Chapter 169
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 169: How to Deal with Betrayal (5)
Even though I'm not someone who saves anyone at all. I was curious about that. Sion asked me back, as if he found my question strange.
“Hm? Isn't the Savior-nim the Savior-nim?”
“I mean, why do you think I am the Savior?”
“That's because you are the existence of hope who made it possible to dream of a future different from the previous turn.”
Unexpectedly, it was Choi Borim who answered my question coolly. Unlike when we met before, a very calm atmosphere lingered around her.
“We saw the future. It was a terrible future. A future we never wanted to bring about.”
Her eyes turned to me. I saw eyes standing firm with conviction, not the eyes filled with greed from before.
“That's why we became the Tower God Cult. To avoid the calamity brought down by the Tower, we began to offer prayers to the God of the Tower. And Mihail-nim said you are an Irregular who didn't exist in the previous turn, and that you possess the power to cause miracles.”
“...It's true that I have the power to cause miracles.”
“Right. So we bet everything on you. We will do anything for you.”
She spoke calmly.
“So, give us a future that doesn't perish.”
“A future that doesn't perish….”
“That is the reason we call you the Savior. To us, you are the Savior sent by the God of the Tower.”
“……”
I fell silent at her words. Only now did I understand their, the Tower God Cult's, principle of action all too well. Just as I saw with Tornito in the memory dungeon, if they saw that terrible sight of the other races turning into monsters, they would want to change the future no matter what.
“So… that's what it was.”
So that's why they cooperated with the Wild Hunt to prevent the other races from turning into monsters, and called me the Savior. However, the future they saw was of the 2nd turn. They might not be aware of what happened in the 1st turn. I silently chewed over their desperation for a moment. If I knew that I would die terribly while the world was destroyed, and there was a person with the possibility of changing that future, could I refrain from clinging to that person? It was perfectly natural logic. I felt a corner of my heart becoming uncomfortable. Whether he knew my heart or not, the Fox clapped his hands and gathered our attention.
“Now, let's stop with the serious talk. It's break time, isn't it?”
“It was a necessary conversation.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The Fox, smiling nonchalantly and brushing off my grumbling, soon changed the subject to trivial small talk. I decided to willingly fall for the Tower God Cult leader's obvious trick. Because I wanted him to be able to rest, at least during this time.
And so, the daytime passed with chatter. It was an unexpected schedule, but not a bewildering one. What bewildered me was,
“Noona, are you there?”
The Fox, who suddenly visited my room at night. I opened the door warily because someone knocked late at night, and was surprised to see a familiar face out of nowhere. But the Fox, as if he had expected that too, smiled brightly and waved his hand. Then he spat out some unexpected words.
“Want to go play?”
“...Go play?”
“Yeah. Isn't it stuffy staying inside the building all the time?”
At his words, I pondered for a moment. It was true that I felt stifled staying in my room all the time with nowhere else to go. If I say I'm going out with the leader of the Tower God Cult, I won't be suspected, so it seems perfect. Perhaps my conflict showed on my face, because the Fox naturally took my hand and pulled.
“Don't be like that. We're just going to use teleportation to visit one of our Tower God Culthideouts for a bit.”
“...It's not dangerous, is it? Like running into other people.”
“At most, maybe a believer?”
“That's what I don't like….”
“Ay, I'll send them all away.”
I eventually lost to the Fox's beaming, smiling face.
“...Fine.”
When I sighed and nodded, the Fox smiled brightly.
“Good, then shall we go right away?”
“Wait, my pajamas—”
Before I could say anything, our bodies instantly became transparent and moved into a luxurious room. Judging by the appearance, it seemed to be the Fox's own bedroom. He must have been so excited he didn't even think to give me time to change clothes. The Fox smiled awkwardly.
“Uh… well, this is a bedroom too…?”
“You brat….”
I let out a deep sigh. It was a bedroom that stood out with flashy lighting and golden decorations.
“You live in a nice place?”
“I am the leader of an international religious order, you know. I have a lot of money.”
“Ooh. But where is this?”
“A Safe Zone within South Korea.”
“Be more specific.”
“It's Busan.”
Busan. It was certainly the innermost Safe Zone. And it was also the place with the best security.
“Security is being handled by CCTV and the believers.”
