Of Course a Saintess Is Connected to God (2)
Of Course a Saintess Is Connected to God (2)
[Junior, you really... haa.]
A holographic video call window. In a tranquil office, Lee Ji-yeon held back a sigh and let her shoulders sag.
[I swear, the moment I take my eyes off you, you get tangled up in trouble... I step away for just a moment over the weekend and...]
[I didn't intend for it to happen this way either...]
[Yes, yes, I'm perfectly aware it isn't your fault, junior. Still... I suppose I'm just baffled by the timing.]
Clasping her hands together and resting her chin on them, Lee Ji-yeon let out a hollow laugh.
I nodded along at the remark about the utterly uncanny timing.
While I had been repairing the Reverse Side over the weekend, Lee Ji-yeon had gone down to the Taesan Territory to handle critical business.
The foodstuffs and natural materials cultivated in the Taesan Territory were unmatched in both yield and quality.
But the damn rampage of the Tower Master of the Dead had severely damaged the earth veins, and internal family turmoil had piled on top of it, temporarily restricting the outward distribution of goods.
That was one of the reasons the prices of various foodstuffs and materials had spiked recently.
There'd been plenty of wailing from the outside, but in the meantime, the Taesan Family had been steadily getting the situation in order, with Lee Ji-yeon at the center of it.
The turmoil would be brought fully under control with the inheritance ceremony as the turning point.
Lee Ji-yeon had already been carrying out the duties of a clan head.
Namely, the management of the earth veins.
The head of the Taesan Family bore the duty of tending to and stewarding the territory's earth veins.
That was why Lee Ji-yeon had spent the weekend stationed at the life vein with the Taesan Pure Life Unit, working to revive the earth veins.
...And, of course, that was the exact moment I got flung here.
[I honestly thought I was going to lose my mind. I was in the middle of a detailed Harmonization. If it had been anything less, even the Chonggwalju would've kept quiet, but she came rushing in all flustered—do you have any idea what she said?]
[I... heard about it earlier...]
[Hoo... Just thinking about it now still makes my heart pound.]
Lee Ji-yeon closed her eyes, a chill still lingering in her expression, and placed a hand on her voluptuous chest. I had nothing to say and let my head hang slightly.
I'd already heard all about it from the Taesan Chonggwalju.
She'd nearly flipped over the earth vein management—something that would've been catastrophic to abandon midway—and bolted.
If I hadn't frantically called her and pleaded desperately for her to stop, things would have gone terribly wrong...
[I'm relieved to hear you weren't injured. When I heard it was a 2nd Rank, I was terribly worried.]
[...You saw me beat the Tower Master back then too, didn't you?]
[Happiness]
[Pride Hurt]
Lee Ji-yeon's worried reaction made me feel apologetic, yet a small, pleasant tickle nestled somewhere in my chest.
But for some reason, my pride was a little wounded too.
A 2nd Rank is strong, sure, but this time I won perfectly without a scratch.
[No matter how strong you get, junior, you're the type who'll always make me worry.]
[Hing.]
Given my spectacular track record, that was a hard statement to deny.
When I made a teary face, Lee Ji-yeon let out a giggle. The way the corners of her eyes softened looked like someone seeing something adorable.
[I got in touch while I was at it, since I've nearly finished the earth vein Harmonization.]
[That's a relief.]
[It is. Once the succession ceremony is done, there'll be no problem restoring the output quantities.]
This would be news worth toasting for the mages and manufacturers who'd been screaming lately about the drought of natural materials.
Lee Ji-yeon had been studying me with gentle eyes for a while when she suddenly spoke.
[What should we do about the Tower? Shall we leave it as is?]
[Mm...]
When Lee Ji-yeon mentioned a Tower in the Taesan Territory, there was only one.
The Tower of the Dead, left behind at the death vein in the territory's southern part. More precisely, a severed piece of the Tower of the Dead.
The analysis showed it hadn't been destroyed by force. It had been split off from within, using the Tower Master's authority.
'Probably ripped off by that Earth Dragon bastard when it escaped... Too bad for it that the 12th Iteration ambushed it before it could unravel the restrictions.'
