Tacksar slowly raised his head.
That awe-inspiring figure of his made the atmosphere even more suffocating. The Inquisitor's voice was measured and eerily calm, like a death notice, reverberating through the air by some unknown means, word by word:
"How many survivors?"
"Only Lady Jeanne and Sir Sassel," Astolfo replied instinctively, his tone involuntarily adopting the same gravity.
"Sassel? There was no such person in her squad." He followed up, "Full name."
"Sassel Betrafio," Astolfo said.
"Doesn't ring a bell."
"Well, Lady Jeanne said it was that knight who rescued her from the dungeon, so she bestowed upon him a church name and had him swear eternal loyalty."
"Ha! What is this, romance?"
Astolfo stared blankly at Tacksar.
"I've been so bored here I was starting to lose my mind, and yet I never expected that the woman I thought would only make things duller—the Inquisitor—could still bring me some amusement. It's been years since I've witnessed something like this. Ha! Bestowing a church name? An oath of loyalty? Hardly anyone in the Church still uses that ceremony. Frankly—she only resorted to this because her squads die at an alarming rate, and she's executed far too many nobles. This is just a way to impose constraints."
"But... I thought the ritual sounded beautiful..." Astolfo muttered. "Why call it a constraint?"
"Sure, sounds beautiful to people like you poisoned by knightly tales. But in truth, the Guardian Knight ritual is nothing more than an outdated spell. Its only function is to force the oath-taker to protect the one they've sworn loyalty to. As the oath-taker, you can't lie to your charge about anything important, and if they die—you die too. In short, it's just a glorified bodyguard enchantment."
He crouched beside the corpse of Priest Brunold and, using some method beyond Astolfo's understanding, examined the body before continuing:
"The origin of that ritual is quite amusing, too. Once upon a time, there was a king and a queen. The king was the Duke of Valikov, and the queen was the Duchy of Valikov. Someone chopped off the king's head and married the queen. This gentleman and lady then had two daughters: one was the Guardian Knight ritual, and the other was today's Varmal Principality. When I saw that Argalia lance in your hand, I felt like I'd met their second daughter. And now, in that Crimson Saint, I've seen the first daughter. It's like seeing my own children—I'm moved."
Astolfo was a bit shocked by how blunt the Inquisitor was. Honestly, something fragile and beautiful in his heart felt like it had shattered—like a crystal ball dropped on stone.
After Tacksar finished confirming the body's condition, Astolfo also reported Sassel's demonic transformation, their encounter with the priest of Hood, and the group's discovery of a potential way out of the dream-labyrinth.
"Oh, a demon? That's no big deal. The Church began researching demon labyrinths over a hundred years ago. But... as for soul demonization..." He paused, then gestured to the knight to deal with the corpse. "Next time you enter the dream, tell them this: Inquisitor Tacksar orders Jeanne and her knight—Sassel Betrafio—to proceed to Kast City after exiting the labyrinth. There, they are to find a nun stationed in the central district... What was her name again?"
Tacksar paused to think.
"Got it—Karen Orldesia. She's an active nun. About three years ago, she accidentally released a berserk Covana demon that nearly destroyed the entire city. If it weren't for the Dark Elf Lord intervening, she'd have been executed on the spot. I'm certain not a single vote would've opposed her sentence in the ecclesiastical court. You'll find her in a small chapel beside the Bahasan tavern on Cassia Street. Jeanne and her demonized knight are to undergo evaluation there and may not leave Kast City until a formal report is issued."
"But they're traveling with a little girl..."
"Hmm! A little girl? Gave birth to a child for her knight in just three days? Now that's impressive."
"Huh? Wait—so they really had a child?!"
"Just kidding. Young knight, please apply rational thought when listening to others. There's no such thing as a human who can conceive and give birth in three days." Tacksar went on, "As for the girl: Kast City has a mage academy, and the Holy City has church schools. Whether they keep her or take her along—it's not a big deal, so I don't care."
"What about Hood?"
At the mention of Hood, the air grew heavier.
Tacksar fell silent for a moment, then pulled a scroll of parchment from his pocket. The paper was slightly yellowed but looked freshly made. A light blue ribbon was tied around its center, fashioned into a simple knot. He asked:
"Once you fall asleep, how do you plan to meet up with them?"
"We're camped at a safe location."
"Good. I'll link this scroll to your soul along with Argalia. After you enter the dream, make sure to deliver it to Jeanne."
"What about you all?"
"We'll remain here and make some preparations. No need for you to worry."
Astolfo took the scroll from Tacksar's hands.
"This is a token of the First Throne," the Inquisitor said.
What!?
Astolfo nearly buckled at the knees. He held the parchment delicately, as if it were made of spun glass. That pale blue ribbon looked like it would snap if breathed on too hard. He paused, then clasped it to his chest as if it might suddenly vanish.
He drew a cross over his chest.
"Tlan... Imass?" he managed to ask.
"Yes, Tlan Imass," Tacksar replied. "And I hope you won't leak this matter, Sir Astolfo. The Church's dealings with the Logros Tlan Imass are not something we want exposed just yet."
"I'm terrified of those undead..." Astolfo murmured, and drew another cross on his chest.
Tacksar continued:
"Listen carefully. Give this to Jeanne. She'll know how to activate it. We still don't fully understand the situation here, so the next steps are hers to decide. Since she and her knights have come here following the Hounds, she bears responsibility for whatever comes next."
"But... their responsibility..."
Tacksar rapped the shaft of Argalia with a finger, the crisp clinks interrupting Astolfo's words:
"Don't waste time. I know what you want to say. That Inquisitor isn't like some of my knights—she can handle it."
That resolute tone left no room for argument.
Tacksar then said:
"Now, let's get back to Argalia. I need to make sure you can survive with it. Listen closely: this thing is not some tripwire for tangling people up. The way you channel its inner labyrinth can also..."