***
Holy Relic Room.
Noel entered, his heart fluttering at the sign, and then faced cold reality.
‘······What is this? They meant souvenirs?’
Rosaries in all sorts of colors.
Lamps with various images.
Several books for prayer.
The corner of Noel’s mouth twisted.
He had imagined all sorts of things by himself.
“There are a lot of people, right? Our church has the most visitors because the Holy Relic Room is really well set up. It’s famous on social media too.”
“···Si-hoon.”
“What? Is there something you want to buy? I’ll buy it for you.”
“By any chance, is the holy relic that disappeared one of these?”
“···?”
Si-hoon blinked for a moment.
“No, this only borrows the name, doesn’t it? They’re souvenirs sold for the church’s finances, promotion, and, well, various other reasons.”
“Right···? It isn’t this, right?”
“It would be a problem if these disappeared too, but they aren’t the real thing.”
Only after Si-hoon’s firm answer did Noel breathe out.
‘I was mistaken.’
In the world where he had lived, holy relics were real.
Since fakes could not exist there, his thoughts had naturally leaned that way.
-Did you perhaps misunderstand···?
Yeong-hyeon came closer and whispered quietly.
When Noel nodded, Yeong-hyeon said that could happen and added an explanation.
-I didn’t even know real ones existed in the first place.
-Real ones do exist. However, something created by faith and power bestowed by Heaven would be different. Countless beliefs sometimes give birth to miracles separately from Heaven’s power.
At the two’s words, Noel nodded slightly and answered quietly,
“I think I’ll only know once I see the trace, at least.”
If the holy relic was real, it would certainly have left a trace.
Bzzzz.
When Si-hoon felt the vibration, he hurriedly checked his cell phone.
“The priest is here. Let’s go out.”
Si-hoon urged him and pointed at the door.
As soon as Noel followed him and stepped outside, he squeezed his eyes shut.
He thought sunlight had stabbed his eyes, but it was not that kind of light.
When he slowly opened his eyes, the cross above the priest’s head was giving off warm light.
‘How strong is his faith?’
-······Wow.
Yeong-hyeon let out an exclamation reflexively.
If something like benevolence could be felt from Ashin, then warmth was pouring down here.
-But··· it does feel a little burdensome?
Yeong-hyeon moved beside Ashin.
Being near Ashin was much more comfortable and pleasant.
-That is because the essence of the power is different. Is it not a god created by faith? Since neither you nor I believe in that god, there may be some difficulty.
This was not about faith, but a matter of essence, so it could not be helped.
It was only the difference between Heaven, which had existed from the beginning, and a god created by faith.
-However, that power smiles even at us, so do not think of it too difficultly.
Ashin smiled.
There was a slight clash with her own power, but that, too, was only a matter of essence. It was not that the other side’s power was rejecting her.
In the end, did both not wish for peace and rest?
“Hello, brothers.”
The middle-aged man smiled softly.
His hair had turned completely white, but it suited his atmosphere well.
However, for some reason, the distance from which he greeted them was quite far.
How should one put it? He was kind, but it felt as though he was avoiding Noel.
That could happen.
“Hello.”
Noel greeted him out of courtesy and looked again at the cross above the priest’s head.
No matter how much he looked, it was fascinating.
He had seen people and ghosts who carried crosses, but this was the first time he had seen a cross that gave off that much light.
‘I want to touch it.’
“Father, this is the friend I told you about.”
At Si-hoon’s introduction, Noel spoke first.
“Your faith is incredible.”
“Can you see something on me?”
“I can see a cross above your head. And I can see bright light from the church too.”
Perhaps those were pleasing words, because the priest smiled happily.
However, the distance between them did not narrow.
“My goodness, God has not said a single word to me, yet I never knew He was stroking me directly with His hand.”
“Can you not hear God’s voice?”
Since high priests heard the voice of God, Noel was curious.
Even if others could not, would this priest not be all right?
“How wonderful would that be? It would be an unsurpassed blessing. But I did not know I would confirm the reward for my faith like this today. Thank you, brother.”
“Do you really believe what I say?”
“I believe Brother Si-hoon’s words. I also believe in God’s care. Therefore, I believe your words are true, brother.”
“That is a vague way of putting it.”
“I’ve been told a few times that if I speak too directly, I don’t look solemn. To be honest, I’m very amazed right now, and my heart is pounding too.”
The priest looked around, then chuckled comfortably.
