Crimson Fury and Cardinal's Counsel
A man sat in a luxuriously adorned chair. His hair blazed like flames, red as fire, and his eyes gleamed green like jewels. He was reading a book. Then, the hand holding the book began to tremble violently. Black veins bulged grotesquely across the back of his hand. They burrowed up his arm, across his shoulder, up his neck, and finally crept onto his forehead.
"You filthy little worm!"
BAM! The man shot up from his seat and hurled the book to the floor. He threw it so hard it punched a hole straight through the wooden planks.
The woman beside him jumped in fright, then hurried over with quick little steps. She was dressed in little more than scraps of fabric—or rather, not dressed at all—but the man showed no interest in her exposure.
"Honey, why are you so mad? You scared me half to death."
She pressed herself against him, her voice thick and sweet as honey. A thin sheet of cloth draped sloppily over her, only accentuating her voluptuous curves. Her hot breath tickled his ear. But far from succumbing to the temptation, he shoved her away in annoyance.
"I'm still pissed thinking about how that idiot cut off our supply line. How the hell does that even happen?"
"There'll be plenty more opportunities, so relax. Shall we head to the bedroom first, honey?"
"Ugh, no. I just can't wrap my head around it. After all the effort I put into that guy, he gets taken out by some inferior Romanica zealot!"
"You look so hot even when you're angry..."
She guided his hand onto her body. The cloth she'd been wearing lay discarded on the floor. But he slapped her hand away with a sharp crack!
He glared at her with bloodshot eyes. Flames of unquenchable rage burned in his pupils.
With a deep sigh, he finally spoke. "Pick your moments when you try to seduce me."
"I couldn't help it—you're irresistible when you're mad. Look, I'm already..."
CRASH! It happened then. Something massive hurtled through the window at blinding speed, shattering it into the room. Glass shards sprayed everywhere, embedding in the man's skin.
He leaped up in shock. "What the fuck is this now?!"
Frowning deeply, he yanked out the glass fragments. It wasn't the pain that bothered him—it was the uninvited intruder. The intruder was a bird. A massive parrot. It cocked its head at him and preened its wings, sending sawdust flying along with feathers. It was taxidermied. The man easily guessed it was from Gu Jun-hyeok.
"Oh, it's you. Last name... Jong-pal? No, Gu Jun-hyeok, right? Such a pain to pronounce. Anyway, what's up?"
"Chang-sik! Coming soon? Korea."
The bird spoke. Its voice vaguely mimicked Gu Jun-hyeok's, but the speech was clumsy, words jumbled out of order. Still, the gist was clear enough.
The man nodded. "Yeah. A bit later than planned, but soon enough."
"Chang-sik! Got it. Eat? 'Nails'."
"You're asking if I'm planning to eat the 'nails'?"
"Correct."
"Yeah. While I'm at it grabbing some nails to eat, I'll pick up a kid I like as a bonus."
The man spoke casually, then tilted his head curiously. "But why call me 'Chang-sik'? Weird name."
"Whore's spawn. Shortened. Haha!"
"Wh-what? You, you inferior, lowly Eastern mongrel!"
In a rage, he reared back to kick the bird. But he stopped short. The bird's milky white eyes stared fixedly at him. Gu Jun-hyeok might unleash some black magic with that Third Eye. When it came to raw destructive power of black magic, no one could beat him.
"...No, on second thought, no reason for us to fight."
"Scared?"
"With the big plan coming up, I just don't want to waste energy fighting you. You should hold back on black magic too if you want to conserve your strength, right?"
"Wise words. Chang-sik!"
"Don't call me Chang-sik, you bastard."
Black veins throbbed on his forehead as he snapped irritably. He sighed to calm himself and continued. "...So, what brings you here? You didn't fly all this way just to mess with me."
"Request. No attacks! Two people."
"'Don't attack those two.' Got it. Who are they?"
"Photos. Reference!"
Splat, splat... The bird opened its beak wide and vomited suddenly. Two photos lay amid the mess. One of a woman with brown hair, brown eyes, and a round, cute face. The other of a man with black hair, black eyes, and an overall gloomy aura.
"Don't touch these two, huh. Any reason?"
"Shut up. Just do it. Chang-sik."
"..."
The man bit his lip without answering. His bloodshot eyes locked onto the bird's milky ones. The commanding tone, the disgusting nickname—nothing sat right. He fiddled with the black veins on his forehead, then smirked.
"Actually, on second thought... Why should I listen to a prisoner who can't do shit from his cell?"
"Haha! Haha!"
The bird laughed at his words—or rather, crudely mimicked laughter, its echo eerie and unnatural. After laughing for a while, its eyes fixed on his face. It tilted its head and clacked its beak.
"Am I funny like this?"
"..."
The man stared silently into the bird's eyes, then looked away.
"Kidding, Gu Jun-hyeok. Don't take it so seriously; it's embarrassing."
He laughed to defuse the tension. Gu Jun-hyeok had devoured 'Pride,' one of the Seven Deadly Sins' leaders, simply because he couldn't stand a weaker being bearing that name. Even imprisoned and weakened now, he could regain his power and break out anytime. Better to humor him.
"So, the other kids at Florence are fair game? Like, say, Kim Jin-seo."
"Do as you like."
"Alright, alright. Then I'll steer clear of those two friends of yours."
"Keep promise. Definitely! See you!"
Flap! With a brief farewell, the bird spread its wings and flew out the window. The man watched it soar freely into the sky, wings beating powerfully. It grew smaller, then vanished.
His face twisted. His complexion flushed purple with rage.
The woman who'd watched it all sidled up and hugged him tightly. "Honey, enough anger now."
