Chapter 34: The Inquisitor of the Sun God (2)

“I wonder what this could be?” Lying on the bed in his lodgings, Ketal stared curiously at the translucent, gray cube in his hand. Inside, a strange light shimmered and flickered. It was obvious to anyone that this was no ordinary object. It was likely some kind of magical artifact.

When explaining the situation to Lord Barcan, Ketal had deliberately refrained from mentioning the cube. He figured that if he brought it up, the lord would likely confiscate it.

And his judgement had been correct. An artifact connected to Kartos was undeniably dangerous. There was a high chance that it would be seized and never returned to him.

How does this thing work?

Ketal thought. He had noticed that the cube glowed whenever Kartos used magic. It appeared to function as a magical amplifier or enhancer.

If I have this, could I use magic too?

The thought sent a thrill through him. For now, he decided to hold onto it. Perhaps he could ask a mage about its use when he encountered one in the future.

“Well, time to get moving.” He rose from the bed with a cheerful grin. The excitement on his face had little to do with the artifact he had acquired. It was for an entirely different reason. After all, today he was finally going to visit a fantasy-world church!

The day after he had explained everything to the lord and handed over the phylactery, the guard commander had come to see him. The commander had informed him that an inquisitor of the Sun God had arrived in the estate and wished to meet with him.

While Ketal had encountered a priestess before, this was his first time meeting an inquisitor. The meeting place was the church, and he had no reason to decline. He accepted the invitation without hesitation.

Seeing Ketal walking along with such a lighthearted smile, the guard commander, his face wrought with unease, spoke cautiously. “Remember, you will be meeting the Inquisitor of the Sun God. Please, I beg you... Don’t do anything disrespectful. I’m really asking this as a favor.”

Though his words bordered on groveling, it was understandable from the commander’s perspective. If Ketal caused any offense, it could spell disaster for the entire estate.

Ketal chuckled heartily. “Don’t worry. Have I ever been rude to anyone?”

“Well... no, you haven’t.” Even when dealing with the priestess who worshipped the God of Lies and Deception, Ketal had maintained perfect decorum. Since there had been no problem clearing the Dungeon, meeting the Inquisitor of the Sun God should be no different.

This barbarian was certainly not like the others of his kind. The commander remained silent as they walked.

They soon arrived at their destination.—the Sun God’s church, located in a quiet corner of the estate.

“This is the place,” the commander said.

“I see,” Ketal exclaimed in wonder.

In this world, gods existed. They granted power directly and, at times, even descended upon the Mortal Realm. The church was a place where those who served such deities gathered.

Ketal wondered what a fantasy-world church would be like. He had known about the Sun God’s church in the estate for some time. The moment he had learned of it, he had wanted to visit. However, he hadn’t been able to.

The reason was simple: only worshippers of the Sun God were allowed to enter the church. Technically, non-worshippers could enter with special permission, but the nuns had vehemently opposed allowing a barbarian inside.

However, this time, Aquaz herself had requested to meet Ketal at the church. Ketal couldn’t hide his delight.

“This is more than enough reward,” he said with a grin.

“Please, I beg you, behave yourself,” the commander pleaded again.

The door opened slowly, and several women greeted him.

“W-welcome, Mr. Ketal,” one of the nuns stammered, her voice trembling.

They were visibly nervous. Ketal felt a small pang of emotion. Although Hayes, a priestess Ketal had encountered before, also served a god, her attire had been practical and comfortable for travel. These nuns, however, wore traditional, elegant habits exuding refinement and grace.

For some reason, Ketal found this rather pleasant. A wide grin spread across his face. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“Ah...” At his smile, one of the nuns wavered, nearly collapsing. Another nun quickly caught her before she fell.

“Are you okay?” Ketal asked, stepping forward, only for the nun to flinch and move away as though startled.

“I’m fine! Please, there is no need to help me!” she exclaimed, retreating hastily. Her reaction was a clear rejection, and Ketal felt a small sting of hurt in his heart.

The other nuns, visibly uneasy, began to retreat as well, trembling as they moved away.

“Lady Aquaz is waiting for you inside. Please, go on ahead,” one of them said before the group quickly fled.

Now alone, Ketal rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Am I not supposed to smile?

It seemed that every time he smiled, things got worse. But going expressionless could make him look even scarier. Though saddened by the nuns’ reactions, Ketal brushed it off. He had endured far worse and wasn’t going to let this bother him.

Let’s just enjoy the moment,

he thought, stepping inside the church.

Rows of pews lined the space, facing a table at the front where the priest presumably gave sermons. The design wasn’t so different from the churches on Earth. The only noticeable difference was the lack of stained glass. It seemed glass wasn’t yet common in this world.

Behind the table stood a statue—a depiction of a robust man holding a spear raised high into the sky and a round shield, radiating an aura of majesty and authority.

Is this their god—the Sun God?

he thought. He could not believe he was in front of a statue of an actual god, one who granted power and delivered divine revelations.

He started at the statue, a mix of thoughts and emotions stirring within him. After a moment of quiet reflection, he knelt down and clasped his hands together.

He started praying.

Aquaz, who had been silently observing him, was startled. The reverence in Ketal’s posture was unmistakable. He exuded a sense of profound devotion that rivaled that of the most devout priests.

For a moment, Aquaz found herself captivated, unable to look away. His posture was so sincere that she hesitated to interrupt him. But just as she was debating what to do, Ketal stood and, as though he had been aware of her presence all along, turned to face her.

Their eyes met—his hair ashen gray, hers shimmering with silver.

“You must be Aquaz,” he said.

“It is an honor to meet you,” Aquaz replied, regaining her composure and offering a polite bow. “I am Aquaz, Inquisitor of the Sun God.”

