Chapter 230: Confession
I really should have studied religion.
It's something I always think whenever I get involved with a church—I feel the need to study religion.
It's just that I never have the time.
"What's the Myrrh position?"
Park Ye-eun looked at Eileen with a puzzled expression, and Eileen began explaining as she looked back at Park Ye-eun.
"The Myrrh position is usually the middle position."
"The middle?"
"Unless it's a special situation, you just need to follow closely behind."
"Oh, that sounds easy?"
"..."
At Park Ye-eun's muttering, Eileen briefly lowered her gaze to the floor before looking at me.
"Gold."
Eileen, who had been looking at my brooch, muttered.
"You have to take the lead."
"Take the lead?"
In response to my question, Eileen pointed to the manual.
Would it kill you to explain it to me too?
Without a word, I opened the manual.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[Guide for Church Exploration Personnel - Gold]
1. Your role is 'Gold'.
2. The Gold role places you in the position of leading others.
3. It is the position closest to safety, and also closest to danger. When there's time to rest, you must rest harder than anyone else, and when it's time to suffer, you will suffer more than anyone else.
Anyone could see it was a position with a shitload of work.
I glanced at Eileen, and she also gave a wry smile and began explaining her own position.
"Frankincense... simply put, it's the best bait."
"Bait?"
"Gold makes the judgments and decisions, Frankincense carries out the execution and makes the sacrifices, and Myrrh provides support throughout the entire process. Think of it that way and it's easier."
"I see."
"Fortunately, Ye-eun is the Myrrh."
Eileen let out a sigh of relief.
"It's a good thing it's the easier role."
"Were you worried?"
"Of course. It's an adult's duty, isn't it?"
They looked about the same age, appearance-wise.
Of course, I didn't say that out loud.
I looked back at the three people following us.
"How about you three?"
Even if the three of them might lack teamwork, just looking at the composition, it was a perfect party.
In gaming terms, it was a composition perfectly equipped with a tank, a dealer, and a supporter.
In terms of balance alone, it was much better than ours.
"Let me see... I'm Myrrh?"
"I'm Gold."
"I'm Frankincense."
Jang Chae-yeon was Gold, Yu Daon was Myrrh, and Song A-rin was Frankincense.
Eileen looked at the three of them and explained their roles once again.
"What? So the white-haired one is our leader? Hey! You have to speak up! If you say 'a rock is rolling' after we're all already crushed by it, we'll all die, you crazy bitch!"
"Don't worry, she'll do better than you."
Song A-rin giggled as she teased Jang Chae-yeon, then suddenly clutched her side as if something had stabbed her and let out a scream. Jang Chae-yeon watched this and muttered in a cold voice.
"Ms. A-rin is like that too, but wrapping things up... uhm... Can Ms. A-rin even wrap things up properly...?"
Yu Daon, upon hearing Song A-rin's position, also rested his chin on his hand and tilted his head.
"I don't think she's ever properly wrapped things up herself..."
"Have you?"
"Well, I have."
Still clutching her side, Song A-rin glared defiantly at Yu Daon.
"It says you're supposed to provide support, but how can a fool who couldn't even use a computer provide support?! I'd be grateful if you just didn't get in the way."
"You do your part well."
"Just you wait if you can't lead properly!"
The three were already fighting.
I was already worried.
Was calling these three really the right decision?
It probably wasn't.
"...Are you really sure?"
And it seemed I wasn't the only one thinking that.
Eileen looked at me with concern, and I also had nothing to say.
*
"Everyone seems ready, so I'll begin."
After the commotion died down, Eileen looked at us and nodded.
"Let me say it again. Eileen, Kim Jae-heon, and Park Ye-eun will form Team 1 and go in first. The HR team members will follow an hour later."
Due to the nature of the church, having teams too close together can create variables, so we enter with a one-hour interval. That's the iron rule for church exploration teams, apparently.
"Everyone has their manual, right?"
"...Looking at this gives me a headache..."
Yu Daon muttered as he pulled out his manual, and the others also took out their manuals.
"Good."
Seeing this, Eileen nodded and took a rifle from her bag, slinging it on her back.
"Can I have a gun too...?"
"Here, you take this."
Eileen handed Park Ye-eun, who was muttering, a bead that shone with a dull, blackish glow.
"Throw it when you're in danger. If someone who doesn't know how to handle a gun uses one, it'll just cause an accident."
"...Yes, ma'am."
