episode_0521

The border dividing Romania and Bulgaria.

The number of soldiers guarding the place was very small.

Since the number of troops that can be operated is limited, it feels as if only the bare minimum is left.

Entry was easy.

This is because the dispatch of volunteers from the Orthodox Church has been planned for a long time.

Even if it wasn’t planned, they had to welcome it with open arms.

The food and daily necessities brought by the volunteer group will make life easier for some of the people.

The soldier who seemed to have the highest rank expressed his gratitude to Michael.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Nothing to say.”

“Please be comfortable… , No, I hope you have a safe time.”

A man who smiles bitterly and changes his words without saying the word ‘comfortable’.

That expression contained many emotions.

Even if it’s just empty words, it’s a mixture of regret and sorrow that can’t be said to have a peaceful time.

“Passed!”

The soldiers who were blocking the front step aside, and the barricade, which has wheels that are all rusty and cannot roll properly, moves with difficulty.

Finally, an open road.

It took about two hours to break things here and there and travel on broken roads.

Finally, the shape of the city began to appear in the distance.

New country, new city.

What kind of scenery and atmosphere do cities in this country create?

… The anticipation was short-lived.

Everyone, including me, realized.

The atmosphere flowing through this city is only sorrow and despair.

* * *

Clear sky.

The atmosphere of the city below is extremely dark.

Deserted road.

Broken building.

Citizens walk between them with helpless steps.

A fountain in the middle of the city that is believed to have been beautiful at one time, but is now half destroyed and stopped.

Kim Do-jin stopped the bus there and took a deep breath.

And I smelled a very familiar scent of memories.

‘The smell of poverty.’

The same smell I smelled at daycare when I was very young.

It’s a difficult time.

As it was difficult to take care of my family, interest and support for orphanages disappeared.

At its worst, I couldn’t even eat one full meal a day.

Children whined that they were hungry every day, and the daycare teachers were busy soothing them.

Some children who could not endure hunger tried to steal items from supermarkets or bakeries, but were caught by their owners and were beaten up and taken to the police station.

When the director heard the news, he was so shocked that he rushed to them and scolded them severely. He then sat down alone in the director’s office late at night and wiped away tears.

The situation was getting worse and worse, and instead of dreaming about the future, I had to worry about tomorrow’s meal right away.

The strong smell that hung over the city was similar to the smell I smelled back then.

no.

“… It’s even worse.”

The smell of this city was stronger than the worst moment of his life.

When I think of that time, I want to burst into tears without realizing it.

Is that why?

“I miss our director.”

I suddenly missed it.

A person who carefully gave names to children abandoned in orphanages and raised them as if they were their own.

My younger siblings didn’t want to see their friends starving anymore, so they went to the supermarket to steal something, but they got caught and were beaten to the point of death. While I was sitting on a chair at the police station, they came running to me with socks and patted me on the back, asking me sternly why I did that. The one who scolded him.

Late at night, I needed to urinate, so I woke up briefly and headed to the bathroom. When I happened to see the director in tears, my heart ached.

Maybe it was then.

The reason I started to become proud of myself was because I had a harsh mind.

In order to ease his pain and exhaustion even just a little, I started to be the leader of the children.

I did my best to help him at the time, but I still feel regret in my heart.

“It would have been better if I had stayed a little longer.”

Around the time I invested myself in the hunter industry and finally started making money.

The director passed away.

It was cancer.

When I went to the hospital because I wasn’t feeling well, the cancer cells had already spread throughout my body and I couldn’t do anything about it.

It was natural.

He was a person who tried to feed his children even more if he had money.

Even if I was sick, I would have thought going to the hospital was a luxury.

So, whenever I was happy and enjoying everything, I felt sad sometimes.

If only I had held on a little longer.

If he had lived longer, he would have been able to feel the happiness he enjoys now.

It was a time when I was immersed in sad thoughts and lowered my head.

Han Ju-yeon, who followed behind him, asked.

“Is something bad happening?”

A worried tone.

Kim Do-jin, waking up from his thoughts, struggled to curl the corners of his mouth and shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

okay.

It was no big deal.

It was difficult at the time, but now it’s just a thing of the past.

The director, who was so busy and left for heaven first, must be looking down at himself and smiling.

He was someone who prioritized the happiness of the orphanage children above all else, so I have no doubt that he would.

“Anyway… , The city’s condition is truly miserable.”

“Sure.”

“I heard the situation wasn’t good, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.”

It’s just as she said.

Perhaps because it was a provincial town close to the Romanian border, the conditions were truly the worst.

The entire city is in the grip of famine.

