POV: Rodak

I didn't think this matter would get out of hand like this.

Claire, Baroness of Graast family...is she truly cursed? If not then, why is this happening to us?

Looking at everyone's beastly expressions, I couldn't help but reminisce the past.

It was about a month ago, she came to our village, in a poor condition.

The kind villagers gave her shelter and the food.

After thanking us, she insisting on leaving, but everyone was worried to let such a beautiful, frail girl go alone, so in the end, she stayed.

We didn't know of her origin at that time. She told us only later. It's not that surprising since if the people knew she was a noble, everyone would treat her much better, but they would surely keep their distance and she didn't want that...

Honestly, she was a kind girl. Despite her origin, she tried to be helpful to others...I even had a crush on her...

Everything changed when the people from the church came...

I didn't believe she was a devil, nobody did, but they believed and that was enough.

In the end, to protect themselves and their own families, the villagers had to do what they did.

They swore viciously as they threw stones at her.

I personally tried to miss, but the act had to be done, even if I was repulsed by my own actions.

The influence of the church is deep-rooted. People are reverent and fearful towards them. There's no way around. Resistance will only bring harm, condemnation, and destruction...

I knew they were merciless, but as I remember what the priest did, I can't help but shudder and feel immensely guilty.

When everyone was throwing stones, a weak, tearful voice sounded.

'Mommy, why is everyone being like this?'

Hermes, this wolf in sheep's clothing heard this and gave a sign.

Everybody stopped.

'Who was it?' The priest twisted his head and grinned.

Nobody answered.

'There's someone here, whose faith is not strong enough. Kindly point out. You all heard that, right? Are you trying to deceive me? Are you trying to deceive the god?' He cackled.

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I knew where this was going. Everybody would be implicated if nobody spoke up.

Such scenarios weren't rare. Villages were massacred in the name of 'eradicating and cleansing the evil.' Their bullshit had no end.

'It was her!' The middle-aged woman spoke up.

My expression contorted as I recognized her voice. Everyone knew her and the fact that she was a fanatic, but what she just did...was too inhumane.

The mother of the little girl, Elise defended her with everything she had, but it was ultimately futile.

The priest didn't listen to her pleas as he slowly neared the duo. Everyone fearfully made their ways.

'I believe in you.' He said with a warm smile as he bent his back and stared at the little girl.

I couldn't believe my eyes. This...wasn't how the church conducted themselves. A single word or just simple dislike was already enough of an excuse to vanquish someone out of existence.

Was I wrong to think of them that way? I doubted myself at that time.

Elise cried as she knelt and hugged his knees, thanking him for believing them.

'What's your name, little angel?' He asked.

'My daughter is named Annie. I named her after the saint Annie, who eliminated the demons and saved the world two hundred years ago. My daughter's always been devoted. She prays to god every night...'

Her mother was elated, as she answered instead of her still-frightened and tearful daughter. She thought Hermes took a liking to her daughter. If she was allowed to become a priest, it would be like leaping over one's head. The priests had immense influence! Though the majority disliked them, the masses revered them as the people of the god.

'Little angel, don't be afraid. Let's prove everyone your innocence.' He said and dragged the girl away from her mother.

Elise started screaming, scared out of her wits. Annie was also crying as she was dragged away.

When the duo approached Claire, Hermes bent down and took up a rock.

'Prove yourself.' He said as he handed the stone over.

Annie started crying as she listened to her mother's pleas and even threats, but in the end, she couldn't do it.

The stone dropped from her small hands as she started crying.

The priest's amiable expression twisted as he screamed.

'Blasphemy! How dare you not condemn the evil! You must be one of them too!'

'NOO, please! Someone, anyone, save my daughter!' Elise screamed as she was held off.

I was seething with rage too, but...

The images of my old grandpa, mother and father flashed past my eyes. In the end, I couldn't do it. I couldn't implicate everyone...

The priest's staff shone with blinding light as it mercilessly descended on the child.

I averted my eyes, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

Her painful cries as she was beaten to death will haunt me forever.

In the end, nobody came out to help, either...

The tragedy couldn't be avoided.

After screaming herself hoarse, Elise passed out.

I stared at Hermes with eyes full of hatred. He cast some spell, which turned the corpse into flying dust, and after all that he's done, he just continued with his ritual as if nothing happened.

I cursed the heavens for being unfair. How could the gods let something like this happen? Or...were the gods as cruel as their representatives too?

Midway into the ritual, something happened.

'BLASPHEMY!' The priest screamed out of the blue. Out of 12 acolytes, 5 fell.

My eyes widened. Was this heavenly retribution?!

Wait...no! If they'll die here, everyone here will be implicated! The church won't spare us! We are...doomed.

...

Ha, haha...it's probably for the best. For the bastards, who didn't even stop an innocent little child from being killed it's only a rightful judgment.

So if everybody's going to die, then, I will for once do the right thing.

Sorry, grandpa, mother, father...I lost the faith in you, in humanity, in everything...in myself.

I need to redeem myself. I'll help this person hunt down the dog priests and if I survive, I swear to live only to eliminate them!

This world...truly needs cleansing.