Decades ago, when the kingdom was elevated to an empire, the religion of this vast land was unified. It was a massive religious reform by the royal family, or rather the imperial family, who claimed to be descendants of the ancient sun god.

‘To be precise, it was religious oppression.’

They took away religious freedom from those living on imperial soil and forced belief, with the aim of strengthening imperial power. It was something the first emperor, a tyrant and conqueror, would do.

Considering the physical and realistic ‘divine punishment’ he imposed, the sun god was quite a merciless deity. It would have been recorded in history books as the emperor’s achievement of driving out vicious heretics, but…

In any case, some beliefs at that time, rather than fading away, became even stronger due to the resistance against it.

Today, most imperial citizens believe in the sun god as the only deity. Like Johan Diaz’s religion, which persists stubbornly, making noise without any followers, barely maintaining its lineage like a family business.

‘Even though I’m doing such good deeds, they treat me like I’m in a cult because they don’t believe in me. What a petty god.’

Johan sneered at the magnificent temple building. His gaze was not kind even when looking at the bright orange statues of the sun god placed on both sides of the entrance. It was a look that would be considered disrespectful if seen by believers or priests.

Of course, the emotion revealed in his slanted eyes was quickly concealed. Because the long line was gradually shortening.

Johan avoided the eyes of the young priest who was greeting the believers with a kind smile. However, the gaze sticking to his cheek was quite persistent. The youthful face he glimpsed was full of fondness.

‘How annoying…’

Gold was called the noble color of the sun god, and ironically, Johan, who didn’t believe in the sun god, had hair and eye color of pure gold without any impurity.

Of course, he was wearing a brown wig now, but it seemed that just his deep golden eyes were enough to meet the conditions for that shallow fondness.

He used his appearance at times, but on a day like today, such great interest was unwelcome. It would be foolish to imprint his face on the owner of the item he was about to steal.

And when he slightly lowered his upper body to be cautious for this reason…

‘…Hm?’

The small woman standing right in front of Johan suddenly stepped back.

So, it was a coincidence that the woman’s black and voluminous curly hair tickled Johan’s face. A coincidence that occurred as he lowered his upper body and she moved at the same time.

However, in the temple of Hecateia, the goddess Johan served, there was no such thing as a simple coincidence. The goddess said that there was a reason for everything that humans encounter in life.

Johan, who was quite sincere and devout in his religion, considered this as a guideline for life. In fact, peculiar events often occurred at moments he felt were ‘coincidental’, so it was natural.

His golden eyes closely observed the hair swaying intermittently in front of him. Whether she was oblivious or not, the woman didn’t notice the blatant gaze on the back of her head and kept looking around.

If there were no people nearby, it would have been natural to ask, “Did you also come to steal from the temple like me?” as casually as talking about the weather. She looked very anxious. Although when she turned her head, the fragile profile he saw didn’t show the courage for such a bold act…

‘Strange.’

The woman’s unusual anxiety held his gaze even more. To the point where he wondered why he hadn’t noticed her presence earlier.

And when Johan tried to observe her again,

The woman suddenly turned around when it was her turn to enter the temple. The priest who was smiling broadly to welcome her blinked. At the same time, her long hair slapped Johan’s cheek, who was standing close by, and moved away.

“……”

He unconsciously touched his slapped cheek and straightened his lowered upper body. And finally, he looked down at the small face he faced head-on. The woman, who looked easily two heads shorter than him, was making a sad face, unaware that she had hit someone with her hair.

With her mouth, she muttered,

“Terrible…”

Her gaze was fixed on the object she was holding with her index finger, as if it was uncomfortable. It was an old silver compass.

It was an antique that clearly showed traces of time, having passed through many hands. Johan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at it. He soon detected a faint energy emanating from the round body of the compass.

‘…Ah, so that’s why.’

It was a very peculiar fluctuation that couldn’t exist in ordinary objects. And things with such energy, just like what he was about to steal from the temple, were objects that humans shouldn’t possess.

