Chapter 354

Rumble—!

When the mountain shook and the terrain drastically changed, great chaos erupted in the rear of the formation where the priesthood was densely packed.

Generally, the priesthood had almost no combat ability. Although there were individual differences, they did not possess the strength to face the enemy alone like the paladins or crusaders. They would face chaos since they were scattered away from the crusaders and paladins.

Since the mountain was covered in snow, the priests could not tell where they were, so they either wandered around aimlessly or kneeled and prayed. In-Ah also ended up lost on the mountain. To be more specific, she was completely isolated from everyone else.

“...”

In-Ah wandered around. While wandering, she found other isolated priests like herself. Up until that point, In-Ah had not started to panic yet.

Before long, she distinctly heard the chilling screams of dying people around her. Soon after, the sky and the white mountains turned red. As she looked up at the sky, she saw a red moon hanging in the gap between a set of parted dark clouds.

It was eerie and terrifying. She had no idea what was going on.

From then on, In-Ah realized she could not move—her feet wouldn't budge. She couldn’t recklessly move without knowing what was happening, but she couldn't stay still either. She didn't know when or where the enemy might appear. In-Ah trembled with anxiety, unable to move or stay still.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps from somewhere. In-Ah felt a chill run down her spine. If the sound of footsteps was from an ally, then it would be fortunate, but if it was an enemy, it would be a big problem. She did not have the means to resist the Voodoo Cult right now.

"Romanican Church clergymen... priests, perhaps."

Unfortunately, the people wore masks and ponchos. They were Voodoo Cultists. In-Ah trembled. The Voodoo Cultists had weapons, but she did not. The only method to resist was to enhance her physical abilities using blessings and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. However, she did not have the strength for that, nor did she have the will for it. She never wanted to be involved in such a fight in the first place. She only participated in the battle out of necessity to protect her family, as Yoon-Ah had become a member of the Voodoo Cult.

“...”

The Voodoo Cultists silently approached In-Ah. She hesitated and shifted backward. Her heart pounded. What should she do? Should she use a blessing immediately? There were five enemies. Even if she used a blessing, there was no guarantee that she would win.

However, she still had to use a blessing. If she hesitated any longer, she might not even have a chance. In-Ah tried to unleash her divine power.

"Arghh!"

Thump!

However, In-Ah stumbled and fell flat on her back. The divine power she was about to unleash faintly glowed at her fingertips.

The eyes of the Voodoo Cultists who witnessed the divine power changed. If she was a clergyman without any intention of fighting back, they would have been able to use her as a hostage or use her to pinpoint the position of the Pope.

However, the fact that she unleashed divine power meant that she was still a clergyman with the intention to fight. Therefore, she had to be killed. The Voodoo Cultists raised their weapons. Tears streamed down In-Ah's cheeks.

"Wait a moment."

However, another group of Voodoo Cultists who arrived late intervened. Unlike the other Voodoo Cultists, they did not wear masks and ponchos. In-Ah recognized one of them and widened her eyes. The woman had brown hair and brown eyes. She had the same features as In-Ah.

"She’s part of my family. The one I mentioned before."

"..."

It was In-Ah's younger sister, Yoon-Ah. The Voodoo Cultists listened to Yoon-Ah's words, nodded silently, and tucked their weapons away before leaving.

In-Ah looked at Yoon-Ah with a bewildered expression. Yoon-Ah reached out her hand. In-Ah took her hand and stood up. Then, Yoon-Ah took out a handkerchief and wiped away In-Ah's still-flowing tears.

Meanwhile, In-Ah continued to gaze silently at Yoon-Ah. Her sister, who had become a Voodoo Cultist and disappeared without a word, was right in front of her.

Her heart was in turmoil. She felt relieved that the Voodoo Cultists hadn’t killed her sister, but she also felt resentful toward Yoon-Ah, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"You!"

"Long time no see, sis," Yoon-Ah casually said.

In-Ah was at a loss for words. There were many questions to ask. Why did she become a Voodoo Cultist? Had she ever thought about her remaining family members?

But now that Yoon-Ah was right in front of her, she couldn't ask anything. She was confused about what to ask first.

"I used to be a zombie," Yoon-Ah said, sensing In-Ah's thoughts.

In-Ah furrowed her brows.

"What?"

"I thought you might be curious why I became a member of the Voodoo Cult," Yoon-Ah said.

“...”

She explained that she had become a zombie and that she returned as a human only after she received treatment. She told In-Ah everything except the parts she couldn't remember. In-Ah silently listened. She didn’t react at all because she was unsure of how to respond.

"So that's how I became a Voodoo Cultist, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand on the side of the Romanican Church and fight a war against the Voodoo Cult when I have this debt."

"..."

"What are you going to do, sis?" Yoon-Ah asked suddenly.

It was such an abrupt question that In-Ah was unable to make a decision quickly. What should she do? Since Sun-Woo had cured Yoon-Ah from her zombification, should she become a Voodoo Cultist out of gratitude? Or should she stay with the Romanican Church for religious reasons?

"I, I..."

