—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Hye-sol, having sent the priest away, led Lee Ha-yeon to sit on the sofa. Only then did the other people begin to show interest in Lee Ha-yeon.
“Ooh, she’s really pretty up close? This newbie.”
A man who had been bickering with Hye-sol a little while ago said. At those words, Hye-sol frowned and waved her hand.
“Sigh, you’re already eyeing her just because she’s pretty. She’s my friend now, so don’t even think about hitting on her.”
“It’s good for members to build friendships, isn’t it?”
“What kind of friendship is it to hit on a girl who doesn’t know anything yet? There are plenty of pretty girls among the ordinary believers, so just pick one of them and sleep with them.”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried that? Of course, I have. But they’re all ordinary people. If they’re not returnees, they can’t endure this, this.”
The man tapped the inside of his elbow with his finger. There were several red injection marks that hadn’t been there long.
It was obvious what those marks were. Traces of drug injection. When Lee Ha-yeon showed signs of vigilance, the man grinned and offered a handshake.
“Well, let’s agree on it later when we get closer. I’m Park Yu-sung. 36 years old. Feel free to call me *oppa*.”
“I-I’m Lee Ha-yeon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Hmm, okay. Do you drink? We just got some good whiskey. How about a glass?”
Before Lee Ha-yeon could even answer, Park Yu-sung poured a full glass of whiskey into an on-the-rocks glass and offered it.
“What are you doing? Not drinking?”
“…….”
His outwardly friendly attitude hid a subtle pressure. Lee Ha-yeon looked around and drank the glass. If it was alcohol and not holy water, she could drink several glasses without any problem.
“Oh, you drink well. Another glass?”
“Don’t force a newbie to drink right away! That’s why you’re not popular with the ladies!”
“Don’t call me an old man! There’s only a ten-year difference! I just entered university when you were in elementary school!”
“Then you are an old man. Don’t you think so, Ha-yeon?”
“Ahahaha…….”
Lee Ha-yeon sweated as she was caught between the two who began to bicker.
She turned on the recorder with great effort, but she couldn’t waste time on such unproductive conversations. As soon as their argument ended, Lee Ha-yeon immediately asked a question.
“Excuse me, I heard a brief explanation earlier, but what exactly does the Knight Order do?”
“Us? We can be said to be the Heavenly Maiden’s sword that defeats the cult’s enemies!”
At Park Yu-sung’s words, Hye-sol frowned and added.
“Geez, how can they understand if you explain it like that? We’re basically like security personel. We accompany the Heavenly Maiden when she goes outside, or we stand guard at the cult’s external activities. There are still a lot of guys outside who pick fights, calling us a cult and such.”
“Hmm, the activities themselves seem quite ordinary…?”
“Why don’t you talk about this? It’s also our job to beat up other cult members and make them repent, isn’t it?”
At Lee Ha-yeon’s reaction, Park Yu-sung began to brag proudly.
“What was it… the Seria Church? There was a heretical religion way over in Namyangju that worshipped some insignificant otherworldy 잡신 [japshin – minor/miscellaneous god] as their savior? The Heavenly Maiden absolutely does not tolerate such people. So, she went and directly enlightened them.”
“Excuse me, but enlightenment means…….”
“By showing overwhelming power, we made them realize their place, and then we made them personally awaken to Lord Dion’s grace and love. Thanks to that, they are all now fervent believers of our cult.”
As Lee Ha-yeon didn’t understand the cult’s unique rhetoric, Hye-sol added.
“In other words, it means they were subdued with violence and then brainwashed with holy water to become believers.”
She explained it that way to make it easier to understand, but the explanation had a different meaning for Lee Ha-yeon.
The cult’s core personnel admitted to illegal activities such as violence and drug brainwashing. Lee Ha-yeon, who was recording it, cheered inwardly.
‘Got it.’
This was clear evidence that the Truth Church was a criminal organization. She hadn’t even infiltrated for long, and they were confessing everything themselves while drunk on alcohol and drugs. It couldn’t have been easier.
