Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 33: The Inquisitor of the Sun God (1)

A woman was seated in the reception, prepared to greet guests. Her hair, shining like silver, cascaded softly over her shoulders, while her crimson eyes sparkled with a striking brilliance. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed simply in the robes of a priestess. Her sacred aura alone seemed enough to make one kneel before her without even realizing it.

If there was one flaw, it was her expressionless face—like that of a doll. She seemed devoid of emotion, almost mechanical.

Lord Barcan, sitting before her, gulped hard. “It is an honor to meet you, Inquisitor. I am Luke Barcan, lord of the Barcan Estate.”

“The honor is mine. Thank you for graciously welcoming me on such short notice,” the woman replied, bowing her head politely. “My name is Aquaz. Though I am but a humble servant, I bear the duty of judging heretics in the name of the Sun God.”

Her demeanor was exceedingly polite, yet Lord Barcan could not lower his guard.

Inquisitors were those who stood against the enemies of the Church. They were key figures in the Church’s hierarchy, wielding enough power to obliterate a small village on their own judgement and authority. And the woman before him was no ordinary inquisitor—She was the Inquisitor of the Sun God.

The Sun God’s Church was currently the most dominant religious order on the continent, so influential that even the Empire was forced to yield and make concessions to them.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

An inquisitor of the Sun God wielded power far surpassing that of a typical noble lord. And Aquaz was someone even Lord Barcan had heard of. She was the youngest inquisitor in history—a prodigy among prodigies, capable of executing heretical judgements single-handedly. She was the one who single-handedly defeated seven dark mages who had made contracts with demons and halted a massive ritual.

Why is she here? Lord Barcan wondered. Why would such a powerful person come to this small estate?

His lips grew dry. Depending on her mood, the fate of the estate could change entirely. The Inquisitor of the Sun God, Aquaz, slowly parted her crimson lips. “There seems to have been some unrest in the estate. Is everything alright?”

“Do you not know what happened?” Lord Barcan asked.

“I visited the church within the estate before coming directly to you, so I am not aware of the details.”

“I see,” the lord replied, observing her expression.

Her face remained emotionless, making it difficult to discern her thoughts, but she didn’t appear to be lying. After deliberating for a moment, Lord Barcan finally spoke. “There was a minor issue at a Dungeon. It has been resolved now.”

“Is that so? That is a relief,” Aquaz said calmly, her expression as indifferent as ever.

Her demeanor gave the lord confidence.

She is not here because of the lich, he thought.

Thinking back, even Lord Barcan had only learned of the lich the day before. It was unlikely for someone to travel to such a remote estate within a single day. In that case, there had to be another reason for her visit.

“May I ask what brings you to our humble estate?”

If she wasn’t here because of the lich, there had to be some other purpose. Inquisitors were not known to move without a clear and compelling reason. Lord Barcan’s mind raced, trying to grasp what it could be.

Aquaz remained silent. The weight of her silence made the lord increasingly uneasy.

“Could it be related to a divine oracle?” Lord Barcan asked.

Aquaz did not respond, but her silence was as good as confirmation. The lord felt faint.

A divine oracle? Here? he thought. This was no small matter. Depending on the oracle’s message, the Sun God’s forces could descend upon the estate. Why…? Why is this happening to me? I’m just a lord of a small estate…

His emotions had to have been evident on his face, prompting Aquaz to finally speak. “I can share the contents of the oracle with you. At the very least, there is no need to worry on that front.”

“R-really?” The lord let out a small sigh of relief.

There were two types of oracles: those that could not be revealed to anyone outside the faithful, and those that could be shared openly with the world. If it was the latter, there was little risk of major trouble.

Aquaz continued, “Before I share the oracle’s contents, may I first confirm what has happened in the estate?”

“Do you believe it could be related?”

“I cannot be certain,” she replied. Her words suggested that it was a possibility.

Lord Barcan hesitated. He wondered if it would be wise to mention the lich to a servant of the Sun God. His deliberation didn’t last long.

Seeking aid from the Church was the better option. He detested the idea of imperial intervention. The Church of the Sun God was powerful enough that even the Empire couldn’t ignore them. If the inquisitor resolved the matter, the Empire would have no grounds to interfere.

The lord, having made his decision, explained the incident. The inquisitor’s previously emotionless eyes widened.

“A lich…?” Aquaz asked.

“Yes, and it could possibly be Kartos Braniuras Kesias.”

“What? Are you saying that being was here?”

“I understand that this lich has ties to your Church as well,” Lord Barcan added.

“That’s correct…”

Aquaz’s brow furrowed slightly. Kartos had a penchant for toying with the devout, corrupting them, and tarnishing the Church’s honor. Among his victims were not a few of the faithful who worshipped the Sun God. He was one of the enemies the Church had declared a heretic and relentlessly pursued.

Lord Barcan shook his head. “This is an extremely troublesome situation. It’s far beyond the capabilities of a small rural lord like me to handle. If mishandled, it might even prompt intervention from the Empire.”

“Are you asking for assistance in dealing with this matter?” Aquaz asked.

As expected, she grasped his intent immediately. The lord quickly continued, “Surely, resolving such a matter would bring great honor to the Sun God’s Church.”

