East Road Quest

Chapter 2 The Boy Decided to Become a Demon, Not an Angel (2) – Monastery of Jerba

Jade woke up to the commotion early in the morning.

“It’s cold again today. This place is really freezing.”

It was his third winter since entering the monastery, and Jade had just recovered from his third cold. Although spring had arrived and flower buds had started to form, the dawn air was still cold.

“Why is it so noisy already? Did I oversleep?”

Jade looked up at the narrow window, barely two palms wide.

The dim dawn light was brightening, but not enough to make him think he had overslept. Moreover, the monks here were not the kind of people who would chatter just because they woke up early.

An early visitor… Jade had a feeling that this commotion was somehow related to him.

Without hurrying, Jade tidied up his bed and washed his face with water he had prepared in advance.

Other monks could wash their faces with the ice-cold water of dawn, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that. So, he would prepare cold water at night and use it in the morning.

The Abbot, Thomas, disapproved of Jade’s actions. He believed a monk should embrace a life of hardship and accept suffering, not learn how to effectively avoid it.

The Abbot’s words were true. Throughout his three years here, Jade had always researched ways to make difficult tasks easier.

Even after Jade finished washing his face, the commotion outside did not stop. Amidst the many voices, he could vaguely hear his name being mentioned.

“It is about me, after all. What could it be? There are too many possibilities…”

Jade lit a candle and sat down.

The Abbot always criticized Jade for wasting candles. Knowing arguing wouldn’t lead to any conclusion, Jade said nothing. After all, the Abbot didn’t take the candles away, though he didn’t give them willingly either.

“This is my last candle. He won’t give me another if I ask. Where can I get more?”

The shouting outside grew closer, enough to distinguish the words.

“If you don’t hand over that Jade fellow immediately, I’ll burn this place down!”

Jade looked at the flickering candle.

“No need to worry about candles. Looks like I won’t have a chance to read tonight.”

Jade turned to the last page of his book.

He had already memorized every passage in the book. Not just the table of contents and each chapter’s content, but also which page and line each word was on. He didn’t need to read it anymore. He just wanted to fulfill his plan of ‘reading it one more time in a few days.’

A knocking sound and the Abbot Thomas’s voice came from outside.

“Father Jade.”

“Just a moment.”

Jade continued reading.

The Abbot knocked on the door, urging him.

“It’s urgent.”

Jade sighed and put the book down.

“If only you had come half an hour later.”

Jade opened the door and stepped out.

The over-sixty-year-old Abbot Thomas was waiting with an anxious expression. Normally, he maintained a calm demeanor, but his face would become uncontrollable at the slightest hint of danger. His face had been worth seeing when a wolf appeared in the nearby vineyard last month. Now, his face looked even worse.

To comfort the Abbot, Jade smiled and asked.

“Who has come?”

“Lord Baltion.”

Jade understood the Abbot’s frightened expression.

“A more fearsome beast than the wolf in the vineyard.”

Abbot Thomas asked with a serious face.

“Do you have any idea why he’s here?”

“No idea.”

“It doesn’t seem to be a small matter, Father Jade. He brought spearmen with him. They’ve surrounded the place to make sure no one escapes.”

“If it’s that serious… it must be because of Ricardor.”

“Ricardor? Do you mean Lord Baltion’s young son?”

The Abbot’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Jade smiled as he spoke.

“Don’t worry too much, Abbot. He probably just came to warn me to stop telling strange stories to his son.”

Jade patted the Abbot’s shoulder and walked away.

‘I can’t even believe my own words. This won’t end with just a warning this time.’

Just as the Abbot had said, Lord Baltion had really barged into the monastery’s dining hall, accompanied by two spearmen. It was uncertain how many more soldiers were waiting outside.

Lord Baltion would know that a single sword would be enough to intimidate the monks here. Yet, he deliberately positioned the large spears of his spearmen behind him, looking satisfied with the tense atmosphere he had created in the monastery.

The other monks couldn’t even enter the dining hall and were huddled beyond the door. They held baskets with bread, fruit, and cheese for breakfast but couldn’t step inside to put them down.

It seemed as if an invisible barrier blocked the entrance.

