Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 604

Bell continued speaking.

“So even hypocrisy counts as good? Maybe for you. Must be nice, living a life where you can say hypocrisy is still good. But not for me. I spent my entire life surrounded by hypocrites who constantly forced expectations onto me, saying a Saintess must behave this way or that way. So why should I accept hypocrisy as virtue?”

Bell grabbed the blood sword pressed beneath her chin.

Fwoooosh!

Light burst outward.

A sacred radiance befitting a Saintess.

“I heard that if a Saintess chosen by God breaks the laws and loses her qualifications, then from that point onward she falls from God’s favor and can no longer use Holy Arts. That’s why I lived my entire life as the temple’s dog, doing everything possible not to violate the laws. Because only by maintaining my qualifications could I continue using Holy Arts, and only then could I help more poor and sick people.”

Fwoooosh!

The light grew denser and brighter.

Bell slowly rose to her feet.

And the radiance that had begun at her fingertips now completely covered her eyes.

“I look forward to it. Newly elected Pope, I hope that as the wise new Pope, you will grant enlightenment to this ignorant and selfish ghost of the past. If you do, then I shall fully acknowledge you.”

Fwoooosh!

Light scattered everywhere.

And as the light spread, the wound on her neck vanished as well.

Soon after her final words, Su-ho’s vision went black.

It was absurd.

So in the end, she intended to test him.

Still, if there was any silver lining, then perhaps this was it.

After all, if he passed this trial, he would likely obtain the power of the Master Cleric as well.

Right then—

Smack!!

“Why aren’t you moving already?!”

A burning pain exploded across the back of his head.

Someone had struck him.

It hurt badly enough that he instinctively turned around, only to find a large boy glaring down at him.

“What’s your problem?”

Gasp!

Su-ho immediately shut his mouth in shock at the sound of his own voice.

A child’s voice.

No, more precisely—

The voice of a young child.

‘Wait. Don’t tell me...’

As he thought that, the boy exploded in irritation.

“What do you mean what’s my problem?! Ah, shut up and move already! If we don’t get food because of you, you’re seriously dead!”

The boy shoved him roughly, and Su-ho stumbled forward weakly.

It hurt.

Just from getting pushed?

Then he saw his wrist.

Thin, pale, fragile.

The wrist of a child that looked like it would snap with the slightest force.

At that moment, he noticed a mirror nearby.

Reflected in it was a filthy-looking young boy staring back in shock at his own face.

And that boy was unmistakably Su-ho.

Or more accurately, a boy who resembled Bell from her childhood.

“Bell?”

“Did you lose your mind this morning...? Are you seriously crazy? Hurry up and get in line before the food’s gone!”

The boy snapped irritably.

And before long, Su-ho realized what this trial truly was.

In this trial, he had been sent directly into Bell’s childhood to experience her life firsthand.

‘This is insane.’

A watery soup and a single piece of hard bread.

Now living as Bell, Su-ho stared at his reflection in the soup.

Silver hair.

Sky-blue eyes.

Anyone would recognize them as Bell’s.

Then one of the temple caretaking sisters spoke.

“All right, everyone. Let us offer our prayer before the meal. For granting us our daily bread today...”

At the mention of prayer, all the children clasped their hands and closed their eyes.

It was unbelievable.

He had gone his entire life without believing in religion, and now suddenly he was living like this.

Still, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

For now, Su-ho decided to adapt himself to the situation.

After all, the trial had already begun.

‘Though can this really even be called a trial?’

Bell had said that she was ignorant and wished for the new Pope to teach her something new.

But instead of receiving a lecture or sermon, she seemed intent on forcing Su-ho into her circumstances and drawing enlightenment from the choices and judgments he made within them.

‘Fine. I’ll play along with your demands.’

Su-ho quietly folded his hands and offered a prayer.

He did not merely pretend.

Thinking of Bell shouting that he knew nothing about her, he decided to genuinely experience her childhood in order to truly understand her.

And so, life in the temple began.

***

Daaang—! Daaang—!

Several days passed.

Once again, the morning bells tore through the temple’s deep corridors.

The rusted metallic ringing crashed against the walls from every direction, the echo returning to tap against Su-ho’s ears like bone.

When he opened his eyes, the entire world felt made of nothing but dampness and cold.

Every breath carried the chill scent of stone and stale moisture unique to the temple, enough to make someone feel as though they would eventually develop lung disease just from living there.

And that was not the only unpleasant part.

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