What Witch? This Alchemist is Breaking Bad!

For half a month after Caron Eso went missing, Leon went to work at the Inquisition as usual, while closely monitoring internal developments.

During the first two days, Caron’s disappearance did not bring any major changes to the Inquisition.

Those who should work continued working, those who should slack off continued slacking off, and both debt collection tasks and already-established cases proceeded steadily as usual.

This was not surprising.

Caron did not personally handle many matters within the office on a regular basis. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

There were even times when he went out for social engagements and did not appear at the Inquisition at all.

On the second day, Leon even seized an opportunity and, using a key, opened Caron’s office alone to conduct a search, confirming that Caron had not left behind any evidence within the office that might point to him.

However, by the third day, when people who wanted to report on their work were unable to find the deputy director, they finally sensed that something was wrong.

It was also at this time that the butler Caron Eso had hired for his residence in Hamel Town came to the Inquisition and reported that Caron had not returned home for three days, hoping to confirm whether he was working at the office.

Only then did the deputy director finally realize the seriousness of the issue.

He carried out an emergency assembly and questioning of all personnel, set up a special task group, and tried every possible means to contact Director Caron.

In those days, the Inquisition suddenly became busy.

Some people were sent to places within Hamel Town that Caron might have visited to make inquiries, while others were dispatched to church facilities in the central towns of South Harbor County to ask questions.

Leon also saw his own captain go alone to the deputy director’s office to report something, after which he immediately set out for some location in the town.

Leon estimated that the deputy director must have known about the shady dealings Caron conducted behind the scenes, and might even have participated in handling some of them.

Caron had learned about Leon from the old shop owner.

Both the deputy director and Captain Martin should have known of the old shop owner’s existence, and going to question him would have been inevitable.

This was also one of the reasons Leon had been determined to eliminate the old shop owner.

But now the old shop owner had already disappeared.

After Leon met Potter that day, Potter sent people to completely clear out that recycling shop, cutting off that lead entirely.

Leon estimated that when Caron extracted information about him from the old shop owner, no one else was present, and Caron had not told anyone about it.

Otherwise, he would not have appeared there alone.

At that time, the deputy director and the captain discovered the strange disappearance of the recycling shop.

After hesitating repeatedly, the deputy director ultimately chose to report Caron Eso’s loss of contact to the Church.

Another ten days passed like this.

Aside from some Inquisitors from other towns being sent over to assist with the work here and ask a few questions to help investigate Director Caron’s whereabouts, there were basically no special changes within the office.

All other work proceeded as usual, while progress in contacting Director Caron remained stagnant.

After all, Caron Eso had truly evaporated from this world.

Leon even began to doubt at one point whether Father Auden’s earlier warning had been exaggerated.

Regarding Caron’s disappearance, the higher levels of the Church did not seem to react quickly at all.

But on the fourteenth day, Leon and the other Inquisitors heard the bell for an emergency summons and rushed to assemble at the training ground inside the office.

With a solemn expression, the deputy director used commands to have them stand at attention and form ranks.

Then he turned and saluted the raised platform of the training ground.

“All personnel of this office are assembled and in position. Please inspect us, sir!!”

Leon raised his head along with the others and saw two figures appear one after the other on the platform that normally only Caron would stand upon, looking down at them from above.

Standing slightly farther back was a middle-aged man dressed as a bishop, with a calm expression.

On his gray priestly robe was embroidered a Four-Pointed Star Emblem with a holy sword at its center, representing that he was a bishop from the Church of the God of War.

The other was a young man about the same age as Leon and most of the Inquisitors.

He had a handsome and upright appearance and wore the white knightly ceremonial uniform issued by the Church.

The Church emblem on his chest showed that he was a Fully Appointed Third-Rank Knight.

Faced with such a lineup, the Inquisitors who had gathered could not help but tense up.

Not even considering official positions, just in terms of rank alone, that bishop was one rank higher than their Director Caron, while that young man was two ranks higher.

Big shots from the Church had arrived!

Seeing this, starting from the captains, everyone saluted the bishop and the knight on the platform.

Afterward, the third-rank knight spoke loudly:

“I am Aaron Dias, a Fully Appointed Knight of the Holy Sword Knight Order of the Church of the God of War. Starting today, in accordance with a dispatch order issued by the College of Cardinals, I will temporarily replace the former director, Caron Eso, and assume the position of Director of the Hamel Town Inquisition in South Harbor County. Beside me is Bishop Becket of the Church of the God of War, who will also, under Church dispatch, temporarily serve as the deputy director of this office. You will soon see the formal appointment announcement.”

Leon felt his heart sink upon hearing this and finally understood that Father Auden had not been exaggerating.

The Church had actually sent people of higher rank than Caron to temporarily take over his position—and not just one, but two at once: a fully appointed third-rank knight and a bishop of the Church of the God of War.

These two were likely Transcendents whose strength rivaled or even surpassed Caron’s, and who wielded greater authority within the Church.

The new director looked almost excessively young, but to hold such a high position at such an age meant either extraordinarily outstanding ability, an exceptionally solid background—or perhaps… both!

Moreover, even if it could be concluded that he lacked experience, he still had a bishop who looked highly seasoned assisting him.

For such people to investigate Caron’s disappearance case was indeed, just as Father Auden had said, the arrival of truly troublesome figures!

“I believe everyone present has already thought of this. We were dispatched here primarily to investigate the loss of contact of the former director, Caron Eso. However, before that, as I take office as the new director, there is another matter that must be handled first.”

After speaking, Aaron, who had assumed the role of director, scanned everyone present and issued an order in a steady tone.

“Deputy Director Theodore Gorman, Captain of Team Three Martin Bouvier, step forward.”

The deputy director and Captain Martin, whose names were called, both showed slightly surprised expressions, but they quickly obeyed the order, came to the front of the formation, stood at attention, and saluted Aaron.

“Sir, what are your orders?” the deputy director asked Aaron.

“Theodore Gorman, Martin Bouvier, you two are suspected of three major crimes: embezzlement and bribery, dereliction of duty, and the Crime of Apostasy. I hereby, in accordance with Church law, announce that you are under arrest!” Aaron declared loudly.

At that moment, not only the deputy director and Captain Martin as the parties involved, but all the Inquisitors present revealed shocked expressions.

Before anyone could react, four masked Delegate Officers of the Church strode in, seized the two flustered men, and clamped shackles onto them.