Chapter 63: Resolution (2)

At the sudden small voice, everyone turned to look at Gyeonwoo.

The district chief was no exception.

Surrounded by Guild Master Lee Sunghwan in front and Guild Master Jang Jin-yu behind.

With even the vicious villains he’d accepted as backup trembling uselessly, he had only one hope.

Please! We both serve the Almighty God!

Please help me somehow!

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu showed a crooked smile at the district chief’s desperate look.

“What. Think that kid’s your lifeline? Must think I’m a fucking joke, huh?”

Honestly, he was angry mainly because his sibling had been put in danger.

To think this bastard expected to survive after pulling this shit.

Even if the blue-haired girl before him was to be adopted by Chungseong’s Guild Master, he couldn’t just stand by watching his behavior.

She was just a child after all.

From her appearance, she looked even younger than his sibling – a kindergartener.

How could such a young child make proper judgments?

Just as he took his first step, considering how to deal with this trash to relieve his irritation…

“Um…”

Gyeonwoo carefully spoke up against Guild Master Jang Jin-yu’s menacing aura.

“Jin-yu, stop.”

Thump-

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan immediately placed his hand on Gyeonwoo’s head and raised his voice.

“Leave this to the adults.”

“Yes…”

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan remembered what the woman had said before coming to the district office.

That he’d been trying to control the child as he pleased.

That he should try trusting and relying on the child once.

She was right.

He had always seen the cult’s victims overlapped with Gyeonwoo.

Stopping her whenever she tried to do anything, calling it dangerous.

Though claiming to help her, he had never properly listened to what she actually wanted.

The Jin-yu he knew would beat up the district chief without giving Gyeonwoo a chance.

That’s why he stepped in.

“What? Weren’t we not speaking to each other?”

Startled by the unexpected intervention.

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu couldn’t hide his surprise as he was about to unleash his abilities.

“The child asked us to wait.”

Though he wanted to say “my daughter,” it was too early.

Though past conflicts remained unresolved, they couldn’t let adult matters harm the child.

Whatever Gyeonwoo wanted to say.

Though he worried her kind heart might let the district chief off…

“No. My sibling and I are victims too.”

“Please.”

“…”

At Guild Master Lee Sunghwan’s earnest request.

“…Fine. But if there’s no punishment and she lets him off, I’m stepping in.”

“Agreed. I won’t stop you then.”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu reluctantly clicked his tongue and stepped back.

What! My brother not cursing and backing down!

Chungseong’s Guild Master must really be a bloodthirsty murderer!

His sibling was shocked by this unfamiliar response.

“Go say what you need to say. Don’t hold back.”

“…Yes. Thank you. I’ll definitely repay you!”

“No need for repayment.”

“Hehe, I’ll be back.”

With this chance…

“You can do it, Gyeonwoo!”

“Go Mama!!”

Gyeonwoo stepped forward, drawing strength from their encouragement.

The district chief’s expression clearly showed his thoughts: ‘I knew you’d save me!’

But Gyeonwoo had never once considered granting his wish.

Rather, the opposite.

“Monk Jamyeong said we shouldn’t judge even bad people carelessly… That they might just be people who never got a chance.”

“…Pardon? What do you mean?”

The district chief laughed awkwardly at Gyeonwoo’s sudden words.

As a sharp politician, he was starting to sense something wrong.

“So even though I felt your desires, I gave you a chance. You might have had unavoidable circumstances, or been threatened by someone.”

Gyeonwoo wasn’t stupid.

Like a fish in a bowl, a bird in a cage.

While other children built social skills interacting with friends, family, and society, she had only had her vision narrowed through terrible brainwashing in a limited world.

But such narrowed vision could always broaden.

“I… thought if I granted your wish, everyone could really be happy.”

“I-I really did become happy!”

“But you became unhappy too, didn’t you?”

“That’s…”

An unfilial child who survived by killing the parents who bore her in pain.

Good for nothing, only causing trouble for everyone.

Awakening to excessive powers she didn’t deserve.

Gyeonwoo both hated and loved this ability.

If she could make others happy by sacrificing her body.

She believed if she repeated such sacrifices, she could complete her atonement and join her parents.

