14 episodes
“The rumors circulating in the church right now are because of that.”
“yes. It was a little exaggerated.”
Nyx was talking to a priest he was acquainted with.
The topic was today in the classroom.
The believers who were there were spreading rumors all over the place.
“Then this would be just a rumor. The boy’s divine power was so great that the magic detection stone didn’t work at all. That’s why the boy was arrogant and taunted Priest Bernstein.”
Nix clicked his tongue low.
‘People are light-hearted. Those who will become priests do not have the basic knowledge.’
Therefore, he decided to correct the rumors spread by his followers.
“The reason why the magic detection stone didn’t work was because there was no detected magic, Bernstein confirmed. Although Ethan’s words and actions are a bit harsh, he’s not arrogant.”
“Actually, from the standpoint of the believers, a child must have a stomach ache because he became a saint candidate overnight.”
“Even so, I can’t understand why people slander other people recklessly.”
“You seem to have become quite close with that boy.”
“Since we are the same saint candidate, we should get along well. Knowing that, it seems like there are a lot of wounds in my heart.”
“Are you hurt?”
That was then.
“What are you talking about again?”
Ethan frowned and approached Knicks.
Nick responded with sincerity without noticing.
“There was a rumor about what happened in the classroom today, so I was correcting the mistakes.”
The priest was perplexed.
There’s no need to be so proud to say that you’re talking behind the scenes, right?
Ethan was also confused.
“What did you say about your heartache?”
“Ah, that… … .”
“It’s not like this here, move on. Hey, can I borrow this guy?”
Ethan put his arm around Nyx’s shoulder and said.
It looked like a back alley bully.
The priest suddenly nodded his head.
“yes. Go.”
The remaining priest watched as Nyx was dragged away by Ethan.
He muttered involuntarily.
“It wasn’t that we became friends, we just followed… is not it?”
* * *
Meanwhile, Ethan and Knicks squeezed through the buzzing crowd.
It was inevitable that he would pass near Seongbaeksu.
To be precise, it was because Ethan guided Ethan to a place he did not want to see the resurrected Seongbaeksu again with his own two eyes.
Nyx asked while looking at Ethan.
“Why did you call me?”
“I have something to ask you. If you know anything about Luisa Bernstein, tell me.”
“yes? I don’t like it. You have to ask yourself that.”
this kid is real
Ethan looked at Knicks with pitiful eyes.
But he had an excuse to eat.
“Still, I became a saint candidate, but I need to know how the denomination works. As you know, I’m from the countryside, so I don’t know anything.”
Ethan deliberately emphasized the word countryside.
Then, after thinking for a while, Nick opened his mouth.
“Well, I grew up here since I was little, but you are not.”
“okay. That’s what I mean.”
“I don’t know the details either. Except that Bernstein’s job is to track down the dark followers within the fledgling Empire. Originally, he was not supposed to be accepted into the denomination, but I know that he was specially accepted as an exception.”
It meant that the descendants of those who were on the side of the Demon King have now become the dog of the Order.
Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Do you know anything more about the Bernsteins?”
“I’m fine with that… … . But what does that have to do with you?”
I thought I was a fool, but Nix made a rather sharp point.
‘Actually, the name is a saint candidate.’
Ethan clicked his tongue inwardly.
“No, I was just curious.”
“It’s nice to have a lot of questions. I don’t know much about the new empire, but I can answer any questions about doctrine. Do you have any questions?”
“no.”
At Ethan’s prompt reply, the Knicks became pale.
Then he found someone and said, ‘Huh?’ did.
“Why is Priest Bernstein here?”
At Nyx’s words, Ethan looked back.
Louisa, who was walking this way, waved to Ethan.
Her cool smile and behavior did not match the pure white priest’s uniform.
‘I’d rather not know if it’s a paladin.’
That was when Ethan was thinking about it.
Luisa, who was far away, went to the place where Ethan was, and held out her hand.
“I was excused in the morning. no formal greetings I am Luisa Bernstein.”
“This is Ethan.”
“Our Miracle Boy introduces himself very simply compared to his fame. It wouldn’t be just that.”
Luisa’s eyes lit up.
From the meaningful words and facial expressions, Ethan could tell that Luisa had investigated Ethan.
The appearance he had seen in the morning was unusual, so of course he would have investigated.
“Is that why you came to me?”
“No, not just that. There is something else I want to check.”
“You tell me.”
Ethan urged him to speak only the main point.
Then, Luisa tried to open her mouth as if to talk about the main point.
Then, something strange caught Ethan’s eyes.
‘What is that?’
Ethan made an impression.
It was bizarre.
The stalks of Seongbaeksu, which were under strict control and protection, were miraculously extending towards the place where Ethan and Luisa were located.
smal smal.
Obviously the pace was slow.
However, it was incomparably faster than normal plants.
‘no way?’
An ominous thought crept into Ethan’s mind.
It was something he had considered from the moment he saw Luisa.
But people don’t remember what they’ve done, even if it was Ethan.
‘Is Seong Baek-soo remembering the past?’
Goosebumps crept down Ethan’s back.
Baek Soo Sung.
It was a tree said to have been planted directly by the goddess Pars on the earth.
However, Ethan did not regard the Holy White Tree as a person, no matter how sacred it was.
I just thought it was a special tree.
However, seeing Seong Baek-soo reaching out to Luisa, he had no choice but to change his mind.
– It’s all done.
– As ordered, the rotten branches eroded by magic were pruned away.
– With this, Seong Baek-soo will not have the same greatness as before.
gulp.
Ethan swallowed dry saliva.
It wasn’t that he was looking at the past with jet-black eyes, but the vivid memories that came to Ethan stimulated Ethan.
