◈ 539. [Side Story] Hannibal (2)
Janice ran away with Cloudy.
The superhumanly trained body of the Heretic Questioner was able to swiftly escape the city even with a full-term girl in his arms.
Let’s get out of the siege and rest for a while in an abandoned cabin in the suburbs.
Claudy, relaxed, leaned against the wall and fell asleep as if passing out. Janice stood silently and looked down at the immature girl.
“… .”
Know.
You must not save Princess Cloudy. should be left here to die.
Even if the fact that he helped this immature princess was discovered, the relationship between the Empire and the Mist Kingdom, which had a good diplomatic atmosphere at best, could be broken.
Zenith imagined the future of the Mist Kingdom, where temples would be built in earnest and propagation would begin.
Goddess statues are erected all over the city, and people of all ages are looking for the goddess… … .
If only the girl in front of me was allowed to die, many more Goddess Cult members would be born in this world.
‘I am the Heretic Questioner. Knights Templar. He is a combat priest.’
Neither propagation, nor healing, nor relief are Zenith’s own vocations.
If you are a combat priest, it is right to work as a weapon of the church like a combat priest.
Killing a cow for a ransom. To endure evil in the shadows for the light of the goddess.
Isn’t that the mission of the weapon called himself?
“… after.”
but however.
To abandon this young mother who is asking for help right in front of her eyes and her young life right before she was born… … Is it something I can do as a priest?
Before being a Heretic Questioner, before being a Knights Templar, before being a combat priest, isn’t he a priest who follows the goddess?
Because of the possibility of gaining more followers in the future, letting the two young lives right in front of us die… … Is it really right?
“Sipal… It’s not my job to worry.”
Janice put the cigarette in her mouth again, realized that the child in front of her was the mother, and put it back into her arms.
‘It’s fucking twisted, really… … .’
Janice pressed her forehead against the cabin wall and groaned.
A damn night in a damn country was passing.
***
“I want to have a baby.”
As soon as I woke up the next morning, Cloudy said:
“I am now in my ninth month of pregnancy and will have a baby in the next few weeks. The pain is getting worse, so it should come out in a few days at the earliest.”
“… So?”
“I want help.”
Janice closed her eyes tightly in anguish, but eventually nodded.
“Okay, I’ll get a midwife from town… .”
“no. The priest has to help himself.”
“yes?”
“Other people can’t be trusted. The midwife or whoever is likely to tell Obama.”
Janice, who had been staring blankly at the bold young pregnant woman, stuttered and pointed at herself.
“Now I want the princess’s child… … Are you asking me to take it yourself?”
“Then is there any other way?”
“I’ve never done anything like that in my life.”
“Do I see it?”
Cloudy’s face was covered with cold sweat, as if colic had already begun.
Cloudy clutched at his stomach and exhaled heavily.
“This is the only way to have a baby without getting caught by Obama. Giving birth quietly in a place where no one else knows.”
“… .”
“Help me, priest. Please don’t abandon us.”
After clenching her fists a few times, Janice finally raised herself up with a long sigh.
“… Move your body at once. It’s still close to the city here. The pursuit team will come soon.”
***
The two moved along the mountain range but didn’t get very far.
It was because Cloudy, who had started colic, was in pain. Cloudy grunted, but eagerly spoke what she knew.
“Mixed-race babies are said to harass their mothers as if they would kill them… He used to be very calm, but now he’s no kidding… … .”
“Did you study hard?”
“It was just scary after I got pregnant. I have to study at least.”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“The child’s name is Hannibal.”
Cloudy grinned with a pale face.
“We decided with him in advance.”
The two spent the night in a crumbling cabin in the corner of a mountain range.
That night while caring for Cloudy and at the same time thinking about when to throw it away, Janice fell asleep and had a dream.
It was a dream from a very young age.
Zenith, a war refugee, was weeping in the burnt ruins.
Parents and relatives all died long ago. There were no people around who survived. Everywhere the sandstorm blew was a field of corpses.
In front of the collapsed house with no pillars remaining, Janice was screaming and crying desperately.
At that time, a group of people passed in front of Janice.
Priests dressed in black clothes.
And the young boys and girls who are being taken by the hands of the priests.
It was the Templars. They used to select young boys and girls from among the war orphans who could become their members.
But they didn’t even look at Janice.
It was because he was so small and young and skinny. If I had to take him, it was obvious that he would die soon.
– … .
However, the blonde young girl who was walking hand in hand with the priest at the front was different.
The girl glanced in the direction of Zenith, then she shook off the priest’s hand and ran towards Zenith.
And he hugged Janice, who was crying.
– Rosetta What are you doing Rosetta!
The old priest in the lead shouted annoyedly.
– I can’t take any more!
– This kid is my little brother. I lost it in the war, but I found it now.
The girl- Rosetta gave the old priest in the lead a fierce look.
– If you don’t take him, I won’t follow you either.
– … .
The old priest let out a long sigh and gestured forward.
– Bring it. Instead, take responsibility and take care of it.
Then the priests around them protested in unison.
– I can’t afford to take care of all the kids like that!
– We’re running out of food to eat and water to drink!
– Noisy. How can an adult say that a child will save a child? Go fast!
After permission was given, Rosetta raised the Koopa Koopa, Janice.
– You are my sister from now on. got it?
