Chapter 29, The Case Of Calogero 3

Translator: Lizz

As Calogero continued his duties as a priest and reached adolescence, he began to struggle with his own skills.

Everyone was a good person.

But all of them were sinners.

They weren’t grave sins. He couldn’t know the details through words only, he understood that. But he could see their sins. And it hurt.

One day, when he saw the word ‘Murder’ on the kind lady who always cared for him, he froze.

Seeing how Calogero was being overwhelmed by his skills, the Head Priest spoke to him one day.

“…Come to think of it, I once heard the owner of the boutique mention seeing a rare staff in the neighboring country during a procurement trip, one said to control skills. Shall we try to have it brought here for you?”

Calogero was startled and looked at the Head Priest.

Although Calogero didn’t want to cause more trouble, he thought it would be wonderful if that staff could turn his skill on and off.

Calogero made his request to the Head Priest, who then asked the owner of the boutique to procure the staff.

“I’ve heard it’s somewhat difficult to control, though. Will that be alright?”

Said the shopkeeper as he acquired the staff.

The Head Priest attempted to pay for it, but the shopkeeper waved his hand dismissively.

“Oh, no, no, it was practically free. I’m not quite sure, but apparently, wizard’s staffs don’t normally look like this one. And, they say this one’s really hard to control. But I figure, if a priest is going to use it, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

The Head Priest accepted the staff. Certainly, even if it were cursed, both the Head Priest and Calogero, being practitioners of holy magic, could dispel it.

The Head Priest handed the staff over to Calogero.

The staff indeed sealed Calogero’s skill.

However, he truly couldn’t see anything anymore.

His skill was completely taken away, rendering it utterly inactive.

Even magic could no longer be used.

The sense of relief Calogero experienced lasted only for a fleeting moment.

Calogero’s vision suddenly changed, and the things he had always been able to see were now gone.

Even after letting go of the staff, he could no longer see what he used to see.

Overwhelmed by the anxiety of having lost his skill, Calogero panicked.

The Head Priest took the staff away from Calogero, but it took quite some time before Calogero could use his skill again.

The Head Priest deemed the staff dangerous, but, strangely enough, it was only Calogero who lost the ability to use his skill. When the Head Priest or the boutique’s owner held the staff, nothing happened. To them, it was just an ordinary staff.

Attempts at dispelling any possible curse were made, but it turned out that the staff wasn’t cursed at all. Concluding that it was likely a matter of compatibility, the Head Priest returned the staff to the boutique’s owner.

Calogero, who had suffered greatly from being overwhelmed by his skill, was told by the Head Priest one day.

“You can see people’s sins. If so, then forgive those who have confessed their sins. Cleanse those who have atoned for their wrongdoings. Everyone carries some kind of darkness within as they live. If there is anyone who has committed no sin, that simply proves they are unfortunate souls who have never interacted with others. Sin is born through the exchange between people.”

Calogero was enlightened by the Head Priest’s words.

He then began listening to people’s confessions, offering straightforward advice for them to atone for their sins, and chanting [Purification].

He would tell those who lied or resorted to violence in fights to apologize. Once they could atone and return to him, he would purify them.

When he did, the words disappeared.

The lady who had the character ‘Murder’ floating above her broke down in tears and said:

“I understand this isn’t the kind of story one should tell to a young priest like yourself, but…”

She had always been physically fragile, but during that certain period, she was busier than ever.

By overworking herself, she ended up collapsing, and when she saw the doctor, she was diagnosed as pregnant. However, pushing herself too much during an unstable time and collapsing again proved to be disastrous; the child could not be saved.

She continued to blame herself.

And upon hearing her story, Calogero blamed himself as well.

There were reasons behind the sins people commit, and Calogero’s skill didn’t allow him to see everything.

There were cases like hers.

Calogero gently said to her:

“In that case, from now on, please take care of yourself. Caring for your own body, that will be your atonement.”

After saying this, he cast the purification spell, and the word vanished beautifully.

“…Is that all there is to it?”

Confronting the sin and atoning for it erased the sin.

– If it was a minor one.

He suddenly thought of the Chief Justice, burdened with words of sin that would likely never disappear in his lifetime.

The Chief Justice would surely continue to accumulate sins.

And so, Calogero would also continue to lie.

If bearing his own sins meant protecting the peace of this town, he was willing to accept it.