Show menu

Novel
The Second Coming of Gluttony
Chapter 99 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together
THE SECOND COMING OF GLUTTONY
C99 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together
Chapter 99. The Threads of Bonds Coming Together
The letter was written in characters he had never seen before, but the words soon wiggled around and transformed into Korean. There were times when Synchronization took a second or two to happen, so Seol Jihu didn't find it too surprising.
—I heard from the temple that you came back. You didn't pick up when I called you, so I'm leaving you this message. You remember our promise, right? Come to my place tonight for dinner….
A look of surprise and joy flashed in Seol Jihu's face. The tone of the letter was light, almost like someone inviting their neighbor to catch up over dinner.
The problem was that the sender was Teresa Hussey. In other words, he would need to go to the royal palace and potentially meet the king. The Haramark Royal Family was famous for abandoning formalities after their conflict with Earthlings, but the word 'royal palace' carried weight in Seol Jihu's head.
Even though the letter said to come comfortably, there was an invisible pressure weighing down on him as an average person going to a palace. However, for Teresa's sake, he couldn't skip out, and to be honest, he kind of wanted to go as well.
Seol Jihu read the letter until the end. When he read the final two lines, 'P.S. Don't go back after dinner! Come hit up a special dessert with me so we can digest what we ate ♥', a chuckle escaped his mouth.
'Good thing I brought something nice to wear.'
It was an invitation from the royal palace. Not wanting to embarrass himself by acting like a fool, Seol Jihu headed to the library to study basic decorum.
*
After finishing up his afternoon training early, Seol Jihu washed himself clean. Since he didn't know what would happen at the palace, he filled his belly up a tiny bit too. At the very least, he wanted to avoid eating mindlessly like that time he ate with Yun Seora.
He changed into the clothes he picked out beforehand. As soon as he looked at himself in the mirror and thought, 'Good, perfect', something unexpected happened. He was about to head out, but a giant man was standing in front of the door.
Of course, it wasn't all that surprising for Carpe Diem's office to have visitors, but….
"Are you the Earthling known as Seol?"
His well-toned muscles were protruding out from his 2-meter tall figure, and a long scar from a blade stretched across his nose. Just looking at his appearance, he didn't seem like he would lose fighting an orc one on one.
"I'm Jan Sanctus. I've come to escort you under Princess Teresa's orders."
He had a tough voice befitting his intimidating appearance. Hearing that the Princess sent him, Seol Jihu put down the spear he subconsciously raised up.
"Will you come?"
He asked rather bluntly. Seol Jihu regained his composure and answered.
"Of course."
"Follow me. I will guide you."
Just like that, Seol Jihu followed Yan Sanctus and entered the premises of the Haramark Royal Palace.
'Everyone's so busy.'
It was dinner time, yet the palace seemed very busy. He could often see people running about in a haste and others who were urgently shouting at a communication crystal.
The atmosphere was completely different compared to the city. By walking through the palace gate, he felt like he entered a whole new world.
'Who would have thought so much is going on behind the wall?'
Haramark was well known for having a strong local color even with the presence of a royal family. But as expected of the home of a king, it had all the right appearances befitting a palace.
Seol Jihu asked quietly while walking through a long corridor.
"Is there anything I need to watch out for in the palace?"
Although he already looked up Paradise's decorum in the library, he still asked just to be sure.
"No."
Jan Sanctus returned a brusque answer. Rather than hostile, he seemed to be cold naturally.
"You just have to not point your weapons at them or curse them out."
"…Doesn't that go without saying?"
"All I'm saying is that you only have to keep basic manners."
Jan Sanctus looked back at the youth.
"Earthlings aren't like us. My Lord acknowledged and accepted the difference in culture between Earth and Paradise. As long as you keep basic manners that anyone would know, there won't be any problems."
They arrived at the entrance after a brief conversation.
Apparently, when the Haramark Palace was being constructed, an emphasis was placed on aspects of communal life rather than functionalities, war, or solitary living.
Jan Sanctus left once he guided Seol Jihu to the grand hall. Once Seol Jihu went inside, he was able to see a young woman wearing a pink dress, as well as a middle-aged man sitting on a throne being attended by two maids.
Teresa gave a beaming smile when she saw the youth, but his attention was somewhere else.
'So that's….'
He met the middle-aged man's calm eyes that also seemed to carry a spark of fire. Unlike Teresa, he had blonde hair and beard, which was groomed neatly.
Prihi Hussey, the king of Haramark, one of the seven kingdoms that survived the foreign races' invasion.
"Are you the Earthling named Seol?"
A clear voice resounded. His willowy appearance made him look more like a scholar than a warrior.
"There's no need."
When Seol Jihu tried to get on his knees, the king immediately stopped him.
"On Earth, I heard that people are the owners of a nation, while the king exists to serve the people. I respect their culture."
Seol Jihu was surprised by his humble manner of speech. He obediently got up.
"It is my honor, Your Majesty."
When he spoke with a slight bow, Prihi chuckled.
"Your honor, huh. I understand what you mean by that, but it's fine. Think of me as a village head… or if even that is not enough to make you comfortable, think of me as whatever you'd like."
The word 'whatever' was quite a tricky one. He felt like he was just told, 'put however much salt you want' in cooking.
Prihi Hussey calmly stared at the youth before opening his mouth.
"First, I would like to express my gratitude for your deeds. I've heard what you have done for this world."
"You're too kind."
From the way he talked, it seemed he was aware of his position as a king. Seol Jihu was quite glad to learn this as he was somewhat worried the king might act like a backstreet hoodlum like his daughter.
"I would also like to thank you for responding to our summons. You see, my daughter kept pestering me about wanting to meet you."
He made it sound like Teresa forced him. Prihi used both hands to slowly push himself off of his throne.
"Then, let us go."
"Pardon?"
"We invited you under the pretext of a dinner. How could we let our guest starve while talking about boring things?"
He talked somewhat jokingly as he waved his hand around. When Seol Jihu gazed at him dazedly, Teresa skipped over to him.
"Heh, aren't you too tense?"
'Am I?' Seol Jihu rubbed his face. His facial muscles indeed felt a little tighter than usual.
"You don't need to be so formal. Just relax. We're just going to chitchat while we eat."
For some reason, Teresa's eyes seemed to be sparkling with anticipation. She carefully grabbed his arm as if to link arms.
"Let's go."
He wouldn't describe the food as delicacies, but all sorts of appetizing dishes were placed on top of a long table with a white tablecloth.
Prihi asked a few questions that had nothing to do with the state of affairs, but because Seol Jihu was too busy paying attention to the way he talked, he had no clue what food he was stuffing into his mouth.
Of course, he thought he was doing a pretty good job, but Teresa only smiled wryly. As someone who once ruled the high society filled with shameless scheming and secret strife, she was immediately able to tell that the young man in front of her was paying too much attention to being courteous. There was no need to even mention Prihi.
"Looks like our hero doesn't find the food to his liking."
"No, they're excellent."
Seol Jihu immediately refuted, but Prihi continued without batting an eye.
"It looks like I'll have to do something about it. As the one who invited you, I have the duty to help you relax. Let's see…. Ah, why don't we talk about something?"
Prihi spoke as if he just remembered something.
"Have you heard of the past conflict between Earthlings and the Haramark Royal Family?"
Prihi said he would help the young man relax, but the topic he brought up made him tense up more. Seol Jihu opened his mouth.
"If you are talking about the revolt, I have indeed heard about it."
"Right, let's skip the details and talk about the outcome. Sinyoung helped create a room for negotiation between the two groups. You see, since it was meant to be a place of reconciliation, I thought they would at least keep the minimal decorum."
"Did something happen?"
"Yes, I've never experienced such disrespect before. Rather than sending the ringleader of the revolt, they sent some bastard I've never seen. Still, I revealed my identity out of courtesy first. And when I asked for his name, this is what he said: 'Nice to meet you, Haramark's King.'"
Seeing Seol Jihu confused look, Prihi cleared his throat before continuing.
"'My name is Prihi's Belly King-Sized Belly.'"
"Pft."
Cough. When Seol Jihu coughed and looked up, he saw Prihi calmly slicing his steak. He didn't seem to be joking.
"…Did that really happen?"
"I'm not talented enough to make up such stories. The people who know this story are too many to count. Ah, there's a live witness right here."
When Prirhi looked at Teresa, she immediately nodded her head.
"He's right. It was so shocking that I still remember it clearly."
"I can't believe…."
"That's not all. The bitch sitting next to that bastard went a step further and said this with a smirk, 'Nice to meet you. My name is Teresa Pink.'"
"Princess."
Seol Jihu quickly cut her off. However, Teresa wasn't fazed in the slightest.
"Just listen, the pink part doesn't matter all that much. So after saying that, she…."
"Princess!"
