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larva
“···I guess the pagans are worse than I thought?”
I looked at the lungs and asked.
At my question, Lunggeup frowned slightly and moved his hands this way and that way.
‘You were acting so well earlier…’
I was taken aback by the unexpected sign language, but strangely enough, I understood the meaning as I watched.
“If a pagan comes in, it’s fucked up?”
Nod.
Lunggyeop nodded his head vigorously and moved his hands diligently again.
The action of bringing both hands together and then spreading them out around is-.
“The pagan’s body explodes?”
The lung nodded vigorously and squinted his eyes.
‘I guess you’ve actually experienced it.’
I guessed that the lung had actually encountered the pagans.
Because the continent was so vast, there were quite a few people who were called pagans.
In addition, since there were many people who did not know the imperial language, the interpretation of the Bible varied and many religions derived from it.
Among them, there were those who gathered together and worshipped peacefully.
But if they were guys whose bodies were exploding, it was clear that they were not peaceful pagans.
If the pufferfish cultists came into the world where even peaceful pagans would be attacked by the cult if left alone, something terrible would surely happen.
There were no small number of religious groups that would arrest sane people and burn them or smash their heads under the pretext of witch trials, but exploding heretics…
“Why did you come to the East? There aren’t many people there, so there won’t be anything to eat.”
The lungs moved their hands diligently again.
“The Knights Templar almost caught them all, but they escaped?”
Nod.
‘The Knights Templar···.’
If the Imperial Family had the Imperial Knights, the religious order had the Knights Templar.
The Knights Templar were the elite of the elite, also known as the Pope’s Dogs, so they had never encountered each other separately.
I heard he’s the natural enemy of demons.
The Knights Templar are said to be more effective against demons than knights, but I’ve never actually seen them, so I have no idea.
However, since the heretic inquisitor, the Templar, showed outstanding performance against demons, it was clear that the higher-ranking Templar Knights would be stronger.
“Why did you miss it?”
Flap.
“You don’t know?”
Nod.
At that, I clicked my tongue and nodded.
To begin with, the continent was so vast, and in the Middle Ages, when there were no credit cards or ID cards, it was difficult to catch someone who committed a murder if they ran away far away.
That’s why even if severe punishments were handed down, the crime rate did not decrease. People who just committed crimes and ran away were not caught.
Even if the empire were to pursue them, there was no way since they couldn’t search the entire continent by themselves.
Anyone who caused enough trouble to be chased would eventually attract attention again, and most of them were caught then.
“Is there a separate law to distinguish pagans?”
The old man frowned slightly and thought seriously.
The old man nodded slightly, looked straight into my eyes, and slowly moved his hand.
The hand that drew the square then moved from top to bottom.
The square was definitely the size of a Bible, so it was a Bible. Then···.
“You hit your head with a Bible?”
Dori dori.
“You set up the Bible and hit it?”
Dori dori.
He let out a small sigh as if the answer was close to the correct answer. After hearing that he was close, he felt motivated to get it right.
I nodded and focused on the hand gesture again.
A large square. That was definitely the Bible.
And lifted him up. Here was the problem, he was clearly taking a picture of someone. But if that wasn’t the right answer…
‘No, if you look closely, it’s a little different.’
I concentrated more and the serious-faced Lung-gyeop beckoned again.
“The Bible is upside down!!”
That gesture reminded me of the Bible I had seen when I met the brothers that time.
As if it was the right answer, Lunggyup clapped his hands lightly.
At that moment, I felt a gaze from the side.
“Are you even aware that you are in the middle of a service? Talking during a service is something only children would do. Aren’t you honorary monks and heresy inquisitors? Be a little aware of yourself…”
The abbot, with a serious face, spoke at length in his characteristically sleepy voice.
Then I put my right hand on my forehead, and the monk who saw me hurriedly followed suit.
“···What are you doing?”
“I apologized to him separately. He said he was okay.”
Nod.