In-Ah couldn't choose either side.

In the first place, what she desired wasn’t something grand. Just because she experienced something special didn’t mean that she could make special decisions. Not everyone hoped for something special and grand.

She just wanted an ordinary life where she didn't have to part with her family and friends. She at least wanted a life where she didn't have to kill or be killed.

But now the ordinary seemed all too far away. It had become unreachable, so distant that it might not even be visible. If she couldn't obtain what she desired no matter what choice she made, what should she choose then?

"Alright, sis," Yoon-Ah said as she nodded at In-Ah, who was unable to easily come up with an answer.

Yoon-Ah pointed somewhere beyond the mountain and said, "Go. It will soon become dangerous here. If you go straight that way, you can get out."

"..."

In-Ah silently nodded and started walking in the direction Yoon-Ah indicated. Her steps felt heavy.

In-Ah suddenly looked back and saw Yoon-Ah still standing there. She stood in the same spot and silently watched In-Ah's departing figure.

In-Ah looked at Yoon-Ah and said, "When... When will you come back?"

"If fate allows it," Yoon-Ah replied calmly.

In-Ah turned her head and continued walking down the path. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the handkerchief that Yoon-Ah had handed her earlier.

***

A massive procession was heading toward the Holy See. Among the crowd were not only ordinary clergymen but also prominent high-ranking clergy members, including the president of the Theological Association, who held significant influence in academia.

They marched silently toward the Holy See and they surrounded the Great Chapel, the headquarters of the Holy See.

The procession consisted of people who harbored resentment toward the current Pope, Yu-Hyun, due to him justifying the war, people who showed slight support for the Voodoo Cult thanks to them defeating the Satanists, and those who argued that, regardless of who the Pope was, the current regime of the Holy See needed to be changed. In any case, they all agreed on 'reform' for whatever reason, and Ha-Yeon was at the center of it all.

"Let's go," Ha-Yeon said.

The crowd surrounding the Holy See all nodded in agreement. They entered the Holy See. Thanks to the absence of the Pope and the Head Guardians due to their battle, security was lax.

There were still a few guards at the Holy See, but they could not stop the 'reformist' group led by Ha-Yeon. Some members of the reformist group held higher positions than the Holy See Head Guardians. Above all, Ha-Yeon was a member of the Purification Clan who possessed the power that the Pope held called 'Berakhah.' She was one of the only people who had legitimate legal access to the Holy See.

The reformists easily occupied the Holy See without even using the weapons they carried. They entered the Pope's residence, where he conducted his duties.

There were people inside there. In Pope's absence from the battle, his closest aide took over his duties.

He held the position of cardinal within the Church and had once been a Pope candidate, but he voluntarily resigned as a candidate due Yu-Hyun’s persuasion. The man named Yeon emitted a mysterious aura, perhaps due to his long hair, and he remained unfazed even in the presence of dozens, even hundreds, of reformists who had occupied the Holy See.

Instead, he seemed to smile leisurely upon seeing Ha-Yeon at the forefront of the reformists.

"So it’s a rebellion," Yeon said.

"We don't know yet," Ha-Yeon casually replied.

As she said, they didn’t know yet. Their occupation of the Holy See did not hold significance at the moment.

The occupation of the Holy See by the reformists would only have meaning after the conclusion of the battle between the leader of the Voodoo Cult, Sun-Woo, and the Pope of the Romanican Church, Yu-Hyun. Only then would they be able to tell whether what they were doing right now was a rebellion or a reform.

"Would you like to sit down?" Yeon said.

He pulled out a chair for her. Ha-Yeon took a seat. Yeon sat across from her and took out a chessboard.

Opening the chessboard on the table, he said, "How about a game of chess? We'll have to wait for the outcome anyway."

"You're suggesting chess even in this situation?" Ha-Yeon asked, surprised.

Yeon smiled modestly.

"I was expecting something like this. I knew that someone would be planning something, a rebellion or perhaps a reform, while the Pope was absent."

"So you knew that and still stayed here?"

"I knew that guests were coming, so it’s only right for me to prepare to welcome them. Leaving the house empty wouldn’t be right. Ah, I'll make the first move."

Yeon moved a piece. Ha-Yeon found herself unexpectedly starting a game of chess. She had played chess before and was somewhat good at it. Nonchalantly playing chess in this situation felt strange, but Ha-Yeon decided to just accept it. She also moved her piece, and so the game began.

"Who do you think will win?" Yeon asked when the game was halfway through.

The question was subtly ambiguous. It was unclear whether he was talking about the chess game or the battle between the Cult Leader and the Pope. In fact, it didn't really matter which one it was.

"I think I will win," Ha-Yeon said as she moved her piece.

"Ah, I also think I will win. It’s normal to want to win a game that you started after all," Yeon said.

He moved a piece but then hesitated for a moment. He showed a somewhat different demeanor from his previous confident moves. After some contemplation and quick eye movements, Yeon finally moved a piece.

Then he said, "But I'm not sure about the Pope's side."

It was a statement with a lot of meaning behind it.