Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Truth of Divine Power!
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A weekend road, somewhat quieter than on weekdays.
Kim Yang stood on the sidewalk beside it, waiting for the group.
An idol concert, no less.
For her, an SNS influencer, it was something she absolutely wanted to see—a golden opportunity.
She checked her makeup in her phone, snapped a selfie, and posted it.
[First concert sighting. Heart pounding.]
The short caption came with an expressionless selfie, but the reactions exploded.
Kim Yang stared at it blankly, a satisfied smile creeping in.
For someone who had spent her whole life in the enclosed space of the Freshness Orchard, SNS felt like the ocean she was seeing for the first time—an unparalleled sense of liberation.
"Ahem, excuse me?"
"……."
While waiting for Kim Juseon to show up, a man sidled up slyly.
Guitar slung on his back—he looked like a band member.
"We're doing a guerrilla show today. Mind coming to check it out?"
Kim Yang shook her head.
Obvious play.
Something she ran into all the time at clubs where people went to dance.
"Ahem, no go?"
"Sigh."
A short sigh.
"Got a boyfriend."
Her icy declaration left the man scratching his head in embarrassment.
"Ah, uh-huh. Got it."
"Yeah. He's coming soon."
"S-Sorry."
He bowed awkwardly, looking regretful as he headed off toward his group. The flyer suggested it really was a guerrilla gig.
'When's he getting here?'
Then a sudden question popped into her head.
'Did he rent a car?'
He'd said the bus to get there would be packed with people, so they should take something else.
'Or a taxi?'
But the distance was pretty far, and she couldn't picture their stingy boss shelling out for a cab.
As she scanned the road anxiously, wondering how Kim Juseon would arrive—
"Hey, Kim Yang!"
"Wooooah! Fast! You're so fast, boss—!"
The familiar voice came not from the roadway, but the sidewalk.
She whipped her head around. There was Kim Juseon pedaling up on a bicycle, Reneah crammed into the fruit basket on the front, and Maria riding an electric scooter alongside.
"……."
Even for them, this was too much.
Kim Yang felt a sudden urge to bail for that guerrilla concert, but she gritted her teeth and held back.
Her expression hardened at the unimaginable entrance.
But the trio beamed proudly in front of her.
"See? Told you I could beat the electric scooter too. How many minutes was it?"
"The phone map said an hour, but we made it in thirty! You're amazing, boss!"
"This thing's actually fun!"
"Sigh."
Kim Yang took a deep breath to steady herself and forced out the question.
"Wh-What is this?"
"What do you mean? We're going to the concert."
"On th-this? R-Riding these?"
"What else? Taxis are pricey, rentals too, and buses are jammed."
"……."
It wasn't that far, but she'd wondered why they were prepping so early in the morning.
This was the reason.
Reneah tapped on the basket she'd been shoved into.
"Wh-What's this? Il-Legal."
"It's fine. She's an elf. They just call it eccentric and ignore it."
"……."
Elves who would flop under any tree they saw.
On the 3rd Floor, where the meme went that cats and elves would have gone extinct long ago if they weren't cute, people just overlooked their quirks.
"St-Stingy."
"No choice. It came to this."
Kim Juseon, looking wronged, launched into his explanation.
"I was gonna rent two bikes originally. You and me riding, with the other two on the back."
"B-But?"
"But this grandma, who's 1,902 years old, can't ride a bike. Maria's the same."
"Some people just can't!"
Reneah reached out and pinched Kim Juseon's cheek. He ignored her and kept going.
"So no choice, I rented an electric scooter too."
"Th-Then rent one m-more. R-Ride t-together."
"She can't ride. Grandma can't drive at all. Keeps falling over."
"What can I do? I've only ever run my whole life!"
"Anyway. Trained her up, so Maria can handle the scooter now. But with Reneah riding with me, that means no bike or scooter for you?"
"……."
"So that's how it ended up like this."
Kim Yang wanted nothing more than to smack that smug boss face—like he'd solved some massive math puzzle.
Sensing the mood, Kim Juseon hurriedly added,
"But now you pick! Bike backseat or electric scooter?"
"……Haa."
Kim Yang glanced at Maria's scooter. Without a second thought, she hopped onto the bike's back rack and wrapped her arms around Juseon's waist.
"L-Let's go."
"Roger. Here we go."
"Ring-a-ding-ding! Run, boss!"
* * *
"Whoa, the line's insane."
