Chapter 6: Heretic

With every step, sewage sloshed around Jack, his breathing muffled. He struggled through the filthy sewer waters, carrying an injured man. It was already a challenge to bear the weight of a grown man on his shoulder, but now he had to do it while trudging through the muck and sludge of the sewer.

'Heavy...Don't tell me you already dead?'

Jack's footsteps were as quiet as he could make them, but the effort was exhausting, especially while carrying an almost lifeless man. It felt nearly impossible, yet Jack pushed on. He knew if he stopped, the Inquisitors who might be tracking him would catch up, and he didn't want to imagine what would happen then. Sloshing through the sewage, he kept moving toward the exit.

Jack sighed, "I'm just a doctor... Why did they pick me for this task? Castellalos would have been a much better choice than a simple doctor like me."

A hoarse voice called out, "Who is Castellalos?"

Jack grinned, "Finally awake, princess."

The voice demanded, "Answer."

Jack sighed, "A member of our group, a fallen noble."

Nicholas stayed silent.

Jack glanced over his shoulder. "You know her?"

Nicholas replied, "I knew her father. Everyone thought he was a good man... but he wasn't. The man was involved in trafficking and smuggling illegal drugs into the empire. It was enough to bring down the entire Castellalos family. Yeah, the rest of the nobles jumped in like vultures when it was all happening—who wouldn't..."

Jack, in a subdued tone, asked, "What do you think?"

Nicholas averted his eyes and sighed, "I don't know, people can be unpredictable."

Jack closed his eyes, almost whispering, "I mean… do you believe that?"

Nicholas, slightly annoyed by the direct confrontation, perhaps unwilling to consider otherwise, responded angrily.

"It doesn't matter what I think! And enough with the questions. Why is she with you? What about her family?"

Jack chuckled, "Why are you with us?"

Nicholas's eyes narrowed. "So you cursed her too and forced her to join you?"

Jack couldn't hold back his laughter any longer and burst out. If there had been a tracker nearby, it would have immediately barraged him with holy light, exorcising him.

Wiping his tears with his left hand, he said, "She joined us of her own volition. Maybe the Castellalos family needs a true god more than a false one."

Nicholas sneered, "What do you mean by that?"

Jack, now serious, replied, "Lord First never betrayed the Creator. It was the other six gods. Lord First was the one who stood for the Creator, but he alone wasn't enough. The hymns of the six churches are nothing but lies."

Nicholas retorted, "Who told you that the Demon, who hides and corrupts people for his own amusement? Heck, I can even believe you were once a benevolent man, though you don't look it now... I can see him turning you into a monster."

Jack in serious tone replied, "Lord can't do that, you still retain your sanity don't you?"

Without answering, Nicholas asked, "What about Guur? Was he as sane as we are?"

Jack replied with a heavy heart, "Guur was different; he let himself lose his way."

Nicholas picked up on Jack's sorrow but pressed on. "Seems like it's your Lord's fault. His own people aren't safe with him."

Jack didn't argue, simply nodded solemnly. "Sometimes it's hard to grasp the will of God. Maybe there's something I fail to see."

"Sounds like what a heretic would say," Nicholas scoffed. "Maybe try worshiping a different god."

Jack smirked with a hint of humor, "Like Eden, Maloch, Lilith, or the other three who hide behind false names? Am I supposed to worship them?"

"Do you even know anything about them beyond what your scriptures say—or rather, what they themselves have claimed?" Jack mocked. "Let me enlighten you. Eden, as you already know, doesn't care whether you live or die; his only goal is suppressing the Firstborn forces. That's why inquisitors are more prominent in the Church of Light and Hope, while the rest rely more on priests. Maloch isn't a god—if anything, he's more akin to our Lord First than anyone else. He even shares the title of Demon with Lord First. Lilith only cares about herself, as evidenced by her church practices. And the other three? They're monsters in their own ways."

Nicholas listened quietly, pondering each word.

'Lord Eden doesn't seem to care, does he? Maloch is a demon too—I knew it! Those demons always find a way to stir up fights and cause trouble. No wonder their Lord was a demon—his title, 'Lord of Righteous,' was nothing like the behavior of his followers. What a facade! Lady Lilith's followers acted more like nymphomaniacs, while Lord Oculus' followers always appeared two-faced. However, Lord Manus and Lord Carrion's followers seemed fine, so why were they labeled monsters too? And as for the latter three with false names, what are their real ones?'

"If you were to ask about the true name of the Oculus, Manus, and Carrion, my answer would be I don't know... I wasn't told much. But if you complete enough missions and build a good reputation, who knows, you might just find out," Jack added.

Nicholas scoffed, "What makes you think I ever believed your lies? The Lord is still with me; I just failed to see his true plan. When the time comes, he will guide me, and I will know the truth."

"Sounds like something a heretic would say," Jack replied.

Before Nicholas could respond, they had already reached the end of the sewer. Water was flowing directly into the river in front of them.

"What... I... Water should be sent to treatment plants before being discharged... Why is it being dumped straight into the river?" Nicholas was stunned.

Jack, in an unusually grim tone, said, "They hide too many things. You'll see—this is nothing compared to what's buried deep inside those churches."

Nicholas couldn't argue; the proof was right in front of him. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he couldn't—there was no foundation for his denial. If he did, he would become what he believed he wasn't: a heretic.