134
`Witch Trial
“······Get up!!”
Berman came to his senses at the sound of a scream from the side.
Berman was startled and tried to get up, but he tripped on something and fell sideways.
“Stay still! I’m being dragged away too!”
At the harsh shout, Berman turned his head away.
Next to him was Razbet, tied to a rope connected to Berman. Judging by his scowling face and the ropes all over the place, he seemed to have tried to break the rope but failed.
“···Ratsu! Are you okay? Where are you hurt···.”
“doesn’t exist.”
Berman was slightly startled by the firm voice, but he checked Razbeth’s condition.
There were wounds here and there, but none of them were very big.
“Aaron, that kid… did you notice?”
“Not that kid. Chief Aaron. Rats.”
Berman tried to harden his expression and corrected Razbeth’s words.
“The leader is just a leader to you. And you don’t even know anything about him, but you’re pretending to be close to him… Don’t you know what the situation is right now?”
Berman pondered for a moment, ‘What is the situation now?’ at Razbeth’s irritated voice.
“Don’t you see that gruesome painting on the wall? You can tell right away that they’ve been arrested by the synagogue! You idiots who don’t even know the Information Guild! The Inquisitor arrests people like this without even asking why?!”
As Razbeth continued to swear at him, Berman tried hard to keep his gaze from wandering towards his face.
“What kind of a branch is this in this fucking castle! The guy you sent with me is trash too! This is a demotion! How dare you demote me? You white leaf bastards who don’t even know how to tell the difference between people!”
Razbeth’s irritated voice bounced off the wall and came back.
Razbeth, who was accused of being a witch, and Berman, who was captured while defending her.
The situation was obviously not good, but unlike Razbet who was very excited, Berman was calm.
That would be the case, since Captain Aaron was there with him. Berman thought that Captain Aaron would somehow save him.
“It’s okay, the leader will take care of it.”
Berman opened his mouth to calm Razbeth down.
“The leader is a bastard! Do you even know who that bastard is?!”
“Ratsu, don’t talk nonsense about the captain.”
“Boss! Boss! Boss! Stop talking about bossy stuff!!”
Berman was unfamiliar with Razbeth’s violent reaction.
Until now, Razbeth had shown herself to Berman as a kind and calm woman, but now, every time she opened her mouth, a curse came out.
Berman had felt a thin layer of distance between him and Razbet, but now he didn’t feel that distance. It seemed like this was his original appearance.
However, Berman tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising because he thought that appearance was cute.
“Do you know what kind of leader you’re talking about?!”
Berman hesitated for a moment at Razbeth’s irritated question.
‘What kind of person is Aaron Cho-jang···.’
The answer was simple.
“He’s an ignorant security guard. He’s the one who cares the most, even if he pretends not to care.”
Berman coughed in vain, feeling uneasy as he spoke.
“Idiot…! You don’t even know anything about him! Why do you want me to keep believing in him!”
Berman made a sour expression at Razbeth’s voice that became more intense.
It was Berman who had spent over two years with Aaron. Who in this Catholic world knew him better than he did?
“He was an Imperial hero! An Imperial hero! What unlucky luck! The guy who got caught was an Imperial hero! He’s ruined! He’s ruined!”
Razbeth was very angry and was talking nonsense, and among them, the word ‘imperial achievement’ caught Berman’s attention.
‘Imperial achievements.’
Sophia also said that Jojang had been pursued by the Empire in the past.
‘···Chief Aaron was an imperial public servant.’
Berman recalled the imperial exploits he knew of.
A wizard who burned down the entire county with a dragon made of fire, a demon who ate over a thousand people, etc… They were all unrealistic villains.
But Aaron Jojang was such a person in the past… I couldn’t believe it. If he was a man who had defeated ten thousand people, it was quite believable.
“There must be a story.”
Berman answered without hesitation. If Captain Aaron had been an Imperial hero, there must have been a reason for that.
