New turnoff (2)
District 21.
The 20th District is a district that has existed since the beginning of the Balkans and replaced the role of the outer district before the city was expanded.
As the city expanded and various businesses and people entered, most of the districts were redeveloped, but there were still undeveloped streets in District 21.
This is because District 21 has been a downtown area where people have been gathering for decades, so it is difficult to overturn it easily because there are various facilities and historic sites.
For this reason, within the metropolis, District 21 was famous for having outdated facilities compared to those close to the central district.
Awesome… … !!
The wooden plank that I accidentally stepped on broke as it was with a bleak sound.
Wet smoke flowed through the pipes hanging from the wall of the old brick building and spread like soot.
At first glance, even if you think of it as a dark alleyway in the outer district, the appearance of the street is so old that there is no sense of incongruity.
Only the blurry appearance of high-rise buildings surrounding the 21st district, on the contrary, only makes it possible to realize that this place is close to the central district.
Lennok walked slowly through District 21, looking around the streets, and found a sign pointing to a cathedral nearby and continued walking.
The appearance of a small church located between secluded alleys.
Few people come and go, smoke billowing from everywhere and remnants of collapsed buildings and reinforced concrete are piled up here and there, giving off a strong smell.
Lennok looked up at the cathedral and slowly opened the door.
jump!!
“what?”
Just before pulling the door, the old cathedral door swung open and someone walked out from inside.
A middle-aged man with dark skin. His face was rough as if he hadn’t shaved for days, and his eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept in days.
The body is filled with the smell of cigarettes.
“Are there any people who come to pray at a church like this?”
“….”
“Wearing a X-like mask and walking around.”
The man, muttering in a drunken voice, jerked Lennok on the shoulder and left the church.
At first glance, it’s not strange even if it looks like a drunken drunkard.
But Lennok’s eyes shone sharply as he looked at the man’s back.
A few trips around Area 21 to make sure that others don’t find Lennok’s mask strange.
There was no doubt that the man who naturally recognized the mask was not an ordinary person.
A center of gravity that staggers but never shakes. The faint scent of blood hidden by the strong smell of alcohol and the hairs smeared on the inside of the coat.
Finally, as if to hide his identity, he secretly closes his sleeves.
In an instant, he inferred his level and origin through his behavior and gait.
‘Life and the smell of blood. Magical flow and strange body odor. Ain Jong. He’s from out of town.’
The fact that such a person visits the outlying church in District 21 must in itself prove that Lennok did not go to the wrong destination.
Thinking so, Lennok opened the door he was holding and entered the church.
woo woo woo… … !!
As soon as you step into the cathedral, you hear the magnificent organ sound.
At the end of the chapel, where no people exist at all, you can see the back of someone concentrating on playing the organ.
Judging from the fact that she is wearing a nun’s uniform, she is probably the nun who manages the cathedral.
Instead of talking to the other person right away, Lennok started looking around the chapel in silence.
This is because the building itself was a religious facility that was hard to find in a megalopolis.
The stronger the influence of the Guido Church, the stronger the atmosphere in the city that rejects and stays away from religion.
In the meantime, the appearance of the cathedral, which is still in existence, was somewhat unfamiliar to Lennok.
‘Maybe it’s intentional to take the shape of a cathedral… … .’
While Lennok thought so, he was thinking about the relationship between religion and the Pandemonium Guido Order.
After finishing playing the organ, the nun got up from her seat and turned around.
“A new believer has arrived.”
The nun who walked down gently and stood in front of Lennok held out her right hand without hesitation.
“Nice to meet you, Shinto. My name is Hirea Odinsen.”
“…I’m not a believer, but I’m glad to see you.”
Lennok took her hand, shook it, looked up at her face, and hesitated.
It was because under Hireah’s short hair, instead of her eyes, there were thick eye patches.
“As you can see, I cannot see the face of the believer properly because I am blind. These days, I can’t hear well, so I can’t even hear the voice of the believer.”
“No, the voice won’t be your problem.”
Due to the effect of the mask, Lennok’s voice is also being altered.
Hireah let out a sigh of relief.
“Is that so? That’s good. As blind people like me rely more on their other senses, it’s a big deal if they lose their hearing.”
“Are you worried that you might be hard of hearing since you were playing the organ just now?”
“While the organ is playing, I don’t listen to make sure it’s in tune.”
Hairea smiled and replied.
“Because between playing hymns, I am fully immersed in the process. Should all idle thoughts intervene in the process of praising God?”
