18 – Report on the Fall of Purity (5)
“I’ll be outside.”
Lily put fists on both hips.
“You said you’re not uncomfortable, didn’t you?”
“Get comfortable. It’s cramped in here. And what if someone opens the door and comes in? I’ll be outside, so change slowly.”
Hmm. It sounded like a snort, but Cain didn’t dare to retort. He went out to the corridor and carefully closed the door.
The soundproofing wasn’t great. The gap under the door was slightly empty, and voices leaked from there.
If he wanted to discuss Lily and the incident, he felt like he had to block the lower part.
Outside, the sounds of the knights’ slogans could be heard. It sounded like their own prayer.
Soon, the sound of someone asking about someone’s sin, the sound of bargaining, and screams were heard.
Is this what the Order of the Knights is like? Or is the Order of Mercy Knights exceptional? Cain couldn’t tell. He even wondered if Bishop William, when he was a Mercy Knight Templar, was like this.
Who did they hit? Who did they strike? Is that person related to the one who made the bishop so powerless?
Knock knock.
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A knocking sound came from behind. Cain opened the door.
Lily, wearing a change of clothes, stretched her arms. The room was dark, and the moonlight was even darker.
A thin shirt. Thin pants. Naturally flowing, shoulder-covering blonde hair. The face and body didn’t look clear. Because she was standing against the moonlight.
But the silhouette was clear.
Like a clear crescent moon on a clear night, thin but not fragile. It was more prominent because it was hidden, the soft curves stood out.
Cain hesitated.
Shadows flickered at Lily’s feet. It passed her long, straight legs and firm abdomen.
The gap between the shirt and pants revealed a large, upright chest pushing the clothes. The clearly visible navel seemed to be the reason.
Eventually, it passed through the deeply carved sternum and rose to the face.
It wasn’t Lily’s face.
It was a shadow that had erased the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Those who have watched the dark streets for a long time know. That even in darkness, there are shades.
Something like the rising of the dead. A face of a person who wants to forget. A face that one thinks they have forgotten. A face one doesn’t want to think about. It takes shape.
The flickering shadow, looking ahead, spreads a smile like bloodstains on a dress.
– Kai…
“Cain.”
The shadow disappeared.
Cain gasped for breath, like someone who had forgotten even how to breathe.
Lily tilted her head slightly, fingers twirling through her hair.
“I-I dressed up… why are you just staring without saying anything?”
The moonlight brightened a bit. Shy but excited, Lily’s face, with a voice slightly trembling from excitement, appeared in the moonlit room.
The face of a living, warm-hearted woman. Cain sighed and cleared his chest with a breath.
“Don’t you have other clothes? You look cold.”
“I do, but wearing chain armor all day… it keeps getting caught here, and…”
Lily’s slender fingers lightly skimmed above her chest. A soft groan was heard. Cain lowered his head.
“It must hurt a lot.”
“It’s nothing. It’ll go away if I apply a bit of olive oil. I brought some in my bag. If you’re okay with it…”
Lily took a step forward. Cain bent his waist, grabbing the blanket from the bed and offering it to Lily.
“Wear this. Wrap it around if you’re going to stand in the corridor.”
Disappointed silence. Three breaths.
“…In the corridor, did you say a blanket?”
“I want to change my clothes too. Just block the door. The wind from the corridor is making it cold.”
Lily, with a pout, took the blanket like a gown.
Cain gently nudged Lily’s shoulder, a signal for her to leave.
Under his palm, warm skin and a sweet, tingling fragrance emanated. In the spot where her hair had passed, the scent of wildflowers lingered.
Lily closed the door. The palm was warm, the fragrance trying to bloom from within.
If it were a miracle, Cain thought, this would be it as he undressed, hoping that his streak of bad luck would come off with his clothes.
Folded neatly in the place where Lily had been, he saw the clothes she had worn today. They looked as if they were accustomed to the habits learned from the knighthood, square and neat.
As Cain attempted to fold the discarded clothes, he scratched his head and clumsily folded them. It didn’t turn out well, but it didn’t matter since it was dark anyway.
After changing into new clothes, Cain called for Lily. The cool air of the corridor helped to calm his mind a little.
