Seal Release (4)

The Holy Spirit Realm, a theocratic state established in the holy land of Revolt.

After the Great War, the Holy Spirit Realm was on the verge of civil war.

During the Great War, the central government united under the leadership of the Papal Office, but

The situation in the provinces was somewhat different.

Unlike other countries where local influential figures developed into nobles,

In the Holy Spirit Realm, they converted and became ‘bishops’ of each district,

And ruled by putting forward their own doctrines.

Therefore, the disparity between the central and local areas was quite serious,

And the accumulated discontent exploded on the occasion of the Great War.

This is the setting of the Holy Spirit Realm that Ethan knows.

‘Anyway, this is a complicated country too.’

Even after several councils, it was impossible to suppress them because the local forces were so powerful.

The Papal faction tried to resolve this by conceding power, but

The Bishop faction didn’t accept it,

And after winning the struggle, they carried out a bloody purge.

Ethan already knew that as a result of the purge, Saint Elyssia met a tragic death.

But,

‘The content after that is too extreme.’

Moreover, Elyssia’s fate remains unchanged.

The ‘Pure White Saint Elyssia’ with a tragic ending waiting for her is still dominant.

“Huh.”

Naturally, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Then Ciel tilted her head and asked,

“What?”

“Can I ask you a few things?”

“Sure.”

“Do you ever feel the urge to kill people?”

“Eh? No.”

Ciel answered while pressing her body close to Ethan’s chest.

To a child who longed for human warmth and wanted to stick as close as possible,

Even Ethan thought it was a bit too much to ask, ‘Do you want to kill people?’

So he softened it a bit and asked,

“Is Ciel a bad child?”

“Ciel is good!”

“Good children don’t take over their sister’s body.”

“…!”

Ciel avoided his gaze slightly when hit on the mark.

“Is Elyssia really okay?”

“…She’s fine. Big sister is just sleeping.”

Ciel added that for a year, she was conscious but couldn’t do anything.

“…What?”

“It’s true. When big sister was eating, resting, studying scriptures, playing outside. Even when she was sleeping, I was awake.”

It was a true room of time and mind.

‘Then just now, was that… because she wanted to play after being liberated for the first time in a long time…?’

Thinking about it that way, he could understand a little.

Moreover, there were about 12 years left from now until after the Great War.

In other words, if she was conscious inside her sister’s body but couldn’t do anything for 13 years according to the story?

If she could only watch as her sister was killed,

And all that pain was transmitted to her?

‘It’s natural that she went mad.’

Ethan thought it was too much.

Although Ciel’s ability was quite dangerous,

The Holy Spirit Realm has many skilled individuals and possesses various holy relics.

If they truly cared for the Elyssia and Ciel sisters,

Instead of sealing the younger sister and manipulating the older sister’s memories,

They would have controlled the evil energy with holy relics.

But what they wanted was just a noble saint.

Not an uncontrollable troublesome evil girl.

Ethan firmed his resolve.

“Ciel, I’ll save you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, so first, can you wake up Elyssia?”

“…You won’t betray me, right? You won’t suddenly put the necklace on when I go in?”

‘Betrayal…’

He recalled the person who had helped lure the Elyssia and Ciel sisters in the story.

‘Was it Sir David?’

It’s probably that priest still holding out the cross towards us with suspicion.

Ethan said as he roughly stuffed the necklace into his pocket:

“I won’t betray you.”

“…Alright. Please wait a moment.”

Ciel closed her eyes.

Soon her body went limp and she slumped against Ethan.

The black hair turned back to snow white,

And Elyssia woke up, rubbing her eyes.

“Yawn. Oh, huh? Ethan-nim?”

“You’re safe, Elyssia. Let’s go inside and finish sleeping. Levi?”

“Yes, Ethan-nim.”

“Take the kids in first.”

He put Elyssia down from his arms and entrusted her to Levi.

“Sir David? No, since you left the Paladin Order, should I call you Priest David now?”

“…How do you know my name?”

“I could guess. Do you know the name Ethan?”

“Ethan? You are?”

He probably heard the name through Albert.

Ethan took advantage of the situation where the Bishop faction was eyeing Elyssia.

