episode_0068

The dreamlike time of meeting his father passed, and when Arthur came to his senses, he saw a hand holding the holy sword in front of him.

“There are a lot of people waiting, but you’re just giving up and leaving.”

Arthur turned around at the sound of a middle-aged woman’s voice, and saw people waiting in line as usual.

He was just standing there as if nothing had happened, which was strange.

I clearly remember the Holy Sword emitting a blinding light before entering that space, so I couldn’t understand the people’s attitude now.

Because it’s not important.

Let’s quickly draw the holy sword and go.

“Huh, huh..?”

But contrary to expectations, no matter how hard he tried, the holy sword would not be pulled out, and Arthur’s struggling to pull out the holy sword was seen as a sight to those around him.

Eventually, it took so long that even the priests who managed the Holy Sword came.

“That.. Believer? The holy sword isn’t something you can pull out by holding it for that long..”

“Oh, no! I should definitely be chosen… You said there was a small gift…”

“Originally, when you hold the holy sword, you feel like it’s easy to pull it out. First, let’s go down with me and talk…”

I felt so wronged.

You said you’d give me a gift. Sadly, all that’s left is the holy sword in front of me.

If I can’t even take care of that, I…

“Let go of this!! It’s mine!! I’m the owner!!”

So Arthur shouted.

I said there was a problem for a moment.

If I were given just a little time, I would have the holy sword in my hand.

“I’m sorry. Someone, come and drag me down!”

Despite Arthur’s earnest gaze, the priest and others still saw him as a madman who wanted to become a warrior, so the priest, unable to watch the commotion grow, asked another priest for help.

The one who came after hearing the voice was a priest with brown hair.

The priest who approached bowed his head toward Arthur, then grabbed his wrist and slowly dragged him outside.

And this sight was enough to become gossip for those tired of waiting.

“Poor thing. He looks young, tsk.”

“I don’t know what kind of confidence you have. Do you really think you’re a hero?”

“Looking at it now, you look uncomfortable too..”

“It’s funny that a man becomes a hero, but a physically disabled person becomes a hero? The world is so funny. Hehe”

High intensity gossip that is not appropriate for a place with a holy sword.

In a way, it was natural. In an era when the Demon King had disappeared, most people who wanted the status of a warrior were losers.

An adventurer who retired due to injury.

An optimist who just lets time pass without accomplishing anything and waits for luck to come knocking.

An incompetent person who pretends to have a special story.

Since most of them were like this, it was very easy for them, who had lived in a relatively harsh environment, to look down on others, find their shortcomings, and criticize them.

“Everyone, be quiet.”

The priest’s face, which had been expressionless until just now, became slightly distorted.

I was not happy that Arthur, whose life curve seemed uneven, was being dragged down by force, and it was not easy to suppress my anger when I heard unpleasant things about him so openly in front of me.

Because all they saw were people who didn’t look any better than the boy they had caught.

“Why? He looks like he’s crazy, but his face is half-and-half, so how can he try to gain favor with him? He’s a woman, but he’s a priest. Hehe.”

Ugh.

The priest’s grip tightened as the sarcasm crossed the line, and the atmosphere became uncontrollably tense.

Fortunately, the commotion was so loud that I could hear security personnel arriving.

“Tsk.”

The adventurer who had been teasing the priest clicked his tongue and turned his head as the knights who had sensed the commotion came in through the door, and the tense atmosphere from before was quickly restored to its original state.

“I will guide you outside.”

The priest who dragged Arthur out the door said with a smile, but unfortunately, Arthur just hung his head low, perhaps because he was hurt by the words he had heard inside. He didn’t say anything in response.

Of course, it was not something he could just stand still, so the priest grabbed Arthur’s wrist and slowly moved towards the exit, and Arthur did not offer much resistance.

“I regret what happened today.”

As they approached the exit, the priest expressed regret.

I didn’t say much. I learned a long time ago while working that everyone has their own story, and that weak consolation and sympathy can actually be poisonous.

“That’s not a lie..”

The situation is that there are only a few steps from the exit.

The priest also stopped moving his feet at Arthur’s trembling voice.

“My dad is a warrior… He said he left a gift, but the only thing left is the holy sword…”

From Arthur’s perspective, it was true that he had only told the truth about what he had seen and experienced, but unfortunately, the priest’s face when he heard this was not good.

“I see. Then, can you explain why the Holy Sword was not pulled out?”

Still, the priest did not show much discomfort to Arthur.

