Chapter 207 – 20. Interlude (7)
Even in sunny weather under a clear sky and warm sunlight, a strong storm can strike at any number. The Bishop’s carriage roughly driving the first road in front of the majestic and grand palace was one of the proofs.
“Your Excellency, Archbishop, we will be arriving soon.”
Albert, who nodded behind the curtain in the gold and torch-decorated nogata, narrowed his wrinkled forehead. The wheel, which had been dedicated by a master carpenter as a feudal lord, kept rattling as if it had the talent not to shake in the face of strong speed and stone beaks.
And each time the Archbishop of Gaul pressed his chest over his thick street clothes and glanced at the ring on his hand. Carefully caressing it, which was clunky without a single jewel, recalled his old memories.
‘Bishop, there is no room for objection even if you accuse me of my actions as a cruel utilitarian sin. This body has lived its entire life chasing only pleasure and ignoring the bloody tears of all people.’
‘Your Majesty, there is nothing more poisonous than blaming yourself. It is meaningful in that the work to be accomplished through confession to the heavenly deity is a severance of repetition.’
‘Jim doesn’t agree with him. As an unknowable supporter of both Yushin and non-God, what Eugene de Gallia believes in is a personality, not a god. Just like your upright character who works hard in the trade without being greedy even after becoming the best bishop in this country.’
The old man, with a warm smile, was truly an upright priest. While the bishop, who was my theological disciple, amassed enormous wealth, the bishop’s property, comparable to royalty, was an old house and a set of priest’s robes.
‘I heard that you are trying to run a workhouse next to a natural forest on the outskirts of the capital. Even after supporting the poor in various regions of the kingdom, they seem to be acutely aware of the lack.’
‘Yes, there are those everywhere who need the care of the celestials. The whole meaning of my life is to look down on them. At Lumiere Poor Home, which will be newly built this time, we will take orphans from all over the world and focus on taking care of them so that they can flourish their talents.’
‘If you are armed with the right spirit and strong faith, you will surely be able to do well.’
Dear King, who was famous as a tall and handsome man from a young age, that is why he sowed many scandals. She boasted of her licentiousness, preying upon women of all classes, from the time her father, Joseph the Sun King, was still alive, refusing to offend her other brothers and sisters.
Even after he ascended the throne with the support of Millennium Gong, he continued to sow seeds.
In a word, he was a monarch like a half-teacher of the gospel and doctrine. He did not express himself even in Albert, who was in charge of the royal family’s worship, but he was evaluated as a wrong group in his heart. Until one day he suddenly came to my church without an attendant.
‘By the way, I’d like to ask why you came here personally.’
‘I have an urgent request for you.’
‘If you speak, I will listen.’
On that day, King Dear, who wanted to be alone, was ironically not alone. I was hiding a woman I was close to and several of her children not too far away. The reason they sneaked out of the palace to avoid public view was to find a place to trust them.
‘There’s my mistress and children outside.’
Eugène rummaged through the inside pocket of his suit jacket and immediately presented a ring with a strange aura and a rolled scroll. Looking at the royal family pattern shining with magic even without opening it, I felt that it was an unusual document.
‘I won’t talk too long. I want to leave them to you.’
Feeling embarrassed, Albert widened his eyes. Even in the midst of this, the dear king of Gallia continued his speech with a rather spleen face. Outside the church, disguised as an ordinary believer, my blood line is waiting for a signal.
‘This scroll is an item connected to a list in the heart of the palace. If Jim writes on it, it will be etched into this paper as well. It may not be right away, but in the future, when the life and death of the continent is at stake, each name in this document will bring about a big wave.’
‘It sounds like someone is targeting Your Majesty’s bloodline.’
‘Then you heard correctly. I’d love to elaborate, but Jim doesn’t have much time. By now, the servants of the Millennium Ball will have their eyes wide open after realizing that this body has disappeared from the palace.’
‘I don’t know why Alexandre, Duke of Dior, is targeting the women outside.’
‘Albert of Monet, a strong and intelligent man like you will know everything before long.’
I found out later, but it was the list of Aquitaine. He was the heir arranged by the king, who earned the nickname of affection with the meaning of contempt for revealing his female color. It was one of the items prepared by Eugene, who was suspicious even of loyalists and henchmen, choosing a bishop who had no contact with anything other than weekly worship at the royal family level.
‘So, if you accept Jim’s request, put this ring as a token. Please bless the lambs who are looking for a refuge in the temple outside.’
‘Of course, the bosom of the merciful heavenly spirit is always open to all. But on the other hand, I’m also curious. If it’s okay to ask a short question, I’d like to hear why you chose me.’
‘There are many strong people in the world. So are the wise ones. Speaking of a greedy person, it’s so full and overflowing that it can’t even be compared to those two. However, those who don’t get drunk on their own strength and devote themselves to the weak are rare. The same goes for those who don’t blindly say that they know a lot, and above all, those who are virtuous are truly rare.’
Nothing moved the poor Archbishop more than the poor and the weak.
‘Would you accept it?’
‘… Yes.’
After accepting the list tied with silk thread, Albert soon wore the ring the king gave him on his index finger. He felt the magical energy contained in it and recognized that it was not an ordinary object, and at the same time took three sons and seven daughters and their mother to the workhouse.
‘I will do so according to God’s will.’
Ten Aquitaines became godchildren that day. After a while, the clever Bishop saw through the political struggle between the royal family and the millenarians, and worked hard to protect the vulnerable class with neutrality that did not take sides on either side.
It is said that the religious reapers who distanced themselves from the vicious politics of the political world lived peaceful days for quite a long time. Except for the weekly service of the royal family and influential nobles, he devoted himself to relief activities represented by sacraments and religious affairs.
‘Father, come on!’
