Inside the Inquisition.
In the high-level conference room, the air was so thick it felt as though water could be wrung from it.
The candlelight on the walls flickered uneasily, casting the emblem of the Inquisition into alternating shadow and light.
At one side of the long table, a burly Inquisitor with an old scar across his brow slammed his palm down.
He stood up, his voice booming with rage.
“How many times has this been now? That Witch escaped again? Is she really that difficult to catch? The Inquisition is about to lose every shred of its dignity!”
As he spoke, his gaze was fixed like iron nails upon Mephia, who sat composed on the opposite side.
Her brow furrowed slightly as she replied coldly, “So, are you suggesting I let her go on purpose?”
Raymond straightened his back, his face twisting into a mocking, superficial smile.
“I didn’t say that. I just find it odd. No matter how cunning that Witch is, she only has the strength of a Bronze Rank. Meanwhile, you come from the Imperial Capital, My Lady, with strength at least at the Silver Grade or higher…”
He glanced around the room as if seeking validation, then turned his spear back toward Mephia, enunciating every word.
“With such a disparity in power, you still couldn’t catch her? It’s inevitably… a bit baffling.”
A few muffled coughs echoed in the conference room, making the atmosphere even more strained.
Everyone understood what he was doing.
As a local Inquisitor of Hela City, suppressing an Inquisitor from the Imperial Capital was a necessary part of the local power struggle.
It wasn’t just for himself, but for all the Inquisitors of Hela City.
However, Mephia didn’t even look up at him.
She merely tilted her head slightly, her voice as calm as deep well water, devoid of any ripple of emotion.
“When I caught her before, how did you all let her escape from the dungeon?”
Those words caused the expressions of every Inquisitor present to shift instantly.
Raymond’s face paled, his voice rising significantly due to shock and anger, though his eyes instinctively flickered with uncertainty.
“What do you mean by that? Are you saying there’s a mole within our Inquisition?!”
Mephia shook her head, her movements carrying a trace of pity.
“You can’t even keep her locked up, let alone catch her.”
“You!”
The veins on Raymond’s temples bulged, and his fists creaked as he clenched them.
Humiliation and rage completely shattered his rationality.
He suddenly turned to the Director of the Inquisition, who had been resting with his eyes closed.
“Director, hand the mission to hunt the Witch over to me. Seven days. I will bring her to justice within seven days. If I fail, I will voluntarily resign from my post as an Inquisitor!”
The conference room erupted into an uproar.
Resigning as an Inquisitor was no small matter; it was practically gambling away his entire future.
The Director of the Inquisition opened his eyes, attempting to mellow the atmosphere.
“Raymond, calm down.”
“Director, this is a decision I’ve made while perfectly calm.”
The Director looked at him in silence, then glanced at Mephia, who remained expressionless.
Finally, he gave a helpless sigh.
“…Fine. Since you insist, I’ll put you in charge for seven days. Inquisitor Mephia, you will be responsible for coordinating with Raymond to capture the Witch for the time being.”
Mephia offered no reaction.
Raymond, however, looked as though he had won a great battle, his eyes filled with smugness and provocation as he stared at her.
The meeting adjourned soon after.
In the hallway outside, Raymond caught up to Mephia and spoke with deep meaning.
“Lady Mephia, I will prove to everyone else that as an Inquisitor, status and position mean nothing. Ability is what’s most important.”
“Based on the clues you currently have?”
Mephia tilted her head slightly, her gaze indifferent.
Raymond froze.
“Stop dreaming. Given her personality… and the caution she has displayed so far, she will never let you touch her true identity. You won’t even be able to graze the hem of her clothes.”
With that, she ignored Raymond’s suddenly hideous expression and walked straight toward the end of the hallway.
It wasn’t until she vanished from sight that Raymond punched the corridor wall.
Clues?
How did she know he had obtained a clue?
After an investigation, it was discovered that the monsters that attacked the Auction House all came from the North Black Market in Hela City.
In other words, the Witch had met with a monster merchant in the black market before.
Next, he only needed to find that merchant.
He might be able to get more information about the Witch, and that was the capital he used to challenge Mephia.
These matters were supposedly known only to him and a few other Inquisitors.
How did Mephia know?
Could there really be a mole among them?
‘…It couldn’t be that she figured it out from the very beginning, could it?’
And what did her previous words mean?
‘Do those merchants really have no information about the Witch? Is everything I’m about to do meaningless?’
Clenching his fists tightly, Raymond let out a cold snort.
He didn’t believe it.
No one could hide their tracks perfectly, not even a Witch.
***
The North Black Market of Hela City was hidden in the shadows.
On the surface, it was a bustling Bird and Flower Market where many people enjoyed strolling during their leisure time.
At this moment, Tia stood at the entrance of the market, unsure if she should enter.
She didn’t know if the Grey Cat was testing her or what, but the location it had chosen was terrible.
The third tree in front of the market was surrounded by constant foot traffic; there was no way she could bury the Heart Gem there.
‘Do I have to come back at night?’
After considering it for a moment, Tia decided to enter the Bird and Flower Market to check the situation.
After all, if she just stood outside the market, her behavior would look far too suspicious.
Moreover, she was the Daughter of a Count; many people in this city recognized her.
Stepping into the Bird and Flower Market, the noisy sounds hit her like a wave.
Tia looked around, secretly plotting how to bury the Heart Gem.
That was until she saw a familiar figure ahead.
Mephia?!
Usually dressed in a white-gold gown, she was currently wearing her Inquisitor’s windbreaker, wandering through the market with a somewhat aimless air.
‘Why is she here?!’
Tia’s heart skipped a beat.
She quickly turned around, hiding behind other pedestrians.
Normally, if she ran into Mephia on the street, she would definitely go up and act all lovey-dovey.
But now she was on a mission, and flirting wasn’t exactly appropriate…
Besides, Mephia’s presence here was likely for an Inquisition mission, and it might even be related to her identity as the Witch.
This made her feel a bit guilty.
So, weighing her options, she decided to slip away first.
However, just as she turned to walk toward the gates of the Bird and Flower Market, a merchant selling flowers nearby caught sight of her.
His eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to greet her.
“If it isn’t the Lord Count’s daughter, Lady Tia! A rare guest indeed!”
“Shhh! Shhh!”
Her heart jumped into her throat.
Tia quickly pressed her index finger to her lips, signaling the merchant to be quiet.
Unfortunately, at that exact moment, a slightly cold and soft hand came to rest on her shoulder.