Come to think of it, the morning bell hadn’t rung, and there were no preparations for morning prayers. Lord Rivador Baltion had disrupted the monastery’s routine.

As Jade entered the dining hall, Lord Baltion glared at him with eyes that seemed ready to crush him.

Jade respectfully greeted the lord who ruled over Jerba and the nearby five villages, pondering whether showing fear or the opposite would help resolve the situation smoothly.

‘I should act submissive. He’s known for treating sycophants well.’

The problem was, Jade didn’t know how to make such a face. All he could manage was an awkward smile.

Abbot Thomas sat down first, and Jade followed, sitting next to him.

Across the table, which had nothing but an old, empty basket woven from reeds, Lord Baltion sat within five paces, hands clasped, glaring. He wore oiled leather gloves and a chainmail under his clothes, without even removing the sword from his waist.

‘Even if all the monks here took up arms, Lord Baltion wouldn’t need to call in the spearmen outside.’

Jade waited for the lord to speak.

“Do you know why I’ve come, Father Jade?”

Fortunately, the lord didn’t start with a punch.

Jade calmly asked.

“Is it because of Lord Ricardor Baltion?”

“So, you know what you did wrong?”

“No, I don’t.”

The lord narrowed his eyes.

“Didn’t you just say you knew?”

“I meant that I had an idea why you might have come. And if that’s the reason, I don’t think it’s a wrongdoing.”

The lord snorted roughly. He was expressing his anger by ‘showing restraint.’ Abbot Thomas, sensing his fury, fidgeted nervously.

“Perhaps you are mistaken, Father. We need to be clear. Did you tell my son strange stories?”

“I talked a lot with the young lord, so I’m not sure which stories you find strange. Most were just old tales.”

“Those old tales were said to be blasphemous and even contained heretical ideas against ‘Catholic.'”

“I didn’t think so. Perhaps the young lord didn’t convey what I said accurately to you…”

“My son is already nine years old. He is not too young to accurately convey a fairy tale!”

The lord turned his scowling face to the Abbot.

“Father Jade here has polluted my son’s pure, devout Catholic faith with all sorts of dirty stories and instilled strange ideas in him. You, as the Abbot, cannot be free of responsibility for keeping such a person here.”

Abbot Thomas, who was unflinching in theological debates and ruthless in collecting tithes from poor fishermen, appeared utterly weak in front of someone like Lord Baltion, who relied on brute force.

“My lord, please calm down and listen. First of all, Brother Jade is not a member of my order, nor is he a novice under my supervision, so it is not my responsibility.”

The Abbot deliberately coughed to show his physical frailty before continuing.

“Moreover, I have no idea what Father Jade might have done wrong. I have been trying to understand, but my lord has not explained anything, leaving me utterly frustrated. So please, tell me a bit about this matter…”

“Speak of the holy bridge built by Saint Antonis, Father Jade!” Lord Baltion shouted, cutting off the Abbot.

‘So, that’s it.’

Jade nodded and said, “You must be referring to the Devil’s Bridge. I only told him the facts as they are.”

Baltion clenched his interlocked hands tightly before releasing them.

“Tell me the bizarre story that you believe to be the facts.”

It was a legend associated with a bridge deep in the ravine of the eastern mountains of Jerba.

During construction, when the terrain was too rough for progress, the workers complained, “We would need the devil’s help to build a bridge here.” Then, the devil actually appeared.

The devil proposed, “I will build the bridge in three days. In return, I will take the soul of the first being to cross it.”

The workers agreed. The devil completed the bridge in three days.

When the bridge was finished, the workers were troubled. They sneakily sent a goat across instead of a person. The devil had no choice but to take the goat’s soul.

Angry, the devil reappeared and tried to destroy the bridge. Then, a monk named Antonis appeared, subdued the devil, and instead had a monastery built at that spot. Reluctantly, the devil built it, but out of pride, he oriented it northward.

That was this monastery. Hence, people called Jerba’s bridge the Devil’s Bridge, and also Saint Antonis’ Bridge. The monastery was similarly called both Jerba Monastery and Saint Antonis Monastery.

