Quick Eagle (2)
[Returnee Power System: Quick Eagle — American returnee superhero from a world where males can lay eggs. Currently at Superhuman / Transcendent rank, possessing superhuman physical and magical capabilities. Wings are a natural biological trait, adjustable in size for flight or display. His power system allows egg-laying of unfertilized eggs, with mature age around 34 years old in his original timeline.]
Sacrament.
The Sacrament was the greatest gift and reward a god could bestow upon a being from the earthly realm. It was the most magnificent honor for a believer to possess such a holy blessing, and it was not easily granted.
Even in the annals of history, those who had the divine spark embedded in their bodies numbered only a few. Deep faith alone did not guarantee it could be bestowed.
The sole condition required to receive the sacred blessing was simply the affection of the goddess.
‘I deserved it.’
A portion of the divine essence residing within one’s body meant one had been showered with the god’s love. To a devout believer, such praise was a noble and worthy honor.
In this way, the Sacrament carried immense symbolic weight.
It also held practical value. The ultimate skill I had used to subdue Liam and Quick Eagle had stemmed directly from the power granted by my Sacrament.
“Now do you understand?”
I asked with a smile, and the black man in the mirror slowly nodded his head. His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he inquired.
“May I ask exactly what power it is, if it is not rude?”
“Of course.”
There was no need to hold back the full truth. He was a man who would not know how to counter it.
“A person who has the Sacrament embedded in their body gains the ability to use specific powers, and the effect depends on which body part.”
“Oh?”
“In my case, the one residing in the chest, it is a power that allows me to temporarily dominate another person’s mind.”
More precisely, it turned others’ hearts into a state as devout as mine.
That is why I had once called it ‘Elluke Infection’ in my youth, but after growing up, it became embarrassing and I changed the name.
“How do you feel after experiencing my power, Faith Contagion?”
“It’s a fun ability, isn’t it? I was a bit surprised.”
Quick Eagle took a swig of his vodka and chuckled. Anyone watching would have thought he had quickly regained his senses after being subdued.
But in truth, he had been lulled into a daze for about thirty minutes before barely returning to normal. Liam had snapped back to himself in just one minute—a world of difference.
Still, thirty minutes was rather quick. Normally, the influence of the power could linger for days.
In a sense, it meant he possessed the skill and capacity worthy of being called a hero.
It was truly fortunate. Had he wandered around dazed by my power for days, it would have been a problem. But he was a stronger man than I had expected.
“Well? Our wife’s power.”
Liam, who had returned to his senses earlier and received my scolding, chimed in with a smug expression. I found it utterly disagreeable.
What did he mean by that? His cold stare quickly deflated him, and he averted his gaze.
Yet he continued to sip his drink diligently.
“Hey, Elluke, is it? I’d like to ask you something.”
Soon after, Quick Eagle set down his bottle. His expression had grown serious.
His deep voice, suited to his mature appearance, continued with a slight pause.
“Objectively speaking, if my husband and I were to fight, I would lose, wouldn’t I?”
“Yes. You would be no match at all.”
I answered without hesitation, and Quick Eagle narrowed his brows with a sigh.
“I know this guy is strong, but I figured I could at least hold my own. But you’re saying even that’s impossible?”
He looked at me with somber eyes and muttered, clearly wounded in his pride.
Of course. Anyone who was a returnee would have been the strongest in their own world, and with the experience of being a hero, their self-confidence would only have been greater.
‘Well, whatever.’
Liam’s strength was on another level—transcendent, surpassing human limits. A demigod. A hero with a presence that even the greatest returnee would find hard to match.
From my perspective, Quick Eagle would need at least ten more like him just to be balanced. The difference was that vast.
“You would have held your own quite well if it had been in a mana-rich place.”
I added the words anyway, out of basic consideration for the listener’s feelings.
Of course, Liam, who lacked even this much tact, merely shook his head in confusion.
How could he be so lacking in awareness? If he had brought Erina along, he would have stayed silent in such a situation.
Fortunately, Quick Eagle did not notice Liam’s reaction and spoke to me after lost in thought.
“I’d like to have a proper conversation with the pink-haired friend. Is that okay?”
“….”
I stared at the suddenly eager black young man before blurting out.
“Excuse me, how old are you?”
“Me? I’ll be… twenty-four this year.”
Contrary to his weathered appearance, he was actually quite young. So I was able to speak my mind without reservation.
“Then please stop calling me ‘friend’ without the proper respect.”
I could no longer tolerate the young man who had been treating me casually since the moment we met.
“Hey, come on, let’s be friendly. Why so stiff?”
Yet Quick Eagle continued to ignore etiquette and joked around. He was just as tactless as Liam.
If left alone, he would keep it up. I had no choice but to forcibly instill some manners.
Just as I steeled my heart for a sharp scolding, Quick Eagle smiled brightly and said,
“Honestly, you look like you’re a lot younger than me. At first, I thought you were a high-school student.”
“….”
I stopped what I was about to say and flashed a bright smile.
“Then it can’t be helped. Please call me friend.”
I had no choice but to accept the young man’s casual way of addressing me if it was because of his youthful appearance.
“Friend! You have a kind heart as well as amazing looks?”
He was beginning to grow on me. Quick Eagle was, surprisingly, a kind younger brother.
