Bad Born Blood Chapter 299

299
The culture and style of Cora were alien to the Accresia Empire. They were different from those of the Bellato Federation.

The Bellato Federation is a nation that inherited Earth’s culture. They are the closest to the origin of the human race.

Therefore, there was a great deal of cultural contact between Bellato and Accresia, and both societies shared a common materialistic worldview.

‘But Cora is different.’

The Holy State of Kora is a religious state. Its religion is called Disemism and is the foundation of the state.

In an age where technology and civilization roam the universe, religion is the foundation of the nation? At first glance, it seems irrational.

‘… … The problem is that their level of progress in researching arcane civilization is the highest among the three kingdoms. They are the ones who somehow systematize and utilize even force abilities that cannot be explained by current science and technology.’

Disemism was a religion that was in some way derived from the Arcane civilization.

It could be a religion believed in by the people of the Arcane civilization, or it could be a religion that regards the Arcane civilization itself as a myth or divine being.

I don’t know anything more than that. The Empire didn’t teach me anything more than that.

In any case, Korra’s technological prowess was incomparable to that of the Federation and the Empire. It wasn’t that it was superior or inferior, but rather that its foundation was different.

Woohoo.

The air vehicle I was riding in, Cora, emitted a quiet engine sound. The interior also had clean, streamlined curves, giving it a sense of aesthetic stability.

Inside the air vehicle were me, Gaya, and a priest dispatched from the temple.

“Hey, Mr. Gaya, is there anything I should pay attention to? Aren’t there a lot of petty, manner-obsessed punks like you?”

As soon as I said that, the priest frowned.

“Watch your words and actions. This person… … .”

Before the priest could finish speaking, Gaya raised her hand. The priest immediately shut his mouth.

‘As expected, Gaya was a person of high status within the Kora society.’

I smiled faintly.

Gaya sighed and looked at the cockpit beyond the bulkhead.

“Your Majesty, I would appreciate it if you could step aside for a moment.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

The priest finally blurted out Gaya’s position and went into the control room.

“I don’t know much about Cora society… … but isn’t being a parish priest a great position?”

“I am the parish priest. You deliberately blurted out rude words to get a reaction from the priest, in order to find out my identity and position. You are still smart, Mr. Luca.”

Gaya said expressionlessly.

“I apologize if I offended you. It’s just a habit of mine to gather information.”

“I don’t feel bad about it. I know you are that kind of person. Those skills and habits must have helped you overcome many difficult crises. For example, if you were to confront Korain of the Pioneer Temple, you would try to escape by taking me as a hostage. You just learned from our conversation that I am an important person.”

I didn’t deny it. As Gaya said, that was also a strategy.

“I don’t know much about Kora. Or about the temples of the Disemites. I can’t help but be cautious about everything.”

Gaya smiled faintly. He raised his index finger and drew a line in the air. His bracelet jingled and glowed faintly.

Wheeing.

A light of force flickered from the tip of Gaya’s index finger.

The light of the Force created a picture like a thread. The picture was a temple with a prominent curved architectural style.

‘You’re good at applying the Force.’

Gaya actively utilized his abilities. Since he knew that I was the former parish priest, he seemed to have no hesitation.

“There is a pioneer temple in the Border City Parish. The Border City Parish is a frontline area in the event of war. I was appointed as the head of the Border City Parish about forty years ago.”

I flinched. Gaya looked like a natural human being, at most in his 40s.

“… … Then how old are you now?”

“I may look young, but you should know that I was not that old when I was appointed as a parish priest. I was young, to put it simply, young.”

Gaya looked down at Border City outside the window. He was a man who had lived in Border City for a long time.

“What, you were a nobleman on the path to success. Did something happen?”

Gaya shook her head.

“No, nothing happened. There was no major incident that would cause a drastic change of heart. I just realized my own limitations. Maybe you can understand.”

“Well, we probably have more differences than similarities, right?”

Gaya exhaled and laughed. He looked at me with a soft smile.

“I think neither you nor I are too squeamish to rise above. We don’t have the stomach to swallow up vice.”

I was about to refute, but stopped. Something was bothering me.

Gaya, who had been observing my reaction, continued speaking.

“I don’t talk about vice in terms of the universal concept of good and evil. In order to stand at the top of the pyramid called society, you inevitably have to commit and endure things that go against your values ​​and beliefs. I would call that vice. You have to cut out a part of yourself that makes you who you are.”

Gaya drew a triangle with the light of the Force. Then, he mercilessly drew only the top and separated it.

“To reach the top of society, we must transcend ourselves. If we are bureaucrats, we must give up innovation and ideals. If we are soldiers, we must give up the honor we have built up throughout our lives. If we are priests… … we must endure the corruption of the faith that has been our guide in life. Transcendence, vice, compromise, transformation… … whatever you call it in the process and the result. You and I are the kind of people who cannot endure this.”

Gaya grabbed the top of the triangle made of Force light with her hand and shook it apart.

I understand what Gaya is saying. To put it simply, it means that you have to do things you don’t want to do.

Not wanting to do something doesn’t simply mean ‘eating food I don’t want to eat’ or ‘having to do something difficult.’

