“Thank you once again.”
I bowed my head to Wolf after moving to a quieter spot, speaking to him.
“Reina, please say thank you as well.”
“Thank you.”
Reina also bowed her head at my words.
“No, I just did what I had to do. It’s the duty of adults to help children in need.”
Wolf answered with an awkward smile.
“By the way… how did you end up here?”
“I came to buy some civilian clothes.”
“Civilian clothes, you say? I understand, wearing religious attire all day can be uncomfortable. We from the End Religion also wear this type of clothing, so I can relate.”
He raised his arm and showed the hem of his robes.
Until now, I thought I was the only one uncomfortable in this outfit, but it turns out I wasn’t alone.
“By the way, where did the other nun go?”
“Which other nun do you mean?”
“The blonde-haired nun.”
Ah, he must be talking about Bliss.
“Are you talking about Bliss?”
“Ah! Yes, that’s her.”
“Bliss had to go to the church for a short errand.”
“I see. I was hoping to have another conversation with her, but it seems that won’t be possible.”
Wolf spoke with a tone of regret.
“By the way, may I ask why you are here, Wolf?”
“Oh, I have some business to attend to.”
Business, you say?
“May I ask what business?”
“Of course. It’s related to the End Religion.”
In that moment, a thought occurred to me: this might be an opportunity.
Right now, the person standing before me is a priest of the End Religion.
Moreover, he’s heading to deal with matters related to the End Religion.
If I ask him about it, maybe I can gather some useful information.
Though, there’s a possibility he might not answer like the other believers I’ve met before, something about his kind face makes me think he might be different.
Of course, there’s also the worst-case scenario where my expectations are shattered, and not only does he refuse to answer, but he also starts becoming wary of us.
But if it works out, I could finally obtain valuable information about the End Religion.
Additionally, since he’s not just a regular believer but a priest, he might have access to more advanced information.
It’s definitely worth a try.
I looked at Wolf cautiously and then spoke up.
“Excuse me, Wolf. If it’s not too much trouble, would it be alright if I asked you about the End Religion? I’m quite unfamiliar with religions other than the Gyeon Church, and I have many questions.”
I added a comment about my curiosity regarding the End Religion with a smile.
People tend to feel more at ease with those who show interest in things they like.
Please let this method work…!
As I waited nervously for his response…
“Ah, yes, feel free to ask me anything.”
Fortunately, Wolf answered without hesitation.
“Yes!”
Hearing his answer, I silently cheered and began thinking about what to ask.
What should I ask? Their goal? The number of followers? The name of their god?
Various choices popped into my mind, but I decided to start by asking about their goal.
If I hear about their goal, I might be able to determine if they’re normal or not.
“What is the goal of the End Religion?”
“Well… I suppose it’s to create a better world.”
“A better world, you say?”
“Yes.”
What kind of nonsense is this?
Was it obvious that I didn’t understand? Wolf smiled and said:
“It seems like you don’t quite understand.”
“Yes…”
“Let me explain it more simply. Would you mind looking at the market for a moment, Ruina?”
Following his words, I turned my head toward the bustling market.
As I looked at the market, I could hear Wolf’s voice.
“Ruina, what do you think when you see this market?”
He asked me about my thoughts on the market.
It was a bit puzzling why he’d ask me something like this, but I took a moment to think before responding.
“Um… it’s lively?”
“Good answer. This place is indeed lively. It’s noisy, and many people are passing through.”
I nodded and turned back to look at Wolf. He gave a slight nod and continued.
“But now, let’s try shifting our perspective slightly. Ruina, please look over there.”
Following his words, I shifted my gaze to the direction he pointed.
His finger was pointing to a shop—a typical shop selling ordinary goods.
“What do you think of the merchant’s expression?”
He asked me about the merchant’s expression.
Though it was hard to see clearly due to the crowded street, I focused my attention and observed the merchant’s face between the gaps of passing people.
“His expression doesn’t seem too good.”
