Ch.72Chapter 72 – Madman (1)

“Huff, cough!”

Acrid smell and stale air filled my lungs.

I got up from my spot while coughing.

“…What happened…?”

I looked around at my surroundings.

The dark curtain had shattered, and the floating candles were all smashed to pieces.

As I tried to get up, I realized something was weighing me down.

“…A stall sign, I think. Cough!”

It wasn’t too heavy, so I used my strength to pull myself out.

Then as I tried to stand up, pain overwhelmed me.

Fighting against my fading vision, I looked around and saw people collapsed on the ground.

There weren’t many, but some were barely managing to get up like me.

Some were lying there bleeding.

And some had fallen with their bodies turned to charcoal.

The acrid smell and the scent of blood entering my nose.

The groans of people reaching my ears told me this place had been transformed into hell.

‘I seem to have avoided a direct hit.’

My body must have moved unconsciously, as I hadn’t been caught directly in the explosion.

Still, I wasn’t completely unscathed from the blast.

I had merely avoided a direct hit.

“Wait, Christina?”

I quickly turned to look for Christina.

I scanned rapidly between the people struggling to get up and those who had fallen.

“Christina?”

I looked around desperately hoping for an answer.

Just as I had been trapped under a sign earlier, I considered she might be trapped somewhere too, so I started moving debris and bodies slightly to search for her.

She had definitely been next to me, so she couldn’t have gone far.

After a few minutes, I finally found the blonde hair I was looking for.

“Christina!”

I forcefully pulled her out from under a pile of wood where she had been trapped like me.

Then I turned her body over.

Except for the blood flowing from her head and her blood-soaked clothes, Christina looked as if she were merely sleeping.

I quickly placed my finger near her nose to check if she was breathing.

“Her breathing is weak.”

Her condition wasn’t good; her breathing was faint and irregular.

Looking closer, her complexion was pale too.

I quickly reached for the pouch at my waist.

I opened it, certain that there should be medicine that Sera had given me.

“Damn it!”

Whether from the explosion’s impact or from being crushed under me,

All the medicines in the pouch had shattered and were now unusable.

“Need a doctor quickly… no, a priest…”

I carefully lifted Christina in a princess carry and quickly looked around.

Somewhere, someone, any priest…

“Ahem, are you alright?”

Suddenly a voice came from behind me.

It was the old man who had taken Kara away yesterday.

He was dressed simply like a rural farmer, just like yesterday.

‘What’s going on?’

I’m certain I saw him standing next to the Holy Maiden on the platform.

His attire is different from the person who was up there. What’s going on?

“Ahem, is that young lady alright?”

The man’s question brought my mind back to reality.

This wasn’t the time to worry about trivial matters.

Christina’s condition was the urgent issue now.

“Her condition doesn’t look good because of the blood from her head. Isn’t there a priest around?”

“Kuhm, there are priests from the Jeolei Order and others gathering injured people for treatment over there…”

“Thank you.”

At his words, I quickly turned and headed in that direction.

Time was of the essence.

“Uh, please take me with y—cough!”

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to listen to his request.

Somehow, I felt Christina was starting to get colder.

+

I quickly laid Christina down at the makeshift aid station.

Fortunately, a priest was available and immediately began examining Christina’s condition.

He was a familiar priest.

“My child, in such a state…”

It was the priest named Adrock whom I had met at Christina’s church before.

He quickly began examining Christina.

“Will her injuries be alright?”

“…I need to cast a healing spell and see her condition first.”

Her condition seemed worse than expected, as his expression hardened while he began projecting white light onto Christina.

“Who would do such a thing…”

Perhaps because a fellow church member was injured, he began treating Christina with a face mixed with anger and distress.

‘Who is the culprit?’

I couldn’t understand what kind of madman would suddenly plant a bomb where churchgoers were gathered and blow them all up.

And because of this unknown person, Christina was hurt.

I unconsciously clenched my fists while thinking about what to do next.

I started debating with myself whether I should go rescue other survivors once Christina was stable, or if I should go now.

