Chapter 3

The Demon Hunting Method Of The Regressed Inquisitor 3

Bandit (1)

Orcs are rarely seen.

No, for most people, the probability of never seeing one in their lifetime is higher.

This is because they almost never leave their territory.

Therefore, people do not know. Orcs also have lines they must not cross, and in some ways, they have a more steadfast spirit than humans.

Because of their threatening appearance, people are too afraid to make objective judgments.

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If they were human, they might have been exemplary knights.

Of course, this would never happen because their culture and way of life are different.

What is ‘good’ and natural to us might be ‘evil’ and questionable to them.

“So, didn’t you say the wagon wheel was broken and needed to be repaired? I said I would fix it.”

“No, no. Actually, it’s not the wheel, but the… horseshoe! It’s time to change the horse’s horseshoe…”

“Then we should go to the blacksmith. Shall we go and get it?”

“No, that’s not it. Actually… um, the horse needs to rest.”

“Didn’t you say it had rested enough? That’s why you gathered people to depart today.”

“When did I say that, haha.”

“Hmm…”

If you listen closely, it’s not really a threat or a coercion. On the contrary, he is offering to help solve the problem.

At this point, one should understand, but unfortunately, there was an unbridgeable gap between the two.

It was that they could not distinguish each other’s expressions.

The coachman, trying to avoid the orc out of fear, and the orc, trying to be as friendly as possible but still appearing scary.

It’s a pity.

Well, since the coachman is colluding with the bandits, he might be pretending not to know and trying to get rid of him somehow.

Doesn’t he look strong?

With that physique and those muscles, he could probably kill a bear with his bare hands without using mana.

“It seems there is a misunderstanding between the two of you.”

It’s time to wrap this up.

When I appeared, the coachman’s expression brightened like a traveler finding a light in the darkness.

Well, I can understand why the coachman sees me as a savior.

He doesn’t know who I am, but at least he thinks he has someone to face this ordeal with.

On the other hand, the orc…

“Is there a problem?”

“Sometimes animals with white fur have something special about them.”

He was talking about my hair color.

Well, it is a noticeable color.

“The same goes for those bright yellow eyes. It’s a characteristic often seen in predators. They’re not to be taken lightly.”

“…So what?”

Caution. No, is it curiosity?

Maybe it could be called a competitive spirit.

Honestly, I don’t really know the extent of my current strength.

But I don’t want to fight here if possible.

With the body of my prime, divine power, and the life I lived as an inquisitor, I don’t know how far I can go now.

But it’s not a matter of winning or losing. The problem is that I might end up on the list of threatening individuals that the coachman has in mind.

“Hmm.”

The orc slightly raises the corners of his mouth and looks at me. With that, I feel a chilling sense of intimidation.

“No, it’s nothing.”

But the orc took a step back.

He must know that I stepped in to resolve the situation, so he would show corresponding courtesy to satisfy his curiosity.

“I heard there seems to be a misunderstanding between you two, may I intervene? Ah, this is who I am.”

I lightly draw a cross with divine power. Just being able to use divine power can earn trust.

Divine power isn’t something you can use just by believing in a god.

“You were a priest!”

“A priest? What’s that?”

“Well, in the culture of orcs, it would be seen as a ‘shaman’.”

As kindly and weakly as possible, just like an ordinary priest.

Disguising myself as an insignificant opponent.

“Your orc brother over there is…”

“I’m Titan. And there’s no need for formalities. I won’t use them either.”

A very great person has arrived.

But, fine. If you say so, let’s go comfortably.

Just by going along with that ridiculous logic, it would be easier to persuade the other person.

Orcs like confident people.

“Well then, anyway, Titan is trying to help with good intentions, right? Although he might also want to ride the carriage.”

“Yes, I am very kind.”

Titan nods.

I don’t know where the source of that endless self-esteem comes from, but he probably isn’t a bad guy.

“On the other hand, you, brother, do not trust the orc named Titan and feel threatened, so you are making excuses to prevent him from riding the carriage, right?”

“No, that…”

The coachman sweats nervously, glancing at Titan.

He’s worried about whether it’s okay to answer that way.

“I swear here that nothing will happen even if you admit it.”

Whoosh!

I close my eyes and release divine power for the troubled coachman.

What I received in exchange for divine power was the flame of Vesta, the god of hearth and home.

After letting the flame die down, I slowly open my eyes.

“How about now?”

The coachman nods with a stiff face. I swore on the name of a god. Would he still lie blatantly after all this?

“Then let’s clear up the misunderstandings between us first.”

The coachman was short-sighted.

If he wanted to drive Titan away, there was no need for such petty excuses. The objective indicators from the situation alone are enough.

“First of all, Titan cannot ride the carriage. Even putting aside his enormous build, the luggage…”

Titan is not empty-handed.

He carries weapons that are hard to believe even with his physique.

A hammer that seems to weigh more than a few people, a spear that looks like it was pulled out of a pillar.

Both are heavy weapons made entirely of metal, including the handles.

Even if it’s Titan, it’s over the weight limit with his weapons.

“So even without excuses, Titan shouldn’t ride the carriage.”

The carriage already has trade goods loaded for camouflage.

Offering a free ride was just a way to make it seem like there was extra space besides the trade goods, so it’s only natural.

Only then does the coachman’s expression noticeably brighten as he realizes this.

Blinded by fear, I couldn’t even think of such a simple truth.

“And Titan. Um, just a moment…”

I climbed into the carriage and rummaged through the luggage.

Seeing some fresh produce, including fruits, it seemed they were originally scheduled to depart today.

Yet they postponed it by three days? There’s no doubt they’re human traffickers.

“Brother, can I have just two vegetables?”

“Oh, yes…”

With the coachman’s permission, I searched for suitable vegetables. After finding some, I placed them in Titan’s hand.

