Chapter 32: Habitual Worship (3)

I finally made my decision and spoke to the two of them.

“The first person to receive the baptism will be… ST.”

At those words, Yoanna’s face hardened.

On the other hand, ST, still expressionless, seemed to give a very slight nod.

The girl looked like she wanted to protest but ended up lowering her head, looking dejected.

Seeing her look so down, I felt a pang of sympathy, so I added an explanation, trying to console her like a child.

“I know how much effort Yoanna put into building this church. I truly appreciate it, once again. But ST has also done countless difficult tasks for me up until now. Even so, she has never once asked for anything for herself. So just this once… I think it’s right to give her the first chance.”

Hearing my words, Yoanna pursed her lips and turned her head away abruptly.

Avoiding eye contact, her cheeks puffed out like a child sulking, clearly upset.

I couldn’t help but smile a little at the sight.

Trying to cheer her up, I cautiously spoke.

“I’m sorry, Yoanna. But being first doesn’t mean it’s more important. So, if you have any other request in return, I’ll do anything you want.”

“Really?!”

Maybe that was a mistake.

In an instant, Yoanna’s face lit up with a bright smile, and she turned back to me.

“Really? You promised, right, Eve?!”

She almost shoved her face right up to mine, her tone higher than usual.

Her green eyes sparkled so brightly, it was almost overwhelming.

Seeing her overly excited reaction, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.

‘Did I just… make a mistake?’

Could I really handle whatever she might ask for later?

But it was too late to take back what I had said.

Not wanting to spoil her good mood, I could only give a somewhat awkward smile in return, knowing that dealing with this unpredictable girl would probably be quite tiring from now on.

That feeling was… strong, very strong.

=============

ST, now prepared, composed herself and knelt on one knee before the marble baptismal font, just as practiced.

With her head bowed, she waited reverently.

I picked up the clear crystal bowl filled with water and brought it over her head.

I slowly began to recite the short prayer we had decided on together.

“May all the darkness dwelling within your soul be washed away, and may the guidance of Radiance light your path.”

As I prayed, I gently poured the water onto her head.

The clear stream soaked ST’s black hair, which was always neatly tied up, gradually giving it a glossy sheen like a black panther in a dense forest.

Droplets trickled down her forehead and sharp jawline, falling into the baptismal font below.

And then…

“……?”

The water I was pouring started to glow.

It was just plain water, but as it pooled in the basin, it shimmered like purified oil, glowing with a clear, golden light.

Not only that, but it even began to emit a radiant, mysterious glow on its own.

Captivated by the beautiful light, I found myself unconsciously staring at it.

“…..!”

Suddenly, I felt something resonate within my chest, as if something inside me had clicked into place.

It was an inexplicable feeling, as if a hidden lock near my heart had been released, or like a dried seed breaking open and sprouting for the first time.

A feeling so unfamiliar that I couldn’t even find a proper comparison.

‘What was that just now?’

It was so fleeting that I wondered if I had imagined it.

Lost in thought for a moment, I suddenly noticed that the glass cup I had been holding over ST’s head was now empty.

The once-glowing stream had returned to normal, now just clear water collected at the bottom of the baptismal font.

“…….”

A bit flustered, I decided to finish what I had started.

I picked up a clean white cloth and gently wiped ST’s wet hair, reciting the predetermined words.

“I hereby declare you a follower of the Radiance, walking under the name of Compassionate Light.”

After the proclamation, ST quietly lifted her head to look at me.

Her calm eyes seemed as composed as ever, but somehow, the emotion within felt slightly different from usual.

After locking eyes for a moment, ST slowly rose and bowed deeply, formally concluding the first baptism.

“Now it’s my turn, Eve!”

Yoanna, who had been holding her breath while watching, eagerly moved her wheelchair forward to the podium.

She looked up at me with an expectant smile.

But my mind was still caught up in the bizarre phenomenon from earlier.

The water I poured on ST’s head had suddenly started to glow, and that odd sensation within my chest…

Wondering if there might have been some special mechanism in place, I asked before starting the second ritual.

“Yoanna, did you put a light under the baptismal font on purpose? What does it mean for the water to glow?”

But Yoanna just tilted her head, looking at me with wide, innocent eyes.

“Huh? There’s no such function. It’s just an ordinary marble basin.”

Her answer was so clear-cut that I could only stand there, dumbfounded.

‘Then what was that light… just now?’

=============

No matter how much I pondered the phenomenon that day, I couldn’t figure it out, even after several days.

