episode_0125

In the Lucerne scriptures, there was a verse that said everyone in the world was a sinner.

Nowadays, no one says that phrase out loud because it is too absurd, but Siron particularly liked it.

‘Isn’t it true that there is no one who doesn’t get dust by brushing?’

next day. The time has not yet dawned.

There was someone who came first to the meeting place.

Like Siron, he was wearing a black cassock, although I don’t know if it was because of the early hour. The current situation seemed like a secret meeting between dirty criminals.

“Brother. Are you ready?”

“Of course.”

Siron made the sign of the cross and greeted Devialet.

“We were taught to destroy evil and follow the light. Since I always follow the teachings, I am always ready.”

“…Good attitude.”

Exaggerated answer.

But Devialet didn’t think it was a problem. The excessive passion characteristic of a first-time priest could have been the cause of his work going astray, but Devialet was a man who preferred a courageous fool to a coward.

“Then let’s go right away.”

“Yes.”

Siron nodded and walked behind Devialet. The two walked along the well-paved street and eventually arrived at a certain place.

Uniformed police officers surrounded a mansion as if it were a siege. Siron turned his head and looked at Devialet.

“…Did the Cardinal prepare it?”

“Is that possible?”

Devialet sighed.

“From what I heard, the Minister of Finance requested personal protection.”

“Instead of running away, I put myself under house arrest… Doesn’t this make it look like the Minister of Finance is the victim?”

“I was thinking that too.”

Devialet nodded and looked at the view of the mansion.

All the windows were boarded up with wooden boards. The appearance of preparation for a sniper attack or an assassin’s invasion confused Devialet’s thoughts.

“We will have to meet him to find out if he is truly a victim or if he is just playing it off, but it is clear that this incident is not an ordinary one.”

Devialet turned his gaze from the mansion and looked at Siron. The face of the young man clenching and unclenching his fist was one of the faces that Devialet had seen many times.

‘You were nervous.’

“Brother Siron. No strong demonic energy is felt in the mansion. So you don’t have to be so nervous.”

“…Is it obvious like that?”

“I have a lot of experience with things like this.”

Devialet patted Siron’s shoulder and headed forward. As if he had been told in advance, the person representing the officers saluted him.

“…I was waiting for you to come.”

At first glance, the officer’s complexion was not good. He didn’t know what the devil was that made him so scared, but it was good news for Siron that the boundaries of work were divided.

Since the matter was serious, Devialet and Siron were able to enter the mansion without any restrictions.

Security became tighter as you went inside.

Even though the Strasser family is a family with a long history, the mansion was filled with heavily armed knights, as if they had borrowed troops from somewhere.

However, unlike the ones who were heating up their tents so that they could fight at any time, they were unable to hide the feelings of fear that were blooming on their faces.

*

Deep inside the mansion.

Opening the thick iron door and encountering it was another unusual sight.

“Oh my friends, I’ve been waiting for you!”

Minister of Finance Strasser welcomed the group wearing only a gown.

To be honest, the middle-aged man’s face looked miserable. His face was bloodshot from being so frightened, and there were dark shadows around his eyelids, as if he hadn’t slept well for several days.

That’s not all. Shiron looked around the room and frowned.

“…What on earth is this?”

There was a huge bathtub in the middle of the room, and sacred relics containing weak divine power were piled around it.

“The water in that bathtub. Is it really holy water?”

“That’s right. I was soaking in holy water more than ten times a day just in case I got unclean.”

“It’s probably not something that’s usually expensive.”

“Do you really want to pay for your life? Money is useful only if you are alive. Only by doing this can you barely come to your senses.”

“…This makes His Excellency look like the victim.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Strasser looked at Devialet in surprise. After stroking his lips, Devialet looked around the room and spoke.

“Of course… Wasn’t the evil demon’s temple found in the basement of His Excellency’s villa instead? Then, from anyone’s perspective, wouldn’t the most likely suspect be Your Excellency?”

“Oh, no!”

After saying that, Strasser suddenly knelt down on the floor.

“I-I don’t know! I don’t even know why that horrible temple is in the basement of my villa! I am a devout believer who was baptized into the denomination from birth! Please, please save me…!”

“…If you do this, you will be in trouble. Since we have just arrived, we should listen to His Excellency’s statement instead of being suspected of heresy.”

Devialet said that and tried to help Strasser stand up, but he seemed to be in a state of panic and his legs were weak and he couldn’t stand up.

“Oh my… this is a heresy… this is a heresy.”

“…huh.”

Devialet eventually gave up trying to calm Strasser down. This was his first time in his decades of clergy life.

‘Why are there such cases? ‘It doesn’t feel like he’s in contact with the devil, but rather he desperately claims his innocence…’

“Then you can’t do it.”

Devialet shook his head and turned to Siron.

“Brother Siron. Help us prepare to move the suspect to the cathedral.”

