I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 53: Interrogation (4)

Why on earth?

No, if I composed myself and thought about this bewildering situation, it kind of made sense.

‘It’s one of two things. Either surveilling me because of my sudden exploits… or protecting me from Sharl.’

I thought it was the former… but they wouldn’t assign someone as high-ranking as a military officer just to spy on me. So, it seemed they assigned her for legitimate protection.

‘I hate it. It’s reassuring, but I still hate it.’

From her appearance to her personality, I disliked everything. Most of all, I hated how scary she was.

“It’s an honor, Arian!”

I said with a forced smile.

Despite that, I had no choice but to pretend to be pleased. The students’ noisy applause made it clear it was a big deal. Leaving that commotion behind, I returned to my room. Arian followed, looking like she had something to say, so I let her in first.

“Excuse me, Professor Magus! I understand this decision must seem sudden! However, this escort is following upper management’s guidelines and urgently needed reason!” she exclaimed loudly.

“Could you lower your voice a bit? We are in a private room!”

I said, trying to hold back a sigh.

“Oh, my apologies,” she replied, a bit flustered.

Barely containing my frustration, I quietly asked, “Is this really to protect me from Sharl?”

“Yes, but that’s not the whole story.”

Arian put on a serious expression.

“Professor Simon Magus, we confirmed that you are unbaptized.”

A shiver ran down my spine. A slight chill was evident even in Arian’s sparkling eyes.

“Of course, sir Cernun explained well. You were born in a rugged land while your parents wandered, so you missed receiving baptism. It’s a story we can understand. Lord Hayat probably gave you such a fate for a reason.”

“So… is it a problem that an unbaptized individual is here?”

I thought of the orphans and the headmaster.

That miserable end.

“No, please don’t misunderstand. While unbaptized individuals aren’t looked upon favorably, we don’t intend to discriminate against you.”

Swallowing my discomfort, I asked, “Then why bring up this topic?”

“Because there will be those who make an issue of it.”

“The Belacre family, perhaps?”

She nodded in agreement. Being unbaptized in this world… no, at least within this empire, was quite a serious matter.

‘Couldn’t they just baptize me already?’

Not being naturally baptized at birth was seen as Hayat’s will. Such souls were considered unforgivable or born to atone for something. Unless an exception was made to baptize them for some significant contribution, they were shunned for life.

“Our direct provision of protection and support to you from Luminaries sends a very significant message.”

Arian continued.

“Even without baptism, the authority granted to you ensures that individuals, including those from the Belacre family who might bear resentment or try to find faults, won’t dare act rashly. Please don’t take this lightly!”

Arian added sincerely.

She concluded by saying she would wait outside the door.

“If anything happens, I’ll come running immediately, so no need to worry!”

Speaking loudly, as if for someone to hear, Arian headed to the door.

“One moment, officer.”

“Yes, did you call me?”

“Um… how did you know that I wasn’t baptized? As you know, it’s a somewhat sensitive issue.”

“Oh, I’ve memorized the baptism records of almost every region! But just to be sure, I reported it to the higher-ups and received additional confirmation!”

Ridiculous… so she knew I was an unbaptized mercenary even in Wave Reach.

“I see. Got it.”

Calming the chill down my spine, I pretended to be nonchalant and smiled.

“Then, please have a peaceful night.”

Arian quietly added as she stepped out of the room.

“And remember to always be mindful of your conduct, especially since you are unbaptized.”

Arian’s low warning was merely about my unbaptized status, but it made me break out in a cold sweat as if my life had been threatened.

‘How on earth did I get involved with people like these?’

Sevika, the agent of an Outer God.

Great Mage Cernun.

Luminaries’ Army Officer, Arian.

Each one was a big shot in their own right, yet somehow I got entangled with them.

‘Let’s just focus on preparing for Caelo’s interrogation tomorrow.’

To avoid any unnecessary suspicion, I only exchanged glances with Eldritch and refrained from any conversations. Even 〈Mind Link〉 was used sparingly at Academia.

‘… No, but it’s still bothering me.’

Although the door was closed, I felt a strange sensation as if Arian’s intensity was piercing through it. Eventually, my distracted mind led me to a restless sleep.

And the next day…

“Professor Magus! Please wake up!”

“…?”

Eldritch looked puzzled as he joined me in peeking outside. The sun hadn’t risen yet.

“What is it?!”

I asked as I opened the door, and Arian greeted me with a smile.

“It’s time for dawn prayers!”

… Is she crazy?

* * *

“You look tired, Professor.”

“There were a few things going on.”

I massaged my throbbing temples as I looked at the student before me.

Caelo Belacre.

The most likely candidate to be Sharl.

The unfortunate thing was the lack of concrete evidence.

‘Thus, psychological pressure is the only option.’

I glanced to my side.

Eldritch, equally sleep-deprived, and Arian, looking unbothered, stood beside him.

