episode_0052

“Don’t block it.”

“Stop.”

“Do you really want to see your daughter die?”

“I am the Pope.”

“You’re my father.”

“Private relationships cannot ruin public affairs.”

“… .”

“Sir Beatrice.”

My father’s voice was as hard as it always was. It seems like he won’t be swayed by emotions.

“Father, I want to live.”

“… .”

“Freeing you from the devil’s hands? What’s the use of it all if you die?”

“Sir Beatrice.”

“The state ignored us. The devil saved us. I would rather believe in the devil.”

“You even have a false sense of disrespect.”

Various emotions are tangled and mixed together. My mind is extremely complex.

My father is the object of my admiration. The kind of person you need to love, love again, and love a hundred times a thousand times.

The one who should do that.

Grumble-.

However, my father will never respond to my love.

The desire to kill arises from resentment and the desire to survive. I want to take down that hateful father who stands alone guarding the gate I must cross.

A bloody air current swirls around my grasp. I drew my sword with killing intent. The great sword glows darkly, as if it will mercilessly cut down anything that stands in its way.

“I have to survive. Are you going to stop it till the end?”

“The devil is not a devil for nothing. Don’t go down the wrong path.”

“It’s for survival, right? Without this strength, I would not be able to surpass my father.”

“I am the Pope. The leader of the church and the support of the church members. I cannot sit by and watch you use the power of the devil.”

“… I made a contract with the devil to save you, but now he uses this power to kill you… .”

“Do you think you already killed me?”

Kugugugugu-.

The air current becomes cold and heavy. Holy power like frost turns into snowflakes and falls to the ground. My whole body becomes heavy, as if wet with water.

“Arrogant.”

“Lucifer is the devil of arrogance.”

“Have you forgotten who the person in front of you is right now?”

“I am the one who killed Agesiliad.”

“Do your best.”

“… .”

My father’s voice is powerful. I dragged the blackened great sword on the ground and took a step toward him, who remained stubborn to the end.

“Even if you kneel down to me like this, you won’t have any regrets-!”

My father also draws his sword. Although it is as large as my great sword and has similar strength and prowess, there is a clear difference between the two swords.

color.

Black and white.

darkness and light.

Devil and Lord.

It is common sense that the devil cannot overcome the Lord. Wasn’t Lucifer originally an angel, but wasn’t he who harbored rebelliousness and was punished by the Lord and fell into hell?

However, the Lord does not help humans. This is the only truth I have realized while living as a priest.

On the other hand, devils help humans. Therefore, I have no choice but to win this duel.

Ssss-.

Uuuung-.

The sinister power of the devil is condensed into my magic sword, and the brilliant divine power gathers into my father’s holy sword.

Let’s focus.

The author is my father and enemy. I can live only if I kill the author.

Recalling the time when I split Agesiliad in half, I threw away the new model. My body moves like a thunderbolt.

A dark flash of light flashes. In an instant, the whole world is covered in thick darkness, and my sword attacks the being that shines alone in the darkness.

A being that emits light also swings a sword. A swordsmanship that is more extreme than any swordsmanship I have ever seen.

Against him, I.

“Yes, I will do my best.”

I deliver the best blow I can unleash.

With the sole intention of killing him and running away, I will survive this life of contract with the devil.

There will probably be a violent collision. I don’t have the confidence to overwhelm right away.

I have become an absolute power with the power of Lucifer that I have just gained, but my father has always been at the absolute level.

Although he is aware of that fact, he does not back down. I unleash all the power I can, and deliver the ultimate blow.

With that in mind, I focused my sword on one point, my father’s heart, and pierced it.

Fuuuuk-.

There was no collision.

The clash between cast iron and black and white did not exist.

Instead, there was only the sound of someone’s knee falling weakly.

dump-.

It rang quietly.

“Wow… .”

I hear my father moaning. A heavy weight falls on my shoulders. My father’s body twitches, and the tip of my sword also shakes along with it.

It’s not strange. Because I made it that way. I just pierced my father’s heart, and as a result, he’s leaning his head on my shoulder and coughing up blood. It is clearly my victory.

