149
Chapter Five
‘······What on earth is going on out there?’
Brighton frowned as he looked at the articles scattered before him.
I wondered how the knights could be treated so horribly, but I was more curious as to why the man who brought these knights, who were no better than corpses, was smiling so brightly.
The mean-looking man who brought the articles was grinning as if he had found gold.
“Is this something I can glue together if I bring the pieces?”
Brighton watched the mean-looking man’s waist sway from side to side for a moment, then hurriedly drew up his divine powers at the groan he heard from below.
First of all, the injured people came first.
‘It’s really cut cleanly.’
Even Brighton, which has seen quite a few injuries, has never seen such a clean cut.
‘Did you use Aura?’
Judging from the fact that all three had the same wounds, it seemed like they had been attacked by one person. What kind of person would fight three knights?
It was clear that the opponent was also a knight.
The only opponents of knights were other knights.
Brighton stopped thinking and unleashed his divine powers.
The dark basement suddenly became bright.
However, the brightness was much brighter than usual, and a question arose in Brighton’s eyes.
‘The divine power has increased? No, it hasn’t increased······. Something has changed.’
Not only did the brightness of the light change, but the speed of healing also increased.
Of course, it was also thanks to the extremely clean cross-section, but even considering that, it was faster than usual.
······Divine power suddenly increased.
Brighton’s gaze briefly turned to a thick book placed in the corner.
It’s just a thick book that can’t be called the Bible yet.
Brighton had a lot of random thoughts running through his head, but he tried to put them aside and focus on his treatment.
Although the divine power was stronger than before, the patients’ condition was not very good.
Brighton forgot to blink and continued to recite the prayer, concentrating on the use of divine power. Sweat dripped down his thick nose.
Brighton’s concentration was extraordinary. He was a man who could concentrate completely on the Bible even in a noisy market.
However, there was one thing that scratched Brighton’s concentration.
“The one who saved you was Dylan, the deputy leader of the 4th Division of the Outer Wall Guard. The one who saved you was······.”
A squatting, mean-looking man kept crouching and chanting into the knights’ ears.
Although the involuntary action was somewhat irritating, Brighton ignored it and continued praying because treatment was the priority.
After the female knight was treated, it was the bearded knight’s turn.
The sight of the severed leg being reattached was a miracle that could only be explained as the power of God.
However, the wound on his abdomen was the problem.
‘···The armor went inward.’
A cut breastplate dug into the rough scar on his abdomen.
He had to remove his breastplate to treat it, but it was taboo.
To the knights, and to the sect that treated him.
As Brighton hesitated for a moment, the mean-looking man named Dylan, who was still muttering, raised his head.
“Is there a problem? At least one of them has to die…”
“No, that’s not it. I need to take off the breastplate to treat it, but the opponent is a knight…”
Before Brighton could finish speaking, Dylan tapped and took off the opponent’s chest armor.
Brighton was horrified and tried to stop him, but the breastplate had already been removed to the side.
And the revealed appearance was···.
“Was this a woman?”
Brighton chuckled at Dylan’s words.
“No, isn’t this a heart protector?”
Brighton was busy moving his hands, thinking that since he had already done it, he should quickly heal it and put it back on.
Dylan crouched down again and began muttering, which soon merged into the Brighton prayer.
Because the injury was serious, treatment took a long time.
After he finished, Brighton’s monks’ robes were all soaked with sweat.
He wiped the sweat from his face, expressing gratitude that the treatment had gone well.
As Brighton rose from his knees after a short prayer, the stunned knights began to chant ‘Dylan’ in their sleep.
“It’s over. His grace was with me, and it was very effective. Of course, there will be some aftereffects, but I will be able to move as before.”
Brighton said, still crouching beside the knight as he watched Dylan recite the spell.
“Oh, is it because the meticulous Dylan, the 4th Lieutenant of the Outer Guard, brought everything without missing a single one?”
It was true, but I couldn’t help but feel reluctant to agree with his mean-looking face and strangely irritating tone of voice.
Brighton nodded, holding back his gaze.
