Chapter 552: Mixed Fates (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 552: Mixed Fates (6)
In the deep, settling darkness.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
In the hospital room, the only sound was the rhythmic noise from the cluster of machines.
Looking down at the peacefully sleeping Francis Meyer, the Saintess was lost in thought.
The one who had burdened her with these thoughts was Kim Do-jin.
His words from their earlier meeting came to mind.
-“What if we tried mixing the aura of Greed I possess with your divine power?”
It was an absurd suggestion.
Mixing the energy of one of the Seven Deadly Sins with the power of the Seven Heavenly Virtues?
It was an incredibly dangerous statement. If anyone else in the Orthodox Church had heard it, they would have foamed at the mouth, shrieked “Blasphemy!” and branded him a heretic on the spot without a second thought.
“How could he even say such a thing… haah.”
She, too, had been quite angry.
Without thinking, she had even blurted out the harsh question of whether he wanted to walk to the executioner’s block with a smile on his face.
One might wonder if it was truly such a severe thing to say, but for her, who had lived a life far removed from profanity, that tone was no different from the foulest curses a common person might utter.
She had thought it wasn't even worth listening to.
That’s why she had said what she did and promptly told him to leave.
She had sat alone in the hospital room for half a day, trying to quell her anger.
Now, with her simmering rage subsided, her perspective had changed considerably.
“…Perhaps I was the arrogant one.”
Ever since becoming the Saintess, she had contemplated and researched without a single day of rest.
All to cure the diseases and wounds that had yet to be conquered.
All so she wouldn't have to watch even one more person arrive before her only to die.
The results weren't entirely satisfactory, but she had made progress, and now she was quite formidable.
Compared to when she first became the Saintess, the difference wasn't quite heaven and earth, but it was like climbing from the ground to the top of a skyscraper that touched the sky.
Was that why?
She had been overlooking one simple fact.
“Why did I never even consider a method other than divine power?”
Divine power wasn't the only means of healing in this world.
There was advanced medicine developed for the Hunter society, healing through mana, potions made from the herbs of another world, and more.
Besides the three main examples, there were plenty of other methods she didn't know about.
But in all her research, she had never once thought of the options above.
Her title as the Saintess, revered by all, and her blind faith in God had blinded her.
“I was overconfident, believing that if I couldn't heal it, nothing in the world could…”
Only then did she realize that a sliver of pride had been etched into a corner of her heart.
Yes.
God was surely omniscient and omnipotent.
But divine power was not God.
It was merely God’s providence, bestowed upon humanity to help them through great trials.
Therefore, while it could be a great source of strength in overcoming hardship, it could not be omnipotent.
Realizing this only now, she smiled bitterly.
“Should I thank him for making me realize this…?”
She had known from the start that he hadn't said it simply to mock divine power.
Still, it was just so surprising.
No matter how close they had become, it would have been impossible without considerable courage.
At the same time, it meant his mind was open enough to entertain such an absurd idea.
Perhaps that was why he had been chosen by one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
“It would have been so much better if he had been chosen by one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues…”
Pushing aside her slight disappointment, she looked down at the peacefully sleeping Francis and spoke.
“I’ll start my research over from the beginning.”
No matter how she thought about it, it was impossible.
Mixing the energy of a Deadly Sin with divine power.
But something else might be possible.
The various healing methods that existed in the world.
She would invite those who were nothing short of experts in their fields and put their heads together.
“So please don’t give up. Just wait a little longer.”
For Francis.
And for all the sick and ailing in this world.
* * *
There are no eternal secrets in this world.
No matter how hard one tries to hide it, a secret is bound to be revealed.
This case was no different.
In a dark room, figures sat gathered around a round table, engaged in a hushed conversation.
“The opportunity has finally arrived.”
In response to one man’s words, another man questioned him.
“Opportunity? What opportunity?”
Then, a woman next to him answered as if chiding the man.
“What do you think? The chance to leave the shadows, of course.”
“Ah, I see.”
The man nodded as if he understood.
But he still didn't get it.
“But how?”
Why had this opportunity suddenly appeared?
“Didn’t you say we couldn’t make a move because of Francis Meyer?”
The reason they were tied to the shadows was Francis Meyer.
Humanity’s greatest hero.
His power was beyond question, and his mere presence was a beacon for humanity that boosted the morale of his allies.
Of course, it wasn't his individual strength they feared.
They were only afraid of the factions that would rally around him, forming a solid front.
So they had remained in the shadows of their own accord.
They had thoroughly hidden their identities, prepared diligently, and waited for an opportunity to present itself.
And now, that opportunity had finally come.
“Something must have happened to Francis Meyer.”
“What happened?”
“He was either gravely wounded by the True Ancestor, or he’s dead.”
“Hey, no way.”
It was unbelievable.
Francis Meyer was dead?
“The Saintess said it herself, didn’t she? That he’s resting because of the injuries he sustained killing the True Ancestor.”
Right.
That’s what the Saintess had said when she appeared at the press conference she had called herself.
That Francis Meyer was currently recovering from his injuries.
And that she was reluctantly taking his place.
