Chapter 140
"Don’t tell me...?! Was the news report referring to you? All that stuff about Florence Academy, Satanists, miracles, and a person coming back to life even after a hole was punched through their gut?”
“Yeah. You didn’t know about that all this time? Isn’t it obvious that it’s me?”
“How was I supposed to know when your face didn’t show up? And they didn’t reveal the real name either. Also, I don’t pay attention to news articles that are biased toward the Romanican Church.”
"Why not?"
"Because I feel like I would throw up if I did... Ah, but that’s not important. More importantly, does that mean you almost died?”
I nodded and said, “I basically died and came back to life.”
Soo-Yeong nodded and looked at me with a frown. It was a face that seemed to indicate that she had no idea what was going on inside my head, which was understandable.
"...You crazy bastard."
"Watch your language. You’ve become far more unhinged just because we haven’t seen each other for a few months.”
"It’s not like I said anything wrong, right? What would have happened to the Voodoo Cult if you really died?"
"Do I look like a dead person to you? I’m still alive, you know.”
“Argh, you...! I’m talking about the possibility. If you die, then no one would be able to use the power of the Loa, and the Voodoo Cult would just perish!”
Soo-Yeong's words were absolutely correct. Seven years ago, when my father, who was the Second Cult Leader, died, and my mother, who was the Prophet, was captured, the Voodoo Cult quickly collapsed as a result. If I, the Cult Leader who succeeded my father, had quickly reorganized the cult, then the situation might have turned out far better.
However, I took one year trying to deal with the voices of various Loa. I had been partially mentally insane during that time. The impact that the sudden death of a leader had on a religion was quite significant. According to my uncle, if my identity was exposed while trying to free my mother and Ha Pan-Seok’s son, who were imprisoned in the underground prison, then a second Holy War would break out, and I would certainly die.
Of course, I had no intention of dying so easily. For now, I had to find a method to rescue my mother without starting another Holy War. If I still wasn’t able to find a method to save my mother without starting a Holy War, I would still save my mother regardless. Then all I had to do was do everything in my power to win the Holy War.
However, death was something that came in unexpected moments. No matter how determined I was, when the time came, I would die. I had to prepare for that. I had to ensure that my death would not result in the Voodoo Cult's death.
I summoned a candle of consciousness with a replication spell and placed it on the floor. Then I called for Legba, who had been silent during my time in the hospital.
"Legba, how about letting me hear your voice after such a long time?”
In response to my summons, Legba responded with a low hum.
[...I’ve rested for a long time. You haven’t forgotten my voice, have you?]
It felt good to hear Legba's voice after a long time. I summoned two more candles and lined them up in front of Soo-Yeong. As the number of candles increased, Legba's voice grew louder. The connection between Legba and me became stronger through the candles.
[So, what's the matter? You didn't call me just to hear my voice, did you?]
"I want to assess the suitability for succession."
[The suitability for succession, huh... The first thing you ask me after such a long time seems to be quite a hassle. You didn’t even ask how I was doing,] Legba grumbled.
Soo-Yeong stared at me with a blank expression. It was a natural reaction. From her perspective, it must have seemed like I had suddenly started talking to myself. While Legba was choosing the language and words to use for the ritual, Soo-Yeong belatedly regained her senses and asked, "Are you talking to the Loa right now? Or are you talking to yourself?"
"Obviously, I’m not talking to myself. Do I look crazy to you?"
"...Then what do you mean by suitability for succession?"
"I'm testing whether you can become a Cult Leader or not."
"What are you going to do after finding that out? You’re the Cult Leader right now, aren’t you?"
I summoned two more candles and placed them on the floor. The small flames on the end of the candle wicks flickered toward Soo-Yeong. There was no wind blowing at the moment. I thought about adding more candles, but five seemed sufficient.
With this, all the preparations for the ritual were complete. I finally answered Soo-Yeong's question.
"It’s because if I die, then you might be the one to take my place."
Excluding me, Soo-Yeong's Voodoo sorcery skills were unparalleled. She even knew how to cast spells on animals, so in some areas, it was safe to say that she handled spells better than me. Although there were times when she acted foolish, she didn’t seem to be stupid.
