39 – 2. The Path of the Dagger (20)

20.

“Nice to meet you. The doctrine of worshiping a god of order——It is said to be a sword from the main school, the cathedral.”

I held the man’s hand while getting some fresh air in the backyard of the inn. His short-cropped gray hair, his pale face, his well-trained hands, and not only his glasses, gave the impression of a scholar-type person overall.

Since he is higher in hierarchy than the paladin himself and is a skilled Heretic Inquisitor, I was nervous inside about how terrifying a human would come, but at least the appearance of him always dressed in full plate armor was much more burdensome. But what should I say…… Behind the somewhat awkward smile, there is a sign of open observation of me, which is a bit awkward.

Well, it’s worth it. I would have been suspicious of someone who tried to meddle in their affairs this deeply. As if he didn’t have the heart to hide his thoughts, after a formal greeting, he looked at me and said.

“The story was passed on to my colleague. It’s urgent, so let’s get right to the point. Do you know the identity of the thief?”

“Maybe.”

“Hmm, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m still in charge of the Heretic Inquisitor. You know that the thieves are deeply involved with the heresy we are pursuing.”

“Yes, I know.”

“──Are you still revealing that you are related to that thief in front of me? I honestly can’t trust you. How ironic is this to know the identity of the thief even though you are not in a cooperative relationship with the thief? Did you know that there is nothing strange about arresting you right away and scrutinizing you?”

That was a reasonable statement. I swallowed dry saliva. However, if you take a step back from here, you will not be able to save Mira. Apart from trusting me for some reason, this man called the Heretic Inquisitor must work as a team to sneak into the mansion. I organized my words and opened my mouth.

“…… Have you ever actually met a thief?”

“What do you mean?”

“A wanted letter. A tall, skinny man in his 30s with scars all over his body. Who uploaded this montage? How could a thief who had never been caught in the capital stay exposed for so long?”

The Heretic Questioner closed his mouth for a moment and pondered. Seeing the immediate reaction, it seems that he, too, was suspicious of this fact. I didn’t hesitate and said it straight away.

“Many crimes committed by thieves in the capital. That is clear evidence that ‘he’ is involved with heresy. But you know that being involved doesn’t mean being cooperative. It is likely to be an adversarial relationship.”

“…… Anyone can think of something like that, but what does that have to do with the thief’s identity?”

“I told you earlier, how did the thief get caught? If his appearance had been revealed in advance while committing numerous crimes, he would not have been able to prosper for so long in the narrow capital. It was probably reported that after being seen once, he immediately fled here. Is that correct?”

“… ….”

The Heretic Inquisitor’s gaze at me narrowed even more. It’s an expression of how you know that. I told him with confidence.

“Wouldn’t that be worth it? Because they are different people.”

“…… !”

“A legendary great sword who has been active in the capital until now. And a thief who recently got caught and fled to the periphery. These two are different people. Didn’t you think it was strange?”

This is blasphemy. It is impiety to question the man of the Church. But I couldn’t stop.

“The two of them are not the same person, so I was only able to get a clue because one of them was inexperienced. If the one in front hadn’t died in an unexpected accident…… The thieves might have been active until they robbed the capital.”

As with the previous stories, I continued to speak confidently based on speculation. All the stories I heard from Mira, and everything I judged based on that information, I told the Heretic Questioner exactly as I had told the knight. Soon he opened his eyes wide for the first time and muttered in a low voice, glancing once in the direction of the cathedral knight.

“I wonder if this is a thousand people, where did a man like this roll in…… No, is it me who is dissatisfied?”

“Yes?”

“No. No, now that I think about it, I don’t think there’s a need to be particularly polite——anyway, it seems like we’re on the same boat. Could it be that you are older than me with that face?”

“It can’t be.”

I replied with a grin. The Heretic Inquisitor was never exhilarated or amazed, but he always exercised his reason and came to a conclusion.

“I don’t believe your story 100%. There could be any number of variables we don’t know about. However, in the absence of other hypotheses, that ‘inference’ is extremely reasonable. It can be said to be ninety-five, especially in that everything so far fits.”

“The remaining 5 points then… ….”

“Looks like you’ve said everything you know, so now it’s my turn to tell you.”

The Heretic Inquisitor contacted the main school and told me everything he had investigated about the Count. From the time he went to his mansion to the previous investigations, his aged appearance for his age, and other relationships he maintained with nobles and the flow of funds.

“How about you, can you fill in the rest of your hypothesis now?”

“…… It sure is.”