I inspected various things that seemed suspicious, but I couldn’t find any significant changes in my physical condition or abilities compared to before.

In the end, I concluded that it was an event that couldn’t be interpreted right now and decided to move on for the time being.

More than that, the issue that occupied my mind entirely at this moment was the new business of the emerging church.

Due to the series of events that had unfolded, all the influential organizations in the surrounding areas had disappeared.

Gangs, drug organizations, and even cult churches had vanished, leaving a void.

Thanks to this, we managed to acquire the massive slush funds, businesses, and various assets they left behind.

The next goal was to utilize these assets to win the hearts of the surrounding districts and solidify the influence of the church.

To achieve that, the first step was to consolidate the acquired assets and systematically manage them.

Most of the administrative work was handled by Yoanna.

The girl efficiently utilized members from the former One Heart Association who had practical experience.

Certainly, having people who had experience running a church made handling the complicated processes much smoother.

However, during this process, I unexpectedly encountered someone.

“Huh? Who did you say?”

In response to my question, Yoanna gestured toward a skeletal, emaciated man with a playful smile.

“It’s Pastor Meyer. You met him once before, right, Eve?”

“Wait, what?!”

At first, I didn’t recognize him at all.

It was because his appearance had changed so drastically.

Only after hearing the name did my memory finally kick in.

Back when the incident involving Karen and Sophia happened, he was the fat, greasy cult pastor who barged in confidently to pick a fight.

But the man standing before me now… the grotesquely obese figure was entirely gone.

In just a few weeks, his body had shriveled up, looking like a walking skeleton.

“Hello…”

He spoke weakly.

Still bewildered, I glanced at Yoanna, who continued her explanation without a care.

“Pastor Meyer used to be a bit greedy, but he was really good at managing money. His accounting skills are top-notch. Even though he committed some unholy acts in the past, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance to repent.”

It seemed that the cult pastor, who had quietly vanished during the previous church chaos, had never managed to escape someone’s grasp after all.

As soon as Yoanna finished speaking, Meyer almost prostrated himself on the ground, bending his waist low as he cried out.

“Please entrust it to me! I will devote myself wholeheartedly to serving the new church!”

Still doubtful, I looked at him with suspicion and asked Yoanna again.

“Can we really trust him? Considering his background, it’s concerning.”

However, Yoanna seemed confident.

“Don’t worry, Eve. I’ve already given him enough ‘time for repentance’ to thoroughly cleanse his corrupt soul of greed and false desires. He won’t do anything foolish again. Right, Pastor Meyer?”

“Hngh!”

The word “repentance” seemed to trigger something, as Meyer suddenly collapsed to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.

His vacant eyes fixed on the ground as he mumbled incoherently.

“I’m sorry… I’ll repent… It was all my fault… I’m sorry… I’ll repent…”

Yoanna watched his pitiful state and casually added,

“If he bothers you even a little, Eve, I can just get rid of him right away.”

“Eek! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

At her words, Meyer flinched, crawling on all fours as his body convulsed with fear.

His completely broken, pitiful state evoked not sympathy but an overwhelming sense of misery.

What did Yoanna do to him in just a few weeks to turn him into this?

Her methods often surpassed my imagination.

‘Well, it seems like she’s keeping a tight leash on him.’

With a brief sigh, I eventually decided to follow her judgment.

Right now, it was the beginning phase of establishing the church, and there was so much to do.

I would have borrowed even a cat’s paw to help, and above all, there was no way Meyer, in his current state, would dare harbor other intentions.

“Thank you! Alright, it’s time to get to work, Pastor!”

“Y-yes!!!”

Even after they left, my work was far from over.

I continued tackling one headache-inducing task after another, receiving reports and holding numerous meetings on various agendas.

Honestly, I might have underestimated it a bit.

I never thought building a religious organization would involve such a complicated process.

But the work had already begun, and there was no turning back.

After several hours, when the piled-up issues were finally somewhat resolved, I let out a long breath, feeling the tension dissolve.

“Haa…”

Talking non-stop until now had left my mouth feeling parched.

Without thinking, I picked up the glass of water on the nearby table and took a few gulps.

But as I swallowed, I noticed something strange.

‘Huh…? Did the cup change?’

Or was I so exhausted that my taste buds were acting weird?

A moment ago, it was definitely just plain water.

But now, the taste lingering on my tongue was completely different.

A faintly sweet flavor with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

This taste…

‘…Grape juice?’