Chapter 21
21 – Joris’ Penance (2)
***
next day.
The news that a party of warriors visiting their country suffered a serious accident spread widely, and the palace was in a very awkward position.
In response, the royal palace immediately mobilized all soldiers, led by Princess Audrey, and launched an extensive investigation.
Originally, Prince Edward was scheduled to lead, but the current state of the prince’s body was not in a situation to take on something.
He was still locked in a banquet hall with Josef, vying for alcohol, so he didn’t know that something big was going on in the country.
“It looked like three men and three women?”
“yes. There was one middle-aged man, two young men, and three young women.”
AM Yoris’s room.
Maru and Princess Audrit were having an interview with Loris in order to investigate the abduction case.
“Didn’t they reveal their identities?”
“It was like a group. A large terrorist organization. Like a giant force from the underworld… I don’t know exactly.”
Lloris was sitting on the head of the bed with his back leaning back, covering his lower body with a blanket.
The expression on his face as he obediently answered the princess’s question was clear and calm enough to make you think that he had been tortured yesterday.
His voice was calm and his thoughts were deliberate.
“Among the culprits, did any of them have a memorable look?”
“no. They hide themselves thoroughly. All I could see was the instruments of torture flickering in front of my eyes.”
“ah… ”
Audrit, who was sitting in a chair, nodded with a sad expression on her face.
Maru, who was standing behind him, was just watching.
Originally, he would have investigated on his own, but because of his personal relationship with Lloris, he was only watching with his hands behind his back.
In addition, even though he was listening to the conversation, Lloris also did not show any reaction.
“Do you remember the place where you were confined, the shape of the window frame, the scenery, the objects on the street, anything good?”
“I do not know. I do not know. But in the morning, Kiera-sama went somewhere after examining my mind with Transobserve, a magic that penetrates the opponent’s mind. Perhaps Kiera-sama knows about it.”
that time.
Kiera, along with Lucy and Natalie, were standing in front of an isolated house built on a meadow outside the capital.
As she stretched out her arms toward the house and pretended to lift it, the entire wooden house rose.
Soon after, the house was completely disassembled in midair, down to each nail and board.
After searching through and through, he couldn’t find any useful clues, so he exploded it in midair.
“Chit.”
Kiera approached the house while being hit by countless debris falling from the sky.
There was a clear view of the stone cellar.
It was so empty that not a single clue could be found, and the walls and floor were also very clean without bloodstains.
She was so annoyed that she threw her fist down, destroying the basement as well.
“What is the reason for the kidnapping?”
“I don’t understand that part, so I’m still thinking about it, but they said this. The high person’s son drowned in the water a few months ago, and the reason is because of you. But no matter how much I think about it, I have no idea who the deceased son they are talking about is.”
The moment Maru heard that, the back of his neck stood up.
‘The son who died by drowning… ? Are you talking about me? I hope my mother… ?’
Maru’s mind began to get complicated.
When I left this room, I felt that I should check the letter right away.
“Thank you for your cooperation despite the difficulties. We will thoroughly investigate this case at the kingdom level and find out the culprit.”
“Please do your best to prevent another victim like me from appearing. God will help us too.”
“yes. Then take good care of yourself.”
While Maru was only thinking about his mother, the investigation was over.
When Audrit got up, Maru went to the door first and opened the door wide, intending to follow her.
Until then, Loris, who had treated Maru as a shadow, suddenly called him up.
“Mr. Maru. Could you give me a chance to talk to you for a moment?”
“… … ?”
Maru thought to himself, ‘Why is he like that?’ In the midst of the pause, Audrit came over and gave me a wink.
“I will wait outside. Come and talk.”
Grabbing the doorknob that Maru was holding instead, she closed the door and left.
When Maru stands in front of the door, Yoris smiles benevolently.
It was a friendly smile I hadn’t seen before.
There was no hypocrisy or lies in his eyes.
Maru blinked his eyes.
‘How many times did he get hit? ‘
When Yoris asked him to sit on the chair, Maru stood there in a hurry and sat down reluctantly looking at him.
“When we parted, I remember that we promised not to pretend to know each other even if we met again. Do you remember Maru?”
“Yeah, what… Yes.”
“I finally hear your voice. I must have been the first among the warriors to have had a conversation with Maru here.”
He smiled brightly and said ‘It’s an honor’ with a playful smile.
And the smile on his lips gradually faded, and his expression became serious.
“I felt that way when I was being tortured. Why am I being held here? What did you do wrong? Have you done anything to incur a grudge against others? At first, it was just embarrassing. Then I looked back at myself. What have you done wrong to others? what was bad how they lived.”
Lloris sighed deeply.
