Chapter.9 Star Fall (16)
****
“Why did you do that?”
“yes?”
“Why… did you bother to volunteer for such a difficult journey?”
During a brief recess in the meeting, the archbishop asked me to take a moment, so I followed him to his office, and this was what he said as soon as he sat down in his chair. For an archbishop’s private room, it was simple and looked like an ordinary nobleman’s study, except for the excessive number of brass candlesticks used in temples.
“I heard about it from Senadis. Of course, his identity is unclear and there is a possibility that he is an evil spirit, but he is too valuable a talent to just be used as a throwaway card. “I heard there should be at least one more person like you in the church, so I gave it a chance.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha. I heard that you somehow catered to me too well, and there was a story behind that. How did you like it?”
“Nothing better. “I could feel deeply in my heart that Ro Haram was leading us with light, right?”
The archbishop bowed his head towards the window for a moment in a room filled with sunlight and muttered something that sounded like a prayer. A moment ago in the conference hall, he looked like a kind grandfather who had farmed his entire life on a quiet hill, but now he looked like an old king full of agony.
‘That must be what the real Archbishop Saint Norman looks like. Or maybe he’s just acting like his real self.’
Even though I didn’t talk to him in advance, he was someone who read the direction of work from what I said and came in to provide support at the most opportune moment. I can confidently say that I am by no means an old man who simply seeks the glory of God.
“That’s why I don’t understand it anymore. Do you understand what a great thing you have done? It’s the same as playing with them in front of those amazing heroes. It was none other than you who made a stronger impression than anyone else on that occasion. “When we left the conference room, did you see those who were there before us?”
“I saw it. “There were quite a few people wandering around looking at the garden.”
“I didn’t just come out to rest. After the situation was settled and they realized that you had drawn all the warriors in the hall to your pace, several warriors came out and were waiting to talk to you, professor. “I came here to find out who is leading the meeting and to talk about interests.”
“no wonder. “I was following behind the Archbishop, but he said it felt a little uncomfortable behind him.”
“Hehehe. Don’t pretend not to know. “Isn’t the reason why he quickly followed behind me as soon as I left because he didn’t want to fight with them?”
“oh my god. “Do you even tell me about that?”
“In this complex world, as you grow older with the name of Archbishop, you begin to see many things.”
I said, ‘Grandpa, is he really a priest? ‘Why do you know so well?’ When I repeated my words, the archbishop smiled softly and answered.
“Do you know what is the most basic of the doctrines of light?”
“sorry. “It’s been a while since I studied the doctrine of light.”
“It is [Light shines on all people without discrimination]. Equality without any restrictions. The joy of the sunrise that anyone can see when they open their eyes in the morning. “There are numerous doctrines and interpretations, but they can all be viewed as teachings derived from this single doctrine.”
“okay.”
I couldn’t bear to refute it outright, so I answered vaguely. After all, the Gwangmyeong Church is no different from the representative of human supremacy, right? This means that they are a racist group in the name of religion. But equality for all people?
“Don’t make that face. Because I also know how nonsense this sounds now. In the Ro Haram scriptures now given to believers, the phrase “All peoples are those who can look up to the light and worship” has been added under the first doctrine. “It means that unless you are a believer of Ro Haram, you cannot receive that grace.”
“Isn’t that… a forgery? Since when can someone do such a presumptuous thing-”
“I said that.”
“…..yes?”
“I touched doctrine.”
The archbishop speaks in a calm tone, as if he is giving a confession. But his wrinkled face contained the regret of years deeply engraved in it.
“Fifty-eight years ago, I was a young priest who could live a full day simply by praising the light and Ro Haram all day long. “I lived my life thinking that it was the duty of a priest to just pray without worrying about anything.”
I listened to him and heightened my senses. I don’t know why, but what’s coming out of the archbishop’s mouth right now is something that is close to the denigration of the church. If anyone eavesdrops, my life is in danger. It was bad to not know this fact in the first place, so I wanted to silence the archbishop.
