Chapter 4 “Forbear to judge for we are sinners all.”

In the late afternoon, after about 30 minutes of travel, they finally reached the border gate between the holy city and the small village owned by the woman.

“We've arrived,” said the woman, abruptly stopping in front of the gate to the holy city.

“What!? We're already here!? Just this close!?” exclaimed the young man in surprise.

“Yes, now you just need to enter the city and ask one of the residents there. I'm sure they'll be happy to guide you to your residence,” said the woman.

“What!? So my residence is even further away!?”

“Hah... Didn't I tell you earlier that your residence is in the center of the city?” replied the woman with a sigh.

“In that case, let's hurry and get me to my place!” invited the young man.

“Sorry, I can't. A sinner like me is not allowed to enter the holy city without permission,” explained the woman.

“Sinner? What do you mean?” asked the young man with a puzzled expression.

“One day you will find out for yourself,” said the woman, raising her right hand.

Seeing the gesture, the young man furrowed his brow and objected.

“Hey! Didn't you promise I'd pay you if you took me to my house!? No, I won't pay you now! If you want your payment, you have to take me to my house first!” argued the young man.

“Hah... Didn't I already say earlier that a sinner like me is not allowed to enter the holy city...” The woman sighed once again.

“Hah! That just an excuse! Come on, quickly take me before it gets dark,” commanded the young man, pulling the woman's hand.

And finally, with a heavy heart, the woman reluctantly followed the impatient young man to see his esteemed family.

In his mind, he remembered all the children in the woman's village looking at him with eyes full of admiration, and in his mind, he also recalled the woman's words during their journey. From all her explanations, it could be concluded that...

First, in this world, he goes by the name Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy. He earned this title because he possesses the characteristic of blue fire magic, which supposedly he would use to defend the kingdom from wild demons and disasters that would arise again after 500 years.

Second, in this world, he is the leader and the strongest among the seven knights of the kingdom.

Third, in this world, he comes from a family with immense wealth. Rumor has it that the wealth and artifacts owned by his family are so abundant that they could make the emperor and his ministers break into a cold sweat if his family were to plan a coup.

And lastly, the young man confidently concluded that his current life is undoubtedly will better than his previous one.

Unbeknownst to them, they had finally arrived in the city where the young man's house was located. Even though it was already late afternoon, the city still appeared bustling and full of life.

Along the streets, there were many horse-drawn carriages and merchants selling their goods by the roadside. Some children were seen running with faces filled with joy. Green plants and lush trees adorned the sides of the road, while colorful flowers flourished on the terraces and yards of the surrounding houses.

Compared to the polluted streets and plastic waste in the young man's previous world, these streets seemed like they could belong to paradise. Additionally, in contrast to the village where the woman lived, this city appeared more beautiful and vibrant. Here, you wouldn't see anyone wearing tattered and worn-out clothes like the villagers in her village. Even if their residences were compared, both would look like a palace and a heap of garbage, respectively.

“Hah... I really don't want to do this. Hey, what if I change my mind right now? I'll go home, and you don't have to pay me for this service.” the woman proposed.

“Come on, what are you so afraid of? Just relax; I swear I won't deceive you. Moreover, if you're too concerned, how about we ask for permission in advance for your entry?” the young man suggested.

Suddenly, the woman fell silent and stood still in her place. Then, she slightly tilted her head, as if listening to the sounds around her.

“No, no need. It seems too late,” said the woman.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” asked the young man.

A few moments later, two elderly men in white robes approached them. In their right hands, the two old men held a golden staff adorned with the same decoration at both ends, and a headpiece with a red symbol. If compared, the two men would resemble old Bishop in the young man's world.

“O Holy Leader of our Sacred Knights! Your absence for these 13 days has been deeply troubling for the people of our city! Remember that we, Our Family, Brothers and Sisters, are greatly afraid of the disaster that will befall our sacred city! We don't know what has happened to you all this time, and we are unaware of the difficulties you have faced during these 13 days. But rest assured! Because we will continue to pray and honor you, O our sacred knight. Show your respect to Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy!” said the two old Bishops.

Without waiting long, everyone in the city shouted praises for Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy.

“Long live our Sacred Knight! Long live Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy!”

“Your strength is our shield! And your courage is our sword!”

“With your presence, even the horned demon is no match for us!”

The young man was somewhat surprised by their words. Previously, he thought he would be treated like a movie actor or a football player, but this was too much! Not to mention a movie actor, he was now regarded as a god protector in this world!

“...Ah, y-yes, thank you,” the young man replied, giving a small smile, feeling awkward, and stepping back a bit until his back touched the forehead of the woman who was now behind him.

