6. Proof of Existence (60)
She was always a kind and kind woman. Isn’t it a flower that bloomed in a place where you didn’t even dare to touch it?
What kind of ugliness will this noble flower do before death?
Should I get down on my knees and plead for help? Shall I shed tears and ask for forgiveness just once? If not even that, I’ll do anything to ask for the death penalty to be avoided?
The saintess did not live up to all those expectations.
I just asked in a calm tone.
“I guess you intend to listen to me?”
“Let the sinner respect the honor of the Court on the Mount.”
In response to the pope’s warning, the saintess staggered and raised her kneeling body.
His hands were tied behind his back and he was in an unstable position. Nonetheless, the saintess stood up proudly with her body raised.
All the judges standing high up were looking down at the saintess.
so high and rugged The authority of the law, the existence of God, and the walls of reality.
A paladin approached and loosened the restraints that bound the saintess’ wrists. It was the last courtesy for the sinner who was about to face the final argument.
With the sound of breathing, the saintess’ chest swelled and then sat down.
“My name is none. For a long time, I lived wearing the shell of a ‘saint’. In order not to be ashamed of that title.”
It was a plain confession.
The crowd and the judges were silent. I felt a single gaze from the lofty summit.
Sky blue eyes float in the air.
The ruler of life and death, the gatekeeper of heaven.
The saint was looking down at the saintess.
“Even though I came from a lowly orphan, I struggled to complete the mission given by the Lord. He lived for the weak, did his best to treat the sick, and turned a blind eye to the injustice that faced some, but he never crossed the line.”
“… … lie!”
Amidst the crowd, accusations erupted like fury.
It was a voice that trembled with hatred and betrayal.
“But why did you sacrifice an orphan?! Your escort knight was a priest of the Dark Church!”
“How dare you give false testimony at the Court on the Mount!”
“Kill, kill!”
At the outcry of malice, the saintess placed her trembling hands on her chest.
was promising
The result doesn’t change anyway.
So, the saintess screamed out in anger.
“… … This is the price!”
A cry, a cry that squeezed the lungs to the limit, silence fell around for an instant.
She was a saint who had never shown her sincerity in front of a crowd.
It was the first time in my life. It was a surprisingly light feeling.
“I did my best… I’ve never neglected my duty! However, my only family betrayed me and everything I achieved was reduced to mere glories!”
“Are you sure you are not guilty?”
“What did the heavenly god say?”
There was little time difference between questions and answers.
The judges’ silence deepened at the saintess’ question. Their eyes narrowed and glared fiercely at the saintess.
Even so, the saintess did not hesitate.
“Still, still no answer? The girl you love the most is standing here! Whether I am a sinner or not, do you have to say something!”
“Criminals, be careful what you say and do!”
The pope’s voice, which had been solemn until now, began to contain anger.
Other judges were no exception to this. The hostility in the eyes of the priest and the jury was already young.
On the other hand, only the sound of swallowing dry spittle echoed through the crowd with their mouths closed.
Isn’t that what a ‘saint’ is?
Even if he was a sinner, the weight of his remarks could not be compared to that of a mere churchman.
“Be careful? What the hell are you telling me to be careful about?”
“How dare you take the name of the Lord in vain!”
“Then punish me!”
The pope’s eyes widen, and a commotion spreads through the jury.
The saint was silent. As always.
“What’s the point of a play like this?! If you’re going to punish me, I’d rather you punish me! It’s not something like ostentation and ostentation that only puts authority at the forefront, but the Lord himself… Even this is greed?!”
“… … dare!”
A heated rage escaped from the pope’s clenched teeth. Those eyes that were open to the limit were already bloodied.
While the pope could not bear to speak due to the overflowing emotions, the saintess continued without delay.
“Answer me!”
It was a very small step.
Compared to the far-off cliff, it was a small step that could not be seen.
It was a pointless resistance. It was a question that would not even answer.
Even so, the saintess did not hesitate to raise her voice. Each time he continued to speak without delay, the crowd held their breath even more and listened to the saintess’ words.
Rather, it was a howl that was more like an outburst.
“Am I a sinner?! If you’ve committed a crime that deserves death, kill me here! If you’re going to abandon me, then tear yourself to death with your own hands! Don’t hide behind this prank!”
“Dare, dare, dare… … !”
As if he had witnessed the unbelievable reality, the pope’s gaze was lost and he couldn’t find a place to go.
As he shook his head to and fro, veins were sprouting from his neck.
But that was just the beginning.
There was a different question that the saintess truly wanted to cry out.
“Surely the Lord exists?!”
Truly chilly silence.
It was as if cold water had been sprinkled on a blazing fire. A suffocating silence, where no one could open their mouths, descended over the courthouse halfway up the mountain.
Before she knew it, the saintess was on her knees, swallowing her tears. A watery appeal followed with sobs.
“If, if, there exists… Why don’t you look down on us?! Why didn’t he answer even once! I’ve believed in it all my life, all my life… … !”
“… … juror!”
The pope, impatient, let out a vicious howl.
