The night had deepened.
Jeha tossed and turned in his bed. Lying still and alone, his mind became a chaotic swirl of unnecessary thoughts. The complex emotions he’d felt after making Hereis kiss his instep, intertwined with the loneliness that had washed over him while gazing at the city’s nightscape, tangled within him. He tried to banish them, but the more he did, the more these varied emotions surged forth.
How long had he tossed, his eyes wide open and unseeing?
Suddenly, outside his window, an orange glow flickered erratically, accompanied by a growing murmur of voices. He was just sitting up, wondering what the commotion could be, when he heard it.
Knock, knock—.
The door opened, preceded by a somewhat urgent knock.
“Butler? What is it?”
He asked the butler, who entered with a slightly strained expression.
“My lord, a party of Inquisitors dispatched from the temple has arrived at the castle gates.”
“A party of Inquisitors?”
“Yes. We haven’t opened the gates yet without your permission, my lord, but they are repeatedly requesting entry. They also sent word that they wish to pay their respects to you.”
“At this late hour? To see me?”
His voice was far from pleasant.
“Regrettably, yes. Were they merely ordinary nobles, I would have discreetly turned them away without disturbing your rest, but as they are envoys from the temple…”
The butler’s voice trailed off. That alone was enough for Jeha to understand. In this human realm, the temple’s power was so immense that even the most influential nobles couldn’t hope to contend with it.
‘”…Tell them to come in. And bring me something to change into.'”
Jeha spoke coldly as he got out of bed. He felt an inexplicable sense of profound displeasure and annoyance. The servants, as they helped him out of his nightclothes and into layer after layer of formal attire, were unusually cautious in their movements. They had likely sensed his foul mood. Jeha made no effort to conceal his displeasure. Instead, he indulged in a show of leisurely authority, making several demands—complaining about a waistcoat he disliked, or requesting a different ornament. He refused to appear flustered or rush out to greet them just because they were envoys from the temple.
Having taken far longer than usual to dress, he stepped into the corridor, where Paimon and Zephyr stood waiting by the door. Instead of immediately setting off, Jeha meticulously scrutinized their appearances. Their naturally pointed ears were now rounded like a human’s, and their dark-colored nails had transformed to resemble ordinary human nails. At least outwardly, they merely appeared to be exceptionally handsome young men.
“Are both of you alright?”
Jeha asked, just to be sure.
“Of course, my lord. We are perfectly disguised as humans, so even if a high priest were to come, they wouldn’t detect the slightest hint of anything amiss or any demonic energy from us.”
Zephyr replied with confidence. Well, he had expected as much, but hearing the verbal confirmation still brought a sense of relief. Jeha nodded and then headed towards the castle’s largest and most opulent reception room, where the Inquisitors had been asked to wait.
The butler, with a respectful demeanor, opened the door and stepped inside, announcing their arrival.
“His Excellency, Marquis Belgar, has arrived.”
At his words, the party seated on the reception room sofas rose to their feet. From each of them emanated a subtle yet distinct divine power, though not particularly potent. They were clearly not just any common folk.
“We offer our greetings to Your Excellency. I am Xavier, a humble servant of God.”
The man in black priestly robes, presumably the Inquisitor, bowed on behalf of his party. Jeha acknowledged their greeting with a slight nod, then slowly walked to the place of honor prepared for him and took his seat. Crossing his legs, he surveyed the group. There was one Inquisitor, two priests accompanying him, and four paladins—seven individuals in total.
“Be seated.”
Jeha gestured towards the sofas with his chin, inviting them to sit. His arrogant, prideful act, steeped in a sense of privilege, caused the Inquisitors’ expressions to subtly stiffen. A hint of surprise was also visible. Jeha, indifferent to their reactions, instructed the butler to bring tea. He then deliberately yawned, resting his arm on the armrest, clearly implying that they had disturbed his sleep.
While the tea was being prepared, Jeha openly scrutinized each member of the party, tapping his fingers idly on the armrest. The Inquisitor, presumably their leader, wore black priestly robes, distinctly different from the others, emblazoned with a red divine emblem. Breaking the common prejudice that priests were typically slender, the Inquisitor was of medium height, with a muscular, robust physique. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His aquiline nose and sharp eyes gave him a stern and meticulous countenance. Finally, the tea arrived. Jeha took the teacup from the butler, sipped it, and then, only then, spoke leisurely.