Everywhere in the city is destroyed with traces of various crimes, and among the skinny citizens, adults and children who are looking for this area can be seen.

He’s probably planning to commit robbery or pickpocketing.

“The help from the volunteer group is probably not enough.”

“Of course.”

The Orthodox Church volunteer group arrived in Romania carrying quite a lot of supplies.

But even that is not enough.

After dividing it equally among the citizens suffering from hunger, they would not be able to survive for even a month.

There will be many people who have lost all the food they previously received from robbers.

In the end, there is only one way to save them.

Solving the fundamental problem.

The best thing would be to restore the Sanctuary of Blood and return it to them.

If you raise your head and look into the distance, you can see a red barrier wrapped around a circle under a clear sky.

As I was looking at it, I felt like I could smell the strong smell of blood.

* * *

The border town of Baia Mare.

The Orthodox volunteer group arrived there and set up a relief center in a corner of the city full of grief.

“Food will not be provided to those who do not line up properly.”

“Please keep order as it is difficult for everyone.”

Distribute the food you brought with you to the citizens.

“Where are you in pain?”

“The legs… , my legs hurt so much.”

“I feel like my head is going to explode, priest… .”

Extending a healing hand to the sick.

Looking at them, even I, who does not believe in the existence of God, naturally nods my head.

Why did they establish themselves as the most popular religion in the world?

They say they are the true religion.

“Brother, I think I need to move some supplies. Could you help me?”

“Any amount.”

“Leave the hard work to us!”

The raid team hidden in the volunteer group also did their best to help them.

Even if you leave when you leave, it would be right to do your duty as a human being until then.

“Thank you so much, thank you… !”

“Thanks to you all, it’s been a while since I ate decent food!”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, thank you!”

Thanks to the volunteer group’s utmost sincerity, a ray of light seemed to shine on the city.

If there is light, darkness always follows.

“Kill kill, take it all away!”

“Anything that resists will be killed!”

The thieves, who smelled the smell of food coming from a city that should have been filled with nothing but despair, rushed in.

However, no one succeeded in stealing food.

Those who blocked them were none other than elite Holy Knights of the Orthodox Church.

This is because until recently, it was impossible for people who were just ordinary citizens or awakened people to break through them.

Those who were blocked by the strong shield barely escaped with their lives thanks to their mercy.

This is an extremely cruel treatment.

But no one could criticize their actions.

Because they weren’t just thieves.

These people became thieves in order to somehow survive before starving to death.

Obviously, the act of taking someone else’s property in order to survive is reprehensible, but there is also something ambiguous about ruthlessly taking their life.

After all, aren’t they the ones who walk around showing God’s mercy?

“Aaagh!”

“Sa, please save me!”

“I did it because I was hungry. Please, just this once… !”

After fighting off the thieves that have been coming for a long day, he folds his fingers one by one and counts them.

“Is it the sixth time?”

The volunteer group stayed in this city for only three days.

In just three days, thieves attempted to plunder six times.

This also means that there are more thieves in this country.

“As expected, something is a bit strange.”

Every time the attack continues, the feeling that something is strange keeps passing through my mind.

At first, they were bandits who settled not far from the city.

And from the second day onwards, thieves even from half a day to more than a day away from the city began to visit.

As if someone was spreading information from near to far.

“… That might really be true.”

Maybe someone really is passing on information.

Take away their food.

If that happens, there won’t be any hunger for a while.

It’s quite possible.

However, one question remains.

“Why on earth?”

For what reason are you giving food information to the bandits?

To receive some food as a reward for information if they succeed in stealing it?

well.

That could also be a reason, but I don’t think it would be that much.

So what is it?

Something that the provider would greatly benefit from providing the information.

Then, suddenly, a very bad thought crosses my mind.

“What if the thieves take back the food they stole?”

The current source of food is the Orthodox Church Volunteer Corps.

If you touch them incorrectly, paladins and priests from the Orthodox Church will come.

But what if the thieves, unable to overcome hunger, steal the stolen food again?

Wouldn’t it be possible to get food as per ration and avoid being tracked by the Orthodox Church volunteer group?

If this hypothesis is true, there is only one being in this country who would do such a thing.

“Apostle of the Seven Deadly Sins.”

The Apostle of the Seven Deadly Sins and his followers who used the Sanctuary of Blood as their hideout.

What if their entry and exit is not as free as we think and the supply and demand of supplies is not smooth?

There is enough reason to covet the relief supplies from the Orthodox Church that came at the right time.

All that remains is to prove this hypothesis… .

Maybe that won’t be that difficult either.

“It’s time to catch the big fish.”

It’s time to retrieve the bait that was spread earlier.