Jade considered telling the whole story but stopped. Anyone from Jerba would have heard it a hundred times, and there was no need to recount it to these two.

He simply told the lord the conclusion.

“I told him that the bridge in Jerba was built by people, not by the devil.”

Abbot Thomas let out a barely audible sigh, which was drowned out by Baltion’s harsh snort.

“Are you denying the story known by everyone in Jerba?”

“If Ricardor were an ordinary child, I would have said the same. But Ricardor is not just any boy; he is the young lord of Baltion. I thought he needed to know how many workers were mobilized during the construction, how many died due to the rough terrain, and how much time and cost it took.”

“That is not for you to decide and teach. The only person who can teach Ricardor is me, and the only thing you should be teaching is the word of God and the doctrines of the Catholic faith written in the Bible.”

“Yes, you are absolutely right. I overstepped my bounds.”

As Jade apologized, Baltion spoke in a slightly softened tone.

“And Saint Antonis’ Bridge was built by the devil, so no one died!”

Baltion shouted.

Jade shook his head.

“According to the architectural chronicles kept in the monastery, Jerba’s bridge was constructed 250 years ago under the orders of Jerba’s mayor, Hetior, and at that time, the monk Antonis hadn’t even been born yet. It wasn’t built in three days, and the construction of the monastery had already begun when the bridge’s construction started. It was built facing north intentionally because the wind blew so strongly from the south…”

Jade stopped explaining. Baltion’s face was twisted with anger, and Abbot Thomas had grabbed his shoulder.

“That’s enough, Father Jade.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jade regretted and was about to offer a lengthy apology when Baltion interrupted him.

“Then what about the story of the angel without wings?”

“What angel story?”

Abbot Thomas asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“The one where some dwarf made a bet and trapped an angel. I’ve never heard such a grotesque, blasphemous, and heretical story!”

Baltion shouted.

Jade smiled awkwardly and said, “Is that really such an evil story? I thought it was just an amusing fairy tale.”

“An amusing fairy tale? You think it’s funny that an angel mobilized an army to catch a little kid and made a bet with a dwarf? That’s blasphemy!”

At that moment, the door opened, and one of Baltion’s soldiers entered.

Baltion paused and turned to look at him. The soldier approached and whispered something into his ear.

‘If what that soldier is whispering about is my past, then there’s nothing more to say.’

After the soldier stepped back, the lord turned to Jade with a grim face, though he seemed somewhat relieved of his anger.

“Now I understand everything, Jade.”

He no longer addressed him as ‘Father.’

“You were never a priest. You were excommunicated three years ago for murder, and instead of prison, you were secluded in this monastery. Do you have anything to say about that?”

“No, my lord.”

“You killed a girl of only fourteen years old in broad daylight. Is that true?”

She was actually thirteen, but Jade didn’t bother to correct him.

“It’s true.”

Baltion’s gaze shifted to the Abbot.

“So, you hid such a criminal in the monastery, Abbot Thomas?”

“I didn’t hide him. Moreover, it wasn’t a murder conviction, and…”

“I don’t want to hear it! I am the lord who donated a tremendous amount of expedition funds and troops to this monastery during the Holy Land Restoration War and a devout believer who has dedicated my life to the Jerba Diocese. And in return, this monastery lets my son meet an excommunicated priest filled with heretical ideas?”

The Abbot desperately defended himself.

“I understand, my lord. How could I not know of your achievements? But my lord, this was entirely Father Jade’s personal actions, not my orders or the monastery’s policy. I don’t even know what angel story you are referring to. Please, calm down.”

The lord stood up, causing the sword at his waist to clatter against the table, making the Abbot shrink back like a turtle.

“There is only one way to calm me. Expel this man from the monastery through proper procedures. I cannot commit murder here!”

‘He speaks as if he would have me executed in broad daylight.’

Jade looked at the Abbot, who was at a loss for words, with a bitter expression and spoke.

“I will leave with the lord right away.”

Baltion nodded, as if he had expected this.

“It seems you have some conscience even if you lack faith. I will show you the minimum mercy and grant you a chance to face an ecclesiastical trial.”

Jade regretted his decision.

‘Being executed would be better.’

