"Achoo! Achoo!"
"Are you really alright, Mr. Vane?"
The nights in Iberia weren't particularly cold, but the damp sea breeze still made the people around the fire feel a bit chilly.
"It's nothing, it's nothing..."
Vane rubbed his nose, a look of confusion on his face.
"Someone's probably talking about me behind my back."
He muttered to himself, his mind filled with questions—
How can someone with an "Immortal Body" still sneeze?
"Go and rest if you're tired," Dario said calmly, sitting on the other side of the fire with his eyes closed.
"I will keep watch tonight."
"Oh, thanks."
Vane answered decisively, simply leaning back, which naturally surprised both Dario and Irene.
Irene couldn't help but ask:
"Aren't you... at all worried?"
Vane rolled his eyes at the two of them with his back turned—with [Immortal Body] protecting him, I'll admit defeat if you can break through his defenses.
But on the surface, he lazily turned over, a relaxed smile playing on his lips:
I believe in you all!
Upon hearing this, Irene immediately became extremely serious and nodded solemnly:
Thank you for your trust! I will definitely protect you!
"Um... there's no need to be so serious."
"Gurgle~"
"..." x3
Vane's gaze was amused, and Irene blushed, quickly waving her hands:
"No, it wasn't me!"
"I didn't say it was you..."
Vane drew out his words, his gaze shifting to the source of the sound—the cowering Aegir boy.
Dario took out a paper package from his pocket, inside which were several dark-colored compressed biscuit pieces.
"Have something to eat."
The boy hesitated for a moment, then took the food and began to nibble at it.
Dario broke off two more pieces and handed them to the other two prisoners.
"Do you have enough food? Why are you sharing it with them?"
Vane sat up at some point, picked up a small piece, put it in his mouth, and chewed it a couple of times.
"Ugh... it tastes awful, like chewing on wood chips mixed with salt."
"Emergency food to replenish energy is naturally not going to be delicious."
Dario spoke calmly, continuing with what he was doing.
Vane simply moved between Dario and the two men in black robes, put his arm around Dario's shoulder, and said earnestly:
"Dali Garden... get this straight, they're part of the Church of the Deep, aren't they?"
"It's Dario."
The Inquisitor calmly corrected him, without pushing Vane's arm away.
"Until a formal trial, they remain individuals governed by Iberia law. Guaranteeing their basic survival is both a procedure and a duty."
"Even if they are heinous criminals?" Vane raised an eyebrow.
"..."
"Even just now,"
Vane's fingertips turned towards the boy, Aegir, and his voice lowered.
"You almost threw him into the sea as a sacrifice? How could you tolerate that?"
"..."
Seeing that he didn't answer, Vane let go of his hand with boredom and lay back down.
"Never mind, whatever. Anyway, he's yours now, do whatever you want with him."
Dario remained silent and continued to divide the last piece of pie in his hand.
Just as he was tidying up the oil paper package, Vane's voice drifted over:
"... Don't regret it, Your Inquisitor."
Dario's movements didn't falter at all; he carefully folded the oil paper, tucked it back into his pocket, and spoke in a steady voice:
"As Inquisitor, I was prepared for this."
What are you talking about?
Irene, standing to the side, was completely confused—it's just about sharing some food, why is it being brought up to the topic of enlightenment?
"It's nothing~" Vane smiled at her and yawned.
Goodnight, little Liberi.
"Eh? Oh... Goodnight, Mr. Vane."
Irene was still somewhat confused, but she responded politely nonetheless.
Vane stopped talking, and the camp gradually quieted down.
It's late at night...
At Dario's insistence, Irene also fell into a deep sleep against the rock.
Dario remained seated cross-legged, slowly closed his eyes, and drifted into a light sleep.
Time passed quietly, and then a very faint rustling sound came from behind.
You'd better not move.
The boy froze, but Dario's voice remained steady.
"Waiting quietly until dawn is better for both of us."
"..."
The sound of the tide remains.
Ah... I had a good night's sleep.
As dawn broke, Vane stretched and stretched his neck contentedly.
He glanced at Dario, who hadn't changed his posture at all, and teased:
"You didn't really sit here all night, did you? Don't Inquisitor get sleep?"
Dario did not answer, but there was little weariness in his eyes.
"It's time to go."
"Hmm... this is your village?"
Vane stopped and looked around at the settlement surrounded by low stone walls.
The houses were mostly built with locally sourced stones and planks, looking simple and unadorned; everything seemed... too normal.
Young Aegir nodded, his fingers twisting the hem of his clothes.
Vane looked around, a hint of amusement in his voice:
"It seems... you're all doing quite well."
On this coastline threatened by the Seaborn, a village that appears to be "everything as usual" exudes an unusual aura.
"Several similar settlements nearby have long been abandoned. How have you managed to stay here so peacefully?"
The boy couldn't answer; Vane's gaze shifted to the bound man in black robes.
"Explain?"
"Yes, it was thanks to kind people who helped us repair our house that we were able to..."
"A kind soul? Then I'll have to take a good look at this rare species."
As Vane spoke, he shouldered his sickle and headed towards the village.
"Mr. Vane! Please wait a moment!"
Irene jogged a few steps and stood in front of Vane.
"If you just go in carrying weapons like this, you'll frighten the villagers! We should first identify ourselves and state our purpose..."
Vane stopped and looked at Irene scrutinizingly.
"Believe it or not... they might be more afraid of you than of me, this 'weirdo carrying a scythe'."
Irene was stunned, not understanding the meaning of those words for a moment.
Just then, Dario had already passed them and headed straight for the village entrance.
