Chapter 41
“I got a call from In-Ah saying that she is taking a break again today because she is sick. It’s almost time for the test, so take good care of yourselves, and also the kidnapping! The kidnapping case. I always say this, but be careful because another person is said to have gone missing due to abduction this time—”
Ye-Jin's homeroom class was longer than usual today. As can be seen from the word ‘again today,’ In-Ah had not come to school for the past two days.
I texted her and even called her yesterday, but she never replied. She seemed to be in contact with Ye-Jin, so it didn't seem like she was unable to respond. So that meant that she was intentionally avoiding contact with us, but I couldn't figure out why.
“—As you all know, the Holy Name of Charity has been vacant due to an unfortunate incident, so there will be a re-election exam soon! We plan to select candidates based on test scores and daily conduct. An exact schedule has not been set yet, but keep it in mind for now. Have a nice day then~”
After saying all that, Ye-Jin left the classroom. Jun-Hyuk slept the whole time in homeroom and woke up while doing stretches the moment Ye-Jin left. He then stumbled toward me with unsteady steps.
“What did the teacher say? I didn’t hear it because I was sleeping."
Jun-Hyuk would always sleep during homeroom, so he would always miss out on the announcements.
“The kidnapping case and the re-election of the Holy Name of Charity.”
“Re-elected? Or are they going to re-elect?”
“They are going to re-elect. They are going to take the test results and the candidate’s usual conduct into consideration.”
"Aha. Huh?" Although Jun-Hyuk had been yawning and nodding his head as if he didn’t have a care in the world, he suddenly muttered in confusion.
“They will take the candidate’s usual behavior into consideration? Why?"
“It must be because of Sung-Hyun. He was expelled because of a personality problem.”
“Wow, Sung-Hyun, you son of a bitch...” Jun-Hyuk said. He then cried while pulling apart his hair.
Jun-Hyuk slept during every class, never did homework, and joked back at the teacher whenever he was scolded. He had a bad reputation among teachers. If they only graded based on the candidate’s usual behavior, Jun-Hyuk would probably get the lowest or second-lowest score.
“Should I just give up? I don’t think there’s a chance.”
“I agree. The way I see it, I don’t think there’s any hope for you at all.”
“You little punk. When a friend is in distress, you're supposed to console them, even if you don’t mean it.”
Jun-Hyuk's usual behavior was so much of a lost cause that it was impossible to console him, even with empty words. The chances of Jun-Hyuk becoming the Holy Name of Charity were practically non-existent unless he did exceptionally well on the test.
Of course, if he did really well on the test, his usual behavior wouldn’t matter at all because Florence Academy had a strong tendency to value ability rather than personality.
I wondered whether the statement that they would check the usual behavior of a candidate was just an excuse to add the teachers’ subjectivity to the selection process. I wasn’t entirely sure, but it was just speculation.
[It's strange.] In the midst of talking about the re-election exam, Legba muttered to himself.
I wondered what was so strange. If he was saying that the structure of Florence Academy, where skill was more important than faith, was strange, then I agreed with him.
Florence Academy tabooed religious beliefs to the extent that was beyond strange, and it approached the realm of being bizarre.
[Not that. Why did another person go missing again?]
"Ah."
“What’s up with you, all of a sudden?”
Jun-Hyuk looked at me curiously, but I had no time to pay attention to Jun-Hyuk. It was because I had understood Legba's words.
The Zapduists kidnapped people to rally believers. The perpetrator of the recent kidnapping cases was also the Zapduists. This was a fact that Han Su-Yeop himself confessed, so it was certain. If that was the case, then the kidnappings should have stopped occurring. The Zapduist Cult had collapsed, and Cult Leader Han Su-Yeop had been reduced to a zombie servant.
But why did another person go missing?
─Clap!
“Ah, what the—that surprised me."
The chain of thoughts that had been revolving inside my head was suddenly cut off. It was because Jun-Hyuk had clapped right in front of my face.
Jun-Hyuk was staring down at me in amazement. “You’re totally spacing out. Let’s go out?”
“Why are we leaving? Do we have practical training today?”
"No? It's a class, but it's an outdoor class on Eiden Hill. I wonder if it involves mountain hiking.”
