Chapter 115
"As a proud member of the Trinitas Crusader Order, the Holy See granted you permission to carry a sword to protect the students, not to attack them." Chairman Chang-Won's cold voice cut through the silence and echoed through the chairman's office.
Do-Jin nodded solemnly and bowed his head deeply. He had no excuses.
"Although there should have been a higher act of disciplinary action than a mere demotion, considering that there was a high possibility of misunderstanding during the incident and considering that the affected student does not wish for disciplinary action, we have reduced your demotion to a suspension, effective for a duration of one month," Chang-Won said and cleared his throat.
Do-Jin kept his head down and chewed on his lips. It wasn't because he felt the punishment was unjust. It was because the disciplinary action decided through the meeting was far too easy on him relative to his mistake.
"Given that we are in the middle of trying to identify the hidden Satanist, we have decided that the disciplinary action will come into effect seven days from today, as we do not want to prematurely end the Satanist Identification Project... And that sums up the decision made during the meeting. Do you have any objections?"
"...No, I do not."
"Alright."
Chang-Won stood up from his seat, and Do-Jin looked at him with surprise in his eyes.
Should he stand with his hands behind his back, or should he stand up straight with his arms by his sides...? He had been punished as a crusader many times, but he had never been punished as a teacher, so he was currently unsure how to hold himself.
Thump.
Chang-Won placed his hand on Do-Jin's shoulder. As Do-Jin reflexively lowered his head, Chang-Won noticed him struggling internally and waved his hand.
"No need for that. It doesn't matter how you hold yourself. The elders have all left to do their tasks, so you can relax."
"No, sir."
“Really, it’s fine... I reduced the three-month resignation that the elders had wanted to one month. As for the wage deductions, don't worry. I’ll get you your salary even if it means I must source money from the Florence Academy Foundation funds."
Chang-Won tapped Do-Jin's shoulder.
Do-Jin's eyes widened. It was understandable for the Chairman to reduce the three-month resignation to one month, but it was too much for him to take care of the pay cut. He felt burdened, but more than anything, he felt sorry.
"There's no need to worry about my pay cut. I receive sponsorship funds for taking part in my crusader activities..."
"Orphanage... No, do they call them a childcare facility these days?"
Do-Jin's heart sank at Chang-Won's sudden remark. Chang-Won looked at Do-Jin with a gentle smile and compassionate gaze.
Do-Jin felt that those eyes could see right through his heart.
"You're using all the profits from working as a crusader to sponsor the childcare facility, right? And you use your teacher's salary for your own living expenses."
"How do you know this?"
"Of course I do. I also sponsor the same facility every year. The director there often talks about you," Chang-Won said and smiled faintly.
"There are many things I'm grateful to you for. Last time, when demonic beasts appeared in the barn, you saved my daughter."
"I just piggybacked on what Kim Jin... your daughter had already resolved," Do-Jin said and bowed.
His eyes were filled with guilt as he stared at the ground.
"...Above all, Sun-Woo deserves the most credit for enduring at the risk of his own life, and I tried to kill that boy. I have nothing to say even if I were fired."
"Ha... Yes, but didn’t you commend Sun-Woo for that incident? I couldn't attend the meeting because I was taking care of my daughter then, but I heard that if it weren't for you, the commendation would have gone to someone unworthy. It could have been a big problem."
Chang-Won was talking about the demonic beast incident at the barn. Do-Jin recalled the meeting that took place right after the incident. At that time, he strongly argued against the opposition from the other faculty members and insisted that Sun-Woo should also receive a commendation. Thanks to that, Sun-Woo received a commendation along with Jin-Seo.
"The more important thing is that Sun-Woo didn't want you to be disciplined."
"..."
"How could I do nothing when he earnestly pleaded not to discipline you? Sun-Woo saved you when I would have had you fired," Chang-Won said jokingly.
Do-Jin felt so endlessly sorry and embarrassed toward Chang-Won and Sun-Woo that he couldn't even lift his head.
Chang-Won patted Do-Jin's back. "What do you think the Satanists are after?"
"....Pardon me?"
Do-Jin raised his head, wondering if he had misheard.