“As a result of looking back and looking back, I came to a realization. Until yesterday, I was nothing short of a monster. In the meantime, I’ve been following the warrior, keeping away from God and only being crazy about greed. How much loot distribution will you get today? What if someone else takes more? I definitely have to take care of my share. That person only likes warriors and doesn’t praise me? Then I won’t help you. After spending several years with a warrior who was praised by people every day, I was arrogant and conceited before I knew it. I wasn’t the me when I first entered the life of faith. Back then, I was a person who shared every little thing with people… ”
Maru listened silently and asked while gently scratching his temple.
“… Don’t you feel vengeful toward those kidnappers?”
Lloris shook his head.
“Maybe it’s because I’m a monk by nature, I thought of repentance rather than vengeance. Fortunately, I don’t think I fell into the abyss that far. They say that the kidnappers kidnapped me because of my child who died from drowning, but from my judgment it is clear that they mistook me for someone else. why did they get it wrong? Why would they capture the wrong person and torture him? As a result of deep consideration, I came to the conclusion that Heaven punished me. Heaven misled the wrong people and made them scold me. He said, “Please help that guy, Joris, come to his senses.”
He joked and he laughed.
Maru also smiled quietly.
Lloris spread his arms.
“look at this. When I was tortured yesterday, my whole body was hacked to pieces and even my arms were cut off. However, they completely healed and set me free. Whenever it bothers you, treat it and release it… Isn’t something strange?”
Lloris slowly looked out the window and looked up at the sky.
“Yesterday feels like an apostle of God came down and scolded me for living a dissolute life before returning home. Maybe God took the punishment and gave us another chance. If you keep living like yesterday and committing new sins, then it might really be the end.”
He let out a relieved sigh and smiled.
“After much thought, I decided to change. The way forward is the Atonement. I want to nurture younger students by doing a comprehensive inspection and repentance of my blunted faith. After experiencing it yesterday, I realized once again that the secular world is a very difficult place to live in.”
Maru just listened quietly.
“Actually, I am much weaker than the average person. My hands and feet are still shaking from the aftereffects of the torture. The body came back fine, but the mind was already impoverished. I’m exhausted. My body is crying out for a long break.”
“… … ”
“Therefore, I am thinking of stopping my journey at this point and going back to my hometown. Now that you’ve worked hard to help humanity, isn’t it time to take a break? I think now is the right time. It’s time to take a sabbatical.”
Maru swallowed his saliva at the sudden declaration of Joris.
“key… ”
I always called him ‘that warrior’, but it was an embarrassing name to come out of my mouth after a long time.
I was embarrassed but asked.
“… Do you know Kiera?”
“I will tell you soon. More than that, Mr. Maru.”
Loris stretched out both hands and wrapped them warmly in the hands of Maru, who was sitting across from him.
“I’m sorry for all this time. I was bad.”
“What… ?”
“Everything. Everything I’ve done since we were at the party until now… Intoxicated with selfish and narrow-minded thinking, I have given you great pain. I sincerely apologize.”
Maru was bewildered by the unexpected apology.
“All right. It is already in the past.”
“no!”
Lori’s voice grew louder.
The two hands that were holding Maru’s hands became more powerful.
Hot tears flowed from his eyes.
“If there is anyone I desperately need an apology to right now, it is you! I have made a huge mistake with Mr. Maru! I shouldn’t have let you go like that after I’ve been with you for three years! I shouldn’t have let you go so heartlessly… ! hehehe… ! to a colleague… It was never something I would do to a colleague with whom I have gone through life and death… ! Besides, they framed you behind your back! I was a real bastard! I… ! I… ! It’s a monster… ! Whoops!”
Lloris could no longer speak, put his head in the hands that held Maru’s hands, and began to cry.
Maru smiled happily and patted Yoris on the back.
“Yoris… I understand, but it is one-sided.”
My teeth tremble just thinking about what happened then.
So he spoke softly.
“I don’t want to forgive you yet, so stop crying.”
***
Meanwhile, in Maru’s room, the succubus’ ambitious plan to capture the spirited wizard was progressing smoothly.
“Will this be enough?”
Luciella looked around the room and gave a satisfied smile.
All over the room, be it the floor, walls, or ceiling, there were hideous pieces of flesh clinging to each other and breathing, and dozens of tentacles growing from them were swaying recklessly.
“Cute things. It is very pretty.”
With this, Maru’s room was completely isolated from the world.
No matter what happens inside, you don’t know outside.
It had turned into an evil space where the power of demons became very strong.
“I have to stop before the master comes. I’m sure you’ll be scolded for what you did alone.”
As Luciella waved her hand in the air, the tentacles quickly disappeared and returned to their original shape.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the room.
Luciella covered the light with her hand and walked towards the shady corner.
“This body is waiting eagerly, so come and set the trap, girl. Whoop whoop.”
She soon turned into black smoke and disappeared.