"...Yeah, okay."
"But I have one question."
She nuzzled his chest. "Why obsess over that Kim Jin-seo girl? She seems worthless. And I'm prettier."
"No, she's not worthless."
He chuckled. "Her body's superior... Hard to believe she's Eastern."
As he groped her, he continued. "I meant to grab her as a kid, but missed out."
"You killed her adoptive mom instead."
She writhed under his touch, voice coy. "Her body was crap. Heart was decent enough, so I took that and killed her."
"What part of her body do you want?"
"Legs, eyes, a few muscle fibers."
"And?"
"Then craft the ultimate superior being..."
He breathed heavily, aroused. She watched fondly. "Finally, transplant my brain."
*
Seong Ha-yeon broke into a cold sweat watching Do Seon-woo shake hands and greet her father. At a glance, his expression seemed normal—genuinely pleased and honored to meet him. But while his smile was warm, his eyes clearly burned with hostility toward the man.
No, 'hostility' didn't capture it fully. Seong Ha-yeon couldn't find words for that eerie glint.
"...Let's leave the greetings and head inside."
"Yes, understood."
As Seong Yu-da released the handshake, Do Seon-woo smiled back. Seong Ha-yeon glanced again. No hostility now. His eyes sparkled with pure innocence, utterly at odds with their earlier gleam.
"..."
Did she imagine it? Do Seon-woo had no reason to hate her father. He'd even asked to meet him first. Her father was a former cardinal, a giant in Romanica's history. Personal matters aside, he commanded universal respect.
Must've been a mistake. Anything else made no sense. She brushed it off.
Seong Yu-da led them to the drawing room, ordering tea on the way. The three sat in a circle. A servant brought tea, and Seong Yu-da sipped gracefully before speaking.
"I heard you wanted to see me."
He set his cup down silently. "I'm curious why... Anything specific you want to ask?"
His tone was soft and gentle—a habit when addressing juniors, regardless of age or status.
Do Seon-woo straightened, leaning forward slightly. "Yes. One question about my career path, and one about the Conclave."
His speech was neither stiff nor overly soft, manners impeccable. It felt awkward yet fresh to Seong Ha-yeon.
She glanced between them. Neither showed their true selves, leaving a chill in the air. No room for her to interject; it became a duel of words.
"Career first, if you please... Though I wonder if my advice will help."
"It will—"
"No, it might not."
Seong Yu-da cut him off firmly. Do Seon-woo listened patiently, unperturbed.
"Frankly, my advice doesn't help in normal situations."
"What do you...?"
"Student, what is your ultimate goal?"
His tone turned aggressive, question abrupt. Seong Ha-yeon blinked in confusion. Why the sudden shift from her father's usual serene smile?
Do Seon-woo seemed briefly startled but smiled brightly. "...First, become a heretic inquisitor. Second, a cardinal. Like you, Seong Yu-da."
"You're in the paladin track, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then my advice is even less useful."
Seong Yu-da sipped his tea. "Realistically, paladins can't rise high now. Priests have the edge for top clergy."
"That's always been true. Even when you became cardinal—"
"No, it was better then."
Clink. He set his cup down—with sound this time. Seong Ha-yeon swallowed hard. Bad atmosphere to interrupt.
Seong Yu-da blinked slowly. "That era had Satanist emergence, Voodoo schisms—chaos. Ability mattered most; paladins had chances."
"..."
"Cold truth: Now, connections trump ability. No stage for paladins."
His voice was calm yet forceful. "Back then, skill alone could elevate you. Not now. No connections? You cap out, no matter your talent."
"I know."
"Then switch tracks now. Drop inquisitor dreams for priesthood, or go warrior-priest for an honorary inquisitor title—faster, easier."
His words were brutally cold, but realistic. Seong Ha-yeon bit her lip, feeling scolded herself. She peeked at Do Seon-woo. He just smiled, unruffled.
"I believe that chaos will return. That's why paladin."
He continued steadily. "Demon and magic beast outbreaks rise daily. Satanists even hit Florence. They're growing bolder."
"..."
"Post-'Wrath' capture, Satanist activity spiked—you became archbishop then. With 'Envy' caught, same pattern."
"Insightful. But not that simple."
Seong Yu-da set his cup aside, engrossed. "Paladins get opportunities in chaos, true. But casualty rates soar. No confidence? Dead before glory."
"I have confidence. I've proven it unintentionally, several times. As you know."
"...But ability isn't enough. Connections rule. Clergy cliques won't vanish easily."
Do Seon-woo nodded slowly, sipped his cold tea, and set it down silently.
"Not connections exactly, but I know a few paladins."
"May I ask who?"
"Seoul East Knight Commander Han Dae-ho... and Central Knight Order's heretic inquisitor Mun Yo-seop."
Seong Ha-yeon's eyes widened. She knew vaguely of Han Dae-ho, but an inquisitor? He had few school friends, yet wide reach.
Seong Yu-da looked shocked, staring intently. "Impressive paladins... How'd you meet them? Few chances at Florence."
"Han Dae-ho at Basar fire. Mun Yo-seop... through Satanists at Florence."
"With that, ask them directly. Why me?"
Seong Yu-da crossed his legs, sipping tea, eyes sly under lowered lids.
"I have ties, but not how to leverage them. My situation isn't ordinary—unintended, but true."
Do Seon-woo pressed on calmly. "I seek advice for the unconventional. That's why you."
Seong Ha-yeon got it. Not just networking tips—he wanted Romanica's underbelly.
Seong Yu-da smiled, satisfied. "...Not ordinary indeed."
He stood. "Wait here. I'll fetch something useful from the study."