saint ch7

Charm (2)

Being within the Order, the decision of the Order’s leadership was swift and secretive.

Teacher, who had sought out the upper echelons of the Order, proclaiming to have seen the will of God, and those who championed and followed him, did not return even after a considerable time.

Soon after, other priests arrived and dismissed us.

I was escorted, or rather, dragged back to my room as if under arrest, with excessive protection.

Upon returning to my room, I was immediately cut off from the outside world.

Celia, who had stayed by my side for several days, was also summoned elsewhere.

The sight of her pleading for my help as she was dragged away was quite pitiful, but you came to the wrong place, Celia.

I’m the one who wants to ask for help.

I really don’t know what the problem was.

What I wanted was to be imprinted on the minds of the general public and the Order’s leadership to a degree that they were aware of me.

And, while I was at it, to subtly promote the fact that I really am a Saint.

I needed to imprint myself on as many people as possible to broaden my range of action.

For example, two priests leaving the church after a service might chatter:

‘Did you hear? The half-baked Saint Ronan summoned an angel during prayer.’

‘And the angel paid respects?’

‘Come on, even so, that’s going too far.’

Consumed as rumors, but to the extent that those in the know would recognize the rumors as truth and become aware of me.

I don’t know where the difference in perception between me and the people arose.

Perhaps there’s a flawed aspect in Ronan’s memories.

My knowledge of this world relies mostly on Ronan’s.

I only had a few days, and that wasn’t enough time to verify whether Ronan’s memories were true or not.

There’s no point in regretting the past.

I don’t think I could have done anything more even if I could turn back time.

The deed is done, so the important thing is the present.

While sitting quietly on the chair, appearing to pray, my mind was busy trying to grasp the whole situation, even a little bit.

First of all, these people who dragged me here and are now blocking the door.

Was it because they had to resort to the extreme measure of imprisoning a Saint? Just by looking at their eyes, it was clear that they had been directly injected with the Order’s grand and beautiful teachings.

These people’s auras were much fainter than ordinary people’s, and they didn’t seem to have any emotions.

In fact, putting all that aside, their rank was ‘White Enlightenment Follower of the Orion Order’s Inquisition Bureau’.

Oh, shit. Just the words alone don’t inspire any positive thoughts.

“Um, priests.”

At my words, the priests guarding the door turned only their eyes toward me.

“Could you perhaps tell me what’s going on? Miss Celia was personally assigned to me by the Cardinals. She’s not someone who would cause trouble…”

I also made an appeal that I have no idea what’s going on, why are you taking Celia.

And, as a bonus, I mentioned the Cardinals, who are most likely the ones in charge of these people.

My desperate appeal to get information was in vain, as the priest in front of the door only offered:

“We are only following orders.”

“We know nothing either.”

They showed no doubt or emotion about imprisoning me, a Saint.

Does that make sense?

It seems they’ve instilled loyalty to a specific person rather than imbuing loyalty to the Order through brainwashing.

They’re not even listening to me, a Saint.

Just as I was appalled by the Order’s state, which was more terrible than I had imagined, the door that the men were blocking opened at a good time, and a man entered.

He seemed small at first glance, but his exposed body suggested tremendous muscles.

One eye was covered with a black eyepatch, and long scars ran above and below the eyepatch, giving him an even more ferocious impression.

Even the whip that hung where other Cardinals would hang the Bible.

A hired thug?

Or a war mercenary?

In many ways, he gave off the worst impression.

This person seems to be responsible for the current situation.

It wasn’t hard to tell, unless you were blind, from the way the two followers, who had been giving me dry answers, bowed 90 degrees to the person who entered, expressing deep respect.

His name is… Cardinal Telos Berian?

I was a little taken aback.

He wasn’t the Cardinal who had visited me the day I woke up.

Since then, access had been restricted under the pretext of recuperation, but everyone who was likely to come had come at least once, and I had never seen this person among them.

And above all,

“Saint Ronan. It’s good to finally see your face.”

This person had a very strong animosity towards me.

To be precise, the feeling was different from the malice of the Cardinals who were wondering how to exploit me.

A blood-red aura that I was seeing for the first time since being transmigrated into this world.

This person wanted to kill me right away.

…Seriously, why are there so many death flags?

I felt a slight resentment towards the God who hadn’t managed his household properly.

