1 – Inquisitor Julius Tapnel
If you head to the northwest of the Kingdom of Lyriam, famous as a kingdom of abundance and peace,
Kente Village, a small village with the large mountain range surrounding the kingdom in the background, welcomes travelers.
Looking at the golden rye fields swaying in the wind with the warm sunlight shining down, it was a place where travelers who had a long way to go suddenly felt at ease.
Going a little further after passing through the rich rye fields, the bustling village appears, showing off its charm with a lively atmosphere that is completely different from the quiet atmosphere before.
If you go a little deeper, passing the street vendors and bustling inns with delicious smells,
A large church on a visible hill.
The church of the Telmere Church, which serves the main god Rom, the official religion of the Kingdom of Lyriam, stands in a majestic state.
Julius Tapnel, a man with neatly tied long blond hair standing in front of the main door of the large church, knocked politely twice with his characteristic expressionless face.
Not long after, a noise was heard from inside and the door was gently opened.
“…Oh my, who is this? It’s been so long since I last saw you! Julius, how long has it been since this?”
The elegant woman, dressed in neat priestly attire, looked pleased to see Julius.
Julius looked at her and bowed his head politely as he greeted her.
“May God’s blessings be with you, Priest Emily. It’s been a while. “It’s nice to see you again after 10 years.”
＂”I heard you were coming, but you came sooner than I thought. Come on in. Wasn’t the trip difficult?”
“My steps were light as I thought about seeing my hometown for the first time in a long time. “This is all God’s grace.”
“You’ve grown a lot in the time we haven’t seen each other, Julius. You’re saying things you don’t even mean to say.”
The priestess looked at him bitterly for a moment, who had changed beyond recognition in 10 years, then smiled and started saying something else.
“I heard that he made a great performance as a heresy interrogator in the capital. She was even chosen by the Holy Sword.
You should have seen Father Brukin faint in shock when he first heard the story.”
“I hear that Priest Brukin is so surprised. I really want to show him that to my younger self.”
A faint smile spreads across his expressionless face. However, seeing him soon return to his stern expression, the priestess sighs and says.
“You don’t look very good, Julius. “It looks like he’s going through a lot of trouble. Now that he’s back home, why don’t you take some pressure off his shoulders?”
The priestess’s worries Even with his young words, there was no way to ease Julius’ stern expression. She was speechless at how different he was from when he was a child, running around the village with a bright smile.
After walking in silence, we arrived in front of Priest Brukin’s room.
Emily smiled as hard as she could, slapped Julius on the back and spoke vigorously.
“I don’t know the details, but Father Brookin and I are always on your side. Aren’t we family? If you need anything in your future, you will always be able to rely on us. “Then talk to the priest, I have to go out to do some grocery shopping.”
After seeing Emily leave with her mischievous smile on her face, he nodded her head once and politely knocked on her door twice again.
“Priest Brukin, Inquisitor Julius Tapnel has just arrived.”
“Come in.”
Hearing a deep voice coming from beyond the door, Julius opened the door and entered the room.
A simple room that does not fit into a large church.
Brookin, an elderly priest with gray hair neatly slicked back, greets him, leaving behind a bookshelf filled with Bibles containing the words of the Lord and an old desk that must have been a luxury item in the past.
“It’s been a long time. Welcome back to your hometown, Yul. “I am truly honored that the proud Inquisitor of the Kingdom of Lyriam has come to our church.”
“That’s too much praise. “Priest Brukin”
Seeing the man with his head bowed bluntly, Brukin shook his head twice and continued speaking.
“The atmosphere has changed a lot in the time we haven’t seen each other. You, who used to be a carefree person, have become a very serious man in the time we haven’t seen each other… I saw the official letter from the church. “I received an order from my superiors… No, an earnest request to come back after a few years of cooling off.”
“… ….”
“It looks like something hot was going on in the capital. The Slayer of Telmere, who slaughtered demons like crazy,
The first guillotine of the Lord, the terror of Lyriam, the first inquisitor chosen by the Holy Sword
Julius Tapnel, a fearsome heretic interrogator who is said to make even crying children stop crying just by hearing his name.”
“…I just faithfully followed the will of the Lord.”
“The playful alley leader has gone and become a boring adult. I haven’t heard from him in 10 years. What has he been through?”
“… ….”
“If you don’t want to talk, that’s okay. “I guess everything has to do with you.”
“…Thank you for your consideration. “Priest Brukin.”
“Don’t stand there stiffly like that. Please sit down. Can I have black tea?”
“Yes, I will gratefully accept it.”
Brookin didn’t show it, but he was very confused as he looked at Julius, who had turned hard after 10 years.
Until he left for the capital, he was so playful that it would be sad to be the second child in the village.
The fact that 10 years later he has transformed into a completely different person was extremely worrying for those who raised him like their own child since childhood.
After putting down the tea in front of Julius, Brukin continued his speech while sitting on the old sofa that he had bought with great interest when he first came here 20 years ago.
“So, have you decided on where you will live in the future?”
“I heard that the church has found a house for me. “It was the house where Grandpa Mila lived.”
“He passed away as comfortably as if he had been sleeping three years ago. “I personally brought him to the Lord’s side.”
“I’m glad you went well. “I feel sorry after coming here to hear the news.”
“That’s it. You must have been busy living too, so there is no need to worry about it all. “I think you’ll be happy if you buy a bottle of alcohol and visit the grave later.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I’ll leave it at this point. You’ll be tired from the long journey, so we can gradually unravel the stories we haven’t finished.”
