§ 173. Logistics relay station (4)
Once the water broke, criticism started pouring in like a torrent of criticism.
“They are devil worshipers!”
“You dirty charlatan!”
“You definitely said you would sell your soul to the devil again! “You heard me clearly!”
“Oh, no. I never did that! I’m just angry because you’re criticizing my art as something unclean obtained from the devil… … .”
The young man waved his hand in an attempt to make amends, but now even his fellow bard, who had been supporting him, took a step back and looked at him with eyes filled with astonishment.
“Shut up, you devil worshiper!”
“Who else are you going to corrupt with this corrupted song?”
“You damn devil worshipers! “Those people who are destroying the world must be killed right now!”
Seongjin, who had only been watching indifferently until then, was taken aback when people reacted more violently than expected.
Wait a minute, if a drunk guy gets a little upset, he might say something wrong. What are you guys so angry about?
But the situation became increasingly serious.
Drunken mercenaries gather around the young man. Some of the dogs are spreading their energy by rolling up their sleeves, and if left like this, they have the tendency to beat people to death at any moment.
Seongjin, realizing that something was unusual, stood up. Then Masain, who was guarding the campfire with him, came close to Seongjin’s side and said.
“It’s the personal squabbles of drunkards. If we have to, I will intervene with the knights, so don’t worry, sir. “Would you really harm someone over such a trivial matter?”
However, Father Gustav, who heard the commotion and came out, shook his head.
“It is entirely possible, sir.”
“Isn’t it just alcohol?”
“This kind of scene may be unfamiliar to you. People who live in the ecliptic don’t know much. “Because we are surrounded by His Majesty’s grace and do not have to worry about demon species.”
“So, it’s different outside the ecliptic?”
“Why not? Although the Church and the Inquisitors are making great efforts, devil worshipers are still active in many parts of the continent. People are killed as sacrifices to summon demons, and the summoned demons kill people again. Especially among those who become mercenaries, there is probably no one who has not lost a family member or colleague to such devils or devil worshipers.”
“that… … .”
“For them, devil worshipers are already a real threat. So how can we just leave this alone?”
Gustav’s eyes were extremely cold as he said that. I thought he was a person with a good personality, but he was still a priest. You have no mercy when it comes to matters related to the devil.
Soon ugh! With screams, the mass lynching of mercenaries began.
“Is it really necessary for you, the prince of the Holy Empire, to protect someone who committed blasphemy? Maybe they too will stop at a reasonable line. The mercenaries will relieve their anxiety, and that foolish young man will also learn a valuable lesson.”
As if to dissuade Seongjin from taking a step towards them, Gustav quickly added, following behind. Seongjin let out a small sigh.
“Priest Gustav. “Do you think that young man is a devil worshiper?”
“At least I don’t feel any [magic energy]. “He just looks like a young, immature young man suffering from art disease.”
“Then of course we have to save it, right? “In terms of real threats, what’s so different about that young man being a devil worshiper and those who accuse him of being a devil worshiper?”
“Well, sir… … .”
“If, by any chance, the author cannot overcome his feelings of injustice and really commits himself to the devil, who will actually be the one who gave him up to the devil?”
Then, Priest Gustav’s eyes widen. As if he had been greatly shocked, the pupils looking at Seongjin began to tremble slightly.
‘… ‘What did I say?’
Seongjin looked at his blood-stained face in confusion for a moment, then turned around.
Accompanied by Lord Masain and other resident knights, Seongjin headed toward the place where the mercenaries were gathered.
The lynching site was already surrounded by layers of angry mercenaries, but as Seongjin and his group approached, the mercenaries were startled and cleared the way for themselves.
Seeing Masain move on his own even before shouting anything means that he was secretly watching their actions closely, even though he was pretending not to be.
Why not? Seongjin and his group stood out from the beginning.
At the head was the wolf insignia, the symbol of the Wolf Knights, followed by a carriage with the imperial emblem emblazoned on it.
The choice of Sang-San, who was unintentionally accompanying the prince and his party instead of accompanying them, was to stay as far away from them as possible and not make eye contact with them.
Pow! puck!
The mercenaries, who were kicking with gritted teeth, also hurriedly lowered their gaze and bit themselves as the prince approached.
“Ugh… … !”
The young man, who had been screaming while covering his face with his arms, closed his mouth and stuck his head out over his arms when the sudden violence subsided.
I was hit so hard in such a short period of time that my eyelids were already swollen.
“Lord Valerie.”
