6. Proof of Existence (24)
The Dark Church deals with all kinds of forbidden occult arts.
The reason why they continued the anti-humanitarian experiment would not have been irrelevant to this. Isn’t it the knowledge that the seekers of magic who seek the truth have deliberately sealed up?
Of course, it was reasonable to assume that there was a reason for that.
During the concealed research process, it was common to use the mind and soul as sacrifices, as well as experiment on living organisms. I had witnessed that terrible horror many times before.
The magic found in Perry’s body was the same.
A dark spell that gradually takes away the mind and soul in exchange for something.
If you put your mind to it, there is plenty of room for abuse. The representative result is right in front of our eyes.
The saintess had a calm expression on her face and was unable to say anything. I had no choice but to sigh and recommend.
“Let’s go first.”
Perry was dangerous.
How much he was eroded was still unknown. But considering the faceless menace that attacked Leah, the prospects were less than hopeful.
Assuming the worst, yes.
The man lying on the bed might not even be ‘Perry’. It will only be a living shell that once had a name.
I couldn’t have a conversation with such an unstoppable person next to me.
The saintess took a weak step. I had a rough idea of where I was going.
Maybe it’s her bedroom.
I tsk inwardly and clicked my tongue. I tried to make fun of him for stubbornly denying my argument, but the atmosphere was worse than expected.
I also had minimal notice. Just in silence, I followed the saintess who was stunned and moved.
It didn’t take long for this silent march to end.
As soon as she reached the bedroom, the saintess slumped down in her chair. My seat naturally became opposite it.
A shallow laugh leaked out from the saintess’ mouth. like it’s ridiculous
“It is a lie.”
The voice that came out was not serious, though.
I glanced at the saintess with a serious face. It was hard to get the words out, but now I couldn’t deny the reality.
Soft persuasion followed.
“I am not lying, saintess. Did you check it yourself… The Shylock Society is related to the Dark Church. And with a high probability this orphanage too… … .”
“Not yet, not yet.”
The saintess seemed unable to hide her nervousness.
Her light pink eyes looked down, and her hands were squirming together, representing anxiety. I couldn’t understand why the saintess would react like this.
She wasn’t like a saint who was always rational.
Without meeting my suspicious gaze, the saintess muttered an excuse.
“I am not sure yet. The Shylock Society is a large group. Just because one merchant has ties to the Dark Cult, it’s hard to doubt the entire Caravan. Also, the orphanage might not have much to do with it, right? On the contrary, he may not have deliberately plotted anything to build trust with the Holy Kingdom… … .”
“Holy Lady.”
It was just one word.
The suspicions that had been biting their tails were erased at once when my name was called. The saintess kept her mouth shut and bowed her head.
“It is highly likely that the Dark Church has already been infiltrating each country for a long time. And a suspicious person, like the masked man, appeared here at the same time. Are you saying that all of this is just a coincidence?”
“We cannot rule out the possibility.”
Eventually, a sigh escaped my mouth.
It was a denial that went beyond stubbornness and even became desperate. It seemed that he needed to have a more in-depth conversation with the saintess.
“… … really?”
At my questioning, where even the title of honor was omitted, the saintess showed a sign of hesitation for the first time.
I turned my gaze this way, and then I turned that way.
Previously, the saintess who bit her lip covered her face with both hands.
“Ian, it’s because you don’t know… Do you know how big this is?”
“Why don’t you know? It means that the Dark Church may have infiltrated all over the Holy Land. That’s why we need to reveal the truth… … .”
“No.”
It was an assertion.
The saintess cut off my argument without hesitation.
“The Holy Kingdom itself is made up of faith. And the divine power is proof that the Lord loves us.”
“Just because it’s a holy country doesn’t mean there’s no crime or corruption.”
“It was… But at least there are lines!”
The saintess swallowed a laugh and spread her arms. It seemed like he wanted to show how absurd he was.
“The Dark Church? Even in the Holy Land, this is an orphanage that pays a lot of attention. It’s to the point that the Patriarch of Eindel has a hand in it! By the way, one of the highest ranking positions in the Holy Kingdom is involved with the Dark Church?”
“I need to get rid of it right now.”
“More than that.”
The saintess’ declaration was heavy, as if she would not allow even a gap. The pale pink eyes were more serious than ever.
