Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Fake Church (6)
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The situation was resolved in an instant.
The thugs knocked unconscious by a single punch from Esty, and the cult pastor groveling on the floor with his forehead pressed flat against it.
His arrogant attitude from just moments ago had vanished without a trace. He was trembling violently, not even daring to breathe as he cowered.
"...."
I gazed at the scene, taking a moment to gather my thoughts.
The mother and daughter, Karen and Sophia, whom I'd healed before, had originally been targets of this pastor's cult religion. So there was no way they didn't know about the pair's desperate circumstances and illnesses.
And if they confirmed that Sophia had been fully cured, the existence of the 'miracle' could come to light.
To ensure complete silence, I needed to not only silence the pastor but thoroughly dismantle the entire One Heart Society involved in this incident.
If necessary, by any means necessary...
I was resolved.
The cults in this city were all parasites sucking the lifeblood from desperate people. Having witnessed their depravity firsthand today only solidified that conviction. They were trash that didn't deserve even a shred of pity.
I couldn't let the same misfortune repeat itself like a vicious cycle for Karen and her daughter after I'd risked everything to help them.
At the very least, the trash within my reach deserved to be swept clean.
With that in mind, I turned to Esty.
"Esty, can I entrust this matter to you?"
As I spoke, I glanced at her expression. I felt a bit guilty deep down.
It seemed like I was making all the decisions and dumping the tough jobs on her. While keeping secrets was a form of protection in a way... it still felt like I was burdening her.
But she accepted without a hint of reluctance.
"Gladly."
Sure enough, her attitude toward me had softened somehow.
After the time we'd spent together, some bond had formed between us, making my chest feel oddly ticklish.
She took a moment to steady her breath before adding,
"These matters are best handled swiftly. Shall we go now?"
With that, she ruthlessly kicked the cult pastor—Pastor Myer—sprawled on the floor, forcing him to his feet.
"Lead the way."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
His voice toward us was chillingly cold, utterly unlike how he addressed us. Myer hurriedly bowed and scraped.
His previous arrogance was nowhere to be seen; he'd completely shriveled up.
"I'll guide you properly! Please, this way...!"
We followed behind him as he limped along.
I suddenly asked,
"By the way... is it okay if I'm there at the scene...?"
His group came with rough types under the guise of a church pastor, making them little more than a violent organization masquerading as a religious group. Esty wouldn't be taken down by such riffraff, but the cleanup wouldn't be pretty.
I worried that my presence might get in the way.
But Esty replied calmly.
"With potential enemies now aware, it's safer for you to stay near me until everything's resolved."
Confidence that protecting someone like me wouldn't hinder her in a fight at all. Above all, it was reassuring.
If the professional says so, then that's the right call.
I stopped doubting and moved to her side.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ We'd walked just a few blocks when it happened.
"H-Here it is."
The place the pastor led us to was a fairly large church building. It looked rundown, but the exterior walls were relatively well-maintained. The brass door handles at the entrance gleamed with polish.
It looked like an ordinary chapel, but in this era, buildings like that were nothing but dens of cults.
One glance confirmed we'd come to the right place.
But... something's off.
The moment we arrived at the church, an eerie sense of wrongness hit me. It was far too quiet.
At this hour, you'd expect to hear worship chants or the murmur of people, but the area around the building was silent as if time had stopped. No signs of life at all.
It clearly wasn't an abandoned ruin.
Signs of regular human traffic and maintenance were everywhere, yet an unnaturally empty aura hung in the air.
"....Why is there no one here?"
At my musing aloud, Pastor Myer, who was about to open the door, flinched and glanced around frantically.
"I-I don't know...! At this time, everyone should be gathered for worship... This is strange..."
He fumbled anxiously with the door handle, hands shaking as if terrified of being questioned about something he didn't know.
His reaction suggested this eerie silence wasn't some trap he'd set up.
So I asked Esty again.
"Could they have known we were coming and fled or hidden?"
She scanned our surroundings warily before answering steadily.
"Unlikely. Given our route and speed, they wouldn't have had time to evacuate or set an ambush."
"Then why is it so quiet?"
Instead of answering immediately, Esty fixed her gaze on empty space.
Her calm eyes subtly adjusted, emitting a faint artificial glow. A moment later, she spoke.
"Scan complete. There are human life signs inside, but most are clustered in the central worship hall. Barely any reactions in the corridors or outside."
"Shall we head inside and assess the situation?"
"....Understood."
We'd come this far; backing out now felt like a waste.
As we stepped into the church, a chill from the empty space hit us, along with a faint incense scent mixed with the musty smell of aged wood and dust assaulting our noses. As expected, no one was in the first-floor lobby or corridors.
This is definitely weird. Even during service, there should be at least a greeter or two for new worshippers.
Our footsteps echoed unnaturally loudly in the vacant space with every step.
Cutting through the chilling air, we passed the lobby and corridors, reaching the inner staircase.
It was a wide central staircase leading to the main worship hall.
No sign of life there either.
By now, everyone sensed something was wrong.
The already terrified pastor trembled as he was prodded forward, while Esty advanced without a hint of disturbance, ever vigilant.
It was just a few steps up when something caught my eye—like a stain.
"....?"
A faint dark red mark on the staircase floor. At first, I thought it was a knot or blemish in the old wood. But as I took another step, I saw a similar mark. And this time, there were splatters on the wall too.
That's when a faint smell reached my nose.
It was subtle, but familiar. Like rusted metal... no, this was...
"....The smell of blood?"
At my quiet mutter, Myer jumped and looked around wildly.
His face had gone deathly pale, on the verge of fainting.
The higher we climbed, the clearer and more numerous the scattered bloodstains became. Dark red splatters marred the corridor walls and stair railings everywhere.
And the once-faint smell had thickened into a nauseating stench of blood that stung our noses.
It was hard to even breathe.
"......."
The ominous atmosphere hardened everyone's expressions.
Exchanging silent glances, we proceeded even more cautiously.
Finally, stepping onto the last stair, we reached the double doors at the end of the wide corridor.
This was where Esty had detected the cluster of life signs. Beyond these doors lay the large worship hall.
She paused before them and reported to me.
"All human reactions are concentrated inside. Still motionless and packed together."
"......."
Something was definitely wrong.
The door... it's locked from the outside.
Latches hung on both door panels, secured by a thick iron padlock.
Not locked from inside, but clearly barricaded from outside by someone.
Locking the worship hall door—with worshippers still inside—from the outside?
A chill ran down my spine at the strong intuition that something sinister had happened.
I glared at the firmly shut doors and the silver padlock, then said to Esty,
"....Can you open it for now?"
"Yes, Eve."
With her response, she reached for the padlock. Without any tools, she simply hooked her fingers around the thick iron loop and gave it a light tug. The lock snapped apart.
Krrunch—
Esty casually tossed the broken padlock pieces to the floor. Her strength was always so astonishingly new and wondrous.
But right now, I couldn't admire it.
Because the sight revealed through the slowly opening door crack was...
"........!"
Nothing short of hell.
The vast worship hall was filled with corpses—likely the church's worshippers. Dozens, no, perhaps more, lay strewn across the floor in front of the podium, between chairs, in corridor corners.
Pools of blood soaked the floor like lakes, and as the doors opened, a gut-wrenching fishy stench poured out.
And standing tall amid that horrific slaughterhouse scene.
No, two people.
On the podium meant for preaching God's mercy, a middle-aged priest grabbed by the collar by someone.
And the other was a young man strangling him with bloodshot eyes.