Chapter 51. The Shooter of the Nativity
“…Did I hear that wrong?”
John quietly muttered after Gabriel’s sudden declaration that he would go to Korea.
“No. Your ears work perfectly fine, Bishop John. When I go to Korea this time, you’ll be my guide.”
“Haha… so you heard that.”
John had desperately hoped he had misunderstood.
Unfortunately, Gabriel’s hearing was excellent and immediately confirmed the words John least wanted to hear.
Gabriel scoffed at John’s awkward smile.
“Hmph. Anyway, I’ve delivered my message. Nocturne says there’s someone it wants to see…. This one is impatient, so finish everything within ten minutes.”
Gabriel affectionately stroked the nail gun he called Nocturne.
John nearly cringed.
I understand cherishing a Holy Relic, but isn’t that a little excessive…?
John swallowed the thought rather than saying it aloud.
Gabriel’s youthful appearance, looking as though he were in his twenties, and his above-average physical abilities came from the nail gun he carried.
One of Christ’s Holy Nails.
A Holy Relic had been embedded inside the nail gun.
It was one of the nails used to fasten Jesus to the cross on Golgotha.
The influence of the Holy Nail had stopped Gabriel’s aging and kept his body permanently strengthened.
“Even if you are the owner of a Special-Class Holy Relic, this behavior is excessive!”
At that moment, one of the bishops shouted.
The grade of a Holy Relic was usually connected to the achievements of its original owner.
Relics belonging to saints without major accomplishments were placed in the third rank.
Relics connected to widely known achievements were second rank.
Relics belonging to historically famous figures were first rank.
Because of that, the rank and actual performance of relics did not always match.
“Wait, the Holy Nail is a Special-Class Holy Relic?!”
“You didn’t know that? You’ve gotten old without learning anything.”
Some bishops were shocked simply hearing about Gabriel’s relic.
It existed on an entirely different level from ordinary Holy Relics.
Special-Class Holy Relic.
As far as John knew, Special-Class Holy Relics were objects directly connected to Christ or His disciples.
A representative example was Gabriel’s Holy Nail of Jesus.
“How annoying….”
The topic was controversial enough among the bishops to attract Gabriel’s attention.
“Hmmmm. The fallen angel dwelling in my right arm knows the answer, but refuses to tell me. More importantly, I don’t recognize you. Who are you?”
John had no idea what this fallen angel was supposed to be.
Earlier it had apparently been sleeping.
Now it was refusing to answer.
The thought of having to deal with this man made John’s head ache.
“I am Bishop Beno of St. Martin’s Cathedral in Slovakia.”
Beno, the bishop brave enough to confront Gabriel, wore a worn red cloak whose color had faded toward brown with age.
He looked to be in his thirties.
Excluding Gabriel, he appeared to be the youngest priest there.
He was recently promoted to bishop, if I remember correctly.
John remembered that Beno had been promoted after defeating a high-ranking demon.
Gabriel looked over his cloak after hearing the introduction.
“Then that cloak must be Saint Martin’s ‘Miraculous Cloak’?”
According to legend, Saint Martin once cut his cloak in half and shared it with a beggar.
The next day, the cloak was miraculously restored.
It later remained behind as a relic and was classified as second rank.
Beno nodded.
The relic originally belonged in France.
However, Beno’s father, the previous bishop, had earned significant achievements and received it directly from the Pope.
Since the cathedral itself carried Saint Martin’s name, Beno was deeply proud of both his father and the cloak.
“I will repeat myself. This gathering is practically a council. Such tyranny cannot be tolerated!”
The bishops had gathered because of Cardinal Antonio’s death.
However, there was another reason behind their presence.
When a serious problem occurred within the Church, the Pope could summon bishops to a council.
Not even cardinals had the authority to block such a gathering.
“…Pfft. Hahahaha! Hahahahahaha!”
Gabriel stared at Beno’s confident declaration with a blank expression.
Then suddenly burst into laughter.
“How ridiculous. Nocturne and my fallen angel can’t stop laughing after hearing you. If Saint Martin could see your childish behavior, he would regret leaving that cloak behind.”
Tremble. Clench.
Beno tightly clenched his shaking fist to suppress his anger.
“I will not overlook further disrespect.”
“Time continues passing while you complain. His Holiness isn’t even personally attending. A council in name only is meaningless.”
Ignoring Beno’s warning, Gabriel held the nail gun against his ear.
“What? The people buried in the catacombs say we’re being too noisy and should get out already?”
Then Gabriel turned toward John.
“Bishop John, you heard them. The people downstairs are complaining about noise from upstairs. Before Saint Martin has to see this pathetic mess, why don’t you, the cardinal candidate, end everything quickly?”
“Excuse me?”
John’s mouth opened at the arrow suddenly being redirected toward him.
Beno’s eyes flashed.
“Your mouth will be the death of you!”
Beno kicked off the floor and charged Gabriel with dense aura surrounding both fists.
However,
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
It happened in an instant.
Before Beno’s fist could reach Gabriel, five gunshots echoed.
THUD.
Before he even understood what had hit him, Beno collapsed onto the floor.
He grabbed his chest in pain.
His face turned pale.
Beno himself was shocked.
The bishops watching were equally speechless.
“How did he do that?!”
“Weren’t there only five shots?”
Five gunshots had sounded.
Thirteen holes now covered Beno’s cloak.
“G, guh!”
Sweat formed across Beno’s forehead.
He struggled to breathe and repeatedly struck his chest.
Whenever he barely managed to exhale, a thin whistling sound escaped.
WHOOSH!
While Beno continued suffering, the holes in his cloak regenerated.
Then thirteen holes appeared again.
This repeated over and over.
With every repetition, Beno’s pain gradually decreased.
“Haa. You’re weaker than the rumors suggested. I didn’t even need to recite a prayer.”
Gabriel had already stepped down to the floor.
Trying to look stylish, he blew across the nail gun despite there being no smoke.
“What? Nocturne, really? You think the fact that his cloak can’t block damage exceeding its limit means his own ability is lacking? I agree.”
Then he pressed the nail gun to his ear and started talking to it again.
Beno’s eyes trembled.
The Miraculous Cloak absorbed damage in place of its wearer.
Gabriel had dealt more damage than the relic could repair in a single moment.
No demon Beno had ever fought had managed that.
Even now, the cloak continued regenerating because it was still processing the damage.
“Now you understand the difference in our abilities? Primitive fool.”
Gabriel looked down at Beno.
