The Twice-Shocked Saint #3
The news was being broadcast simultaneously across every channel. From last evening until this morning, flipping through stations brought nothing but stories about the Beast Slayers. It was obvious the coverage would dominate headlines for days to come.
These bastards are hilarious. Three monsters—all of them S-class—appeared at the same time, yet they’re giving it only a passing mention. Does that even make sense? You people nearly witnessed the end of the world yesterday.
They must possess an unshakable faith that the Beast Slayers will protect them.
I pressed both hands firmly against my temples. A sudden surge of irritation had risen within me. Dealing with the three traitors who had plotted together was satisfying, but Silvia and Adele had been too strong. Silvia had reduced Gaap to minced meat in mere moments, while Adele had defeated Amon in single combat. I couldn’t even begin to measure how monstrous the pair might become if they grew any further.
Still, it was fine. Adele was already in the palm of my hand. If I continued my strategy, that potential-laden monster would become my subordinate.
Yet Amon… that bastard had dropped a massive load of shit before dying. Claiming he had been deceived by the despicable Tyrat? After all the grace the fool had cherished until now…
‘Well, it’s not as if he truly cherished it…’
Regardless, I could not keep Amon’s final words secret. Adele had heard them. She would relay the message to Silvia, and Silvia would pass it to the Doctor. Even so, they would never learn that Tyrat and I were the same. Amon had not identified me specifically.
He should have died after uttering, “Song Jihyeok is Tyrat.” I could respect the final act of defiance, but it would only plant a small seed of caution in Adele and Silvia before fading. Amon had failed. There was no need for unease.
I turned off the TV and rose from the sofa. The house was empty except for me. The Doctor remained shut inside the lab, handling the aftermath. A wave of loneliness washed over me. I wondered what Adele was doing right now. The lack of any message from her worried me.
‘She was truly struggling yesterday…’
I decided to buy a large quantity of the mint candies she loved and go see her. Pulling on my coat, I stepped straight out of the house.
Upon arriving in Uijeongbu, I listened to Silvia—whose eyes looked slightly sunken—and nodded in understanding. She had collapsed into sleep the moment she finished showering after returning yesterday. Even professional boxers end up drained after ten rounds; after fighting for more than six straight hours, exhaustion was inevitable no matter how superhuman the body.
“Are you all right, Silvia?”
“I’m honestly exhausted too. I was so wiped out I couldn’t even go exercise. But I feel good.”
“Why do you feel good?”
“I met Yuria. She feels like a little sister who gets along with me perfectly.”
Silvia had gone to support Sehwa and Yuria right after killing Gaap. They must have exchanged a few words once the battle ended. It seemed Yuria had handled herself well.
I nodded and said, “Once this is all wrapped up, let’s have dinner together—all of us.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
“How was the battle against the monsters?”
“The first one was nothing special. But when I went to support Sehwa and Yuria… it was irritating. There were far too many monsters, and the one that looked like their leader had deployed an unbreakable barrier. It made them difficult to handle.”
A concise assessment. She was indeed someone to watch carefully.
“How much Aether energy did you expend?”
At that, Silvia’s expression darkened slightly. She retrieved her container and showed it to me.
“Nearly thirty percent.”
That was more than I had anticipated. Gaap and Orbas had performed beyond expectations. Unlike Amon, they had died cleanly—almost admirable. I would use their deaths as fertilizer to corrupt the two women. They need not worry.
“You used quite a lot.”
“It was a long fight. I heard Sehwa and Yuria were almost completely drained. They said they need to recharge.”
“Good timing.”
“Yeah. Oh, and speaking of that recharge… Yesterday before bed, Adele said something strange.”
“What did she say?”
“She stammered terribly and told me the Device recharges through sexual acts with someone you like… Is that true? I need to be able to believe it somehow…”
I let out an awkward chuckle. Seeing my face, Silvia’s mouth fell slightly open—a reaction unlike her usual serious, composed self.
“It was real…?”
“It is real.”
“Ha…”
She let out a hollow laugh as if stunned, yet unlike Adele she appeared to accept my words. It was proof my credibility had risen considerably.
After a long moment of visible confusion, Silvia pulled a sports drink from the refrigerator and gulped it down. The combination of her rose-tinted hair and the blue liquid… wasn’t bad at all.
“I thought Adele was talking nonsense because she was tired, but I guess not…”
“Yes… I’m sorry. I searched for other methods, but there were none.”
“What do you have to apologize for…? Aether simply possesses a rather unique property. What about the Doctor? What is he doing?”
Surprisingly, she did not seem to take the charging method too seriously. Perhaps her complete lack of romantic experience made her dull on that subject. It made no difference to me.
“He’s in the lab. The world is in an uproar over your and Adele’s appearance. He’s handling the cleanup.”
“He’s suffering because of us… What about you? Aren’t you busy?”
“I’m busy as well. However, I lack experience dealing with the media, so the Doctor is taking charge of those matters. I have separate duties—developing consumables, global surveillance, fund circulation, and so on.”
