"We are wasting time," the Inquisitor declared, brushing off the annoyance. "Let us move to the final part of this interrogation."

He prepared to ask the most crucial question regarding the celestial anomaly and the giant bird monster caught on the live broadcast.

Before the Inquisitor could form the words, a blinding white light pierced the ceiling of the black void.

Webs of glowing fractures spread aggressively across the surrounding darkness. The isolated domain shattered like a broken mirror. The spatial separation dissolved entirely and instantly returned both of them to the physical reality of the Grandmaster’s office.

Panic consumed the room. Lonard had his hands raised in a defensive spell. The Grandmaster gripped the edges of his crystal desk, seemingly trying to calm himself.

Balzac stood directly in the center of the office. His right arm was fully extended toward the exact spot where the domain had previously existed. Blazing blue mana rolled off Balzac’s fingertips and scorched the wooden floorboards.

The normally lazy professor had forcefully ripped the spatial isolation apart from the outside.

The Inquisitor stumbled backward and stared at the dissipating fragments of his spatial barrier. He lowered his hands while his geometric mask snapped directly toward the center of the office. Shattering a closed dimensional domain from the outside required a staggering amount of precise mana control.

The Inquisitor clearly never anticipated anyone in the room possessing that level of combat strength.

’He has gotten stronger than he was when he was one of us. Just how can this be? He is lazy and doesn’t do anything. Why does he keep getting stronger every time I meet him?’ The Inquisitor bellowed.

Solomon brushed a few remnants of dark energy off his uniform sleeve. He turned his attention to Balzac with genuine interest.

’I completely misjudged him,’ Solomon thought as he watched the blue mana retreat into Balzac’s fingertips. ’Tearing apart a spatial lock from the exterior is exceptionally difficult. He always acts like a bored instructor who only cares about taking naps during lectures.’

Solomon evaluated the professor’s rigid combat stance. Balzac had always hidden his true capabilities beneath a completely unbothered facade.

’What kind of power does he actually possess?’ Solomon wondered. ’What is his specific talent?’

"You dared to destroy a sanctioned interrogation domain," the Inquisitor said, his voice losing its previous composure.

Balzac finally lowered his arm. The scorched wooden floorboards beneath his boots continued to smoke. He kept his eyes firmly locked on the masked operative and offered no apologies for the property damage.

"The interrogation is officially over," Balzac stated.

"This interrogation continues until I formally conclude it," the Inquisitor stated.

Balzac kept his stance firm. "Church regulations dictate that a closed domain interrogation cannot exceed fifteen minutes. You are well past your limit."

The Inquisitor pulled out a silver pocket watch secured inside his robes. He stared at the ticking hands in genuine disbelief. The allotted fifteen minutes had vanished completely while he argued with the student about the greatsword. Frustration flared behind his mask. He spent the entire session trading remarks and completely failed to extract a single piece of useful information or a confession.

Balzac gestured toward the wooden doors. "Leave the office. Take Lonard with you."

Lonard was shocked and upset to hear that, but this was the best choice.

The Inquisitor adjusted his sleeves to regain his composure. He refused to endure any further disrespect from the academy staff and turned toward the exit.

"Finish what you started," Solomon said.

The Inquisitor stopped walking.

Solomon casually leaned against the crystal desk. "I dislike leaving tasks incomplete."

The Grandmaster gripped the edges of the desk and frantically cursed in his thoughts. ’What is this reckless boy doing?! Balzac just secured a perfect escape route, and Solomon willfully throws himself right back into the danger!’

Solomon ignored the panicked glares from the academy professors to keep his attention firmly on the Inquisitor.

"You can walk out that door right now," Solomon offered. "I simply refuse to be bothered about this exact topic tomorrow. We should continue the questioning and finish it today."

The Inquisitor turned around. He recognized the reckless invitation as a perfect opportunity to salvage his failing mission.

"Very well," the Inquisitor replied. He walked back toward the center of the room and focused on the student. "Let us discuss the giant, winged entity captured at the very end of your broadcast. Tell me exactly what happened with the angel."

"I have no idea," Solomon replied casually.

The Inquisitor tightened his fists. "The broadcast clearly showed a colossal, winged entity standing directly over you. Did the creature leave the labyrinth? Did someone else arrive to defeat it?"

"I really do not know," Solomon answered without changing his expression.

The operative fumed beneath his geometric mask. Solomon had explicitly demanded to finish this interrogation, yet he refused to offer a single shred of cooperation. The masked man raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

The wooden doors of the office swung open. A young woman walked into the room carrying a polished wooden staff. She wore a flowing blend of white and black robes draped elegantly over her frame.

A delicate veil covered the lower half of her face, while a dark blindfold completely concealed her eyes. Despite the visual obstruction, she navigated the office with perfect clarity and avoided the furniture with ease.

Solomon evaluated the newcomer. He took note of her striking facial features beneath the veil and the distinct curves of her body subtly outlined by her tailored robes.

Lonard dropped his trademark smile the moment the girl entered. He recognized her instantly and took a step forward to intervene.

The Inquisitor raised a hand to cut the priest off before he could speak. "This is my disciple in training, Melina."

The girl stopped beside the Inquisitor and rested both hands on her staff. She turned her blindfolded face directly toward Solomon.

"Melina possesses a unique talent rooted in divine justice," the Inquisitor explained, gesturing to his disciple. "Her ability allows her to accurately weigh a person’s words and actions to determine if they are lying or harboring dishonest intentions. If you genuinely have nothing to hide, you should have zero objections to taking her trial."

Solomon stared at the blindfolded girl and mentally cursed his own reckless behavior. He had secured a perfect opportunity to let the Inquisitor walk out the door. Stopping the masked operative had just trapped him in a dangerous corner.

’I didn’t expect him to pull in a live lie detector! These bastards have everything!’

He knew the interrogation would immediately focus on the angel. If Melina genuinely possessed a talent capable of detecting dishonesty, he would have to answer those questions truthfully.

Balzac let out a tired sigh from the center of the room. "Solomon will take the trial."

Solomon snapped his head toward Balzac. A look of clear disgust crossed his features, and his brow furrowed into a deep scowl. He intensely disliked anyone making decisions on his behalf.

’Why is he agreeing to this?’ Solomon wondered while evaluating the professor’s relaxed posture.

Balzac had spent the entire day warning him about the Church’s tactics. He had literally just destroyed a spatial domain to stop this exact interrogation. Voluntarily handing his student over to a supernatural lie detector made zero logical sense.

Solomon turned his attention back to Melina and her polished wooden staff. ’There has to be a hidden trick to this trial. Perhaps her powers lack the necessary strength to judge a person accurately. A specific loophole probably exists within the rules of her talent.’

Balzac maintained his calm expression and offered a very subtle nod. Solomon realized the professor definitely had a specific strategy in mind.

"Fine," Solomon agreed, shifting his gaze to the Inquisitor. "I will participate in her trial. But once this is over, the church will drop this topic and won’t annoy me."

The inquisitor smiled behind his mask and responded, "Of course, that is if you pass."