Chapter 144: Kanora Church of the North (2)

Is Lee Si-yeon planning something?

She wouldn’t choose the easy route if she was just trying to help me.

“But with her skills, she could take down a field boss on her own. So why’s she doing that?”

She’s strong.

Even a tiger like that, she could’ve taken it down, even if it was tough.

I thought she’d at least reduce our workload.

“I don’t know either. Maybe she’s just hunting mobs?”

“Hunting mobs? Why?”

Sure, it’s not a bad choice if she wants to help the North Koreans, but… mobs?

“If you ask me, she’s probably using the mob hunting as a way to stir up propaganda, saying it’s all thanks to the goddess Kanora.”

Adult loli had a point.

Otherwise, that propaganda leader wouldn’t be sticking around.

Anyway, aside from the big bosses, the North Koreans probably figured out some way to fight off the weaker monsters.

Maybe they’re hiding out somewhere with beasts that can be taken down using conventional weapons.

They probably think the coast is safer.

Fewer monsters tend to appear near the sea, so it makes sense they’d stay there.

“Hm. Not a bad theory.”

“We should probably just leave her to it, then?”

“Let’s do that. We’ll focus on the big targets.”

Nothing to worry about near Wonsan anyway.

Time to move to another region.

***

Pyeongan Province.

As the Saintess’s party began moving north from Wonsan, the revolutionary army’s leader arrived in Pyongyang to meet Lee Si-yeon.

They almost got lost, but the map given by that damn Ttaengchili worked like magic.

How did he even draw a map that shows the safe routes?

Well, if he’s a 24th-century android, maybe it makes sense.

And so, they joined up with Lee Si-yeon in Pyongyang.

So far, so good.

But this damn ruined city just left a bad feeling in the gut.

Looks like Si-yeon already wiped out anything that looked like an enemy.

“You are speaking of none other than the Goddess Kanora, people!”

“Wooooo! Kanora! Kanora!”

After finishing the rally, the revolutionary leader muttered under his breath as he and Si-yeon left Pyongyang.

“Sigh, fuck. What kind of riches did I think I’d get, ending up here stirring up hicks like this…”

Stirring up people with speeches is more exhausting than it looks.

Well, with her ability it’s not exactly hard, but it’s draining in a psychological way.

It’s way easier than back in the days of the Blue Wave Revolution.

Back then, at least, there was more to skim off the top.

Here?

Even if you’re treated well, all you get is some bark soup.

“Hey, I got a question.”

“Huh? Yeah, go ahead.”

“No need to be formal, we’re about the same age, maybe you’re even older.”

Lee Si-yeon shook her head.

Returnees supposedly lived for quite a while in their own timelines.

Might as well drop the formalities.

“Ahem, alright. What is it?”

“I know your ability is propaganda or whatever, but before that…”

“Propaganda? It’s revolution. I have the power of revolution.”

“Whether it’s propaganda or revolution isn’t the point. I’m asking about before all that.”

What more is there to say?

Honestly, being alone with Lee Si-yeon like this is kind of nerve-wracking.

“Before that?”

“I’m clearly the more senior believer, but why does Karina trust you?”

Huh?

What the hell is she talking about?

“Huh? Thunderstruck?”

“Trust. I even heard you’re called the Chosen One in another world, the Savior of Kanora’s faith or something.”

Is she jealous of that right now?

Is she out of her mind?

That cult—well, I guess you can’t call it a cult if the goddess is real—but still, even being chosen by some divine lunatic doesn’t feel like a compliment.

“Where’d you even hear that?”

“The other angel told me.”

“That old pigeon.”

Must be referring to that angel, Neiphir.

“So why does Karina trust you? Tell me quick.”

Is that really called trust?

I was more like the victim in this whole mess.

The Saintess disappeared for an awakening quest and came back looking hotter, suddenly declaring me the chosen one who’d save the world.

Sure, I was happy when the wave of revolution crushed red dictatorship, but then she made me the de facto high priest of the Kanora cult.

“Okay but—why are you so obsessed with this role anyway?”

“Because I committed an unforgivable sin against Karina.”

“To Karina?”

“Yeah. A real one.”

She… sinned against her?

Is this woman completely insane?

What the hell is she even saying?

How’d she survive that?

‘No seriously, is she for real? She actually committed a sin? But then how—?’

Karina tends to just bash in skulls of people who get in her way.

How did she survive?

The revolutionary leader’s head was spinning.

Then it hit him: this Lee Si-yeon woman isn’t normal either.

She did something.

The way she put it—committed a sin—implies something serious happened between them.

“Ahem… no, I think you’re misunderstanding. There were circumstances.”

“Circumstances?”