As Dylan said, if I had been just a little bit later, I could have become crippled.
However, he didn’t necessarily mention him because of his squeaky butt.
Brighton checked the articles again and got up, picking up the thick book.
Then, the purple-haired girl who had been quietly standing next to him blocked his path.
The tightly shut lips and discontented face strangely resembled Aaron.
“I can’t go. Aaron said I shouldn’t go.”
It was a story I had heard several times since I came to my senses.
Brighton was frustrated with the same answer.
“Even the knights are suffering from such calamity. Can’t you see how dire the situation outside is? This is not the time for me to be here like this.”
“Aaron told me not to send him out.”
However, the answer I got back was the same.
The answer was so solid, it was like a monk reciting the Bible.
“Oh, it won’t be a problem. They just stabbed each other.”
Brighton sighed and nodded at Dylan’s words as he carried the articles around.
Even though Aaron was ignorant, he was not a man who moved without thinking.
There must have been a reason for doing this.
If I needed you, I would have called you.
‘This is the fifth worship.’
Brighton nodded in agreement.
No, even five times wasn’t enough.
At that moment, the face of a child named Kanna, who had a strangely sharp point, appeared.
The little boy was glaring as if he was imitating the guard, and it was quite cute.
‘Children love the Bible.’
Brighton opened the Bible in front of him and read slowly, recalling memories from his early childhood.
***
The old man stood in front of the tattered piece of meat, breathing heavily.
The old man let out a long, strange gasp, a mixture of laughter and tears, and raised his left arm.
There was an empty space where the arm should have been.
And the cross-section was engraved with large teeth marks, as if a monster had bitten it.
The old man looked down at him and burst into mad laughter.
Tearing off his own hand and eating it! What a fool he is!
The old man, who had burst into laughter with a mixture of satisfaction and regret, shook his head with a hardened expression.
This wasn’t enough.
The old man examined the fallen man.
The bastard’s hideous hide had been completely torn off. Covered in black blood like a plucked chicken, he was gasping for breath.
The face was familiar. The old man recalled his memories, hazy as if shrouded in fog.
It might have been easy for someone else to come up with it, but it took quite a while for the old man.
‘It was him.’
The guy who arrogantly stole swordsmanship in front of me.
What a coincidence! It was a prophecy after all.
The old man laughed out loud for the first time in a long while, then his mouth fell open and he spit flew out.
Meanwhile, the old man’s hand had grown back again. The old man scratched his wrinkle-free hand.
The old man ended his long agony.
The old man knew better than anyone else that the bastard was lacking something.
However, I also thought that maybe I had grown weaker over time, and that I should just eat now and find peace.
‘I wasn’t just waiting for this.’
I was sure he would become the king of demons, but I didn’t think he would give in easily.
When the old man becomes convinced that he is worthy of being the king of demons and can truly bring down the empire, he will struggle and be eaten.
There is nothing less nutritious than docile prey.
There was no need to rush. The prophecy was inevitable.
If the guy wasn’t ready, it meant the old man wasn’t ready either.
Since the child is weak, it seemed that I should gain more weight than I did now to prepare for him.
“Yeah, I guess I should eat fancy food, not junk food.”
The old man looked up at the sky.
The dark curtain gradually lifted and the rising sun was visible.
The old man looked down at him for a moment, then suppressed his rising weakness and walked in the opposite direction from where the sun was rising.
As the old man disappeared, a woman came running in.
The woman passed by in horror between the piles of demon corpses.
I jumped up and down, and each time I did, I went up high and then came back down.
“···Aaron? Aaron!”
Vivian finally arrived in front of the man covered in black blood and looked down at him with her transparent eyes.
Then, she looked at Aaron’s chest and trembled.
“Quick! Get in!”
Vivian frowned at the sound of men shouting from afar, then hugged Aaron and disappeared in the opposite direction of the sound.
“······It’s heavy!”
Vivian’s whimpers dispersed through the dawn air.
***
‘This fucking place has no time to rest.’
I clicked my tongue as I looked at my acquaintances coming out to greet me.
