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She did not yet understand the consequences of Lucius’ so-called \'reckless benevolence.\'

The four bandits couldn\'t believe their eyes when they saw the houses prepared for them, the documents proving these homes were theirs, and the vast fields. Following the leader’s orders, they explored the village and found land.

“Brother, this is amazing!”

The third said as he looked around the interior of the house. They could use it as their hideout or sell it and return to the banditry. The second, still terrified by the near-death experience and almost losing his limbs, nervously bit his nails.

The fourth was outside, looking at the fields. The paper in his hand outlined the boundaries of the vast farmland that now belonged to the four of them. He couldn’t hide his delight.

The fifth was handling the curious gazes of the surrounding villagers. Such curiosity was only natural; after all, the bandits who had raided their village just the day before were now moving in as new residents. The villagers expressed their dislike of the fact that the bandits who had tormented them had come.

“What is the Lord thinking...”

The village chief openly voiced his concern. The fifth frowned at this and glared at the chief. Before the situation could escalate, the guards who had come to deliver supplies broke up the fight.

The fifth accepted the supplies and angrily threw the door open. The second was still biting his nails, deep in thought.

While he was certainly grateful for the chance to rehabilitate himself, the second knew that if they didn’t return to the gang, they would be branded as traitors. On the other hand, if they squandered this chance and fled, the lord would kill them. He was afraid of the boss, but he was also afraid of the lord. Especially when the lord had ordered their limbs to be cut off—those eyes were not the eyes of the Saint Lucius that the people spoke of.

“What do we do now?”

The third asked, forcing the second to make a decision. The first through fifth hadn’t banded together because they wanted to or because they were close. This categorization was merely arbitrary, decided by their boss. Before the raid, they hadn’t even spoken to each other.

The first’s quick betrayal when he locked eyes with Lucius stemmed from this lack of loyalty.

“I don’t know. F*ck... What should we do...?”

“Maybe the boss won’t look for us?”

There was a slim hope that the boss, in an unexpected act of generosity, might not pursue them. He might even leave them be, allowing them to live their new lives. However, the second knew that the possibility of that insane boss, who had abandoned all ties with society, letting them go was virtually zero.

The very reason why the boss had chosen to base their operations around Lucius\' territory, and not some other region, was because they already calculated that a High Priest of the Great Celestial Church would not actively try to exterminate them if his territory was robbed a little.

The boss, who had intentionally exploited religion to commit heinous crimes, would never let them go. More likely, they\'re waiting for them to return with the profits from selling their newly acquired land and home.

The lord would kill them for trying to sell the land. And if they ignore the gang, the boss would kill them. The second looked up. The nail he had been gnawing on finally snapped.

“Hey, let\'s just betray them.”

The second’s proposal was simple: they would immediately run to the lord’s mansion, reveal the boss’ location, and request a raid on the bandits. No matter how many more years they spent stealing, there was no chance of receiving this level of treatment. It would be much more profitable to simply side with the lord and kill the boss.

He heard that Lord Lucius was the son of a former hero and was also a half-elf. No matter how strong the boss was, he wouldn’t stand a single blow.

The second’s proposal was very reasonable. However, the ever-worried third raised an objection.

"But what if we lose?"

The second hadn’t even considered the possibility of Lucius losing to the boss. Regardless of the boss\' strength, they were up against someone with the bloodline of a legendary hero. There was no way a mere bandit could be a match for him. Thus, the second didn’t bother to argue back. In fact, it wasn’t even worth refuting.

“What do you think will happen if we get caught selling this by the lord?”

“We’ll get killed, right?”

“Exactly, asshole. We’re dead if we do nothing, and we’re dead if we sell it. But don’t you think betraying the boss and starting a new life is a better option than double-crossing the lord?”

“No, but I\'m scared of what the boss will do to us if we get caught. The lord seems soft-hearted. What if he decides to forgive the boss and lets him go? What happens to us then?”

“We’ll have to figure something out.”

Even the second was at a loss for words in response to the third’s words. If the lord forgave the boss, wouldn’t that be the end of them? Who’s to say the boss wouldn’t be pardoned by the lord and come down to the village? And what if they went after the boss and failed to catch him? The consequences would fall on them.

“Let’s just wait for now. If we wait, they’ll contact us.”

