Chapter 5: Guidance
Michel Parner was the abbot of the Yarnell Monastery, and quite a devout one at that.
However, being a devout abbot and being a true believer were two different matters, for one could act the part of a devout believer without truly believing in the cause.
Naturally, he had never given the matter much thought.
“Oh, god. . . . . . ”
A small voice escaped from Abbot Michel’s mouth.
Most of the priests, including the abbot, bowed their heads and made the sign of the cross, while a few even fell to their knees.
It was almost comical to see the sight of old men kneeling on the dirty floor and making the sign of the cross over and over again with faces filled with a strange sense of awe, but fortunately they could not see each other.
Whoooosh!
The small prayer room was filled with a pure white light.
The blinding light that made it impossible to see was emanating from the small emblem in the man’s hand.
“ . . . . . . ! ”
Inquisitor Anton Revecht’s face was also filled with a sense of awe. However, it was a different kind of awe from the other priests.
He knew that this phenomenon was not a miracle or the coming of an angel, as holy power was a special power that came from god.
This was simply proof.
Proof of an extraordinary talent.
What he was holding in his hand was the holy relic, ‘The Eye of Kahadir’.
This relic, which was quite high-ranking, had never reacted so sensitively before.
He had only tried to release a little power for a test, but the relic’s holy power, which flowed out like water, was all sucked into the boy standing in front of him.
Holy power was a mysterious power different from mana. Without basic talent, one could only handle a small amount of holy power no matter how hard one tried.
However, this was. . . . . .
Anton Revecht closed his eyes.
“In the name of God, I earnestly pray. . . . . . ”
Soon, a prayer came out of his mouth.
He would have been satisfied if he had been just a little better than average, as they were always short on inquisitors during the war against heresy.
However, this was not just ‘a little bit better’.
To have such a talented young inquisitor in these chaotic times.
Wasn’t this the grace of God?
Looking down at the relic, which was now completely empty and devoid of any holy power, Anton smiled, thinking that he would have to fill it up with holy power again as soon as he got back.
“ . . . And thus, you shall finally cast off all your sins and save yourself. ”
Anton, who had finished his prayer, slowly opened his eyes. The light in the room was gradually fading.
The heavy silence that filled the room replaced the dazzling light. After a moment of silence, Anton took a step forward with a creaking sound.
With everyone’s eyes focused on him, Anton approached the boy standing in the middle of his room.
Despite the unfamiliar situation, the child named Luciel had a calm expression.
He was a calm and intelligent boy who seemed to have inherited the talent of the Lumenique family.
Anton, who had been looking at Luciel quietly, soon reached out his hand with a gentle smile.
“Welcome, new inquisitor. May the grace of God be with you on your path. ”
It was an unusually affectionate tone of voice for a friar. It seemed that Anton had already fully accepted the child named Luciel.
Luciel, who had been looking at Anton with an unreadable expression for a moment, soon nodded and took his firm hand.
“Thank you for your kind words. ”
And then, a small smile appeared on Luciel’s face.
🔹🔹🔹
Of course, he did not become a full-fledged inquisitor right away.
He had to pass a simple initiation at the headquarters located in the city of the Shining Sun, Herentica, and then complete the following training period and tests before he could be officially appointed as a real inquisitor.
However, as the inquisitor who had shaken his hand had said, Inquisitor Anton Revecht seemed to think that I would pass through those processes without much difficulty.
“Of course, it’s quite simplified now because we are in the middle of a war against heresy. In the past, only those who had undergone at least ten years of rigorous training were appointed. ”
Inquisitor Anton Revecht continued, looking into the small campfire.
“Well, now. . . . . . ”
The inquisitor glanced at me. It seemed like he was trying to gauge my reaction.
“Our mission is closely related to death, so the number of inquisitors is always insufficient. Your initiation process will not take long.”
Rather than talking about the glorious and plausible appearance, he seemed to have no intention of hiding or deceiving me by talking about the cruel reality behind it without any omissions. I guess those who trembled with fear were not qualified to become inquisitors in the first place.
Thud.
I said, throwing a dry twig into the campfire.
“I see. ”
A life close to death was my specialty.
“Don’t worry too much. ”
The inquisitor handed me a cup of warm tea, as if to reassure me.
“You have talent, a talent that shines brighter than anyone else. ”
It was quite a compliment coming from an inquisitor who would calmly eat a meal after slaughtering civilians in the name of God.
It meant that my potential was that great.
“ . . . . . . ”
Such an extraordinary talent for holy power. Now that I had decided to become an inquisitor, it was certainly a good thing, but it was a little strange.
‘Maybe. . . . . . ’
A thought crossed my mind. Was it possible that I was not abandoned at the monastery by chance?
Did my family know about my talent for holy power in advance?
If so, shouldn’t I have been sent to the headquarters of Herentica, the Great Temple on Mount Calimpus, or the cradle of Lactia Sivellia, instead of this rural monastery?
Perhaps they judged that there was no reason to be so concerned about an illegitimate child who might have to be disposed of at any time. Perhaps sending me to a monastery far away from my family was the least they could do.
Of course, that didn’t matter now that the assassins had come.
Inquisitor Anton Revecht also seemed to know only that I was an illegitimate child of the Lumenique family. Well, that’s all it is now.
For now, the fact that I was going to Herentica, where the Inquisition was located, was a great opportunity and a stroke of luck for me.
My family wouldn’t be able to send anyone that far. I didn’t think I had to worry about that for a while.
Gulp.
After finishing my thoughts, I took a sip of the bitter tea in the crude wooden cup.
“ . . . . . . ”
It was tea that inquisitors would drink. In other words, it was disgustingly tasteless.
I put down the cup and took a bite of the remaining bread. I liked the fact that I didn’t have to dip the dry bread in this horrible tea.
