The Truman Show – 4

The relief workers, who had stayed overnight in accommodations prepared by the village representative, rose from their places at the crack of dawn the next day.

Distributing food to the people was scheduled for noon, but there were many things to prepare in advance.

First, the Priest and nuns counted the food supplies that the Holy Knight and Inquisitor had guarded in shifts to ensure the quantities matched.

Meanwhile, apprentice priests moved large cloths and cheap wooden bowls to the cargo hold.

Once the quantity verification was complete, the Holy Knights moved the food supplies to the cargo hold and took turns guarding the area around the cargo hold, in case there were any groups coveting it.

When the preparations were finished to the point where they could leave immediately, they settled for a breakfast of small bread and a cup of milk.

As everyone was finishing their tasks in their respective positions and barely staving off hunger with their breakfast, a staff member entered the Saint’s room to wake him.

The Saint rubbed his sleepy eyes and got up, then spent some time in morning prayer.

The staff member watching the reverent figure from the side poured water heated to a suitable temperature into a small basin once the Saint’s prayer was over.

After washing his face with the warmed water, the Saint had breakfast with a slightly larger bread, soup, and a cup of milk than the others.

After finishing his meal, the Saint brushed his teeth, put on well-ironed clothes, and left the accommodation, followed quietly by the staff member.

The Saint, having left the accommodation, got into a carriage that was already waiting.

The staff member also got into the same carriage as the Saint.

“Giddy up!”

With the hearty voice of the Holy Knight, who volunteered to be the coachman, the horses, having regained their strength from eating hay, moved their legs.

The two horses with glossy coats showed off their muscular bodies, moving as the coachman led them.

As it had been the day before, the sound created by the horses’ hooves and the road was pleasantly audible.

As expected, due to the widespread stories about the Saint, the plaza was crowded with people even before they had set up their station.

They only cleared the way enough for the carriage to pass, and the sight of them reaching out as if to open the carriage door was quite frightening.

The carriage carrying the luggage arrived first, and the relief workers quickly set up their station.

Pietro placed the large table he had brought under a makeshift tent.

A white tablecloth was placed on the table, and bread was poured onto it.

An apprentice priest came, groaning, carrying a wooden tub filled with soup. They had been making it since dawn.

The smell of bread and soup spread through the plaza, and the people who had been gathered haphazardly rushed to the tent.

The Holy Knights and Inquisitors blocked the rushing people and pushed them back.

A scene of chaos unfolded, resembling a clash between armies.

Beggars wearing rags that were too pathetic to be called clothes reached out with unfocused eyes.

“Stand back!”

The Holy Knight, wearing thick armor, shouted as he pushed people back with his body.

When a beggar pushed by the Holy Knight fell backward, others fell like dominoes.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh!!”

In that way, people became entangled like tangled threads and tumbled on the floor.

Amid the groans heard from here and there, a signal was heard that preparations were complete, and the Holy Knights and Inquisitors raised their voices even louder to line up the people.

The disorder, which seemed like it would never be calmed, gradually found order with faithful belief, swords, and axes.

Those who wanted bread and soup formed a long line like a snake that had been dormant for decades.

Under the management of the Holy Knights and Inquisitors, apprentice priests filled wooden bowls with soup, and the Priest and nuns distributed it and bread to the people.

“Okay, okay, one by one. Return the bowls after you’ve eaten.”

The Inquisitor said to the beggar who was returning after receiving food.

The people who received food scattered to every corner of the village to satisfy their hunger,

and the onlookers who had simply come to see the Saint’s face lined up with the beggars with the thought of doing it as a bonus and received food.

When about half of the prepared food was gone, the door of the carriage opened, and the Saint appeared wearing a pure white uniform.

-Shhh

All the commotion in the plaza stopped.

The Saint, with a noble impression, wore a pure white uniform with a benevolent smile.

The Saint greeted the nun who had worked hard to put soup in the bowls and then relieved her.

Then, he rolled up the sleeves of his uniform, picked up the ladle, and began to personally put soup in the bowls.

“Oh… uh… th, thank you.”

One onlooker, who was about to receive soup next, gaped like a fish after seeing the Saint’s face.

“Yes. Enjoy your meal.”

Enjoy your meal.

What a gracious blessing.

The Priest and nuns who were listening to the Saint’s words from the side let out small exclamations.

But the Saint’s words only reached them.

The warmth of the soup in their hands comforted the beggars who had fallen into the swamp of hunger more than the Saint’s words in front of them.

