Chapter 206: Gideon's Choice
Gideon did not answer immediately. Instead, he first surveyed his surroundings.
"The connection to my physical body is still intact… This should be some form of consciousness projection."
He tested his limbs and found that he could move freely within a limited range.
Only then did Gideon turn his gaze to Mora, standing not far away.
"Hey," he said, "can you communicate on your own?"
Mora did not respond.
Gideon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Is it because of those chains?"
He could clearly sense fluctuations in her soul, which meant Mora's spirit still existed. Yet when he tried to use Redemptive Counsel, there was no response at all.
"Now," Mora's voice sounded again, emotionless,
"state your choice."
Gideon narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on the pale-blue chain bound around her.
"I know you can hear me."
He deliberately emphasized the word you.
"A judgment like this cannot be decided by just two simple choices."
"I understand your suffering. Making a bargain with a demon led to more children being harmed. Trusting others caused your own daughter to die in agony."
"Family, lovers, neighbors… they fastened countless shackles upon you. Not a single one of them ever cared how you felt."
As Gideon spoke, the chain of pain around Mora's soul began to tremble faintly.
"Perhaps you've always carried a question in your heart—
Am I truly an evil person?"
"At this moment, I can answer you."
"No. You are not."
Crack.
A fissure appeared in the pale-blue chain.
"Blind faith. Cruel rituals. Traditions enforced by custom—these are nothing more than tools humanity created for its own benefit."
"They are the shackles of an era, not the fault of any single individual. When everyone follows the same rules, order is born."
"And yes, order matters—even though, more often than not, it erases what it means to be human."
"And you," Gideon said steadily,
"were the one who stepped outside your era."
"Throughout history, such people appear again and again—those who cannot blend in, who cannot coexist with their time."
"Most of them lose their lives."
"But if you look across the long river of history, every great turning point bears their imprint."
"You are the pioneers who push humanity forward."
As his words fell, the chain of pain shattered completely.
The remaining chains on Mora's soul began to fracture one after another.
A vast surge of energy rippled through her spirit.
"Those who condemned you merely saw something in you called freedom—a treasure they themselves had long since lost."
"They selfishly extracted benefit from you, even exploited your compassion."
"And yet, they will never face judgment. You have every right to hate them."
"But your virtue is just as undeniable."
"You wagered your own soul to buy those children the right to live."
"That compassion, that mercy—those are not sins."
"You should never have borne the so-called 'consequences' that followed."
All remaining chains shattered.
Radiant power surged through Mora's soul.
Gideon spoke calmly, without hesitation:
"So my choice is this—
It was worth it."
In the next instant, the void was flooded with light.
Mora's soul grew brighter and brighter. Her form solidified, limbs taking shape.
Moments later, she opened her eyes.
She drifted before Gideon, now indistinguishable from a living woman.
"What I did…" she asked softly,
"was it truly worth it?"
He nodded gently.
"We cannot—and should not—punish ourselves for the sins of others."
"…Not punishing ourselves for someone else's mistakes."
She slowly repeated the sentence, savoring each word. Her eyes lit up as she asked,
"Is that from a Church scripture as well?"
Gideon hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"They're no different from those people."
A flicker of surprise crossed Mora's eyes.
She studied Gideon carefully, then let out a soft laugh.
"You're not quite like the other clergy."
Gideon returned her smile.
After a pause, Mora spoke again.
"My soul has been trapped here for many years. Would you be willing to give me a different ending?"
Gideon traced a cross over his chest, yet his words were calm and resolute.
"I would be honored to serve you, my lady."
Mora's eyes brimmed with warmth. She gently took Gideon's hand.
In the next instant, a brilliant white light engulfed them both.
---
When Gideon opened his eyes again, an old wooden house stood before him.
"Mora, where have you run off to again?"
That familiar voice echoed in his ears.
He turned his head and saw a young girl with delicate features, carefully cradling flowers in her skirt as she stepped into the yard.
"Don't mess with those things. Your brother doesn't like them."
A hand was about to strike down—
—but was stopped midway.
"You… sir, who are you?"
Upon seeing the clerical robes, Mora's mother, Jennifer, instantly forced a smile.
"I heard someone here committed the sin of ignorance, so I came to take a look," Gideon said mildly.
Jennifer's face drained of color.
"My apologies, Father. This is my failure in teaching Mora properly. Mora, apologize at once!"
Fear flickered across Mora's eyes. She stood frozen, at a loss.
Then the priest spoke again.
"I was talking about you."
Jennifer froze.
She wiped her hands on her clothes, trembling.
