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52. His story II

three days of ashes for redemption

Four days of water for prosperity.

The first day was a sin offering.

On the second day, it was the dry season.

The third day was an exemption.

The guilt of unconsciousness, the sin of weakness, and the sin of ignorance shall be atoned for atonement, but the scale of the rite shall vary according to income and status.

Those who covet others, who defile their property, who take false oaths, are to confess their sins, pay ten times as much damage, and offer sacrifices of blood on the day of ashes. This is in accordance with the Sex Act, which is separate from the laws of each government.

***

Blood flows through the festival.

Not only this country but also countries across the white mountain range have something in common. Races, languages, and religions are bound to resemble each other because only one mountain crosses, and the endless sea or desert does not block everything.

Religion was divided according to the denomination, pointing fingers at each other as heretics, but their gods had the same name and very similar methods of sacrificial rites.

the commonalities of this world religion

Many sacrifices have been held in every country.

It was a blood-shed ritual.

Sheep and cow and mare. They serve as food for the people after the ritual. Although the memorial service has become a festival, the essence is to subjugate people's sins. The blood that livestock shed to counter the sins of countless people. In particular, if there was a big event, such as the king's new ascension or a great victory in the war, blood flowed down the river.

A thousand years ago the blood was shed.

It was a very old story. It was so old that it was hard to find the first nuclear power plant.

Ancient people sinned.

Under one language, one culture, one deity, people developed rapidly and became corrupted. They enslaved each other and began to use them as food and hated each other.

Human sins were so deep that an angry god tried to destroy the world.

An earthquake struck, a tidal wave hit, and bottles began to rise. People went crazy, and endless droughts continued and prophets predicted the end of mankind.

"Now God will not forgive man."

People found a way in fear. They cried out to the wizards and the priests, hoping that their god would not abandon them completely, and to make them look back on God. Then they began to pray to God again in memory of the forgotten sacrifice. They burned up their favorite things, but they were not satisfied with it.

"Find and offer what God will be most satisfied with."

People wondered what it was, and eventually found a righteous man and began to dedicate it to God.

"I dedicate my righteousness here, so forgive us our sins."

But God was not satisfied with a righteous man. The righteousness that meets God's standards was too scarce.

So people began to give to children.

"Here are innocent children, forgive us our sins."

But God was not satisfied as a child. He who knew nothing was not enough because he had nothing built.

People were in despair. No wealth, no righteousness, no children were enough for God. The number of people began to decrease as they tried to kill each other for ancestral rites.

"Then they are going to destroy us as they are.”

People gathered and cried out in prayer for a hundred days and nights. As the tears and wailing of the people continued, God turned to them and gave them a woman.

"Let down here a woman who is innocent but not ignorant."

And the collapse stopped.

***

Yikes!

Rabbits scream, too. Animals that seem to be calm make sounds that they have never heard before in the fear of death. When he heard that, Duran had to stop again and again. Sometimes I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep.

But that was also once or twice. When the number of animals killed became incalculable, it became familiar. I had to get used to it anyway. This behavior has been a lifelong task.

The beginning of slaughter is submission. He knocks the head with a hammer to knock it out. Some animals die there, but life is usually stronger than you think and fainted.

When the size of a sheep or a cow is about the size, it is quite difficult to knock them out. Duran succeeded in the rabbit and the lamb, but the cow was still unsuccessful. It will take more time to kill skillfully.

“…….”

It calmed down. After that, drain the blood from your throat. At first, I tried to cut my head because I didn't know anything. Then the blood splashed everywhere and became messy. It was only for death row inmates to cut their throats with a single knife.

When I took out the blood, my cramp died down. It would be easier to use medicine, but it was taboo to use medicine on ritual animals. The whole process should also be done by a new officer, not a butcher.

"Crazy."

Duran swallowed the moan. In the process of peeling, the rabbit seemed to open its eyes.

Boom again. If it's still moving, boom again.

Dulan looked down at the meat twitching under the hammer. This time it's definitely dead. But I felt awful if I hit it too hard. Duran frowned and changed what he had in his hand to a narrow, sharp knife to do his next work.

Originally, draining blood from here is his job, but Dulan has done everything since.

Because I didn't want to throw away the meat like this. He wanted to use the body more efficiently. During the ancestral rites, only the blood was drained, and the animal was burned with guts and hair, but it was not necessary even necessary for practice. It's a waste of meat.

