< 75. The Inferno of Distrust (3) >
After thoroughly washing and changing his clothes, the priest Joachim got straight to the point.
"Our high priests in the church are being brutally murdered."
Min-jun frowned when he saw the photos Joachim presented.
'Is it really necessary to see so many disturbing things in one day?'
The first victim in the photo was an orc living in Germany, the headquarters of the church. He was skewered vertically with a stake, covered in what appeared to be his own blood and filth. At his feet were dozens of incense candles containing hallucinogenic substances, and as a result, his body was slowly being cooked from the feet up.
The second victim, a troll priest, was almost reported as "unknown species" by the media. The German investigators couldn't accept the concept of a troll with its skin completely gone. It was hard to imagine how many times the culprit had skinned her before her regenerative abilities completely ceased. The horrific body of the priest was found in a bathtub at a Dreamland chapel, buried among the remains of snakes and baby rats.
The third victim was a Balien, an Indian. In the pioneering church of that country, which had the second largest number of followers after Germany, the highest-ranking winged priest was discovered with 57 nails embedded in his body. His blood-soaked wings exposed white flesh like a slaughtered chicken, and the autopsy revealed clumps of feathers filling his esophagus and stomach.
"This wasn't just a killing."
Min-jun suppressed his nausea and said.
"This was a ritual."
The scenes where the murdered priests were discovered showed features of the Dreamland religious rituals that Min-jun and the dragon had observed for twelve hours.
"That's right. The appearance at the scene is almost identical to the rituals we perform to attract the divine gaze."
It was too thorough to dismiss as mere imitation.
The implication was clear.
"It's an inside job, isn't it?"
"Yes."
The reason for handling this quietly became evident.
A case of serial murder of high priests by someone within the church. Since Dreamland already had a poor image, such news would make it almost impossible to evangelize.
"There must be a suspect you have in mind."
Though Min-jun was involved in various tasks, he wasn't a troubleshooter per se. He only got involved in matters involving aliens if he was in prison or working as an agent.
The fact that Joachim had specifically sought him out meant the suspect was not an Earthling.
"Yes."
Min-jun's guess was correct.
The suspect Joachim mentioned was an alien who held a priesthood position in Dreamland.
However, Min-jun did not anticipate his rank.
"······The Archbishop of the Earth Diocese in Dreamland?"
The leader of the Dreamland believers on Earth.
Joachim mentioned his name.
'Is this even real?'
A religious leader killing his high priests one by one?
"If this fact becomes known…"
"Yes. Our church could be shattered into pieces. Therefore, we officially declared that the Archbishop is currently on medical leave due to health issues."
The dragon and the agent exchanged glances.
What on earth was going on?
"As you can see from the photos, the Archbishop is not an Earth native. You know that Dreamland is not a religion originating from Earth. In that dimension, this religion is widely known as 'Elahu-Praga.' The Archbishop came to Earth to spread this religion. And while dedicating his body and mind to missionary work, he was forced to stay on Earth due to a sudden lockdown in his home dimension."
Min-jun read a string of text only he could see.
.
.
.
··· (Strategy) Special mission assigned by the agency.
Witness and report what is happening inside Dimension #77-102, which has entered self-isolation: 610,000 dalant
.
.
.
The Archbishop was from Dimension #77-102, which had closed all its terminals voluntarily.
He had stayed on Earth, hoping to return to his home dimension one day, and had continued his missionary work. Apparently, he had managed to survive until today by renewing only his residence permit every year without obtaining Earth citizenship.
Dreamland, which is currently considered a newly emerged religion, had first arrived on Earth several decades ago.
Anyway, thanks to the efforts of the alien Archbishop, Dreamland had been gradually expanding its influence on Earth...
'Did he suddenly develop homesickness? A religious leader who had been focused on missionary work overnight turned mad and started killing priests?'
Min-jun looked at Joachim with a questioning expression, seeking further explanation.
"Recently, the Archbishop has shown unstable behavior. He often mumbled incoherently about needing to return home as soon as possible or suddenly screamed. And crucially, on the day the first victim was found, he vanished without a trace, and his whereabouts have not been found since. Two more were then brutally murdered."
