646 – 8. Last Will (20)
Unfamiliar silence hangs over a familiar street corner.
It was the academy’s Jungang-daero that I had been walking on for over three years, but it was the first time I had such a chaotic atmosphere. A bizarre sight where no one who walks dares to open his mouth.
A bird’s eye view of the silence created by hundreds of passers-by felt like a bizarre performance art. Although it was a scenery that only those who had the senses to encompass the whole area could witness.
hahahahaha, it has no choice but to do so.
It has only been a few months since the ‘vampire’ attacked the academy. A new evacuation order was issued in the yard where there were victims and the follow-up to the incident had not yet been completed.
Without even telling you why.
Some even heard that the academy should be temporarily closed. Since the distant war of conquest of the empire, it was unprecedented, but there was no way to do it.
Because the life of my own blood was precious to everyone.
The protests of the parents were justified. How many incidents have occurred at the academy in less than a year? As a result, cracks were inevitable to be detected even among the resident population of the academy.
Doubt that it might be difficult to maintain a daily life anymore.
The academy was just the beginning. Soon, the whole continent will begin to have such questions, and then the true meaning of war will begin.
Because the Dark Church always digs into people’s weak parts.
Of course, it wasn’t a problem for me to worry about.
“Oh, brother.”
In the temple’s office, built of pure white marble, an old man was standing in the warm sunlight.
He was an impressive figure with light-transmitting white hair and a beard. He was equipped with a shabby priestly robe and a simple rosary, and his simple attire made him feel like a native priest in the countryside.
Although his true status was completely different.
Because this old priest was the big man who oversaw dozens of parishes spread across the continent.
I did my best by bowing my head at his low call.
“…… Patriarch Aindel.”
“That’s rare. You’re looking for me… Do you have anything to discuss? If so, you could have mentioned it at the upcoming meeting.”
The old man’s eyes were deep and deep, and I couldn’t tell the bottom of them. Just by looking at the subtle changes in his facial muscles, it was possible to infer the fact that he thought my visit was unexpected.
Or even I am just a sly person.
Indeed, he was a difficult person to deal with. Even so, I was the one who felt sorry for me, so my voice was polite in answering Archbishop Aindel’s questions.
“I came here because I have a personal business. However… ….”
I was about to get straight to the point, but my eyes sneakily scanned the interior. It was because something felt off.
I have been to the temple’s office several times. There were many times when the saintess was staying, and the high-ranking priests were also assigned similar private rooms.
But today’s office was different.
Should I say that I’ve become shabby somewhere?
The noble furniture and silver crosses that used to exude neat fashion were gone. What took its place was a cheap desk and iron cross that could only be found in a corner carpentry shop.
As I needed a greeting, I naturally had no choice but to raise it as a topic.
“Your office has changed a little, right?”
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“It’s different, it’s the same… It just cuts down on some unnecessary waste.”
And while doing so, the old priest bursts out laughing.
He shrugged his shoulders and went on.
“For God’s servant, what use is furniture made of good wood and a cross made of silver? On the contrary, it only causes unnecessary misunderstandings among the saints… So I sold them all.”
“Isn’t the finances of the temple sufficient anyway?”
“How could that wealth be ours? It is an offering to be offered to God… Moreover, there are many patients who visit the temple who cannot receive treatment because they do not have donations.”
That was a fact everyone knew.
But, conversely, the fact that temples have a lot of money is also common sense. No matter where you go on the continent, the temple’s luxurious facilities were likely to attract attention.
As it was one of the major facilities in charge of medical care, the justification was sufficient.
But I would have thought there would still be priests who care about the office.
As if he had read my mind, Patriarch Aindel started talking about my beliefs.
“Of course, it may be at best an office. Even the most expensive piece of furniture might be worth a grain of wheat compared to the cost of maintaining the temple. But the important thing is the ‘standard’.”
“‘Standard’… Are you talking?”
“Yes, ‘standard’.”
An instant answer without even a moment’s hesitation.
Aindel said that and nodded his head broadly.
“The Bible teaches us to stay away from worldly values. But since the lambs we need to save are in the world, how can we stay away from them? This is why we receive medical expenses in the name of ‘donation’. There is nothing we can do to cover the operating expenses of the temple.”
A question arose, “Isn’t that what everyone knows?”, But I didn’t translate it into words.
It was a peculiar habit of priests. Once the speech is open, unless I pour out all the knowledge I know, my intuition will not be resolved.
It was a fact that I had already realized while meeting many priests, including the saintess.
“That’s why we need a ‘standard’. The flesh is cunning, and it keeps forgetting the will of the Lord and doing whatever it wants. That is why the law exists. It is to uphold the word of truth and establish standards that fit the reality.”
“It seems that the law sometimes changes.”
“Truth is like a stone, unchanging, but the world is like flowing water, always changing. Even so, if we do not put the Bible at the root, we will be self-indulgent. That’s why I cleaned the office.”
The old priest’s eyes turned to the iron cross in silence. Compared to the cross made of pure silver, it was unattractive, but Aindel’s eyes looked at it with slight satisfaction.
“Compared to the operating cost of the temple, it is a trivial consumption, but the use of donations must be clear. Not a penny should be spent on the priest’s personal extravagance.”
It was indeed an elder-like remark from the Seongguk conservatives.
Meticulous, strict. And a devout priest who lives up to that standard himself.
But why?
If Aindel had been a pious priest, Leoric would never have left a word to watch out for him in his dying days. I was lost in thought for a while.
“hahahaha, you talked too much about me. Did you say you have personal business?”
There was a point that suddenly came to my mind after receiving Leoric’s question.
He said he lost his son. Did you say that Aindel took his child’s life with his own hands, having touched the forbidden magic?
I instinctively opened my mouth.
“About forbidden witchcraft…….”
‘Forbidden Witchcraft’.
As soon as the key ring came out, Patriarch Eindel’s movements stopped. It was only a fleeting moment, though.
I couldn’t fool the eye of a high expert. I deliberately feigned caution and went on.
“As you know, recently I had to deal with all sorts of witchcraft while dealing with the Dark Church. However, I was often caught off guard because I did not have the relevant knowledge. Then, he happened to hear that Bishop Aindel was an expert on him…….”
“Do you know the story of my son?”
It was a surprisingly calm response.
I was thinking of pretending not to know, but I shook my head inwardly. In a way, it seems like he is poking at the old wounds of Archbishop Aindel.
Except for the fact that the other person was suspicious, we had to keep our manners as human to human. I silently bowed my head with the minimum amount of atonement.
After a while, a sorrowful sigh escaped from the old priest’s mouth.
“…… You are cruel.”
“Sorry. I know it’s rude, but… Even tomorrow, you will have to face enemies using unknown tactics.”
The father who lost her child kept her silence with her eyes closed for a long time.
I wonder if it’s because it wasn’t hard for my heart to understand.
He opened his eyes slowly, then turned his gaze out the window. The old man’s hands looked particularly wrinkled with his hands behind his back.
“Do you know about the types of forbidden witchcraft?”
“Yes? Are there any kinds?”
“Of course. Each secret technique has a different root, and the reason why it is banned is different. For example, ‘Chimera’ was banned because it was a problem that it disrespected life and treated it like an object. However, what Ian-nim is curious about is mainly the ‘Dark Church’… ….”
Patriarch Aindel was taking a nap around that time, then untied his back and stroked his beard. Like worrying.
“I can’t help but talk about the ‘contract’.”
It was a word I had heard before.
At least from someone who was once my sister.