Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: A Brief Respite (2)
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“M-Monster meat? Don't lie. Monster corpses disappear almost instantly, don't they? How could you possibly get any?”
Jun Bo-ra's hands and lips trembled.
I let out a small laugh.
“You can get it if you butcher it before it disappears. You can't use a regular knife; you need specialized equipment...”
“Aaaahhh!! I don't want to know! You don't have to tell me!! No, wait. Why are the kids eating it so calmly? Don't tell me they already knew?”
“Everyone knew but you.”
“No, I didn't know either.”
Jeong Ha-yeon said, popping a piece of meat she'd cut with her knife into her mouth.
To think she could hear such a shocking truth and keep eating without a care.
Jun Bo-ra, unable to comprehend, grimaced and turned her head away with a groan.
But perhaps because she had already tasted it.
Her gaze kept drifting back to the steak, full of lingering attachment.
“So, are you done eating?”
“...No.”
Her expression wasn't as delighted as before.
Still, after a few more bites, she seemed to forget it was monster meat because of the taste, and the corners of her eyes began to soften again.
“So, what's this favor you wanted to ask?”
“Go and help Hwang Chan-jin.”
I briefly explained what had happened earlier, including that the Order was trying to use the Disaster's power.
Since Seong Woo-hyeon and Lee Min-hwa needed to hear it anyway, I didn't block out the sound.
“Right. If Han Hyeok-jun is really in danger, sending Hwang Chan-jin alone would just be adding one more to the body count. No matter how strong he is, he can't fight the Order's executives by himself at this point.”
“Then please let me go too. I can't send just my brother to a dangerous place.”
“Strategically, that makes sense... but Hwang Chan-jin will definitely raise hell. Asking why I brought you to such a dangerous place.”
“I'll handle that somehow. I'm confident in my ability to manage my brother.”
Hwang Chan-jin being scolded by Hwang Yu-jin.
For some reason, the image popped into my head effortlessly.
Jun Bo-ra must have imagined something similar, as she gave a strange smile.
“I also have something to discuss, if now is a good time?”
Seong Woo-hyeon gently interjected.
The previous topic had just wrapped up, so I nodded.
“It's about the sponsors who suddenly appeared after the Disaster was defeated. Sponsors who, by all appearances, are gods from various mythologies. There is already considerable confusion among the people about how to interpret this.”
“It's tantamount to revealing that mythological gods actually exist. People who were deeply religious refuse to believe it, cursing them out and claiming it's a trick to deceive them.”
I sipped my water without a word.
This was an issue that had been mentioned in the game.
It didn't have much of an impact on the story's progression, so I hadn't paid it much mind.
“Denying it won't change the truth. Thinking you can solve a problem by covering your own eyes is something a kindergartener would do.”
Choi Yeon-soo snorted.
I turned my gaze to the twins.
They met my eyes and laughed awkwardly.
“What do you two think?”
“Uhm... I'm just accepting it. Like Uncle Choi Yeon-soo said, us denying it won't change anything. By the way, Oppa, do you have a religion?”
“No, I don't.”
I faintly raised the corners of my lips, then let them fall.
There is no such thing as a god.
If there were, something like that would never have happened to me.
But what kind of joke was this?
That I, of all people, was now in a position where I had to accept that gods truly existed.
I deliberately changed the subject.
“Anyway, what's this 'Uncle' thing?”
“He begged us not to call him 'Mister,' so we switched to 'Uncle'.”
Jo Min-woo giggled, looking at Choi Yeon-soo.
“Hey, they call the Leader 'Hyung' or 'Oppa,' so why am I 'Mister' or 'Uncle'?”
Choi Yeon-soo let out a deep sigh.
Isn't it because of the first digit of your age?
I thought about saying it, but he looked so sad that I decided against it.
“In any case, to understand why these beings, presumed to be gods, have begun to reveal themselves, you need to recall what happened just before they appeared.”
“You mean the Disaster of Apostasy? What about it...?”
“Angra Mainyu.”
Choi Yeon-soo muttered, narrowing his eyes.
“Its power. Its characteristics. If I had to find a match, Angra Mainyu, the evil god of Zoroastrianism, comes to mind.”
“Zoroastrianism? Wasn't that a religion that worships fire?”
“It's a religion that isn't very well-known in our country.”
It seemed my telling them to study up on mythology beforehand was paying off, as many upcoming enemies were related to mythological beings.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.
If you know the enemy's information, you can always find a way to defeat them.
Except for things from another world entirely, like the Disaster of Verdure or the Disaster of Solitude.
‘Assuming the upcoming Disasters will all be in an enhanced state, I'll need to revise my existing strategies.’
Information gathering for that purpose.
Thanks to that, Choi Yeon-soo was suffering to the point of getting dark circles under his eyes.
“That's not the issue. The problem is that Zoroastrianism is something that originated on Earth. However, if you think about where the enemies we've fought so far—the monsters—have come from, you'll immediately see the difference.”
“...Does that mean Earth, which was simply being invaded by outsiders, now has to worry about internal enemies as well?”
“Exactly. That's why the gods, who had been merely observing the situation, scrambled to appear and offer to share their power. The enemies are already showing up with divine power; if our side is expected to fight with only human strength, we'll eventually be overwhelmed.”
“I see...”
Seong Woo-hyeon nodded and fell into thought.
[There aren't enough gods for every player to become an incarnation. And to receive the blessing of a particularly powerful god, you have to be that much more exceptional... Kim Se-hyeon, are you listening? I said, are you listening? I did it for you.]
Besial took this as his cue to start airing his grievances.
‘So? You want me to return just a few of the coins I confiscated?’
[...Yeah.]
