episode_0213

***

The day of the harvest festival.

Maria, who was preparing to attend the harvest festival, received a call from Lumen.

Although she was reluctant, she could not ignore her superior’s call.

“What’s going on?”

When Maria spoke in a voice full of dissatisfaction, Lumen chuckled.

Maria’s stomach twisted as it seemed like even that laughter was laughing at her.

She had seen Lumen accompanying the saint from afar.

The other day, I saw Lumen holding the saint’s hand and comforting him in a deserted place.

Maria wanted to intervene in that blasphemous situation right away and swing the great sword, but

I was worried that I might incur the saint’s hatred again, so I was able to endure it by gritting my teeth.

“Please go down to Solcio Village like this and bring the items to the family at this address.”

Lumen treated Maria steadfastly, as if showing his qualifications for the position.

“Where are you?”

It was a strangely familiar address.

Lumen didn’t answer Maria’s question, but took out a bag of money from his desk drawer.

“Please go to the market, buy food and daily necessities and deliver them.”

Lumen said soothingly.

“Why should I do it?”

Maria asked, dumbfounded.

“I am not giving instructions. This is what the Holy One instructs.”

Lumen shrugged.

At the words of the saint’s instructions, a faint light returned to Mary’s lifeless eyes.

“Seo, are you a saint?”

“Yes, Sister Maria. He said he really wanted Sister Maria to do this.”

“…….”

Maria looked at the money bag and snatched it up.

The money bag was as heavy as it looked.

Perhaps because she was embarrassed that she had openly laughed in front of her, Maria tried to leave the room without saying goodbye.

“Sister Maria.”

Lumen called Maria out and stopped her.

“…Yes.”

“Have a nice trip.”

Lumen spoke as if he were dealing with a child sending him on an errand.

***

Maria rode down to Solchio Village on horseback and bought basic food and daily necessities at the market.

Then, I slowly drove the horse to the house written on the note.

The address was unfamiliar to her, so she asked a passerby for the location.

The passer-by politely answered the cult’s heresy inquisitor, ‘After the bridge, on the second floor of the fourth house.’

It was only after Maria knocked on the door that she realized that she had come to Antonio’s house.

Antonio’s mother was surprised for a moment to see her as an Inquisitor, but then smiled brightly at the food in her hand.

Maria was invited home, and she entered the old house feeling a bit dazed.

She handed over the remaining money, which Antonio’s mother gratefully accepted.

From the outside, it looked like an old house that was falling down, but the inside was quite noticeable as it had been recently renovated.

“Huh? She’s a nun with big breasts!”

Antonio, who showed his face at the guest’s visit, welcomed her warmly.

After taking off his priestly clothes, Antonio showed the innocence and cheerfulness of a child at that age.

“Are you here today on behalf of the saint?”

Antonio chattered as he circled around Maria.

“On behalf of the saint?”

“Yes! The saint came to my house every night and played with me.”

“I didn’t know because I was away from the saint these days.”

Because she lived away from the saint, she did not know what he was doing.

Maria smiled bitterly.

“Wow! Have you been away for a long time?”

“Well… not for long.”

In my mind, it felt like an eternity.

“I guess you still want to see it. The saint also said he wanted to see the nun.”

“What?”

Maria’s eyes brightened.

“When the saint comes, he tells me various stories. Then there were times when he would talk about the nun.”

Antonio tilted his head at the strong reaction and added.

“Well, what did you say?”

“Sometimes he is tactless, but he is kind and sincere. And again…”

As Antonio continued his explanation, the corners of Maria’s mouth gradually rose.

“What else didn’t the saint say? Maybe I’m not good enough…”

Antonio, who had been listing Maria’s strengths for a while, pulled his lower lip up and thought deeply about something.

“You said it would be good if you were curious.”

“Curiosity?”

“Yes, curiosity. I want you to question everything.”

Maria’s thoughts deepened as she heard the puzzling words.