The abbot, with a subtle expression on his face, narrowed his eyes, sighed deeply, and turned away.
‘It’s a reversed Bible…’
I rolled my head while tapping the Bible in my hand.
“So the pagans are holding upside-down Bibles in their hands?”
This time, I only half nodded.
“Maybe I have it, maybe I don’t?”
Nod.
‘It won’t work if I search through all my luggage.’
I let out a small sigh of regret and continued speaking.
“Pfft… No, Inquisitor Joanna, can you tell the difference between heretics?”
Nod. Boohoo-.
The sergeant nodded confidently, tapped his mace, and waved his hand slightly.
“···Is there no other way besides breaking my head?”
The lungs moved their hands diligently again.
“You know the Bible in detail, so it’s not easy to distinguish?”
Nod.
“Then what about the other heretic inquisitors… Ah.”
I nodded as I asked.
If there is even a suspicion, they will probably burn you or split your head open.
Although they are sensitive to demons, the professional profession of inquisitors is even more sensitive to heresy, so it is clear that they will first expose it and then think about it later.
I started to have doubts about a strange part. In the first place, how many common people know the contents of the Bible?
“Don’t common people originally not know the Bible well? How can common people who can’t even read and write know the Bible?”
Once again, the lungs moved their hands.
This time, he pointed to the square and made an impression while pretending to draw something.
“You’re handing out illustrated Bibles?”
Nod.
‘A picture book… It’s smarter than I thought.’
As I thought about him carefully, there was something strange.
Among the common people I know, there was no one who knew the exact contents of the Bible. In the first place, there were few who could read and write, so how could they understand the Bible written in difficult words?
There was a limit to what the synagogue priest could explain, so it was strange to know the content so well.
“Can’t we just catch the common people who know the contents of the Bible?”
The eyes of the sergeant narrowed at my muttering. Looking at his trembling hand, it seemed as if he was trying hard to hold back from lowering the mace.
I paused for a moment to consider whether there was anything in my words that might have offended the old man.
‘If that’s the way it is, then having a strong faith can actually be poisonous. The church forces even the common people to memorize the Bible.’
Judging from the gestures of the disciple, it seemed like he was thinking something similar to mine.
Plus, they could have noticed and pretended not to know about the Bible. It was easier to pretend not to know than to know.
“It’s difficult. Pagans.”
Nod. Lunggyup sighed deeply and nodded heavily.
I nodded along, eating the cake that the waiter gave me.
The Abbot of Brighton, who was watching him, sighed softly and turned the Bible to the next page.
“Father Blian! Are you crying again?”
“Huh?! Sorry!”
“Come out here! You are a priest too. You should be able to share your words.”
Father Blian, who had been listening intently, felt very aggrieved by the remark, but what could he do?
The priest Blian was seized by the abbot of Brighton and slowly recited the contents of the Bible without even opening it.
***
“So, pagans might come?”
The captain asked back in a slightly subdued voice.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh no, how do you fit together?”
“Yes, because you are so fat.”
The captain laughed heartily, stroking his strangely puffy clothes.
Although he looked exactly like an obese penguin, the leader nodded his head repeatedly as if he was satisfied.
Looking at how cool he was, it seemed like Brick would soon have a new dad.
‘Brick’s mom, Masha, is also quite popular, but I wonder.’
He muttered quietly as he watched the captain trimming his beard.
“I will speak to the sheriff separately about the heretics. Then the matter will be reported to the lord. Oh, I see. If you tell Nova, things will go smoothly. How about this?”
The captain asked, pointing to his moustache. It was so thin that it looked like a mafia man who had been badly waxed, but he nodded.
“It’s very cool.”
“As expected, he’s the person I trust and believe in the most, Captain Aaron. Anyway, it’s a bit dangerous to say this···.”
The captain, who had licked his fingers and rubbed the ends of his mustache, pointed to the door with his chin.
I nodded after checking the door with that serious face.