The merchant appealed for a safe residence, a free city in a foreign country,

Explaining that the client wanted to become a guardian for talented children.

It was retired paladin Sir David’s duty to protect Elyssia,

And since he had recently repelled assassins who infiltrated the orphanage five times,

David accepted this urgently.

It was a simple guardian-ward relationship,

So he planned to sincerely thank them and bring Elyssia back when the political situation stabilized.

Thus, David had committed a great discourtesy to his benefactor.

“You look younger than I expected. I apologize for my rudeness-“

Ethan strode towards David, who was bowing his head.

Having confirmed the story, he wanted to give David, a faithful pawn of the Papal faction, a sharp rebuke.

However,

“What? A paladin~?!”

Because Julius stepped forward and expressed extreme anger first,

There was no need for him to intervene.

The thing Julius hated second most after the Senate Speaker was paladins.

The word ‘hate’ might not be enough to capture Julius’ emotional state.

So to add,

He loathed paladins with all his might.

“What? A paladin~?!”

“E-Excuse me, but why are you…”

“I am Julius Kaidel, who was the commander of the revolutionary army. You must have heard my name.”

“!!!”

It was Estel III who brought about the country’s downfall, but

It was the Holy Spirit Realm’s paladins who killed his family and domain people.

David broke out in a cold sweat.

The Paladin Order has less than 200 members in total, but

The holy power and combat ability of each individual surpasses that of most high-ranking expert knights.

It’s the continent’s strongest armed group composed of 200 such individuals.

The word ‘defeat’ didn’t exist in their dictionary.

Until they encountered Julius Kaidel.

“Th-Then you are Heikel’s…”

The monster who half-destroyed the Paladin Order in just 3 battles.

He glared at David with blazing eyes.

“The bastards who were the vanguard of evil that burned the southern province. Yeah, were you one of them too?”

“No, no! As a junior, I deeply regret the sins of my seniors!”

“So, if you regret your sins, will my murdered wife and children return from hell?”

“……”

“Keep blabbering with that hole in your face! You hypocrites! Did God teach you to rape women and kill children?”

He had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.

“And then what? You seem to have committed all sorts of vile acts. I hear you sealed a little girl’s soul inside her sister’s body.”

“She’s not just a little girl. That child is evil itself, corrupting people who come into contact-“

“Then why is our master fine?”

David barely swallowed the words ‘I’m curious about that too’ that he was about to say.

He turned his head to Ethan and appealed again.

“Please put the necklace around Elyssia’s neck! I beg you!”

“…Disgusting.”

Ethan shook his head with a frowning expression.

“I don’t even want to look at you, get rid of him. I was a fool to try to make someone like that Elyssia’s teacher.”

“Please! I beg you… ugh!”

Julius’ fist struck his solar plexus, and

David collapsed.

“Cough! Huff, huff!”

As his holy power scattered, fatigue poured in, and

David passed out.

And when he opened his eyes again,

“Hey, are you conscious?”

“Mmph? Mmph?”

David was tied up in some dark basement.

In front of David stood Julius, three men wearing black masks, and five others in slightly different attire.

“Talented Ricky.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Watch and learn well from those gentlemen.”

Julius pointed to the special forces members checking their equipment.

“Huh? Weren’t you going to leave the interrogation to us?”

“Hahaha, to amateurs like you? Why, would you rather I just let him go?”

“…Will you let him go?”

“Should I tie you up next to him?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

David tilted his head as he looked at the suspicious people joking in front of him.

Then Julius kindly explained.

“Listen well. I want to cut off your head right now, but our merciful master said to just get rid of you from his sight.”

“Mmph!? Mmph?”

“It means don’t kill you, but it can also be interpreted as anything is fine as long as we don’t kill you.”

Julius nodded to the special forces members.

They moved skillfully upon receiving the signal.

“Shall we have you spill everything you know?”

Of course, they didn’t remove the gag.

A confession without sufficient pain would naturally be a lie.

With a hazy mind, David thought.

‘What kind of place is this?’

The young man named Ethan was fine even when exposed to Ciel’s evil energy.

He was like the image of a saint facing a great demon in scripture passages.

And that’s not all.

