East Road Quest

Chapter 18: The Underground Tomb

Five hundred years ago, before Rome was called Rome and was known as the Latin Empire, Catholicism was considered a heretical religion. Many believers were forced to renounce their faith, and those caught secretly practicing were thrown to the lions in the gladiatorial arenas.

To avoid persecution, the believers had no choice but to hide in the underground outskirts of Rome. A sanctuary for prayers was created deep underground, and next to the sanctuary soon became a tomb. When Catholicism was officially recognized and the Latin Empire became known as Rome, this place was abandoned and became an underground tomb.

Jade stood in a space where skulls were enshrined along the walls.

“Is this your first time here?” Autis asked.

“I’ve only heard about it, this is my first visit,” Jade replied.

“The souls of countless martyrs are here. If our will aligns with the heavens, their souls will protect us,” Autis continued with a dreamy expression.

“I often think this way. Perhaps our religion shines because it was persecuted… Don’t you agree? No matter how great a human’s will is, there are limits while alive. But once dead and turned into a soul, that will becomes infinite. The reason our religion could take root in this land is all thanks to the souls of the martyrs here.”

Jade listened silently, but Franco spoke with a displeased tone.

“Brother Autis, you’ve said something similar before, but from which verse of the scripture does that come? Don’t you know that distorting God’s words is the greatest sin?”

“Sometimes, even if it’s not in the scripture, if the meaning aligns, it is the will of God, as the Holy One has said.”

“Even if it’s the Holy One’s words, if they’re wrong, they’re wrong. The Rome Priesthood officially opposed that statement and it’s still under debate, so don’t speak recklessly. And we’ve already debated this for two days and nights before, let’s not do it again. Given the time and situation.”

“At times like this, the truth reveals itself. Let’s ask Father Jade here. As a disciple of Father Daniel, wouldn’t you provide a definitive opinion to end this debate?”

Autis slowed his pace slightly and turned his gaze back.

‘This man is enjoying this. What? This situation? Or this debate?’

Jade shook his head.

“I share Brother Franco’s opinion. This is neither the place nor the time for a debate. Besides, I’m not accustomed to doctrinal debates.”

Autis widened his eyes in surprise.

“Rumor has it that Father Jade has not even memorized the Nine Scriptures.”

Franco, also surprised by this, looked at Jade. His face, illuminated by the torchlight, looked as if he was angry.

“The rumor is true. I have a poor memory. Thus, I am even less suited for doctrinal debates.”

Jade wanted to end the conversation and responded appropriately, but Autis did not stop.

“I also heard another rumor, that Father Jade only attended the seminary for eight semesters, is that true?”

“No. It wasn’t eight semesters, but eight months.”

Jade answered truthfully without hesitation. Though Autis asked, Franco was more surprised.

The three of them stopped walking in the dark underground tomb. Jade thought they had stopped due to his answer, but seeing Autis sit on a stone slab, he realized they had reached their destination.

The rectangular stone chamber, about ten paces wide on each side, had four sarcophagi placed on either side. Surprisingly, there was no foul odor, but the air was so stale it was hard to breathe.

Jade thought that if one of the torches the two were holding was extinguished, it might be easier to breathe, but they seemed unwilling to do so. On the contrary, Franco was contemplating whether to light a sconce on the wall.

“I thought it was just a rumor, but it was true,” Franco continued as he leaned against the opposite wall of Autis.

“So, Father Jade, is it true that you possess one of the books from the Four Holy Books instead of the Nine Scriptures?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jade lied in the same straightforward tone with which he had stated facts so far.

While a few people knew about the Holy Books, not many knew they consisted of four volumes, so it wouldn’t appear strange. Moreover, only a few, who weren’t clergy, knew that the Scriptures were divided into nine books.

Autis, with a voice full of curiosity, asked, “Four Holy Books? What are they?”

“They’re also called the Four Apocrypha. Don’t you know, Brother Autis?”

“I don’t.”

Luckily, Autis ended up supporting Jade’s lie.

“Since we have to wait here for a while anyway, I’ll explain it to you. There’s no need to talk about the Nine Scriptures. But since explaining the Apocrypha naturally follows, I’ll give a brief explanation. Even if it’s something you already know, listen once more.”

Franco opened his mouth in an annoyed manner but couldn’t hide his delight as he began discussing a subject he knew better than Autis.

“The Scriptures were written by the first five apostles, who received God’s words from angels. Later, during the Council of Aethon, the nine most noble words were compiled into books, which became the Nine Scriptures. What we now hold as the Scriptures are all these nine words in book form.” Jade nodded earnestly, as if hearing this for the first time, and Franco continued enthusiastically.

“However, there were aspects that couldn’t be explained solely by the Nine Scriptures. So, four books, so-called commentaries or apocrypha, were published to explain these parts. These were called the Holy Books. But three of the commentaries were combined into one, while the fourth was omitted during compilation. At the time, Holy Gregos decided that the three commentaries were sufficient, so it was never republished.”