“If pagans do come in, we should be more wary of the religious sect than the pagans. The place I was in before was also in chaos because of the religious sect, not the pagans.”
Looking at the serious appearance of the captain, which did not suit him, I briefly wondered what kind of person he was.
‘···Did you say you were a former mercenary?’
No one ever wondered about the pig captain’s past, so no story was known.
Of course, I wasn’t really interested either.
“Yes, I will tell Nova.”
“Then give the residents a firm warning. I trust Captain Aaron very much, so he’ll do a good job. Then I have a promise.”
The captain tapped me on the shoulder with a magpie’s heel and left the captain’s room, groaning.
I watched the sword hanging from his waist swing for a moment, then shook my head.
The captain is probably the highest paid person in Cassadic.
“Do you feel it?”
“Oh my god, I’m startled!”
I was so startled by the voice I heard next to me that I couldn’t help but curse.
‘···What is this kid?’
We came in together, but I forgot while talking to the captain. Even so, I was dumbfounded by the fact that I wouldn’t have been able to sense it if I wasn’t conscious of it.
dripping.
“Chief, everyone is gathered.”
As I left the room at Kel’s words, I saw some guards with crooked faces.
I looked around at him for a moment and then felt a little impressed by the sharp momentum of the 5th group.
‘What kind of guards have you made up of warriors?’
Choco was in charge of Group 5, and the momentum was noticeably different from before.
I don’t know what kind of training he received, but his eyes were sharp and his spirit was such that he would be ready to be sent into battle right away.
‘Well, he was a general of the kingdom.’
Choco has now reached a level close to its prime, if not quite there yet.
I looked around at them for a moment and then opened my mouth.
“They say that pagans might come. But they’re not just pagans, they’re explosive pagans. If they come in, they’re screwed. If you receive a picture of a Bible, make sure to report it. If you don’t report it and get caught later, tell them that I’ll come out and interview you.”
I waved my hand after giving a brief explanation. It seemed I would have to decide on the details after telling Nova.
First of all, the Bible drawn as a picture was the biggest problem, so it was limited to just raising awareness about it.
It was a little funny that I, as the team leader, was giving orders to the other team leaders, but there wasn’t much opposition.
Some of them seemed content to not be leaders.
“No, where did the captain go? I have a bad feeling about this…”
Brick flinched, his face turning red.
“The captain took really good care of Brick. When I saw him earlier, he was almost like a son to me.”
“Shut up! Kel! Whose son is your son!”
Brick screamed in a fit of rage at Kel’s joke.
“What about Berman?”
I waved my hand to silence him, then asked.
“Oh, didn’t that woman get taken away by the inquisitors? These days, I wait in front of the synagogue every day after work.”
He nodded at Grass’ answer.
Google’s innocence was proven by using the Fire Brigade, but Parsi took Google to the synagogue, saying that he must also investigate the heresy.
‘···It’s tighter than I thought because it’s an explosive heretic.’
He said that since he had already proven his innocence, he would only read the Bible and pray, but it was definitely excessive to be questioned again even after going through the fire bridge.
‘Well, it’s because he’s an explosive heretic.’
After hearing the story about the pagans being explosives, I can understand the Inquisitor’s overreaction a little.
He scratched his chin for a moment and then nodded.
“Anyway, tell the people around you and the residents firmly. If anyone who is not a priest or monk speaks about the Bible, tell them right away. If they get caught, they will be barbecued.”
I looked at their faces one by one and spoke firmly.
The guys nodded with a slightly frustrated expression.
“Those who are playing will be interviewed separately. Just try to catch them.”
Only after making threats did a clear answer come out.
***
‘hmm······.’
I let out a long sigh at the sight before me.
Kanna, who was carried on the head of the park, stretched out her arms forward. Then, the dirt blocking her way collapsed like a tofu.
It was an incredible ability that was not an exaggeration to say that it was an excavator···.
“Kuhh!!”