Zenith, who was staring blankly at Rosetta, stuttered and asked.
– I have nothing to do with your sister.
– It doesn’t matter, why not? we are the same person
Rosetta whispered, narrowing her eyes.
– So we have to save each other.
In the ears of Zenith, whose face was becoming dazed, the voice of the old priest in the lead shouted.
-This, let’s eat fucking kids!
It was a word that contained a desperate wish.
– Let’s live together.
The party went into the wasteland where a sandstorm blew up. Rosetta held Janice’s hand tightly and led her from the front.
Janice thought as she gritted her teeth and followed him.
He said he would never forget the touch of this delicate hand holding him.
Something like that happened a long time ago.
“… .”
The morning dew touched her cheeks, waking Janice.
Cloudy had been grunting all night holding her stomach. Examining her pale complexion, Janice made up her mind.
As if he also survived with the help of a complete stranger.
To help Cloudy give birth.
***
The birth of a mixed-race child is difficult.
The delivery, which started ahead of schedule, was accompanied by terrible pain.
Cloudy could no longer move, and Janice was forced to help give birth in this half-collapsed cabin.
Janice was ignorant of childbirth, and Cloudy was also new to it.
Fortunately, Janice was a priest who could use healing magic, and Cloudy had studied childbirth in advance.
The two novices struggled to give birth to a child and assisted in it.
After several days and nights, Claudy, who became a super-corpse, gradually lost consciousness. With her young and weak stamina, it was difficult to endure the difficult delivery of a mixed-race baby.
she was dying
Janice said anything to somehow keep Cloudy’s consciousness in check.
“What do you want to do after having children?”
“… yes?”
“Isn’t the princess still just an immature child? The rest of my life is much longer.”
“left… life.”
“What kind of life do you want to live after having children?”
Claudy put on a dazed expression and then smiled.
“I can’t live as a princess anymore, can I?”
“You seem to have done all the things His Majesty told you not to do, but it must be difficult.”
“under… Being born into a royal family made life easy. I wanted to live more comfortably. That’s too bad.”
Claudy playfully licked her lips and pondered with a m-sound.
“Well, now that I am free, I want to live a life I could never have imagined.”
“What, for example?”
“I sing well. Don’t you think a former princess-turned-singer would be very popular?”
“It will definitely become a topic.”
“Since I know how to read and write, I think it would be nice to get a job at a solid business.”
“Because she is a commuting princess… It doesn’t suit the princess’s personality very well.”
“Don’t you think the travel agent would be fine too? Because I’m good at attaching. While chatting with customers from all over the world. It will travel the world.”
“It definitely seems like a good fit. I don’t know if the travel agency will run well in these dangerous times.”
“And again… Can I become a priest too?”
Janice stopped replying. Cloudy smiled shyly.
“I owe such a huge debt to the Goddess Church, but it seems like it would be difficult to make an offering. I wish I could dedicate the rest of my life to it.”
“Unfortunately, a priest must have an aptitude for healing magic.”
“Whooping, it’s heartless… .”
“So, spend the rest of your life for yourself and your children. Are you still young?”
Claudy, who opened her eyes wide and looked at Janice, smiled.
“It’s kind of funny to see a young priest like that.”
“I heard somewhere that if kids call you uncle instead of hyung or oppa, it’s over. I hate to admit it, but I have become a man.”
“Where did I hear that? If you think you’re old enough, you’re still young, and if you think you’re young, you’re old enough.”
“… .”
“Priest is still young too.”
A day after having such a conversation.
***
Cloudy gave birth successfully.
After spending several days and nights with Cloudy, Janice was also in a state of exhaustion, but when the child who finally saw the light of the world broke into a loud cry, she smiled brightly without knowing it.
“Look at the princess! He is a healthy boy.”
“… .”
“We succeeded. You really did it.”
Exhausted and pale, Claudy barely spoke.
“… I’m sorry, maybe I’m having a bit of a hard time, so I can’t see.”
“… .”
Janice slowly lifted the child and placed it in Cloudy’s arms.
Claudy, who was stroking the child in her arms with a vague smile, asked.
“What color are my child’s eyes?”
“Clear gold.”
“How about the hair?”
“bright brown.”
“Are you skinny like your dad or chubby like me?”
“She looks like a princess. She is very chubby and cute.”
Claudy smiled with a pale cheek and slowly stroked the child’s hair.
“Hannibal.”
Likewise, Claudy whispered slowly to the exhausted child who was asleep.
“On behalf of Mom and Dad… Singing, getting a job, traveling, making offerings to the temple… … Live like that.”
“… .”
“Thank you, Priest Janice.”
Cloudy slowly closed her eyes.
“I don’t mind until the end… Take good care of this child… … .”
Took.
Claudy’s hand that was caressing the child fell to the floor.
After standing in a daze, not knowing what to do in front of the dead princess’s corpse, Janice slowly took out the child and held it in her arms.
crying! Aww!
It was only then that the child, Hannibal, felt the death of his mother and began to cry for the world to pass away.
and
“Here it is! This is the priest who ran away with Princess Cloudy!”
Hearing the child’s cry, the pursuers rushed into the cabin.
“The princess?!”
“do… He died!”
“Don’t move this bastard! Arrest!”
“… .”
Unable to run away while holding the crying child in her arms, Janice came to her senses only then.
And I thought about it.
what am i doing here?