Jun-Hyuk almost dragged me out of the classroom. I had no choice but to be pulled along by him. The thoughts in my mind were still complicated.
Why didn't In-Ah come to school? Why was another person missing? Why was the class suddenly taking place in the mountains? Just what kind of class was this? All sorts of thoughts and questions were running through my head. My mind became clouded and my thoughts became distant. It was like my brain had stopped functioning correctly all of a sudden.
For a long time, it seemed like I was just following Jun-Hyuk in a daze.
[Don't think about it, just leave your body to the flow. Today, and just as always, watch out for fire!]
I woke up to a sudden voice. I shook my head twice. The landscape was unfamiliar. Before I knew it, I had arrived at Eiden Hill.
Purple fog enveloped the area and danced through the landscape as if greeting me. The fog was soon carried into the sky by the wind.
* * *
“Damn it. I'm so sleepy. I think I will die out of sleepiness,” Do-Jin said while holding an Americano in one hand. Beside him were Bok-Dong and Ye-Jin side by side. It was like all the professors from each department had gathered together.
They were all walking somewhere while talking about various topics.
"It's because you didn’t sleep enough. Lack of sleep leads to a reduction in combat effectiveness. Cut down on the caffeine too. Too much is poison.”
Bok-Dong rebuked Do-Jin. Bok-Dong had a protein shake in his hand.
“Just let him be. He says that he wants to die young,” Ye-Jin said with a wide grin. Compared to her gentle impression, her manner of speaking was a bit rough. While vigorously walking, she occasionally sipped on the cup of hot chocolate that she was holding.
Do-Jin looked at Bok-Dong with a disgruntled face and complained, “Why did they assign this task to us? It seems like a waste of manpower.”
“You can’t ask the elders to do chores like this!”
“But why are they making us do the chores? Also, do we really need three people for this task in the first place?”
“There must be a deep meaning behind all this.”
“Deep meaning, my ass.”
After Do-Jin drank the rest of the Americano in one gulp, he carelessly crushed the empty cup and tossed it onto the floor. A hollow, dry sound echoed around the area as the cup bounced across the floor.
Ye-Jin widened her eyes in surprise.
“Pick it up! Littering is illegal.”
"I can’t be bothered...”
“What do you mean you can’t be bothered?! Pick it up quickly!”
Do-Jin reluctantly picked up the discarded cup again. He then tossed it into a nearby trash can. Only then did Ye-Jin smile in satisfaction.
"There you go. As a teacher, we have to set an example!”
“Shut up. You’re giving me a headache.”
Do-Jin put a hand on his temple and pressed it hard. It was a headache caused by a lack of sleep. He had only slept for two hours yesterday as well. He was so sleepy, but Ye-Jin kept getting on his nerves. It felt like Ye-Jin hadn't changed at all from her high school days.
“With the three of us here, this reminds me of our time in Florence Academy.”
While walking for a while, Bok-Dong suddenly became lost in reminiscing. Do-Jin frowned at him in disgust.
“Keep your flashbacks to yourself.”
“That’s no good. The more you share the memories, the more fun it is.”
“He’s as big as a bear but needlessly sentimental. Isn’t that right?” Ye-Jin said while shaking her head as if she was also disgusted.
"Tell me about it," Do-Jin said while nodding in agreement.
All three of them were Florence Academy graduates and were classmates. The three had been close enough to die for each other during their school days, but after graduation, they became distant for a while and soon met again as teachers in Florence. It was a coincidence that was close to a miracle.
“Bok-Dong.” Do-Jin called out to Bok-Dong, who was lost in recollection for a long time. Bok-Dong's distant eyes gradually regained focus.
"Yes. What is it?"
“Are you still doing that? That special condition or something... That nonsense.”
“If you are talking about the physical test, of course. The special conditions still remain.”
“Did anyone satisfy the special conditions?”
“Only Dae-Man. Other than him, no one even tried. Ah, Sun-Woo almost did,” Bok-Dong said while fiddling with his scruffy beard. Do-Jin raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Sun-Woo dared to try it?”
"Yes. Did you just use alliteration on purpose?” [1]
Bok-Dong laughed heartily. Do-Jin frowned. He still had a hard time dealing with Bok-Dong's jokes.
Ye-Jin listened and sipped her hot chocolate. Then she said, “Sun-Woo, he seems a bit peculiar.”
