11. Pink Saint (8)
From Noble mtl dot com
A few days later. Si-woo got into the van heading to the church.
The front and back of the van were full of people. They were all people who guarded and assisted Elia. Instead, Elia was writing the middle part alone, which was an arrangement that took into account not only the saint’s own convenience but also the possibility of her being a traitor or disguise.
This time, Si-Woo ended up joining in the middle.
The purpose I told the church and Elia was that I wanted to receive more sacred items for experiments, such as the last voyager’s ring, so I would go and receive them in person. As a bonus, you can also see other sacred relics held by the church.
The latter of these was meant to keep Siwoo’s gaming system abilities in mind.
Since the original game was close to a simulation-type story game, the utility of the system was minimal as it only limited to collecting a few cut scenes or branching out, so Siwoo also rarely used the system for anything other than hidden pieces.
In fact, hidden pieces can only be collected at a specific time and location to see a small effect, so they were not powerful effects like those found in real fantasy games. It was only useful when Siwoo himself was at an extremely low level.
However, this system was very useful only for magical tools such as relics. Like any other game, an information window pops up immediately just by looking at it, so you can see through all the effects and organize them clearly.
In particular, there were many holy relics made with sacred power that even the church could not accurately understand the mechanism or hidden effects of because of the unique versatility of sacred power. That’s why I want to see it for myself.
Of course, Elia, who knew Siwoo’s system capabilities, would not have known it, but the church, which knew nothing, did not allow it without any reason.
After the incident during the last vacation, the church was also aware of Si-woo’s abnormality. He knows Elia’s identity and is a male student who was almost killed in a terrorist attack. And no matter how much we search, we cannot find past records, identity, or even family relationships.
There was some suspicion that he belonged to the National Intelligence Service, as he was seen carrying around artifacts from the National Intelligence Service, but it was only a hypothesis, and other investigation attempts were often in vain due to Elia’s uncooperative statement that he was just a friend and Kim Cheol-soo’s outstanding capabilities.
In the meantime, Siwoo tried to enter the tiger’s den himself, so they had no reason to refuse.
“Was it the Gangnam branch? “It’s a lot closer than I thought.”
“Yes. But it takes some time to avoid all of this country’s surveillance networks and enter the secret passage… “It will take more time than you think.”
“Ah, somehow I felt like I was looking at the same road again.”
Siwoo glanced around the inside of his car, being careful not to make eye contact with the bodyguards who were also riding with him. Then, countless system windows filled Siwoo’s field of vision.
Protection. Cure. Recovery. Deception. Camouflage. Concealment. Distortion. Detection… The van assembled with numerous effects and relics and artifacts was already like a moving fortress.
Siwoo, who was appalled by the influx of information, erased all the system windows with a single glance and carefully leaned his strained body against the backrest.
The car was moving towards its destination, little by little.
*
Underground of the Church of Eden. An old cardinal was waiting in a dark and secret space.
Siwoo’s first timeI was startled when I saw him, but soon realized that he was an official of the church and tried to relax my posture.
By coming this far, we have already confirmed the existence of detection artifacts and sacred objects spread everywhere. Since he was certain that he was being observed, he tried not to be disturbed, at least in appearance.
The cardinal asked in a hushed voice.
“Are you the one the saint was talking about?”
“Yes. “My name is Cheon Si-woo.”
“I am a lowly servant of Eden. This is Vince. Please rest comfortably.”
A light handshake. Siwoo clearly felt Vince trying to read his mind through his joined hands. Maybe he just thinks he’s being probed.
Siwoo did his best to keep his hand as natural as possible and looked back at Elia and said,
“Then I’ll take a look around by myself. “I’m waiting here.”
“Yes. “We don’t have much time, so be careful.”
“Okay.”
Siwoo looked around the neatly stored sacred items away from Elia.
The effect was truly enough to be called a holy relic. From relics that restore 90% of lost health to relics that can use sacred arts with destructive power equivalent to 7th circle magic. I thought there was a reason why it was stored so carefully.
There were also a few holy relics with unusual effects, like the last navigator’s ring. It was unclear whether it would be helpful in Cthulhu’s experiments, but it was clear that it was an artifact with effects that could not be seen anywhere else.
But to be honest, Siwoo wasn’t really interested in these sacred items.
This is because Siwoo’s true goal was not this sacred object.
“Majesty. “Is it okay for me to look at these holy relics as much as I want?”
The cardinal politely answered Siwoo’s question as if he were passing by while looking around at the relics.
“Of course. “It is the saint’s decision.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“That alone is more than enough.”
Siwoo stopped walking at those words.
Vince smiled kindly and continued.
“The Church of Eden is a religious group, and while the Pope is the leader of the group, the saint is the leader of the religion. She is a position that can only be ascended if she possesses the correct truth, and she is the one who will lead the future of the church. So how can we not follow His will?”
“Are you saying that saints are infallible?”
“That’s right.”
“What about judgments outside of the realm of religion?”
Vince’s attitude did not change despite Siwoo’s continued questions.
“Our life is the practice of faith, so there are no exceptions in any field.”
“Okay. “That is the culprit.”
Siwoo nodded his head once as if he understood, then turned his back on the sacred items and looked at Vince.
Because he came to see the people surrounding Elia, not the holy relics.
“The culprit… “You mean?”
Vince still smiles kindly. Siwoo looked him straight in the eyes and spit out words that could not be taken back.
To end the last bad ending in this world.
“He is the culprit who puts a burden on Elia and ruins her.”
