In the Empire's northern region, there are three main cults.

The Cult of Ra that venerates the Sun God Ra, known for its long history even within the Empire.

The Isis Cult, a burgeoning new religion that worships the Goddess of Life Isis and is expanding its influence.

The Iskandar Cult, followed by the northern barbarians who revere the god of warriors.

And there is one group that doesn't quite fit among these cults.

Something that can hardly be called a cult.

The Cult of the Snake.

'Naga'.

A bunch of lunatic fanatics!

"If it's them, then the situation changes."

Radatok's expression turned grim. When he furrowed his brow, his bear-like appearance intensified.

"We will retrace the tracks. The merchant guild will accompany us. However, you must adhere to my command while accompanying us. I will not tolerate objections."

"Th-thank you! Priest! Thank you so much!"

Wait, hold on a second.

That's not what I meant. I get that the merchant guild got hit, but I have tons of things to do!

I need to quickly deal with Beverick and gather up all the hidden pieces in the north, right?

"The Heretics... heretics!"

"The Snake Cult..."

"Heh heh... this is perfect timing for when my body was becoming stiff."

The Inquisitors rose like zombies. The gleam in their eyes was quite terrifying.

"Uh, excuse me?"

No way!

If time drags on, it messes up all my plans!

"Inquisitor, if we chase the heretics and end up late for the holy tribunal, won't that be a problem?"

"If it's heretics, the Judge will understand."

"Then should we send them ahead of us?"

"Since there’s been an attack nearby, it’s too dangerous to split up."

Radatok gave me a chilling look.

"...Brother Jahad, do you perhaps dislike chasing the Snake Cult?"

I jumped to my feet.

"These filthy heretic bastards!"

Throw away the favorability I’ve painstakingly built up?!

No way I can do that—not ever!

"Jahad will join the Inquisitors!"

"That's the spirit, Brother Jahad!"

"A true figure who asked for the holy tribunal!"

"Perfect fit for the next Inquisitor!"

Ah damn. Never mind.

Let's just get over there and deal with it quickly!

The merchant guild leader spoke.

"We were attacked at the Ice Cliff."

"The Ice Cliff, you say..."

The Chief of the Merchant Guild pointed at the map. I poked my head out from among the Inquisitors.

Ice Cliff? Wait a minute... isn't that one of the places I planned to visit later?

"Chief of the Merchant Guild."

Radatok's expression hardened.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"W-What? How could I possibly hide something from the Priest?"

"Where did the group set off from?"

"From the city of Lukaba..."

"And your destination is the same as ours, Ainkad, yet you came from Lukaba..."

Radatok traced a line on the map with his finger.

"Both Lukaba and the city we departed from, Benelda, can reach the destination without passing through the Ice Cliff. Why did you insist on going through it?"

"That's… because..."

Radatok gestured with his hand. One of the Inquisitors handed him some documents.

"...It seems you're not the original person who managed this merchant guild. If you've recently taken over as Chief, is this your first trade mission?"

Whoa, wait... he instructed the Inquisitors, and they found that out so quickly? This man is scary!

"Y-Yes, that's correct."

"I understand that merchant groups under the church must offer a portion of their goods as tribute in exchange for church support on trading missions."

"Y-Yes."

"There are more carts than what's recorded in your ledger. It seems the amount of stolen goods is also likely much more than what's listed. You've tampered with the records."

Radatok placed the documents back down.

"Were you intending to siphon off the tribute meant for the church, taking advantage of the Ice Cliff's remoteness?"

"O-Oh, it's a misunderstanding!"

"Then, please explain about the ledger."

"That, that is..."

Like a cornered rat, the Chief of the Merchant Guild squeezed his eyes shut.

"That is... that's..."

I raised my hand slightly. Listening to these excuses that don't even come out feels like a waste of time.

"Inquisitor Radatok, may I take a look at those records?"

"...Are you referring to me, Brother?"

"There's something that bothers me. It will only take a moment."

I quickly scanned the documents. Thanks to the goodwill I had accumulated, the Inquisitors did not restrict my actions.

Wow. They've noted down all sorts of things. They've squeezed everything out of the people. There's even information about the Chief's past?

"...Huh?"

Wait a moment.

What's this?

"This guy is a real piece of work."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Chief of the Merchant Guild, it seems this isn't the first time you've gone through the Ice Cliff, is it?"

Radatok sighed.

"Brother."

"No, but listen. Doesn't it feel a bit odd to call that a preliminary survey?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's suspicious just looking at it. People supposedly don't dare to step on the Ice Cliff, right? Its name alone suggests it's not a place fit for habitation... And you’re saying the Snake Cult appeared there? As if expecting the merchant guild to show up? It's too coincidental, don't you think?"

The Chief of the Merchant Guild flinched. Look at his reaction. This guy.

"Isn't this guy an accomplice? It feels like they're in cahoots... If we dig further, maybe there's a stigmata of the Snake Cult somewhere on his body?"

