Chapter 90: Holy Land (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Holy Land (2)
After receiving the message, I immediately contacted Luke.
[Belief_]: Would it be alright to go tomorrow?
A reply came the moment I sent it.
Barely any time had passed, yet the response was so fast it was as if he’d been waiting.
[Luke]: You are welcome anytime.
The entry time was late evening.
I had nothing in particular to do until then, nor did I feel like focusing on anything specific.
So, I decided to just let the day drift by.
I slept in, stopped by a café for coffee, and took a walk around the campus grounds.
It was a far cry from my usual days, where I’d split my schedule into minute-by-minute increments, analyzing and filling every moment with training.
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to spend a day like this, just for once.
I quietly looked up at the Gaon sky.
The sun was slowly setting.
Since I wasn’t expecting any calls, I had taken my Watch off completely. But the moment I turned it on after a long while, a barrage of vibrations flooded in.
“…What is all this?”
[Missed call from Summer]
[Summer]: What
[Summer]: r
[Summer]: u doing?
[Missed call from Summer]
[Missed call from Summer]
[A voice message has arrived.]
Notification windows instantly filled the screen.
I clicked on the voice message.
Without any earphones, a familiar voice trickled out from the Watch.
—…What are you doing? Ahem. Good. Just like this… Hae-in, where are you? What are you doing this weekend? Let’s get a meal.
At first, it sounded like she was talking to herself, but then she addressed me naturally.
The beginning was mixed with an awkward cough and a mumble, as if it had been recorded by accident.
I let out a small laugh.
Placing my fingers on the Watch’s keypad, I left a short reply.
[Belief_]: Later. I have plans today.
A moment later, the ‘read’ receipt appeared.
A single-line message flew back immediately.
I didn’t bother replying.
The appointed time was fast approaching.
*
“Is he busy…?”
Yoon Chae-ha, lying face down on her bed, glanced at the book spread open beside her.
The cover was as flashy as ever.
[The Laws of Relationships Even a Shut-in Mage Would Be Curious About~ 199 Ultimate Killer Flirting Techniques!]
It was the book she had tried using half-jokingly before.
At first, it was just to kill time, maybe out of some light curiosity.
But things were different now.
Yoon Chae-ha didn’t deny her feelings.
Unless she was a fool, she knew what this emotion was.
So this time…
More carefully, more seriously.
She intended to use it with the same calm focus she would give a true grimoire.
Just as she was about to make her fourth call, a sentence caught her eye.
‘If you only pull, they might get tired of you! A moderate push-and-pull is essential!’
“Is that so…”
Muttering to herself, she slowly put her Watch down.
“…”
She waited quietly.
“…This should be long enough, right?”
Yoon Chae-ha turned to check the time.
Not even five minutes had passed.
“…”
This really wasn’t working.
This push-and-pull game wasn’t for her.
It was better to just go for it.
She shot up from the bed.
She threw on a coat, opened the door to her room, and stepped out.
And the place she arrived at was…
The front of Jung Hae-in’s dormitory. She’d rushed over without thinking and somehow ended up here.
On a late weekend afternoon, the hallway was quiet.
The Exchange Match was over, and it seemed most students had gone home.
However, she knew for a fact that he hadn’t left.
Normally, female students were forbidden from entering the men’s dormitory.
But security wasn’t that tight, and it was the weekend.
If she was a little careful, no one would know.
She cautiously pulled her hat down and slowly climbed the stairs.
I’ll get in trouble if I’m caught.
But that didn’t really matter.
When she reached his door, she paused for a moment to catch her breath.
Then, she knocked.
What should I say? A question about magic? About my future career? Or just…
Honestly, that I wanted to see you?
—Clatter!
From inside, there was a rattling sound of something falling over.
The frantic movements of someone who had just scrambled out of bed.
It seemed he had been lying down.
She clutched at her pounding heart.
And then.
—Creeak…
The door opened a crack.
But what seeped out wasn't just a person, but a wave of sweltering heat.
On top of that, a foreign body scent was mixed unpleasantly with Jung Hae-in’s.
She immediately waved her hand, as if to push the smell away.
And through the gap in the door, a face peeked out.
“Huh?”
It was a woman with braided hair, disheveled as if she’d just woken up, her loose clothes slipping down her shoulder.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed.
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes trembled slightly.
She had seen her somewhere before.
The Mock Group Battle.
His childhood friend, who had been utterly wrecked by Jung Hae-in from the side.
Ha Sion.
Yoon Chae-ha’s head spun.
But Sion was just as bewildered by the situation.
Hae-in was supposed to be visiting the Arcadia Cult and entering the Holy Land by now.
She had come over to enjoy her own happy time in his absence.
She had naturally assumed any visitor would be Kang A-rin or Yu Hana.
It was about time she got caught anyway. Your luck was bound to run out eventually.
But the woman standing before her was not who she had expected.
Ah.
Sion instinctively felt that this could get very annoying.
Yoon Chae-ha clenched her teeth and threw the door wide open in one swift motion.
—Whoosh.
…It’s hot.
The trapped heat and humid air rushed out into the hallway.
She quickly scanned the room.
Thankfully, Jung Hae-in wasn’t there.
But that wasn’t the important thing.
Slowly. Very slowly, her head turned.
Like a creaking doll.
Yoon Chae-ha’s gaze fell upon Sion.
“Ha…”
Sion closed her eyes and lowered her head.
*
The Arcadia Cult, outer underground reception room.
I was sitting in the designated waiting area.
It was a space where the gentle light of candles mingled with divine power.
I was waiting to enter the Holy Land.
Since I could only enter during Cheon Yeo-wool’s time slot, I had to wait until the Hero, Yohan, was finished.
A short while later, a priest in a robe approached quietly from down the hall.