If things went well, it might be possible to launch a formal investigation into the Truth Church with just the information gathered today.
“Anyway, Ha-yeon, you were chosen for the Knight Order, so let’s work well together in the future. In that sense, another drink?”
-Pouring sound-
The problem was whether Lee Ha-yeon could maintain her sanity today.
With the sweet scent wafting as the glass filled, Lee Ha-yeon instinctively knew that it was holy water, not alcohol.
‘I can’t go any further. It’s really dangerous.’
Even while she was thinking that in her head, her heart was pounding and her whole body was being stimulated by the holy water before her.
But she couldn’t.
If she drank any more, she might really become addicted. Lee Ha-yeon gently shook her head at Hye-sol, who was offering the holy water.
“Well, I’m not feeling well today.”
“Didn’t I tell you? You should be polite. You’re not going to throw the holy water that the Heavenly Maiden personally bestowed on the ground, are you? Huh? Ha-yeon. You’re starting to disappoint me a little?”
However, Hye-sol pushed the glass filled with holy water towards Lee Ha-yeon, absolutely refusing any refusal. Looking around, not only Hye-sol but also the other people were looking at Lee Ha-yeon, applying unspoken pressure.
‘How dare you refuse holy water? What are you doing? Drink it quickly.’
“…….”
Lee Ha-yeon reluctantly received the glass in the end. However, she couldn’t easily bring it to her lips.
“What are you doing? Not drinking?”
Were soldiers during wartime who injected morphine to survive, even knowing the risk of addiction, feeling like this?
Lee Ha-yeon agonized. Although she had recorded several testimonies on the recorder, it was still not enough. If she refused the holy water here and abruptly left, she would incur the suspicion of the Knight Order and the Heavenly Maiden, and she would never be able to come this deep again.
If so, there was only one way.
“No, I’ll drink it.”
“Good, you made the right choice. May the Heavenly Maiden’s grace be with you? Ahahahaha!”
Now that it had come to this, she had no choice but to rely on her own willpower.
Lee Ha-yeon thought so, but on the other hand, her heart was pounding with a strange anticipation.
No matter how much she denied it with reason, humans were ultimately weak against pleasure. Lee Ha-yeon, who had tasted the supreme pleasure brought by the holy water several times, was already strongly captivated by it without even realizing it.
-Glug.
Soon, Lee Ha-yeon swallowed hard and tried to bring the holy water to her lips.
-Knock knock.
But then, there was a knock on the living room door.
“Come in.”
-Creak.
“Excuse me. The Heavenly Maiden has summoned all the Knight Order members currently in the dormitory.”
“The Heavenly Maiden? Why?”
While Hye-sol and the others’ attention was focused there, Lee Ha-yeon subtly put down the glass containing the holy water.
“She said she will be holding the oath ceremony for the newly joined Lee Ha-yeon…”
“Ah, what? She hasn’t even taken the formal oath yet? I just assumed she did?”
When Hye-sol turned around and asked, Lee Ha-yeon laughed awkwardly and glossed over it.
“When are you taking the oath?”
“She said to come right now.”
“Tsk. There’s no helping it. Hey! Everyone, get up and snap out of it! The Heavenly Maiden is calling! Quickly!”
At Hye-sol’s shout, the members who were staggering from being drunk on alcohol and holy water got up. Then, they each put their hands on their heads and muttered briefly.
“Purification.”
-Flash!
Then, golden light burst from their hands.
A miracle of purification using divine power.
With that, their bodies and minds were instantly purified. The effects of the drugs and alcohol completely disappeared, and they returned to being rational Knight Order members and quickly straightened their attire.
“Come on, let’s go, Ha-yeon.”
Saying that, Hye-sol held out her hand to Lee Ha-yeon. Unlike the others, she showed no intention of straightening her attire and was still wearing only the negligee.
“Yes, let’s go.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lee Ha-yeon, including the other Knight Order members, moved to the audience chamber.
Originally, that place was a place for the supreme god Dion, who would one day descend on this land.
