144
Raccoon has a nervous breakdown
‘What are you saying now···?’
Gobersan blinked.
He moved his divine power slightly, wondering if he had fallen asleep.
The pain and nausea that came up. It wasn’t a dream.
‘···Then is that Brighton really?’
There were words that were not used in the Bible.
The people in the church didn’t know him. No matter how much they memorized the Bible, no one focused on the contents of the Bible or looked for or cared about words that weren’t there.
The Bible is so thick that it is difficult to focus on it.
But the words that had just come out of Brighton’s mouth were the key words that ran through the scriptures of the church and their scriptures.
‘Obviously [again]···.’
Again-. It was the core of teaching the Bible.
The church did not acknowledge the death of God. The Bible said that God was not dead and still existed.
But their Bible acknowledges that God is dead. That is why they often use the word [again].
The sun will rise again and shine again. On the day he comes again, everyone will rise again.
Both were stories about the sun, but one said that darkness does not represent the absence of light, while the other said that darkness comes but will rise again.
‘But how come Brighton······.’
Brighton continued reading the Bible with his usual tired face.
I couldn’t believe it. What kind of person is Brighton?
There was a rumor that he lived by eating Bibles instead of bread, and he was so crazy about the Bible that people actually said they had seen him.
How can such a person so quickly call the Bible a heresy?
Gobersan’s mind suddenly became complicated. No, it was so dizzy that it couldn’t even be expressed in the word complicated.
Gobersan looked around.
Although there were many inquisitors, no one noticed anything strange.
It was clear that only Gobert had noticed. Gobert chewed his lip as he looked at Brighton, who had more wrinkles than before.
Why does he use the word [again]?
And why are you reading him now of all times?
At that moment, my eyes met with Brighton’s.
Eyes that are excessively straight.
It’s an eye that doesn’t waver even when relegated.
Eyes that would not easily fall into the path that is quickly called heresy.
Gobert’s nerves became tense in the unexpected situation.
Right now, he felt like those eyes were pressing down on him.
‘···Looking back, the Pope admitted it too easily.’
The close relationship between the Pope and Brighton was well known.
Of course, even if all the cardinals except Brighton had joined forces to pressure him, things would have been easier.
‘I even got a bad reputation from complaining to the Pope······.’
As Gobert’s lips burst, the pungent taste of blood filled his mouth.
As great doubts arose in the unbelievable situation, everything seemed strange.
A chronic nervous breakdown resulting from living a life without a place to rely on, where being discovered would end in death by burning. Gobertsan had no time to think about him.
In a place where there were inquisitors and knights, there was that Brighton reading a strange Bible! Looking at himself! Oh my!
‘What does that mean?’
Gobersan’s heart pounded loudly. It felt as if the inquisitors and knights around him were going to crush his head at any moment.
I wanted to move my shadow right away and get rid of the people around me who were threatening me.
“···Ahem!!”
The shadow of Mount Gober flinched greatly at the cough of a certain heretic inquisitor. He was belatedly restrained.
‘Why did the Pope give me the title of Knight of the Temple?’
Gobersan glanced at Johelia. He couldn’t see her eyes because of the helmet unique to the Knights Templar, but…
‘···You put the sword on the opposite side.’
Johelia, who guarded Gobersan, always had her sword pointed towards Johelia. But now, the handle was facing the opposite direction.
No, was it like that from the beginning? No, did it change now? If so, why?
‘Does the Pope know?’
Sweet. Gobert’s legs trembled slightly.
“Even if darkness surrounds you and you cannot see even a single path ahead, do not be afraid, for light drives out darkness······.”
I came back to my senses to the sound of Brighton’s voice without any highs or lows.
Gobersan exhaled deeply and forced himself to suppress his strength.
Except for the first part, what Brighton read was the Bible of the church.
But I clearly used the word ‘again’.
If so, it was neither our Bible nor the Bible of the denomination.
What that means is…
‘A new Bible?’
A chill ran up the spine of Mount Gobert.
‘That’s crazy.’
I couldn’t help but curse. What kind of crazy person would think of touching the Bible?
It was a crazy act that even Gobersan, who was called a heretic, could not have imagined.
‘It is clear that we have read the Bible.’
It could have been obtained recently since heresy was caught in Cassidy.
Gobersan tried to clear his mind. It was clear that the bastard had read the Bible.
The one who reads the Bible here directly corrects the Bible of the church.
