Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Paladin of Mercy and Punishment (1)
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“Eternal Peace.”
“Engrave on the Sword's Edge. You've come today as well, Brother Raiza.”
“I too am one saved by Lord Zenith. Mustn't we attend worship every day for His sake?”
Raiza politely clasped his hands toward the nun standing before him.
The nun nodded, clearly pleased with Raiza's demeanor.
“A righteous attitude. If your faith toward the divine remains steadfast, the Father will bestow eternal and boundless blessings.”
“I believe.”
“Then I'll be off. Eternal Peace.”
“Engrave on the Sword's Edge.”
Raiza watched the nun walk away before stepping out of the church. Afternoon worship had just ended, leaving the main hall bustling with people.
As he glanced at them, his eyes drifted up to the Zenith Church's symbol hanging high on the wall.
A crescent moon cradling a yellow orb. The yellow orb symbolized peace, while the crescent moon represented Zenith embracing that peace.
Honestly, it looked pretty half-assed.
“Brother Raiza, you're here too!”
At that moment, an auntie approached him with a hearty chuckle.
Raiza offered her the Zenith Church's greeting.
“Eternal Peace.”
“Engrave on the Sword's Edge. Have you had lunch?”
“I ate at the church.”
“I see. Isn't it just admirable? They provide meals right at the church for folks like us, and even supply daily necessities to the needy. As expected of those serving the divine—their compassion is truly...”
The auntie nodded in satisfaction.
“Lately, I've heard they're even caring for orphans.”
“Orphans?”
“Yes. They take in kids with nowhere to go, feed them, clothe them, give them beds. They haven't even been settled in Hys that long, yet they're incredible. It must all be Lord Zenith's grace.”
Raiza nodded with a faint smile.
“Indeed. Which is why we must pray to Him all the more.”
“Exactly. Oh! I was supposed to help with the volunteer work but nearly forgot. See you later. Hoho!”
The auntie hurried off somewhere.
He'd heard they were holding a bazaar with unused church items—probably off to lend a hand there.
“No wonder the followers are multiplying.”
Raiza muttered, staring in the direction she'd disappeared.
'This should be enough.'
He'd gathered plenty of intel on the church.
No more need for this distasteful religious charade.
Raiza pictured his young master waiting and slipped out of the church.
Late at night.
Jamie sat on a rock in the forest near Hys.
Two months had passed since the ball.
Spring had given way to full summer, and the sweltering heat was beginning to take hold.
Fortunately, the cool night breeze in the forest provided some relief.
Kii-gik!
Black flapped his wings, darting around nearby.
He'd grown a bit larger than before, thanks to Jamie advancing to 5th class.
His body, pushed to its absolute limits, had grown enough in just two months to contain 5th-class mana.
Kids really did shoot up like weeds.
“Why are you so late?”
Jamie snapped irritably toward the forest.
Two figures emerged from the shadows.
“Azad was dragging his feet.”
“S-sorry.”
It was Azad and Raiza, the undead Jamie had created.
Former executives of the criminal group Rival, they now served as Jamie's informants, keeping tabs on the Zenith Church.
Today was the day for their report.
“Shall we begin?”
“What's the point of dragging it out?”
“Starting now.”
Azad wasn't much for words, so Raiza took over the briefing.
He relayed everything he'd learned over the past few days while pretending to be a devotee, frequenting the church.
Jamie listened quietly before clicking his tongue.
“So, they've been at it for two months straight?”
“And now they're even running an orphanage.”
Jamie couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
Two months ago, right after Count Welton had crushed the Rival organization, the Zenith Church had launched full-scale proselytizing.
They went to the impoverished territory folk, offering aid while spreading the divine word.
At first, the locals saw little of it.
Their activities were just novel entertainment at best, or at worst, occasional free meals from kind strangers.
The problem was how those strangers started multiplying.
“The Zenith Church didn't miss that opening.”
No grand reason was needed to fall into religion.
Just someone showing interest was enough.
In that regard, the Zenith Church was flawless. Their sincerity converted nine out of ten. Every activity they shared swelled the new converts' faith.
As if it had all been meticulously planned from the start.
Thanks to that, the church's standing in Hys had reached absurd heights.
And that was what grated on Jamie. No—it went beyond irritation, straight to boiling rage.
“Zenith wouldn't stoop to helping anyone!”
Jamie bellowed, venting some of his fury.
His chest still felt tight, but it eased a little.
“Do you think war and peace can coexist?”
He asked the two undead staring blankly at him.
They seemed to ponder for a moment before shaking their heads.
“War and peace cannot coexist.”
“But they are connected, I believe.”
“Right. That's Zenith's doctrine exactly.”
“Pardon?”
Raiza blinked at his master's words.
Jamie twisted his lips into a smirk, resolving the confusion.
“Peace through war. That's when his divinity truly shines.”
Zenith wasn't a god who built peace with peace. That gained him nothing.
