A Fan's Devotion
Meanwhile, Lupinus spoke in a serious tone. "Mia, what was the state of the world you lived in?"
"Due to the invasion of the Great Demon King Gainax, our world was pushed to the very brink of destruction..." Mia said, her face clouded with sorrow as she explained that her world, including Elysium, was in a dire state.
"Eee~? Gainax! I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before!" Akemi exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the familiar name.
"Dummy, don't butt in right now. Just stay quiet!" Mari scolded, quickly reining her in after reading the room, even though Akemi had brightened up at the mention of the name.
"In any case, the important thing is that Mamon's portal swallowed you up, Mia, right when your world was on the verge of ruin. And that's how you ended up here." Meanwhile, Yunjae summarized the situation. Even if he lacked a proper sense of vigilance toward Mamon, he seemed determined to grasp the current circumstances accurately.
"Yes..." Mia murmured.
"But what could the reason be? Why did Mamon send you here of all places?" If there was a lingering question, it was why Mamon had sent her to this world.
"Perhaps it was an unexpected accident," Lupinus suggested.
"Huh?"
"Since Yunjae blew up the dimensional travel hub, it might have caused a glitch. Mamon probably intended to prepare a new messenger, but with the hub space gone, the portals themselves must have become unstable." For once, Lupinus displayed the sharp insight befitting a goddess!
"That actually sounds plausible. I met Mamon through a similar process, after all." Rosamy nodded in agreement. Having previously met Mamon through a black portal under similar circumstances, and having once served as the manager of that very hub space, she found the theory highly convincing.
"In that case, were those monsters chasing you all the way from Elysium, Mia?"
"No. They appeared through a dimensional gate immediately after I arrived here." Mia let out a heavy sigh, clearly pained by the memory. "Right after we crossed over, everyone else ended up like that... so I had no choice but to run away alone." The guards who had protected her had already perished during the dimensional transit. As Mia gave her answer, still visibly shaken by the chaotic events, Yunjae turned his gaze to Rosamy.
"I suspect Mamon originally planned to use Mia as a new messenger, but when an unexpected variable occurred, those monsters were sent to retrieve her. I've never seen those monsters in Mamon Saga, and I assume you haven't either, Rosamy?" Yunjae analyzed the situation with surprising calmness.
"Yes. I've never seen those monsters before either." There were still questions regarding the nature of these new monsters, but it wasn't something they could solve on their own.
"In any case, I agree with Yunjae. Mamon likely intended to destroy Elysium, seize their Saintess, and turn her into a messenger." Lupinus expressed her agreement, suggesting they focus on what they could do right now.
"I'm of a similar mind. Even a god isn't perfect, so there are bound to be variables. I mean, just look at this perverted goddess here." Although she wasn't directly involved, Mari had followed the conversation closely and cast her vote in favor of Yunjae's theory.
"Exactly! Lupinus is a dummy goddess!" Taerin chimed in.
"Yeah! And stop kissing my face! You dummy ajumma!"
"Oh, so you want to go, do you? Prepare yourself!"
"Aah! No, I hate it!" Lupinus and Taerin immediately fell back into their usual bickering.
"See? If you look closely, Mamon might have a few loose screws too." Any illusions about the perfection of gods had long since been shattered by Lupinus. At Mari's words, delivered with narrowed eyes, Yunjae nodded blankly.
"Ah! As expected of you, Mari! That is incredibly persuasive!"
"Yunjae! How can a Hero be persuaded by something like that?!" Lupinus huffed.
"Ah, but you really are quite clumsy, Lady Lupinus!" When even her own Hero agreed, what more was there to say?
"Where on earth am I clumsy?! I am absolutely perfect, both in face and figure!"
"You have massive flaws in your morals and personality!" Mari shot back.
"What exactly do you expect from the Goddess of Greed?!" At Lupinus's shameless shout, Mia watched with a thoroughly bewildered expression.
"...Are you truly a goddess and a Hero?"
"Well, the goddess is completely unreliable, but the Hero is quite dependable in his own way. Aside from being a bit of a closet pervert, that is." Mari replied with a gentle smile to Mia's bewildered question.
"Ah! I believe that level of interest is just basic nature for any man, Mari!" Yunjae protested, flustered.
"Quiet! You've been getting way too bold lately!"
"Ah, but I was merely the victim! Why are you blaming me?!" At those words, Mari, who had already made her move on him, blushed furiously.
"I—I don't care! It's all your fault!"
"Ah..." Yunjae blushed in turn.