“What’s the story! Do you think the Imperial hero is a local punk?! Then why is it that a living guy is listed as dead! I can’t even get paid!!”
Razbeth’s voice continued to rise, showing no sign of calming down.
“I’m crazy! I’m crazy! I was demoted because of my greed, and I still can’t give up my greed! I’m crazy!”
“Ratsu, calm down. It’s not right to blame yourself. It’s because of you coming here that we were able to meet.”
“Shut up! You were a jerk to some weird mercenary woman, and now you’re suddenly acting nice to me! It’s not working! Get-out-of-the-way!”
‘···Mercenary woman? Sophia?’
At Razbeth’s words, Berman’s mouth turned into a triangle.
“Well… it was just a brief wandering! Just a slight wavering! A direction adjustment to check the direction of my heart… but now I’ve made up my mind! I’m Ratsu! You….”
“Shut up! You idiot! Get out! You get out too!! Berman!”
“Ratsu! That’s not it… Because of Sophia’s past memories….”
“What do you want me to do! If you don’t care, just marry that troll woman! Or get eaten, whatever!”
“Calling someone a troll! That’s too harsh! Razz!”
“Ha! Are you siding with the trolls now?”
“No… That’s not it. But people are a bit of a troll….”
“Enough! What’s the point of saying that! Either you or me, we’ll either get burned or drowned! Or have our heads split open by a mace!! There are three choices!”
Razbeth, who had shouted like that, simply repeated ‘Haha…’. It was a face similar to the one Aaron had seen when he had lost all his fortune playing dice.
The guy who had been causing a lot of trouble already overturned the table, and the previously normal bar was completely destroyed. From that day on, Aaron was banned from playing dice.
“Don’t worry, Ratsu. I’ll protect you somehow.”
Berman looked at Razbeth and spoke with sincerity.
“······It’s really reassuring to hear that from someone who’s tied up like that. Huh? And why are you being caught with me and making a fuss? We should think of a way out!”
Razbeth hesitated for a moment, then answered in his characteristically low voice as before. He seemed to have regained his composure.
“Since I was captured along with him, Captain Aaron will figure out a way.”
If only Razbeth had been caught right away, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but since he had been caught as well, it was clear that the leader would find a way.
Even though he was always complaining, Team Leader Aaron was more concerned than anyone else.
At that moment, when Razbeth was about to open his mouth.
A thick iron door with a sun pattern painted on it opened.
An unpleasant sound like old iron screaming came out, and a huge shadow filled the room.
Although he felt instinctively afraid, Berman quickly felt relieved.
“Captain, isn’t it too late?”
Berman looked up at Aaron and smiled.
“Ratsu, I’m sure the captain will come to rescue you soon···.”
Berman, whose shoulders were raised, could not finish his speech.
Because I was suddenly struck by a huge fist that came close, I lost consciousness.
“It’s not that I had different thoughts······.”
I finally came to my senses when I heard Razbet’s voice, which was cowering.
***
Woohoo-!!
Berman came to his senses at the shout.
‘what···,’
Berman grimaced and tried to rub his eyes, but his hands wouldn’t move.
I opened my eyes to him-.
Berman looked down and came to his senses.
A great height. Looking around, I saw the gallows in the square.
Berman was tied to the gallows.
It was tied so high up that just looking down made my stomach churn.
‘What is this···.’
Obviously, facing Captain Aaron···.
‘You lost consciousness after being hit by Aaron Cho?’
But why are you tied to the gallows?
“You uncivilized bastards! Who are you calling a witch?! Do you even know what a witch is?! You just lump together anything that bothers you as a witch···.”
Right behind him, Razbeth’s swearing voice could be heard.
When he looked into the situation, it seemed like he was tied back and forth to a very long log like a raspberry.
When I turned my gaze, I saw the residents looking up excitedly.
They each had a beer or something to eat in their hands, and behind them, Ha-na’s stall was wide open like an execution hall.
