For a Friend (2)
For a Friend (2)
The Church of the Lord was a religion that revered awakeners as apostles of God.
Its influence varied somewhat from country to country.
Korea, which had suffered fewer disasters thanks to Seol Hayeon, was weak territory for the Church of the Lord.
Its remaining believers were almost entirely elderly men and women.
Other nations, however—foreign countries ravaged by villains in addition to Gates?
Chaotic public sentiment. Fear lasting for years. Escapist faith taking root in the gaps.
The more tragedy a country had suffered throughout awakener history, the more the Church of the Lord flourished.
In that sense, there was Vietnam.
Villains had overthrown the country years earlier, turning every day into a zombie apocalypse.
The Church of the Lord inevitably took deep root there.
[Mr. Võ. When an S-rank Gate appears in the future....]
'The top-secret operation was the day after tomorrow. What was that old man saying? I couldn't simply dismiss him either.'
The Church of the Lord held enough influence in Vietnam that even Công could not take its words lightly.
Who was Công, after all?
A new sacred figure who had appeared in the despairing land of Vietnam.
A patriot who devoted his ability without reservation to liberating his homeland.
He was a hero among heroes who had surpassed even the achievements of his namesake, President Võ Chí Công.
Whenever he visited a shelter, women became so overjoyed that they fainted one after another. Công was practically a Heavenly Demon of popularity.
Yet even Công found it difficult to defy the Church's wishes.
That alone showed how powerful the Church of the Lord was in Vietnam.
Thus, Công could not lightly reject their proposal to bring Yujin into an S-rank Gate.
[I apologize. For our Liberation Army, the liberation of Vietnam takes absolute priority....]
[Rebuilding Hanoi will require an astronomical amount of money. Recently, branches in other nations collected donations totaling this much....]
[I will consider the proposal very positively.]
...In truth, capitalism had Công pinned so firmly that he could not move. In any case...
The proposal eventually reached Yujin.
Would he accompany them in clearing an S-rank Gate?
How did Yujin react when he heard the unexpected proposal while shoveling down blood-sausage soup?
"Huh. They said something sensible for once?"
'Jackpot. I had thought it would take years before I could clear an S-rank Gate.'
To him, it was an unexpected windfall.
An S-rank Gate was an exceptionally dangerous demonic realm, but the rewards matched the danger.
Items known as Artifacts appeared only inside them.
The extreme danger also made one's stats grow rapidly.
Moreover, the world would thank the participants for saving everyone and treat them as heroes.
To Yujin, an S-rank Gate was a honey pot.
Now he learned he could enter one already.
His shoulders bounced with delight.
"Of course I'd like to go."
"You accepted quickly. You know the danger, yes? At your current strength, even one blow from an ordinary monster would kill you instantly."
"I simply will not be hit."
"That's precisely what becomes impossible inside an S-rank Gate."
Contrary to his casual assumption...
S-rank Gates were never easy.
Aside from Korea's Cheonhwa Clan, the strongest awakener force, clearing one without an S-rank awakener was impossible.
Even Công, who could see the future, could not lower his guard inside such a demonic realm.
Countries did not summon Công with mountains of money for no reason whenever an S-rank Gate appeared.
They were that dangerous.
But,
"Can I bring Alice and Sia too? They're my wi— ahem. My classmates."
"Do you think this is a picnic? I mentioned it only because you are you. Throwing beginners into an S-rank Gate is...."
"I'll persuade Master to come with us."
"Then that changes everything."
If the S-rank No. 1, Aika Ninomiya, accompanied them...
it would no longer be a Gate-clearing operation. It'd become a picnic.
They could spread a mat, eat gimbap, and wait while Aika handled everything herself.
Công accepted the logic and nodded.
"You'll need to persuade Seol Hayeon, but I have no objection."
"Huh. I expected you to become angry that I was dragging Master into this unnecessarily. You are not angry?"
Yujin found his reaction puzzling.
He'd expected Công to complain that bringing a dragon-slaying sword to butcher a cow was absurd, or worry about their people becoming involved.
Why did he agree so readily?
Yujin stared at Công with widened eyes.
Công merely rested his chin on one hand and smiled softly.
'Goodness, what an adorable brat. Did he want a date with Ninomiya that badly?'
[Master was already so cute, beautiful, and lovable....]
'What did he see in that gorilla? His taste in women was truly strange.'
Công recalled what Yujin had said moments earlier.
It had merely been affection for his wife slipping out naturally, but...
how had it sounded to Công?
Oh. Yujin said he liked one of the three women. Công had intended to ask which one and tease him.
Ah. It was Ninomiya.
That was the only conclusion Công could hear.
'Dragging the uninvolved beginners along was an excuse because he feared Ninomiya wouldn't come alone with him.'
Why else mention Sia and Alice?
It was an obvious pretext for arranging a date.
Công could protect Yujin alone.
Yujin probably understood that vaguely.
He apparently wanted a date with his master badly enough to involve his innocent classmates.
He was asking Công to protect his friends.
Yujin's scheme was so adorable that Công could only laugh.
'Tsk. He didn't even know Ninomiya had tried to devour him. How innocent.'
From Công's perspective, however, Yujin's plan was pointless.
Công had seen the truth clearly.
In the future that would have occurred without his intervention...
Yujin had lain collapsed and coughing blood with his trousers lowered.
And finally...
Ninomiya's lips had been strangely covered in saliva.
Ah. It wouldn't become erect, so she had slurped it?
Ravenously, until drool covered her mouth?