*
Tension that arises in an instant. The atmosphere is such that it feels like the darkness of the space is deepening.As the changed, Vince’s expression hardened.
He was no longer a kind grandfather, but one of the highest ranking clergy in a religious order.
“Siwoo. “Do you know what you are talking about?”
Rough pressure poured down from Vince. Could it be said to be the charisma of someone who rose to the rank of cardinal? He was not an ordinary person as he assisted the saint right next to her.
He couldn’t get through to Si-woo, who was pressured repeatedly by the world’s best spy.
“I know. If things continue like this, it means that Elia will collapse one day.”
“I asked you if you knew what you were talking about.”
The cardinal asked again, making a boiling sound.
Of course Siwoo knows. To a lesser extent, blasphemy. Broadly speaking, it is a complete denial of all systems and teachings of the Church of Eden.
Either way, it’s a topic that would draw attention to religious people, but Siwoo was holding something bigger hostage.
“I know that too. But is all that more important than Elia?”
“It’s the devil’s way of cleverly twisting the argument. That problem has nothing to do with Elia. There is no way the saint could not bear it.”
Elia’s eyes wavered at Vince’s words.
Right now, she was slowly realizing what she was most afraid of.
“No, it’s related. “A saint is just a human being.”
“Rude… !”
“I believe that you don’t know why past saints lived short lives, why her saint’s position is currently vacant, and why Elia, who is only a candidate for her saint, is being treated as her saint. Majesty.”
Vince is drooling. Siwoo gained momentum and added his words.
“She told Elia she thought it was strange ever since she entered the cult system. All power is concentrated in the saint, and too much burden is placed on her. “Don’t you think it’s excessive?”
“It’s not excessive at all.”
“Why?”
“Yes, the saint…”
The moment Vince was about to say something, he felt his words caught in his throat.
Is it because I just heard Siwoo’s words? Or is he slowly realizing the truth himself?
Eventually, Vince changed his tune.
“… The saint is a religious leader and the very incarnation of truth with love for God. Who would foolish and weak people like us rely on but a saint? Who will you trust and entrust with important responsibilities?”
“You shouldn’t have said that just now. Majesty.”
Siwoo’s eyes became even colder.
“Do you know what you are like now? You are not a group that follows the doctrines of Eden. “It’s just an organization that worships a saint as a god.”
“It’s not like that-“
“If not, why were you hesitant to speak just now?”
“…”
“Humans cannot replace God’s role. What’s more, that person is a young girl, not yet twenty years old… It’s natural to make mistakes. “A saint’s judgment can never be perfect.”
Then Siwoo approached her Elia, patted her shoulder and looked at her.
Is it because of my mood? A pink tint appeared in her gray eyes for a moment and then seemed to disappear.
“Right now, just here, Elia,Are you really not a religiously perfect being? “I heard that Elia does not know love or s*xuality, but can we really say that he is a religiously perfect being?”
“Yes, Siwoo. I am-“
“Please answer me. Majesty. “You who call yourself the Church of Love and share love with the world, what have you done to a girl?”
When Siwoo shot back, the old cardinal lowered his head as if it was difficult. The cardinal, who had lost his energy, seemed like an old man sick and tired from a long period of time, and Si-woo felt sorry for him for a moment.
On the other hand, it was surprising that the response was more moderate than expected. It occurred to me that maybe he knew it subconsciously. Since Elia had been raised within the Order since her birth, and she had known her since she was still a normal human, she would have known that Elia was not perfect from birth.
For a moment she filled the silence with those thoughts. Vince lifted her head and looked at Elia.
“Ellia. What do you think… ?”
Do you look for a saint even in moments like these?
Siwoo felt a surge of animosity for a moment, but it soon calmed down. There was nothing wrong with asking Elia’s opinion on matters related to her.
When Elia heard that question, she thought deeply, and she answered like this.
“I think my original role also has meaning.”
“Elia.”
“You also said it, Siwoo. “Altruism can also be selfishness.”
While Si-woo, who had been caught off guard by her, grumbled, Elia pondered for a long time and expressed her own conclusion in a long sentence.
“When I heard that, I thought maybe I might be like that too. That’s also true, there are many people in the world who are more noble and make greater sacrifices than me.
Parents who sacrifice for their children. Firefighters jumping into the flames. People who travel across battlefields and provide unconditional relief. Can these people really be worse than me?
Neither I nor anyone else would be willing to sacrifice for something they don’t love. The reason the first saint died for all mankind was probably because she was a person with divine love who loved everyone in this world.
Then. If the life of a saint is no different from that of all other beings born in this world, and if I am also just a person who sacrifices out of love, isn’t all the devotion I do for myself?
I love Siwoo like everyone else! Seeing Siwoo smile makes me happy, happy, and fulfilled. “That’s enough for me.”
Elia’s wide smile was truly dazzlingly beautiful.
At that moment, Elia’s unintentional aura that reached its peak as a saint spread throughout the underground space. The effect was closer to a localized brainwashing based on unlimited favor, so that whatever nonsense Elia was talking about at this moment would probably have been accepted by her.
Moreover, what Elia came up with was the best answer that a saintly woman could come up with after being asked a question about her saintliness.
However, since it had no effect on Siwoo, who was already wearing the navigator’s ring, Siwoo pointed out the part that Elia had overlooked without realizing it.
“No, that’s not enough.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Yes?”
“Because you don’t know how to love yourself.”
That was Elia’s problem that Siwoo identified.