Soft, fluffy white bread instead of the hard, sour bread I used to eat at the end of prayers and meals.
It was the food that the monastery had prepared for us for our departure to Herentica, where the headquarters was located.
“They say that in the past, the connection with God was much deeper than it is now. ”
He said slowly, savoring the brown tea as if it were a fragrant perfume.
“After the angels appeared on the shining light, the faithful heard the voice of God directly. ”
‘Yes, unfortunately.’
He continued, picking up the teapot over the campfire with his gloved hand.
“But for some reason, the light from heaven is nowhere to be found, and God’s answers have become faint. ”
‘That’s a relief.’
Click.
He opened the lid of the teapot, which was dented in many places due to the long journey, and checked the remaining amount before asking me abruptly.
“Would you like some more? ”
“ . . .I’m fine. ”
He nodded and poured the brown tea into my empty wooden cup again. He closed his eyes as if savoring the aroma of the tea.
“I don’t know if the answer of God faded because evil prevailed, or if evil prevailed because the answer of God faded. . . . . . ”
He finished his small cup and said, opening his eyes.
“All we can do for God is to eliminate all the heretics who live and breathe on this earth. ”
He finished speaking, half to himself.
“ . . . . . . ”
A silence soon followed.
The stillness between me and the inquisitor, who was used to silence, was filled with the crackling sound of the campfire and the faint sound of crickets chirping in the distance.
🔹🔹🔹
After several days of travel, the inquisitor and I finally reached our destination. It was the result of riding the large horse of the inquisitor, who boasted extraordinary speed, without rest.
Anton and I stopped for a moment on the hill and looked down at the city.
Herentica, the great city where the headquarters of Herentica was located.
The view of Herentica from the hill was magnificent and beautiful. The city shone brightly in the sunlight pouring down from the sky.
“Isn’t it beautiful? ”
Inquisitor Anton asked, looking down at the shining city of the sun.
“Yes, it is. ”
I answered honestly. Unlike some warlocks who used to decorate their homes with human corpses, monsters, and all sorts of grotesque creatures, my aesthetic sense was quite normal.
Of course, being beautiful and being liked were two different things.
The last time I saw this city. . . . . .
‘It was on fire.’
It was more than five hundred years ago.
When my power was at its peak. This shining city of the sun burned before the power of me and my entourage, as befitting its name as the city of light.
Recalling the joy of that moment for a moment, I tilted my head and looked up at the sky above the city.
Something shimmering faintly.
‘Is it a new barrier?’
Judging from its shape and size, it was a fairly solid barrier. I guess they didn’t want to get hit twice.
I narrowed my eyes and focused my gaze on the faintly shimmering barrier, trying to figure out its rough structure.
After the holy power in the relic that Anton had handed me was absorbed into me, my senses seemed to have become a little sharper.
“ . . .You, by any chance. . . . . .? ”
The inquisitor, who had been following my gaze, soon noticed that my gaze was fixed on the top of the city, where there were no structures. He also seemed to know that there was a barrier there.
“Oh my god. ”
The inquisitor, who had been looking at me and the city alternately with a slightly surprised face, said in an admiring tone.
“To be able to see the aerial barrier of Herentica without any sanctification. It’s really amazing. ”
“Well, what. . . . . . ”
Anton nodded, making the sign of the cross. It was an expression of satisfaction.
“It seems that your coming here was guided by God. ”
Anyway, zealots.
I smiled slightly at his words and replied.
“Isn’t it because the inquisitor recognized and chose me? ”
Not God.
It was a remark that could have sounded presumptuous, but he opened his mouth slowly, as if he didn’t think there was any sting in my words, which were missing the last part.
“Well. If I had to say another factor, it would be rather. . . . . . ”
He stared at me intently for a moment before continuing.
“An inexplicable attraction, I suppose. One might call it my destiny, or yours. ”
I scoffed inwardly.
God’s guidance, destiny.
The obvious results of obvious causes. And the vain beliefs of zealots who simply packaged events that were simply coincidences as plausible. I had seen the end of it all so much that I was tired of it.
Most of them had fallen into my hands while desperately seeking God.
“Is that so? ”
I said, turning my gaze from the inquisitor back to the city.
“It is beautiful, as befits a city where the will of God remains. ”
Anton made the sign of the cross, as if he were impressed by my answer. I smiled back at him.
“Well, let’s go then. Luciel. ”
“Yes. ”
The inquisitor and I walked towards the great city in front of us, the shining city of the sun where the headquarters of Herentica was located.
I looked at Anton’s back and smiled coldly.
‘Inquisitor.’
Their ultimate goal was to destroy all seven catacombs on earth and permanently sever the link between the great demon and the earth by burning evil.
Of course, the goal of the warlocks of the catacombs, who were on the opposite side of them, was not much different.
The eternal destruction of the Five Sanctuaries.
Of course, from the point of view of me, who had forcibly severed the link with the great devils and was revived, the two sides were not much different.
The seven catacombs and the Five Sanctuaries. The great symbols representing the two great forces were, at least in my eyes, all targets that had to be destroyed.
‘Then let’s see.’
I followed the inquisitor with a cold expression on my face.
Where will these great beings lead you this time?
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- Kakashi Hatake: The Ultimate Husbando? A Deep Dive into the Sharingan of Our Desires
- Why You Can Read Light Novels But Can’t Speak English: A Guide to Unlocking Your Inner Voice
- Cursed Hands: When Anime Fandom Goes Too Far
- The Social Isolation Speech Impediment: How Being a Shut-In Can Make You Sound Like a Robot
- Is Ramen Overrated Because of Naruto? A Ramen-Loving Anime Fan’s Take
Leave a Reply