In other words, the church's current actions contradicted his divine nature. The organization itself wouldn't initiate charity.
Believers defying their god made no sense.
“And an orphanage, no less.”
Jamie tried picturing Zenith caring for someone.
Pfft—a laugh slipped out.
Not even his imagination could conjure the scene.
“Good work, Riki.”
“Hehe. This is nothing!”
The boy praised by the priest—Riki—grinned happily as he mopped away.
It had been a month and a half since he'd come to the church.
Church life was pure bliss for Riki.
When Rival was fully eradicated by the lord's forces, his world had spun.
Daily beatings and begging like a beggar—harsh as it was, it had been home.
But overnight, that home vanished. What could a kid like him do?
And he wasn't alone; he had his blind little sister.
He'd gone days without eating. Whatever scraps people tossed, he gave to her.
Riki withered away, day by day. Then, at his breaking point:
'Poor thing. Come with me.'
A miracle happened.
Thinking back still brought tears to his eyes.
He'd believed there were no miracles or gods in the world.
But miracles were real.
“Heehee.”
No more beatings.
No begging.
No hunger.
No pain.
And finally, he could be happy.
“Kid, what's got you grinning nonstop?”
A young priest chuckled at Riki's endless smile, his laughter spreading to other priests and nuns, filling the whole church.
It was happiness incarnate.
Riki loved every bit of it.
So greed sprouted. He wanted a better life than this—and to make his one and only sister far happier.
There was only one path.
'I'm gonna be a priest!'
Becoming a church priest would bring even greater joy.
He could repay the god who saved him.
Riki mopped vigorously, beaming.
“Brother's back?”
A girl with brown hair tied into cute pigtails spoke toward the wall.
Riki gave a wry smile and approached his sister.
“Yeah, brother's here.”
“Ah! There you are.”
The girl—Anna—turned her head toward the sound.
She was blind. Born that way.
Her parents had abandoned the siblings upon learning of it.
Riki barely remembered those days, but he couldn't abandon his only sister and had scraped by ever since.
“Have a good day?”
“Yeah. Sister Plang read me a fairy tale earlier.”
“Whoa! Bet that was fun.”
“How was your day, brother?”
“Had fun playing with the priests.”
“Wow.”
Riki chuckled at her innocent reaction.
He was still a kid himself, but surviving harsh streets young had forced him to grow up fast—faster than others.
Lately, he'd felt childish again, but even that thought proved otherwise.
“Let's go eat.”
“What's for sides today?”
“Hope it's eggs. Yeah?”
“Yeah!”
Riki took his blind sister's hand and headed to the dining hall.
“Riki! Off to eat?”
“Wah! Ban, you jerk!”
“Ban brother?”
Suddenly, someone latched roughly onto Riki's back. Ban, another orphan working at the church.
“Hey, Anna!”
“You eating too, brother?”
“It's mealtime.”
“Got it.”
The three headed to the dining hall together.
Ban was Riki's best buddy, so along the way, the two bantered nonstop with silly, childish puns.
They got their servings and sat at their assigned spot.
“Ham today.”
“Ham's good.”
“Love ham. Ham's the best. Ham forever.”
Ban craned his neck to reply to Anna.
Anna couldn't see, but his goofy tone cracked her up anyway.
Ban, aiming to amuse, shot Riki a triumphant grin.
Riki shook his head helplessly and dug in.
Anna could eat on her own.
Riki used to feed her, but Sister Plang had taught her the basics. She was slow since she couldn't see, but Riki was grateful even for that.
“Hey, you hear about that?”
“What?”
Ban glanced around warily and whispered. Riki eyed him curiously.
“You know Sinno, right?”
“Who doesn't?”
“Whinno ohha gwae (Why Sinno brother why)?”
“Anna, no talking with food.”
“Miah (Sorry).”p>
Anna focused on chewing again, and Riki urged Ban on with his expression.
A bit deflated, Ban picked up the thread.
“Overheard by chance, but Sinno got chosen by the Lord.”
“What?!”
“Yahma, quiet!”
Riki's outburst drew every eye.
Ban panicked, but thankfully, attention scattered quickly.
Riki mumbled an apology, embarrassed—it had slipped out.
“S-sorry.”
“Anyway. He's heading to the main church next week.”
“For real?”
“Yeah. Heard the priests talking.”
“Whoa—chosen by the Lord... Kinda jealous.”
Anna, finished eating, opened her cloudy eyes wide in genuine envy.
Then she turned to her brother.
“Can we get chosen too?”
“Chosen...”
The god who saved him and his sister.
Asking for more was greed, but Riki wanted to push it.
“Of course. Just do our best, and we can too.”
“Our best?”
“Yeah. I'll work hard, you study hard. Got it?”
“Yeah!”
Anna beamed. Riki gently stroked her head.
Ban watched the siblings warmly from across and smiled.
Sincerely praying to the Lord for their happy future.