“What about him is peculiar?”
“He hardly knows how to handle blessing arrays, but there are times when he stands out in strange places?”
“I think I know what you mean. He has a unique side,” Bok-Dong nodded.
Do-Jin tilted his head and said, "Well. I don't know.”
Do-Jin stared absent-mindedly at the sky.
Like they said, there was a unique side to Sun-Woo. However, because there were so many students with exceptional talent this year, it was difficult to see Sun-Woo's talent as exceptional.
For example—
“Su-Ryeon or Jin-Seo. Or what, Jun-Hyuk? These kids are much better.”
“You say that, but during the last meeting, didn’t you really take his side?” Ye-Jin smiled and said teasingly. Do-Jin's eyebrows twisted in displeasure.
“I didn’t take sides, but those stupid teachers kept saying nonsensical things, so I pointed out the truth.”
"You can’t call them stupid teachers! We are also teachers, you know?”
“We are different from them. I am ashamed to be in the same faculty as them,” Do-Jin grumbled with a sharp tone. Because he was tired, he was on edge. The trio continued to chat casually while slowly walking forward.
In the distance, the first barn building appeared from the periphery. Ye-Jin narrowed her brows and sniffed.
“There’s a strange smell.”
"Smell?"
Bok-Dong sniffed as well, but he couldn't smell anything.
Ye-Jin’s smile disappeared as she continued sniffing. The more she sniffed, the deeper the fear became in her eyes.
“...Dead body?" Ye-Jin wondered. Ye-Jin had a good nose and was particularly good at distinguishing smells. If she smelled a corpse, it meant that there was definitely a corpse nearby.
Do-Jin and Bok-Dong's expressions hardened. They hurried their steps toward the first barn. Not a single word of conversation was exchanged during this time.
When they eventually arrived at the barn, the sight they encountered was shocking.
“Belch. I'm sorry, hold on...!”
Ye-Jin couldn't bear to face it, so she turned around and vomited. After regurgitating all the hot chocolate she had consumed, Ye-Jin managed to lift her head. The feeling of nausea continued to creep in even as she collected her breath.
“Oh, dear,” Bok-Dong sighed briefly. Even he, who did not know fear, was horrified by the sight before his eyes.
“What the fuck... That's why they sent us here. There really was a deep meaning behind all this,” Do-Jin cursed and said sarcastically.
Last night, all the CCTVs illuminating the first barn broke. At the same time, a ‘certain phenomenon’ began to occur in the first barn.
Therefore, the elders passed the mission to Do-Jin, Ye-Jin, and Bok-Dong during a meeting. It was to check the status of the CCTVs and to investigate a ‘certain phenomenon’ that occurred in the first barn.
Now, in front of their eyes, that ‘certain phenomenon’ was happening in real-time.
"It's very similar to the taxidermy incident that happened two years ago."
“The scale is different. Back then, it was one or two at most. Now...” Do-Jin trailed off at the end of his sentence.
‘A certain phenomenon’ referred to demonification, and group demonification at that. All the livestock in the barn had become demonic beasts, and they were running amok with their sharp teeth exposed.
Fortunately, the demonic beasts did not break through the fence. The only shocking thing was that ‘tower.’ In the center of the first barn, there was a tower made out of stacked human corpses. The naked corpses were holding each other's hands, forming a human tower like an acrobatic troupe.
The tower leaned slightly towards the south. However, it stood firm and did not fall. A Pentagram was drawn around the tower. It radiated black demonic energy by feeding on the flesh and blood of the corpses. The black magic spell was still active.
“Could that be... the Leaning Tower of Pisa? This is ridiculous.” Do-Jin whispered as he looked at the leaning tower. He immediately drew his sword from his waist and bowed his head in preparation for a leap. He intended to stop the activation of black magic by destroying the tower of corpses.
"Don’t." Just as he was able to leap up and swing his sword, Bok-Dong stopped him. Bok-Dong’s fingertips were trembling slightly. “The black magic is still active. If you approach this situation prematurely, it could become a humanoid demonic beast.”
“Then you want to leave it like this?”
“No. We should leave it to the expert.”
Bok-Dong looked at Ye-Jin. She was muttering prayers with her hands clasped together. Before long, divine power poured out of her body. The divine power became a cloud and flew over the tower of corpses.