Seol Jihu's voice went up. Teresa shrugged her shoulders, while Seol Jihu massaged his temples and asked the king.
"You stayed silent, Your Majesty?"
"The man insisted his name was Prihi's Belly while his surname was King-Sized Belly. Once he got angry and asked if we were making fun of the name he received from his parents, there wasn't much we could say."
"What a bunch of psychopaths."
"I agree. They're a bunch of lunatics."
Prihi agreed with dignity.
"But that's when I began to realize how the Earthlings thought of this world. A fun game. Nothing more, nothing less."
He suddenly rubbed his beard.
"Well… We got to learn an important piece of info because of it."
"By that, you mean…?"
Prihi continued.
"We found out they had a spy in the palace."
Hearing this, Seol Jihu fell in thought. The king found out there was a spy because of the rude man making up such an absurd name? That was hard to understand.
"Why did you think so?"
"Think about it. If they didn't have a spy in the palace, they would not have known about our physical traits so clearly."
Prihi said in a firm tone.
"He's right. Since they were able to acquire information about our private regions, the spy must have been fairly close to us."
Teresa added bashfully.
"…."
Seol Jihu gave up on thinking.
"We were angry… but we laughed and let it slide. We refused to give in to such an obvious provocation."
"I see…. That must have been tough."
"It certainly wasn't easy. But this is quite a surprise. The Earthlings I've met so far giggled whenever I told them this story."
"My apologies. I do not believe it's a laughing matter."
Seol Jihu was straightforward. Prihi stared at him fixedly.
"…You don't need to apologize."
Just when it was looking like the conversation was coming to an end….
"Oh, yes, I heard you slept with my daughter."
The king's sudden question made Seol Jihu calmly spat out the water he was drinking. He thought that was certainly better than spraying it everywhere.
"…Your Majesty."
"Hm? What's up with that sour look? From what Teresa told me…."
Seol Jihu quickly turned to Teresa. She was acting embarrassed with her hands over her cheeks.
'Why is she blushing…. No, why is she pretending to be coy all of a sudden?'
When he stared at her intently, Teresa shook her head.
"Geez, Father, say we shared a bed. Sleeping… that's too candid."
"What are you talking about… I understand the phrasing was a bit explicit, but you're the one who told me to…."
Suddenly, the end of his speech blurred. Prihi dropped his head and groaned, but Teresa played with her steak knife as if nothing happened.
"That hurt."
"Hoho, I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Hm, I should've known from when you put on a dress for the first time in eight years."
"I told you to say it jokingly to help him relax. Who told you to say it so bluntly? Ah, how embarrassing."
Words Seol Jihu couldn't understand went back and forth.
'What did I expect….'
He smacked his lips. He experienced it when he met the Princess for the first time, but… they were quite an extraordinary father and daughter duo.
"I apologize for the unsightly behavior."
Prihi sighed and brought a piece of cloth to wipe his mouth.
"Anyways… there's no need to be so tense. This isn't a place for punishment or arrest. Rather, it is a place to grant awards befitting one's achievements."
The king spoke in somewhat of a heavy tone. Seol Jihu wanted to tell him it was too late to act dignified, but what actually came out of his mouth was "Thank you for your kindness."
"At first, I thought the rumors were exaggerated."
Prihi spoke as he put down his napkin.
"But since Teresa said the same thing, I had no choice but to believe it. I'm not so doubtful as to not trust the words of my own blood."
"I'm humbled, Your Majesty."
"…Can you stop with that way of talking, please?"
"Pardon?"
"I got used to the Earthling's culture after years of painstaking effort. Trying to match the proprieties of my position is only confusing me."
In Paradise, the concept of nobility was faint. Even if one looked to find one, they would only come up with a lord in charge of a large town. Even then, the lord would be close to a village head.
Furthermore, many Paradisians had either died in the long war or escaped their birthplace to survive.
'…So this is why.'
Seol Jihu began to understand why the Haramark Royal Family abandoned formalities. He spoke quietly.
"Got it."
*
The dinner ended quietly. The maids cleaned up the table and brought out tea. After enjoying a sip, Prihi put his cup down before opening his mouth.
"The Haramark Royal Family is always fair when it comes to rewards and punishments."
"…."
"Your achievements…. Yes, you saved the Ramman Village, came up with the plan for the rescue operation and helped greatly in the rescue and the subsequent destruction of the laboratory….'
Hearing Prihi's words, Seol Jihu felt an unknown sense of incongruity. The way he was listing out his achievements… how should he say this, rather than for praising him, it felt like it was for a clear payout.
Prihi ruined the mood by throwing in jokes here and there, but for some unknown reason, the king looked like someone who had 'given up' since the first time they met.
"After much deliberation on rewards befitting your achievements, I came to a conclusion."
When talk of his reward came up, Seol Jihu's ears perked up.
"I truly hope you like it."
Despite saying this, Prihi sounded confident that Seol Jihu would love it. He gestured at his maid, who promptly returned with a plate covered by a white cloth. Seol Jihu's eyes opened wide.
"This is…."
A quiet moan escaped his mouth. Sitting on the plate was a rectangular, shining bar of pure gold that emitted a reddish light. Seol Jihu was entranced by its beauty, yet he couldn't keep his eyes open properly.
'A gold bar?'
Considering how jealous Chohong and Hugo were of a pinky-sized piece of gold, a whole gold bar was well beyond his imaginations.
Gulp. He swallowed hard, and his Adam's Apple twitched. On Earth, the power of money was absolute. Although Paradise was currently in a state of war, the value of gold shouldn't be any less.
'With this….'
It would be quicker to count the things he couldn't do rather than counting what he could do.
Greed slowly rose from the young man's eyes. At that moment, a thought crossed his mind.
"…Ah."
Seol Jihu suddenly closed his mouth. His ecstatic expression disappeared, replaced by a frown. He stared at the gold bar with a complicated expression.
"This item is extremely easy to convert to Earth's currency. In terms of gold coins, I believe it should be… hm?"
Prihi stopped when he looked at the young man.
"Do you not like the reward?"
"…Pardon? Ah, no."
Seol Jihu shook his head vigorously as if the notion was absurd.
"You don't look satisfied."
"No, it's not that…."
"Hm, then what? If there is something you want, then speak without reserve."
Hearing Prihi's benevolent voice, Seol Jihu stared at the gold bar conflictingly and nibbled on his lower lip.
[We don't have a place to go. We're not living outside the city because we like it.]
There was the village head who gave his precious rudium to make a foothold for the rescue mission's success. But… couldn't he be satisfied with buying food and sending it to the village?
[Come again.]
There was the ghost saintess who saved his life and became the Gift-Giving Tree. But… but….
After much internal conflict, he activated Nine Eyes instinctively. When he saw the gold bar, his face contorted and he went "Ah!"
Soon, Seol Jihu let out a deep sigh. He then opened his mouth, a bit calmer than before.
"There's something I need to tell you."
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report chapterShow menu

Novel
The Second Coming of Gluttony
Chapter 100 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (2)
THE SECOND COMING OF GLUTTONY
C100 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (2)
Chapter 100. The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (2)
"Hm? What is it?"
"Also, I have a couple of favors I'd like to ask you."
Prihi stared at Seol Jihu, who suddenly turned serious. What was the youth trying to say?
"I'll listen to the favors first."
"Can you prepare a new habitable land in Haramark using this gold bar?"
"…Land?"
Prihi's tone went up, and his usually-calm eyes narrowed slightly. It was as if he heard something completely unexpected.
Seol Jihu continued without a pause.
"In addition, please lend me Master Ian."
"Ian Denzel?"
Prihi's eyes clearly narrowed to a slit, his expression forming a frown. Ian Denzel was a Magician affiliated with the royal family and one of the few Earthlings Prihi trusted. There was no need to even mention the value of a Magician. He might understand if the youth gave a good reason, but he didn't feel good being told to 'lend him' out of the blue.
"Father."
When Teresa tried to step in, Prihi raised his hand to stop her.
"Is this related to what you wanted to tell me?"
"Yes."
Prihi gave the young man a deeply profound look. Seeing this gaze that seemed to be asking for an explanation, Seol Jihu opened his mouth. He told him about the village head of Ramman Village and the ghost saintess trapped in the Forest of Denial's tomb. As the story continued, the king's indifferent expression changed to one of interest.
"…I see."
Prihi leaned forward, locked his fingers, and rested his chin on them.
"You want us to accept the villagers into the city."
"I heard that the castle has limited capacity, but I'd like to ask you if it is at all possible."
"Hm, to be frank, it is quite difficult. The castle is already at max capacity. A couple dozen might be acceptable, but accepting hundreds of villagers is a bit…."
Prihi sounded reluctant. Helping a large group migrate wasn't an easy task. If he simply allowed them into the city and forgot about them, they would only become homeless and displaced. If that were to happen, it was better to not accept them in the first place. Thus, granting Seol Jihu's request meant he would have to prepare them shelter as well as means of living.
