My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 204

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“A punishment from God?”

Saraka twisted her lips.

“Count Gabriel seems to be mistaken about something.”

“….”

“God’s punishment can only be executed by this Marik alone.”

Saraka explained as if enlightening Gabriel.

Gabriel might not know well, but God does not directly deliver punishment. That’s why the one who executes punishment on behalf of God is none other than ‘Bishop Marik’. Therefore, God cannot judge Bishop Marik. Marik is more devout and pure than anyone else.

Of course, Saraka herself knew well that the ‘God’ Gabriel spoke of was not the sun she served. Surely he was referring to the only thing he revered. The arrogant act of calling Evangeline Rohanson a god was pathetic.

While Saraka briefly quarreled with Gabriel, the hall filled with chaos. The priest who delivered the message had too loud a voice, so everyone in the hall heard what he shouted.

“The sun has disappeared? What does that mean?”

Someone tilted their head and looked out the window, then rubbed their eyes frantically as if seeing an illusion. But no matter how many times they rubbed their eyes and looked again, the scene didn’t change.

Outside the window was complete darkness, as if someone had poured ink over everything. Unable to believe what they saw, they pressed their face against the window and looked outside, when they noticed a strange cluster of light below.

“What’s that thing down there?”

Flames were flickering on the ground as if there was a fire. The answer was explained by the mouth of a priest who came running into the hall afterward.

“Bishop! People have invaded the temple under cover of darkness!”

“The annex, the annex is on fire!”

“Bishop Marik, people are clamoring for their dead children and families to be returned!”

Saraka’s face contorted sharply. Fortunately, her expression wouldn’t be revealed thanks to the veil.

“People got in? How?”

“So, someone seems to have opened the door for them…”

The priest who received the bishop’s cold anger shrank back. Saraka realized in that moment that she had made a misstep and took a deep breath. Ever since Gabriel pointed out that she was Saraka, her rationality had been wearing thin.

Calm down.

Act like Bishop Marik.

Actually, there was no need to ask the priest about the culprit. Who else could open the firmly locked temple doors? This too was surely Evangeline’s doing. Saraka glared at Gabriel with fury.

“Wouldn’t it be fine if you don’t go out to see?”

Gabriel looked up at Saraka and asked. His slightly curved eyes were clear.

His questioning voice was gentle as if caring for the other person. Saraka felt nauseous at the fact that this thing had once carried the sun.

She wanted to cut out his heart right away, but Saraka couldn’t lay a hand on Gabriel. The cursed ones had to atone for their sins through life.

Saraka had learned this from Bishop Marik. Moreover, since that thing was a life saved by Bishop Marik, Saraka couldn’t directly take its breath away.

“…Let’s go outside and see.”

First, she had to settle the commotion. After instructing the priests to guard Gabriel well, Saraka headed outside.

Following behind her, the nobles hesitantly tagged along with the priests. Perhaps because of the thick darkness that had fallen with the sun’s disappearance, there were several people who glanced around and sneakily grabbed candles placed in front of the altar.

When they opened the firmly closed doors of the hall, people shuddered and trembled. The candles flickered as if they might go out in the chilly wind. The warmth from just moments ago had disappeared as if it had never existed, making their bodies shiver with cold.

“Night has really come…?”

But even though it was night, not even the moon in the sky was visible. All that surrounded them were countless stars. The sun that should have been floating above the temple was still nowhere to be found.

Could the moon dare to be covering the sun? What was in the place where the sun should be was only a pure white ring.

“There’s someone up there on the spire!”

“Who on earth could be there…”

People fell silent. Since several were staring at one place, those who looked in the same direction out of curiosity also lost their words. The same was true for Saraka.

At the edge of their vision, a pure white dress fluttered. Because it was entirely white, at first it looked like a heavenly sculpture carved into the spire. Like a masterpiece that had been completed after countless hours of work.

Only when hair and dress swayed in the wind did they recognize it as a person. The layered dress made of thread woven strand by strand sparkled and caught their attention every time it undulated.

That exists in place of the moon. It was made by condensing stars.

A halo shone behind the girl. Seeing that sight, Saraka recalled a bizarre painting that had once hung on the temple wall.

In the work painted by an artist named Jim Nopedy, a corpse was depicted like an angel. Wings made of ash sprouted from the body of a burned corpse, and behind the corpse’s head was a sacred, shimmering halo. That halo was in the shape of a magic circle. It looked exactly like that painting brought to life.

The pure white girl with a halo looked like a heavenly being descended to earth. She resembled a sculpture or famous painting more than a living being.

Excessive beauty beyond measure loses humanity, making one feel as if it’s not human. Those enchanted by that beauty would call the girl an angel, and those who felt discomfort at her red eyes would call her a demon.