“I see—”
But what caught my eye wasn't those facts or decorations, but the large terrace window that took up an entire wall. I carefully opened the window and moved step by step toward the terrace. At that moment, as I stared entranced at the large full moon I hadn't seen in a long time—
“—Leader-nim, there is a report.”
Someone's voice cut off my concentration. I saw the Fox, who had been watching me with a pleased look, frown deeply.
“I am currently with a precious guest. If it isn't urgent, report tomorrow morning.”
“Yes. Understood.”
It felt awkward to hear the Fox speak to the person outside the door in such a cold voice. Because he had never spoken to me in that tone. I smiled playfully for no reason and said.
“Ooh, Mihail~ You know how to talk like that too?”
“...What does Noona take me for?”
The Fox grumbled, blushing slightly as if embarrassed.
“What else, my cute younger brother.”
“…….”
At those words, the Fox turned his head away as if sulking and said.
“...I'm not a kid anymore.”
“You're still young to me.”
Giggling, I turned my gaze outside again. A cool winter breeze blew gently, brushing past the hem of my pajamas. I wondered if it was a bit cold, but thanks to the thick fur pajamas, it was bearable. The Fox strode over to my side. He closed the terrace window and leaned against the door, muttering.
“Noona.”
“Yeah.”
“I had a really hard time, you know?”
“I thought so.”
“I missed the orphanage family so much, but if I did that, everyone would be in danger, so I held it in.”
“Yeah. You worked hard, my brother.”
I carefully patted the Fox's shoulder. Then, the Fox seemed to pause, and soon began to unravel his story disjointedly.
“I missed everyone so much. Living there, I gained many younger siblings, older sisters, and older brothers… but they all died.”
“Must have been hard.”
“Yeah.”
“You must have been angry.”
“Extremely. But, more than that… I missed Noona the most.”
Before I knew it, I was in his arms. He hugged me tight and muttered in a wet voice.
“I was scared. Scared I would never see Noona again.”
“…….”
“I was scared. Scared I would die the next day.”
“...I see.”
Unable to think of anything to say, I just focused on patting the Fox and reacting in fragments. You must have been scared. Right. You did your best… As I said those words and patted his back, his body began to tremble faintly. He was crying.
“I missed you….”
“...Me too.”
His true feelings flowed out with his tears. Here, only after reaching his own space, could he finally speak his true feelings. I gently stroked his weak side. He was indeed my younger brother. A weak and lovely younger brother I had to protect.
“It's okay now. You have Noona.”
So I whispered to him that it would be okay.
“I'll make it okay.”
I told him I would be his Savior.
“Un….”
The Fox hugged me tight and sobbed. I wanted to cry, but I didn't. I couldn't show a crying face to him who was leaning on me.
He cried for a long time, and only stopped after a while. Perhaps because he cried too much, he started hiccuping, and I started to tease him.
“Oh my, our Fox~ You're still a baby, a baby~”
“I'm not a baby.”
“Really? Where did the Mr. Mihail go who was crying in front of Noona just now?”
At those words, the Fox pouted with a dissatisfied expression and hiccuped. I giggled and told him to drink some water.
“...Should I.”
He glared at me but went inside to drink water. I glanced at his retreating figure, then approached the terrace railing again. Above the darkness that had swallowed and hidden the infinite stars, the full moon was still emitting a clear light. I looked at the empty air for a moment, then lowered my head and placed my hands on the terrace railing, and saw several mansions built down below. It seemed this place was indeed built in a Safe Zone.
“It's pretty.”
“Right? To build a base in a place like this, you guys have some nerve~”
“Yes. Maybe that's why everyone didn't expect it…???”
What? I turned my head at the sudden voice of someone. No, to be precise, I tried to turn it. Until someone threw a sack over me.
“Mmph-mph—!!!”
My vision spun. Before I could do anything, I felt handcuffs being placed on my arms. I felt my whole body being lifted by a fierce wind.
“Noona!”
The Fox, realizing the situation late, ran out, but it seemed too late.
Swish—!!
I heard the sound of him shooting threads, but the assailant skillfully blew all of them away with the wind, floated me in the air, and put me in her arms.
“Nyahaha! Junior get! Just sleep for a moment, Junior!”
Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, I lost consciousness.