“Brother, preparations to guide you to the Holy Land are complete.”
“Ah, yes.”
I slowly rose from my seat.
I had prepared a lot.
From sandbags to maximize my training efficiency to a whole bundle of other things.
It was then.
“You’re here?”
Cheon Yeo-wool appeared from beside the priest.
…Whoa.
She had an aura I’d never seen before.
Her attire was different from usual.
It was a ceremonial garment for the Holy Land, embroidered with traditional patterns in gold thread.
The garment, tailored to fit her perfectly, clearly revealed the curves of her body, evoking several feelings at once.
“Sorry, it took a while to put this on.”
Cheon Yeo-wool fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, looking embarrassed.
“I have to take it all off inside anyway… geez.”
I stopped in my tracks.
“Take it off? What are you taking off? Why?”
I asked urgently, but she just grinned and turned her head away.
“You’ll find out when we get inside~”
I couldn’t tell if she was joking or being serious.
She must be joking. She’s a Saintess, after all…
We walked slowly down the corridor leading to the Holy Land.
Before long, we reached the entrance.
A massive door stood closed, with two followers bearing the Hero’s crest standing guard in front of it.
Just then.
—Rumble…
The thick door began to vibrate and slowly opened.
The divine power flowing from within felt strangely heavy.
And from inside, a person walked out.
It was Yohan.
“Hah…”
He was drenched in sweat, looking exhausted from training.
As he emerged, the waiting followers all approached at once, carefully wiping his sweat and handing him a towel.
Breaking the silence, the priest next to me bowed his head and spoke.
“It is now time for you two to enter.”
I nodded.
Cheon Yeo-wool also took a short breath and matched my pace.
Beyond the temple ceiling, moonlight streamed through a glass skylight.
The moon was already high in the sky.
“H-Hold on.”
Just as he was about to leave, Yohan turned his head toward us.
He seemed to have only just noticed us, and a look of bewilderment spread across his face.
His gaze lingered on Cheon Yeo-wool for a moment.
Then it shifted back to me.
“The two of you… are going in together?”
“That is correct.”
The priest quietly bowed his head.
“…”
Yohan’s eyes wavered slightly.
Just then, Cheon Yeo-wool, who was beside me, cautiously came closer.
Her fingertips fumbled at my sleeve for a moment before her hand wrapped around my arm without hesitation.
She never once turned her head toward Yohan.
“Let’s go.”
I nodded and let her lead the way.
“Okay.”
We walked toward the door of the Holy Land.
The moment I crossed the threshold, the divine power emanating from within washed over my skin.
As I inhaled, a cold, clear energy filled my lungs.
—Ruuuumble…
The door closed, creating a sealed chamber completely cut off from the outside.
A tranquil beam of light descended.
The only light came from the moon, filtering through the stained-glass windows.
A soft glow enveloped the interior of the Holy Land.
A sacred energy permeated the air.
Every breath felt as if I were drawing cold divine power deep into my lungs.
Rather than feeling reverent, it was strangely calming.
I lightly tested my footing on the ground.
Then, a few jumps.
“This is insane.”
It felt different.
I had created this setting, but I’d never once thought I’d get to use it.
It had always been the exclusive domain of the Saintess and the Hero.
I could feel my body becoming activated.
I unpacked the gear I had brought.
Sandbags, resistance bands, and various other tools.
The time I was allowed wasn’t very long.
To get the most out of this short period, I needed to be efficient.
It was time to focus.
“I’m going to be pretty busy from now on, so let’s both work hard on our own…”
I said, turning my head toward Cheon Yeo-wool.
Just then.
—Swish…
The sound of fabric sliding across the floor.
“Hey, what are you…”
She was slowly, layer by layer, taking off the sacred robes she had been wearing just a moment ago.
She undid the sleeves, loosened the sash at her waist, and let the garment slide naturally from her shoulders.
She was actually taking it off?
—Swish…
This was getting dangerous.
I quickly turned my head away.
"Put your clothes back on. There's nowhere for me to look."
“It’s not that. To better absorb the divine power floating in the Holy Land… you have to expose as much skin as possible.”
Huh?
She said it so nonchalantly.
It almost made me feel like I was the one being sensitive.
As if Cheon Yeo-wool thought nothing of it, and I was the only one making a big deal.
“Really…?”
Theoretically, it made sense.
In fact, I did feel it more on my exposed skin, like the back of my hands.
The areas covered by clothing felt comparatively dull.
I nodded awkwardly.
“I’m not going to take everything off. You should probably take some off, too.”
Cheon Yeo-wool’s words were starting to persuade me.
Right, since I’m here, it would be better to absorb it more effectively.
I took off my top and sat down.
It was time to begin my training in earnest.
I had to do what I came here to do.
Just then.
“Hae-in.”
“Yeah.”
The moment I turned my head without thinking.
I sucked in a breath.
Swish.
The fabric slid down, revealing her half-naked form.
Beneath the robe that had slipped from her nape, the line of her side was quietly exposed.
Moonlight streamed through the stained glass, spreading softly across her shoulders and hips.
The outfit she wore under the robe was unexpected.
It was less a sacred vestment and more a functional outfit specialized for absorbing divine power.
It covered what needed to be covered, but maximized the amount of exposed skin.
In a way, it was the most efficient clothing one could wear in the Holy Land.
The atmosphere of the sacred space and her contrasting appearance created a strange harmony.
She looked at me quietly.
Her slightly upturned lips held a familiar playfulness, layered with something I couldn’t quite decipher.
“How do I look? Am I pretty?”
My face grew hot.
I felt like I had to answer, but I couldn’t find anywhere to look.
In the end, I could only nod slowly.
“…Yeah.”
It seemed that focusing on my training today…
Was not going to be easy.