“So… you’ve been dispatched from the temple?”
At his words, Inquisitor Xavier, who had been sitting, diligently concealing his displeasure, nodded.
“Indeed, Your Excellency. I presume you are already aware that the Grand Temple recently decided to reinstate the Inquisitor system. I have been honorably selected as an Inquisitor and dispatched to the Belgar domain. As one cannot be negligent in upholding the glory of God, I traveled day and night, inadvertently causing you inconvenience at this late hour. I ask for your gracious understanding.”
Inquisitor Xavier spoke in a somewhat rigid tone. It seemed less a deliberate affectation and more his natural manner of speaking. A degree of displeasure, stemming from the feeling of being treated dismissively, was likely also present. Of course, Jeha had no intention of caring in the slightest.
Jeha savored his tea, his thoughts drifting to Hereis for a moment. Not only was Hereis’s appearance beautiful, but the divine grace that permeated his body was so sacred and holy that even Jeha, a Demon King, could feel it. Perhaps because of this, despite containing a power completely antithetical to his own, Jeha had never once felt any displeasure from Hereis. But why was it? The minuscule divine power possessed by the party before him, a mere speck compared to Hereis’s, felt utterly repulsive. Perhaps it was Hereis’s influence, his desire to bring down gods and temples. Or it could be his animosity and revulsion towards the high priests who had orchestrated Hereis’s assassination, butchering him beyond recognition. It could also simply be a natural repulsion to conflicting powers. Of course, the negative image of Inquisitors he knew from history also played a part. In any case, the crucial point was that Jeha found the humans before him utterly distasteful. And Jeha had not the slightest intention of tolerating people he disliked, or of acting hypocritically towards them.
“Butler.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Don’t we have a temple in our domain? I recall seeing a small one on one side of the city when I toured the territory.”
“Yes, of course, our domain has several temples. There’s one right in the city before us.”
Having heard the butler’s reply, Jeha turned his gaze back to the Inquisitor party. And asked.
“Did you stop by the temple?”
“No. We came directly to pay our respects to Your Excellency.”
“At this late hour, of all times? You could have spent the night at the temple and called upon me in the morning.”
At Jeha’s words, the party exchanged glances. Their eyes betrayed a mix of surprise and annoyance. Jeha could easily guess their thoughts. As esteemed envoys directly dispatched by the temple, most lords would undoubtedly have welcomed them warmly, day or night, treating them as honored guests. They had likely expected the same. They probably intended to barge in, receive an enthusiastic welcome from the Marquis Belgar, and be offered comfortable rooms and beds within the castle instead of the humble temple dormitories.
“In any case, I appreciate you dragging your weary bodies here at this late hour just to greet me. While I have many things I wish to hear and inquire about, it would be impolite to detain those who have not yet recovered from their journey. You should return to the temple and rest thoroughly. We can meet again once you’ve had sufficient time to recuperate.”
Having unilaterally concluded the conversation, Jeha uncrossed his legs and began to rise. It was then that Inquisitor Xavier, with a somewhat urgent expression, spoke up.
“Your Excellency.”
The address was stiff and formal. Jeha paused his movement to rise, settling back into his chair, and directed his gaze at Xavier. His look conveyed: ‘If you have something to say, say it quickly.’ Jeha’s attitude clearly displeased him, as Xavier’s face hardened further. Yet, unable to disregard the Marquis’s status as a lord, he forced his voice to soften and began to speak.
“I have heard, Your Excellency, that you left for studies in the Eastern Continent as a child and only recently returned to your domain. Consequently, it is presumed that you may not yet be fully acquainted with the various customs of this Central Continent.”
“Oh? And what is it that I don’t know?”
Jeha asked, feeling a metaphorical horn of mischief sprout from his head.
“It is somewhat awkward to state this myself, but it is customary for a lord of a region to personally greet a priest directly dispatched from the temple, and for that priest to reside within the lord’s castle until their mission is complete. That is why we came directly to the castle, despite the late hour, instead of heading straight to the temple.”
“Ah, I see…! So, such a custom exists.”
Jeha nodded, as if hearing this for the very first time. At this, Xavier’s expression softened slightly.