Then, the jurors, who were startled, continued their discussion while sweating. In fact, it was as if the conclusion had already been reached.
before this trial.
“Aren’t the sinners not repenting of their sins, but even blaspheming! What is your verdict?”
“guiltiness!”
As if they had been waiting, one of the jurors shouted out loud.
“The jury’s verdict is, Guilty! The sinner has committed the unforgivable sin!”
“As it should be!”
Kung, the pope stamped his feet, and the whole mountain stream screamed.
This was a peculiarity of the Court on the Mount. Even if an old man who couldn’t even stand properly stood on the stairs, the whole mountain would vibrate and tremble with one stomp.
Followers called it the ‘Hammer of the Celestial God’.
“Aren’t the priests different?!”
Naturally, everyone’s eyes turned to the priest of mercy.
He gave a cruel glance as if hesitating for a moment, but then let out a long sigh.
It was a declaration of surrender.
“… … No objection.”
“Then, in the name of our great Lord, I will pass judgment here!”
With a thump, the ground vibrated again, drawing everyone’s attention.
It was a look of fear. The whole mountain and field trembled just by rolling the ground once, and the power was different.
Everyone was looking up to the Pope.
The sun is mid-heaven. A light from the sky seemed to uphold the divine authority of the court.
The judge’s cold eyes looked down at the sobbing woman.
“… … execution!”
It was a foregone conclusion. No one protested.
Only the tens of thousands of people whispered and looked surprised. In words, he predicted that blood would flow today, but he noticed that he was bewildered when the saintess was sentenced to death.
However, the court’s authority does not tolerate even a moment’s hesitation.
“The sin of not only betraying humanity, but also blaspheming God by blaming the heavens is not light! The sinner is hung on a cross, hung on the top of a mountain, and left without even giving food and water until he dies! After that, if my life ends, I will burn that sinful life on firewood to comfort the ghosts!”
In an instant, the fate of the saintess was decided.
It has been a long time since a judgment insulted even the dead. At one time, even the crowd shouting the death sentence was so severe that it was felt.
The moment when the buzz was about to grow.
Kung, the whole mountain stream shuddered again.
There were even people screaming and prostrate in the crowd.
“If you have any objection to the decision of this Court on the Mount, anyone can discuss it!”
The saintess silently shed tears and bit her lip.
couldn’t exist
Reversing a matter that had already been decided was tantamount to challenging the authority of the court. Throughout the long history of the Holy Nation, few have raised objections to the decisions of the Court on the Mount.
And all who objected were greeted with terrible words.
I knew. So it wasn’t even embarrassing.
The only sad thing is that the God I trusted and relied on all my life still has no response.
Was I just an existence that was only that much?
abandoned the name Didn’t I give my all in line with the name ‘saint’ given by God?
However, when she peeled off her ‘saint’ shell, she looked like this.
A pathetic girl who can do nothing but shed tears.
Naturally, the court had no interest in a woman lying on her stomach and weeping.
“good night. Then, according to the old law, as of this hour, the judgment of the sinner is confirmed… … !”
Pak, do.
The pope’s body froze on the spot as he was about to announce the verdict. His eyes slowly moved to the end of the sharp trajectory that passed me.
A hatchet was digging into the cliff.
The awe-inspiring old priest screamed.
“What is this… Big heo-eok?!”
But it was still too early to be surprised.
A cluster of silvery lights that swayed on the blade of the ax started digging into the cliff. On the right side of the Pope, silver incontinence went everywhere on the cliff, and soon there was an explosion.
bang!
Part of the cliff collapses.
Several members of the jury below him gasped and fled. The pope was so distraught that he couldn’t even comprehend the situation.
whoever dares
To commit such an insult to this sacred court?
As if answering that question, heavy footsteps resounded.
jerk, jerk.
It was a surprisingly clear sign. Tens of thousands of people split apart, and a man wearing a hooded hood came out through the gap.
A mixture of anger, astonishment, and fear rushed all at once.
It was then that the body of the saintess who had been helplessly lying on her face trembled.
Isn’t that a very familiar sound of footsteps?
Hopefully it shouldn’t be like this.
I even promised never to do this.
Even so, she couldn’t let go of a handful of expectations, and the saintess’ reddened gaze turned to her back.
“… … I have an objection.”
A tearing roar erupted from the pope’s mouth, which was furious.
“You dare to rebel against the authority of this court?!”
“That’s right.”
“Then reveal the true identity, you fool!”
At that, the man obediently handed over the hood, and soon the Court on the Mount fell silent again.
Black hair, golden eyes.
A hand ax embedded in a cliff, and a skilled person who can break rocks with a single throw.
There were not many people who satisfied these conditions.
No, there will be only one in the entire continent.
“… … This is Ian Perkus.”
The minstrels say, The one who slays the darkness at the forefront of mankind.
He is also the rising star of the Empire and the most prestigious deity on the continent.
Ian Percus stood in the middle of the Mount Court.
To meet a challenge that no one else has been able to achieve.