"Th-There's no way! I’m being framed! If that were the case, I wouldn't have escaped from them!"

"That's something we can only confirm upon investigation. Who's to say you weren't abandoned by them?"

The Inquisitors murmured among themselves.

"Indeed..."

"For a coincidence, it's too..."

"It's strange for the Snake Cult to suddenly emerge from the Ice Cliff."

"I wouldn't think even they could survive there; after all, they're human too."

The Inquisitors cracked their knuckles.

"Chief of the Merchant Guild, could you cooperate with us for a moment?"

"N-No! If you're going to inspect my body, you'd need to have Inquisitors from the Cult Headquarters!"

"That would be us."

"...What? No, are you crazy?! Why is that?!"

"Let's find out."

"Oh, no! Don't do it! Stop! I said stop!"

"Stay still!"

"You'll get hurt if you struggle!"

The Chief of the Merchant Guild squirmed with his face pressed against the desk. Once his clothes were completely stripped off, something noticeable appeared.

A small snake tattoo on his chest.

"He's a heretic! This bastard!"

"How dare a heretic lead the Merchant Guild?!"

"Just how corrupt has the Cult become?!"

"We must report this to the Judge immediately!"

"Silence!"

Radatok shouted. The Inquisitors quickly fell into line, stepping back at his command.

The Chief of the Merchant Guild, battered amidst the chaos, was disoriented. I gave him a sharp smack on the joint.

Crack!

"Agh?!"

"Get it together, pawn."

"D-Damn it... Of all people... to meet..."

"The Snake Cult."

Radatok placed his hand on his sword.

"Did you set a trap to ambush us?"

"I have nothing to say to you..."

Sizzle.

"Aagh! I-I'll tell you everything!! Aah!!"

After a few minutes of persuasion, he started to spill his story bit by bit.

Could it be because they were Inquisitors?

There wasn't a hint of hesitation in how they handled people.

Torture like that... I suppose there's something to be learned from it.

"That... that is..."

The information he provided wasn't much after all.

"...That's how it happened."

To summarize, it was simple.

The Chief of the Merchant Guild was a follower of the Snake Cult and had infiltrated the upper echelons of the Cult of Ra to divert a portion of the tribute.

He was a high-ranking priest within the Snake Cult. He bribed the guild members with some illicit funds and told them to cooperate in this scheme.

The pretext was merely diverting the tribute.

But in reality, it was feeding the Snake Cult with the funds of the Cult of Ra.

"So why did you run away?"

"Those bastards broke their promise! They tried to take everything for themselves, contrary to the agreed amount! So..."

Hmm. I see.

Losing a part is different from losing everything. Of course. If he loses everything he managed at the guild and returns to the Cult of Ra Headquarters…

Of course, not only would all the achievements built up be lost, but the Chief of the Guild would also be held accountable. It wouldn't take long for his head to roll.

Blinded by greed, those Snake Cult members made a mistake. They could have continued profiting for a long time but ruined it with their greed.

Well, I guess it's possible. There are countless fools in the world.

You can tell just by looking at Beverick. Yes, indeed.

"Even so, I don't understand."

Radatok conjured flames in his hand. A splendid ember. To wield a lower-level holy spell like that—it's indeed the vibe that comes with experience.

"If you've truly lost everything, you would have remained at the Ice Cliff. Why did you go through the trouble of fleeing from there?"

"Th-that is..."

The Chief of the Guild winced his eyes tight.

"Due to the fight... Something occurred at the once-quiescent Ice Cliff. The bizarre roar summoned the snow. We fled to escape it."

"What was it?"

"W-we don't know either! Only someone from this place... among us knew… It seems the Demon of the Snow has awakened..."

"Nonsense."

This isn't nonsense.

It is indeed the Demon of the Snow, Inquisitor Radatok. It's one of those I have been targeting. This creature brings blizzards, so it fits perfectly.

"There was no time to gather our belongings. Some of our fellow believers... fell to the bottom of the Ice Cliff."

"It was just a coincidence. It must have been a simple natural disaster."

"B-but everyone there heard it! The sound of the Demon of the Snow! We fled to survive. And we encountered the priests... In a desperate attempt to avoid responsibility..."

"You betrayed the Snake Cult?"

"Mo-more than faith... I just wanted to live..."

"You sold your faith. Even if it's for the Snake Cult, faith is still faith."

Radatok looked at him coldly.

"You're the kind I despise the most."

His sword flashed. I flinched. The swift strike couldn't be followed.

The Guild Chief cried out in pain, clutching his severed right arm and sobbing.

"I've told you everything!"

"I'll spare your life. You need to testify to the cult with your own words."

Radatok turned to look at me.

"We must retrieve the offerings. Thank you for your help, Brother."

"Oh, it was nothing. It's what I ought to do as a priest."

I actually felt relieved. I wanted to urge the Inquisitors to go now.

A Demon of the Snow, huh. This could be interesting.

If it goes well, I might be able to obtain the hidden piece faster than I anticipated.

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