8. Magdalen Abbey (7)
Marie, who couldn’t stand it, spat out a bloody nutty letter and stepped out.
Standing proudly, Ian quietly sat down as if nothing had happened.
Vivian pretended not to see it either.
Her eyes focused on the little woman with curly brown hair, her sleeves rolled up.
Marie boldly stood in front of Salome.
“Hey you fucking bitch. Why are you questioning them?”
Despite her small stature, she looked up at Salome and did not flinch at all.
“Have you heard of yellow slime instead of brains in your head? That should be done with the ranked humans, why would you kill a human?”
“What… .”
“And why attract others? Is it a performance art that tries to express with the whole body that there is no commercial morality? All your fucking problems are over, ask someone worth arguing with! Don’t fuck around with people!”
“This crazy… !”
Salome raised her hand as if to slap her.
“why? to hit? uh, hit it For reference, am I not a superman, but a normal person? Seeing you take the test, I heard you’re a bit strong? If you hit me, you’ll turn around and kill me right away? aren’t you expecting? Come on, hit it quickly.”
Salome’s hand stopped.
But Marie, on the contrary, moved closer and pushed her face closer.
“Hit, hit, you bastard!”
Marie smiled as she saw Salome backing away.
Then, as Salome had done, she looked around and drew attention.
“Come on, everyone! Third place Salome from the McDerlin Abbey public exam is said to show how to kill a normal person with a fistfight! Please have fun! Hey, how is it, is this what you wanted? Right? Now hit it fast, fuck it fast!”
“You shouldn’t do this!”
Lydia belatedly tried to stop her, but Marie did not back down.
“It’s no good, fuck it, I’ve been standing by with my hands behind my back, and now I’m pretending to work and fucking!”
Vivian clung to Ian’s arm.
Katie glared at it.
“I-Ian… . I’m scared… .”
“… Me too.”
Ian’s anger subsided a little when he saw Marie going mad.
However, I won’t get on Mari’s nerves from now on.
so promised
So did Vivian.
“stop! Please stop it!”
Miriam hastily intervened between the two.
Marie looked at Salome, Miriam, and Lydia alternately, huffing and puffing as if she couldn’t control her anger.
Her gaze was fixed on Salome for the last time.
“A kid with no guts… .”
Marie, nervously tousled her hair, strode toward Helena and Rachel.
Both of them were more terrified than when they saw Salome.
“Tsk… . Did you see? That he’s just a bravado, but he’s an idiot without a clue. If you come out with a big body like that, you can’t do anything, so be aware of it.”
Marie gave that advice and went back to the seat next to Ian.
“Marie, if I have done anything wrong, please tell me right away.”
“… Yeah? Ha ha ha! What is it, all of a sudden? Aren’t I such a foolish bitch?”
‘… I think it fits.’
Before the situation had subsided, a dull sound resounded through the exam hall.
It was the sound of plate armor creaking.
All eyes turned to the entrance of the exam hall.
There, there were paladins wearing red cloaks.
The symbolism of the red cloak was clear.
A Holy Knight under the direct control of the Holy Hwangcheong.
Because they are the swords wielded by the gods, they are also called ‘Ra-jry’.
It is a group that is stationed only in Seonghwangcheong, and does not hesitate to do dirty work for Seonghwagyo.
It is also in charge of removing the seeds of discord within the same Seonghwagyo.
Therefore, they also play the role of ‘Heretic Questioner’.
Lazri’s appearance froze Lydia as well as Miriam.
One of the five rajri stood up as a representative.
The other four stood behind them like statues.
“I am the leader of Lazri.”
They don’t have names individually.
To serve the gods, they had to forge their will, abandoning their emotions and personalities.
They are just called Razuri, or the Order of Holy Knights directly under the direct control of the Holy Office.
The captain glanced at Ian and turned his head.
There was no need to pretend to know each other.
“Little Ember Miriam, Abbot of Magdalen Abbey… .”
“Now, now, Little Ember Lydia, dispatch paladin… .”