It was a miracle replication spell.
Smack, smack.
Hailstones the size of baseballs fell from the clouds and hit the tower one by one.
Craaaack—!
Soon, dozens of hailstones rained down. Countless hailstones hit the tower without rest. The tower, which was already leaning, gradually started collapsing after being hit by hailstones. Later, it was covered by hailstones, making it impossible to see whether the tower had collapsed or not.
Soon the hailstones stopped. A cloud of dust enveloped the barn like fog.
The cry of the demonic beast resounded. Other than that, there was no sound, and the fog soon lifted.
“Eh. It didn’t seem to work.”
The tower did not collapse. Ye-Jin dropped her head in dejection.
Do-Jin grabbed his sword and bowed his head again. Then he said, “Whether I become a demonic beast or not, I’ll first destroy the Pentagram. If I’m lucky, then I won’t become a demonic beast, and if I’m unlucky, then all you have to do is kill me.”
"You can’t do that."
It was Bok-Dong this time who stopped Do-Jin.
"Why? If it's friendship or something emotional—"
“It’s an impossible plan in the first place. You're an active-duty crusader, and I am a retired geezer. I can't beat you, and I can't subdue you. Even if I join forces with Ye-Jin, there is no way of guaranteeing the outcome.”
Do-Jin was speechless and stared blankly at Bok-Dong.
“Don't let your ego get in the way and judge the situation rationally. Even Ye-Jin's miracle couldn't bring it down. It is only right to retreat and report now.”
“...”
Do-Jin returned his sword back to his sheath. Bok-Dong was right. Now was not the time to let ego get in the way. The more urgent and hopeless the situation, the more calmly and rationally that judgments had to be made. Do-Jin calmed his emotions, steadied his breathing, and looked around. He had to find some sort of clue or something that could be used as a key.
Do-Jin's eyes, which had been scanning the area, stopped at a certain point. His pupils trembled slightly.
“Hey, Bok-Dong. What’s that?”
“What are you talking–ah?”
Do-Jin and Bok-Dong’s gazes both focused on the same point.
To be specific, they were looking at the corner of the barn, at a cage. It was a space used to raise ornamental birds such as parrots and finches. At most, it was a place where birds the size of a fist were raised, so instead of a fence, a thin iron net was installed.
That thin iron mantle was being torn apart by the birds that had become demonic beasts. The new demonic beasts fluttered their wings and then quickly escaped through the cracks.
Eagles, or even larger birds, flew in the direction of Eiden Hill.
Rustle—
The wind from the bird’s flapping wings brushed the branches. Ye-Jin looked at the scattering leaves with a dazed face, then she said with a terrified expression, “I–I have a class today at Eiden Hill. In the morning... My class is there too. It’s a joint class.”
Her voice was cut off in awkward places, and her words were incoherent.
"What? It’s not a training session, so what kind of classes are you doing on Eiden Hill?”
“They told me to take care of the student’s mentality. I think they said that it was to admire the landscape or something strange like that...”
Her lips were quivering. Do-Jin frowned.
The students were going to Eiden Hill for a nonsensical class called landscape viewing, and the birds that became demonic beasts were riding the wind and flying to Eiden Hill. The students and the demonic beasts were going to the same place.
The bird demonic beasts were large because they had been exposed to black magic for an extended period of time. The smallest was a hawk, and the biggest one was comparable to an eagle. These were not demonic beasts that students could deal with.
“Oh, no way fucking way. Ha...” Do-Jin cursed and closed his eyes. Soon, the light of a blessing enveloped Do-Jin's entire body. Before long, Do-Jin burst out towards Eiden Hill. The expression ‘burst out towards’ was appropriate because his speed was no different from that of a cannonball.
Bok-Dong followed suit. His speed was comparable to Do-Jin’s.
"Huh? Wait. We can't go in now. Hey! Wait—!”
The two disappeared in an instant. It was an unbelievable speed for a human being, and Ye-Jin's cries did not reach them. She stared blankly at the afterimages they left behind.
“Ah, really! These idiots!” she grumbled and ran in the opposite direction.
Dark clouds were gathering over Eiden Hill.
1. In the original, it’s supposed to rhyme, but after translating it, it no longer rhymes. ?
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