Chapter 110: The Little Inquisitor

“Then present sufficient evidence.”

Anasha’s voice was firm and forceful. Though she wasn’t much taller than the bishop, standing there now, she seemed to loom over him, her gaze filled with overwhelming pressure.

“Otherwise, I will reject this mission on the grounds of the Church concealing information and abusing its authority—and suspend all Regulation Squad operations in this city for three months. If you have any objections, feel free to take it up with my captain, Duni Isaacson, instead of standing here waving a useless badge and barking like a mad dog.”

Watching this unfold from the corner, Peretti couldn’t help but reassess Anasha.

Earlier, seeing her dressed like a noble and carrying a certain arrogance in her demeanor, Peretti had assumed she was just another unreasonable aristocratic girl who bullied others with her status.

But now it seemed—

Anasha was simply too upright.

So upright that it bordered on extremity. Almost fanatically so.

Peretti glanced down at her own obviously out-of-place black cloak. By that logic, the fact that Anasha hadn’t drawn her sword against her at their first meeting was already remarkable restraint.

The bishop was left speechless by Anasha’s words. Cold sweat ran down his face, soaking into the front of his robes.

He had long heard that the second squad leader of the Regulation Squad was strict, impartial, and uncompromising.

But he had never imagined that even under pressure from the Church, her stance would be this unyielding. Even invoking his identity as a bishop and presenting his insignia had no effect.

Go argue with Duni Isaacson?

Even try to command him?

The bishop let out a bitter laugh inwardly.

What a ridiculous thought.

Though the Regulation Squad nominally followed the Church’s orders, that still depended on who was giving them.

Duni Isaacson—the designated heir of the Isaacson family, the future Duke of the Empire, a man who commanded immense military power and influence.

Not to mention a mere bishop—
even the nobles who had instructed him to handle this matter, combined, would be nothing before the Isaacson family.

The difference between a duke and a count wasn’t just a word—

It was the gap between heaven and earth.

“Then just tell big sister, wouldn’t that solve it?”

The small figure beside the bishop suddenly spoke, her voice innocent and childlike.

The bishop hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly as if making up his mind.

“Alright! Miss Anasha, and everyone from the Regulation Squad—please come with me. This matter can’t be explained in just a few words.”

“Fine. You should have an inquisitor here, right?” Anasha said, pushing Peretti forward at the same time.

She hadn’t forgotten Peretti’s identity at all.

The main reason they needed an inquisitor was because they weren’t familiar with the local environment or the patterns of heretic activity. They didn’t know how to accurately identify true heretics.

In the end, the Regulation Squad were still outsiders in this regard.

Local inquisitors were the real experts—
and such matters should be handled by the right people.

“Yes! That would be me!”

The little girl suddenly jumped up, raising her hand high. The headscarf on her head slipped back with the motion, revealing short emerald-green hair. Her eyes were a rare pair of mismatched colors—her left eye like a violet crystal filled with starlight, her right like molten gold.

Her chubby face made her look no older than thirteen or fourteen, still full of childish innocence. It was hard to believe someone like her would appear in such a setting.

Anasha froze for a moment, then instinctively reached out as if to pat her head, her expression softening with a hint of affection.

“Stop joking, little girl. Be good—who’s the real inquisitor here?”

“Miss Anasha, she really is the local inquisitor—Miss Mingtong,” the bishop quickly explained, his tone cautious.

“Her? What—does she just cry in front of suspects and win them over by acting cute?” one of the Regulation Squad members couldn’t help but sneer.

The smile on Mingtong’s face vanished instantly. She put her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks in frustration. Yet her pouting expression only made her look even more adorable.

“Big sister, are you questioning Mingtong’s abilities? I guess that makes sense—since I look small, lots of people think I’m useless…”

The surrounding Regulation Squad members couldn’t help but shake their heads.

No matter how they looked at her, she didn’t resemble the cold, ruthless image of an inquisitor who held power over life and death.

Anasha’s expression turned serious.

“How many successful cases have you had in identifying heretics?”

Mingtong tilted her head, tapping her chin casually.

“Hmm… a few hundred, I think? Though they were all small cases, so I don’t remember the exact number. But I do remember this—every single time, I was right.”

Border regions had always been hotspots for heretic activity. Having served as an inquisitor for so long, she had developed an almost instinctive perception.

The subtle difference in aura between ordinary people and heretics—

She could see through it at a glance.

Even in rare cases where someone hid it deeply, she had her own methods.

She had never failed.

Seeing this, Anasha said no more. She stood up and nodded toward Mingtong.

“Alright. Then I’ll leave this person to you.”

With that, she turned and led the Regulation Squad members out of the hall, leaving only Peretti and Mingtong behind.

The moment the doors to the hall closed—

Mingtong’s childish demeanor vanished.

She quickly walked up to Peretti, pulling out a small brass key from her pocket. As she unlocked the chains, she asked with a cheerful smile:

“So, big sister, what’s your name? You’re really pretty—I’ve lived here so long, and this is the first time I’ve seen someone as beautiful as you.”

With a soft click, the lock on the chains opened.

Peretti raised an eyebrow slightly at the question and replied flatly:

“Peretti.”

Even though the other party was just a child, she didn’t lower her guard. Anyone who could become an inquisitor—even a child—must have some real capability.

“Peretti, huh…” Mingtong drew out the name, slipping the key back into her pocket. She looked Peretti up and down before suddenly breaking into a sly smile.

“Big sister, you’re kind of a fool, aren’t you? You clearly have such strong magic—breaking those chains by force would’ve been effortless. Yet you kept restraining yourself. Isn’t that just stupid?”

“Hey! Watch your mouth, you little brat! Don’t think I won’t argue with you just because you’re young!” Peretti immediately snapped back, though unusually, she wasn’t truly angry—just grumbling in annoyance.

At the same time, she felt a bit surprised.

This little girl had actually seen through her concealed strength.

If anyone else had said that to her, she would’ve cursed them out already.

But this child was just too likable—

That innocent smile, even while insulting her, made it impossible for her anger to rise.

With a loud clang, the chains fell to the ground.

Peretti rolled her sore shoulders, her joints cracking audibly as a long-lost sense of relief spread through her body.