Chapter 69 – Expulsion (3)

Where the Apostle and his group stopped in front of the memorial hall looked like a platform due to the low steps.

Thanks to this, even people at the back could see the Apostle’s face clearly.

The people who had been shouting yelled again when they saw the Apostle.

“Apostle? You’re just Satan’s devil!”

“If someone has to leave, you should leave!”

However, unlike before, others stopped them.

“Be quiet for a moment. We should hear what the Apostle has to say.”

“Let’s protest after the Apostle speaks!”

As expected, most people gathered here seemed to be neutral still.

The initial shouters closed their mouths seeing the cold atmosphere, and watching this, the Apostle spoke to everyone.

“I was going to speak to everyone shortly anyway, but you were faster.”

The Apostle continued speaking while scanning the crowd.

“Though I have many of God’s words to deliver to you, what you want to hear now is different, right?”

After checking the shouting people one by one, he spoke what people wanted to hear in a calm voice.

“As those who shouted earlier said, I issued expulsion orders to those who tried to kill me at dawn and those who ordered it. Though the world has become like this, guilt by association doesn’t seem right, so the expulsion orders were only given to those directly involved.”

Was it because it was morning? The air grew cold.

“As conveyed to them at dawn, I ask that they leave this sanctuary before sunrise tomorrow.”

Before the Apostle finished his declaration, shouts erupted from all directions.

“What nonsense!”

“We didn’t commit or participate in any such crime!”

“You’re just using terrorism as an excuse to kill all opposition!”

“You can just insist without evidence?”

Though people shouted as if having fits, all their shouts were buried under the Apostle’s next words.

“There is evidence.”

Though spoken calmly, it was infused with mana and reached everyone’s ears clearly.

Everyone seemed speechless, and the memorial hall front grew quiet again.

As people quieted, the Apostle raised his hand, pointing to the person standing beside him.

“To show the evidence, I should first introduce this person.”

Why do bad predictions always come true?

The person he pointed to was the government complex representative.

“This is Believer Jo Jin-su, who came to our sanctuary yesterday after staying at the government complex.”

At this sudden introduction, people looked at Jo Jin-su with puzzled faces.

“He was not only the representative leading the survivors at the government complex, but he’s also a psychic.

Though not a strength-type psychic, he has special abilities in other areas. He can easily avoid people’s gazes and his footsteps are very light.”

The Apostle patted Jo Jin-su’s shoulder and stepped back.

“He brought evidence about those who committed terrorism against me overnight.”

As the Apostle stepped back, Jin-su raised his hand and spoke.

“I am Jo Jin-su. A young believer who just devoted himself to God. I entered this sanctuary yesterday.”

His low baritone voice, completely different from the Apostle’s sharp voice, spread in all directions.

“After arriving at the sanctuary yesterday, I heard about the Apostle being attacked. After meeting the Apostle, I looked for anything that might help God even a little.”

No one interrupted despite his continuing words.

Indeed, his speaking skills were impressive.

“With God’s help, I was able to overhear people’s conversations last night. And I recorded those conversations.”

In Jin-su’s raised hand was a smartphone with its screen on.

Somehow, he had managed to charge the smartphone battery.

A recording app was open on the lit screen.

Jin-su pressed a button on the screen.

Voices flowed from the smartphone. The flowing voices weren’t very loud.

People at the back probably couldn’t hear at all.

But I, at the very back, could hear clearly.

[“A definite bomb, you said! Why isn’t he dead!”]

[“If he were ordinary, he would have died! When the bomb went off, I definitely thought he was dead! None of you knew he could heal himself so well either!”]

[“What do we do now? I heard Deputy Yerim came in the evening and completely healed him.”]

[“Damn, it would have been simple if he died. Being Satan’s child, even his life force is tough.”]

[“Since the uprising failed, we should now support Yerim and move toward ousting him.”]

[“That would be better. It’s better not to get blood on our hands. Many people are suffering under the false Apostle, so if we step up, everyone will follow.”]

[“Then we should hurry in that direction.”]

[“Yes, we can’t let the Apostle notice and do something strange.”]

[“But it’s not easy to approach Saint Yerim. Strange guys keep staying close to her.”]

[“Deputy Yerim isn’t confirmed as a saint yet. Well, anyway, we’ll need to watch for an opening. They can’t be together 24 hours.”]

[“But… are we sure Deputy Yerim can maintain the sanctuary? If something goes wrong…”]

[“What faithless words! She healed someone who should have become a zombie. I heard she herself should have become a zombie but remained human.”]

[“Right. If that cult leader can handle holy artifacts, there’s no way she can’t, being a devout believer. When God gives a trial, He also provides the staff to overcome it!”]

The recorded conversation ended there.

During the conversation, people who were close to those whose voices were recorded tried to distance themselves,

While others turned their heads looking for Yerim mentioned in the conversation.

I moved first to hide Yerim behind me.

Jin-su, lowering the smartphone, finished speaking in a strong tone.

“This recording is evidence, and I am the witness. I confirmed with my own eyes all the people who had this conversation.”

