Chapter 194
Chapter 194
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP. 44 – The Knight Hates Romantasy Events (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In Pendragon, there was a concept known as the weekend.
While in other countries only nobles could enjoy holidays or vacations, the common folk of Pendragon had weekends once every seven days.
It wasn't as if Pendragon had instituted weekends out of some benevolent policy for its people.
Simply...
"We express our gratitude for the many brothers who have joined us today. May the blessings of the Light be upon you all."
[May blessings be upon you-.]
...it was nothing more than a product of the temple's fervent insistence.
The temple gatherings, called prayer meetings or masses, were events that Pendragon's citizens were required to attend.
Could you believe that even farmers in the midst of busy harvest seasons would unfailingly show up for these weekend prayer sessions lasting over three hours?
Put another way, it also meant the people's faith was the real deal.
As such, there were even households that simply designated weekends as "Temple prayer day!" And that wasn't particularly strange.
Over 80% of the populace followed the Light of Glory, and skipping temple prayer was a sure path to ostracism from the community.
'Merciful Light, please ensure this year's harvest goes well.'
'Please, no droughts this time. I beg you. My son is about to enter the Royal Academy!'
'Keep my family healthy always. And let me meet a pretty bride.'
'I need money, money! So please, give me good cards in this game!!'
Farmers, merchants, mercenaries, gamblers.
People from all walks of life clasped their hands in pious prayer, each voicing their own wishes.
Just from this, one could gauge the people's devotion to their faith.
And with faith overflowing to this degree...
"Priest, please accept this. It's beer made from the first barley harvest of the year."
"Could you perhaps hold my child's hand? I want my little one to grow up as great as you..."
"Priest, there's someone seeking confession. Is that alright?"
...the priests wielded tremendous authority.
Admirers and respecters of priests abounded, and a little child clutching their mother's hand gazed up at the priest with sparkling eyes.
"Mom! When I grow up, I'm gonna be a respected priest just like him!"
"Yes, you can definitely do it, my son. Mom will cheer you on."
"Yeah!!"
The child looked at the priest with eyes full of aspiration, and the priest responded with a kind smile.
This was a scene showcasing the authority held by priests—authority rivaling that of nobles—and proof that even nobles couldn't treat them lightly.
......That should have been the case.
Crunch!
"So, what group are you with?"
"!!!?"
"Come on, talk? Why won't you open your mouth?"
Crack!
"!!!"
"Tough one, huh? Why won't you talk?"
The knight directed his question at the priest, but received no answer in return, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
His lips were sealed tight.
Maybe just one more hour...
"-Instructor, don't you think we should remove the gag first if we want any answers at all?"
"......"
"Instructor?"
"Sigh, this guy's got some spine. Why no answer...?"
"...Ah."
......He was just tormenting him on purpose.
The boy shut his mouth.
Best not to butt in anymore.
'Or I'll get hit with the Lion's Roar.'
Derek glanced at the table that had been blasted away by the Lion's Roar and quietly minimized his presence.
He had no desire to end up like that table.
"-So, the temple's turned into a total shitshow, right?"
"...That's accurate, but a bit too blunt."
"And on top of that, your masters are calling you to jump into the mess."
"I have no masters..."
"Bullshit, you wagged your tail and went running when they called, didn't you? Even after getting beat like that, you still can't get your head straight. You're hopeless too. Poor old Raphael."
"......"
"What? Mad? Well, if so, sorry. Facts do hurt."
"Better not apologize at all. It just makes me angrier..."
"That's why I'm apologizing?"
"!!?"
Pierre's stoic expression cracked for the first time, his eyes even turning bloodshot in visible fury.
But Lee Han just snorted and ignored him, turning his gaze to the two trembling heaps on the floor.
Drip, drip...
One was an intern bleeding out so profusely he could die any moment, and the other was the guy who'd spewed nonsense at Irene Windler in the name of proselytizing, only to get kicked by Lee Han.
Fortunately treated with holy power, the priest's injuries had somewhat healed, but he kept his head bowed, only stealing glances at Lee Han.
That hadn't been the case at first.
The moment he regained consciousness...
- You irreverent scum! Do you know who I am? How dare you do this! I'll make sure you pay!!
He'd raged like he had anger management issues, so Lee Han started the treatment.
Treating guys like this was his specialty.
Less than thirty minutes into the treatment...
- S-Sorry... P-Please, just s-spare me...
He finally learned some manners, and Lee Han was convinced once more that anger management issues were treatable.