As far as Jade knew, there had never been an ecclesiastical trial in Jerba. This indicated that the region was generally peaceful regarding religious matters, and also how furious Lord Baltion was now.

Jade was well aware of the processes involved in an ecclesiastical trial, both from experience and theory.

The accused would be tortured under the guise of interrogation for weeks or even months until they “confessed.” While there were stories of prisoners dying under torture, there were no tales of someone being found innocent after interrogation.

Typically, after a confession, the accused would be led through the main street or town square, with the confession read aloud by the judge, leading to a pyre where the accused would be tied and burned. As the condemned screamed in the flames, the spectators would either be gripped by fear and become more devout or be filled with religious ecstasy.

To Jade, the executioners seemed to experience a heightened sense of religious fervor. Perhaps Lord Baltion wanted to experience that too.

“Give me a moment to gather my things.”

“Your things?”

He seemed to be questioning why Jade needed any belongings.

“Just one book.”

“The only items you may possess are a Catholic star cross or the Bible.”

“The Bible.”

Baltion stared suspiciously at Jade for a moment before speaking.

“Don’t think about running away.”

“I can’t even run.”

Jade headed straight back to his room.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see ‘Poe.’ The seventeen-year-old novice, six years younger than Jade, was the only one in the monastery who treated Jade with any friendliness amidst the cold and scornful environment.

Poe looked like he was about to cry.

“E-ecclesiastical trial? D-did I hear that right, Father Jade?”

“The mistake I made seems to be bigger than I thought.”

When Jade entered the room, Poe followed him inside and spoke.

“That can’t be true. I was also there when Father Jade was telling the stories about the angel and the Devil’s Bridge.”

Poe sniffled and wiped his nose with his sleeve.

“Seeing the children enjoying themselves and the village women smiling made even me happy. For someone like me, who believes that faith can only be nurtured through fasting, austerity, memorizing doctrine, and praying, Father Jade taught me a new kind of faith. How could he be a heretic? I will testify. I will prove your innocence.”

Poe spoke with a determination as if he was willing to risk his life.

“No. If you do that, Poe, you’ll be in danger too.”

“I don’t care!”

“Please don’t. Instead, do something else for me.”

“Anything you ask.”

“Please deliver a letter to Father Daniel of the Rom Priory. You know who he is, right?”

“I know his name. What should I convey?”

Jade picked up the book on the table.

Poe watched the book Jade was holding carefully.

“Just one sentence: ‘Jade is facing an ecclesiastical trial.’ Nothing more. If you write anything else, it might bring trouble to you. The letter must clearly appear to be a simple conveyance of facts.”

“I understand.”

Poe nodded and then asked,

“You speak as if someone will intercept the letter.”

“That’s possible.”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

Poe asked with a tone that suggested he knew this might be their last conversation.

“Anything.”

“About that Bible.”

Poe gestured with his chin toward the book Jade was holding.

“What about it?”

“I’ve always wanted to ask. What kind of paper and ink was used to copy it that makes it remain intact even when it gets wet?”

Jade was surprised.

“How did you know that?”

“I once saw young Lord Ricardor accidentally drop it in water. He cried, apologizing profusely, but you just dried it in the sun and continued to carry it around. Out of curiosity, I glanced at it and noticed the paper was stiff. I’ve never seen such smooth and thin paper before. And never so small either.”

Jade held up the Bible, which was no larger than a palm, and answered,

“It was passed down to me, so I don’t know where it was made. Maybe it was made by fairies.”

Jade gave a vague answer, and Poe nodded half-heartedly, not seeming to believe him.

“Take care. Without you, my life in the monastery would have been much harder.”

“Will we meet again?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think there will be another opportunity.”

Jade spoke honestly and left the room.

The lord’s spearman was already waiting outside the door.

‘They must have thought I would try to escape.’

Jade wasn’t surprised, as he had expected this, but Poe was startled and froze on the spot.

“This is all I’m taking.”

Jade showed the Bible to the spearman.

The spearman gestured with his head.

“Follow me this way.”

Jade followed the spearman but gave Poe a look to silently ask him once more.

Poe slowly nodded several times.