"Your Majesty, you said that the royal family is fair in rewards and punishments. One is a retired old man living in seclusion and the other is a soul, but I believe they have the right to be rewarded more than anyone else who participated in this mission."
Seeing the king in thought, Seol Jihu pleaded earnestly.
"…It is true that Ramman Village is in an awkward location. I won't deny that I thought it couldn't be helped."
Prihi let out a deep sigh and nodded his head.
"This isn't a matter I can decide on easily. But with this gold bar, I can examine it favorably."
"Then!"
Just as the youth rejoiced….
"But, why?"
Prihi's eyes suddenly flashed.
"I want you to hear me out without misunderstanding me. Are you not an Earthling?"
"Your Majesty."
"I am not trying to discuss philosophy, nor am I trying to discuss right and wrong. It is just that… you are an Earthling."
Prihi emphasized the last line.
"Setting aside the matter of the Forest of Denial, is there a need to do so much for Ramman Village?"
"…."
"I don't doubt that you understood me, but I will be frank. The villagers will be ecstatic and grateful if you simply send them a supply of food. You will also have repaid your debt to the village head."
It wasn't that Seol Jihu hadn't thought of this. A part of him wanted to put on airs and take the gold bar for himself.
"If it is weighing on your conscience, I shall tell you this. The current Haramark cannot afford to look after its people. I can easily decline your request of kindness given the circumstances we face."
He was right. Pleading with the king only to be turned down because it was difficult. What better excuse was there?
"In other words, no one will criticize you for taking this gold."
He was right again. Who would criticize him? All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. Moreover, he would become rich as long as he took this gold.
"You want to use this gold for a cause which will not benefit you. I can't help but be curious about your ulterior motive."
Right, it wasn't that he was selfless. However, to him, there was something even more important than the gold in front of him. If he didn't look at the gold bar with his Nine Eyes, he wouldn't have noticed it until the end. But he had seen it and come to a conclusion.
"There is nothing I'd call an ulterior motive."
He could now say this without hesitation.
"I am only acting according to my rule."
"Rule?"
"If you owe a debt, it is only natural to pay it back. An opportunity to do so has landed right in front of me. What reason do I have to not take it?"
Prihi looked dumbfounded.
"I do not understand you at all. You don't seem to be the type who likes to play with words."
Seol Jihu almost answered, 'I do, actually', but he managed to stop himself from ruining the tension. He got to the main point.
"I call it the Golden Commandment."
"Golden Commandment?"
"The ghost saintess and the village head. Both of them treated me well. I cannot shamelessly pretend the achievements were mine alone, and it is improper for me to compromise with myself when I am treating others. After all, doing so would be deceiving my benefactors. I would rather not treat them unless I do it to my fullest power."
"…."
"Your Majesty, if I cannot pay my debts to those two, I cannot expect them to treat me the same again. That is what I fear the most."
When the youth looked up at the king after a long monologue, he saw the king blinking his eyes repeatedly. He looked as if he had taken a blow to his face.
"You cannot expect them to treat you the same again…."
A few minutes went by before the king decided to open his mouth again.
"Indeed."
He leaned back on his chair and said as he massaged his nose.
"I am beginning to understand you better. Humans all have a limit to their vessel. The same goes for ghosts."
'A limit to their vessel….'
For some reason, that line touched him. He felt like it was the perfect summary of the Golden Commandment.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"I didn't give a clear answer yet, so I want to ask you one final question."
Prihi asked in a soft voice.
"Is this truly what you want?"
"Yes!"
Seol Jihu answered with hesitation. Rather than being uncomfortable, spending the gold this way made him feel a thousand times better. Seeing the bright smile on the youth's face, Prihi made his decision.
"…I see."
So this is why you wanted me to meet him so much. He murmured to himself quietly so that Seol Jihu couldn't hear him.
"Then fine."
Finally, the decision was announced.
"I, Prihi Hussey, hereby permit all villagers of Ramman Village to settle in the city. The gold bar rewarded to Seol Jihu shall be used to support them both materially and spiritually."
A royal decree. Although his position no longer possessed the glory it once held, the weight it carried made it such that his decisions could not be flipped lightly.
"Furthermore, we shall partially support the appeasing of the pitiful soul trapped inside the Forest of Denial's tomb."
Partially support? What did that mean?
"He means he will raise the level and quality of the Ceremony."
Teresa whispered in his ear.
"Her status does not disappear just because she became a soul. Although it was hundreds of years ago, didn't you say she was canonized by the Empire? I mean to show her the appropriate level of respect."
Seol Jihu's jaw dropped at Prihi's statement. He had been expecting a simple rite where she was offered food and someone to talk to.
When he imagined how much the saintess would rejoice, a smile bloomed on his face. And seeing this satisfied smile, Prihi rested his chin on his hands.
"And?"
"Pardon?"
"We can finish discussing official work here. Why don't we continue what we were talking about before? Something small, if possible."
Seol Jihu wasn't an idiot. He realized what the king was implying right away. Although he put a restriction of it having to be small, he was saying he wouldn't allow the young man to return empty-handed.
"Uh… well…."
The king waited patiently, but Seol Jihu didn't know what to say. This truly meant that the youth did not want anything other than what he requested before.
"You can take your time. The night is long."
After saying so with benevolence….
"I will have to get going. I'm not the type of person who likes to procrastinate. It will take a few days for us to come up with a solid plan."
He picked up the gold bar and got up.
"Father, you're leaving? You should stay a little longer."
Teresa muttered as if she was asking how he could leave a pair of healthy man and woman alone at night. Prihi looked dumbfounded.
"Hoho, I have quite the vixen as my daughter. Don't say something you don't mean a tiny bit. The one who told me to look for an opportunity to leave was…."
He was mumbling with a wry chuckle….
"I came up with the perfect excuse to leave you two alone. How can you be so blind?"
Crack, crack- But he changed tune as soon as he heard the sound the bones cracking. Teresa, who was cracking her neck and knuckles, smiled brightly.
"Oh, this young lady misunderstood her father's intention. Please leave this to me and focus on state affairs."
"My…. It's like I am entrusting a fish to a thieving cat."
"Did you say something?"
"I'm going to risk my well-being and just say this. You can enter the storage, but don't touch anything from the royal treasury."
"Geez, don't be such a worrywart. Besides, it's not like the royal treasury deserves to be called that."
Teresa grumbled, and Prihi smiled bitterly.
"I'm just telling you not to empty out the way of living. I know that a married daughter is no better than a stranger, but have some self-restraint. When your older sister got married, she…."
"Eii, who do you think I am? I'm not like Older Sis. I'll leave the furniture and tableware at least."
While saying that, Teresa stealthily avoided Prihi's gaze. By now, even a fool would realize what they were talking about, yet Seol Jihu was staring at them blankly with an innocent face.
Prihi clicked his tongue.
"Really, both in this world and that world, heroes are quite the peculiar group of people. Maybe it isn't a matter of genes, but some sort of outside interference."
He mumbled regrettably before saying his farewell.
"That was an interesting story and an enjoyable meeting. It was a time well spent. I'll take my leave so you can enjoy at ease."
Seol Jihu didn't know what he meant by enjoying at ease, but he quickly got up as well. However, Prihi placed his hand on his shoulder as if such motion was unnecessary and spoke.
"Also."
His clear eyes stared at the young man, and a gentle smile spread across his face. It was the first smile he was showing since their meeting. Teresa's eyes widened.
"Thank you for saving my daughter."
At that moment, the sense of incongruity Seol Jihu had been subtly feeling disappeared instantly. Should he say the distance between them had shortened drastically?
"I'm humbl-"
"Ah, please."
"N-No problem."
With a chuckle, Prihi tapped on his shoulders twice before leaving.
"…Well that was a surprise."
Teresa also chuckled, seemingly caught off guard by her father.
"It's been a while since I've seen Father laugh."
"Does His Majesty not laugh often?"
"Rather than that, he…."
Teresa was about to say something but swallowed her words back down. She felt like it was something she didn't need to mention.
"Anyways, why don't we go somewhere cozy and finish talking about your reward?"
"Oh, are we going to the storage?"
"Aii, geez, don't be in such a rush. Let's chat while we slowly seat some dessert. We have lots of time."
'Dessert!'
Seol Jihu didn't have any reasons to refuse. He was nervous and full of tension while he was eating, so he could barely taste the food. Now that the talk had gone well and he was left with someone he was more comfortable around, his taste buds returned and were roaring to eat. He gulped.
"I'd love to try it."
"You can look forward to it. Once you taste it once, you'll never be able to forget it."
After announcing this confidently, Teresa got up.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Where?"
"My bedroom."
"Huh? We're not eating it here?"
