episode_0214

***

Even though she was in the room she had lived in for years, she didn’t feel comfortable.

It wasn’t because of the investigation that would soon be upon her. The news of the saint’s execution shook her senses.

The Harvest Festival is a major holiday for the religious community.

It was a day to harvest the seeds sown in the spring in the fall, cook them deliciously, share them with each other, and give thanks for God’s grace.

But the joy that should have come from sharing food and stories was gone, and a heavy silence fell over the entire church.

“Saint is the devil?”

Maria muttered with a mesmerized look on her face.

It was clear that he had been framed.

It was clear that an evil devil had laid the blame on the saint.

The entire church is playing to the devil’s tricks.

Executions are not carried out during the Harvest Festival.

The fastest execution is noon the next day.

If we had to get him out, it was the right thing to do today.

Maria looked out the window.

The moon had risen before I knew it, and I had to make up my mind.

She got out of bed and walked around the room.

“No.”

I am confident that she understands the saint better than anyone else.

his voice.

I don’t think that soft voice calling my name has changed.

“No.”

his eyes.

I don’t think the kind eyes that look at me when I wake up in the morning have changed.

his smile.

I don’t think that smile, like the comfortable spring sunlight that makes you smile just by looking at it, has changed.

his body temperature.

The warmth felt through his small palm did not change.

his body type.

His sweet scent is no different from before.

Nothing has changed. That much was certain.

But, are you saying you’re possessed by a devil?

Am I being fooled?

“No!!!”

Maria screamed sharply and hit the desk in the room with her fist, creating a crack in the center of the desk and splitting it in half.

Paper, pens, inkwells, etc. bounced off the impact and fell disorderly on the floor.

Maria looked at her fist.

She walked with long strides and stood in front of the door.

I was confident that I would be able to wrench open this solid door now.

I heard footsteps running towards me from outside.

Maria took a deep breath and placed her hand on the doorknob.

But until the moment she put strength to her hand, Maria could not find a clear answer to her question.

[Why is he a saint?]

***

The Holy Knights and Inquisitors who were running to Maria’s room were hit by the door that flew off with a loud explosion and tumbled down the hallway.

There was a loud noise that did not suit the quiet atmosphere of Solar Qishia.

“The criminal tries to escape!!”

It was the cry of a paladin who was still holding on to his spirit.

His alarm was short-lived, for the criminal kicked him in the jaw, knocking him out.

Maria headed downstairs, passing by the scene she had created.

When Maria arrived at the interrogation room where criminals were imprisoned, she was easily able to find where the saint was.

In the deepest part of the prison, there was a place where the church’s biggest criminals were imprisoned.

“It’s here!!”

Did you find out about it from the commotion above?

In the hallway leading to the interrogation room, numerous Holy Knights and Inquisitors were waiting.

Maria, who was confronting those in her way, extended her fist to the side.

With the sound of something exploding, a small hole appeared in the wall.

I took out a gray brick from the building materials that were there.

“Everyone ready for battle!”

A paladin holding a shield took the lead and blocked her.

Without clearing them away, it was impossible to reach where the saint was.

Maria stretched her arms back and stamped her left foot.

So the bricks were shot in a straight line.

– Empty!

With a dull screeching sound, the leading paladin is pushed forward and begins to fly away.

Unable to absorb the momentum of the stone, he became a thrown object flying along with the stone, and everyone who was waiting with his shield was shocked.

Maria ran inside, trampling those who were still conscious among the fallen.

***

“Saint!!”

Maria tore the door open, and inside the musty prison came the figure of the saint standing in chains.

“……”

At first glance, the saint’s condition was not good.

Mary hugged the blood-covered saint.

A terrible bloody smell mingled with his fragrant body odor.

“Saint! I’m here. Open your eyes.”

“Sister Maria.”

The saint with his eyes closed slowly called out to her.

“You’re awake. Come to your senses quickly. We have to get out of here.”

Mary said as she tightened her grip on the chains that bound the saint’s hands.

“I won’t be able to solve it.”

The tired saint declared.

As he said, the chain did not budge.

Maria pulled the chain again and again, as if she couldn’t believe it.

Where has all the strength that came from coming here gone?

No matter how hard I tried, the chain showed no signs of breaking.

