Episode 3: The Devils on the Roulette Wheel
On February 16, 960, a carriage was traveling towards the capital of the Carcer Empire,
Alberetto and Malkion were the only two, and their contrasting appearances were striking.
The predator and prey Alberetto sat with their heads bowed, their hands bound with ropes.
The Malkion sat quietly, gazing at the Alberetto.
The silence was suddenly broken, and Milquion's question was posed.
"Don't you want to ask?"
"Uh-huh? Um, what's going on?"
The Alberetto shot back with a Malkion to the question.
The Malkion tilted his head to one side, gazing at me with a look of mild amusement in his eyes.
"Aren't you struggling?"
"I'm not taking a stance on whether you're a heretic or not."
"Actually, I'm not usually like that."
The Alberetto remained silent throughout.
He seemed to have put up no resistance at all.
The reason was that he had concluded the Malkion he had seen was one from which he couldn't escape.
"Why do I have to be labeled as a heretic?"
"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?"
The Alberetto tilted its head slightly and asked, and the Malkion nodded in response, crossing its legs.
"Is that really all you're curious about?" Why do you have to be the one? "I can answer everything for you."
"You don't have to be, but you were the only priest in that village, after all."
"So I told him to report it."
Alberetto finally realized it.
The predator's mind became even more complicated, as he realized he had no ill intentions.
He had no idea what the Malkion was getting at.
What he really wants, whether he's being tested, and if there's a way out,
A multitude of thoughts flashed through my mind.
"Uh, I guess so..." "Wasn't I just what you needed?"
The Alberetto asked cautiously, and the Malkion responded immediately.
"That's right, there are orders from above and rewards to boot."
"It doesn't matter who it is."
"Why are you turning the cart around?" "Report it"
Alberetto's body stiffened at the Malkion's words.
Malkion felt like her faith was being put to the test as a bride, following Alberetto's words.
It was determined that the statement that anyone in Malkion who looked briefly was irrelevant was true.
But if he were to clear the innocent man's name and get off scot-free,
It's only now that I've come to realize that my entire faith has been shaken to its core.
The ball was tossed around like a roulette wheel, while the wagon wheels rolled aimlessly.
The sudden jolt was followed by a Malkion's words, shattering the silence.
"You're worried about something, huh? You've got a lot on your mind, don't you?"
"No, I don't." No, I'm not.. "I'll be the heretic."
As the Alberetto spoke, the carriage wheels slowly turned, as if losing momentum.
"Wow, you're really a bride!"
"It's really rare to find people who are genuine."
I felt a deep sense of frustration with the Malkion's condescending tone.
The Malkion nodded in agreement,
I've come to realize just how hypocritical it is that I've been recognized for my beliefs by a newspaper that's known for its unconventional views.
The carriage continued on towards the capital,
Despite choosing God, Alberetto's actions ultimately led to the salvation of humanity.
He became a man who has abandoned God.
On February 16, 960, at the same time, the Canaanite tribes and adjacent villages in Astrel were,
At 17, there was a boy named Novak Kerry Ahn who stood out from his peers.
His family was a pretty harmonious one.
However, only Novak was aware of the harmony.
What set him apart from others was a lack of emotional depth.
"Novak! Eric! Yuri! Come on in and have some dinner!"
As Lysetta's mother, Novak, shouted for him and his brothers,
They all turned their heads in the direction of the house.
Novak was farming alongside his twin brother Eric,
Their younger sister Yuri was watching them.
"I'll be right there!" "Let's head back home, Novak."
The Eric took care of his younger brothers, just like the eldest son should, and the Novak followed his older brother
Yuri had already taken off in a hurry to head home.
As they entered the house, Lysetta quickly joined her mother, Eric, in setting the table.
"Novak, please wash your hands before coming in."
"Alright, I understand. Let's wash our hands, Yuri."
As soon as Eric heard the news, Novak immediately packed up her glass,
As soon as the meal was set, they gathered around the table and started eating, chatting back and forth.
"If you want to work with me after lunch Novak, you'll need to eat a lot. Just follow my lead, okay?"
"I always pretend not to be able to speak in front of the villagers."
For them, every day is a monotonous routine of the same old things, but,
Lysetta was always consumed by worry.
It seemed like the recent rumors and news had already anticipated that no matter what happened, it wouldn't be a good sign.
"Don't worry, Mom, I'll keep an eye on things."
The Eric responded in place of the Novak, and the Novak nodded in agreement.
Despite the relief, Lysetta still felt a lingering sense of unease.
"How did you distinguish between good and bad Novak?"
"When you smile, you're happy, but when you get angry, you're upset."
"It's good to be happy, and it's bad to be angry."
"I don't like corn when it's wilted, but I love it when it's fresh and ripe."
It was simple.
His standards were surprisingly clear, rather than vague and ambiguous.
He judged his emotions based on his own five senses, as if they were a set of rules.
To the Novak, emotions seemed to be a mere facade.
It's not about distinguishing between good and bad, like a formula, but about one's own will,
It was nothing more than a result of what others had learned.