Joachim's face no longer held a smile.
"We understand how our church is perceived from the outside. We know our rituals are considered disgusting and unpleasant by unbelievers. However, we never harm or kill sentient beings during our rituals. The Archbishop, driven mad, is committing these horrific crimes while violating the teachings he once imparted to us. We must stop this before it becomes a situation we can no longer control."
Min-jun tilted his head.
"Given that the culprit is identified, there's no point in digging into the motives further. But I'm curious. Why come all the way here to make this request? A church with a priest of your level should have a sponsoring dragon."
"Yes. The great dragon Kallieter, who rules over Germany, Austria, and eastern Czechia, supports us."
"If you have a contract to protect the church, shouldn't you ask that dragon for help? To quietly eliminate the Archbishop who's killing priests."
"It's impossible. According to the contract between the dragon and the church, there is a clause stating that core members of the church must not be harmed or illegally manipulated. The contract the Archbishop made with her also contained such a clause."
Min-jun frowned.
"I see. So it's fundamentally impossible for a dragon, sworn to protect the church, to harm its leader."
"Yes, unless a new contract is made. The only way to renew the contract under these conditions would be for the Archbishop to personally negotiate with the dragon, which is practically impossible. Therefore, we have no choice but to handle the Archbishop within the church."
Joachim spoke, looking Min-jun directly in the eye.
"However, if we could have managed it with our own strength, we wouldn't have come to you. The Archbishop is the one who possesses the most powerful divine power in our church."
"I understand that you need assistance, but why specifically to Korea?"
"To consult about this matter, Kallieter-nim personally recommended that we seek help from you, the agent."
Min-jun stroked his chin. Kallieter was a dragon he had worked with during the Oslo School eradication operation. Though he had not shown all his skills back then, it seemed he had made a lasting impression.
"He said not only are you skilled but also that you have the most experience fighting and winning against a variety of species among those living on Earth."
That wasn't wrong.
But...
"To be honest, I'm not thrilled."
Min-jun said with a slight frown.
"Even though the target is clear, we don't even know which country this alien is currently roaming. You want me to find and kill him? I'm not that idle."
"He will come to Korea."
"?"
The priest spoke with conviction.
"Because I'm here. The Archbishop will come to Korea unconditionally to kill me. Soon."
He pointed to the photos and explained. The victims killed so far were priests ranked 2nd to 4th in divine power within the church, right after the Archbishop.
And Joachim Steinmeyer, in front of them, was the next in line, ranked 5th.
"Based on the pattern so far, he will attempt to kill me within a week at the longest after coming to Korea."
Min-jun pondered.
'So, he's going to act as bait. And I just need to stay close and smash that mad alien priest's head the moment he attacks.'
He exchanged glances with the dragon.
If an alien criminal is roaming around Korea, it's definitely the agent's job to capture him.
However, from the perspective of someone in prison, who is about to handle an important task, it's difficult to just spend time aimlessly.
'I don't really like bodyguard work...'
After a brief exchange of telepathic messages, Min-jun said:
"I can stay by your side for exactly one week. If the Archbishop doesn't show up within that time, we'll renegotiate the terms of the contract. Of course, even if he doesn't appear, the agreed compensation won't be returned. Additionally, if we make a new contract after a week, the appropriate compensation will need to be provided under the new terms, and I might not renew the contract depending on my situation. How does that sound?"
The priest agreed. There was a firm determination in his eyes.
"He will come without fail. He will come to kill me within a week."
After Joachim accepted another condition Min-jun had proposed, they both stamped the contract.
"And while I'm with you, you must not engage in any of those horrific practices, whether it's worship or rituals. Understand?"
=This is finished, sis! Thanks for using me again today!=
As Cathy transferred the completed Sichuan-style eggplant fries into a dish, she heard the enthusiastic clatter of the frying pan. She tasted it and smiled with satisfaction.
"Perfect, really perfect."
=I'm satisfied too, sis! It's been a while since we did a fried dish... It's exhilarating! I can still feel the aftertaste!=
The telepathy was filled with excitement.
