BVBFW-Chapter 17 – The Unbeliever’s Story (1)

Chapter 17: The Unbeliever’s Story (1)

Knock knock

Anne, who had been washing dishes after finishing her meal, lifts her head.

It’s a knocking sound. It’s probably the lady from next door visiting.

“I’ll get it!”

Rone seems to have the same thought.

He jumps up quickly and runs toward the door.

And just as the girl is about to greet the visitor.

“…Huh?”

It’s not the cheerful voice saying “Auntie!” in greeting.

There’s no sound of chattering conversation either.

This is strange. Rone likes the lady from next door.

When she visits like this, he would smile and chat with her.

But today, no such sounds can be heard at all.

“Rone? Why are you suddenly acting like that?”

The scene Anne saw after washing the last dish and coming out was.

“…Who are you?”

Several people filled up the narrow house.

Some are men. The rest are women. Their ages vary.

What they have in common is that they’re all wearing plain white robes without decoration.

“Is this really the right place? Brother Ventu?”

“The scent is strongest here. I’m certain.”

“They look like ordinary young sisters to me.”

“Don’t let your guard down. Heretical cults can exist anywhere.”

Anne, feeling uneasy, calls her younger sibling.

Rone also seems to sense something strange in the atmosphere.

He burrows close to his sister’s side and observes the unfamiliar visitors.

One of those wearing robes steps forward.

“Two sisters. Nice to meet you. I’m called Eida.”

“…”

“Ah. There’s nothing to fear. Everyone here is my brothers and sisters from the Order.”

The twelve apostles standing behind make the sign of the cross in unison.

Seeing this, Anne makes a “perhaps?” expression.

“Are you the priests who entered the village today?”

“Yes. That’s correct, sister. We have something to verify briefly, so we sincerely apologize for barging in like this.”

It’s clearly a smiling face. But the feeling is strange.

It’s like looking at sunlight shining through an ice storm.

A smile with no trace of warmth residing in it.

‘A fake smile.’

Anne reflexively put Rone behind her.

She could make her younger sibling escape through the back door at any time.

It’s unlikely. They seem to be priests indeed.

But there are “what-ifs” in the world. They cannot be ignored.

“Brother Martin.”

At Eida’s call, a man steps forward.

And when he pulls back his hood, the sisters are startled.

His eyes are pure white. Looking closely, there are no pupils.

It’s impossible to tell where he’s looking or what he’s seeing.

He had an eerie appearance that even gave off a grotesque atmosphere.

“I ask for your cooperation.”

Martin says nothing and takes Anne’s hand.

He leads her to sit in a chair and opens his mouth.

“I’m Martin, sister. I’m going to ask you several questions from now on, so please speak only the truth.”

No inflection can be felt in his voice at all.

His eyes are also strange, so fear is strangely conveyed.

She wants to run away. She wants to escape from these people.

But Anne couldn’t bring herself to do so.

The heavy atmosphere is holding her ankles.

She has a gut feeling that something terrible would happen the moment she runs away.

“Sister. What is your name?”

“Ah, it’s Anne.”

“Sister Anne. Do you believe in God?”

“God?”

Anne, who had been glancing behind Martin for a moment, answers.

“Yes. I believe.”

“Have you ever harbored doubts about that God?”

Harbored doubts. Of course there have been. There’s no way there haven’t been.

When both parents passed away. When her one remaining younger sibling was sick.

No matter what prayers she offered, God never answered in the end.

She is not a devout believer like the priests before her eyes.

If it weren’t for the recent events, she would have answered “yes.”

“No.”

“You’re saying there haven’t been any.”

“Yes. There haven’t been.”

For a brief moment, Martin’s eyes narrow slightly then relax.

Anne failed to detect that change.

But the other apostles caught it.

“I understand. Then I’ll move on to the next question.”

Squeeze

The strength in Martin’s hand holding Anne increases.

“Is the God that Sister Anne believes in, by any chance, a different being from the God we know?”

“…!”

For a brief moment, Anne’s expression fluctuates greatly.

She quickly tries to act as if nothing happened, but it’s already too late.

The apostles are those who have mastered detecting their opponents’ wavering.

They’ve seen the lies of corrupt ones countless times while dealing with them.

Several apostles quietly move to block the entrances.

Several others go behind Rone and completely block the way.

“What… do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Is the God that Sister Anne has never doubted the same God that I know?”

She’s lived only in a small village and doesn’t know much about the world.

