Chapter 68 – 66. Hypocrisy
The dream-like time of meeting his father passed, and Arthur came to his senses and saw a hand holding a holy sword in front of him.
“There are a lot of people waiting, but they’re about to give up and come out.”
When Arthur looked behind her at the sound of a middle-aged woman’s voice, she saw ordinary people waiting in line.
She was standing there as if nothing had happened, which she found strange.
I clearly remember that the holy sword emitted so much light that I couldn’t see before I went to that space, so I couldn’t understand people’s attitude right now.
Because it’s not important.
Quickly pull out the holy sword and let’s go.
“Uh, huh.?”
However, contrary to her thoughts, no matter how much force she applied, the holy sword could not be pulled out, and Arthur’s whining and trying to pull out the holy sword was only seen as the truth in the eyes of the people around him.
In the end, it took so long that even the priests who managed the holy sword came.
“Uh. Shindo? A holy sword is not chosen by holding it for that long.”
“Oh, no! I’m sure I should be chosen… But you said there was a small gift…”
“When you hold a holy sword, you often feel like it will be easily pulled out. First, come down with me and talk.”
It was so unfair.
She said she was giving me a gift. Sadly, all that remains is the holy sword in front of you.
If I can’t even take care of that, I…
“Let go of this!! It’s mine!! I am the owner!!”
That’s why Arthur shouted.
It’s because there was a problem for a while.
If I give just a little time, the holy sword will be pulled out of my hand.
“Sorry. “Somebody comes and drag me down!”
Despite Arthur’s earnest eyes, the priest and others still saw him as a madman who wanted to become a warrior, so the priest, who could not stand to see the commotion grow, sought help from another priest.
A priest with brown hair came after hearing the voice.
The priest who approached bowed his head towards Arthur, then grabbed his wrist and slowly dragged him outside.
And this was enough to become a topic of gossip for people who were tired of waiting.
“It’s a pity. You look young, tsk.”
“I don’t know what confidence is. “Do you really think you are a hero?”
“Looking at you now, you look uncomfortable.”
“It’s funny that a man becomes a hero, but a guy with an asshole body is a hero? The world works funny. Kkkk”
High-intensity gossip that is not suitable for a place where the Holy Sword is located.
In a way, it was natural. This is because in the era when the Demon King disappeared, most people who wanted the status of a warrior were losers.
An adventurer who retired after being injured.
An optimist who spends time accomplishing nothing and waiting for luck to come.
An incompetent person who pretends to have an unusual story.
Since most people were like this, it was very easy for them to look down on others and find their shortcomings and criticize them as they lived in a relatively rough environment.
“Everyone, please be quiet.”
The priest’s face, which had been expressionless until just now, was slightly distorted.
I didn’t feel good about dragging Arthur, whose life seemed to have an uneven curve, by force, but it wasn’t easy to hold back my anger when I heard bad things about him in front of me.
Because there were only people who didn’t look any better than the boy they captured.
“Why? He’s a crazy-looking kid, but he has a smooth face, so what are you going to do to win his favor? Even though he is a priest, he is still a woman. “Kkeuk.”
Clud.
The priest’s grip was tightened by the sarcasm that went too far, and the atmosphere became uncontrollably violent.
Fortunately, the noise was so loud that security personnel could be heard coming.
“Tch.”
Sensing the commotion, the adventurer who had been teasing the priest at the sight of the paladins coming through the door clicked his tongue and turned his head, and the harsh atmosphere from earlier was soon able to return to its original state.
“I will guide you outside.”
The priest who dragged Arthur out the door said with a smile. Unfortunately, perhaps because the words he heard inside were hurtful, Arthur just kept his head down. He didn’t give any reply.
Of course, he couldn’t just stand still, so the priest grabbed Arthur’s wrist and slowly moved towards the exit, and Arthur didn’t offer much resistance.
“I’m sorry about what happened today.”
As he neared the exit, the priest expressed regret.
He didn’t speak for long. This is because I have learned long ago through my work that everyone has a story, and that clumsy comfort and empathy actually act as poison.
“Well, it’s not a lie.”
The situation is a few steps away from the exit.
The priest also stopped moving at the sound of Arthur’s crying voice.
“My dad is a warrior. He said he left a gift, but the only thing left was the holy sword.”
From Arthur’s perspective, it was true that he only told the truth about what he had seen and experienced, but unfortunately, the priest’s face when he heard this did not look good.
“Okay. “Then, can you explain why the holy sword was not pulled out?”
Nevertheless, the priest did not show much discomfort to Arthur.
