Chapter 284
My Villains Episode 284
53. midnight sun(3)
I didn't realize it when I saw it from the outside, but the structure I thought was the outer wall of Seteniora Monastery was actually a kind of curtain wall..
Unlike the walls of worldly fiefdoms that surround castles, inner castles, and courtyards, the walls here surrounded rugged rocks and the monasteries, cathedrals, and small villages located on them..
As I walk up the narrow stairs between the rocks, the back of my head feels tingly..
When I glanced back, I saw dozens of soldiers stationed on the walls and towers quietly watching our group. It's not very pleasant because it looks like it's watching an intruder, but it's not something you can't understand..
About twenty heavily armed outsiders, including a knight wearing plate armor and a barbarian large enough to be mistaken for an ogre, had entered the room. If they hadn't been on guard, I would have thought it strange..
As I climbed the stairs, I saw a small garden with three paths leading to the monastery, the cathedral, and the village..
“……Lord of Light.”
In front of the garden, several mercenaries, including crossbowman Gidon, made the sign of the cross and prayed briefly. The voices of those seeking the God of Gwangmyeong Bridge are full of sighs and wonder.
were half mixed.
A tall, bare oak tree and the small arborvitae trees beneath it looked broken and burned, as if to suggest the ordeal the monastery had gone through..
Snow was piled up on the whitewashed stone walls and stairs, and here and there they were red and black. A familiar fishy smell passes my nose..
Meanwhile, the arch that decorated the path between the stone walls and the ring cross stood tall on top of the brick pavilion overlooking the bottom of the cliff..
The ring cross carved out of stone was standing against the cold wind with the wind and waves engraved on its body that could not be erased even with sincere hands..
Gooooooooo-
Beyond the Ring Cross was a landscape of white mountains covered in snow. At first glance, it seemed as if the cross was blocking the harsh howling winter wind..
The sight was so wonderful that a level of faith I had never had before rose up..
Regardless of whether I had faith or not, even I, who had a vague view of religion, was deeply impressed, so I wonder if the Gwangmyeong Church believers, who make up the majority of our group, were astonished. When I glanced around, everyone seemed to be deeply impressed. Even guys with a ponytail-haired fritz and heavy-duty dervishes had their mouths shut and had ring crosses etched into their eyes..
……This unexpectedly turned into a pilgrimage to a holy place..
In front of the three paths in the garden, the cathedral knight Sir Kabar looked with satisfaction at the mercenaries each praying and then opened his mouth..
“Only one person can enter the monastery, Lord Phoenics, so the rest of the party should stay in the complex. I'll give you instructions.”
“Just, where are you going??”
“That place, sir..”
He pointed to a place I thought was a village. There were six or seven houses made entirely of wood, stone, and lime huddled together..
“It is a place where believers from the secular world reside. You can find accommodations that are convenient for you. It's mostly empty.”
I quietly scratched my eyebrows and glanced at Heyla..
I wanted to take Heila, who was quick to judge, because it would be helpful if a problem suddenly arose, but she made eye contact and shook her head slightly. And I whispered, pretending to touch the fabric of the cloak I was wearing..
“I was recently attacked. Don't provoke me for no reason, but follow the cathedral knight's words..”
As I nodded, smelling the faint scent of tea, Hayla gently stroked my cheek with the back of her hand and stepped back. It's quite natural acting..
The group headed to the capital complex under the guidance of the soldiers, and I followed Lord Kavar to the monastery..
Climbing the stairs between the rocks again and passing through a stone wall as tall as me, I finally came into sight of a group of antique buildings that could be considered the main body of the Seteniora Monastery..
There were fat towers at each corner of the crooked square stone wall. The buildings were densely packed with conical roofs and chimneys with windows on all sides..
Strangely enough, there were no people in the landscape where lime, rocks, bricks, and tiles were harmoniously combined with each color..
“……It's quiet. Looks like it's prayer time.?”
Sir Kabar glanced at the sky as he asked, breaking the awkward silence..
“It's almost time to post the Nine Hours of Reading. However, this monastery has temporarily suspended all sacred services..”
“Then the monks.”
“The brothers are guarding the outer walls and towers..”
Outer walls and towers? then.......
“Those soldiers were monks..”
“About half of them are like that. The other half is made up of real soldiers and courageous believers..”