So the second suggested the next best thing. They would wait. If the boss contacted them directly, they’d follow his orders. If things seemed too risky, they’d betray him. But if it looked like there was some profit to be made, they’d stick with the boss. And so, the four bandits waited for the boss to make contact.

Meanwhile, the four bandits who had decided to live peacefully for the time being had to do something to be recognized as members of the village. Under Lucius\' special order, they had to attend a class at the Great Celestial Church, located in the village center, once a week.

The Great Celestial Church preached that one should not oppress those weaker than themselves and that even those who commit evil could be saved if they repent. The strict-looking priest, who was leading today’s sermon, was passionately speaking about the importance of repentance and atonement.

The second thought this doctrine of the Great Celestial Church was nonsense. There was a time when he, too, had tried to be kind and good to others. He worked more diligently than anyone else in the territory. But in return, he was met with unfair taxes and the condescending gaze of the upper class, who looked at people like him as if they were insects.

It had been over ten years since he fled the territory and became a bandit, but he never heard of any divine punishment befalling his homeland or of the lord suddenly dying. Not once did he hear of anyone repenting.

Every year, there was no end to the number of people who escaped from the evil lord’s territory, and some of them ended up joining their boss’ bandit gang. The third, fourth, and fifth had all joined the gang in a similar manner.

What’s the point of repentance? What does atonement accomplish? Whether you atone or die with your limbs cut off, the lord of the neighboring village will continue to live well. The world was ruled by those with money, nothing more. The second’s lips twisted into a sneer as cynical thoughts filled his mind.

“Today, we have with us some brothers who have been moved by the teachings of the Great Celestial Church and have repented for their sins.”

The priest pointed towards the bandits as he spoke. This fifth—who had been half-asleep, the fourth—who was pretending to read a book, as well as the second and third, all looked up at the priest. Everyone\'s eyes were on them.

The priest gestured for them to stand up.

The second shook his head. The priest smacked his lips in frustration and frowned. He then continued his sermon, using the repentant bandits as examples to illustrate how important it was to live righteously. He spoke about how these reformed bandits had transformed from mere criminals into land-owning villagers, emphasizing what a wonderful thing it was.

The second could only wait for this tiresome charade to end.

After the sermon ended, a young nun with orange hair took the lead in collecting donations. Hands reached out from all around, offering whatever small change they could spare. The bandits, including the second, refused to contribute. The nun spoke up.

“Please show a little sincerity. The reason we can all sit here today is…”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Not wanting to drag out the conversation, the second tossed a coin. It hit the nun’s chest and landed squarely in the collection box with a crisp clink. The other bandits started to snicker at the scene. The second looked at the nun with his lips pursed.

That nun— she was the woman who had been beside the lord when he was about to execute them.

“Is there something bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

The second shook his head. The nun didn’t press further. She seemed to have something she wanted to say, but the priest took her away. As the priest whispered something to her, the nun frowned and shook her head.

**** ****

Returning home that evening, the four bandits finally received word from the boss after a week of waiting. The message was delivered by \'Hare\' Klebang, known for his speed within the gang. Standing on the table in the house where the bandits were staying, he pointed at them and said.

“You traitorous bastards.”

“Wait, just hear us out.”

The second spoke hurriedly. Klebang waved the dagger in his hand between each of them, before throwing it at the fifth. He flinched as the dagger barely missed his head.

“Explain. Quickly.”

“We were planning to go back. But think about it—what would the lord think if we sold everything off as soon as we arrived? Besides, if we run away, it’d be a waste to leave behind all the profits we can make from this house and the land. Right?”

“Then why didn’t you contact us?”

“We figured you’d reach out eventually. Right? There’s no way we’d betray you.”

“Of course not. Right. You’re guys with pride. You came to us because you didn’t want to suffer under that lord. Isn’t that right?”

Klebang rolled his red eyes as he asked. His eyes were unsettling, with a vivid color and an unfocused gaze that gave the creeps. The second quickly nodded. Klebang said.

“The boss told me to kill you. He said waiting this long was a way of testing him, and you know how much he hates being tested.”

“Wait, wait, seriously…”

“But I’ve decided to give you a chance. You have exactly three days. Sell off as much as you can, get the money, and meet at the entrance to the forest. Got it?”

“…..Got it.”

The second lowered his head.

“No need to go all the way to the lord’s mansion to sell things, right?”

“…..Right.”

The second thought, there was no redemption in this world.

(Optional Support)

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