I was thinking of appointing her as the next Cult Leader. Before that, I needed to confirm her suitability as a Prophet in order to figure out whether she would be able to accept the Loa.
"...You’ll die?" Soo-Yeong murmured softly as if pondering the meaning of my words.
~
After the incident, I lost consciousness for a few weeks. Normally, one would have no memories when unconscious, but strangely, I could vividly remember everything that occurred while I was unconscious. It was because although my body lay in the hospital, my mind was at the Crossroads.
"Why am I still here?"
At the Crossroads was Legba. While limping on one foot, he approached me, and he answered my question in a deep voice as if he were tired.
"I wonder. To think that a person who isn’t dead yet is able to arrive at the Crossroads. This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”
“A person that isn’t dead yet?”
"The dead must pass through the Crossroads. You need to go through the crossroads in order to reach the unseen world."
"Ah, I see."
"However, you're not dead, and yet you're here. It's strange. Baron Samedi might know the reason why, but he's not exactly reliable..." Legba said while taking out the pipe he had shoved in his front pocket. He put the pipe in his mouth, and after a few puffs, smoke began to flow out.
The smoke rose up to the sky, obscuring the red moon and covering the ground as it drifted toward me.
"Can you put out the cigarette?" I asked while coughing.
Legba chuckled.
"It’s ridiculous if I can’t even smoke a cigarette after reaching this age. Just bear with it."
"How old are you?"
"Two years older than Baron Samedi."
"How old is Baron Samedi?"
"Two years younger than me."
It was a meaningless exchange. I let out a sigh, and I sat down before observing the scenery of the Crossroads. The boundaries between paths and non-paths were blurred at the Crossroads, and it was difficult to feel the passage of time. It was a place where space and time intertwined. Legba stopped smoking and took out a sandglass. He then placed the sandglass in front of me. It was a very large sandglass.
"Let’s have a chat about the things we weren’t able to discuss. You were too busy in the past few months after all.”
"That's true."
"If you have any questions, ask them here," Legba said before flipping the sandglass that was in front of me.
The sand started flowing from top to bottom. While sensing the flow of the sand, I asked, "What is this sandglass?"
"It's a device that allows us to feel the passage of time. If you don't feel time, it doesn't flow."
"I see."
Although it wasn’t completely clear, I vaguely understood. I nodded an appropriate amount of times before moving on to the next question.
"Do all dead people pass through the Crossroads?"
"Yes. Some of the dead are aware of the Crossroads, while others are not."
"Did my mother pass through here before?"
In response to my question, Legba fell silent for a moment.
"She’s been here before. However, I don’t think she has ‘passed through’ here, as far as I know.”
"That means that my mother is still alive."
"Interpret it as you wish."
I thought about the next question, but I couldn’t find anything appropriate to ask. Silence filled the air.
"It seems like you have nothing else to ask."
"It seems like it."
"Well, let’s rest then."
Without even giving me a chance to second guess myself, Legba placed his pipe back in his front pocket and said, "I think I'll sleep for a few months. I'll probably still be asleep when you wake up."
"Do the Loa sleep too?"
"There are times when we feel like sleeping. It's not necessary, though. Anyway, I won't talk to you while I’m sleeping."
"Looks like I’ll be bored."
"If you're bored, call out to me. I'll tell you an interesting story," Legba said with a chuckle.
He then limped away while smoking his cigarette. Soon, his figure disappeared from my sight.
After that, Legba really didn’t talk to me again.
Left alone at the Crossroads, I reflected on many things while watching the hourglass flow.
The first thing I thought about was my father, who had passed away. The next thing I thought about was my mother, who was still alive. I thought about the Holy War, the Voodoo Cult, and the Romanican Church. I thought about the countless people I met at Florence Academy, and I thought about Jun-Hyuk, the person who was ultimately responsible for my ending up here.
I wondered what would happen to Jun-Hyuk. He would probably get executed. However, just like my mother, who was officially declared dead but was actually imprisoned in the underground prison, there was a possibility that Jun-Hyuk might also remain alive in the prison. It was only a possibility, but...
Flip.
