Once the meal was laid out, Jeha dismissed everyone except Paimon and Zephyr, who remained at the table. Then, prodding his food idly with a fork, he asked,
“There must have been a good reason for the abolition of the Inquisitor system. What were the Inquisitors like in the past?”
“From what I recall, with a few exceptions, they were more monstrous than even the demons themselves,” Zephyr answered promptly. When Jeha gave him a look to continue, he proceeded without hesitation.
“They competed fiercely amongst themselves, stopping at nothing to unearth heretics. Capturing and executing even a single additional heretic was their surest path to enhancing their reputation and status.”
‘So they were competing for performance metrics among themselves…’ Jeha muttered to himself. As if understanding the implication, Zephyr nodded.
“Within mere years of the Temple dispatching Inquisitors across the continent, a significant number of heretics, including witches and mages, were put to death.”
“Witches and mages truly exist?”
“Of course. Though, for the most part, they could only conjure minor parlor tricks… Among them, however, were a few who had forged contracts with demons and wielded considerable power or skill.”
‘Hmm…’ Hearing talk of contracts with demons, Jeha’s mind drifted to Hereis. Though it was unlikely to happen, if his contract with Jeha were ever discovered, Hereis would undoubtedly face a gruesome end after brutal torture. Yet, he had summoned Jeha, fully prepared for such a fate.
“During that period, most of the cults who worshipped our Master were also discovered and executed. Ah, when you depart on your journey this time, perhaps you could spare a moment to visit the shrine they once built for our Master. Although it has since been destroyed and burned, leaving little trace of its former glory, it remains a historically significant place for you, Master.”
“There was a shrine built by a cult worshipping Bellarossa?”
“Indeed. While only one religion is officially recognized in the Central Continent, a considerable number of devotees secretly worship other deities, hidden from the public eye.”
“I see.” Jeha nodded.
‘A cult worshipping Bellarossa.’ It seemed that the equivalent of the Demon King worshippers from his own world existed here as well.
“How many people died during that time? Surely, they didn’t just target witches, mages, and declared heretics.”
“Certainly. Inquisitors, blinded by honor, status, and lucrative supplementary income, indiscriminately seized anyone who seemed even slightly suspicious or who had been falsely accused due to a neighbor’s jealousy. Once apprehended, they were invariably forced to confess under brutal torture, and every individual thus implicated was burned at the stake. The number of humans who perished then alone…”
Zephyr pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
“I’m not privy to the well-being of mere humans, so I cannot say for certain, but in one human village I passed through, roughly half the population was rounded up and executed.”
“And the assets of those who were executed naturally flowed into the Inquisitors’ pockets, I presume?” Jeha remarked, his expression knowing. Zephyr nodded, a look on his face that clearly said, ‘As expected of our Demon King.’
“Indeed. The confiscated wealth flowed into the coffers of the local lord, the Temple, and the Inquisitors. With such a tidy sum pouring in, the lords paid little heed to whether the accused were truly heretics or not.”
Jeha’s brow furrowed. Though it was a cruel chapter in history that undoubtedly existed in his own world, its remoteness in time meant it elicited little emotion from him. Here, however, it was an event poised to unfold once more.
‘To be a Demon King, yet be less vicious than a mere human Inquisitor. It’s truly pathetic,’ Jeha grumbled, his face a mask of displeasure.
Paimon, who had remained silent throughout the conversation until then, finally spoke.
“Master, as the Marquis Belgarga, you should consider what stance you intend to take going forward.”
“Stance?”
“Yes. As Zephyr mentioned, apprehending and punishing heretics is a highly profitable endeavor. In the past, when Inquisitors were most active, many lords tacitly allowed them to scour their territories, as if hunting rats. Naturally, in return, they received a significant portion of the confiscated assets. This Xavier will likely ransack the Belgarga territory, conjuring heretics even where none exist. At that point, will you align with him to reap benefits, or…?”
“That’s preposterous!” Jeha cut Paimon off, his temper flaring.
“I would never allow him to run rampant in my territory! And what purpose would it serve to accept such useless money?!”
Despite Jeha’s indignant shouts, Paimon, rather than apologizing, merely nodded with an unperturbed expression.