Chang-Won was looking out the window. Do-Jin followed his gaze and looked out the window. There was nothing there. However, Chang-Won's pupils shone vividly and clearly, as if longing for something.
"In my opinion, Satanists’ goal is the division of the Romanicans. They want young and excellent clergymen like you to give up priesthood under external pressure, they want the most corrupt elders to become the core of the Romanicans, followed by the acceleration of division among believers...They are waiting for that moment."
Do-Jin almost instinctively nodded in agreement at the phrase ‘the most corrupt elders’ but held back.
"Clergymen forget how to pray when they are full. After they’re satisfied and happy, they no longer need to cry out for Adonai. Instead, they rely on the hierarchy within the Church rather than God. They wield their meaningless power given to them by the meaningless hierarchy and become truly worthless men who are only focused on protecting their territories."
"..."
"Among the elders, Gabriel is the only one who is somewhat fulfilling his role... Well, it seems that I have trailed off. It's almost time to go home. I've kept you for too long." Chang-Won belatedly regained his composure and tried to send Do-Jin away.
Do-Jin stood still and stared at Chang-Won, then bowed his head. "I have learned a lot."
"As a clergyman with a full stomach, I am no different from the elders. What is there to learn?"
"No, that's not true... It's a strange question, but according to what you’ve said, should clergymen never be full?"
His question was born out of pure curiosity.
Chang-Won pretended to ponder for a moment, stroking his beard.
"That's not the case. A true clergyman cries out for Adonai when hungry and gives thanks to Adonai when full. Those with a despicable mindset of blaming God during hardships and crediting themselves in success cannot be considered true clergymen. Would you be satisfied with that answer?"
"...Yes, I understand what you mean."
"Good. Lastly, regarding the suspension. I'm sorry, but think of it as taking a month off. Get some sleep and have some fun. You’ll live a short life if you sleep as late as you do. You don’t want to die before me, do you?"
"Thank you for your concern."
"You've suffered enough listening to me drone about. It is I who should be grateful."
Chang-Won had a kind smile on his face as Do-Jin quickly left the chairman's office. As he did, he thought about the disciplinary action he had received, and then he thought about Chang-Won and Sun-Woo.
Despite his warm impression, Chang-Won had a sharp edge, and even his casual words carried over his solid ideologies.
Sun-Woo didn’t want him to be disciplined.
Do-Jin had mutilated Sun-Woo’s palm and injured his neck with the sword he had sworn to use to kill demonic beasts. Not only had he made reckless remarks and had failed to control his emotions, he even had thoughts of killing Sun-Woo. Nevertheless, Sun-Woo forgave him as if nothing had happened.
As a crusader, Do Jin felt that he needed to learn from Chang-Won's upright beliefs and from Sun-Woo's composure when he had dispatched the taxidermied creature. As a teacher, Do Jin also needed to learn from the generous forgiveness they had shown him. Regardless of age and hierarchy within the church, these were virtues that Do-Jin needed to learn.
"You idiot..."
A teacher who should be teaching students was instead learning from them. Although it was only for a moment, Do-Jin felt a subtle blow to his pride. And this made him feel even more ashamed.
Even an eighty-year-old could learn something from a three-year-old. Then learning from his student was not something that should have hurt his pride at all. But up until now, he thought that there was nothing to learn from his disciples.
What a lacking and arrogant clergyman and teacher he was.
Do-Jin was immersed in his newfound reflection.
***
"Alright, quiet down. Hey, you kids. Quiet! Sit down this instant, you brats!"
While the students were excited to go home after all the classes had ended, someone forcefully opened the classroom door and caused a commotion. The warm atmosphere instantly turned cold.
The person who entered was the infamous sacred material science teacher known for his bad temper. Among the students, he was famously known by his nickname: Baldy. It was because I had called him Baldy before. Because of this reason, I didn't get along well with him.
"Wow... Look at that walking octopus." Jun-Hyuk, who was sitting next to me, muttered and took his seat.
He also didn't get along well with the SM science teacher because of his rebellious attitude toward the class.
Bang!
As all the students took their seats, the teacher slammed his palm on the desk and opened his eyes wide.
