Chapter 2

After the worship service ended safely, at the back of the underground chapel.

"Uncle, I told you not to do this kind of thing, right?"

"If we don't do something like this, the money will dry up. Don't you know the number of believers is decreasing?"

"Well, if you're going to distribute flyers, at least make them properly. Why is the design like this?"

I held up the flyer that was rolling on the floor. It had a rainbow gradient background, and the font completely ignored readability.

It was a design that could be called catastrophic.

"Why? Isn't it cool?"

However, Uncle seemed to be completely unaware of the problem. I closed my eyes tightly and pressed my forehead. My head throbbed.

Lee Jin-sung.

My maternal uncle and the high priest of Voodoo. He is the one who handed me the microphone during the service earlier.

He is in charge of the administrative affairs of the Voodoo religion and is also an excellent information source.

Despite his many talents in various fields, he lacks aesthetic sense. It's not just lacking; it might as well be non-existent.

"Change the design. No, it might be better to hire a new designer."

"Hey, hiring someone costs money. What's wrong with a rainbow background? It's sophisticated and good, isn't it?"

"Sophisticated? No, that's not it."

I felt that continuing to argue would only be to my detriment. I shook my head and walked past Uncle into the room.

The room smelled musty and moldy. I wanted to ventilate it, but there were no windows, so it was impossible.

I lay down on the bed in the corner of the room. The bedding was damp and clammy.

"Ugh."

As I made a displeased sound, the voice in my head spoke again. It was the voice of the Loa that possessed me.

This Loa is named 'Rekba.'

A mediator between humans and Loa, and the leader of all Loa, who governs the others.

As befits his title, Rekba's powers and magic are so powerful that they far surpass human comprehension.

So Rekba himself said.

"Yes, I believe you."

I nodded while lying on the bed. Of course, it must be true. I haven't seen it with my own eyes, though.

"I didn't say anything, did I?"

Rekba added, sounding displeased. I simply ignored him.

I listened to Rekba's grumbling with one ear and let it out with the other, while idly waving my right hand in the air.

Soon, a purple glow flowed from the tip of my hand. I used this glow as paint to draw a magic circle in the air. It was a magic circle formed by intersecting purple straight and curved lines.

From the completed magic circle, a sinister purple smoke began to emanate.

Advanced Hypnosis, a spell that causes mental confusion.

If the Romanica has divine power, the Voodoo religion has Voodoo magic.

Drawing a magic circle allows the use of spells, and the Voodoo magic serves as the paint for drawing the magic circle.

Rekba murmured in admiration. As the high priest of Voodoo, I was not only adept at handling Voodoo magic but also skilled at drawing magic circles. In terms of Voodoo magic, I could be considered the best in the industry.

The problem was that there were almost no opportunities to use it.

The world has branded Voodoo as a cult and is punishing all Voodoo believers.

This is true for ordinary believers, and even more so for me as the high priest. If my identity as the high priest is revealed, I will be burned at the stake like my father, the second high priest.

"I've never been worried."

Since my face and name, including basic personal information, have never been revealed, the risk of being caught is almost non-existent.

However, if I use Voodoo magic, my identity as the high priest will be exposed. Therefore, I cannot use Voodoo magic.

I retracted the magic circle with my right hand and then drew a picture in the air with my left hand.

As before, a glow flowed from the tip of my hand, but this time it was pure white.

This time, it was not Voodoo magic but divine power.

A low-level blessing for strength enhancement.

Rekba, seeing this, clicked his tongue and said.

Even I could see it. Compared to the magic circle I drew earlier, the blessing circle drawn with divine power was incredibly crude.

The difference was even more pronounced after seeing the advanced magic circle.

Rekba tried to comfort me, but it didn't really help. I lay down on the bed with a complicated feeling.

I cannot use Voodoo magic, my area of expertise. On the other hand, my talent is far too lacking to use divine power.

At this rate, it seems I will struggle to even graduate from Florence, let alone become a high-ranking clergy member.

"I don't like that."

"No, I am alive."

Seven years ago, during the Holy War.

My father died, and my mother was imprisoned in the Vatican's underground prison. The authority to enter the Vatican's underground prison is given only to high-ranking clergy members, such as cardinals.

And I will become a high-ranking clergy member to meet my mother.

This is the reason I enrolled in Florence and the reason I want to become a high-ranking clergy member.

* * *

The next day, my steps to school were heavy.

Yesterday, I took a nap for a while in the underground chapel and only returned to my dormitory late at night.

It was a dormitory Uncle gave me as a gift for my admission to Florence.

The meaning was that, to avoid suspicion, I should commute from the dormitory while attending Florence, rather than from the underground chapel.

It was close enough to Florence to walk, which was convenient, but the mornings were lonely. This was why my steps felt particularly heavy today.

Step by step, I forced myself to walk for a few minutes.

A mysterious and majestic landscape, which I had never gotten used to, finally came into view.

The walls surrounded by lush greenery and fresh buds.

