Episode 266: Punishment Discount Season (3)
A quiet weekend morning.
Bikir went out into the street.
The midday streets are crowded with people.
On the terrace of the cafe, a lady or office worker who met at a business meeting was chatting, and young people crossed their arms and walked around laughing and talking about what was so fun.
After the pretty women and handsome men walked busily, the gazes around them followed them for a few seconds and then headed forward again.
The flower shop smells like flowers, and the egg bread shop smells sweet and savory.
At the front railway station, where carriages delivering urgent news were rushing along, the sound of hammers announcing the construction of an extension was loud.
“… … .”
Suddenly, Bikir stopped for a moment on the outskirts of the street.
A narrow alley between red brick buildings and buildings.
At the narrow entrance, the lines stamped with the seals of the imperial guard were informing of the prohibition of entry.
At dawn just a few hours ago, it was the place where Vikir had committed the assassination.
Two things have changed.
One is that the body has already been removed and is only marked with a white line on the floor.
Both of them were deeply dented in the floor.
“… … .”
Bikir examined the marks on the floor from a distance.
Traces of snakes. That was obviously not the case when Bikir was assassinated.
The crowd was buzzing as they looked at the bloodstains on the walls and floor.
“Someone died there last night.”
“They were horribly tortured and then poisoned.”
“Be afraid. Could this also be the work of the night hound?”
“no. The culprit this time is said to be that Miss Ouroboros or something.”
“what. Was there another villain besides the Hound of the Night?”
“This friend’s, the news is slow.”
Bikir blended in with the crowd and quietly overheard conversations around him.
No clues were left, so there was nothing to worry about,
It moved in a complicated line, and in the middle, it turned into a dog and walked around under narrow landmarks, so it is absolutely impossible to track it with human power.
It’s just that it’s a little surprising that Miss Ouroboros came to the place after she left after work.
‘… … What a strange woman.’
Bikir heightened his awareness of Miss Ouroboros.
She has gone beyond being a mere copycat.
It’s a terrorist with an unknown purpose, and it seems like it’s chasing a hound in the night, so you need to keep an eye on it.
… … But the purpose of going out today was not about Miss Ouroboros.
Bikir left the crowd and headed for the main street with a bread hat pressed down deeply.
“… … There are so many people.”
Bikir, who arrived at the yolk land, the downtown area of the ecliptic, was impressed.
There are so many people, it’s like watching a dense bean sprout steamer.
‘Even if I’m mixed in, no one will know.’
Indeed, to hide a tree, Bikir thought, the saying “hide it in the forest” was just right.
Bikir blended in with the flow of the crowd and naturally moved forward.
Before long, the holy symbol of the Quo Vadis family, the ‘White Shield’, appears.
This splendid and magnificent temple was managed by a branch of the Old Testament sect.
I saw a large number of people standing in a line in front of the entrance of the temple.
Then, a priest dressed in white shouts vigorously to the horn of a horned ox.
“ruler! Repent! Special offer today only! This is a great chance to have your sins forgiven at half price! Come on, it’s not an opportunity that comes every day! Half price for misdemeanors today! Serious crimes are served at a 30% DC price! Since the really big crime is Shitga, please consult with the bishop~ Now, indulgences! Special sale today only! Buy now and get more tax benefits! It’s a discount promotion that you don’t know when to do again from tomorrow!”
The sound of priests selling indulgences mixed with the calls of cotton candy vendors selling cotton candy, corn vendors selling roasted corn, and bubble vendors selling bubble toys for children.
People coming out of the temple come out with a bright expression and walk with light steps.
They were all those who bought indulgences.
A couple’s conversation was heard in Bikir’s ears.
“Ugh. I bought an indulgence this time, so I feel relieved. Have you been scolded because of your guilt?”
“Ah, is it because of drinking and hitting a child while driving a carriage?”
“huh. Because of that, I haven’t been able to sleep well for a while, and this time I came to repent because the indulgence was offered at a huge discount.”
“But isn’t that child dead? Did you apologize and compensate the bereaved family?”
“no? didn’t you? You bought indulgences. I bought something very expensive, so wouldn’t it be okay?”
“but. what. That’s it. After all, our selves are really nice.”
Bikir turned and looked at the couple for a moment.
‘It doesn’t smell like the devil.’
They were not the ones who made a pact with the devil. surprisingly.
However, similar types of humans were overflowing here in the ecliptic.