At Seongjin’s name, the red-haired inquisitor quickly ran over and began pouring divine power on the tattered bard.
Although there was no significant visible change, the pain seemed to be relieving, and the young man’s frowning face began to straighten little by little.
The mercenaries, who only then realized that the prince had come to help that young man, gathered in front of Seongjin and his group and began to shout one by one.
“… “The author is a devil worshiper, prince!”
“Please punish me! “Dirty satanists killed my family!”
“Devil worshipers must pay for their sins!”
Those shiny eyes that don’t care about right or wrong, but just burn with blind anger.
Seongjin suddenly remembered what Dominic Scarzapino, whom he had met not long ago, had said.
-After living abroad for a long time due to work, I sometimes feel very unfamiliar with the sights of Delcross.
I used to think that those who shed tears because they were in awe of the Holy Emperor were like pseudo-fanatics.
Well, I guess people outside the ecliptic aren’t that different? In fact, aren’t humans inherently a little bit crazy somewhere?
Seongjin looked around slowly for a moment and gave an order to the people.
“As you said, this person is guilty of insulting the main lord and the imperial family. “I will hand over the interest to the relevant institution and process it according to the procedures, so stop now and everyone go back to their seats!”
However, despite the prince’s direct orders, the highly enraged mercenaries did not easily retreat.
“Connecting with the devil is a serious crime punishable by summary execution!”
“Prince! Please execute him right here and now! Show me the severity of the Holy Law!”
“Please set an example for the dirty devil worshipers!”
The strange fever that swept through the crowd did not disappear immediately.
In the end, Seongjin decided to take the last resort and turned to Masain.
“Sir Martha.”
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“Yes, sir.”
“Who has the authority to judge and punish heresy?”
Then Masain, who sensed what Seongjin was trying to say, bowed his head even more politely and said.
“Only to an inquisitor with formal permission from the Orthodox Church.”
“So these ruthless people are not even Inquisitors, and yet they are trying to arbitrarily exercise their right of prosecution and investigation?”
“Yes that’s right.”
The bewildered mercenaries began to think after hearing Seongjin’s next words and only then realizing the current situation.
“Then these people just dared to call themselves Inquisitors even though they are not qualified to do so.”
“… … !”
“By making a mockery of the Holy Law and bringing down the authority of the Orthodox Church, isn’t this something a devil worshiper would do? It is clear that this is a serious crime that must be dealt with severely according to the Holy Law. so… … .”
Breathe!
The thoughtful mercenaries quickly step back, avoiding Seongjin’s eyes.
After glaring at the mercenaries, Seongjin approached the young man lying on the ground.
“Hey, can you move?”
“Ugh! Ugh! thanks! Thank you… … !”
As the tense atmosphere eased, the young man hugged the broken lyre and began to sob.
Of course, he was scared and retreated, but the mercenaries’ eyes as they glanced at the young man still showed an eerie, lifelike look.
If I leave it like this, don’t you think I’ll get stabbed without anyone knowing?
“Then get up and follow me.”
“Ugh… . yes?”
Seongjin said solemnly, looking down at the young man who was a mess of tears.
“You may call it a lie, but what you have committed is blasphemy and desecration of the imperial family. “It seems like appropriate punishment and rehabilitation are needed.”
Then, with a quick glance, Inquisitor Valery quickly stood up the young man.
“now. You go to our tent with us! Immediately kneel down in front of the scriptures and pray, and sincerely repent your sins before the Lord. Do you understand?”
When the knight who showed off his divine power comes out like this, the mercenaries reluctantly turn their attention to the young man.
In this way, Seongjin and his party were able to overcome the hostile atmosphere of mercenaries and finally rescue the young man.
“We will take turns watching you all night, so don’t worry about the interest.”
Seongjin, who left the young man in the hands of the resident knights and the monster task force, returned to the carriage late at night and closed his eyes. It was a tiring day, but he had many thoughts and couldn’t sleep easily.
People who are quickly swept away by fear that has no real substance. Suspicion and hostility that cannot even be identified. And anger.
It wasn’t a very unfamiliar scene. Perhaps this is closer to the world that Seongjin originally knew.
‘If you think about it, the people in the imperial palace were a bit strange… … .’
People who just looked on calmly, no matter what suspicious things they did. That unconditional trust and support.
Seongjin thought as he buried his head in the soft bedding.
To be honest, I never thought I would miss the air of the ecliptic so much in just one day.
* * *
The next morning.