It was an act that went beyond the point of irreverence and would be unspeakable even if lightning struck from the sky.
‘And you read that revised Bible here?’
There were a bunch of heretic inquisitors in front of them, and there were also knights. If they were caught, having their heads smashed in would be the best ending.
But the guy was standing in front of them, confidently reading the Bible he had revised. With a face that showed no signs of fear or discomfort.
‘······I was the only one who noticed.’
The other guys’ calm reactions made Gobersan’s head spin even more.
Even his subordinates who had taught him the Bible on this side looked indifferent.
Only Gobersan knew that he had studied both the church’s Bible and the heretical Bible in order to survive.
‘The Bible revised by a Bible-crazy man.’
Gobert bit his lip as he looked at Brighton’s tired face.
The Bible is said to contain the word of God, but neither the church’s nor ours is perfect.
Gobert, the fourth eldest son and cardinal, knew the reason.
‘The Bible of the Church was revised by the Empire, and ours is a crude restoration.’
That was the reason why Gobersan was reluctant to undertake the Great Undertaking. Even that powerful religious order had its roots betrayed by the Empire.
The religious sect’s bastards believed that the religious sect’s strength was proof of faith and that its divine power was proof of God. They didn’t even realize that it was actually a plaything of the empire.
‘But that Bible···.’
Brighton was a real Bible-mad man. I have never seen a madman like him in the so-called pagan or in the church.
A guy like that reads our Bible and corrects the church’s Bible.
If by any chance the result comes close to the real ‘Bible’ before it reaches the hands of the empire…
You will come to know that the Bible of the church has passed through the hands of the empire, and the Bible of this side, which is called heresy, will be exposed as having been changed to suit their taste.
‘It’s extremely dangerous.’
As a cardinal and as the fourth eldest son, I had the same thoughts.
It was clear that the truth that lacked power would bring about terrible things.
To the church too.
Even to himself, whom they call a heretic.
Gobert’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Brighton.
Below, without anyone noticing, a tiny shadow quietly disappeared into the darkness.
***
‘What’s wrong with this kid?’
I frowned as I watched the raccoon suddenly flinch as if it needed to pee.
Where are those eyes directed…
‘Abbot?’
I had no idea how to interpret the raccoon’s passionate eyes towards the abbot.
‘How to catch it.’
Is there any way to catch the Cardinal, the Devil Candy?
The simplest way is to strip him naked in front of everyone.
Then the devil’s handprint will be revealed, and even if I don’t do anything, the guys around me will support and harass me.
It’ll probably be a literal fight. However, the fourth eldest son is probably pretty strong, so I can sneak in with a spoon and help him out.
Even now, I could somehow manage to strip the cardinal of his clothes.
However, the problem is.
‘What if there is no devil’s handprint?’
There must have been something there, given the sweet smell, but there could also have been something hiding it.
For example, she had breast implants to hide it. Of course, it may be close to a useless imagination, but she was a person who reached the rank of cardinal.
It’s possible that things changed in the middle, but since he rose to a high position in the middle of enemy territory, there had to be something.
Also, not seeing the devil candy of the highest level shook my confidence.
‘It would be better if we went to the sauna together.’
How sweet it would be if brothers went to the sauna together, scrubbed each other’s backs, and complimented each other on the size of their devil candy. The problem was that they weren’t at that level yet.
If you confirm the devil’s handprint, it’s a simple matter of just peeling it off…
‘Take it off first?’
Is it a felony to accidentally remove a cardinal’s robe? Suddenly, I wondered if there was such a provision.
Phew···.
I turned my head at the sound of a small breath and saw a stupid helmet.
‘It worked.’
I didn’t think deeply before I acted.
If it was Devil’s Candy, I thought there was at least one strange thing about it, even if the smoke was deep. It was a conspiracy theory that cleverly delved into the fact that a Templar who only followed the Pope’s orders was attached to a cardinal.
‘If you plant doubts, it can cause some hesitation in unexpected situations.’
Of course it might not be true, but I know raccoons are devil candy, so it was a conspiracy theory I could bring up.
I couldn’t see his face because of the stupid helmet, but it seemed to work. The distance between the mini-lung and the raccoon was just enough for the mini-lung’s greatsword to reach him.
At that rate, I’d probably hesitate until I could cut off the raccoon’s head and show off the devil’s candy.
‘Still, something is missing.’
Knock knock. I got the format roughly right, but something important was missing.
After the seemingly endless reading of the Bible, the abbot came down.