However, there is one thing I don’t understand at all.

“Why… ?”

“Cough… Cough… .”

“Why… I took away my sword… ?”

Last moment.

Clearly, this was the moment when two great swords collided and a roar that shook the mountains and rivers erupted.

My father lowered his sword. And then, he surrendered himself to the blade that I threw at him.

This is incomprehensible.

“Why… ?”

My father coughed up red blood and covered his mouth.

“Ah, how can a father kill his daughter? .”

“… !”

“Before I was Pope… He is the father of one child… .”

“… ! Heh, don’t talk nonsense! When did you think of me as your daughter? !”

“Because he is the Pope, I shouldn’t let you go, but… Because you are my father, I cannot bear to kill you… The way is… This is the only way… .”

“What… !”

“ Don’t be mistaken… .”

A feeble breath, as if it would extinguish at any moment, approaches my ear.

“I didn’t stop you… Well, I couldn’t stop it… ! That will be known to the world… !”

“… !”

“If I just let you go… I become an apostate who broke the decree… Then your mother, who will be left alone in the world, will also become an apostate… .”

The mother is mentioned in the father’s mouth.

“You run away like this… I will be remembered as the Pope who died in a failed attempt to stop you… Then your mother will be able to receive protection from the church… .”

“… Why.”

It feels like my eyes are spinning.

The world is somehow strange.

“Why didn’t you kill me!”

For the first time in my life, I am writing plain language to my father. It’s a rude behavior, but words come out randomly without going through the brain.

“That’s right… Because I love you… .”

“Da, you don’t love me!”

“… .”

“You never smiled at me! Praise and recognition! I only practiced all year round because I wanted to be recognized by you! You never once told me I did a good job!”

My father doesn’t love me.

On the day of the war against the fighting nation, when I stood in the vanguard, he stood next to me.

That was just an extremely reasonable choice to make as the best force.

“It is… .”

“What… Say something! That’s right! You didn’t love me!”

“Because you chose the arduous path of becoming a knight… .”

“… what… ?”

“You… I had to grow up strong… .”

“… .”

At the harsh voice I hear, my heart drops.

“Don’t you know… The way people look at a woman becoming a paladin… That it is never pretty… . If I don’t smile, you become stronger… If I don’t praise you, you will practice even more… . After spending more than ten years like that, you eventually became the best paladin… The bishops are still not happy with you… .”

That was the reason.

no.

It shouldn’t be like that.

If that’s really true, then I killed you.

What happens to this son of a bitch who plunged a knife into his father’s chest?

No, it’s more fundamental than that… … .

“I… !”

“Beatrice… ?”

“I dreamed of becoming a knight because I wanted to receive your love… !”

“… .”

“Because I want to receive your praise! Because I just wanted that! I wanted to become a paladin!”

“… I’m sorry.”

The misaligned situation runs down the wrong track and ultimately leads to destruction.

Faced with eternal death.

My father is still leaning his head on my shoulder. You can’t take out the sword here. The blood that comes out of the wound blocked by the knife will hasten my father’s death. Of course, it cannot be inserted deeper.

All I can do now is to support my father, who has a sword stuck in his chest, and hug his back.

“I… I was immature.”

The strong, large back muscles tremble as if weeping. In my father’s decrepit voice, I can hear sobs that cannot be hidden.

“If only I had talked to you a little more… I would have done anything to grant your true wishes… … .”

“Stop it… ! Ma, stop talking… !”

“Because I am immature… I couldn’t do that… .”

I loved my father.

My father loved me too.

But why did this happen?

“The Pope… I’ve been doing it for over forty years… This is my first time raising a child… .”

“Stop! I understand! Because I knew what you were trying to say! If more blood leaks out like this… !”

I’m crying!

“Ah, uh, uh, uh… ?”

“Cough… Since you are a child, it is natural that you are immature… I am a parent… I have already experienced the time of being a child once… I should have approached you first… I foolishly thought that being blunt would help… .”

Red blood keeps flowing down. It’s not mine, so why does it cling so tenaciously to my body?

