LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 44
The eventful night passed, and morning arrived.
As promised to me, the Ministry of Ability Management began extensive media coverage as soon as dawn broke.
I expected the Ministry of Ability Management to issue an official statement, but I didn’t know the Blue House would also step forward.
It seems their words about doing their best with full force were not entirely lies.
Well, from there on, it’s their part to handle.
I, too, immediately returned to the temple in Ground Zero to do what I had to do.
I needed to check the results of the interrogation I had entrusted to Leo.
To put the conclusion of the interrogation first,
“In the end, we’re back to square one.”
Nothing was revealed.
Contrary to my expectations, Echidna’s contractor, Shin Ye-na, didn’t really know much.
All we could find out was just how she made this so-called “Elixir of Awakening” and through what process she became a contractor of a demonic being.
Shin Ye-na said she originally awakened as a magic-type player 3 years ago.
The process of how she, who was once evaluated as a promising student at an academy for the awakened, came to accept Echidna’s mana could be said to be very close to a cliché, in a way.
A promising student who couldn’t grow as much as expected, overcoming their limits through a deal with a demon, a very common repertoire even in Eden.
For a promising student who hit the limits of growth, the story of granting great power must have sounded sweeter than anything else.
Someone might think she, too, is a victim, but I don’t know.
All of this was a tragedy that started from her wrong choice in the first place.
In other words, it was a tragedy that wouldn’t have occurred if she hadn’t made a contract with Echidna in the first place.
I lightly nodded and then spoke to Team Leader Kim, who was quietly looking at me.
“How long will this woman’s sentence be?”
“She will be arrested on a total of 14 charges, including special murder, kidnapping, and drug distribution. The minimum is life imprisonment, the maximum is the death penalty. I can promise you on the honor of our Ministry of Ability Management.”
During the interrogation process, Leo had already extinguished all the mana she possessed and, furthermore, sealed off all possibilities with holy power.
In other words, Shin Ye-na is no longer a player.
She can never be a player again in the future.
That was also a kind of judgment our church imposed on demon contractors.
But I thought that alone was a bit lacking, so I quietly whispered into the ear of her, who was bowing her head in front of me.
“Ms. Shin Ye-na. You know what? There’s this thing called Magi, but it’s not actually giving you power you didn’t have.”
“…What are you suddenly…”
“It’s a power that draws your future in advance in exchange for your soul. Should I say it’s a kind of advance payment?”
Magi is not a power that opens up new possibilities for mortals.
It’s just a power that draws and uses the possibilities of mortals in advance in exchange for their souls.
In other words,
“If you had worked hard without making a contract with a demon, you would have become a very outstanding mage.”
She shattered that future with her own choice.
Hearing my words, she answered while sobbing.
“What, what’s the point of that now…”
“Why is it pointless? Because of what I said, you’ll live the rest of your life in regret, so of course, it has meaning.”
Because I’m telling you to suffer for the rest of your life.
After concluding my words like that, I slowly raised my body and said,
“Team Leader Kim?”
“Yes.”
“You can take her now. The church’s work is finished.”
Then Team Leader Kim politely bowed and replied,
“Thank you for trusting us.”
“Because I promised.”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
With those words, the Ministry of Ability Management agents took Shin Ye-na and left the temple.
“I thought Your Holiness would make the same choice as last time.”
Leo quietly spoke while looking at the Ministry of Ability Management agents moving away from the temple.
It seemed to be about Yoo Se-hyuk and the other villains I had crippled in Ground Zero.
I lightly stretched and answered Leo’s question.
“Those guys last time did it of their own volition, and Shin Ye-na was played by that snake’s tongue.”
“I think it was more merciful than the punishment you imposed on them.”
“You can’t say that after seeing the state of those Yeonbaek Guild guys or whatever?”
I didn’t explicitly say it, but I actually took care of the Yeonbaek Guild guys separately.
How could I have left alone the guys who were engaging in human trafficking and drug distribution?