“That’s what makes you you, Father.”
At Si-hoon’s words, the priest nodded with a smiling face.
It was not easy to be seen exactly as one was.
“Then, brother, only you should follow me.”
“What about Si-hoon?”
“I have work! I’m running a little short on time. I’ll go first!”
After leaving those words, Si-hoon waved and quickly ran off.
Noel watched him with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.
To think he had really gone.
“Is that not something he can do because he trusts you, brother?”
“If that’s what it is, then that’s what it is.”
“This way.”
When the priest moved, Noel saw the ghosts nearby move aside in a clean line to both sides.
‘Very nice.’
Noel had not known why people came to churches, but now he had learned one reason.
The chattering vanished completely.
It would be difficult to find a place quieter than this.
‘I’ll have to question the ghosts about what happened, but I can go over later and ask.’
Once he stepped away from the priest, they would gather again anyway, would they not?
Right now, he wanted to see the holy relic’s trace more.
***
Since the church was not that large, the building could be seen at a glance.
They headed not to the main building, but to a separate building right beside it.
Perhaps because it was used for office work and receiving guests, it felt somewhat modern.
“But I heard the ‘holy relic’ was in the main building over there, so why are we going this way?”
At Noel’s question, the priest spoke quietly, as if whispering.
“Because that one is the fake, and this one is the real.”
“Ah. It’s like bait merchandise, then?”
“That is correct. My heart aches every moment as well, but this is the rule, so it cannot be helped.”
The priest then pointed toward the top of the building.
Noel’s head rose along with him.
“The real one is safely stored in a safe.”
“A safe···?”
Noel felt something that was both obvious and unfamiliar at the same time.
Were holy relics not usually preserved by a true god’s power?
‘A safe···?’
It suddenly felt rather lax.
“Does that feel unexpected?”
“A little, yes. I thought there would be some kind of incredible device.”
For example, he had thought they would at least be able to borrow God’s power a little.
“Regrettably, all I can do is pray and serve.”
The priest smiled gently.
Faith in this world was similar to that of his original world, but when it came to the matter of power, Noel once again felt that things were clearly different.
-There are not many powers permitted to the living. I, too, received such power only after death. You may think of yourself as extremely special, even among shamans.
Ashin praised him as remarkable, but it did not really reach Noel’s ears that way.
Being special was not necessarily a good thing.
“I see.”
Noel followed the priest as he started moving again, then stopped briefly.
‘···Huh?’
He felt something ripple.
How should he put it?
It felt like the sea.
-Did you feel something too?
At Ashin’s question, Noel nodded.
-What did you feel? Is something there?
Yeong-hyeon moved his head left and right, knowing nothing.
Since this was the safe where the holy relic was stored, was there something special here?
He wanted to know what it was as well.
-Something rippled. It is calm again now.
Listening to Ashin’s voice, Noel moved without hesitation toward the place where he had felt the power.
-Noel···?
“Where are you going···?”
Even with Yeong-hyeon and the priest’s voices coming from behind him, Noel did not stop walking.
The place where the power had cut off was behind a tree.
When he arrived and looked behind it right away, there was nothing there.
But Noel raised the corner of his mouth.
A little of the power had clung to the tree.
Whatever it was, it was small.
‘Either way, it was watching from here, right?’
The thief who stole the holy relic had been nearby.
“Did you find something?”
The priest asked, breathing hard.
“Yes. There’s something here. For now, shall we go back to where the safe is?”
The first priority was confirming whether the power he had felt was the same.
“Truly···?”
The priest could not hide his startled face.
“Is it hard to believe?”
“That is not it. Your power is far more astonishing than I thought, brother.”
“Have you perhaps asked another shaman?”
“No. I could not. To begin with, if I go to fortune-telling shops or places like that, I’m driven out.”
“Why?”
“How should I put it? My energy is too strong. I have heard that the god they serve disappears. That is why this is also the first time a shaman has come here.”
-Is that really how it works?
Yeong-hyeon asked Ashin with curiosity.
-There is some logic to it. Each shaman serves a different god, and their grades are different too. If their power is weak, they cannot endure it.
“Ah, so that’s why you weren’t coming close to me?”
It was still the same now.
Was he not continuing to maintain distance?
It was not for any particular reason.
“That is correct. If my consideration hurt you, I apologize.”
“No. I was just curious. The god I serve is very strong. She is proudly setting foot in this place, which you could call your home ground, so please don’t worry.”