It was so large that it spanned half the length of the plaza.
Berman had no idea what was going on.
Why are you tied up here?
“The witch trial will now begin.”
Berman’s head turned quickly at the cold voice heard from the side.
There stood Joanna Iden, the Inquisitor, who was often said to be the sworn brother of the leader, with a blank expression.
Inquisitor Joanna Ethan, taller than Berman, read calmly with eyes that bore no emotion.
“Razbet, she didn’t interact with other people and didn’t come out of her house, and even if she did, it was just asking strange questions. She was also seen wandering around alone at night. So the other residents pointed her out as a witch. Do you have any objections to this?”
“Since it’s an information guild, it’s only natural that they would show such behavior···. If I contact the White Leaf Guild because I’m an information guild···.”
“None. Next is Berman, the sin of sacrificing his life for Razbeth, who was accused of being a witch, and the sin of standing in front of the Inquisitor, and also the sin of being ugly. Any objections?”
‘···?’
Berman’s eyes widened as he began to doubt whether he had heard correctly.
“None. I will begin the witch trials.”
“No, wait a minute···”
“Be quiet! The trial is about to begin and it would be dangerous to say anything that wasn’t asked.”
Berman, who had opened his mouth in frustration, quickly closed his mouth at Rajbeth’s reprimand.
“···Chief Aaron said he would protect you?”
Razbeth whispered very quietly.
“No, something is definitely going on. Probably soon…”
“Fine. Even if it’s a witch trial, you can just choose to read the Bible. You did it before, so you can do it again.”
Berman also regained his composure at the sound of Razbet’s voice, which was strangely calmer than before.
‘Because Ratsu is a wise woman.’
I heard that you are the youngest branch manager of the White Leaf Information Guild.
When I see a woman like that speaking calmly, I wonder what method···.
“The witch trials will begin with a trial by fire.”
“What?! I choose to judge by faith and…”
“Let’s start.”
The inquisitor spoke in a flat voice and took a step back.
“Ahhhh! I choose the judgment of faith, not the judgment of fire!!”
“Ratsu! Calm down! If you use such harsh language towards the Inquisitor….”
However, Berman’s words were blurred by the flames rising from below.
I didn’t know what the judgment by fire was, but I thought I knew when I saw the fire slowly rising from below.
“You say you choose the judgment of faith! You say you will prove your faith by reading the Bible! Why do you start with the judgment of fire!!”
Berman looked down hurriedly.
It was easy to find Captain Aaron because of his unusually large size.
Team leader Aaron sat with his team members in the so-called best spot, where the execution grounds were best viewed.
To save myself right now, I use a sword…
‘Are you drinking?’
They were drinking beer and laughing heartily as if they were having a company dinner.
Then my eyes met with Aaron’s, and Aaron closed one eye deeply and then opened it.
‘···?’
As the fire rose, Berman watched Aaron, who showed no sign of moving, and for a moment wondered if he was dreaming.
That was when.
“Gyaaaah!”
The tree they were tied to began to shake violently.
Looking down, I saw Scar and the others shaking the tree while sweating under the fire.
Berman’s thinking became dull. He had no idea what was going on.
Ring ring ring ring.
“My heart is as hot as a burning fire~.”
Suddenly, a peaceful singing sound is heard from the side.
He was the guy who used to sing ‘Aaron’s Bar, where there’s a lot of food, it’s cheap, and it’s delicious’ at Hannah’s Bar.
And then there’s the executioner licking his lips next to him.
Razbeth’s mind suddenly snapped to its senses at the sight of that gloomy face with a look of regret.
Waaaaaaaaaah-!
Kill the ugly Berman and the witch!
Only then did Berman realize that everyone except himself and Rajbeth were enjoying the situation.
‘Captain Aaron will save you···.’
Aaron, who had clearly been there until just now, was nowhere to be seen.