For over an hour, the beggars received bread and soup, and before long, the food that had been prepared began to run out.

“There’s still a long line left, though.”

The Saint said, looking at the still long line.

“Yes. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to end it here today.”

Maria, who was assisting him next to the Saint, said.

“We need to manage the line better next time. There are cases where people who need it can’t get it.”

The Saint knew that not only were there people cutting in line, but there were also people who rejoined the line and received more bread and soup.

“Yes. We need to manage it better next time.”

Maria said, keeping in mind the few people who were smiling with rotten teeth in one corner of the plaza.

Ten minutes later, all the bread was gone, and the soup was running out. The Saint tried to feed even one more person by scraping the bottom of the pot with a ladle.

Soon, when there was no more soup left, the people who had brought the carriage began to load the remaining luggage back into the carriage.

The Saint roughly dusted off his soiled uniform, entered the carriage, and Maria followed him with a wet towel.

The carriage, ready to depart, returned to the accommodation.

The village representative, who had been away for some reason, was waiting for Inho in front of the accommodation.

The village representative, who was relatively young, showed great respect to Inho.

At the same time, he gestured to the workers, who handed a box containing something heavy to the Holy Knight.

Even the sturdy Holy Knight groaned as he put it deep inside the temporary warehouse.

“Saint, I will treat you to dinner tonight.”

The village representative, who introduced himself as Nikolai, said.

“Thank you. Then, I’ll see you at dinner.”

The sun at the end of autumn set earlier than expected.

Inho took off his uniform, which was stained with soup, and changed into spare clothes.

While he was changing his clothes, Maria wiped off his bare skin that she had not been able to wipe off with a handkerchief.

“Where are we eating dinner?”

Inho asked, fastening the buttons of his clothes.

“I heard we’re doing it at the restaurant under the accommodation. I don’t think we need to bother moving.”

Maria said.

“That’s a relief. I was a little tired.”

Inho sighed in relief.

“Saint. May I go out for a while?”

Maria said, carefully examining the Saint.

“Is something wrong?”

“I need to check if the messenger I sent to Albainin Village has arrived. I think he’ll probably come at night, so I’m going to go and wait in advance.”

“Ah, you sent a messenger. Yes. Please do. I’d rather ask you to do it.”

Maria smiled at Inho’s words.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll ask someone else to guide you to dinner.”

“Yes. Be careful on your way. The night is dangerous.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Meeting the messenger sent to Albainin Village was not a lie.

Maria had no intention of lying to the Saint.

However, the messenger had arrived sooner than expected, so she simply had some free time left.

Now that the sun had completely set, the onlookers who had filled the plaza in the afternoon had already returned to their homes and accommodations.

What remained in the darkest part of the plaza, in the corner of the plaza, were the beggars who had enthusiastically received bread and soup.

Maria chose to walk through the darkest alleys.

The beggars were increasingly drawn to the chaste woman passing before their eyes.

And one by one, they got up and began to follow Maria.

Because just as people have an appetite for food, they also have a sexual appetite.

In that way, Maria was increasingly driven into the depths of the alley like prey being chased by a hunter.

And she faced a dead end.

When Maria turned around to face the wall in front of her, 7-8 vagrants were blocking her way.

Some of the more impatient ones had already lowered their pants halfway.

“……”

Maria stared at them silently. She didn’t even utter the cliché, ‘Why are you doing this?’

“You’re the nun who was at the soup kitchen today, right?”

The vagrant at the very front said.

“If you’re a nun, will you help us? Ah, this guy seems to want to eat something else too.”

He points to his crotch with his hand.

Hehehe. An unpleasant laugh spread through the alley.

It seemed to be a joke among themselves.

Maria looked at their faces.

And she uttered just one word.

“Sinners who cut in line.”

Maria slowly held something in her arms in her hand.

The huge thing was wrapped in cloth, and when she grabbed the end and pulled, the cloth was quickly unwrapped.

What appeared was her greatsword.

Without any warning, she rushed at the vagrants with the greatsword.

‘Run away!’ ‘What is this!’

Those words did not come out. Before the vagrants could even react, Maria had cut off their necks.

Clear blood flowed in the alley where no one came.

Maria checked several times to make sure that blood had not splattered on her.

“Well, shall we go back now? The Saint is waiting.”

She, who had judged the sinners who had hurt the Saint’s heart, left the alley with a sense of satisfaction.