Others bowed their heads one after another to show their respect.
“There have been anonymous reports of heretical acts of disturbing doctrine being carried out at Von McDerlin Abbey.”
At those words, Miriam opened her mouth wide, and Lydia’s complexion turned white.
“and.”
The leader’s head turned to Salome.
The silver-white armor and bright yellow-rimmed helmet were sacred and intimidating.
“Salome.”
“Yes, yes, yes… ?”
The watery voice trembled.
Even if you are not a sinful person, you have no choice but to do that in front of Lazri.
By comparison, they are the equivalent of the Imperial ‘Gendarmerie’.
If I had to go into detail, the military police resembled the Holy Knights of the headquarters.
Because the way the military police dealt with them imitated them.
They are a group with more ghost stories than the military police in that they forbid killing because of doctrine.
Because I think I can do anything as long as it doesn’t kill.
“Right before, the sister made a blasphemous remark to the apostle, saying, ‘I am selling my body.’”
“Ah, sorry, I was wrong… .”
“Depending on the seriousness of the case, we exercise the right of immediate interrogation.”
Seonghwagyo does not secretly search for heresy.
As can be seen from the fact that it became the motif of the military police, it is dealt with extensively and openly.
“Execution.”
As soon as the captain’s words were gone, the four paladins rushed in and brought Salome to her knees.
“Now, wait a minute, sorry… ! Suck!”
The leader shoved the confessional into her mouth.
Soon, the names of the officials flowed out of Salome’s mouth along with saliva.
Administrative bystanders in the monastery, including Lydia.
And the direct perpetrators who harassed Helena and Rachel along with Salome.
The quiet testing grounds were filled with Salome’s confessions.
“I will arrest all the people involved.”
Following the leader’s command, people were brought forward one by one.
Miriam was not among them.
“Ian, did you even think of this… ?”
Mercy asked cautiously.
“Up to this point… .”
Yesterday, Ian sent Mercy a letter addressed to Lazri.
There was a lot of heresy and whatnot.
I just wrote that this monastery is a bit suspicious, so ask me to come and check it out.
‘It’s a heretic act… . It could be like that.’
Believers of Seonghwagyo regard each one as part of God.
Insulting or assaulting fellow believers is tantamount to doing such a thing to God.
Depending on the degree and interpretation, it may be regarded as heresy.
At the point of blaspheming the apostle, such an interpretation was no longer necessary.
The Paladins of Lazri took the people under the guidance of another nun.
In the chaotic atmosphere, Miriam hurriedly settled the situation.
“If anyone has any questions about the ranking process, please contact me. This concludes the public examination of Magdalen Abbey. Thank you to everyone who participated.”
The audience was divided into two groups.
Those who go to ask Miriam, those who go to offer to the nuns.
Among them, of course, Helena and Rachel’s popularity was unrivaled.
Five of the successful applicants were left out, so there was no choice but to gather more people around them.
Seeing the two caught up in the crowd, Marie put her chin on her chin and muttered.
“Hmm. I wonder if Rachel didn’t fall for me… .”
“… What, no, no.”
“Did you just think that snobbish bitch?”
“Absolutely not.”
“What’s right? To be honest, I was just pissed off and threw it in, right? But now that I think about it, I wonder how it would have been nice if he had fallen in love with me… .”
“If you get pissed off like that, do you want to crash into it?”
“Absolutely. I’m pissed off, how do you not hit me?”
“… It usually doesn’t hit that hard. Looking at Marie, it seems like a person with multiple lives.”
“I only have one life, so what can I do to save it?”
It was a confident and courageous answer, but somehow I felt bittersweet.
“There are too many people around Rachel… . I’m going to try some other nuns too.”
Marie got up first.
“What if Helena goes somewhere else?”
Vivian asked.
“You promised to come with me, but you won’t.”
“I guess so… . For some reason, looking at it, it looks like an orange, which is kind of cute.”
Strawberry (Vivian) said so.
“What do you think? We need to work together in the future.”
