Chapter 45
Beyond the veil, the corners of lips curling into a soft smile could be seen. However, Gabriel could not bring himself to smile back. Before the veiled woman lay a corpse with its entire body melted and riddled with holes.
"I thought it sinful for a sinner to wear monastery robes, so I had them removed."
Unable to even properly distinguish the face, Gabriel only realized he was Father Verga of the monastery after seeing the neatly folded priest's robes beside him.
"His heart was not beating. Can you see how his head is caved in? He probably died then."
As the corpse, wounded enough that it should have been dead, twitched, Bishop Marik grabbed it by the hair and lifted it up as if to show it off.
"Moreover, even in this state, it still moves."
They had wasted several bottles of holy water, but all it did was melt the flesh. To kill it completely, they would have to drown it in holy water. Since there was nothing more to learn, that would be the only way to dispose of it.
"To die and not be able to rest in Lady Rachel's embrace... This is the end of those who betray God."
When Marik released his hand, the corpse fell face-down to the floor again.
Perhaps because the subject was an extremely wicked criminal, the bishop's methods were harsher than usual. Bishop Marik was originally a nun, so the crimes Verga committed at the frontier monastery must have been particularly displeasing to her.
With Daisy's tip-off, Verga and two monks under his leadership were sent together.
Though they could not find the demon Daisy claimed to have seen, the blood-stained papers found in Verga's room clearly revealed the use of curse arrays. Additionally, circumstances and witnesses emerged regarding bribery and sexual assault. When even murder was revealed, the family that had been defending Verga quickly cut ties for fear of falling out of the Temple's favor.
"He must have performed the curse after seeing the painting displayed in the Temple."
Marik had recognized the curse array early on.
"Bishop, do you remember the heretic massacre from twenty years ago?"
"Massacre? Watch your words, Knight Commander. That was a purification operation. Of course I remember. That was about when I left the monastery."
This devout bishop did not hesitate to shed blood for Rachel. Marik was able to rise to her current position by being recognized for her contributions at that time.
"You're too young to remember, it seems."
On the other hand, the memories of that time were vivid for Marik. Perhaps because it was when she was youngest and most passionate.
Marik recalled the past and shared knowledge with the young descendant.
"The symbols of sorcerers are very easy to distinguish. They have stars drawn on them."
Under Rachel's rule, if the sun meant the only divinity, then stars were the opposite. They compared those ridiculous and wicked things that threatened the sun but could never even pose a real danger to stars.
That's why sorcerers' symbols often contained stars. The lowly ones who couldn't even look at Lady Rachel made wishes to stars instead of God. However, since the counterpart was not omnipotent, there was always a price. Being evil, they had to be bound by contracts.
"They claim that by offering sacrifices and making wishes, a contract is formed."
Gabriel recalled the woman he met during the day.
"You already knew, so you recognized the danger of the painting."
"Yes. If I had known that disaster would spread along the waterways that Donau Blue spread, I should have disposed of that painting quickly. Even if other brothers and sisters opposed, I should have taken a强硬 stance..."
'Along the waterways...'
Gabriel chewed on the words. Her attitude seemed强硬, but wasn't she speaking as if she wanted that to happen?
Bishop Marik was a person with great influence even among fellow bishops. If Marik truly wanted to take down the painting, it would have been much easier to do so before it burned.
Deliberately displaying Donau's painting, wanting it to spread, then capturing sorcerers and establishing merit. It was natural to suspect that Bishop Marik had chosen to repeat the past to rise to the position of Cardinal.
However, Marik smiled benevolently as if she had no ulterior motive whatsoever.
"It's truly fortunate that a fire broke out and the painting burned before things could get bigger."
Gabriel could not bring himself to consider the burning of the painting as good fortune.
He was investigating the cause of the painting's ignition when he happened to hear news about Jim Nofedi, who had painted the picture.
Jim was said to have traveled everywhere to gain inspiration for a masterpiece that would surpass his previous work. Since he was inspired by Donau's death, the places he visited were of that nature. However, there couldn't be many bereaved families who would tolerate having the corpse defiled.
Then Jim discovered a corpse he really liked. He asked an old woman who had lost her young grandson if he could praise the grandchild's corpse and paint it. The old woman cursed at him and drove him out, and Jim, thinking he was cornered, ended up stealing the corpse.