“Huff, finally caught up with you.”

It seemed the man I had practically abandoned in my rush to help Christina had managed to find his way here.

The man spoke to me.

“Good to see you made it. Now…”

“Ahem, before that. Are you good at fighting?”

The man suddenly asked such a question.

“Is how well I can fight important right now?”

“It is important, cough. I think I saw the culprit.”

At the man’s words, my mind momentarily went blank.

“The culprit, you say?”

“Yes, cough. There was a black-haired beauty glaring at this place earlier.”

After coughing a few more times, the man continued speaking.

“As soon as the curtain for the prayer ceremony was spread, the woman flicked her hand and then there was a flash…”

“Tell me what this person looked like.”

My voice came out cold even to my own ears.

I felt blood rushing to my head, but paradoxically, my voice grew colder.

“A woman with long black hair and green eyes. Quite tall, and somewhat…”

“Somewhat?”

“A woman who smelled of alcohol and tobacco.”

From his description, I could think of one person.

“…Where was she?”

“Probably around that area…”

I turned as I listened to the man’s words.

“Priest Adrock, please take care of Christina.”

“Where are you going, benefactor?”

Before answering, I looked at Christina.

I recalled how she had been smiling until just a while ago.

Now she was lying with her eyes closed, pale-faced and bleeding.

It was a face that didn’t suit her usually vibrant expression at all.

She had been so happy that her proposal for today’s festival had been approved.

Despite wanting to share her joy, she had held back out of consideration for others.

And now she was in this state.

She would be devastated to know that a scene she was involved in had turned into hell.

What sin could she possibly have committed?

Does this so-called God not even protect his own followers?

Does the culprit even realize they’ve trampled on someone’s joy?

I felt something snap inside me.

My mind became strangely cold.

“I need to catch the culprit.”

I could feel killing intent seeping into my voice.

I saw Priest Adrock flinch slightly and step back.

“I’ll be back.”

Leaving only those words, I started running quickly again.

If what that man had said was true, the culprit couldn’t have gone far yet.

+

I ran through streets still filled with unpleasant smells.

I ran blindly in the direction the man had just pointed out.

In my cold mind, I organized the information.

Black long hair, green eyes, a woman who smelled of alcohol and tobacco.

Coincidentally, it was someone I knew.

And unfortunately, she was the culprit of this incident.

“…Beatrice.”

That woman who had been on the verge of crossing the line, and who showed tremendous hostility toward the Emiris Order.

The direction the man had pointed to was also where the Holy Maiden of the Emiris Order had been.

“A terrorist attack targeting the Holy Maiden.”

My mind had already concluded this.

The target was the Holy Maiden. No concern for anyone caught in the crossfire.

Even when she was caught before, I felt she had the personality to go berserk without thinking of consequences if that order was involved.

As I organized my thoughts, I arrived at the platform where the Holy Maiden had been.

‘She’s not here.’

There was no one on the platform.

Some ordinary people seemed to have been caught up in it, but the person who appeared to be the Holy Maiden earlier was nowhere to be seen.

Had she been taken away already?

Or had someone rescued her?

I recalled the patients I had briefly seen while leaving Christina.

‘There was no one who looked like the Holy Maiden earlier.’

If there had been, at least someone from that order would have been with her.

Quickly examining the ashes, I found what looked like footprints.

Footprints that seemed to be running urgently.

The footprints led toward the Emiris Order’s event area.

“…Is it that way?”

I clicked my tongue slightly.

It was a place I had absolutely avoided approaching during the prayer ceremony, just in case.

But judging by these footprints, someone had definitely headed toward the order.

I examined the footprints again.

The direction and spacing were consistent, suggesting whoever made them wasn’t injured.

‘Someone uninjured went that way.’

I at least needed to confirm who it was.

I ran toward the order following the footprints.

Even as I ran, groans could be heard from all around.

I deliberately ignored those voices.

I didn’t have the mental capacity to help them right now.

