The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 130

The path to Seong Ha-yeon was treacherous. While moving on Bade’s wind, I was cut by tree leaves several times and even had my eye poked by small branches. The wounds weren’t deep, but they hurt. Perhaps because of the medicine Kang Ji-ah gave me this morning, they hurt unnecessarily much.

Moreover, there was no proper entrance, and the situation was urgent, so I just broke through a window. I thought it would be fine if I crouched down, but glass shards still embedded themselves all over my body. These also hurt unnecessarily much.

While I was shaking off the glass shards from my clothes and couldn’t collect myself from the pain, a strange scene entered my view.

"Ah, ugh..."

First, a female student covered in blood, collapsed against the wall... a child that Seong Ha-yeon always kept by her side, but I couldn’t remember her name. Next to her, Seong Ha-yeon was sitting collapsed with her head down, eyes closed and ears covered. Around her, taxidermy were singing strange songs and frolicking.

There were three pieces of taxidermy. Upper body, lower body, and.

"Head."

[Don’t trust what the head says.]

The moment I saw the head, Baron Samedi’s prophecy came to mind. I had a strong conviction that the head rolling around with Seong Ha-yeon as the center was the head Baron Samedi had mentioned.

I recalled Baron Samedi’s prophecy.

Today he had said to beware of screams and wails. When screams echoed from the Divine Training Ground, So Do-jin disappeared and taxidermy appeared.

Then he said not to trust what the head says. I didn’t know what it meant exactly, but I felt that letting the head speak would lead to bad things.

Crack!

So I kicked it and burst it first. When the head burst, the upper body and lower body deflated like punctured balloons and collapsed to the floor. Targeting the head first seemed to be the right answer.

Thinking it was fortunate that things didn’t get more complicated, I approached Seong Ha-yeon. Then I grabbed her hand and opened it. The scar was there.

"Who did you show this to?"

"What, what did I show to whom...?"

Seong Ha-yeon asked stupidly. She was trembling. I don’t know what the taxidermy had done to her, but she seemed greatly shocked. However, now wasn’t the time to consider her circumstances.

"This, the scar. Who did you show it to besides me?"

I asked again. Seong Ha-yeon kept her mouth shut for a long time, either thinking or just being dazed. Frustrated, I was about to ask once more when she finally opened her mouth.

"Uh, no one."

"No one? That can’t be right."

"Ra-hee knows, but other kids..."

Ah, so the collapsed kid’s name is Kim Ra-hee. With this realization, I glanced at Kim Ra-hee.

She was barely breathing through her bloodied mouth. Her condition didn’t seem critically serious, but there was significant bleeding. After getting some information from Seong Ha-yeon, I’d need to use restoration or healing on her.

"Were you with her all day today?"

I asked, leaving behind Kim Ra-hee who was giving me pitiful looks.

"Probably..."

"Say it clearly."

"Ah, yes. Yes, we were together all day..."

Seong Ha-yeon trembled and stepped backward. Every time I opened my mouth, she seemed to get scared and kept trying to distance herself from me. I grabbed such a Seong Ha-yeon’s hand and pulled her while opening my mouth.

"Did you skip school yesterday?"

"Yes? Yes. Huh? How did you..."

I had a hunch it would be like that, and indeed my intuition wasn’t wrong. The day after the scar formed on her hand two days ago, she had skipped school.

Yesterday evening, she had skipped school under the pretext of going to the hospital.

The scar on Seong Ha-yeon’s palm was formed just two days ago. According to Seong Ha-yeon, the only person who knew about the scar’s existence besides me was Kim Ra-hee. Since she even skipped school yesterday, the possibility that someone else coincidentally saw the scar on her hand was low.

However, Kim Ra-hee had no connection to Jeong In-ah. There was a high possibility they didn’t even know of each other’s existence. The possibility that Kim Ra-hee was a Satan worshipper was nonexistent.

"..."

Then who on earth could it be?