“I read the Bible!”
Berman gradually realized the situation as Razbeth’s voice became hoarse from yelling so much.
He himself was being burned at the stake on a log.
Even for no other reason than being ugly.
“Kkiyaaaaah!!”
Berman let out a long scream of instinctive fear.
“Berman! Are you okay?!”
“Ratsu! Fire… Fire is coming!! Fire!!”
“I can see it too, so shut up…”
“Kkiyaaaaak! Kkiyaaaaak!”
Razbeth chewed his lips tightly at Berman’s screams that kept bursting out.
The serious Berman let out such a strange scream… Razbeth’s mind became even more confused.
‘I clearly read the entire Bible just now, and now there’s a burning at the stake all of a sudden?’
Razbeth squinted his eyes at Inquisitor Joanna Ethan, who was looking up at him with an indifferent expression.
After Berman was knocked unconscious by Aaron, the priests and inquisitors came in.
In front of him, Razbeth read the entire Bible that Aaron had handed him, without missing a single word.
‘I’ve definitely read the entire Bible. But at the end…’
Razbeth furrowed his brow, trying to recall what Aaron had muttered.
‘That’s interesting…’ you said?
With those words, Razbeth lost consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he was in this situation.
‘If you read the Bible, you’re innocent, so why···.’
Razbeth’s head started to spin as the heat gradually rose.
Clearly, she proved that she was not a witch by reading the Bible, so why did this happen?
It was clear that Aaron’s last words were a hint.
‘······Did you get caught?’
It seemed that he had been caught not reporting back separately after contacting Ethan and looking for somewhere else to sell it.
‘Then Berman will be accused of betraying me too…’
Razbeth turned his head and looked at Aaron below.
The guy slowly climbed the stairs, sipping his beer.
But even though the man he had lived with for over two years was tied to a tree and burned to death, his face looked the same as usual. No, he even seemed a little excited.
Shake-.
At that moment, Razbeth let out a small scream as the tree shook again.
As if burning him at the stake wasn’t enough, and he was planning to fall to his death, the tree shook violently from side to side, and every time it did, I became confused by the dizzying height.
“Kkiyaaaaah!!”
Berman’s screams made Razbeth’s heart feel complicated.
‘You idiot! Why did you have to come here with me? You should have found a different way!’
Razbeth pictured Berman’s back as he aimed his sword at the Inquisitor to defend himself.
How stupid must one be to point a sword at an inquisitor? However, the fact that there was no hesitation at all in that mad action made Razbeth’s heart pound.
As an informant, Razbeth knew very well how ugly animals people were. He knew what lovers, famous for their stickiness, did behind the scenes.
‘······I should have been less greedy.’
Razbeth muttered belated regret as he watched the fire rise to a pitch black smoke.
In fact, the amount of money that Aaron had initially proposed for Ethan’s commission was enough to escape to the Kingdom of Brighton and live there.
But I couldn’t stand it anymore and I wanted something bigger.
Because of that, he was burned at the stake, not just demoted.
‘Who knew he was an enemy of the Empire!’
Tears welled up in my eyes because of the injustice. It was information I had finally found out, but it turned out to be an imperial feat that had already been dealt with.
The imperial achievements that were processed were not actually worth any money even if they were still alive.
Selling him out was no different from announcing that the Empire was handling things wrong, and it had a different weight from secretly selling information from the Information Guild.
The effort invested was useless.
He must have known that he was a man, yet he tied up his own subordinates and burned them at the stake. He was truly a scary man.
‘They say that if you are blinded by ambition, you will end up dying…’
Razbeth bit his lip as he recalled the words of an unknown old woman long ago. Then what should I do, my life won’t change just because I live as an informant.
After hearing those words, Razbeth often had nightmares about burning to death.
It was better now than in my dreams. Because I wasn’t alone, there was another idiot riding with me.
However, even though I am an information source, I cannot ignore the incorrect information.