I was convinced after hearing his story. Mira went there on purpose and was captured. It was for that reason that he hid again in the mansion he had already stolen and fled from. I think I know roughly what to do with the magic items I’ve stolen so far. When she checked her room, nothing was left. …… Except for the one shilling silver coin that was lying on the table.

I clenched my fists in front of the heretic inquisitor. Who is going to let them run away like that? She confided everything to me, and felt relieved on her own, so I’m satisfied…… Never. Never let it go that way I had to deliver the promise to wash together and the dagger that had already been paid for. Never let go

“…… Then I’ll have to figure out what I can do right now.”

The Heretic Questioner muttered about me, whose emotions were rising. Yeah let’s think To save Mira, you first need to enter her mansion. As a follower of the cult, no one will want to enter the mansion as long as the thief is in custody. The clergy may also be able to enter with the authority of the church head-on, but they probably cannot break into any place other than the parlor where guests are received. Above all, the two have already sold their faces.

So the variable in the plan, the one who squeezes open and enters the gap, must be me. However, a few members of the Knights and the Knights Commander will remember my face, so returning to my original form is a risky gamble. I mean, I have to change my appearance after all…… Reluctantly, I let out a deep sigh and opened my mouth.

“There is a way.”

“How?”

“Yes. But promise me one thing. I will not make fun of you.”

Are you kidding me? The Heretic Inquisitor and the Paladin looked puzzled, but I was infinitely sincere.

As I said before, when I ran away from the witch’s mansion on the day I became an adult, I stole a lot of magic items from her room and ran away. A few ‘items’ are still intact in my bag under my bed.

There are many types of flasks, rings, and books, but the most useful one is…… It’s a belt A belt, a leather girdle with goddamn benefits, is the crux of this operation.

An item called the [Freewheeling Belt].

Yes, this belt…… The effect is very simple. I’ve already experienced it at the mansion.

That’s…… When a man wears it, he becomes a woman; when a woman wears it, he becomes a man.

──And then we come to the present. I thought I would never use this again for the rest of my life. I hope you’ll be back again this soon. Even though my eye level was slightly lowered, my gaze naturally shrunk, and I moved on, feeling an indescribable sense of loss in my lower body. If you take off your belt, you have to go back to being a man right away, so maybe it’s because you’re not wearing women’s clothes, and you feel a sense of separation from your body shape. In particular, the weight of the chest that pushes up the shirt from the inside is enough to shake the reason.

Be patient, be patient. Calm down, Jean. I don’t know what Mira might look like, but there’s no time to delay with something like this. As for my body, which has changed from usual, I can endure it somehow if I empty my mind. However, I couldn’t stand the guards who were looking at me with sly eyes from a while ago. What are you looking at, kicking the lower leg?

“…… It’s very popular.”

“It’s noisy.”

I couldn’t bear to tell the church’s heresy inquisitor to shut up, so I just furrowed my brow and gave him an answer. No, that’s all, I don’t know why the guards are crying. Even if I’m a real woman, I don’t like an old man like this. Wouldn’t it be better if it was the knight walking next to me? It is said that the mind follows the body, so I don’t know why today’s staggering backing is so reliable. I sympathized with Selene’s taste and walked closely behind her.

“If you wait, the lord will come.”

“Thank you.”

When I answered with a smile to the guard who guided me into the mansion, he twisted his body as if he had the whole world. I like it, XX. When the door closed and two guards appeared to be waiting in front of the door, the Heretic Questioner leaned back on the sofa and whispered to me.

“Okay then, I entered the mansion as I wished. The strategy is still the same, right?”

“Yes. Please move only as promised in advance.”

The reason she dared to visit the mansion in the form of a woman was not just to hide her identity. If you become a woman, first of all, the guards will be less vigilant, and the same s*x…… f*ck, yeah, it’s easy to approach maids and servants of the same s*x. While the heretic inquisitor is wasting time interrogating the lord, I, as a guest, wander around the mansion and find the room where Mira is being held. The means to do so have already been prepared.

To do that, you have to leave before you face the lord. When I lifted my butt off, the cathedral knight looked in my direction and said straight up.

“Be careful.”

“Yes.”

“The air is different from the last time I came.”

Yes, I understand. This magnificent mansion…… Even including the presence of guards in the corridors, there is a somewhat gloomy aura. It was the smell I smelled. It is a sign of life.

I finally took a deep breath and pulled on the large door. When the two guards outside the parlor looked at me at the same time, I cut off the curtain with a comment that has a long history and tradition.

“Maybe… ….”

Gulp.

“Where is the bathroom here?”

Why did you just swallow your saliva?

Really search XX.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like