Volume 12 Chapter 6 Changing Clothes And A Face-To-Face Meeting
"Wow, you look great!"
After receiving the request to resolve the curse from the Holy King, I was in Miss Miimo's office within the Great Holy Castle, putting on the white uniform of an Inquisitor.
It was the white version of the Inquisitor uniform I had seen before in Ravenyard. Miss Miimo and Mr. Sein were wearing the same uniform.
Although it was a different color, I never thought that the day would come when I would wear the uniform that made me depressed just by looking at it until recently... Life is full of surprises.
'This is the first time I've seen Noroa wear white clothes. You're always in black, aren't you?'
"Black isn't always the best choice. If it's too black, I'll stand out. I'm careful to tone down the black so I can blend into the darkness."
The key to choosing an outfit is to avoid standing out.
'So, it's like you're saying that dark, gloomy fashion is for special occasions, huh?'
"......"
I couldn't respond to that.
"Ah, yes. Noroa's friend has also finished changing. Look..."
Miss Miimo encouraged me to enter the office, and Cirrul came in.
"Excuse me..."
Cirrul was wearing the same white Inquisitor uniform as me. Since it was an unfamiliar uniform, Cirrul looked a bit embarrassed, fidgeting around.
"How do you like this uniform?"
"You look great."
"......"
Cirrul gave a silent thumbs-up.
Well, Cirrul does look good in white clothes. Maybe it's because she's used to wearing that kind of clothing, so it's familiar to her.
"So, about the conditions you set... Does this mean both are cleared?"
"Yes."
The 2 conditions I set when I accepted the request were: first, "Let me work with the Inquisitor," and second, "Don't harm Cirrul."
I set these conditions because I still didn't fully trust Miss Fuuko and the Inquisitors.
To ensure my own safety, I need to keep an eye on the Inquisitor's movements. Moreover, there's no guarantee that Cirrul, another "Cursed Bearer" like me, won't become the Inquisitor's target.
Besides, when it comes to solving the curse, it's more efficient to work together with the Inquisitor. I was able to act as a "Phantom" in Ravenyard because I had the information gathered by the Inquisitor.
"Seriously, a 'Cursed Bearer' working with the Inquisitor? That's a rare event in the history of the Holy Kingdom!"
"H-ha... I-I'm sorry..."
"Even Her Majesty the Holy King herself is making an exception, giving him permission... Seriously..."
Miss Miimo sighs, crunching on a candy.
"But was it really okay? I mean, being a 'Cursed Bearer' and getting away with it..."
"...In this country, Her Majesty the Holy King's words take priority over the law, after all."
That person is really something.
"And if this means we're getting closer to solving the curse, then that's great. Please do your best."
"Yes."
I shake hands with Miss Miimo.
Her hand is surprisingly cold.
* * *
After changing into the Inquisitor's uniform, Cirrul and I followed Miss Miimo to the training grounds.
It's a circular arena-like area used for performances and gatherings. Right now, off-duty Inquisitors are training all around the grounds.
Just by glancing at them, I can tell how high their skills are. I thought the Inquisitors in the peaceful Holy Capital were specialized in etiquette and ceremony, but that's not the case.
"Gather!"
Miss Miimo claps her hands, and the Inquisitors immediately line up. Their movements are highly trained.
The Inquisitors glance at us with a "what's with these guys?" look.
"Well, today we're introducing new comrades."
Miss Miimo says with a light tone.
"First..."
'I'm Juju yo! I'm aiming to be a top idol and I'm in the middle of training!'
"......"
"Sorry, my useless doll is a bit of a show-off"
"Well, yeah..."
Miss Miimo clears her throat with a loud "ahem".
"Well, let's take a deep breath and introduce these 2. He's Noroa, a 'Cursed Bearer', and the girl next to him is Cirrula, also a 'Cursed Bearer'. They'll be working with us for a while starting today"
"""...!?"""
The Inquisitors' eyes widen in shock.
It's no wonder, since having a 'Cursed Bearer' join the Inquisitors is a pretty shocking event.
"C-Chief Milnas!"
The one who raises his hand enthusiastically is a young Inquisitor with golden hair, Mr. Sein, who was with us earlier.
"What's up, Inquisitor Sein?"
"Why do we have to work with a 'Cursed Bearer'...?! It's humiliating for a proud Inquisitor like us!"
"It's because Noroa set it as a condition for cooperating with us."
"What...!"
He glares at us, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm against it! We can't let a 'Cursed Bearer' into our ranks Just having them around causes trouble, and even if they're not bad people, their cursed equipment can't be trusted!"
"Yeah, that's true, Inquisitor Sein. It's unthinkable to make a 'Cursed Bearer' an Inquisitor. We should cut off their heads right now."
"Then..."
"But don't get it wrong."
Miss Miimo's voice suddenly turns cold.
"This is an order from Her Majesty the Holy King herself. Are you going to defy her words?"
"... I, I mean... she went too far."
Mr. Sein bites his tongue.
"And be careful how you treat them. They may be new and 'Cursed Ones', but their authority level is... S"
"S...? I thought A was the highest level..."
"Level S means having the same authority as Her Majesty. It allows one to enter every district in this holy city, including Her Majesty's chambers. In other words... their social status is higher than Level B's."
"...What nonsense..."
There's no class system in this holy city. People are supposed to be equal, but in reality, their social status is determined by their authority level.
Outsiders are G. Ordinary citizens are F to E.
Inquisitors and clergy are D to B.
And if one becomes a high-ranking Inquisitor, they finally reach authority level A.
S is an exception, meaning it's the authority level of the Holy King... supposedly.
The higher one's authority level, the higher their social status.
Mr. Sein seems to understand that, but he doesn't say anything more. Instead, he glares at me, looking unconvinced. The other Inquisitors also exchange uneasy glances, whispering to each other.
'It doesn't seem like we're getting a warm welcome.'
"That can't be helped, Juju."
This is within my expectations. We're not here to make friends with them, anyway.
"Ugh... I'm sorry, everyone..."
Cirrul looks down, seemingly unaccustomed to being glared at with malice.
'Noroa, look. It's girls like this that ruin nerd parties.'
"Wha-what do you mean by 'girls like this'!?"
'What's with you, wannabe popular kid?'
"Wh-what...! You, you're just Miss Juju's... pint-sized troublemaker!"
'Too bad for you! I'm actually a whole head taller!'
"...You two have a lot of energy, don't you?"
These two seem like they can thrive anywhere they go.
"Well, that's all from me. Each of you, return to your training."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Miss Miimo claps her hands, and the Inquisitors scatter like they've been fired out of a cannon. Even so, they still send us suspicious glances.
'Well, shall we start our B-rank Gourmet Tour?'
"We're going to investigate the curse――"
"Oh... that's right."
Just then, Miss Miimo stops me.
"――Would you like to join our training as well?"
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)