Chapter 449: Ally or Enemy (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 449: Ally or Enemy (3)
My perception of the organization known as the Guardians had changed dramatically.
Just a moment ago, I’d thought of them as a group of idealists who fought the Seven Deadly Sins with nothing but good intentions, silently walking their own path even when no one acknowledged them. A group of people who were written as “seekers of truth” but should have been read as “suckers.”
But it seemed I was wrong.
-“In my heart, I’d like to give it to you without asking for anything in return, but I’m sorry. The Elixir is not my personal property, but the property of the Guardians.”
Her words revealed that the Guardians possessed assets collected in the organization’s name.
And if an Elixir was one of them, it meant they had amassed an incredible collection of treasures.
Now I understood what the Saintess had meant.
When she said she would ensure I was rewarded for my efforts… she really had the means to back it up, didn't she?
My heart began to pound.
An Elixir.
It seemed too great a reward for mere “effort,” and a wave of concern washed over me.
What kind of mission would warrant an Elixir as compensation?
“Could I hear the mission details first?”
-“Of course.”
The Guardians.
As an organization that opposed the Seven Deadly Sins, the nature of their missions was obvious.
It would be to eliminate one of the Seven Deadly Sins whose location had been identified, or someone closely related to them.
-“As it happens, an individual presumed to be the Apostle of ‘Sloth,’ Pigritia, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, has been discovered in the Republic of Korea, where you are, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
Sloth.
Among the seven sinful emotions, Sloth didn’t just refer to simple laziness.
It was a stage of refusal that went beyond mere reluctance.
Those who, as members of society and as human beings, willfully rejected the duties assigned to them.
That was how the Seven Deadly Sins defined Sloth.
That’s why I was curious.
What kind of power had the Goddess of Sloth, Pigritia, bestowed upon her children?
The Saintess continued.
-“He has been hiding in the shadows for a long time, gathering his own forces. And now, he has acquired power that surpasses that of most large guilds.”
A throbbing pain shot through the back of my head.
If I was interpreting her words correctly… there was a villain organization in my country with a formidable force comparable to a major guild, and its leader was likely an Apostle empowered by the Goddess of Sloth.
There was only one villain group in South Korea that possessed such power.
An S-rank villain born on this small patch of land who had gained global infamy.
A single group built upon his power.
-“I’m sure you’ve heard their name as well, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
As the conversation progressed, my speculation hardened into certainty.
If I was right, I hadn’t just heard of them—I’d already clashed with them once.
Not as Son Si-woo, but in this very body.
-“The Church of Light.”
“……”
Why is it that my ominous premonitions are never, ever wrong?
The Church of Light (光明敎).
A pseudo-religious cult with hundreds of Hunters, ranging from A-rank to D-rank, as its followers.
The cult leader who ruled over them was the world-renowned S-rank villain, ‘Brain Washer.’
As the name suggests, he was a heinous villain with an ability similar to brainwashing.
They claimed to be united under the ideology of purifying a world shrouded in corrupt darkness with light, but in truth, it was nothing more than a private guard meant to satisfy the personal greed of its leader, Brain Washer, with a thin veneer of religion painted over it.
This was because, with very few exceptions, all of them were fanatics who had been forcibly indoctrinated with the leader’s ideology through his ability.
The topic once caused a stir in online communities.
If the Church of Light was ever successfully dismantled, how should those who committed crimes while brainwashed be punished?
I remember the opinions at the time were sharply divided.
One side argued that since they had committed crimes, they should naturally be punished, while the other claimed it was too harsh to treat them as criminals when they were merely being controlled. The ratio was about 4 to 6, I think.
“So… you’re asking me to take down the Church of Light?”
-“That’s right.”
“……”
A doubt crept into my mind.
Could it be that the Saintess already knew I was one of the Seven Deadly Sins?
Maybe she was throwing me at the Church of Light, who were presumed to be followers of the Apostle of Sloth, to make us fight.
The thought came to me unbidden, as the difficulty of this mission was beyond imagination.
“I expected as much when you offered an Elixir as a reward, but this is truly not going to be easy.”
Hundreds of fanatical Hunters who would not hesitate to die at a single word from their leader.
Just facing them was a huge burden, but there was an even greater danger.
The cult leader himself.
As I mentioned, the essence of his ability was brainwashing.
The power to forcibly inject his own ideology into others, turning them into loyal subordinates.
Worse, no one knew how it was used or how it worked.
Because everyone who got close to the cult leader became his faithful servant.
So there was no way to know.
Even for someone like me, could I remain unscathed in the face of his brainwashing ability?
If I fell victim to his brainwashing… could there be anything more horrifying?
Just as a shiver ran through my body from the ominous feeling tickling me, she spoke.
-“I know what you’re worried about. The brainwashing ability of the Church of Light’s leader, Brain Washer, is indeed dangerous and vicious. We agonized over it for a long time and have finally found an answer.”
“…Agonized over what?”
-“We found a way to protect one’s mind from his ability.”
Oh.
If that was true, then this was a whole different story.
“What is this method?”
I asked, my voice filled with anticipation, but she shook her head.
-“I’m sorry, but time is too short to explain in detail. I have a packed schedule after this.”
