The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 115

"As a Holy Warrior of the proud Trinitas Holy Order, the Vatican granted permission to carry swords to protect students, not to attack them."

Chairman Kim Chang-won’s cold voice shook the silence that filled the chairman’s office. So Do-jin nodded calmly with his head deeply bowed. There was no room for excuses.

"While demotion or higher disciplinary action would be appropriate, considering that there was room for misunderstanding in the situation and that the affected student does not wish for disciplinary action, the punishment level will be lowered to suspension, with a period of one month."

Kim Chang-won coughed briefly. So Do-jin was biting his lips with his head down to the floor.

It wasn’t because he felt wronged. It was because the disciplinary action decided through the meeting was too lenient compared to the mistake he had made.

"Judging that it would be premature to impose suspension while Satan worship detection operations are being conducted, the disciplinary action will begin seven days from today... This is what was decided in the meeting. Do you have any objections?"

"...No."

"Good."

Kim Chang-won stood up from his seat, and So Do-jin looked at him with surprised eyes.

Should he put his hands behind his back at times like this, or should he stand at attention with his arms at his sides...

While he had received plenty of punishment as a Holy Warrior, this was his first time receiving punishment as a teacher, so he wasn’t sure how to position himself.

Thud.

Kim Chang-won placed his hand on So Do-jin’s shoulder. When So Do-jin reflexively bowed his head, Chang-won, who noticed what he was worrying about, waved his hand to stop him.

"You don’t need to do that. What does it matter how you position yourself? The elders have all left to do their own work, so you can be comfortable."

"No."

"What do you mean no... The elders wanted to give you three months of suspension, but I reduced it to one month. I’ll cover the salary reduction with Florence Foundation funds, so don’t worry."

Kim Chang-won patted So Do-jin’s shoulder. So Do-jin’s eyes widened.

Reducing the three-month suspension to one month was understandable, but taking care of the salary reduction issue was too much. Rather than being burdensome, he felt sorry.

"You don’t need to worry about the salary reduction. I receive sponsorship money from Holy Warrior activities..."

"The orphanage... no, I think they call it a child care facility these days."

At Kim Chang-won’s unexpected words, So Do-jin felt his heart sink. Kim Chang-won was looking at So Do-jin with kind eyes and a gentle smile.

So Do-jin thought those eyes seemed to see through his entire heart.

"You donate all the income from your Holy Warrior work to the child care facility as sponsorship money, right? And use all your teacher’s salary for your own living expenses."

"...How do you know?"

"How could I not know? I also sponsor the same facility every year. The director there often talks about you."

Kim Chang-won smiled slightly.

"I’m grateful to you in many ways. Last time, when magical beasts appeared in the stable, weren’t you the one who saved my daughter?"

"Kim Jin... Your daughter had already resolved everything, I just added a spoon to the finished meal."

So Do-jin said this while bowing his head. Guilt lingered in his eyes as he stared at the floor.

"...Most importantly, Do Seon-woo’s contribution was the greatest, enduring by overworking his body. And I tried to kill such a Do Seon-woo. I would have nothing to say even if I were dismissed."

"Really... But weren’t you also the one who gave Do Seon-woo a commendation? I couldn’t attend the meeting because I was nursing my daughter at the time, but I heard that without you, Do Seon-woo’s commendation would have gone to the wrong person. That would have been a disaster."

So Do-jin recalled the meeting held right after the stable magical beast incident.

At that time, he had stubbornly insisted against other faculty members’ opposition that Do Seon-woo should also receive a commendation.

Thanks to that, Do Seon-woo was able to receive a commendation along with Kim Jin-seo. Kim Chang-won was talking about that incident.

"Most importantly, student Do Seon-woo didn’t want you to be disciplined."

"..."

"When that child so earnestly asked not to discipline you, what choice did I have? I was about to dismiss you, but held back to suspension because of student Do Seon-woo’s words."

Kim Chang-won spoke playfully with mock cleverness. So Do-jin felt endlessly sorry and ashamed toward both Kim Chang-won and Do Seon-woo, unable to raise his head.

Kim Chang-won patted So Do-jin’s back and opened his mouth.

"What do you think is the Satan worshipper’s purpose?"

"...Pardon?"

