御书房文学网

Chapter 303

"Where\'s your sister?"

I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about, so I brought up In-Ah.

Yoon-Ah glanced at me briefly.

"Why are you asking about my sister first?"

"No, I was just wondering why she isn’t with you. You live together, after all."

"She said she\'s going in for an interview... I can’t remember whether it was the North or South Priesthood. She said she\'ll be back in the afternoon."

"Oh?"

I tried to think of something else to follow up with. With nothing else to say, I ended up keeping quiet.

When Yoon-Ah reached the first-year building, she stopped walking and glanced at me subtly.

"You should show me around the school later. Florence Academy is too big, and I don\'t know where anything is."

"Don\'t you have any friends?"

"Huh?"

Yoon-Ah seemed flustered. I was also taken aback by my comment. Without realizing it, I had referred to Yoon-Ah casually as if I were talking to In-Ah.

"Uh, that\'s not what I meant... Got it. Come find me during lunch."

"But I don\'t even know where the second-year building is."

"Right. I\'ll find you, then. What class are you in?"

"Class of Charity," Yoon-Ah said and looked at her watch.

Perhaps we had talked too long, as she hurriedly said goodbye to me and went to her classroom.

I walked leisurely to the classroom. There was no need to rush. Florence Academy had a system of elective courses starting in the second year, and students could choose courses based on their major, interests, or aptitude.

I had chosen classes fitting for a member of the Department of Paladins and had arranged my schedule with the thought in mind that I had to report to the Central Paladin Order.

The structure of the elective lecture system required students to make their way to each class instead of the teachers coming to them. Naturally, a lot of movement was involved—I bumped into many people while moving to my next class.

The first person I met was Dae-Man, which I expected. He was also in the Department of Paladins, so the likelihood of us taking the same class was high.

"I heard you got into the Central Paladin Order! That\'s impressive. I\'ll follow suit soon! I guess I’ll enter as your junior if I enter later.”

"Oh, I see. Good luck. Which branch did you say you’re getting into?"

"I got into the Eastern Paladin Order!"

"Is Director Han Dae-Ho doing okay?"

"Of course! He often asks me to send his regards to you."

Director Han Dae-Ho seemed to be doing well. Despite losing one arm in the battle against Satanist Executive Lust, he seemed determined to carry out his paladin duties. As expected, losing an arm wouldn’t stop the likes of Han Dae-Ho from doing his job.

"What\'s up, Sun-Woo!"

The next person I met was Su-Ryeon. Min-Seo was also with her.

"Hey, I heard you joined the Central Paladin Order. How is it there? Are they still trying to get a grip on you guys?"

"A little bit. But it’s not that bad."

Su-Ryeon energetically asked me a flurry of questions, such as ‘How was the director?’ and ‘Could you become an inquisitor there?’ and so on.

I returned her questions with vague answers.

"Aren\'t there any free spots in Central right now? Please put in a good word for me if any places open up," Min-Seo said in a slightly blunt and sharp tone.

I pretended to ponder for a moment before replying, “There’s no place to give to you. You’d fail to pass even the personality test."

"Yeah? But you’re being a bit rude, don’t you think?”

I chuckled at Min-Seo\'s words. She also seemed amused and let out a forced laugh. After a brief conversation, we each went into our respective classrooms.

"..."

I even bumped into Ha-Yeon. Even though our eyes met, I ignored her and walked past her. Likewise, Ha-Yeon seemed to have no intention of talking to me anymore.

Morning lectures were mostly theory-based, so I paid little attention. However, the teacher called me to ask a few questions during the lecture. Thanks to the books I read diligently during winter break, I could answer common-sense questions easily.

When lunchtime finally arrived, I headed straight to the 1st-year Class of Charity instead of going to eat. Yoon-Ah was waiting for me near the back door of the classroom, along with several other students. They all seemed to be Yoon-Ah’s friends.

Yoon-Ah looked at me, waved to her friends, and approached me. The students started whispering to each other when they saw me.