The Tower remaining in the Taesan Territory represented roughly sixty percent or more. A larger share, in other words, than the Tower of the Dead that the 12th Iteration had seized.
Its functions were also operating normally. With the Tower Master dead, the position sat vacant. Anyone with the aptitude and qualifications ought to be able to claim it.
[Do you think I could become the Tower Master?]
Lee Ji-yeon seemed to have reached the same prediction.
[The title is Tower of the Dead, and the Authority is of the Necromancy Type. Wouldn't that mean I'm qualified?]
[...That's probably true.]
[In that case, I suppose I could simply take it for myself. Though of course, if you wanted it, junior, I'd hand it over...]
Lee Ji-yeon, who'd been murmuring like it was no great matter, swept her gaze over my complexion as shown through the hologram and shrugged.
[It seems you'd like me to claim it too, junior.]
[Erm...]
[Truth]
She was right.
The Tower of the Dead was a powerful tool and an invasion weapon. It couldn't just be left abandoned indefinitely in the Taesan Territory.
Giving it to someone else felt unsettling, and smashing it directly felt like a waste.
But if it was Lee Ji-yeon, I could trust her.
[...Would you truly be all right with it?]
Even so, I hesitated, feeling somehow like I was pushing a burden onto her.
[What reason is there not to be all right? How many people in this world would dislike being handed power?]
After studying my expression, Lee Ji-yeon chuckled, then murmured with a teasing smile as if she were loosening up her neck.
[Looks like because I chose my husband well, I might just obtain a Tower. I'll be reaping a prize worthy of being called the greatest in the family's history...]
[...Ahem.]
Heat crept up my neck at the embarrassing remark. When I let out an awkward cough, only then did Lee Ji-yeon laugh clearly.
[Well, we don't need to finalize anything immediately, so let's think about it slowly. So you don't need to feel too burdened either, junior—]
- Knock knock
Lee Ji-yeon's words cut off at the sound of a knock.
Her gaze in the hologram shifted toward the door. I turned my head, silently excusing myself.
I pressed the Magic Tool placed beside me, and the door slid open softly.
It was Lee Ha-sol who had knocked.
"Ha-yul, I was about to go out soon... Ah, were you on a call?"
Lee Ha-sol, pausing mid-sentence, saw Lee Ji-yeon projected in the hologram and blinked in surprise, then smiled softly and inclined her head.
"I apologize for interrupting your call."
[Oh, don't worry about a little thing like that. I was just finishing what I had to say anyway.]
Lee Ji-yeon waved a hand and smiled gently. Then she suddenly looked Lee Ha-sol up and down and continued speaking.
[Is that outfit the Tower Faith's attire?]
"Yes, that's right. There are several types, and this one is the sort you wear casually as everyday clothes."
Lee Ha-sol was dressed in a long, loose white garment.
It resembled what was commonly called a jangbaekui—a long white robe. It was a generously cut overgarment reaching down to the ankles, tied at the waist with a sash.
"I used to wear it often long ago, but it feels a little awkward now, putting it on again."
Smiling self-consciously, Lee Ha-sol adjusted the sleeves.
[Didn't you say it was everyday wear?]
"It's not combat gear. When I joined the order's subjugation squad, I'd wear comfortable clothes separately and put armor over them."
[Ah-ha.]
She hadn't worn it the first day since she'd been thrown straight into combat, but now that things were more or less sorted out, she must have put it on.
"Yeah... Hm, now that I mention it, it does feel a little tight..."
As I nodded along, Lee Ha-sol fiddled with the sash with an ambiguous expression.
[Is it something you used to wear back then?]
"No, I keep those stored separately. This is a new set I received, but—did I get one that's a bit small?"
When she gripped the sash and pulled, the garment clung to her body, vividly outlining the already striking curves of her chest, hips, and waist.
"Ah, I pulled it too tight again..."
[Mm...]
[......]
The garment itself was plenty generous. It was just that certain specific areas appeared to be overly large.
Watching her fumble with the sash and struggle, I rose from my chair and approached Lee Ha-sol.