Leaning into the flow of conversation, I carefully brought up the question I had been putting off..
“Who are you??”
“……Who are you? What do you mean??”
“Those who attacked the Holy Land.”
The middle-aged cathedral knight kept his mouth shut and walked away. Then he stood in front of the building with the silver ring cross and looked back at me..
“The Holy Son will answer all your questions, so please wait a little longer. You are not allowed to be armed in the sanctuary, so leave your swords here..”
As soon as those words were out, the soldiers who followed Sir Kabar leaned their spears and shields against the wall, and drew their swords and placed them on the stone table next to the entrance..
Disarmament by someone else's will was quite unfamiliar, but it didn't faze me. When entering a cathedral, hanging a sword at the entrance was common sense in this world..
The expressions of the cathedral knights and soldiers became softer as the entire sword belt with black ice, morning star, and multi-purpose dagger was pulled out and placed on the table..
Inside the sanctuary, white silk curtains were hung here and there. The tabernacle was engraved with a sun and cross symbol..
After passing through a hall-like space and a long hallway, I arrived in front of a tightly closed door..
The magic power, which had been further strengthened thanks to the level-up two days ago, detected two small but distinct energies beyond the door. One was divine power, the other was-
“dismissal.”
Standing in front of the door was an elderly man wearing a white robe, a black cape, and a high hat..
“Sir Kabar.”
When the middle-aged cathedral knight approached and bowed, the priest, who was called Excellency, briefly returned the favor and turned to look at me..
“you‘?”
Before I could answer, Sir Kabar stepped forward..
“This is Sir Phoenix, the Silver Prince's knight..”
Next, he turned to me and said, ‘This is Bishop He Cavanco, Bishop of the Special Diocese of Sete Niora. “Please show respect,” he whispered quickly..
Just as I was about to hesitantly say hello, Bishop Hekabanko frowned and spoke up..
“Bringing in an outsider at this critical time. And you're Prince Ulkar's knight? Sir Kavar, what rashness is this??”
It is a public fact that the Church of Gwangmyeong, or more specifically, the Church of El Ganor, regards Ulkar with disdain..
The El Ganor Church, which supported eldest son inheritance according to church tradition, had a very close relationship with Zacharis, the first prince of the Kingdom of Milanol. Therefore, he did not consider the third prince, Ulkar, who was threatening his eldest brother's position by using his natural military talent and popularity with the people as weapons..
However, Ulkar was not the kind of person to pay attention to such things, so he reached out to the Calandari, a church in the Tergeland Empire that was treated as a heresy by the Elganor church because the local church did not provide help..
Because of this, the Church of El Ganor is gnashing its teeth like Ulkar..
However, Ulkar is clearly a prince, and a hero who quelled various uprisings that occurred in the kingdom. It was virtually impossible to put him on trial or excommunicate him, so the Church of Elganor only issued statements condemning him or recommended self-imposed measures through the king..
Anyway, in this situation, it was natural for Bishop Hekabenko to feel uncomfortable upon hearing about my status..
However, even in the face of an uncomfortable superior, Sir Kavar did not blink an eye..
“I decided that the ‘black snake’ the saint was talking about was Lord Phoenix..”
Black snake? What does this mean again??
“……The basis for that judgment is?”
“It's a intuition.”
“What?”
Just as the bishop was about to get angry at the meaningless answer, the cathedral's stern voice followed..
“I dare say, it was an intuition that was close to revelation, Your Excellency..”
“timing?”
“yes.”
Bishop Hekabenko remained silent with a stern expression on his face. Then he looked at me and touched my forehead..
“…… A revelation, yes. Kyeong is not the type of person to talk nonsense. But, after all, it was the Silver Prince’s Red Knight. Such an ominous thing……
What is this old man? Why are you talking about people being inauspicious or something??
Unlike Lord Kabar, who showed a little favor to me because of Archibald, the White Knight, all Bishop Hekabenko showed me was wariness and distrust. However, even this difficult-looking bishop seemed to trust the upright middle-aged cathedral knight..
“……Yes, if this is a trial from the Lord... … As His servant, I must follow..”
Bishop Hekabenko wiped his face, nodded and opened the door. The scent of a medicinal herb overtakes me..