The legend of the republic was under his command.

The children he had with him were all exceptional,

The female magician he glimpsed that day also exuded considerable energy,

And even the knight who seemed the weakest had long since reached the expert level.

If all of them came forward, they could instantly overthrow a country or two.

Perhaps they were even more dangerous than Ciel.

‘I must… report to… the Papal Office…’

“Count… no, Commander. This bastard still intends to report to his superiors.”

No. 1 Ricky, who was once the leader of Silver Wings and now just a cute sycophant, analyzed David’s thoughts using a magic tool.

“This can’t be fixed. I didn’t know the brainwashing was this thorough.”

‘Brainwashing? They consider faith in God as brainwashing?’

It was ridiculous.

He was fine even after a week of torture and interrogation.

This level of torture was nothing to a paladin.

His faith and loyalty would never change.

And those vicious sinners would one day face God’s judgment.

That’s what he thought until 3 minutes ago.

“How is it going?”

“My lady, you came in person. What brings you here?”

‘That Kaidel Count is being so polite to a much younger girl?’

This was also something that needed to be reported.

“Hmm, I sense something unpleasant?”

“Pardon?”

“Could you call Borka for me?”

A moment later.

A girl with purple hair trotted over.

“Whaf if if, mif?”

She had something stuffed in her mouth.

“Can you use magic to cut off the connection with the outside?”

“I’ll try.”

After secretly observing Ethan using mana blocking once,

Borka had researched on her own and succeeded in imitating it similarly.

“<Compression>, <Expansion>, <Density Enhancement>, <Mana Flow Control>, <Holy Power Rejection>.”

“<Barrier>.”

A clear, transparent membrane was formed.

David wondered why they were doing this.

At that moment,

“Cough! Hack! Kagh!”

Something black and sticky flowed incessantly from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

“Ugh!”

“Now, now, shall Borka go out first with the uncles?”

“Okay… see you later, sis.”

Regardless,

David, who had been vomiting black stuff for about 10 minutes,

“What is this?”

“…A taboo used by a certain vile country.”

“Pardon?”

Levi frowned.

“It’s a forbidden spell that can control even the tiniest aspects of a person.”

“So you mean this man was being controlled?”

“Yes, judging by the amount, it’s been at least 10 years.”

‘I… haven’t been living by my own will?’

David wailed.

How much guilt had he suffered after cooperating in sealing Ciel that day?

Even as time passed, the guilt seemed to wash away,

And David began to doubt his own humanity.

But to think all of that happened because he was being controlled.

“I see.”

Levi realized why He had been angrier than usual.

He had brought him in because he seemed somewhat useful,

But it was probably because he was hiding something filthy inside.

‘Such matters should be handled by servants.’

Levi approached David, who had finally stopped vomiting.

“Who do you think bound you and made you do those filthy things?”

With a clear head, David answered without hesitation.

“…The Papal Office.”

They were the only ones he could think of.

“That’s probably right. So I have a proposal.”

Levi held out her hand.

“Serve the One who saved you. Not those misguided ones.”

“Ah…”

He even mercifully embraced a great demon,

And saved him who had been deluded by impure ones.

In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to just cut off his head,

He even generously gave him another chance.

‘Has a true saint really descended to this land?’

David knelt down and bowed his head.

“I will serve Ethan-nim until the day I die.”

“So…”

“Yes, Ethan-nim. Priest David has become a new person.”

“…?”

He was sure he had told them to send him away.

“Elyssia, and Ciel who’s probably listening inside. I’m sorry. The old man was too harsh.”

“Ah, old man?”

He returned completely changed after a week.

“Ethan-nim, please forgive my sins…”

“Huh?”

The sight of David kneeling before Ethan, clasping his hands together and repeatedly bowing his head,

Looked just like a priest praying to God.

David’s repentance continued for a while.

Then,

[Special rewards have been automatically given as they haven’t been received for a long time.]

[Special rewards have been given in front of ‘Ethan’!]

‘Ah right. I forgot again because it’s been so hectic lately.’

Light gathered in the air.

“Ah! A miracle!”

David shed tears and prostrated himself on the ground.

Unaware that someone was observing all this from far away.