Watching their romantic atmosphere, Rosamy felt a pang of jealousy, but she quickly suppressed it and expressed her concern with a serious expression, feeling this was no time for such playfulness. "But Mamon wouldn't be this careless..." Even though the circumstances aligned perfectly with their theory and there were no obvious flaws, she still looked deeply uneasy. Perhaps it was because Mamon had reigned over her as an absolute, terrifying existence for so long.
Seeing her fear and anxiety, Yunjae gave her a sympathetic look and gently took Rosamy's hand. "Worrying about things we can't know won't bring us any answers. If our theory is correct, Mamon will eventually show up again. When that happens, we can just defeat Mamon once and for all." At the rapid growth of the Hero—who could now casually hold hands without freezing up—Rosamy's face flushed as she spoke.
"B-but what if that's not the case?" At her serious question, Yunjae crossed his arms and adopted an equally solemn expression. "Even if Mamon sent Mia here for some other purpose, Mamon will eventually have to make a move to achieve it. When that happens, we can just defeat Mamon together."
We can just defeat Mamon together! It was an incredibly simple answer regarding a Demon God who had destroyed three entire worlds, yet there was not a trace of worry or anxiety on Yunjae's smiling face. Though he might look like the most fragile person on the outside, no one had ever reassured her with such absolute confidence. Even the arrogant Domian used to react with sheer terror and irritability whenever Mamon was mentioned.
"...Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful." Overcome by a sudden wave of shyness, Rosamy softened her tone. Yunjae chuckled softly. "Yes, you're absolutely right. With someone as cautious as you around, Rosamy, I have nothing to worry about."
How long had it been since she last received a compliment? Rosamy brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her face turning even redder.
"You tend to take things too lightly," Mari remarked.
"It's good to prepare for things that haven't happened yet, but there's no need to live in fear. There are way too many things I want to do for that!"
"Exactly! We have to save the world, but we can't give up on the things we want to do either!" Lupinus cheered.
"Right!" Perhaps it was because she was the Goddess of Greed, but Yunjae was always in perfect sync with Lupinus on things like this. Still, he wasn't acting without a plan, and since he possessed the power to back it up, he simply came across as a remarkably bright and positive person.
"...Yeah." Perhaps it was only natural that his radiant positivity felt incredibly attractive to Rosamy, who had been steeped in darkness and terror for so long.
"Anyway, Mia, what do you plan to do now?" Rather than dwelling on Mamon's inscrutable schemes, they needed to figure out what to do with this Saintess from another world.
"I..." Mia couldn't find the words to answer Yunjae's question. She still hadn't fully processed what had happened to her, and with all her elven guards dead and herself stranded in an entirely different world, she was understandably overwhelmed by confusion.
"You don't have to rush! You'll need some time to adjust first." Having returned to reality after being trapped in Mamon Saga for 57 years, Yunjae knew firsthand the immense shock of such a transition. How much worse must it be for her, an actual denizen of another world? Her shock would be incomparably greater, and it wouldn't be easy to overcome.
"He's right. Don't push yourself too hard," Mari added gently.
"In any case, if those bastards are targeting Mia, we have to stop them. Portal abilities are extremely dangerous." If Rosamy hadn't trusted Yunjae and joined him, the previous all-out portal assault would have caused catastrophic damage. Only Seoul, where Yunjae resided, would have escaped unscathed. Thus, if Mamon captured Mia and turned her into a new messenger, it would pose a massive threat.
"Yes. For now, we will protect you, Mia. Please take your time to think about what you want to do next, and let us know when you're ready." As Yunjae concluded, Mia looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. She wasn't entirely sure if she could trust this strange group yet, but she clearly placed her faith in Yunjae, the man who had saved her life.
"Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it! Keep your chin up!" Cheered by his encouragement, Mia managed a small smile.
"I don't know how I can ever repay this debt..."
"Ah! No, please! I didn't do it expecting anything in return. So please, don't carry any burden in your heart." At Yunjae's sincere response, Mia looked even more deeply moved.
"Alright, that's enough! Cut it out right there, Oppa!" Akemi chimed in right on cue.
"Ah! Why so suddenly...!"
"What do you mean, why?! The rate at which women are gathering around you is way too fast!"
"But I've always had a lot of girls around me. It's not really anything special..." I used to be a child idol, and I went to an arts high school! Since he had always been surrounded by girls, the Hero's nonchalant reaction left Mari and Akemi looking thoroughly pouty.
"Hmm."
"Somehow, I don't think we can blame this entirely on the perverted goddess." To think a lifelong virgin is this accustomed to women! Though in truth, having grown up in such environments only to be forcibly kept single by his circumstances was probably the more accurate description.