“….”
God. It had been a long time since someone said such a thing in front of Lennok.
Lennok asked, even though he knew it wasn’t the business that had originally come to him.
“Do you believe that God exists?”
“Is that what you’re going to say in the cathedral?”
Hireah replied with a slightly flustered mouth.
Lennok, too, sensed the question was wrong and cleared his throat.
“No, that’s not what I mean… … . I wonder if you have ever imagined what God might look like.”
“….”
“The most powerful religious group on this continent has no doubts about the image and location of God. Rather, don’t you make a specific shape and serve it?”
It is an undeniable fact that, apart from the fact that the Guido Church regards the monsters of the open sea as gods and serves them, there are believers who respond to their beliefs.
Lennok wondered what this non-denominational nun would think about God.
If this person is really a member of Pandemonium, at least it’s because he sees the world in a different way than others.
“It is because he has no form that we can revere him.”
Hireah looked at Lennok for a while with an interesting look before opening her mouth.
“It can exist in the form of faith because it can be its own answer to all those who believe in and serve him. If you can understand that, you too will be able to receive grace and serve under our doctrine.”
An answer close to the original theory rather than revealing firm beliefs or individuality.
Hyrea also naturally turned her back, as if she had no desire to have a theological discussion.
“So, can Shindo-nim know why you came to this church? If it’s about the offering you paid, I guess I should tell you that you’ve already returned to God.”
“….”
Hirea, who has not yet brought out the matter, immediately informs that a refund is not possible.
It was not difficult to understand what the purpose of most of the visitors to this cathedral was.
It was absurd, but Lennok decided to take a look at her lightly.
“well. I’m not sure either. I heard that you will find out once you come here.”
“I’m sorry, but with those words, I don’t have a big guess. All I do is sit here all day and play hymns… … .”
Hireah sighed in embarrassment.
“Usually, it is difficult to know which believers visit our church.”
“Right. A man came out when I was just entering the church. If he hadn’t known, I don’t know if he would have stolen something.”
“What can I take from such an old church? If it’s not the organ I’m handling, I don’t think it’s worth anything, so it’s okay.”
“okay?”
Lennok adjusted his mask and tilted his head slowly.
“I couldn’t hear the organ when I just opened the door.”
“….”
“You must have talked to that person, but you pretend not to know…. Lying is not a virtue of a priest.”
Silence passed.
Hireah looked up at Lennok with a smile as if time had stopped.
Lennok looked down blankly at the scene and took a step back with a smile.
“Don’t stop here. I came because of Pandaemonium.”
“Haaa….”
The moment he said that name, Hireah’s expression relaxed and he let out a deep sigh.
Sitting on a wooden chair near the chapel, she muttered angrily as she leaned back with her legs crossed.
“I was worried because I thought another annoying follower came.”
“….”
“If you have been arranged, could you speak to me sooner rather than later? Why don’t you take a look at the useless liver?”
“What do you believe in?”
Lennok smiled and sat casually at the table across from her.
“Not many people really know about pandemonium. Of course, I thought they would say something first, but since they are imitating priests, I have no choice but to talk about their feelings.”
“I’m just getting work and arranging suitable talented people.”
Hyrea said in a sharp voice.
“For some reason, he took over the work of Pandaemonium and delivered it to me, but in the first place, I had a different relationship with them….”
“It is a lie.”
Lennok interrupted, reaching into his arms and fiddling with the tobacco.
Because I’m wearing a mask, I can’t smoke even if I want to. For the time being, it seemed that it would have to be replaced with medicine in the form of an ampoule or a potion.
“There’s no way Myeong would have put words into the person concerned at that level. It must have possessed the ability of a trait system strong enough to be able to communicate with all continents, or be close enough to know the leader.”
“….”
“I would have said that I had heard the story separately. How long are you going to keep going for nothing?”
How long did it take for Myung to convince Lennok, and how long did it take to get here?
Since Lennok is aware of this better than anyone else, the current lukewarm attitude inevitably annoys him.
At the same time as Lennok showed his discomfort, the very air of the old church began to shake and rumble slowly.
Doo doo doo!!
Even with a very small amount of mana raised, the air around the area vibrates as if it were being crushed just by the projection of that will.
The moment Hireah jumped up from her seat with her lips trembling at that unusual momentum.
“Don’t go there.”
Through Hireah’s lips, a completely different calm voice leaked out.
