LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 55
The Outsider waited for the Seongsin Church priest in front of him to react.
Silence…
But there was only an uncomfortable silence.
The Outsider thought that if they spoke, they could throw some blame onto Hyungkesuni in exchange. But what was this silence?
The Outsider glanced around the suddenly quiet execution site, feeling awkward.
However, they had to understand the priest’s predicament.
Just moments ago, he had spoken about receiving a blessing through his own death. While the Outsider had said anyone could believe in any religion by receiving a blessing, from the outside, it only looked like accepting an evil being.
Whether it was true or not, they had to step back from their current position.
Who would kill a god?
And it couldn’t just be anyone. A holy knight had just failed. They had swung a weapon said to have previously killed a god, but it hadn’t worked.
Instead of dying, it had only sullied the holy knight.
But…
There was an exception, wasn’t there?
The priest’s gaze landed on one person.
There stood the already corrupted holy knight, a man now turned a disgusting shade of purple in the priest’s eyes.
Of course, even if he bore no intent, in the priest’s view, he was a traitor.
And even if he killed the Outsider, he would not receive a blessing.
Because he had already been blessed.
The one to be sacrificed was already decided.
The highest priest confidently approached the holy knight Martin and opened his mouth.
“Holy Knight Martin. Go and fulfill your duty.”
However, Martin looked down at his sword. He could feel the sensation of chopping off a neck at his fingertips, and he had seen a head fall to the ground.
Could he really kill?
That thought crossed his mind. He took a moment to reflect.
His faith in the holy god still burned in his chest, and his divine power was also filled to the brim within him.
The god was still with him.
He raised his sword with fervor.
If just chopping the head off wouldn’t work, he could keep killing until the other one died.
“In the name of our Lord.”
Martin nodded at the priest and aimed his sword at the Outsider, silently watching them. As he deeply prayed to the holy god, a gentle golden light began to shimmer along his blade.
Ooooh…
The crowd couldn’t take their eyes off the miracle of the god unfolding before them.
Some began to rejoice, thinking that this was why execution platforms were entertaining.
In a distant terrace of someone else’s house, Hyungkesuni thought it would be nice to have a snack as she anticipated watching the Outsider being executed.
“If I die bearing the sins of those I touch, so that they may all be forgiven, then please kill me.”
The Outsider didn’t miss the opportunity.
As Martin raised his sword, he paved the way for the future. The words embedded deeply within him.
Martin’s sword came to a stop.
He turned and asked the priest, “A blessed person is not a sinner instead of executing an evil god, right?”
It was truly a thought similar to Sa-gal.
If this were accepted, that even though he was forcefully blessed, Martin would not be a sinner. He could maintain his built-up position as a holy knight.
Because he couldn’t overlook the rope that had fallen in front of him to carry out this execution based solely on faith.
Above all, the ability to accept heretics was a virtue of the holy god.
That’s why Tisah was such a revered hero in the Seongsin Church. They lamented that no hero had emerged from the headquarters of the Seongsin Church, enough to detract from Tisah’s legacy.
This was a negotiation to let someone go instead of closing his eyes, and Martin could refuse resolutely.
But this was a matter tied to sin.
He had not denied the sin; he had acknowledged it.
If he claimed to die instead for the punishment, it would mean he recognized the rules set by the holy god.
The Outsider who said this, unbeknownst to them, had put them in quite a pickle.
If they denied this, Tisah would become a sinner by the standards of the Seongsin Church. The hero would fall completely, and Martin, who wielded the sword here, would also become someone unforgivable.
What if Martin lowered the sword here?
Then who would die?
Who would be sacrificed?
If it were just a martyr, there might be someone who could handle it.
But this would mean dying as an apostate.
Having believed in the god until now, but because of the belief in the afterlife, that afterlife would turn into hell.
Of course, they could command Martin to fulfill his duty. What would happen if Martin denied that?
From their perspective, Martin had already crossed over to the evil god. A sacrifice had to be decided.
They couldn’t show a decision of sacrifice here. If the evil god spouted weird words again, the situation could become chaotic.
Then, what if it were accepted?
The sin attributed to Tisah, which had just been diminished, would vanish. But Martin would swing his sword without hesitation.
Afterward, they could claim it was the will of the god and later make Tisah a sinner again, throwing Martin into a remote monk’s cell.
The priest could declare he had misjudged and construct the will of the god before them.
Having thought that far, the priest nodded in agreement with the evil god’s words.
“Indeed. If the evil god repents of the sins he committed and dies, how could the god not forgive that sin? Didn’t he accept the heretic Tisah? How could the Lord not accept you? Proceed with the execution, Holy Knight Martin.”
There was only one choice left.
