Cardinal Arfina.

An elite among elites who started her path differently from others. She rose from being the daughter of an archbishop to becoming a cardinal—a royal figure in the clergy.

There isn’t a speck of blemish in her record.

...No, that’s not quite right.

There is one blemish now, but it’s being hidden.

I gazed at her intently. She is older than me. Yet, she looked so small that it was hard to believe she was older.

Apart from her beautiful appearance, her body was extremely petite. Delicate and noble. Beautiful, yet she appeared fragile as if she could break at any moment.

A sanctity beyond mere beauty.

A splendor surpassing mere wonder.

I tore my eyes away. Took a deep breath, and closed my eyes deeply before opening them.

[Prayer of the Sun God is activated.]

As expected.

I was momentarily mesmerized.

I shrugged my shoulders. There's no way I can get involved with Cardinal Arfina right now. She is in a position far too elevated for an Apprentice Priest like me to speak to.

If I could entice her, my life in the church would change dramatically, but that seemed impossible. At the very least, I would need to reach the position of a bishop to have the honor of meeting her.

It's like the moon in a well. For now, I should just ignore those unattainable dreams. Besides, this trial is purely a formality for me anyway.

"Before we begin the trial, I will go over a few points of caution."

The flow of the Divine Trial was uneventful. It passed rather ordinarily, and I had almost no chance to speak.

Inquisitor Radatok was competent. Although sharp exchanges flew back and forth, he dug into the vulnerabilities with precision.

Ah, this is comfortable!

"I will submit the evidence, Your Honor."

Apprentice Priest Beverick and Bishop Brody's eyes bulged as they panicked. Previously, they had vehemently denied the charges, essentially daring us to find any evidence.

"Why is that still around?!"

"But, but I surely got rid of it..."

"Permission granted."

Dimona scanned through the evidence swiftly. To me, it seemed like an amusing situation.

After all, it was akin to her reviewing the evidence she had gathered herself.

Wow, she could become an actress. She's really competent.

"Apprentice Priest Beverick."

Dimona's words struck coldly.

"The evidence submitted by Apprentice Priest Beverick is entirely different. Which one is true?"

"Y-Your Honor! There are significant errors in that evidence..."

"What might those be?"

"..."

Bishop Brody couldn't say anything. He just trembled. Although he tried to speak up, he failed to make a proper counterargument.

In the end, all that came out of his mouth was a desperate, empty claim.

"Th-this evidence has been fabricated! That must be it!"

"It is not fabricated evidence. I will submit additional evidence."

Radatok raised the Image Crystal.

Wow, that's an expensive item, isn't it?

I was impressed. He truly is not just any Main NPC.

"As I said, Beverick is notorious for his reckless behavior."

The evidence stored in the Image Crystal poured out. Beverick and Bishop Brody were left speechless.

The jury murmured among themselves. Dimona cleared her throat softly.

"Please remain silent. Bishop Brody, do you have anything more to say?"

"......"

Brody quickly turned to look at me. His expression was utterly contorted, as if everything had collapsed.

"You... you… Because of you... my... son..."

Beverick suddenly stood up, spitting as he lunged at me.

"I'll kill you!"

"Whoa, whoa."

Chains sprang from the chair, wrapping around Beverick and instantly seating him again. An automatic restraint system, huh?

Impressive. Given that this is the Cult Headquarters, it might as well be the most advanced magical city.

I glanced at Beverick. Memories of him overlapped behind his back.

In some ways, it was pitiful. His life of presumption had fallen apart because he befriended the wrong person.

Let's see... If there were even one good memory, I would have dwelt on it...

...But, there isn't one, huh?

I grinned widely and whispered softly.

"Goodbye, Apprentice Priest Beverick. Sniff. I'll miss you."

"Let go! Let me go!"

A brief commotion passed. The jurors and Dimona gathered for a short meeting.

She conducted the trial neatly. Her judgment was flawless.

"In addition to embezzling public funds and tarnishing the image of the cult, the jury evaluated the attempted sexual assault on his apprentice priest as extremely malicious."

The murmurs from the High Seat grew louder. The overwhelming momentum left Bishop Brody looking pale.

"J-Judge..."

His voice almost faded to a whisper. Contributions. The offerings officially used by the church are no different from donations graced by Ra.

Embezzling them is an act of betrayal against the deity—a heinous crime deemed among the most egregious forms of blasphemy.

"It's a misunderstanding... all of it... all of it is a misunderstanding... The child... the child wasn't thinking..."

"......"

