Chapter 243
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 243
Lately, Gio had been introducing the Saintess to all sorts of new experiences.
“So, this is…?”
“Yes.” Gio smiled brightly. “Isn’t it great? It’s tteokbokki.”
“I heard it was a common street food in Korea before the Great Catastrophe.”
“It breaks my heart that it’s so hard to find these days,” Gio lamented.
“These days…? Hunter Seo Gio, if you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is the tteokbokki right in front of us.”
“Ah, yes.” The Bishop looked down at the dish served in a white bowl. “I don’t recall ordering any rice cakes.”
“I made them myself. It’s been a while, so I was worried, but I’m glad they turned out well.”
At that, Saint Aram’s eyes sparkled. “This is my first time trying tteokbokki.”
Gio’s face turned serious. “Your first time?”
“Yes. Rice cakes are quite hard to come by, after all.”
Above all, the people of the Moon Cult were not ones to indulge in fine dining. Unless gastronomy itself was their field of study, food was nothing more than fuel to the priests. Luxury items like rice cakes were rarely, if ever, brought in.
“We could have ordered them if we wanted to,” the Bishop explained. “But many of our members would rather spend money on research materials than on fancy ingredients…”
If even one person had expressed a craving, they would have procured it. The Moon Cult was by no means poor. But not a single soul had ever brought it up.
Gio’s expression turned deeply sorrowful. “No wonder the pantry always looked so pitiful…”
“Was it really that pitiful?” the Bishop asked, taken aback. As the one managing the entire order, she had always thought it was perfectly adequate. The members in charge of cooking and cleaning had never complained. Hunter Seo Gio’s reaction was utterly foreign to her.
But Gio was already filled with a sense of mission. I have to turn these research-obsessed skeletons into proper gluttons. That’s the fastest path to world peace.
“Well, shall we eat before the tteokbokki gets cold?” he said aloud. “I’m a bit embarrassed, but since it’s been so long, I’m not sure if I captured the authentic street-market vibe.”
“A street-market vibe…?”
“Since the Saintess showed interest in pre-Catastrophe food culture, I chose bunsik—street food that was common back then. Sweet tteokbokki, assorted fried snacks, sundae, and liver.”
“You seem to know pre-Catastrophe food culture quite well,” the Bishop remarked. These were dishes that were incredibly difficult to find nowadays. “Did you study it separately?”
“In a way, you could say that,” Gio replied with a smile.
These Moon Cult people really can’t imagine any explanation other than ‘studying,’ can they? he thought. The simple truth was that he just liked to eat.
If it were before the Great Catastrophe, these people would have all gone to Harvard. While they probably felt the Moon Cult’s unique sense of duty to “benefit the world with knowledge and wisdom,” it seemed they just studied because they found it fun.
No wonder their culture is so insular.
Geniuses were often like that. They struggled to interact with the rest of the world because they thought everyone else was an idiot. How frustrating must it be to watch ordinary people fumble around to confirm something that was glaringly obvious to them at a single glance?
And now, a whole group of these geniuses was living together, confined to one small world. Naturally, the Moon Cultists projected their own way of thinking onto others, assuming, Since we are like this, you must be, too.
A severe lack of social skills.
You frogs in a well.
The fact that their well was so massive probably made the poison even stronger.
But not to worry. Gio was prepared to grab them by the hair and drag them out into the real world. Whether they liked it or not, they had to mingle with ordinary people to realize that their way wasn’t the only way.
“Is it to your liking?” Gio asked. “I figured you wouldn’t be used to spicy food, so I made it as sweet as possible…”
“It’s spicy!!!”
“Oh, my goodness.”
Aram shot up from her seat and began chugging water from a bottle. Gio, who had been about to pour her some sweet juice, hesitated for a moment. He then placed a neatly filled glass of juice in front of the trembling Bishop instead.
“I… I really did try to make it sweet…”
“…Thank you,” the Bishop managed, her voice strained.
“I had no idea you would have absolutely zero tolerance for spice.”
“I believe it is because we rarely include spices in our meals,” she explained.
“But why on earth not?”
“Strong flavors and aromas interfere with deep thought…”
“Seriously, why?” Gio pressed, looking at them like they were poor, lost lambs. They truly knew nothing of the joys of gastronomy. He’d already thought things were serious when he checked their pantry, but this was just too much.