Someone who met Jeong In-ah this morning, but hadn’t met Kim Jin-seo recently, and knew that Seong Ha-yeon had a scar on her palm. I don’t know. I have no idea at all. I thought we had grown close enough, but it seemed we were only growing more distant.

"...Ah, there’s one more person."

Then, Seong Ha-yeon opened her mouth.

"Who."

"It’s a guy... is that okay?"

"What does it matter?"

I asked back in disbelief. I wanted to snap at her, but I held back thinking she might get scared and step backward again. And I waited for her to continue.

Seong Ha-yeon hesitated for a long time before slowly opening her mouth.

"Yesterday, someone came to the house..."

Seong Ha-yeon rolled her eyes here and there, stammering as she continued. The story went back to yesterday, the day after the scar formed on her hand.

* * *

Florence’s main gate is full of flowers. The flowers that graduating students customarily planted when leaving school bloom in spring when new students enter.

When flowers sway in the spring breeze welcoming new students, teachers finally feel that a new semester has begun, and they would reminisce about the bittersweet emotions they felt watching graduates stay and leave to walk their respective paths.

Those flowers were all stained with blood. The flowers that had boasted various colors were all dyed red. The blood was thick and didn’t wash away in the rain. The sight of flowers nodding their heads when raindrops fell was eerie.

The battle between Holy Knights and mercenaries had been that fierce.

"...Don’t you know how to handle weapons?"

The man pointed his pitchfork at Han Dae-ho and asked. During the battle with the man, Han Dae-ho had broken ribs from being hit by iron balls, and had a penetrating wound in his thigh from a spear.

Despite injuries that would have killed anyone else, Han Dae-ho was still standing. It was his stubbornness that Holy Knights don’t bow before mercenaries. Han Dae-ho called it pride, but to the man, it was just irrational stubbornness.

"Do I need weapons to drive away mercenary bastards?"

Han Dae-ho stared at the man. His pupils were dyed red with blood.

"It seems you tried to compensate for individual incompetence with training and equipment... Must be disappointing that it didn’t work out as planned."

"Shut up. Say one more word and I’ll tear your mouth apart."

"If you had carried the equipment your subordinates were holding, the outcome might have been different."

The man looked around as he spoke. The subordinate Holy Knights had either lost consciousness early or were incapacitated by injuries. There were several mercenaries who had suffered major injuries too, but their numbers were significantly fewer compared to the Holy Knights.

The Eastern Holy Knight Order had increased their combat power through training. The training had been quite effective, turning a ragtag group that would die whether scattered or united into one that could at least survive when united.

Nevertheless, the Eastern Holy Knight Order suffered a crushing defeat to the Crow mercenary group. It was because the Crow mercenary group was stronger than the rumors and notoriety suggested. They fought while injecting strange drugs into their arms or thighs during combat instead of using blessings.

"I won’t kill you, so don’t worry."

The man said while raising his pitchfork. The Crow mercenary group, commissioned to "prevent anyone from entering or leaving through the gate," didn’t kill the Holy Knights. They only carried out exactly what they were commissioned to do, never committing unnecessary murder.

This made Han Dae-ho even angrier. Not only had he suffered a crushing defeat in battle against mere mercenaries, but he was now surviving thanks to their mercy, which was the greatest humiliation for a Holy Knight.

"A bastard who says he won’t kill, why are you holding that?"

"Aren’t you thinking of looking for an opportunity to ambush me right now?"

"How did you know?"

"Intuition."

"Do all blind people have good intuition?"

"The blind people who didn’t all died."

The man laughed. There was resignation in his smile.

Han Dae-ho got up by forcibly straightening his bent knees that wouldn’t extend. There was a strange clicking sound from his knee and pain spread throughout his body.

His knee, which had been getting worse, was acting up again. Since this wasn’t the time to sit down unable to bear the pain, Han Dae-ho tried to ignore the pain.

"It would be better if you stayed collapsed."

"Fuck off."

"If you overdo it, you might become disabled."

"How considerate of you, mercenary sir. I’m overwhelmed by your grace."

