Chapter 127 – 126화 -성스러운 심판의 재판소Tribunal Del Santo Oficio De La Inquisición(2)
What I proposed wasn’t some novel idea that didn’t exist before, or something special that would surprise people. Even if this world’s setting is a few hundred years in the past by modern standards, it doesn’t mean people here are unintelligent.
Rather, a similar organization already existed here, so in simple terms, it was no different from briefly explaining an existing organization. Honestly, I was just asking for that organization without saying it outright.
An organization that at least those sitting here couldn’t possibly be unaware of, the Inquisition. The secret organization to which the Inquisitors belong is exactly that.
The role of the Inquisition is simple. To find and eliminate heretics, apostates, evil beings who follow demons, and adversaries hostile to the Church, under the guise of righteous judgment…
Of course, they don’t just do this blood-soaked work. Their official purpose is to correct what is wrong, so they also play a role in guiding social order, morals, and customs, mediating disputes, and rescuing and protecting the unfortunate.
Especially in areas where public sentiment is turbulent and chaotic due to natural disasters or civil unrest, their role in restoring order and conducting fair trials for those who have suffered injustice at the hands of nobles was something that earned them popular support.
They even handled trials related to the marriage and divorce of believers, so despite their grim name, the Inquisitors were quite welcomed by the people.
They are granted nationwide investigative and travel rights, as well as the authority to operate their own military forces. Nominally, they are a special organization directly under the Pope, and the authority to move the Inquisitors can only be exercised by the Pope, a Cardinal, or someone of equivalent status.
They are given various powers to ferret out heretics and demon worshippers, and even the power of life and death, including the ability to execute immediately. These people were one of the most contentious issues where religious and secular powers clashed most sharply.
“Are you saying that you, the young Cardinal, will take over all the authority of the Inquisition… is that what you’re saying?”
A middle-aged man with a sharp gaze. The envoy dispatched as the representative of the Empire, Court Count Wolfhier.
He’s a character you often see when starting with the Empire, a close aide to the Emperor, and a capable official who is active in various fields. He’s the Empire’s face from the beginning to the end, so he’s a familiar face to me.
“No, Court Count.”
“I must not have misheard. And the astute Cardinal wouldn’t be unaware of the authority of the Inquisition. I don’t understand the difference between what the Cardinal is proposing and the Inquisition.”
“I’m asking for more powerful authority… beyond the current Inquisition’s authority.”
“…What? More powerful authority than now?”
Uncomfortable coughs erupted from the envoys of various countries. To them, the Inquisitors were a thorn in their side.
The Inquisitors are those who find and destroy heretics, demon’s lackeys, and those comparable adversaries of the Church.
Naturally, they are granted nationwide travel and investigative rights to search for and pursue those hiding throughout the continent, as well as a series of powers to confront them… such as the authority to mobilize nearby troops or the right to requisition.
From the perspective of secular rulers, it was natural to be bothered by the Inquisitors who freely rummaged through their territories, which were no different from their private property, and arbitrarily mobilized troops to arrest and kill people.
They even gathered the support of the people by making grand claims about guidance and restoring order, and set themselves against the nobles with their talk of justice, so it was natural that the secular powers hated the Inquisition and the Inquisitors the most.
The reason why lords rule their territories is because they claim to be the protectors of their subjects. They protect the people in their territories, so those who are protected must offer their loyalty… that is the nominal claim.
Of course, the actual basis for lords governing their territories is more practical than this nominal reason.
It is force and authority.
However, the Church’s Inquisitors are beings who directly break down these things. They ignore what the lord says, rummage through the territory as they please, send information to the Church, mobilize troops, control people’s lives, and operate a separate court independent of the lord, making pro-people rulings. They shatter not only the nominal reasons for the lord’s rule but also the most important force and authority.
Naturally, the Inquisitors were the biggest cause of conflict between secular lords and the Church.
“Just recently, those people who were rummaging through our territory under the guise of Inquisition caused so much damage! Ignoring the lords who were granted the right to rule by God, they are ruining the territory as they please, and now you want to give them more authority?”
“Young Cardinal. I heard you were wise and gentle beyond your years, is this your true intention?”
Envoys who vehemently protested.
There was a time when the Church colluded with secular power. In the early days of the Church, it colluded with secular power to fight against numerous heretics, other religions, and demons.
From the perspective of secular power, they also used collusion with the Church for the legitimacy and stability of their rule.
The relationship, which was a win-win for each other, began to become uncomfortable when the Church’s authority exceeded the control of secular power.
Now that religious power has reached the point of suppressing secular power, it is hard to imagine that they were once so closely attached. They are now busy checking and confronting each other.
