Shortly after, Zephyr reappeared, freshly washed and changed in a flash.
His previously haggard complexion had clearly been an act, as he now looked perfectly vibrant. After all, a demon wouldn’t tire from such a trivial journey, even with his magic power sealed to the maximum.
“So, no issues at Belgar Castle?” Jeha asked, though he had already read the report. Zephyr nodded with a confident smirk.
“Of course. Everything is running smoothly, just as when you were there. Lord Campbell kept pestering me with questions about how you were doing—it was quite annoying.”
“And the Inquisitor?”
“Ah, that man Xavier is a complete wreck… He looked like a skeleton. It seems he’s been drained of his life force every night. They say he doesn’t even search for heretics anymore—he just holes up in a small prayer room in the temple and doesn’t move an inch.”
Only after hearing it directly from Zephyr did Jeha finally feel relieved.
“By the way, master.”
“Speak.”
“As I came and went, I noticed that as soon as you leave Belgar territory, the other territories are busy burning heretics in the town squares. Day and night, smoke from the executions rises everywhere.”
“That bad?”
“Yes. At least from what I saw.”
Jeha frowned. Even if a few real heretics were among them, most were likely ordinary, innocent people.
“What’s the mood among the people?”
“Well, it’s becoming similar to the time when the previous Inquisitor roamed the continent. Everyone is terrified of being accused, busy keeping their heads down.”
Jeha let out a heavy sigh. That’s just how the world worked. No matter how sorry he felt for the victims, he couldn’t save every single one. He could only help Hereis to hasten the end of this madness.
“Zephyr.”
“Yes, master.”
“I want to attach a demon to Bishop Irellio and have him form a contract. Is there a suitable demon?”
“Oho, a contract with a bishop?” Zephyr’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Bishop Irellio is cornered. If we tempt him well, he might even resort to a contract with a demon. I plan to have him exposed as a heretic at the right time…”
“Then the contract must be handled very cleverly. Unless we want to be burned at the stake together or have the contract-marked body fly away.” Zephyr said with a sly look. Jeha nodded.
“Then I’ll…”
“Not you.” Jeha cut off Zephyr’s eager offer. Zephyr immediately pouted.
“I’m second to none in cunning. As your close aide, it would be easier for me to manipulate Irellio.”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying no. Everyone in Enkarosha knows Lord Belmon is my knight. Do you think Bishop Irellio wouldn’t recognize you?”
At that, Zephyr’s face instantly filled with emotion. “You acknowledge that I am your close aide!” His gesture and tone were highly theatrical. Jeha sighed and nodded.
“Yes. So find a suitable demon.”
Zephyr rolled his eyes for a moment, then grinned. “There’s a perfect one. Do you remember the male-type incubus you saw before?”
“…The one sent to Hereis?”
“Yes. That one.” Zephyr nodded. Jeha frowned.
“But he’s an incubus.”
“An incubus is still a demon. Besides, that one loves to seduce clerics and drain their life force. He’s an expert at coaxing priests. Not to mention his cunning. And he’s been deeply upset about failing to complete your previous order. If given another chance, he’ll surely succeed this time.”
Zephyr’s words and actions might be a bit off, but his work ethic and loyalty were solid. After a moment’s thought, Jeha nodded.
“Have him seduce Irellio into a contract. Tell him I’ll help him become the next Pope. Of course, he’ll eventually be exposed as a heretic, so make sure he contracts in a way that he can extricate himself without getting caught up.”
“Master worries even for the safety of your vassals. Truly, you are the master. Then I’ll go quickly and deliver this good news to that fellow.”
Zephyr saluted with a cheerful face and then vanished smoothly.
“What a unique character…” Jeha muttered, looking at the spot where Zephyr had disappeared.
He looked down and saw Kkamangi lying at his feet. Ever since Jeha declared he would no longer give blood, Kkamangi had been acting pitiful every day. At first, he even refused food, which worried Jeha greatly. Fortunately, Paimon had informed him that Kkamangi was devouring all the meat in the kitchen every day, so he was relieved.
“This little pretender.” Jeha lightly tapped Kkamangi’s head, even though the little dragon had cleaned out the kitchen last night and was now lying there feigning weakness. Then he resumed stroking its soft fur.
Come to think of it, Jeha felt he shouldn’t keep Kkamangi in cat form for too long. As a rare dark dragon with a small population, it should be raised properly as a dragon. Of course, he couldn’t let it revert to dragon form while in the human world.
Jeha stroked Kkamangi’s fur, lost in thought. Helping Hereis was one thing, but he also felt a strong sense of responsibility toward the Inquisition system itself.
There were the innocent people dying, but even those labeled heretics probably didn’t deserve death. Some might have actually contracted with demons and harmed others. But most were likely just witches and wizards practicing magic or sorcery. At least in Jeha’s eyes, that was never a capital offense.
After pondering for a long time, a sudden idea struck Jeha. His eyes naturally narrowed.
“Paimon.”
“Yes, master.”
“Does this place have a printing technology to mass-produce books?”
“Print… books?” Paimon asked with a face that had never heard of such a thing.
“Ah… so there’s no printing technology yet.” Jeha muttered with a disappointed face.
“You want to make books?”
“Yes. A lot of them.”
When Jeha nodded, Paimon thought for a moment and then spoke. “May I ask what content?”
At Paimon’s question, Jeha’s face lit up with a mischievous expression. “I was thinking of making loads of porn books.”
“Porn…?”
“Erotic novels. Books that explicitly describe sexual acts.”
Paimon raised one eyebrow in surprise.
“In the place I used to live, the commoners started a revolution. What secretly contributed to that was pornographic novels featuring the ruling class. Those novels became incredibly popular among the people, and they ingrained the idea that ‘the holy, noble, and dignified high priests, imperial family, royalty, and nobility are actually engaging in all sorts of debauchery behind closed doors.’ The solid respect for the clergy and nobility naturally crumbled… And that public sentiment fueled the flames of revolution.”
Well, it was a story he had heard in passing, but he remembered it clearly. Before the French Revolution, all sorts of erotic novels starring Marie Antoinette became wildly popular. Most of the content was absurd—according to the novels, Marie Antoinette not only committed adultery with her attendants but also committed incest with her own son. It was all fiction, but the people believed it wholeheartedly.
“Even if Bishop Irellio and then the Pope’s son, Bishop Peressio, are revealed as heretics who contracted with demons and are burned at the stake, the temple could just cut them off like a tail and the matter would be somewhat settled. But before that upheaval happens, what if people’s minds are already imprinted with the image of high-ranking priests indulging in all sorts of depraved acts?”
“The people wouldn’t allow it to end with a simple scapegoating.”
“Exactly.”
“Is this a request from the contractor?”
“No. I’m doing this because I want to. I feel responsible for the people being labeled heretics and killed. Besides, it’ll help Hereis’s work too—kill two birds with one stone, right?”
“When it comes to writing erotic novels, there are a few demons with that hobby. If we command them, they’ll write the best novels. As for copying books, here in Enkarosha, there are many poor scholars and theologians gathered. If we pay them, they’ll produce enough copies.”
“Good. Then tell them to start writing immediately. Tell them to produce masterpieces.”
Paimon bowed his head and vanished smoothly. Jeha grinned a villainous smile and gently stroked Kkamangi.