22. Beyond good and evil (4)
Bertolt Schultz, Bishop of the Southeastern Zone.
He lived a life that was not envied by others, but in an instant he became a fugitive and had to be kicked out.
It’s because his name was leaked at Magdalen Abbey.
At first I was surprised, then I was afraid.
I believed it was going on without anyone noticing.
He thought he had underestimated Lazri’s intelligence and executive power.
That was not it.
The root cause was ‘Ian’, who participated in the open exam.
It was the man who suddenly appeared one day and put a break in the divine national plan, and was given the title of ‘Second Apostle’.
Salomedo had to be ‘rehabilitated’ by Lazri because of that man.
Bertholdt was unjust.
It was the same when the man first appeared.
Why are you interfering with yourself like this?
What the hell is that person, is he given the name of an apostle?
He has served God much longer than that man.
made more believers.
spread the gospel further.
Heavier gold coins were offered.
However, Seonghwang did not look at Bertolt.
As if he had found a weakness, he gave Ian the name of an apostle.
Bertolt prayed.
I prayed earnestly to God.
Get to know yourself who is dedicated to a world where the right people can prevail.
Even though he ran away after being exposed to the second divine national plan, the prayer never stopped.
then one day
Among those who fled together, there was a person who knew about the Imperial Family’s ‘Magic Soldier Training Plan’.
He knew about the history manipulation of Mine, but Bertholdt didn’t know about the breeding plan.
This was an opportunity for him, who needed his own strength.
A chance to lead a private soldier made of demons and raise my own power again.
In the first place, isn’t the matter of brainwashing and confession the specialty of the Seonghwagyo, not the empire?
Finding the hidden dungeon was also a coincidence.
It was all a coincidence that I found out about the Mine soldier training plan and found the right place to proceed with it.
The overlapping coincidences felt like destiny.
Bertholdt accepted this as a revelation from God.
believed to be a gift from God.
He admired that the light had come belatedly to him who had lived so faithfully.
Mine was kidnapped, imprisoned, and experimented on.
I knew from the beginning that they were not ‘Evils’, but I felt no guilt.
This was all God’s will, so it was truth and justice.
There was no reason to worry, no reason to shake.
In the process, he collided with a group of demons called ‘Lesantiment’, but it didn’t matter.
Because his hiding place was hidden so that no one could easily find it.
Everything was perfect because it was God’s will.
certainly.
Clearly it was.
That is, until he meets Ian, the second apostle, on his hasty escape.
***
“Apostle, Ian… . why are you here… .”
A greedy-looking elderly priest stopped in front of me and muttered in disbelief.
“… Bertolt?”
I also can’t believe it either.
why is he here?
I had heard that Bertholdt’s whereabouts were mysterious in the courtroom last time.
I wondered where he was hiding, did he accidentally find a hidden dungeon?
“Do you know each other?”
Ramnus asked.
He must have thought me and Bertolt to be friends.
“Hmm. If you know each other, you can say you know each other.”
At my plaintive answer, Ramnus nodded as if he had immediately corrected his misunderstanding.
“Ian… ! because! Why the hell are you doing this to me!”
“Why does it seem like everyone I meet is blaming me. I’m a bit embarrassed.”
“Why on earth are you like an apostle… . ah?”
Berthold, who was muttering, fixed his gaze behind me.
Helena was there.
“priest… That’s right, you’re a priest!”
“Berthold… Diocese… ?”
Helena seemed to know him.
Even if it was a bad relationship, he was in sync with Salome, so it was worth having a one-sided relationship.
Bertholdt, on the other hand, only recognized that she was a priest, but didn’t seem to know who she was.
“you… ! You know who I am! Come on, come on, betray those cults!”
“… … .”
“right now! I will give you anything I can give you with the authority of the parish head!”
Bertholdt’s eyes were terrified, but the corners of his mouth were raised and quivering precariously.
He was smiling, but it was a bizarre expression that didn’t look like he was smiling.
‘You’re crazy.’
There were more than dozens of Le Sentinim’s beasts right in front of me.
However, urging only one Helena to betray means that reason is completely blocked.
“They all need to be reformed! God is sure to do the cause of you and me… !”
“Shut up.”
I cut my words.
“Since the Seonghwagyo and the Empire are tracking you, I tried to listen to something, but all they say is bullshit that is bad for our warrior spirit. It was just a waste of time.”
Ramnus, who came out in front of me, grabbed the bear’s paw and repeated the action.
He also seemed to have endured a lot.
“Are you a person who needs life?”
“okay. I hope you don’t kill me.”
“The pants you wanted.”
The next moment, the ground shook loudly and Ramnus ran out.
Bertolt, who had been hit in the torso by a large forepaw, was slammed into the wall.
“… You didn’t kill him, did you?”
“Life is attached.”