“So, the fourth Holy Book never came out?” Autis asked.

“Officially, yes. But the monks who copied the texts couldn’t bear to discard their work, so they kept it in their monastery libraries.”

“Hmm, I would’ve done the same.”

“But it has been revealed that hundreds of years later, the fourth Holy Book contains such unique content that it could overturn the interpretations of the Scriptures. Since Gregos, the Holy Ones have ordered that any book with content shaking the foundation of the Scriptures be deemed heretical and burned upon discovery.”

“Huh, has the fourth Holy Book ever appeared? I mean, has there ever been a case where it was burned?”

“As far as I know, no.”

“If that’s true, I’d love to see it.”

Autis quickly added, “Don’t misunderstand. I want to see it purely out of theological curiosity. If it’s a heretical book, of course, we shouldn’t read it!”

“I understand. I also don’t know if I could resist the temptation to read it if it fell into my hands.”

Naturally, both of their gazes turned to Jade.

‘Are they asking if I want to read it too?’

Jade smiled slightly and responded, “I’ve heard the rumor that Father Daniel possesses the fourth Holy Book. But I believe it’s a misunderstanding due to his unique perspective on doctrinal interpretation.”

Despite his answer, Franco’s gaze remained fixed on Jade’s face.

“So, it wouldn’t be difficult for you to show me the Scriptures you possess, right?” Franco asked, stroking his short beard. Autis also turned to Jade with a tense expression.

“Of course.”

Jade pulled out a black leather book from his robe and handed it over.

Franco stood up, took the book, and asked with a glance, “May I take a look?”

Jade nodded.

Franco turned away, approached the torch on the wall, and opened the book. The sound of pages turning and the crackling of the torch filled the stone chamber.

Jade, trying to conceal his tension, initiated a conversation with Autis.

“So, are we waiting here for Father Daniel and Bishop David?” Jade asked.

Autis, sitting and twirling his wrist, replied, “Our instructions are to wait here until eight o’clock. If no one shows up, we are to move to another location.”

“How do we know it’s eight o’clock in this underground place?”

Autis pointed his finger towards the ceiling. There was a hole about the size of a fist, with faint light seeping through.

“During this season, when the sun passes directly over that hole, it’s eight o’clock. During the summer solstice, the sun aligns perfectly with that hole. If no one arrives by then, we will leave Rome and head to Liverpool.”

Franco slammed Jade’s book shut with a loud snap and continued Autis’ explanation.

“To be precise, we’re not heading directly to Liverpool. We’re going to find a vineyard on the way there.”

He turned around, smiling, and handed Jade’s book back to him. Though he tried to hide it, his disappointment was evident.

“There, we’ll wait for Bishop David once more. He will give us our next instructions then. So, we don’t know our journey beyond that point yet.”

Jade accepted the book Franco handed him and tucked it into his robe.

Franco watched him closely and said, “The book is in excellent condition. You must have taken very good care of it.”

“The book itself is made to be very durable.”

A brief silence ensued.

Franco returned to his spot and sat down, while Autis smiled softly in the silence.

Jade fell into deep thought.

‘Where did Bishop David find these two? If he paired them with me on purpose, what exactly is he planning?’

Jade was certain. One of them was not a monk.

Having spent three years in the monastery, Jade was familiar with the monks’ lifestyle. They had to do more farming work than most farmers and, despite their diligence, ate very little. Naturally, their bodies were lean.

Jade, who inherited a frail body from his father, had gained some muscle over the past three years. However, his muscles weren’t bulging, and his shoulders hadn’t broadened much.

Jade had seen only one fat monk, a middle-aged monk whose real name was Joban. The monks at St. Anthony’s Monastery mocked him by calling him ‘the old gourd.’

Joban loved alcohol, didn’t live a regular life, and enjoyed ample meals. Despite constant reprimands, he not only didn’t restrain himself but also encouraged other monks to live similarly. He argued that faith came from the heart, not from starving and abstaining.

Jade somewhat agreed with Joban’s claim but thought the rest of it was just an excuse to cover his laziness. If that were the case, he shouldn’t have become a monk in the first place.

In any case, there were fat monks and many lean monks, but it was rare to see a monk with broad shoulders and thick forearms like Autis. Sometimes, in the darkness, he would rotate his wrist, a habit seen in swordsmen displaying their swords or playing with them.

Though it was hard to see in the dark, the calluses on his palms weren’t from farming. They looked different in shape and position from the calluses Jade had gotten from hoeing and shoveling.

In other words, Autis was likely a soldier, mercenary, or someone who used a sword for another purpose.

‘And the other one is more interested in the book I have than in me or the current situation. If he knew that the book I have is more heretical, rarer, and more extraordinary than the fourth Holy Book he thinks it is, what would he do?’

Jade knew he couldn’t stop either of them if they tried to take the book.

‘Whether intentionally or not, Bishop David paired these two with me. What should I do if he comes alone without Father Daniel?’

Jade anxiously waited for Daniel to return before the sun shone through the hole.