“Okay.”

“You mean a castle or a cathedral?”

Strasser, who was grabbed by both shoulders, was startled.

“No way is he being interrogated for heresy like this…”

“Please don’t misunderstand. If you are truly innocent, you will be safer there than in this mansion. At least it would be safer to stay in the sacred fortress than to take such temporary measures.”

Devialet spoke reassuringly and placed his hand on the trembling middle-aged forehead. Hwaak – As warm light emanated from his hand, Strasser’s eyes slowly closed.

“Brother Siron. What do you think?”

“…I don’t know.”

In response to Devialet’s question, Siron lowered his eyes to the floor.

“To give you a rough idea… his eyes did not look like someone who was lying. And.”

“And?”

” As you know, Cardinal, not even the slightest magical energy can be felt in this room.”

Siron looked around the room.

“If I could get the devil’s blood, I would have pursued the truth of a fairly deep cult, but it’s just strange that I can’t feel any evil energy even though I’m this close.”

“I think so too.”

Devialet nodded towards Siron. Unlike the villa where the evil temple was located, I could only feel divine power in this room, perhaps because of the holy water.

‘I feel further and further from the truth.’

“First, let’s go to the cathedral. And I have to request the Holy Emperor to dispatch a corps of knights.”

“Okay.”

Siron lifted the heavy middle-aged bag with one hand.

*

The next day, the villa where the 1st prince resides.

Austin opened his eyes wide at the news that had been coming since dawn.

“…What does that mean? The Minister of Finance was detained?”

“That’s right. Lowering. First, look at this.”

Austin quickly scanned the paper the man handed over.

“A temple of cultists… What on earth is this?”

“I only know roughly, but it is said that a shrine belonging to a cultist was discovered in the basement of a villa owned by the Minister of Finance. For that reason, His Majesty the Emperor issued an edict and an investigation was immediately conducted, and less than two days after the incident occurred, the Minister of Finance was said to be in the cathedral.”

“…huh.”

Austin smiled helplessly at the words, which were hard to believe even after hearing them. However, although Austin was surprised, he did not feel any regret or anxiety.

I was just amazed at the unexpected side of people I was close to.

‘Minister of Finance. It didn’t look that way.’

The Minister of Finance has been known to attend church services not only on weekends but also in the early morning on weekdays. If you look at it closely, it has a fanatical side that may seem excessive.

‘…Does everyone have secrets?’

Austin felt complicated as he felt like he was digging into the secrets of a confidant that he shouldn’t know.

Since he himself had dabbled in the evil practice of witchcraft, he expected that there were people other than himself who were involved in heresy, but he had no idea that the person he was drinking with until recently was such a person.

“True. Even if you knew it, you wouldn’t know it.”

After rubbing his eyes for a moment, Austin looked up from the report and looked at the ceiling.

At that moment, Austin’s mouth slowly opened.

“You.”

“Yes. Low.”

“What do you see on that ceiling?”

“…You mean the ceiling?”

The knight looked at where the prince’s finger was pointing.

There, I saw an unlit chandelier.

“You can see the chandelier.”

“…I’ll just leave now.”

“Yes.”

Without any time to question his seemingly unexpected actions, the driver left the room after giving a brief explanation.

Without even looking at it, Austin stared blankly at the ceiling.

Austin couldn’t take his eyes off the gorgeous sight that had caught his attention earlier.

I see clouds.

I see a rainbow.

A colorful sight with sparks flying… It was at that time that Austin was mesmerized by the fantastical sight.

“It’s suspicious.”

A familiar voice rang in my ears.

The term “hovering” is not another word; it means that it is difficult to tell where the sound is coming from because it is so mumbling.

“I wouldn’t have been that kind of person.”

However, the second words were heard clearly.

I turned my head to the side and saw a man dressed in exotic clothing sitting by the window.

“Boland… When did you come in?”

“I was always by your side.

“…It’s a boring joke. It’s creepy, stop it.”

Austin clicked his tongue briefly. I didn’t call him or set up a meeting place, but he was truly a strange man.

How did they get through the tight security of the imperial palace and reach this place? No, rather… When did you come here?

“Then let’s tell a real story and not a joke.”

Did he at least catch Austin’s suspicious look? Bolland had a strange smile on his skeletal face.

“You need to come to your senses.”

“What are you saying? Is this new advice?”

“I have an ominous feeling.”

Boland nodded and looked at his wrist. As expected, there was nothing there, let alone a clock.

“Ominous premonition?”

“Oops, it’s time to go.”

Flash-

In a split second, Austin blinked and Boland’s figure had disappeared.

“……”

But Austin wasn’t surprised by the sight. Borland suddenly disappeared in front of Austin like this every time, so it was a boring sight to say the least.

And a week later.

Austin was able to realize what an ominous premonition it was.

Five temples of the cultist appeared in the mansions of his supporters.