“Am I not even worthy of receiving your greetings?”

Cardinal Telos said, approaching me with long strides.

As soon as he entered, the door closed, and even the two followers who had been guarding the door were gone.

“It’s not that. Cardinal Telos. Your visit is so sudden… I apologize if I have offended you.”

I managed to squeeze out an answer, even though I was suffocating from the murderous intent that hadn’t subsided even once since he entered the room.

“Oh, the young Saint knows my name?”

The Cardinal, who pulled up a chair right in front of me as if my opinion didn’t matter, said in a sarcastic tone that anyone could hear.

“I try to remember all the great people who strive to preach the teachings of God, so…”

“A person who preaches the teachings of God, huh…”

Unexpectedly, he seemed genuinely pleased, as if he liked those words.

“Tell me, Saint.”

“Speak.”

“Do you know why you are locked up here?”

“…Locked up? Something must have happened, and you’re just looking after my safety, aren’t you?”

Unable to decide on a response to his overly direct tone, I eventually decided to continue with the pure Order believer act.

As if trying to figure something out from my words, the Cardinal’s one remaining eye stared at me intently.

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. Why would I be locked up by the people of the Order?”

“Have you forgotten that you were beaten for treason against the Order until recently?”

I don’t understand this guy’s intentions.

It seems like he’s trying to shake me up, but I don’t know what he’s trying to find out.

Did he perhaps see through my act?

“It was because I was too immature and foolish. If it means paying the remaining price for that, I will gladly pay it.”

…

An awkward silence settled.

I wanted to avoid his gaze, but I stood still to show that I was confident.

No matter how crazy he is, he can’t do anything to a Saint based on suspicion alone.

“Hahahaha.”

The subtle tension continued, and soon the silence was broken by the Cardinal’s laughter.

It would have been great if it was a laugh of satisfaction, but the problem was that the Cardinal’s murderous intent hadn’t subsided at all.

No, it was actually increasing.

“You’re bright. Really bright. Of course, you weren’t that bad of a head to begin with.”

He seemed to be talking about Ronan before he collapsed.

“But in the end, you’re just a child. Since the only world you’ve encountered is the Order, how much brighter can a child be who asks a clergyman of the Order about the Order’s flaws?”

What is it, did he find out that the contents have changed?

“So, a kid who came back from the dead reveals unconditional faith in the Order, calls the names of the followers one by one and bestows grace, and takes a clean attitude that leaves no room for criticism?”

“It’s all thanks to Orion.”

I sold the will of the most manageable God for now.

“Yes. It’s all thanks to Orion. That’s the thought that naturally comes to mind when looking at the Saint. That’s the problem.”

What on earth is he talking about?

Is he saying that God is at fault?

“…I don’t understand the gist of what you’re saying.”

“Saint Ronan. Will you listen? It’s a story about the wrong beliefs that happened today.”

“I will listen carefully.”

“Orion, the God of humans, felt sorry for the confusion among humans and bestowed a light that would be a beacon among them.”

“You mean the precepts.”

“But the human race is inherently not as good as Orion expected, so there were countless people who did not follow the precepts even after they were established.”

“It’s truly unfortunate.”

“Therefore, the Order was established with the purpose of receiving God’s will again and guiding humans.”

…Was it? The purpose of establishment seems impure from the start.

“Over the long years, the Order has studied the will of God and used any means to enlighten ignorant humans.”

But shouldn’t you have been more selective about that?

“Of course, the Order understands God’s teachings most deeply and strives every day to enlighten those who do not know them.”

“I can only be respectful.”

“But, there was a very strange thing today.”

“What is it?”

“The faithful followers who had been enlightened by the teachings of the Order suddenly abandoned the teachings of the Order.”

I didn’t understand what he was saying, so I pondered the Cardinal’s words.

The Cardinal, watching me fall into thought, continued to speak as if there was no need to do so.

“The followers, who usually complied with the Order’s will, foamed at the mouth and went berserk, saying that there must be some misunderstanding in the Order’s decree after grasping Orion’s intentions.”

And finally, I understood what this Cardinal was trying to say to me.

No, to be exact, I understood but didn’t.

I couldn’t be sure if what I understood was accurate.

