Chapter 218

“This, this bastard… how dare you…”

“Ugh, I don’t wanna hear it.”

I’ve heard the word “dare” so much that it feels like my ears are growing calluses.

“This punk’s attitude is so consistent, huh?”

“Well…”

*Thud*

“Ugh!”

“Nice.”

It’s hilarious how he falls flat on his face after just one kick to the shin.

“Ugh… you, you bastard…!”

“Come on, don’t be so dramatic. You’re crying over one little hit.”

Well, to be honest, I can’t stand pain either and scream like crazy even from a small hit, but what can you do?

Right now, I’m the one dishing out the violence, and he’s just an old man who can’t do anything.

In other words, I’m in the position of the strong, forcing this guy to endure the suffering he loves so much.

“Honestly, calling myself the strong feels a bit off though…”

“Hey, Bishop. Let me ask you something.”

“Ugh… Do you think I’d talk to a Dark Sorcerer like you?!”

“You’re already talking, you idiot. What’s the difference between you and those Dark Sorcerers who kidnap people for experiments, huh?”

“How dare you! How dare you compare me to a Dark Sorcerer! You blasphemous bastard!”

‘He needs more hits.’

I immediately grabbed his hair and slapped him.

*Slap*

“Ugh!”

“Look at your face, what? Does it suck to get slapped?”

“You damn heretic!”

“Still got some energy in your voice, huh?”

*Thud*

“Ahhh!”

It’s true that wielding violence is incredibly sweet.

It’s a trashy thing to say, but inflicting violence on someone comes with a certain pleasure.

Being able to dominate another life form gives a dangerous kind of satisfaction.

Even if you’re not directly violent, it’s no wonder people on Earth enjoy violent media.

‘Feels good.’

*Thud*

“Ugh! You damn Dark Sorcerer…”

*Crack*

“Ugh! W-wait…!”

It’s only natural that his attitude changed after the continuous violence.

“Stop, stop! Please!”

“Pfft!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his attitude.

I mean, it’s funny how the guy who preached about sacrifice is now trembling after just a few hits.

“Kek, what’s wrong, Bishop? What are you gonna do after just a few hits, huh?”

“……”

He must have thought he shouldn’t provoke me anymore, so he was looking at me with a terrified expression.

‘This feels a bit off.’

It’s only natural to feel bad when a lunatic looks at you like you’re the lunatic.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look like a lunatic to you?”

“… You’re a lunatic.”

“What did I do to be called a lunatic? It’s disappointing to be treated like a lunatic just for throwing a few punches.”

“Look at your face! You’re enjoying hitting me, aren’t you?”

“That’s ridiculous. Should I be making a sad face while hitting you? Do you want me to cry too?”

“That’s…”

“We’re not that close, are we? Huh?”

It’s been a while since I last used violence, after kicking Baek Si-hoon, so I couldn’t help but grin.

I know this isn’t normal, but I don’t really care. People don’t have to be normal.

I was about to hit him again.

*Tap*

“Yun-seong, stop.”

I glanced back and saw Yoon Yeon holding my arm.

‘Ah.’

I guess I forgot I wasn’t alone.

‘… My bad.’

Yoon Yeon was looking at me with a complicated expression. So was Wi Ho-yeon behind her.

‘Sigh.’

I’ve been trying to hide this side of me, but it’s inevitable to feel a bit awkward.

After all, I’ve been hiding this from everyone around me.

“Stop. That’s enough. He deserves it, but let’s stop here.”

I couldn’t help but feel a strange emotion.

I thought Yoon Yeon and Wi Ho-yeon would be disgusted seeing me like this, but their expressions were different from what I expected.

Yoon Yeon looked worried about me. Even though it was the other guy who got hit.

“… Alright. I guess I went a bit too far, as you said, Yeon noona.”

As I lowered my arm that Yoon Yeon was holding, I finally saw the Bishop’s face.

‘Tsk, I might have hit him too much.’

His lips were split, and his face was bruised all over.

I glanced at my hand, and maybe because my physical stats are low, but my hand was also scraped and bruised.

Seeing me calm down, Yoon Yeon smiled slightly and sighed.

“Sigh… Anyway, I never thought something like this would happen. We got involved in unnecessary trouble.”

I honestly felt pretty sorry for Yoon Yeon. Wi Ho-yeon and Choi Ga-in are part of the Eternity Clan, but Yoon Yeon is different.

“Do you regret it?”

“No. Why are you making that face? I came here willingly. No need to feel sorry.”

“… Who said I was feeling sorry?”

“Ha, it’s written all over your face.”

Anyway, I looked back at the Bishop, who was trembling on the ground.

‘Now his attitude is more to my liking.’

There was no sign of him yelling like before.

Instead, his face was filled with fear of violence.

And anger at the humiliation he suffered.

Of course, he didn’t show his anger. He must know by now that he’ll get hit again if he does.

While I was thinking about how to deal with the Bishop, I sensed people approaching from beyond the broken door.