“50 years ago, the ‘hunting season’ came periodically for the orcs. Unfortunately, the temple I belonged to was too close to the south. I survived after losing many brothers. I kept asking back. Oh, Haram. why. Why have you taken away so many good brothers? There was no answer, but I realized that prayer and faith alone could not protect the denomination. That’s how I became a monk. By honing my martial arts skills, I will protect the light source of faith from the shadows of the world. “That’s what I thought.”
Huuuung –
When the Archbishop clenched his fist, a strong divine energy gathered into his fist, which seemed weak at first glance.
‘An old man who looks to be in his mid-70s won the title of monk 58 years ago when he was around 17 years old? Monk, almost 60 years old? ‘Isn’t this a complete monster?’
The title “Monk” is not just a name for a priest who refines fighting skills. Only after passing a rigorous examination and being recognized as having honed the art of sacred martial arts above a certain level can one use the name monk. But a boy who spent his whole life praying became a monk at the age of 17? Regardless of effort, it is impossible without talent or even heroic talent.
“I thought I was faithfully carrying out Ro Haram’s will this time. Praising the light and protecting the light source of faith from the shadows of the world. I lived quite satisfactorily. But unfortunately, the ordeal Ro Haram prepared for me did not end there.”
“Could it be that the temple was attacked again?”
The archbishop shook his head.
“The healing magic of the Gwangmyeong Church is very effective, and the priests of the Church are highly sought-after talents on the battlefield. At that time, our Gwangmyeong Church was not as great as it is now. When the undead began to rise 70 years ago, the high-ranking priests, full of arrogance and sloth, became corrupted and became dark priests, hostile to humanity, and the Church of Light, which had a long history, suffered a blow that was close to collapse. The Gwangmyeong Church, which was such a small religious group, must have been truly appetizing to the nobles ahead of war. The nobles made up all sorts of reasons to create widows and orphans, and whenever there was a war, they forcibly made demands on our church.
‘Support 30 priests skilled in healing spells. Otherwise, the Church of Light will regard you as collaborating with the enemy nobles and expel you from the territory, and those who remain will be treated as enemies.’
This was a noble person. They kidnapped a wandering priest and concocted a healing spell until he lost the light in despair. He even set fire to a temple that was caring for the wounded on both sides simply because it was closer to enemy territory. In order to avoid such a thing, the church had to desperately calculate which noble was stronger and who would win so that the church would not suffer damage. I… I couldn’t bear it. Because the calculations were not always correct. It was a territory dispute so big that all the priests I was with, including me, had to volunteer.
We lost miserably. It was so miserable that no one could survive…”
The archbishop raised his hand for a moment and stared at the light coming in through the window in silence, perhaps because of his emotional aggravation.
‘It’s a story from the time of the noble war. Because it was a time when neutrality was not recognized. Even the religious order couldn’t have escaped that era.’
It was a story about the turbulent times before my character was created. It was a time when war was constant, so the church could not help but get caught up in it.
“The martial arts I developed through past regrets was helpful. While I was frantically risking my life, another brother helped the captured brothers escape. However, unlike me, who had practiced asceticism, the brothers who had lived their entire lives in prayer were unable to resist the pursuit of the knights on horseback. When the chase was over and I looked around, there was only one brother left around me. Come out of the sixty-four brothers of our diocese who supported the Count of Kandar by order of the church! There were only two crippled Shandalo priests on my back. “Of the sixty-four people, only two survived.”
The archbishop’s voice calmly talking about the disaster of the past without any change in the pitch of his voice was enough to give me goosebumps. It wasn’t a burning emotion, but rather an anger that had already burned down and was quietly solidified like hard black ore, pouring flames on top of the ashes.
“With all our might, Priest Shandalo and I returned to the temple where we originally stayed. After running for three nights without being able to sleep, I collapsed and fell asleep. “Do you know what the first thing I saw the next day was when I woke up?”
“…..”