“Eurya ryaryaryarya!!”
It was understandable since Kanna often put in a strange spirit when she used magic, but Park Daegari couldn’t understand why she put in a spirit along with it.
Even the pit shook with the loudness of the voice.
Park Daegari kept bursting out in bright laughter like a child coming out for the first time, and Kanna, who was riding behind him, tried to maintain a serious expression while twitching the corners of her lips.
‘We get along surprisingly well.’
Park Daegari and Kanna’s personalities felt very opposite, but now that I look at them, it seems like they match quite well.
Since Kanna was a little more mature than her peers and a little less bold, the balance seemed to be exquisite.
Kuo Baorou continued to write something while looking at the two from behind with a cold gaze. Curious, he glanced at it, but the handwriting was so new that he couldn’t read it.
‘By the way, it’s really amazing.’
Kanna, carried by Park Dae-gari, looked like two idiots running around the neighborhood, but the actual effect was amazing.
Today was just a practice run and not a full-scale sewer construction project, but what started out as a small pit had already become a long tunnel.
“Why don’t you just build it right away? Then get some water.”
“······Sewerage is not just about digging the ground. I heard that they call in a specialist because they need knowledge about it.”
Guobarou looked at me intently for a moment, then shook his head slightly and answered.
“Why don’t we just dig a hole in the ground and coat it with rocks?”
“······If something goes wrong, the castle itself could collapse, so you have to be very careful. Not everything can be done by pushing through with force.”
I scratched my cheek for a moment at Kuobarou’s answer.
‘Is there a medieval way?’
The sewers I saw in some cities were simple in form, but there seemed to be a method to them.
However, I found Kkwobarou’s unlucky answer a little annoying.
“ice.”
“······Squeak.”
The beer was now cold, along with a slightly quieter scream than before.
After a while, Kanna and Park Daegari, who had been running around for a while, returned.
‘Still, the amount you can do at once isn’t that huge.’
It didn’t take that long, but because the range was so wide, it seemed like all of Park Daegari’s mana had been used up.
Kanna and Park Daegari were both covered in dirt, like children playing in a playground.
Kanna jumped down from Park Daegari’s back and quickly clung to my leg, looking up at me.
Those eyes were exactly like those of a child showing off a toy he had made, but the result he saw behind them was anything but toy-level.
The front was hollowed out like the traces of an earthworm I had seen in the desert. It was so hollow that I couldn’t see the end.
“Well done.”
The corners of Kanna’s mouth went up in response to my answer. However, there was dirt on the corners of her mouth.
I took a handkerchief out of my bosom and lightly brushed the dirt off the guy’s face. I swung the handkerchief with as little force as I could, but it made a louder sound than I expected.
“Why are you hitting the child with a handkerchief···.”
I ignored Kua Bao Rou’s mutterings.
When I wiped it with a handkerchief, Kanna’s face became bright again.
‘But this kid···.’
Park Daegari was crouching down next to Kanna and looking up at me. I couldn’t figure out why he was looking at Kanna’s eye level.
“Me too-! Hiccup! Huh? Hiccup!”
As soon as their eyes met, Park Dae-gari started hiccupping.
The sound was so loud that it made the surroundings resonate softly every time it was done.
Kanna, who was watching him, waved her hand and a small puddle of water wiped the top of Park’s head downward.
“Wow! Kanna! Hiccup! Thank you!”
Park Dae-gari, who was once covered in mud but now soaked in water, smiled brightly and expressed his gratitude.
“If you take some water and put your face in it until your breathing stops, the hiccups will stop.”
I have given you a cure for hiccups with my excellent modern knowledge.
“Hiccup! Hiccup! Hiccup!”
Park Dae-gari’s hiccups got worse.
“Then… I’m hiccuping! That’s it! Hiccuping! Let’s play again next time! Kanna! Hiccuping!”
Park Dae-gari, who had hastily greeted them, left the pit with Bori, who was next to him.