Remembering the sound of voices seeping through the crack in the door, Cain placed his clothes under the door to block the gap.
“The sound is leaking.”
“The gap seems higher than I thought.”
With a single gesture, the blanket that had been draped over his shoulders slipped down. Even though he knew Lily was fully dressed, Cain momentarily closed his eyes.
Passing by Cain, Lily picked up the discarded clothes and hung them on the door without saying a word, then turned her back and knelt down.
The moonlight, almost like a lie, flowed down Lily’s back like honey. Breathing and neatly folding the clothes, Lily’s body undulated gently.
The shirt was too thin, so the shadows didn’t blur but rather became sharper.
The moon was so mischievous. Instead of illuminating something, it revealed the darkness.
With each breath Lily took, he noticed how delicate her shoulders were and how her arms moved tenderly as she adjusted the disheveled clothes with her long, slender fingers.
The moonlight gathered around her slender waist, revealed between the dried-up shirt and the too-thin trousers. When she straightened her back, it flowed down immediately.
Round, distinct, and flowing through hidden contours, it seemed to gaze up at Cain, firmly attached to the back of his heel.
That heel, the fair and pretty foot, the deeply indented instep, and the small, constantly curling toes,
Seemed like they could fit in the palm of his hand. He thought he could hold it with just one hand, without even realizing it.
That’s why he lay down on the bed. He lay on his side, facing the wall.
The hard mattress against his back restored his stubborn rationality. He could somewhat understand why ascetics fell asleep in such discomfort
“Let’s talk lying down. I’m tired.”
That’s all Cain said. Lily waited until she flipped the blanket and lay down.
Cain glanced towards the door. Neatly folded were his own clothes. Lily must have washed them, despite the likely strong odor. She didn’t complain a word.
On top of Cain’s clothes lay Lily’s garments. Tops with tops, bottoms with bottoms. Clothes infused with the scent and warmth of their respective owners overlapped each other.
It was evident that Lily intentionally arranged them that way.
Though not visible under the blanket, Cain continuously grazed his palm against the fabric.
As if, by doing so, the warmth contained in his palm could wipe away something.
* * * * *
Cain described what he had seen to Lily.
Bruises, contusions. Broken bones. The Archbishop suffered the worst, but the guards were formidable too.
“The wrists and ankles were brutal. For everyone. Collarbone and ribs were no different. Judging by the bruises, it seems like they were ‘brought down’ with a blunt weapon.”
“The guards probably confronted them with weapons. The wrists are often targeted in a duel, and considering the indiscriminate fighting, it seems they wanted to prevent them from disarming and picking up weapons again.
Next, they probably incapacitated the collarbone and arms to completely block any threat. Why the ankles? Perhaps to prevent them from escaping?”
In response to Cain’s question, Lily fell silent for a moment.
“The guards probably wore armor. Well-trained soldiers can easily handle a mass confrontation. When the wrists were injured, they likely tried to shield themselves with their bodies… and the merciless assault on the upper body was probably to ensure they wouldn’t resist. Once they fell, to avoid interference, they must have twisted the ankles that way.”
It sounded plausible.
Unarmed individuals, like investigators or priests, had their entire bodies in pain, but they didn’t suffer as severely as the guards.
In terms of the degree of brutality, it was akin to the difference between sand and gravel. If such a metaphor was permissible for the injured.
“There’s something else strange,” Cain frowned.
“They said the bruises were still there, right? You could roughly infer from that how, from what angle it was struck.
For the tall guards, the bruise was darker below the collarbone, and for the shorter guards, it was darker above the collarbone. The angle and slope of the strikes were almost the same.”
Lily’s breath caught. She seemed to understand the meaning of those words. Cain nodded.
“In my opinion, this seems to be the work of one person. The method of striking, the angle and intensity, the different injury locations on each guard…
Considering the length of the imperial army’s swords, it seems almost certain that only one person could have done it. The testimonies of the victims also support this. When asked if it was one person, they agreed.”
“Just one person… it’s hard to comprehend.”
“I don’t understand either. Of course, they must not have been ordinary. When asked if they used magic or sorcery, everyone said yes. But they didn’t know what it was.”