‘Heh heh, I don’t know why my brother is so full of energy today.’
‘Everyone is waiting!’
After lunch, the boys called to the yard to play ball.
‘Father, my teddy bear is broken.’
‘Even my rabbit doll!’
‘Oops, it looks like the fabric has worn off both of them.’
The girls came to me in tears after the dolls they sewed as a hobby were broken.
‘Can you fix it… ?’
‘Of course. However, in order for the sisters’ teddy bear and rabbit friend to recover safely, it seems that a desperate heart is needed. During today’s prayer time, let’s not forget that and pray to the heavenly spirit.’
I also have vivid memories of sewing all night by myself, albeit clumsily, because I did not want to make the busy nuns and volunteers suffer. She returned the dolls of the bear and the rabbit, which she had managed to fix, to the two girls, proudly preaching that with her faith, she could do anything.
‘Wow, a bear and a rabbit!’
‘The bride is the best!’
‘No. Your prayers and your faith are like that.’
After that, the bishop, who had a hobby of crafting, would sometimes make and distribute toys that children liked through sewing and sculpting. He made an irreplaceable gift using cloth or fancy and expensive furniture that was dedicated to the prestige of the archbishop at the level of the church.
‘Now, I made a wooden sword for my brother who wants to become a knight.’
‘Wow! Wow!’
‘My sister said she wanted a cat doll following the puppy last time. Then I want you to guess what’s in the box.’
‘Huh! A cat doll!’
‘It’s an excellent deduction.’
If I had to pick one happy day in my life filled with agony during the war, it would be this period.
‘Father, yes!’
‘We’ve been thinking about it all the time!’
‘Yep!’
‘I think we are probably the happiest people in the world!’
Albert, who was breaking out in a cold sweat, groaned in agony. In the carriage that had almost arrived at its destination, I shed tears as I felt what was to come behind the memories I recalled. While he was away to give a congratulatory speech at an event, he pondered the atrocities of those who attacked the peaceful workhouse.
‘The total number of casualties is seventy. According to eyewitnesses, about 10 people blocked the entrance and set fire to it. I immediately notified a nearby guard, but there are also testimonies that for some reason they didn’t go to the scene.’
‘… I want to know what the constable is saying.’
‘I’m trying to get rid of it, saying that I’ve never had such a report.’
It was only half a day off. Even so, the villains who were instigated by the Millennium Gong slaughtered all those who were living in the workhouse as if that time was enough. The five bodies were divided, and the corpse fragments were cruelly displayed, regardless of whether they were adults or children.
‘I’ll have to see the scene.’
‘Well, it’s not a terrible sight, so I think it’s best not to do that.’
‘I said I should see the scene.’
One theologian said. It is said that the current world is the law of hell. The interior, which was as cozy as a parent’s arms, was cluttered with blood, flesh, and soot. There were no living people, of course, and the remains of the dead were being insulted with malice.
But what came more painful than that was the traces of those who had been lost.
‘Ah…’
The nimble boy, who especially liked to play ball, seemed to have jumped into the pit of fire even though he had feet that were quick enough to escape alone. There were traces of this not to escape from the fierce swordsmanship, but to protect the girl who was unable to move in fear.
‘Ah…’
The corpse of a girl who was beheaded with her hands on her knees, holding hands, probably because of the sermon that there is no weapon as strong as a prayer of faith; The children who smiled brightly, saying they would be happy, and the adults who devoted themselves to that wonderful future together.
‘Ahhh… !’
The despairing archbishop gave up his faith that day. After weeping for three days and three nights, I abandoned my virtue and surrendered myself to anger. He declared that he would find a bloody sword and wield it out of hatred, just like in the old days when he served as a paladin.
‘Alexandre Dior!’
‘Bishop, it is strictly forbidden to wear arms in this mansion.’
‘I challenge you to a duel right now!’
The two, who had turned away from their youth, were still talented nonetheless. It was so that he rose to the same rank as the great generals of the empire and spread his fame. One has a record of defeating an army of 50,000 with 1,000 troops, and the other is because he was the one who dominated the surrounding area in the early days of the Sun King’s reign.
‘A duel…’
‘Let’s fight until one of the two lives ends!’
‘Then it’s actually a dialect?’
The two were, so to speak, legends of the past generation.
‘That’s great, I was curious anyway.’
Ruth’s spearman, who was said to be hard-pressed to find an opponent, respected the old No. 1 sword, saying that he could not guarantee a match.
‘Where should I try to find out?’
‘I hate you… !’
‘How much skill do you, the greatest swordsman before me, have?’
But what followed was a crushing defeat. Albert Monet was defeated not by physical strength due to age, but by pure skill. He wasn’t unscathed, but Alexandre Dior was a clear cut.
“We have arrived, Your Excellency.”
Life is a series of nightmares that never end. The archbishop, who was destined to face bitter pain whether he closed or opened his eyes, got off the carriage with an old man without a staff. Hearing the coachman’s additions after him, he nodded his head and stepped out.
“This is Dior’s mansion.”
No matter what happens
‘Sisiha-kun, you claim to be the best with swordsmanship like that, so you can’t protect even one of your grandchildren.’
‘Shut that mouth!’
‘Winning or losing has been the difference. It’s so pitiful to see them pouring fierce attacks on their old bodies, sweating profusely.’
I promise to make you regret it.
‘Stop going back. Take that head that isn’t even worth harvesting and perish.’
‘Kill! If you don’t, no matter what happens, I will terrify your aftermath!’
‘Unfortunately, it seems difficult with His Excellency the Bishop’s ability. And even if it was possible, I just hate it. Why aren’t people, animals, and slaughter always like that?’
What saved me from the duel that day.
‘If I’m going to kill anyone, I should do it out of necessity, not for fun.’
Definitely, definitely!
