Chapter 238 - THE AUDITION (LUAN ESCANOR)

A hologram of a man chained to his seat appeared. This was the criminal that Luan Escanor would give counsel to. Astrid walked forward, his steps neither fast nor slow. He only stopped when he was a few steps away from the hologram sitting on the chair. Now, he was face to face with the criminal.

His movements spoke of elegance. Just like a magnanimous king. And yet unlike a king who demanded authority and whose atmosphere was full of oppression, his was gentle and soft. It’s like anyone who saw him would want to get close, wishing that they could bask under his gentleness. 

He’s like one of those people who would always leave a good impression to anyone he met. And yet, despite all that, they would never think that they were his equal. Because they would automatically equate him to someone superior. Someone who should be put on a pedestal. Someone holy who shouldn’t be tainted by anyone.

Astrid looked at the ‘criminal’ in front of him. There was no disgust or judgment in his eyes, only infinite understanding and tolerance. When he saw the wound on the criminal’s body, he didn’t hesitate to kneel down in front of the other, worry filling his gaze.

“Such awful wounds. They shouldn’t have hurt you this much,” he said, his gentle voice was filled with worry and a little bit of indignation.

“I don’t need your false pity. Stop pretending and just tell me what you came here for,” the criminal said it in a mechanical voice, lacking any emotions. Which was only natural since it was just a hologram. 

But if this was a real person, then he should have very conflicting emotions right now that would show on his face and in his voice. He didn’t believe that the priest who came to this prison would really care for a person like him. And yet, his heart couldn’t stop telling him that the one in front was different from the others. 

Instead, what Astrid heard was an emotionless, mechanical voice.

This kind of mechanical voice could easily break the immersion of an actor. After all, it’s like you’re acting with a robot. If not for his amazing concentration, he might have really been affected.

That’s why in his opinion, it’s better to just act on your own instead of having a hologram to ‘act’ with you. But this was how people did it in this era. And just like that famous saying, ‘when in Rome, do as Romans do’.

So, he just continued his acting.

Astrid sighed, as if he was frustrated that the criminal would think that way about him. But his eyes and his expression were still filled with worry. He stood up and walked back to the chair in front of the hologram. He sat down, facing the other.

“I don’t pity you. Pity is only for those who deserved it. And for all the sins that you’ve done, I don’t think that you do,” he said, his voice was calm. And yet there was a tinge of pain in it. As if it hurt him to say those words.

“Hah, you finally showed your true colors.”

Astrid didn’t mind what the other said and continued, “But the wounds on your body were inflicted by people who were driven by anger and hate. They didn’t do it out of their sense of justice. They did it for personal reasons. And that’s what I’m condemning in this situation.”

The other remained silent.

“You’ve done a lot of wrong things in your life, hurting and even killing many people along the way. Now that you’re caught, wouldn’t it be a good start to repent? To pray for the souls of those who you wronged?”

“Who cares about those people? Stop your preaching. I don’t need it. I don’t need their forgiveness. What’s the use of it when I’m going to die anyway?”

Astrid showed a pained look as if he was hurt by those words. But it’s not because of the harsh words of the criminal but because of the fact that the other had already given up. On atonement and even on his own life.

“Peace. You will have peace,” he said very simply but the way he said it was like a wise sage who knew everything about the world, judging everything around him with no prejudice or bias.

The criminal once again became silent.

“Having peace with yourself is very liberating. You may say that you don’t care for those people you hurt, but I know that in the deepest part of your heart, guilt still remained,” he continued to say. “Atone and it will give you peace.”

What he was saying seemed to finally get through the other. Because the criminal said next;

“H-how could I atone?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.” 

“Yes, yes, I know. I- I will tell them. I will tell them who my master is.”

Astrid stood up and walked to the other. The script on this part said that the hologram should raised his head at this moment. Then, he smiled. The smile was full of acceptance, as if he would forgive all the sins that the other had committed.

“The lord is almighty and forgiving. As long as you repent with all your heart, he would accept you in his kingdom.”

At this point in the script, the one playing the criminal should be breaking down and crying. Feeling that he finally got the reprieve that didn’t think he wanted.

Astrid then turned around and started to walk towards the ‘exit’. The smile on his lips was gone and there was no expression on his face. But if one just looked closely, they would see contempt and hatred in those beautiful black eyes.

This was captured perfectly by the small cameras flying around and was delivered on the small screens in front of each evaluator. 

This ‘exit’ signaled the ending of this audition.

Astrid turned around, already shedding the aura and personality of Luan Escanor.. He faced the evaluators and respectfully gave his thanks.