“Faith is a blind emotion. It demands so much integrity. If one of the leaders of the Holy Nation is collaborating with the Dark Church, the Church itself could suffer the aftermath.”
“Wouldn’t it be just a brief internal disaster?”
“Yes, it will be fixed someday. However, will the Dark Church wait patiently until then?”
Hmmm, I swallowed my saliva and looked away.
I understood what the saintess meant. It was said that there was no reason to stir up an infighting in the face of a battle against the Dark Church.
Of course, I didn’t mean to leave the traitor alone.
“We, take a more cautious approach.”
Moistening her parched lips, the saintess persuaded me.
“I can’t make this issue public right away. If you touch it carelessly, you could get hurt on this side.”
“then?”
“We have to catch the tail of the darkness.”
I quietly crossed my arms and sighed. There were fragments of an accident that passed through my mind.
“Shouldn’t the entire affected area be disinfected so that the infection doesn’t spread? The same goes for traitors. If you touch it rashly, you might miss the real exhaust. Rather, it is better to observe the situation and collect evidence… … .”
“no.”
At my brief answer, the saintess’ complexion crumpled at once. It was a look that I couldn’t understand at all.
But my resolve never wavered.
“Many children have already disappeared through the mediation of the Shylock Company. If we quietly watch this, more children will be sacrificed in the future.”
Yes. The Shylock Society had already taken many children from the orphanage.
What would happen to those children?
At least I wouldn’t have seen anything good. Most of the dark church’s actions were like that.
It was then that the saintess’ eyes trembled for the first time.
Even so, she was very interested in the treatment of orphans. He even had enemies here as a child, so his mind would be even more complicated.
I decided to dig into that gap.
“The heart understands. But it’s a case involving not only the children from the orphanage, but also my sister. We can’t just sit back and wait.”
I could understand the circumstances of Seongguk.
You want to avoid infighting as much as possible and solve the problem after reducing the ripple effect. However, this was just the logic of politicians.
It just wasn’t to my liking to just quietly watch a predestined tragedy.
The saintess began chewing her lips again. Various emotions passed by in those hesitant eyes.
Anxiety, nervousness, and compassion.
The agony did not last long. A long sigh escaped the woman’s seductive lips.
“… … No.”
It was a surprisingly firm tone. It must mean that, like me, he has no intention of changing his mind.
So I had no choice but to ask in a puzzled tone.
“Then what about the children?”
“Are you comfortable with my heart?”
The saintess’ attitude was strong. It was hard to find emotion in those deeply sunken eyes.
It was the eyes of a politician.
“We don’t have to condone all sacrifices. We’ll have to save the children as much as we can… but that’s about it.”
A slender finger crosses my chest.
It was a gesture I haven’t seen in a long time. Correspondingly, the gap between my eyebrows narrowed.
“I can’t take more sacrifices and chaos. This is the decision I made as a saint of the Holy Land.”
“What if you’re not a saint?”
My counterquestion was a surprise.
The woman’s words stopped for a second. There was a mix of bewilderment in those eyes that looked at me intently.
The questions that popped into my head continued.
“What if it wasn’t a ‘saint’? If the answer doesn’t change…”
“What if I’m not a saint?”
It was exactly the same as the question I posed.
However, the weight was so different that I couldn’t bear to open my mouth.
“If I’m not a ‘saint’, what am I?”
She was a woman who even abandoned her name to become a ‘saint’.
There was an answer that immediately came to mind. ‘You are you.’ However, how could such consolation be offered to a subject who could not even properly call the saintess by name?
It was contradictory and deceitful.
In the end, I managed to come up with only one word.
“… … I’ll figure it out.”
Like that, I left the saintess’ bedroom as if I were running away. The saintess did not see me off until the end.
*
and the next day.
“Saintess, shall we go on a date?”
At my suggestion, the saintess touched my forehead as it was.
“What are we going to do?”
Even so, he did not forget to hold my hand.
Because Elsie-senpai with a dissatisfied expression was standing next to me.
The saintess especially did not want to lose to senior Elsie. I couldn’t help but worry about such an outright check.
So I had no choice but to apologize to Elsie-senpai in my heart.
I’m sorry, old man.
And thank you.
That’s how I went out alone with the saintess for the first time.