t want to just leave you to die then. I hate to say it myself, but this isn’t all that good. The memories and personality of the past are like being in a drunken state where you drank so much your nose got bent out of shape and then remembered things. It doesn’t feel as though my identity has been maintained. The memories of my previous life are more like things I know because I read them in a book, or rather, they feel like the life of someone different from the current me.”

In other words, Triodana was Triton’s reincarnation, but… his disposition and personality were not completely identical.

Then was that not Triton’s death? When Kalintz’s expression darkened, Triodana laughed it off.

“Of course, it’s better than dying. It’s much better than being hurt, aging, and falling ill, so be happy. Father will reincarnate you too. If you think of it as having one extra life in reserve, how could you not be happy?”

“Ahaha. That truly is something to be happy about. So, why did you come? To reincarnate me as a Celestial too?”

“Didn’t you understand what I said? Unless you die or get hurt, you won’t be reincarnated. I came here because of that reckless brat named Azadine. From what I hear, you are quite close to him?”

“He really is beautiful. It’s a good thing he’s a man. If there had been a woman like that, I would have proposed to her. I heard he had a twin older sister, but apparently she died. It really is a shame.”

“That is unpleasant to hear, even as a joke.”

Triodana gave a bitter smile. It was because he sensed that Kalintz was not very friendly toward them.

“In any case, Father is showing interest in that man. According to rumor, he has the sword of Sir Plank of the Wisdom Order.”

“You mean Aurelia Dawn? That’s right.”

“Did he use it properly?”

“Would a guy who couldn’t even swing a sword have become that famous?”

“No, what I mean is, did it catch fire? Did the ceramite flames burn?”

“I didn’t see him fight directly, so I don’t know, but… it probably burned? Why?”

“You mean Aurelia Dawn burns? Hmm. Could we perhaps draw that man from the Rescue Knights Order over to our side? What does he want?”

“That’ll be impossible, Brother. It feels strange for me to say this, but that guy is a Rescue Knight to the bone. He doesn’t seem to care much about money, women, or even honor.”

To the person listening, the claim that Azadine, a member of the Messenger Clan, was a Rescue Knight to the bone was hard to tell apart from a serious statement or a joke.

However, Prince Kalintz’s expression was utterly serious.

“Then we’ll have to make him get expelled from the Rescue Knights Order, whether he likes it or not. I understand. That is why I came.”

“…….”

“What? Are you worried?”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t it be best not to pull on the eyelids of a sleeping dragon unless absolutely necessary?”

Prince Kalintz looked somehow worried after hearing Triodana’s remark.

“Haine was like that too, and now you are as well. What on earth does that man have?”

“He definitely has something. Could a man with nothing have done all that? He really is extraordinary. But if you ask me what that something is, it’s hard to answer clearly. Still, there is definitely something about him. So I’d rather you not touch him if possible. In truth, I also feel like I want to help him a little.”

“What are you talking about? That man is becoming an obstacle to Father’s plan. Surely you know how much effort Father has put into preparing it?”

“Th-that’s true, isn’t it?”

“If you have private feelings, cast them aside. You should carry out Father’s will, shouldn’t you?”

Prince Kalintz realized that he now stood at a crossroads.

Would he follow the will of his father, Northern Emperor Cohen Rioneir? Or would he side with Azadine?

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“We will hold an inquisition.”

“An inquisition? In Saint Mallory? Then he won’t go.”

Kalintz informed Triodana that if Azadine was ordered to appear in Saint Mallory, he would exercise his right to refuse.

“I thought that would be the case anyway. That is why Bishop Sehnat will personally come here to Fireglyph.”

“…The bishop himself?”

“Yes. He had already been grinding his teeth over the fact that a Messenger Clan bastard had entered the Rescue Knights Order without any particular restraint. I had a hard time stopping Bishop Sehnat in case he acted rashly.”

It seemed they truly intended to do anything necessary to put Azadine through an inquisition.

A messenger from Fireglyph arrived before Azadine, who was reinforcing the fortress at Sandokar Gate.