I folded all their spines equally, roughly left them alive, and handed them over to the Ministry of Ability Management.
They will probably all spend the rest of their lives in prison with their lower body paralyzed.
And it’s the same for Shin Ye-na.
“Realizing that she sold her future for a moment’s greed, how disgusted will she be with herself?”
She won’t be able to forgive herself until she’s about to die. And that self-disgust will relentlessly burn her body until she dies.
That was my own way of judging her.
“In the first place, it’s different from Yoo Se-hyuk, right? That bastard did those things even without a demon whispering to him. In a way, Yoo Se-hyuk is a really incredible bastard.”
“…I understand.”
“Your expression says you don’t understand though?”
“No. I was just… thinking that if Your Holiness had been an inquisitor, you would have gained a tremendous notoriety.”
“Hey, where else can you find someone as merciful as me?”
“…Hmm.”
“Not going to smile? Should I just…”
As we saw off the Ministry of Ability Management agents and entered the temple, a boy soon approached us with a bright smile.
“Your Holiness!”
The identity of the boy was Seung-woo, the first saint of our church.
I smiled while stroking Seung-woo’s soft hair.
“Were you having fun?”
This morning, I brought Seung-woo up to Seoul as I came up. Since Seung-woo decided to join the church, there was no need to keep him in Suwon.
“Yes! I don’t know why, but I feel really good!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
As expected, children look much cuter smiling than crying.
Seung-woo smiled brightly, and then politely bowed to Leo next to me and greeted him.
“Hello, Archbishop Leo!”
Then Leo awkwardly raised the corners of his mouth and nodded.
“Congratulations on entering Limen’s embrace, Brother Seung-woo. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
There’s only one time when Leo smiles awkwardly like that.
When he’s happy.
He makes that expression when he’s genuinely happy. You can easily tell just by looking at how he smiled like that in front of Si-yeon last time.
“Leo, you’re Seung-woo’s senior saint, right? Take good care of him as his senior.”
“I will do my best. Then, by any chance, Seung-woo’s father…”
“He came up together.”
Jin Seo-jun was hospitalized at the university hospital located closest to Ground Zero.
Although most of his injuries were healed by my holy power, there was no need to refuse when the Ministry of Ability Management offered to do a comprehensive examination.
He’s someone who has been working tirelessly for 5 years.
He was someone who couldn’t take care of his own body while taking care of his son’s body, so I wanted him to take full advantage of this opportunity.
Is that what they call medical tourism?
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”
“Don’t you know how many Ministry of Ability Management agents are deployed at Jin Seo-jun’s hospital? And I gave him a blessing before I left, so it’s probably the second safest place in the world right now.”
At my words, Seung-woo, who was quietly listening to the conversation, said with shining eyes,
“The safest place is next to Your Holiness.”
…This kid, it might not be his first life.
Is this really the social abilities of a 12-year-old?
“That’s right.”
I nodded with satisfaction and stroked the kid’s head.
He has a good-looking face, and he’s good at saying things that sound good to others.
I’m so glad that the first prophet of our church is such a cute little kid.
Around the time I was smiling with satisfaction, Seung-woo said with his eyes still shining,
“Yesterday, Your Holiness said you have a younger sister around my age, right?”
“That’s right. Our Si-yeon. She got scolded yesterday for staying out.”
“I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a younger sister since I was young. I really want to see her…”
“…10 points deducted.”
“Pardon?”
“I knew it.”
He’s a dangerous kid.
Already showing interest in our Si-yeon, this foxy kid.
Not a chance until the day I die.
Anyway,
Around the time the three of us were chatting,
Woooong-
[Your god wishes to give you an
At the suddenly appearing message, I briefly got up from my seat and entered the Pope’s office.
Then soon, a familiar voice began to be heard in my ear.
