Chapter 912. Sera (12)
“She was asking for help,” I said.
Gen’s expression didn’t change, and he was just staring at me quietly.
Actually, he looked like he was trying to empathize with me, and it bothered me because he looked as if he understood me.
It was to the point that I questioned whether he actually understood what I said or not. I thought perhaps I was being too indirect, but I didn't really think that was the case. I was just telling him what I wanted to say.
‘Benigoa’s corpse. I know it’s in the basement of your house. What are you going to do about it? That power that you've obtained... Didn't you get that after drinking Benigoa’s blood?’
I wasn’t sure if he was feigning ignorance or if the Templars didn’t consider themselves as those demons, but there was definitely something wrong with the Templars.
Those guys had basically mutated after drinking Benigoa’s blood. Gen probably thought that the demons I had described were the monsters, as he probably believed that what they were doing was holy and right.
If my assumptions were right, then there were two conclusions I could draw.
These bastards were either crazy, or they knew the reason behind this phenomenon.
I was sure they also knew why these monsters had mutated in this manner. One of the reasons this guy named Gen came here was to hide that fact, and asking for ownership over the monster was probably one of his missions...
‘It’s been a while since I had to do this much thinking.’
I came up with various assumptions because I was curious about a lot of things.
If the Templars’ home base was the Mole Saint’s Sanctuary, then where were they living right now? They were probably living inside the dungeon itself, or they could have become a part of the dungeon.
It was rare, but there were cases where humans became boss monsters of dungeons.
A long time ago, there were quite a few humans living in dungeons, but there wasn't a law that forbade humans from living in dungeons in the current era.
There was also a high chance that they couldn't enter the altar and were trying to discreetly raid the dungeon.
I was still crying as I stared at the silent Gen's face. A human’s face could convey a lot of information.
'Perhaps I should change my stance a bit. I wanted him to think that he didn't have to be wary of me. Should I act weaker? Look more pitiful and pathetic? I hope it’s not too sudden of a change in attitude. It should be fine since he misinterpreted my threat.'
As expected, he reacted, and he looked like he was going to break down at any moment. How many believers could ignore the tears of a devoted saint?
I should have done this from the very beginning. Something was a bit off, but he was still a follower of the Order of Benigoa.
“Are you okay, Father Lee Ki-Young?” Gen asked.
'Am I okay? Are you seriously asking me that?'
“Yes, I-I’m... fine,” I answered.
“I think I can understand the sorrow that you’re feeling right now. Of course, the pain I’m feeling isn’t as painful as the pain you must endure...” Gen said.
'Are you comforting me right now? Really?'
“I’m sorry... for suddenly showing this side of me...” I apologized.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Father Lee Ki-Young. You’re being honest and sincere. You’re crying for her. There’s no need to feel embarrassed,” Gen said.
“But—”
“You can act more comfortably around me,” Gen interrupted.
“You mean...”
“Obviously, I know my words aren’t enough to comfort your broken heart... but if you’re carrying a heavy burden... and you need someone to talk to...” Gen paused.
'You’d really do that for me?'
“I’m glad that I can comfort you even slightly, so please don’t feel uncomfortable around me,” Gen requested.
“It’s really strange,” I said.
“What is?” Gen asked.
“The fact that I’m saying this to someone I met for the first time...” I answered.
“...”
“It was something I’ve been wanting to tell someone...” I said.
'Yeah, I’ve been keeping it to myself this whole time. Honestly, how can I talk about this when it’s so disturbing? The sight of the demons drinking Goddess Benigoa’s holy blood was such a horrible sight. Imagining it alone makes me feel like passing out.
'Can you imagine it? Can you even imagine that sight?
'Who can I confide this to? Of course, this is our first meeting, and I know we’re not at the stage where I can tell you things like this, but I'm mentally vulnerable right now.
'I needed to vent this out to someone. I needed someone who'd listen to me without judging me, and it couldn't be someone familiar to me. I needed someone new but could understand the thoughts of the Saint of Light.'
“I’m sure it was hard for you,” Gen said.
“I was more about Goddess Benigoa experiencing hardships... than my own hardships,” I told him.
“Goddess Benigoa...” Gen mumbled.
“I honestly haven’t heard her voice for a while now. If I did something wrong...”
“You did nothing wrong, Father Lee Ki-Young. If you did...” Gen paused.
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing,” he said.
“I’d appreciate it if you could tell me more details. Do you know something... Mr. Gen?” I asked.
“It’s nothing. It’s just...” Gen paused.
“Yes?”
“I was simply thinking that everything has a cause. Maybe we—the Order—or the entire continent might’ve done something to make her angry,” Gen continued.
“Are you implying there’s a problem with the Order right now?” I asked.
'Let’s find out more.'
“That’s not the case,” he replied.
'He’s backing out. Is there something you’re not satisfied about? Have the Templars been talking about it? You guys are questioning the direction the Vatican is trying to take right now, right? Right? Or are you guys questioning the continent instead? Whatever it is, there’s room for consideration.'
“...”
In the end, the Templars seemed to be thinking that they hadn't made any mistakes, and I understood that thought process.
They had obtained that power from Benigoa through a religious ritual that had been passed down for generations. There hadn't been any problems with the ritual until now, so they probably thought that something went wrong somewhere with the recent incidents.
