Chapter 395: Star, Arcadia (7)

Chapter 395: Star, Arcadia (7)

After asking around about the ‘Ursa Major’ priests, Hiyan made his way to Bixter's house. However, before he could get to his destination, people showed up out of nowhere in the back alley and began to beat him up.

Smack, smack, smack!

Hiyan held up his arms in an attempt to protect his head in any way he could, but his assailants seemed to have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Their behavior gave him an idea about who they were.

‘I've been made!’

The men beating him up were the Star Order's minions. Hiyan believed they wouldn't be suspicious of him since he was just a child, but his age didn’t seem to matter to them.

Swooooosh!

One of the people fiercely swung his bat, aiming for the top of Hiyan's head. Hearing it violently cut through the air, Hiyan reflexively wrapped his arms around his head. The bat hit his arms not long after.

Smack!

Hiyan could hear his bones breaking, but he couldn’t even scream. Sensing that his screams would only get them more worked up and make them behave even wilder, he clenched his teeth and desperately endured the pain. After who knew how long...

“Huff, huff, huff!”

“Pheeew!”

The men let out a long sigh. They looked exhausted now.

Tap, tap―!

A scrawny man with a thin mustache soon quietly approached Hiyan, filling him with terror as he peeked through the gap between his arms. He knew who the man was.

‘H-he's the one who took Dad...!’ Hiyan unwittingly trembled as he remembered his father trying his hardest to soothe him.

“You're very persistent. Perhaps that is why you look up to that wicked god and go around calling him a hero.” The man sneered as he stroked his thin mustache. It remained unclear if he could tell what Hiyan was thinking.

It didn’t take long for Hiyan to realize that the thin-mustached man was talking about the Sky Sword's owner. If so, then the Demon King that the hero defeated had to be a Celestial of the Star Order.

“Do you know what you and your fellow cult followers all share in common?” the thin-mustached man asked.

Tap, tap―!

“It’s your ignorant and pathetic minds. Despite not having the slightest idea about the heavens’ greatness, you believe that you can challenge the mighty Star Signs who rule this world. They’re literal stars watching everything from the skies. How can you not know that? Tsk, tsk!”

The man lightly tapped the very small and fragile Hiyan with his foot. With a menacingly gleaming glare, the man continued, “Even though you have committed grave sins, the great Star Signs still instructed us to alleviate your punishment because children like you can still be reformed. They’re the only reason you’re still alive and breathing, so live the rest of your life in gratitude for their grace. Do you understand?”

“...”

“Do you understand?” the man repeated.

“... Yes, sir,” Hiyan answered.

“Maybe it’s because you're nothing but a feeble renegade, but even your voice is pathetic.”

Smaaaack!

The man delivered a powerful kick to Hiyan’s abdomen and spat on him. The child helplessly rolled on the ground.

“I should visit a bathhouse to wash his filth off on me,” the man grumbled. “It’s been a while since I last went to one. Let’s head back.”

The others spat on Hiyan as well as if he brought misfortune. Unable to get up, Hiyan remained on the ground for quite some time, his head tilting back and forth for some reason.

* * *

“Hey, Hiyan.”

“Bi-Bixter...” Holding onto his swollen left arm, Hiyan dragged himself to Bixter's house but froze up as soon as he saw its interior.

“... What’s wrong with your arm? What kind of asshole could hurt a child this much?!” Bixter thoroughly examined Hiyan, who was covered in bruises, for more injuries.

Since he still wasn’t married, he considered Hiyan, the son of his old friend from his hometown, as his son. Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com

“Bixter, your house—!” Hiyan gasped. The scene was so shocking that it rendered him unable to hear what Bixter was saying. It even made him forget about how much pain he was in.

“Ah, you mean all this? It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Drive out the cult followers!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Filled with so much anger and enmity that Hiyan could vividly feel their emotions, the crowd booed and hissed at Paul and the others to get executed in madness and enmity.

“Bi-Bixter...!” Hiyan stammered in fear.

“It’s fine. It’s going to be fine. Don’t worry.” Bixter covered Hiyan’s ears so he wouldn’t hear the crowd’s hissing anymore.

Nevertheless, Hiyan couldn’t stop shivering. “Why... Why do they hate us this much...?”

Born in a village of affectionate and amicable people, he had a hard time understanding why the crowd would aim all their enmity toward them. The villagers had certainly never met these people before, much less caused them harm, so how could they hate the villagers this much?

Soon, a man wearing the vestment of ‘Ursa Major’ climbed up the platform.

Clatter, clatter.

Hiyan’s teeth clattered in fear. The man before them was the one who took his father and beat him up.

“Glorious sheep, you follow the Star Signs’ teachings and silently walk down your destined paths, never getting lost. Unlike you all, the people before you today are wicked and sinful pagans who dared defy the Star Signs’ teachings and extinguish the light of the Star Signs, who brighten up the dark skies of Arcadia,” the thin-mustached man said solemnly.

“Boooooo!”

“Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!”

“The Star Signs teach us to value lives, so we have spent several months excruciatingly trying to reform these wicked pagans... Unfortunately, the wicked god’s shadow that tainted them couldn’t be erased.” The thin-mustached man closed his eyes as if he genuinely found the news tragic.

Hiyan watched the thin-mustached man’s every gesture as he acted like a saint. He wasn’t sure how other people viewed the man, but he saw him as a death reaper.

Hiyan wanted to scream no, but Bixter covered up his mouth before he could. He writhed hard, trying to break free, but Bixter’s hand didn’t budge. As he burst into tears, he noticed Paul quietly open his eyes and miraculously meet his gaze.

Paul’s eyes widened, surprised to see his friend and son here. When Bixter nodded in silence, Paul smiled gently in response, trusting his friend to protect his son no matter what. He was worried sick about Hiyan but was relieved now.

Hiyan hated it. He refused to lose his father like this. However, Bixter positioned himself in front of him, blocking his view.

“... To erase the wicked god’s shadow from their minds, we are forced to spill their blood. O’ great Star Signs, please take pity on them and their souls. Sheep, please pray for them to be blessed after their death.”

The thin-mustached man recited a short prayer, then nodded at the executioners.

They held up their spears high in the air to cut the ropes holding the guillotines’ blades up.

‘Dad!’ Hiyan screamed in his mind, praying to the hero in the sky. ‘Please save Dad! Just like how you showed up here for the first time and saved the world, please save me and the villagers!’

The only thing he could rely on right now was the legend.

Ding!

[Faith has connected the Celestial ‘Divine Twilight’ to his follower, bestowing his follower with a blessing.]

[Starting possession!]

Incomprehensible messages showed up in front of Hiyan.

Snap!

Over the messages, the first executioner cut the rope to drop the guillotine’s blade. Paul, who was under it, shut his eyes.

Paaah―!

At that moment, a pool of blinding brilliance spread out near the guillotine. The blade had stopped right on top of Paul’s neck.

Hiyan escaped Bixter and looked at the guillotine with widened eyes. Bixter’s response was no different. The thin-mustached man in the vestment of ‘Ursa Major’ had grabbed the guillotine’s blade.

“Out of all the people I could possess, I ended up with this?” The thin-mustached man grumbled incomprehensibly as he tightened his grip.

Crack!

Booom―!

The guillotine’s blade broke into fragments and scattered everywhere.