chapter 11
11 episodes
murmur murmur.
As soon as the rumor spread, the area around Seongbaeksu was crowded with people.
“You must not recklessly touch Seongbaeksu.”
“Get out of the line.”
Paladins were hesitant to prevent people from approaching.
But people kept coming.
The usual old-fashioned priests were no exception.
“A single member of the church can do something that even the Pope couldn’t do?!”
“Is that report really true?”
“There are flower buds in the holy white water. It’s amazing.”
“How about the scent? It hasn’t bloomed yet, but it smells sweet.”
The priests’ reactions were divided.
It was either astonishing or praising.
The workers who worked in the inner city were also delighted with the rebirth of Seong Baek-soo.
“Oh my gosh! I’m sure I’ll see Seong Baek-soo come back to life before I live. This old man has no more free time, Pars-sama!”
“Did you hear what Grandpa Charles had to say? It’s a miracle when the man who has worked here the longest can say something like that!”
“I didn’t expect to see that little old man cry. Who the hell did this?”
“I heard that he was a little boy, but I heard that he was called a miracle child in the countryside.”
“What? really?”
“Look over there! It looks like the kid over there, doesn’t it?”
The workers whispered and looked at where the paladins were.
A young boy was being escorted by the Paladins and leaving the place.
“Heh, aren’t you all grown up yet?”
“I can only say it was a miracle. That’s why the paladins treat them so fervently.”
At the gestures of the paladins escorting Edan, the crowd split apart.
People looked at Ethan in awe.
Surrounded by the Paladins, Ethan suddenly became uncomfortable.
Sadly, he wasn’t the saint people expected.
‘I think you’re misunderstanding something.’
Somehow, the more I went, the more misunderstandings kept piling up.
It was when Ethan escaped the crowd with the escort of the Paladins.
Ethan noticed a familiar face and widened his eyes.
The paladins who were escorting Ethan opened their mouths.
“Captain!”
He was Jacob.
Jacob had a complex expression that was indescribably complex.
“Where are you going to lead this boy now?”
“First of all, I received a call to guide me to the accommodation.”
“Um, that’s right.”
Jacob nodded his head.
This would have been known to the Pope as well.
However, he would not be able to meet Ethan blindly, so he was going to buy time by waiting at the dormitory.
“I’m going to talk to this boy, so can you step back for a moment?”
“yes. All right.”
Although the Paladins were puzzled, they obeyed Jacob’s orders.
Jacob raised his hand to greet Ethan.
“It’s been a while, Ethan. I had no idea that I would be greeted with such a raucous greeting.”
“It wasn’t my intention.”
“There are people who get involved in incidents even if they don’t want to. For example… Yes, just like Saint Eileen, whom you admire.”
At that, Ethan opened his mouth wide.
‘No, where are you putting me now? I’m like that annoying girl?!’
But Jacob said this, no matter what he thought of Ethan’s expression.
“I know, I know. Are you saying that I recklessly compared the saint I respected to you? sorry. Apologize.”
‘You know what? You don’t know a thing, you bastard!’
But it was impossible to say straight away.
“It’s not… … ! Ha, think whatever you like.”
Ethan would rather swallow the horse.
Jacob suddenly became serious and patted him on the shoulder.
“Even so, it’s amazing that you can do something like this when you’re only 15. I don’t know what the hell I brought to the cult.”
“What is it? I just brought a daring little girl.”
“What?”
Ethan’s reply surprised Jacob.
Despite this commotion, the boy did not hesitate at all.
He was truly a bold guy.
“ha ha ha! okay. I wish I could.”
“By the way, why did you come here?”
“Ah, that… … .”
“Come on, get out of the way!”
That was then.
Someone shouted from behind Jacob and pushed him away.
No, I was trying to push it out.
However, the body of a trained knight was not easily shaken.
Jacob looked back with a puzzled face.
There was Shunin, the high priest of the Son of Man.
“What are you doing here, High Priest?”
“You have nothing to do. I’m with this boy… … !”
Shunin, who had been muttering urgently, suddenly stopped.
His face was filled with astonishment as he looked up at Seongbaeksu behind Ethan.
“No, that’s absurd! Did Seong Baek-soo really come back to life?!”
Shunin grabbed Ethan’s arm tightly with his wrinkled hands.
“you! I mean, are you really saying that you resurrected Seongbaeksu? Something like you?!”
Ethan’s eyebrows twitched.
The arm the old man was holding didn’t hurt at all.
But there was something else that bothered him.
‘The old bird that you are talking about ate so much.’
Jacob quickly intervened between Ethan and Shunin.
“Yes, High Priest. It is true that this boy revived Seongbaeksu. Five introverts are witnesses, including the Saint Candidate Nyx Eustia.”
At those words, Shunin’s face twisted fiercely.
Even the priests, workers, and paladins gathered around him looked at him curiously.
“What’s up?”
“It is strange that the high priest of the Son of Man has such a face.”
“Are there any problems?”
“But Seongbaeksu is fine.”
Shunin, who had been distracted by something completely unexpected, finally came to his senses.
‘Ouch.’
He hurriedly changed his expression and smiled.
“Heh, heh heh. this is true To resurrect Seongbaeksu by a young believer who has not yet been ordained as a priest, this can be said to be the true blessing of the denomination.”
“you’re right. I think the reason I found Ethan in the patrium was probably because of Pars-sama’s guidance.”
Jacob hurriedly struck back.
And he deliberately mentioned Pars.
It was because he realized that Shunin’s eyes looking at Edan were unusual.
“This is Pars-sama’s guidance… … . Come to think of it, you said you were the one who recommended this boy?”