“Ah, it’s hard to play.”
Kanna, who was next to me, frowned and muttered in a voice full of fatigue, but contrary to her words, the corners of her mouth were raised.
At that, I smiled slightly and grabbed Kanna by the back of her neck, carried her, and left the pit.
As I went outside, raindrops were falling one by one.
‘They’ll come in droves again.’
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the sky full of dark clouds, without even a single ray of sunlight visible.
The East received a lot of unnecessary rain.
[It rains a lot in the eastern part of the empire.]
That’s why I came here, but the rain, which I hated to begin with, didn’t seem to get any better.
Knock knock.
“Okay, let’s go home.”
I smiled bitterly as I looked into Kanna’s purple eyes that were poking my leg.
“Hey, umbrella.”
Kkieeeeeeek-!!
It was a really noisy umbrella, but it was effective.
***
“It’s over.”
Razbeth stared at the inquisitor’s outstretched hand for a moment, then took it.
“You may go. May the sun shine on your path.”
Razbeth’s tendons stood on end at the bastard’s calm words, but he forced a smile.
My voice was hoarse and my eyes were blurry from reading the Bible out loud several times by candlelight, but I somehow survived.
Razbeth climbed the stairs, trying to strengthen his legs that kept giving out.
There was no one in the synagogue. Only the candles lit here and there illuminated the dark interior.
I thought it would be dark because it was underground, but it was actually night.
Swaaaahh …
The sound of heavy rain falling outside.
Razbeth tried to suppress the urge to curse as he looked at the sun-shaped sacred object placed in the center of the synagogue.
After being accused of being a witch, now I’m suspected of being a heretic…
‘It’s a miracle I survived.’
Razbeth headed toward the entrance, muttering dryly to himself.
The sound of the rain became louder. I already didn’t have the strength to walk, and now I have to go back while getting rained on!
I tried hard to suppress the surging desire.
As I pushed open the thick door at the entrance, the sound of rain grew louder.
The raindrops were so thick, as if there was a hole in the sky, that I felt like I would fall if I got hit.
“···This sucks.”
Razbeth laughed helplessly as he watched the vain raindrops.
While I was laughing for a while, I heard a small cough from next to me.
When I turned my head, there was Berman holding an umbrella embroidered with gorgeous roses. Berman was looking at Rajbeth with a truly bewildered expression.
“···are you okay?”
At the stupid voice full of awkwardness and apology, Razbeth bit his lips for a moment, then forced a sharp voice.
“Isn’t an ugly sin heresy?”
“Ahem···.”
Razbeth laughed briefly at the awkward cough and quickly sat down next to him. The umbrella was a bit small, but no rain came in.
When I turned my head towards him, I saw Berman with a face full of tears.
Razbeth chuckled for a moment at Berman’s ridiculous face, who had tilted his umbrella all the way towards Razbeth.
However, after several days of interrogation, his ugly face looked quite realistic.
“It seems like the leader is trying hard, but the heretic inquisitor is just so···.”
Razbeth paused, momentarily covering his ugly lips from the useless words that were flowing out.
“Umbrella price.”
And then he snatched the umbrella and ran away by himself.
After walking a long way back, I saw the stupid man still frozen in that same posture, getting drenched in the rain.
Although it seemed like he had overpaid, Razbeth smiled faintly and turned away.
I arrived at the guild branch and carefully grabbed my umbrella.
“Etchwi! You’re here… Etchwi!”
Gillian, looking like an idiot, greeted him.
He wanted to strangle Gillian, who had not shown her face even once despite being captured, but held back because of her frail appearance.
“···Why do you look like that?”
“Razbet is no slouch either.”
Razbeth narrowed his eyes at the sudden objection.
Then Gillian shivered and opened her mouth.
“I’ve been to Karzan. Isn’t the Karzan branch big? So I told them about the current situation and asked for a letter with the guild emblem on it…”
Gillian immediately lifted up my clothes and showed me that they were covered in bruises.
