Chapter 179: The Saint of Another World-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179: The Saint of Another World-1
It took a considerable amount of time to calm the people who seemed ready to spontaneously combust in their own fervor.
At first, I tried to restrain them with kind words, but eventually, I got so frustrated that I raised my voice. Only then did they stop and listen to me.
Every time I said something, they would overinterpret it and try to take it even further. The more I spoke, the more I felt like I was sinking into a deep quagmire.
When I clearly stated that I wanted to wash, the person who appeared to be the highest-ranking clergyman finally led the way.
I had assumed he was someone important because he was at the forefront, directing everyone in the most luxurious attire, but I later found out he was the Pope.
Anyway, as I sank into the bathtub and closed my eyes, a warm sensation enveloped my entire body.
Soaking like this was a luxury I had only been able to enjoy back when I was the Young Sect Leader.
"Please let me know if you require anything."
A priest holding a large jar of water spoke.
He looked just like the priests from my own world.
I gave a small nod and closed my eyes.
I began to think deeply about exactly what kind of place this was and who I was supposed to be here.
What kind of world is this?
The era felt closer to the Middle Ages than the modern age.
The square, the execution platform, and the architectural style were exactly like what I’d seen in textbooks or movies.
For such a setting, however, things were strangely clean, and there were items that didn't quite fit the time period... I suppose I should just chalk that up to fantasy logic.
And who am I?
They called me 'Saint.' Like the 'Son' in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Judging by the Pope’s nuances, I seemed to be positioned more as a prophet or a messenger rather than the literal Son of God.
"I'm getting mixed up with religion this time, huh?"
I’ve never been involved with religion in my entire life, and now I’m not just involved—I’m a Saint. A Saint, of all things.
The migraine I had finally managed to soothe felt like it was flaring up again.
"Pardon?"
The priest standing beside me asked back at my mumbling. Ah, right, he was there.
"I'm sorry, but could you bring me a mirror?"
I hadn't seen my own face since arriving here.
As if it had been prepared in advance, a mirror was handed to me immediately.
When I held the mirror up, a man with exotic features stared back at me.
Come to think of it, is this my second time being a Westerner?
His features were handsome. By my aesthetic standards, I could definitely call him handsome.
The chestnut hair falling to his shoulders and the messy beard took away from the impression a bit, though.
One striking feature was his clear blue eyes.
Though he looked shabby and unkempt overall, his eyes felt vibrantly alive.
Thanks to those eyes, it felt like I’d been upgraded from a mere beggar to a beggar hiding his true strength.
"A haircut..."
I muttered as I scrubbed my soaked skin with a sponge.
At my murmur, the priest leaned in, bringing his ear close.
The excessively polite treatment was burdensome, but it wasn't like I could tell him to stop, so I just had to get used to it.
"I need someone to trim my hair and beard. Is there a barber available?"
I could wash my own body, but I needed someone else to tidy up my hair.
"I will prepare one immediately."
The priest left at once, buying me some time to be alone.
"Ah..."
Watching the rising steam hit the ceiling and turn into water droplets, I let out a long sigh.
"What am I going to do this time...?"
My spirit wasn't broken, but the sense of uncertainty remained.
Fortunately, I was starting off in a position of power, so there shouldn't be any immediate danger... but you never know.
"They even have Inquisitors, after all."
If I did anything that even slightly contradicted their doctrine, or if it was discovered that I wasn't actually a Saint, I’d be dragged back onto that execution platform and my head would go flying.
No, would they even kill me that cleanly?
They’d probably tie me to a wooden stake and burn me alive...
No matter how used to death I’d become, I really wanted to pass on being burned to death.
"How do I play this? If I at least knew the language, I could have read the doctrine in advance."
I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to wipe away the looming dread.
As always, I would adapt somehow.
I still didn't like this dimension transferring. However, I didn't think it was entirely without its merits.
I was getting to enjoy multiple lives while others only got one.
Of course, my ultimate desire to die as the original 'Kang In-ho' remained unchanged.
I wanted to spend my life fully as myself, with my beloved parents and the friends I’d known for so long, before I passed away.
Splash—
As I rose from the tub, the water level dropped.
I wiped the moisture from my body with a dry towel.
That was why I stubbornly endured this shitty, endless dimension transferring.
To one day find even the smallest clue that would lead me back to my original world.
"Saint. I have prepared a barber."
I heard the priest's voice from behind me.
I put on the prepared bathrobe and turned around.
Then, I put on the most benevolent expression I could muster.
"I understand. Let us go."
I would play the part perfectly.
The greatest Saint they’d ever seen.
*
"It is only right that the Saint’s attendants be priests carefully selected by the Bishops."
As the Bishop raised his voice, the Commander of the Holy Knights standing nearby furrowed his brow slightly.
"But to ensure the Saint’s safety, a Holy Knight must be by his side regardless."
Though he didn't say it directly, the Commander was making it clear that a Holy Knight should be the one attending the Saint.
"......"
Unlike the Bishop and the Knight Commander, Lumen, the Chief Inquisitor, remained silent.
Inquisitors were not suited for attending to others, and among the three factions that made up the Solarium Church, theirs was the weakest.
He felt there was no need to open his mouth and invite unnecessary rebukes.
"Rather than us deciding, how about we let the Saint himself choose who will attend him?"
Pope Runio, caught in an awkward position where he couldn't take either side, made a suggestion.
"How could we presume to tell the Saint what to do? Following the Saint’s decision seems to be the true conduct of those of us who are Descendants of Light."
At the Pope's perfectly logical statement, everyone fell silent, like mutes who had swallowed honey.