『Good morning! I knew you’d bring Seung-woo back safely. How is it, isn’t he a really pretty child when you see him in person? Please take good care of him from now on!』
“Limen. About Echidna’s contractor…”
『I know too, so you don’t have to tell me! I was just about to look into it. There are quite a few suspicious parts in Eden too, so I’m having other children pursue them. I’ll let you know as soon as a clue comes up, Shi Yu.』
I had forgotten for a moment.
She can see and hear everything that her power reaches.
Since Leo conducted the interrogation, she would have grasped all the information revealed in the process.
That was the source of her omniscience and omnipotence.
『You probably didn’t get proper sleep, so I’ll quickly state my business! As I said last time, I’m thinking of sending you a Holy Knight Commander, and the method is the same as last time.』
“Last time?”
『Yes! When Shi Yu pays the system, I’ll send them through a gate like last time. You should see it in front of you by now… You don’t see it?』
As soon as she said that, a new message window appeared in front of my eyes.
[The items in the DLC store have been updated.]
[You can purchase the special role
“…Is this price for real?”
The confirmed price of the
It was a large enough score to build another cathedral-level facility in the temple.
The points I earned by completing two sub-quests in a row this time were 5,000 points, so it was no different from dedicating the earned points as they were.
But what can I do?
“I’ll purchase it.”
[You have purchased the special role
[Since you have paid a proper price, the law of causality will overlook the intervention of the god of
I have no choice but to go along with it even though I know.
I already obtained the absurd trait
Therefore, what we urgently need right now is talent, first and second.
We’re struggling with a shortage of manpower.
“Is it done?”
『Yes!』
“If you’re sending them like last time, can you tell me the gate location and date? I had a hard time because of that last time.”
Thanks to that, I formed a connection with Demon Guild’s CEO Mr. Choi, but that was just good luck.
I need to know the location in advance and prepare…
『Huh? I just sent them though?』
“…What?”
『No, I felt bad for sending them too late last time. So this time, I just sent them right away. There was a connected passage too. Hehe.』
That’s when it happened.
Woooooong-!
The cell phone I put in my pocket vibrated. It was a message from In-uk.
-Little bro:
-Little bro: Hive Guild guys are live streaming right now, and a strange person suddenly appeared?
-Little bro: Check it out quickly. It’s a mess right now.
-Little bro: You said you fought with a group last time. Did you by any chance send them?
In the place I entered through the link In-Wook sent me,
-?
-Why is a person coming out of the gate?
-Seeing them kill monsters, aren’t they a player?
-What is this
-Is it some kind of monster rookie that Hive Guild is raising?
A Holy Knight wearing familiar armor was swinging a Warhammer larger than their body and smashing the heads of monsters.
The camera soon focused on her face.
Then, her red hair fluttering with the Warhammer was broadcasted on the screen.
As if she knew her appearance was being shown on the screen, she showered the camera with smiles and a barrage of winks.
No, let’s say winking is fine.
But why on earth,
-?
-What was that just now?
-Isn’t that person a Hive Guild member? Didn’t the Hive Guild members attack first just now?
-But why are the ones who attacked first getting beaten up like thatㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Explanation needed
-Explainer) I don’t know eitherㅅㄱㅋㅋㅋ
Is she winking while sending Hive Guild members flying into the sky?
I looked at that dizzying and confusing scene and held my forehead.
And just as I was about to ask Limen urgently,
『Questions later! I’ve completed the delivery, so I’ll get going now! Busy busy.』
[The oracle has ended.]
Limen also ran away in a hurry.
Left alone like that, I looked at the live broadcast on my cell phone again.
Just as I was trying to think of how to handle this situation, the woman on the screen shouted in a loud voice.
「I am Luna Lebenthon, the commander leading the third Holy Knight Order of the Limen Church, the Palma Knights. Folks, if you really don’t want to die, how about you stop attacking?」
At that remark, which was nothing less than a nuclear bomb, I rubbed my face with my hand and muttered.
“…We’re screwed again this time.”
Where do I even start cleaning up this mess?