Free Web NovelChapter 84: Chapter 84 Heretical Inquisition Bureau_1
Aiden leaned on his cane, standing at the street corner, looking toward the somewhat ancient huge building not far away.
The gray walls were neatly lined with small windows, and the steeple-like spire had been painted a dark red. At first glance, the style of the building didn’t seem much different from a city hall or other public buildings of the city, except the color was somewhat darker.
However, the high walls and sentry posts surrounding the building and the guards in trench coat uniforms standing rigidly at the doorway still highlighted an austere atmosphere that said this place was off-limits to the general public.
And the reason was spelled out in big letters on a signboard to the left of the main gate: Inquisition Bureau.
Aiden walked in through the gate, leaning on his cane. The guard at the door recognized him and immediately greeted him, "Haven’t seen you for a while, Captain. Care to grab a drink tonight?"
"Not tonight, I’ve got work. Is the old man in the office today?" Aiden replied calmly.
"He should be. Haven’t seen him leave."
Aiden walked straight through the gate, bypassing all the usual registration procedures.
This was where Aiden, or rather, the previous owner of the body he now inhabited, used to work. The former Aiden was a Senior Investigator here, also known as a superior Judge. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
In this world, the Inquisition Bureau was an armed organization connected to both the military and the police, and to some extent, it could be compared to the special armed police from Aiden’s previous life in another world.
Unlike those so-called Inquisitions from Aiden’s previous life that hunted witches under the guise of hunting heresy, which involved the persecution of innocent women by burning them at the stake, the Inquisitions in this world where black magic, monsters, and even Evil Gods truly existed were a very serious affair.
The Inquisition Bureau was an armed force responsible for investigating, suppressing by force, and apprehending criminal activities involving black magic and powers beyond humanity. The Bureau cautiously combated all manner of supernatural forces, maintaining the order upon which mortals relied to survive.
Of course, the nature of this job also meant that those who held positions here were likely to have short lifespans, especially Judges who did frontline work, who often had a mortality rate far exceeding that of other institutions.
In his effort to stay alive and well in this world, Aiden did everything he could to transfer to prison work, but he still couldn’t completely sever ties with his former unit.
Firstly, due to the nature of the Inquisition Bureau, most of the prisoners in the Rose Iron Prison Core Zone were processed through here. Secondly, to get his transfer approved, he still had to assist the Bureau as a consultant, specifically overseeing the prisoner Melifilia.
After dealing with the case of Meiruki’s slave, Aiden had one more connection to his old unit—inheriting Avansa’s body abilities which were strictly controlled by the Inquisition Bureau meant that he had to regularly report his whereabouts to them.
Normally, with the connections he left behind here, completing such routine procedures via correspondence would have been possible. But this time, he had reasons that necessitated a face-to-face meeting.
After greeting some former colleagues along the way, Aiden arrived at the Chief’s office and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a deep voice sounded from inside.
Aiden pushed the door open and greeted the office’s occupant with a radiant smile. "I’ve come to see you, Chief. How have you been lately?"
Behind the desk sat a white-haired old man with a face chiseled with authoritative sharp angles, naturally exuding a commanding presence. The man’s left eye displayed an unnatural turbid gray, and a visually striking scar traveled from his forehead, across his eyelid, and down to his cheek. However, compared to his muscular build that seemed to almost burst through the uniform, this feature was not the most visually impactful.
Harold, Chief of the Silvertown Inquisition Bureau, was Aiden’s previous superior and can also be considered the career mentor of the former Aiden.
To Aiden, if he had to summarize this old man in one sentence, it would be an embodiment of toughness visible to the naked eye... no, an old tough guy.
This exaggerated musculature, along with his identity as someone dedicated to rooting out heretics, always made Aiden think of those old Saint Knights who could swing a warhammer weighing dozens of kilograms to create a whistling wind, or martial monks who could shout "Great Mighty Dragon" while smashing the spirits of demons and ghosts with a single palm.
The grizzled Chief looked up indifferently at the enthusiastic young man greeting him, his expression bland as he roundly and bluntly uttered one word: "Scram."
"Don’t be so harsh on your former subordinates, eh?"
Aiden didn’t feel embarrassed and naturally took a seat on the sofa designated for guests. He had a certain understanding of Harold’s sharp-tongued but soft-hearted temperament.
"Haven’t you already climbed the ranks and made your fortune? Now that you’re on equal footing with me, why bother trying to cozy up?" Harold replied, somewhat huffily.
After leaving the Inquisition Bureau, there was no longer any superior-subordinate relationship between Aiden and Harold. Especially since Aiden’s promotion to Chief Warden of the Rose Iron Prison.
The Rose Iron Prison and the Inquisition Bureau were not part of the same system. In terms of official rank, the Chief Warden of the Rose Iron Prison and the Chief of Silvertown’s Inquisition Bureau were actually on the same level.
"Getting ahead at least proves that I’m diligent in my duties," Aiden chuckled.
"What kind of trouble have you brought today? Spit it out quickly," Harold waved his hand impatiently.
Aiden didn’t waste more words and handed over the application he had already prepared with both hands.
Harold tore open the envelope, glanced at it briefly, and then casually tossed the paper aside: "Taking control of power and cooperating with the mounted police to take down gangs? If you’re that idle, why not simply come back to work?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
"There’s a reason why I’m doing this, it’s written in there..."
Aiden had barely started speaking when Harold interrupted him impatiently: "Do whatever you want to do, I don’t want to deal with it, just don’t create trouble for me."
"Then, thank you, Chief," Aiden smiled.
He understood this meant approval. To execute the plan, it was necessary to inform the Inquisition Bureau in advance to avoid any unnecessary troubles later.
"Ever since you left, the number of applications to join the bureau has dwindled. At this rate, I’ll probably have to put these old bones back on the front line sooner or later," Harold complained as he pulled out a cigar and put it in his mouth.
In the eyes of the Inquisition Bureau, Aiden had once been a rising star whom Harold had high hopes for. However, after being injured in an assassination attempt, he seemed to lose his nerve and was keen to transfer to the prison for a "retirement," which to Harold was nothing short of desertion.
"You’re still in the prime of life—"
"Cut the flattery and disappear, your face annoys me," Harold glared at him.
"Then I’ll be off," Aiden doffed his cap.
Just as he was about to leave, Harold suddenly added, "Oh, and if you get the chance, pay a visit to Rebecca, she’s in convalescence now."
"Rebecca... What happened to her?" Aiden paused, taken aback.
