Chapter 99: Hyde, Murdered by Heretics?! (3)

I intended to make Milione my second wife to save her soul.

And by saving her soul, mine would surely be saved as well.

If left unchecked, Milione would be consumed by her immeasurable rage, killing, destroying, setting fires, and tearing the world apart.

Before that happened, I, Hyde, the most devout and pious priest, would inspire and move her, guiding her back to the righteous path─.

That was my plan.

“Alright, we’re almost there.”

“What amazing gift could possibly warrant this much trouble since morning? If it’s nothing special, I’ll tear it apart.”

Milione’s head was covered with a burlap sack as I led her along.

I arrived at the gift I had prepared and ripped off the sack.

“Ta-da! Isn’t it amazing?!”

I spread my arms wide. Before us stood something anyone would love.

Milione’s jaw dropped. She seemed genuinely impressed.

“A dilapidated building is my gift?”

Was she so surprised she couldn’t believe it?

I explained to the seemingly moved Milione,

“It’s not just any building. It’s a church! This is one of Sodomi’s old churches. It’s abandoned now, but I’m in charge of it! Isn’t it amazing?”

“Amazing.”

Milione scowled.

Was she displeased?

To think someone could look so unhappy after receiving a church as a gift.

If Psyche were here, she would have exclaimed, “This is a wonderful gift! Let’s clean it up, make it beautiful, and decorate it!”

I missed Psyche.

I handed Milione a broom.

“Now, let’s clean.”

“Clean this? All this trash?”

“Yes. This small, humble church will be the starting point for spreading the gospel throughout Sodomi and the entire kingdom. Aren’t you excited? Now do you see how amazing my gift is?”

September 21st, Year 12 of the Arud Calendar.

Today would be a memorable day.

“…….”

Milione tossed the broom aside without a word.

How rude.

This was largely Archbishop Archibald’s fault.

If Medici Archibald hadn’t spoiled his daughter so much, would she dislike cleaning?

Cleaning was a basic household chore.

“I’m not cleaning!”

“Suit yourself.”

I started cleaning, sweeping the floor and brushing away cobwebs, ignoring Milione’s complaints.

Sweep, sweep, sweep.

“Oops, there’s a big piece of trash here. Shaped like a person.”

“I’ll kill you!”

Milione clenched her fists, angered by being swept with the broom.

She snatched it from me.

“Fine! I’ll help you clean!”

Sweep, sweep.

And so, we cleaned the old church together.

From morning to past noon.

Simply sweeping the floor, removing the trash, and wiping the graffiti off the walls made a huge difference.

Now all that was left was to repair the broken windows and bring in some furniture, and it would be a proper church.

“See? This old, shabby church has been transformed just by cleaning. People are the same. Everyone has a chance to change.”

“…….”

Milione didn’t respond.

Psyche would have said, “How true!”

But comparing Milione to Psyche was unfair to Milione.

No woman in the world could compare to Psyche.

To think I married her.

I was truly blessed.

As I thought this,

Footsteps, footsteps, footsteps-

Rumble-

Five men entered our church.

They looked rough and disheveled, but they must have been believers seeking to become members of our congregation!

“Welcome! Sodomi Church welcomes you!”

Had word of a devout priest in Sodomi already spread?

I hadn’t even advertised!

Like the wise men who followed the star to find Mary before the Lord’s birth, these wise men had found me before the church was even established.

“Hey! Who gave you permission to be here?!”

“Are you guys from the Church?”

“The Church hasn’t withdrawn from Sodomi yet?”

Something was off.

The men held clubs, looking menacing, ready to swing.

“What are you talking about? Whose permission? I, Hyde, am a priest directly dispatched from the Holy See of Barakhan. Whose permission do I need to repair a church?”

I was right.

This church was on land owned by the Holy See of Barakhan, currently abandoned.

And I was the only priest from the Holy See in Sodomi.

Therefore, this church naturally fell under my jurisdiction.

The men looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“Listen to this guy! Every building and property in Sodomi belongs to our Lord Viscount Korps…! Trespassing and cleaning private property…!”

“Get out of here!”

Swing, swing-

Crash-

Shatter!

The men started smashing the church I had painstakingly cleaned with their clubs.

It was in worse shape than before I started cleaning. They even dumped foul-smelling filth from somewhere.

I was furious.

They were ruining all my hard work!

“Do you know who I am? Do you think you can get away with this? It’s not too late. Apologize and clean this place up!”

“Who cares who you are? You look like you won’t last three days in Sodomi! Do you know who I am?”

A man with a shiny bald head drew a dagger and approached us.

“I’m Bolhead, the Viscount’s representative. And I see we have a pretty little lady here! Since you’re on this property, you have to obey my orders. Come here, pretty thing!”

Bolhead reached out.

Milione grabbed his hand and twisted.

Crack.

“Aaaaagh! My hand! My hand!”

Could a human arm be broken and twisted so easily?

The Viscount’s representatives exchanged glances and then fled.

Such cowards.

“What was that all about?”

My heart ached looking at the ruined church.

