episode_0043
by fnovelpiaThe faculty and staff dormitory was quiet.
There was no one walking around in the hallway, so there was an eerie atmosphere.
It’s true that there’s no one at this time zone… .
“I’m a little anxious… .”
“That’s true.”
Perhaps it was because we found out that the two priests were sons of a horse. We hurried to the 7th floor where the two priests were staying.
“Chief Priest. If Father Peter is possessed, wouldn’t it be dangerous for us to go in?”
“The possibility that a demon that has not completely taken control of the possessor’s body will harm others is extremely low.”
Yeah, if you don’t have complete control over your body.
It was just this morning that I finished my consultation with Father Camilla. It was hard to believe that I could have taken control of Father Peter’s body in such a short period of time.
Moreover, from the perspective of a demon possessed by a horse, moving into another person’s body was an extremely burdensome task.
“As it is written in the Bible, the Lord has already conquered the world.”
“That’s fortunate… . We just need to quickly bring the holy relics that will help with the exorcism.”
“Yes. However, what I am worried about is… .”
– Caw. Caw. Caw.
As soon as I stepped into the hallway on the 7th floor, I heard the sound of a crow croaking three times from somewhere. I unconsciously turned to look at the source of the sound.
– Caw. Caw. Kk.
On the other side of the hallway on the 7th floor, a black crow was standing blankly. I looked at it carefully.
A crow standing blankly, staring this way. It wasn’t just any crow.
It had three legs and its bloodshot eyes had a sinister intention. The longer it looked at me, the more I felt like my soul was being peeled off by them.
The crow stared at us intently for a moment, then spread its black wings and flew out the window in the hallway.
A black feather landed in the hallway.
As always, they are a group of people who make you feel bad whenever you meet them. They are no less worthy of being called the beasts of all evil.
“You’re throwing a tantrum.”
“Yes?”
Deacon Sophia, who was looking at the crow like me, asked. She had already hidden behind me.
To her, I told her the bad news.
“It is not bending the arrogant pride. To put it simply, it is a warning to us.”
“What, what kind of warning is that…?”
“Leave us alone.”
Just leave. If you don’t want to get hurt, ignore us. If you see us, close your eyes. If you hear us, cover your ears. If you have to speak out, bite your tongue.
This is a technique often used by demons whose identities have been revealed. They desperately try to find the cracks in our hearts.
The most effective way for a demon to stop exorcist priests after they are found out about their possession is to make them give up and step down of their own accord.
And that they are trying to interfere with us, even if only slightly.
“They noticed our presence.”
That guy, our existence.
So, they figured out that we were trying to exorcise them.
* * * * *
We stood in front of the front door of the dormitory room where Father Peter was staying.
“…Holy mouth, holy words.”
I hummed quietly and slowly brought my ear to the front door.
“… … .”
“Oh, what do you think?”
“It seems like no one is here.”
Even though I listened as hard as I could, I couldn’t hear any sound from inside the door. Rather than feeling relieved by that fact, I felt uneasy.
If Father Peter’s whereabouts were unknown, that was a problem in itself. I took my head off the front door.
“Substitute Sophia. The key… .”
“Oh, right. Here it is.”
After explaining the situation to the dormitory supervisor, the dormitory key that I had received without much difficulty was placed in my hand. I slowly pushed the key into the keyhole.
– Clink.
The lock, interlocked with the key, clicked and allowed us to enter. Before opening the door, I looked down at Deacon Sophia, who was standing right next to me.
Deacon Sophia’s face was filled with tension. I slowly turned around and faced her head on.
“Substitute Sophia.”
“… Yes.”
Deacon Sophia looked up at me with a tense expression. I placed the end of the shawl around my neck on Deacon Sophia’s head, gently covered it with my hand, and opened my mouth solemnly.
“Substitute Sophia.”
Only then did Deacon Sophia realize my intentions and hurriedly checked her physical condition. She fixed her slightly out-of-place hair and even straightened her disheveled clothes.
“Here is Sophia, the humble servant of the Lord.”
Deacon Sophia closed her eyes and bowed her head. I slowly made the sign of the cross over her head.
“You might face all kinds of evil. Are you okay with that?”
“I already know.”
“Then, even if you face them, do not fear anything. You will be a blessed person.”
“But I believe in the Lord. Come, Lord.”
Deacon Sophia opened her eyes, which had been closed. Her eyes no longer wavered, and her strong heart, filled with faith, was firmly established.
After confirming this, I slowly nodded and held the front door again.
“… Then, let’s go in.”
Squeak… .
The front door opened slowly and noisily, in contrast to the soft turning of the doorknob.
“Colok! Colok! Oh my, what is this… .”
As soon as we opened the door, what greeted us was a sour stench that was incomparable to the smell of vinegar. That stinging smell was something I had often smelled on the battlefield.
“The smell of a rotting corpse.”
“Is this also the influence of the prince? Knock knock! Knock knock!”