Cathy put another piece into her mouth and mumbled.
"To think I have to eat this alone... It's a shame. I'll consider this practice today and make it again later to bring to the office."
=Huh? Why not take this with you? Didn't you cook it for the guy who hired you? Just like always.=
Cathy hesitated for a moment, considering how much to reveal about Min-jun's situation.
But soon she thought, 'What does it matter?'
After all, the frying pan was an artifact that only interacted with Min-jun's associates.
It was always like this. Talking to the AI imbued in the cooking tools often led to unexpected revelations. The frying pan was a better listener than anyone Cathy knew.
Upon hearing that Min-jun was currently assigned to guard a religious figure and was providing 24-hour close protection, the frying pan responded:
=Really? He was told not to come to the scene?=
Of course, there were safety concerns, but even more so, Min-jun seemed not to want Cathy to make contact with Joachim. Joachim was considered, in some respects, an even worse pervert than the frying pan... No, he was something so horrible it couldn't be confined to the word "pervert."
=What kind of religion is it?=
"Dreamland. Have you heard of it?"
=No, it's the first time I'm hearing about it.=
But after Cathy explained briefly, the frying pan exclaimed:
=Ah, 'Elahu-Praga'!=
"'Elahu... what'?"
=That's the name used in the dimension where the religion originated. Here, it's translated as 'Dreamland'? It's not a mistranslation, but it's a rather simplistic substitution. The original polysemous nuance isn't captured properly... Well, it was probably the best option.=
As Cathy continued her story with interest, the frying pan asked again.
=So, you mean we need to capture the alien who first introduced that religion to Earth?=
"Yeah, this is the first time I've heard of such a bizarre mission. Besides, it's a bit unsettling to be up against the most powerful priest in the sect. Min-jun's abilities and compatibility aren't quite a match. But after hearing more, I'm somewhat relieved."
As Joachim had openly demanded, it seemed that in order for them to fully exert their divine power, not only the priest himself but also the mobilized followers needed to be in a state of ecstasy. The large amounts of hallucinogens used in the exorcism were for this purpose.
"I was wondering if a priest high on drugs would really be a threat to Min-jun. No matter how powerful he is..."
However, the frying pan seemed to disagree with Cathy's opinion.
=Ah... It's not necessarily like that. The so-called Archbishop is from Dimension #77-102, right?=
"77... what?"
=Isn't that classification widely used on Earth? It's a method used by the committee. Anyway, if the priest is a native of that place, he wouldn't come high on drugs.=
"What do you mean?"
=Let me explain it in terms that are easier for you to understand. When humans think religious thoughts, a specific part of the brain... specifically, the part known as the ventral striatum, is stimulated. This area is related to 'reward,' which means it governs the pleasure and satisfaction responses the brain feels in exchange for actions. It's one of the factors contributing to the sense of fulfillment, happiness, and satisfaction that devout believers often experience.=
Cathy wondered why the frying pan was suddenly bringing up this topic.
"So?"
=The natives of Dimension #77-102 have a similar brain region. However, their response is much more voluntary and controllable.=
"...Can you explain it more simply?"
=Priests of Elahu-Praga exhibit their strongest divine powers when their brains are immersed in pleasure. For humans, reaching this state requires drugs. But the species I'm talking about doesn't need drugs. They can more easily control the release of brain chemicals. Especially if they are trained priests, they will feel ecstasy just by reciting scriptures, praising the gods, or thinking about the divine in their minds! The relevant brain areas respond easily to religious thoughts.=
Hearing this, Cathy's expression hardened.
"If that's the case... I should probably let Min-jun know."
=Yes, please do! It will certainly be helpful.=
"But."
Cathy looked at the frying pan with a doubtful expression.
"You really seem to know everything. Why does a cooking tool need such knowledge?"
The frying pan answered:
=To be a companion for distinguished masters, acquiring this level of cultural knowledge is essential nowadays! So, what dish shall we assist with next? Since we've warmed up, how about something involving boiling oil...=
< 75. Unbeliever's Hell (3) > End