Magic, no, explosive persuasion wrapped over the audience. The hall grew so quiet that even the sound of a heart beating could be heard. Everyone was paying the utmost attention.
—…Listening to my arse. Can’t you see them trembling right now?
While ignoring Britzmann’s prodding, Yoon-seok slowly walked forward. Did everyone agree with the idea of solving it through conversation, not violence?
No one dared to stop him, and when he stepped out, people stepped out of the way.
Flop.
“…S-Saint!”
After arriving at the podium, the woman who was called Saint collapsed. Was it because she was a high-ranking religious person? She was so moved by the peaceful scene that her legs gave out.
‘Your children are very sincere.’
—…
As if Britzmann was also overwhelmed, he was speechless. Yoon-seok, now standing on the podium, slowly looked over the crowd. They were looking up at him while kneeling. He wasn’t their God, so that they could’ve stod sooner, but perhaps this was a habit of religious people who were always pursuing humility. He didn’t ask them to stand.
—They won’t be able to get up even if they wanted to!
‘Parents don’t know their children that well.’
Yoon-seok stared at the elderly man, who was the only one standing up, his mouth agape. This was the Pope.
“Deals are exchanged between two friendly parties, nameless wanderer. Please put away your anger and tell us what you want.”
It was a much more polite tone than he thought would come out. He didn’t know if it was because of the persuasiveness of his words or just simply the old man’s mind. If it was the latter, he didn’t think he could use the word persuasion. The change in attitude was also weird.
Yoon-seok answered in a low voice.
“I want the most precious thing to you.”
“Please understand that my ears have dulled over the years. Can you tell us what that means in detail?”
“The Miracle Stone, and everything else that has the power of God.”
Yoon-seok revealed his purpose without hesitation. At this point, he thought the wise Pope would lose his composure and grow angry. But, he was still calm.
“In other words, it means you are taking away our faith.”
Faith? Well, it wasn’t wrong to say that he wanted what contained their faith. Yoon-seok’s eyes glinted. Only sorrow was held in the Pope’s voice and not even an ounce of anger. Facing him head-on with unwavering eyes, the Pope asked.
“If we do, what will we get in return?”
‘Huh?’
Yoon-seok always went straight to the main point, but now, he couldn’t help but ask.
“…Why aren’t you afraid of me?”
—Persuasiveness, peace, or whatever it was, so you know!
Only then did Britzmann intervene as if he’d caught a big one, but this was good. Yoon-seok stared at the Pope. From the energy he radiated, he wasn’t a challenger. Of course, throughout Seheranbad, where magic and God existed, he could feel something similar to the magic in him, but there was nothing special. Yoon-seok felt that the Pope was just a normal old man.
But why? Even those who appeared to be top challengers knelt and couldn’t say anything, but how could he stay so composed?
“Everything they do has a reason, so as servants who follow them, how can I not be polite?”
The answer resided in his faith. Even Yoon-seok had to admire him. Supposing faith granted strength to endure even an unbearable fear, it might not be bad to have at least one religion in life.
‘Maybe that’s the essence of religion.’
Soon, Yoon-seok realized. Instead of collecting fear and giving hope, God was a merchant who demanded faith in return. Buying and selling intangible things could be seen as a truly creative economy. In that sense, it wasn’t incomprehensible for them to be called the Creator…
—…Are you making me listen to this?
‘Of course not.’
He was perceptive. Also, his agitation didn’t seem to be as big as he thought, considering everything said.
‘Then I should stop teasing you.’
—Are you making fun of us!
Britzmann, who read his conscious mind, grew angry for the first time. Yoon-seok made an unexpected mistake. However, mistakes could lead to opportunities.
-Even if we are her contractors, how dare you do this to us…!
Britzmann suddenly stopped talking. At the same time, a smile appeared on Yoon-seok’s lips. He knew he had a hidden motive after wishing to migrate to Earth, but…
But, an unexpectedly big fish was caught.
‘Contractor? Her? What does that mean?’
—…It’s nothing.
‘I don’t think it’s nothing.’
—You were aiming for this from the beginning.
‘Why is it my fault that you were caught?’
This was the same as a fish caught in a net blaming the fisherman. All the fisherman did was throw the net into the sea. But was it the net’s or the fish’s fault? Or was it God’s fault for guiding the fish to the net? Ah, this person was a God.
—Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick again?
‘…Let’s talk openly. Who is she? Are you talking about Elle?’
—…I think you’re going to be persistent, so I’ll answer this. It’s not that child.
It looked like he was telling the truth that it wasn’t Elle. Then, who was he referring to? Yoon-seok persistently asked since then, but Britzmann remained silent. Unfortunately, it took two hands to clap.
Yoon-seok returned to the main topic because he couldn’t just wave his hands in the air like this. It wasn’t intended, but the longer Yoon-seok’s silence grew, the more tense the atmosphere in the hall.
“That’s enough, wanderer. If we give away everything you want, what can we get in return?”
“A promise.”
Yoon-seok put away his weapons, which he now felt embarrassed to hold. Then, he offered his proposal. It was quite a long story, even though it was shortened. The Pope, who listened to every word, breathed out the air he held when Yoon-seok finished his story.
“If you put your belief on the scale, you will lose your faith, and if you put your faith on the scale, you will receive a promise… it leads us to eternity.”
Yoon-seok had no idea what that meant, but…
“Our church will obey your suggestion.”
