Chapter 125
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 125
Iruda was already a priestess chosen by a god.
She had been blessed by the gods since birth. A considerable number of deities had coveted her as a vessel, and she had chosen to form a contract with the most gentle and reasonable among them. In other words, she was an experienced professional.
Among the novice priests of her generation, there was likely no one who understood the presence of a god better than Iruda.
“……”
To someone like her, Cha Yi-sol’s drawing possessed an eerie quality.
Could it be an Evil God’s power...? she wondered. I’ve never heard of the Black Cloak possessing divinity. Wasn’t he just a common monster?
Iruda had heard the rumors about the Black Cloak. A humanoid monster draped from head to toe in a black cloak, who supposedly painted dungeons worthy of being called "works of art" and dragged the wicked into them.
I did find it strange that the damage he caused was so minimal for a monster.
The public gossiped, wondering if a new indigenous monster was emerging, but a moment’s thought revealed the absurdity of that idea. The indigenous monsters currently on Earth had gone through a thirty-two-year process of acclimation.
In contrast, the Black Cloak had only been on Earth for a short time, and the casualties he caused were negligible. This was not the behavior of a monster unable to contain its hatred for humanity.
Because of this, Iruda’s parents had once suggested that the Black Cloak might not be a monster at all.
They said it’s a method the Association often uses to prevent chaos. Since the public still lacks a proper understanding of monsters, they’re easily fooled by whatever stories are fabricated. That’s why so many truths are still hidden.
If that was the case, she had to consider the very real possibility that the Black Cloak was an Evil God.
Unlike monsters, which were too busy venting their uncontrollable hatred, entities like Evil Gods knew how to act with cunning, regardless of the negative nature they harbored. They possessed the capability that earned them the title of "gods."
“…Cha Yi-sol.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you like the Black Cloak?”
“Yeah, he’s kind.”
“You say that like you’ve met him.”
“I have!”
“……”
Cha Yi-sol’s sunny disposition had caused trouble yet again.
I never imagined it would extend to an entity that’s treated like a monster.
After a beat, Iruda asked, “…When, how, and what happened?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“I’ll have to hear the details first.”
“We just see each other occasionally.”
“If you see him occasionally, doesn’t that mean you run into him often?”
“He even stopped by my house once.”
“That is… truly shocking,” Iruda said, nodding slowly. “You’d better never tell anyone else about this.”
“I only told you because it’s you, Ruda.”
“It’s because you keep doing things like this that I feel like I have to keep you by my side.”
“Because we’re partners!”
“I didn’t exactly mean it that way, but… I guess it’s similar.”
You’re the light of my dreary life. Please, stay this way forever.
This dirty, cheap world needed sparkling, naive souls like Cha Yi-sol.
“Since you’re sensitive to divine energy, you probably know this already, but I think the Black Cloak is more dangerous than you realize.”
“But he was really kind… He’s a really sweet hyung.”
“I’m saying he might have made you think that on purpose. I wish the Black Cloak were a benevolent being, just like you think, but the world doesn’t run on wishes.”
“You talk in such complicated ways, Ruda.”
“I’d prefer it if you called it mature. Anyway, meeting or interacting with such an entity without any caution is incredibly reckless.”
Iruda looked at Cha Yi-sol’s drawing.
“How about you try to avoid meeting him from now on?”
She knew the talent Cha Yi-sol possessed. He was suited to be a vessel for a god, just like her, and was born with an aura that many divinities would covet. Whether they were traditional gods or Evil Gods, all of them coveted the qualities of a foolish hero like Cha Yi-sol.
“You never know.”
Such people were especially prone to attracting Evil Gods.
“Do you have any proof that the Black Cloak is a benevolent being?”
“No, I don’t.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to keep your distance.”
If one contracted with a malevolent entity through a moment of carelessness, that person’s life would become more terrible than hell itself. It was a fate sealed in an instant, with just a single breath or gaze from a god.
“There’s no harm in being careful.”
“That’s true.”
Fortunately, Cha Yi-sol wasn’t so bewitched that he couldn’t see reason, and he readily agreed with Iruda.
“I’ll be careful.”
“…Good. If you see him again, tell me.”
“Yeah. But do you think the Black Cloak is an Evil God?”
“The possibility… doesn’t seem out of the question.”
“He felt so warm, though. I guess that’s possible.”
“……”
Warm?
I’d understand it better if he said hot.
He didn’t feel like such a gentle being. If an entity was so potent that its true nature could be felt through a mere clumsy drawing, didn’t that mean its status was immense?