But one thing was certain. No one could dare demean that thing as merely human. No one knew what disaster might befall if they brought that thing down.

The wind blew fiercely. It was dizzying to think the girl standing at the tip of the spire might fall. If the girl fell and her body was shattered, countless hands would swarm to possess her remains.

Cruel hands would steal flesh and tear away pieces of clothing. Every drop of blood that seeped into the ground would be licked up and disappear completely. Would that be a blessing, or would it too be a disaster caused by Evangeline?

For Saraka, the girl’s fall would be a blessing. Saraka would disgracefully interfere and claim the largest piece as her trophy.

Strangely, even though the distance was so great, every eyelash was oddly etched into her vision. The red eyes looked less like jewels and more like chunks of blood beneath peeled skin.

The red eyes looked down at Saraka. This too could be clearly known despite the great distance. Saraka couldn’t help but sigh. If possible, yes. If Saraka could have a part of the girl, those red eyes would be good.

“Evangeline Rohanson…”

As she spoke the honey-like name, ecstasy filled her entire body. The sacrifice she had chosen had finally revealed herself.

***

Damn, how disgustingly slow!

I don’t know how many hours I’ve been trapped in this carriage. Maybe because things got a little, just slightly awkward with Gabriel, the perceived time felt even longer. When on earth will we arrive at the temple? It feels like several days have already passed.

At this rate, won’t I be late for the sacrifice ceremony? If I enter late, won’t Bishop Marik sneer, ‘Look at Evangeline who just entered. Being late – she must be a witch!’

If I had my way, I’d want to grab Pudding’s hand and warp to the temple right now. But then I’d just be adding another testimony to the hypothesis that I’m a witch.

Why are there so many people! Did Bishop Marik issue a summons to all the empire’s people so he could suffer from traffic jams? Surely he’s not that petty.

Then the rat that had been left alone came scurrying over. As it ran toward me, Pudding quickly stepped on the rat’s tail to subdue it. With its tail caught, the rat continued running like someone on a treadmill and cried out urgently.

“Lady Rohanson! This is terrible!”

“Rico? What’s wrong?”

“People came to the prison. They, they seem to be trying to move him!”

“Count Gabriel?”

The rat nodded vigorously and added.

“They seem to be holy knights. Before my eyes were covered, I saw the sun’s emblem under their cloaks.”

When he said holy knights, only one thing came to mind. I made eye contact with Gabriel. Gabriel seemed to be thinking the same thing as me.

“Bishop Marik.”

The destination where the holy knights were moving Gabriel was obviously the temple too.

So he intends to use him as bait after all? But Bishop Marik didn’t even mention Gabriel when he invited me. Wasn’t Jelly enough as bait? What on earth is he scheming?

“Rico, first tell me in detail what the knights are saying and where they’re going.”

“Yes. I will.”

Just because his eyes were covered didn’t mean there was no way to observe the outside. Rico created several rats like the one he had given us, using them as substitutes for eyes and ears to survey the surroundings and continuously relay information to us.

Everything about what the knights were saying and where they were heading. The knights’ slander about Gabriel was also transmitted without filtering.

They said all the knights of the Pararos Order had abandoned their captain and fled, surely running away because they’d be cursed if they stayed together. They retched saying they might be cursed if they touched him, mocked his bound appearance as pathetic, and ridiculed his fallen state as laughable.

Who’s pathetic? Grinding my teeth inside, I asked Rico to remember their faces well so I could get revenge later. I felt like I’d need to smack them on the back of the head when I met them later to feel satisfied. How dare they insult Gabriel when they have nothing else to say? Just wait and see.

“We’ve arrived at the temple.”

As expected, the place they took Rico was indeed the temple. Even though they definitely left later than us, Rico said he had already arrived at the temple. What method did they use when the roads are this congested?

Surprisingly, the answer was simple. People who saw the temple’s emblem all made way without exception. Strangely, there wasn’t a single person blocking their path. Gabriel also hardened his face as if incredulous.

Rico’s communication became sparse after saying they had arrived at the temple.

Rico wasn’t hurt, was he? Did he get harmed after being discovered as not being Gabriel? Another person getting hurt because of me? My breathing became momentarily disturbed.

Mabuka’s face flashed through my mind – she who called the disgusting rat “mother” and held it close in her arms until sleep as if it were some precious treasure. Do I have to hurt Mabuka again?

The sound of my anxiously and nervously beating heart echoed in my ears. As if a hole had opened in the floor, my heart seemed to keep falling downward, making me dizzy, when Gabriel grabbed me.

“My lady.”

The tone calling me was desperate.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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