“DAMN IIIIT!!!!!!!!!”

Hearing an angry voice echoing from ahead, I put more strength into my legs.

It was a voice I recognized.

And in an instant,

I arrived where she was.

“…So it was you after all.”

Had she set up explosives at the Emiris Order’s event area as well, not just where the benediction was being recited?

There were traces of explosion everywhere here too.

Among the burnt stalls and groaning people, I could see black hair.

“…Well, if it isn’t Mr. Helmet.”

Beatrice threw whatever she was holding to the ground and turned toward me.

“What are you doing rolling in here? Did you have business here too?”

It wasn’t the same sly, teasing voice as before.

Like that voice just now, something must not have gone according to her plan.

Thanks to that, I was convinced this incident was indeed a terrorist attack targeting the Holy Maiden.

“Was it you?”

I asked quietly.

“What are you talking about?”

“The one who caused this terrorist attack.”

Beatrice was silent for a moment.

She had already casually put a cigarette in her mouth and started smoking.

“…And what if it was?”

“You.”

Words failed me for a moment.

My blood-rushed head was already at its limit just by standing still.

I needed time to calmly choose my words.

“Looking at this scene, don’t you feel anything?”

I pointed at our surroundings.

I pointed at the horrific scene where groans still echoed.

“……”

Beatrice didn’t answer.

But soon she glared at me and spoke.

“If that’s all you have to say, I’d appreciate it if you’d get lost.”

“Hey.”

“I’m quite angry right now.”

Beatrice’s eyes sharpened.

“I’m in a hurry, so move aside.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I’ll move you by force.”

Beatrice started approaching me.

“I need to chase after them quickly, before I lose this chance.”

“Hey.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.”

“……”

“So move aside quickly.”

Beatrice stood right in front of me.

“I don’t have time to waste on the likes of you, Mr. Helmet.”

“I’ll ask you again.”

I glared at Beatrice.

“Looking at this scene, don’t you feel anything?”

“I don’t know.”

Beatrice said coldly.

“…You don’t know.”

Beatrice turned her head away from me.

As if she had no intention of speaking further, Beatrice walked past me.

“Uuugh…”

Groans coming from various places.

Christina injured from being caught in the explosion.

It was the limit.

I felt my mind going blank.

-THWACK!

My fist moved first.

Beatrice, who was passing by, quickly moved her arm to block the attack and slid across the ground.

“Why, trying to catch me?”

Beatrice glared at me and spoke.

“Want to be a hero by catching one bad woman who doesn’t care about involving innocent people?”

“I don’t have such grand aspirations.”

I glared back at Beatrice.

Seeing my attitude, Beatrice quietly began to free her hands.

“I’m neither particularly kind nor especially clever.”

I opened my mouth quietly.

I suppressed my racing heart and my reason that felt like it would snap.

“At least I know my vessel is too small to become something grand like a hero or a warrior.”

Beings that only appear in fairy tales.

Compared to those beings who try not to sacrifice even one person unrelated to them, my vessel is indeed small.

But still.

“Still, I want to protect the people who fit into my small vessel.”

Even someone with such a small vessel has people who approach them.

People who smile at them.

“And you’ve hurt such a person.”

Beatrice raised both arms, seemingly ready.

I likewise took a stance.

“That’s reason enough for me to beat you up.”

I never thought of anything grand to begin with.

Beatrice’s expression turned fierce.

“Move.”

“I won’t.”

We glared at each other.

“I don’t have time to play with you. Move right now.”

“I said I won’t.”

Something feels like it’s about to snap in my head.

My heart keeps pounding loudly.

Yet my mind became clear and cold.

“Because of the people hurt by your actions, I can’t let you pass.”

Beatrice’s expression faltered slightly.

But as I continued to block her path, she soon changed her expression as if she had made some decision.

Taking a fighting stance, she shouted loudly.

“Move right now!”

“If you want to pass, you’ll have to get through me first, you bitch!”

Beatrice stomped the ground.

Our fists crossed, each striking the other’s face.