Seeing the unusual movements of the young man, the two elderly Bishops exchanged glances and began questioning him.

“What actually happened to you in these thirteen days, O our Knight?” asked one of the old Bishops in white robes.

“What? Oh, it's nothing,” the young man replied.

After hearing the young man's answer, the two Bishops exchanged glances; both agreed that something was amiss with their guardian knight. Then, one of the Bishops narrowed his eyes and looked toward the woman standing behind the young man.

“O our Knight, who is the woman currently standing behind you?” asked the elderly Bishop.

“Oh, her? She is... Hey, by the way, you haven't told me your name, have you?” the young man asked the woman who had been standing behind him.

“My name is Cecilia Rua, a Freelancer who lives outside this Holy City. Currently, Wallace, the Hero of Prophecy, is hiring my services to escort him to his residence because he doesn't know the way home right now,” said the woman named Cecilia Rua.

Immediately, all the residents around this place became restless and confused. What had actually happened? How could Wallace, their best knight, not know the way home and had to ask for help from a lowly sinner who lived outside the city?

“Wallace doesn't know the way home? No, that's not it! You! How can a sinner like you enter our Holy City!? Don't you know the punishment you'll receive for defiling our sacred city with your filthy body!?” shouted one of the residents.

Immediately, Cecilia prostrated herself and apologized to all the residents around her.

“I apologize for my mistake. I understand the rules very well, and I am ready for the punishment I will receive.”

“Punishment?” asked the young man.

“All of you! Drag that sinner to the underground prison! If she resists, you are all allowed to hurt her! We, the faithful, have given them so much kindness, but look! Those sinners keep making mistakes and breaking the commandments like their ancestors! Let us show and purify their path! For we are the righteous and sacred people in this world!” declared one of the old Bishops, followed by the cheers of the residents who then bound and dragged the red-haired woman away from the young man.

From a distance, the young man could see that the woman was not only dragged by the residents, but some of them stepped on and kicked her. Even innocent-looking children spat and insulted the woman.

“Hey! Will you just stand by and watch? Look! Your followers are now torturing the person who previously helped me!” exclaimed the young man to the two old Bishops standing in front of him.

The two Bishops stared at the young man in surprise and then immediately grabbed both of his palms.

The young man was shocked, but he allowed the two old Bishops to grab his hands. While they held his hands, the Bishops whispered and recited a very long mantra. The young man could faintly hear the words of the mantra, and strangely, he even understood the meaning of the mantra a bit.

After the mantra was finished, the young man felt his whole body suddenly became very hot and burned in a very short time.

In just half a second, the young man felt like his blood had turned into lava, his eyeballs felt burned by a light blue fire, and his skin felt like it was melting from the inside.

And all the suffering the young man experienced happened in just half a second.

“AHHH! Aaaah! IT HURTS! What have you done to me!?” shouted the young man, then collapsed and fell to the ground.

The two Bishops just glanced at and ignored the young man's question, who was now lying limp on the ground.

“What do you think?” asked one of the old Bishops to the old Bishop standing beside him.

“In my opinion, judging from the magical circuit, it can be confirmed that he is indeed our Knight, Wallace. But... This is strange. It seems like the first time I've encountered something like this. Currently, none of his mana seem to want to follow the path set in his magical circuit. It's as if his mana is like water trying to make its own way without following the established circuit in his body.” replied one of the Bishops.

“True, as you said. I also feel the same way. If this is indeed happening, it seems that our strongest Knight has now...” The Bishop bowed sadly and looked at the young man who had fallen asleep on the ground.

“… No! Don't give up yet! This must be only temporary! Don't you remember the contents of the prophecy? He is the user of blue fire magic! And he has been predicted to kill the Horned Demon! He is our only hope in this world!”

“Ye... Yes! what you said is true, my brother! We must remain confident that our generation is the one that will kill the Horned Demon! We will correct the mistakes of our ancestors who could only seal the Horned Demon! And we will show that we are the ones who will stop that Disaster forever!” replied the old Bishop.

“Soldiers! Come here quickly and take our Knight to the Cathedral! Tell everyone to prioritize our Knight! And tell them to gather all the Pastors and Holy sisters to perform purification and blessing on Wallace until he succeeds in normalizing the flow of his mana!” said one of the old Bishops to the soldiers who had been following him.

Then, immediately, the soldiers called and prepared a horse-drawn carriage to take the unconscious young man to the Cathedral in the city center.

Once there, the Pastors and Holy sisters from all the Churches in every corner of the city gathered and performed a grand ritual to normalize the condition of their Knight.

That night, the usually quiet cathedral became lively with praise and prayers. And that night, the cathedral, which was usually dim, continued to glow and be enveloped in soothing blue lights.

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