‘Screw you.’
[Aaaargh!! Seriously!! If you're going to be like that, at least accept the power of a good god!!! You're making my position awkward!]
Jeong Ha-yeon was staring at me intently.
A faint golden light shimmered around her eyes.
There was no doubt. It was the 'Eye of Justice.'
I deliberately met her gaze and offered a slight smile.
“Looks like you've gained a new power.”
“...”
An eye that could see the evil deeds a target had committed.
It was a power Jeong Ha-yeon was bound to awaken sooner or later, now that she had Zadkiel's power.
I acted as if I knew nothing and calmly reached for my dessert.
“...Hah.”
Her complex expression shifted several times.
Occasionally, her eyes would move to the twins.
“It's nothing.”
Jeong Ha-yeon gave a smile that seemed unnecessarily apologetic.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she resumed her meal, occasionally exchanging words with the kids.
‘Hmm.’
I've committed almost no evil deeds that would register with the 'Eye of Justice'.
With the angels watching, I avoided killing as much as possible, and when I did, it was only truly evil people.
The Eye of Justice should be able to discern the context behind such actions.
So, can I take her reaction as... a positive one?
‘Given her personality, it's unlikely she'll ever follow me blindly.’
I licked my lips internally, and my gaze happened to fall on Jun Bo-ra.
Her expression was a complex mix of satisfaction from the delicious meal and revulsion at the fact that it was made from monster meat.
“Oh, right. Jun Bo-ra. You haven't forgotten something, have you?”
“Huh? What?”
“Your promise. There was one, wasn't there?”
“Did I make a promise with you...?”
Jun Bo-ra tilted her head as if she genuinely couldn't remember.
“You said you'd do a geuraenjeol.”
“...Ah.”
As if she finally remembered, Jun Bo-ra's face scrunched up.
“Why would you remember that?”
“How could I forget something like a promise to do a geuraenjeol? I have to see it, no matter what.”
“You're insane. You crazy Kim Se-hyeon. You're a real, genuine lunatic.”
[Kyah, that's right. Kim Se-hyeon is a real, real, real lunatic. Yep. Absolutely.]
Besial cackled.
He wasn't usually this talkative.
It seemed that completely finishing off the succubus had put him in a very good mood.
“Why a geuraenjeol all of a sudden?”
“Last time she showed up covered in wounds. She said she'd do a geuraenjeol or whatever later as thanks for saving her. We just didn't have a chance with one thing happening after another. Min-woo, what do you think?”
“Can't pass up a geuraenjeol.”
Jo Min-woo answered instantly.
I nodded and ruffled Min-woo's hair.
You've grown up well, Min-woo.
“What are you doing to the kids?! It's bad for their emotional development!”
“An adult who makes a promise and then tries to weasel out of it is saying that? Real credible.”
“Agh!?”
Jun Bo-ra made a strange noise, her whole body trembling.
She must find it pretty absurd to have come for a simple meal only to be roped into doing a geuraenjeol.
“Besides, with a player's stats, a geuraenjeol shouldn't be that hard, right? Just get it over with.”
“That's not the point!”
“Then what is? You weren't grateful enough to do a geuraenjeol? Clearing your debt to the person who saved your life with a single geuraenjeol is a huge bargain. Even I think that's a steal.”
[That's right. If I could cancel my slave contract with you, I'd do it a thousand times.]
“No, it's not that... Hwang Chan-jin isn't here.”
Jun Bo-ra glanced away, avoiding my eyes.
Aha. So that's how you're going to get out of it?
“This is the first time I've seen you push someone this hard, Oppa.”
“Yeah, Hyung. Is there a reason?”
A reason? A reason, huh.
I took a sip of water and thought for a moment.
“Nope. I'm just really curious to see her do a geuraenjeol.”
“To think I considered this guy my rival of a lifetime...! It's so unfair! Give me back my life!!”
“What rival? I heard you were the one who unilaterally declared you'd surpass me.”
“W-Wait. Why are you saying that in front of other people!”
“Hoh.”
I drew my lips into a long grin.
Realizing her slip of the tongue, Jun Bo-ra grunted and quickly tried to change the subject.
I was starting to feel sorry for her, so I decided to let it slide.
“Anyway, the food was delicious. Though it would've been better if you hadn't mentioned the ingredients.”
“I already explained that because of the skill, the original ingredients are practically meaningless.”
“Still, it's a natural reaction.”
I tried to pour water into my cup, but nothing came out.
The pitcher was empty.
Hwang Yu-jin perceptively tried to get a new pitcher, but I stopped her.
Since we were out anyway, I wanted to drink something else.
This restaurant is great for its food, but its true nature is something else.
“Sir. It's about that time. What would you like to do...?”
“Ah, it's fine. Please clear the table. We have business on that side, too.”
“Understood.”
The owner expertly cleared the table.
Knowing what was about to happen, Seong Woo-hyeon, Lee Min-hwa, and I stood up, and the others followed suit, clueless.
And a moment later.
From another door leading to the kitchen, a man who looked identical to the owner appeared, wearing different colored clothes.
“Huh? He looks just like the owner from before.”
“That's because we're twins. It's hard to tell us apart, isn't it?”
“Wow, we're twins too! Fraternal, though.”
“I see. It seems we have some kind of connection with our little guests, so allow me to give you a gift.”
The man smiled and snapped his fingers, and the fixtures inside the building began to move on their own, changing its structure.
*Rumble...*
The dining tables sank and disappeared beneath the floor, replaced by a rectangular, donut-shaped bar that rose in the center.
They were so fascinated they couldn't take their eyes off it.
“Leader. This is...?”
“At night, this place transforms from a restaurant into a bar.”