A Beautiful Farewell
"What about my phone?"
"—...Was it destroyed?" Dong-ha asked hesitantly.
"Of course. Didn't I say I'd handle it cleanly?"
Noel approached Tamrang, sword still in hand.
"—Spare me! P-please, spare me!"
The evil spirit begged as it began to dissolve in real-time.
It seemed to have finally come to its senses.
Noel let out a smirk. He found the sight rather amusing.
Even evil spirits couldn't escape the grip of terror, it seemed.
"—Have you lost your mind?! You are not me!" Tamrang suddenly snapped at Noel.
Tamrang was a Calamity Deity, a mass of pure corruption, but Noel was different.
Heaven might strike him down.
"What's this? Are you worried about me?"
Noel looked at him with mock touched emotion.
Realizing it was a joke, Tamrang's voice grew even louder.
"—You should have left it to me! I am already a filthy existence anyway!"
"There's no such thing, Tamrang. Sure, you're a deity made of corruption, but how should I put it... it feels like a legal kind of corruption? Ah, a gray area! Yes, that's it."
Noel grinned broadly.
The world needed pestilence. Otherwise, how would the human population be kept in check?
He had simply been assigned the dirtiest role.
Since he was a deity created to bring death to humans from the very beginning, even if he possessed corruption, its nature was fundamentally different.
"Even if you usually think of yourself that way, Tamrang, you shouldn't just recklessly dirty your hands. You need to go back up there."
Noel pointed a finger upward.
He had to become one of the Seven Star Gods again, after all.
And besides, it's not like this is the first time I've destroyed a spirit.
When they accumulated such a thick layer of erosion, dealing with them was actually quite easy.
There was no risk of him suffering encroachment from the backlash of his powers.
"—And what of you?"
Tamrang scowled deeply.
"Me? I'm fine," Noel replied nonchalantly.
"—Noel speaks the truth. It is entirely permissible to obliterate them when they are so thoroughly steeped in corruption."
"—What...? Just how lenient has Heaven's judgment become?"
Tamrang reacted in disbelief at Asin's words.
Too many things had changed.
"—It is likely because Hell is at full capacity. They must have deemed that dragging such wretches down there would only waste time, as purging the heavy corruption clinging to their souls takes far too long."
As Asin finished speaking, she pointed the tip of her sword at the floor, causing ripples to spread across the ground.
Those three evil spirits had killed people.
The reason why they did it did not matter.
What they needed now was disposal.
"—Be gone."
At Asin's command, countless glowing swords instantly rose from the ground and impaled the two remaining evil spirits.
Shhhk!
Tamrang belatedly stepped back, but the blades merely passed through him without touching.
"—My blade is ever directed only at my foes. Do not be afraid."
Asin spoke gently as she sheathed her sword.
The two evil spirits vanished as if consumed by fire.
"Are you okay?"
Noel quickly approached Asin to check on her.
While he knew exactly what he was doing, Asin, unlike him, held an official divine rank.
The repercussions could be significant.
"—Of course. My duty is to protect you. It is only right that I strike down those who bare their blades against you."
Asin smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling.
"I'm really glad to hear that."
Noel breathed a sigh of relief.
He could have handled it himself.
But he felt like he would get scolded by Asin if he pointed that out.
"—...How perplexing."
The furrow between Tamrang's brows deepened.
He could not understand why Heaven's judgment had become so lenient.
Then, what about him?
Why?
Why on earth?
"—The times have changed. Nothing remains untouched by the flow of time. You are simply no exception."
Asin placed a hand gently on Tamrang's shoulder and patted it a few times.
Tamrang looked at Asin, then slowly walked away with a weary expression.
He went over to a corner and squatted down.
As expected, this was the most comfortable spot.
"—I shall ponder on it."
"—Very well."
After replying, Asin pointed toward the room.
"—Noel. I shall summon Kkamangi. Go on ahead."
"Will do."
As Noel headed back to the room, Dong-ha followed behind him.
Han-gyeol stared at Noel with a look of utter disbelief.
"......Brother."
Noel didn't answer and looked at the woman instead.
Her eyes were fluttering open.
Her vicious expression and murderous gaze had completely vanished, replaced by pooling tears.
"—...She has returned."
Dong-ha looked at Noel, his face awash with joy.
It's still too early to celebrate, though.
"Did I......"
Noel stepped closer as he heard the woman's trembling voice.
He already anticipated what she was going to say.
"An evil spirit possessed your body. Do you remember up to that point?"
The woman nodded at his words.
Her face gradually crumpled.
The memories were returning.
"I......"
A deeply despairing memory.
Hesitating again and again, the woman finally finished her sentence.
"...I think I killed someone."
She remembered seeing someone crushed under a sign.
The memory of blood spreading beneath the streetlights swirled in her mind.
"—......"
Dong-ha fell silent.
He licked his lips repeatedly as if his mouth had gone dry.
"—...This cannot be. She must not live on with such memories. She... she has already suffered so terribly!"
Dong-ha poured out his anguish.