So Do-jin raised his head, wondering if he had heard wrong. Kim Chang-won was looking out the window. So Do-jin followed his gaze and looked beyond the window.

There was nothing there. However, Kim Chang-won’s pupils were shining clearly and distinctly as if yearning for something.

"I think Satan worship’s purpose is the division of Romanica. When young and excellent clergy like you give up the priesthood under external pressure, when rotten-to-the-core elders become the main axis of Romanica, and when believers’ division is subsequently promoted... They’re waiting for that moment."

At the words ’rotten-to-the-core elders,’ So Do-jin instinctively almost nodded but held back.

"Well-fed clergy forget how to pray. When they’re well-fed and warm, they no longer need to cry out Adonai’s name. And they come to rely on the church hierarchy rather than God. They become pathetic people who only assert territorial behavior with the hollow authority created by the hollow hierarchy."

"..."

"Among the elders, Gabriel at least faithfully fulfills his role... Oh, I’ve gone on too long with idle talk. It’s almost time to get off work, and I’ve kept you too long without any sense."

Kim Chang-won belatedly came to his senses and tried to quickly send So Do-jin away. Instead of leaving, he stood still looking at Kim Chang-won, then bowed his head.

"I learned a lot."

"I’m also a well-fed cleric no different from the elders. What is there to learn from me?"

"No... If I may ask an presumptuous question, according to your words, should clergy not be well-fed?"

It was a question born from pure curiosity. Kim Chang-won pretended to think for a moment while stroking his beard.

"That’s not what I mean. A true cleric is one who cries out Adonai’s name when hungry and thanks Adonai when full. Those with the base mindset of ’it’s God’s fault when things go wrong for me, and my credit when things go well for me’ cannot be called true clergy. Does this answer your question?"

"...Yes, I understand what you mean."

"Good. Lastly, regarding the suspension, I’m sorry but think of it as taking about a month’s rest. Sleep a bit, play a bit. If you stay up all night like that, you’ll have a short life. You don’t plan to die before me, do you?"

"Thank you for your concern."

"You worked hard listening to such boring talk. I’m the one who’s more grateful."

Leaving behind Kim Chang-won who showed a kind smile, So Do-jin quickly left the chairman’s office. As he did, he thought about this disciplinary action, and then thought about Kim Chang-won and Do Seon-woo.

Despite his warm impression, Kim Chang-won had sharp edges, and even his seemingly casual words contained firm resolve.

Do Seon-woo didn’t want him to be disciplined.

Not only had he cut up his palm and wounded his neck with the sword he held to slay magical beasts, but he had also called him to apologize and then, overcome by emotion, spouted nonsense about killing him. Even so, Do Seon-woo forgave him as if nothing had happened.

Kim Chang-won’s upright beliefs and Do Seon-woo’s composure when dealing with the taxidermy were things to emulate as a Holy Warrior, and the kindness of generously forgiving him was something to emulate as a teacher.

These were virtues So Do-jin should learn regardless of age and church hierarchy.

"Stupid bastard..."

A teacher who should be teaching students was instead learning from a student. Really briefly, So Do-jin felt his pride somewhat hurt by this fact. And that made him ashamed again.

They say even an eighty-year-old has something to learn from a three-year-old child, so a teacher learning from a disciple shouldn’t be something to hurt one’s pride at all. However, until now, he had thought there was absolutely nothing to learn from his disciples.

What a lacking and arrogant cleric and teacher he was.

So Do-jin was immersed in fresh reflection.

* * *

"Alright, quiet. Hey, you bastards. Quiet! Sit down quickly, you brats!"

After all classes had ended, among students excited to go home, someone roughly opened the classroom door and shouted. The cheerful atmosphere instantly turned cold.

The one who entered was a Divine Material Science teacher notorious for his bad personality.

Among students, he was famous by the nickname ’Baldy,’ which was because of me. I had once called him baldy. So I don’t get along well with that teacher.

"Wow... An octopus is walking around."

Gu Jun-hyeok next to me muttered and sat down. He also didn’t get along well with the Divine Material Science teacher, like me. It was because of Gu Jun-hyeok’s characteristically delinquent class attitude.

Bang!

When all students sat down, the teacher struck the desk with his palm and glared.

