episode_0046

[Jeez, jealousy… .]

“I think that’s right? Don’t you feel uncomfortable hearing the female Aru howling on my lap following my commands? That’s jealousy. I’ve probably never felt this before in my life.”

[no. Jealousy is a distorted emotion that comes from a narrow mind. How could I have such feelings… .]

“Really? So then it’s okay if I just play with Aru? He said he wasn’t jealous.”

[…] .]

I can’t hear the saint’s answer as she should have returned.

I smiled.

Is the saint who always smiled generously smiling at this moment? I’m sincerely curious.

“Don’t deny it. Jealousy is not something to be ashamed of. Whether you are a woman or a man, it is a feeling that you cannot help but feel. When you see the person you like getting into trouble with someone of the opposite sex, you can’t help but feel jealous. We call that jealousy.”

[…] Is that so?]

“Yeah, giggle.”

[Having shallow feelings like jealousy… I think my discipline is still lacking. I have to work harder.]

“Ahahaha! The only person who can disguise jealousy in such a noble way is a saint!”

It’s because I don’t have enough discipline.

It is a word filled with the dignity of a saint. The language of the learned.

“Hahaha, good. Then, to commemorate the saint’s recognition, I will tell you some good news.”

[What is that?]

“ As you know, there are many types of love, right? There is the love between lovers that we commonly think of, but there is also the love between parents and children, the love between friends, the love between siblings, etc… The word love does not necessarily mean only affection between opposite sexes.”

[This is a wise statement.]

“Among them, there is also the love of the Lord. If you are a saint, you probably know what that is, right? This is what the saint showed me while I was in Tartarus. The saint’s love gradually changed into the love between lovers.”

[That’s right.]

“What I’m saying is, you don’t have to be jealous. Because all I give to Aru is the love of the Lord that the saint taught me.”

[ah… !]

“You know what? The only person I’ve had a wet dream about is a saint. There’s no need to add any more explanation to this, right?”

[Hehehe, hehehe-.]

The saint’s voice is filled with small emotions. Soon, a somewhat gloomy yet satisfying sound of laughter spread around.

It’s a wet dream, but in reality, it’s like imagining it and relieving your desires while sleeping, but is that really something to be thankful for? As expected, females cannot understand.

“Keng? What are you talking about?”

Aru, who was lying on my lap and being patted, looks at me with sullen eyes.

“I love you, Yonseok.”

“Kongkeong… Meat, give me more. I did everything I was told to do.”

“It’s old, go eat it.”

“Kkkk! Kkkk!”

Hwii-!

Aru barks excitedly and runs towards the direction where the fish was thrown. After letting go of the intruder, I turned my attention back to the cross.

At that time, the saint spoke.

[I love you too.]

“Suddenly?”

[I truly, truly, love you more than anything. For Joker, I can do anything.]

“Now that I think about the saint’s pout, I get chills because I think those words are not true. Hey hey, is it okay to be a saint of the Holy Order? A priest who serves God must be pure in body and mind.”

At my stinging touch, the saintess’s breath trembled slightly. Has it occurred to you now about the duties of a priest? Why don’t you just admit it and accept the corruption?

[No problem.]

“Huh? Why?”

[It is now the year 214 of the imperial calendar. From 114 Imperial Calendar to 394 Imperial Calendar, the church allows priests to marry and encourages having only one married person. It was a rule following the doctrine of the Messiah, who said, ‘Be fruitful and prosper.’]

Oh right. I’ve heard of it.

Then, as the religious order became corrupt, the priests’ promiscuous private lives increased, and eventually, a saint of the time, who was even worse, completely banned priests from marriage and relationships with the opposite sex.

It was a huge incident. As a result, church members who were already accustomed to a debauched life left the Holy Church. In the end, it was a good thing. 500 years later, the Holy Kingdom was the most conscientious of the seven kingdoms.

[Therefore, until the year 394 of the imperial calendar, I can proudly date Joker.]

“Yes, it is at the currency level.”

[It is a gracious time. and… Basically, any priest commits minor deviations. Even the church condones it.]

“Khahaha! Yes, if you are a saint, you can deviate! He is the only apostle of the Lord that I recognize! But don’t other guys have a little conscience? It’s full of people whose lives are deviant!”

[How many good priests are there? Joker has not met you.]

“Kkkk, is that so? Then, let the saint introduce me later! Sounds fun.”

There are still so many things I want to talk to the saint, but 20 minutes have already passed.

It was only 20 minutes at most, but it was the most enjoyable time since I returned.

“Will communication be possible tomorrow too?”

[yes. As much as you want.]

“Can I just cast a tell spell?”

[Yes, I will wait silently.]