“Then let’s go. Priest Brukin, may the light of the Lord be with you.”
“Glory be in the grace of the Lord.”
In the past, even if taught, he didn’t do it… When he saw Julius naturally saying the priests’ greetings, he felt the weight of time. The top of my head somehow seemed to be getting lighter…
***
“Now… Thank you, senior. Greetings to Second Interrogator Thalia Ziffnel and Special Interrogator Julius Tapnel, who guided me to the house!”
What greeted Julius as he came out the door was a black-haired girl who was shaking violently as if she was in pain.
“Talianga, you’ve grown a lot in the time we haven’t seen each other. A long time.”
Although her tone could seem quite cold, when Julius spoke to her, Thalia blushed, lowered her head, and wiggled her hands. Then, as if she had come to her senses, she continued speaking.
“I’ve noticed you’ve become more dignified even though I haven’t seen you in a while. “When I saw it from afar, I couldn’t recognize it.”
“…I often hear people say that they don’t know anything about today. It seems to me that you have changed more, Thalia.”
“Yes? “Oh, I’m 20 years old now, so I’ve been an adult for a long time.”
The black-haired girl, smiling brightly as if she was relaxed, slowly turned her body and began to lead the way.
“…So, since my brothers left, I have also worked hard with the same goal of becoming an Inquisitor.
When I went to the capital to be baptized, I thought I would be able to see her face, but I was very disappointed that I couldn’t even go near the central church.”
As she walked down the street and chatted with Julius, Thalia forgot all the formalities she had practiced so hard since last night, and she stuck to him like she was a child and chattered like a lark.”
“When she was being taught by Priest Brukin, she was hit on the head so bad that she made a mistake while reciting the Bible… Oops! “We got there!”
Thalia, who had been talking non-stop, stopped talking when she passed a small path and saw a mansion.
“When we were young, we used to sneak into her grandfather’s house and steal snacks while playing together.
She was so scared that every time her grandfather would come after her with a broom.”
“…Most of it was done by Krail, but compared to back then, he is still acting like a human being now.”
Thalia muttered quietly as she looked at Julius in bewilderment as he opened her front door and took her luggage and entered, leaving behind her words.
“No… Brother Julius always told you to steal cookies…”
I thought she had become a lot more blunt in the time I hadn’t seen her, but when Thalia saw that she was as shameless as before, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
***
“I would like to help you unpack, but I have to handle the report of suspected heresy. “I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to go now, brother.”
She came into the house and said to Julius, who was unpacking the luggage she had brought from the capital, with an expression that Thalia had no shame for her.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t help. “I don’t have much luggage anyway. The sun has already set, so hurry up and go back to the church.”
“Then please excuse me. See you again tomorrow, come… No, senior!”
When Julius saw Thalia hurriedly leaving the house after shaking her back a couple of times, Julius felt her laughter escape. From that day on, I thought she would never be able to smile for the rest of her life, but returning to her hometown and meeting her old friends again made me feel at ease without realizing it.
Lost in thought for a moment, Julius placed his few belongings on the table in the living room and looked around his mansion.
The mansion that I remember coming to often to steal snacks as a child was exactly as I remembered.
The mansion was so well maintained that it felt like Grandpa Mila was going to yell at this guy at any moment.
It was good news for Julius that he could buy the furniture right away without having to make any other preparations.
After looking around up to the second floor, Julius sat down on the sofa, looked out the window for a moment, took a deep breath, and then took out the locket he had kept in his arms.
Inside the locket was a small text and a portrait of a beautiful woman.
‘To my love Julius
Cecil Lionel Taga.’
When I close my eyes, her face, voice, and scent still come to mind clearly.
Looking at her precious gift, Julius was reminded of his beloved wife whom he had lost five years ago.
Cecil Lionelta, whose name alone was lovely, was without a doubt everything to Julius.
When the fruit of love was born between the two, it really felt like I had the whole world.
And when he lost her five years ago, Julius’ world shattered along with it.
I devoted myself to work to overcome my sadness. He burned to death the heretics who had made a deal with the devil, captured the devils, found out their names after torture, and purified them in the name of the Lord.
I worked like crazy to become the best heresy inquisitor in the kingdom and was even chosen as the Holy Sword.
The wound left in his heart didn’t seem to have any intention of going away.
People often say this. They say time heals, and eventually wounds will heal over time.
Julius realized painfully over the past five years that those words were false.
There are wounds in the world that never heal….
After closing his locket and carefully putting it back into his arms, Julius left the mess on the table without tidying up and lay down on the sofa.
Since she is alone, her emptiness feels even bigger.
Just as she was thinking about buying alcohol tomorrow, a sound broke the silence.
-Knock knock
It has already been dark outside her window for a long time. No one would be looking for her at this time.
Julius thought that Thalia had come back, but without thinking much, he trudged over and opened the door.
When I opened the door, what I saw was a woman wearing a blouse and a long skirt.
It was dark around her, so her face was not visible.
“Who are you?”
Julius spoke politely, but soon his expressionless face was filled with astonishment.
“It’s been a while, I really missed you, Julius.”
A voice that cannot be heard.
Her cozy scent that I can’t forget even in my dreams.
Her moonlight illuminates her beautiful face.
But she can’t be here.
Because she
“I’m so cold, can you please let me go home? Huh?”
He already died 5 years ago.
Julius Tapnel, the greatest heresy inquisitor of the Kingdom of Lyriam.
His wife returned to him after five years.
No…
Covered her corpse
The devil has come.