Right now, in this branch of Quo Vadis Street, many people were lining up to buy indulgences, and people who bought indulgences were lined up on the other side.
If we assume that all these people have sinned and that all of them have been pardoned, it will be dizzying.
‘I want the world to be like this.’
Bikir shook his head with the usual sigh of old people.
I was doing my best to prevent the era of destruction from coming, but somehow the task feels even heavier today.
yet.
Bikir also joined at the end of the long line and waited a long time to enter the temple.
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After passing between the clean and large white stone pillars to the point of not knowing how much money was spent, I went deep inside and saw the neatly dressed priests.
“hello. What sins did you commit? Do you have any indulgences you are looking for?”
A priest approached Vikir.
He looks young, but he doesn’t seem to have a lot of experience.
The priest clung to Bikir and explained this and that without even asking.
“There are indulgences for minor crimes~ Of course, indulgences for serious crimes are also available~ There are also special indulgences suitable for extreme crimes that deserve the death penalty… … The customer, no, the believer looks young, so there’s no way he would have committed such a serious crime.
Bikir asked the priest who was struggling to come up with an estimate for customized indulgences.
“If you can repent of past sins, can you repent of future sins in advance?”
Then, of course, the priest smiled brightly.
“If you buy indulgences in advance, everything is possible. What sins are you going to commit?”
“… … It is truly a colossal heinous crime.”
The priest’s expression hardened at Bikir’s words.
What kind of reaction will the priest show to a human who predicts a huge crime to be committed in the future?
… … Eventually, the priest with a serious expression spoke in a serious voice as expected.
“what is it. hmm. In the case of extreme crimes, the unit price of indulgences would be very high. Are you okay? If you have the funds, I will bring the Bishop. Ah, first of all, would you like to go to the VVIP chapel over there and have a cup of tea while waiting?”
Far from dissuading those who foretell that they will commit sins in the future, they are making estimates.
That’s in a way that sounds like recommending a promotional product.
When Bikir laughed, the priest asked again carefully.
“… … But what a grievous sin it is that you are looking for such an expensive indulgence?”
Then Bikir answered.
“I think I’m going to kill one of the neighbors’ pigs.”
Moment. The priest tilted her head as if he had heard it wrong.
“pig… … one… … Is that a heinous crime?”
“yes. Pigs are also life. Isn’t it a sin to take a life anyway?”
Then the priest let out a deep sigh.
He glanced at the long line of people behind him, then turned back to Vikir.
“hey.”
Now the words are short.
“Just go. huh?”
Nonetheless, when Bikir stood still, the priest tore up a sheet of indulgences that was in his bosom and put his own stamp on it.
“okay. I’m giving it to you because it’s an honor to have come this far with the life of just one pig.”
“… … Thank you.”
“okay. From now on, don’t sin. Live nice.”
The priest sighed deeply and placed the roughly scrawled indulgences on Vikir’s hand.
Bikir looked up and said.
“Money is… … .”
“Tsk, it’s okay, man.”
The priest clicked his tongue and suddenly put his hand into Bikir’s pocket.
Then he took out a coin from among the tinkling coins.
It was a 1 gold coin with trace amounts of gold in copper.
It went into the offering box that the priest wore around his neck.
Tangerang-
“Yes, you have repented~”
The priest’s regular comment came in plainly.
That was it.
* * *
Bikir left the temple.
In his hand was a small sheet of indulgences.
<Indulgence>
‘I forgive all the sins of this faithful church member.’
– This indulgence was issued and guaranteed by the Old Testament sect, and forgery can be punished –
㊞
‘… … Is it like this?’
Vikir gathered the information she saw, heard, and felt when she entered the temple.
The devil’s aura hovering inside, the faint but distinct smell.
[…] … I can definitely feel the energy of number six. It’s still vague, but that’s it.]
Dekaravia on his chest was also saying the same thing while sniffing when he didn’t even have one.
Bikir followed the rotting smell of the ‘sixth corpse’ back to the main road.
‘It’s not inside this temple… … obviously related The emperor must be somewhere.’
When Bikir is about to turn his back on the temple and return to the academy.
“… … !”
In an instant, a familiar face appeared.
‘Eak.’
Bikir hurriedly put on his bread hat and crept to the side of the pillar.
Even though he was wearing his hood deeply, he could see the sharp-eyed Bikir.
Dolores.
The look on her face as she crept into the temple, looking around with suspicious movements.
