Chapter 221 – The Discussion Before the Exorcism
Gideon turned his head and realized the gaze came from Mark, the man operating the equipment.
He narrowed his eyes, quickly confirming that he didn't recognize him.
Curiosity mixed with vigilance… don't tell me—
Seeing Gale walking toward him, Gideon immediately understood.
This again…
He gave a helpless smile and shook his head inwardly.
"Fa… Father Gideon?" Gale asked tentatively.
"Ms. Gale, it's been a while," Gideon replied with a gentle smile.
Once she received confirmation, Gale's eyes lit up again.
"I—"
She had so many things she wanted to say, yet didn't know where to begin.
After the exhibition incident, public pressure forced the Abnormal Affairs Council to demote Gale. She blamed herself deeply—her negligence had nearly turned countless people into blood sacrifices for a Satanic cult. That guilt plunged her into a long low point.
During that time, she had been searching for someone.
According to internal council reports, Gale had been found unconscious—right at the center of the sacrificial ritual. When she was rescued, she bore only a single obvious wound.
Yet later investigations showed that everyone present in the hall had been affected by the ritual.
If that were true, Gale should have already been sacrificed.
After all, when she woke up, her surroundings were littered with fragments of cultists' bodies.
That meant someone had saved her.
At first, Gale believed it must have been a mysterious master-level figure.
But no such expert had appeared in Philadelphia at the time.
So she began to suspect someone else.
A young, handsome face surfaced in her mind.
They had met only once, yet that priest had left a deep impression.
He had rejected her goodwill outright—without flattery, without eagerness.
For the first time, Gale felt she had been treated as an equal.
Normally, men approached her either because of her position as head of the Abnormal Affairs Council—or because of her appearance.
There was always an agenda.
Later, through internal channels, she learned the priest's name: Gideon Black.
She visited the West District community church more than once, but each time returned empty-handed.
That priest always seemed busy—constantly handling exorcism commissions.
Then the Church's Exorcism Institute took over the Abnormal Affairs Council, turning it into a subordinate body.
Because of ideological differences, Gale chose to resign.
Around that time, she met Mark—whose elders were old acquaintances of her family.
Gale came from a family of spirit mediums, born with the ability to commune with spirits. As she grew older, she inherited her mother's exorcism spells.
Mark's father, meanwhile, was a technical expert devoted to solving supernatural threats through advanced science.
Influenced by him, Mark decided to form an organization.
He wanted ordinary people to live equally in this world—free from evil, and without needing to pledge faith to any religion for safety.
Gale was moved by that ideal.
So she joined Mark, and Light of Humanitywas born.
As work consumed her, she stopped visiting churches.
Yet she never stopped wanting to meet Gideon again—to ask him the truth in person.
And now, she finally had the chance.
"Father Gideon… could I speak with you alone?" Gale asked, eyes filled with anticipation.
Gideon glanced around.
Representatives of various factions were still arguing fiercely. The sheriff kept wiping sweat from his forehead, while the short wizard bounced between groups trying to mediate.
This spectacle clearly wasn't ending anytime soon.
Gideon nodded.
As the two walked out side by side, Mark and Bettice instinctively watched them leave.
Mark felt restless, forcing himself to suppress the urge to follow and interrogate Gideon on the spot.
Bettice, on the other hand, subtly rose on her toes—measuring the height difference between herself and the tall, elegant woman beside Gideon.
"Father Gideon, I still have the holy artifact I bought last time," Gale said, taking out a talisman tied with a simple, ancient-looking grass cord.
"During the exhibition incident, it was the holy power on this that kept the evil from invading me. You really sold it too cheaply."
She smiled—dazzling.
"The Lord grants us holy artifacts to protect the innocent," Gideon replied warmly.
"Money isn't important."
Yeah, right, he added silently.
Gale froze for a moment, her admiration for him deepening.
They chatted briefly about the current commission.
Then Gale finally asked what she truly wanted to know.
"Father Gideon… back on the exhibition stage—were you there too?"
Gideon swallowed.
Damn it. She didn't figure out I knocked her out, did she…?