Though she knew cult members weren’t such good people, knew this wasn’t a normal way to live, she endured all the pain.

But now the people whose wishes she’d granted weren’t good people…

Far from satisfied, they wanted more like hungry ghosts, trying to devour others.

What… had I been living for?

Rather than atoning, had I just been accumulating bad karma?

Perhaps this too was a sin of self-deception.

Lucifer the fallen angel.

Non-existent king of demons.

Maybe I was a being that should never have existed…

Gyeonwoo’s eyes grew dark as she looked at the district chief.

Her warm gaze like the moon above lost its light, her pink lips turning white.

“From now on, you can only speak the truth.”

It wasn’t just words.

Gyeonwoo intended to shoulder all the karma created by her wishes.

“Have you ever actually cared about anyone?”

“…No.”

“Then, have you ever harmed anyone?”

“Yes.”

Though the district chief ground his teeth and bit his tongue, he couldn’t stop the answers.

“Did you commit crimes?”

“Yes.”

“For money?”

“No.”

“Then what for?”

“Power. This position where everyone looks up to me. For strength.”

As the questioning continued, others’ gazes toward the district chief grew sharper.

He was already human trash for threatening children as hostages.

But learning the truth, he was worse than villains.

How could such a crazy bastard be district chief?

That question was quickly answered by another question.

“What were you planning if I refused your request?”

“…Together, kugh.”

“Please answer.”

“I planned to take the Awakened and sibling who came with you as hostages.”

“But sister is an Awakened? How?”

“I allied with the villain guild in exchange for bribes. With their help, it would have been possible.”

The villain guild.

Cockroaches who hid underground from the three major guilds and government pursuit.

To think he would join forces with such people.

But even this shocking fact was nothing compared to what followed.

“That’s enough. Leave the rest to the adults.”

Gyeonwoo’s face had gone pale.

Her thin arms and legs trembled as if just standing was difficult.

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan stepped forward worried about her, but.

“No. This is my fault so I have to resolve it.”

Gyeonwoo stood firm.

This disaster wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t granted the district chief’s wish.

If people had been sacrificed, she had to take responsibility.

“Then, did you know what the villain guild was doing here?”

“…The artificial Awakened plan.”

“Did you just ignore it? Or actively support it?”

“I only turned a blind eye.”

“What did they do that you turned a blind eye to?”

“Those bastards… tried to mutate people by abandoning Gates.”

Though hearing it for the first time, somehow the incident felt familiar.

As Gyeonwoo’s eyes widened, Guild Masters Lee Sunghwan and Jang Jin-yu urgently raised their voices:

“”Don’t ask any more!””

But it was already too late.

“…Did they ever talk about spirits?”

“Yes.”

Gyeonwoo had already succeeded in guessing the whole situation through the district chief’s words.

“Ah…”

She couldn’t speak further.

No way… it was my fault that Pureumi died, that Pureumi’s family was massacred.

If I hadn’t granted the district chief’s wish, this wouldn’t have happened.

Gyeonwoo’s long eyelids trembled frantically.

If Pureumi learns this, she’ll hate me, won’t she?

Though they hadn’t known each other long, Pureumi’s voice calling her “Mama” until falling asleep still rang clearly in her ears.

Just imagining Pureumi looking at her with hateful eyes…

Even just imagining it made her feel like crying.

How could she repay and atone for her parents’ deaths?

It would be impossible.

I don’t think I can forgive myself either…

So.

Sniff, sniff.

Clearing her choked-up throat, Gyeonwoo finally spoke:

“They said in hell you endlessly suffer the sins you committed in life.”

Those who betrayed others are endlessly betrayed.

Those who sold others have prices put on their entire bodies.

So the district chief who achieved wishes through deception, caused others’ deaths, made threats, and committed all sorts of sins should suffer like this.

Usually she would proudly pass judgment based on the cult’s teachings, but not this time.

“So I’ll follow Pureumi’s opinion. Because I’m a sinner too this time.”

Gyeonwoo’s voice was firm.

Though she could have deceived Pureumi who didn’t yet understand and glossed over the situation, she didn’t.

Instead, she proudly knelt before the district chief.

“Mama…?”

She revealed the whole truth to the confused Pureumi without a single lie.