"Listen carefully. One important item from the SM research lab has been stolen. When we checked the security camera footage, we identified that the culprit was a student, but we couldn't make out their face. That's why we will be conducting a personal belongings inspection. I don’t want to hear any complaints since we’ve gone through all the third and second-year students already. The seniors did it without any complaints."
"That's some impressive rationalization..."
"What? Who said that!"
The teacher shouted in response to someone's discontented muttering.
The students remained silent, exchanging glances with each other. I was the one who said that. Even if the seniors had complied with the personal belongings inspection without complaints, there was no reason for us to obediently comply as well.
"Anyway, tsk. Forget it. Put your bags on the desks, now!" he said while furrowing his brows and clicking his tongue.
The students reluctantly placed their bags on their desks. I suddenly had a question. Was this also part of the process of weeding out the Satanists? Could it be that they were searching through students' bags under the pretense of stolen school property to find any small clues about who the Satanist might be? It was a coercive and unethical method, but it did seem like the kind of plan Min-Seo would have come up with.
“Okay, you're good."
Meanwhile, the teacher was walking arrogantly between desks, inspecting bags. Because we were in the middle of exam season, all the bags were filled with books. Sometimes, crosses or religious icons would come out instead of books.
"What is this? Didn't you hear me say to put your bag up? And what's with your sloppy attire?" The teacher's harsh tone and raised voice came when passing by Jun-Hyuk's desk.
There was no bag on his desk. Jun-Hyuk stood still and stared at the teacher, then let out a sly laugh. "Haha... I don’t carry my bag around."
"What? A student that doesn’t carry their bag around? Are you insane?"
"Um, I am sane, but maybe a little less sane than most."
The teacher furrowed their eyebrows in disbelief.
"You bastard, do you think I’m joking with you? Bring out your bag. Now!"
"No, I really don't have it."
"You don't? Ha, this bastard... Fine, then let me check your pockets. Just stand right there."
The teacher roughly patted down Jun-Hyuk's body. Jun-Hyuk, with a face that seemed not only calm but almost cold, looked at the teacher and stood still with his arms spread out. As the teacher searched his pants, he pulled something out of his pocket.
"What's this?"
"It's a family photo."
What came out of Jun-Hyuk's pocket was a small frame about the size of three fingers. He had said it was a family photo, but it was too far to make out properly. The teacher examined the frame as if he was flustered, before placing it on top of the desk as if he was throwing it.
"Ha, not carrying any books... whatever, forget it."
"Yessir~" Jun-Hyuk replied without enthusiasm, bowing his head.
The teacher glanced at him disapprovingly and walked past. Then, the teacher resumed inspecting the bags. After meticulously searching through the belongings of dozens of students, he approached me with a more sinister expression than before.
Tumble–
I emptied everything from my bag onto the desk as if to say: If you want to see, then look.
"What, are you rebelling?"
"No, I thought this would be faster and more convenient for you."
Although I said this, the truth was that I didn't want to see someone else rummaging through my bag. I would feel better pouring everything from my bag myself.
"...Alright."
The teacher nodded and examined the items scattered on the desk; books, bibles, religious items I always carried to avoid suspicion, and so on. There was nothing suspicious or incriminating. At that moment, something caught the teacher’s eye. He was looking at Baal's Maw, which I always kept in my bag.
"Is this a holy artifact? What kind of holy artifact is it?"
"It's called Baal's Maw, and it’s used for storage."
"Storage, huh? It could be well hidden here, couldn't it?"
Without hesitation, the teacher unleashed Divine power and blew it into Baal's Maw.
Creak...
With a chilling sound, the maw opened wide. The teacher leaned his head through the opening.
The whole sequence of actions that followed happened so naturally and suddenly.
"This is a holy artifact, and this box. What is this box? Is this also a holy artifact?"
Inside Baal's Maw were the Fourth Angel's Horn, another holy artifact given by Bae Jung-Hwan, and my father's keepsake box. The teacher held both items and alternated his gaze between them.