Is this the power of faith?
Either way, it didn't matter.
Noel, too, understood a part of Dong-ha's feelings.
"You must have had countless nightmares while possessed by the evil spirit. Your memories will be fragmented."
Noel lied for the sake of the living.
After all, it was the evil spirit's fault, not this woman's.
"Nightmares......?"
"Yes. Feeling as though those nightmares actually happened is just one of the lingering side effects of possession."
"—...Thank you."
Dong-ha smiled, his eyes softening at Noel's lie.
The dead should remain silent.
If the truth was cruel, it was better left unsaid.
"Do you remember the Father?"
Noel naturally pointed toward Han-gyeol.
As the woman's gaze fell upon him, Han-gyeol clenched his hands behind his back.
He forced a smile.
"I remember... there was a priest."
The woman weakly scanned Han-gyeol's face.
"I don't recognize his face. But... he was so, so kind."
"That was him."
As Noel introduced him, Han-gyeol took a long, deep breath, bowed his head, and then looked up.
With Dong-ha present, what else could he possibly say?
"...You have been through so much."
At those words of closure, the tears that had been pooling in the woman's eyes finally spilled over.
It was a dream.
A truly terrible nightmare.
"The Lord will always comfort you, sister."
Though he spoke a falsehood, Han-gyeol prayed for the woman and for Dong-ha.
While Han-gyeol explained the situation to the woman's family, Noel waited at a nearby playground.
"—Thank you."
Dong-ha expressed his gratitude once again.
"I've already heard enough thanks."
Despite his words, Noel was grinning.
Dong-ha was a good spirit.
When Noel patted the seat next to him, Dong-ha sat down with a smile.
"—Gratitude is something one can never express too many times."
"And yet, those who don't do it never do. I guess it's just too hard for them. Saying 'I'm sorry' seems to be just as difficult."
"—Have you been hurt often?"
"Hurt? If it were only at that level, I'd be thrilled."
"—I wish I could take those feelings away for you. In return, I shall carry the sin of the lie you told on my behalf."
Dong-ha placed a hand over his chest.
If Yeong-hyeon had entered the priesthood, would he have looked like this?
Noel lightly rubbed his brow and asked,
"Aren't you angry? Even if she was possessed, you were killed by the very person you were trying to save."
"—By the Lord's command, I sought to rescue a lost lamb from the clutches of evil, and even in death, I was able to fulfill that wish. Why would there be any resentment? I merely lived as a servant of God, and now I depart as one."
He had truly achieved enlightenment.
Noel rested his chin in his hand and looked out at the playground.
"You're amazing. If it were me, I would've held a grudge. I probably would've turned into the strongest evil spirit in history."
"—Brother."
"Yes?"
"—I have found salvation thanks to you. It brings me joy to have felt a touch even closer than that of the Lord."
A gentle smile spread across Dong-ha's face.
A faint shroud of light began to ripple around his form.
Noel turned his head back.
"Are you leaving already?"
"—Yes. I feel it is time to return to the Lord's embrace."
Dong-ha looked at Noel with a peaceful, unburdened expression.
Soon, Dong-ha bowed toward Asin and Tamrang.
"—Thank you. Thank you so very much."
"—Leaving?"
Kkamangi asked, its eyes wide and round.
"—Yes. I shall go on ahead."
Dong-ha approached Kkamangi and held out his crucifix.
"—This connection was made thanks to Kkamangi. I wish to give you my most cherished possession."
"—Really? Can I have it?"
"—Of course. May I pet you, just once?"
"—Okay!"
As Kkamangi gently closed its eyes, Dong-ha carefully stroked its head.
It was a soft, truly lovely creature.
Watching Kkamangi hold the crucifix in its mouth, Dong-ha chuckled softly and stepped toward Noel.
"—I do not know if I was of any help to you, but I believe you will become a truly wonderful shaman who saves countless souls."
"Me......?"
Noel's eyes widened.
"—Yes. You are the most wonderful person I have ever met. I shall continue to pray for you."
Dong-ha clasped his hands together. He was entirely sincere.
Feeling the warmth of someone genuinely caring for him, Noel felt a strange, ticklish sensation in his chest.
"You'll go to a good place."
"—Could you also tell Father Han-gyeol that he has grown up beautifully?"
"I will."
At Noel's promise, Dong-ha smiled warmly.
His body dissolved into light and slowly faded away.
"—...It's pretty, but kind of sad."
Kkamangi ran over to Asin.
When Asin scooped it up, it snuggled deep into her arms.
"—It is always so. For this is a very long farewell."
Asin watched until the remaining particles of light completely vanished.
She had sent off so many souls in her time.
Though their connection had been brief, a tinge of sorrow was unavoidable.
That's true. Good spirits are really hard to come by.
Noel agreed silently, gazing up at the sunset painting the sky.
It felt like a fitting end to the day he had laid everything bare to Yeong-hyeon.
Hearing hurried footsteps, Noel turned his head.
Han-gyeol was running toward him.
"Is the Father still there?"
"No, he's gone."