Han Dae-ho spoke sarcastically while wiping blood from his eyes. He glared at the man through his half-blocked vision and raised his fist.

The fist he threw with all his might moved slowly toward the man, then soon dropped. He had no strength left to attack the man. He barely managed to prop himself up by pressing his hand to the ground to prevent his body from falling.

Crack! 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Kugh, aaaah...!"

In that instant, the man struck down with his pitchfork on Han Dae-ho’s hand. Han Dae-ho’s hand was pinned to the ground.

The man ground his pitchfork while stepping on it, firmly fixing Han Dae-ho’s hand to the ground. Every time the pitchfork moved, Han Dae-ho let out a scream.

"Pull this out. You son of a bitch..."

"If I pull it out, I’ll die, so I can’t do that."

Han Dae-ho tried to pull out his hand, but it was pinned to the ground and wouldn’t move. The man sat down with a thud while watching Han Dae-ho struggle with his pale eyes.

His condition was just as serious as Han Dae-ho’s. Though there were no visible external injuries, intestine-tearing pain was rising from his abdomen where he’d been hit by Han Dae-ho. His organs seemed damaged. Meanwhile, Han Dae-ho was still struggling desperately to pull out his hand pinned to the ground.

"Give up."

The man spoke as if mocking such efforts.

"Shut up."

Han Dae-ho glared at the man with bloodshot eyes.

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

And again he tried to pull out his hand pinned by the pitchfork.

Even if he managed to pull out his hand pinned by the pitchfork, there would be nothing he could do. Han Dae-ho’s physical condition was already terrible. His injuries were too severe to fight. Nevertheless, Han Dae-ho somehow tried to pull out his hand pinned by the pitchfork and tried to get up and fight again.

Even if it meant dying or becoming disabled somewhere, he intended to fight to the end. This time it wasn’t about protecting pride or anything like that. It was simply because his self-respect was hurt.

Watching such Han Dae-ho, the man let out a thin breath and opened his mouth.

"If you move any more, you’ll lose the use of your hand for life..."

Swoosh!

The man’s worried-sounding sarcastic words couldn’t reach their end. Han Dae-ho had finally managed to pull out his hand pinned to the ground. With a clatter, the sound of the pitchfork rolling on the ground, Han Dae-ho stood up. Light of blessing and healing was flowing from his massive body.

It wasn’t just Han Dae-ho. Light was pouring down on all the Holy Knights who had been injured and unconscious or collapsed.

Dozens of circles drawn with divine power floated in the sky. Light enveloped them, healing wounds all over the Holy Knights’ bodies. New strength filled their arms and legs. Their turbid and clouded minds were clearing.

The Holy Knights regained consciousness one by one and stood up. The sublime light pouring from the sky healed their wounds and granted them strength. At that sight, which could be called nothing short of a miracle, fear appeared on the mercenaries’ faces while madness appeared in the Holy Knights’ eyes.

"...Adonai is watching over us."

Han Dae-ho muttered while receiving the pouring light.

"Adonai is watching over us! Rise! In the name of Adonai!"

The murmur became a shout. With each of Han Dae-ho’s shouts, the rain and blood on the Holy Knights’ faces trembled.

The Holy Knights picked up the weapons they had dropped and reorganized their scattered formation. And they trembled while looking at the sublime light pouring from the sky. Shedding tears, they shouted.

"For the kingdom of Adonai!"

"In the name of Adonai!"

"For the kingdom of Adonai!"

The faces of those who approached the mercenaries while crying out the name of God were soaked in faith.

The mercenaries who had been defeating the Holy Knights with devastating force stepped backward with fearful gazes. What was contained in the Holy Knights’ eyes was conviction and faith, but to the mercenaries, they were just mad dogs intoxicated by collective madness.

"...Completely insane bastards."

The man muttered. Han Dae-ho approached the man with large strides. The man looked up at Han Dae-ho with pale eyes. Han Dae-ho looked down at the man with clenched fists. His fist wrapped in light looked large and heavy.