As Seongjin sat in front of the bonfire for a meal, he met again a young man who seemed to be in better shape than he expected.
After regaining some strength after a day, he introduced himself as Laurent. There was still a black bruise on her eyelid, but her face looked relatively clean after the swelling had subsided.
With his long braid wrapped around his neck, Laurent bows his head deeply towards Seongjin.
“Yesterday I wasn’t in a hurry so I couldn’t say thank you properly. “Thank you so much for saving my life, sir.”
Although he was sometimes intimidated by the sharp gazes the mercenaries gave him, the young man still had a good sense of humor as an entertainer.
Before we knew it, Laurent was naturally telling his story with the group sitting around the bonfire serving as his audience.
“My recent motif is the biography of the wandering knight Fernand.”
Fernand Braque.
He was a new and emerging playboy, following Seonghwang, who was the most famous libertine on the continent.
A young genius knight from Brittany, he is currently creating an epic story of love while traveling across the continent under the pretext of training.
Laurent is said to have been so inspired by his story that he decided to dedicate his life to writing beautiful love stories between men and women.
The first song I sang in front of the public was an impromptu poem called ‘The Genius Prosecutor and the Count’s Lady.’
And the biggest hit is a love song titled ‘The Wandering Swordsman and the Sweet Brown-Eyed Lady.’
“So what is the most recent song you wrote?”
“yes. ‘The Genius Wandering Swordsman and the Moon Maid.’”
hmm. Seongjin, who had been wondering if the Emperor’s grace had really influenced Lee Ja’s artistry, immediately changed his mind.
Couldn’t this guy’s artistic spirit have already died early? Why is the repertoire so clichéd?
“I had some expectations that Fernand Braque might not appear on the ecliptic during this birthday party. If that were the case, the greatest masterpiece of his life would have been born. The wandering swordsman meets a beautiful rose in the imperial palace… … .”
For a moment, there was a flash of gaze and I raised my head to see Orden looking meaningfully at Seongjin.
What those eyes meant was clear.
‘Should I just kill him?’
‘okay. Is that so? Do you want to bury it somewhere?’
I didn’t know we would agree with that guy.
Laurent, unaware that his life came and went in a split-second of gaze, spoke naturally.
“I came to the imperial capital this time because I was invited, but more than anything, it was to get inspiration.”
“Inspiration?”
“yes. Isn’t His Majesty the protagonist of a living story? “In my hometown, Carthage, songs about him have been steadily gaining popularity for about 10 years.”
Songs like ‘The Wandering Prince and the Blue-Eyed Maid’ or ‘The Genius Swordsman and the Blonde Princess’.
The expressions on the faces of Seongjin and his party who were listening to his story became mysterious. Because I could guess who the characters in each song were.
When I thought about it that way, I saw that this man was prosperous! Life really is a story itself!
“This is the ultimate image I pursue. “A drink to soothe a lonely prosecutor, and a beauty.”
Laurent said this and held up the lyre.
Tidding!
A powerful yet short chord is struck as if the strings will break.
“A glance! That momentary thrill! A love that burns fiercely!”
Tiriring.
Next, a soft melody follows, as if caressing a lover.
“And the lonely and fleeting wait of the girl left behind.”
Laurent then raises his voice.
Oh, my beloved. That person is never coming back.
The golden crocuses bloom and fall, and the owl mourns all night long.
[…] It sucks.]
The demon lord recited a short comment.
As he said, the longer the song continued, the more the group’s faces rotted in real time.
It’s a truly sorry story for a young man with a burning artistic spirit, but to be honest, it was a truly old-fashioned sentiment.
Laurent, noticing the negative gaze from those around him, stops playing and slumps his shoulders.
“Hmm.”
Director Bruno stroked his mustache as if he was embarrassed.
“If it is your art, won’t the inspiration soon be restored?”
“Is that so?”
“okay. First, let’s go to Regina together. If you stay there for a while, your inspiration will probably come back just fine. “Regina is a city where all kinds of debauchery gather!”
Then Laurent was greatly shocked and staggered.
“In the end, my art is just debauchery… … .”
“No, that’s not it… … .”
The leader belatedly tried to comfort Laurent, but he quietly crumpled while hugging Lyra.
A vivid sense of frustration. It was like avant-garde art that literally embodied the artistic spirit of a young man who had been cruelly trampled upon with no room for recovery.
Seongjin quietly glared at Director Bruno.
Anyway, you idiot! If you can’t fix it, at least you shouldn’t pour oil on it!
fantasy,