“This is the carriage, and this is you.”

What I handed to Titan were a tomato and a pumpkin. The tomato was the carriage, and the pumpkin was Titan.

This should make it easy to understand.

“Isn’t it obvious what will happen if you get on the carriage?”

What would happen if a pumpkin of that size were placed on top of a tomato?

Titan nodded as if he understood without having to try.

“Even if it holds for a moment, it will surely be crushed once it starts moving.”

“And Titan, you don’t even need to get on the carriage in the first place, do you?”

Before the regression, I had never seen Titan. The carriage I rode was here, and considering I could ride it three days from now, it means Titan eventually left the village.

But no matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like there would be a carriage in such a small village that could carry Titan.

So what happened?

“Isn’t that right? You’re faster and have more stamina than a horse, so all you need is to know the way, right?”

Originally, orcs lived a hunting life, running through forests and swamps.

Their stamina wouldn’t falter on such open roads, and their senses weren’t dull enough to fear wild animals.

At least the orcs I saw were all sharp enough to notice an attack even while sleeping.

“To others, you’re too unfamiliar. If such a majestic figure is nearby, how uncomfortable would they be?”

“…That’s true.”

“Alright, so have you come to a conclusion about what you should do?”

“I won’t get on the carriage. I’m not someone who enjoys oppressing the weak.”

With this, the problem with the orc was resolved.

On the surface, at least.

* * *

Right after the problem was resolved.

The coachman gathered the people who were to board the carriage and set off immediately.

He is a man in a hurry.

The children who boarded the carriage without knowing anything were each chatting and creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Of course, there were people who spoke to me as well. It was only natural since I was the one who solved this issue.

“Priest! Weren’t you scared of that monster earlier?”

“Haha, I was scared too. How could I not be?”

I respond with words that they would likely want to hear.

It was something I usually did. After all, I am a priest before being an inquisitor.

I have also steadily built up this external image.

But what bothers me is…

“Priest, is that person okay? They’ve been looking at you since earlier.”

“They must be shy. I’ll try to talk to them later when we take a break.”

It’s the presence of Linea Spirine, who has been quietly watching from a corner since earlier.

She is clearly concerned about this side.

Is she feeling something strange because of what happened earlier?

Or is her unique beastly sense detecting something from me?

“Ah…”

At that moment, Linea, who had been bowing her head, let out a short sigh.

Her face, suddenly lifted, was full of bewilderment.

At the same time, the carriage stopped, and the coachman jumped down from the coachman’s seat.

“Huh?”

People began to panic at the sudden situation.

It’s too noisy around to think that we stopped to rest.

The sound of footsteps, the clashing of metal tools, shouts, and laughter.

These vivid sounds easily explain the current situation.

“Get out, you brats!”

As a rough voice drove the nail in, the carriage’s canopy was pulled back, and the figures of people who had gathered around began to appear one by one.

About 50 people. Quite a number.

In the past, I was too flustered to notice, but now it’s clear. These guys are not ordinary bandits.

This place is too large to be situated in such a narrow alley.

Moreover, the larger the group, the harder it is to control.

The fact that such a system is in place probably means there’s more behind it.

Well, let’s find out about that later, for now…

“Ah.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’ll handle it.”

I stop Linea, who has a stern expression.

She was holding a surgical scalpel. Quite a bold choice of weapon for a medical student.

No, it wouldn’t even be considered a weapon. She probably picked it up because of the situation.

Her hand, which I held to stop her, was trembling. Yes, she was no different from the others.

She must have been scared of this situation. Yet, she tried to take the lead.

“Noblesse oblige is good, but it’s also important to leave the task to someone who is more suited for it.”

“How, how did you…?”

The children, who were watching Linea in confusion, looked at me.

Their gazes were filled with desperation. It was only natural, given that I remained calm and composed in this situation.

But unfortunately…

“I understand your feelings, but I don’t think this is a problem I can solve. In fact, there’s someone more suited for this than I am.”

Bang!

At that moment, a massive explosion occurred at the rear of the bandits.

Dirt and stones shot up into the sky along with a few bandits and fell back down.

“You introduced yourself as a shaman. And the shamans I know usually hide meanings in their words.”

Despite the number of bandits reaching dozens, everyone’s attention was focused on a single person.

The appearance of the orc, Titan.

“I don’t need to ride a carriage. As you said, I just need to know the way.”

So, he followed us.

Even if he couldn’t ride the carriage, he knew we knew the way.

“I understand that I, being of a different race from humans, give off an intimidating presence.”

So, he moved in places where our eyes couldn’t reach.

It’s hard to imagine with that massive build, but orcs primarily live through hunting.

And the most important thing in hunting is not getting caught.

“And this.”

Titan throws the tomato I handed him earlier at me.

I slightly tilt my head to avoid the tomato, and it easily crushes against the floor of the carriage.

“The outside looks fine, but the inside is rotten.”

The inside of the tomato, which I had compared to the carriage, was rotten.

I realized that there was ugliness lurking inside this carriage. He perfectly understood the hidden meaning I conveyed.

Despite his seemingly foolish appearance, he quickly grasped the situation.

“Tell me, sorcerer. Between the frightened children and the adults holding weapons, who is justified?”

“Justification varies depending on the mind of the person thinking, so the side your heart leans towards would be justified.”

“I see, my heart is telling me to grab the collar of the one who dragged me into this ridiculous scheme.”

In an instant, joy and sorrow intersect.

The bandits, who were bewildered by the imposing figure of Titan, slowly smiled, and the children trembled with anxiety.

But people don’t know.

“Crushing all the tomatoes that get in the way. Haha!”

That this is his joking expression.

“First one!”

Crunch!

The head of the bandit closest to Titan was crushed like a tomato.