Ramnus looked down at the fainting Bertolt and said.
“okay. let’s sort it out right now We need witnesses, so I want to keep humans alive as long as possible.”
Ramnus replied with a grin.
“Let’s try.”
After his words, the beasts rushed out.
My party paused for a while.
It was because of the hardened Helena.
I approached between them who hesitated.
“Helena.”
I bent down and brought Helena to eye level.
“Yes… . Ian… .”
“Do you want to go back?”
“… … .”
“Helena doesn’t have to be involved in this.”
Helena clenched her fists and looked down at the floor.
Her head touched Bertholdt, who was strewn about like discarded trash, and then came up to me.
“… I need to know.”
You didn’t say what you need to know.
Probably, there are so many things that can’t be put into one word.
It seems that the other party also decided to respect Helena’s wishes.
“Then let’s go.”
***
Helena sees.
A crude facility made by digging the wall of a cave.
The overgrown demons trapped inside the rusty iron cage.
No, should I call him a prisoner now?
Desks and cupboards on the floor infested with insects, and drugs that glow dangerously above them.
I heard that it is an improved version of the drug used in Lazri.
It was all humans who managed the experimental prisoners, and all were believers of the Seonghwagyo.
Helena recalled a passage from the Bible she had learned at Seonghwagyo.
[Fire formed the world with an explosion, so there was no day or night in this world, so it was full of light all day long.]
[Among the apostles who preached His will, the 13th apostle rebelled and dared to worship a foreign god, but the fire generously forgave it, and a space was given for darkness in the world, and from then on, day and night were created.]
[People who were enchanted by the night betrayed the light and permeated into the darkness and lost their humanity, so they became demons and killed his children who followed the will of fire. The fire did not tolerate the suffering of his family, so he named the apostates as ‘Majin’ and declared them as enemies.]
To her, Mine was an absolute evil.
There were no particularly passionate feelings about that recognition, and there were no questions.
It was a simple duty and inertia.
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Just because it is
The experience at Magdalen Abbey had worn away his faith.
Still, religion was what she believed in and depended on all her life.
It was hard to disappear easily.
That was until I met Kati.
The confusion that came with Kati didn’t last long either.
It was believed that only Kati was special.
Because Ian recognized himself.
If it was a demon by Ian’s side, that demon would be exceptionally rare.
Mine is unconditional evil.
Humans are absolute good.
Although she lived in such a dichotomy.
“Kill these beasts-!”
“Kill humans!”
Looking at humans and beastmen entangled in the madness of murder in order to survive, I question for the first time.
‘Who’s good?’
Priests surrendered easily at first.
Surprisingly, the prisoners of Le Saint-Iman did not slaughter recklessly even with the target of revenge right in front of them.
Ramnus also properly controlled the beasts so that they would not get excited.
Was it because Ian was there?
But human surrender was postponed.
The prisoners took advantage of their carelessness and launched an ambush, and chaos ensued.
Helena, Vivian, and Lucia rescued the prisoner.
It was because Ian asked that it would be better not to fight if possible.
‘In any way, there is no turning back once you kill a human.’
Ian’s face, giving such advice, was darker than usual, but more nervous than usual.
The group had no choice but to follow his words.
Helena was transporting the bewildered deer to safety.
“die-!”
Then, somewhere, a scream was heard.
A priest with a sword was charging at Helena.
The moment Helena tries to react belatedly.
-thud!
A beastman flapping gray wings flew in and kicked the priest away.
Suin looked down at Helena and said.
“Aren’t you hurt, cutie?”
“Yes… . it’s okay… .”
“Thank you for your help. And be careful.”
“Yes… .”
Helena even moves the prisoner.
“Hey, hey… ! you-!”
The sassy priest called Helena.
“A member of Seonghwagyo… ! Are you taking the side of the demons!”
“I… .”
Helena couldn’t answer.
Nothing came to mind.
How do we separate good from evil?
Who will share it?
can i share it?
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Justice in Seonghwagyo is God.
Because there is a God, there is a distinction between good and evil.
But if you can’t tell the difference between good and evil.
‘What is God… ?’
*
The confusion was quickly cleared up.
It was because Ian came forward and persuaded the humans.
At first, the humans did not come out to surrender, but they had to come out with a surprise attack and a strong resistance.
He promised to spare his life if he surrendered quietly.
The words were persuasive.
I tore off the prison bars with my bare hands and folded them one by one.
Those who quarreled had to keep their mouths shut in front of the steel crumbling like paper.
No one wanted to be folded into his hands.
“… Did you say Ian?”
Ramnus collected the rescued demons and stood in front of Ian.
“He said he’d thwarted this plan before.”
He was talking about saving Kati.
“Well, that wasn’t my intention.”
“It’s something to be thankful for, though.”