"Don’t worry. I won’t kill you."

Crack!

Han Dae-ho’s fist struck the man’s jaw. The man rolled his eyes back and fainted. The swift reconnaissance team suppressed the spear throwers and slingshot users positioned in the trees. The spear throwers and slingshot users fell helplessly to the reconnaissance team wrapped in the light of blessing.

The shooting team swung their guns without rubber bullets loaded, striking the mercenaries’ heads. Sickles and clubs in the mercenaries’ hands rolled on the ground.

With the sudden pouring of light, the tide of battle was instantly reversed. The reconnaissance team handcuffed the fallen mercenaries, and the shooting team loaded rubber bullets and aimed at mercenaries not yet restrained.

"Oh Hee-jin! Did you request support from the rescue team?"

"Yes, they’ll be here soon!"

Weeeeee!

With perfect timing, Holy Knight Order vehicles arrived. Rescue teams poured out of the vehicles like a flood. The assault team loaded the subdued mercenaries into cars, and the rescue team loaded injured personnel who couldn’t be fully healed even by the light from the sky into cars.

The Holy Knights’ movements were systematic. Han Dae-ho’s training, which hadn’t shown results in battle, was finally bearing fruit.

"Commander! Over here...!"

One rescue team member carrying patients urgently shouted. Han Dae-ho quickly came to his senses and approached the rescue team member.

A middle-aged man was kneeling and vomiting blood. He had a nosebleed and bloody tears. There wasn’t a part of the man’s features that wasn’t bleeding. Blood was pouring from the man’s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

"...Chairman!"

The middle-aged man was Kim Chang-won. As an archbishop-level priest, he had also served as head of the Central Priest Order, but had suddenly announced his retirement for health reasons. Unused divine power was spitting light and fading from Kim Chang-won’s fingertips.

Han Dae-ho belatedly realized that the light that had poured from the sky during battle had been blessing and healing circles drawn by Kim Chang-won.

"Cough, kuheh..."

"Rescue team! All personnel capable of first aid, assemble! We have a critically injured patient!"

"Ah, no. I’m fine, I’m okay. Students, hospital. Hospital first...!"

"Yes, understood! Since you’re okay, leave the rest to us!"

Kim Chang-won spoke while spewing blood. Han Dae-ho nodded. He was saying to prioritize the students and patients at the hospital over himself. Two rescue team members ran over and loaded Kim Chang-won into a car, which immediately departed for the hospital.

Kim Chang-won had a constitution where side effects from overusing divine power were much more severe than others. He had to step down from leading the Central Priest Order because of this damned constitution. Kim Chang-won, loaded into the car heading to the hospital, was immersed in self-loathing, regretting that he couldn’t protect the school to the end.

After roughly finishing the arrest of mercenaries and treatment of the injured, Han Dae-ho looked at Florence. Black storm clouds floated above the tall spire of the main building. Rain and wind raged, and thunder and lightning scattered. Florence was splendid under light but desolate under darkness.

"Rescue team, go to the hospital. Reconnaissance team, search the walls while transporting discovered injured to the gate. There may be personnel poisoned by magi around the walls. Shooting team, escort the rescue team, and assault team, come with me."

At Han Dae-ho’s instructions, the Holy Knights formed ranks. The small light glimpsed between the fear in their eyes was resolve. When all the Holy Knights’ resolve was directed toward Han Dae-ho, Han Dae-ho opened his mouth.

"Forward."

* * *

"So Do-jin."

Kim Bok-dong said. No, taxidermy in the shape of Kim Bok-dong said. Looking down at the fallen taxidermy while raising his sword, So Do-jin had blood and a smile on his lips. The smile immersed in resignation and grief fell to the floor along with blood drops.

"So Do-jin. I was wrong. Save me."

"’Save me’... Haha..."

The taxidermy’s voice pleading desperately was exactly the same as Kim Bok-dong’s voice without a single error. The pitch, tone, and manner of speaking were all identical. However, the content of those words was different.