“It must have been difficult to inquire about such matters. But if it was magic and sorcery… isn’t that the jurisdiction of the clergy?”
You’re right. The Security Bureau handles all kinds of crimes, but in the case of magic, sorcery, miracles, and heresy, it follows the judgment of the clergy.
Of course, in most cases, it’s mostly feigned magic or sorcery, so the clergy usually refers it back to the empire.
“That’s true. But we don’t know if it’s deception or real magic and sorcery. So let’s skip that part for now.”
Lily didn’t insist on asking further. Instead, she organized what she had heard.
“Understood. So, this unknown person… forcefully suppressed those who resisted, and even those who couldn’t resist, one by one, had their bones broken and tongues pulled out by the swordsmanship… Is that what you’re saying?”
“It seems so. They probably didn’t use the sword when pulling out the tongues, though.”
“That’s strange. The sword isn’t a weapon.”
Lily’s voice was filled with confusion.
“It’s not a weapon, so it shouldn’t have the durability to crush the bones and joints of over 50 people. It’s not like a mace or flail.
It also doesn’t make sense to have multiple swords with the same design. Could
‘Stupid. Not knowing that.’
“I see what you mean. Made of metal… but who would make a sword like that? Unless it was custom-made.
Anyway, this is what I found out. It was a solo act, involving magic or sorcery, and only I know the height. How about your side?”
“Not much to report. Neither the knights nor the investigators knew much.
So, I mainly delved into why this chaos occurred. But something didn’t add up.”
“What do you mean?”
Cain immediately lay down. It was tiring to keep standing. Lilly was lying down next to Cain.
“The Holy Father must have known about this matter already. At least before us.”
He must have. According to what Anna had said, the initial victim, Prior Arius, was attacked at least six months ago.
“Yet, the situation here feels… amateurish, disorganized, and rushed. It’s as if it happened without any preparation, unlike the Empire, where things flow smoothly according to the hierarchy.”
The secrecy of the organization is relentless.
Even the Imperial Guard couldn’t penetrate it properly. The Pontiff wields influence in many countries, and if they could infiltrate the organization’s information network, the Empire’s intelligence capabilities would improve. But due to the organization’s unique closed-off and quick handling of affairs, they failed every time. Not only the intelligence agency but also the Imperial Guard.
And behind that, there’s a firm command system and a simplified organization.
It’s also the secret to why the organization has been able to maintain its system for so long. If you see the organization not as a simple religious group but as an operational system, it’s much more stable than the Empire.
Yet, the handling of this strange affair. And it happened only once.
“What could be the reason? Have you found that out too?”
“The Inquisitor and the Commander of the Southern Regional Knights are arriving tomorrow. It would be more accurate to have a conversation with them…
I heard something strange. It seems that the Holy Father wants to canonize the heroes who were attacked.”
“What are you doing?”
Cain sat up abruptly.
It was unexpected. A canonization. To place a living person in the ranks of the ‘saints’ who would be remembered for eternity.
Those who enter the ranks of the saints are martyrs, those who perform miracles, and prophets who have raised the persecuted church to a position close to the state religion.
But they all entered the ranks of the saints after they died. No living person has ever been made a saint.
Lily also sat up. The blanket slipped, pulling the shirt off one shoulder, almost exposing her entire chest. But Lily seemed not to notice.
“Pavel has arrived. Director Bartolomeo was reportedly horrified. He questioned whether it was the right thing to do.”
Cain lay back on the road.
‘What is the canonization process?’
Cain was not a member of the church, but as a former member of the security bureau and a potential competitor and collaborator of the church, he knew something about the situation of the church.
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To make someone a saint, they must go through a verification process. Are there any flaws? Are there any issues? Not only personal matters, but every aspect of their life from birth to becoming a saint is thoroughly examined.
“…This is a big problem.”
“Is something bothering you?”
“It sounds good on the surface, but it’s actually a declaration to completely expose everything about Archbishop William and the heroes.
If the canonization process begins, they can thoroughly and legally scrutinize everything about one person’s life. That means…”
Silence hung between them. It was like a cup endlessly filling unless someone drank from it. Cain clenched his fist.
“There’s talk that the seven heroes were hiding something from the church. Something even His Holiness didn’t know about until recently.”