Because that is the iron rule that a woman named Aria set for herself while living as a priest.

Respecting whoever the other person is.

“That’s…”

When Arthur showed that he could not answer easily, Arya spoke first.

“Then where is your father?”

Arya concluded that Arthur was mentally ill.

Arya, who was a staunch realist, said those words not to provoke Arthur, but to slowly pull him out of his fantasy.

“That’s why I came back..”

“Ah..”

I realized that I had opened up a wound because of my rash judgment, but I had no intention of stopping.

Because a person who is tied down by the pain of the past is no better than dead.

Just like her own mother did.

“I’m sorry, but your father was probably not a warrior. He never showed up in public, but it’s known that the warrior defeated the Demon King and went into hiding.”

The reason I can say such violent things is because I have seen many people who are lost in their own delusions.

From experience.

Think about it probabilistically.

Even if you judge it simply and intuitively.

Aria thought that the possibility that the physically disabled and mentally unstable boy in front of her was the son of the real warrior was close to zero.

“No! That’s all a lie, and in reality, my father was a victim of the imperial conspiracy! I need the holy sword for revenge-”

“!”

At Arthur’s dangerous remark, Aria quickly covered Arthur’s mouth with her hand and looked around to see if anyone had heard the conversation just now. When she confirmed that no one was around, Aria wiped the cold sweat from her head and sighed in relief.

“If anyone had heard what I just said, we’d both be executed for treason.”

“I’m sorry..”

“Sigh..”

Arya was the type of person who would not hesitate to help if there was anything she could do, but Arthur thought he should just give up.

He wasn’t the type of person to help others even at the risk of being killed.

This is because I have always thought of myself as a hypocrite.

I’m just lucky and in a position to help others.

I also liked the slight sense of superiority that came as a reward.

“I guess that’s all I can help you with… But the last thing I want to say is, if all the information I know is false and what you’re saying is true… If your father is really a warrior who can’t wield the holy sword, then I think so. I guess it means that you should live happily without seeking revenge.”

“… ”

“You can ignore it. It’s just what I thought. What kind of parent would give a sword to their child as a gift… Anyway, don’t be too obsessed with gifts. If you live happily, you might find it someday. Ahem..”

It was a word of comfort thrown out in case Arthur, who looked unwell, made a bad choice.

It’s not that hard to say something like that, and it would be nice if you could at least come to your senses.

But the conversation went on for too long, and Aria felt a little embarrassed as she said some things, and she felt her face turn red.

‘Ugh… Was I being too blunt? I’m not usually like this…’

Aria, who felt that it would be difficult to see each other’s faces if they stayed any longer, nodded to Arthur and disappeared as if running away.

… … …

The word hypocrisy is used less appropriately than one might think.

This is because the criteria are very subjective and tend to be judged by evil people.

actually,

People who share good deeds without expecting anything in return think they are hypocrites.

People who receive something in return for doing good deeds often don’t think of themselves as hypocritical.

The same goes for Aria.

Compared to the good deeds you do, all you get in return is a little bit of spiritual fulfillment that comes from doing good deeds.

But even that is packaged negatively in the name of superiority, and he believes that he is a hypocrite.

A truly hypocritical person would never think deeply about what others think and respond to them.

In that sense, Arthur was lucky.

Because among the many priests I met, Aria was the one who helped me get close to the correct answer.

“I see..”

What meaning did Arya’s words have to Arthur, who was left alone?

“But.. I can’t be happy..”

It’s probably hard to have a positive meaning.

Even if you are lucky and find the answer easily, not everyone can walk that path.

Sadly, that’s the reality.

The only path a broken or abandoned doll can take is not the path to a warm home, but the path to a garbage dump.

“But wouldn’t it be a little better if I took revenge..”

Happiness is a life where there is no right answer.

Even though I know that revenge is vain and useless.

No matter how much I pick up the broken pieces to go back, it’s too late now.

The doll named Arthur would immediately fall apart if he didn’t believe that the wrong answer, revenge, was the right answer.

That is the path that a doll, barely able to hold together the broken pieces with the glue called revenge, must take to survive.

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

Arthur, who apologized towards the direction of the Holy Sword, left the church and walked straight north.

The goal is to find the person named Muyeon that my father spoke of.

I had to meet him unconditionally because I thought I could probably get ‘some’ help.

Thus began Arthur’s journey for revenge. After that, it didn’t take long for the status window engraved on Arthur’s body under the name of a gift to finish updating and appear before his eyes.