"Listen carefully. An important item from the Divine Material Research Lab, that is, the science lab, was stolen. Looking at the camera, the culprit is a student, but the face didn’t show. Therefore, we’ll conduct a belongings inspection. We’ve already been through 3rd and 2nd graders, so don’t complain. The seniors also did it without grumbling."

"What amazing rationalization..."

"What, who was that just now!"

The teacher shouted at someone’s discontented muttering. Students looked around at each other with closed mouths.

Actually, it was me who said it. Even if the seniors had cooperated with the belongings inspection without grumbling, there was no reason we had to meekly submit to the belongings inspection.

"Anyway, tsk. Never mind, quickly put your bags on the desks!"

He clicked his tongue with a deeply furrowed face. Students reluctantly put their bags on their desks. I suddenly wondered.

Was this also part of the Satan worship detection operation? Using the pretext that school-owned valuables were stolen to search students’ bags and find even a small clue about who the Satan worshipper was?

It was a coercive and unethical method, but it was a plan Yeo Min-seo could easily have thought of.

"Okay, you’re done."

Meanwhile, the teacher was walking around between desks with arrogant steps, inspecting bags. Since it was exam period, the kids’ bags were full of books. Sometimes crosses or holy images came out instead of books.

"What? Didn’t you hear me say to put your bag up? This kid, and why is your uniform like this?"

The teacher’s face turned ugly as he raised his voice when passing in front of Gu Jun-hyeok’s desk. There was no bag on his desk. Gu Jun-hyeok stood still looking at the teacher, then showed a brazen smile.

"Haha... I don’t carry a bag."

"What? A student doesn’t carry a bag? Do you have a mind or not?"

"Uh, I have a mind but it’s a bit lacking."

The teacher frowned in disbelief, making a figure-eight shape with his eyebrows.

"This bastard, did I ask you to play word games? Quickly take out your bag, hurry!"

"No, I really don’t have one."

"Don’t have one? Ha, this bastard... Okay, then empty your pockets. No, I’ll search you, so you just stay right there."

The teacher roughly searched Gu Jun-hyeok’s body. Gu Jun-hyeok looked at the teacher with a face that was beyond calm and somewhat cold, standing still with his arms spread to both sides. The teacher, who was searching his pants, suddenly pulled something out of his pocket.

"What’s this?"

"It’s a family photo."

What came out of Gu Jun-hyeok’s pocket was a small frame about the size of three fingers. He said it was a family photo, but it was hard to see from far away. The teacher looked around the frame in confusion, then threw it on the desk.

"Really, not carrying books and this kid... Never mind, never mind."

"Yes~"

Gu Jun-hyeok answered halfheartedly while bowing his head, and the teacher glared at him with displeasure before passing by. Then the teacher resumed the bag inspection.

After thoroughly inspecting dozens of students’ belongings, he approached me with a face even more grim than before.

Crash!

I poured all the items in my bag onto the desk as if to say ’look if you want to look.’

"What, are you rebelling?"

"No, I thought this would be faster and more convenient."

That’s what I said, but actually I just didn’t want to see someone else rummaging through my bag. Rather than that, I thought it would be more comfortable to voluntarily pour out everything in my bag.

"...Okay, I understand."

The teacher nodded and examined the items spread on the desk. Books, Bible, holy images I always kept to avoid suspicion, etc. There were no suspicious or questionable items. Then, the teacher’s gaze stopped at one place. He was looking at Baal’s Maw that I always kept in my bag.

"Is this a holy relic? What kind of holy relic?"

"It’s called Baal’s Maw, for storage."

"Storage. Really? It would be perfect for hiding things here."

The teacher said this and, without a moment’s hesitation, emitted divine power and infused it into Baal’s Maw.

Creak! With a creepy sound, the maw opened. The teacher stuck his head through the opening. This series of actions happened too naturally and suddenly.

"This is a holy relic, and a box. What’s this box? Is this also a holy relic?"

Inside Baal’s Maw were the Fourth Angel’s Trumpet, another holy relic given by Bae Jeong-hwan, and my father’s keepsake box. The teacher held both in his hands and looked at them alternately.

I had already opened and used the keepsake box once, but was keeping it in Baal’s Maw just in case.

The teacher showed no interest in the Fourth Angel’s Trumpet, but was examining the keepsake box with suspicious eyes.

