Chapter 1

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Book Chapter 1

Clip-clop— clip-clop—

The sound of horse hooves pulling the carriage echoed through the narrow mountain path.

Sister Isabel sat inside the rattling carriage, gazing out the window.

It was a night without a single trace of moonlight. Even the stars had lost their glow, and the moon was hidden behind black clouds, leaving the world completely shrouded in darkness. Isabel rested her arm on the window frame, rolling the beads of her rosary in her hand as she thought.

‘This is ominous.’

“Sister Isabel, what are you thinking about?”

Father Samuel, seated across from her, asked.

"I have a bad feeling."

"What do you mean by that?"

“The weather is unusual. It's a sign that something ominous is about to happen."

"So even you say things like that, Sister Isabel."

Father Samuel chuckled faintly.

"And this is coming from someone who has witnessed all the horrors of the world."

"Just because I’ve seen horrific things doesn’t mean I become immune to them. I’m simply getting better at handling them."

After saying that, Isabel took out the document she had kept tucked against her chest and unfolded it once more.

Inside it was the explanation of why Sister Isabel and Father Samuel were riding through the dark, secluded forest by carriage in the middle of the night.

Every new moon in this area, demon worshippers secretly held their rituals. Men and women danced naked, sprinkled goat’s blood on the floor, and indulged in wine and carnal pleasures.

And the document stated that, at the climax of the ritual, kidnapped children were offered to demonstrate loyalty to the demon.

The number of kidnapped children ranged from dozens to hundreds.

More than ten such letters of accusation had arrived at nearby monasteries, throwing the entire local monastic community into an uproar.

Isabel reviewed once more the document she had prepared based on the tip-off letter, which detailed the location and size of the group. She then checked again the sword propped nearby, the glass bottle of holy water, and the crucifix.

“Is meticulous preparation also one of your techniques for handling things?”

Father Samuel gave a crooked grin. Isabel lifted her pale face to look at him. No matter how many times she saw him, that ever-smiling face of his always grated on her nerves.

“Sister Isabel, you never cease to amaze me. Your expression is always so serious, so stiff. Even if we are clergy who embody piety, surely even you, the finest exorcists recognised by the Vatican, can relax a little?” 

Isabel gave Father Samuel a cold look.

“The skill for dealing with horrors is to never let your guard down, Father Samuel. You’ll understand what I mean when a demon’s teeth sink into the back of your neck.”

Father Samuel fell silent at Isabel’s cynical words.

In fact, it made no sense for Father Samuel to argue with Sister Isabel's words. She was currently recognised by the Vatican as one of the most powerful exorcists. Even Father Samuel, a successful exorcist who had followed an elite path, lowered his head before someone so towering, almost celestial.

For 150 years, monasteries across the country had spared no effort in training exorcists. Anyone with exorcism abilities, regardless of gender, was recruited and even given authority over hundreds of soldiers. Outstanding exorcists wielded power greater than that of most military generals or politicians.

And before Father Samuel stood Isabel: one of the world’s top five exorcists. A young woman of only twenty-two.

Father Samuel watched in silence as Isabel polished her sword, preparing for battle, and thought that perhaps it was precisely her coldness and rigidity that had made her the greatest exorcist.

The first time Father Samuel saw Isabel was two years ago, the year he had just turned twenty. The Vatican held a ceremony to present rosary crucifixes to newly appointed exorcists. It was an event intended to inspire loyalty to the Holy See, and the one who handed the crucifixes to them was Sister Isabel.

At that time, Father Samuel was greatly surprised to see Isabel. He could hardly believe that the slender, green-eyed beauty before him was the famous exorcist, Sister Isabel.

Seeing her in person, having only heard of her through rumours, he couldn’t help but wonder if her exorcism abilities had been exaggerated. The prejudice of judging a woman solely by her appearance still existed, even between priests and nuns.

A year later, they were assigned a mission together. They were dispatched to a remote village, which had reportedly been completely overrun by demons, to perform an exorcism.

The situation was dire. The demons had erected such a strong barrier at the village entrance that it was impossible to enter. The moment one touched it, their skin would crumble — it was a vicious barrier.

But Sister Isabel doused herself in holy water from head to toe and began reciting passages from the Bible. At the same time, a powerful beam of light flowed from her body. Gripping the holy sword granted by the Vatican, she began tearing through the barrier.

Her sword shattered the barrier, clearing a path for the priests and soldiers. Led by Sister Isabel, they safely entered the village, and before the hundreds of blades armed with holy water and the holy sword, the demons fell, spilling black blood.

After that day’s battle, Father Samuel fully acknowledged Isabel’s abilities. She was not only skilled in exorcism, but her combat prowess and leadership were exceptional. Sister Isabel gave the confidence that, under her command, they could defeat even the most fearsome demons.

But that didn’t mean she was a warm, charismatic general who earned people’s trust through generosity. She was cold, taciturn, and strict.

She rarely let anyone get close and seldom smiled. Because of this, many around her thought she was arrogant and impolite. Despite her talent, Isabel’s lack of political skill often worked against her.

But over the past year, Father Samuel, who had worked closely with Sister Isabel, knew what kind of person she truly was. Though blunt and utterly cold, beneath it lay a just and upright heart.

“Father Samuel, do you have any family?”

He looked at Isabel in surprise.

“Sister, we’ve been working together for a year, and you don’t know that?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know. Isn’t this the first time I’ve asked you a question like this?”

"Your boldness in revealing your own lack of compassion never ceases to amaze me."

"Cut the nonsense. Do you have any family?"

“Hmm, I have a father, a mother, and a younger sister. They are all nobles. They take great pride in the fact that I became a priest. After all, the head of the family believes that the family line can simply be continued by bringing in a son-in-law to have a son. How about you, Sister?"

Isabel fell silent for a moment. Father Samuel waited quietly, very curious about her answer. Until now, the only thing she had shared about herself was a simple response to whether she had eaten.

“...I lost my parents when I was a child. I entered the convent to avoid starving to death.”

Father Samuel nodded. In fact, most women who chose the path of a nun were orphans. Women from respectable families generally did not pursue the lonely and harsh life of the clergy, preferring to establish their own households.

“So, there won’t be a single person to mourn me when I die.”

“What do you mean, no one will mourn you? Countless believers will grieve your passing, Sister Isabel. On the anniversary of your death, Masses will be held in your honour, and even the smallest of your belongings, a single handkerchief, will become a sacred relic, treasured and preserved by the Vatican.”

“That’s respect, not love.”

“...”

Father Samuel didn’t know how to respond. But Sister Isabel’s expression was not one seeking comfort or sympathy; she was simply stating the fact calmly.

“You’re lucky as a member of the clergy, since you have a family who would mourn you.”

“Sister, why do you keep talking about dying? It’s ominous.”

Father Samuel tried to hide his unease with forced banter. But Isabel just looked at him, motionless like a marble statue of the Virgin Mary.

"We work in the jaws of death. Death is always by our side."

“Even so, isn’t the Lord by our side?”

“But would He really stop even death?”

Isabel muttered quietly and turned her gaze back out the window. Then she began rolling the beads of her rosary again.

“…Is today’s mission really that dangerous, Sister?”

Isabel remained silent. Soon, the carriage stopped, and a knight in armour approached the window.

“We’ve arrived, Sister Isabel, Father Samuel.”

Sister Isabel nodded, then took up the holy sword, as dear to her as her own life.

“Sister!”

Father Samuel called to her once more. However, Sister Isabel simply looked at him and said the following.

“That is something only God knows.”

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