The Inquisitor’s Predicament

The question remained: could he truly deliver on such a promise?

“Go to the Church of Hymns and tell them you are looking for an Inquisitor named Yelica.

“‘The Black Deity Wielding a Scythe’ – upon hearing those words, she will certainly agree to meet you.

“Once you meet her, mention my name. You may present her with a reasonable request, and she will grant it.”

Lauren and Collins exchanged glances, each seeing a flicker of doubt reflected in the other’s eyes.

Yodel’s words sounded as though he held an Inquisitor firmly within his grasp.

Could his influence alone compel a dignified Inquisitor to accede to any request from strangers? They had never heard of such a figure in Landon, especially considering Yodel was a young man who had only arrived five days prior.

Which prominent figure or powerful faction truly stood behind him?

Lightly stroking his chin with his index finger, Lauren decided to take a gamble: “You’re right, I truly should invest in ambitious young men. It’s a pleasure to cooperate.”

With his objective achieved, Yodel naturally beamed with delight: “A pleasure to cooperate.”

From a hidden compartment in the desk, Lauren retrieved a check and handed it to Yodel: “Should you have any future commissions, simply use this check at the agency, and someone will bring you to me.”

Turning his head, he then instructed, “Collins, have someone return the 200 gold pounds to our friend.”

****

Not long after Yodel departed the detective agency, Lauren, accompanied by Collins, swiftly boarded a carriage and hastened towards the Church of Hymns.

The opportunity to break the ice with the Church was within grasp, and he was eager to verify its authenticity.

Though it could not compare to the Storm Ocean Church, the national religion of the Three Islands Kingdom, the Church of Hymns still boasted a considerable number of adherents within the kingdom, with worshippers continuously streaming in.

Lauren quickly located a priest and requested that he relay a message to Yelica: “‘The Black Deity Wielding a Scythe’.”

The priest’s utterly bewildered expression made Lauren and Collins momentarily suspect they had been played by Yodel.

Despite his confusion, however, the priest did not refuse Lauren’s request to pass on the message.

Moments later, Yelica, her face clouded with displeasure, followed the priest to meet Lauren.

“Inquisitor Yelica, I hear someone here is looking for me.”

‘She actually came out!’

Lauren was instantly overjoyed, and at the same time, marveled that Yodel’s words had proven true.

‘However, why did this Inquisitor seem to be in such a foul mood?’

“Ah, yes, Inquisitor. Mr. Yodel told us we could find you here.”

Upon hearing the name “Yodel,” Yelica’s body gave a slight shiver, a detail that certainly did not escape Lauren’s notice.

He had initially assumed Yodel shared a cooperative relationship with the Church, but Yelica’s reaction suggested less a partnership and more that Yodel held some form of leverage over her.

An Inquisitor who gave even nobles headaches was genuinely being manipulated. Lauren’s estimation of Yodel climbed even higher.

“It’s rather crowded here, Inquisitor. Might we speak somewhere more private?”

A look of anguish crossed Yelica’s face; it was clear she genuinely did not wish to leave the Church, yet the curse compelled her obedience, forcing her to follow the two men.

Having witnessed that terrifying entity, she had already equated Yodel with a minion of an evil god. Could anyone associated with such a servant truly be good? Only the heavens knew what they intended by taking her away from the Church.

A few minutes later, the two men led Yelica to a less bustling area, where they began their conversation.

“I am Lauren of the ‘Minckton’ Detective Agency. We hope you can assist us with a matter. Are you aware of the murder that occurred last week at Leicester University?”

“I am. What do you want?” Yelica replied, her arms crossed over her chest, keeping as much distance as possible.

“This murder is suspected to be connected to cultists, and as such, the Church of Hymns has taken over the investigation. We wish to obtain the case files.”

‘Hah,’ Yelica scoffed inwardly, ‘Cultists? Aren’t you two cultists yourselves? And here you are, pretending.’

Truthfully, she longed to unleash her power upon these two, a two-for-one trade-off that wouldn’t be a loss. Yet, when it came to actually making a move, she realized she wasn’t prepared to face death.

After much deliberation, Yelica ultimately chose to accede to their request.

‘This isn’t surrender; it’s knowing when to bend and when to stand firm. Once I find a way to break this curse, I will certainly settle the score with you both.’ Yelica secretly bolstered her own spirits.

Steeling her resolve, Yelica regained a semblance of the confidence befitting an Inquisitor: “Very well. However, retrieving the case files requires a certain procedure and time. I will mail copies of the compiled files to you.”

“That’s wonderful! The ‘Minckton’ Agency is profoundly grateful.” Lauren and Collins were overjoyed, returning to their agency in high spirits to await the case files.

Their elation stemmed from the fact that this university murder involved a family member of one of their aristocratic collaborators.

That noble had commissioned ‘Minckton’ to initiate an investigation, but with the Church’s intervention, taking charge of all investigative matters, ‘Minckton’s’ work had ground to a halt.

Between the noble’s insistent demands and the Church’s overbearing and indifferent demeanor, Lauren had been utterly distressed.

Unexpectedly, Yodel had descended like a divine soldier, directly breaking the deadlock.

With the case files in hand, many issues would resolve themselves effortlessly, and the heavy burden that had weighed on his heart for days finally lifted. He could now report his success to the noble.

Lauren and Collins exchanged glances, easily discerning that their dear friend shared the same thoughts.

“It’s time for a drink out!”

While the two friends celebrated with drinks at the tavern, Yelica returned to the Church, her spirits low.

Retreating to her bedroom, Yelica buried her face in her pillow, and a faint whimper echoed through the room.

Although she intended to break the curse, she had yet to discover a viable method.

Holy water, curse-breaking elixirs, banishing spells—she had tried every conceivable option.

However, the terrifying entity Yodel served possessed an exceptionally high divine rank, and the curse it had laid was so potent and difficult to remove that it far surpassed anything Yelica had encountered before.

‘Now, the only remaining options are to seek out Her Highness the Saintess and pray to the gods… *sniffle*…’

In the past two days, Yelica, once enthusiastic about her work, had become unwilling to even patrol the streets. She merely wished to retreat within the Church’s walls, for only there did she feel a glimmer of security.

Yet, perpetually hiding like a turtle was not an option. According to the curse’s terms, Yelica had to meet Yodel weekly and gather intelligence for him on the Everlife Society.

Moreover, to be burdened with a curse from an evil god, assisting its minions, while simultaneously offering normal prayers to the divine—it struck her as utterly bizarre.

Furthermore, she was not only cursed but had also been seen through entirely by Yodel, and was now forced to obey his every command…

‘Why was she so wretched?’

Troubles piled one upon another, pushing the once-cheerful Yelica into a state of despair. She could only lament bitterly that she hadn’t thought more before pushing open that door.