Chapter 94: Things that never change (10)

From a young age, I’ve been telling myself, ‘Never have doubts on the path of faith.’

The acrid smell of blood and the sound of something burning.

Maleus felt that he had lived without a single shame in his beliefs.

As an Inquisitor of the Holy Kingdom, doubting God is not allowed.

With that belief, I’ve wielded a massive axe and holy fire.

Maleus himself knew that he didn’t have any special talent.

He could only endure pain longer than others, and he had no hesitation in kindling holy fire.

That’s why I could work harder, and it was a daily routine for my body and mind to be tattered from long training.

But my faith never disappeared.

I kill the wicked who wield black magic.

I burn those who reject God’s grace and spread the existence of heresy.

That is the greatest faith I can have as an Inquisitor.

The person Maleus valued the most was Diana, the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom.

‘A world created together by everyone is truly beautiful.

Because each person fulfills their role, the carefully built tower will not collapse.’

I still can’t forget Diana’s appearance, encouraging people under the sun during prayer time.

A Saintess with a kind heart who cares for everyone and is willing to sacrifice herself for everyone.

She must have always been burdened with expectations from those around her, but Diana silently fulfilled her duties, saying it was just her role.

Once, I went to the cathedral in the early morning.

I was on my way back from burning those who distribute books related to black magic, as always.

The priests were reluctant to be near me because of the smell of blood, so I always preferred the early morning when there were few people.

Whatever I do, Maleus is working for the Holy Kingdom.

I didn’t want to do anything that people would dislike.

And then, I happened to meet Diana, who was praying with her hands together.

“..You’ll hurt yourself if you keep doing that.

There aren’t any priests who take care of early morning prayers in this winter, so wouldn’t it be better for the Saintess to go back and rest?”

She was praying with all the windows open and facing the cold wind.

The purpose was to experience the asceticism of the saints who wrote down God’s words in the cold snow long ago, but now it was a tradition that no one followed.

Therefore, to Maleus, who quietly advised her to return to her room, Diana smiled and said, “How can I be an example if I, the Saintess, don’t follow it?”

“Even at this hour, many holy people are fulfilling their roles.

The reason why this world can be beautiful is because each and every person has fulfilled their duties.

But how can I, the Saintess, deny it just because it’s a tradition that others don’t follow?”

“If you say so… I understand.”

“Hehe, thank you.

Still, it’s a little lonely that I’ve never been able to hear God’s voice…”

That was what happened in the winter 10 years ago.

There was a slight tremor in Diana’s voice, who was slightly shivering, perhaps because of the cold, but Maleus pretended not to hear it.

Even if there was a tremor in her heart, I had no intention of defiling her pride.

Looking back now, that was the opportunity to fix everything.

Several years after that incident.

A hero named Baek Minjun was summoned, and Diana also went on an adventure to prevent the descent of the Demon King.

And how much time had passed.

Maleus came to see clearly the women who were tainted by the ability called the Eyes of Charm, women who were in despair.

Most of the women had lost their ability to speak and were just making voices of grief, saying, “Ah, ah…”

Even those who were in relatively good condition were begging to be killed.

Most of them took their own lives, so it was an incident that showed the wickedness of the man named Baek Minjun.

“…”

And Maleus came to see.

The Saintess with high pride who had overcome her inner turmoil with faith was nowhere to be found, only Diana laughing like crazy.

Her bright brown hair had turned white, and her dignified eyes, which had never avoided his gaze, had lost focus and were staring at the empty air.

My heart ached.

To think that the Saintess, whom I had valued so highly, who had not even denied the role of the Inquisitor that everyone shunned, had gone so crazy.

Still, it was a relief that the stigmata remained on her lower abdomen.

Maleus believed that Diana would overcome everything someday and decided to return to his role.

…That’s what I was thinking.

The tragedy did not end there and approached the Holy Kingdom.

The day before Baek Minjun’s execution.

Diana, who had been just laughing like crazy until then, suddenly subdued the priests and left the Holy Kingdom.

According to secretly transmitted news, Diana, who had come to wield black magic, rescued Baek Minjun and went into hiding.

Yes, Diana eventually succumbed to magic and turned away from reality.

I don’t know what her goal is, but at the point where she rescued Baek Minjun, who had violated so many women, her faith and pride could no longer be found.

‘Never have doubts on the path of faith.’

Since that day, Maleus has been pushing himself even harder.

Values ​​like mercy and forgiveness, which the priests speak of, are just empty shells.

If there is no sin, they will not burn in the holy fire, and if there is sin, they will suffer in the holy fire.

God judges everything, so what does the thoughts of a mere creation matter?

Therefore, believing in God without a single doubt is the unwavering path of faith.

I’ve seen all the tragedies that happen when someone who holds the name of Saintess doubts God.

Maleus took his axe and holy fire and caught and killed more heretics and black magicians, and if necessary, even the priests who sold God’s name for mere greed were no exception.

Not long after I rose to the position of Grand Inquisitor, a new Saintess appeared in the Holy Kingdom.

Her name was Sera, a girl from an orphanage with no last name.

The light brown hair of that girl reminded me of the old Diana.

“Ah, hello.

Holy people.”

When she received training as a Saintess and appeared for the first time at an official worship service, Maleus didn’t have any expectations from the beginning.

Even Diana, who had lived learning God’s words from the moment she was born, succumbed to magic and fell.

While believing in God, she was also shaken by the fact that she had never heard God’s voice.

There was no way I could expect something from Sera, a worthless girl who grew up in an orphanage.

Rather, I was planning to hold a divine trial right away if she insulted God because of her greed, and in fact, the Inquisitors of that time were swept up in madness because of the disappeared Diana and Baek Minjun.

“T, then… I will begin the prayer.”

Sera can’t make eye contact with people properly, and she even stutters.

Diana was confident even in the cathedral, not just in this small church.

In the end, when Maleus, who couldn’t stand it any longer, was about to call other priests, holy fire rose from Sera’s body.

A holy fire that was so pure and so great.

The priests were surprised and began to evacuate the holy people, and Sera, the person involved, said that she didn’t do it on purpose, but she didn’t show any signs of putting out the fire.

And seeing that, Maleus felt that something fun had happened for the first time in a long time and just laughed heartily.

Something completely unexpected.

However, Sera’s body did not burn in the holy fire, and the fact that the holy fire rose just because she prayed seemed like a good omen.

Since the Hero and Saintess of the past have fallen, what this world needs is not mercy and forgiveness, but God’s judgment.

“Hehe, Saintess.

Weren’t you scolded by the priests?”

“..I was scolded.

Those damn old men, the way they mocked people with a smile was so annoying.”

How much time had passed.

Sera came to the Inquisitorial Office whenever she had time, and Maleus taught her how to kindle holy fire each time.

Like pouring water on soil, an amazing talent that would awaken ten things if I taught her one.

It was truly a talent given by God.

“Do you dislike the priests that much?”

“Yeah, they say that if you burn in the holy fire, you’re a bad person in the first place, right?

But why do I have to be scolded?

When you think about it, no one was harmed.”

“Indeed, the Saintess is right.”

“Right?

How can people who believe in God be afraid of the holy fire!”

The holy fire is a flame given by God.

It completely burns away the magic that contaminates this world, but it never burns those who are innocent.

Of course, most people are afraid of the holy fire and the Inquisitors and try to avoid them, but in Maleus’s