“This child is not lying. He is only vaguely aware of where he is.”
“what?”
“So why don’t you take that energy quickly? This child’s body isn’t very strong, and it’s hard to withstand just being exposed to such hideous magic for a long time.”
Only then did Lenok realize that Hirea had completely changed into a different person in front of him.
She laughed contentedly in the instantly quiet cathedral air.
“It’s perfect magic. From divergence to convergence, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s worth praising Myeong to dry her saliva.”
“…double personality? no He is a completely different person.”
Lennok, who instantly sensed Highrea’s life reaction, narrowed his eyes through the mask.
“Looks like you tried your best to hide this place. Did you seduce an innocent cleric and use it as a shield?”
“I hope you don’t take it so crookedly.”
Hairea slowly raised her hands and opened her eyes at the same time as she took off her blindfold.
Pupils formed over his eyes, which could only see pure white, and he clearly faced Lennok.
“We are just filling each other’s needs. It is the same for me and this child to take risks in the process.”
“….”
“I know you are cautious, but I hope you don’t think of us as heinous criminals too much. Well, if it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t have come to see me until now, right?”
Hireah, who was leisurely leaning back on her chair and twiddling her eyes, smiled.
“Myung, who has been wandering all over the continent, seems to have finally found a new ally. Then, shall we talk about the business you came to?
* * *
“…Aris, are you listening?”
She raised her head slightly at the sound of a quiet voice overhead.
Her messy blonde hair gleamed in the sunlight as it spread over the book.
Clarisse snorted as she stood up casually and started getting her hair done.
“He really is. After going to the Balkans, the shamelessness only increased. Are you going to pretend you haven’t slept at all?”
“…Hmmmm.”
Aris cleared her throat with an embarrassed look and looked away.
“What is it, Master? I’m sorry, but if it’s about the conference, it’s already enough-”
“News from outside the Magic Tower. You asked for it to be delivered every quarter.”
Saying that, Clarisse put the catalog she was holding onto her desk.
She was careful about putting anything in her lab, which was piled up with all kinds of magic books and research papers.
“The old friends seem to want you to focus only on the work of the Mage Tower, but from my point of view, it can’t be like this.”
Looking around Aris’ messy lab, Clarisse’s eyebrows furrowed.
“It’s good to dig into curses and medical systems that you haven’t been interested in, but isn’t it too risky to learn about ancient primitive magic and gold arts?”
“….”
“As you also completed the hierarchy, I tried not to interfere as much as possible, but I think you need to cool your head for a while.”
“that….”
Aris was unable to object to Clarisse’s stern words and kept her mouth shut.
A sabbatical year after putting down his chair professorship at Rabatenon University for a while.
Aside from the time he attended the conference representing the Mage Tower, it had been quite a while since he had devoted himself only to research.
It is not that there were no achievements in the research so far, but it is also true that the achievement was not as expected.
It would be a lie if I said that it wasn’t Aris who didn’t have much time, so he wasn’t even more impatient.
Her long-time friend and teacher was seeing through Aris’s heart accurately.
Clarisse nodded happily at the sight of Aris, who started flipping through the catalog with a slightly sullen expression.
“After taking a break, let’s go out together for the first time in a while. Rumors have been circulating that there are a lot of frost-covered rocks on the market these days, so you should go check it out-”
Charleuk!!
Before Clarice could finish her sentence, Aris stared at one of the catalog pages and began to turn them quickly.
She skimmed through the catalog in an instant, her gaze fixed on the clipped newspaper clippings at the front of the page.
Clarisse confirmed the contents and shrugged.
“Isn’t it fun? To think that Madrich Onion died after being defeated by a wizard named Kyeonroe.”
“….”
“Among the sorcerers I remember, he was by far the best in terms of twists and turns. Because of that, we also sent a letter to Kyeon-roe, but it seems that he has no intention of getting involved with the Magic Tower. Rather, it seemed that the Thorburns came back with a lot of scolding.”
“….”
“Oh. The letter from Bayla is also enclosed, so take a look. It seems that the Guido Church has done something to target the thesis written by your laboratory… … Where are you going?”
“To the city.”
Aris, whose complexion was slightly pale, grabbed her coat and immediately began to organize her belongings.
It’s a huge city with no windy days, but it seemed like a lot of things had happened while she was gone.
And that in both of the mage jobs she knew.
“I have something I need to go back and check on. I’ll be right back.”
Genius Wizard Who Eats Medicine Chapter 438