It was a justified question given that they were in the dining room. Teresa giggled.
"This dessert has to be eaten in a secluded place. Though, eating it where you can be found out would give it a special flavor as well."
The youth tilted his head. Teresa made an alluring smile and wagged the bait seductively.
"Come on, get up. Hurry! Not anyone can eat this dessert, you know!"
"Wow, it must be really precious."
Teresa looked as if that was obvious.
"Of course, it is. Father and Mother only made one in the world."
The king and the queen personally made it?
"What is it called?"
"It's no fun if I tell you beforehand."
"Eii, come on, tell me."
Seol Jihu asked again, wondering how eating a dessert could be fun in the first place.
"Hn~ng."
Teresa licked her lips before staring at him coyly. Then, she exclaimed.
"It's me."
*
Seol Jihu refused vehemently, but when Teresa threatened to not give the reward, he bit the bullet and followed her to her bedroom. Thankfully, the dessert was a true delicacy. It was soft and flavorful, making him devour it eagerly, forgetting about saving face.
He enjoyed eating Teresa Hussey, and because the Princess got happy seeing him eat so tastily, he was able to return with all sorts of additional rewards she gave.
'Who would have thought there was a dessert like that?'
There really was a dessert called 'Teresa Hussey'. It was a cute, no, a refreshing strawberry-flavored pink cake. Apparently, the king and the queen had personally made it for their youngest daughter, who was a helpless sweet-tooth. The cake was then given Teresa's name as it was created on her birthday.
'That was great.'
He wanted to taste it again. Enjoying the cake's sweetness still lingering in his mouth, Seol Jihu returned to the office.
'It's a good thing I went.'
He felt like today was his lucky day. Not only was did he pay back the debt he owed the village head, but he was also able to care for the ghost saintess.
That wasn't all. Looking at the rewards he put on the office table, a feeling of satisfaction spread across his face. Although he didn't get to enter the nominal royal treasury, the items he received made him wonder if it was okay.
First was a metallic mace called '+2 Thorn of Steel'. Crafted by refining a meteorite, it boasted hardness that was ten times that of ordinary steel, and it was enchanted with magic that doubled its attack power when it successfully hit its target.
'Chohong should love it.'
He got it as a gift for Chohong, who was likely to become a High Ranker soon. He could only imagine how giddy she would be.
He also received a crucifix artifact. Although it wasn't as good as the Proof of Chastity, it was still an item that money couldn't buy. He was certain it would be an excellent bait to lure out Maria when he needed her.
When he was about to leave the palace's storage room, thinking just these two were enough, Teresa told him to wait before bringing him a black belt. The belt was enchanted with a permanent 'Pocket' magic, allowing it to store two bags' worth of items.
The one thing that bothered him was how she carefully looked around the area while telling him to hide it on his way out. When he asked if he could really take it, Teresa immediately exclaimed that she didn't steal it from the royal treasury. As Seol Jihu trusted her wholeheartedly, he took it at ease.
Finally, she handed him 500 silver coins, saying it was a 'small expression of gratitude'.
"Ah~"
While he was happily looking at the items, he suddenly remembered the bracelet the ghost saintess gave him. He immediately took it out from his pocket.
'I wonder what effect it has.'
Since it was an item from the Empire, it was unlikely to be simple. Seol Jihu activated the Nine Eyes' color of General Observation and gazed at the golden bracelet.
Soon….
"…Hah?"
His smiling eyes opened wide.
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Show menu
Show menu

Novel
The Second Coming of Gluttony
Chapter 101 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (3)
THE SECOND COMING OF GLUTTONY
C101 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (3)
Chapter 101. The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (3)
[Blessing of the Circum]
『The law of three-orders encompasses all that is observed in nature. When talking about the essence of things, the matter is the first-order perspective, the magic is the second-order perspective, and the law of nature is the third-order perspective.
The Blessing of the Circum is a three-dimensional shield created in accordance with these multi-order perspectives. It protects its user not only from physical matter and magic but also from spells carried out through divination and witchcraft.
It uses its user's mana as energy and lasts a total of 10 seconds once activated. It can be used three times per day, but its effects cannot be layered together.』
"Oh…."
Seol Jihu let out an exclamation of awe, but he didn't really understand what the long text meant. All he could gather was that it was a good shield. What charmed him the most was that he didn't need to carry it with his hand like a normal shield.
'So it's like a phalanx?'
He could say this only because he didn't know that a real phalanx was a battle formation used by footsoldiers.
In any case, he never even dreamed of using a shield since he was a spearman, but that had changed now that he had this bracelet.
What if he summoned a shield in a critical moment of a battle?
He found it cool just thinking about it. He readily equipped the bracelet on his left wrist and picked up his ice spear.
Yaap! Haat! He jumped around here and there, pretending to be in the middle of a fierce fight. Suddenly, he imagined himself being attacked by a flying axe and raised his left hand.
Woong! As soon as he infused his mana into it, three circles colored gold, red, and blue respectively appeared around the bracelet. They intersected each other, forming a triangle with the gold circle on top and the red and blue circles supporting the sides.
'With this size….'
It was too small to cover his entire body, but it was big enough to protect his face and upper body. Exactly 10 seconds afterward, the three circular shields vanished into thin air.
Seol Jihu must have noticed how childish his antics were as he snickered loudly. He continued putting the black belt on and off as he grinned in satisfaction. His body itched now that it gained additional tools for battle. No matter what work fell on his shoulders, he felt like he could go at it happily.
But he wasn't ready yet. He needed to reach his goals.
After remembering that he had yet to learn Mana Spear, he turned serious. It was late at night, but there was no rule against training at this hour.
'Today will be the day!'
After taking out a bunch of javelins from the belt, he hurriedly ran to the outdoor training ground.
*
Murphy's law, an adage that stated, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
Although the meaning of the phrase was a bit ill-natured, that was just how life was. Like the saying, 'cross one mountain and another will show up', misfortunes often came consecutively at the most unexpected time.
When things started going wrong, it was to the point people blamed their ancestors or the heavens. Of course, that didn't mean that bad luck was the only thing in their life.
Fortune and misfortune were closely related, so there were times in one's long life when good luck came knocking on their door.
Sally's law was the counterpart to Murphy's law. If there were times when continued misfortunes dragged one's life to the pits of hell, there were times when continued fortunes raised one's life to the ends of heaven.
In the case of Seol Jihu, one could say his life in Paradise has been a continued cruise.
Just like Prihi said, the Haramark Royal Family was fair in rewards and punishments. In other words, they were quick with their work.
Seol Jihu received news from a messenger that the king had already passed the message to the village head. Because of it, Ramman Village was apparently in a festive mood.
It made sense. Haramark wasn't necessarily safe, but it was much better than Ramman Village as it was farther from the border region and was under the protection of Earthlings and the royal army.
The tomb visit was making progress as well. Teresa had hired a trustworthy Chief Priest and was in the process of preparing written prayers. The plan was apparently to build a shrine to console the ghost saintess. She also added that she would let him know as soon as the preparations were over.
With this, the weight on his conscience was lifted. But like the saying, 'even a jade has a scratch', he wasn't free of worries completely.
Tak! A dull sound rang out. A javelin rolled on the ground after hitting a wall and reached a young man's foot.
"Huk… huk…."
Seol Jihu was breathing heavily with his back bent when he spotted the javelin near his feet and grabbed it after wiping the sweat off of his forehead.
He lost count how many days had gone by. But one thing he was sure of was that he had yet to learn how to throw a simple spear, much less one made out of mana.
'What's the problem?'
Theory and experience were different. Even if someone studied hard and amassed knowledge, translating it into flawless action was a different matter altogether.
Seol Jihu expected some pushbacks, but the wall blocking his path was too big for him to overcome. To be frank, he was able to learn Mana Circulation with such ease only because of Psychi's Tears. Since he didn't have outside support or a stroke of luck to help him with Mana Spear, it was only normal for his progress to be slow, even considering the amount of effort he was putting in.
In truth, he wasn't even sure if he was making progress. After experiencing this impregnable wall seemingly blocking his path, he couldn't help but agree that his talents were 'average'.
'Argh, I'm going to go crazy at this rate.'
Looking back, he realized how fortunate he was in the Neutral Zone. After all, he had an excellent instructor like Agnes. Although she beat him up and cursed at him every time, she was able to point out his mistakes like a demon and offer sound advice.
'Should I go give her a visit?'
It wasn't that this thought never crossed his mind. However, he always convinced himself otherwise.
Paradise wasn't the Neutral Zone. He couldn't keep relying on others forever. Moreover, he was the one who decided to become the trailblazer of a thorny path.
He couldn't start complaining this quick.
Once he shook his head, sweat flew in every direction, and after straightening his back, he began to pick up the javelins strewn on the ground.