Beyond them, the main building constructed in Gothic style and the numerous buildings extending from it. The sunlight poured down as if blessing everything.

This was the campus of Florence Academy.

I lightly ignored Rekba's grumbling and slowly walked down the naturally beautiful path toward the 1st-year building.

I finally reached the classroom. A sign above the door read "1st Year, Charity."

Without hesitation, I opened the door and entered the classroom. I sat in an empty seat, a back row by the window.

Creak!

Soon, someone forcefully opened the door and entered the classroom. She stood in front of the podium with a roll call book under one arm, smiling warmly.

"Hello, everyone. It seems everyone is here."

She seemed to be the homeroom teacher for the Charity class.

Tap, tap!

The teacher tapped the podium with a stick in her right hand. The students, who had been bowing their heads and focusing on their studies, all looked up.

"Hello, I'm Ha Ye-jin, the homeroom teacher for the Charity class. I hope we have a good year together. By the way, are there any students who aspire to be priests?"

A few students hesitantly raised their hands. About a third of the class.

"Thankfully, there are more than I expected. I am also a teacher for the divine power application class and a professor in the priest department. So, I will see you often in class."

Ha Ye-jin's smile deepened, and small dimples appeared on her cheeks.

"Anyway, welcome to Florence. The atmosphere here is a bit different from middle school. The classes will be more difficult than you expect, and there will be a lot of practical work. It might be hard to adapt at first, but once you do, it will be more comfortable than you think."

Ha Ye-jin continued with a gentle smile.

"You might be nervous and excited. I hope you enjoy these feelings. This is a privilege of being a freshman."

Ha Ye-jin, instead of intimidating the students for the new semester, encouraged them.

Her tone was gentle, and she always had a smile on her face. She was also very beautiful. Thanks to this, my first impression was very good.

With her as the homeroom teacher, I thought my school life for the next year would be smooth.

"By the way, there is someone I don't like."

Just as I thought this, Ha Ye-jin's face hardened. The sudden change in expression was unsettling.

"Those who commit blasphemy, violate teacher authority, or any of the seven deadly sins. And those who worship idols or believe in cults. If such a person is here, I will personally expel them."

Ha Ye-jin smiled again after saying this.

"Of course! As long as you're not one of those people, I will always treat you with love. I hope no one disappoints me."

I swallowed hard.

Those who worship idols. Those who believe in cults.

That was me.

Believing in Loa is considered idol worship and a cult belief. This was decided after the Holy War. I don't know about the noble Rekba.

"By the way, Bae Sung-hyun?"

"Yes."

When Ha Ye-jin called out the name, a male student stood up.

Tall and with a flawless, handsome face. One of the seven representatives of the freshmen, who received the symbol of Charity, Bae Sung-hyun.

"The class president for the Charity class is Bae Sung-hyun. In Florence, students who receive symbols serve as class presidents. There will be almost no changes. So, Bae Sung-hyun, please do your best."

"I understand, teacher."

Bae Sung-hyun bowed and sat down again.

Ha Ye-jin smiled at Bae Sung-hyun and then left the classroom with the roll call book.

As soon as Ha Ye-jin left, the classroom became noisy. The students chatted with friends and relaxed from the tension of the new semester.

Except for me.

I had no friends.

Some students were busy trying to make new friends, but no one approached me.

Most of them only talked to Bae Sung-hyun, the class president and symbol of Charity.

"How did you get the symbol of Charity?"

"I did well on the entrance exam. Also, my father made a donation, and I followed suit. I think that's why."

"Wow..."

The students looked at Bae Sung-hyun with admiration and envy. Bae Sung-hyun looked smug.

I lay on my desk, listening to their conversation.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I just happened to hear it. Lying there, listening to others' conversations, made me feel a bit pathetic.

Rekba tried to comfort me, but it didn't really help. Or rather, I didn't need comfort.

I wasn't particularly sad about not having friends. I rarely felt lonely.

In fact, I was grateful just to avoid being bullied.

In middle school, there was a student I remember. His parents were Satanists and were arrested and imprisoned.

Naturally, the student suffered severe bullying. Even though a school violence committee was held, the perpetrators received only minor punishments, and the victim had to transfer schools.

If I hadn't disguised my identity, I would have suffered the same fate.

The fake identity Uncle arranged for me: my mother died as a holy knight in the Holy War, and my father is a clergy member on overseas assignment.

Thanks to this fake identity, I was able to enroll in Florence safely and avoid collective punishment.

Of course, disguising my identity didn't mean I would make friends.

As Rekba said, it wasn't important.

The reason I enrolled in Florence was to become a high-ranking clergy member and meet my mother.

To achieve my goal, I had no time to make friends. I needed to focus on honing my divine power to become a high-ranking clergy member.

And to become a high-ranking clergy member, I needed to stand out in today's physical test.

* * *

Since it was the first day of class, most lessons were orientations.