I inwardly admired Jin-su as he put the smartphone in his pocket.

To pull this off overnight after arriving just yesterday. Surely this was planned before coming here.

Though I found him impressive in my previous life, his sense and initiative were truly amazing even now.

As Jin-su finished speaking, the Apostle stepped forward again.

“Though you tried to kill me, I quietly let you leave for everyone’s sake. But you made a different choice.”

The Apostle continued speaking while looking around at people.

“I’ll say it again here. I am God’s chosen servant and this sanctuary’s caretaker. I would like those who tried to kill me, and those who won’t follow my will, to leave.”

People were shocked by the Apostle’s words.

These words weren’t just about expelling those who terrorized him.

It meant he would now expel anyone who opposed him from the safe zone.

As people were surprised by these unexpectedly extreme words, the pale-faced terrorists shouted loudly.

“See that! That’s the false Apostle’s true nature!”

“Saying he’ll kill people for dissenting in a democratic society. It’s not just us dying. He’s saying he’ll kill anyone who doesn’t listen to him!”

“If you listen to that Satan this time, you’ll all go to hell with him! We didn’t try to kill him for nothing!”

Those identified as terrorists, unafraid of confessing their crimes, poured out curses against the Apostle.

Then, one of them pointed toward me and shouted.

“We were swayed by him because of the sanctuary until now, but now we have Deputy Yerim, no, Saint Yerim.

We don’t need that Satan anymore. Saint Yerim will protect this sanctuary!”

At the desperate shout, everyone’s gaze turned toward me. No, toward Yerim behind me.

Watching this, the Apostle smiled and said.

“Seems you need to speak directly, Yerim.”

At the Apostle’s words, I quietly clicked my tongue.

It felt like we shouldn’t have come out.

I hadn’t expected to get caught up in this.

But we couldn’t avoid such situations either…

I sighed and turned to look at Yerim.

“What do you want to do?”

At my words, Yerim stared at me.

“You’ll protect me, right?”

I nodded at her words.

“That’s why I made you a party member.”

How precious a cleric she was.

To use her as a party member, I naturally had to protect her.

At my answer, Yerim stepped forward past me.

And spoke in a loud voice.

“I confirmed it yesterday! I cannot handle holy artifacts!”

Everyone heard Yerim’s words.

“What do you mean…”

“That can’t be…”

Sighs were heard simultaneously. They came from among those who committed the terrorism.

As Yerim finished speaking, the Apostle opened his mouth.

“I too hoped there would be more apostles, but regrettably, it seems God wanted only me to use it.”

Though his expression and words seemed regretful, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t hear it that way.

Having concluded this matter, the Apostle continued speaking with a hardened expression.

“And it seems you’ve heard all you wanted to hear. Now it’s my turn to speak.

From yesterday’s terrorism and today’s protest, I’ve learned we need more people following God’s will to protect this sanctuary.

So, I’ll take this opportunity to introduce them.

Ihan who has protected me all along, new family member Believer Jin-su, and those who will help me from now on.”

As the Apostle finished speaking, some of the gathered people stepped forward toward the memorial hall.

Nearly a hundred people. Young men and women mixed together.

They stopped in front of the steps and turned around.

When they turned, it looked like an army had formed in front of the Apostle.

Though there were quite a few unfamiliar faces among them, there were many I knew too.

Especially among the familiar faces were most of the government complex people who came yesterday.

They seemed to have sided with the Apostle along with Jin-su.

Several women from the Personnel Management Department were mixed among them too.

They weren’t looking this way.

Because Seo Eun was watching with a hardened face.

Her husband’s expression was equally hardened.

Seo Eun and her husband weren’t included in the Apostle’s newly formed army.

After the army’s demonstration ended, the Apostle clapped and said to people.

“Now, please remember my words and disperse. The terrorists must not remain in this sanctuary until sunrise tomorrow.”

At the Apostle’s words, a middle-aged man burst out shouting.

“You’re telling us to die! How can we live outside!”

Despite the man’s cry, the Apostle smiled and answered him.

“Some people have lived well out there all along. The government complex building, right? It’s empty now, so you could go there.”

With those final words, the Apostle went inside the memorial hall, and people began dispersing with dark expressions.

The terrorists didn’t know what to do.

Some grabbed other people and pleaded, while others collapsed on the ground crying.

Some terrorists looked at us hopefully, but I had no intention of getting involved in this matter.

Though I really disliked the Apostle and Jin-su, I couldn’t take the terrorists’ side here.

Setting aside who was right, if I took the terrorists’ side, we might lose Yerim to them.

No, honestly speaking, this whole commotion was just laughable.

The Demon King’s army was coming up from below, a giant octopus was coming down from above, yet people were fighting among themselves in here.

We couldn’t waste time getting involved.

“If we stay here longer, we’ll just see ugly scenes. Let’s go out for reconnaissance right away.”

We needed to check how far the Demon King’s army and octopus monster had come.

Plus, we needed to do the treasure hunting we found in the documents.

All party members nodded at my words.

We headed straight outside, while Seo Eun and her husband kept watching us leave.

——-

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