I’d have to pull an all-nighter to clean it again.

Milione clicked her tongue.

“I knew this would happen. Sodomi is a city abandoned by both the Church and the United Kingdom. The ruler here is Viscount Korps, known as the ‘Corpse Viscount.’ He’s far from pious or church-going.”

I knew about the “Corpse Viscount.”

He had a hobby of collecting corpses, right?

Rumors said he bought the corpses of famous people.

“I’ll have to go and have a word with him.”

The source had to be clean for the stream to be clean.

There were many stories in the Bible of prophets and seers visiting corrupt cities and rebuking their leaders, leading them to repentance.

I could do the same, and I had to.

“Let’s go!”

I urged Milione.

I didn’t expect much.

I thought she would complain or refuse, but surprisingly, she followed me without protest.

Growl.

I could hear her growling like a motorcycle engine. She was entering her ‘Berserker’ state.

She was angry even without her Wrath mask.

She was furious that someone had ruined the place she had worked so hard to clean!

---

“So this is the Viscount’s mansion.”

Sodomi.

A city abandoned by the kingdom and the Church, operating under its own political system.

Viscount Korps, the city’s lord, lived in a surprisingly luxurious mansion, unlike the garbage-strewn streets outside.

As we entered, women who looked like prostitutes, holding pipes, eyed me languidly.

A blonde woman with an eyepatch approached me.

“Are you here to see the Viscount? I’m Ultima, the head maid of this mansion.”

“I am Bronze Plaque Priest Hyde. Take me to Viscount Korps!”

Ultima, the one-eyed head maid, slowly examined Milione.

She finally nodded and led us to a man sitting on the balcony, playing chess by himself.

Playing chess alone?

What kind of person was he? I observed him closely. He had dark circles under his eyes, hollow cheeks, and dull, dark, brittle hair.

He looked like a corpse.

Which meant he was the “Corpse Viscount,” Korps Voltimore.

“I am─.”

“Shhh. This is a crucial moment!”

Crucial my ass.

I sat opposite him and moved a piece, promoting a pawn to a bishop.

Korps Voltimore was aghast.

“Promoting a pawn to a bishop, not a queen, or even a knight! Are you insane?!”

“Viscount Korps, are you insane? Playing chess with such an important guest before you?”

“Alright, alright, calm down. Let’s see. Are you the priest who was supposed to introduce a new maid? This one seems high quality!”

Korps stood up and examined Milione.

Did he think she was a new maid?

“What? A maid?”

Milione scowled.

Worried she might rip Korps’s head off, I quickly intervened.

“We’re not here to introduce a maid. This young lady is the daughter of Medici Archibald, and I am Hyde, Bronze Plaque Priest of Barakhan, the youngest Doctor of Theology, and the author of the world-renowned masterpiece, The Village of the Back Alley Nymph.”

Korps frowned.

He looked at me and asked again,

“Who?”

He didn’t know me?

He didn’t know Hyde, the hottest celebrity in the kingdom?

Did he not read newspapers?

“Why should I know you? I’m busy dealing with the affairs of this damned city, Sodomi! I’m exhausted! Hey! Ultima! I told you not to bring in guests without my permission!”

The Corpse Viscount yelled.

The one-eyed maid appeared and bowed, “I apologize. There seems to have been a misunderstanding.” The Viscount unbuckled his belt and started whipping her.

Slap, slap!

“Ow! Ow! I’m sorry!”

“You useless wench! What are your eyes for?! You bitch!”

What was I witnessing?

I decided I had to stop him.

“You shouldn’t hit people.”

“You’re interfering with my discipline?”

“How dare you interfere with the Viscount’s discipline!”

Not only the Viscount, but even Ultima, the maid being beaten, was angry at me.

Further conversation seemed pointless.

“Viscount Korps, I’ll be brief. Repent and dedicate this city to the Lord. Invite the priests and treat them as honored guests!”

Especially me. I should be treated with the utmost respect.

I was a prophet sent by the Lord.

Korps looked at me with drugged-out eyes.

“Why should I?”

“Because I am a prophet of Lord Elohim. If you disobey me and mistreat me, you will face divine punishment!”

“Hahaha! Ultima, did you hear that? He says I’ll face divine punishment if I mistreat him! Me!”

“I heard. What utter nonsense.”

What?

Nonsense?

He called me nonsense?!

As I suppressed my anger, Korps continued,

“A prophet of Lord Elohim? There are over ten people in this city claiming to be the returned savior. You think I’m scared of some prophet of Elohim?”

Was this how Moses felt when facing Pharaoh, who ignored God’s warnings?

He was ignoring my warning of divine punishment.

I tried one last time.

“Are you sure you won’t heed my words?”

“Look, young priest. You might be famous out there, but it means nothing here. This is a place abandoned by the Church and the kingdom. I am the god of this city! Divine punishment on me? That’s hilarious. I’m the one who delivers divine punishment!”

He called himself a god.

Such an arrogant and foolish man.

I pointed a finger at him.

“You might have some unsettling dreams tonight.”