Teachers needed to win the students' favor, thinking about 'that day' a month later. Starting with lessons or practical work on the first day would surely invite complaints from students. Therefore, there would be no crazy teacher who would start with lessons on the first day.

That's what I thought.

"Hello, I'm Kim Bok-dong, the teacher for practical physical education and a professor in the Holy Knight department. We will start with practical work today. No complaints."

Surprisingly, there was such a crazy teacher.

Introducing himself as Kim Bok-dong, he dragged the students, who hadn't even bought gym uniforms, to the playground.

In the middle of the playground, where sand dust was flying, Kim Bok-dong continued his explanation.

"Practical physical education. It's a new subject for you. As you all know, clerics don't need to focus on basic physical strength. More accurately, they don't need to focus only on basic physical strength. Do you know why?"

An awkward silence followed. Everyone avoided eye contact and avoided answering. I was no exception.

After a while, a tall male student confidently raised his hand.

"Right. What's your name?"

"Bae Sung-hyun."

Bae Sung-hyun, the symbol of Charity.

"Because they can use blessings related to physical enhancement to temporarily improve their physical abilities."

"Right. Clerics can enhance their physical abilities through blessings. So, do clerics not need to train their basic physical strength?"

I shook my head. Clerics do exercise. More accurately, they need to exercise because they are clerics.

Kim Bok-dong picked up a kettlebell from the ground.

"No, they need to train their basic physical strength even more to maximize the efficiency of blessings."

Kim Bok-dong said this and lightly threw the kettlebell. The kettlebell flew through the air in a parabolic trajectory. It literally 'flew.'

Boom!

The kettlebell landed in the middle of the playground with a loud thud. A pale sand mist rose around it.

It seemed to have flown at least 200 meters. It was too far to be sure.

"Without using any blessings, I just threw the kettlebell with my physical strength. It flew about 250 meters. What if I use a blessing?"

Kim Bok-dong released divine power and drew a blessing circle.

A low-level blessing for strength enhancement.

The light from the blessing circle soon enveloped Kim Bok-dong's right arm. In this state, he threw the kettlebell again.

The kettlebell flew across the playground. The landing was out of sight because it had flown over the school fence.

Seeing this unbelievable scene, I was speechless. Kim Bok-dong was a monster.

"A low-level blessing for strength enhancement increases the user's strength by about 1.5 times. However, with training, you can increase its efficiency to three times. This is why you need to learn practical physical education. Through practical physical education, you can also improve your proficiency in blessings."

Kim Bok-dong continued, holding up another kettlebell from the ground.

"I've talked too much. Anyway, today we will test your strength levels. The student who throws the kettlebell the farthest will get the highest score. The scores will be graded accordingly. Using blessings is optional. Any questions?"

A student raised his hand. It was Bae Sung-hyun again.

"Sorry, but I heard there's another way to get a perfect score regardless of distance."

"Oh, I forgot. Well, since no one can do it anyway, it's not a problem to explain."

Kim Bok-dong tapped the kettlebell with his finger and continued.

Some students' eyes sparkled at the mention of a way to get a perfect score.

"First, throw the kettlebell to pass the 50-meter mark. Then, predict the landing point of the kettlebell you threw and catch it. If you succeed, you will get a perfect score regardless of the distance. It's a special condition."

The students' eyes, which had sparkled, filled with despair.

It was already questionable whether they could throw the kettlebell 50 meters, let alone catch it.

It meant they needed the strength to throw the kettlebell over 50 meters and the speed to run 50 meters in 2-3 seconds.

I can't do it. Maybe if I use 'His' power.

"Let's start the test. First, the class president, Bae Sung-hyun, with the symbol of Charity."

At Kim Bok-dong's call, Bae Sung-hyun walked out.

He stood at the starting line, sighed repeatedly, and released divine power from his fingertips. Then he began to draw a blessing circle quickly.

The blessings Bae Sung-hyun used were all of high difficulty.

After applying all the blessings to his right arm, Bae Sung-hyun threw the kettlebell.

Whoosh!

The kettlebell flew through the air,

Thud!

And landed with a fierce sound.

"Bae Sung-hyun, 212 meters!"

Kim Bok-dong announced Bae Sung-hyun's record. The other students, including me, were speechless at this overwhelming record.

The symbol of Charity is a special blessing granted by the Pope, called the 'Blessing of Herculean Strength.' As the name suggests, it grants superhuman strength, and it's possible to share some of this strength with others. It's a blessing that truly lives up to the name 'Charity.'

Bae Sung-hyun's incredible strength certainly came from this blessing.

"Bae Sung-hyun."

"Yes."

Kim Bok-dong smiled and spoke.

"Your basic strength is good, but I must commend your use of blessings. You reduced the risk of injury with the blessing for enhanced recovery, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the intermediate strength enhancement. Very well done. I hope the other students can learn from you. If they can follow your example, that is."

Bae Sung-hyun's lips trembled. He seemed to be suppressing his joy.

"Thank