Chapter 235
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 235
"Yip."
"So cute."
"Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap!"
Gio found himself surrounded by baby foxes.
"Children, please! You mustn’t do that!"
"We’re so sorry, Master!"
Moments later, their parents—the adult foxes—came rushing over.
"The children haven’t learned how to speak yet!"
"It’s fine. They’re cute."
"Th-Thank you."
"You all seem to have settled into your roles quite well."
"Ah, of course!"
Among the foxes who had run over was Rami, the chief of the Fox Tribe.
"We’ve kept the castle polished and swept, ready to serve you at a moment’s notice!"
Gio had once remodeled the so-called Fake World, transforming it into a habitable environment. In the ninety-four years since, the beast tribes had taken on their respective roles and established a small nation.
It was practically Gio’s Demon King Castle.
'If a battle breaks out, I’ll just drag my enemies down to the basement, but as for this place…'
Well…
'I suppose I can use it as a decoy trap.'
During that time, all the beasts had learned to take human form. Gio didn’t particularly care, but since the master they served was human-shaped, they seemed to feel it was their duty.
The Fox Tribe took on the role of servants, decorating and cleaning the castle. The Wolf Tribe became guards, eliminating any threats to their land. The Crow Tribe acted as administrators, managing the various facilities and handling administrative affairs.
"I’m glad to see everyone is doing well."
"We are also delighted by your more frequent visits lately. Shall I fetch Gargal or Mr. Valp? They can update you on what has happened in your absence…"
"There’s no need for me to know every little detail."
The beasts were the ones who built this small nation; all Gio had done was fix the scorching sun and make the sprouts bloom so they could survive.
'The dimension itself has shrunk considerably as the dungeonification has progressed, but…'
Well, that was a problem for when the population grew larger.
"If I bring guests here, can you entertain them properly?"
"…Of course."
Chief Rami wore a sly, fox-like smile.
"No matter what kind of guests arrive, I am confident we can make them fall head over heels for this place."
"Alright. I’ll trust you."
"We will not disappoint you."
"Don’t overdo it," Gio said with a smile. "After all, this is for everyone’s enjoyment."
He was building an amusement park of pure pleasure.
*
One day, news that the Saintess of the Moon Cult had gone mad reached the Collector.
"…Hmm…"
Holding the invitation, Gio tilted his head slightly.
"Aria mentioned something about this before, didn’t she? If they’re reaching out this far, the situation must be serious."
"True, I heard something similar from the Guild Master… but I didn’t expect them to make such a public move. It seems even the lofty Moon Cult was forced to seek outside help."
"I was curious when I first heard about it. Do Saints normally go mad? Or is it something they’re forced into?"
"They’re still human in the end. It happens," Yoo Seong-un shrugged. "Besides, the Saintess of the Moon Cult wasn’t born with a large vessel. Hers was expanded through learning and training, so side effects are inevitable. Cases like yours are the exception."
"You mean me, Giovanni, right?"
"Yeah. Generally, humans can’t commune with gods. The Moon Cult seems to have found its own method, but…"
If they were asking the Collector for help, that method clearly had its limits.
"Still, religious matters aren’t my specialty. I’ve studied up since becoming your manager, but not enough to dig into their internal affairs."
"I suppose that can’t be helped. Some information is only available to insiders. And from what I’ve heard, the Moon Cult is extremely insular. It would be hard for an outsider like you to learn the details, Mr. Seong-un."
"Still, it’s a shame. I wanted to look into it for you since you seemed interested…"
"It’s fine."
Hadn’t the perfect opportunity just presented itself? Gio smiled, lightly waving the silver invitation that shimmered with a blue tint.
"The Moon Cult has summoned me."
"…That’s why I’m disappointed. I was hoping I could give you some information beforehand. It’s common for religious groups to be insular, but still…"
"I’ll go and see what it’s all about."
"I didn’t expect your first outing after the Mermaid Princess incident to be a visit to the Moon Cult."
"It’s an unofficial visit, so it should be fine, right?"
It didn’t seem like there would be any problems.
*
"Hunter Seo Gio?"
"Yes, that’s me."
"I will guide you."
"Please, lead the way."
The atmosphere inside the Moon Cult was incredibly quiet.
'So this is why they say it’s the polar opposite of the Sun Cult.'
Even deep within its grounds, the Sun Cult was always bustling. Not in a loud or jarring way, but with the bright, cheerful energy of people gathered in a pleasant garden.
'The Moon Cult, on the other hand, is… a bit more…'
It was also different from the Temple of Death.
'…cold, I suppose?'
There was a chilly, detached air to it.
If one were to compare it to human traits, it felt as if reason was prioritized over emotion. It gave off the impression of valuing results over process and the collective over the individual—an impression formed from just a brief glimpse.
'That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems like a harsh environment for children.'
Come to think of it, he recalled hearing about their method for selecting novice priests. They would gather talented candidates with the goal of producing a single Saint. Those whose vessels failed to expand enough simply became regular believers.
"……."
The Moon Cult’s temple, decorated in silver and marble, was dominated by cold colors.
'Even with the same colors, it’s definitely different from the Sun Cult.'
The walls and pillars, tinged with a strange blue hue, truly evoked the image of the moon—a moon floating alone in space. The lights were bright, yet felt chilly. It wasn’t just his imagination, either; the air itself was cool.
