East Road Quest

Chapter 6

Yol drove the cart, using the creaking sound of the wheels as his music. Behind him, a large wagon pulled by two horses followed his brown horse.

“Do we really have to travel at night, Father?”

The coachman, who had been temporarily hired to guide the way and drive the wagon, asked.

Yol was not a priest, but he let the man call him that. Since he hadn’t given his name, there was no other title the coachman could use.

“There is no difference between day and night when following God’s will.”

The coachman seemed deeply impressed by Yol’s offhand remark.

“The sounds coming from the cargo hold are frightening. It’s one thing in the daytime, but at night…”

The coachman laughed awkwardly.

The cargo hold attached to the wagon was made of thick wooden planks, with a door secured by a metal lock, making it impossible to see inside or open it.

“Curiosity is a product of reason. Reason is the intellectual vanity that humans have, thinking they can understand all the principles of the world by their will. Those who are vain cannot be humble before God. Those who are not humble before God cannot fear His power, and those who do not know fear will face great punishment.”

Yol spoke loudly, then asked the coachman a question, forcing him to answer.

“Coachman, you do know what my job is, don’t you?”

The coachman, looking bewildered, hastily replied.

“You are an Inquisitor.”

“Then do not be curious about what is in the cargo hold. The tools I use in my trials are always imbued with the curse of blood and the power of demons, which can be dangerous to ordinary people.”

The coachman nodded with a frightened expression.

Yol arrived at the castle of Ricardo Baltian, the lord of Zerba, dismounted, and waited for the guards to come out.

‘Why is it so quiet?’

Yol looked up at the dark, empty guard tower, then lifted and dropped the large knocker attached to the castle gate. The heavy knocker hit the door with a loud sound. It was uncertain how far the sound would echo inside the spacious castle.

After knocking a few more times, Yol looked down the hill while waiting for someone to come out. Even in the dark, he could see very far and clearly, allowing him to observe the layout of the Zerba market and the village even at night.

“Is there no church in Zerba?” Yol asked the coachman.

“There used to be, but not anymore.”

“Then where do people pray?”

“There’s a chapel inside the castle where people can go and pray on Sundays.”

“The lord opens the castle to the townspeople?”

“Yes, but it’s not free. Only wealthy people can pay to enter and pray. People like us go to the Monastery of St. Anthony. I don’t go often, but they say the monastery’s cross is more effective.”

The coachman spoke with sincerity.

‘I heard rumors that they were planning to build a church for the Raphael Priests in Zerba. Maybe that’s why.’

Yol smiled inwardly. At that moment, the castle gate opened. Yol stepped aside and waited for the gate to open fully.

“What brings you here?”

A soldier holding a spear appeared from inside and asked.

“I am an Inquisitor. I have come at the lord’s request.”

Yol replied.

“At this time of night?”

The guard asked in surprise.

“There can be no distinction between day and night when it comes to judging evil. I heard that preparations have already been made to conduct the burning at the stake tomorrow. We must hurry all the more.”

“But the lord is currently…”

The guard trailed off and hesitated. Yol thought to himself that if the lord was sleeping, he would either wake him up or ask for the prison key to swiftly handle the matter.

“Wait here.”

The guard went back inside.

‘Something’s up. His expression wasn’t normal.’

A few minutes later, the guard returned.

“Please come in. Your name?”

“Father Puyol.”

Yol gave the false name he often used for such tasks.

After parking the wagon in the inner courtyard, Yol followed the guard inside. The coachman waited quietly beside the wagon.

Although the cargo hold was locked, Yol felt uneasy leaving the coachman alone with the wagon.

‘He mentioned a noise? I should have secured it more tightly.’

The guard led Yol to the chapel inside the castle. In front of a stone cross, a middle-aged man was kneeling.

Despite hearing Yol enter the chapel, the man continued praying before the cross. Yol had to patiently wait for him to finish his prayer.

Finally, Baltian turned and spoke.

“You’ve come for the inquisition?”