The venue after a grueling three-hour ride.
This dome-shaped spot had 20,000 seats, plus room for 5,000 standing.
She knew Prism was huge, but seeing it like this was straight-up impressive.
They had VIP tickets, but everyone still had to queue up to get in, so they joined the line.
"N-Next time, take a c-car. My butt hurts."
Reneah grumbled while rubbing her own rear with both hands.
She'd laughed like crazy at first, calling it fun, but three hours crammed in that basket must've been torture.
"My stomach feels... a bit off too."
Maria, who'd been driving the scooter, wasn't used to this world's contraptions and looked carsick.
Kim Yang was the only one who seemed fine.
"Kim Yang, you good?"
"G-Good."
"Right? I drive pretty well."
But no biking back.
"Don't worry. They'll pick us up here."
We weren't here on our own—we had Seo Ha-jin's connections. Maybe snag a van ride home?
Or at least cab fare...
He tapped the return button on the app.
Someone would come collect the bike and scooter soon enough.
A moment later.
"No, seriously—if you dip konnyaku in soy sauce and wasabi, it really feels like eating sashimi."
"Th-That's j-just s-senile nonsense."
"It is not! Maria agreed! Th-Though she never tried sashimi 'cause it's too pricey!"
In line, they killed time with idle chit-chat.
"……."
Maria alone clutched her hands tight in prayer.
"Praying? No gods on Rajesta Continent, right?"
"Ah, well—"
Maria gave an embarrassed smile.
"I was praying to Sir Ducarion. Guess I just wanted to hold onto something."
"Not weird."
Buddhists had their 108 prostrations, after all.
Her prayer wasn't begging for blessings—it was more about steadying her heart.
"She really looks up to that paladin Ducarion."
At my words, Maria's cheeks flushed red. She clicked open the locket around her neck to reveal a dashing portrait of a paladin.
"This is Sir Ducarion. The benefactor who saved me as a kid, and the paladin I respect most."
"……."
"He traveled with his fellow paladins, always the steady center. Kind, gentle, beloved by all—truly wonderful."
"What happened to him?"
Maria closed her eyes softly and smiled.
She cradled the locket gently in both hands.
"Divine power. The power of humans reaching divinity. Or rather, too much power for a human body to contain."
"……."
"He must've been exhausted. Their grand saga ended with sealing Arhelac."
Reneah whispered from the side.
"Handle divine power beyond endurance, and the body turns to divine power and vanishes."
"……."
A bitter truth.
He'd unintentionally pried at an old wound, but Maria just smiled warmly.
"That's why he's even cooler. He fulfilled his duty to the very end."
"I see."
Paladin Ducarion.
Never met him myself, but the impact he left on survivors said it all—he must've been one hell of a guy.
'But he looks kinda familiar.'
Felt like I'd seen him before... or maybe not.
Hard to pin down. But entry time finally hit, so they moved on.
"Waaah! So many people!"
"Hold on tight."
He took Reneah's hand—she already had her headset on to muffle the noise.
The other two grabbed his clothes to avoid getting swept away in the crowd.
Once inside the dome, VIP tickets got them to a less-packed aisle.
Uncomfortable vibes hit as they sat.
"……E-Eyes on us?"
"Sc-Scary."
Everyone in VIP had Prism merch, tees, light sticks, the works.
They were just in everyday clothes, plopped down casually.
Like showing up to a soccer match in the home team's kit... but ending up in the away section by accident.
"Ahem, want some light sticks? Just match what they do."
Even a random fan came by and handed some over.
"Ooooh."
Grandma was fascinated by the sparkles, waving them every which way.
"Alright—! Spectrum fans! Let's practice the cheers real quick!"
Diehard fans up front in VIP waved their sticks, calling out instructions.
'Whoa, I know those folks.'
The five who'd tracked them down after hearing Seo Ha-jin was a member—they were right there.
"That's the guy! Kkub-kkub! Rice cooker!"
"Tsk, Reneah. Not funny."
Kim Deok-gu was there too.
Black long hair, same sturdy build.
Looked like he was enjoying himself—good for him...
"Huh?"
Something clicked in his head.
"Huh?"
Instinct screamed it couldn't be, but reason chased the truth relentlessly.
"Huuuh?!"
The face explaining the cheers, laughing.
And.
The portrait in Maria's locket.
The moment the two faces overlapped perfectly in his mind—
"Ducarion?"
He had reached the truth of divine power.