“for a moment!!”
Razbeth shouted in panic as he looked at Inquisitor Joanna Ethan, who had an indifferent look in her eyes even though a person was about to die in front of her.
“You say he’s ugly? Not at all, but if you look closely, he’s actually quite handsome. His eyes are clearer than those of other idiots.”
“······Ratsu.”
However, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan did not respond, as if she was not very interested in what Razbeth had to say.
Now the fire was rising high enough to touch the hole in the floor. It was clear that he was going to die a painful death.
Like most people, Razbeth hated being sick.
One of the reasons why he was pushed to this remote area despite his outstanding abilities was because he had no tolerance for torture.
In order to go to a place where important information is processed, they also received training in torture in case they were kidnapped, but Razbeth blew it all up as soon as he was lightly prodded.
Now that the fire had risen high enough to touch him, Razbeth’s mind was filled with fear.
At that moment, Berman took my hand. That small gesture strangely brought me relief.
“Don’t worry. We have Captain Aaron.”
This stupid man was still babbling even though the fire was right below him. I couldn’t understand how stupid he was.
‘So you liked me?’
As I tried to distract myself, I suddenly realized that the fire wasn’t hot.
When he opened his eyes, he saw white pieces of ice scattered all around him. And a face carved into those pieces of ice.
There were a lot of guys looking at him.
‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’
Razbeth continued to mutter.
***
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!!
‘Is this enough?’
I nodded to the hands of the tied men who were lightly grabbing me.
After experiencing the ‘Fire Bridge’, how could my heart not be shaken?
At first, I tried to clear the suspicions by simply reading the Bible, and then proceeded with the haunted house 200 separately, but…
‘The Inquisitor’s office was tighter than I thought.’
Perhaps because of the pagans, my doubts could not be resolved by reading the Bible as usual.
I had to show it clearly because if something different came out later, it could cause problems.
That’s how the ‘Fire Bridge’ came to be.
‘It was fortunate that the severance pay was communicable.’
The Parsi inquisitors were quite harsh.
Parsi said that the vampire arrest method I used last time was not effective because the rumor had already spread, so I suggested barbecue medium rare.
There is a saying that even the most poisonous witch will reveal her true colors when brought near fire, and when I walked to Berman with One Plus One, Parsi was offered the job.
‘Because Kanna can handle fire that isn’t hot.’
The ‘Wriggle Fire Bridge’ operation was implemented with the intention that if the fire was raised like that and the audience cheered, the witch would draw out her power.
“Kkiyaaaaah!! Captain Aaron!! Captain!!”
“Gyaaaah!”
The two’s intense reactions were raw and unadorned. Anyone could see that they were a couple reunited and on the verge of death.
“Ugh… I think this should be enough. If she were a witch, she would have unleashed her demonic powers a long time ago.”
Parsi nodded, looking at me with slightly tired eyes.
I waved my hand.
Then the fire gathered and flew upward.
‘It’s getting more and more fancy.’
Kanna was crouching with her head down and moving her hands.
‘Why is the sheriff here again…’
On the other side, the sheriff was also crouching down.
It was his first day at work, but he seemed to have adapted very well.
‘···The mental ages of the two may be similar.’
Anyway, the innocence was proven and the two joined hands, so it seemed like the goal was achieved.
‘I missed a service too.’
I nodded my head as I watched the lungs approaching from the side. The lungs nodded along with me, blinking their eyes.
He seemed very excited. I heard that the abbot had to hold five more services because he was in debt to the abbot for some reason.
‘Five worship services… What a terrible thing I have done.’
I was offered one service as a commission for the service, and thanks to that, I helped out very diligently.
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the strangely relieved expression on Lunggyeop’s face.
I guess he might have used the Bible as a cake stand or something similar, but I didn’t ask.
“They weren’t witches!”
The commander spoke firmly, and a sigh full of regret burst out from below.