For someone who prided himself on justice and compassion, that would be a serious blow to his reputation.
After a moment's thought, he put on a shaken expression.
"Yes. It was extremely dangerous. Luckily, I survived."
Gale's face lit up instantly.
"So it really was you who saved me?"
Gideon paused.
Oh—that wasn't what she meant.
Saved her… in a sense, I suppose, he thought.
He nodded, feeling slightly guilty.
At the time, he had only wanted to escape quickly—otherwise, he wouldn't have knocked her unconscious.
"Thank you… truly."
Gale explained what she remembered from that day, then asked softly,
"Then you must have seen the man who dismantled the sacrificial ritual."
She had once suspected that person might be Gideon.
But she quickly dismissed the idea.
The ritual was extremely dangerous, and Gideon was far too young.
Even with three brands, someone his age couldn't possibly possess such strength.
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
Ah. So that's what this is about.
He shook his head.
"I did see him—but he was completely covered. I couldn't see his face at all."
Disappointment flickered in Gale's eyes. She had hoped to invite that mysterious expert to join Light of Humanity
Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and someone walked toward them.
"Gale, I found some additional data just now."
Mark spoke as if he had just happened to come out.
He handed over a sheet of paper, then casually positioned himself very close to Gale.
"This gentleman is…?"
Gale glanced at the page.
There was nothing new on it—just the same old data from earlier.
She sighed inwardly and subtly stepped a little farther away from Mark.
He didn't notice.
His eyes were locked firmly on the priest standing opposite him.
"This is Father Gideon," Gale said calmly.
"A friend I met back when I was still with the Council."
Gale thought for a moment, then ultimately decided not to mention the matter of being saved.
"So you're the priest sent from the Vatican?"
Mark smiled warmly and took the initiative to extend his hand.
"My name is Mark—heir to DeVria Industries. And recently, together with Gale, I co-founded Light of Humanity"
Feeling the strength in the handshake, Gideon returned the smile calmly.
"Father Wilton is the Vatican's official envoy," Gideon replied. "I'm only here to act as a local guide."
Mark looked momentarily surprised. "My apologies—I wasn't aware of that."
Open by emphasizing his closeness to Gale, subtly framing me as the 'outsider,' then elevate himself by invoking the status of a major corporate heir…
Gideon felt inwardly speechless.
This tactic is painfully crude.
He didn't expose Mark, merely watched him continue the performance.
When the church delegation entered the tent earlier, Wilton had clearly taken the lead.
Among the three, only Wilton's attire and bearing matched that of a Vatican envoy.
Even with basic assumptions, no one would have mistaken their roles.
Mark's intent was obvious.
Gale frowned slightly. "Mark, is there something you need?"
"…Ah."
Mark stalled. He knew Gale had seen through him.
His entire appearance had been nothing more than a territorial display.
In his panic, inspiration struck.
"We should focus on resolving the dispute inside. Those teachers and students don't have much time left."
Gale nodded seriously, then turned to Gideon. "We'll be relying on you for the church's side."
Gideon didn't promise outright—only said he would do his best.
As the three returned, Mark deliberately squeezed himself between Gideon and Gale.
---
Inside the Tent
Thanks to the efforts of Lombarn the wizard and Sheriff Roberto, the chaotic four-way argument had finally narrowed down to a deadlock between the Church and the Lord Knights.
Knight Henry insisted on launching a frontal assault—cutting the evil away from the hostages directly.
As inheritors of knightly traditions, they could do it.
But Wilton objected.
All 333 teachers and students had already been affected by the evil.
Purifying them individually would be inefficient—and worse, it would give the evil spirit opportunities to strike back.
Instead, Wilton insisted on deploying an exorcism array covering the entire school, cleansing everything at once.
One side cursed the other as "reckless swordsmen."
The other mocked them as "cowardly turtles hiding in their shells."
Neither was willing to back down.
Gideon stroked his chin.
Wilton's approach was theoretically safer—but the school grounds were massive.
The ritual materials alone would be costly, not to mention the sustained holy power required.
The trapped people might not survive long enough.