He practiced throwing javelins from early dawn to noon. It was then that he thought it wouldn't be bad to go for a change of pace and spend one or two hours doing physical training.
He carefully placed ten javelins together and headed to the first floor with sandbags around his arms and legs.
Seol Jihu was so absorbed in training that he didn't know another great fortune was finding its way toward him.
*
Around the time that the sun was hanging in the middle of the sky.
"Slaughterer! It's the Slaughterer!"
"Uwaaaah, uwaaaaaah!"
As the Earthlings on Haramark's streets hightailed the hell out of there, Agnes was leisurely walking toward Carpe Diem's office. She wasn't going there on official business. In fact, it was a strictly personal visit.
There really wasn't much to it. She had simply promised someone to help him with his training and was on her way to keep her word.
Although it was only a verbal promise, she made it her principle to never make a promise she couldn't keep. Thus, she saw it as her duty to take responsibility for her words.
And when she arrived at her destination….
Tak, tak. She was greeted by the sound of something striking the ground periodically. As someone who was only a step away from becoming a Unique Ranker, Agnes could clearly hear the faint groaning coming out of the office.
As she slowly made her way closer, she saw someone walking toward her from the other side of the street. Unlike most others in the city, this person showed no signs of being afraid of Agnes.
The name Agnes was a source of terror in Haramark. The reason Haramark was called the 'crime city' had much to do with the infamy it amassed during its past internal strife.
To explain in greater detail, the way Agnes dealt with her enemies could be summarized easily. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
She murdered enemies who were infamous for their cruelty even more cruelly. When she fought people who were crazy, she became even crazier than them.
One time, she cleanly dismembered her enemies' corpses and neatly placed their body parts on a platter before serving it during a negotiation dinner. Another time, she slaughtered every member of an enemy organization and decorated a Christmas tree using their corpses and organs. And as if that wasn't enough, she even held an exhibition to show it off.
It wasn't just once or twice that Agnes has done something ridiculous under Sicilia's principle, 'an ally's blood will be washed away with an enemy's blood'. With such horror stories under her belt as Sicilia's vanguard, it was no wonder why everyone was so terrified of Agnes.
However, the man walking toward her didn't seem to care in the slightest. Of course, Agnes had no reason to care either, so she passed him without paying too much attention to him.
No, she tried to pass him.
But she couldn't. This was because she saw the man's features as he drew closer.
The fedora on his head and his dark blue coat made him look as if he just entered Paradise. He carried a long wooden stick in one hand. Rather than a staff used by Magicians, it seemed to be a walking cane that he carried around as a habit.
He was shorter than Agnes and looked feebler too. The wrinkles on his aged face was a poignant reminder of the passage of time. However, even his age couldn't hide the fiery vitality burning in his eyes.
And when Agnes caught sight of them….
"Eh?"
Her eyes shot open in surprise. She even stopped entirely.
Tak! The old man must have seen her too as he grabbed his cane tightly and halted his steps.
"Hoh."
He took off his fedora, revealing his neatly brushed white hair. His raised eyebrows softened slightly, showing he was just as surprised as Agnes was.
"You're…."
A rough, elderly voice flowed out. Agnes snapped out of her daze and respectfully cusped her hands together before bowing.
"I didn't expect to meet you here."
"Yes, it's been a while."
"I see that you are still not talking to me comfortably."
"Huhu, that again. I believe I've already told you about that several times before."
"You're right. I can't help but feel a little disappointed, but it's also quite nostalgic."
Agnes nodded her head and continued.
"It feels like it was only yesterday that I was crying tears and snot after receiving Master's lessons."
The old man protested with a look that said 'What are you talking about?'
"I don't remember seeing you cry. The Agnes I remember always knew what to do even without someone to guide her."
"I cried when I was alone at night. Crying in front of others would hurt my pride."
The old man's jaw dropped, and he chuckled without sound.
"I see you learned to make jokes. All I did was look after you for a bit because of that person's request…. Ah, is she doing well?"
"If you are talking about Boss Cinzia, she is indeed doing well, all thanks to you."
Agnes replied respectfully.
"All thanks to me? Oh please, flattering this old man won't get you anything."
"No, I am sincere."
Agnes revealed a rare smile before slowly putting her hand over her chest.
"The memories I have training under Master are like treasures inside an old drawer."
"Calling them treasures is a bit…."
"They're certainly treasures. Just like Boss, I was saved multiple times by Master's teachings. In fact, it happened just a few weeks ago too."
"Hoh, something big must have happened."
The old man scratched his face, which was now slightly red.
"It's not like I taught anything great. After all, Cinzia and you always surpassed my expectations, fufu."
A warm smile spread across his face as if he was remembering the old times.
After a moment of silence, Agnes opened her mouth with a hint of expectation.
"I may be being impertinent, but-"
"Mm, no."
The old man shook his head before she could even finish her sentence.
"I came here because of a promise I made Dylan. You see, he made me promise to drop by every once in a while."
"I thought so…."
Agnes put on a complicated look. She could tell her old master had no clue what happened to Dylan.
"Anyways, what business do you have here? A request?"
Agnes shook her head.
"I'm here to meet someone for a personal reason."
"Oh? No one pops up in my head. I doubt it's Chung Chohong or that Hugo…. Dylan?"
"It's neither of the three."
Neither of the three?
"There's one more person."
Realizing that Carpe Diem had a new recruit, his interest was immediately piqued. Someone had passed Dylan's difficult screening? And not only that, this person managed to get Agnes to visit him personally?
"Let's go in. Since it's been a while, why don't we have some tea?"
"No, it's fine. I will come back at a later time."
Agnes was grateful for the offer but refused him politely. The old man in front of her would soon face a harsh reality. The person to tell him this should be a member of Carpe Diem, not her.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
"It's not anything urgent… and besides, it seems I have no reason to go anymore."
The old man nodded. He wasn't sure what she meant, but he had no reason to stop her when she wanted to leave.
"Take care. It was nice seeing you after so long."
"Yes, I hope you enjoy your stay in Paradise."
After giving a courteous bow, Agnes vanished in an instant. Once she left, the old man looked up at the old, dilapidated building. Nostalgia and wistfulness wet his eyes. But this feeling only lasted a moment. Soon, when he walked into the building….
"Hm?"
His eyes faced forward. He could see the first-floor training ground beyond the window. As it was a place he constructed with burning passion and painstaking effort, he had countless memories in that little space.
But currently, a youth he had never seen before was training arduously while dripping with sweat. He had no idea who he was, but he had an idea.
'Is he that newbie?'
Perfect, I was curious. The old man didn't enter the training ground and watched the youth over the window.
'Hm….'
Soon, he rubbed his chin.
'He's quite decent for a newbie.'
That was his evaluation. However, at a closer look, he noticed a few additional things.
He wasn't just giving it his all. Although he was lacking in a few areas, he seemed to be putting in a great deal of focus on his movements and breathing. From the way he periodically stopped to rest, the old man could tell he received professional training.
'I don't know who taught him, but whoever it was, they did a fine job.'
He gave a rare compliment. Soon, the youth unfastened his sandbags and went outside.
Shiik! Tak…. Shiik! Tak….
When the old man followed him to the backyard, he could periodically hear the sound of something cutting through the air before striking something. The youth was repeatedly throwing a javelin at a wall. The old man tilted his head while watching him secretly.
'What is he doing?'
It looked like he was trying to learn his skills directly. That was something to be praised, but the old man didn't stop tilting his head. Something seemed to be bothering him as an uncomfortable look emerged on his face.
'Is he practicing hitting a mark?'
He suddenly caught sight of the youth's notebook on the ground. Seeing how it was full of text, he nodded his head and looked back up. The youth was still throwing javelins without realizing someone was watching him.
'Wait, this is… javelin throw!'
After looking back and forth between the youth's movements and the notebook, the old man made a dumbfounded expression.
'That idiot!'
He didn't consider himself a nosy person, but it was a different matter if the youth was a member of Carpe Diem. In the end, he couldn't bear to watch him and opened his mouth.
"Oi."
Shiik! Tak…!
He called the youth but there was no response.
"Oi!!"
"?"
Once he raised his voice, the youth finally reacted. Clear eyes and white skin. He looked quite delicate for a man. However, looking at his robust body, the thought that the youth was weak vanished. When the youth turned around, the old man raised his cane.
"Lift up your arm."
"…Pardon?"
He retorted with a startled face. However, the old man continued without giving any explanation.
"Your right arm. Turn it halfway clockwise."
"Um, who-"
"Look where your elbow is and turn your hand!!"
The old man suddenly shouted. The youth flinched before reflexively turning his pulled-back right arm clockwise.
"L-Like this?"
"Try again."
Hearing the old man abruptly telling him to try again, the youth blinked his eyes confusedly.
"Don't just stand there and start with the run-up."
The youth flinched at the old man's frosty tone and moved. His left foot went out first, followed by his right. Immediately, the old man scowled.