So Do-jin raised his sword and struck down on the fallen taxidermy’s head.

Crack!

A hole was punched in the taxidermy’s head.

Spurting sawdust splattered on So Do-jin’s face, and cotton protruded and flowed through the cracks. So Do-jin’s expression while killing taxidermy that looked exactly like his old friend was calm.

While stabbing and stirring the taxidermy’s head, So Do-jin felt anger rather than discomfort.

"If you’re going to imitate, do it properly, you stupid bastard..."

Kim Bok-dong was foolishly compassionate, but he wouldn’t beg enemies for his life. He would probably resist while calling Adonai’s name until the moment of death. However, the taxidermy begged enemies for its life and gave up resistance the moment defeat was decided.

So Do-jin didn’t equate the taxidermy with Kim Bok-dong. He couldn’t equate Kim Bok-dong with taxidermy that was merely an imitation, pathetically begging enemies for its life. Because it was taxidermy wearing Kim Bok-dong’s mask, So Do-jin killed the taxidermy by striking down his sword even more unhesitatingly.

"Behold, brothers and sisters..."

Thud!

So Do-jin muttered while roughly pulling out his sword embedded in the taxidermy’s head. It was a hymn Kim Bok-dong used to sing. So Do-jin didn’t know the melody and didn’t know the lyrics properly either, but he recited the hymn by spitting out lyrics as he remembered them. Otherwise, he felt he would immediately lose consciousness and collapse.

"Heavenly King, King of Glory."

Looking up at the ceiling, the black magic circles had disappeared. It was thanks to cutting down all the magical beasts and demon species that had poured out. Corpses of taxidermy and demon species filled all directions.

So Do-jin’s fingers were still severed, and the bandages tied to grip his sword were soaked with blood. His walk was limping. Both left and right ankles seemed broken. Sharp pain arose in his chest every time he breathed. His ribs might be shattered.

"Huff, huff..."

He caught his breath and moved outside the Divine Training Ground. It hurt but wasn’t unbearable. Whether it was fatal, he wasn’t sure. For now, he was grateful he could move. If he could grip a sword and move, killing the Satan worshipper was also possible.

- Yeah, keep spinning your wheels. Good work.

Click.

So Do-jin recalled the Satan worshipper’s voice heard through the burning bush branch and clenched his molars. It was a familiar voice. Whose voice was it? At first, it didn’t come to mind easily. While cutting down magical beasts, demon species, and taxidermy, So Do-jin finally recalled who the voice belonged to.

"There are about 216 magical beasts... no, I think about 200."

It was the bastard who had come to report first on the day magical beasts appeared in the stable.

"Resurrected from death..."

So Do-jin laughed. Though it was a shabby face covered with blood and sawdust, that smile was clear. He came out of the Divine Training Ground. It was raining. So Do-jin walked limping while getting rained on. Blood on his sword was washed away by the rain.

* * *

"It’s been exactly 2 years since you transferred here, right?"

"Huh? What... Yeah, I came in the spring the year before last."

He had come here in the spring the year before last, 2 years ago.

"When I lived in Incheon, my nickname was ’Lone Wolf’..."

"Back then, the sea was right in front so I went all the time..."

"That kid hasn’t changed addresses recently either."

Until 2 years ago, the place he lived was Incheon. However, he didn’t make this known to those around him.

[After causing the ’Tower of Corpses’ incident in Incheon 2 years ago, he disappeared.]

He didn’t want it known, and it shouldn’t be known.

The Satan worshipper caused the Tower of Corpses incident in Incheon 2 years ago and disappeared, and around that time, he came here. He would have wanted to hide this, but I didn’t forget his slip of tongue.

"I should also do stocks or coins. Ah, lottery too."

"That completely white kid. Sung, Sung... Sung Myeong-jun?"

To the question of what you would do if you went back to the past, you gave a predictable answer. You didn’t remember other people’s names well. Neither did I.

"Because we’re in the same position, commonalities inevitably appear in speech and habits."