It was an object that shouldn’t exist in this land, a malevolent spirit that seduces its owner and feeds on the misfortunes and negative emotions that arise from it…

The fate of those who possessed such thought-forms for a long time was invariably miserable.

Was it just in words? Although it might seem like good things happen at first from possessing that cursed object, eventually all that luck would be connected like a spider web, tying one’s feet to deep and dense misfortune.

By the time they noticed, it was already too late, and some even met their death without realizing that their misfortune was due to that object.

Johan finally understood the woman’s anxiety. He also guessed why she had come to the temple but ultimately turned away.

The priests of the sun god don’t have the ability to handle such cursed objects. Even if she were to express the strangeness of that compass, they would dismiss it and just give a brief blessing. While pocketing a hefty sum, of course.

And Johan, a priest of the goddess Hecate, was someone who had abilities that they didn’t. Moreover, depending on the situation, he would donate his talents for free, only receiving a gratuity at times.

“Oh god…”

Well, he’s sure that the god she’s looking for isn’t the one he serves… The corners of the man’s mouth turned up as he saw the black eyes that momentarily became moist.

Johan knew once again that the ‘coincidence’ he had sensed this time was not just a coincidence. It was clear that his god had arranged for that woman to meet him.

However, he didn’t approach her hastily. If it was an object that could hide its energy to this extent, it wouldn’t reveal its true form just by being destroyed. So rather than becoming a ruffian who immediately snatches her possession, it would be better to observe her movements.

Having reached this conclusion, Johan sent his magic to the woman who was turning away with a tearful face. The round energy silently hid in the woman’s shadow.

Johan’s lips curled up in satisfaction as he watched the woman move away from the temple, unaware that something had attached something to her. Although one shouldn’t discriminate in doing good for the world, he was even excited as it had been a while since he had eliminated such a seemingly strong thought-form.

‘Her eyes were swollen.’

As if she had been crying continuously.

What kind of trashy things had happened to that small woman? After hearing her story, he would have to eliminate that compass in a cruel way proportional to what she had endured. In fact, he would do so even if she hadn’t particularly suffered…

Johan, in a good mood, leisurely took a seat in a corner of the temple. Then he took out the veil he had stuffed in his pocket and pressed it deeply onto his head. With only his lower face barely visible, like he was wearing a robe. The elderly gentleman sitting next to him politely advised,

“Young man, you shouldn’t wear the veil like that. To begin with, it’s only for female believers…”

He knew that, but it didn’t matter since he wasn’t a believer of the sun god.

“I’m fine.”

The old man frowned at the arrogant answer that came out.

“There are things one should properly observe in a sacred place…”

“Is that so? Then I’ll be a woman from now on, how’s that?”

Johan nonchalantly replied and completely ignored the sound of the uncomfortable clicking of a tongue. He just rested his chin on his casually clasped hands and rolled his eyes face front.

His deep golden eyes were fixed on the entrance behind the platform. Without having to search hard, he felt the unpleasant energy that was irritating his nerves.

As mentioned earlier, tonight, he will enter this temple again to steal the source of that energy. But with such a conspicuous energy, it seemed possible to resolve it on the spot without having to steal it.

‘Seeing that, it seems the one the woman has will really take quite some time…’

Perhaps even more time than he thought.

Johan, thinking about the compass held by the unknown woman, shamelessly spoke to the old man next to him.

“Old man, the offering box isn’t out today, is it?”

The old man, looking displeased at his disrespectful form of address, answered.

“…Not just today, but tomorrow as well. The temple in Almar has set days for offerings. If you want to make an offering, come on Wednesday.”

“No, I have a policy of not spending unnecessary money.”

“What blasphemy…!”

“I told you, it’s okay for me to be blasphemous.”

Johan’s lips curled up as he answered like that.

It was the moment when the characteristic of ‘vicious smile’ would be added to the composite sketch of the suspect who later tampered with the temple’s offering box.

And the owner of that vicious smile became famous for breaking just one old silver tableware and fleeing, despite having penetrated the strict security.

Along with the title of being the craziest person in history who needed attention.