Chapter 95
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 95
Sunday morning.
Back to my normal routine, I got up at dawn and headed to the fitness training center.
I was standing in front of the treadmill, towel around my neck, setting the speed and distance, just about to hit the start button.
"You showed up today. I was wondering when you'd come."
Baek Sa-young poked his head in and acted friendly.
His outfit was a sleeveless compression shirt and knee-length shorts, practically the uniform of gym rats.
But is this the protagonist's halo.......
On anyone else it would be an eyesore, but on this bastard it actually looks good.
It's because of his pretty-boy face and unusual build.
His muscles were taut and defined, not excessive but solid-looking, and I couldn't help but admire them.
"Why are you staring so hard? Did I get something on me?"
"You've got laver on you."
"Laver?"
"Handsome."
"What the hell. You still half asleep?"
Baek Sa-young let out a baffled laugh.
And so, for a little while, I passed the time trading jokes with Baek Sa-young.
It definitely felt like things had gotten a bit more comfortable since we went into the magic space together.
While we were talking, I asked about the Heavenly Sword.
"How's the sword?"
"Ah, that. I still don't really know. It seems good, but it's dull and heavy....... It doesn't feel like holding a sword."
Well, that figures. Right now it's basically at club level.
Since it's an evolution-type Armament, he won't feel much of an advantage early on.
But I can't help him beyond this.
The Heavenly Sword evolves in proportion to his achievement level in Martial God Physique and Attribute Conversion, so from here on, only his own effort is the answer.
"Once you finish running, want to work out togeth—"
"Not happening."
I turned down Baek Sa-young's invitation without a moment's hesitation.
Because if a crow tries to follow a stork, its legs will split.
"Keep the running simple, and focus your workout on weights. And the load is everything. Even if it's hard, you have to keep increasing it."
Baek Sa-young spouted that meathead nonsense as if giving advice, but I waved my hands and shooed him off.
"Everything, my ass. What are you, Lee Dae-ho......."
I snorted and reset my posture.
No matter what anyone says, I go my own way, and I'm too set in that to push myself recklessly.
This body has no talent whatsoever, so just reaching average is enough. Raising stamina is actually more efficient than building strength.
Well, scientifically speaking, stamina only improves when supported by strength.......
But from my standpoint, cardio is just as important as weights.
As long as I don't get exhausted, I can throw a dagger at any time.
"Whoa......."
"......Whoa."
That was the moment when untimely exclamations rang out.
The training room, which had been all shouts and exertion, filled with strange cheers, and the commotion soon caused an even bigger commotion.
"She's a menace in person."
"Is she even the same species?"
As people started taking notice one by one, even the gym veterans who normally never moved set down their barbells and looked toward the entrance.
"What's going on?"
It was an uncommon occurrence, so I also craned my neck to look toward the source of the commotion.
Trudge, trudge—
Just then, footsteps became audible.
The stride and the force against the floor were regular and neat, and I felt they were quite familiar.
A single ray of light descended on the gloomy training room, as if someone had aimed a spotlight, and the saturation around that person alone seemed turned all the way up.......
"Does a saintess even work out?"
"Of course she does, dumbass. She's human."
It was all Reina.
It was because the most famous person at Taehak these days had appeared.
But is this right?
I tilted my head at the uncanny timing.
From the comprehensive training ground yesterday to the fitness training room today.
It was too much to write off as coincidence, since our paths kept overlapping.
Meanwhile, Reina stepped into this area lined with treadmills.
"......!"
"Huh?"
Then she spotted me and gave a small nod.
She greeted me awkwardly, then abruptly changed course and stopped in front of a nearby machine, as if that machine had been her destination from the start.
.......
But of all things, it was an inversion table.
A machine where you lie on the board, secure your feet, press the button, and the board tilts upright until you're in a handstand position.
It's known to be good for blood circulation and lumbar discs.
But Reina on that? And as a warm-up, no less?
It was so unnatural that I ended up speaking to her.
"Are you going to use that?"
If she had followed me in and suddenly ran into me, and that was why she was acting like this, I meant to stop her.......
But Reina continued calmly.
"......Yes. It's an exercise machine I use regularly."
"That thing?"
But does the Vatican even have inversion tables?
Well, they live in the same world as people, so if she says they do, I can't argue.
"Is there a problem?"
"No. Don't mind me."
I wasn't entirely convinced, but I decided not to pry further.
Who does she think she is, butting in— Are you two close— I could teach you better when it comes to working out— and so on.
The men's grumbling and glinting stares were painfully sharp.
Besides, if she herself says she uses it regularly, questioning it would be rude.
"Enjoy your inversion table."
"Yes? ......Yes."
I withdrew my attention and pressed the start button firmly. I began jogging lightly.
Breathing in a four-count rhythm, hoo-hoo-ha-ha—
Meanwhile, Reina hung herself on the inversion table with somewhat clumsy movements.
Whirrrr— As the machine rotated with a mechanical sound, she flinched in surprise.
Once she fully transitioned into the handstand position, she let out an "oh" of admiration.
I didn't mean to look, but I saw it.
Because it was reflected in the full-length mirror in front of the treadmill.......
['Greed' says that woman's objective is you.]
I staggered for a second, then shouted internally.
Hey, you little shit, why don't you get back inside already?
Who do you think she came all the way here because of?
['Greed' says there is no need to worry.]
[It boasts that it made up its mind and erased its presence, so it cannot be sensed.]
......Really?
Just in case, I glanced at Reina.