Noel pointed toward the sky.
Han-gyeol stopped in his tracks, then walked over with heavy, exhausted steps and sat down beside him.
"......Sigh."
A heavy, sorrowful sigh escaped his lips.
"Were you close?"
"I... like to think so. I first met him when he came as a guest lecturer while I was in seminary. To be honest, he did a lot of things that weren't exactly proper for a priest, but... I still thought he was wonderful."
"Really?"
Noel found that unexpected.
Dong-ha had seemed so incredibly polite and proper.
"When I... was chosen for this path because of my ability to see spirits, he was the one who guided me. He saved me from evil spirits multiple times, too. Once I transitioned from an assistant priest to standing on my own, I wanted to become someone equal to him. That's why I intentionally kept my distance. Because I am still so lacking."
"Is that so? Well, Father Dong-ha said you've grown up beautifully."
"Did he... really?"
Han-gyeol's voice trembled as he stared down at his own shadow.
Grown up beautifully.
A hollow chuckle threatened to escape him.
"Oh, and sorry for making you lie with me earlier."
"No, it's fine. It was the right thing to do. It was a white lie, so surely the Lord will forgive us."
"Glad to hear that."
"Brother."
"Yes?"
Han-gyeol hesitated for a moment before raising his head to look at Noel.
His eyes were shimmering with emotion.
"Thank you. Thank you for everything. The world is so vast, and I've realized just how narrow my perspective was."
This man is the real deal.
He felt almost unworthy to even stand beside him.
How many souls had he saved over the years?
A deep sense of respect welled up within Han-gyeol.
"Father, if you ever need my help, give me a call. As long as you pay me properly, I'll come lend a hand anytime."
"Yes. In the name of God, I will report to the Association just how incredible you are."
It wasn't a matter of them hiring him; they would be the ones hoping to be chosen by him.
If this wasn't a blessing, what was?
He had witnessed an unbelievable miracle with his own two eyes.
"I thought you'd be put off by that, but I guess not?"
"Because you asked for payment?"
"Yeah. You could've thought I was greedy."
Han-gyeol felt a sudden surge of emotion at those words, but he maintained his composure.
"I have dedicated myself to religion, but you have not, Brother. I know how arrogant it is to hold others to the same standard."
"In that case, give me your phone."
When Noel held out his hand, Han-gyeol politely handed over his phone.
Noel typed in his number, made a quick call to his own phone, and handed it back.
"There we go. Well, I'll be off first."
"Yes. I have some matters to wrap up around here, so please go ahead. Thank you truly."
Noel waved at Han-gyeol's farewell and turned around.
Ah, right.
"Tamrang."
"—Why do you summon me again?"
"I barely called you today. Want me to keep calling you once we get home?"
Tamrang made a face of pure disgust at the threat.
"—...Just state your reason."
"How is that priest's health?"
He had also dropped a subtle hint to the shop owner who bought the statue earlier.
Whether he believed it or not was up to the owner.
"—...Sigh."
Tamrang was exasperated, but he couldn't ignore the question.
"—He is perfectly healthy. Are we done?"
"No. Since you're already annoyed, check one more person for me."
Thinking of Yeong-hyeon naturally brought another person to mind.
Shin Hyeon.
Tamrang glared at him in silence.
"I have to eat dinner with my uncle today."
Regardless of the glare, Noel walked with a light, cheerful step.
It would be a good opportunity to ask how the investigation into the car accident that hit Yeong-hyeon's family was going.
Noel immediately contacted Shin Hyeon.
"Uncle. It's me."
"...Wait, they suddenly agreed to pay the compensation?"
Noel asked, munching on a slice of pizza.
Hadn't they been throwing a tantrum, refusing to pay a single cent because they were going to prison anyway?
Could someone really change their mind so suddenly, like flipping a coin?
"I'm telling you, they did."
"Why?"
"I have no idea. ...Yeong-hyeon. Just tell me. What on earth did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. I was actually planning to do something if they kept acting up today, though."
He had been fully prepared to torment them relentlessly.
"—Did you not mention something regarding this accident to Jang Yul recently? Do you not recall?"
"......Ah."
At Asin's reminder, it finally clicked for Noel.
"By the way, Master. Why are your head and arm injured?"
Since he had asked, Noel had simply told him the truth.
Even if he tried to hide it, Jang Yul seemed like the type who would dig into it anyway.
"You did do something, didn't you? I've seen people make straw dolls and stuff. Did you do something like that...?"
"Uncle, that's way too old-fashioned."
"Then what is it? Come on, tell me."
Shin Hyeon looked at him with intense curiosity.
It must have been Jang Yul who... pulled some strings.
Had Jang Yul been that angry back then?
I didn't think so. Should I ask him?
As Noel sipped his drink, he felt a strange energy and glanced toward the window.
"......?"
A squirrel was clinging to the window, holding a piece of paper in its mouth.
"Cough, cough!"
He suddenly choked on his drink.
He hurriedly gulped down some water, his eyes shaking in sheer bewilderment.