“It was a Shandalo priest who hanged himself in front of the church’s icon. Even though he had trouble with his legs, he worked harder. He was a brother who always said that the happiest thing in the world was waking up before anyone else, washing the icons, cleaning the chapel, and saying good morning to each priest who woke up. He realized it the moment he woke up. No matter how early he gets up and cleans the chapel until it shines, there is no one who can look at him with sleepy eyes and talk about peace like before. The Shandalo brothers could not bear it any longer. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Every time Archbishop Norman remembered that day, he felt as if a small black dot was rising from the light he held in his heart.
Norman lowered the body of Brother Shandalo, who had hanged himself from the ceiling of the chapel, did his best to bury it, and then buried him in a corner of his favorite garden. After finishing the funeral in silence, as if he felt neither fatigue nor pain, Norman crossed the empty chapel and knelt in front of the statue of Ro Haram.
Rumbling –
The sound of thunder was heard from far away.
“Light…. Today another brother went to your side.”
I prayed but didn’t know what to do. The faith that I had no doubt about as a light that would never go out throughout my life was now teetering precariously like a candle at the edge of a cliff.
“They were all good lights that followed your will, so please help us become another light that will brighten the world by your side…”
Boom, boom, boom!
My hands didn’t stop shaking. The blood and tears that fell as the fingertips dug into the clasped hands mixed together in droplets.
“…Why did you do that? Why why! Why on earth! “How could you treat them so cruelly?”
Qarring!
Shoot!
As always, Norman ended up losing his mind in the empty chapel where Priest Shandalo had lit the candles and wiped them clean without a trace of dust.
“We did not ask for a clear light to brighten our path! I didn’t expect a bright future! I just hope that we can be a little light for each other. If we can become a small light that can help those who are wandering in the darkness take a step forward, that is enough! So these were the people! “What exactly is the intention behind trampling on that innocence, that small, brilliant light so cruelly?”
Wow!
Unable to overcome his anger, Norman tore the priest’s uniform he was wearing. The white and neat priest’s clothes were stained with the blood and brains of the enemies he had killed with his own hands while escaping his brothers, and the dust from digging the grave of the Shandalo priest. I couldn’t bear it because it felt like I was looking at myself.
Shootaaa-
“Give me the answer! We don’t ask for much! Even if it’s just a small signal, a small sign, please prove that their deaths were not in vain! please! “If you truly consider us your descendants!”
The monk, soaked in blood and tears, bowed his head in front of the statue.
“Please….give me the answer….”
Gurgling!
A monk seeking answers was crying out the name of God in a temple during a thunderstorm.
However, despite the earnest prayer that seemed to reach the sky, only the candle lit by the dead swayed precariously in the dark temple shrouded in dark clouds.
****
“I don’t really remember what I prayed for. I don’t remember anything, whether it was ‘Saenarim Chapter 7’ or ‘Gwangmyeong Chapter 3’. He just cries out Lo Haram’s name endlessly without raising his head from the spot until he collapses from exhaustion. There was no answer. However, as the shattered dawn light streamed through the window, I realized that I had a divine power that was incomparably stronger than before.”
Only then did the professor know where the brass candlesticks that filled his office came from.
“I didn’t hear back, but I knew what I had to do. I closed down the temple where no one was left, went out to the headquarters of the church, and reported the situation in the diocese where I was. Many people were sad and expressed their sincere gratitude to me for coming back alive, but that was a good thing. From that day on, I did everything I could to become archbishop. He approached powerful nobles first, used political maneuvers through dirty means, and gained the support of several priests based on his powerful divine power, ultimately taking the position of archbishop. It was a time when the money of not only Roderick but almost all countries dried up due to the noble war, and war merchants were taking over all the goods. I went to them and asked. What can I do to support the Gwangmyeong Church? Do you know what they were talking about?”
“What… did you talk about?”