Fortunately, Reina was still hanging there like a bat.
Apart from her face turning red from good blood circulation, she looked composed.......
* * *
Reina's tailing(?) continued after the morning.
When I stopped by the student cafeteria for a late breakfast and early lunch, peek.
When I went to the comprehensive training ground after eating, and when I came out, peek.
"......."
She may be naive from lack of social experience, but she isn't the type to be this blunt and simple-minded.
If I left it like this, I had no idea how long she'd follow me around.
So I made up my mind. I would ask her directly.
There were two main things I was curious about.
The method by which she followed me without fail wherever I went, and the reason.
To go that far over Satan's energy, it was too extreme.
I turned my steps away from the dormitory.
I headed toward the food alley west of Taehak's main building, where restaurants and cafes were clustered—
[Eulpaso Bakery & Cafe]
I entered the bakery that Reina had been captivated by on her last visit.
Despite the name, it's a famous eatery, and the taste is incredible.
I swept up the bakery's signature menu item, the Jindaebeop bread, every last one.
There were about a dozen, but it didn't feel like enough. I'd meant to buy at least thirty.
Anyway, after securing a table, I opened the door and went back outside.
Toward the presence that couldn't bring herself to come in and was lingering nearby, I called out.
"It's hot out, and following me around must be tiring. Come in and have some bread."
"......."
Naturally, there was no answer.
But I know Reina too well.
"You've already been caught, so let's talk. I bought more than ten of the breads you enjoyed last time, you know?"
Would an exalted saintess reveal herself over a mere ten pieces of bread?
—If you think that, you're mistaken.
Saintess or princess, a character's setting is that person's essence.
It's like a disposition that cannot be rationally resisted.
I began counting in my head. Just past five seconds.
"......Since when did you know?"
From behind the building, a head of lovely silver hair peeked out.
I couldn't say "Since yesterday," so for now I gestured toward the cafe.
Reina shuffled in after me.
A little later, we sat facing each other across a table piled high with bread.
"First, please eat."
"Yes."
Reina reached out with both hands without hesitation.
Perhaps because she felt more at ease now that she'd been caught, she opened her mouth wide and took a big bite of bread, chewing thoroughly as if savoring it.
I waited until she finished one whole piece, then casually spoke.
"Why do you keep tailing me? You're not someone with time to spare."
At that, Reina naturally withdrew the hand that had been reaching for a new piece of bread.
Ahem— She cleared her throat, then spoke.
"Because of Satan."
"Satan?"
Satan again?
Hearing it actually said made me frustrated, and my voice rose.
"No, that was just a brief moment back then......."
"It was not back then. I felt it once more recently."
"What?"
At the somewhat unexpected answer, I tilted my head.
Recently? That can't be.
Reina brushed the breadcrumbs from her lips, then continued with a more serious expression.
"On the last day of midterms, Satan appeared once more. Judging by the aura it gave off, it was the same one as before."
"Ah......."
I nodded as if I understood with a bitter smile.
Because I had a rough sense of what had happened.
It was probably an accident that occurred in the process of absorbing the Azure Tiger's corrupted mana.
It was only for a moment, but I did use the power of Greed.
['Greed' says it could not be helped.]
I know. It's not your fault.
It was a problem caused by the uniquely sensitive demon-subduing nature of Divine Power.
Wasn't it an extremely faint presence that even So Yi-hyeon or Lee Taek-jin hadn't noticed?
The Vatican is a group that is uniquely sensitive to demonic things.
Not only tangible Demonic Energy, but also intangible abstract qualities.
They call even masses of negative or minus emotions Satan, all together.
This is deeply related to the Day of Punishment, which can be called the root of this World Setting, and the background in which Demons are said to have appeared.
The Vatican is an organization that exists to prevent the rampage of Demons and save humanity.
That was the "purpose" of the Vatican as set by Yoo So-young.
.......
But I don't know the specifics about Demons either. Yoo So-young probably doesn't either.
Occasionally traces of Demons appear, and they influenced Reina's painful past and the reason she had no choice but to become a saintess.......
In the end, Demons are a distant endpoint.
It's a far-off setting that exists beyond Episode 532, so there was no discussion of it at all.
['Greed' says there is no need to look far.]
[It says that it itself is the demon's.......]
Ah, enough. What kind of Demon are you?
If you were a Demon, I'd already be dead from Demonic Energy encroachment. I literally planted you inside my body.
[.......]
Still, it's probably something like a strong and rare coagulation of a specific emotion.
Greed itself isn't a benevolent emotion, so Reina classified it as Satan.
Anyway, it was just as I was about to resume the conversation.
Bzzzz.
The phone on the table vibrated, and I glanced down to check the caller.
[Caller: Choi Cheol-soo.]
But Cheol-soo?
"Just a moment."
Suddenly remembering the favor I'd asked of him, I quickly checked the message.
[Ha-yul. Found some fairly interesting information. Recently.......]
The moment I read Cheol-soo's message, I shot to my feet.
It was ambiguous, but it didn't seem like something I could just let slide.
"Sorry, but something urgent came up, so I think I need to go now."
"...R...right now?"
Reina's already large eyes went round.
Her face looked like she was about to say, "Let's just go next time."
But there's no way I'd do that.
In fact, it looked different to me.
According to Cheol-soo's text, a full-blown brawl was likely to break out, and wasn't an apostle of justice right beside me?
So I asked.
"Want to come along? I'll have the bread wrapped up for you."