Then the fourth one got up and approached the abbot.
The mini-luggage was right behind me, so I got up and headed towards it.
“That was a very good story. Can we talk more about the Bible?”
The raccoon, who had glanced at the mini-luggage, spoke with a slightly anxious tone in his voice.
“Yes, of course.”
The abbot nodded. He never refused anything related to the Bible.
Then the raccoon got hot. There was definitely something there.
It was possible that there was a missing piece for the raccoon hunt.
To catch a tiger, you had to go into its den.
So, to catch a raccoon studying the Bible…
‘Fuck.’
I raised my hand and swore.
“···Honorary Monk Aaron?”
I trembled and said things I never dreamed I would say.
“I would also like to study the Bible with you.”
My hands trembled at the humiliation and I cursed without realizing it.
“Ohhh…! Honorary monk Aaron is studying the Bible…!! I can’t believe this day has come! Yes! That’s a good idea! Even if you’re an honorary monk, can you really be so arrogant? You should read the Bible too!”
The abbot’s violent reaction, which I saw for the first time, made my judgment unnecessarily distorted.
A strange expression appeared on the raccoon’s face. A face that was a mixture of surprise, horror, and an indecipherable emotion.
It was clear that something was up.
‘This raccoon bastard… Are you feeding me the Bible too?’
I looked at the raccoon and vowed to myself that I would chew his devil candy thoroughly.
“Ah, Johelia, you can go in first. There won’t be any danger.”
The raccoon, whose expression quickly changed, looked at the mini-lung and said.
The expression on his face was not visible on his stupid helmet.
A tiny seed of doubt that I planted.
“I only listen to the Pope’s orders.”
Mini Lungeup answered in a firm voice.
Then the raccoon’s face crumpled like never before.
Thinking back to when I and Raccoon had a one-on-one conversation a little while ago…
I nodded, looking at the raccoon and mini-lungs, who were feeling a subtle tension.
“Let’s go together. Bible study becomes twice as fun when we do it together.”
In the delicate atmosphere, the abbot smiled brightly as if it were his birthday.
***
The place we followed the abbot to was the conference room used in the lord’s castle.
There were passengers there.
‘···The lord’s wife?’
A woman with a slightly pale complexion. She resembled Park Daegari, but her nose was subtly bent, giving her a slightly different vibe.
“It would have been nice if we could worship together.”
The abbot bowed his head slightly to the First Lady and said:
“I was tired so I took a short nap and just woke up.”
The First Lady looked at us and answered in a weak voice.
The raccoon’s expression got even worse when he saw him.
“······I wish we could talk about it alone.”
The raccoon showed his discomfort in full view.
“Oh, it’s because we had an appointment in advance. How about we talk about it separately after Bible study is over?”
It was already the time when the moon was high in the sky. I suddenly wondered if the abbot was sleeping.
‘It’s so merciless, even though the opponent is a cardinal.’
It was amazing how people could be so strict and consistent.
The raccoon’s mouth twitched as if he was thinking the same thing as me, then he took a deep breath and nodded.
In that ambiguous atmosphere, everyone sat around and began the cruel torture called Bible study.
Although the Bible was clearly open, the atmosphere surrounding the table seemed like a game of dice.
Everyone had uncomfortable expressions on their faces, but only the abbot had a bright face. It was as if he had received a birthday present.
“I wonder if I have been wasting the time of the very busy Abbot of Brighton······.”
The First Lady spoke while looking at the raccoon’s face. However, the abbot shook his head firmly and opened his Bible.
“What part are you curious about?”
“Oh, I don’t quite understand this part. Apparently in the earlier part of the Bible······.”
Contrary to what Raccoon had requested, the First Lady and the Abbot were the main characters.
The raccoon simply glared at the First Lady with a displeased expression.
The First Lady’s expression grew increasingly grim. I clicked my tongue at the raccoon’s shadow stretching out under the table.
The shadow of the guy next to the First Lady would have gone unnoticed at any other time, but I had just come back from watching the raccoon’s shadow show.
“I’m sleepy.”
I yawned loudly and stretched out my legs and arms. The table shook for a moment and the raccoon’s shadow turned.
A raccoon with a puzzled face, a startled first lady, and…
“Even if you’re sleepy, just endure it for a little while. Aren’t you reading the Bible right now? You’re not a child, and you’ve read the Bible, so what if you, an honorary monk, say you’re sleepy? If you rest because you’re tired and sleep because you’re tired, that’s a beast, not a human. And even if you’re an honorary monk, aren’t you a monk?”