…Has the average Korean’s tolerance for spice dropped this much?
Come to think of it, making chili powder took a lot of time and effort. In an era where everything was homemade, growing peppers, picking them, drying them, destemming them, deseeding them, and grinding them into powder must cost a fortune.
The supply and demand for spices has definitely shrunk, but still…
The Collector was exceptionally wealthy, but according to Ju-hyeon, the food ordinary people ate was practically like temple food. The opportunity to enjoy such intense culinary delights had plummeted.
“…Mmm…”
Even so, the Moon Cult was an extreme case.
“I should have made it even sweeter.”
“No, it was delicious enough,” the Bishop said. Having calmly managed the burn on her tongue, she was fully recovered after a single cup of juice. Holding the glass with both hands, she added, “If it had been any sweeter, the balance of flavors would have been ruined.”
“Thank you for understanding my intentions.”
Aram, who had returned to the table and received her own glass of juice, still looked pale. “…Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I’ve ever eaten something spicy.”
“For a cult that claims to value knowledge, what kind of atrocity is this?” Gio muttered.
“No, I knew what the taste itself was like. When we are novice priests, the very first thing we learn about is our own bodies. Naturally, we experience things related to taste.”
“To help you control yourselves better, I suppose.”
“Yes. So I’ve felt the sensation of spiciness before, but to actually eat it as part of a meal…”
“So that’s why you said it’s ‘almost the first time.’” She was practically a newborn when it came to food.
“If it’s too spicy, you should try the fried snacks. I like to dip them in the tteokbokki sauce. It makes them much less spicy, and the texture becomes quite interesting.”
“Oh, the fried sweet potato is delicious! Maybe because it’s sweet, it feels much less spicy. The batter is incredibly crispy, and the sweet potato inside is so soft and moist…”
“Right?” Gio beamed. To think she could already describe it in such detail—Aram definitely had the makings of a true glutton. She recognizes the true value of fried sweet potato. For the record, Gio’s favorite root vegetable was the sweet potato.
“…”
Watching them, the Bishop asked, “Saintess, is it to your liking?”
“The more I eat it, the more addictive it gets.”
“I am glad you seem to be enjoying it.”
“…H-Have I been too greedy with my food?” Aram asked, suddenly shy.
“Of course not. This is hardly enough to be called greed.”
But a thought suddenly occurred to the Bishop.
…Perhaps we should go out to eat next time. She felt she should let the Saintess experience more of the world. I’m not sure what I hope to achieve by this, but…
Seeing the Saintess acting like a normal person made her mind go blank. She didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. But if the Saintess was making these choices herself, then surely it couldn’t be bad. After all, Hunter Seo Gio, who was also a Saint, did whatever he pleased.
Yes, it will be fine.
Even so, her heart felt heavy. She felt a sudden need to offer a prayer to the Moon God.
* * *
“…Oh my god.” Yoo Seong-un covered his mouth. “What is that?”
“It’s the Moon God.”
“Why are you holding it?”
“It’s a hostage.”
“Why…?”
“If I’m holding the god who bestows knowledge, they won’t dare try anything foolish.”
“…” Yoo Seong-un muttered, “…You really do have a villainous streak.”
“Sharp eyes, my friend,” Arjio said, smiling brightly from beyond the portrait. “Say hello. This is my new friend, the Moon God.”
A moon the size of a crystal ball sparkled in Gio’s hand, almost as if it were greeting Yoo Seong-un. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the moon depicted in the portrait.
“Gio, I’m saying this because you seem to have misunderstood something, but a ‘friend’ is a relationship built on mutual consent and trust.”
“I didn’t kidnap, threaten, or brainwash anyone. I know what you think of me, but let me assure you, nothing as terrifying as what you’re imagining has happened.” Gio had merely had a conversation with the Moon God. “Isn’t talking how people usually get close?”
“So, it’s a new divine friend?”
“Yes. It felt like a giant AI born in space… It was fascinating how it determines its actions and the amount of knowledge to share based on vast amounts of data.”
“In that sense, it seems you two have something in common.”
“In common with me?”
