Episode 11: Heretic Inquisitor Wilhelm (2)
Episode 11: Heretic Inquisitor Wilhelm (2)
"So, why do you say our goals are the same?"
Beneath a building in the slums behind the Papacy, Van, Fishel, and a mysterious woman were gathered.
"As I told you, our goal is to rescue the noble Saintess, and with the Saintess at the forefront, raise a holy war to liberate the Empire."
The woman with crimson eyes poured tea for Van and Fishel as she continued.
"The Saintess also yearns for freedom and pities the persecuted citizens of the Empire."
"So what does that have to do with Priscilla-nim?"
Van said coldly, as if uninterested.
"We heard the news that Great Warrior Van-nim destroyed the Empire's gate and defeated even the army and the Knight Commander."
The red-eyed woman spread both hands upward and looked at the sky as she went on.
"This is an opportunity sent by God, who pities the Saintess!!!"
Seeing this, Fishel whispers into Van's ear.
"Van... I think she's not quite right in the head."
"I agree."
"We should probably listen a little more and then just leave."
The red-eyed woman looked at Van and Fishel and continued speaking.
"Currently, we are right before executing our plan to rescue the Saintess. Of course, the situation is lacking in combat strength, but we can delay no longer."
She knelt before Van and cried out.
"Great Warrior and apostle of justice, Van-isiyo, join us in rescuing the Saintess and bringing freedom to the people of the Empire!!"
"Sorry, but I don't have time for that."
Van refused with a resolute expression.
"Of course, in that process, Priscilla-nim, who is imprisoned in the Papacy's dungeon, has also agreed to cooperate with us."
"Priscilla-nim...?"
"Yes. We have already secretly conversed with Priscilla-nim and reached a mutual agreement. The proof is the paper I showed you earlier."
Van took out the paper he had received earlier and held it up again.
The faintly felt aura of Priscilla.
It was proof that only Van could know, one that couldn't be false.
"If what you've said is a lie and you're trying to use me and Priscilla-nim, I'll kill you all."
"Yes, Great Warrior-isiyo. If this is false, please take my humble life, Evelyn's, directly."
Van clenched the paper and nodded.
"I'll hear what this plan is."
"If the Great Warrior-nim helps us, we absolutely will not fail."
Evelyn's crimson eyes sparkled as she unfolded a huge map of the Papacy on the table.
The highest place in the Papacy.
There, a massive prayer hall sacred aura lingered, where sunlight poured in strongly.
Built high up under the pretense that it should be closest to God, the prayer hall was now filled not with those who believed in God, but with those consumed by desire and greed.
However, in the midst of them, there was one offering sincere prayers toward God's altar: the Saintess Charlotte Everland.
A beautiful appearance like a child descended from God and brilliantly shining golden hair.
Though only a faint silhouette was visible because her vision was poor.
Her eyes, said to see through truth by God's blessing, were reason enough for people to choose her as the Saintess.
But she prays to God, cursing this rotten world, even though she does not believe in God.
That if... God exists, one day a true savior will come to save her and this country.
The slums beneath the Papacy's splendid castle, in extreme contrast—dark, damp, and plagued by disease.
A place where people live, suffering from hellish hunger and poverty but believing prayer to God will improve things.
In the midst of that, a young girl lived a hard life in the slums.
The girl had been an orphan from birth, surviving each day by rummaging through trash bins with a friend just to find a piece of bread.
"Charlotte! Is there any food over there?"
"No... this one seems empty too. It's hard to find things since I can't see well..."
One day, while rummaging through a trash bin, praying to God to make the situation better.
"Charlotte, look here!!"
Answering her friend's call and going over, Charlotte discovered a dying cat.
"The wound is already festered. It seems to be dying."
Her friend stroked the dying cat with a pitying expression.
"I can't see, but I can feel a life fading away."
Charlotte immediately knelt before the cat and prayed.
"At the very least, go to God's side when you die, and be happy there..."
Whether thanks to her earnest prayer or because she possessed some special mana.
As Charlotte prayed, a golden light enveloped the cat and healed its injured wound.
With the warm light, the cat got up as if nothing was wrong, rubbing its face against Charlotte's knee as if conveying gratitude.
"Charlotte, what are you?! How did you do that?! Amazing!!"
"I don't know either. But when I prayed earnestly, I saw some warm light before my eyes."
Her friend, seeing the miracle Charlotte performed, clapped in wonder.
Seeing the healed cat and her delighted friend, Charlotte gave a gentle smile.
From that day on, Charlotte became the Saintess of the slums who performed miracles.
For the slum dwellers who had to leave even small wounds to fester because they lacked money for treatment, Charlotte's miracle was no different than light.
"Thank you!! Thanks to you, my son is healthy!!"
"I'm glad. All is God's will..."
A certain person's son, dying of fever.
"Charlotte-nim!! Thank you for healing me. Thanks to you, I can return to my family."
"I will pray to God for your future to be bright."
A certain family's breadwinner, who returned severely injured after going hunting.
Before anyone knew it, Charlotte was being called the Saintess of the slums, who healed people and gave hope without asking for anything in return.
Charlotte, who had lived a life unable to do anything as a blind orphan, also felt joy in being able to help someone and was satisfied with a hopeful life.
But that reputation, of loving and treating everyone like family, spread widely and eventually reached the ears of the Papacy.
"God's miracles should only be performed by the chosen nobility and permitted only with appropriate donations, yet how dare a lowly wretch from the slums do such a thing, tsk tsk."
