Chapter 100: In the Forest (6)

"......Did that happen? Thank you so much."

Eddie bowed his head to us, expressing his gratitude. Lumia and I responded with customary pleasantries. Eddie looked extremely surprised that he had almost become an orphan.

"No. We just did what we had to do."

"You saved my mother, didn't you? If my brother had gone somewhere wrong, or gotten into an accident, and my mother had died because of it... I really don't want to imagine it. Thank you once again, truly."

The lifelessness on Eddie's face was returning. Mentioning family was like administering an IV drip of nutrients. Eddie, even shedding tears, thanked us again, and I tapped my half-finished teacup with my finger and said to Lumia.

"Shall we get going soon?"

"That seems like a good idea. We should leave here quickly."

"Really... I think I need to finish up today's work and head straight home."

Lumia asked Eddie, "You work with the levers, right? Are you satisfied working here?"

Eddie's expression stiffened for a moment upon hearing the question, then he put on a business-like smile and said.

"....Because they pay me. That's why I'm doing it. For someone like me who doesn't know how to do much else, I'm grateful for even this kind of work."

"Are you satisfied? You were doing rather cruel work."

"...They're all sinners. In the end, I keep pulling the lever while thinking they're sinners. If I don't pull the lever, my brother and mother will starve to death. My father left behind a lot of debt when he passed away."

"I see. How did you end up working here?"

She didn't seem to like the scenery here. Eddie furrowed his brow at Lumia's question, but still answered readily.

"Originally, I made a living cutting down trees around here. On my way to the market carrying firewood, I happened to meet Priest Andre and we started talking. When I told him I had a lot of debt and was taking care of my mother and brother, he suggested I work with him."

"So that's how you ended up pulling the levers."

"I am satisfied with this work. Isn't it a noble task to judge sinners?"

There was a certain edge to Eddie's words. Both Lumia and I felt it, but we decided not to pry further into the matter. After all, his and Priest Andre's business wasn't our concern. Whatever side effects this rehabilitation work had was none of our business. Demon followers were thrown directly into the fiery abyss without any rehabilitation work.

Lumia asked me in a small voice.

"Evan-nim. May we leave now?"

"Yes. Let's."

"Thank you once again."

Eddie gathered his belongings and stood up. As he opened the drawing-room door, the murderer-robber from just moments ago was being dragged away, completely exhausted. Seeing him with his tongue lolling out and handcuffed was both satisfying and evoked a strange feeling.

Lumia also watched the retreating robber, not missing a beat, then frowned. This was because footsteps overlapped from the opposite direction. The dragging sound of chains and noisy voices could be heard. Eddie muttered as he put on his clothes.

"In the end, they're all sinners. Yes. Since they're sinners, it can't be helped."

"I, I really didn't steal! I was just the lookout! There's no way I could have stolen that much bread by myself!"

"Still not reflecting? Huh? Witnesses all saw you carrying a mountain of bread! If it wasn't you, then who's the culprit!"

"There was a gang that told me to be the lookout!"

I had heard this story somewhere before. A story about wicked bastards who use clueless children, then use them as a lifeboat in the most critical moments. A disturbing tale where the kid ends up enslaved or dragged to prison, ruining their life, while the thugs find a new lifeboat and leisurely swim through the cesspool of crime.

"Ah, fuck..."

It was the kind of story that made you laugh involuntarily. Because I had definitely heard that voice, desperately claiming innocence in a voice filled with rage, somewhere before.

"Eddie! Max out the power today!"

"Yes."

Eddie nodded and moved to work for the unrepentant sinner. Lumia held my hand tightly and said in a small voice.

"Evan-nim. You must endure. There are too many eyes watching here."

"This fucking sucks, really."

I had no intention of losing my temper. However, because I remembered seeing that miserable sight of someone being dragged away somewhere before, I had to turn away, unable to hide my unease.

"I don't want to! Help me! I did wrong! Yes! I said I did wrong!"

"You haven't repented yet! You can't recite the prayer! Recite the prayer! Become a faithful follower! Purify your body and mind to be reborn! Tie this one to the chair!"

"Aaaaaargh! Aaaargh! I don't want to! Don't! Aaaaaargh!"

My head went cold. Cold sweat broke out, and my head spun. Lumia held my hand tightly and quickened our pace. There were too many people here. Unless we could shut everyone's mouths, we had to quietly get out of here.

"Fuck...! Fucking hell...!"

"It's okay, Evan-nim. We can just come back later, can't we? You have to endure for now. Something is definitely wrong here."