The old woman was furious, and along with the villagers who sympathized with her, they found Jim and beat him to death. Coincidentally, the painting burned at the same time Jim died.
"Was it Lady Rohanson? I mean the lady who extinguished the fire at that time."
"Yes, that's correct."
When Evangeline Rohanson's story came up, Gabriel observed Marik's expression.
"Haha. Are you afraid I might harm her? That couldn't be... I just want to commend someone who stepped forward righteously."
In the previous meeting, Gabriel ultimately chose silence. He revealed as little information about Evangeline Rohanson as possible and erased her traces.
"You're protecting her too much because she's someone you admire."
And in the process of killing Evangeline's presence, he filled the gaps in logic with very ridiculous excuses.
The moment they first discovered Donau's corpse, Evangeline Rohanson became a pitiable woman worried about the employees engulfed in flames.
After that, Gabriel's visit to the Rohanson mansion became a visit to comfort the lady he admired. The written reports occasionally sent to update on the situation became love letters, and Evangeline's visit to the Temple became a kind of date.
Regarding Daisy and the Ainoa Orphanage, he omitted most of the statements. Daisy was portrayed as the whistleblower of the Verga priest incident, someone with no connection to the orphanage.
Instead, he coordinated with Troy and made it seem that Evangeline had originally volunteered at the orphanage, which was how she noticed something was wrong there. He naturally kept quiet about the symbol discovered at the orphanage.
He wanted to proceed in a direction that didn't mention Evangeline's name at all, but Rapahela raised an objection. The reason was that Gabriel and Evangeline were too frequently connected.
"Commander. When the Commander meets with a noble lady so often, visits her, and even sends letters, do you know what people around usually think?"
"Well..."
'That Sir Gabriel is chasing after a suspect he finds suspicious. That he's going to chase them to the ends of hell to uncover the truth. That's what they think.'
Rapahela emphasized again that there was only one way to escape that perception.
"The Commander has fallen in love. Even the great Commander of the Pharos Knights has fallen in love, so he's ended up just chasing after a woman's tail."
Moreover, since they would need Evangeline's cooperation in the future, she said this was the best way to avoid public suspicion.
And amusingly enough, this was quite effective. Throughout the meeting, Evangeline's name that occasionally appeared was roughly lumped together under the name of romantic feelings.
"You should try acting your age a bit too, it'd be worth seeing."
One priest who usually didn't think highly of Gabriel even patted his shoulder and encouraged him as he left after the meeting.
Rapahela watched that and wondered if Gabriel had a talent for acting. Of course, that didn't work on everyone. For example, the person before his eyes—a devout believer who wouldn't hesitate to kill even a lover for Rachel's sake.
"By the way, I heard another room was filled. Is it related to Lady Rohanson? Did the Knight Commander come to see that?"
"Yes, that's correct."
When it seemed Gabriel had no intention of talking about Evangeline, Marik changed the subject. Though Marik didn't participate in the meeting, seeing that she knew about Director Merai, she must have heard the contents from Jabaniya.
"Since the Knight Commander also seems to have things to discuss with the sinner, we'll make way for you."
"Good work."
Marik stepped on Verga one last time as if crushing him, then moved her feet.
"May the sins committed while hiding in the shade today not be revealed to the Sun."
Leaving behind a greeting contrary to her usual, Marik climbed the stairs. Marik had said that thinking Gabriel would torture Merai.
When Marik came up to the ground, she took off her soiled outer garment and handed it over, and the priest beside her respectfully received the clothes covered in filth.
"Bishop Jabaniya."
"Yes, Lady Marik."
Jabaniya answered promptly. Though they were both bishops, the hierarchical relationship seemed clear because the old fox was riding on Marik's line.
"The Knight Commander seems to have reached puberty too. He's keeping secrets even from you, whom he said was like a parent."
"He's a young man in his prime, so wouldn't he be embarrassed to openly speak of romantic games?"
Jabaniya had once exaggerated his closeness with Gabriel to get in Marik's good graces. He had said he thinks of me like a parent, and that he's such a good child who would do anything if you just ask.
But his head has grown, and even though he should be bowing and scraping to help Jabaniya curry favor with Marik right now, there he stands staring blankly. It was as if he himself had become a braggart.
Marik generously overlooked Jabaniya's mistake and gave him a chance to make up for it.
"I'm curious about Lady Rohanson. Bishop, you said you saw her directly once, didn't you? How was she?"