The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 93

Department selection usually proceeds through questionnaires. Students choose their desired department among Holy Knights, Holy Warriors, or Priests and submit the questionnaire.

However, the Seven Holy Names are given slightly special questionnaires. They can choose and enter a total of two departments: a major and a minor. This is because among the benefits the Seven Holy Names receive is the ability to "select a minor."

Anyway, what I want to say is that whether you’re one of the Seven Holy Names or not, department selection is usually done through questionnaires.

"Holy Knights receive treatment similar to civil servants. Stability is the greatest advantage of being a Holy Knight. If it doesn’t suit your aptitude, you can quit and become a teacher like me. It means there’s a wide range of choices."

"What kind of wide range of choices is that? If you quit when you want to quit, is that being a cleric?"

"This is my speaking time right now. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt."

While Kim Bok-dong and So Do-jin were exchanging words, I was busy trying to calm my confusion. I never dreamed I’d be choosing departments like an audition program with three teachers sitting in a row. I also wanted to choose my department through a simple questionnaire like everyone else.

"Don’t talk too long or it’ll be boring, so finish quickly. I’ve asked you before. To become a Holy Knight. I think I explained all the reasons back then."

"What? You attempting recruitment beforehand is cheating..."

"Moreover, if you enter the Holy Knight department, you can learn self-defense and restraint techniques useful in actual combat. For you with genius-level physical abilities, it could be called a perfectly suited department. I’ll now pass the floor to So Do-jin."

Kim Bok-dong sat down while giving So Do-jin a look. So Do-jin clicked his tongue somewhat displeasedly while looking at Kim Bok-dong, then soon drew his sword from the scabbard at his waist. The silver blade glinted coldly, reflecting the light.

"Do Seon-woo. I’ll ask you one question. Do you know what the strongest martial art in actual combat is?"

At the sudden question, I pondered for a moment. The strongest martial art in actual combat.

"Um... ’Nazirite’?"

Samson recorded in the Book of Judges was a ’Nazirite.’ Today, the martial art created by restoring the fighting techniques Samson used is called ’Nazirite.’ From what I hear, it’s said you could face a thousand armed soldiers with just a donkey’s jawbone.

"...Let’s exclude Nazirite. Since there’s currently no way to learn that martial art."

However, there’s currently no way to learn ’Nazirite.’ This is because the last inheritor went into seclusion in the mountains without passing on the techniques.

I thought about other martial arts excluding ’Nazirite.’ Then I suddenly noticed the silver sword So Do-jin had drawn.

"...Perhaps, swordsmanship?"

"No, that’s second."

"What’s the answer?"

"Marksmanship. Even guys with bear-like builds, like Kim Bok-dong for instance, die immediately if you put a bullet in their temple. The Holy Warrior department curriculum includes shooting training."

It was quite reasonable, but a question suddenly occurred to me.

"But why does Teacher So Do-jin always carry a sword? Where do you keep your gun?"

If marksmanship is the ultimate martial art, why does So Do-jin carry a sword? Actually, I’ve been curious about this for a while. No matter how I think about it, guns seem more efficient than swords, so why do Holy Warriors go around slashing demon species and magical beasts with swords?

"Swords are ’romantic.’"

"Ah. Then I’ll enter the Holy Knight department..."

"No, no. Wait a moment. Listen to the full explanation before deciding."

So Do-jin hastily cut off my words and continued.

"So... do you want to earn a lot of money?"

"Of course."

"Right. It’s better to earn more than less, isn’t it?"

It was obvious. So Do-jin sighed deeply and continued.

"Holy Knights receive salaries from the Vatican. Holy Warriors are the same in that regard. But Holy Warriors have other sources of income besides the Vatican. That’s ’sponsorship.’"

"Sponsorship?"

"Money sent by fans. The Trinity Holy Warrior Corps I belong to receives about 300 million in sponsorship funds every month. When split equally, what comes to me isn’t much though."

300 million per month.

It was such an unrealistic amount that I momentarily lost words and stared blankly at So Do-jin. So Do-jin, whom I had only seen as a tired, skinny guy, somehow looked cool today.

"There are three Holy Warriors in Trinity including me, and if all three of us just sat around shooting pistols or rifles, would you feel like sponsoring us? That’s why I carry this sword. Swords have romance. They’re cool."

"Ah..."

"Swords also cost less money. Guns basically have to use silver bullets, and since they’re consumables, the cost is enormous. Swords can be used indefinitely just by sharpening the blade as long as they don’t break."

There were reasonable reasons why Holy Warriors used swords instead of guns. In terms of efficiency, guns had an overwhelming advantage, but in terms of style, swords had an overwhelming advantage. Even I would probably sponsor more money to a Holy Warrior who used swords rather than guns.

"Is there swordsmanship in the Holy Warrior department curriculum too?"

"Of course. Because that’s romantic."

"Romantic..."

Looking at it this way, I was drawn to the Holy Warrior side again. Not just because of romance. I had been considering learning swordsmanship for the advanced reproduction sorcery ’Executioner’s Sword’ anyway.