The merchant’s expression didn’t look very pleasant.
Whether it was because his sales weren’t going well or something else was bothering him, he looked troubled, letting out heavy sighs, which certainly didn’t appear like a smile.
Wolf nodded again at my answer.
“Exactly. That merchant hasn’t sold anything in hours.”
Then he asked another question.
“Now, if things continue like this, what do you think will happen to that merchant?”
And here came another question.
“He’ll struggle, right…?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because he hasn’t sold anything?”
“Is that the only reason you think so? Why do you believe that?”
“Well, he’s in a difficult situation now.”
“That’s right. If he continues like this, it’s likely that merchant will face hardships. In other places, it might not matter as much, but here in Bilrun, with the situation as bad as it is, it certainly won’t be easy.”
His words were spot on.
Had I been in a different place, I might not have thought that a merchant not selling anything would end up in a tough situation.
“Now, with that thought in mind, take another look at this market.”
I turned my gaze back to the market at his words.
“Do you see something else about this market now?”
I didn’t respond immediately, still lost in thought.
As I remained silent, looking at the market, Wolf continued speaking nearby.
“Look, that child up ahead is staring at the ground, probably hoping to find some money someone dropped. He’ll probably search all day and still won’t find a single coin.”
I didn’t answer him.
“Let’s look somewhere else. Over there, at that shop. A man is secretly stealing from the merchant. Given his gaunt appearance, I wonder if he’s stealing to survive. What do you think, Ruina?”
I didn’t answer.
“Over there, a fight has broken out. Looks like two people argued over food prices. I wonder, if this wasn’t the case, would they have fought at all?”
I didn’t answer.
Wolf continued.
“Birren is in a tough spot right now. The farmlands, which were their main source of income, have been devastated. As a result, the people’s lives have become difficult. Farmers, having lost their livelihoods, are struggling, and the merchants, unable to sell goods, are in the same situation.”
His words felt true. I hadn’t thought of it from this angle before.
“To deal with this, they’ve done everything they can.”
He gestured to the people around us.
“Farmers, abandoning the gods they trusted, are praying to other gods, hoping that the ruined farmlands will be restored. The merchants, too, have lowered their prices and are shouting louder than before, trying to attract customers.”
Indeed, as he said, I saw merchants shouting at the top of their lungs to sell their goods.
“This is a struggle for survival. The farmers are doing everything they can to resist the situation, and the merchants are desperately pleading for people to buy their goods, fearing that without a sale, they may starve to death.”
“That’s why, when I walk through this market, I feel such sorrow. On the surface, it looks lively and happy, but those voices are cries for survival.”
He turned to look at me.
“Can you hear it, Ruina? These cries?”
I could hear the merchants shouting to sell their goods.
“Can you see them, wearing smiles as masks while shouting, struggling to survive?”
I saw the merchants sighing as they shouted, ignoring the people passing by.
“Can you see the market filled with an aura of misfortune?”
Now, the merchants, who seemed to have given up, sit motionlessly with blank expressions, doing nothing.
“We simply couldn’t stand by and watch this. So, we decided to help them.”
“We’re currently providing free food with sponsorship, offering them the chance to rely on religion as a spiritual pillar, and suggesting ways to overcome this situation. We’re helping them in this way.”
He spoke with a tone of sympathy, then paused for a moment, before speaking again with a serious voice.
“Ruina, our goal at the End of Days Church is simple.
We aim to eliminate negative things like misfortune that haunt this place. By doing so, we hope to make the world a better place.
For example, offering food to the residents of Viln or suggesting ways to overcome this situation would be one of our efforts.”
Feeling doubt about his words, I looked at him and asked.
“What do you mean by ‘ways to overcome this situation’…?”
“Well, there are several ways we can approach this. We might pray for the agricultural fields to come back to life, we might help people die without feeling pain, we might wait for the lord to share all the resources with everyone, or we might overthrow the castle and divide the food and resources in the castle among everyone.”