Only after being served tea brewed with cheap tea leaves was she able to return to the church.

As soon as she arrived at the church’s main gate, Maria was surrounded by paladins.

“What’s going on?”

When Maria asked, looking around at the large men in armor, the paladins rushed at her without answering.

“Hurry and arrest him!”

That was all I heard as my hands were bound by a rope that flew out of nowhere.

Maria, who was struggling, was hit on the head by something blunt and lost consciousness.

***

Maria got up from the bed with a gasp.

She looked around, it was her room.

The rope that bound her hands had disappeared somewhere, and Lumen was sitting next to her.

“…Where is this?”

“This is Sister Maria’s room.”

“I didn’t ask that.”

Maria responded sharply.

“So, is this what you asked? Why were you arrested?”

Restriction? She looked at her body and saw that it was not tied to anything.

“…….”

After showing positivity through silence, Lumen cleared his throat.

“Saint… No, Kang In-ho was arrested.”

Kang In-ho. The saint’s real name.

It was a name I hadn’t heard in a really long time.

“Yes?”

She asked, forgetting about her hostility toward Lumen at her foolish words.

“The harvest festival service began, and the saint… Kang In-ho made insulting remarks to everyone who attended the service.”

Lumen recited the situation without changing his expression.

“Insulting language…”

“The Pope accumulated money illegally, Bishop Gillian enjoyed sodomy and killed people to cover it up, and Garto, the leader of the Holy Knights, even forcibly took women who had husbands.”

Lumen imitated Kang In-ho’s voice and described the situation.

“…….”

Maria’s face became increasingly pale.

“He continued to insult people who attended the service and was subdued by the leader of the Holy Knights.”

Lumen delivered it in a simple way, as if reading a fairy tale.

“So… what happened?”

Maria’s hands began to tremble.

“Contrary to what he shouted from the podium, he was caught obediently. There was no resistance whatsoever.”

“And the sainthood verification ceremony was held right then and there. Because I did the exact opposite of what I had shown so far. And the result is…”

“What is the result?”

Maria swallowed.

“He did not shine his sword body. The Pope said that it was a devil imitating the image of the saint.”

– Cooung

Something huge fell into Maria’s chest.

Either way, Lumen continued talking.

“It is presumed that the devil was able to hide the saint and imitate him when he went to Madini village for relief work. So, we are planning to send someone to Madini Village to search for the saint.”

“The trial… The trial… Why…”

Maria shook her head.

“The trial is already over. He is scheduled to be executed soon.”

“Why! They didn’t even listen to my testimony as a member of the accompanying staff!’

Wow, Maria screamed.

“This is a situation where your purity is in doubt. Sister Maria.”

Lumen leaned forward and his face hardened.

Instead of Lumen, who looked tired and buried in administrative documents, the image of Inquisitor Lumen, who had interrogated thousands of criminals, was shown.

“You’ve spent a lot of time with that devil. So there are many people who think it is polluted. That’s why I locked you in this room.”

Lumen got up and headed for the door.

“After the execution, you will be investigated, so please wait here.”

The door closed and I heard the sound of the door being locked from outside.

“Wait a minute! Chief Judge!!!”

Maria jumped out of bed and clung to the door.

“You are definitely a saint. A saint! It was absolutely not the devil!”

Maria shouted to Lumen through the door.

“Why is he a saint?”

A question is heard from outside the door.

Mary remembered something she had once heard from a saint, and her body stiffened.

As she stood still, Lumen’s words came through the door again.

“Why is he a saint?”

“…….”

“The sword did not shine either.”

“His behavior did not match that of a saint.”

“The Pope said he is not a saint.”

“But why… do you call him a saint?”

“…….”

“Look at that. You have no confidence in yourself, so what are you trying to prove?”

With those words, Lumen’s footsteps faded away.

Maria buried her face in her hands, listening to the sound of footsteps echoing through the empty hallway.