In the center of the audience chamber, a throne was prepared for him to sit on. However, when the Knight Order members entered the audience chamber, someone was already occupying the throne that should have been empty.
“We greet the Heavenly Maiden.”
Heavenly Maiden Roselia spoke in a frail voice while sitting on the throne. Watching the members kneel sharply and bow their heads at her voice, Lee Ha-yeon followed them a beat later.
“W-We greet the Heavenly Maiden.”
At the Heavenly Maiden’s call, Lee Ha-yeon slowly approached her.
“No, I’m not that great.”
Seeing Lee Ha-yeon, who had come right below the throne, the Heavenly Maiden rose from her seat and slowly descended the stairs.
“I heard I would be taking the oath of enlistment.”
Having said that, the Heavenly Maiden grasped both of Lee Ha-yeon’s hands and began to pray.
Lee Ha-yeon followed suit and pretended to pray with her eyes closed.
But of course, she couldn’t possibly pray. Her mind was filled with confusion due to the sudden situation.
Soon after the prayer ended.
-Swish.
The Heavenly Maiden, who quietly rose, untied the cloth covering her eyes. Ruby-like beautiful red eyes were looking down at Lee Ha-yeon with a benevolent gaze.
“I…”
Lee Ha-yeon, who was about to answer formally, stopped speaking due to an intense sense of crisis that ran up her spine in an instant.
“I swear.”
But there was no way to back out now that she had come this far.
Moreover, she now had the pseudo-soul that Kwon Tae-ho had prepared within her. Even if this conversation was a preliminary step for a magical contract, the worst-case scenario of Lee Ha-yeon being bound by the contract would not occur because of it.
The Heavenly Maiden took out a small knife from her bosom. Lee Ha-yeon, momentarily startled, stepped back, but the knife was directed at the Heavenly Maiden herself, not her.
-Slice.
The Heavenly Maiden cut her own wrist. Although she didn’t cut deeply, the wound was not small. Crimson blood began to drip from the long, open gap.
At the same time.
-Thump!
Lee Ha-yeon was swept by an impulse she had never experienced before.
‘What is this? This, could it be…’
She could instinctively know. It was the same sensation as when she was in front of holy water.
But there was no holy water here now. Nevertheless, Lee Ha-yeon’s mind felt dazed by a temptation she had never experienced before.
Lee Ha-yeon thought. The cause was probably that holy woman’s blood.
-Drip. Drip. Drip.
From the dripping blood, a sweet scent, enough to rot one’s teeth, was wafting. It was the same scent felt from the holy water, but the concentration was incomparably stronger.
And that was because the cult’s holy water was made by diluting the Heavenly Maiden’s bodily fluids.
“Huff…!”
Lee Ha-yeon, facing the undiluted fluid, the Heavenly Maiden’s blood, which was the most concentrated of them all, had her reason paralyzed to the point where logical judgment was already difficult.
“Y-Yes. No, but, I…….”
However, just before her reason completely flew away, Lee Ha-yeon barely endured the thirst that had reached the realm of instinct and looked up at the Heavenly Maiden.
A deep smile was drawn on the Heavenly Maiden’s lips. It was a smile so frightening that it sent shivers down Lee Ha-yeon’s spine.
Dangerous. If she drank this, there was no turning back.
It was no longer time to worry about infiltration or anything else. Lee Ha-yeon put strength into her legs to run away immediately.
But then, the Heavenly Maiden asked innocently. Thinking that she might be able to get away without drinking it, Lee Ha-yeon spoke with an awkward smile.
“Y-Yes, I’m a bit… afraid of blood….”
But at that moment.
“Huh?”
At the Heavenly Maiden’s words, Lee Ha-yeon’s thoughts momentarily stopped.
What did the Heavenly Maiden just say?
Could it be, she’s been found out?
Without paying any attention to Lee Ha-yeon’s inner thoughts, the Heavenly Maiden spoke with a still smiling face.
But Lee Ha-yeon could see.
Even though her lips clearly held a gentle smile.
The two pupils revealed through the black cloth were not smiling at all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
damn what a twist..