My body is hot. This is because it is covered in hot blood. Blood? Is this blood?

… right. It is transparent blood. It is a condensation of emotions that flow from a person’s eyes and seem ready to explode. Before I knew it, it was flowing from my eyes too.

Help, that’s it. That’s it. It’s done. Thanks to your education, I ended up becoming the church’s first female paladin! He even earned the name of the strongest paladin!

You’re not wrong. It’s just that things were a little off. There are no wicked people anywhere.

therefore… do not die. Don’t die. You pray like this. Please don’t die.

“Huh, black, huh… .”

Hot blood flows endlessly from my eyes. Even though I’m crying and making awkward noises, my father doesn’t scold me anymore. Instead, he just looks at me with infinitely gentle gaze and gently strokes the back of my head.

“She is such a delicate daughter… I was too harsh… .”

“Ugh… Well, I didn’t even know you were… .”

“I didn’t know either… Don’t blame yourself… It was my fault, as a parent, for not knowing what you meant… How can I hold you, my child, responsible? .”

My father’s voice gradually becomes fainter. In front of my father who is preparing to cross the river of no return, I am frustrated, scream, and cry.

How on earth did my father and I come to have this kind of relationship? The boiling tears just pour down endlessly. I am so sad, so sad, so sad that I feel so resentful that I feel like I am going to kill myself.

“Face… Let’s see… .”

“Ugh… Hmm… .”

My father’s thick hands come up weakly and cover my chin and cheeks. Before I knew it, my father’s chin, which was now stained red, was throbbing like thread.

No, don’t look. I mean, it’s a total mess right now. He said he was covered in tears.

It means that you are so far removed from the strong, firm, and impregnable image that you always emphasized.

Contrary to my earnest wishes, my father forced me to face me, covering my face with his hands. Knowing that it was my father’s last action, I did not dare to stop him. My father looked at my face with moist eyes and barely managed to utter a word.

“My daughter… .”

“Ugh, ah, ah, father… .”

“You grew up beautifully… .”

Tuk-.

After that, my father’s hands, stained with the tears I shed and the blood I vomited, fell to the ground.

As he breathed his last breath, my father quietly pondered his thoughts.

A hymn in memory of someone in heaven to whom you dedicated your life.

“The Lord is coming… .”

“My glorious Lord is coming… .”

“The horn of blessing greeting the Lord sounds… .”

“The day when the Lord’s grace falls on the earth one by one… .”

“On that day, my Lord comes walking on the path of love… .”

The most powerful chant in the world, but the most resonant chant in the world.

“The Lord is coming… To save all things… .”

Such chant spreads quietly.

“… .”

It’s over now though.

“… .”

My body doesn’t move. If I don’t want to make my father’s death in vain, I have to run away and survive, but I can’t find the will to live.

It’s a strange thing. Up until the time I clashed with my father, I was only determined to kill and survive, but now that my father is dead, I have no will to live.

It’s because of the shame I felt for killing my father with my own hands.

“Ah, ahhh… .”

After laying my father down on the ground, I pulled out his hand. My two palms, soaked with my father’s blood, come into view. I feel like I’m going crazy.

I can’t die. My father sacrificed his life to save me.

I just can’t figure out why I should live.

So, when you are struggling helplessly, lost in deep disappointment about life.

“Ha… Captain, you need to leave quickly. Why are you doing this here?”

A familiar voice was heard.

As I move my vision, blurred by tears, I see a familiar face.

Lucio. My subordinate and a close friend to whom I am grateful for getting me out of prison.

But why?

Does my friend have that horrible smile on his face?

The corner of my mouth went up as if it was going to tear, and what caught my ear reminded me of the devil’s expression I saw in an old book a long time ago… .

“Huh? You killed the Pope? Wow! good job! As expected, our leader is amazing!”

“… ! What did you say… !”

“Why? Why are you doing this? Is it strange that I’m happy?”

Lucio’s face changes. Body shape, voice, height, etc. all change. Black wings sprout from behind his back, and evil goat horns grow through Lucio’s forehead. In his hand was a cross held upside down.

