Chapter 19: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Episode 19
After the evening meal shared by all had concluded...
"I'm so exhausted now, buzzing bee~"
Lee Soo-bin stood alone at the sink, humming a tune as she washed the dishes.
"Waiting's worn me out, buzzing bee~"
"My lady?"
"All alone, this night feels so very very—"
"My lady?"
Only then noticing the presence behind her, Lee Soo-bin startled and turned to see Iriel standing right at her back.
"Oh! How long have you been there...?"
At a glance, it appeared Iriel had neatly stacked the remaining plates from the dining table and brought them over.
Iriel carefully set down the pile of plates she'd carried on one side of the sink before speaking.
"My lady, though it pains me to make such a presumptuous request, might I trouble you to entrust such menial tasks as dishwashing and cleaning to this humble servant from now on...?"
To this, Lee Soo-bin replied with a refreshing smile, "It's alright," before adding:
"You must still be adjusting to everything. For now, you should just rest properly."
"But my lady—"
"Well, if it really bothers you, you can keep me company while I wash up."
For a moment, Iriel stood blank-faced before breaking into a gentle smile and responding with formal grace.
"As you wish, my lady."
A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the occasional clinking of dishes.
"The Lord also treated his subjects and people with the same informality, unbound by rigid formalities like yourself, my lady."
"Did he now?"
"I always wondered how such a thing was possible, but now I suspect it must have been an inherited trait from the imperial lineage."
At this, Lee Soo-bin tilted her head several times while stealing sideways glances at Iriel's face.
'Hmm, this girl's really deep into her roleplay too...'
Lee Soo-bin assumed they must have started this roleplaying to momentarily escape the overwhelming terror and fear after being trapped inside the Gate.
Without immersing themselves in something so completely, there would have been no way to cope with that terror and fear—hence their deep commitment to this charade.
"My lady, if I may be so bold—are you aware of what manner of emperor our Lord was?"
"I've only heard bits and pieces. They say he was an extraordinary emperor though..."
"One could call our Lord a Sage Emperor without the slightest exaggeration."
Continuing in measured tones, she elaborated:
"Our Lord's very existence embodied the 'order' and 'law' of the entire world. You might say he was those concepts made manifest."
"Eh?"
"Moreover, he was an existence far more absolute than any 'religion' or 'god' could ever claim to be."
Hearing this, Lee Soo-bin immediately turned her head to observe her younger brother—currently entertaining her daughter while looking thoroughly exhausted.
"Princess, here's eight thousand won..."
His disheveled hair, his inexplicably sullen expression, the stretched-out collar of his worn, shabby t-shirt, the inexplicable gym shorts from a nearby fitness club—nothing about him remotely resembled concepts like 'order' or 'law.'
He looked about as divine as a soggy newspaper, completely incompatible with grandiose terms like 'religion' or 'god.' They might as well belong to separate taxonomies.
"Pfft."
Unable to help herself, Lee Soo-bin burst into laughter before turning back to Iriel.
"Having carried him on my back since he was little, it's hard to picture him as some divine being."
"Is that so?"
"If Kang-jun really was that godlike, wouldn't people be praying to him and such?"
Chuckling to herself ("Keuk"), she pressed further in jest:
"So are there like full-body statues of him everywhere? Temples filled with his busts?"
Though her questions were meant playfully...
The response she received was deadly serious.
"My lady, your insight is remarkable."
"Huh?"
"That was an exceptionally sharp deduction."
"What?"
Iriel continued calmly in her composed voice:
"As you've guessed, countless people offered 'prayers' and 'worship' to our Lord."
"Wow, really...?"
"Moreover, the number of temples built across the continent to honor our Lord's achievements exceeded several hundred."
"Whoa, that's amazing..."
Lee Soo-bin muttered under her breath, "Is North Korea their inspiration or something...?"
'I heard North Koreans genuinely believe their leaders can turn sand into rice and pinecones into grenades...'
Though this imperial fantasy existed only in their imaginations, it clearly surpassed North Korea—in all the wrong ways.
Suppressing another laugh, Lee Soo-bin shrugged and asked:
"So were there no other religions in this empire of yours?"
"Several existed initially, but all eventually died out."
"Did Kang-jun wipe them out or something?"
"No, our Lord never actively suppressed religions."
"Hmm, then why did they all disappear?"
"People simply stopped worshiping other gods."