Just a moment ago I was fighting demons, but this time, familiar faces were running towards me, full of joy.
I habitually reached for my sword, but my hands were empty.
I had no choice but to do it manually.
‘I’m tired.’
I looked at the woman at the front and smiled bitterly.
I opened my hands wide in weary disillusionment at the feeling that the only emotion that came to mind when I saw her was fatigue.
“Yeah, nice to meet you too.”
As always, it was Udra who was first.
***
‘······What should I do?!’
Vivian stamped her feet as she looked at the unconscious Aaron.
I packed it in a hurry, but I couldn’t decide what to do with it.
Aaron was practically naked, his armor completely torn off, and he was covered in serious scars.
In some places, pus was running from the burns, and in other places, hideous bite marks, as if from an animal, were carved through which bone was visible.
Above it was covered with dark bruises, as if he had been hit with a club.
It was surprising how the human body could be like this, and how it was still alive.
I think I need to get treatment, but the problem is the weird thing on my chest.
Aaron’s chest was covered with a black shell of a kind he had never seen before, and something hideous was peeking out from underneath it.
The hideous thing filled her left breast and up to her belly button.
‘······The devil’s handprint.’
There was no way I could show that to the priest.
As he was just stomping his feet like that, Aaron let out a small breath.
Then suddenly the wounds began to heal.
Wounds heal automatically in real time?!
It was an unbelievable speed, even compared to the treatment I had seen from a priest before.
Vivian’s eyes widened at the unrealistic sight.
The torn flesh healed on its own and the blood stopped flowing.
There was a horrible sound of bones being set in place. It was so gruesome that Vivian flinched when she heard it.
The burn marks disappeared in real time, like wiping away spilled water.
Although the recovery was incredible, it took quite a while because the condition was so serious.
Vivian, slightly relieved, squatted down in front of him and stroked Aaron’s forehead.
It was something her mother used to do for Vivian when she was sick, and it made her feel calm and at ease.
Looking at Aaron’s distorted face, Vivian felt that it was not working, so she stroked it with both hands. Then Aaron’s face crumpled and then straightened.
After a while, the wound completely healed.
As Vivian, who had been stroking Aaron diligently, felt a small sense of relief, not only was the scars healed, but the numerous scars carved all over Aaron’s body also began to fade.
Aaron’s body and face were covered in many scars, but they all disappeared at the same time, as if someone had erased them.
Vivian’s eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise.
‘······Are you handsome?!’
When the scars completely disappeared, the face that had been covered was revealed, and it was truly a handsome face.
It gave off a strange feeling because it had the innocence of a boy, but also the intensity of a wounded animal.
Vivian looked at him with wide eyes.
“······Wood.”
At that moment, Aaron muttered a name, like a soft scream.
Then the scars began to appear, like ink spreading across paper.
The ugly scars that had barely faded away resurfaced here and there like a skin disease.
Vivian felt like the brand of slavery she had read about in books.
Vivian felt a strange sense of regret as her face was covered in scars again.
Still, Vivian clapped her hands in joy at Aaron’s improved condition.
Beep-! Beep-!
At that moment, a whistle was heard outside.
It was clear that he was looking for himself.
Everyone must have been unable to sleep due to the chaos that occurred in the middle of the night, and it seemed like they were having a hard time finding themselves.
‘Because this is a place where no one knows!’
Vivian, who was looking at Aaron, nodded her head vigorously and took out handkerchiefs from her bosom one by one.
Vivian hesitated for a moment while holding the handkerchief, then closed her eyes tightly and held it out to him.
***
‘Where on earth are the knights······.’
Pulpouts pressed his temples. Pressing hard.
Even though my headache didn’t go away, I felt like my head would explode if I didn’t do this.
“Cardinal Gobert has been revealed to be the Arch-Demon, the Prince of Heresy. He suddenly revealed his true colors, and I and Inquisitor Joanna······ dealt with him.”
There was a strangely long, drawn-out voice in the middle, and although his face couldn’t be seen because he was wearing a helmet, it was clear that there was something there.
Fullfoot’s head turned quickly.