Ah, right.
The Saintess was known as one of the busiest people in the world.
Day in and day out, hundreds, even thousands, of people came to see her.
Not only that, but she also had to do volunteer work in her spare time, pray, and educate the priests.
It was astounding that the Saintess, while leading the Guardians, could manage all of that.
“In that case, should I contact you later…?”
-“No.”
She shook her head and continued.
-“One of our comrades has already boarded a plane to Korea to help with the subjugation of the Church of Light. You should be able to meet them tomorrow or the day after.”
“Oh.”
What?
So I wasn’t supposed to take on the Church of Light by myself?
Right.
Of course.
No matter how great the reward, there was no way she would throw me at the Church of Light alone.
If she did, she wouldn’t be a saintess, she’d be a villainess. A straight-up villainess.
-“Ah, and another comrade who is already active in Korea will be joining you as well.”
Another comrade in Korea…?
“It seems I wasn’t the only one in Korea, then?”
-“Hoho… no. That person became a member of our Guardians around the same time as you, Hunter Kim Do-jin. In a manner of speaking… the two of you are contemporaries.”
“Oh… is that so?”
I’m curious.
Were they chosen for their abilities, like me?
Or… because they’re an Apostle of the Seven Heavenly Virtues?
Either way, I felt the need to develop a good relationship with them.
Since we’re comrades working together in the same country, getting close might give me access to information I don’t know.
-“It’s about time now.”
The Saintess stood up.
-“You will meet your comrades for the mission within a few days. They will also tell you how to block the cult leader’s brainwashing.”
“Understood.”
As if pressed for time, she was about to turn away as soon as she finished speaking, but she stopped and looked back at me.
-“Hunter Kim Do-jin, please keep one thing in mind.”
“What is…?”
I asked back, my tone questioning. She continued.
-“Subjugating the Church of Light is a very important mission… but to me, the lives of my comrades are more precious. So you must never overdo it.”
Her sincerity was so warm it was almost hot.
I smiled and nodded at her, her voice full of concern.
“Yes, if I think it’s dangerous, I’ll grab my comrades and run immediately.”
At that, she smiled.
-“Hoho… I understand. I’ll see you next time, then.”
With those final words, her image on the screen vanished.
Sitting blankly in the silent space, a bitter smile crept onto my face.
“Why is it so hard to repay a life debt?”
To cure my illness, I need an Elixir that costs tens of billions, and to get it, I have to take down the Church of Light?
“My life has a damn high price tag, really.”
This is going to be rough. So rough.
* * *
Three days later.
Kim Do-jin received a call from the church he occasionally visited for his video calls with the Saintess.
The comrades the Saintess had mentioned had arrived at the church and were waiting for him.
Kim Do-jin, who had been lazing about in a corner of his room, groping Seo Jeong-hee’s chest, immediately left the house.
When he arrived at the church, a priest he recognized from his previous visits guided him.
“This way.”
The place he arrived at was a small meeting room in an area accessible only to church staff.
After the priest who led him there left, Kim Do-jin stood alone in front of the door and took a moment to compose his breathing.
On the surface, they were allies, but they could become enemies at any moment.
That’s why I had to be even more thorough.
After pushing the Gluttony squirming in my gut deeper inside, I grasped the doorknob.
Click!
The door opened smoothly.
As I stepped inside with a calm gait, I saw two women sitting across from each other at a round table.
One with short black hair sat with her back to the door, and across from her sat another with reddish-brown hair.
The woman with reddish-brown hair stood up and waved at me.
Sharp eyes shaded by deep-set lids and light brown irises.
A sharp, high nose and a refreshing smile that revealed a full set of teeth.
On top of that, the moment I saw her muscular physique, which was considerable for a woman…
Only a single word came to mind.
“Nice to meet you! You’re the last comrade the Saintess mentioned, right?”
Predator.
Her appearance was beautiful yet tinged with a wildness.
And the fierce aura emanating from her was reminiscent of a lion at the top of the food chain.
She continued speaking.
“My name is Angela Lopez. I am the Apostle chosen by the Goddess of Patience, Patientia.”
“……!”
Hearing her identity, I felt a considerable shock.
The Apostle of the Goddess of Patience.
It seemed our dear Saintess had sent me a truly formidable ally.
After introducing herself in a cool, straightforward manner, Angela gestured toward the woman sitting with her back to me.
“Hey, Ms. Son! You should introduce yourself too, right?”
“Ah, yes…!”
The woman with short black hair stood up.
Her head slowly turned.
As if extremely nervous, she turned her body with a creak and, without even meeting my eyes, bowed her head deeply in a greeting that seemed excessively polite.
“Ah, hello.”
The moment I heard that voice, I felt a shock so great it was as if my calmly beating heart had stopped for an instant.
It was a familiar voice.
A very familiar one.
As my mind, which had been closed off to the possibility, expanded, I finally saw her clearly.
The short black hair, the slender figure, the familiar voice.
Every little detail that had left no impression on me just moments before now felt strangely familiar.
Yes.
The identity of the comrade who was said to have joined around the same time as me was someone I knew all too well.
“My name is Son Seo-yeon, and I have newly joined the Guardians…!”
Someone I knew very well indeed.