Honestly, no special skill is needed to use the Executioner’s Sword. It cuts by itself just by touching it. However, learning swordsmanship would probably allow me to utilize the Executioner’s Sword more efficiently than just swinging it around without learning swordsmanship.

"Um... just in case, you’re not interested in the Priest department, right?"

"Ah, no."

"Yes... I was just asking just in case. All the kids worth recruiting have already come anyway."

Ha Ye-jin continued the explanation. According to what I heard, as many as 3 of the Seven Holy Names chose the Priest department as their major. Ma Yu-hyeon and Han Su-ryeon chose major Priest, minor Holy Warrior. Seong Ha-yeon chose major Priest, no minor selected.

Additionally, Kim Jin-seo and Yeo Min-seo chose major Holy Warrior, minor Priest. All of the Seven Holy Names except Kang Dae-man had chosen the Priest department as either their major or minor. I heard Jeong In-ah also chose the Priest department.

"...Then what about Kang Dae-man?"

"Ah, Dae-man chose major Holy Knight, and no minor selected."

In other words, among the Seven Holy Names, only Kang Dae-man chose the Holy Knight department. Upon hearing this, Kim Bok-dong slammed the desk.

"That’s right! The Holy Knight department is a blue ocean. If you just beat Kang Dae-man, first place is guaranteed."

So Do-jin let out a snicker as if it was ridiculous.

"’Better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon’?"

"Yes, exactly that. No, I don’t mean Holy Knights are snakes..."

"Seon-woo. If you can be the head of a dragon, why should you settle for being the head of a snake? I think you have the qualities to become the head of a dragon. Besides, dragons are more romantic than snakes."

So Do-jin interrupted Kim Bok-dong’s words. Kim Bok-dong hastily opened his mouth.

"In terms of romance, Holy Knights don’t lose either. Holy Warriors don’t know the sense of mission in saving people."

"Holy Warriors save people too. Indirectly. Since Holy Warriors are the main force in defeating magical beasts."

Clap!

When So Do-jin and Kim Bok-dong’s argument showed no signs of ending, Ha Ye-jin clapped. Only then did Kim Bok-dong and So Do-jin close their mouths. Ha Ye-jin smiled brightly and handed me a questionnaire.

"Let’s decide around here. I think there’s been enough self-promotion."

After receiving the questionnaire, I fell into brief contemplation. Summarizing the discussion so far, I was leaning toward the Holy Warrior department. Holy Warriors had romance after all. Even if it seemed trivial, having romance was really a big advantage.

However... both the Holy Warrior department and Holy Knight department were the same in that neither had particularly outstanding merits.

"Do Seon-woo. Let me say one last thing."

Just as I was unable to decide and was just waving my pen around in the air, Kim Bok-dong spoke. Then he stood up from his seat and strode toward me. That huge body slowly approached me.

"Seoul Eastern Holy Knight Order Commander Han Dae-ho. You know him?"

"Yes."

"That guy is my friend. We’re Florence classmates. So I heard something from him..."

Kim Bok-dong whispered in my ear.

"...What’s that supposed to..."

"Han Dae-ho told me this directly. You might not believe it, but you should. Anyway, this is all true."

Kim Bok-dong’s words were truly tremendous benefits. Both as a Florence student and as the leader of Voodoo.

I chose the Holy Knight department as my major and Holy Warrior department as my minor without hesitation, then handed the questionnaire to Ha Ye-jin. Seeing this, So Do-jin’s face contorted with shock.

"Kim Bok-dong, you bastard, what did you say to him...!"

"I just subtly suggested something that Holy Warriors don’t have but Holy Knights do. Hahaha!"

Kim Bok-dong’s hearty laughter echoed through the conference room. So Do-jin slowly sheathed the sword he had drawn while glaring at me sideways.

"Do Seon-woo... See you in minor classes. I’ll educate you with all my heart and soul."

"Haha... I’m sorry."

"Ahem, Holy Knights don’t bow their heads to Holy Warriors. Nothing to apologize for."

Kim Bok-dong’s arm had strength in it as he patted my shoulder as if proud. He seemed very pleased and excited that I had chosen Holy Knight as my major. It hurt a little.

* * *

The weekend arrived. The May sunshine was refreshing. Seong Ha-yeon, who would normally have been holed up in the dormitory studying or killing time reading books, was out on the streets for the first time in a while today. The crowd split in half around her as she walked.

Treating the countless gazes directed at her as if accustomed to them, Seong Ha-yeon walked down the street without much concern. Her destination was a cafe. Kim Ra-hee, who had arrived early, waved and welcomed her.

"Hey, why are you so late... What’s that? A book?"

"Exams are coming up soon. I have to study whenever I have free time."

"Well, you are... Oh, those guys came too. Hey! Over here!"

Kim Ra-hee looked toward the entrance and waved vigorously. Two female students who arrived late showed delight and joined Seong Ha-yeon’s table.

The four who gathered were classmates who always stuck together during middle school. The four had promised to proudly meet again all wearing Florence uniforms, but unfortunately only Seong Ha-yeon and Kim Ra-hee passed Florence’s entrance exam.