“So, does the devil feel sad when the Pope dies? Haha, that sounds fun, right? Lady?”

“… ! You… !”

Fallen Angel, Archdemon Lucifer.

It was a shock that took my breath away. That cheerful and kind Lucio was actually Lucifer? What about Lucio, who was a bit debauched but still a faithful paladin?

“Lucio… ! Yes, what about you… .”

“I don’t think you understand this situation right now? Well, it’s worth it. The support I had believed in all my life was actually the devil. If you write a play like this these days, you’ll be criticized. But reality is always more fantastic than theater. Have you ever heard of ?”

“Playfulness… ?”

“I was once an angel, right? So, I was having fun as a paladin. However, there I met a lonely girl. A very lonely, obsessive girl. Don’t you feel it? Who is the girl?”

“Lu, Lucifer… ! Surely everything from the beginning… !”

“Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t really intend to do it. I just twisted the situation a little and set the stage a little.”

Lucio. No, Lucifer’s words break my heart. The more the terrible truth that flows from Lucifer’s grotesque mouth is revealed, the more my spirit crumbles.

“I am satisfied. It was so much fun. The story of two fathers and daughters struck by tragedy was truly fascinating to watch.”

“… ! Lucifer! You vicious devil!”

“Hmm?”

“If it wasn’t just you! If it weren’t for you, my father… !!”

Anger leaks from between my lips. Anger dominates my confused mind.

To me, Lucifer whispers sonorously.

“Why? What did I do?”

“Lucifer! You bastard that will tear you to death!”

“Wow, why don’t you calm down? You’re staring at me like I’m going to kill you.”

Wow!

I grabbed Lucifer by the collar. Lucifer just stared at me with a cruel smile.

“I’ll kill you! Father’s enemy… ! I will tear you into thousands of pieces!!”

“… Me?”

“Yes! You evil bastard… !”

When I wrapped my hands around Lucifer’s neck and tried to strangle him, wanting to fill that smile with pain that made me want to die.

Lucifer began to speak elegantly.

“Hmm… But why do you hate me?”

“That’s right… ! Because of you, my father… !”

“Wow, don’t be mistaken. The Pope was destined to die from the beginning. By the invasion of Tugu. It’s not just the Pope. It was said that all the believers in the Holy Kingdom were destined to be trampled by the tramples of the fighting horses.”

Lucifer spoke well.

To a terrible degree.

“Think about it! If Lady hadn’t made a deal with me, they would all be dead! But Lady eventually met me and made a devil’s contract, so she saved everyone! Only the Pope is dead!”

“That’s not true… .”

“Isn’t it much more beneficial to just look at a simple calculation? Only one Pope is dead! Originally, everyone, including the Pope, would have died, but thanks to this Lucifer, Lady was able to make it happen!”

“Umm… .”

“Ah! But there is one difference! A very important difference to you!”

“What is that… ?”

Disgustingly, Lucifer was a good talker.

With both arms wide open.

Suddenly, the words my father left before his death came to mind.

‘The devil is not the devil for nothing.’

“You killed the Pope yourself!”

“… !”

“What? The Holy Kingdom would have been destroyed? Everyone would have died? What does it matter! That was something that would be suffered by those fighting against the country!”

“Ah… !”

“You killed him with your own hands! your father! Isn’t it fun? In exchange for preventing a terrible future where country fighting kills everyone, only one Pope dies! Just because you killed him with your own hands! Just that guilt! You are going crazy!”

“Aaaah… !!”

“Natural death is not allowed for those who have made a contract with the devil! don’t worry! Because the devil never breaks a contract! You will have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life! Do you think the devil is the devil for nothing? You are destined to be bound by a sense of sin for a million or a billion years!”

I don’t remember anything after that.

“Ahhhh!!!”

After letting out a scream that came from the depths of my body and mind, my memory was occasionally cut off, and I wandered in search of a place with no destination.

Just with the thought of not wanting to turn his father’s death into a dog’s death, he crawled into the forest of Eoyeongbuyeong, built a small house, and began to live leisurely.

That’s it, my story.

The story of a paladin named Beatrice Constantino, who lives without being able to die.