'I quite like this atmosphere.'
The quiet temple calmed his mind, making his thoughts feel clearer.
"It is here."
He was guided straight to the Bishop’s room.
The woman who appeared to be the Bishop of the Moon Cult was elderly and white-haired, her complexion as pale and bluish as the temple itself. She greeted Gio without so much as a polite smile.
"Nice to meet you, Hunter Seo Gio. I am Bae Seo-gyeong, the Bishop of the Moon Cult."
"It is an honor to be invited, Bishop."
"We are the ones who should thank you for accepting our invitation."
The elderly woman was so thin her bones were visible. And though such observations were frowned upon in an era that championed diversity, her dark skin and distinct bone structure suggested she was not of full Korean descent by old-world standards.
'Middle Eastern, perhaps?'
He couldn’t tell if she was an immigrant or of mixed heritage, but it was a welcome sight regardless. He recalled that Kang Seo-dam had a similar background; it seemed that people of mixed heritage were particularly common in religious circles.
Only after dismissing all the priests did the Bishop speak.
"I believe we informed your manager of the situation before extending the invitation."
"I came quietly. You need not worry."
"I see. Thank you. This matter is deeply tied to the prestige of our Moon Cult. All the priests are on edge."
The atmosphere was heavy enough to warrant a sigh, but the Bishop remained composed. She then stated, once more, the reason the Moon Cult had invited Hunter Seo Gio.
"Our Saintess is… weary."
"Could you tell me her symptoms?"
"…It is a common symptom when serving a god."
"Have there been cases like this before?"
"It has been a long time since we last had a Saintess, but the Saints of the Moon Cult have historically died young. The reason is easy to guess: their vessels cannot endure the strain."
The Bishop suddenly looked at Gio as if she had just remembered something.
"Come to think of it, you awakened as a Tamer, did you not? You serve a divinity called the Black Cloak, but you are not a formally registered priest in Korea. I assume it must be difficult for you to grasp the internal affairs of the religious world."
"Yes, there is much I don’t know."
"Then allow me to tell you the story of the Moon Cult. You have likely heard that we gather highly talented priests each year and train them in the hopes that a Saint will emerge from their ranks."
"Yes, I found the method quite unique."
"…To be clear, the Sun Cult is critical of our training methods. However, it is an undeniable fact that having a Saint is of immense help when serving a divinity."
"Even so, you don’t sound particularly pleased."
"Because it has clear problems."
Honestly, producing a Saint was not the issue.
"The problem arises after a novice priest is elevated to Sainthood. Unless their disposition was a perfect match from the start, a priest who cannot detach from the secular world… will gradually begin to feel an immense burden."
"And the reason for that is?"
"Because they still think of themselves as human."
A Saint must not think that way. Or rather, it wouldn’t matter if their vessel was large enough from the beginning. But when both their initial vessel and their mindset are insufficient, the difficulty is magnified.
"They cannot let go of their human heart."
A Saint is a Saint. They must be a child and friend to their divinity, a channel for communication. This means forsaking all the pleasures one can enjoy and the pain one must endure as a human. That is the kind of Saint our Moon Cult produces.
"Our current Saintess is doing exceptionally well, historically speaking. She communicates with the Moon, possesses excellent interpretive abilities, and offers gifts to the god… all without much difficulty."
"And yet, there is still a problem."
"There are two paths for a Saint. One is to die as a human, and the other is to become another divinity. The Saintess of this generation possesses the qualities for the latter."
Even the Moon we serve desires it.
"However… while her vessel is large enough, her mental state is not. That has become her undoing."
"Mental limitations," Gio repeated, nodding. "She wishes to remain human."
"This is my first time serving a Saintess of this caliber, so I had no way to cope. During the height of the Great Catastrophe, there was a Saintess with even greater talent, but… no records remain on how to handle a Saint with such an ambiguous attitude."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Please help her walk down one of those paths."
"You said she stands at a crossroads between humanity and divinity. That seems like an awfully heavy burden to place on an outsider like me."
"The Moon Cult looks at results."
If a tangible result is achieved and its effects are clear, we have no reason to deny it. History and tradition exist to serve the future, not to cause hesitation or regret.
"Therefore, we have decided to place our hope in you, Hunter Seo Gio."
"Is that so?"
"This might be rude to say, but I heard that you are the Saint of the Black Cloak…"
"……."
"…Of course, we do not intend to leave everything in your hands. The Moon Cult will take full responsibility, but we need a fresh perspective. We have concluded that if we continue on our current path, we will be unable to resolve this issue internally, even after many years."
"I understand."
"We are counting on you."
It didn’t matter how Hunter Seo Gio helped the Saintess. If she chose the path of a human, it would be a regrettable loss for the Moon Cult, but that was far better than letting such a rare and precious talent die in a state of limbo.
Gio was then guided to the Saintess’s room, where the severity of the situation became immediately apparent.
"U-Ugh… Ah… Ahhh… Ah…"
"……."
"Ah-ugh… Ha… Haaah…"
"……."
"Kyahahaha…! Haa, ha, haha! Ha!"
The girl sitting in the middle of the room, uttering incomprehensible noises, was covered in blood.
"…Oh dear."
'Did she summon Cthulhu or something?'
'I feel like the genre just abruptly shifted from a cozy slice-of-life to cosmic horror.'