I had already opened the keepsake box and used it, but I kept it in Baal's Maw just in case. The teacher didn't show much interest in the Fourth Angel's Horn but scrutinized the keepsake box with a suspicious eye.
It was a disaster.
"...It's nothing special."
I replied reluctantly and snatched the box from the teacher's hand. It should not be in the hands of a Romanican. I tried to put the keepsake box back into Baal's Maw, but the teacher roughly grabbed my wrist to stop me. He looked me up and down with narrowed eyes, making me uncomfortable.
"What do you think you’re doing? What’s in the box? Did you steal something and hide it there? Huh? A box inside a holy artifact, inside your bag. What, are you a matryoshka or something?"
"There’s nothing in it. It's just an empty box."
"Ha, you frustrating kid, why don't you open it and show me? And what's with the bandages on your neck and hands? Are you getting into fights, huh?"
"No, this is─"
Snap!
Just as I was about to answer, the teacher forcefully snatched the box. Then he tried to open it forcibly.
"What amazing thing you have in here that you're reacting like this? Lets─"
Thud.
At that moment, the box slipped from the teacher's hand and fell to the ground. His trembling pupils looked up at me in confusion.
I stared at the teacher's face through blurred vision. My heartbeat echoed in my ears, and my breath became shallow. My head hurt. My temples were pulsing.
"There's nothing here. You damn bastard...!"
When I came to my senses, I realized I was gripping the teacher by the collar. My true feelings had burst out of my mouth without passing through any filters. I could feel the sharp sensation of cold sweat running down my spine.
[If you get angry right now... How are you going to deal with the aftermath?] Legba warned.
After belatedly regaining my composure from Legba's words, I quickly let go of the teacher’s collar.
"..."
However, the atmosphere had already turned cold. All the students were looking at me with widened eyes.
The teacher pointed at me with trembling fingers before stuttering, "Y-you. What are you doing to me right now? What...!"
Knock knock.
The sound of knocking interrupted his scolding. Ye-Jin opened the front door and poked her head out. She calmly looked at the scared material science teacher and smiled faintly.
"Are you done? I need to give the students their closing announcements...."
"Ah, yes! We're almost done, but this guy, this damn kid...!" With a trembling voice, the teacher picked up the fallen box from the floor and brought it in front of Ye-Jin.
Then he explained the situation. He suspected that there might be stolen items inside the box, but it just wouldn't open no matter what.
"Hmm. I understand what you're saying." Ye-Jin nodded as if she agreed. "But that thing wouldn't be able to physically fit in this box, as it is shorter than what we’re looking for. Weren't the pills originally supposed to be in a flask?"
"You never know, right? This might be a holy artifact..."
"Hmm... Teacher."
Ye-Jin's smile, which was always present, disappeared in a flash. She looked at the sacred material science teacher with a stern face. "Isn’t this enough? You said you had something to ask the students, but I don't remember you mentioning bag inspections."
"Huh? Oh, that. Since the thief won't tell the truth, it's better to open their bags first..."
"Is that so? Then I'll take care of the rest, so you can leave."
"No, but that brat..."
"Yes, I'll handle it myself! Thank you for your hard work~."
Ye-Jin forcefully expelled the teacher who was scolding me. Ye-Jin returned the stolen box to me and smiled mischievously. Instead of scolding me, she had a bitter smile that seemed almost apologetic.
Making her way across the room with swift steps, she brushed her hair to one side.
"I'm sorry, everyone. It's a very important medicine, and there were only two of them in the school, and one of them went missing... The teachers from the sacred material science department seem to be in a bit of a sensitive state."
Hearing her story, it seemed that they were not inspecting bags to identify Satanists but because a real item had been stolen.
Ye-Jin lowered her head with a trembling smile and continued speaking. "I wasn’t told that they’d be randomly inspecting bags like this. I’m... really sorry..."
Ye-Jin continuously apologized to the students, even though it wasn't her fault. Her attitude differed completely from the sacred material science teacher who had yelled and spoken informally to the students.
It felt a bit strange because the person who should have been apologizing was not here, and instead, someone who didn't do anything wrong was apologizing. For some unknown reason, a sense of disgust was building up within me.
I wanted to drink some water.
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