I pointed in their direction and asked, "Friends?"

"Yes. They’re new friends that I made today. They all seem to know about you, Cu... I mean, senior. They said you’re quite famous."

"People who know, know."

Since I joined the Central Paladin Order earlier than anyone else, I was quite famous among clergymen or students aspiring to be clergymen. However, I felt somewhat uncomfortable with the fame.

I walked silently with Yoon-Ah and spoke up when no one was around.

"But hey, remember to be careful of what you say," I warned.

"Oh, right..." Yoon-Ah replied somewhat lifelessly.

Yoon-Ah occasionally would almost call me Cult Leader. If, by any chance, the word Cult Leader really came out of her mouth, that would be a big problem. It wouldn’t necessarily be a big problem, but it would lead to a difficult situation, at the very least.

Yoon-Ah and I wandered around the academy. I toured her around the cafeteria, library, 2nd-grade building, dormitory, and teacher’s office. We roamed around for a while. We didn\'t go to Eiden Hill or the barn. They weren’t places of fond memories.

"I tried to use a spell," Yoon-Ah said as we passed the sacred training ground.

I looked around nervously. It was crazy to bring up stories about Voodoo magic in a place where people were present. Fortunately, no one was around—it was just Yoon-Ah and me.

"And?"

"It didn\'t work. How do you do it? Can you teach me?"

"That’d be difficult. It’d be like trying to teach a baby to walk. It\'s hard to explain in words."

Moreover, trying to teach Yoon-Ah spells would be meaningless when she didn\'t even know how to unleash Voodoo magic. She stared blankly at her own hands.

"I can only use divine power and blessings. Does that mean I won’t be of any help?"

I shook my head.

"No. That\'s exactly where I need your help. In some ways, you might be more..."

Useful. Before I let out the word, I stopped myself. I saw someone coming out from the sacred training ground. If it had been anyone else, I would have continued talking as if nothing had happened, but this time, I couldn\'t.

The girl from the sacred training ground held a sword and glared fiercely at me with ice-cold eyes. I watched her with my mouth tightly shut. She stared at me blankly, then tilted her head slightly.

"Did I hear that right just now?" Jin-Seo said.

"Yeah, what did I just say?" I blurted out reflexively.

"..."

Yoon-Ah remained silent. Silence filled the air.

***

Yu-Hyun was at the hospital with Mr. Kim, who had fainted after meeting Sun-Woo.

"Who was that bastard? Huh, I can\'t believe it! Isn\'t he your friend? Huh?"

"Friend? Friend... Well, not yet exactly. Anyway, I\'m sorry. He\'s a bit reckless and quite hard headed."

"More than just a bit, you fuck! What are we going to do? I have several pending requests, and I‘m stuck here in the hospital!"

Yu-Hyun tried to take care of Mr. Kim as much as he could. He provided him with a private room, bought any books or electronic devices Mr. Kim wanted, and he even brought fruits and health drinks for him during his visits. He even called in skilled priests specializing in healing from the Holy See to ask for treatment.

Simply put, Yu-Hyun took such good care of Mr. Kim because he was still useful. Mr. Kim had deep connections with mercenary corps nationwide. In the mercenary industry, people said they couldn\'t receive requests without going through Mr. Kim. Maintaining a friendly relationship with Mr. Kim was necessary until the conclave.

Although their intimacy had slightly diminished because of Sun-Woo, Yu-Hyun believed he could turn the opportunity in his favor.

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll ensure you are compensated, so don\'t act upset. I will take care of everything generously. Working on some of my big deals would benefit you more than handling a few small requests, no?"

"You\'re talking nonsense."

Yu-Hyun tried to sweet-talk Mr. Kim to ease his mind. However, Mr. Kim replied in a cold and sharp tone.

"That\'s why I don’t work with children. They don\'t understand the concept of business, contracts, and how important trust is. Can you buy that with money?"