Perhaps the magic of Liam’s world had translated the words into something less polite than intended. The awkward translation made it sound even more so.
“So, how about visiting Korea? I’d like to have a real conversation.”
I could not simply invite anyone to my house. It was Seoyun’s house.
But I had already approved it as if it were my own. Of course, I would charge a fee. A blessing and money.
Moreover, someone like Quick Eagle would surely please Seoyun. A famous returnee visiting would be perfect for getting her autograph.
Having made my decision, I nodded lightly.
“Welcome.”
Thus, the promise was made in an instant. This was my first time meeting another returnee face to face.
A rather sudden, yet eagerly anticipated encounter.
***
Quick Eagle had planned to visit our home around noon along with Liam.
With the immense power of Liam, and me who had easily subdued him. It seemed he had taken a deep interest in both of us.
I wondered what kind of conversation he planned to have.
Before I could ponder that, there was another matter to resolve.
‘Can I just bring Quick Eagle to Korea?’
I was unsure whether it was acceptable to summon Quick Eagle home like this. I had worried about potential problems, but luckily, my concerns were unfounded.
“No problems at all.”
The moment Ha In-ha walked in, she said it bluntly. Having pulled an all-nighter, her eyes looked tired compared to usual.
I infused her with holy power to dispel her fatigue. The National Intelligence Service agent, who had been weary, smiled gratefully and bowed her head before continuing.
“Some American returnees who have received permission can freely enter and leave Korea in preparation for emergencies.”
According to the law newly established in my absence, a few returnees could simply report their entry into Korea.
This law had come into being because there had never been returnees in Korea before. If returnees could quickly come to help during natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, or floods, it would be a great benefit.
“Especially people like Quick Eagle often visit Korea.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he loves Korean food. Particularly, he is obsessed with bibimbap.”
Now it made sense. Quick Eagle was a sociable guy. That was why he had been friendly toward me and Liam. The feeling was even warmer than before.
It was not until Ha In-ha opened her mouth again that I spoke.
“By the way, he is a strict vegetarian, so please do not mention meat at all.”
“What happens if I do?”
“I will keep lecturing you until you are seated in front of him and say you want to become a vegetarian.”
“….”
For some reason, when Liam and I had our drinking session earlier, there had been no meat in the side dishes—only a pot of vegetables.
Why was an eagle vegetarian? He really was an unusual man.
“Understood. I’ll be careful.”
I briefly checked the time on my smartphone. It was half past eleven in the morning. Not much time remained before the guests arrived.
In the meantime, I decided to take a short break.
“Rohan, eat up.”
At my words, Rohan began to nibble as if he had been waiting. He was eating with great enthusiasm, as if the delicious holy milk tasted great.
While I nursed him, Erina and Evaila sat in front of the TV, watching children’s animation.
“Go! Lucky Heart!”
Watching, I saw the idol protagonist and her companions perform wildly unrealistic, dazzling performances.
It was obvious they had used a lot of CGI. The comics these days were completely different in style from the ones I had read as a child.
Just as I had been casually focusing on the animation for a few minutes, the doorbell rang with a ding.
I handed Rohan to Ha In-ha and opened the front door.
The moment it opened, the smell of alcohol hit me full force. Outside stood Liam and Quick Eagle, arms around each other’s shoulders, their faces flushed from drinking.
“I’m here!”
Liam immediately tried to hug me, so I blocked his arms.
“Don’t. You smell like alcohol.”
Frowning, I pushed him away, but the bastard ignored me and spread his arms wide. Annoyed, I lightly punched his stomach.
Liam blinked blankly and opened his mouth.
“Won’t you kiss me?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“You said you would give me a kiss as a reward if I came early.”
“I never said that.”
“Eh…?”
Why did he think I would kiss him? He must have overheard some strange words somewhere.
Even if that were true, there was no reason I would grant it.
“Besides, you’re late. What reward is there?”
The man who could casually cross the Pacific Ocean had only arrived home after noon. He was in no way early.
Yet for some reason, Liam protested.
“No, I flew here as fast as I could. This is the quickest I’ve ever gotten.”
“Is that so?”
Since it did not seem like a lie, I accepted the protest. Still, I would not give him a kiss.
“Please come in. Mr. Quick Eagle may also enter.”
“Thank you.”
Quick Eagle entered with a grin. He had folded his large wings to fit inside. They were clearly adjustable in size.
“Friend, nice to meet you. Here, take this.”
Quick Eagle immediately handed me a shopping bag he was holding. It felt quite heavy.
“Go ahead and check it out. It’s a gift.”
As he smiled brightly, I could see the marks of a well-mannered life.
At first, I had thought he was an insolent young man, but that was not the case. He was a friend who knew basic visiting etiquette.
“Thank you.”
I smiled back and reached into the bag to take out the contents.
“…What is this?”
When I inspected the gift, my face stiffened. It was an unavoidable object.
“Warm? That’s the egg I laid today on the road.”
Upon hearing the explanation, a real laugh escaped my lips.
“But aren’t you a man?”
“Ah, in the world where I was ‘transmigrated,’ it is common for men to lay eggs.”
“….”
The conversation was turning more and more awkward.
[Quick Eagle: The world I came from is one where men lay eggs. It’s normal there! Unfertilized eggs all day long. Makes life way more interesting, lol]
I could not help but laugh. This black young man really was something else.