“You’re just going to beat me up for no reason, saying it’s something related to the church? You fucking bastards… I almost got beaten to death.”
Even though it was something related to the church, there was no way he would have just thrown it out. He probably would have suggested that we take steps to abandon Razbet.
‘I guess I spoke without thinking again.’
Gillian would often get hit by Razbeth for speaking her mind so harshly.
However, it was funny to see him lifting up his clothes and making a fuss about it.
Razbeth clicked his tongue and sat down across from me.
‘There was no information at all about pagans.’
If the Inquisitor reacted like that, it was clear that he was no ordinary heretic.
But I didn’t get any information about him… If I had just that information, I definitely wouldn’t have ended up in such a bad situation.
‘···It was a real demotion.’
As tired as my body was, my mind was clear. I had tried to ignore it all along, but now I had no choice but to face it.
He was left in the outskirts, tied up with that stupid guy who ate two loaves of bread.
‘I have contributed so much.
I knew that informants were meant to be disposable, but I thought I would be different.
Razbeth just laughed in frustration. Then Gillian looked startled and tried to get up.
“Sit down.”
“yes.”
Razbeth was silent for a moment, looking at the stupid table.
I don’t know if it will work out or not. But I’ve already hit rock bottom. What could possibly get worse from here?
“We’re creating an information guild. An information guild so capable that those who abandoned us will regret it.”
After spitting it out, I felt relieved.
Blinded by ambition, I had no choice but to run to the end. If it was a cliff, I would fall to my death, and if it was an uphill climb, I would reach the top of the mountain.
‘The situation in the East is chaotic. Trouble is an opportunity.’
It was clear that Cassidy, with that guy, would continue to be at the center of the chaos. No, that was the feeling I got.
If you ask for information, you will get a response, so use it to collect information and then…
“Huh? No. I’m crazy, Razbet and…”
Razbeth’s brow furrowed at Gillian’s clear answer.
That guy is my only comrade…
My hand almost went up, but it was hard to find someone who could read and write. I had to take him, even if he was a piece of shit.
“Then you can just rot here for the rest of your life. For the guild that won’t even write a single document if you get caught. Next time you get caught….”
Razbeth spoke firmly and then looked over the papers filling the table.
‘There is no recent information at all. Unless you pay for it separately…’
Since I was on the eastern outskirts, I noticed it too late. I should have noticed it a long time ago…
“But if I leave Razbet alone, it’s a bit like that···.”
Gillian sat down slightly, her face now sullen. Without pointing it out, Razbeth pushed the wad of paper away.
Gillian’s skills weren’t bad, even though she often made strange noises as if something was wrong.
“······Then what is your name?”
A voice was heard after a while. Razbeth hesitated for a moment at the unexpected question.
“How about a caterpillar?”
“What? No matter what name you give it, it’s always going to be shitty···.”
“No, please calm down and listen. And if you grab your only subordinate, you’re disqualified. Disqualified.”
Razbeth shook his head, releasing the strength from his clenched fist.
“Don’t caterpillars live by eating leaves? That means they eat the white leaves later on… and when they grow up, they become butterflies.”
It was a name with deeper meaning than I thought, but…
‘No matter what, the caterpillars are a bit much.’
Razbeth frowned for a moment and then nodded. There was no need to think about it now since he could change it formally later anyway.
“Hehehe, then am I the vice guild leader?”
However, Razbeth’s face distorted at the guy’s subsequent question.
That was true, but the thought of that guy being the vice guild leader made me feel really bleak about the future.
‘No, I can do it. I have the connections I’ve built up over time… If I gather people in this chaotic situation…’
I tried hard to suppress my anxiety, but-.
“Guild Leader Razbet, Guild Leader Gillian Bu- I’m hungry. It’s a meaningful first day, so let’s have a dinner together… hehe.”
Razbeth couldn’t hold it in any longer and threw a punch.