We were speaking quietly when the bedroom door opened. Adele emerged, rubbing her eyes. She wore fluffy white pajamas patterned with foxes. She had liked the arctic fox hairpin at the amusement park too… Her tastes were remarkably consistent.
“Jihyeok…”
“Yes. Did I wake you?”
“No. I just woke up. Let’s talk for a bit.”
Saying something like that the moment she woke made me feel oddly guilty.
“Shall we?”
“I’ll just wash my face and brush my teeth, so please wait…”
“Understood.”
Adele headed for the bathroom with drooping shoulders, still clearly tired. Silvia, watching her, shrugged.
“I feel strangely left out.”
“Why?”
“She looked for you the second she woke up.”
“I’m happy about it.”
Silvia laughed brightly, told me to get to work, and disappeared into her own room. I had wanted to talk longer. A shame.
In a quiet corner of a pleasant café with few customers, Adele and I sat talking. She took a long sip of her strawberry frappuccino loaded with syrup and asked,
“How was I?”
“In what way?”
“Yesterday. Did I fight well?”
Honestly it was difficult to call it a flawless performance, but I affirmed her anyway.
“You did well.”
“It was an S-class monster. The highest rank.”
“I know.”
“I struggled a lot.”
“I know that too.”
“I, who had barely experienced battle a few times, still defeated an S-class monster.”
“Yes.”
Adele pouted. She had wanted recognition, yet all she received were lukewarm comments, so she was sulking.
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly. I moved to sit beside her as she began scooping whipped cream with the spoon straw, then wiped away the bit of cream clinging to her upper lip.
“Until now I only saw you as someone who needed constant looking after, but you exceeded my expectations. Yesterday you said I was reliable, remember?”
“….Yes…”
“I find you reliable too, Adele. I believe I can trust you with more from now on. I’m truly proud of you.”
“…..”
Adele hung her head deeply. Her reddened ears suggested she felt both joy and embarrassment. I took the hand of the girl who was twisting restlessly in her seat. She squeezed my fingers and spoke.
“J-Jihyeok… but, you know…”
“Yes.”
“The monster I fought… said we were being deceived by Tyrat. Did you hear…?”
“I did.”
“What could it have meant…?”
“Monsters are humanity’s enemies. You mustn’t take their words at face value. It may have been an attempt to lay a trap, so pay it no mind. I will look into it myself.”
“Okay…”
Adele sucked on her straw and stole glances at me. She clearly wanted to ask about the Device’s charging method but was too embarrassed to speak. I carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and watched her reaction. She was simply shy. Relieved, I drew her into my embrace.
“You worked very hard yesterday.”
“….You too, Jihyeok…”
Her voice trailed off as she hugged my waist tightly. Perhaps because she had seen my capable side yesterday, I briefly worried my spine might snap. After pressing her face against my chest for a long while, she lifted her head and looked up at me.
“Can I attend morning class tomorrow…?”
“No. I must help the Doctor tomorrow, so I’ll be in the lab.”
“Would I be a bother if I came to the lab?”
“I wouldn’t mind, but the Doctor might be a little sensitive.”
“Then what should I do…? I want to stay with you…”
“I’ll message you whenever I have a moment.”
“Okay…”
While gently stroking the disappointed girl’s back, I slipped one hand into my coat pocket and retrieved the box of candies. I took one out and placed it in her mouth. When I heard the faint rattling sound, I slowly lowered my head.
Adele’s eyebrows twitched faintly. Her eyelids slid completely shut. She even pursed her lips slightly. Not only had she whined about wanting to stay with me earlier—her displays of affection had grown far bolder. How adorable.
I pressed my lips to hers, savoring the soft texture, then slid my tongue between them. The taste of strawberry and mint bloomed across my tongue. At the same time, a sharp sting. Adele’s teeth had closed around it. This was not acceptance of the kiss but a reflexive bite at the sudden unfamiliar intruder.
“….Hngat…!”
She let out a strange sound and her eyes flew open. Only now did she seem to realize what had entered her mouth. Her gaze met my smiling eyes and her pupils quivered violently. Her tension was obvious, yet she made no move to push me away. Instead she closed her eyes again and parted her lips a little more.
I pushed my tongue deeper, licking her upper teeth and gently prodding her gums. Each time, the arms around my waist tightened. She was extremely nervous.
Suddenly her whole body jerked.
“Hut!”
My finger had pressed rather firmly between her ribs. Startled, she shoved me away and flattened herself against the corner wall. Her face looked ready to burst into flames. I drew closer to the trembling girl—who looked like a mouse before a cat—and spoke softly.
“Are you all right?”
“…..”
She said nothing, only squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. I asked,
“This doesn’t violate the Rosario Church’s rules, does it?”
“….No, it doesn’t…”
“That’s a relief.”
“I should go now… I’m tired…”
“Shall we leave?”
“No… I want to stay longer…”
Her back-and-forth showed her mind was in complete chaos from what had just happened. Grinning, I took her hand firmly.
Once the Device was complete, I would accelerate things rapidly. It was almost time… Not long now.