"Stop, stop!"
He stomped forward, then tapped the ground in front of the youth's foot with his cane.
"I told you to do a run-up, not a tap dance. Why are you running with your left heel up?"
Hearing this, the youth grumbled as if he was wronged in some way.
"But that's part of the run-up…."
"The run-up is only there to help you build speed and rhythm. The crossover steps are when you set up for a good release position. Right now, you're raising your foot when you're kicking off the ground. It's not like you're a clown at a circus, so why are you starting off on by tiptoeing?"
"But-"
"Keep your left foot on the ground!"
Seol Jihu was about to protest when he lost to the old man's vigor and put his left foot down. The old man smacked his lips, looking unsatisfied even after the youth did as he was told.
"Stay like that."
He entered the building and came out with a small hammer. After snatching the javelin out and putting the hammer in the youth's hand, he moved behind the youth and held onto his right hand.
"Alright, let's try that again."
Even as he was startled by the strength of the old man's grip, the youth kicked off the ground as his instincts told him to. However, the fiery scolding didn't stop.
"Don't push down on the ground with the ball of your right foot! Use your toes! Your left foot is going up because you're not transferring your strength properly!!"
"Y-Yes!"
"Don't be flimsy with your arms! You're starting with your foot, but your left hand is the key that ties everything together! Keep it straight like you're pulling on air! Make that rotational energy transfer to your right arm!"
"Yes!"
From an outside perspective, it was quite a funny sight. The youth had his captured right arm pulled behind him, while his legs were moving forward like he was techno-dancing. However, the youth was on the verge of collapsing from shock.
'H-Huh?'
The entire motion felt different than what he was used to. Some part of it made him feel strange, but because the old man was helping him stay on track, his movements connected rather smoothly. In other words, what he had been doing until now was wrong.
Then suddenly, the grip holding on to his right hand loosened.
'He let go?'
Even as he was taken aback, his body moved on its own, having remembered the new posture. His right foot ran up, while he left foot stepped on the ground with strength. He pulled his left arm in while turning his body counterclockwise, and the resulting rotational force transferred to his right arm.
When his right arm almost flew forward automatically, Seol Jihu's eyes widened in shock.
'So this is why…!'
When his half-rotated arm returned to its original position, it rotated and amplified the rotational force that was transferred up from the rest of his body!
"Now!"
When the loud shout rang out, Seol Jihu instinctively threw the hammer forward.
'!'
Pak! He felt a satisfying explosiveness from his hand. This was his first time experiencing this feeling. It felt like he just fired a gun.
Kwak! He was staring at his hand in a daze when the sudden explosion made him raise his head. The tiny hammer he threw had pierced deep into the wall. Immediately, several messages popped up, alerting that he learned Spear Throw.
'Impossible….'
He couldn't believe it. Something that had been troubling him for the longest time was resolved in an instant.
"There's a difference between a short-throw and a long-throw."
A deep voice resounded. Seol Jihu went "Ah!" and turned to face the old man.
"You're trying to learn the long-throw, but your target is placed too close. It's no wonder why you were having trouble."
Seol Jihu stared at him like a stone statue. He had no clue who he was. But he knew that the mysterious old man had helped him with his training.
'A fortuitous encounter!'
It was something that often occurred in novels, a secluded eccentric suddenly appearing and helping the main character. He was well acquainted with such convenient plot devices.
'!!!'
When he activated Nine Eyes, he almost closed his eyes out of shock. The golden light pouring out from the old man was something he had never experienced before. It was so dazzling that he became certain of his conjecture.
'It's my fortuitous encounter!!'
He suddenly thought back to when he was standing in Haramark's plaza, looking at the color of Carpe Diem's recruiting parchment. He refused to give up this opportunity.
The old man noticed the youth's clear-as-day gaze and took off his fedora.
"I forgot to introduce myself."
He let out a dry cough and opened his mouth.
"I'm…."
"Help me!"
Seol Jihu leaped on top of him.
"H-Hm?"
The old man was taken aback.
"Help me!"
"O-Oi, calm down first and-"
"O mysterious eccentric, I beg you. I'm currently-!"
"Quiet! Geez! Just hear me out first!"
Seol Jihu clung to him as if his life depended on it. Because of it, the old man had to struggle for a long time to prevent his pants from sliding down.
It wasn't until three, four days after the old man and the youth's meeting that Chohong returned to Carpe Diem.
*
[In the name of Ira, I shall henceforth bestow the title of Level 5 Templar to Chung Chohong! I expect great feats befitting the league of High Rankers from you!]
"Haat!"
After applying to become a High Ranker as soon as she came back, Chohong walked out of the temple proudly. She couldn't hide her happiness after achieving what she always dreamed of.
With a face full of smiles, she raised the shopping bags in her hands.
'He'll like it, right?'
She knew she returned quite late, so she brought gifts to bring Seol Jihu. As long as she explained her circumstances and offered him some gifts, she believed he wouldn't be so angry.
The only problem was that Chohong did not buy any presents for Hugo. She never thought about buying gifts for him in the first place.
"That bastard, I bet he's crying because he misses this noona so much."
Lulu~ Lululu~ Chohong hummed as she made her way down the temple's stairs. Perhaps she was happy to be back after several weeks, or perhaps she was eager to see her comrade's face when he received her gifts, but regardless, her steps quickened.
Soon, Chohong reached Carpe Diem's office.
"Hey! Seol!"
When she threw the door open and walked in.
"Are you here? Come out if you are! Big Sis brought you some….!"
Koong! Suddenly, the building slightly shook. Almost as if there was a small earthquake, the entire building was shaking.
Koong…. Koong…. The shaking didn't stop after the first and continued periodically. Chohong's complexion froze stiff.
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report chapter
Contact - ToS - Sitemap
Show menu

Novel
The Second Coming of Gluttony
Chapter 102 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (4)
THE SECOND COMING OF GLUTTONY
C102 - The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (4)
Chapter 102. The Threads of Bonds Coming Together (4)
Koong. Another tiny earthquake swept past Chohong's feet. Judging by its mild intensity, it wasn't anything worth worrying about. However, Chohong's sharp senses noticed that the faint rumblings weren't from the office being struck directly but rather it being impacted indirectly. This meant that the aftershock of a separate impact force was causing this huge building to shake.
'What's going on?'
Chohong looked around hurriedly before peeking her head out of the window. Immediately….
KOONG! The sound became clearer, and she could even hear other sounds mixed in.
"Aaack-!"
Chohong frowned as she covered her ears with her hands.
'Fuck, is someone blowing up grenades around here?'
She looked down while grumbling and her annoyed eyes instantly widened in surprise.
"Are you okay!?"
She saw a familiar youth cusping his hands together and apologizing.
'Seol?'
In front of him….
"Who are you worried about!? I'm fine, so go back to throwing!"
…Was an old man carrying a huge shield, shouting with a husky voice. When Chohong saw his familiar navy blue coat, her jaw dropped. He must have heard her approaching as he turned his head slightly to the side. Immediately, his gaze softened.
"Is that you, Chohong?"
*
"Should I get you some warm tea?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Then I'll go buy something cool for you to drink."
"Mn, thanks."
"No problem. Do you want anything, Chohong?"
An admirable grandson asking with a bright smile and a grandfather replying with a serious face — seeing her comrade who had turned into the old man's errand boy, Chohong belatedly replied, "Whatever's fine."
As soon as Seol Jihu left saying he would be back in a moment, the old man let out a small groan and rubbed his hand.
"Damn it, that hurt."
Chohong let out an empty chuckle.
"You're the one who yelled at him to throw it fast."
"Give me a break. I heard he was a Level 2! Why is he so strong?"
"Just tell him to go easier then. Think about your age. I know more than a few people who left this world trying to act like they were still in their prime."
"What did you say?"
Thwack! His cane cleanly struck Chohong's head, and she immediately wrapped her hands around it and screamed.
"Ah, why'd you hit me!? I was just worried about you!"
"Worried? That's the tone of someone who's worried? You were ready to make offerings to send me off!"
"Oh please, making offerings? I already tried that and it was useless!"
Hearing Chohong's confession, the old man scowled.
"Right, now that I think about it, that did happen."
It was a story from a long time ago. Tired of suffering from the old man's Spartan training method, Chohong and Hugo gritted their teeth and scrounged up some money. Not knowing what they were really up to, the old man proudly went, "Hoho, you two stopped going to bar? You must have finally sobered up."
He even tried to buy them better equipment and went with them to an armor shop, but to his surprise, neither Chohong nor Hugo had a penny to their name. He tried to find out what happened, and it turned out that they went to the Temple of Luxuria and offered everything to a Priest to have a Ceremony done.
It wasn't long until he found out that they begged for something to happen to the old man. Right, they had actually made offerings to wish him death.