“I have a few questions for the student. We both know what this is about!”

I said.

“It must be about the murder case!”

Caelo replied.

“Precisely. It’s a case related to an Outer God.”

I placed a vial on the table.

A special mental stabilizer obtained through Lilybell via Caelo.

Though it hadn’t been thoroughly analyzed by the professor yet…

“Explain this item.”

I was planning to push through, given that Lia had an idea about the peculiarity of this item.

“I don’t know what the liquid in the vial is, Professor!”

Caelo responded.

“It’s the special mental stabilizer you gave to Lilybell Ospryng.”

“Oh, that. It’s as you described, Professor.”

Caelo was clearly initiating a power struggle.

Though it was called an interrogation, with the noble family’s child as the counterpart, I couldn’t push too hard without solid evidence. Caelo was aware of this as well.

“Then, explain the parts you haven’t clarified.”

“The question is too vague, Professor.”

“To whom was this item delivered? What are its ingredients? Why did you secretly gift such a suspicious item to Miss Lilybell? Does that make it clear?”

Caelo closed his eyes for a moment.

“I requested it through my father, who used his connections. You might need to verify this with him. I don’t know the ingredients.”

He looked back at me and continued.

“The reason I handed that solution to Miss Ospryng was because her condition seemed serious. Moreover, it was something I received through my father’s connections, so I considered it highly reliable.”

“Are you talking about the item for which you neither sought approval nor consulted any professor?”

I picked up the bottle and shook it.

“Enchant items and potions require permission for import and possession. However, there is no permit for this potion anywhere.”

“… I admit it was a rash act on my part. But I do not see how that is related to the murder case you are questioning me about.”

Caelo, unyielding, furrowed his brows slightly.

“Are you aiming to dig up every single mistake I’ve ever made in my life? If that makes me the perpetrator of the murder case, that would be truly amazing.”

“It is certain that the student has done something suspicious, so just answer without making excuses.”

Trying to deliberately irritate him with sharp words, I watched as Caelo retaliated, not hiding his displeasure. It was the attitude befitting a well-favored child of a flourishing noble family.

“Are you saying that asking my father to get medicine for a friend is suspicious?”

“That medicine is unidentifiable and even mitigates mental damage related to an Outer God.”

We glared at each other, tension hanging in the air.

“Professor, I do not have much time. You too have a party invitation to attend soon.”

“I know. That’s why you should answer sincerely.”

Arian glanced at me slightly, signaling that it was time to move on to the next question.

“Very well. Next, it’s about Caelo’s rank.”

“My rank?”

“My familiar, Tako, has a special ability that can sense those below the first rank. You, who should be a zero-rank, are not being sensed right now.”

Caelo glanced at Eldritch for a moment.

“Quite an intriguing creature, but it’s nothing much. Various protections are embedded in the enchanted items I possess, so such abilities do not work on me.”

“Then, remove them. Let’s verify through Tako.”

“There’s no need. I was confirmed by Professor Elrave just yesterday.”

“Yesterday? Suddenly?”

Caelo shrugged his shoulders.

“I simply asked for a verification, thinking I had succeeded in Awakening. But it wasn’t the case.”

“By coincidence, yesterday?”

“Yes, by coincidence, yesterday. I trust Professor Elrave’s judgment over a dubious creature like Tako. Don’t you, commander?”

Arian quietly nodded.

“As long as the confirmation can be verified, there’s no problem.”

“If requested, they’ll provide the confirmation right away. As someone bearing the future of the family, I do not wish to remove these protections, uncertain of what negative impact that dubious creature may have.”

He was wriggling out skillfully. But…

‘I still have a trick up my sleeve.’

Despite his domineering attitude, I felt a sense of calm confidence.

“The student is now under suspicion of deceiving about their rank. Additionally, it’s problematic that you delivered suspicious medicine to a student. If we add your recent conduct to that, it’s overly suspicious.”

“My conduct?”

“The day we had the duel. You were interrupted at the end, weren’t you?”

I decided to try one last move to catch him off guard.

“That’s right. I was hit hard.”

“No, you weren’t.”

I looked Caelo straight in the eye.

“The interruption didn’t work. Your spell was canceled not because of my interruption, but due to some other factor.”

“What…?”

“There was a slight discrepancy. It was a very minor difference. But as I am connected with Tako, who is sensitive to such nuances, I discerned it.”

Eldritch nodded appropriately beside me.

“Your focus continued even after my interruption. The cancellation was detected as misaligned timing, as if you intentionally stopped.”

Caelo stared at me, blinking, as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying.

“Is the interruption failing… and the timing being off… aren’t you mistaken?”

“We both know that’s not true. If you weren’t hiding your powers, such an odd occurrence would not have happened.”

I had no tangible evidence. But I didn’t need it.

If he couldn’t refute my claim, that was it.

“Unless you’re hiding something, the reason such strange things happen only to you is truly puzzling. Can you answer that?”