“Sister Maria, look at me.”

Mary’s head turned at the saint’s call.

“You shouldn’t be here now. Hurry and run away.”

“How can I run away leaving you behind!”

“Sister Maria, you can’t save me now.”

“What do you mean by that! Please wait a moment, I will take this chain…”

Maria raised the rusty sword lying in the interrogation room and tried to strike it at the chain.

“Maria Loen!!”

The hanging saint squeezed his strength and screamed.

Maria stopped at that point.

The saint looked into Mary’s eyes and said,

“The execution is tomorrow at noon.”

“There are people trying to save me. When the execution started, they made a fuss, and the people waiting decided to save me.”

“Who on earth?”

He was a saint without much support.

Is there anyone who can help him?

“These are people who are apart from you but have embraced you.”

Maria’s brow furrowed.

“Sister Maria, don’t you trust me? A saint does not lie.”

Even though he was exhausted, the saint smiled. It was a face that showed confidence that he would not die.

“But… But…”

“Trust me. You must believe it.”

The saint emphasized faith.

“There is absolutely no chance of the two of you leaving here. Tomorrow, we have to aim for tomorrow.”

The saint persuaded her, and Mary’s heart was shaken by his persistent and sincere persuasion.

“Then really at the square tomorrow?”

Maria asks as if confirming.

“That’s right. Once the rescue begins, Sister Maria can help them.”

The saint tells Mary what to do.

In response to that persuasion, Maria let go of the chains she had been holding on to.

The chain clattered and shook.

“Okay, go now. Before the crowds come!”

As the saint cried out, Mary turned around and began to run out of the dungeon in a huff.

Maria leaves Solar Lucia, throwing the crowd of people against the wall.

Unlike in the interrogation room, the hands she used to swat people away contained a power that transcended common sense.

Solar Lucia’s main gate.

Under the full moon, someone stopped her alone.

Maria, who was running with all her might, stopped.

“I was waiting for you, Sister Maria.”

“Chief judge.”

Inquisitor Lumen.

The pinnacle of the Inquisitor, who had brought hundreds of sinners to penance, stood before Mary.

Maria tensed her body and prepared for the fight that would follow.

This is because I knew very well that he was not a person who could be defeated with a trivial attack.

“The Inquisitor abandons faith for personal reasons. Or are you really deceived by the devil?”

– Tongue

The head of the weapon she was holding made a sound as it hit the floor.

A huge axe, that was Lumen’s weapon.

Maria checked her condition.

His body was covered in residual wounds from escaping Solar Lucia, and he had no decent weapons.

“Take it.”

Lumen threw something at her.

A huge greatsword tied in dirty cloth.

It is Maria’s weapon.

The heavy greatsword flew through the sky and fell at Maria’s feet.

Maria silently pulled the cloth of the sword.

Her huge greatsword revealed its body.

Maria held the sword with both hands and took a deep breath.

I remember the night dance hall I spent with the saint.

“Are you ready?”

Lumen asks, Maria’s green eyes staring straight at Lumen.

“Yes.”

As soon as Maria finished speaking, Lumen disappeared from sight.

A silver object rushing towards her, Maria raised her sword and prepared for the coming impact.

But there was no shock.

Before she knew it, Lumen came rushing in from the side and hit Maria’s hind leg.

“Pfft!”

It seemed as if the center of gravity was tilted, but then it fell backwards.

“So, can you explain to me why you are a saint?”

Above her head, Lumen’s calm voice is heard.

“…….”

Maria remained silent in response to unanswered questions from the moment she left the room.

“I see.”

As if he understood, Lumen pulled back the hand that was not holding the axe.

And then he threw it at her face.

“You have to see it with your own eyes to believe it.”

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

Looking at Lumen’s fingers heading towards her pupils, Maria recalled the words of the Bible that she had written down on paper a long time ago.

– Puuk

A sharp pain hit her brain, along with the feeling of digging into something soft.

◦ at

A sharp scream came out of Maria’s mouth.

She rolled around on the ground, clutching her face.

Bright red blood spurted out between the palms covering his face.

Lumen, wearing silver armor, looked down at her with an emotionless face.

Her white fingers were accompanied by mysterious green eyes.