“So… the new Cardinal is saying that the current authority of the Inquisition is not enough, and he wants even more immense authority? Ha, ha ha. It’s absurd.”
“Listen, young Cardinal. It’s already annoying enough that you’re rummaging around everywhere to defeat the Church’s adversaries, and now you want more authority. Why don’t you just take the entire territory and offer it to the Church? Is this the will of the Church?”
As I watched, the words became increasingly harsh. The atmosphere was overheating. It was expected that the secular rulers, who were already dissatisfied with the growing religious power, would react like this when asked to concede more.
“Then shall we issue a mobilization order for the Holy War?”
“……..”
People became as silent as if they had swallowed a bee.
A suffocating silence flowed through the conference room, which had been filled with loud voices just moments ago.
With undeniable evidence of demons pouring out and a Holy War declared, the goal of the secular rulers was to somehow prevent the resumption of the Holy War.
If the Holy War begins in earnest and a mobilization order is issued, a pan-national coalition army will gather under the Church. If they refuse in a situation where the entire continent is ablaze with the Holy War? Or if they are targeted by the Church?
They would be hit with a banishment beam and become a sacrifice of the Holy War. Once the Holy War begins in earnest, no one can stop the religious power.
Can the secular power, which is already struggling under the bloated religious power, even breathe properly during the Holy War? They would have to lie low to avoid being targeted by the Church.
Naturally, the secular rulers who attended the meeting wanted to prevent this worst-case scenario.
“Since the Holy War has been declared… shall we issue a mobilization order? Or shall we strengthen the authority of the Inquisitors and selectively eliminate the adversaries?”
The envoys, who had been sitting with sour expressions, exchanged glances. It seemed that the secular rulers had reached some agreement before attending the meeting.
‘If we can just prevent the Holy War from starting in earnest, this much is okay, right? Let’s get this over with quickly, old men. I also hate a Holy War that I can’t control.’
I felt like laughing, so I deliberately put on a serious face and waited patiently. The envoys, who had been exchanging glances, began to express their agreement one by one.
“The Empire will agree to the expansion of the Inquisition’s authority.”
“The Falken Kingdom will also agree.”
“Asturu, agree.”
“The Nahara Kingdom… agrees.”
A series of agreements followed. I barely managed to suppress the corners of my mouth from rising with satisfaction and nodded heavily.
“I would like to thank the envoys of each country for their agreement. In preparation for the Holy War, the newly reformed Inquisition will be called the ‘Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición,’ and the details of the expanded authority will be compiled and distributed to you. We will move on to the next agenda at the next meeting. And…”
It’s exhilarating to see the anxious eyes of the envoys, wondering how much they will be squeezed. Now that I’ve extorted this much, I should give them a candy. No matter how advantageous the situation is, it’s not wise to just insist on our demands, since we’re not trying to fight the secular powers.
“The Holy War is not just the Church’s affair, but the affair of the entire continent. Naturally, we will also offer positions in the newly created Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición, or the Inquisition as it was previously called, to those who participate in the Holy War. We will decide who will be assigned where at the next meeting.”
I’ll give you guys some positions so you can suck some honey too. But who gets assigned to whom and how much is up to us, so package your authority nicely and hand it over to us.
I could feel the atmosphere of the envoys, who had been firmly united, changing. A struggle for limited resources would break out. The Church, as the mediator, just had to reap the benefits in the meantime.
Well… I’ll be hated, but what can I do? That’s how social life is. If you can’t be liked by everyone, you have to distribute the roles of the villain as much as possible to distribute the hatred.
After the meeting, I sent a whisper to Cha Hyewon.
At the meeting, I had vaguely implied that authority would be given depending on how much they cooperated with the Church… but of course, that was a lie.
The assignments were already finished. By whose will? Of course, by my will.
And Cha Hyewon is naturally appointed as one of the ‘High Inquisitors’ of the newly established Inquisition.
The seven High Inquisitors… that is, the seven people who move the Inquisition, will naturally be filled with people who are either my people or people I will make my people.
Now, anyone who gets on my bad side will immediately get a banishment beam or a heretic label. Oh, power is so sweet.
The five Cardinals, who had been sitting silently throughout the meeting as if they had a lock on their mouths, disappeared after the meeting ended.
Seeing the backs of the old men in their crimson, flowing robes as they retreated, I was reminded of what had happened a few days ago.
The pain I had felt in my finger a few hours after the Cardinal appointment ceremony had disappeared. That damned ring was doing something to my finger, it was throbbing so much that I secretly tried using healing and cure spells. Of course, they didn’t work.
As I endured the continuing pain, it gradually got better, and just when I thought it was finally subsiding, a translucent window appeared in front of my eyes.
【Connecting to the main system.】