The deal had been established. However, it didn’t feel like they should shake hands or anything to commemorate this.
“…This also God’s will?”
Among the believers who knelt in grief, one middle-aged scribe wept as he transcribed the present moment in the Bible. Was it because it was a religious group? Or was the impressionable Pope a man of iron and blood? It was unknown, but no one opposed the Pope’s decision.
“Everyone dismissed.”
All believers left the chapel at the Pope’s order; even the young Saint by his side was no exception. The Pope took his cane and approached Yoon-seok. Then, he produced a small pebble out from his arms.
“This is the Miracle Stone. After I took over the order, I’ve always carried it with me.”
After taking the pebble, Yoon-seok used Appraisal, but it wouldn’t work because it wasn’t treated as an object. Even if he didn’t mean to give him the wrong stuff and deceive him, Yoon-seok still needed to check. Well, above that, he had a definite way to check.
Crack-.
When he put strength into his grip around the stone, it split into fragments and soon turned into dust. And along with this, a couple of phrases appeared.
「You destroyed a precious item cherished by many.」
「Acquired 1.5 million WP.」
1.5 million WP? Seeing that they gave this much to a single item, it appeared genuine. Yoon-seok looked at the Pope with satisfaction. He was going to say thank you, but…
“Ah, ahah…!”
The Pope, who didn’t budge even when he exuded magic, staggered with one hand on his forehead. He did hand it over as a deal condition, but he never thought Yoon-seok would break it. Yoon-seok had to admit that he lacked consideration. Even if the results would be the same, he could’ve done it later.
Whooosh.
Yoon-seok grabbed the Pope’s wrist and instilled Skywrath Energy. To avoid repeating the same mistake, Yoon-seok activated the Light of Purification even before entering the chapel, so there was no mishap as before. The Pope, regaining his energy, struggled to speak.
“…Why, why did you break it?”
“To head to a better future.”
When he answered honestly because he thought he deserved to know, the Pope’s expression hardened.
“Return the dislocated to the beginning of time…”
Then he muttered something and began to pray after kneeling.
“Please forgive me. Indeed, I wondered if this was your will. Please answer. Are you saying that we, who are bound by you, are lost?”
He didn’t know the answer to this, but Yoon-seok wondered. When did this conversation grow so messed up?
—Answer, that’s not true.
“That’s not true.”
Regardless of his will, Yoon-seok spoke. This was Britzmann’s job. Who knew he had this kind of talent. Perhaps he had noticed that God had answered by borrowing his mouth as the Pope cried.
“I believe you, and I will follow. I will endure those who point, saying I’m a coward and throwing stones at me.”
—Tell them, even if they don’t understand our meaning right now, they’ll find out eventually.
Britzmann added. However, unlike before, Yoon-seok’s mouth did not move at all. This was because he fixed his jaw muscles in place with magic.
—…You’re so heartless.
‘It just doesn’t feel that great, is all.’
The audacity of borrowing his mouth without asking for permission. But he wasn’t heartless. Yoon-seok opened his mouth under his own will.
“Even if you can’t understand what we mean right now, you’ll find out eventually.”
“Is that what they said?”
“That’s right.”
When Yoon-seok lowered his head, the Pope bowed his head silently alongside him. In that whirlpool of emotions, it appeared he was reflecting on what was said.
—…You’re so mischievous.
‘Do you have a problem with that?’
—Of course not. Thank you. I received some unexpected consideration.
‘Then tell me who she is and what contractor means.’
Yoon-seok didn’t miss the opportunity to bring up that subject again. But this was this, that was that? No voices responded anymore. The person named God ran away without a single word.
Yoon-seok smiled and glanced at the script which was being written down by the scribe. It held their previous conversation and the prophecy delivered by the Saint.
‘A deviant wanderer? Pitch-black sword and a pure white heart? Returning something dislocated?’
He read it out of curiosity, but he couldn’t tell what it was trying to say because it was filled with words that seemed cool. That was why even the writer who looked at the Bible all day didn’t understand.
‘Or were the words twisted so that I couldn’t find out?’
It was a likely guess, but even the servants who followed them didn’t understand, so what was the point? Yoon-seok clicked his tongue and read the rest of the prophecy.
—The wanderer’s oath will lead our power to eternity. It will be more valuable than any gold.
As expected, his guess was right. Migration to the Earth seemed to be more helpful to Britzmann than the believers, though.
‘Oh, right. How did you know?’
After reading the whole revelation, he had a question. Yoon-seok escaped his fate due to b Divine Ultimatum}, which meant Elle’s clairvoyance no longer worked. But how was this Saint able to come up with this prophecy?
—Certainly, the future surrounding you is blurred to our eyes. But that’s not the case with the past.
As if it was a bonus for delivering their words, Britzmann returned to explain. It was still hard to understand their way of speaking, however.
‘Please. Can’t you make it easier to understand?’
Britzmann replied sullenly to Yoon-seok’s request.
—…Your behavior is easy to read. That’s what I meant.
In short, it meant they gave a prophecy based on expectation, not a prediction…
‘…Am I that simple?’
—Did you only notice now?
For some reason, his mood was worsening. He was going to leave for the neighboring country after getting another 1 million WP, but if he kept this up, Yoon-seok would change his mind…
—Just one thing, I’ll answer your questions about Rick Gerssey.
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