Kartos was a long-dead, infamous mage who once plunged the world into chaos. If the Sun God’s Church played a role in preventing his resurrection, their reputation would rise even further.

“That is irrelevant. What matters is faith. That alone is paramount,” Aquaz said bluntly.

Realizing his words were unnecessary, Lord Barcan shut his mouth.

After a brief moment of thought, Aquaz spoke. “Verification… is necessary.”

“You mean to confirm if the lich truly is Kartos?”

“Yes.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Lord Barcan rang a bell beneath the table. Before long, a trembling maid brought in the phylactery. Aquaz’s eyes widened as she examined it. “The phylactery… is intact.”

“Ah, is there a problem?” Lord Barcan asked.

“The phylactery is the core of a lich. It holds their soul. As long as it remains unbroken, the lich can continue to revive.”

“What?!” Lord Barcan was aghast. Does this mean Kartos hadn’t truly perished?

However, as Aquaz inspected the phylactery more closely, her expression twisted into a frown. “But I can’t sense a soul within it. What in the world is going on here?”

Her face, usually composed, now showed a mix of confusion as though she were witnessing the impossible.

After carefully analyzing the phylactery, she finally arrived at a conclusion. “It is as I suspected.”

“Do you mean…?”

“This phylactery belongs to Kartos Braniuras Kesias. That accursed being… From what I’ve heard, a Hero defeated him long ago, but it seems he siphoned his soul into this phylactery in an attempt to revive as a lich.”

“Good heavens…” Lord Barcan let out a sound of disbelief. This was truly Kartos—the infamous mage, a figure only spoken of in history books, had been right next to his estate. “Why would he come to such a remote area?”

“He likely needed time to regain his strength. This… is certainly a problem,” Aquaz muttered.

The idea that a mage thought to be extinguished was scheming a resurrection as a lich was no trivial matter. A thorough investigation would be necessary.

“We will handle this matter. The Empire will have no grounds to intervene,” Aquaz declared.

“Ah, thank you,” Lord Barcan replied, sighing in relief. He was glad a major concern had been addressed.

However, Aquaz’s expression remained conflicted. After some thought, she asked, “This estate is the homeland of a Swordmaster, is it not? Has he been here recently?”

“Yes, he visited us briefly not long ago.”

“I see. If it were him, he could potentially defeat Kartos,” she mused.

Kartos was a mage who once shook the foundation of kingdoms. His power surpassed even that of a Transcendent. A single Swordmaster alone would not be enough to face him. However, Kartos had been defeated by a Hero in the past. While his soul had been preserved in the phylactery, he likely hadn’t been in peak condition when he tried to revive as a lich. In that case, the Swordmaster Kain could have been able to handle him.

“Still, this is…,” Aquaz muttered. The phylactery was intact. That meant the lich’s soul had been utterly destroyed—something even a Swordmaster shouldn’t have been able to accomplish.

“Would it be possible for me to meet with Swordmaster Kain? I’m curious to know how this was handled.”

“Ah, it wasn’t done by Sir Kain.”

“What?” Aquaz’s eyes widened in surprise. “Then who defeated Kartos?”

“A barbarian.” “What…?” A stunned voice escaped her lips. For the first time, emotion seeped into Aquaz’s mechanical tone. The lord found her reaction oddly amusing.

“There’s a barbarian in the estate?” she asked.

“Yes. A barbarian arrived here recently and has been staying with us.”

“Is that not a problem?”

Barbarians were known to revere strength and disregard order or law, often causing untold issues wherever they went. It was only natural for Aquaz to ask this.

Lord Barcan nodded. “Surprisingly, he is a very reasonable barbarian.”

“Reasonable? That’s not a word typically associated with barbarians.”

“True enough,” the lord replied with a wry smile. He thought of how Ketal acted around his estate. He was indeed polite and possessed common sense. Now that he had grown used to Ketal’s presence, the lord could accept it, but in hindsight, it was an extraordinary and unusual notion.

“This barbarian defeated Kartos? Is that even possible?” Aquaz asked.

“It is possible,” the lord replied confidently. At least, there was no doubting that part. “Even Sir Kain lost to him.”

Aquaz’s eyes widened further. “Which tribe does this barbarian hail from…?”

“I don’t know. He bears no marks or tattoos indicating his tribe.”

Though he claimed to be from the White Snowfield, there was no evidence to support his words.

“What is his name?” Aquaz asked.

“Ketal.”

“Ketal…” Aquaz closed her eyes, likely shifting through her knowledge of barbarians. Shortly after, she opened them again. “I’ve never heard of him. There are barbarians capable of defeating Swordmaster Kain, but their names do not match, and they would have no reason to be here. A new powerhouse, it seems.”

Aquaz realized there was a new powerful individual capable of defeating a Swordmaster and erasing Kartos’s soul. Her gaze suddenly sharpened.

A chill ran down Lord Barcan’s spine as he asked, “Is there something wrong?”

“The barbarian may very well be the reason I am here,” she replied.

“What?” The lord was stunned.

Aquaz continued, “Would it be possible for me to meet this barbarian?”

“What did you say…?” Lord Barcan’s eyes widened in disbelief.