“What… . You’re the one Ian chose, right? Then there is no doubt.”
It was Ian who once again confirmed that he was deeply trusted.
“Then the Vivian I picked is definitely a talent beyond doubt?”
“… … .”
“More than just Sylvia… .”
“No… .”
Seeing Vivian embarrassed, Ian laughed mischievously.
While Ian flirted with Vivian, Helena was in trouble.
Many people pay attention to Helena.
Also, I want Helena’s attention.
Helena was not very happy about the situation.
It was uncomfortable.
It was just Ian’s thoughts.
‘Ian… .’
His gaze was special.
Helena has never been recognized for her abilities.
‘Former manager of the 1st party. The person I was with Aria… .’
The person recognized his or her functional value.
He acknowledged himself, whom he thought was useless.
I promised to follow Ian as if possessed, but now I am finally convinced.
I want to follow Ian.
Heartily.
He wanted to know what he saw in himself.
‘I want to see that too.’
Helena’s gaze, resolutely determined, saw Ian in the distance.
He was on his way back with the red-haired woman he had been with.
‘uh? Where, where are you going… ?’
Ian was simply stepping aside so that Helena could enjoy her current popularity.
I will come back when the fuss subsides.
However, Helena, who had no way of knowing that, suddenly became anxious.
‘I have to hold on… . How, what should I do?’
“If you don’t have a place to join, join us… .”
“I have taught a number of temporary heroes in the manager guild… .”
“Sin, sorry! Someone has already agreed to join us!”
“yes? Already?”
“Who is it?”
Helena was distracted by the barrage of questions.
The momentum of the people seems to pierce your skin, and the voices pouring toward you expand and tear your eardrums.
Trying to catch her fading consciousness, Helena shouted at will.
“I-I belong to Ian… !”
… … .
Ian stopped walking and looked back.
Mercy and Vivian looked at Helena in bewilderment.
Katie, very slowly and frightenedly, turned her head and glared at the woman who had just said it.
Ian stopped and his eyes focused.
Helena broke into a cold sweat and called for help with her eyes.
‘I decided to take him, so please take responsibility for this.’
I laughed out loud at that cute action.
‘I want you to lean on me, right?’
That is his role, and he intended to do so from the beginning.
He should be something the party members can depend on.
It is a fact he knows well.
‘I’ll do something for you.’
Ian walked towards Helena and Rachel and the people around them.
‘Anyway, he’s a quick-tempered character. I expected it from the moment you suddenly ran out of our first meeting.’
Ian approached Helena openly, ignoring people’s stares.
“Well, that’s right. You have already decided to join me… .”
“you’re right! I belong to Ian!”
“No, not that it is right… .”
“You said you were stuck with me!”
Ian saw Helena, who went beyond sudden acceleration and began to run wild.
The eyes are slightly out of focus.
‘I must pay attention to mental care… .’
I just thought so.
“That’s right… .”
Vivian’s low murmur ran coldly down the nape of her neck.
At the same time, Kati’s gaze shifted from Helena to Ian.
It was Helena who was obviously in trouble, but suddenly Ian was in trouble.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding… .”
Seeing this, Mercy sighed and shook her head.
“It’s all your karma… .”
*
The two have just arrived at Magdalen Abbey.
Sylvia and Aria first scanned the interior by hearing.
It was a skill to search an invisible place by maximizing only hearing with mana.
That, too, was learned from Ian.
While filtering out information related to Ian.
-I, I belong to Ian… !
Those words reached both ears.
“Ian’s?”
Sylvia muttered as if to crush the words with her mouth.
“Whoever wants… ?”
Compared to Sylvia, who was blushing, Arya was calm, but only her expression was the same.
She just laughed in her heart because the situation was funny.
‘I kicked them out because I couldn’t have them, but in the end, they meet again like this.’
The rest of the absurdity broke out into a bitter laugh.
‘Where did I go wrong… .’
Two people from the first hero party.
Sylvia and Arya have arrived.