When Lee Soo-bin asked "Why?" in puzzlement, Iriel patiently explained:
"No god ever provides direct salvation. They never reveal themselves even to their most devout followers, demanding only endless faith and worship."
"Well, that's true of most religions, isn't it?"
"But our Lord intervened directly to save people. He ended what seemed like endless wars, repeatedly defended the continent from foreign invasions..."
After a pause, Iriel continued:
"And over centuries of rule, he accomplished so many incredible feats that..."
"Ah..."
"However devout one might be, wouldn't anyone choose to serve our tangible 'Lord' over some dubious god whose very existence is questionable?"
As Iriel dredged up these memories from the depths of her mind...
'What a spectacle it was.'
Devout followers and priests of various religions personally toppled the idols of their gods.
In their place, master craftsmen erected statues and busts of our Lord...
Historians, without any orders, compiled records of our Lord's life and deeds into holy texts they called Sacred Chronicles.
'Come to think of it, that's when it happened.'
It was around that time our Lord achieved what all called the impossible—reaching the realm of a "9th Circle Necromancer."
Almost as if rewarding their faith, he began accomplishing feats everyone considered unthinkable with increasing ease.
After another comfortable silence...
Having finished the dishes, Lee Soo-bin removed her rubber gloves and asked bluntly:
"Don't all those gods hate Kang-jun's guts then?"
"Pardon?"
"The gods who lost their followers, I mean."
Iriel nodded slowly in response.
"I imagine they all harbor bitter envy and jealousy toward our Lord."
"Figured as much."
"Though this assumes these 'gods' actually exist, of course."
Just as Lee Soo-bin shook water from her hands and asked, "Want some fruit?"—
[I'm so exhausted now, buzzing bee~♬]
[Waiting's worn me out, buzzing bee~♬]
Her phone, left alone on the table, suddenly rang with its default tone.
"Huh? Who'd call at this hour?"
Muttering to herself, Lee Soo-bin wiped her hands dry on her shirt and checked the caller ID.
"Oh? The convenience store owner? What could—"
After answering, she exchanged brief words with the caller.
"T-t-tomorrow?!"
Startled, her gaze shifted to Crabsley, who'd just emerged from a room.
"My lady, did you wish to speak with me—"
Holding up a wait-a-minute finger, Lee Soo-bin responded politely to the caller:
"Yes, sir. I'll let him know the interview is scheduled for 3 PM tomorrow at the store. If there are any changes—"
After several "Yes, yes" responses and a nod, she concluded:
"Yes, sir. Thank you for your consideration."
Ending the call, she muttered "Oh dear, what to do..." before addressing Crabsley directly:
"Sir, would you be available for a job interview tomorrow?"
"Pardon?"
"For the convenience store part-time position we discussed."
Meanwhile, Kim Bong-gu lay on his hospital bed, deep in thought.
'What the hell is even going on?'
After miraculously surviving the Calamity-grade Gate, he'd been swarmed by stationed reporters.
Bombarded with endless questions, he'd rambled incoherently for what felt like ages...
Ultimately, with the Bureau's assistance, he'd been admitted—free of charge—to the Awakened-exclusive hospital's VIP suite.
Not that Kim Bong-gu needed hospitalization; his injuries weren't severe enough to warrant it. He'd refused vehemently, but...
Bureau officials had insisted on comprehensive tests, concerned about potential internal injuries despite his outwardly fine appearance.
Now blinking dumbly in his spacious room, Kim Bong-gu marveled:
"Calling this a hospital room is an insult—it's nicer than my apartment."
Floor-to-ceiling windows offered panoramic views of Seoul's skyline and the Han River.
The marble floors exuded luxury at every step.
The thought of his comatose mother in a shared ward suddenly dampened his mood.
"I wonder how much a day here costs..."
As Kim Bong-gu muttered to himself—
Creeeak.
The door opened to reveal a sharply dressed middle-aged man.
"Likely three million won."
The man answered in a sonorous voice while neatly arranging a fruit basket and drink set he'd brought on the bedside table.
"Minor discounts apply for longer stays, though the savings are negligible."
Kim Bong-gu could only stare wide-eyed in response.
"May I sit?"
Swallowing hard, Kim Bong-gu stammered:
"D-Director Seo Do-cheol? Of the Bureau?"
His unannounced visitor was none other than—
"Good to see you again."
Seo Do-cheol, the highest authority of the Awakened and Gate Management Bureau.