I flipped the hourglass. I pondered about Voodoo spells and the power of Loa, and I thought about the state of acquirement that Legba had mentioned at some point. I contemplated the power of the Loa that my mother commanded as the Prophet, and I realized how insignificant my own ability to command the Loa was in comparison.
I flipped the hourglass once and then twice.
In the end, I thought about death. The Crossroads was a land that was infinitely closely intertwined with death. It was impossible for me not to think about death at the Crossroads. When I died, I would come back to the Crossroads again.
Flip.
When I flipped the hourglass for the seventh time, I woke up. At first, I was disoriented. It felt like I had been at the Crossroads for a few minutes, and yet it also felt like I had stayed there for years.
On the first day, I was busy adjusting to my weakened sense of touch and taste, and I was busy learning how to breathe with only one lung. On the second day, I pondered about my time at the Crossroads. While thinking about it alone, I felt like I gained clarity on many things, but I especially gained clarity about death.
It was around that time that I began to think about choosing the next Cult Leader. It was because if I, the Cult Leader, died irresponsibly without any preparations, then the Voodoo Cult would go through the same hardships that it went through seven years ago. When I accepted death, I thought more about the things that would occur after my death.
~
"What are you saying? Why would you die?"
However, Soo-Yeong seemed unaware of my thoughts. I tried finding the appropriate words to explain my thought process. I didn’t feel like explaining in detail, so I answered as concisely as possible.
“I’m not saying I’m going to die right now, but someday I will eventually die.”
“Someday? Do you have a terminal illness?”
“No... I’m just saying that it’s possible for me to die at some point. I’m not saying I know exactly when I’ll die.”
It was then that Soo-Yeong seemed to vaguely understand what I meant.
"Ah..." she sighed and looked down at the ground with downcast eyes.
When the appropriate time arrived, I heard Legba’s voice.
[Start getting ready,] he said.
I approached Soo-Yeong and offered her my hand. In response, she blankly stared at my hand as if she had no idea what I was doing.
"What are you doing? Give me your hand," I said.
"What? No way!" Soo-Yeong said.
"Why? Are you embarrassed?" I asked.
"N-no, that's not it..." Soo-Yeong said.
Startled, she took a few steps back before scanning me up and down. She shifted her gaze around as if she was unsure of where to look before eventually closing her eyes tightly.
“...I don’t want to hold hands with a pervert with exhibitionism disorder.”
"You're the one who followed and peeked. Are you a voyeur?"
“Argh, seriously... Why do you need my hand?”
"It's necessary for the ritual."
The ritual for examining the compatibility for succession required physical contact with the subject. In reality, even without making physical contact, there was no problem with the ritual itself, but there was a possibility that the subject would be in danger. It was a somewhat cumbersome procedure, but it was necessary.
"Anyway, hand."
"Argh, am I a dog to you?" Soo-Yeong roared while reluctantly extending her hand to me.
I placed her hand on the palm of my hand. I could barely feel the sensation of her hand. I could only vaguely feel that her hand was on top of mine and that her hand was slightly cold.
"Now close your eyes."
"You always order me around..." Soo-Yeong grumbled, but she listened to me obediently.
After confirming that she had closed her eyes, I closed mine as well. The darkness and landscape of the Crossroads seemed to overlap.
Legba’s murmurs, which could only be faintly heard at first, gradually became clear and distinct.
Before long, Legba's murmurs ceased. As darkness and the landscape of crossroads alternatingly appeared, I felt something escaping from my body. The thing that escaped flowed into Soo-Yeong through our clasped hands.
[Let’s begin,] Legba said.
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
*
What Soo-Yeong saw in front of her was darkness. She couldn’t see anything besides darkness. This was natural since she had her eyes closed. She felt a strange sensation in her clasped hand. It felt like something was flowing in. It tingled as if electricity was flowing in.
"...You aren’t trying to do something strange, right?" Soo-Yeong asked, just in case.
Closing her eyes was something she normally did during a prayer, so that was somewhat understandable. However, she couldn’t understand why she had to hold hands with him like this. It seemed unlikely, but she wondered if he was doing this with malicious intentions.
"..."