But at least. She’s not so ignorant as to not know how to read people.

She must not answer honestly. She must evade.

“Yes. That’s right. It’s the God that the priests believe in.”

“Is that so.”

Martin releases Anne’s hand as if that’s enough now.

Her skin has turned red. He seems to have been gripping quite hard.

Even though it must have been painful, Anne wasn’t even aware of it.

The tension and fear were much stronger than that.

“Brother Martin. What is the result?”

“Brother Quadro should step forward.”

Then Eida lets out a short sigh.

A member of the twelve apostles. Martin.

His epithet is “one who reads people’s hearts.”

The reason he designated Quadro is one thing.

It means the opponent is lying, so investigate.

“This has become unfortunate.”

Quadro positions himself in front of Anne.

Anne’s pupils tremble at the coldness he possesses.

“Anne.”

Now he doesn’t even attach the word “sister.”

Anne also noticed their change.

“…Yes, priest.”

“Since you’re not yet of age, I’ll give you a special opportunity. When young, one often doesn’t know what constitutes sin. If there’s even a grain of falsehood in what you’ve said so far, speak honestly. If there’s anything you’ve hidden, confess it all without leaving anything out.”

“…”

“If you do so, we brothers and sisters will do nothing and withdraw from here.”

There could be no more threatening and terrifying intimidation than this.

It’s even more frightening than the bandits who attacked the village recently.

Anne swallowed dry saliva at the pressure of these people constricting her body.

“I, I don’t really understand what you’re talking about.”

“God said that forgiveness and mercy can never be given too much.”

He said.

The rest of the apostles all respond to Quadro’s words in unison.

“And God conveyed that however, there should be no forgiveness whatsoever for falsehood.”

He said.

All the apostles look directly at Anne.

“You do not believe in God. You believe in something else.”

“No, no! That’s not true!”

“What has covered your eyes and ears? Speak.”

“I said no! I, I am!”

“By what wicked thing are you bewitched to speak falsehood before us apostles. Before God’s representatives.”

Speak honestly. If there are lies, reveal the truth.

Then you can receive the last mercy. Forgiveness.

You can receive it. You can receive it.

Quadro corners Anne into the corner of the house.

Startled Rone clings to his sister’s embrace.

“Speak.”

“I, I don’t know what you mean! I told you everything honestly!”

“Speak.”

“You people! Are, are you really priests?! If you’re believers in God, this can’t be happening!”

When Anne shouts, one of the apostles bursts into rage.

“How dare a heretic speak our God’s name!”

This is bad. Words don’t get through at all.

It seems they already know everything.

That she lied. That she believes in a different god.

And that she has even met that god.

‘What do I do? How do I handle this?’

The priests surround them, blocking the paths on all sides.

Those pure white robes feel blacker than any darkness.

Suffocating pressure arrives that makes it impossible to breathe properly.

“This is your last chance. Confess that you’re a heretic and repent. And tell us everything you know. If you do so, us God’s representatives will permit a path to salvation. An opportunity for atonement.”

We will permit.

The apostles who have cornered their opponent with no place to retreat shout.

This is not faith. It’s madness itself.

Anne did not consider this to be right.

It’s true that it’s scary, frightening, and terrifying.

But she didn’t want to bow her head to injustice.

‘This would be shameful to that person too.’

She is one who has been granted a new life by that great being.

For such a person to succumb to these threats?

She seems to hear the sound of the Red Bird sighing in disappointment.

“Sister.”

However, she’s very concerned about her younger sibling Rone.

This is her only reason for conflict.

“Sister has done nothing wrong.”

It was that younger sibling who caught her wavering.

“I believe in sister. Sister is absolutely not a bad person.”

Anne gained her final courage from those words from her younger sibling.

Even if something terrible happens, she will not be broken.

Flames must always burn bright and brilliant.

“I have done nothing wro—”

Suddenly Anne’s words are cut off there.

“…Huh?”

A bewildered sigh flows out between her lips.

Then she even rolls her eyes back and forth as if she can’t believe it.

“The heretic is trying to do something wicked. We must execute her.”

One apostle strongly presents his argument.

Eida steps forward to restrain him.

“Wait. Something seems to have changed. Brothers and sisters.”

Indeed, her words were not wrong.

Anne, who had been silent for a moment, opens her mouth.

“…Fo, follow me.”

The answer the apostles wanted was contained within.

“To that other being you speak of. I, I will guide you.”