So he acted accordingly.
Only then did Holy Knight Martin raise his sword.
“If you die, I’ll come for you. But don’t worry. I’ve suffered under the witch of joy, Hyungkesuni, but I forgive humanity. So swing without fear.”
The Outsider seized the opportunity.
Moreover, they laid the groundwork to continue tormenting Hyungkesuni from then on.
The Outsider knew it well. The provincial governor of some nation had been criticized for two millennia simply for being responsible for executing the most famous religious figure of that time.
They took a page from that book.
Wasn’t Hyungkesuni still a living person?
The Outsider caught a glimpse of Hyungkesuni’s shocked expression from a distance just before the blow fell.
Martin swung his sword.
The light of the blade sparkled golden, creating a beautiful arc as it tore apart the Outsider’s form.
But the Outsider’s body returned to its original state shortly after. Instead of the rich scent of blood, a very grotesque triangle scattered, reverting multiple times to their initial appearance.
Martin swung the sword down to finish her off.
He continued this motion for a while.
Swinging.
Swinging.
Swinging.
Slowly, the cheers from those around the execution platform began to fade. The sound lessened incrementally, but at some moment, they were shocked to realize they were all silently watching.
The thrill and ecstasy of executing a sinner who had to die had long since turned into unease.
If the Seongsin Church hadn’t sold out Tisah from the beginning…
The people of Ansellus Kingdom would have simply doubted the qualifications of the holy knight.
But already, having distanced emotionally from the Seongsin Church, doubts about the divine powers held by the church began to arise.
And so, people began to think.
Is the Seongsin Church really a god we can trust?
Doubt seeped in through the unease.
The sun rose high into the sky and slowly began to set.
Now it was dark around.
The shackles and clothes that had already bound the Outsider were torn to shreds, revealing her pure skin. But nobody looking at the Outsider felt any human emotion.
The ruthless executioner and the condemned person, kneeling quietly with closed eyes as if praying.
If asked which was more mystical, everyone would point at the Outsider.
Of course, the Outsider was thinking, “Ah, when does this end? Am I lacking as a holy knight?” as they whimsically observed the world from the perspective of a blessed person, though it appeared mystical on the surface.
Ultimately, it was Martin who had given up.
“Priest. I can’t deal with this evil god alone.”
The Seongsin Church priests present fell silent. They understood the atmosphere there. Moreover, nobles from other kingdoms mingled with those from the Ansellus Kingdom.
So they thought it was an opportunity to display the might of the Seongsin Church, but it turned out to be poison that tightened their throats. Because burying this incident would be exceedingly difficult.
But there was still a way to escape.
Half a day ago.
If they executed the Outsider, the blessed person would be free of sin.
They had originally planned to make it as if nothing happened, but the issue was they couldn’t bring themselves to kill the Outsider. Instead, they could kill the Outsider here and recognize that the Outsider’s promise was indeed correct.
The Outsider had spoken without deep thought, not wanting a blessed person to be subjected to religious slaughter after they were dead.
They realized that the harvesting season meant potential for proliferation but would be problematic if broken.
Just that.
But tangled issues ultimately tightened a noose around a person’s neck.
Thus, the priest decided to risk being sullied by the evil god and resolved to borrow the divine power surrounding him with the other priests to eliminate the evil god.
People rushed around the execution area.
And the sacred divine lettering used at the headquarters of the Seongsin Church filled the area. As the letters connected, a massive polygon appeared, with one priest and one holy knight standing in place.
Then they knelt down and began to pray.
The sun had already set low, and with torches illuminating the area with light.
At that moment, the darkness split, and a great column of light descended onto the execution platform.
The people bore witness to the miracle of the god.
The divine retribution falling from high above.
The light engulfed the Outsider.
Crack!
With a sound of shattering, fissures opened where the Outsider had been. The jagged gaps pierced through the heads of the priest and the holy knight.
The Outsider was convinced that their body would melt away and vanish as it was.
And in that instant, pondering what to do, they decided to pull a mischievous prank. If a crack were to form on a person, the Outsider could reach through it to touch a person.
Blessings are very active actions.
In other words, it meant that one might not grant a blessing.
Thus, one priest who seemed to be higher up and two random people. Out of 19, only 3 were not given the blessing.
But the Outsider felt one regret. The crack rose to the heavens, but sadly it did not reach that high sky.
They could not see the face of the god.
Yet, the Outsider was somewhat satisfied and disappeared from this world.
As the light vanished, the evil god was vanquished.
However, in that place…
Despite everyone involved from the headquarters of the Seongsin Church in the endeavor to kill the Outsider, there were three priests whose hair had not turned purple.
Hellish doubt sullied that place.