Such beings don’t show consideration for humans.
To be precise, it was closer to them being incapable of doing so. For vast, powerful entities, grasping and adjusting their presence to fit a human’s narrow vessel was no easy task. The greater their status, the more difficult it became.
Of course, since Cha Yi-sol’s own vessel was large, he would be able to endure a colossal god, but she couldn’t help but worry. As far as Iruda was concerned, Cha Yi-sol was the ultimate pushover of their era.
“…No matter what you felt, humans must never fully trust a god. It’s not a matter of faith. Trust is built on a baseline of mutual understanding. A god cannot understand a human, and a human cannot understand a god.”
Nor should they. If gods and humans could understand each other, how could the world distinguish between the two?
Above all, humans were creatures happiest when they knew little and could do little. A fitting level of incompetence made life comfortable.
“So, whatever you felt, you shouldn’t believe it to be his true intention.”
“Then is it bad to contract with an Evil God?”
“…Normally… yes, wouldn’t it be? Especially with a personality like yours…”
There were officially recognized religions that worshipped Evil Gods—deities of death, disease, fear, wrath, and sorrow. They were usually cases where their value as inevitable, impartial disasters was acknowledged by humanity.
But that didn’t mean Evil Gods weren’t dangerous. Even traditional gods often viewed humans as mere toys, so those with violent temperaments, like Evil Gods, would be even worse.
“You really need to be careful.”
“If I contract with the Black Cloak…”
“Let’s give that some more thought. That would be wise.”
“I think you’re right, Ruda.”
“That’s more like my partner.”
Fortunately, Cha Yi-sol was not a fool who clung to pointless stubbornness.
“I’ll burn that drawing for you.”
“Won’t it hurt if you burn it?”
“Who would it hurt?”
“The Black Cloak.”
“Sometimes, I learn a lot from your way of thinking.”
“Then I’ll burn it. Since I drew it.”
Cha Yi-sol cleanly burned the drawing.
“But he really didn’t seem like a bad hyung.”
“Even Priest Kang Seo-dam said it. How can we judge the good and evil of a god?”
“That’s true too.”
Lying stretched out on his bed, Cha Yi-sol smiled and said, “Do you want to meet him with me next time, Ruda?”
“…Sure, let’s do that.”
Iruda did not refuse.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned since joining the Order, it’s that not all Evil Gods are entirely evil.
In the end, categorizing gods was merely human arrogance. How could one divide existing disasters and mysteries into right and wrong? In fact, there were times when the behavior of traditional gods was far more despicable than that of Evil Gods.
I shouldn’t hold prejudices when I’m just a human, looking at a narrow world through human eyes.
Ultimately, the ideal relationship between a god and a priest was that of a master and their tool. The master looks for a useful tool, and the tool looks for a master who will treat it well. As long as they suited each other, that was all that mattered.
Thus, if the Black Cloak really was an Evil God, he and Cha Yi-sol might get along surprisingly well.
“Next time you see the Black Cloak, you must call me too, Cha Yi-sol.”
She was simply worried.
“You still don’t know much about gods.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m learning a lot thanks to you, Ruda.”
“……”
She felt her heart warm.
“I really have to keep you by my side.”
“I’ll do the same.”
“Does the Black Cloak really give you snacks?”
“Like cookies or chocolates?”
“How interesting.”
“Let’s ask him for snacks when we see him again.”
“That would be a good experience.”
Iruda recalled the drawing that still seemed to linger before her eyes.
What on earth would a snack given by an entity of such a distant and eerie essence taste like?
* * *
“……”
“……”
Holding a blood-stained knife, Gio muttered, “I thought Cha Yi-sol called for me for a moment.”
He seemed to be with someone else, so Gio had decided not to appear.
“Kyuu?”
“Wait, Dana. Daddy is still butchering it.”
“Kyuuuuu?”
“With an appetite like that, you’ll never starve.”
What a good girl.
“You are indeed my daughter.”
Gio smiled with satisfaction as he skinned the Golden Sheep. Unlike Giovanni’s, his smile had a fierce and practiced edge to it.
“More importantly, why do intruders keep appearing in my cozy home?”
“Krrr?”
“Indeed. This time, a Golden Sheep of all things. How utterly baffling.”
Currently, Arjio had a massive sheep hanging from the ceiling and was busy butchering it. He hadn’t gone out of his way to hunt it; rather, when he had stepped out to the vegetable garden, wondering what to eat, another sacrificial lamb had just happened to be there.
“Come to think of it, I could probably use that monster garden as a security system.”