“The Order, which has studied Orion’s will more deeply than anyone else for a long time, cannot be wrong, so who else could be wrong?”

So, unbelievably, now…

“And what is the difference between deceiving the followers and making them revolt against the Order and the actions of the devil?”

Is he now claiming that my existence itself is a problem in order to argue that the Order’s decree is correct?

Wow, is this for real?

“Even so, your words are too harsh. Cardinal Telos. The devil, really.”

Hiding my trembling heart, I tried to make such a fundamental protest, but the Cardinal’s eyes were already dangerous enough.

Even the aura of murderous intent was overflowing like an explosion.

“Orion would give the Saint with good intentions, but he wouldn’t understand the stupidity of humans, so this is what happens.”

The Cardinal, who had risen from his chair, began to approach me little by little.

“The only teachings you have received are the teachings you received directly from Orion, so you have no way of knowing about the pathetic nature of humans.”

No, I know it well.

I’m doing this because I know it too well.

“Humans are truly simple creatures, so they ignore the teachings of truth that have been passed down since ancient times, but they are easily swayed by a Saint who performs miracles.”

“Cardinal Telos. It hurts.”

And the Cardinal, who grabbed my right arm as if to crush my wrist, forcibly pulled me up.

Wait, wait a minute, I think my wrist is really broken.

Should I manifest holy magic now?

“Therefore, instead of praising the greatness of the God who sent the Saint, they praise the Saint himself who performs miracles. That’s the simplicity of humans. Can you understand this, Saint Ronan?”

“All the miracles I perform are done by God, so the praise that goes to me is also praise that is offered to God.”

The murderous intent that I felt from the Cardinal wavered a little, as if he felt something from my words.

I felt this was my chance and opened my mouth to speak in succession.

“If my miracles dazzle the eyes of the people, then I will only offer them the miracles they need. Anyone would praise God for a sudden miracle, not seek out the one who performed it. And…”

“That’s a pity, Saint Ronan. A great pity. If the world were full of people like you, why would I have to resort to such outrageous acts to break the will of a Saint?”

“Keuk, Te, Telos… Car…”

Before I could finish my sentence, the Cardinal’s other hand grabbed my neck and lifted me up, as if cutting off my words.

“But, Saint Ronan, look at yourself. You appear so pure that even I am momentarily shaken. Even if you declare that you will hide yourself, how can the dignity bestowed upon you by God be concealed?”

Was he thinking that he couldn’t kill a Saint with mere suspicion earlier?

I was a fool.

The Cardinal was now genuinely saddened that he had to kill me, yet he did not erase his murderous intent.

It’s foolish to expect rational judgment from a madman or a fanatic, and this bastard was a mad fanatic.

“Furthermore, even if your will is infinitely firm, how can you guarantee that you can respond to all the malicious hands that reach out like the breath of the vile?”

Before I knew it, my feet no longer touched the floor, and my mind grew faint from the stifling breath.

And at that moment, even the tingling sensation felt from the Cardinal’s hand strangling my neck.

In a fleeting moment, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

Attacking the Cardinal with holy magic here is practically suicide.

From what I’ve confirmed over the past few days, there were no limits to the holy magic that could be performed with Divine Power, but the more I used it, the more strain it put on my body.

There was virtually no chance that I could escape after turning everyone against me in the Order’s headquarters.

What if I attacked the Cardinal and got caught while trying to escape?

I would consider it self-defense, but what would the other Cardinals think of a Saint who attacked a Cardinal?

In the end, a brainwashing ending would be waiting for me.

But if I don’t resist, I’ll die here right now.

There was really no choice.

I was just hesitating.

Who said that the first thing to die when carrying out an operation is the operation plan?

I’m already screwed.

I don’t know anymore.

It’ll work out somehow.

If it doesn’t, it can’t be helped.

Who could have imagined that the Order would be such a mess?

Just as I made up my mind and was slowly drawing up Divine Power.

Crash!

“What in the world are you doing, Cardinal Telos!”

“Have you finally gone mad! Release him immediately!”

“Ronan!”

The door was smashed open and familiar faces of Cardinals rushed in.

I thought I saw Celia’s figure behind them.

…No fucking way, this wasn’t a conspiracy by the Cardinals, but a fanatic’s solo act?

This is a real mess.

As I reached my limit, I lost consciousness with that thought as my last.