And before all that, there was another issue—
"There's something I'm curious about," Gideon said, stepping forward.
All eyes turned to him.
"If entering the school causes people to fall asleep immediately, how do you plan to deal with that?"
He spread his hands.
"Exorcism requires proximity. You can't avoid going in."
Silence fell.
They genuinely hadn't considered it.
To exorcists, faith was everything—wasn't unwavering belief enough?
Seeing their expressions, Gideon already knew the answer.
This trope was everywhere in American horror stories.
Possessed? So what? God will surely intervene at the brink of death.
Which was precisely why the church often showed up late in those films.
That might work in scripted fiction.
But Gideon was facing real monsters.
There was no "director" to rely on.
And worse—there were precedents of failure.
He vividly remembered a case where a priest attempted an exorcism and was instead exorcised himself—his faith driven out, the evil infiltrating the church hierarchy.
Even after Gideon raised the risk clearly, some still scoffed.
"Hmph. The ancestral spirits of the knights will protect their followers," Henry sneered.
"You're all just cowards."
Wilton fixed Gideon with a cold stare.
"Nonsense born of ignorance. The Lord resides in our hearts. Sincere prayer grants divine protection."
"Father Gideon, your theological foundation is shallow. You need not involve yourself in strategic decisions."
Gideon ignored him completely.
"Have you tested it?" he asked calmly.
Henry and Wilton fell silent.
They hadn't.
"Then on what basis did you conclude this plan is viable?" Gideon pressed.
"Watch your language!"
"Insolent coward!"
Both men bristled.
Gideon shrugged. "I'm simply raising necessary considerations."
"How to avoid interference.
Evacuation routes.
Contingency plans for emergencies."
"If these aren't addressed, we risk being compromised."
"And once that happens, the 333 trapped people are the ones who'll pay the price."
The tent fell into rare silence.
Gale's eyes shone—genuinely surprised.
She hadn't expected such thorough thinking from him.
Winona, leaning against the wall, also turned her head.
She'd remained silent so far—but this priest was clearly different from the self-righteous fools around her.
Sheriff Roberto stared at Gideon, barely containing his excitement.
This is the one who actually knows what he's doing!
Even Pence, crouched nearby, looked at Gideon with curiosity.
He's not much older than me… but he's experienced.
I need to work harder, Pence resolved.
Wilton and Henry were clearly displeased—but had no rebuttal. They turned away in silence.
At that moment, Gale stepped forward.
"I think Father Gideon is right."
"We've tested the energy field. None of our devices can block it," she added, glancing at Mark.
"Isn't that correct?"
Mark stiffened, then nodded reluctantly.
"Yes. I'm still working on a solution."
Lombarn chimed in as well. "This involves hundreds of lives. Cooperation is essential."
Seeing no one object, Sheriff Roberto hurried to Gideon's side.
"F-Father Gideon… do you have a plan?"
The balance had shifted.
Gideon had naturally become the decision-maker.
"I need more information about the situation inside the school," Gideon said.
"Of course!" Roberto replied immediately.
He led everyone to a nearby high-rise at the edge of the cordon.
Beyond that point, the strange force took effect.
From the rooftop, the school grounds were clearly visible.
Everyone squinted and craned their necks—except Gideon, who calmly took out a monocular.
Roberto nodded approvingly.
Now that's professionalism.
He began briefing them.
"The trapped civilians are mainly gathered at the sports field—over there."
Gideon followed the direction.
Dozens of people lay sprawled across the ground.
Most wore graduation gowns. Personal belongings were scattered everywhere, as if they had collapsed mid-celebration.
"They die periodically," Roberto said grimly.
"The deaths are… unnatural. Some are disemboweled, blood spraying upward. Others appear to have merged with the ground itself."
As he spoke, the horrifying scenes were visible even from afar.
Only then did everyone truly grasp how dangerous falling asleep was.
"If we had one more day, I might be able to find a way to negate the energy field," Mark said solemnly.
But Gideon spoke instead.
"The situation has changed."
"We may need to enter the dreamscape voluntarily."
Everyone turned to him at once.