Chapter 529: I Pardon Your Sins (1)
“Did you not hear me? Bring me my weapon!”
‘Woah…’
“You worthless fools! The demons have tempted you! How dare you! How dare you spout such nonsense to Holy Cardinal Lee Kiyoung! How dare youuuu!!”
‘Man, why is he going so crazy?’
“No! Just bring me the demon examiner Helena!! I’m going to make her examine you fools!! I’m going to make sure that there are really no demons in those empty brains of yours.”
‘Pope Basel, you don’t have to go to this extent. I think you can stop now.’
“It’s alright, Pope Basel. You don’t have to get so mad. I-I can…understand their feelings.”
“Holy Cardinal…”
“They’re only saying that out of their consideration of the goddess and you. I also don’t feel comfortable going like this… right in front of the goddess’s altar.”
“What are you saying, Holy Cardinal Lee Kiyoung? There’s no way the goddess would ever abandon you.”
Of course, Benignore would never abandon me. It would be me who would abandon her if the need ever arose.
“Don’t be like that and just go. You don’t have to listen to those dumb knights who can only judge people according to their appearance.”
“Don’t be like that. They have their reasonings…cough.”
“O-Oppa.”
“The holy knights are just trying to do their job. Please…calm down. And…I want them to be the ones to escort me. I’m so grateful that you believe in me, but…”
“…”
“I’m just scared that I might cause you some harm.”
At that point, I stared at the holy knights, and they began walking towards me. They looked as if they were super touched and as if they were reflecting on themselves.
One of the holy knights even bit her lips and tried to stop her tears from falling. Why wouldn’t they be sad?
From their perspective, the same person lighting the empire with his brilliance was struggling against a demon’s curse.
Even though they had to do their job, I was sure they all felt the same as Pope Basel.
“Pope, if you let us, we will do our best to support Holy Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.”
“That’s what you should do. If Holy Cardinal Lee Kiyoung gets hurt even a little bit, I will never forgive you.”
“We will surely engrave that in our hearts.”
They then came towards me and whispered. “We are really… really sorry… and also grateful.”
“You don’t have to be sorry or thankful, Holy Knight Lola.”
She looked really surprised by the fact that I remembered her name. Of course, I didn’t even bother to remember her name. I just read the one that came out in her description box, but she began to tear up.
“I’m… sorry.”
“It’s alright. I’m not bothered about it at all.”
The holy knights looked troubled by their mistake to doubt the Holy Cardinal for even a fraction of a second. In their faces, I noticed they began to look determined and more reassured about me.
Was there a scene that was sadder than that?
Kim Hyunsung didn’t let his guard down, and Sun Hee-young and Elena both clutched their chests and sighed. They didn’t show it, but they were trying to maintain a reasonable distance from me.
“When did this begin?”
“It didn’t begin that long ago, Pope Basel. My eyes suddenly began to darken… and honestly, I don’t really remember all that well. It’s probably not so different from what you heard from the Light Swordsman.”
“Is that so…?”
“I’m sorry I troubled you.”
“No, don’t say that. All of these happened because I was lacking, so who should I blame? I’m the one who should apologize. Don’t give up, and don’t feel sad. The goddess deeply cares about you…”
“No, it’s not just that… it’s about…what I did…”
“…”
“…”
“You heard.”
“I still don’t know what precisely happened.”
“Doom Kiyoung is not your true self. The Lee Kiyoung I know is more self-sacrificial and warm than anyone else in the world. Don’t give in to the darkness.”
“…”
“In my eyes, I can still see the light in you.”
“Thank you for still thinking of me in that way… I’m infinitely grateful.”
After talking to him about various related things, we reached the goddess’s altar briefly.
Even though there were usually many more protocols than that, Pope Basel greatly sped up the process. He probably thought the goddess would be able to fix me.
If Pope Basel had even the smallest doubt that the light inside of me faded, he wouldn’t be able to do that. I was sure that he would get into a lot of trouble if I showed that everything I had done so far had been an act, and that I changed back to Doom Kiyoung in order to attack the goddess.
He would’ve had to get down from the position of Pope and be faced with intense criticism from the other priests.
So then, how could I not be grateful to him?
“How could I appear like this in front of the goddess…?”
“The goddess will forgive everything about you and take you under her wing.”
“It’s pretty hard for me to muster up my courage.”
“Let’s go in together.”
‘Duh, we should go together.’
With a stiff face, Kim Hyunsung began moving. Likewise, Jung Hayan and Elena did the same.
‘You guys…’
Swiftly, I felt the change in atmosphere.
‘Wow, even I’m really touched by this.’