Suddenly, a cardinal using what seemed to be black magic on the temple knights and Aaron wearing a strange helmet and laughing.
What bothers me the most is that Aaron started off with a smile, but the story that just came out of the temple knight’s mouth was very heavy.
“So, Cardinal Gobert… no, are you saying that he was the Great Devil?”
Now I understand why the Johelia Temple Knight sent everyone else away.
‘You’re thinking of hiding it.’
It was also a natural judgment. If the rumor that the Cardinal was the Great Devil spread, it would certainly be unstoppable.
The prestige of the religious order would fall to the ground, and it was clear that other nobles and the imperial family would have an excuse to keep the religious order in check.
He was sure to shake the entire continent.
Of course, Fullfoot didn’t want Cassidy to be at the center of such a huge undertaking.
“Yes, this is the work of the church. Any damage that occurred here will be appropriately compensated by the church.”
A cold voice that seemed to be blocked by the helmet. Pulpouts habitually wiped his throat.
The damages suffered by Cassidy will be so great that the compensation will be incomparable.
Since it was Pulpouts who had seen the Cardinal’s strange power, it seemed like he had found it right away without any repairs, even in such a tattered state.
‘The church is in ruins…’
The most dangerous part was the physical gag on the part of the religious order.
Of course, no matter how great the religious order was, there was no way they could just arbitrarily push aside the imperial castle.
However, it was clear that there would be plenty of excuses to push him away.
‘Declare it a heresy.’
It was something that could have happened.
“If the church tries to silence me···.”
“······I swear to him, that won’t happen.”
After a brief silence came the answer. The silence was oddly jarring, but if the Knight of the Temple had put on his shoes, it was a rather effective device.
Of course, it wasn’t something I could completely trust or feel at ease with.
However, for now, I had no choice but to trust him and accept him. I had to set up another device separately from him.
“······May the sun shine upon you.”
The temple knight stepped back after reciting a short prayer.
After the knight of the temple left, Pulpouts looked out the window for a moment.
There was a large, hollowed-out view of the Cassidy.
‘The reward of the sect that the Knight of the Temple promised······.’
I had no idea what the reward would be.
As if the god of luck was possessed, someone kept forcefully feeding me good things.
Fullfoot wanted to say that he was full, but he couldn’t protest because there was no one to say it to.
He just kept pressing his temples.
***
I woke up with a start, breathing heavily.
Then, I came to my senses with a sharp pain that felt like my whole body was being torn apart.
“Ugh······.”
I crouched down for a moment and groaned at the intense pain I felt all over my body.
It was to the point where tears welled up in my eyes.
After a while, the pain gradually subsided.
Maybe it’s just getting used to it, but it’s gotten to the point where accidents keep happening.
As the pain subsided, memories began to come back here and there, like the day after a heavy drinking session.
‘I became a devil.’
You even ended up becoming a devil.
I still have no idea what will come next.
I struggled to remember what happened after I became a demon.
My memories of when I was a demon were very blurry.
It looks like you were eating and drinking something hard…
‘Was there anything to eat there?’
I shook my head as I thought deeply and the memory of raw beef suddenly came to mind.
I thought it would be better not to think about it.
Fortunately, though, the important memories were intact.
‘I ate the fourth one.’
I was patting my stomach for no reason when I realized I was naked.
There was a cloth covering the top, but there was nothing underneath.
He hurriedly examined the area where the handprint was, and found it neatly covered with a familiar handkerchief.
A handkerchief draped over the chest.
It was a pretty familiar situation.
‘Park’s head.’
I put the handkerchief away.
The handprint had been covered with a shell, but the area underneath the handprint had widened and was sticking out.
When I saw him, old memories naturally came to mind.
‘You fed me devil candy.’
The devil’s candy that fed him and the handkerchief that covered his handprint.
The connection between the two was clear.
‘···You know I’m a devil.’
I looked around, clicking my tongue at the rough taste.
It was a damp, dark place, strangely familiar, but I couldn’t remember exactly where.
As it eroded, my armor was completely torn off, and it seemed like Park Dae-ga-ri was hiding me.