Remove the blood and peel the skin. I could peel it more neatly because it was to peel it without burning it. Now remove the guts and throw them away. The gut is boiled and fed to the hounds. Cut the remaining meat in two vertically and wash it with water.

And then the area of cooking.

Dulan was able to wash the blood off his face only after mixing spices and medicine with meat.

I was sick at first.

The bloody smell and disgusting gut forms caused vomiting just by looking at them, and the hands trembled. The animals in front of them continued to move or scream, expressing their rejection of the impending death.

"I'm not eating."

Karen's meat was wrapped in a variety of spices, making it hard to recognize the original shape. Dulan frowned as he watched him push away the hard-earned meal with his hands.

"…Dong, why don't you pity the animals. It died for you."

"Eat your own. Oh, you can't eat it because it's salted, can you?

"Well."

I should try harder to hide the taste of medicine.

Karen looked down at the dish and glared at Duran.

"I always get a headache after eating the food you bring."

"Such a thing."

His young God seemed to dislike the priest's offering. Duran re-heard the meal he made with all his heart and soul. If you leave it now, Karen will throw that meal into the trash. Duran eventually gave up his offering. There was nothing I could do about God's lack of sincerity.

"Well, then you can starve.”

"I'm going to have a medication-free meal."

"…well."

"I won't eat what you give me! Bring me something that doesn't have anything in it!"

But you'll soon forget that, too.

Duran murmured inwardly as he looked down at the evil Karen. And the next day, Karen, who doesn't even remember that she refused to eat, pushed the meal she refused the previous day into her mouth without saying anything.

Karen didn't spend long time writing evil. As Nancy whispered, Karen began to feel distant from herself and others. When I saw Yeongju, I was unfamiliar with her manners, and I began to feel uncomfortable with the maidens' market.

You'll forget everything in a little while.

"She thinks she's from a better world."

Nancy told Duran.

"A place like paradise. People live helping each other, families are perfect, friends. There, positions and status become unimportant and live according to individual competence, and the ugliest people do not starve. Are you done?"

Like God came down to the human world.

Duran said Nancy wasn't very reliable, but that was enough. Karen will gradually distinguish herself from the world and live blindly for only one value.

That was what Catherine wanted.

Finding more perfect love.

***

Karen lives again.

Like Catherine.

After Duran vowed to cooperate with the crying Catherine, Catherine informed him of many things. From history and theology to cooking. Catherine did not say how many years she had lived, but she certainly had lived much longer than she looked.

And so did her mother. Her maternal grandmother also. Because they spent far more time than others, they were rich in knowledge and shared it with their children. What Catherine said was a story about Catherine's history and about the saints who were sacrificed. a story out of history It was the theology that the sacrifice spoke directly.

However, memories will no longer be delivered. Karen's memory will be erased. And she will have an advantage in the world.

I want it. Catherine was disgusted with the fate she was given.

"I don't need stories like this anymore. Karen isn't livestock, she's looking for love. It's not to have children.I'm only choosing love.”

Duran looked at Catherine and thought of the animals he killed. It resembles a cow's big eyes. The eyes are not the only ones that resemble each other. After all, their essence was no different from cows and sheep. These are flawless offerings that God has given to mankind. Their holy grail is nothing more than an accessory. The important thing is permanence. It's death again and again and again.

I hate it.

Catherine hated repeated fates. God put the repetitive yoke of death on them. The only way out of it was to give life to the next generation of offerings.

I'm not a livestock.

But what am I supposed to do? If you don't have children, you can't get out of it. Catherine didn't know how to throw off the yoke completely. But at least he wanted to stop Karen from giving birth to a child as a means to free him. I wanted to love you completely.

knock, knock

"…yes."

I heard a knock on the door. When Duran answered, the expected man appeared. It was Karen's mother, Catherine.

"You're working hard. Isn't it too hard?”

"…what's the matter?”

It was too bloody a space for Catherine, the lord's wife, to enter. Duran put down his knife, took off his gloves, and got up to wash his hands. But when I tried to go outside, Catherine stopped me.

"It won't take that long.”

"Ha, but the smell....”

"It's kind of hard to hear from others."

Duran closed the door again. Duran made eye contact with her.

"I'm going to die soon."