They were biting their lips firmly and, with a dark face, entered the altar.
I was certain they probably thought that the goddess might think of me as an enemy.
I could see from their eyes that despite their desire to see Benignore solve the dilemma, they would be willing to point their weapons against her if she showed any hostility to me.
‘Wow, our Hyunsung is willing to even make an enemy out of Benignore. That’s seriously amazing.’
‘Well, I expected this from Hayan. But still, I’m thankful for real.’
‘I guess since it’s not even just Elune, Elena would also be willing.’
‘Hee-young, I’m so happy to have you by my side too. Let’s go together.’
Even though the altar proved to be the holiest place in the empire, to the Blue guild members who were with me, it felt as if it was their toughest dungeon yet.
I was sure it would feel the same for my other guild members too.
They were already on guard to protect me in case Benignore marked me as an enemy. Parts of the Red Mercenary and the Black Swan were also currently on guard in the Vatican.
Even though Benignore couldn’t afford to make me her enemy, she had a lot to lose if she really did so.
‘But why is she taking so long? Man, is she busy right now?’
It was probably hectic for her.
I didn’t know what exactly was going on above, but Benignore was probably really busy launching and organizing her contract to pay attention to matters down in our world.
I bet that, if she were monitoring me, she would have probably sent a quest as soon as I changed my class.
‘But no matter how busy she was, she could probably hear the voices from here.’
I looked at the statue of Benignore I had once seen before.
Pope Basel and the holy knights were beginning to pray and sing hymns of the goddess. Warm light poured through the stained glass, and an awe-inspiring holy scene began to appear in front of me.
‘Goddess Benignore, your faithful servant, Lee Kiyoung, has come to meet you.’
I shouted those words in my mind as loud as I could, but no voice could be heard.
Pope Basel was also shouting Benignore’s name with a loud voice.
“Great and merciful goddess, your lowly servants have come to see you. Please give us an answer to our current situation.”
“Please grace your pitiful servants with your lovely voice.”
Despite their cries, the woman wouldn’t even answer.
‘Man, isn’t she slacking off in her job?’
My situation might actually become a bit serious if Benignore didn’t answer. At that point, I wanted to break off her statue.
‘Goddess, Fuck…goddess!’
I couldn’t believe she was ignoring me when I had just saved the empire. When I was just starting to wonder if all she had wanted to do was to gather some holy power, her voice echoed in my head.
[My lovely follower Lee Kiyoung! I’m here! I’m here!]
Light began to pour out from the statue.
Pope Basel and the holy knights let out a stream of tears, but since I was talking to the goddess directly, I had no time to pay attention to them.
‘Why were you so late, goddess?’
[I’ve become a bit busy lately… there’re a lot of things to fix, and you know, it’s the most tiring to finish up everything. I didn’t mean to ignore or disrespect you at all… so don’t misunderstand…a-and why don’t you change your appearance if you can…]
‘I also have my own reasons, goddess Benignore.’
[Sorry, I’m sure you have your reasons… I hope I didn’t offend you. I hope you feel better… Will you accept my apology?]
‘Don’t worry about it. But it’s not like my hurt feelings would go anywhere. I tried to find you as soon as I woke up.’
[I’m so sorry, my lovely follower, Lee Kiyoung. I was really busy. I had to be absent for a bit because of that. As you know, there is also the matter with the contract…]
‘Do you think those are legitimate excuses?’
[Sorry, b-but there is a reason why you came all the way here, right? I will try my best to help you. I will even express my thankfulness to you here as a plus… what do you need? I will help you as much as I can…]
‘Actually, there is no particular reason. I just want to…’
[Yes?]
‘… gain your forgiveness.’
[What?]
‘It was for the empire’s peace, but it doesn’t change the fact that I caused a lot of damage to Lindel. I’m also wearing the mask right now. So, I want to be forgiven for this.’
[Uh…]
‘Please forgive me.’
[I… I forgive your… sins.]
‘No, not like that. Put a lot of miracles into it.’
[What? This crazy bastard! What are you saying to my…unnie! Unnie, are you really going just to endure this? Why do you have to show forgiveness for the Union getting destroyed?! Do you not know how much my land suffered…?]
[Loren! Just stay quiet! Do you not know how important this is?! I-I apologize, my follower Lee Kiyoung. Were you surprised? Don’t mind it…]
‘Is the Union’s guardian, goddess Loren, also with you?’
[Huh?]
‘If possible, I also want goddess Loren to forgive me.’
[…]
[…]
[This… this crazy bastard!!]
An even brighter light had begun to fill the space.
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