“So you have no intention of cooperating with him. Understood.” Paimon’s calm demeanor made it difficult for Jeha to prolong his anger. Jeha, somewhat pointlessly, jabbed at his food with a fork, venting his residual frustration. Paimon watched Jeha for a moment before speaking again.
“If that is your decision, then you must make preparations.”
“What preparations?” Jeha asked, scrutinizing Paimon with an annoyed expression.
“Heretics do not only emerge from the common populace. Any human can be branded a heretic, even those of noble blood.”
‘…Are you saying that if I refuse to cooperate or obstruct Xavier’s efforts, I could be branded a heretic myself?’
“Precisely. The moment someone, even once, voices suspicion that you, Master, are a heretic, the situation will spiral irrevocably out of control. The Belgarga family is one of the wealthiest on the continent. It is a territory coveted by neighboring lords and, simultaneously, a tantalizing prize in the eyes of the Emperor and the Grand Temple. Should you, Master, be branded a heretic and apprehended, the vast fortune of the Belgarga family will…”
“…be divided into countless pieces and flow into the pockets of the Emperor, the Temple, and Xavier.”
“That is correct. While, as a noble, you would not be subjected to torture even if arrested, there would likely be no aristocrats willing to side with you in court.”
‘Well, crumbs would undoubtedly fall into their laps as well…’ Jeha now fully grasped the implications of Paimon’s insistence that he take a stance.
Of course, even if branded a heretic and apprehended, Jeha, as the Demon King, would suffer no actual harm. He could simply extract himself, return to the Demon King’s Castle as if nothing had happened, or forge an entirely new identity. However, the Belgarga estate, cultivated and protected for centuries, would be utterly dissolved, merely enriching others. That, Jeha’s pride would not permit.
‘Hmm…’ Jeha twirled the fork in his hand, lost in thought.
‘Cooperating with Xavier was absolutely out of the question. Yet, making an enemy of him would also prove problematic. What, then, was to be done?’
“What if we simply eradicate them all? I could set the Temple ablaze while they sleep,” Zephyr proposed. Jeha had never killed anyone, nor ordered a killing, nor even conceived of such an act. Nevertheless, Zephyr’s suggestion held an unexpected appeal for him. It was, of course, a fleeting thought.
‘…Then other Inquisitors would simply arrive, emboldened to investigate the deaths of Xavier’s party,’ Jeha said, resting his chin on his hand. He then tapped the edge of his plate with his fork.
“There are many ways to resolve this. For a start, you could corrupt Xavier and make him your vassal.”
‘Hmm…’ Jeha had indeed considered that idea. But he doubted it would provide a clean resolution.
‘Even if he were to turn all of Xavier’s party into his vassals, the Temple would undoubtedly grow suspicious if not a single heretic emerged from the Belgarga territory. Sacrificing some of his territory’s inhabitants as scapegoats was also absolutely out of the question. More importantly…’
“Ultimately, wasn’t my descent into the human realm the root of the problem? It was because of me that the Inquisitor system was revived. Which means that any future deaths of people branded as heretics would also be entirely my fault.”
The thought of even a single person being brutally tortured and burned to death because of him left him feeling as if something was lodged in his stomach. Yet, as the Demon King, he also had no desire to directly confront the gods and the Temple, thereby igniting a massive war.
“Your descent, Master, was merely a plausible pretext that the Temple, already eager to revive the Inquisitor system, stumbled upon by chance. Even without that incident, the Temple would have resurrected the system under some other pretense,” Paimon said, his tone placating.
“Regardless!” Jeha exclaimed, a hint of annoyance in his voice, as he slammed his fork down. He then recalled the scene he had glimpsed previously: the male priest had pleaded with Hereis to use his influence to abolish the Inquisitor system, and Hereis had responded by asking him to gather the will of the people to that end. It was clear that Hereis also wished for the Inquisitor system to be abolished.
Hereis was now an Archbishop. To make the Temple abolish the Inquisitor system itself, his cooperation as an Archbishop was essential.
Having made his decision, Jeha crossed his arms and declared, “I need to meet Hereis.”