“yes. That’s right.”
Shunin said with a kind smile.
“Okay. Let me go.”
Jacob bowed his head.
At that moment, I heard Shunin muttering quietly.
“I think we should hold a roundtable soon.”
Jacob stared intently at Shunin’s back as he moved away.
‘It’s like the eyes of a snake preying on its prey.’
it’s a snake
It was not appropriate for Shunin Justia, who is called the great agent of the factor.
But Jacob could not ignore the coldness he felt for a moment.
He asked Ethan standing next to him.
“It’s a roundtable… I think things are going to get bigger.”
“Are you a council of high priests?”
“right. It is a place where the Holy Father and the twelve high priests gather and talk without exasperation. There are no roundtable meetings held at all. However… … .”
Jacob looked at Ethan once.
It meant that the blue that this boy drove was that great.
“Anyway, be careful what you do in the future. Whatever happens.”
“… … .”
But Ethan remained silent.
If he has a purpose, he can easily act like the tongue in his mouth, but it didn’t suit his temper to look at others in the first place.
“Boy, stubborn.”
Eventually, Jacob shook his head.
* * *
Two days later, the central church’s roundtable was held.
Loud voices leaked out of the conference hall of the Great Sanctuary.
It was a noise that did not match the glamorous and majestic hallways.
“How can you be sure it was the boy’s miracle?”
“Are there no Witnesses?”
“Are you just talking about introverts? How can those who cannot read even a single line of doctrine speak of miracles?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not just the workers. Nyx Eustia, a saint candidate, also testified the same.”
“Who knows if it’s a coincidence?”
“haha! What an amazing excuse! If I take that excuse and attach it, will everything in the world be a coincidence?”
And Ethan was waiting in a room near the conference hall.
‘It’s not like I’m being punished, but what kind of thing is this.’
Ethan clicked his tongue low.
Then the door to the waiting room opened and a priest entered.
She set the hot tea down on the table.
“Come on, have a drink.”
Ethan silently bowed his head and grabbed the teacup.
But for some reason the priest did not leave immediately.
‘what?’
Ethan glanced at her and said with a smile.
“Thank you so much for reviving Seongbaeksu.”
“I just did what I had to do.”
for his own revenge.
Ethan continued.
“And the results of the meeting haven’t come out yet.”
“You are humble even when you do great things. Whatever the roundtable says, I believe you did it. cheer up.”
It was pure praise like a priest.
However, Ethan, who was not immune to this kind of thing, inwardly shrank his limbs.
‘Are we going to have to live in a place full of people like this from now on? This is worse than in a monastery!’
Ethan lost his appetite and couldn’t even drink tea.
That was then.
smart.
The door opened with a knock.
“They are asking you to bring the boy to the conference room.”
At the sudden call, Ethan went out into the hallway.
The high priests were coming out of the conference hall as if they had decided to take a break.
They all looked at Ethan with curious eyes.
“Is that kid?”
“It seems so.”
“What did the Holy Father want to say to that child… … .”
Ethan ignored their gaze and entered the conference room.
There was a huge round table in the center of the conference hall.
And the Pope sat at the round table.
“You are Ethan. Don’t worry, I didn’t call you for a meeting. I just wanted to see your face once. Now, come this way.”
After the priest had instructed him, Ethan sat down opposite the pope.
“You may not know, but even before the 5th Knight Commander recommended you, your name was already well known in this central sect.”
“That’s why you sent a letter to Stella.”
At Ethan’s straightforward tone, the Pope blinked his eyes.
To say that he grew up in a monastery, the boy’s words and actions were rather harsh.
‘It’s exactly what she said.’
The Pope recalled a letter he had exchanged with Stella, Abbot of the Patriam.
They had been in contact regarding Ethan’s ordination as a priest, and the letter contained these words:
[Ethan was called a miracle child and was bullied by his peers. In the process of overcoming the bullying, Ethan’s words and deeds became somewhat rough, so I guess it was a deliberate attitude to avoid being seen easily by others. That is why I am very concerned that the child will be ordained a priest early. Since a young boy has been living in the Central Church from an early age, the current atmosphere of the Church is too harsh.]
The Pope patted Ethan on the shoulder with a sad heart.
‘It was a lot of trouble as a child.’
Meanwhile, Ethan was puzzled by the Pope’s gaze.
‘what? Why is this old man making a face like this again?’
The Pope nodded.
“That’s right. I have sent you a letter to Abbot Patriam to expedite your ordination as a priest. In fact, up until then, I couldn’t believe that you, without stigmata, were called the miracle child.”
‘But there, Jacob’s report went up and put a wedge on it.’
Ethan muttered inwardly.
That was then.
The Pope grabbed Ethan’s hand with a wrinkled hand.
“… … !”
Ethan was gripped by a terrible foreboding.
‘Maybe again?!’
The pope opened his mouth with a smile typical of a priest.
“Even though the 5th Knight Commander reported it, I did not completely believe in you. But now that Seong Baek-soo has been revived after 100 years, I have no choice but to believe. As you may have heard from the outside, it is a shame that the denomination is now divided. Abbot Patriam thinks it’s too early for you to join the Central Order, but I want you to stay here. Our denomination needs a faithful priest like you.”
‘Crazy!’
It seemed that Stella had given the Pope some kind of misunderstanding in the letter.
Ethan wanted to shake off the hand held by the Pope immediately.
But no matter how much he did, he knew how to discern the time and place.
When he had not yet grasped the clue of the Demon King, he could not set the candle for revenge.
“… Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
Ethan was forced to raise the corners of his lips in the end.
The misunderstanding was only getting deeper.