Everyone understood her words.
Even for someone like Francis Meyer, killing the True Ancestor must have come at a considerable cost.
But some interpreted it differently.
“Yes. And that right there is the proof that something happened to him.”
They were unequivocally the enemies of the current human race.
As such, they had fought countless battles against Francis, the man called humanity’s greatest hero.
So they knew him well.
“Francis is not the kind of man to disappear from view over a mere injury.”
He understood his role perfectly.
A being whose very existence gave hope to humanity.
A being whose activities alone deterred the crimes of villains and gave people a sense of security.
That’s why he was so resolute.
He would never pass on his duties to someone else over a minor injury.
Appearing at that press conference was Francis Meyer’s job.
At the very least, he should have appeared alongside the Saintess.
But he didn't.
Not only that, but even now, after a good amount of time has passed, he hasn't been seen at all.
These facts pointed to only one thing.
“Something is definitely wrong with him.”
They dared to speculate.
That he was either injured so badly he could no longer live as a Hunter, or he was dead.
“Heh… so you can see it that way.”
The second man nodded, finally seeming to understand.
He asked again.
“So, what’s the plan?”
The task was already decided.
“We have to expose it.”
“Expose? What?”
“The secret the Saintess is trying so desperately to hide.”
They would let the world know.
The fact that Francis Meyer was in critical condition.
They would make sure everyone cowering in fear of Francis’s existence, just like them, could hear it.
Because only when they rose up from their seats would this world be plunged into chaos.
Across the globe, dark ambitions began to stir.
* * *
After the incident was settled.
We left Romania and stayed in Bulgaria for a few days.
Since things had turned out this way, we wanted to give Elena time to visit her hometown.
At first, we considered going all together, but Elena vehemently refused.
Something about not being mentally prepared yet.
I wasn't sure what kind of preparation she meant, but if she didn't want to, there was nothing we could do.
After staying for about a week, we finally boarded a plane back to Korea.
“Ah, it’s been so long since we’ve been in Korea.”
“They say leaving home is nothing but trouble, and it’s true.”
“Even I feel more comfortable in Korea now, hehe.”
As we got closer to Korea, my companions laughed and chatted cheerfully.
But there was one person.
One person whose expression grew darker as time went on.
“Haah…”
That would be Seo-yeon.
Right after the Saintess’s press conference, she had immediately turned off her smartphone.
When I asked why, she said she was dying from the flood of calls from her mom.
She must have been shocked.
Her own daughter’s name was among the honorable few who had killed the True Ancestor.
It was certainly a proud achievement, but for a parent who heard their daughter’s name out of the blue, it was bound to be a shock.
How could she not be, finding out her daughter had gone off to fight an unbelievable monster like the True Ancestor?
Having caused such an unbelievable incident, she must be dreading the nagging she was about to get.
It might not even end with just nagging.
In the past, I would have been afraid of her mother’s aggressive actions.
But not anymore.
“Don’t worry too much.”
As I spoke to ease her worries, she pouted.
“That’s because you don’t know my mom…”
True.
I don’t know Han Ju-hee very well.
But I have a pretty good grasp of her personality.
“Well… since you caused such a huge incident, she’ll probably come on strong.”
It wouldn't be easy.
She might even try to arbitrarily pull Seo-yeon out of the Twilight Guild.
“Tell her proudly. ‘I’m an S-rank now, just like you. So stop interfering.’”
“Ah…”
She looked flustered.
But soon, a small smile appeared on Seo-yeon’s lips.
“Right… that’s right. I’m an S-rank now… too.”
It had been a perilous fight in many ways.
Thanks to it, Seo-yeon had managed to shatter a wall in a single stroke that should have taken her a long time to overcome.
With this, our guild now had three S-rank Hunters, making us undeniably the strongest in South Korea.
No one could ignore our words now.
No, on the contrary, other people would have to watch what they said around us.
“Standing up to your mom doesn’t mean worsening your relationship.”
“If not…?”
“It’s the stage where you prove to a parent who still treats you like a child that you’re an adult.”
Of course, it might temporarily strain the relationship.
But what can you do?
It’s not just parents and children; no relationship in the world can be smooth sailing forever.
“Even if you grow distant, it will be a time for you to see each other more objectively.”
At least, that’s how it is for me.
If my daughter ever said that to me, I might feel a little sad for a moment, but I would watch over her from a distance.
And I would judge.
Whether she had truly become an adult.
Or if it was just the recklessness of someone stuck in between, neither a child nor an adult.
“So be brave.”
Seo-yeon, who had been hesitating with her head down, finally nodded.
“Yeah… I’ll try to do it right this time.”
Watching her steel her resolve made me smile.
Our dear Ms. Han Ju-hee.
You’d better brace yourself this time.
With not a single uncomfortable expression among us, the plane landed on Korean soil.
As we each grabbed our suitcases and headed out of the airport.
A news broadcast playing on a large electronic billboard on a tall building caught my eye.
[National Hunter Son Si-woo conquers 11 A-rank dungeons in one week after returning from his sabbatical.]
“……?”
What is this bullshit?