“And I am Ketal, a barbarian. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a wide grin.

***

Aquaz led Ketal to the church’s reception room. They sat facing each other, silently observing each other’s demeanor.

Aquaz was a beautiful woman, but Ketal couldn’t shake the thought that her hands had to be stained with the blood of many. It gave him a peculiar feeling.

Inquisitors existed in his own world as well, or, more precisely, they

used

to exist.

In the distant past, when religion wielded extraordinary power, there were those tasked with judging heresy. Though their traces had faded in the modern world, history books described them as real and significant figures.

Unlike mages or Swordmasters, Aquaz was fascinating in a different way. It felt as though he were sitting face-to-face with a piece of living history.

On her part, Aquaz’s mind was equally unsettled. Her initial plan had been to press Ketal for answers—to interrogate him and forcibly extract the truth.

However, witnessing his prayer filled with sincere reverence earlier had changed her mind.

In the end, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you... believe in our god?”

“No. I don’t believe in any particular god,” Ketal answered.

The response was expected, so she wasn’t surprised. However, it left her with a question. “Then why did you offer a prayer to our god?”

“I may not believe in your god, but I was invited into your church, was I not?” Ketal replied calmly. Even if the invitation wasn’t an entirely welcoming one, it was still an invitation. “And so, it’s only proper to show respect. Of course, as a non-believer, I cannot offer the reverence of the heart—that would be the height of disrespect to your god. But at the very least, I can offer respect with my conduct, if not my faith.”

Even if he didn’t believe, he could act with decorum and follow the appropriate gestures of respect.

Aquaz’s expression went blank, caught off guard by his reasoning. Seeing her silent, Ketal asked hesitantly, “Was that disrespectful? If so, I apologize.”

“No, not at all.” Aquaz hurriedly shook her head. “You’re absolutely correct. Even without faith, one can still offer respect in form. You’ve expressed it perfectly.”

Aquaz’s face showed a trace of admiration.

There’s nothing more disrespectful than the insincerity of a non-believer’s heart. But at the very least, one can show respect of the body,

she thought. Ketal’s words resonated with her.

In truth, Aquaz was exhausted. As an inquisitor, she constantly dealt with those who rejected or mocked her faith. They hurled insults at her and her god, and while she made sure they paid the appropriate price, the endless encounters had taken a toll on her. Yet now, a barbarian—who should have been a symbol of unbelief—was speaking such inspiring words.

Her impression of the man in front of her improved significantly. The coldness in her eyes softened, replaced with a faint warmth.

Seemingly struck by a sudden thought, Ketal’s face took on an awkward expression. “Should I be burned at the stake for saying this? Now that I think about it, speaking words of unbelief in front of a devout follower must be incredibly rude.”

“What? No, not at all! As long as you don’t directly insult our god, simply being a non-believer isn’t an offense,” Aquaz said, quickly shaking her head again.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

In ancient times, there were cases where disbelief alone was enough to warrant punishment, but in the current era, such practices would cause serious problems. Inquisitors now only dealt with those who directly insulted their god or those corrupted by evil.

“I see. That’s a relief,” Ketal said with a small laugh. It seemed this wasn’t as harsh an era as the days of religious wars back on Earth.

“Now then, let’s get to the main topic. You must have had a reason to summon me here,” Ketal said, smiling quietly. His smile was predatory, like that of a beast. “It’s about the recent Dungeon, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Aquaz replied.

He’s sharper than he let’s on,

she thought. This man was far removed from the stereotypical barbarian. Aquaz continued, “The one you claim to have defeated, Kartos, was a former mage who committed great atrocities against the world a century ago. Many Transcendents sought to bring him down, but none succeeded.”

In the end, it had taken a Hero to finally defeat him.

Ketal leaned back in his chair.” Even so, it doesn’t mean much to me.”

He had heard plenty of the same talk the day before. To him, Kartos was nothing more than a lich who had floundered on his own and self-destructed.

“You don’t believe me, and I can only trust my own eyes. We’re at an impasse,” Ketal said.

“That’s true,” Aquaz admitted. “But our god possesses the power to resolve such an impasse.”

“Oh?” Ketal’s curiosity was piqued.

“By invoking the name of the god I serve, and with you pledging your honor, we can ensure that only the truth is spoken here. Shall we apply that rule?”

“A rule implies compulsion, doesn’t it?” Ketal said with a grin, baring his teeth. “Is this divine power?”

“Yes. The Sun God will directly oversee our conversation. If it makes you uncomfortable, you are free to decline,” Aquaz explained, narrowing her eyes slightly.

She didn’t expect him to accept. Even if he was different from a typical barbarian, he was still a non-believer. No one would willingly expose themselves to the gaze of a god they did not worship.

Her goal was to understand Ketal. She assumed that his refusal would be the starting point to learn more about him, giving her insights into his character and motivations.

But, to her surprise, Ketal burst into a bright smile. “Refuse? Why would I?”

What?!

Aquaz was genuinely surprised.

For Ketal, this was an opportunity to experience the Sun God’s divine authority firsthand. He was visibly excited, almost giddy. The lich had been a disappointment, but a god was bound to be different. He was certain the Sun God’s power would leave him in awe.

“Are you... certain about this?” Aquaz asked, startled.

“Of course! Let’s begin immediately!” Ketal exclaimed enthusiastically.

It was Aquaz who found herself unsettled. To anyone not devoted to the Sun God, being directly observed by Him should have been daunting.

However, Ketal’s visible excitement, as though the act of witnessing divine power was his main goal, left her utterly baffled.

What’s going on?

she thought. It felt as if the roles had reversed.

Instead of Aquaz testing Ketal by invoking divine power, it seemed as though Ketal was testing the power of the Sun God.