“Yeah. Karina was suddenly guided by the goddess and ended up in my world. She used my name, which already had some influence there, to establish the Kanora cult. Before I knew it, I became this so-called ‘Savior.’”

Even now, it’s still ridiculous.

That so-called goddess accepted the Saintess’s will and made her [the Saintess] the first believer and savior of that world.

Even if the revolution succeeded, it still felt bizarre.

“So you’re saying Karina just gave you that position?”

“Gave it? No, it’s… kind of different.”

“That doesn’t make sense. There’s no way the goddess Karina serves would so casually choose a savior like that.”

Surprisingly, it’s true.

That goddess—whether she’s just being controlled by the Saintess or she’s just lazy and hates hassle—basically dumped everything onto her.

Thinking back, it’s honestly absurd.

“Anyway, I don’t know. If you really want to know, ask her.”

“Suspicious. What’s your relationship with Karina?”

Relationship?

Just fellow returnees, right?

At most, you could say they’re fellow believers in the same Kanora Church—though that’s basically forced.

“Relationship? What relationship? You think I’m romantically involved with her or something? As if anyone would fall for a psycho who smashes skulls for fun.”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

A chill crept over the Revolutionary Leader.

“Hey, seriously, can you turn down the cold?! Damn!”

“Then… what does Karina like? Huh?”

Why ask me that?

What she likes?

No idea.

All I know is she enjoys cracking heads.

“You already know, don’t you? And I’m not even that close to her. If anything, the ones close to her are…”

“Close? Who?”

Close people?

There’s Battle mage or Cheonma.

But since those two are women, probably not what he’s looking for.

He must mean a guy.

The vibe says it all.

And the Revolutionary Leader quickly calculated in his head.

It’s already annoying trying to stir up propaganda in North Korea—getting on this big-shot South Korean woman’s bad side would be worse.

Best to shift suspicion to the orc.

“The orc? Probably him.”

“The orc? I know who you mean. But what’s so special about him?”

“Well, he’s strong for one. And sometimes the Saintess teases him about being… well-endowed.”

I’ve seen them joke around like that a few times.

The orc, though, always gets quiet in front of the Saintess.

Maybe he likes her—or maybe he just feels intimidated because she’s stronger than him.

“Well-endowed?”

“Yeah. You know. His genitals. They say it’s big.”

The Revolutionary Leader said it offhand, without much thought—but Si-yeon suddenly froze.

What did she just hear?

The Saintess teases the orc about that?

And she’s close to him?

Given Karina’s past—when she was Park Si-woo—Si-yeon, still hypersensitive about anything Karina-related after betraying her, jumped to a single conclusion:

‘Then… Karina already slept with a man?’

Her mind spun with wild images.

Orcs.

Sometimes they’re among the monsters, and their genitals are said to be ridiculously huge.

Online communities even joked about making sex toys modeled after orc dicks or how orc semen boosts stamina.

Since Karina used to be a man, Si-yeon figured she’d never get involved with one.

But she forgot—Karina’s body is female now.

‘N-No way. But still… ugh, I can’t even imagine it.’

Just thinking about it made her want to throw up.

She clenched her fists, but it wouldn’t change anything.

Even if she wanted to deny it—she was the one who betrayed first.

During their dating days, she cheated on Karina and gave herself to some punk.

She was the dirty, used one now.

What else was there to say?

“Ha. Right. Of course. I have no right to say anything.”

Whatever Karina does—it’s not her business anymore.

Even if she’s with another man—she has no right to say a thing.

She’s not her girlfriend anymore.

And yet… in one corner of her chest, it felt like a hammer slammed down.

The Revolutionary Leader, watching this unfold, grimaced.

‘Ugh, what a pain. Now she’s crying like some tragic heroine.’

Yeah, getting involved with women is always a hassle.

Better to just keep his mouth shut.

***

The Saintess’s scythe flashed, and a new soul was pulled into the scale—absorbed by her and the goddess.

The Saintess savored the soul’s flavor, and the goddess felt satisfaction from its value.

The orc’s fists dripped with blood.

Cheonma and Battle mage’s weapons were soaked in it too.

There were too many mobs.

“God, this is disgusting. Do we really have to kill all these things?”

“You’ve been resting all this time, haven’t you?”

I sighed, looking at the girl whining in front of me.

The dream demon.

That damn succubus.

She’s been coasting all the way here.

Even when we fought the tiger, she just watched from the back.

And now she wants to rest again?

“I mean, I’m not even a combat class, you know.”

“Then try seducing them.”

“Seducing? I’ve already been doing that to draw in a few people, right?”

Yeah, she used her powers here and there along the way.

Problem is—using those powers to seduce is fine and all, but she’s so brainless she tried to suck energy out of starving North Koreans and got caught red-handed by me—and beaten up.

Seriously.

If you’re stupid, your body pays for it.