Even the abbot, who nags at length as if he had prepared for it.
The nagging continued without interruption and for a long time, feeling like it was a prepared comment.
The First Lady’s slightly relaxed face, and the distorted raccoon face in contrast, and the still stupid helmet of the mini-lung class.
Again, time passed in vain.
The First Lady and the abbot mostly talked, and the rest listened. The raccoon who had signed up for Bible study was quiet.
Contrary to expectations, the Bible study ended without any major incidents.
A raccoon with a meaningful face was the first to get up and disappear.
‘···It wasn’t anything special? I had a feeling there was something there.’
I stared at him, my mouth watering.
“Now, let us conclude with a prayer. Honorary Monk Aaron······.”
Looking at the abbot’s still smiling face, I found myself clenching my fists.
***
It was dawn when the strange thing happened.
I jumped up with a subtle feeling and grabbed my sword, but there was no one around me.
When I looked down at him, the ring that the raccoon had given me was quietly ringing.
I shook my head, shook off the remaining fatigue, and pressed against him.
I don’t know how to use it, but I felt like it had to be done that way.
Then suddenly the view changes.
There was someone on the other side of the black space.
The shape was not visible.
‘It has a video call function.’
He gave me a ring and talked about contacting me, but it seemed like he was using a teleporter. It was absurd to think of a teleporter in the Middle Ages, but I couldn’t see anything.
“······Are you here?”
A voice could be heard from the other side. It was hard to hear because of the noise, but it was definitely a raccoon due to the timing.
“okay.”
I saw the figure flinch at my short answer. It seemed to be a raccoon.
“Phew···.”
After a soft sigh, a figure appeared.
“That’s how things have turned out. I can’t trust the people around me. I can’t move because of Johelia.”
The guy’s voice, heard through the noise, was softer than before. It had an air of intimacy, like he was asking for money.
I felt that the opportunity had come sooner than I thought. The guy remained silent for a moment.
“Aren’t we brothers? Why hesitate?”
This time, I was the first to speak.
“······Yes, brothers. We are brothers.”
A guy who takes a break for a moment. I was getting anxious for no reason, but I just stayed still, like when I was playing dice.
The request from the guy who came next was different from what I expected.
“Kill the Abbot of Brighton.”
I was relieved that I couldn’t see the figure here, because otherwise it would have been difficult to control my facial expressions.
‘What kind of priest has never once requested a murder…’
Funnily enough, this wasn’t the first time I’d been asked to kill the abbot. I’d already received it from the compliment vending machine before.
Of course, I only received the deposit so far.
“What’s the problem?”
The guy was urging me on more quickly than before. I could sense his impatience as his leisurely demeanor disappeared.
My mind became complicated. Why was he suddenly trying to kill the abbot?
The reason why the guy suddenly changed is…
‘It was after the late night service. Well, the late night service was harsh. So, let’s do the service in moderation.’
The late-night service was horrible, but not to the point of killing him. His attitude did change, and he even asked me to talk about the Bible later.
‘···Bible?’
There were still not enough clues.
However, he was in a hurry right now, and he tends to mumble when he’s in a hurry.
“You can kill them, but if something like that happens in a small castle like this, it’s a problem.”
I answered as vaguely as I could. It was not a bad answer and there was nothing to be suspicious about.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll give you an opportunity. You just have to kill Brighton and burn everything he owns.”
The answer came quickly. It was clear that he had thought about it in advance.
‘Create an opportunity?’
It was a rather ominous tone. However, I focused on the condition he added at the end.
In the first place, that rascal abbot couldn’t have had much. And if we connect him to the late night prayer service…
‘There’s something in the abbot’s bible.’
The raccoon’s expression also changed after the abbot began reading the Bible.
‘What on earth did you do with the Bible…?’
Since he is a gentleman who loves the Bible so much, it would be understandable if he wrote a fan fiction about it.
Anyway, the guy who was in a hurry was thinking of doing something.
And that was likely the last piece I wanted.
“Okay. Then when?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
The surroundings collapsed as the guy’s voice, soft as a declaration, ended.
When I finally opened my eyes, I was in my room again.
‘······What about the maintenance?’
I pressed the ring on my finger and asked him, but there was no answer.
***
‘That rude Aaron! You’re really making me sleep outside on this cold day!’
The coachman Brick pulled the cloth up higher against the chilly wind.