[Let me help you. Please turn around for a moment.]
"Ah, thank you."
Lee Ha-sol, whose cheeks had been flushing as she looked down at her prominent chest, turned around.
The back was just as scandalous as the front.
"Yeah..."
I had to press myself close against Lee Ha-sol's back and wrap my arms around her waist just to get a grip on the belt.
Holding the belt, I felt along it carefully, and I engraved a spell formula directly into the garment itself.
I broke down the formula that was already there and personally engraved a sizing-adjustment formula. As I touched the belt and channeled mana into it, the clothes resized themselves to fit her body properly.
Lee Ha-sol's eyes went round as she looked down at herself.
"Whoa... you fixed it with magic?"
[Yes yes, as long as it's not for combat, it should work semi-permanently]
Since it wasn't combat gear in the first place, it probably wouldn't need that anyway.
Though while I was at it, I also engraved a few convenience magic formulas.
"Thank you, Ha-yul."
[It's nothing, really]
"Heh heh, you seem pretty proud of yourself for 'nothing.'"
I stepped back and puffed out my shoulders with an ahem.
Lee Ha-sol, who had been inspecting the clothes, covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled at my antics.
Her uncovered pale green eyes curved into crescents. Stretching out both hands, Lee Ha-sol drew my head close and gently cradled it against her chest.
- Squish...
The soft fabric tickled my face. It was like a blanket. Not too thick, it conveyed a plush, warm sensation perfectly.
"Seriously, thank you so much for helping."
With a bright smile, Lee Ha-sol placed a hand on my head. The gentle touch, tidying and brushing through my hair, made a bashful smile tug at my lips.
[Yeah... it's nice...]
[Must be nice, liking it so much]
[Hyaak...!]
The voice from behind made my shoulders jolt. Startled, I turned my head... and my Observation turned too.
Inside the hologram projected above the desk, Lee Ji-yeon was smiling slightly, resting her chin on one hand.
[How nice for you, having your mommy hug you like that. Did your mommy give you a nice full meal?]
"Ahaha... it isn't mealtime yet."
[Oh, really? I'm pretty sure my junior has her own separate meal arrangements...]
"Aheh, my apologies..."
Her neck flushing crimson, Lee Ha-sol grabbed my wrist.
* * *
With a Clear Lightning Flash, Sicarius and the Grade 1 Dungeon had been neatly finished off together, but the rampage wasn't over.
The reason the chain rampage was such a pain was that the smaller dungeons were propping each other up, sustaining the outbreak.
It was different from the Sipnaha incident.
Back then, the dungeon grades were low and their number was small, so killing the Alpha Alpine Aeros had ended it.
This chain rampage was on a completely different scale.
'Though I suppose it's fine, since I wiped out the main force completely.'
Sicarius, a 2nd Rank being who had led the army corps as its legion commander, was dead, and the monsters it had led to invade the city had been annihilated.
All that remained was to deal with the surviving monsters and destroy the cores of the rampaging dungeons.
It was an issue Lee Ha-yul could resolve quickly, but since solving absolutely everything felt excessive, I'd stopped after dealing with Sicarius.
If the rampage had completely swallowed the city, I would have resolved it as fast as possible, but the Authority of Space had excluded Erteria from the spatial isolation.
Thanks to that, the Gate was operating normally, so there was no worry about shortages of supplies or reinforcements.
"To sum up, it means a hunting ground that offers both safety and profit has opened up."
[A hunting ground... that's an apt description though]
At Lee Ha-sol's explanation, Lee Ha-yul wore an ambiguous expression.
She wasn't wrong; the Gate Terminal was bursting with people.
Not civilians evacuating back and forth, but superhumans arriving in Erteria.
From mid-sized clans to large faction units. From individual superhumans to small teams, a wide variety was observed.
"It's a rampaging dungeon, so monsters will be swarming, but the front line is extremely stable, and there's even a Gate to guarantee supply and retreat... need I say more?"
[I get that, but they sure come without any fear. A 2nd Rank was here just yesterday...]