Of course, even after the schools split, the four continued to stay in contact and often met. The frequency had definitely decreased compared to before, but their friendship remained unchanged.

"Right, that guy you said you’d contact last time..."

"Ah! I actually watched a movie with him yesterday. But he ate all the popcorn by himself."

"Ah... That’s a bit..."

Various meaningless conversations went back and forth. Seong Ha-yeon listened to the conversation with one ear and let it out the other while opening her book. And she devoted herself to studying. Exams were right ahead. Since she had messed up her practical grades, she had to work desperately hard on the written exams at least. To meet her father’s expectations.

"You... contact... these days..."

"...studying... busy, so..."

As she focused on studying, her friends’ voices began to be heard intermittently and broken. It meant she was concentrating very well. If this continued, there would be times when surrounding noise would be completely blocked as if she were thrown alone into the vast universe. Seong Ha-yeon called this the ’complete concentration state!’

"..."

"..."

Just as she was gradually approaching the complete concentration state.

"...Do Seon-woo..."

Flinch.

That name that suddenly reached her ears stuck. The noise filling the cafe began buzzing in Seong Ha-yeon’s ears. It meant her concentration was broken. Once concentration was broken, it took considerable time to concentrate again. Seong Ha-yeon decided to rest for a moment and put down her pen.

"...Um, what were you talking about?"

She had just planned to rest, but she felt she had to ask. If she just let it pass, she felt her mind would be uncomfortable when she got home. Kim Ra-hee sipped her iced americano and opened her mouth.

"That thing at our school, the Holy Name of Charity. Bae Seong-hyeon. We were talking about how he left and they held a re-election. The rumor must have spread to other schools."

"Ah... The re-election."

"Right! Ha-yeon, aren’t you the Holy Name of Purity? The one re-elected this time is Do Seon-woo, right? Is it true?"

One friend asked as if suddenly remembering. Seong Ha-yeon’s concentration, which had been trying to focus on studying, was broken again.

Every time she heard the name Do Seon-woo, Seong Ha-yeon strangely felt her breath catch. This was because he had the blood of purification, and also because she had recently realized that he hated her to death.

"Yes, Do Seon-woo... was elected as the Holy Name of Charity. Recently."

As Seong Ha-yeon nodded roughly and answered her friend’s question, a question suddenly flashed through her mind.

"...But, do you know Do Seon-woo?"

The other two friends except Kim Ra-hee weren’t Florence students. So it was somehow strange that they knew Do Seon-woo’s name. The friend who had asked Seong Ha-yeon the question looked at her as if she were a strange person and opened her mouth.

"We went to the same middle school."

"Ah, classmates... Huh? Then he went to the same middle school as me too?"

"You’re asking something obvious. Don’t you remember? We were close with Do Seon-woo."

"Hey, what are you... We weren’t close. Do you have any conscience?"

I went to the same middle school as Do Seon-woo? What is this... Seong Ha-yeon’s mind was filled with confusion.

Moreover, close? She couldn’t understand at all what her friends were talking about. Seong Ha-yeon had first seen Do Seon-woo after entering Florence. She had no memory of seeing him in middle school at all.

"Talking about Do Seon-woo reminds me of that. What did Ha-yeon say? That even having his breath touch her was disgusting?"

"No, wasn’t it that she hated breathing the same air? Anyway, it was something like that. How did that happen?"

"I don’t know, there must have been a reason for it."

The other two friends except Kim Ra-hee giggled while recalling memories. For them it was a memory, but for Do Seon-woo it might have been a terrible memory he didn’t want to recall.

While the two friends were talking, Kim Ra-hee kept her mouth shut. Like Seong Ha-yeon, Kim Ra-hee didn’t know that Do Seon-woo was a middle school classmate.

As she listened to the story, Seong Ha-yeon’s face hardened stiffly.

"I, I did? I? I don’t remember. When did I say such ridiculous things..."

"Hey~ This girl is pretending not to remember again."

"She really seems not to remember. Usually the person who got hit remembers for life but the person who hit forgets quickly."

"Isn’t it the opposite? The person who hit forgets but the person who got hit remembers for life."

"What does the order matter? As long as the meaning gets across."

"That changes the meaning, you fool."

Listening to her friends’ words, Seong Ha-yeon’s pupils shook. According to her friends, Seong Ha-yeon had apparently said many other harsh words to Do Seon-woo besides that.

The person who hit forgets but the person who got hit remembers for life... Those words echoed in her ears.

She couldn’t even remember all the harsh words she had said to Do Seon-woo. However, Do Seon-woo would have kept those harsh words in his heart and remembered them forever.

That was the reason Do Seon-woo hated her. She had thought Do Seon-woo hated her for no reason, but that wasn’t it. The harsh words and hatred that her past self had given to Do Seon-woo were coming back to her intact.

"..."

She held the pen but couldn’t concentrate on studying. His face kept appearing before her eyes - the face that looked at her with endlessly contemptuous eyes while holding his forehead as if just looking at her brought on headaches...