‘Duplicity and hypocrisy.’

You must commit dishonorable acts while talking about noble honor, and you must compromise with reality while preaching ideals.

Duplicity and hypocrisy are inevitable when rising to the leadership of a country or society.

‘That’s right.’

As Gaya said, I don’t have that kind of temptation.

It’s not that I haven’t committed any evil deeds. But like a picky eater, I swallow them while holding back the nausea and worrying over them over and over again. It’s not easy.

But if necessary, someone will chew on such vices without any hesitation, like Son Seok-jae.

“… … That’s also why I help Mr. Luca.”

“You overestimate me.”

“No, you are underestimating us. You and I cannot be great men. We are too proud and too weak-willed to achieve great things.”

I’ve heard similar things from Ragnata before. She defined a hero by her own standards.

‘Heroes are inevitably monsters. They devour everything around them for their own ambitions and desires. In order to shine as a hero, you need enough firewood. You start by burning down your own surroundings.’

Ragnata and Gaya’s words had the same context.

‘You can’t inflate your own selfish desires to great heights. Whether it’s justice, malice, or belief. You can’t eat others without hesitation for a single purpose and desire. It’s because you’re too weak-willed to become a monster.’

Ragnata’s words linger in my ears.

I can’t burn my surroundings or devour others just for my own purposes.

… … The funniest thing of all is that I wanted to be that kind of person. I wanted to seem like a ruthless, cold-blooded person who didn’t care about anything but himself.

“Whatever you do from now on will be a very personal goal. It will be far from changing the world. I hope you will find your own peace and happiness. As for changing the world and making history through great deeds… … Leave it to the heroes who are good-natured.”

To be honest, my conversation with Gaya was a comfort to me. He accepted me for who I am.

Thanks to emotional stability, the complicated thoughts that had been racing around in my head all at once calmed down. I don’t know how long it’s been since I felt this kind of peace.

“You are indeed a great therapist, sir.”

“That’s the highest praise.”

* * *

Our aerial vehicle stopped at the airfield behind the Pioneer Temple.

I looked outside before getting off. The pure white temple stretched upward in a beautiful curve.

‘Kora’s Frontier Temple.’

It was a temple for the missionary work of Border City. Not only humans, but many races were coming and going to the temple. Among them, there was even a rare Tajirun race with strong materialistic tendencies.

‘Many races believe in Dishemism.’

If the Bellato Federation formed a multi-ethnic nation based on the principle of diversity, the Korra Sacred Nation formed a multi-ethnic society under the grand banner of the Disemite religion.

‘Still, it’s not much different in that it’s human-centered.’

The majority of those wearing priestly robes were human. Only a very small number were of other races.

Profit.

The doors of the air vehicle opened upwards.

As soon as Na and Gaya got off, the priests who came out to greet Gaya bowed silently. Some of them even recited prayers.

Swish.

The priests dispersed to the left and right. A man wearing a white robe with gold embroidery walked in between them. He seemed to be the highest ranking priest.

I opened my eyes slightly wide.

‘It resembles Gaya.’

The dark skin and thick facial features reminded me of Gaya.

I knew that Gaya and that man were related by blood.

“It’s been a while, brother. You’ve come with an impious person.”

The man glanced at me and bowed to Gaya. Gaya bowed her head and upper body slightly in greeting.

“I didn’t know that the parish priest would personally come to greet me.”

Gaya’s younger brother was the current parish priest.

‘Things are getting bigger than I thought.’

I felt my head heating up too.

‘I expected Gaya to be a high-ranking official, but the scale has grown so much.’

I also wondered how much information the parish priest knew about me. The Holy Kingdom of Cora had an exclusive side.

Whoosh.

The parish priest raised his hand.

All the priests withdrew, and from now on, only I and the parish priest could hear the conversation.

“You should at least show your respect. There are still many priests and believers who respect you, even though you have abandoned the religious order.”

The parish priest’s words were like a whip with thorns. Gaya simply responded with a calm smile.

“Didn’t your younger brother also want the position of parish priest?”

“… … It wasn’t like that. I wanted to win it, not inherit it.”

“Your personality remains the same even after all these years.”

“Because it’s the parish of Border City, of all places.”

There were many implications in the words of the parish priest and Gaya. They seemed to have not seen each other for a long time, and Gaya was keeping his distance from the church.

‘Gaya was greatly respected during his time as a parish priest. Many people probably value the fact that he voluntarily gave up his position and went into seclusion.’

As you can see, Gaya’s influence was not small. It was fortunate for me.

“Come in, for the story of Kinuan is not something to be discussed outside.”

The parish priest didn’t even speak to me. He showed his back, his clothes fluttering, and strode briskly to the shrine.

‘Kinuan.’

The parish priest brought up the name without hesitation.

Kinuan… …was also entangled in the Pioneer Temple. If it’s obvious, then it’s obvious, and if it’s tiresome, then it’s tiresome.

I flinched as I walked into the temple. As soon as I stepped inside the temple, I felt the density of the air change.

Chijik.

And then a current shot out of my neck.

My liver and kidneys were cold. I felt like my head would burst along with the armor at any moment.