episode_0177

***

A dark night with the crescent moon obscured by clouds.

Dusky moonlight came through the window into a room where the chill coming from the cold stone walls hit my bones.

– Crunchy

The bed, barely big enough for a person to lie down on, and the small desk looked similar to a modern-day gosiwon.

In a room without any decorations, a blonde woman was sitting at a desk and moving a quill.

The pen tip, full of ink, was moving along the paper, drawing a flowing line.

The woman was copying a book.

It was something I had transcribed before, but the more I tried it, the more I felt like I was gaining new insight.

Her hand, which had been transcribing passages without hesitation, stopped.

She put down her pen and traced the phrase with her fingertips.

[After all, faith is like air; it is something that realizes reality without seeing it.]

“Realize reality without seeing…”

As she traced the passage, she recalled what had happened today.

An era overflowing with false saints.

She, who took on the duties of a heresy judge, executed the false saint who had been captured a few days ago today.

In the square where people gathered, a criminal came up.

She, the heretic judge Maria Roen, opened the Bible and asked the sinner:

[The sinner distorted the words of the Bible and deceived believers. He also called himself a saint and pursued private interests.]

The criminal said nothing.

[When the end times come, false saints will abound, and those who call themselves gods will appear. Beware of this.]

Maria recited a Bible verse and turned to the people gathered in the square.

[Children of light, be alert. False saints are the ones who deceive you. Do not be deceived by appearances and commit sin.]

She took out a huge greatsword wrapped in rough leather.

Silence came to the square.

After focusing her attention, Maria untied the strap and unwrapped the leather covering the sword body.

The leather fell off, revealing the blade of the greatsword shining silver.

Maria, holding the handle of the great sword, turned her body to the criminal.

[We will carry out fair execution on the sinner who distorted the meaning of light and deceived the world.]

– Hung, Hung.

With her words, the great sword began to emit a soft light.

Mary stood next to the sinner.

With his head down, the criminal’s neck was exposed, making it easy to strike with a knife.

She lifted her sword mechanically.

If the sword was now lowered, the criminal’s head would fall to the ground.

She strengthened her arms and struck down the sword, and at that moment she heard the voice of the criminal lying flat at her feet.

[You blind people who cannot believe unless you see.]

It was a voice that only Maria could hear as she executed the sentence.

[!!!]

She paused for a moment at the sinner’s last words, but the knife was already pointed at the sinner’s neck without hesitation.

The great sword touched the criminal’s neck, and the criminal’s neck was separated from the body and fell to the ground.

Its head fell into the box that had been brought beforehand and rolled over.

[…The execution is over. Let’s all go back.]

It was customary to leave the corpse of a criminal untouched for a day.

It was to awaken the awareness of believers whose faith was being tested.

Maria finished her afternoon work with an uneasy feeling and began writing to calm her mind.

[After all, faith is like air; it is something that realizes reality without seeing it.]

It was a phrase I always passed by. But what happened in the morning came to mind and shook her heart.

“It’s obvious, but why do I feel strangely stabbed in my heart?”

After entrusting everything to God, she could say with certainty that she never once doubted the existence of God.

“No way… I might have been deceived by the sinner’s words.”

It must have been the actions of a sinner struggling to survive. Maria decided to think so.

Maria shook her head and continued writing.

The flame of the candle, which had suddenly become short, flickered, and the sound of an owl searching for prey could be heard in the distance.

With her eyelids gradually drooping, Maria slumped down on the desk for a moment.

I was planning on just closing my eyes and resting for 5 minutes.

So she fell asleep.

Is it because I slept lightly?

In the midst of her daze, a loud noise tormented her ears.

– Boom boom boom

A dull sound echoed in the room she was in.

“-nim!”

“-Lia!!”

It seemed like someone’s voice came from very far away.

She opened her eyes with difficulty.

‘I guess I dozed off for a while.’

She looked at the candle on the desk. The length became a little shorter, but seeing as there was no significant difference, it seemed like not much time had passed.

– Boom boom

The door behind her rang.

“Who are you?”

When Maria asked in surprise, the girl’s young voice was heard.

“This is Lorian. Maria.”

At the sound of the trainee nun’s voice, Maria straightened her clothes and opened the door.

A busy atmosphere entered the room through the passage.

“What’s going on?”

“Go to the square now. Quickly!”

When Maria asked a question in an unfamiliar situation, an apprentice nun escorted her.

***

After hearing the trainee nun’s words, she ran to the square in a daze.

Other Inquisitors were by her side, and the priests followed behind.

There was no doubt that something big had happened.

Although it was still night in terms of time, the whole world was bright as if the sun had mistaken the time.

And the beginning of that light was the square where the execution took place today.

As the light grew brighter as she went to the square, she felt an indescribable tension even as she squinted.

‘Oh my God.’

Has the end times seen only in the Bible arrived?

Her heart was beating wildly.

“That place.”

With the voice of a priest, the eyes of the group turned to the execution site.

It was a sight that could only be described as a miracle.

A huge ray of light was coming out of the box containing the criminal’s head.

As soon as they arrived at the square, the criminal’s head rose into the air.

Although dazzled by the brilliant light, they slowly made their way to the execution site.

“Oh… God.”

I heard someone’s voice.

The sinner’s neck radiated light in the air for a while, and then slowly flew towards the sinner’s body.

The criminal’s body was hanging limply on the execution platform, and the criminal’s neck was stuck to the cut where the blood had hardened.

And flash. Light fell on the whole world.

“Ugh, the snow.”

If I looked at that light as it was, I felt like I would go blind.

When everyone was hesitant, Maria slowly climbed onto the execution platform.

“[The young believer asked the light, ‘Light, are you my master?’ and the light answered, ‘Yes, my descendant.’]”

Mary approached the light, reciting Bible verses.

As Mary’s hand touched the sinner’s body, the light began to fade.

The light that had been brightly illuminating the square gradually faded out, and the people who had gathered in the square opened their eyes to see this strange phenomenon.

What was before their eyes was the figure of a person standing on two feet, emitting a soft light.

Everyone was on their knees as the person who had obviously died in the morning came back to life.

“…what is your name?”

When Maria asked in a voice full of fear, the man slowly turned his head.

Maria faced the man’s clear eyes.

“Kang In-ho.”

When Mary heard again the name of the person she had executed today, she immediately fell to the ground.

“Seo, saint…”

Others in the square heard Maria’s muttering and shouted after her.

“The saint has come!!”

“The saint has arrived!!!”

Looking at the people shouting like that, Kang In-ho thought.

‘What the fuck is happening?’