Translator: Yang_Wenli
Unfortunately, the story of the ‘Beauty and the Demon’ was a fairy tale and not the cruel reality.
In the memories of the Holy Church Army’s archbishop, Zenarth, being a Sin Demon, was an existence much more dangerous than a Chaos Demon on the battlefield.
These nearly three man tall lion-headed lizard-bodied monsters possessed the ability to teleport through space and time. Anywhere their flaming dark green spear could pierce into would become places that they could devastate on the battlefield...
This archbishop had personally led twelve templars to fight against a Sin Demon head-on before. Two outstanding knights he led ended up being set aflame and burned till nothing remained before they finally managed to kill that Sin Demon.
Yet, in the movie ‘Beauty and the Demon,’ one such Sin Demon, a vicious monster of the battlefield, was actually wearing a little formal suit. The frightening dark green flames had also disappeared from his body.
Even his terrifying scales have been covered by his clothes. When he ate, he ate food, he was using a knife and fork with such grace and elegance...
How could this still be a Sin Demon the Holy Church Army encountered on the battlefield? No, he couldn’t possibly be one! That was simply an extremely docile large feline creature!
“No... what was recorded are all fake! That’s not how a Sin Demon, an extremely dangerous demon, should behave!”
The moment the archbishop from the Holy Church Army saw Belle and the Demon Prince dancing gracefully in the castle’s main hall, he was finally unable to tolerate things anymore. He had the desire to curse the movie out.
“Those sharp claws are able to easily rip apart that young lady’s waist! He shouldn’t be holding her and dancing!”
“Bishop Koebler, calm yourself. We all knew of the dangerousness of a Sin Demon. What was recorded were clearly deceiptions.”
The Heresy Tribunal’s archbishop Meyerger comforted the emotional archbishop beside him. After all, that archbishop was equivalent to a general of the Ecclesiastical Templars.
“We can stop. It’s enough now that we’ve watched so much.”
Upon reaching the dancing scene, it was enough to allow others to understand what the core ideology behind the movie ‘Beauty and the Demon’ was — a propaganda to make demons more presentable.
In fact, many women grew to be fond of the giant cat Zenarth after watching that scene.
But, what they fell for was the Demon Prince of the movie.
The archbishops present had all personally experienced the terrors of the Sin Demons. They were incapable of feeling any sort of yearning, romance or other similar feelings from watching that dance scene. They only felt a sort of uncomfort that caused them to feel chill all over their bodies.
It was understandable why the archbishop from the Holy Church Army, Koebler, would be that furious.
Archbishop Meyerger simply couldn’t dare imagine what sort of effect a movie like this would bring now that it had spread through the human world...
The human’s views of demons were being changed. Furthermore, the ones with their views changed were not the people of the older generation that had received the Holy Church’s doctrines. Instead, they were the young people.
The ‘toxicity’ of this thing was far more effective than the Holy Church’s gospels or the canons taught by the missionaries.
“Archbishops, the recorded content has yet to finish. Do you all not think that we might be able to obtain some useful information from the remainder of the recording?”
The ‘toxicity’ has quietly begun its work. The Saintess Herolia desired to continue watching ‘Beauty and the Demon.’
Herolia was different from the four archbishops. She did not possess such great enmity toward the demons. Because of that, she was able to watch ‘Beauty and the Demon,’ from a much more impartial standpoint. Her curiosity made her wish to know what happened afterwards.
“It’s as the Saintess said, we should watch the entire phony recording.”
With the Saintess requesting, the four archbishops had no choice but to watch the movie they felt angered by till the end.
When the ending of the Demon Prince being killed by the villagers and dying in Belle’s embrace was seen, the four archbishops should be rejoicing at the Sin Demon’s death. Yet, they were simply unable to feel joy from that ending.
It wasn’t because that ending was too touching.
When viewing the movie as an audience, those ignorant villagers were clearly evil. As for that Demon Prince, he was the actual kind-hearted person.
After watching that movie, the audience would not think that Demon Prince’s death was well justified. Instead, they would feel his death to be sad and something to sympathize with.
Humans feeling sympathy for a demon... that was something the Holy Church desired to see the least.
“Everyone, what is your opinion on this?”
After more than a dozen seconds passed since the movie ended, the Heresy Tribunal’s Archbishop Meyerger finally broke the silence.
“We cannot allow for this sort of phony thing to continue to spread...”
The archbishop from the Holy Church Army had realized how serious things were.
“Otherwise, these demon creations will distort humanity’s understanding of demons.”
“I agree with bishop Koebler.”
“...”
“Before we discuss how to crusade against that demon, let me thank you for providing us with these clues, young missionary. God will remember your contribution.”
Archbishop Meyerger looked to the adjutant seated toward the back of the listeners’ corner.
What they were going to discuss now was going to be classified. It was not something an adjutant-ranked clergy was qualified to hear.
“Lord Archbishop...”
The adjutant looked to the originium crystal that recorded the movie ‘Beauty and the Demon’ on the stone pedestal. He wanted to risk his life to retrieve it.
“Someone will bring you your reward later. The two of you can leave now.”
But, Archbishop Meyerger ordered for their dismissal. Just like that, the adjutant followed the priest he came in with and left the conference hall.
The moment the door to the conference hall grew shut, the adjutant’s heart grew ice-cold.
“Well done, Boehner! The archbishops’ reward will definitely be able to allow our little chapel in Norland to expand! Both you and I will have the chance to become high ranking clergies too!”
When they walked to a hallway without anyone else present, the priest patted the adjutant’s shoulders excitedly. But, the adjutant was not at all in the mood to think about promotions. He only wanted to retrieve the originium crystal with ‘Beauty and the Demon’ recorded in it.
“Lady Sa...Saintess!”
“You can leave first. I have something to discuss with this young missionary.”
The adjutant heard a familiar sounding voice and raised his head. The Saintess Herolia who was seated in the listeners’ corner together with him was standing before him.
Just by seeing Herolia’s light golden eyes, the adjutant’s heart calmed down. His sadness from losing the originium crystal with ‘Beauty and the Demon’ seemed to have disappeared in an instant.
“I wish to know more about what you’ve experienced in Norland.”
Herolia admits that ‘Beauty and the Demon’ was very fascinating. But, a movie filled with romance would not be able to catch the interest of a veteran inquisitor.
Cheryl must’ve been led astray by something else. That was why she did something as crazy as betraying the church.
“If I am satisfied with what you tell me, I can consider having you safekeep this demon’s creation.”
Herolia took out the originium crystal storing ‘Beauty and the Demon’ and presented it to the young missionary. She could see the longing in his eyes.
Sure enough, it was no joke. That was something vicious, something capable of utter corruption.