Though it was spring, the nights were still chilly, and the chapel was particularly cold. Yet, sweat was beading on his forehead.

“I am Father Puyol,” Yol said.

Baltian tilted his head.

“The itinerant inquisitor expected was supposed to be Father Archion.”

Yol was surprised.

‘He knows that?’

Normally, nobles did not bother to remember the names or faces of those lower than themselves. This held true even for clergy, unless they were of bishop rank or higher.

“Father Archion was injured on the way. Since it seemed urgent, I came in his stead. If you wish, we can wait until Father Archion recovers.”

Yol lied confidently, certain that Lord Baltian would not delay the execution schedule. Baltian shook his head.

“No need for that.”

Yol responded as if he had been expecting this.

“Very well. I will proceed with the interrogation immediately. Where is the criminal?”

“No, I mean there’s no need for a trial.”

Yol scratched his nose, puzzled and seeking confirmation.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just as I said.”

“Have you released the heretic based on your own judgment?”

Baltian shot a sharp glance at Yol.

“A priest from the Rom Priests brought the emperor’s pardon.”

“The emperor?”

“Is there another emperor besides the one from Rom? Ah, since you’re with the Raphael Priests, to you, the emperor would be the Holy Emperor of Rotican.”

Yol didn’t want to waste time on such a debate.

“So where is the heretic Jade now?”

“I don’t know. He left the castle a while ago.”

“How long ago is ‘a while ago’?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me. Was it an hour? Or two?”

“Doesn’t seem like it’s been two hours.”

“Understood. Who was the one that brought the emperor’s pardon?”

“It was a priest named Daniel.”

Yol cursed inwardly.

“Then I have no reason to stay here any longer. I shall take my leave.”

Baltian did not stop Yol from leaving.

‘There are too many strange things. How devout can one be to be praying in the chapel at this hour? And where are all the guards who should be on the walls?’

Yol stopped and asked.

“Just out of curiosity, my lord… Have you encountered any trouble?”

“Does it look that way?”

“I don’t see any guards.”

“They are protecting my wife and child. Though I’m not sure how effective that will be.”

“Is this ‘hidden issue’ related to Father Daniel or Jade?”

Yol could no longer hold back and asked bluntly.

Baltian seemed about to say something but then closed his mouth again. It was like watching a sinner, ready to confess everything, suddenly fall silent. He spoke with a firm expression.

“What could two frail priests, who can’t even carry a water jug, possibly do?”

“Perhaps you are unaware, my lord! Father Jade is the one who committed murder in broad daylight in the middle of Pompeii. He is a man who should have been executed long ago but has been slyly surviving under the protection of the Rom Priests.”

“I know he was excommunicated. But in these times, is a priest’s excommunication such a significant issue?”

“He was expelled from Pompeii because of it, excommunicated by the Rom Priests, and the Raphael Priests were going to bring him to trial. Isn’t that significant?”

“So, what were the circumstances of this murder?”

Baltian asked as if he was reluctantly inquiring about something he wasn’t truly interested in.

‘This is getting more suspicious. He’s definitely lying, but why? It seems like Baltian is protecting Jade, no matter how you look at it.’

Yol had heard that the trial and preparation for Jade’s execution were initially proposed as a kind of public project by Lord Baltian.

By now, the residents who helped prepare for the execution would have been paid or were about to be, and the costs for the trial and procession would have been listed in the lord’s expenditures.

When money circulated in the village, other economic activities would become more vibrant.

‘I wonder what made Baltian change his mind.’ Yol hoped Baltian might reveal something if he kept talking about Jade.

“You know the lord of Pompeii, don’t you?”

“Are you talking about Leopold Browne? We met a lot when we were younger.”

“Lord Browne’s daughter, Mitchel, fell seriously ill three years ago.”

“I heard it was an illness that many doctors couldn’t treat, and she eventually died.”