Lumia said that while continuously trying to cool my emotions. We were moving towards the bright light. In the darkness, the mana stone activated, and the boy's screams spread out.

"Aaaaaargh! I did wrong! Ughaaaah! I won't do it again!"

I have to endure.

Because that way, I can avoid causing troublesome incidents. If weird rumors spread for no reason, it gets tiring.

"Repent! Recite the prayer!"

"Aaaaaaaargh! Aaaaaargh!"

"Repent!"

In the end, it wasn't someone else's business, was it? Whether that child became barbecue on the mana stone, or what kind of insane plan Priest Andre cooked up, it all wasn't someone else's business in the end, was it?

Priest Andre's figure appeared within the light. With his back turned to us, he was passionately preaching to the sinners.

"Everyone! Sins can be washed away! I believe you can escape your sins and live a new life! All you need is faith and willpower! That's all!"

"Aaaaaargh!"

A scream echoed again from the darkness. Priest Andre paused until the horrific sound spread everywhere, then shouted again.

"Do you hear that sound! It is the tribulation we must all endure! But everyone! If you listen to my words! And come into God's embrace! I can promise you all a new life! Everyone! Do not fear tribulation! Believe and follow my words! I will show you that I am not wrong! No matter how heinous the sin committed! I will show you that you can receive true absolution!"

"I did wrong! Please stop! Aaaaaaaaaaah! Ughaaaaaaah! I don't want to! Don't! Aaaaaargh!"

Maybe Priest Andre's words were right. Maybe it wasn't an innocent child. That child might truly be a seed of evil, destined to commit wicked sins. Besides, it wasn't my business. So, it was right to quietly slip away from here.

"Now! Everyone! Before we go back to our rooms, let's offer a prayer of repentance! For that unrepentant sinner! For us!"

All I had to do was look away a little longer. Now I could just go outside and forget all about these things.

The building's door was closing. The dark, thick iron gate, blocking escape, slowly closed, pushing the screams into the darkness. The view of the entrance, receding further away, seemed incredibly slow.

"Oh, God! Forgive us the sins we have committed today!"

Suddenly, I remembered the past. The days I learned to steal while being unjustly beaten. The boy who learned to read the streets before nurturing any other dreams.

"Lead the little lambs astray out of temptation and into Your embrace, and may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!"

When a group of beggars got involved in a troublesome incident, the thug framed an unknowing boy. The boy, believing a baseless promise that he'd be taken care of if this one thing went smoothly, was dragged away in chains.

"Look down upon the most abandoned souls!"

At that time, I clearly remembered the conversation between that thug and the corrupt guard captain.

"Boss. Let's say this guy did it. Huh? We've taken so much from each other, it'd be trouble if I got caught, wouldn't it? Huh? This time, my relative got into the Academy. Everyone's making a fuss about the family's rising star, what would happen if I got caught? Huh? I'll live quietly. Just turn a blind eye this one time."

"Reach out even to the darkest corners of this world!"

The prayer ended. The people would now be swept away like a tidal wave. We just had to push through the countless people like salmon swimming upstream.

Because all we had to do was forget. Like the countless other misfortunes we encountered, we could just ignore them and live on.

That would be enough. Holding Lumia's hand tightly, I nodded and took a deep breath.

And then.

From the crack in the door,

a faint voice was heard.

"...Help me."

I burst out laughing.

"Lumia."

I couldn't stop laughing. It felt like the future was clearly visible, yet strangely, I couldn't stop laughing.

I called Lumia's name while laughing. Lumia looked at me and nodded silently. I asked Lumia, still laughing.

"I must be crazy. Right?"

Lumia nodded with passionate eyes and said.

"Me too."

The door hadn't closed yet. We turned our bodies and started walking back towards the prison. We grabbed the closing door and forced it open. The dying groans clearly spread out. Amidst the flames, I saw the flustered glances of the staff. Turning our backs to the light, we moved towards the darkness.

Far away, a pale blue light flashed.

I took a breath and increased my speed.

"Lumia."

"Yes. Evan-nim."

"You said you believed in old things, didn't you?"

Love, justice, all the good things in the world.

Lumia nodded and replied.

"Yes. I do."

A man blocked my path with a bewildered expression. I grabbed the man by the collar and threw him to the ground, hearing the sound of bones breaking. Amidst the cracking sounds, my voice rang out.

"I don't believe in that stuff."

"Is that so?"

"...It's just, I just hate religious people. Except for you. You know what I mean?"

Lumia smiled with an even brighter expression and said.

"I know, Evan-nim."