I don’t know if it was because he was simply kind, or because he was grateful for saving me, or because he was too stupid to know what the devil’s handprint was, but I felt an unbearable sense of unease.
I thought that if it was Park Daegari, it might be the third time. No, I hoped that was the case.
I think it would be really awkward if I killed Park Daegari.
As I was about to get up after thinking about it, I felt something strange underneath me. When I lowered my head, I saw handkerchiefs covering my private parts.
‘Why five chapters···.’
I tied up the cloth that had been placed over me to cover my lower body and tied together handkerchiefs to cover my chest.
It was a very good primitive costume, but the fact that it was tied with ribbons showed modern knowledge.
The aftereffects were so strong that my body staggered the moment I woke up.
I roughly grabbed each leg and it started moving.
At that moment, I heard the sound of someone talking.
“The church collected everything···.”
I finally realized where I was when I heard a familiar, low voice.
Rattling.
The door opened roughly and what came in was···.
“···Huh? Why are you here?”
It was the executioner Dalus.
This was the execution waiting room.
‘···Why am I in the execution chamber?’
My head was spinning with a headache.
‘Did the Devil’s Handprint get caught? Park’s head and mini lungs, lungs. To whom?’
The worst-case scenario came to mind as a habit. But I quickly examined Dalus’s weapons. It was an inevitable occupational disease of a fugitive.
“Is it finally time to keep my promise?”
Dalus smiled coolly.
At that smile, I thought about how to knock Dalus unconscious and the shortest route from the execution site to the gates of Cassidy.
“What are you doing there? Let’s get out quickly… Captain?”
Berman, who had followed me in, opened his eyes wide as he looked at me.
“What are you doing here? There’s chaos outside right now, with people looking for the foreman.”
I felt a small sense of relief when I realized that I had not been caught by Berman’s friendly reaction.
“Now, don’t worry. My execution skills are the best of all the Cassadics.”
Dalus, who didn’t smile but only raised the corners of his mouth, took off his coat and handed it to me.
It was only then that I realized that what Dalus had just said was a joke.
It occurred to me that perhaps the reason Dalus had no friends was not because he was an executioner, but because of his bizarre humor.
“It’s small.”
“In that case, I say thank you.”
I clicked my tongue and wrapped my arms around the coat Dalus offered me.
Unfortunately, it seemed like he survived again.
“You’ve been here for two days? Everyone is out looking for the foreman…”
From Berman’s tone of voice, it seemed as though he had not yet realized that I was the devil.
If that had been known, I wouldn’t have been able to ask in such a calm tone.
“Raccoon… no, Cardinal?”
Even though I knew him, I habitually checked the sword hanging from Berman’s waist and asked.
“Oh, we were attacked by pagans. The pagans were worse than I had heard, the whole area was completely destroyed. It’s a good thing we evacuated everyone. Otherwise, something terrible could have happened.”
Berman answered with a frown as if he was annoyed.
‘You hid it.’
It was worth it. If it was revealed that the cardinal-level guy was the Devil Candy, there would be a huge backlash.
It wasn’t a bad turn of events for me either. I got to eat the Raccoon’s Devil Candy as I wanted, and the outcome turned out differently, so it couldn’t have been better.
“So all the heretic inquisitors and priests around there died. They say the only survivor was the Knight of the Temple… But at that time, there was a strange black curtain hanging down. So even the guards couldn’t enter. Can the heretics do something like that?”
Berman reported the incident in detail at that time.
I thought of Choco. The last time I saw him, he was being hit by a demon and flying away, but he was tough, so he should be fine. If he had died, Berman would have been the first to mention him.
Since it was a matter involving a cardinal, it seemed like the Knights Templar had to step in and somehow handle it.
‘They’ve put the blame on the pagans.’
However, it was strange that there was no talk about me at all.
It would be more accurate to say that it wasn’t an explosion by the pagans, but rather a demon from the pagan side, but it was strange that it was specifically said to have been an explosion.
There was no reason for the church to hide the story about the devil.