"Just this once... please show some leniency... He is a good boy... truly a good boy..."

Inquisitor Dimona was silent for a moment. With a sigh, she stood up from her seat.

"Before we announce the trial results, this is truly shameful. If Ra were watching us now, what would she say?"

"......"

"Bishop Brody, why did you personally take on the defense of Apprentice Priest Beverick?"

"B-But..."

"The bonds of blood are strong. However, before that, we must clearly understand why we stand in this place."

Dimona spoke firmly.

"We are priests. Servants of God, who sometimes must be willing to sever even the strongest blood ties to prove our faithfulness. If a wrong has been committed, punishment must be served, and anyone who has laid hands on the offerings must be punished without exception."

"Judge... please..."

"If you desired leniency, you should not have hidden everything from the start, should you?"

As the verdict was delivered, Beverick gasped. The face that tallied up all past wrongs had already crumbled.

"Apprentice Priest Beverick is sentenced to ten years in Ainkad Underground Prison."

"Noooooooo!!"

Chains clattered. The chair shook.

"This can't be! It can't be! Archbishop Dwayne! You promised! You promised nothing would happen!"

"Beverick! Stop it! Stop!"

"Father! This isn't right! How much money did we offer!"

"I said stop!!"

A commotion erupted. I stood up from my seat and discreetly shook hands with Radatok.

"It was an impressive defense, Mr. Radatok."

"It was the inevitable outcome. However..."

Radatok glanced slightly at the high seat, which was hard to see in the darkness.

"...Now, Brother, you have practically put yourself at odds with Archbishop Dwayne. You should be aware."

"Don't worry. I'm not someone easy enough to be taken down by the likes of those old geezers."

Before anything happens, I plan to slip away to where I originally was. Once I'm accepted into the Academy, I won't have any business with them until I become stronger.

However, my future doesn't always go as I predict.

"...Inquisitor Dimona."

A deep, resonant voice was heard. It was the sound of a limping step, with one foot dragging behind the other.

The voice was low and not particularly loud. Yet it possessed a presence that commanded silence in an instant.

Just hearing it gave me chills. I looked up at the high seat. A distinguished man emerged from the darkness and leaned against the railing.

"Now that the trial is over, I'd like to request one more thing."

"...Pardon?"

"Since so many important figures from the church are gathered here, I believe it would be best to decide here rather than let recognition fade away."

Our eyes met.

I could instinctively tell who he was, even though he hadn't revealed his name.

Archbishop Dwayne.

"Someone had the courage to accuse the Apprentice Priest, so shouldn't they be appropriately rewarded?"

"Huh?"

Dimona blinked, clearly puzzled, and questioned as if she didn't understand why that statement was coming from Dwayne's mouth.

"...Are you saying that Jahad, the Apprentice Priest, should be rewarded?"

"Exactly."

A reward for someone who targeted his own faction?

...Why?

My curiosity was resolved in the next moment.

"The courageous junior not only accused the Apprentice Priest but also made significant contributions in the Subjugation Battle of the Demon of the Snow. Isn’t it a shame to leave someone with such capability and a sense of justice in just an apprentice position?"

Ah.

"I think the title of Apprentice Priest is too small to contain Jahad."

No way.

"So, taking this opportunity..."

This bastard!

"...I would like to propose promoting Jahad, the Apprentice Priest, to a full priest position."

Apprentice Priest and Regular Priest.

An Apprentice Priest was merely a candidate for priesthood. They had no official duties compared to a Priest, and if you looked at it, they were virtually the same as a believer.

Having no assigned duties meant there were also no responsibilities.

However, it was different if you became a Priest. A Priest had tasks, and if they failed to perform them properly, penalties would follow.

That was likely what Archbishop Dwayne was aiming for. I glanced at Dimona. In her office, Dimona was gulping down liquor straight from the bottle.

"That sneaky bastard!"

Bang! Bang!

The desk shook.

"Not only is he maintaining that noble image, but he’s also determined to completely ruin you! Do you understand?"

"Can I have some of that drink too?"

"You're a minor!"

"So what? I’m stressed out here."

Archbishop Dwayne's proposal passed without any issues. It seemed Dwayne didn't actually expect to win the judgment from the beginning.

Dimona and Dwayne are practically at odds with each other. Yet, the fact that he thought he would lose...

It meant he acknowledged her as a worthy opponent. Knowing Dimona's capabilities, he likely intended from the start to use Beverick and Brody as disposable cards.

"Dwayne..."

Dimona sighed and handed me a glass.