Park Ye-eun carefully accepted the bead, and Eileen handed me a pistol and a shotgun.
"I've never used a shotgun before."
"Just aim and shoot properly."
"..."
Still, since I can shoot a gun passably, I'll manage somehow.
Actually, I was curious, so during the internal Management Bureau pistol shooting test, I got a perfect score.
I took the shotgun from Eileen and slung it on my back.
Just as I was feeling the unfamiliar, heavy sensation.
"I'll go first."
Eileen stood in front of the cathedral door.
"Come back safely! See you later!"
"See you when you get back."
"Don't die on the way. It's a hassle to recover the body."
The three shouted from behind as if cheering us on, and we entered the cathedral, waving behind us.
-Squeak...
The heavy door opened, and the three of us went inside.
-Thud...
With a loud sound, the door closed, and I stepped to the front.
It was the positioning according to our assigned roles.
Me, Gold, in the front; Park Ye-eun, Myrrh, in the middle; and Eileen, Frankincense, at the very back.
-Flicker!
The manual opened.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[Internal Guide for Church Exploration - Response Team Hwang Yu-hoon Latest Revised Edition]
The reviser has changed.
3\. Upon entering the church entrance, you will see a staircase with three branches.
I looked up at the staircase.
Three branching staircases.
The middle and right staircases had caution tape strung across them, and only the left staircase was without tape.
4\. Proceed towards the staircase without caution tape. However, if all three have no tape, proceed to the right staircase. The difficulty increases in the order of Right -> Middle -> Left.
"...Hah."
Eileen let out a deep sigh.
So we hit the jackpot with the hardest course.
Tch. I clicked my tongue and started walking up the left staircase.
As we ascended the stairs, a silent atmosphere enveloped us.
In the heavy air that seemed to forbid making any sound at all, Park Ye-eun, looking utterly intimidated, grabbed the hem of my clothes.
"...It's okay."
As I was comforting her.
-Flicker!
The manual showed a new page again.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[Internal Guide for Church Exploration - Response Team Hwang Yu-hoon Latest Revised Edition]
[4-A. Left Staircase]
1. If you follow the left staircase up, you will see one confessional booth.
I looked up ahead.
One confessional booth was visible.
In the dark corridor, an orange light was shining on the confessional booth, as if insisting we must enter here.
2\. The Gold, or the Frankincense, must enter the confessional booth and confess their sins.
So it's not my confession? I have to listen?
2-1. During this process, severe trauma and mental contamination phenomena frequently occur. Should this happen, please immediately discard your brooch outside the confessional booth and refer to the [Clause T - Suicide Methods] procedure. Thank you.
2-2. During the confession from the other side, you may hear requests to show your face or let them hear your voice. Do not comply under any circumstances. Immediate death will result.
Severe trauma and mental contamination.
It was clear who had to go.
As I took a step forward, both of them looked at me.
"I'll be back."
"...If anything happens, discard your brooch."
"That won't be necessary."
Even accounting for trauma, I'm really confident about resisting mental contamination symptoms.
I arrived in front of the confessional booth and looked up.
It seemed someone was already on the other side, as one side of the booth was already closed.
Someone was already inside.
-Squeak...
I opened the door on my side. With the sound of old wood creaking, the door opened.
An old chair was also placed in the middle.
I sat on the chair.
The chair wobbled with a creaking sound. Someone from the other side spoke to me.
"Who has come?"
"..."
A voice came from the other side.
It sounded both male and female, both old and childlike.
I didn't say anything.
"If you have come, you should speak, or at least show your face."
"..."
As I remained silent, the other side fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"While it did not require the sacrifice of many to come this far... several have handed over even what lies beyond the soul for your sake."
"..."
"The burden is so heavy it is certain to crush your shoulders and kill you."
-Riiing...
A ringing tinnitus sounded, and my temples began to throb.
But this was bearable enough.
After going through this for so long, I've become able to gauge the intensity of a mental attack based on the strength of the headache.
At this level, any trained Management Bureau personnel should be able to get through it just by keeping their wits about them.
"You possess an amount that no single person should hold."
It muttered again, and the manual fluttered, opening a page.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[Internal Guide for Church Exploration - Response Team Hwang Yu-hoon Latest Revised Edition]
[4-A. Left Staircase]
2-3. When the confession ends, a voice from the other side will tell you to leave. You must not exit until that moment.
2-4. The maximum confession duration is half a day.
The headache continued.
"..."
The silence also continued.
A strange smell began to emanate.