“He said this. ‘A businessman is someone who puts a price on everything in the world, but raising the status of a religion means gaining a semi-permanent benefit for that party, so I don’t know how much to charge. So, we must make sure that your prestige flourishes to our advantage.’ He said. What they asked was, ‘Spread the teachings that do not treat other races as human beings.’ At the time, most countries legally banned slavery of different races. It was very disappointing for them that an easy, high value-added product was bound by the framework of the law. It was against the doctrine, but I ended up joining hands with them. The Church of Gwangmyeong no longer treated different races as the same human race, and the war merchants, who owed debt to numerous nobles regardless of the Marquis, Duke, and royal family, kept their promise and made the Church of Gwangmyeong the official religion of Roderick. No one can now defy the power of our church. “My brothers no longer have to be dragged into battle against their will or killed in an attack.”
-Whoa.
The archbishop sighed and stood up.
“That’s how it happened. I just realized through my life that I can’t keep the denomination through faith alone. On the day I joined hands with the war merchants to revise the doctrine, I selected faithful people like me who would break away from the doctrine behind the church and work for the church, and created those who manage the church’s information. This old man called the Archbishop and his brothers deviated from the direction pointed by the light of Ro Haram and entered the shadows, but thanks to this, many brothers were able to live simply praising the light and serving the light of Ro Haram, just as I did when I was a teenager. “It came to be.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
When I asked, the Archbishop, who had never wavered even while talking about the terrible past, seemed to hesitate for a moment.
“Senadis… wants you to join the same shadow sect as her. They say he is a talented person. That’s what I saw too. Have you seen Gregory? Although he is a man with a strong faith and an unrivaled sense of power, if someone like him stands at the top of the church, the Church of Gwangmyeong will become entangled in factions, become weak, and repeat the same past as me. The church needs talented people like you. After seeing your performance in the conference room, I became even more confident. Especially in these confusing times. Originally, when I called you here, I was planning to use some coercive methods to get you to join the church at all costs…” The archbishop rummaged through
a
drawer and took out an old letter and a book. I stamped it with Archbishop Dunny’s seal and handed it to the professor. At a glance, the book had an unusual energy flowing through it, and on the outside of the letter… [Apology to the brothers I ignored] was written.
“It’s so strange. “For some reason, while I’m trying to convince you, don’t you think I’ll want to talk about my old days?”
The archbishop who handed me the letter looked relieved, as if he had shaken off the lingering regrets in his heart.
“Even if the world doesn’t know and Ro Haram turns a blind eye, I can’t turn a blind eye to what I know. In the end, for the sake of the safety of my brothers of light, I turned a blind eye to countless other brothers of different races who should have shared the ‘light of all people’ spoken of by Ro Haram. My mistake that cannot be washed away. If one day I return to the light and return to Ro Haram’s side, I will ask, ‘Did I live as an instrument in accordance with your will?’ “I don’t have the confidence to ask.”
The archbishop took a few steps back, bowed towards me, and clasped his hands.
“But you said you would appear like a comet and lead harmony between the church and the different races. Do you know how surprised I was? It was really hard to hold back from almost shouting Ro Haram’s name several times in the conference room. It occurred to me that perhaps the reason you have become such a warrior of the cult is that Haram really chose you to be his tool. “I cannot dare to bind someone who does God’s will by my side.”
The archbishop was not only bowing, but was also about to kneel and bow. Accept the archbishop’s bow? I? Sitting on a chair with your back straight?!
Flat!
“Oh, Archbishop! You don’t have to! Actually, I had something to do with the elves, so I continued the story that way, but I really heard Ro Haram’s voice or something like that…”
“Hehehehehe. ” Wouldn’t that also be the guidance of light?”
The archbishop took out a small jar from his pocket. It was a perfume often used in temples. He raised his body and poured a little of the perfume on the head of the prostrate professor and dropped it.
“Ratura, lo haram. As a servant of Ro Haram and the Archbishop of the Church of Light, I will officially appoint you as a warrior of Light and a goodwill ambassador. Please correct the wrong past and shine it with light.”
The afternoon sunlight was shining brightly on the professor, who was lying face down, not knowing what to do, and the archbishop, who was sprinkling holy oil on him with a happy smile on his face.
On that day, the Gwangmyeong Church announced to the leading figures and information guilds of each country that they could receive support from the Gwangmyeong Church in the name of the warrior professor and in his name.
****
