The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Who do you think I am?

“By the way, Lady Meril. How’s the investigation going?”

On the mountain pass, Dozel inquired.

Being part of the march I didn’t want to join to begin with, I found it challenging to respond.

Despite the difficulty, I couldn’t simply ignore the inquiry, so I provided an answer.

“I’m still in the dark about the truth. There are several inexplicable points.”

“Oh?”

The important thing is not the truth.

It’s about pinpointing seemingly related points of doubt, tangling them up, and endlessly delaying the execution.

“Firstly, why did the victims choose to pass through this mountain pass?”

“I’ve mentioned that already. They were arranged by foreign merchants, so they were unaware of the demon’s presence…”

“But when I asked the villagers, it seems this pass has a bad reputation as a regular pathway, even without the demon incident. It has a steep slope, is unpaved, and has many irregularities. On the contrary, the detour at the foot of the mountain is well-maintained with cobblestones. Even without knowledge about the demons, a merchant should be able to clearly judge which route to take.”

I repeated the same story word for word and Dozel shook his head thoughtfully.

“There must be some reason for that. Maybe there were instructions from the employer to follow a specified route beforehand.”

“If that’s true, it raises even more questions. With such frequent incidents, would a merchant continue to specify the same route without due consideration?”

“…I see. It’s certainly puzzling, but the fact remains that the incidents occurred. There are indeed careless individuals in this world.”

“Hmm.”

I muttered.

Is it truly that way? Well, surprisingly, the rest of the world could be quite careless.

Even my mother, who is praised as a perfect superhuman in society, is a lazy and carefree person at home.

And even someone as inept as me has been bestowed with a demon-exorcism license.

The underlings march forward on the night road illuminated by their torches.

The holy knights, donned in black cloaks, follow us in a single-file formation.

I wish they would take the lead and actually carry out their protective duty, but it seems the vanguard is my responsibility.

Before long, we arrived at the barrier, and inside it, the sitting figure of the white wolf came into view.

Despite being confined, the aura of intimidation remains powerful up close.

Strangely, the white wolf keeps staring at me with unwavering focus.

What’s up with this creature? Is it looking for a fight?

Then wait and tremble. In a few days, my mother will surely come.

At that time, she will mercilessly deal with it.

While lurking in the shadow of an underling, I wore a wicked grin…

“I have a favor to ask, Miss Meril. Can’t you exterminate the demon right here and now?”

Naturally, I panicked and frantically waved my hands.

“Oh, please wait. We made a promise not to do such things. The investigation is still ongoing.”

“Investigation, you say.”

Dozel sighed deeply, sounding somewhat disappointed.

“With all due respect, Miss Meril, I must say. There may still be some inexplicable points. However, in these incidents, a large number of deaths have already occurred. Many people have died, and their families are still grieving.”

“Ugh.”

“In a situation like this, do we really need to get caught up in minor details and postpone the execution? I believe it is our duty as members of the church to avenge the victims as soon as possible and pray for the peace of their souls.”

Troublesome, but it was a valid point.

Indeed. No matter how much they investigated, the conclusion that this demon is to blame won’t change.

It would be a commendable act as a church member to carry out the execution promptly.

Moreover, if they use the emotions of the bereaved families as a shield for their argument, it might hurt.

Meril is also a human being. If she imagines the sight of good people who have lost their families and are grieving, it might resonate a little with her conscience…

…”I’ve never heard of any of these folks.”

…”No one willingly approaches a pass with such monsters.”

“…Huh?”

“What’s the matter, Miss Meril?”

Suddenly, the words of the villagers came to mind, and something in my head seemed to click.

Something that could serve as a new excuse for delaying the execution.

…”The victims disappeared without a trace, like they were spirited away by gods.”

…”Crimes that seem to be the work of demonic beings, leaving no traces whatsoever.”

And the words of the white wolf echoed in my mind.

…”I have not killed anyone.”

At that moment, that ‘something’ naturally came out of my mouth.

“Are there really any victims?”

“…What?”

“That’s right. Even after asking around in the town, not a single person seemed to know the victims, and there’s no evidence of the incident, right? As a basic premise, was there any incident at all?”

Earlier, when I tried to imagine the faces of grieving families— I couldn’t see any image at all.