Sun-Woo did not respond and simply tightened his grip on the hand he was holding. Soo-Yeong trembled and tried to shake off her stray thoughts. After all, even if Sun-Woo harbored ill intentions toward her, she had no way of resisting.
In that moment, an unfamiliar landscape emerged from beyond the darkness. It was a path that exuded an eerie and desolate atmosphere. A red moon hung in the sky, illuminating the path. The scenery briefly appeared and quickly disappeared.
[Now open your eyes.]
A voice echoed in her mind. It wasn't a sound that entered her ears, but rather a sound that literally rang in her head.
"Mom, w-what is this...!"
It was an unfamiliar sensation. Soo-Yeong was startled and took a few steps back. She tried to pull her hand away, but Sun-Woo held her wrist tightly without letting go.
When she opened her eyes, he glared at her with cold eyes. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and his lips were blue due to exhaustion.
"Don't let go."
"...Ah, I understand."
She didn’t know why, but it seemed like a bad idea to let go. While thinking this, a cough from the unfamiliar voice in her head echoed out. Every time the cough’s echo reverberated in her head, her shoulders trembled. It felt like the sound was digging straight into her brain and leaving a tingling sensation.
[I'm sorry if I startled you... Anyway, I am Legba. Do you need an introduction?]
"...Legba."
The trembling stopped the moment she heard his name.
Legba. He was the ruler of all Loa and the owner of the Crossroads. If you were a believer in the Voodoo Cult, it was impossible to be unaware of that name. To think that she would be able to talk with that Legba, she couldn’t help but feel both bewildered and overwhelmed.
Before she could let her emotions fully sink in, Legba’s voice continued, [There seems to be no need for an introduction. Let’s immediately proceed in assessing your suitability.]
Gulp.
Soo-Yeong unconsciously swallowed her saliva. It felt like she was trembling a thousand times harder than when taking an exam at school. She couldn’t help but glance at Sun-Woo. His unwavering gaze and his firm grip gave her an odd sense of relief.
[Now, answer my question.]
"Y-yes."
[What is seven times eight?]
"Huh?" Soo-Yeong responded with a puzzled expression.
She expected a question about the Voodoo Cult or at least a question about religion. But to think that multiplication had suddenly popped up... It wasn’t just random—it was completely out of the blue.
That said, she couldn’t just stay silent, so she hastily answered, “Fif-fifty-six!"
[Correct. Now, what is eleven times thirteen?]
"Uh... one-hundred and forty-three?"
[Oh, you're quite good. Now, what is 142 times 1987?]
"Ah, wait. How am I supposed to solve that in my head?"
[You can't even do this sort of simple arithmetic... The correct answer is 282,154. Unfortunately, you're eliminated.]
"Ha!" Soo-Yeong was so surprised that she laughed out loud.
Legba didn't miss that, and with a serious tone that was devoid of any playfulness, he said, [You’re laughing... Seems like you don't take the Loa seriously at all.]
"Huh? No, it's not like that."
[It's not like that?]
"It’s not like that at all, sir Legba..." Soo-Yeong mumbled.
She acted like she didn’t know what to do as she looked at Sun-Woo with trembling eyes. According to what she had heard, Legba was usually a mischievous and kind Loa, but once he got angry, he was the scariest out of all the Loa. Since she had angered such a frightening Loa, she wondered whether she would immediately receive divine retribution.
Sun-Woo just chuckled mischievously. She couldn’t tell whether Sun-Woo understood her feelings or not. She felt that his laughter was mocking her, and she wanted to shout back at him in retaliation, but she could not do so because of Legba’s presence.
"Legba."
Sun-Woo looked at Soo-Yeong, who was too scared to do anything while laughing.
"Why are you teasing her?" Sun-Woo asked.
[Her reaction is quite amusing. Unlike you,] Legba said while laughing out loud.
Soo-Yeong failed to fully comprehend what Sun-Woo and Legba were saying. She looked back and forth between Sun-Woo and the sky like a broken toy before belatedly understanding the situation and narrowing her eyes.
"...You fooled me!"
[Yes, I fooled you. Do you have any complaints?]
Soo-Yeong hastily responded, "No, um... I don't."