Just because I had smashed the Tower Master of the Dead and Bitter Cold didn't mean a 2nd Rank was a joke.
Even Sicarius, commonly classified as an assassin-type, possessed monstrous physical levels and mana.
If it had been a 2nd Rank of the type that bulldozes opponents head-on with sheer output, it would have been worse.
This was a battlefield where such a monster had appeared, and no matter that it was already dead...
"But the person who crushed that 2nd Rank without a single scratch is right here."
Lee Ha-sol placed a hand on my head and stroked it. I found myself grinning mindlessly before I caught myself, remembering the surrounding gazes, and composed my expression.
[...I was in the rear though]
"You'd intervene if it got dangerous, wouldn't you?"
[W-well, yes, but... I, wait, stop patting...]
Her constant touch was making my facial muscles disobey me. As I flailed my arms weakly, Heavenly Thunder reacted.
The Heavenly Thunder gathered in the sky fell precisely upon a target with pinpoint output.
- CRACK-BOOM!
A single bolt of Heavenly Thunder struck the city outskirts. I observed people filming from the streets and building rooftops flinch in unison.
"...You're demonstrating your presence by dropping lightning like that, so what do you mean?"
[Uuuugh...]
"Why else would people be calling you the Thunder God【雷神】or the Heavenly God【天神】?"
[Gyaaak...]
A Thunder God! And a Heavenly God! Words that tickled the ears made me feel like my hands and feet were curling up in cringe.
[A god... isn't that kind of statement blasphemous in a religious city like this?]
"The Tower Faith doesn't really have a concept of 'heresy【異端】'. Besides, anything directed at Ha-yul wouldn't pose a doctrinal problem anyway..."
As Lee Ha-yul shivered slightly, Lee Ha-sol held out a hologram.
It was a short video taken of the city walls from afar.
The footage showed Lee Ha-yul, wreathed in Heavenly Thunder that branched out like discharging electricity, the twelve wings fluttering as he landed on the edge of the ramparts.
The sight felt impossibly sacred and beautiful.
The area being filmed was deathly quiet; the occasional exclamation or curse captured in the recording was filled with shock and admiration.
[.......]
I always perceive this through Observation, but seeing it from the outside, it really feels like every single action gets packaged into something incredible.
No, it's not a feeling. It's the truth.
Because I have the Innate Talent of the All-Rounder.
The more the All-Rounder grows, the more not only my appearance but that atmospheric packaging intensifies...
"There was also that time you restrained those criminals and handed them over, remember. Thanks to that, a rumor is quietly spreading that Ha-yul is quite solemn and strict... apparently..."
[Ugnnn...]
[Happiness]
[Deep Satisfaction]
Lee Ha-sol's face, mid-explanation, grew peculiar.
After having his head patted, Lee Ha-yul's resistance had gradually faded, and now he was smiling blissfully, happier than anyone in the world.
The sight contrasted too sharply with the video she'd played earlier.
Lee Ha-yul, sternly punishing the sinners. That calm, emotionless face had been wreathed in sanctity.
And now, in comparison? Just because his head was patted a bit, he was smiling brightly like a sunflower, and if she quietly opened her arms a little—
- Snug
[Softness]
[Good]
He reflexively snuggled right into her embrace.
The sight of him burying his face in her chest, acting spoiled, was so utterly precious.
The unusually heavy display of babying today naturally brought a warm smile to her face, but the blatant attention pouring in from their surroundings made her cheeks flush delicately.
Especially her fellow Tower Faith devotees.
Sharing a religion didn't mean she was acquainted with them all, but because they were fellow believers, she couldn't ignore them. Their gazes in particular were incredibly ambiguous, which made it all the more distracting.
"Hrm, ahem..."
Still, she didn't stop Lee Ha-yul from staying in her arms.
On the contrary, clearing her throat, she simply opened her embrace wider so he could settle more comfortably.
"...Maybe it really is a split personality."
More than a god, he's definitely a baby who loves to be spoiled.
Trailing off, Lee Ha-sol soothed Lee Ha-yul with a calm, smoothing caress.
To the onlookers, the scene appeared astonishingly benevolent.