LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 49
Giovanni di Greco. His baptismal name is Johann.
He was born as the only child of the esteemed noble family, the Greco Count’s house.
Whenever he toured the Greco Count’s territory, he always extended charity to the poor. His father, Count Greco, did not stop him from doing so.
Giovanni grew up with no shortages. The Greco Count, who had honestly amassed wealth, was renowned for his deep faith, and people praised their good influence.
As the ancestors of the Greco family were from the Holy Empire, they had a strong belief. Priests from the Holy Empire frequently visited, and the local priests often welcomed them with smiling faces.
It was no surprise that Giovanni, who grew up witnessing such scenes, nurtured his dream of becoming a priest.
Before long, Giovanni became a young man. Having wanted to be a priest since childhood, he left his family. Relying solely on his two legs and a staff, he embarked on a pilgrimage to the distant Holy Empire.
He faced many hardships during the pilgrimage: blisters on his feet, bleeding, scraped skin, and encounters with impoverished travelers or bandits.
However, Giovanni overcame all these challenges with his unique kind nature.
When he was injured, he crushed the herbs he vaguely knew and applied them to his feet.
If he met a lost traveler, he would deviate from his path to the Holy Empire and guide them.
When faced with bandits, he offered them sincere forgiveness and warm words.
Thus, how much time had passed?
Giovanni was finally able to step into the Holy Empire. Upon arriving, he went directly to the nearby Cathedral and was able to receive the sacrament of the diaconate from the Diocesan Bishop there.
It had been a full two years since he set out on his pilgrimage.
Even after becoming a deacon, he did not cease his good deeds. He always helped the weak and showed those who had fallen into evil the possibility of salvation and repentance.
More people began to look favorably on him. His fellow deacons relied on and followed him, and the priests believed in and trusted him.
It was only natural for Deacon Giovanni to rise to the priesthood quickly.
Once Giovanni became a priest, his ranks ascended smoothly, and he was able to reach the position of a senior priest before turning thirty.
As he aged, the wrinkles etched into his face deepened.
The kind heart of Priest Giovanni grew stronger. Long ago, his eyes, filled with unique passion when he embarked on his pilgrimage, had seemed dreamlike.
Although the passion and fervor of his youth had dulled over time, they were replaced by a soft glow of wisdom.
The wrinkles etched into his face seemed to represent the deepening wisdom that only grew deeper.
His age had now surpassed sixty.
Several opportunities arose to ascend to the position of bishop, but Priest Giovanni rejected all those offers.
The reason was that becoming a bishop would prevent him from touring to help those in misfortune.
Even the Papal States, which had offered him the bishopric multiple times, were moved by his character and ceased to propose it to him.
To allow him to spend a comfortable retirement in his hometown, the Papal States decided not to grant him the bishopric but instead sent him to the Empire.
He was appointed as the Head Priest of the newly established Main Chapel of the Caldera Imperial Academy.
* * * * *
“That man, even after coming to the Academy, did not lose his good nature. He introduced job opportunities to poor students and gently counseled those misled to correct their paths,” someone said.
“…Is that so?”
“At the Caldera Imperial Academy, they referred to him as the saint of the Academy. It is indeed a correct statement. If such a person is not venerated as a saint, others in the congregation would be embarrassed.”
I rubbed my confused head. What he said was not much different from the rumors I had heard at the Academy.
Head Priest Giovanni was a man of kindness who devoted himself to the Academy, and many students and professors followed him. He was even called the saint of the Academy.
Then why did the Academy record that Head Priest Giovanni had accepted a demon?
What judgment led to that?
At my question, the wrinkles around Priest Matthew’s eyes deepened. After a moment of hesitation, he let out a profound sigh.
“The truth is, he did intentionally accept a demon’s offer.”
“……”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. The expression of Priest Matthew, devoid of a smile, looked so sorrowful.
“If that is the case…”
With Priest Matthew’s attitude, I struggled to find the words but eventually fell silent.
Was he not an apostate? Was he not a heretic? Was he not a worshiper of demons?
Those words rose to my throat, but I could not bear to spit them out.
When I hesitated to continue speaking, Priest Matthew, smiling wearily, said,
“I understand what Brother Benedict is thinking.”
“…Worshiping a demon is a grave sin.”
“That is true. However, that decision undeniably stemmed from a good heart.”
I could not comprehend Priest Matthew’s words. His sorrowful eyes were fixed on me.
“He received an offer from the demon that he could not refuse.”
“A proposal he could not refuse… you mean?”
“Yes.”