“The mouths of the possessed smell the smell of rotting flesh. This is called Malodor.”
“Malord… I see. Coke!”
“The stench is somewhat less severe now. The longer it occupies the body, the more the body and soul are destroyed, and the more rotten it becomes.”
I slowly walked towards the living room. Deacon Sophia followed me, holding her nose.
I looked around the dormitory carefully, but there was no sign of Father Peter.
My eyes were drawn to the crucifixes, Bibles, and several theological books placed throughout the room. All the crucifixes were upside down.
The symbol of St. Peter is the inverted cross. However, the cross is not turned upside down just because Peter’s name is used.
“… Do you insult the name of the Lord?”
Before we entered this place, Father Peter had already visited here before us. We headed straight to the kitchen.
On the table in the kitchen were books on theology and Bibles scattered about, most of them torn or open. I took a quick look at the open Bibles.
The Bible was open, and all the verses were marked in pen, except for one verse that was still intact. I recited that verse quietly.
“They are backsliding children. Return. I am an angel of light. I will heal your backslidings, I will heal your wicked ways.”
This is the passage where Satan tempts humans. It is the passage where he pretends to be an angel of light and tempts humans to evil.
I slowly closed the Bible. The leather-wrapped Bible was tightly closed.
“What does it mean?”
“They are trying to mock us.”
Deacon Sophia shuddered. I led her out of the kitchen and headed to the bed in the living room.
Where would the priest Peter place the holy relics?
It is safe to say that it is impossible for the possessed priest Peter to run away with the holy relics. It is impossible for them, whose very existence is impure, to come near the holy relics.
Since it was a world where it was rare to see a madman stealing a relic, it was likely that it was stored in a place that wasn’t too difficult to find. I carefully opened the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed.
All that was there was a small crucifix, a spare rosary, a Bible, and a few letters. I flinched and shuddered when I saw the stamp at the bottom of the letters.
“The Holy See… .”
A letter with the Pope’s seal. It was probably a letter exchanged with the Vatican.
By now, the Vatican had probably heard about what had happened to Father Peter and Father Camilla. I quietly pushed the drawer back in, hoping that they would act quickly and without any shortcomings.
“Deacon Sophia. Isn’t that there too?”
“Yes… . Gulp! It’s not here either. By the way, the smell is so bad… !”
“Hmm… .”
I could stand this level of stench, but judging by the tears forming at the corners of Deacon Sophia’s eyes, she seemed to be close to reaching her limit.
For the sake of Deacon Sophia, who was suffering from the stench, we needed to quickly find the things we needed and get out of here.
“Look through the closet. I’ll search the kitchen again.”
“Yes… . Knock!”
While Deacon Sophia opened the closet door with a sly expression, I headed back to the kitchen.
I searched through cupboards, looked under pots and pans, and even looked in the refrigerator, but I couldn’t find even the slightest relic that could aid in the exorcism.
“Sub-title Sophia. Not in the kitchen.”
“I don’t think it’s here either… !”
“Um… .”
We gathered back in the living room and reflected deeply.
Father Peter clearly stated that he had been ordered to exorcise the demons remaining in the Academy together with Father Camilla.
Exorcism is not something that can be solved with just a Bible, a rosary, and a rosary. It requires various preparations, and the more preparations you have, the more certain and quicker the exorcism will be.
The point is, if what Father Peter said is true, these two could never have come to the Academy empty-handed.
“Where on earth is it… .”
As I looked around the living room, chewing my lip, for some reason I had a hard time taking my eyes off the bed.
A bed with sagging bed sheets. A soft-looking bed. A bed fit for someone to lie down on… .
… Wait. A bed sheet?
I immediately fell flat on the floor. Seeing me like that, Deacon Sophia called my name in embarrassment.
“Lord, Lord Priest?”
“Deacon Sophia. Have you looked under the bed?”
“No…? Under the bed is still… .”
I immediately lifted the bedsheet. There was pitch-black darkness inside.
“Substitute Sophia. We need light.”
“Oh, yes! Just a moment… .”
Let there be light.
As Deacon Sophia uttered her prayer, a warm sphere of light appeared above her hand. As Deacon Sophia, lying down next to me, stretched out her arms, the darkness under the bed began to gradually recede.
“… … !”
Suddenly, something shining in the darkness caught my eye. I immediately reached out my hand towards it.
Less noise.
As I was groping around in the darkness, something with a hard, woody texture came into my hand. I immediately pulled it out.
“This is….”
It was a wooden box with intricate decorations carved into it. The hinges of the box gleamed in the light.
As I slowly opened the lid, I saw two objects wrapped in cloth lying neatly together. I carefully removed the cloth.
What appeared was a brass bell and an incense burner hanging from an iron chain. Deacon Sophia, who was watching from my side, took a deep breath.
“… found.”
It was like two sharpened knives, meant to drive out the beast.
– Caw. Caw. Caw.
The sound of a crow croaking could be heard faintly.
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