The main possibility was that the current Vatican was corrupted.
The Vatican was a religious group, but there were bound to be a few bad apples everywhere. Grandpa Basel was sensitive to that kind of stuff, but he wasn’t smart enough to weed out the bad apples. In fact, I could still remember seeing a few members of the Vatican when I visited that black market as Lee Ki-Yeon.
“Then, do you mind if I ask what you think of the current Order?” I asked.
“Strictly speaking, we have no say in the direction that the Order wants to take. We’re just a group of people whose task is to protect the cardinals—”
“That has always been the case until now,” I interrupted.
'Not anymore.'
“That’s...”
“I’m not an idiot,” I said.
I was an innocent, weak, and pitiful saint, but I wasn't an ignoramus. I was actually pretty smart. Of course, people skilled in politics would probably laugh at me, but I was wise, bold enough to protect my beliefs using my own methods, and unshakable.
“I don't know the exact reason you showed yourself, and I also don't know why the Templars are suddenly showing up, even though they've been in hiding until now, but I believe that there has been a change of heart.
"I’m sure there’s a reason why Goddess Benigoa has decided to bestow those powers upon you. I don’t think people like you will refuse to acknowledge her wishes,” I explained.
“...”
“Is the Order aware of this?” I questioned.
“...”
“If you’re uncomfortable with me asking these questions...”
“No, I’m not uncomfortable, however...” Gen paused.
'You still haven’t opened your heart to me?'
“I simply think it’s not time to tell you yet,” he continued.
“I see,” I said.
'Let’s look sad.'
“I understand,” I told him.
I thought it would be best to make him feel like I had drawn the line and wouldn't interfere with the Order's issues. After all, I was nothing more than an honorary cardinal. I was ultimately an outsider when it came to the Order.
Of course, I wasn't really going to stop interfering, but he had to feel that way so he'd open up to me.
“I’d like to walk with you for a bit...” I said.
“I’ll walk with you,” Gen said.
'Of course, you will.'
I wasn’t sure what I was doing when I still hadn't taken care of the problem with Ha-Yan and Sera. I still needed to punish Cheru as well, but I thought it'd be better to do that once Gen was no longer around.
Rafael followed me, but I shook my head to tell him that he didn’t need to come with me.
“Hyung,” Rafael said.
“It’s fine. You can trust him,” I told him.
“But...”
“It’s really fine, Mr. Rafael,” I repeated.
'You don’t have to be so wary. You really think he’s going to kidnap me here?'
“Then...”
“There’s something I need to discuss with Mr. Gen alone, Mr. Rafael. Of course, you’re not an outsider, but...” I paused.
“Whoo...”
'What are you going to do about it? Just accept it.'
Obviously, Rafael still had his guard up. I was sure he was focused on my safety more than ever, but there was no point saying that when Gen was here.
It was better to show him that I trusted him and that we were a team.
There wasn’t really a trail we could walk on.
The forest was dangerous, and there wasn’t an actual road, but it wasn’t an issue for us. I spread my wings, and Gen nodded quietly. The dense forest brightened up, and I attracted the gazes of Thro and Domi, who were standing from afar.
The wings of light were both holy and beautiful.
It was like a symbol that reminded people that I was the Son of a Goddess rather than a human being. The quality of my wings was vastly higher than the quality of Gen's wings.
Light would scatter everywhere whenever I flapped my wings, and the sight of it alone was enough to make every evil thought go away. I was a bit embarrassed to say this myself, but every single priest who had seen my wings so far was captivated by it.
“Shall we get going?” I asked.
Gen nodded quietly. I rose slowly into the air, as I still hadn't gotten used to flying, but he matched my pace and flew slowly with me.
'We'll use this to show people that we’re on the same side.'
“I’m kind of happy,” I said.
“What?”
“I’m happy that I met someone who truly thinks about Goddess Benigoa,” I answered.
“...”
“I’m sure Goddess Benigoa is happy as well. She’ll be happy that a new saint appeared for this continent,” I added.
“That’s...”
“I’m not good enough. I have fancy names like the Son of Light and God of Sacrifice and Revival, but I’m weak, and I'm an idiot as well. I could only make it this far because of the people who have been helping me and supporting me. Everything is all thanks to the people who have been protecting our faith and beliefs together,” I said.
“...”
“I think there’s a new threat on the continent. The things that are happening right now can’t be considered normal...” I said.
“Mr. Lee Ki-Young...”
“But I believe we can overcome it. Goddess Benigoa won’t give us a trial we can’t overcome. She will always give us the power to overcome any trial,” I said.
'I'm talking about your wings. That's the power.'
“The continent has always been like that. There are threats everywhere, but the continent becomes a bit stronger and tougher after overcoming every threat. The trials caused us pain and hardships, but I believe that those pain and hardships are the reason we get to live on this beautiful continent and look at its blue sky,” I told him.
The starlight in the night sky represented Thro, while the sunset represented Hyun-Sung.
“It’s a beautiful view. Don’t you agree?” I asked.
“Yes.”
The blue sky and the sunlight shining down between the clouds created a dazzling slight.
“We’ll be able to see this sight again once everything is over,” I said.
'Of course, this bastard won’t be seeing this beautiful sky again.'