Priest Matthew nodded weakly. His eyes, filled with woe and sorrow, had deepened, making it impossible to fathom their depth.
“Brother Benedict, may I ask you one question?”
“Yes. I will answer anything I can.”
“Do you care for the students of the Academy?”
It was an unexpected question. I nodded in response, affirming it.
“Do you love the students of the Academy?”
Do I love the students? I did not find much difference from the previous question, so I nodded again.
“If that’s the case, here’s my final question.”
It seemed like he was asking something obvious. I waited for him to continue without much thought.
“If you heard that the students of the Academy were about to fall into irreparable danger… what would you do, Brother Benedict?”
“……”
I looked at Priest Matthew with a stern expression. I found it difficult to grasp the hidden intention behind the question.
And the only answer I could give was one.
“I will do whatever it takes to protect them.”
“Even if that meant leading you to ruin?”
“…Yes.”
Respect filled Priest Matthew’s gaze. Feeling the glimmer of respect in the eyes of a senior priest older than me made me feel strangely uncomfortable.
“Let me ask one more thing. What is the reason you would make such a choice?”
It was a surprising question. I looked down at the ground for a moment, searching for the words.
“…I am not as good as Head Priest Giovanni.”
“I see.”
“I cannot offer unconditional love like him. I do not have that kind of character.”
“Yes.”
“But I…”
What was the reason I wanted to protect the Academy, to protect my students?
“…It’s because I have sinned.”
“Sinned, you say?”
“Yes. A very grave sin. And I will carry that sin for the rest of my life.”
“Keeping the Academy safe, is that Brother Benedict’s way of atonement?”
I nodded. Priest Matthew’s gaze deepened.
I turned my eyes away from that gaze. I glanced at a solitary cloud drifting far away.
The emotion I felt was one of shame and humiliation.
The reason for protecting the Academy and its students was a mere act of personal atonement. I felt shame for unconsciously accepting that fact.
However, with the words Priest Matthew spoke…
“Brother Benedict, you need not feel ashamed.”
I could not help but look back at Priest Matthew.
“Do not worry about the beginning; focus on the action and its outcome. Protecting the Caldera Imperial Academy and the students studying there, those who seek to fulfill their dreams. Is this an evil deed?”
“…No.”
“If that is the case, then that’s sufficient.”
Priest Matthew smiled kindly. I briefly stared at him, then turned my gaze away.
“Head Priest Giovanni…”
“Brother Johann also thought so.”
“…Really?”
A foolish question slipped out. Priest Matthew continued without concern.
“He also wished to protect the students of the Academy. By whatever means necessary.”
“What does that mean…”
“Didn’t he willingly accept the demons?”
My mouth slowly opened. A horrifying delusion swirled in my mind, but I wanted to deny that it could be true.
“The Academy’s demon. At first, they were bound to the body of a certain traveler and approached Brother Johann during their visit to the Academy. Then they said this.”
“Do you see those lambs frolicking freely?”
“I will taint them with evil.”
“Slowly, very slowly. Rather than devouring them all at once, I will show them the taste of despair one by one.”
“If we occupy the bodies of those lambs, they will likely shatter and fall apart under the pressure.”
“If that happens, we will look for our next prey. One, two.
“Then we shall wring out their entrails like a rag and stain the heavens with their blood.”
“Brother Johann, unfortunately, was someone who had not learned the rite of exorcism. He merely suffered under the whispers of the demons, growing weaker day by day.”
“……”
“And then, in the end, the demons made one proposal.”
“If you want to protect them, you must give your body to us.”
“And Brother Johann… could not bear to watch others suffer.”
I stared blankly at Priest Matthew. Hearing the hidden story of Head Priest Giovanni felt like being struck hard on the back of the head with a hammer.
“If that is the case…”
“Yes. That is correct. Brother Johann made the choice to accept the demon willingly.”
A hand clenched in anger. I asked with a trembling voice.
“Did the Papal States… realize that later?”
“Brother Johann informed the Papal States as soon as he realized the presence of demons. The Papal States immediately dispatched exorcists.”
“Then why…!”
“Brother Benedict. This occurred over 80 years ago.”
I fell silent. If it was a matter from over 80 years ago, it was a time when the Empire and the Holy Empire had not yet traded by train.
“The exorcists raced towards the Academy using every method at their disposal. But in the end, Brother Johann had to make a choice.”
It would take a long time for the exorcists to arrive. While they were coming, would the demons remain still?
In the end, he had to make an irreversible choice.
A choice that no one would acknowledge, but someone had to make.