"Yeah, I guess I’m too young to understand everything. Anyway, as a sign of my apology, I want to take care of you in various ways, so don\'t be too mad..."

Yu-Hyun felt a deep sense of humiliation, but he didn\'t dare remove his smile. Yu-Hyun was a pro at keeping his expressions hidden. Through gritted teeth, he continued to smile toward Mr. Kim.

Just until conclave. Once the news of the Pope\'s death was announced and he was elected, he would control all the mercenaries in the country through Kim.

At that moment, Yu-Hyun tilted his head and murmured, "No, no. Hey, Kim."

"Wha... Kim? Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Mr. Kim was about to scold Yu-Hyun, but he shut his mouth. Yu-Hyun\'s expression was peculiar. His lips were smiling, but his jaw muscles were stiff with his clenched teeth. His eyes were fixed on Mr. Kim, but his pupils were small voids, the end of their depths unknown.

Then, Yu-Hyun opened his mouth wide and laughed brightly, exposing his bright, white teeth.

"I was wrong in my thinking. Mr. Kim!"

"..."

"Mr. Kim, you have a family, right? But you don\'t reveal that to your clients. Instead, you act like you’re single, a wanderer without a home, or a hermit."

"How did you...”

"How could I not know? You leave your phone unlocked every time you drink. What was it now... 12-29 Ganaan Road? Now that’s a good house."

Mr. Kim\'s expression stiffened upon the mention of the address. It was a different stiffness from when he had grumbled and complained to Yu-Hyun.

"I have a good memory, but I don\'t show it. People tend to be wary of those who don’t forget. Maybe because they never forget mistakes or weaknesses."

"..."

"Exodus 12:29. Do you know it?"

"I-I don\'t...."

"Ah, damn it. This is why I hate cultists."

Mr. Kim was more of a non-believer than a Cultist, but Yu-Hyun didn\'t care. It was a retaliatory remark born out of the humiliation he suffered earlier. He continued, "Look it up. If you grumble again, I’ll judge you by the rules stated in that verse. Got it?"

"..."

"So if I give you something, don’t complain. Just say thank you and take it. You understand?" Yu-Hyun said.

Mr. Kim seemed to tremble in fear at Yu-Hyun\'s stern threat. The reason why Yu-Hyun ultimately changed his attitude was simple. While preparing for the conclave, he had several followers, or soldiers, who worshiped him.

Even without using these followers, eliminating Mr. Kim using one of the Pope candidates he would have successfully merged with would be a piece of cake. It would be easy to find and eliminate Mr. Kim\'s family. So, rather than flattering Mr. Kim, who was already estranged, threatening him with this power would be much easier and more effective.

"Mr. Kim."

"Yes? Uh, I mean, huh?"

Yu-Hyun stabbed a whole apple with a fork and brought it to Mr. Kim\'s mouth. "Here. Eat it."

As Mr. Kim opened his mouth to bite the apple, Yu-Hyun forcefully shoved the apple into his mouth. Mr. Kim let out a strange sound and tried to push the apple, but his efforts were futile. Yu-Hyun continued shoving the apple into Mr. Kim\'s mouth, and a small apple bit fell and decorated Mr. Kim\'s hospital gown.

"Don\'t think you\'re on the same level as me just because you do mercenary work. Don\'t think of me as beneath you just because you\'re a little better."

"Ugh, ugh! Cough, cough!"

“From now on, listen when I talk. You understand? Then I\'ll feed you like this on my own."

Yu-Hyun stopped there and put down the fork. Mr. Kim coughed roughly and vomited the apple. After leaving Mr. Kim\'s hospital room, Yu-Hyun absentmindedly picked up his phone. Hundreds of notifications awaited him on his phone, which he had put on silent mode.

"What the hell?" Yu-Hyun muttered as he held the phone.

An article had been published. The Pope was dead. The internet was in an uproar. Everyone was finding out that the Pope had passed. It was not an official statement from the Holy See but rather a bold and ignorant reporter\'s scoop.