“Then I have another question. How are you able to provide this support?”
“Everything the church does is funded by the donations of our followers. Fortunately, there is a major benefactor here in Viln, which has allowed us to carry out our activities comfortably.”
I felt a large question rising inside me.
A benefactor in Viln? In this situation? Who could it be?
I decided to ask about it, since it could be useful information.
“Can you tell me who this benefactor in Viln is?”
“Ah, I cannot disclose the personal details of our benefactor.”
It seemed that he couldn’t provide information about the benefactor, which was understandable.
Personal details of followers are considered private.
“Ah… I apologize for asking.”
As I apologized, feeling a bit disappointed, he laughed loudly.
“Hahaha! Actually, I was just joking. There’s nothing to hide. Since they did something good, it’s actually better that people know about it.”
What is this guy…?
He said this with a face that didn’t look like someone who would joke around.
“Our benefactor is none other than the lord’s son.”
“The lord’s son?”
I replied, stunned.
This is strange.
The lord had mentioned that he was a follower of the Gyeon Church, but why is his son following the End of Days Church?
Is there some kind of family conflict?
“Yes, thanks to the generous support of the lord’s son, we’ve been able to carry out many activities here.”
But why?
If he wants to help, why doesn’t he just do it directly? Why go through the trouble of giving donations to the End of Days Church?
Has the situation really improved?
No, it hasn’t. In fact, people seem to be more upset. Recently, when walking around the streets, I hear people criticizing the lord’s castle.
What is he trying to do? The more I hear from Wolf, the more questions I have.
“Well then, I should get going now. I’ll finish our conversation here.”
Oh, it’s already over? I still have so many questions… But if I keep asking, I might leave a bad impression, so I’ll leave it for today.
The conversation ends earlier than expected, and I feel a bit disappointed. Just as I’m about to respond, he suddenly adds.
“Oh! By the way, before I leave, there’s something I wanted to say to Reina.”
He says as if something has just come to him. He then slightly bows and looks at Reina before speaking.
“Thank you for your help earlier, Reina.”
Reina, looking slightly embarrassed, gazes at me, as if unsure of how to respond.
“What did Reina help with?”
“Ah, Reina is the one who saved my life. She rescued me from a life-threatening situation.”
“?”
What is he talking about?
“Don’t you remember? You were there too, Ruina.”
“Me? When?”
“When the sandworm attacked us.”
“Ah… did Reina do something back then?”
I felt a bit confused and asked, and Wolf smiled as he answered.
“She did something huge. It was Reina who stopped the sandworm that was attacking us, wasn’t it?”
What?
What did he just say?
“Yes…?”
His answer was so unexpected and out of the blue that I couldn’t help but respond in a dazed voice.
Luckily, Wolf didn’t seem to notice.
He began speaking with a serious face.
“Well, when the giant sandworm suddenly emerged from behind us and opened its monstrous mouth to swallow us, I felt like death was right before me. My mind was a mess with the fear of dying, and I was overwhelmed with despair. But at that moment!
Reina suddenly told the sandworm to stop, and, as if it heard her, it immediately stopped.”
He paused and sighed softly.
“Ah… I still tremble when I think about that moment. If Reina hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t be able to have this conversation now.”
Listening to him, I was struck with a huge shock.
This man knows everything from start to finish. He knows exactly what happened that day and what Reina’s abilities are.
What really gives me chills is how what he said matched almost exactly with what I felt back then.
But how? How could he have heard it?
Bliss, who was right next to me, didn’t hear it…
“Did you not know?”
“No, that’s not it…”
I hurriedly shook my head at his words.
“Well, I’m glad. Now, I’ll take my leave. I hope to see you again sometime.”
With that, Wolf gave a satisfied smile, said his goodbyes, and began to disappear into the crowd.
I couldn’t help but watch his retreating figure, still stunned by the shocking events that just happened.
I just stared at his back, growing more distant.