I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods – Chapter 69

Chapter 69

“…Inquisitor? Of the Moon Pope?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Perhaps because the gray-haired woman honestly revealed her identity as an Inquisitor, the killing intent overflowing from the Knight Commanders subsided a little.

The Sun Pope’s subordinates are Inquisitors, and the Moon Pope’s subordinates are Inquisitors. It was only a one-character difference, so many users roughly used the terms interchangeably, but they were clearly different organizations.

Even in the game, there was a clear distinction: the Inquisitor’s battle priests used heavy armor, maces, and large shields, while the Inquisitor’s battle priests used dark holy vestments and only a rapier without a shield.

Both had the commonality of being famous in various ways to the people of the continent.

Just as the Inquisitors and their battle nuns were known as the best and strongest military group in the Holy Kingdom, the Inquisitors and their battle nuns were known as the best and strongest assassination group in the Holy Kingdom.

There were even rumors that if the two groups joined forces, a vast territory could disappear overnight, so even the Knight Commanders couldn’t not know about them.

However, just because their identities were revealed didn’t mean they completely let their guard down. It simply changed from “I’ll kill you right now” to “I’ll hear you out.” The tips of their swords were still pointed at the gray-haired woman.

This was especially true for Iris, who had just heard that the Sun Pope’s Inquisitor had arbitrarily called me a heretic and then verified my purity by taking off my clothes and touching my breasts.

“What is the Holy Kingdom’s Inquisitor doing here?”

“You just said yourself that the Holy Kingdom would have contacted the Emperor about something. Don’t you have any guesses?”

“…So you were the means of contact.”

“You’ve guessed correctly again.”

The woman, who called herself Selene, raised her hands slightly to head level, demonstrating that she had no intention of fighting.

“As I said earlier, I’m not here to fight. So I would appreciate it if you would lower your weapons.”

“That’s not for us to decide.”

“That’s right. It’s not for the Knight Commanders to decide. It’s for me to decide.”

Aurora walked out from behind. Erika and Claudia tried to stop her, saying it was dangerous to approach just in case, but Aurora simply dismissed their worries with a wave of her hand.

“So, you’re saying you told Her Majesty the Emperor to give that order to our Delta?”

“I simply conveyed the words of Her Holiness the Pope, Lord Aurora. Do you think I have the power to change or influence the heart of your Emperor?”

“Well, my aunt isn’t that kind of person. Then what’s the reason?”

“By reason, you mean?”

“The reason you met with my aunt and told her that Delta was going to the Holy Kingdom. We can travel between the two countries whenever we want. It’s not like the Aeternum Empire and the Raphaella Holy Kingdom are on such bad terms that we need permission to travel between them, right? Why did you do that when it wasn’t necessary?”

“That’s not true. It was definitely necessary.”

“So what’s the reason? Do you want me to keep repeating myself?”

“To prevent a conflict between your Emperor and the Sun Pope.”

When the insane answer of preventing a conflict between the Emperor and the Pope came back, Aurora gasped and seemed momentarily speechless. The other Knight Commanders were the same.

I was speechless, too.

Only the maids had expressions that were no different from usual. Whether they were truly not surprised, trying to maintain their composure despite being surprised, or simply didn’t grasp the importance of those words was something only they knew.

“…I think we need to have a talk amongst ourselves. Don’t you all agree?”

It was a roundabout way of asking them to leave. The maids, understanding her intentions, bowed their heads and filed out of the reception room. Click, the last maid closed the door.

After confirming that all the maids had left, Aurora put her hand on her forehead and let out a sigh.

“Tell me more. A conflict? Between Her Majesty and Her Holiness?”

“You didn’t know?”

Selene replied calmly.

“The Emperor cares about that man far more than you think. So, to prevent Her Holiness from feeling like he’s being taken away from her, it was necessary to inform her of our purpose in advance, and that’s why I came here.”

It was said calmly, but the aftermath of that answer was immense. I was so shocked that my body stiffened.

‘What did I just hear?’

The Emperor cares about me?

So much so that she’s extremely wary of even my visit to the Holy Kingdom to meet the Pope, to the point where someone like an Inquisitor has to come and personally assure them that there’s no such intention?

The only time I remember properly interacting with her was when I blocked an attack from her as part of the game’s event when dealing with the lord. Why?

I had thought something was amiss ever since I received the letter with the Emperor’s seal, but it sent chills down my spine to find out that the Emperor’s interest in me was far greater than I had imagined.

My head hurt. I had never heard of the Emperor taking such a huge interest in the protagonist from the beginning. Thinking about the main story that would unfold from now on, I felt overwhelmed.

Perhaps everyone else felt the same way, because everyone except Selene, who had spoken those words, had expressions filled with shock. Rize, in particular, looked even more serious.

“Now that I’ve told you why I’m here, are you willing to put down your weapons?”