"In any case, what matters most is that this incredibly popular, beautiful boy belongs to me!" Lupinus declared proudly.
"No, you dummy ajumma! Ahjussi is mine!" Taerin protested.
"I still have your left cheek left!"
"Aah! Stop kissing me!"
"No way!" The wicked goddess pulled the protesting Taerin into her arms and began teasing her again. It was at that exact moment.
"Yunjae, come out here quickly." Anton, who had been guarding the outside of the conference room, called out to him with an urgent expression.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"Taejun is looking for you. It's urgent."
"Ah, alright!" Since all their major tasks had been wrapped up, Yunjae tilted his head in confusion as he stepped outside.
"...It seems a rather troublesome situation has arisen." Soon, he was met by the grim face of Taejun, who had personally walked over from his office.
"Guild Leader?" What could it be this time?
"By any chance, did you happen to use flames during the monster subjugation earlier?"
"Ah, yes. Since they were regenerating, Ifrit was the most effective choice..." As he answered, Yunjae glanced at Taejun, realizing what this was about. "Don't tell me... they're linking me to Secretary Trumpkin's death?"
Once the immediate danger had passed, the very first thing the citizens did was film the scene of the Ifrit summoned by Yunjae incinerating the monsters. They knew they were safe the moment he stepped up to eliminate the threats, and they naturally wanted to capture the spectacular sight to show off online. The footage had already spread globally. But that was where the problem lay...
"Wait, did he burn Trumpkin to death too?" Even people who knew absolutely nothing began joking that perhaps Yunjae had been the one to execute Trumpkin. Naturally, those who had attended the meeting that day had also contacted Taejun to raise their suspicions.
"No official statements have been made yet." But did that mean the suspicions were mounting?
"Some have suggested that we need to verify your whereabouts, Mr. Lim Yunjae, at the exact time of Secretary Trumpkin's death."
"Ah... of course..."
"I believe it would be best for us to handle this before rumors get out of hand. People are rarely rational, after all." Yunjae looked slightly surprised by Taejun's swift, proactive response.
"To be honest, I suspect there might be a mastermind behind Secretary Trumpkin's death trying to sow discord. Falling for such cheap tricks and tearing ourselves apart would be a deeply humiliating end for ordinary humans like myself." Before being a powerful mental-type ability user, Taejun was simply an exceptionally capable man. Though his childhood abuse had left him somewhat pessimistic and cynical, he was incredibly rational when it came to professional matters. Now that the survival of humanity was on the line, that rationality was proving to be a positive influence for both Yunjae and everyone else.
"But no matter what we say, they won't believe us. They'll only believe me if we have objective, verifiable proof." Despite his naive appearance, Yunjae also fully understood how the world worked.
"Hmm..." Taejun crossed his arms, lost in thought.
"Actually, there is a way." Yunjae, who had also crossed his arms, spoke as if he had something up his sleeve.
"A way?" Objective evidence to prove his alibi at the time of Trumpkin's death? Had he actually anticipated this and left some kind of trail?
"Well, that is..." It was at that exact moment.
"What are you guys talking about so seriously?" Akemi poked her head out of the conference room, unable to contain her curiosity.
Flash! "My fan, right here!" With a sudden Blink, Yunjae instantly snatched Renge, who had still been spying on them from the adjacent building!
"Pfft!" Taejun, who was surprisingly weak to dad jokes, caught the pun on 'Japan' and burst out laughing.
"I knew you already noticed me!" Caught by Yunjae, Renge looked absolutely thrilled rather than dismayed. There was no way an ability user of his caliber wouldn't have sensed her presence. She had been following him around, her heart fluttering at the thought that he might notice her just once. But when he kept pretending not to know, she had been practically dying for his attention! And now, he had finally acknowledged her! Looking at her shy figure—disguised in horn-rimmed glasses and office attire—Yunjae nodded slowly.
"You took photos of me that day, didn't you?"
"I—I am so sorry! That was actually just for my personal hobby! But the angles were just so perfect...!" She had thought a few paparazzi shots would be fine!
"Ah! No, it's not that. Do you happen to have photos taken at the exact time Secretary Trumpkin died?"
"Ah, of course I do!"
"I need those photos right now! I need your help!" At his words, Renge's face flushed bright red. "Yes! Anything!"
He seems so clumsy, but he's actually all-powerful—I love this trope even more! As she stared at Yunjae with sparkling, adoring eyes, fully channeling her inner fangirl, Taejun watched with a slightly bewildered expression. "She came all the way from Japan, but she really does seem like a genuine fan, not just an investigator."
"I really am a huge fan! Please give me your autograph!"