“You’re also developing as you merge with the ‘Gio’ that is compatible with you, after all.” Yoo Seong-un thought to himself, Perhaps because of that, his imitation of a human has become much more natural than before. He was now quite adept at lying, something a divinity of Providence shouldn’t be able to do.
“If we look at it that way, will this Moon God eventually become a divinity capable of lying, too?”
“Hmm, people usually call that an Evil God.”
“It is indeed the easiest and fastest way to distinguish between a traditional God and an Evil God.”
“Who knows what will happen to this friend in the future?” Gio grinned. “I’m surprised you’re not more shocked.”
“I’ve just resigned myself to it. My first thought was, Of course it’s come to this.” Seriously, who kidnaps a divinity from a religion that has an active order? Not that he’d listen to me anyway. Ever since Gio mentioned a holy war, Seong-un had a bad feeling. He knew Gio was going to cause some massive trouble, but at the very least, it wouldn’t be something harmful to Earth. So, he might as well prepare to clean up the minor messes.
“At least it’s not something that will cause rumors to spread.”
“Is there such a thing as something that doesn’t cause rumors?”
“The Moon Cult doesn’t have a divinity with a physical body. Direct communication is difficult for anyone other than the Saintess. Since she’s the only one who can and has been focused on recovery, she won’t have the energy to even notice whether the divinity is there or not…”
“But I brought it here specifically to spread rumors.”
“…” Yoo Seong-un rummaged through his pockets, pulled out a piece of hard candy, and crunched down on it.
“Fine. What are you planning to do now?”
“Whoa, did you just eat that candy in one bite? You’ll get diabetes. You should watch out for adult-onset diseases.”
“Don’t worry, I burn off all the calories before diabetes can even think of setting in. So, what are you going to do?”
“Rumors will start to spread that something is wrong with the Moon God.”
“And then?”
“That’s when my new friends will make their entrance.” Arjio looked genuinely delighted. “Do you like amusement parks?”
“…Well…” Seeing him look so happy, Yoo Seong-un couldn’t help but grin. “I don’t hate them.”
* * *
“…?” A man asked, his face a mask of bewilderment. “…What did you say this was?”
“A promotion!”
“No, I mean…”
“You definitely won’t regret it.”
“Uh, uh… okay…”
The man looked with a dubious expression at the woman dressed as a fox. She had perky ears, a fluffy tail, and a long, modest maid outfit that showed absolutely no skin.
How niche.
The man looked back down at the flyer.
We invite you to the Dream Amusement Park!
Are you tired of this harsh world?
Do you have a dream you gave up on after hitting the wall of reality?
Do you want to get some proper rest, but can’t because you’re too busy?
Then come find us!
Everything you desire is right here!
Imagine yourself spending money like water.
Imagine yourself surrounded by cute animals.
Imagine yourself in perfect health, or flying through the sky with wings.
Any silly, far-fetched dream is perfectly fine.
We will grant you freedom from your tedious daily life!
All you have to do is very simple:
First, before you sleep, place a note with your desired dream under your pillow.
Second, no matter what happens, enjoy the dream to the fullest!
That’s all it takes!
The world belongs to those who dream!
“…Excuse me, so what exactly is this…”
When the man looked up, the strange fox maid was gone.
“…Huh?”
What was that? Was she a Hunter? Or a monster…? But there was no way a monster would be handing out flyers to people. Calming his racing heart, the man decided she must have been a Hunter with a peculiar way of promoting herself.
Nonsensical flyers like this could be found in random alleys all the time.
Given the bizarre conditions, maybe it’s some kind of service using her skill. The world really has changed for the better, with Hunters starting all sorts of businesses…
There were plenty of Hunters who ran businesses using intangible skills, so the man didn’t think much of it. He wouldn’t try it himself—it seemed too sketchy—but getting offers like this wasn’t exactly uncommon.
A few days later, at a colleague’s suggestion, the man finally did what the flyer instructed.
“…”
The man’s eyes widened with excitement.
“…I-It’s real… It’s actually real.” A massive grin spread across his face. “This is insane.”
A few more days after that, the government issued a safety advisory. It was an official notice warning citizens that the dungeon ‘Dream Amusement Park’ was highly active, and advised them to keep their distance and avoid contact.
The citizens did not listen.