But since it could relapse anytime, he administered an additional three hours of treatment. After that, the guy couldn't even meet his eyes.
He just...
"-----."
...shuddered on his knees, tears streaming down his face.
To a third party, it might look like he was bullying a helpless, weak priest, but Lee Han had heard the guy's entire life story during treatment and could only let out a hollow laugh.
"A priest running a loan shark racket..., modern priests are something else, huh? Sucking the people dry, forcing them to borrow money or cornering them into situations where they have no choice... This is a priest?"
Amazing...!
It was shocking enough that a priest was into usury, but the purpose—funneling the cash to high priests' pockets—was even more outrageous. And sending this scum to the chick? Unbelievable.
Was the temple—or rather, this usurer priest's faction—itching for war with Galahad?
'Can't even begin to understand these lunatics...'
Lee Han gave up trying to comprehend.
Whether it was the guy taking orders to mess with Galahad's foster daughter or the ones issuing those orders...
'...They're all insane.'
To sum up what he'd heard, the temple's factional infighting had recently heated up, with around seventeen major and minor factions engaged in cutthroat struggles.
The reason for the fight?
Well, various reasons.
Differences in interpreting the words of the god they each believed in led to debates and conflicts. And lately, with Isis's exploits boosting the temple's prestige, some weren't happy about that either.
There was a pact with the royal family, but if Isis ascended to the throne, she might sever ties with the temple—that opinion had surfaced.
...That was the surface-level reason for the faction split, but the core of it all was none other than...
"A political dogfight over the Pontiff seat."
"...It's not that simple."
"Like hell it's not."
Lee Han sneered.
From what he'd heard, the current Pontiff was nearing retirement, and with the time to elect a new one approaching, the high priests were jockeying politically for the position.
And this guy...
"You're shopping around to see which faction to join."
"...I won't deny it."
The reason he'd met various temple officials in the photos shown by the black guy was revealed, but Lee Han just stared at him impassively.
'...Should I kill him?'
Until now, he'd spared them for old man Raphael's sake, but they were starting to cross the line.
One had betrayed him and sold info to the temple, thinking him an easy mark. The other was scouting factions for a switch.
'Humans are creatures of forgetfulness, huh? Really hits home right now.'
No matter how much fear you instill, people forget it quickly.
Especially those gripped by 'belief' or 'faith'—all the more so.
He wasn't denying belief or faith per se, but feeling the fallout reach him personally, Lee Han's resolve hardened.
Swish.
Whoosh!
The moment Lee Han ended his brief deliberation and opened his eyes, a blade wind howled.
Slash!
...A razor-sharp blade wind that could slice skin.
"W-Wait a sec..."
"Wh-Why us...!"
The killing intent wasn't aimed only at the fallen ones and Pierre.
Crack!
It surged toward the interns—no, all the 'heresy inquisitors.' Ignoring their protests, Lee Han calmly drew his axe.
The entire area was now under his domain, leaving them no escape.
A knight who had steeled his resolve would split their skulls even if they fled.
"Urk...!"
The heresy inquisitors had to thrash for survival, but they couldn't move.
A knight harboring 'killing intent' was beyond anyone short of an Aura User or top-tier mystery holder.
It wasn't energy they could oppose, and even if there were over a hundred inquisitors instead of nine, they couldn't escape Lee Han's pressure.
"-Any last words?"
"!!"
"None? Fine."
Whirl!
Deeming even last words a waste, Lee Han hurled the hand axe with one hand...!
Thud-!
──Into the empty forest.
[Thud...!]
"Wh-What...!?"
They blinked, their lives flashing before their eyes.
Their minds couldn't process it.
...Why had the axe they expected to smash their heads flown into the forest instead? And why was someone collapsing in the empty woods?
Everything was confusing to them, but Lee Han chuckled.
"All talk, no spine. You think I'd go on a mindless killing spree over something this minor? I'm not some murderer."
Lee Han wasn't some executioner who killed indiscriminately when pissed; he was also a fine actor who could fool even allies.
Well...
Sniff, sniff.
"...?"
...Acting too well had its downsides.
Smelling the intense ammonia stench suddenly filling the air, Lee Han blinked in confusion.
No way, even if...
"...Heresy inquisitors didn't just..."
"......"
"No...?"
"......"
"...?"
"......Sob."
"......Hm."
Lee Han scratched his cheek, feeling a twinge of awkwardness at their dazed stares.
Well...
...His passionate method acting had apparently been a bit much for them.