‘The investigation team that departed from Saint Mallory has arrived at Fireglyph, so trainee knight Azadine shall present himself at Fireglyph and answer the inquisition.’

If vampires had attacked Sandokar and a battle was underway, Azadine could have requested a postponement of the inquisition and stalled for time.

However, now that the inquisitors had personally come all the way to Fireglyph, and since there was no battle with dwarves or vampires at the moment, he had no grounds to postpone it.

“They are faster than expected. On the other hand… the vampires are not attacking.”

In the end, Azadine had no choice but to leave Sandokar’s reinforcement work and defense to his subordinates and return to Fireglyph with only a small force.

Triodana of the Wisdom Order and Gareth of the Courage Order originally intended only to conduct an investigation.

However, Bishop Sehnat stepped forward and insisted that an inquisition had to be held, and the Order side considered eliminating Azadine.

“Even merely entering and leaving while avoiding the angels makes him a rare talent. Moreover, did he not protect the Grain Transport Ships against the Aragasa? Since we have already summoned him to an inquisition, it would be unnatural for him to be assassinated. I believe it would be perfectly acceptable to determine right and wrong thoroughly and punish him afterward.”

Gareth opposed the bishop, who had gone so far as to consider assassinating Azadine. At that, Bishop Sehnat feigned innocence.

“I was only assuming a worst-case scenario. Do you see me as some kind of scoundrel?”

“Yes.” The answer rose all the way to Sir Gareth’s throat before sinking back down.

Just then, a messenger came and announced that Azadine had arrived.

“He is fast.”

“He flew here on a hippogriff.”

“We should begin preparing soon.”

“Hmm. The Benevolence Order, at a time like this….”

Triodana expressed dissatisfaction that the investigator from the Benevolence Order had not arrived, then headed to Fireglyph’s assembly hall, where this inquisition was to be held.

The inquisition hall Azadine arrived at was lined with a stern military force. Sir Gareth’s Tercio soldiers stood in formation, armed with firearms and short spears.

The smell of loaded gunpowder pierced his nose. Even for Azadine, if this many Tercio soldiers fired their gunpowder weapons all at once, he would not come out unharmed.

‘The Courage Order wouldn’t be trying to eliminate me.’

Azadine calmly calculated the Order’s reactions.

If there were people who wanted to harm Azadine, it would be the Northern Emperor’s faction within the Wisdom Order, where the Northern Emperor’s influence was strong.

The Wisdom Order had suffered humiliation at Azadine’s hands, but afterward, he had cooperated in helping the Celestial Fire Knights bring the Grain Transport Ships in safely.

In other words, he had personally proven that having Azadine inside the Rescue Knights Order was advantageous to them. If they still tried to purge Azadine despite this, it would be because of excessive hostility toward Azadine, or because of the Northern Emperor’s ambition to privatize the Order more easily.

‘I should prepare, just in case.’

Azadine stayed alert as he entered the inquisition hall and looked around. Sir Triodana was seated for the Wisdom Order, while Sir Gareth was seated for the Courage Order. Prince Kalintz was also seated in the position of associate judge.

At the very center of the inquisition chamber, in the judge’s seat, a gaunt man closer to an undead than a human wore splendid bishop’s robes and gazed at Azadine with contempt.

Bishop Sehnat.

It seemed that the corrupt priest who had joined hands with the Northern Emperor was the presiding judge of the inquisition that had summoned Azadine.

“I am Sehnat, bishop of Saint Mallory’s Northern Diocese. Are you trainee knight Azadine?”

Sehnat explained his position and looked down at Azadine.

“Yes.”

“Now, then, this inquisition shall begin its investigation and inquiry into trainee knight Sir Azadine. I, Sehnat, bishop of Saint Mallory’s Northern Diocese, will preside over the meeting. Are there any objections?”

At that moment, Azadine raised his hand.

“Very well. Speak.”

“First, I have one question. What is this inquisition about?”

“It concerns the incident in which you waged a private war against the Banreung Kingdom and invaded the County of Sandokar. In addition, it will be an inquiry into your overall conduct thus far.”