"Father… what have I done wrong?"
Gideon's expression was cold.
"You are oppressed by ignorant customs—this I can understand."
"But toward your own daughter, you show not a shred of love. You merely seek a pitiful sense of control through her."
Jennifer's gaze wavered.
"But… it's for her own good. Only this way can she become a proper wife—"
"Enough with these sanctimonious excuses."
Gideon cut her off sharply.
"If you possessed wealth or a respected status, no one would judge you this way."
"That is simply how the rules of the era work."
"And your own mother failed to escape them as well. The beliefs you cling to are nothing more than a cover for your own failure."
"No… no…" Jennifer's face flushed as her voice faltered.
Nearby, Mora stared at the priest with shining eyes.
For the first time in her life, she felt something called being understood.
"From now on, you will treat Mora the same as her brother," Gideon said coldly.
"Otherwise, I won't hesitate to send both of you to the gallows."
Jennifer collapsed to the ground, her entire body shaking.
"I… I will remember your teachings."
---
The scene shifted again.
Gideon stood at the edge of a grassy field.
"So in the end, even words fall short compared to the authority of the Church…" he muttered, shaking his head helplessly.
At that moment, noise rose in the distance.
He followed the sound and saw a crowd gathered outside a monastery.
"May the Lord bless this couple. Let the rite of initiation begin."
A priest recited the ceremony.
Soon, an apron and a wooden doll were brought forth.
Mora's flower crown was about to be removed—
"Wait."
A voice rang out.
The priest on the platform frowned.
"This union is blessed by the Lord. Who dares to object?"
The crowd turned in surprise.
They froze.
A young priest in black robes stepped onto the platform, standing directly before Father Ur.
Ur was the only preacher in the surrounding villages—the Church's representative here.
"Brother… what is this?" Ur asked in shock.
Gideon ignored him and instead addressed the crowd.
"A qualified wife must shoulder endless housework and bear children."
"If that is all it takes to be a good wife, then once those conditions are met—does that mean she is free to go out and sleep with other men?"
A collective gasp erupted below.
Such words were outrageous—especially coming from a priest.
"Brother! Mind your language!" Ur's voice turned icy.
Gideon turned to him.
"Oh? Am I wrong?"
"Adultery destroys families and is a demonic act of depravity. Of course it doesn't count," Ur replied.
"Then what about lifelong labor that leads only to sickness and suffering?" Gideon shot back.
"Does that not destroy families as well?"
"That is a symbol of virtue and beauty—a gift from the Lord," Ur insisted.
Gideon snorted.
"Then why don't you do the labor? Or is it that you lack this 'gift'?"
"In that case, what right do you have to speak for the Lord?"
"You—!" Ur was left speechless.
"And another thing," Gideon continued, cold laughter in his voice,
"You prove a man's courage by slaughtering a chicken?"
"That's nothing more than bullying something that cannot resist. Why not hunt a pack of wolves instead? Or is that beyond your ability?"
The remark infuriated every man present.
After all, they had all performed that ritual at their weddings.
"Enough!" Ur shouted.
"I say you're a fraud impersonating a priest, and you will pay for your insolence!"
Whatever this man's background, Ur would not allow this farce to continue.
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Impersonating?"
He took out a document.
"This is a Vatican-issued Clergy Credential."
Then he produced a silver insignia.
"And this is a selection token from the Holy See's Clerical Order."
"You do know that department, don't you? Have you undergone spiritual awakening? How many marks have you received?"
Sweat poured down Ur's forehead.
He stared in disbelief.
Vatican?
Certified clergy?
Spiritual awakening—the ritual he had dreamed of all his life.
But decades ago, he had been declared "utterly talentless." Otherwise, why would he be stuck preaching in this wretched place?
The man before him clearly knew the Church inside and out. His background was anything but ordinary.
Ur's mind shattered under the pressure.
Seeing his silence, Gideon's expression grew colder.
"Church law states that any uncertified personnel must cooperate with exorcists."
His eyes narrowed.
"Am I to assume that you are publicly questioning my authority?"
With a thud, Ur dropped to his knees.
"Honored sir, please forgive me! I never intended such disrespect!"
His heart sank into despair.
The mention of exorcism was no accident—it meant a fabricated charge could be pinned on him at any moment.
Within the Church's rigid hierarchy, lower clergy were expendable.
Only certified clergy truly stood above the abyss.
Defying a superior meant only one end—
the gallows.
Below the platform, the villagers stared, mouths agape.
They could not comprehend how the figure they once revered now groveled like a dog before their eyes.
---
(Special thanks to DaoistpLVqvD)