You Didn't Tell Me the Start of My Transmigration Was a Gate

Chapter 24 Part 1: Pandemonium 

Preparations were carried out step by step, and every night we meet and exchanged information. I didn’t tell anyone that I read through 「Ritch’s Memories」because I didn’t want them to worry that I was starting to get too invested in the character. Everyone knows that Dahlia is an important character because of the system notifications, so I don’t need to worry about that.

“The saintess will come here while bringing the paladins with her.”

A map made from the information we gathered was spread out in the middle. Hyewon-Unnie made an annoyed noise as she prepared all sorts of tricks to greet the damned holy woman.

“I took a look, the paladins guarding the gate are quite skilled, and there are so many of them.”

A white wall surrounded this closed community. There are Holy Knights standing guard over it. I’ve never seen them fight before, so I don’t know if they’re really paladins.

“We need to take hostages.”

Snap. In the direction where I pointed my finger, there was a symbol that symbolizes a saint. I had no choice. We’re outnumbered, and we can’t let the children die, so we have to take hostages.

A saintess is a very important figure In this place, and in the absence of a successor, the “only” saintess is more precious than celestial gold.

“I bet the children will be too religious to want to follow us.”

Yeah. This is also a problem. This crazy cult had all these kids brainwashed, so it’s not like they’re going to come to us and say, “Let’s go!”. We’re not going to be able to convince them to leave the cult in less than a month. Only someone with psychic powers could do that.

Like hypnosis or brainwashing.

“Let’s start a fire.”

Sun Ha-Rang blurted out.

“If their life is at stake, They will run away.”

“Well… Most of them would, but they’ve endured horrible torture for a long time, do you think they’d value their lives?”

“Secondary school kids haven’t experienced that yet, and there will be plenty of them who will run away with us.”

What about the High Schoolers… How many would give up their life? Half of them? I don’t know. Probably less than half. Even if you’re a crazy follower of a cult, It’s basic human psychology to be afraid of fire. But even if it’s only half, it’s a problem.

[Read only on Salmonlatte.com]

“Just push them near the door, and I can push them out with my wind magic, and as long as their feet are out of that door, they would have ‘escaped‘.”

If that’s the case, that’s fine. Then our only job is to stall the paladins, while Sun Ha-Rang pushes as many children out of the door as much as possible.

“These lunatics believe that anyone who leaves the sanctuary are corrupted once, so the paladins might try to kill them.”

“The good news is, the death list doesn’t include priests or pastors, it only includes ‘students’.”

Which means it’s okay to kill them.

❖

Dahlia and I have been a little awkward since then. We went to class and ate together, but our conversation had drastically decreased. I still didn’t understand the idea of being a 「Fragment of God」or a vessel, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the children who wanted to cling to such superstitions. Unlike Ritch, most of the children here came from a poor background.

Some of them had escaped from being sold and went here to stay. Some had been abandoned by their parents for money, and some had found their way here on their own before starving to death, which made it all the more frustrating.

Becoming a saint would not only be a great elevation on their status, but it would also make them a benefactor, a person who could influence the whole world. That must have been an attractive proposition to the still young children.

The day of the saint’s visit was approaching, and a pompous procession was held. Inside the white and gold-trimmed carriage sat the saintess, her face covered by a cotton cloak. The color of which could be seen through the window.

Around her were armed holy knights, followed by her attendants. They were basically dressed in the colors of priests. I could hear the nuns playing the instruments they had practiced so hard for the entire month. Hyewon-Unnie was fed up with how much they were forced to practice it.

The students were neatly dressed. They bowed their heads on each side of the saintesss’ procession. I clutched the karambit in my arms and held my breath.

Once I hear the signal, we will begin.

It was the calm before a storm, just before everything was put into action, there was a peaceful time.

At that moment, I heard a strange sound.

Whoop! Whoop! Hyewon-Unnie ignored the tune and blew her instrument loudly. The deafeningly loud noise rang out.

The abruptness of the situation caused the saint’s procession to stop for a moment. There was a murmur. Everyone was asking what was going on.

Kwaaaaang! Kugung! Kugung!

“Ahhhhh!”

“Fire!”

“Fire!”

An explosion rang out behind me.

Boom!

and with a roar, flames immediately leapt up. The paladins moved to get the saintess to safety, as panicked people scrambled around. They pulled the carriage away, and moved in the opposite direction of the explosion.

«Spatial Interference»

I activated my skill and opened my eyes to find myself inside a carriage, and in front of me, a saintess was dressed in all white.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“What the… !”

I put the karambit on the nape of her neck, then I kicked the wall on one side of the carriage.

“Saintess!”

The paladins surrounded us in an instant as the carriage we were riding on broke apart, but they stopped short of drawing their sword when they saw the Karambit drawn at her throat.

“Drop the sword.”

They hesitated at my command. It would be a sight to behold, to find a paladin without his sword. I shouted louder this time.

“Drop your sword!”

Clang, Clang. The metal clattered to the ground. Am I supposed to be a kidnapper? I’m having so much fun being a kidnapper? Once I had the saintess in my grasp and was forming a grand stance here, the one who appeared to be the leader stepped forward from among the paladins.

“What do you want?”

I chuckled. What do I want? What the hell?

“Open the Door.”

“The Door?”

“That Door. Wide open.”

“What..! Don’t you know that if someone who’s still practicing goes out that door, they would go astray?”

Dang this cults!

Crackle, crackle, crackle. There was a ruckus behind me as the embers spread around. Any more and the fire would spread to this place as well. It’s actually ridiculous to talk about Holy Places and Corruption right now. Living first is the priority, but I guess it’s their life not mine.

“Shut up and open the door!”