However, because my memory was blurry, I couldn’t make a proper judgment.
‘······You don’t remember it properly either?’
Of course, it was a clumsy assumption.
“Oh, I heard that the Abbot of Brighton has disappeared too. Do you know anything about it?”
Berman’s question broke my thoughts.
‘Why did that gentleman disappear… Ah.’
Suddenly, I remembered what I had told Kanna and Hanna to keep in good condition so they wouldn’t run away.
I said this with the intention of wrapping it up roughly and taking it out, because I didn’t know it would take this long.
‘···It’s been two days already.’
I borrowed Berman’s shoes for a moment and hurriedly headed to the bar.
“You have to return it······.”
Berman’s plaintive voice was heard from behind.
***
“This is kidnapping. This is confinement.”
The abbot looked at me with a stern face and rebuked me.
The abbot was right, but the complexion of his face was incomparably better than when he was in the synagogue.
Plus the stains on the white clothes.
“······Have you eaten pickled garlic?”
At my question, the abbot coughed loudly and stood up.
“What a smart child.”
The abbot said, looking at the canna attached to my leg.
“······I hate the Bible.”
Kanna, who had never once complained while listening to Kuabarou’s education, whined softly.
“Let’s go.”
I said, pulling Kanna away.
I was tired, but I still had a lot of work to do.
As I watched the abbot rise, I stroked the hilt of the sword I had retrieved on the way back.
The texture was particularly cool.
“Oh, and this is worship number six.”
However, my face crumpled at the strangely excited voice of the abbot heard from behind.
“No, it’s just kidnapping and confinement, isn’t six times too much?”
The abbot, who had been momentarily surprised by my protest, shook his head.
“It’s the sixth time.”
The voice was truly resolute.
***
“······Suddenly the top! Are you in your right mind! You wouldn’t stay still at the top of Gyarrot!”
Joe Anderson, the leader of the Cool Daggers, roared.
It was Joe Anderson who had been grumbling and following Dante… Danso… no, anyway, whatever he did.
However, this time the opponent was wrong.
What a place the top of Gyarrot is!
This is where the Countess Bonita is located in the back.
Even though Viscount Bonita was currently preoccupied with the territorial war, the influence of the Garrote Merchant in the eastern end of Cassadic was enormous.
And the reason they were able to have such influence was because of the behavior of those who would trample on even the slightest hint of superiority.
He was even more violent than those who were called thugs, but they were not subject to any restraint, not only by Viscount Bonita but also by the fact that they had connections here and there.
No, rather, the person was fined or arrested.
The Gyarrot upper class is wide open with both eyes wide open, and he helps the new upper class that suddenly appeared!
“Joe Anderson.”
Joe Anderson narrowed his eyes at the soft voice.
He was sitting in the highest position.
The monsters seen behind it.
‘How can that be a person of the upper ranks!’
Joe Anderson had a gut feeling that something was going on somewhere he didn’t know about.
I was afraid of the aura the monsters gave off, but I knew that if I stayed still, everything would be taken away.
“Dante! Tell me! How do you plan to deal with the Gyarrot Merchant? We unified Karzan, but it’s true that there was a lot of bloodshed in the process! And behind the Gyarrot Merchant Merchant, there’s also Viscount Bonita…”
At that moment, Dante raised his hand.
Joe Anderson just stared at him with his mouth shut.
‘···Yeah, he’s a smart guy, so he must have some ideas.’
In any case, it was Dante who united Karzan.
It was clear that the bastard had a plan.
I will explain to you the clever and extraordinary plan that has led them so far.
After a silence, Dante opened his mouth.
Everyone watching below focused on him.
No one was saying anything, but everyone was afraid of the top of the gyro, like Joe Anderson.
“We have Him. We have nothing to fear.”
But contrary to everyone’s expectations, the words that came out of Dante’s mouth sounded just like a prayer that a monk would recite. And a very devout monk at that.
A look of bewilderment appeared on everyone’s faces at the unplanned testimony.
Joe Anderson, who was about to say something in protest, closed his mouth at the chilling gaze of the monster standing behind Dante.