“Ha, what if I betray the saint, I did this. Then we would have suffered a lot for 500 years.”

[When Joker spoke from the guillotine, I felt his sincerity. I trusted you, Joker.]

“Ugh, my mouth hurts even to say anything now. Drag it. See you tomorrow.”

[yes. Please be safe. Oh and… King Lang, could you change it for a moment?]

With only a few seconds left until communication was cut off, the saint spoke softly. I tried to grant her request.

“If it’s a request from a saint, of course I should grant it. Aru! Come here!”

“Kkkk!”

“Now, put this cross here to your ear.”

“Kung!”

Eventually, as requested by the saint, let’s change Aru.

When there was only a second left until communication was cut off, the saintess whispered softly.

[For 500 years, try your best to move forward. After that, it will be mine forever-.]

“Keng?”

With Aru’s innocent reply, communication was cut off.

*****

A space filled with layers of darkness in all directions.

A space without light, sound, or wind, just silence.

Spirit world.

It is a spirit world where civilization does not exist and existence itself is impossible, but even in such a place, the floor exists.

A very large disc-shaped stone floor.

In the middle of the stone floor, there is a pillar rising high into the sky. The sky is a dark space where not a single ray of light enters, and there is no gravity, so the distinction between upper and lower is meaningless.

In the spirit world, ‘down’ means a place with a stone floor. In other words, the sky was the direction in which the pillar rose. A strange sky where you can’t find starlight, moonlight, or sunlight even if you wash your eyes.

At the top of the pillar, there was a short pillar running across the vertical pillar. An infinitely large pillar in the shape of the character 十. It was the identity of what was located at the center of the spiritual world.

And, at the center of such a ‘cross’

“Keuuk… !”

A human woman was hanging in a spirit form.

With both arms wide open. Strictly speaking, it is wide open. By two nails the size of a man’s arm.

“… ! Ugh, huh, huh… .”

I wanted to struggle, but there was a series of pains that I couldn’t move because of the spikes. The woman twisted her back and cried out in pain.

Her name is Maria. Approximately five hundred years later, she was born with a great destiny to become the one and only saint of the Holy Church.

Although now I am just a prisoner paying the price of causality.

“Ha, ha… Wow! Ugh… .”

A painful moan flows from between the woman’s scabbed lips. The moan that I had been suppressing by clenching my mouth while I was talking into the air just now comes out. The harsh wind blows.

“Keuuk… Lord, Lord… .”

Maria repeated to her master in a wistful voice. There was no answer back.

Maria believed. The invisible Lord is by her side now, taking care of her with loving grace. I had firm faith.

However, all she had by her side was a cold iron cross and the loneliness of solitude.

There was pain.

It was difficult.

There was no hope, no warmth, no light, no grace.

Is this truly what the Lord intended?

“Profane… Random thoughts… .”

It is blasphemous.

It’s a vain thought.

“Love… Love… Love… .”

Darkness is like a bug. It hardens a person’s heart and makes them think thoughts that they would not normally think of.

For example, like a child lying down in bed, turning off the light, and thinking of a ghost.

In Mary’s heart, a bug called irreverence was about to take root.

But, Maria.

“Only the shining Lord… Looking straight ahead… .”

The faith that Mary built was the castle of faith.

“Love those around you… Love the world… … … … Love what you are.”

It was not so easy to be cut off by Buddhist scriptures.

Don’t doubt it.

The moment you doubt hope, all that remains is despair.

Even if there is despair everywhere, just have faith in hope.

Maria reflected on this in her noble spirit.

“My faith is… It is directed towards the Lord.”

“My hope is… It means that ”

“This is also the grace of the Lord… .”

In fact, Maria was trembling with fear until she connected with Oscar.

I’ve been sending Morse code for several days already, but unfortunately Oscar didn’t notice. Maria, who did not know the circumstances, thought that she had been abandoned for 500 years and shed tears that she could not wipe away.

At such a moment, it is a communication magic that works like a miracle.

Is that truly the grace of the Lord?

Or, is it just that a demon named Oscar has just discovered Morse code and activated the communication magic?

Nobody knows. Mary believed both.

“Love… … … … .”

Maria’s words sank heavily. Now she can see ahead, but in a world where she cannot see anything, Maria quietly closes her eyes.

There was a being watching Maria from afar.

A colorless, odorless space where there should be nothing.

It’s clearly a space where nothing else should exist, and it’s a space solely for punishment.

A child stood twisting providence.

From a distance so far away that light could not reach, a child was looking at Maria with a gaze painted in black. With a dull expression on his face.

The black sunglasses and red horns that seemed to be flowing over the abyss glowed in the darkness.