“…Everyone, lower your weapons.”

Aurora said, biting her lip. The Knight Commanders slowly lowered their weapons.

“I understand for now. I’ll have to think about this later.”

She said she would think about it, but even Aurora wouldn’t have any other choice than to accept it quietly. The Emperor said she was interested in me, so who could stop her?

“If you came here to convey a message to Her Majesty, why did you stop by us? You’re not going to tell me you just came to visit, are you?”

“Of course not. I came to escort you to the Holy Kingdom, following the orders of the Moon Pope.”

“Escort? Not surveillance?”

“Pure escort. The domains of the Sun and Moon are inviolable. Since the Sun has welcomed you as guests, the Moon will never interfere.”

“Inviolable? Never interfere?”

Aurora snorted.

“The fact that you’re here is a violation of that! You said the Sun Pope invited us. Then why is it an Inquisitor and not an Inquisitor who came? Weren’t the domains of the two Popes supposed to be inviolable?”

“This contact was ordered by the Moon Pope, so I don’t know anything if you ask me. But I believe you all have your own interpretations.”

“Ha. You’re good at beating around the bush when you don’t want to talk.”

Aurora sneered, as if she didn’t like the current situation at all. Selene calmly accepted the sneer.

“Strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with my will, but the result is the same, so you can think whatever you like.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take that as you not wanting to talk.”

Sigh, Aurora let out a big sigh.

“When are we leaving? I don’t know if you’re aware, but it hasn’t even been an hour since my girls came back from subjugating monsters. Since my aunt’s letter didn’t mention a departure date, I’d like to give them at least two days of rest. Or maybe even more.”

“You can depart whenever you wish, but I recommend that the rest period be within three days. Your Emperor is not a patient woman.”

She was right. Since the Emperor had personally ordered us to go to the Holy Kingdom, we couldn’t afford to dawdle here for days. It was right to rest for two days at most and then depart immediately.

Selene was well aware of this fact, which was why she responded calmly to Aurora’s half-threat that she could stay here for months if she wanted to.

“Lastly, all Knight Commanders must accompany you to the Holy Kingdom.”

“Why?”

This time, Iris stepped forward. She had lowered her weapon, but her eyes were still full of vigilance.

“It’s a recommendation from the Moon Pope, so I don’t know.”

“That’s impossible. One of us must stay behind to protect the Lord.”

“Don’t worry.”

Selene’s eyes flashed briefly. Then, shadows began to rise and squirm from all corners of the reception room, transforming into human forms. I was startled, but the other Knight Commanders remained calm.

The squirming shadows transformed into perfect human forms. They were all women, and they all wore black veils over their heads.

Their attire was incredibly revealing in a different sense.

If the Inquisitor’s battle nuns wore clothes that revealed more than they concealed, the Inquisitor’s battle nuns wore clothes that covered their entire bodies, revealing less skin.

Except that the clothes that covered their bodies were semi-transparent black tights.

The tights clung to their bodies like vacuum-sealed packaging, leaving no gaps. It was so tight that I wondered how they even put them on and took them off.

They weren’t shiny like latex, but because the material was semi-transparent, the skin underneath was clearly visible. Things like their toned abs and the belly buttons next to them.

If it weren’t for the tops that looked like leather jackets cut off right below their nipples, the tips of their breasts would have been visible. It was as if they were wearing them not to cover their breasts, but to emphasize them.

At least they were wearing underwear down below. If they weren’t even wearing that, the skin between their legs would have been visible.

I don’t know why they always wear those garter belts, though.

“I was wondering when you would reveal yourselves. If you had left and they hadn’t disappeared, I was going to cut them down.”

“You noticed?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I apologize if you felt that way.”

While Selene and Iris were conversing, the battle nuns who had risen from the shadows knelt on one knee before Selene and bowed their heads.

There were twelve in total, all with dark silver hair mixed with gray and purple eyes. Considering that Stella’s battle nuns all had blonde hair and green eyes, it seemed like there was some secret involved.

Right now, I was too confused because of the Emperor to think deeply about such things.

“My battle nuns will protect you. They will watch your every move, so you don’t have to worry.”

As Selene snapped her fingers, the battle nuns who had been bowing their heads before her melted away into shadows and disappeared. Aurora looked around with a dubious expression.

“I don’t like the idea of being watched all day.”

“They will only be watching the exterior of the mansion. They won’t look inside unless something special happens.”

“…Well, then I guess it’s fine. Anyway, I understand.”

“Yes. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

With those words, Selene pulled her robe back over her head. Her dark silver ponytail was swallowed by the robe, and her purple eyes disappeared from view.

Selene, who had returned to the same appearance as when she first appeared, gave a final greeting.

“Rest well. I’ll see you when we depart.”

Soon after, the robed figure disappeared like shattered moonlight.

Sunlight shone down again on the spot where the moon had been.