It put most traps to shame.
“The meat quality is excellent, likely because it was killed with a precise strike to the forehead.”
“Kkoong?”
“A creature’s meat is tenderest when it dies without knowing a thing, Honey.”
“Krrr.”
“Yes, you’ll find it useful to learn how to butcher, too.”
Though Arjio had lived like a beast, perhaps due to the etiquette he learned in his childhood, he occasionally enjoyed meals prepared in a civilized manner. In the process, his butchering skills had naturally improved.
“I can tell this sheep came from my hometown. This slippery-smooth golden wool, a body as massive as a plowing ox, sharp teeth, two pairs of eyes, and thick claws…”
It was unmistakable.
“It’s a species of sheep that inhabits the Black Forest.”
[Golden-Step Sheep]
A carnivore that disguises itself as gentle prey or lures targets with a golden glow. Plants stepped on by the Golden-Step Sheep turn into gold, which emits a sweet fragrance that impairs a creature’s judgment. Unlike ordinary gold, its hard teeth can easily tear open a prey’s throat.
“Right, diligent as always,” Gio nodded, referring to the System.
“Its appearance, scent, and texture are all flawlessly cute. But if you’re fooled by its gentle look or lured by the gold it creates, it will bite your throat right then and there.”
“Kruuu?”
“Just as you said, this is from personal experience. They are quite coy creatures, but their teeth are incredibly thick and sharp. I almost died with my throat half-torn, but in the end, I was the victor.”
[Alchemy Method: Boiling the bones of a Golden-Step Sheep allows one to refine a powerful painkiller or narcotic. The blood inside the horn of a female becomes a medicine for a painless death, while that of a male becomes a medicine for a painful resurrection.]
“Oh, yes. That’s exactly how I came back to life.”
Gio smiled deeply as he looked at the System.
“It just so happened that the one I killed was a male. Their horns aren’t as hard as they look, so they break quite easily, and golden blood pools inside. I liked how it glittered, so I drank it, and my dying heart started beating again.”
Since then, he had carried it with him at all times.
“A male’s horns curve back toward its spine like this, while a female’s horns curve forward. Looking at these horns curving roundly toward the back, this one seems to be a male. Right?”
“Krrrrrr.”
“I’ll cut the horns off last, so eat to your heart’s content. You shouldn’t rashly drink the blood from a female’s horn, but the blood from a male’s horn won’t cause much of a problem even if you’re perfectly healthy. Unless you’re on the verge of death, the effect is minimal.”
You’d only feel your body temperature rise slightly.
“The hide is in good condition, too.”
Once the sheep’s hide was completely peeled off, black flesh was revealed underneath.
“Hmm…”
“Krrrrrrrrrr!!”
“Yes, you kids can have the wool.”
The wool of the Golden Sheep was so luxuriously soft it would have been perfect for bedding, but its golden glitter had already drawn a crowd of jewel water birds, including Honey, who coveted such treasures.
“As a father, I can certainly spare a single hide for my children.”
At his words, the water birds lingering around the butchering area crept closer and began pecking at the Golden Sheep’s hide. The strength in their tiny beaks was so impressive that the wool was plucked clean from the skin in no time. The sight of the jewel water birds was truly like watching living gold and silver treasures at work.
“They are indeed my children; they know how to groom themselves.”
“Kyuu?”
“Yes, my Dana. Daddy will cut some meat for you right away.”
Dana, who had grown slightly larger than an adult cat, had fluffy fur that made her wonderful to hug. Having her cling to his leg and lean against him felt absolutely blissful.
When he cut off a piece of the sheep’s cheek meat, Dana snapped it up.
“Good girl, chew it thoroughly. The best delicacy of this sheep is its cheek meat. Since the Golden Sheep has almost no facial muscles and cannot make expressions, its cheek meat is chewy yet incredibly tender, making for an exquisite texture.”
However, eating too quickly could cause it to get stuck in her throat.
“Isn’t the umami wonderful?”
“Ae?”
“I’m glad you like it.”
What could be more joyful than one’s beloved family sharing a love for the same things?
Leaving Dana to savor her food, Arjio turned his gaze back to the black flesh of the sheep hanging from the iron hook.
“The bones can be used later when I paint…”
What should he do with this abundance of meat?
“……”
He muttered, “…The meat of the Golden Sheep is quite elastic, so perhaps I should make a stew.”
Every meat in the world was bound to become delicious if boiled for a long time with alcohol and seasoning.
Indeed, when it came to a craving for good food, Arjio was second to none.