All the evidence and testimonies seemed too unreal, lacking the sense of reality that there really was an “incident.”

“Haha. What are you saying? If there really was no incident, would foreign merchants go to the trouble of complaining to the church? What gain is there in fabricating a fictional incident?”

That makes sense, I thought.

Suddenly, one of the underlings spoke up.

“Um, is it possible that insurance was taken out on the cargo of the carriage? I mean, could that be the motive?”

I turned to the underling who made the statement.

The underling, perhaps misunderstanding that he was being scolded, bowed his head meekly.

“I, I apologize. A lowly person like me making an inappropriate comment…”

“It’s fine. Please continue.”

I didn’t quite understand, but if it served to buy some time, I’d take it.

Encouraged by me, the underling nodded and continued.

“If you pile up fictional damages and then later claim insurance… wouldn’t the merchant, the cargo owner, make significant profits? Even if they suffered no actual damage, they would still receive substantial compensation.”

Hmm, interesting, I thought silently.

I had heard of the insurance business, but I had never thought about such misuse.

Indeed, there are some cunning folks in the world.

“Haha, that’s quite an imaginative scenario, but it’s essential not to speak based solely on rumors.”

In response to the underling’s words, Dozel laughed heartily.

In a teacher-like manner, he raised his finger.

“Unfortunately, that’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

To the somewhat irritated retort from the underling, Dozel sharply stated.

“You’re underestimating the business. You may not be aware, but…”

Dozel continued.

“The operation of insurance systems for things like carriages and ships is often managed by large trade companies that span multiple countries, or even by the state itself. Quite often, they are very strict with their expenses.”

“Hmm…”

Still not grasping Dozel’s point, the underling responded with a perplexed expression.

With a sigh, he shook his head.

“In essence, the foreign merchant who reported the damages this time wouldn’t be allowed to claim compensation through insurance anywhere. Killing a demon doesn’t require evidence, but for an insurance claim, irrefutable proof is absolutely essential.”

The defeated underling bowed his head.

Dozel, with a somewhat triumphant smile, gestured towards the white wolf.

“Now, Lady Meril. If you have no more concerns, please go ahead and exterminate this evil demon…”

“I do.”

I pointed firmly at Dozel.

While I may not be well-versed in business intricacies, there was one aspect of Dozel’s explanation that I couldn’t agree with.

“Oh? Is there something else?”

“In this incident, stating that insurance won’t be paid due to insufficient evidence… I find that strange.”

“What are you talking about, Lady Meril? You yourself highlighted the significant lack of evidence for this incident before.”

“That’s a completely different issue.”

I pointed decisively.

I had thought of a brilliant idea for further delaying, and I felt particularly pleased.

“I am Meril Klein. I am considered the most revered being in this world, and I will surpass even the Holy Saint.”

“Well, I am well aware of that…”

“Then you should understand.”

I took out a piece of paper from my pocket.

It was the request for the extermination of the white wolf, a document stating that the demon responsible for the several disappearances needed to be killed, and the situation resolved.

“When I defeat this white wolf and mark ‘mission accomplished’ on this request, who could possibly object to such a monumental achievement?”

Earlier, Dozel had mentioned that the entities managing the insurance system were large trade companies or even nations.

However, what are they compared to the Church, which holds the only counterforce against demons, and particularly to me, Meril, occupying the most superior position within it?

“Moreover, this incident signifies my remarkable debut. If an insurance company dares to challenge the authenticity of the incident, suggesting it was fabricated, and refuses compensation, it would tarnish the glory of my significant accomplishment. The Church, in turn, might react with considerable displeasure, demanding them to comply with any amount I demand. So, in summary!”

My enthusiasm grew with such a compelling excuse.

“Even more so, I cannot take action against the demon now! Considering the insurance matter, it’s necessary to thoroughly investigate, involving the commercial guilds of the holy city as well! It seems we need a large-scale reexamination!”

Victory.

By twisting and turning my excuses, I successfully expanded the scope of the problem significantly.

This won’t be resolved in just one or two days. No matter how they deal with it, it’s going to be a long process.

“All right, everyone! So, let’s go to sleep! It’s already late at night!”

As I greeted everyone with a radiant smile, the sound of gunshots reverberated through the air at that very moment and location.