"You treacherous fools. I was wondering why flower pots kept falling on my head and why I kept tripping. It was all you idiots' fault."
When the old man growled, Chohong snickered.
"No, no, we were tricked too! That dumbass Maria lied with a straight face and said she was a Chief Priest."
"Is that something to be proud of!? Are you bragging!? Huh!?"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Isn't that obvious? Geez, your high and mighty attitude hasn't gone anywhere, huh."
Thwack! Thwack! Quick tapping sounds rang out. Chohong moaned "Auuuu!" before falling forward and rubbing her head against the couch.
"Come on, think of how desperate we were! Wouldn't you do the same if you were being beaten day and night!?"
"You idiot! If you were half as smart and earnest as Dylan, I wouldn't have needed to work you so hard! Since your birdbrain couldn't understand a thing even after I explained it to you a hundred times, I had to make your body learn it on its own!"
"But Dylan-!"
Chohong shut her mouth abruptly. The old man pointing his wooden cane at her also collected his breath and sat back down. While Chohong was panting, he gently opened his mouth.
"I heard what happened. Looks like you've been through a lot."
"…You should have visited earlier. Do you have any idea how much Dylan wanted to see you?"
Chohong retorted in a softer voice.
"Hmph, you and your mannerless way of talking."
The old man replied curtly, then let out a sigh. The aged wrinkles on his face made him look like he lost weight.
"But well done. It sounds like the Parasites came up with a frightening plan, but not only did you save Dylan, you even managed to stop them. You performed outstandingly."
"I didn't do much. If anything, it's that guy who should be praised. He's the one who did everything."
"That guy?"
"Seol. You know, Seol, the guy you were training before. Speaking of which, what was up with that? I thought you retired."
The old man didn't hear what happened in detail, so hearing that the youth 'did everything' came as a surprise.
"Well… he pleaded desperately and I found it hard to say no. But I couldn't bear to just watch him, so I figured I'd do it as a pastime until you guys were back."
"Oh? Is this really the old man who's twisted to his bone marrow? The past you would have turned back without even considering…. Ah! What, I can't even say what's on my mind!?"
When the old man raised his wooden cane, Chohong backed off with a terrified face. The old man clicked his tongue and looked up at the ceiling.
"What a hassle. I left in peace knowing I could entrust Carpe Diem to Dylan, but now that he's gone, it'll only be a matter of time until Carpe Diem disbands."
His worries were justified since the leader and nucleus of the team had died. Chohong pouted.
"Don't ignore us. I'm a High Ranker now, too."
The old man looked as if he just received a culture shock.
"W-What? Someone like you, a… High Ranker!?"
"That's right. I'm a Templar now."
When Chohong strutted her chest proudly, the old man asked again.
"Really? How?"
"Well… I'm a Warrior. I amassed more than enough experience points while I was stuck at Level 4, and as for the enlightenment…."
When Chohong hesitated to talk about this 'enlightenment', the old man said tactfully.
"Enlightenment isn't necessary. Plus, weren't you trying to pass expediently using your technical starting class as a Priest? Rather than that, what about the mission from the royal family?"
"How is Manifestation an expedient method? It's my Class Ability."
Chohong protested and continued as if she had just suffered a wrong.
"As for the mission from the royal family, they wrote it off since I participated in the rescue mission. I risked my life for that mission, so they wouldn't send me off on another one unless they're the worst sons of bitches."
To become a High Ranker, an Earthling had to pass the formality of completing a mission issued by any of the royal families. One thing of note was that this mission was always related to the Parasites. Since it boasted a terrifying level of difficulty, there were countless Earthlings who were unhappy with it.
But that couldn't be helped. After all, just by becoming a Level 5, one would gain both the status and the authority needed to spread their voice in Paradise.
In the first place, the reason the royal families intervened in the Earthlings' High Rank promotions was to 'prevent giving authority and power to those who did not contribute for the betterment of Paradise'. The seven gods agreed with the seven kingdoms as well.
Ever since this change happened, the number of new High Rankers decreased dramatically. This was because more and more Earthlings chose to stay at Level 4, realizing the risk needed to overcome the wall blocking their path.
In a way, it was quite a depressing reality. It was well-known how powerful High Rankers truly were. For the royal families who detested the Parasites to put such a restriction on their own allies, it could be seen just how deplorable the Earthlings were.
"I see, that makes sense."
The old man agreed readily.
"I'm glad. Since you're now a High Ranker, you have the qualifications to take on the mantle of the leader."
"Eh? Me? Leader? No thanks, I can't do something like that. I don't want to either."
Chohong waved her hand with a scowl. Being a leader of a team wasn't something anyone could do. Not only did you need power, but you also needed the brain to make sound judgments in critical moments.
Dylan was an ideal leader from this perspective, but Chohong was an idiot who only knew how to fight. This was something the old man knew as well.
"Right…. If you wanted to become a leader, you would have chosen to become a Crusader, not a Templar."
The old man said regrettably.
"Anyways, I'm never going to become the leader. I know my personality. If I become the leader, this team is done for."
The old man nodded his head in complete agreement but still spoke with sincerity.
"There's no other choice. A High Ranker needs to be the leader for a team to have any face. Besides, you're at least better than Hugo."
"Fuck. You're right about that, but why does that make me angry?"
Seeing Chohong's annoyed expression, the old man shook his head side to side.
"What else can we do? It's not like we can entrust the position of the leader to that Level 2 newbie."
Chohong's complexion sank. Just like the old man said, this problem couldn't be avoided much longer. Setting aside the emptiness left behind by Dylan's death, Carpe Diem needed to elect a new leader to elevate the team's dispirited atmosphere.
Right, she knew this… but there was just one problem.
'There's no one suitable for the job.'
Chohong knew her place. Hugo was also out of the question. She saw some potential in Seol, but he was still too inexperienced.
"…Tsk."
Chohong stole a glance at the old man and smacked her lips. She got up while scratching her neck harshly.
"I'll consider it. It's not something I should decide alone anyways."
"Mm…."
"The three of us will take care of it, so don't mind it. You're already retired, so it shouldn't concern you. Don't be a nagging mother-in-law, okay?"
The old man chuckled. Chohong was curt, but he wasn't so dull as to not notice her true feelings.
"Color me surprised."
"What do you mean?"
"Who would have thought that an immature brat like you could learn to be so considerate? Looks like you've tasted Paradise's waters a bit."
"I'm a High Ranker, you know."
"Hmph, but you're still a Halfie. Don't be too full of yourself."
Seeing the old man instantly switch from praising to rebuking, Chohong dropped her head and sighed.
"Anyways, don't concern yourself with this problem any further, old man. Just meet everyone you came to meet and go back. Don't go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."
"Of course. So, when's Hugo getting here?"
"It should be soon. Aren't there other people you have to see?"
"Just Hugo's enough."
Hearing this, Chohong smacked her chest uncomfortably.
"Geez, clean up after yourself before you leave. Do you know what we had to go through after you left? Everyone we met asked, 'When is the old man coming back?' or 'Did he really retire?'"
"Alright, alright."
The old man smiled bitterly as he waved his cane around.
*
Hugo came back to Paradise five days later, and during this time, many people visited Carpe Diem's office. Without even the slightest bit of exaggeration, almost everyone Seol Jihu met since he came to Haramark came to visit.
"Maldong! My old friend!"
Starting with someone he never met before….
"It's been a while, Old Boy."
Cinzia and Agnes came.
"I hope you've been well, Sir Jang Maldong."
Kazuki dropped by.
"I've wanted to see you, Master Jang."
Even Haramark's king, Prihi Hussey, came to visit. As he witnessed the old man's terrifying connections for the past five days, he learned a thing or two about this man named 'Jang Maldong'.
The first was that he was also from Area 1. The second was that he was incredibly famous even though he wasn't a Magician. Finally, he seemed to be the founder of Carpe Diem.
Of course, that wasn't all.
"No more worries! It's the start of happy days!"
Hugo spread his arms out and cheered as he ran. He had been smiling nonstop ever since he returned and found Jang Maldong in the office.
"Uhuhuhu, it's only a matter of time before we return to being Haramark's number one team!"
Seeing how confident he was, Seol Jihu approached him like a fish who bit the bait.
"He must be someone incredible."
"Yes! Incredible doesn't begin to describe him!"
"Could he be a Unique Ranker? Or perhaps, an Executor?"
Hugo's bobbing head stopped.
"Uhh… no. He's a High Ranker."
Seol Jihu doubted his ears. He certainly wasn't looking down on Level 5 Earthlings, but he couldn't help but be surprised.
"Don't underestimate him just because of his level. Old Man Maldong's worth can't be evaluated with Paradise's system."
"What do you mean by that?"
When Seol Jihu asked with glittering eyes, Hugo's lips pursed before he made a troubled expression. It seemed his tiny brain was having trouble coming up with the words to explain the old man. Though quite a bit of time went by, he managed to pull through.