“Then I am relieved.”
Only then did the priest come closer, his eyes looking different from before.
How should one put it? It felt like, ‘I finally found one!’
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“···By any chance, do you also handle exorcism?”
The priest lowered his voice slightly.
It sounded like something confidential.
“I can.”
Noel smiled gently.
Si-hoon had said this was a church with a deep history.
On top of that, was this not a place entrusted with a holy relic?
Would it not be connected to exorcists, or in other words, exorcist priests, or that side of things?
‘I came to the right place.’
Noel was satisfied.
Was this not all a destined connection that Si-hoon had brought him?
He thought he should buy him a meal when they met again.
“Then shall we go back?”
Noel suggested it naturally.
***
There was a safe.
Around that safe, CCTV cameras existed with no blind spots.
Were CCTV cameras not watching from the entrance to the room itself?
‘This is why they say it’s a mystery fit to make ghosts wail.’
To think someone had taken the holy relic through all these densely placed CCTV cameras.
How absurd must it have been?
Noel looked at the safe.
On the outside, it was an ordinary safe with a few patterns engraved on it.
But as if proving that something had been there, a trace remained.
‘Was this··· what they called stigmata?’
They said that when God’s power touched the body, a strange wound appeared.
Right now, on the safe, there was a large, slightly faint handprint from someone.
‘It’s a holy relic.’
There was nothing to confirm or not confirm.
That was real.
“Father. Can you see the mark here?”
Noel asked the priest.
“A mark?”
“Can’t you see the trace on the safe?”
When Noel asked again, Yeong-hyeon also came closer.
-A mark. A mark···. It feels like there’s something there, and also like there isn’t.
“Older brother, you can’t see it well either?”
Noel asked, newly surprised.
Was he not a ghost?
“···Pardon?”
“Ah, I wasn’t speaking to you, Father.”
Noel smiled kindly.
-I can’t see it well. Ashin, can you see it?
-I can. It is a very large handprint.
Yeong-hyeon and Ashin’s words diverged.
“It really is a holy relic.”
Noel was certain.
There was no need to look any further.
“Is that so?”
Noel thought the priest would be happy, but for some reason, his face was calm.
“Did you doubt the holy relic?”
At Noel’s question, the priest gently raised the corner of his mouth.
“I must constantly doubt myself. What I can offer God is only faith, after all. Regrettably, I can neither hear God’s voice nor see His form.”
The words “Then why do you believe?” nearly flowed out of Noel’s mouth, but he held them back.
Had he not actually said that to a priest before and nearly died after being branded a child of evil?
It was easier to think of this as a world he simply did not know.
The realm of faith was far too subjective.
“I lived believing it was a holy relic of God because it was said to be one. The previous parish priest must have been the same, and before him, it must have been passed down through faith for a far longer time.”
The priest gently clasped both hands together and bowed to Noel.
“Thank you for protecting our faith.”
Deep gratitude was buried in his voice.
“And thank you for proving our faith.”
He could not confidently say he had never wavered, but even so, he had believed in God.
Because God could not be seen, he had no choice but to keep doubting himself, but had he not now received confirmation that his faith was not an illusion?
God existed.
He had always been watching over the lambs here.
-How enviable. Yet at the same time, how joyful.
Ashin opened her mouth.
When Noel looked at Ashin, she was looking at the priest with an expression as if wishing for his happiness.
-Their god must always be happy because of the countless beliefs of his followers. Guardian spirits cannot do that. We only look toward the protected charges we guard.
“This time is different, though.”
Noel spoke quietly.
They could speak, and he could touch her too.
-Yes. This time is different.
Ashin looked at Noel proudly.
“Then, Father. As payment for proving your faith, please introduce me favorably to your side.”
“Understood.”
Only then did the priest laugh brightly.
“Then I’ll bring the holy relic back.”
***
-···Ah, the holy relic thief?
“Yeah. The holy relic thief. You must have seen them, right?”
At Noel’s question, the ghost answered as if it were nothing.
-I did. All the ghosts here probably saw them.
“What? They were that sloppy?”
-They were sloppy, and if you saw them, you couldn’t forget them.
Just who were they?
The trace had been small indeed.
For now, Noel was unsure whether it was a person or a ghost.
“Where did they go?”
-Over there.
The ghost pointed somewhere without hesitation.
Just how sloppy had they been?