“There were rumors that Mitchel was possessed by a demon. Lord Browne even requested an exorcism from Rotican and asked the bishop of Pompeii to pray for her. Since no evidence of demonic possession was found, it was concluded to be just an illness. It was merely a father’s concern for his sick daughter. However, Jade, who was at the Pompeii church at the time, claimed Mitchel was possessed by a demon.”

The shocking part of the story hadn’t even started yet, but Baltian looked deeply disturbed. Yol continued in a stronger tone.

“Jade jumped in, saying he would solve the problem. Instead of treating Mitchel, he worsened her condition, and the maddened Mitchel ran out into the street. Jade chased her down, set her on fire, and turned a thirteen-year-old girl into a burning corpse.”

Yol deliberately paused for dramatic effect before continuing.

“All that remained at the scene was a pile of white ash, no body left behind.”

Baltian swallowed hard.

‘Didn’t you prepare for the execution even before the inquisitor arrived, Lord Baltian? Hurry up and order Jade’s arrest!’ Yol waited for the command, but Baltian spoke with a relieved expression as if he had resolved a long-standing doubt.

“I had no idea such a thing happened. I resented Lord Browne for not sending a letter. Thank you for sharing this story. There is no longer any reason for Father Puyol to be here.”
Yol realized that Baltian was not the type of person who would listen to advice or be persuaded, like many nobles and lords.

There was no need to waste any more time.

“Understood. May God’s grace be with you.”

Yol quickly left the chapel.

The coachman was waiting beside the wagon with a pitiful expression, just as when they first met. Fortunately, he hadn’t done anything foolish in Yol’s absence.

“Let’s go. It seems there’s nothing more for me to do here.”

Yol mounted his horse and headed towards the gate. The coachman turned the wagon with extreme caution and followed him out of the gate.

“What is the quickest way to Rom from here?”

Yol asked.

“The way we came,” the coachman replied.

“I see. By the way, we didn’t encounter anyone on our way here, did we?”

“No. Not a single person passed us or overtook us,” the coachman replied with a dumb smile, proud of himself.

“In fact, the roads of Zerba are treacherous, and traveling at night is dangerous. Without a skilled coachman like me, who knows how to handle horses and navigate these roads, we would have broken five wagon wheels by now.”

With his night vision, Yol scanned Zerba once more.

“If we take a boat from the market, where does it go?”

“Anywhere that leads to the sea. But you can’t take a boat at this hour.”

“Wouldn’t a large sum of money persuade them?”

“Even if you paid a lot, who would be awake to take the money? Everyone would be asleep.”

“I saw a ferry dock on the way. What if we take a boat from there?”

“That ferry would only take you across the river. The boats are small, and they can’t carry horses.”

“Is there a road on the other side of the river?”

“It leads to Pompeii. Ah, going that way would also make it easier to reach Rom. It might be a bit of a detour, but the road is well-maintained and easier to travel. The wagon wheels would suffer less damage.”

“I’ll head to the ferry dock first. Follow me.”

The coachman frowned.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t received the rest of my payment yet. If you go ahead and we lose track of each other…”

He said “lose track” but he was really worried that Yol would leave without paying him. Yol smiled to ease his concern.

“What’s more valuable, this wagon I’m driving or the rest of your payment? I should be worried about you running off with the wagon while I’m not looking.”

“Ah, I see.”

The coachman seemed relieved. Of course, if Yol found Jade and Daniel or figured out where they had gone, he planned to abandon the wagon and pursue them.

He would leave the wagon behind, along with its contents.

Yol rode his horse at full speed through the darkness to reach the ferry dock. The ferry was moored on the opposite side of the river, over fifty feet away. It was too far to swim, and the current was strong.

After a moment’s hesitation, Yol turned back the way he had come.

‘Looks like I’ll unintentionally keep my promise to the coachman.’

When he returned, the wagon was stopped in the middle of the road. He wondered why the coachman hadn’t followed but was too pressed for time to dwell on it, so he spoke first.

“There was no boat or ferryman at the dock.”

“Of course not. At this hour…”