Even if it’s a permanent resident’s guideline, how much is the beer you bought? Can’t you just sneak it in?
‘And you still remember the curse you gave me a year ago…’
He was truly a vicious man.
Brick shivered slightly.
It was fortunate that it passed without a hitch.
‘I really need to fix my drinking habits.’
To swear at Aaron! That was one of Brick’s worst drunken mistakes.
But, on a chilly day, sleeping outdoors, I couldn’t help but crave alcohol.
‘······Should I just wet my neck?’
Brick opened the canteen slightly, intending to take just a sip. The canteen was empty, but there was still a sip left.
Brick wiggled his butt at what little he had left.
The moment I take a moment to meditate and drink it-.
A group of people appeared approaching.
Brick looked at them, squinting.
They were wrapped in cloth, and there was no carriage anywhere to be seen. Nor were they carrying any luggage in their hands.
He was just wearing a rag-like cloth.
‘Ah, those are the people I saw earlier.’
The sight reminded Brick of those he had encountered when he came to Cassadic.
They were hovering around Cassidy for some reason, and Brick avoided them because the atmosphere was suspicious.
But as I watched them approach, it seemed like their destination was Cassady.
‘Tsk tsk, I guess you haven’t heard the news. You idiots.’
Brick clicked his tongue as he pulled the rag up further and covered it.
It would be natural to check through rumors before moving in such large quantities···.
‘Are they the ones who escaped from the Castle of Byzant?’
Judging from their behavior, it seemed that way. I heard that there were quite a few people who fled when the territory war broke out on the Byzant side, and it seemed like they were from that side.
However, there were more of them than I had seen on my way here.
They approached him, muttering something, and Brick gathered up his cloth and distanced himself from the strangely ominous atmosphere.
The series of swarms stopped a short distance from the front of the city gate.
They kept mumbling something, ominous, like some kind of spell.
“What’s that over there! It’s not falling?!”
As dozens of people covered in cloth stood in front of the gate, a guard shouted from above.
It was Sling and Ferring who had greeted Brick earlier.
Then, one of the crowd came forward.
The wind blew and the cloth covering her face fell behind her. She was an ordinary-looking woman. However, her expression was strange.
An expression exactly like that of a death row inmate about to be executed. Just looking at it gave me goosebumps.
“Hey! Get off me! There’s a lockdown, so you can’t enter the castle right now!”
The guard shouted even louder.
Brick heard the woman muttering.
“······It will rise again.”
A murmur filled with tears. The woman took a step forward, and the guard above shot an arrow.
The arrow pierced the woman’s shoulder and came out from behind. Blood spurted out from behind the woman. The woman’s sobs grew louder.
“Next time, it’s the neck! Get back! You little punk!”
Brick thought the guards were nicer than he thought. Normally, they would have blown his head off the moment he didn’t respond.
However, that thought completely flew away the next moment.
“again···!!”
Kwaaaaang!
The woman exploded. The heat and wind spread in an instant.
Brick fell backwards.
My head was pounding. The world seemed upside down. There was something on Brick’s cheek.
Brick, who had fallen, brushed him off with his fingers, which were thickly stained with black blood.
““I will rise again!!””
People began to scream loudly, as if possessed by evil or maddened by something. Brick’s lower body twitched as he experienced the madness in their voices for the first time.
One more came out of the crowd.
He had a young face, he was a child.
Brick instinctively crouched.
Kwaaaaaaaang-!!
How could something like this happen?
“My daughter again···.”
Next was the old man.
The old man was laughing.
Kwaaaaaaaang-!!
The gates shook as explosions occurred one after another.
My legs were so weak that I couldn’t even run away.
Brick just crouched and trembled.
After some time had passed, the loud noise died down.
Brick raised his head cautiously.
There was no one where the crowd had been.
Brick couldn’t tell what was happening or if he was dreaming.
The black blood and flesh scattered on the floor simply emphasized that what had just happened was not a dream.
at that time.
“Well, let me ask you something.”
A thick voice was heard from the side.
“What is the name of this castle?”
That was a really stupid question.
The distance between the castles is at least half a day’s ride on horseback, so what are these castles?
I was so dumbfounded by the stupid question that I raised my head and saw a huge old man.
It was just like Aaron looking old.
“······This is Cassidy.”
Brick replied blankly.
“Cathedral···, thank you.”
The knight hunter hummed a tune as he entered through the wide open gate.