"Dwayne is a meticulous man. All who have become his enemies ended up dead. To be precise, he is known for ruthlessly abandoning them without saving a single one."

"So, it's akin to a death sentence."

"...I'm not the one who decides the position of those who become priests. It's the five archbishops. And unfortunately, my rank is slightly lower than that of an archbishop."

"Do you have any snacks?"

"Just listen for a moment! Dwayne will surely place you in one of the areas under his control! His plan is to completely wear you down! Or he might just frame you and have you executed outright!"

"Who knew you'd get so worked up on my behalf... You're not falling for me, are you?"

"Do you want me to spill your drink?"

Things were definitely tangled. For a year, the plan was to live as an Apprentice Priest while preparing for the Academy. That way, it would be easier to move around and do things.

But now everything became uncertain. Since becoming an official priest, I was starting to get confused about whether I could go to the Academy as a student.

"Anyway, let's see... about the Academy?"

"The Academy? Why do you keep bringing that up?"

"Shall we toast first?"

"You're unbelievably carefree. Seriously."

The glasses clinked together.

"Only Apprentice Priests can enter as foreign students to the Academy, right?"

"That's correct. Your plan is as good as ruined."

"It's completely messed up, isn't it?"

I took a long drink. Consuming alcohol after such a long time made me feel relaxed.

No, let's think it through.

What's important to me?

Saving the world from the Corrupted.

Why did I want to enter the Academy?

Because most of the Main NPCs are involved there, making it the best place to observe their activities.

In that case...

Do I really need to enter as a student?

As long as I can get into the Academy, nothing else matters.

"...Ha."

That's right. I laughed. Dimona looked at me with exasperation.

"Did you go mad because you realized there's no hope?"

"A genius like me wouldn't do that. Great trees don't break."

"Instead, they snap. With a loud crash."

"Yeah. They don't break."

"Your speech is getting shorter."

"Yeah. They don't break."

"Why are you so annoying?!"

I tapped the desk.

"Inquisitor Dimona, then what are the other ways to enter the Academy, aside from being a student?"

"Well... I'm not sure. But why are you so obsessed with the Academy?"

"Oh. Um."

I racked my brain. If I needed to come up with an excuse, I could quickly think of one since the Academy has always been a place full of mysteries.

"...There's a library there that holds forbidden books, right? I want to access some of that knowledge."

"Are you trying to become a real heretic or something?"

"I just want to study more about Ra. Surely, there must be lost knowledge of the Sun God Religion there, right? And as you know, it's part of my duty to safeguard it."

"...No way."

"Yes, it's true. The barrier is gradually weakening. I need knowledge—knowledge to repair the holy barrier. And that kind of knowledge probably isn't even available at the Cult Headquarters. It's like an ancient holy spell that's already been lost."

Dimona sighed.

"If that's the reason... there are ways to enter the Academy without being a student. However, to access the library that holds forbidden books... you'll need to be an insider, at least."

"And if so?"

"You know the Church is declining, right? Nowadays, mages are thriving. Even if a priest is strong, they’re no match for mages or knights. It's the same with the Academy. They’ve completely shifted direction to the point where there are almost no religious figures among the insiders."

"Almost none means there are a few, right?"

"...It's even more annoying because you're both impudent and competent."

Dimona nodded.

"That's right. There’s a position for teachers. Any formally ordained priest from the Church can apply for it. But to go there, you'll need credentials. You need to have achieved a certain amount as a priest to even have a chance."

"In that case… It's impossible next year. It might take 4 or 5 years. Building a record isn't that easy, and if you want to enter as a teacher, the Academy will scrutinize everything carefully..."

Becoming a teacher, huh.

I started thinking. If the issue is the accomplishments required as a priest, surely there's a way to solve it.

I gazed steadily at Dimona. Under my intent look, Dimona flinched.

"W-what are you looking at?"

"Perhaps..."

"Let me just say in advance, I have to focus more on my official duties as an Inquisitor..."

"Yes, the Inquisitor. And it's easier to accumulate accomplishments as an Inquisitor and the subordinate Inquisitors, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Given the nature of the position, wouldn't it be measured by the number of cases? Regardless of years, as long as you have many cases, doesn't that mean your accomplishments increase?"

"Hold on a second... What are you saying..."

"I've decided."

I beamed with a wide smile. Yes, even when the ceiling collapses, there's always a way through!

"I will become an Inquisitor!"

Dimona's expression fell apart. It was the look of someone who had tasted the bitterness of the world.

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