"Yeah, be super careful and keep a low profile. Don't talk to anyone else Novak, okay?"
Novak nodded again.
After a meal filled with worry, Eric and Novak headed out to work in the fields,
Yuri and Lysetta gazed back at each other.
The two started working in the field again, and Eric spoke up, mindful of the villagers' gaze.
"Let's speed up the Novak a bit. We can wrap things up early today and take it easy. There's no need to be out there, anyway."
Novak took a look around the horse on the Eric and nodded in agreement.
As the sun began to set, the two of them headed home, only to find that their father, Caleb, had already returned and was waiting for them.
Lysetta didn't look too well.
"Why don't you both come and sit down, Novak Eric?"
Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere, the Eric sat down anyway.
"What's going on?"
As the Eric asked, his father let out a deep sigh and opened his mouth.
"From now on, just stay home. Don't let anyone in, not even villagers, until you're sure it's safe. Did you understand the Novak?"
"What's wrong? Is it bad?"
"I don't think it's a good situation, to be honest. You really need to take good care of your younger Eric." "You're the older twin, so you're the one in charge."
Novak asked his father, who nodded in agreement.
The Eric had a sense of the situation and didn't ask any more questions.
Rumors sparked rumors, and the Vatican's false propaganda campaign began.
The agitation spread like wildfire across the country, bordering no nation.
The atmosphere in the village shifted on February 22, 960.
The quiet of the village, once so peaceful, was now tinged with a cold, calculating gaze.
At times, they displayed an excessive kindness, exchanging glances as if keeping an eye on each other.
The Novak's house was also difficult to avoid altogether,
The villagers were hesitant to act on the fear of the devil.
Anything that was even slightly different from themselves was considered evil.
"Let's make a run for it tonight. We don't need to stick around any longer."
The meal at the Novak's house was met with an awkward silence following Caleb's firm decision.
It felt like I was being pursued by something. The Lysetta's Novak soon spoke up.
"I think that would be great." Lately, even the locals' eyes seem to be.. And.. "You're always dropping by my place, aren't you?"
"So, where are you off to?"
The Eric asked his father.
"Shall we head to the Canato Plains?" Even there, I suppose.. "
Everyone nodded in agreement with Caleb's response.
I thought that if it were a natural and open space, it would be a better situation than the one we're in now.
Novak knew he had to flee because of himself,
I didn't feel any remorse or guilt.
I just took it that things were pretty rough and not great.
"Let's pack lightly for now, and when the sun starts to set, I'll meet you at the back of the mountain. I'll go ahead and grab a carriage to wait for you."
Novak nodded quietly in agreement,
The mother and Eric started moving busily.
Acalib soon opened the door and stepped out.
"Hey Novak, can you hand me the glass? I'm heading upstairs to finish up."
Novak carefully made his way upstairs, holding the glass so as not to make a sound,
As February's chill still lingered, they started dressing Yuri in warm clothes.
Lysetta and Eric packed their belongings, including money and clothes, and stored them in one place.
It was all too easy for someone to spot the hectic change.
The Eric is moving his luggage As I looked out the window, I caught sight of the villagers approaching.
She was someone I used to exchange messages with frequently, but now she's the last person I'd want to talk to.
"Don't come down from the Novak, wait for Yuri instead!"
As the Eric spoke up, Lysetta's face lit up with embarrassment, but,
Before I could even ask why, I heard a knock at the door.
"What's going on?" "Mr. Carmody, sir?"
As the Lysetta swung open, a woman named Carmody stood there, holding a tray of food.
In the Eric, the food was seen as a mere excuse for visiting this place, rather than a genuine gesture of goodwill.
Carmody was also looking for an excuse from them.
"I came here to share some food with you."
"Ah, thank you so much...""
As soon as the Lysetta quickly receives the food and tries to close the door, he grabs the door handle,
Carmody approached me again. The Eric stood behind and kept an eye on the situation.
"Where are you headed?" "Pack your bags like this, please."
"Oh, Jim..."
I had left my luggage in one place, but I hadn't had a chance to cover it up,
The Lysetta quickly snapped back to reality.
"I'm thinking of taking a trip." Family trip
"Ah, I see. You're a Novak, huh?" "Is it Eric?"
Madam Camodeau gazed out at the Eric and said.
The sudden silence that fell was palpable, and the Eric's face froze in a mask of stillness.
Mrs. Carmody had come to realize that she was oblivious to the physical differences between herself and Novak,
It didn't feel either good or bad.
In this ironic situation, Eric caught a fleeting glimpse of the world of Novak.
Eric had to decide whether he wanted to be himself or become Novak.
Carmody also had to decide whether the boy standing in front of him was evil or not.
"We're really busy getting everything ready for our trip..." "I'm done..."
"You're not saying a word, are you? You're a Novak, aren't you?"
The Eric remained silent.
I was unable to do anything, neither positive nor negative.
It was then that Eric had an epiphany.
They've always stood out from the crowd, even before they were anything more than that,
They were just using the excuse that they were looking for a Novak as a pretext, and it was actually a way for them to justify themselves.
The Eric nodded slowly in response.