That was the only way the scene appeared.
Ninomiya had attempted to sexually assault, perhaps even rape, Yujin.
If he simply confessed, pure romance would be guaranteed.
Công could not understand what pointless scheme this oblivious fool was attempting.
'Yujin must have coughed blood because he was a wholesome man. He probably used hypnosis to stop the rampaging Ninomiya, just as he had at the hospital.'
Công finally understood why Yujin had vomited blood.
There was the highlight reel of him treating one hundred psychiatric patients.
Immediately afterward, he'd collapsed with a nosebleed.
How had everyone who watched it assessed the limit of his hypnosis?
It was powerful, but its price was equally severe.
Like Công's ability, repeated use caused Overload.
Naturally, that had merely been acting.
Yujin could use hypnosis sixteen times per second at no cost...
but Công had never imagined that such an absurd ability could exist.
Yujin had also just coughed blood and claimed, ‘It’s just a side effect of my ability.’
Even the S-rank No. 7 had no choice but to misunderstand.
He concluded that Yujin's hypnosis possessed clear limits.
Like Công's own Future Sight, it seemed difficult to use.
'The information Yujin had given me must also have been obtained through tremendous difficulty while coughing blood. How could I ever repay that debt?'
Gratitude rose alongside a sense of kinship.
The information had been pivotal to defeating the Necromancer.
How much blood had Yujin vomited to acquire it?
And he had readily yielded that painfully obtained intelligence to Công.
Công felt the weight of the favor anew.
'———Fine. I'd help with his romance. I'd turn that gorilla into Yujin's ideal woman—or at least into a human being.'
Thus, Công made a decision.
He would reform Ninomiya, the would-be rapist.
He needed to act before his friend's rose-colored glasses came off.
Before the would-be rapist evolved into an actual rapist.
'The best solution would be showing him reality, but Yujin had already fallen for her. For my friend, I would make an effort.'
—Smile.
'Why was he smiling with those foxlike eyes? It was annoyingly cute.'
...The expression Công wore as he made his decision was needlessly adorable.
Unable to resist, Yujin poured radish-kimchi brine into Công's soup.
Công puffed his cheeks in a sulk.
Even so, his determination did not change.
Had Yujin known, he'd have lamented over why Công was doing something so pointless.
* * *
Drinking with Công was quite enjoyable.
Blood-sausage soup and one bottle of soju. Once they became pleasantly tipsy, they held a singing contest at karaoke. For the second round, they drank another bottle at a sashimi restaurant.
I drank all the way to my limit, which said everything.
My steps swayed from side to side as I returned to the academy.
"Công, today was fun...."
"Good grief. You called me a lightweight, yet you're passing out after only two bottles."
"A real man knows when to stop! He doesn't drink until he is completely wasted and disgrace himself like someone else!"
"This bastard is drunk. Completely drunk."
Công walked beside me with a faint flush on his face.
The way he anxiously looked up to make sure I did not fall was so cute that it irritated me.
Annoyed, I changed the subject.
"In any case, you'll take us when the S-rank Gate opens, right?"
"Yes. Aika Ninomiya, Yujin, Alice Littenwood, and Yoo Sia. Those four. This is the fifth time I have told you that I will take them."
"Yes, yes. Hehe...."
I'd confirmed it repeatedly, but the matter was important enough to ask again.
Công had guaranteed that he would bring me and my wives into the S-rank Gate.
My mood improved, and a foolish smile spread across my face.
'The S-rank Gate would open in roughly a month, right?'
S-rank Gates didn't appear often anywhere in the world...
but one would open soon.
It was the Gate Công had cleared in the First Round.
'If I distinguished myself there, my operational range would expand dramatically.'
Participating would be an enormous opportunity.
Ordinarily, recognition as an S-rank would not come for several years.
It would happen only after I overwhelmingly carried the S-rank Gate that opened in Korea.
But what if I went with Công and carried the operation?
I could announce my value to the entire world.
The fame and bank balance that would rise with it required no explanation.
Most importantly...
'Showing my wives how impressive I was? I couldn't resist that.'
A young man fighting magnificently even inside an S-rank Gate.
My wives' Affection would rise vertically. Guaranteed.
What if they all fell for me and confessed?
Should I begin trying to remove that Impotence Hypnosis in advance?
Those thoughts kept me grinning.
"Hehe. Confessions...."
"Pfft. Hey. We are almost at your dormitory, so pull yourself together."
"Already?"
As we walked through the night, I soon found myself before the dormitory.
I immediately opened the door.
Sleepiness was overtaking me.
—Bang!
"Masterrr~!! Your disciple is homeee~!!"
"M-my disciple? That is... well... I wanted to...."
"Your disciple is going to sleep early! My master is the most beautiful angel in the world! See you tomorrow~!!"
Without looking back, I headed into the bathroom.
My stomach was full, and I felt pleasantly drunk.
I planned only to brush my teeth and fall directly into bed.
"A-an angel...."
—Turn. Whisper.
"Ninomiya. Listen carefully. Yujin is...."
"......Ht!?"
Công and Master began discussing something behind me, but...
it was probably nothing important.
* * *
The next day.
"My disciple, breakfast is ready. Wake up. I made salmon ochazuke for your hangover, so you can eat even if your stomach hurts...."
"M-Master. What in the world are you wearing?"
"Ah, this?"
"Võ Chí Công said men like this sort of outfit. H-how is it?"
"......."
Công, you bastard. What nonsense had you told Master?