"This is a provocation challenging the Papacy. We cannot let this be!"
It reached the point where the Papacy's self-proclaimed high-ranking officials gathered for a meeting.
"We cannot allow this to be overlooked."
"That's right. They should know their place."
"But from what I hear through rumors, her healing ability is said to be unrivaled. If that's true... it could be a good source of income."
"Hmm... A valid opinion. One must have a full purse to pray stably to God."
They smiled meaningfully and stamped a permit.
It was content authorizing the Inquisitors' dispatch to the slums.
**
"Kyaaaah!! Save me!!"
-Thud!!
"Noooooo, Mom!!"
-Thud!!
The Inquisitors in shining armor were cruel.
If they didn't like something, they labeled it heresy and wielded indiscriminate violence.
They didn't care if people lived or died.
They were called demons blinded by the desire for absolute power in the slums.
And finally, their blades reached Charlotte.
"Stop!! Don't hurt the people!!"
Charlotte begged them upon seeing them.
To spare everyone in the slums who had become her family.
"Are you the witch who uses heretical magic without God's permission?"
As the Inquisitors pointed their swords at Charlotte and shouted, Charlotte's longtime friend from before she performed miracles stepped forward to block them.
"Charlotte is not a witch, she's a Saintess!!"
Though a slender girl, she stood boldly blocking the path before the huge knights.
"Heretic."
-Thud!!
"Nooooooooo!!!"
A scream close to a shriek spread from Charlotte.
Her friend was struck by a mace and fell powerlessly to the ground.
Charlotte immediately stroked her friend's cheek and offered a prayer.
"God-hasoseo, please save my friend."
A golden light shone, and the wound healed.
"The rumors were true. Even a near-fatal injury healed in an instant. This surpasses even the healing abilities of archmages."
The captain of the Inquisitors, Wilhelm, who had been quietly observing from behind, finally revealed himself.
The Inquisitor kicked Charlotte, who was performing the miracle, and swung the mace down once more.
-Thud!
"Please!! Stop!!"
Despite Charlotte's shriek, he kept swinging it down.
Relentlessly.
"Hey, purge all the heretics outside too!!"
The Inquisitors went back out to the streets and began massacring the people.
"Stop... please stop... What do you want..."
Charlotte pleaded as if begging.
"What you perform is God's miracle, which only the chosen may perform. Isn't it only right that these lowly wretches who had monopolized it should die?"
Wilhelm looked at Charlotte with a chilling smile and spoke.
"However... if you become the Papacy's obedient Saintess and atone for your sins, I might spare the heretics' lives."
Charlotte trembled in fear and simply begged endlessly.
"I'll do it... I'll become the Papacy's Saintess. So please... spare the people... my friends and family."
Wilhelm roughly stroked the head of Charlotte, who was crying and begging.
"Your appearance is excellent, truly a Saintess sent by God. Now! Get up!!"
Wilhelm roughly grabbed Charlotte's slender arm and dragged her away.
"Wait!! Please at least give me time to save my friend!!"
"Miracles may only be performed when the Papacy permits it. Come along!!"
"Please!! Please!!!"
Leaving behind her friend, whose breathing grew faint and body grew cold, Charlotte was dragged away by the Inquisitors, wailing.
I hate the God who abandoned my family and friends to die.
And his rotten followers.
"Saintess, here is the list for today's miracles."
A thick bundle of papers dropped before me as I prayed before the altar.
The densely written names of nobles.
Even though I couldn't see, I knew.
They were all nobles of the Empire pouring massive donations into the Papacy.
"Now! Saintess! Let us pray again today!! Until the vessel of God is filled to the brim with wealth."
I hate the sight of myself, unable to resist all of this.
I heard news that there were followers from the slums acting in secret and following me.
They offered their lives several times to rescue me, but each time they failed repeatedly, only losing their fragile lives.
Despite their efforts, all I could do was secretly perform miracles to show them a light, nothing more.
This time too, I helped them and lent my miracle,
but no hope of success was visible anymore.
At the very least, I wished to lay everything down and for them, at least, to live out their remaining lives.
I hate my pathetic and weak self.
My own self, who still prays to God to save me and everyone despite all this.
Heavy rain falls, and the clouds block the sunlight.
Gazing at the sun that hasn't risen, I offer a quiet prayer again today in the silent prayer hall.
"Please... save everyone from this terrible hell."
-Boom!!!
A strange sound is heard.
-Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!!
It sounded like something massive approaching.
"Kyaaah!! What are you?!"
-Crash!!!
The screams of holy knights were also heard.
"What in the world is happening...?"
"Uwaaaah!!! My arm!!! I need a miracle!! Heal my arm!!"
-Crash!!!
The sound gradually grew closer.
It was the first time the always quiet building had been this noisy.
Soon after,
the heavy sound of rain had already quieted, and bright sunlight shone onto my back.
As the sunlight passing behind me pointed toward the door.
-Crash!!
The prayer hall's massive door shattered, and my unseen eyes sparkled.
Not seen by others who see the surface, but seen by me who sees the inner self.
The pinnacle of species possessing a vitality stronger than anyone else's,
"Are you the Saintess?"
And though it was a man I was seeing for the first time, I could tell at once.
That he was the savior who would liberate everyone.
I could feel his toughness and mental strength that would never yield to evil.
I covered my mouth and held back the tears that fell endlessly.
And reaching a hand toward him, I said.
"I am... the Saintess... Your name is...?"
"I am Van."