This was trouble.

"...It’s nothing much."

I barely managed to answer and snatched the box from the teacher’s hands. This was something that shouldn’t be in the hands of a Romanica Church member.

I tried to put the keepsake box back into Baal’s Maw, but the teacher’s hand roughly grabbed my wrist to stop me. The teacher was glaring at me unpleasantly with narrowed eyes.

"Where are you trying to gloss over this? You, what’s in there? Did you steal something and hide it there? Huh? In the bag, in the holy relic, in the box, is it a matryoshka?"

"Nothing’s in it. It’s just an empty box."

"Ha, have I ever seen such a frustrating kid? Then you just need to open it and show me, right? And you, what are the bandages on your neck and hands? Do you go around fighting?"

"No, this is..."

Smack!

Just as I was about to answer, the teacher roughly snatched the box. Then he tried to force the box open.

"What amazing thing is in there that you’re reacting like this? Let’s see..."

Thud.

Then, the box in the teacher’s hands fell to the floor. His trembling eyes looked up at me as if flustered.

I stared at the teacher’s face with blurred vision. My heartbeat echoed in my ears and my breathing was rough. My head hurt. My temples throbbed.

"I said there’s nothing in it, you fucking bastard...!"

When I came to my senses, I was grabbing the teacher’s collar. My true feelings came out of my mouth without any filtering process. I could clearly feel cold sweat running down my spine.

[Getting angry now... What are you going to do about the aftermath?]

"..."

Belatedly coming to my senses at Legba’s words, I hurriedly let go of his collar. But the atmosphere was already cold. All the kids in the class were looking at me with wide eyes.

The teacher pointed at me with trembling fingertips and opened his mouth.

"You, you. To a teacher, just now, what..."

Knock knock.

A knocking sound cut off his scolding words. Ha Ye-jin opened the front door and peeked her head out. She looked at the Divine Material Science teacher with calm eyes and smiled slightly.

"Are you finished with what you were doing? The kids need to have their closing ceremony..."

"Ah, yes! It’s almost finished, but this kid, this bastard..."

The teacher spoke in a trembling voice and picked up the box that had fallen on the floor, bringing it to Ha Ye-jin. Then he explained the whole story.

He was just trying to check what was in the box, but the student absolutely wouldn’t let him open it. He suspected that the stolen item might be inside the box... That was the content.

"Hmm. I understand what you mean."

Ha Ye-jin nodded as if understanding and opened her mouth.

"But that wouldn’t fit in this box. Physically, the height doesn’t match first of all. Didn’t you say the medicine was originally in a flask?"

"You never know. This might be a holy relic..."

"Um... Teacher."

Ha Ye-jin’s smile that she always wore instantly disappeared. She looked at the Divine Material Science teacher with a hardened face.

"Shall we stop here? You said you had something to ask the students, but I don’t think you mentioned conducting a belongings inspection."

"What? Ah, that. Since the thief wouldn’t tell the truth, I thought it would be better to check the bags first..."

"Really? Then I’ll handle the rest, so teacher, you can leave now."

"No, but that kid..."

"Yes, I’ll take care of scolding him myself! Thank you for your hard work~"

Ha Ye-jin semi-forcibly kicked out the teacher who was pointing at me. Ha Ye-jin returned the confiscated box to me, and while doing so, smiled at me. Rather than scolding, it was a bitter smile as if she was sorry to me.

She walked to the front of the classroom with quick steps, flipped her hair to the side of her neck, and opened her mouth.

"I’m sorry, everyone. It’s a very important medicine that the school only has two of, and one disappeared... The Divine Science teachers seem to be in a somewhat sensitive state."

Listening to the story, it seemed it wasn’t a bag inspection for Satan worship detection, but something really was stolen. Ha Ye-jin continued with a wry smile on her lips while bowing her head.

"I didn’t hear about going around conducting bag inspections like this, really... I’m sorry..."

Ha Ye-jin kept apologizing to the students, even bowing her head, even though it wasn’t her fault. It was an attitude opposite to the Divine Material Science teacher who had been yelling and speaking informally to students.

Seeing someone else apologizing when the person who did wrong was someone else felt a bit strange. An inexplicable unpleasantness was washing over me.

I wanted to drink water.