"Remember how there are four classes when you first begin? Archer, Magician, Priest, and Warrior."
"Yes, and no exceptions."
"But! That doesn't mean you have to walk the path of combat."
Seol Jihu mulled over Hugo's words before opening his mouth.
"Now that I think about it, I heard there were people who focused on production."
"Exactly! But production classes aren't the only non-combat classes."
"Then what?"
Hugo became speechless once again. He wrapped his hands around his head, then suddenly yelled, "Ah!"
"Miss Foxy!!"
"Kim Hannah!!"
Seol Jihu also shouted, feeling like he had to play along with Hugo.
"Yes! The person who you're contracted to!"
Hugo spoke excitedly as if he finally thought of a good example.
"She's the same. She started out as an Archer, but she became a High Ranker some other way."
What did that mean?
"Kim Hannah was an Archer?"
"You didn't know?"
Hugo must have thought Seol Jihu would know this as a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"This is the first time I'm hearing about it. What exactly is that other way?"
Hugo became silent. Rather than being unable to say his thoughts, he seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
"Mm…. To put it in a good way, her abilities are excellent."
"And if you put it in a bad way?"
"…."
"I won't tell anyone else."
"I-If you say so…."
Hugo made Seol Jihu promise three times before he finally said it.
"She's a con artist."
Seol Jihu was about to ask why, but he remembered the early parts of his dream and shut his mouth. Hugo let out a dry cough before continuing with his words.
"Coming back to my point, I think everyone has some sort of talent. But that doesn't mean that their talent has to be battle-oriented."
"So what you're saying is that if you're skilled at lying or cheating, the gods will develop your talent and guide you in that direction?"
"Exactly. Kim Hannah might be one of the most famous brokers in Paradise, but Old Man Jang is indisputably the best trainer in Paradise. The Daughter of Luxuria is famous in her own right, but she doesn't hold a candle to our old man."
Hugo gave a thumbs up. Suddenly, Seol Jihu remembered the old man yelling at him.
[You absolute fool! You have such a powerful engine, so why aren't you using it properly!? What a waste of mana!]
Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. As someone who had received Jang Maldong's mana training, he couldn't help but agree with Hugo one hundred percent.
In truth, Seol Jihu had only spent five days training with Jang Maldong. But during these five days, not only was he able to evolve his Spear Throw skill, but he was also able to learn a new ability.
What was even more frightening was that he awakened this new ability while training to evolve 'Spear Throw' to 'Mana Spear'. Since he even got to raise the proficiency of Mana Circulation, it was no wonder he was so shocked.
'All I did was follow his instructions….'
Having experienced Jang Maldong's magic personally, Seol Jihu fully agreed with Hugo's assessment.
"That's not all. He has incredible eyes for discerning the talent and nature of people."
"Oh yeah?"
"Just wait a few days. I'm sure he'll find us a skilled Archer. He might even train one up himself."
Hugo laughed cheerfully before going "Ah!" and clapping his hands.
"Hey! This is a good opportunity. Why don't you ask the old man to train you too?"
That was what Seol Jihu wanted too. If he got this far by training under him for five days, how strong would he get if he trained under him for a long time?
Just thinking about it made him excited.
"Well, to be honest, the training is going to be su~~per hard. You might want to kill yourself even. But if you endure his hellish training…."
"Then what?"
Seol Jihu swallowed hard, his eyes sparkling. Hugo opened his mouth with a serious face.
It was then.
"No."
A firm voice cut between the two men. They turned around simultaneously.
"Hugo, don't tell him useless things and get him excited for nothing."
Chohong was doing sit-ups on a workout machine but got up to glare at Hugo.
"What do you mean, useless?"
Hugo retorted coldly, seemingly bothered by Chohong raining on his parade.
"You don't know?"
"Hey, all I'm saying is that-"
"I don't know about Seol, but you're not qualified to ask him for help, just like me and Dylan."
Hearing her blunt statement, Hugo flinched and shrunk back.
"He barely managed to retire after leaving behind his lingering attachments. You want to stop him because of your greed?"
"You don't have to put it like that."
"Let's just send him off quietly, and be happy he's coming to see us from time to time. You know how easily he gets attached to people. If you cling to him desperately, he's going to hesitate for sure."
"But look at the situation we're in!"
Hugo tried to argue until the end.
"Keep. Your. Promise."
But Chohong gave him her unique, chilly glare, and Hugo froze up on the spot.
"Do you want to see him be disappointed again?"
Her sharp voice caused Hugo to grimace. He gritted his teeth and glared back at Chohong before growling like a tiger and leaving. The heated mood flushed cold in an instant.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Seol Jihu stealthily walked toward Chohong who snorted and went back to working out.
"I told you no, okay?"
But before he could even ask, Chohong warned him. Feeling a bit guilty, he pouted his lower lip.
"I didn't say anything."
"It's pretty obvious what you were trying to… say!"
Chohong raised her upper body with a grunt. After watching her toned abs for a moment, he raised his finger and poked her belly button.
"Ah, that tickles! Stop, are you a pervert?"
"Chohong-."
"You can act cute all you want, but I won't change my mind."
Seol Jihu's shoulders dropped. There was no hesitation in Chohong's voice. It was clear she already made up her mind.
"But why not?"
She didn't answer immediately. She simply continued working out in silence. Soon, she stepped down from the workout machine and put a towel over her shoulder. She didn't open her mouth until she turned halfway back to grab her water bottle.
"Old Man Maldong… he's the oldest Earthling in Paradise. Not necessarily by age, but by how long he's been here."
"How long?"
"Even I'm not sure."
Chohong muttered as she twisted the water bottle open.
"But I do know he's been here longer than anybody else I know. I think he's one of the first people to have entered Paradise."
"Oh?"
"Surprising, right? You see, working in Paradise for over 10 years isn't easy…."
Gulp, gulp. Puha! She emptied half of the bottle in one shot before continuing.
"Unless you're attached to this world in some way, it's impossible to last that long."
Seol Jihu nodded his head.
"Really, no matter how much I think about it, he's one hell of an old man. He entered Paradise at his old age and scraped up his talent as a trainer to aid Paradise. Who could hate him? If it were up to me, I'd give him a long, standing ovation."
But after that, Chohong blurred her speech.
"But you know… not all people are as noble and amazing as Old Man Maldong…."
She sounded like she was prompting him to agree. But rather than nodding his head or verbally agreeing, he chose to ask a question.
"What did you mean when you were talking about him being disappointed?"
Chohong paused. Then, she immediately wiped her face with the towel, almost like she was trying to cover her face.
"When Paradise first opened… I heard things weren't like this."
'Things weren't like this.' Seol Jihu had an idea what this meant.
"Apparently, it was a time full of hope, with Earthlings sincerely working to help Paradise and Paradisians working to support Earthlings as much as they can."
Right, there definitely was a time like that. A time when Earthlings and Paradisians weren't trying to bite each others' heads off in secret.
"But it's not like that anymore. Things changed, and many things happened…. And, well, it must have been shocking for him."
Seol Jihu wanted to ask what happened but reined in his curiosity. He could tell Chohong didn't want to talk about it. However, Chohong seemed to have felt his curious gaze as she muttered after hesitating for a long time.
"Just imagine it."
"?"
"You giving your time and effort to raise disciples, all so that they can aid Paradise in some way, but instead, they fight and kill each other all in the name of profit. Some of them even join hands to cause a revolt, causing countless Paradisians to die in the process."
He suddenly remembered the internal conflict and war that happened in Haramark.
"How would you feel if that happened to you? Think about it."
Chohong left those words behind and left the training ground. However, Seol Jihu wasn't able to move for a long time.
"…."
He suddenly thought the old man was similar to Alfred Nobel. Although Nobel became famous for inventing the dynamite, he saw his invention being used to take the lives of millions and regretted it.
Although the circumstances were different, Old Man Jang Maldong must have felt something similar.
Once his thoughts reached here, Seol Jihu raised his arms. When he concentrated on bringing out his mana, blue energy began to gather on his hands.
Wiiiing!
The progress he made in the past few days was simply too incredible. He had already learned the Level 3 skill, Aura, which was the materialization of his mana.
But now that he knew the old man's history, he couldn't bring himself to pester him any further.
'It's regrettable, but…'
I guess this is it.
He managed to overcome the wall. Although he was told he still had a long ways to go, he was satisfied with the results. At the very least, he had kept the promise he made to himself.
After making the energy dissipate, Seol Jihu turned around to head to the temple. He was hoping he could fully unlock his Nine Eyes.
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report chapter
Contact - ToS - Sitemap
.
Report chapter
Contact - ToS - Sitemap
Report chapter
Contact - ToS - Sitemap
Contact - ToS - Sitemap