Sir Kabar, the cathedral knight, gestured as if to take the lead and followed me into the room..
The place we entered was a moderately sized room with a single window. Even without any special decorations, it is neatly organized and gives off a luxurious feel..
Four monks in black cloaks and two priests in white robes were guarding the bedside. And in the bed, there was a tall old man lying with his eyes closed..
An old man with balding hair down to the top of his head and a long white beard, giving off a gentle vibe..
It was Abel, the saint of Gwangmyeong Church..
I got a little goosebumps.
From the fifth chapter, Seteniora Monastery, to the ninth chapter, the Underworld, the NPCs you meet so many times have become reality and appear before your eyes..
“Sir Phoenics.”
As I was blankly looking at Abel, Lord Kabar noticed me. I took a deep breath and looked around to see that not only he, but also the late Bishop Hekabenko was kneeling next to the bed..
I quickly knelt down between the bishop and the cathedral knight. The plate armor clanged loudly and I unconsciously shrank my neck, but Saint Abel did not open his eyes..
“Please wake up the saint for a moment..”
At the bishop's command, the priests made eye contact. When they showed signs of hesitation, the bishop gave them a look and said, ‘Come on.’.
The priests began to pray quietly, but I didn't have the presence of mind to listen. This is because a hole was discovered in Abel’s chest..
“••••♦•This is.”
“This is what the king of death did.”
Sir Kabar spoke in a calm voice..
“king of death?”
“His cursed army attacked the Holy Land. Everyone in the monastery risked their lives to stop it, but it was not enough, and finally my saint himself came forward..”
Black smoke billowed from the hole in Abel’s chest..
A stench that stings your nose and an ominous feeling that licks your spine. It was a feeling I had once felt..
“Most of the undead were defeated, but a death knight took advantage of the confusion and stabbed the saint..”
“……death knight?”
Death Knight is powerful enough to be grouped with Hell Knight and Dark Knight and called 3x - no, 3 Knights.,
“Even a death knight is nothing more than an undead. That guy stabbed the saint? how-”
“There was something different about him. Not only did it contain evil energy, but it also contained strange magical powers. It was an ominous force that I felt for the first time in my life..”
From his words, I was able to recognize the identity of the black smoke emanating from Abel's wound..
The same energy I felt from the descendants of the evil god Ushtu and the Dark Knight. It was the magical power of the dark world, commonly called demonic energy..
Just as I was gathering my thoughts, the two priests' prayers came to an end..
“……Please wash it away with light..”
The hands of the two priests sparkled brightly..
Dazzling but cozy. It was divine power..
As the divine power spread out like a flood, the demonic energy blooming in Abel's chest shrank. For a moment, Saint Abel opened his eyes..
“......eww ”
丁he •
Abel blinked blankly and then looked back at Bishop He Cavenco. And before the bishop could say anything, his sleepy eyes turned to me..
“Inhale,”
The moment I met the gray-white blurred eyes, I felt as if my whole body was being stripped bare. A pair of golden rays blooming from the depths of Abel's eyes seemed to pass through my eyes and into my heart and intestines..
I saw you
“yes, yes?”
“I saw you. black snake.”
Abel raised his right hand and tapped the bed with the back of his hand..
“hand. left hand,”
It was a sudden request, but I held out my left hand as if I was possessed. The moment Abel and my hands touched,
Ugh.
“Uh huh.”
My left wrist felt hot like it was on fire..
I could feel it instinctively. The white belt obtained by destroying the throne at Raven's Cliff, what the Trickster calls a 'dimensional seal', is in operation..
But this time, unlike when she entered Ellen's dream, the black semicircle did not appear. It was just that something unknown flowed into the dimensional seal through Abel's hands..
As the owner of the dimensional seal and the quasi-dimensional aspects it contained, I knew instinctively. Abel's dream was being absorbed into me..
Wow.
After a series of procedures were completed, Abel put down his hand with an expression that made him look a few years older..
“……You, only you……
He mumbled something in a quiet voice and closed his eyes..
“……Saint? saint!”
Bishop Hekabenko and Sir Kabar looked at Abel with surprised faces, but I could already feel that his breath had stopped..
In the game, Abel was the key NPC for clearing the campaign, and in reality, Abel was the only saint of Gwangmyeong Church.,
He died without leaving a will..
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