episode_0211

***

“Saint!”

Maria pretended to know the people on the other side with a bright voice.

The eyes of the two men and women turned to her voice.

Maria crossed the hallway at a brisk pace.

Maria felt like her head was spinning as she saw the heterogeneous combination of the saint and the lumen.

“Ah, Sister Maria.”

The first to react was Lumen.

In Lumen’s sunken eyes, Maria was reflected, unable to hide her embarrassed expression.

“Chief judge.”

As if an explanation was needed, Maria looked back and forth between the saint and Lumen.

“I had something to discuss with you. It’s also related to Sister Maria, so let’s go in and talk about it.”

Suddenly, I had a bad feeling.

Mary instinctively looked at the saint’s face.

The saint was looking at the tree outside the window that was shaking with its bare branches.

Saint and Lumen passed Maria and headed into the room.

Maria, who was standing blankly, took stock of the situation and followed after them.

So Maria returned to the room again.

Maria, who followed behind, was the last to close the door.

“Sister Maria.”

Her name came out of Lumen’s mouth.

The bad premonition I just felt ran down my spine, giving me an eerie feeling.

“From now on, Sister Maria’s position is again that of Inquisitor.”

“…Yes?”

Maria’s eyes widen as she asks what this means.

Lumen, who faced her green eyes directly, looked at her without moving an inch.

“It is something decided by the Holy Spirit.”

Lumen turned slightly to get out of the way, and only then did the saint’s figure enter Maria’s field of vision.

The saint turned his back and quietly looked at the scenery outside the window.

“What is that….”

I feel like my heart is sinking. Maria couldn’t understand the current situation at all.

She looks around the room.

I prepared water for him in case he was thirsty.

The towel that I used to wipe his body with every day, out of fear that he would get sweaty.

Finely ground medicine for him.

A cot brought to check his condition at all times.

She had confidence in worshiping saints no matter who came from the church.

I am confident that I understood the saint’s feelings well and helped him to avoid discomfort.

That’s why I don’t understand.

So who will take my empty seat?

“Then, who will accompany the saint…”

“Not decided yet. However, I think I will hold the concurrent position until an appropriate number of people are hired.”

The lumen came back between the saint and Mary, and the saint’s appearance looking out the window was obscured by the lumen.

Maria lifted her head slightly and continued to look at the back of the saint.

“But the Chief Judge…”

When I asked, ‘Aren’t you busy?’, I thought the answer would have already been decided.

“I… why did this happen…”

Mary’s eyes continued to turn to the saint.

She was screaming.

I was screaming that I wanted to hear an explanation from your mouth, not Lumen’s, about why I had to leave your side.

Maria was devastated by the overnight change in attitude.

“Seo, saint.”

Maria called him.

But what comes back to her is turning away.

“Sister Maria. Let’s go out first.”

Lumen approached, turned her body and pushed her slowly.

Even as she was pushed away by the Chief Judge, Mary did not take her eyes off the saint.

***

Lumen and Maria left the room and remained silent due to the awkward atmosphere.

The two walked down the hallway without saying anything. I don’t know where the final stop was, but Maria silently followed Lumen.

The place where the steps stopped was Maria’s room.

“Sister Maria.”

Standing in front of the door, Lumen called out to her.

“You said this before, right? ‘The Holy Son will help with stagnant faith.’”

“…….”

Maria didn’t answer. Despite that profane response, Lumen continued to speak steadfastly.

“Think about those words carefully.”

Lumen laughed softly.

Maria glared at her superior, who was making no sense, then opened the door and entered the room.

Two priests face each other across the door.

“Your body will be exhausted from nursing, so please start your daily routine tomorrow. It will be your first time working as an Inquisitor for a long time, but I think you will get used to it quickly.”

– Bang

The door closed in Lumen’s face.

Lumen’s eyes widened at that loud noise, and then he sighed.

“Well… it’s difficult.”

It was a complaint of exhaustion.

***

After recovering, In-ho suggested that the Pope have dinner that day.

The Pope was puzzled by the sudden request for a meal, but since he also had something to say, he broke his previous promise and arranged a table.

The Pope and In-ho, a meal for two.

A war of nerves with knives and forks began.

“I woke up in a hospital bed today, but I don’t know if I can eat too much.”

The Pope said while cutting the meat with a relaxed expression.

These were the first words spoken by the Pope, who had been quiet since the meal began.

“Aren’t we supposed to be worried about each other? Wouldn’t it be more convenient without me?”

The Pope laughed heartily at the blunt answer.

“No, I feel more comfortable when there is someone called a ‘saint.’ Thanks to you, the church’s income… I made a mistake with my words. Because donations have increased. I think it would be good to think of it as a kind of symbiotic relationship. I make money, and you live a supported life.”

The Pope was still smiling.

“Anyway, you must not be very happy to see my face, so I’m curious as to why you suggested a meal.”

“I have something to check.”

“Is it about Antonio?”

Suddenly, the old Pope’s eyes turned to In-ho.

“Just in case, I already knew.”

“All news about those entering and leaving the church comes to me. Especially in the case of suspicious messengers.”

The Pope lifted the glass between his thumb and index finger, twirled it around, and took a sip of wine.

“I’m glad there’s less need to explain things. I didn’t think the Pope would know Antonio’s name.”

“Actually, I didn’t know. I found out thanks to the information I got from interrogating the messenger.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t know about Antonio before then? That he was dismissed for blasphemy?”

Inho did not hide his astonished expression.

“There is only one reason for the dismissal of an apprentice priest or an apprentice nun. That’s up to the educational institution to take care of. Every year.”

The Pope spoke as if explaining a farmer sowing seeds and harvesting.

“Finally, because I asked a question to the saint, I was dismissed for that reason, not because I had any particular relationship with the saint.”

Inho’s face hardened even more at the Pope’s explanation.

“Then for what reason was he dismissed?”

Inho couldn’t believe that he had nothing to do with Antonio becoming like that.

“That child… All apprentice priests who were dismissed had the same thing in common.”

The Pope said as he set down his glass of wine.

“I have too much curiosity.”

The Pope shrugged.

Inho had the urge to punch that frowning face.

Either way, the Pope continued his explanation.

“Those who question the Word and raise objections to doctrine are those who will bring chaos to the order of the denomination. So, you have to erase it before the sprouts grow. That’s it.”

“Is that all?”

Inho muttered the Pope’s last words.

“That’s right. So it would be better for you not to be curious.”

The Pope wiped the juice from his chin with his hand.

“Ah, the harvest festival is coming soon. This is Solarium’s biggest event, so this time you will have to host the service yourself.”

“…I see.”

“I will decide the words to be used in worship. Please bring paper and pen to your next meal. Because you have to write it down in your own words as I call you.”

Inho nodded slightly, and the Pope cut the remaining meat with a satisfied expression.

“By the way, why do you want to change the number of people involved?”

The Pope, who was putting the last piece in his mouth, spoke as if something suddenly occurred to him.

“Sister Maria?”

“Please don’t say that our relationship has worsened. There is no excuse more absurd than that.”

“It’s no big deal.”

Inho replied indifferently as he cut the meat with a knife.

He put a small piece in his mouth and cleaned his mouth with a napkin.

Inho answered, throwing the napkin covered in sauce and gravy on the table.

“I’m not very curious.”