This is because it is her own iron rule that a woman named Aria established while living as a priest.
Respect no matter who the other person is.
“That.”
When Arthur seemed unable to answer easily, Aria opened her mouth first.
“Then where is your father?”
Aria decided that Arthur’s mind was sick.
Therefore, Aria, who was a fierce realist, did not provoke Arthur, but said these words to slowly bring him out of his fantasy.
“Because he passed away.”
“Ah.”
She realized that her rash judgment had opened her wounds, but she had no intention of stopping.
A person who is bound by the pain of the past is as good as dead.
Just like her own mother did.
“I’m sorry, but maybe your father wasn’t a warrior. Although he has never been seen in public, the hero is known to have gone into hiding after defeating the Demon King.”
The reason she can spit out such violent words is because she has seen many people fall into her own delusions.
Based on experience.
Think probabilistically.
Even if you just judge it intuitively.
Aria thought that the possibility that the physically unwell and mentally unstable boy in front of her was the real hero’s son was close to zero.
“No! It’s all a lie, and my father actually fell victim to the imperial family’s conspiracy! I really need the holy sword for revenge-“
“!”
Hearing Arthur’s dangerous remarks, Aria quickly covered his mouth with her hand and looked around to see if anyone had heard the conversation she had just had. And when it was confirmed that there was no one around her, Aria wiped the cold sweat from her head and let out a sigh of relief.
“If anyone had heard just now, we would both have been executed for treason.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Haa.”
Arya was willing to help in any way she could, but she thought Arthur should just give up.
Even though she faced the risk of being killed by a dog, she was not the type of person to help others.
This is because he always thought of himself as a hypocritical person.
He’s just lucky and in a position to help others.
She also liked the slight feeling of superiority that came as a reward.
“I guess this is all I can help you with… But the last thing I want to tell you is, if all the information I know is false and what you say is true… If your father is really a warrior, but you can’t wield the holy sword, then that’s what I think. It sounds like this. Doesn’t this mean that we should not seek revenge and live happily?”
“… “
“You can just listen with one ear. I think that’s what I would have done if it were me. What kind of parent in the world would give their child a sword as a gift… Anyway, don’t be too obsessed with gifts. If you live happily, you might be able to find it someday. Hmm.”
It was a comforting word given to Arthur, who seemed to be in a bad state, thinking he might make a bad choice.
Not only is it not difficult to say these things, it would be nice if you could at least come to your senses.
However, the conversation went on for too long, and Aria felt her face turn red as she said things that felt a little embarrassing.
‘Ugh. Was it too wide? I’m not usually like this.’
Aria, who thought that it would be difficult to see each other any longer, bowed her head to Arthur and disappeared as if running away.
…
The word hypocrisy is less often used appropriately than one might think.
This is because the standards involve a lot of subjectivity, and the tendency to be an evil person stands out.
Actually,
People who share good deeds without receiving anything in return think they are hypocrites.
A person who gets something in return for good deeds often does not think he is being hypocritical.
The same goes for Aria.
Compared to the good deeds you do, all you gain is a little spiritual fulfillment gained through the process of doing good deeds.
However, she puts a bad light on even that in the name of superiority and believes that she is a hypocritical person.
If you are truly a hypocritical person, there is no way you would think deeply about other people’s thoughts and respond.
In that sense, Arthur was lucky.
Since the one she met among the many priests was Aria, she was able to easily get close to the correct answer.
“I see.”
What did Aria’s words mean to Arthur, who was left alone?
“But. I can’t be happy.”
It’s probably difficult to have a positive meaning.
Even if you are lucky and find the right answer easily, not everyone can walk that path.
Cruelly, that’s what reality is.
The only path a broken or abandoned doll can take is not the path to a warm home, but the path to the garbage dump.
“But wouldn’t it be a little better if I take revenge.”
Happiness is a life in which there is no right answer.
Even though I know that revenge is vain and useless.
No matter how much I picked up the broken pieces to return, it was too late now.
A doll named Arthur will immediately collapse if he does not believe the wrong answer, revenge, as the correct answer.
That is the path that the doll must take in order to survive, having barely joined together the broken pieces with the glue called revenge.
“Sorry. Dad.”
After apologizing in the direction of the holy sword, Arthur left the church and walked blindly toward the north.
Her goal is to find the person named Moo-yeon that her father mentioned.
She absolutely had to see him because she would probably be able to get ‘any’ help.
And so Arthur’s journey for revenge began. Afterward, it didn’t take long for the status window engraved on Arthur’s body under the name of a gift to finish updating and appear before her eyes.