‘What, why are you here?’

The first to react among us was the Bishop, lying on the ground.



“Uh, Saintess!”

The Saintess appeared here, accompanied by the Holy Knights.

In a situation where it was hard to understand why that woman had come all the way here, a guy who seemed to have found a lifeline limped toward the Saintess, catching everyone’s attention.

“Uh, Saintess! You’ve come to save me! Those! Those wicked heretics destroyed the Church!”

‘That bastard…’

I clicked my tongue at the sight of him blabbering as soon as he saw people he thought were on his side.

“Those devilish bastards dared to defile the ceremony preparing the next Saintess! They must be judged! Saintess, you must…!”

“Bishop Ozwell.”

“Yes, yes! Saintess!”

The way his face lit up with joy when his name was called was almost unbelievable.

Apparently, the guy was thrilled that the Saintess remembered his name.

What was ridiculous was that he glanced back at us and smirked as if to say, “You’re in big trouble now.”

“Uahaha! I, I told you clearly! Divine judgment, divine punishment will fall upon you! It’s too late to regret now, you evil scoundrels!”

‘Sigh…’

I was genuinely impressed that he could speak so excitedly even after being beaten up like that. I wondered where that energy even came from.

“You will stand trial! You will be executed in front of the entire continent! If you think you can die peacefully, you’re mistaken. You’ve committed an unprecedented crime, so surely…”

The Saintess cut him off and spoke.

“Those people are not sinners, Bishop Ozwell.”

“…Huh?”

Perhaps sensing something off in the Saintess’s demeanor, the Bishop asked again in an uneasy voice.

“What… What do you mean? Saintess?”

“…..”

“What do you mean they’re not sinners? They destroyed the Church and ruined the sacred ceremony! You know that too, don’t you, Saintess?”

“Bishop, the one who sent them here was none other than me.”

At the Saintess’s words, the guy’s mouth hung open in a dumbfounded expression.

“…Y-you’re joking, right? You sent them here, Saintess?”

The Saintess sighed and began to speak of something else.

“Bishop Ozwell, I suddenly remembered something from the past. The time when I received the holy mark on my back under your guidance here.”

“Huh?”

“I still vividly remember that time. You forcibly imprinted the mindset of a Saintess onto me, a young girl. You scolded me, crying in pain, telling me to endure it for the sake of the continent, for the Holy Kingdom.”

The Saintess spoke of the past in a calm tone, but I could detect a faint trace of resentment and lament in her voice.

The Holy Knights she brought with her seemed utterly confused, unable to grasp what was going on.

‘As expected, only a very few in the Holy Kingdom know about this ceremony.’

“What… W-what do you mean by scolding…? Saintess, didn’t you understand? Didn’t you understand the glory and duty of being a Saintess?”

“No. It wasn’t understanding. It was something forcibly engraved into me, just like the holy mark on my back.”

“How, how can you, as a Saintess, utter such words?! You are the Saintess! Are you saying you intend to deny the Holy Kingdom as the Saintess?!”

‘Ugh…’

He looked even more furious than when he was struggling with me.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was red as if a volcano was about to erupt. It was even a bit unsettling.

‘If this isn’t fanaticism, what is?’

Faith should be directed in the right way.

This was just the twisted belief of an individual, or rather, a very small group.

“Bishop, what I am denying is not the Holy Kingdom. To be precise, it is the few authority figures, including you.”

“What…”

“I am denying you, who brought orphans and forcibly extracted their blood and magical power, and the high-ranking figures of the Holy Kingdom who knew of these atrocities and consented to them.”

At the Saintess’s words, the Holy Knights stirred. If what the Saintess said was true, then the Saintess, as a being, was not the sublime representative of God that the Holy Kingdom had been promoting all this time.

‘She’s just a victim.’

To me, at least, the Saintess was merely a girl sacrificed by the system of the Holy Kingdom.

“I still remember. There were seven sisters, including me, but the probability of surviving the holy mark process was extremely low. Most died, and even if someone survived, it was only one.”

“…..”

“And I am just a woman built upon the sacrifices of those seven sisters who were dragged here with me.”

At the shocking revelation, the Holy Knights began to exchange disbelieving looks and started talking among themselves.

“…They brought orphans and did this? To create a Saintess?”

“What is this? Then, the Saintess is…”

“The Holy Kingdom wouldn’t do such a thing…”

If these words had come from someone other than the Saintess, no one would have believed them.

“…Saintess. Sacrifices are necessary for the world to function. It was because of those children’s sacrifices that we were able to create the Saintess, and through the Saintess, we can hear the voice of God!”

After the Bishop’s outburst, the Saintess remained silent for a moment before slowly responding.

“…I agree with that. As you said, sacrifices are necessary for the world to function.”

“Then…!”

“But it wasn’t a voluntary sacrifice. Those sisters were forcibly sacrificed according to your will.”

“That…”

Then, another shocking fact was revealed from her lips.

“Bishop, the one who blinded me was none other than you, wasn’t it?”