"Are you trying to tease her again? Anyway, isn’t this enough?" Sun-Woo asked Legba while laughing at Soo-Yeong.
Legba chuckled softly and replied, [Yeah, this should be enough.]
"Well, that's a relief," Sun-Woo said before letting go of Soo-Yeong's hand.
Suddenly, there was a snapping sound inside her mind, as if something had been severed. For a moment, she felt a headache, and she felt dizzy. Beyond her blurry vision, another unfamiliar landscape appeared. A red moon and a path with unclear boundaries. Like a fleeting moment, the scenery quickly disappeared, and her vision returned to normal. After regaining her senses, her headache completely vanished. She could no longer hear Legba's voice.
The events that had just occurred felt hazy, as if they were all a dream or an illusion.
"...Wh-what just happened? Is this the end?"
"Yeah, it's the end. Good job," Sun-Woo said before nodding as if it wasn’t a big deal.
She couldn't understand what exactly had come to an end. Soo-Yeong frowned and subtly glared at Sun-Woo. It was because she didn't have the confidence to openly glare at him.
"Didn’t you say it was some sort of suitability review? What happened to that?"
Legba clearly told her that she had been eliminated. This clearly meant that she was unsuitable to be the Prophet or Cult Leader. Soo-Yeong already knew this fact, but she still asked anyway. It was because she didn't want to show her disappointment.
"You’re suitable."
"...Huh?"
However, Sun-Woo's response was unexpected.
"What nonsense. Legba... didn't Legba say I was eliminated?"
"Of course, that was a joke. Just being able to hear Legba's voice makes you suitable."
"Don't lie to me."
"Why would I lie about something like this?" Sun-Woo said.
Sun-Woo’s gaze was fixated on the ground as if he was counting the number of ants crawling on the floor. Come to think of it, that was true. He had no reason to lie about this. So, in other words, it meant that she possessed a body that was suitable to be a Prophet. This also meant that after Sun-Woo's death, she would become the fourth Cult Leader.
"...That's true," Soo-Yeong muttered while slowly nodding.
Although she was glad to be acknowledged, she wasn't as happy as she had thought she would be. Becoming a Cult Leader was only possible after Sun-Woo's death. That fact made her feel uneasy.
Soo-Yeong shook her head and dismissed her stray thoughts. This was all just going to be in the distant future, she thought as she looked at Sun-Woo. He was still shirtless.
In an intentionally mocking tone, Soo-Yeong asked, "Excuse me, Cult Leader. Why are you still not wearing clothes?"
"There's a reason for that."
"Do you really want to show off your body that’s not even all that great?"
"...It’s because I haven't been able to exercise lately since I've been stuck at the hospital."
It was a joke, but Sun-Woo had responded with a serious face.
To be honest, his physique wasn't all that bad. It was at a level where anyone could tell he exercised diligently, so it would be fine to say he looked good. However, Soo-Yeong was bothered by the scars on his abdomen. She felt pain in her own stomach whenever she looked at that scar. If he wasn’t going to wear clothes, she at least wanted him to cover them up.
However, Sun-Woo completely ignored her words, and he continued to stare at the ground.
"What are you doing? Just put on some clothes already!"
"Ah, if you don't want to see it, then leave... No, actually, it will probably be easier to show it to you."
Sun-Woo muttered something incomprehensible before casting a spell. It was the replication spell, Dawn’s Blade.
Sun-Woo turned the dagger he summoned using the spell back and forth as if examining its condition. Then, he glanced up and down an old dying tree in the corner of the wasteland.
As always, she couldn't help but feel that Sun-Woo's spells were of very high quality. She wondered if she would ever reach his level.
However, there was no time for admiration. Sun-Woo held the dagger and inserted it directly into his palm. Just from a rough glance, it seemed like he had stabbed it in quite deeply. Blood dripped from the palm of his hand. Soo-Yeong's hands and feet grew cold at the sight.
"Wh-what are you doing? What are you doing, you lunatic!"
"Just keep watching from there. You might need to use it later as well,” Sun-Woo replied indifferently as if it didn't hurt much.
He then dipped his finger into his own blood and started drawing a picture on the floor.
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