Ramnus respectfully bowed his head.
“… Are there more people like you?”
“Well. To be honest, I don’t think it’s common.”
“is it… .”
Rhamnus looked up at Ian, then cast his gaze behind him.
Vivian, Helena, Lucia, and Mercy.
Human beings who helped them without prejudice while being human.
And, Galatea and Malion, whom he hated because they were traitors.
“If you’re such an unusual human being, maybe I can trust you at least once.”
“It is an honor.”
“Lesantiment will remember you.”
Ramnus left those words and turned around.
The gray-bladed beastman next to him lifted one wing and waved away.
“Hello humans~”
The beasts slowly moved away into the darkness.
After thinking about it, Ian said.
“Hey guys.”
“what?”
Ramnus replied.
“Don’t get into trouble.”
“… What do you mean?”
“You don’t want to continue hiding.”
Ramnus looked straight at Ian.
There was no flicker in his eyes.
Ian wasn’t saying this to get into a fight.
“Is there any other way?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Ian was thinking about the land he would receive.
‘It’s a land where beastmen and humans live together… . I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’ll try.’
“I can’t guarantee that it will happen for sure, but I will try.”
“… is it.”
Ramnus looked around at his party of beastmen, then looked at Ian again and smiled.
“Let’s try.”
Ian also smiled and let them go.
Galatea was about to say something to them as they walked away.
Even if you apologize, the past cannot be erased.
The wound doesn’t even heal.
It is conceit to want to ask for forgiveness.
Because it’s not something that can be forgiven.
They just walk on different paths, leaving only guilt and hatred for each other.
There are relationships in the world that have to remain the only ones.
*
Berthold and the main officials were quickly escorted from the Seonghwa Bridge.
Fortunately, there was a city with a church nearby.
Ian’s party decided to stay overnight and rest early instead of going to the city.
However, since what he had been through was work, Ian decided to check the party’s condition.
The first was Mercy.
“Yes? Do you think I would be shocked by something like that all over again?”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
“Hehe. Was this what worried me? I’m curious about the reason more than anything else! why were you worried about me? Because it’s precious?! huh? Come on, tell me!”
“get out.”
Even though Mercy didn’t like it, he quickly left his seat for the next turn.
Katie was next.
“master. Are there any injuries?”
“… Because I am not hurt.”
Carty was more than fine and worried about Ian.
I was worried that something from the past would come to mind, but Kati didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Has confirmed.”
“… okay. Thank you.”
Carty wanted to be here with Ian more, but she left right away to order.
Vivian was unexpectedly fine.
“What… . It might be a bit strange. I’ve seen warriors fight in dungeons a few times before… . Besides that… .”
She scratched her cheek as if embarrassed.
It was the first time that so many people were entangled and spewing out murderous intentions, and I was embarrassed, and I was a little nervous.
But that wasn’t new.
Compared to the things that trampled and exploited the children in Arke Village, Vivian didn’t know which was more terrible.
“Well, am I a little weird… ?”
Vivian seemed to be afraid of herself.
“No, what. It could be. I don’t care.”
“… Yes, that, then! I don’t care either… . Hehe… .”
Vivian left a muffled goodbye and ran away.
Another surprise was that Lucia had a pretty haggard complexion.
“Are we going to have to see this often?”
“Hmm. To be honest, no.”
It’s not uncommon for humans and beastmen to fight so intertwined.
A terrible sight that a hero will often see is other heroes or soldiers injured in battle.
“is that so… . Ian seems quite used to this situation.”
“Please. This is the first time for me to do something like today.”
It was true.
However, he has experienced too much to be surprised.
“okay? Hmm. It’s good that you’re confident.”
Although her complexion was not good, Lucia quickly got up and brushed herself off, just like her personality.
“Vivian unnie is also more dependable than I thought. Because I’m not alone… Yes, you have to overcome it well. Thanks for caring, Ian.”
“It was nothing. That’s my job.”
Next was Helena.
Ian thought of today’s main character.
She had been in serious trouble for a few days.
‘Since it’s been like that since I saw Galatea, it’s probably about demons… .’
I don’t know the exact reason, but Ian decided to listen to all of Helena’s concerns today.
“Ian… .”
The tent was pulled back and Helena entered helplessly.
“Helen… . 100 million!”
Ian had to let out a low moan instead of calling her.
Helena jumped over the desk and threw herself into his arms.
“Suddenly what… .”
“I am so confused… ! I can’t, I don’t know what to believe… !”
Helena’s arms trembled as she embraced Ian.
“What should I do… ? Ian… .”
Even though she was small enough to come into his arms, she cautiously raised her head.
The orange eyes seemed to overflow with water at any moment, and they shook dizzy.
As if representing her complex state of mind.
“Give me an answer… . please… .”
Helena begged earnestly, as if praying to God.