That would be because we were both outsiders. Outsiders who had squeezed in among the chosen people. We had no choice but to give predictable answers to hide being outsiders, and being outsiders, we had no need to remember the chosen people’s names one by one.

Crack.

A tree branch broke with a dry sound. The sound crossed between trees and spread in all directions.

Magi was spread throughout the garden. Every breath made my throat scratchy and my head dizzy. I was wandering through Eden Garden.

"That box is the Satan worshipper’s purpose and also the elders’ purpose."

When I used Granbwa’s power in Eden Garden, I saw a box buried deep in the garden.

Baron Samedi said it was the Satan worshipper’s purpose and the elders’ purpose. I don’t know what’s in the box. However, I was convinced you would be where the box was.

The screams that echoed from the Divine Training Ground and the collapsed gymnasium. And the broadcast about blowing up the hospital. The mercenaries blocking the gate.

The Divine Training Ground, gymnasium, and hospital were buildings on the completely opposite side from Eden Garden. You were luring me. So I couldn’t interfere with you.

I retraced my memory and moved toward where the box was. Sometimes taxidermy was nailed to trees for display. There were crude and bizarre expressions of children and mothers, or newborn babies being born, and taxidermy hanging from ropes as if suggesting suicide. Thanks to the taxidermy, finding the way was actually easier.

When I nearly reached my destination, I recalled Seong Ha-yeon’s words.

"That person came to the house directly. He said he came two days ago to say thank you for that incident. At night."

"...What time was it?"

"It was around 8 o’clock... I think."

Yesterday evening, you treated us to a meal and headed to Seong Ha-yeon’s home.

Because you came to the house so suddenly, Seong Ha-yeon panicked and couldn’t hide her scar in time, she said. She added that maybe you saw her scar then.

It wasn’t maybe you saw it, you definitely saw it.

You knew what clothes Jeong In-ah usually wore. Of course. You were 2-year friends and in the same class.

You had never encountered Kim Jin-seo, so you wouldn’t have known she wore the rosary I gave her on her wrist. After the gymnasium burned down, there wouldn’t have been occasions for you two to spar either.

"..."

In the black and murky magi, we faced each other and clearly recognized each other even from quite a distance.

The gaze looking at me was murky and clouded, unlike usual. The school uniform roughly thrown on had lost its original color and turned pitch black. As if dyed with magi.

"Ah..."

Gu Jun-hyeok.

He let out a sigh. Shedding black tears, he raised his finger. A pointed and elongated index finger, unlike a human’s, aimed at me diagonally.

Thunder and lightning scattered and rain and wind raged. The taxidermy hanging from trees chewed through the ropes with their teeth to cut them.

Splash, splash...

The footsteps of taxidermy stepping on rain-soaked ground were familiar. They approached me while baring sharp teeth. All of them had broken and dangling necks. Gu Jun-hyeok’s face commanding the taxidermy approaching me was cold.

All the appearances until now of smiling foolishly and greeting me cheekily whenever he saw me were all lies.

Surrounded by pitch-black magi, staring at me coldly with even blacker pupils, that appearance was the truth. He wasn’t a Florence student but a Satan worshipper. Bearing the two sin names of Envy and Pride.

[Are you the Voodoo cult leader or a Florence student?]

Ogun’s voice, though I hadn’t called him, wandered through my head. Taxidermy approached me, and I approached Gu Jun-hyeok.

"Ogun, Loa of iron and war. May your power dwell in my body."

When I called Ogun’s name, vibrations arose everywhere. Speakers installed throughout Eden Garden and scattered metal objects were all trembling as if frightened by Ogun’s appearance.

Clang, clang!

The metal objects screamed. Heaven roared with flashes, but it couldn’t match the crying of metal scattered across the ground.

Grateful that it was raining, I forced open my mouth that wouldn’t separate. And looking at Ogun who was watching me from somewhere, I continued.

"As the Voodoo cult leader and prophet, I request."

We faced each other’s honest forms for the first time at this place.