‘···Uncivilized bastards.’
I clicked my tongue and gave a signal to Kanna.
Then Kanna waved her hand upwards greatly-.
A large, flying bolt of fire decorated the sky splendidly. Compared to yesterday’s lightning, its size was noticeably smaller, but it was much larger than what Kanna usually used.
Moreover, since this was the Middle Ages and there was nothing to see, the reaction was immediate.
People who are more obsessed with fireworks than with barbecue.
Moreover, since the format was the story of Cassidy’s hero Deokgu, they were quickly drawn into it.
‘The setting that Deokgu gained strength by playing dice…’
I clicked my tongue and turned to Dalus.
“This is the first time I’ve ever brought down a living person.”
Dalus dragged them both down, muttering something that was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.
My strategy seemed to be working, as I could see her still holding my hand even though she was trembling.
“I believed in you, Jojang.”
Berman, who looked like a strawberry soaked in water, stammered as he spoke.
I waved my hand roughly and then looked at Google.
Google’s eyes, which were full of impurities like those of a gambling addict, have become slightly dim.
There is no such thing as a saying that a person can only change when he or she is in danger of death. That saying means that in order to change a person, you have to put him or her in danger of death.
I opened my mouth after looking at Google, which seemed to have become more and more obedient.
“Hey Google, who’s that?”
Google shuddered slightly and moved its mouth in response to my question.
“I… didn’t… have any exact words, but I think they’re coming. They’re on the other side of the continent, so it’s quite a distance, but according to the letter, they seem to be coming very quickly…”
Seeing him continue to speak, although he stuttered a little, it seemed like he had been properly fixed.
‘It was a success.’
I looked at the hands held by those two for a moment, then let go of the sword handle.
Razbeth noticed him and held Berman’s hand tighter, trying to suppress his trembling.
***
“I… I’m not really a witch! I just don’t know how to read!”
Kantu, an ordinary farmer from Silvern Castle, spoke with difficulty, swallowing back his tears.
The inquisitor in front of him silently tied up the cantu, seemingly out of earshot. His face was hidden by his helmet, so his expression was not visible.
Euaaaahh …
Kantu turned his head at the sound of crying coming from beside him.
Beside Kantu, there was a long line of people tied to logs.
I don’t know what’s going on.
Why are you suddenly calling yourself a pagan?
Why am I bound here and put on trial?
Others, with similar expressions, kept insisting on their innocence, but no one seemed to care.
Kantu trembled and looked around hurriedly.
The people who gathered to watch had eyes sparkling with anticipation.
There they were at the end of the people.
Unlike others who were cheering, there were people with sad faces and tears streaming down their faces.
They were the ones who brought Kantu a Bible illustrated with pictures.
The pictures drawn on the yellow urine-like paper were pictures of the contents of the Bible that I had never read before.
Kant, whose faith deepened after reading the Bible, is suddenly called a pagan! He even tells him to read the Bible to prove his faith.
Most commoners couldn’t even write their own names. So how could they read the Bible, which even those who could read found difficult?
Those who were captured that way numbered over twenty, and they were all tied up next to each other.
At that moment, Kant locked eyes with one of them.
When I looked into those eyes, the contents of the Bible came to mind.
The god who was abandoned will return-.
“···Hypocrites will pay the price.”
Kant closed his eyes and muttered the words they had given him.
Then, heat began to rise from deep within my chest.
yet-.
Kwaaaaang-!
Starting with Kant, the bodies of those who had been tied up exploded, and the inquisitors who were among them were caught in the explosion.
Not only that, but those gathered were swept away by the blood that spread to the surrounding areas, and the square instantly turned into hell.
Those who saw him turned away with tears in their eyes.
“On the day he rises, all the innocent will live. So do not be sad.”
The one at the front muttered, but his voice was also filled with tears.
“The Knights Templar are coming. Let’s go a little further east.”
In their aged voices they recited the prayer again.