"Look, now that's what efficiency is."
Ignoring the still-dazed Irene, Vane caught up with Dario and casually pulled the still-standing Aegir boy along.
"Let's go, little one, let's go 'home'."
"Wait for me!"
Irene snapped out of her daze and hurriedly jogged after him.
Their appearance clearly attracted attention; the villagers at the village entrance paused in their tracks upon seeing them.
Some people immediately turned and ran towards the village, while others put down what they were carrying and approached with unfriendly expressions.
"The people in the Inquisition..."
A middle-aged fisherman with a weathered face blocked the road, his eyes filled with vigilance.
"You are not welcome here! Leave!"
Irene tried to make her expression friendly and stepped forward, saying:
"Please don't misunderstand, we're here to offer assistance."
She turned to the side, exposing the two men in black robes to the villagers' view.
"We found these two people on the shore; they were conducting Church of the Deep church ritual and attempting to harm the young Aegir."
She pointed to the boy being pulled by Vane.
"According to them, they are residents of this village, Jim and..."
"[Iberia profanity!]"
Before Irene could finish speaking, the middle-aged fisherman's face flushed red, and he pointed at Irene's nose and cursed:
"Jim and Carl are good people! You're all desperate to arrest someone and curry favor, aren't you?! You're making up this kind of nonsense!"
He turned sharply and roared towards the village:
"Help! The Inquisitor is arresting people indiscriminately!! They're trying to destroy our village!!"
The villagers who had been observing suddenly became agitated, and in no time, Vane and his group were surrounded by angry villagers.
Men, women, and children were all there, and most of them were carrying harpoons, pitchforks, or sticks. Their eyes were hostile, and they formed a wall of people full of hostility.
What did you just say?
Vane poked Irene's feather ornament.
Why are they so agitated?
Irene glared at him, a mixture of annoyance and grievance.
"I'm just stating the facts! I'm explaining why we arrested them!"
"Eh~"
Vane looked around at the excited faces, his voice still clear amidst the noise.
"But telling the 'truth' seems to have made them even angrier."
As if to prove his point, the middle-aged fisherman at the head of the group pushed to the front of the crowd again, pointing at the men and spitting as he cursed:
"[Iberia profanity!] Get out of our village! You're just looking for an excuse to arrest us all! Like you've treated people from other places!"
Clang--!
The sound of metal clashing suddenly exploded, drowning out the surrounding noise.
The tip of the blood scythe stopped at the fisherman's nose, but Dario's staff-sword steadily blocked the scythe, preventing it from advancing any further.
The surrounding villagers gasped in surprise, and the encirclement expanded instantly.
Vane tilted his head, looking through the crossed weapons at the grave-faced Dario:
Why are you stopping me?
"You promised that you would not intentionally harm the people of Iberia."
"But he pointed his finger at me! And his tone was so aggressive, he probably wasn't saying anything nice, right?"
A beat too slow to react, Irene screamed and rushed forward, trying to separate the two of them:
"What are you doing?! Mr. Vane! How could you lay a hand on civilians! And teachers! Put your weapons away!"
However...
"See that?! They've shown their true colors! They're trying to kill us to cover their tracks!" the villagers shouted, seizing the opportunity.
The villagers, who had just been frightened, became even more agitated, with curses and threats erupting one after another, and the scene was on the verge of spiraling out of control.
Vane glanced at the bizarre faces around him, then slightly tightened his wrist, causing the scythe to scrape against Dario's staff-sword with a teeth-grinding sound.
"Dario, if you can't shut them up... I don't mind silencing them forever."
Dario's eyes sharpened. As he sheathed his staff and sword, he raised his left hand, pointing the cannon straight into the sky.
Boom!!
The enormous sound and dazzling light instantly stunned everyone.
Dario stepped forward and stood in the center of the crowd, his authority Inquisitor on full display.
"I am the Grand Inquisitor, Dario."
He pointed to the two men in black robes on the ground.
"Jim and Carl clearly carried out the evil ritual of Sacrifice a living being to the deep sea, and the target was this young boy Aegir."
"The evidence is conclusive, and they were apprehended on the spot."
Dario surveyed the entire arena, carrying a heavy weight of pressure:
"The Inquisition will protect the safety of every citizen. We will not, and have no intention of, harming innocent people."
He paused, his tone softening slightly, but still firm:
"Now, please remain calm and cooperate with the investigation."
"He's so handsome... don't you think?"
Looking at Dario, who was asking questions in the distance, Vane smiled and patted the boy Aegir beside him.
The boy trembled violently, Vane glanced away, bored.
"What's wrong? You seem unhappy?"
"Mr. Vane ..."
Irene and Vane sat together on the ruined wall, the atmosphere heavy with tension.
Why is there so much hostility towards the Inquisition?
Irene drew her staff-sword; the meticulously maintained blade reflected her bewildered eyes.
"We were clearly protecting everyone..."
"Perhaps it's because..."
Vane glanced at Dario, who was still patiently calming the villagers down, but the villagers were starting to stir again.
After making a throat-slitting gesture towards a few villagers who were looking over, and seeing their terrified eyes, Vane laughed maliciously.
"It's much easier to be a bad person than a good person, isn't it..."
"..."
Dario finished his conversation and was already walking this way.
Vane braced himself and jumped down, then hooked his arm around the other person's shoulder.
"How was it? My acting was pretty good, wasn't it?"
"Huh?"
Irene paused in her tracks, looking at the teacher in disbelief.
"Teacher, was that just acting?"
"Um..."
Dario responded and pulled his still trembling right hand behind his back.
"We're acting."