It was when the Seongbaeksu was damaged by the Demon King.
Ethan ordered Bernstein to prune the branches of the holy beasts that had splendidly spread all over the new city.
It was something that even the Demon King was very satisfied with.
The reason for the external reason was that even if the Holy White Water was recovered in the United Kingdom, it would make them taste despair and fear without the glory of the past.
But in fact there was another reason.
‘The tree that did not know such grace should have been cut down then!’
Ethan burst out in anger.
If the branches of Seongbaeksu, eroded and polluted by the Demon King’s magic, had been left as it is, infectious diseases and various evils would have covered the Nouvelle City.
Ethan had only prevented it in advance.
‘If I hadn’t cut it, do you think those old-fashioned priests would have done something like that?!’
Ethan was embarrassed.
The resurrected Seong Baek-su accurately remembered the two people who had damaged him a hundred years ago.
Of course, it was Luisa, the descendant of Ethan and Leon, who had been reincarnated here.
However, since it is a tree planted by a goddess, there was nothing strange about recognizing the two.
Ethan was trying to get away from the holy white water little by little.
While talking to Luisa, I tried to move away one step at a time without anyone noticing it.
“Oh My God! Seong Baek-soo is trying to regain his former self!”
That was then.
People who were near Seongbaeksu discovered a tree trunk that stretched out.
The surroundings became cluttered.
Because of that, Luisa, who was about to talk to Ethan, also turned her gaze towards him.
“what?”
Luisa turned around.
He was going to check out Seongbaeksu.
But Ethan caught Luisa.
‘You idiot! It’s coming to you and me!’
Ethan stopped Luisa from walking on her limbs.
Even though they were still alive, I couldn’t help but watch the descendants of my subordinates suffer unexpected events.
‘First of all, you have to move.’
Ethan thought so and was about to leave.
But Luisa said.
“It seems that something has happened to Seongbaeksu now, so I have to go report it first. So I’ll keep it simple. I’m just here to say thank you.”
“Thank you?”
At the unexpected words of thanks, Ethan forgot that the stalk of Seongbaeksu was approaching him.
Luisa put her hand on her chest and bowed her head.
“Thank you so much for waking Seong Baek-soo again. This is sincere.”
“It’s kind of weird.”
“Is that weird? what?”
“I’ve heard a lot of people say thank you so far, but you feel a little different, don’t you? Something… … .”
“Not as a priest, but personally, thank you, is that what you want to say?”
Ethan nodded his head.
Luisa was inwardly surprised.
The little guy wasn’t usually sharp.
Luisa sighed and folded her arms.
“You’re right. I, or precisely, my family is at least indirectly involved in the downfall of Seongbaeksu. So I have no choice but to thank you.”
“… … .”
When Ethan didn’t answer, Luisa smirked.
‘What am I going to say to a kid I’m seeing for the first time today.’
Luisa smiled slyly.
“Then excuse me. For now, I can’t pretend I didn’t see that.”
Luisa’s back face became a dot and disappeared.
After a while, Ethan smiled bitterly.
“Is there anything wrong with you?”
A word suddenly popped into my mind.
– Don’t run away from death. The evil you’ve committed in the past is not that light.
It seemed that he could not laugh at the saint this time.
* * *
After that, Ethan often encountered Luisa, who was haunted here and there in preparation for the ordination ceremony.
“I’m glad that Seongbaeksu seems to be slowly regaining his mythical appearance.”
Each time, Luisa greeted Ethan and made Seongbaeksu a topic of discussion.
It seems like it was something he had been holding on to for quite some time.
‘Isn’t even Bernstein’s descendants harsh?’
Ethan clicked his tongue.
Bernstein was a loyal and ruthless character.
He was Ethan’s understanding, but at the same time, he had to be isolated from the Empire because of his personality.
After reincarnation, he unexpectedly ran into Suha’s descendants at the church, but that was the end of it.
‘Leon’s conversion happened after my death, and the tattoo is not binding. So the Bernsteins have nothing to do with me now.’
Luisa’s attitude took a liking to her, but Ethan did so.
The relationship had been broken.
I thought so.
But the tattoo Ethan had on Bernstein was a problem.
Recently, I was able to realize this while observing Seongbaeksu.
Seong Baek-soo did not see through Ethan and Luisa.
He just remembered the past as a link between Ethan and Luisa’s tattoo.
In other words, unless Ethan and Luisa were together, Seongbaeksu didn’t do anything gloomy and creepy like before.
‘You don’t have to meet only in Seongbaeksu. For now, we’ll just have to focus on this disgusting etiquette.’
Besides, recently, Ethan has been very busy learning the etiquette.
It was because there were not one or two things to memorize for the ceremony of ordination as a priest.
Therefore, there was no time to meet Luisa and leisurely near Seong Baek-soo.
A few days passed like that.
Ethan’s face was blank as he left the classroom today.
‘damn. Just looking at the book makes me vomit.’
The scale was much larger as the resurrection festival of Seongbaeksu and the ordination ceremony were held at the same time.
Above all, the preparations of the Central Church were thorough as delegations came from all over the continent.
The priest who taught the faithful was also very zealous.
Because of this, as time went on, Ethan’s exhaustion grew tired.
The march of education was not the problem.
Because he has far superior physical abilities than other believers.
There was something else that bothered Ethan.
The etiquette education itself did not match his personality too much.
‘I thought I would be able to survive because I lived in a damn old-fashioned monastery.’
But it was a big mistake.
The education I received from Stella was comparable to the education here.
There was a limit to his patience.
That was then.
Luisa, who was just passing by, saw Ethan and Nyx and waved their hand.