***
An age of chaos.
Necromancers had sprung up all over the continent, so the Churches of the Seven Goddesses revived the Inquisitor system and reorganized it to combat them.
These specially trained Inquisitors, along with various collaborators, hunted and judged necromancers, and these collaborators came to be known as Darkness Hunters.
However, there were situations that couldn't be addressed by this alone.
The Cult of the Dark God, which spread its influence across the entire continent, was one such case.
At first, the kingdoms didn't pay much attention to the Cult of the Dark God.
It was inevitable that all kinds of cults would emerge when the world fell into chaos. They assumed that this was just another one of those common occurrences.
But the Cult of the Dark God was different from any cult they had seen before.
This cult, which worshiped the god of death, Tesranak, was expanding its influence at an astonishing speed.
The speed was so terrifying that before long, it had spread across the entire continent, becoming a threat that neither the Churches of the Seven Goddesses nor the worldly powers could ignore.
The Cult of the Dark God had infiltrated the upper echelons of society, including high-ranking nobles, and even royalty and great feudal lords.
It was unclear why those with such secure positions would fall into such a cult, but what mattered was that they held positions of power in their respective kingdoms.
The Churches of the Seven Goddesses could be granted the authority to hunt down individual necromancers. This fell under the realm of "public order."
However, when high-ranking individuals with influence were involved, it entered the realm of "politics" or "treason." For the Churches of the Seven Goddesses to manage this as well, its authority would need to be significantly expanded.
To effectively deal with them, the Churches would need the power to punish even high-ranking nobles and royalty at will, which would be a serious infringement on secular authority by the ecclesiastical power.
Therefore, the Alliance of the Seven Kingdoms established a separate dedicated agency. They granted the authority of inspectors to non-clerics to deal with cultists directly.
This agency, tasked solely with hunting the Cult of the Dark God, was a special royal agency known as the King's Order.
***
Karnak asked, his mouth agape.
"To investigate Tesranak, we probably need to capture someone at a high rank within the cult, right?"
Baros, grinding his teeth, replied.
"There's no way the ordinary followers would have any important information."
Savoring the nutty flavor of sesame seeds spreading in his mouth, Karnak continued.
"It's going to be tough for us alone to catch a high-ranking member."
Baros nodded as he licked the sweet sugar cream off his tongue.
"These guys are hiding so well that hoping to stumble upon one while hunting down random necromancers is unrealistic. At best, we'd only catch some low-level grunts."
With a serious expression, Karnak swallowed the contents in his mouth.
"Maybe we'll have to join the King's Order after all?"
Baros, equally serious, wiped the sugar off his lips and responded.
"Probably, yes."
"I understand that you two are discussing something really important…," Serati, who had been watching them, asked in disbelief. "But how can you eat snacks in such a serious situation?"
The two men vehemently protested.
"Of course, we can eat!"
"Absolutely! We even turned back time just to eat these!"
"Oh, it's delicious every time."
"Indeed."
That's right.
No matter how the fate of the world wavers or how close the end approaches, one cannot forsake important routines.
Specifically, afternoon snack time.
"…"
Serati just remained silent.
Watching these two grown men giggle over a plate of sweets like schoolgirls, she didn't know what to think.
'In a strange way, it's almost pitiful.'
Karnak, on the other hand, looked at her as if he didn't understand her reaction.
"Serati, don't you want some snacks?"
"I don't like sweets."
At that moment, both men were deeply shocked.
"Gasp!"
"No way!"
"How can you not like sweets?"
"You've given up half of life's happiness."
With a sigh, Serati pushed the tray of snacks aside.
"If you're done eating, why don't we get back to discussing?"
Even then, both men grabbed a handful of remaining snacks, clearly unwilling to leave any behind.
Clutching the snacks in his hand as if they were precious, Karnak put on a serious expression.
"Alright then, let's think about how to join the King's Order."
The Kingdom of Yustil, too, had established the King's Order and was hunting down the Cult of the Dark God, also known as the Dark Cult. Karnak had heard the rumors about this.
Likewise, Baros, who was holding a colorful candy on his palm the size of a pot lid, had a worried expression on his face.
"I've heard that the qualifications for entry are incredibly high."
Since it's not just about hunting ordinary necromancers, the King's Order is granted immense authority.
They can arrest and interrogate nobles and royalty on the spot, and if the evidence is clear, they even have the power to execute immediately.
Without this level of authority, it would be impossible to deal with the clandestine activities of the Dark Cult.
Of course, to prevent misuse of such power, the selection criteria for the King's Order are extremely strict and rigorous.
Members must demonstrate loyalty to the royal family, devout faith in the Seven Goddesses, exceptional martial prowess and combat skills, and ample experience in dealing with necromancy.
"Even though we've made a name for ourselves as Darkness Hunters in Derat City, is that really enough to meet these entry requirements?"
"It's not just about meeting the requirements."
Before that, they didn't even have a way to get through the threshold of the King's Order.
The King's Order operates strictly on a recommendation basis, so it's not enough to just have strong skills.
Although Karnak does have a connection with Alius from the Church of the Seven Goddesses...
"The King's Order is a royal agency, after all."
As a mere local noble, Karnak had no connections with the royal family.
"If they selected people purely based on skill, we might have had a chance…"
"Exactly. It's not like there's a public entry test or anything…"
"Maybe we've been stuck in the countryside too long, huh?"
"What can we do? Who could have seen this coming?"
"What should we do? Just head to the capital and suddenly show up at the King's Order headquarters?"
"Isn't that a bit reckless?"
"What other choice do we have right now?"
Karnak and Baros were deep in thought, their faces serious.
Of course, even in this serious moment, they continued munching on their snacks and candies.
Serati, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
"So, Lord Karnak, your goal right now is to join the King's Order, right?"
"Why? Do you know someone who can help?"
"Not just someone. If you want, you could apply for entry right now."
"Huh?"
"Us?"
[T/L: Please support me: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]