Chapter 18: I Want to See the City

Several days had passed since the sudden test.

Unlike before, the girl’s wariness towards this virtual reality had noticeably diminished.

At first, she’d been so startled, thinking she’d been captured for some heretical sacrifice. Fortunately, this virtual reality was apparently similar to a dream. She was told she could enter and exit at will, so when she tried to log out immediately-

“New student! You should finish class before leaving!”

She got scolded.

…Even though they said she could leave anytime.

“Hmph.”

All heretics are liars.

Of course, contrary to her sulky inner thoughts, the girl obediently focused on the lecture. It was because she hadn’t easily forgotten Mia’s warning that demons might come looking for her.

Just like any other day, as soon as the lecture ended, the girl regained her lost smile.

Hehe, today I’ll finally play with Daddy Sparrow after so long!

At last, freedom from studying!

Yay! Freedom!

Just as the excited girl was about to log out-

Kim Seongyeong, who had been watching her closely, hurriedly approached and said, “Hey! W-we were planning to hang out today. Do you want to come too?”

For some reason, his head seemed especially shiny, and even his skin seemed to glow. He had clearly put effort into dressing up to make a good impression.

“…Me?”

The girl couldn’t understand Kim Seongyeong’s behavior at all.

“W-well, yeah. Who else is here besides you?!”

“I thought you didn’t like me?”

Hadn’t he mocked her deceased parents and shown open hostility from the moment they met?

Seeing her confused reaction, Kim Seongyeong hastily made excuses.

“That was… just a joke. You do that too, right?”

What nonsense.

From what she’d overheard from the other kids, he’d boasted about teaching her the reality of fear when they met in person.

Was he planning to brush off killing someone as a joke too?

The girl slowly shook her head and replied in a gentle tone. Unlike the impatient Kim Seongyeong, she spoke as if lecturing a child who had done wrong.

“Even a stone thrown in jest can kill a frog.”

People can sin throughout their lives.

The original sin of humans begins by causing pain to their mothers just to be born.

What’s important is how much effort one puts into atoning for their mistakes.

According to the standards she’d been taught at the cult, Kim Seongyeong, who committed sins without repenting, fell into the category of “useless human beings.”

It was only natural that her response to him was so cold, given this common sense.

“If you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize first.”

Kim Seongyeong, however, let the girl’s sincere advice go in one ear and out the other.

Well… how could he focus on the conversation when that beautiful hair was fluttering right before his eyes?

Even her voice was so fresh and lovely it could put singers and actresses to shame. How could she be so pretty just by shaking her head?

Heh-

Having seemingly forgotten his initial intention of inviting the girl to the party, Kim Seongyeong stared blankly at her face.

Snow-white skin, blue hair, and yellow eyes.

Her appearance was as if God had sculpted ‘perfection’ itself.

He’d been so exhausted trying to keep other guys away from her all this time.

Without realizing it, Kim Seongyeong reached out and grabbed the girl’s arm. The touch was as soft and smooth as it looked.

And then-

“You’re… an arrogant and lustful child.”

He got scolded by the girl.

“Huh…? Uh… M-me?”

Arrogant and lustful? What did that mean?

Lustful… did she mean he was a pervert?

While Kim Seongyeong stood there stiffly, instead of kindly answering, the girl quietly logged out.

Her form dissolved into light and disappeared.

“Hey! Hey! At least answer before you go!”

Kim Seongyeong called out belatedly in panic, but his voice couldn’t reach someone who had already logged out.

“Puhaha! The great Kim Seongyeong gets shut down like that?”

“Shut up!”

“Why didn’t you just treat her well from the start?”

“D-damn… What kind of crazy person names their kid ‘Sinner’?!”

To be honest, the other students completely agreed with this statement.

Unless her parents were jealous of the girl’s looks and abilities, it was an unthinkable name.

None of them could have imagined that the girl had called herself ‘Sinner.’

Just as the girl was returning from her virtual reality class-

“Child. Are you finished? Come out for a moment.”

As if he’d been waiting, Monk Jamyeong’s voice called out.

His shadow flickered restlessly on the paper door, suggesting this wasn’t a chance encounter.

“Ah! Monk Jamyeong…!”

The girl immediately tried to rush out like an eager puppy greeting its owner, but she stopped abruptly in her tracks.

“Hmph…”

To be honest, the girl was upset with the monk.

When he first brought her to the temple, he had stayed by her side until she fell asleep, woke her in the morning, and even ate lunch and dinner with her!

But lately, she hardly ever saw his face.

It was just like when her caretakers at the cult had changed so many times.

They must all dislike staying around a sinner like her for too long.

“Child…?”

The girl knew her complaints were selfish.

She knew she should be grateful for being fed well and having a warm place to sleep, especially since she was supposed to be atoning for her sins.

The monk must be busy dealing with various matters concerning the heretics.

She understood all of this.

And yet…

‘Still, I don’t like being alone.’

The girl sat down, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face.

Despite the room being brightly lit, her vision darkened.

It reminded her of the darkness when she had lost both eyes, left alone in a room.

“Child, I’m coming in.”

Her fingertips tingled.

Following the voice echoing in her head, she muttered over and over.

“I am a sinner… I am a sinner… I am a sinner…”

This was no time to be selfishly complaining.

She had to quickly shed her remaining sins and die, so as not to shame her deceased parents.

So she could meet her deceased parents again.

As the girl absently bit her nails-

“Child. Why is our little one crying like this…?”

Monk Jamyeong, who had opened the door and entered without her noticing, gently stroked the girl’s head.

Her small head, which fit easily in one hand, felt warm.

What could this tiny child have done wrong to suffer so much?

‘I am a sinner…’

Although he had clearly heard the girl’s muttering, the monk pretended not to notice and showed a warm smile.

“Hm? Were you lonely being by yourself?”

Unlike the always-angry or cold people from the cult, his smile naturally warmed her heart.

The girl tugged down the corners of her mouth, which had started to lift involuntarily, and quietly turned her head away.

If she did this, she’d probably get scolded for turning away while an adult was speaking…

“Child. If you’re so sad, I guess we can’t go out today?”

Wait!

Go out? Did he say go out?!

“Y-yes?”

Whisk-! The girl turned her head, looking up at Monk Jamyeong with tears welling in her eyes.

She had already been forbidden from going out lately due to concerns about contamination or whatever.

She couldn’t even pick mushrooms to give as gifts to the monks, and even the sparrow family had abandoned her, chirping among themselves as they roamed the mountains.

At the cult, she had been blinded and had her limbs cut off, so she had no choice but to accept not being able to go out.

But once she had tasted the joy of freedom, the confinement made her whole body tremble with frustration.

Seeing her intense reaction, Jamyeong burst into laughter and nodded.

“Yes. Do you remember the Guild Master?”

“Yes. The person who gave me this laptop as a gift?”

“That’s right. He wants to meet you.”

The girl immediately recalled the Guild Master’s face.

He was a very dark person, wasn’t he?

Dark clothes, dark pants, dark hair…

And he had a very cold and stern expression.

Honestly, compared to the monks at the temple, his sharp impression made him someone she didn’t particularly want to meet.

The only reason she didn’t feel too much aversion was because he had given her the opportunity to receive education.

“…Aren’t you coming, Monk?”

In response to her timid question, Monk Jamyeong slowly stroked her head.

“Ho ho, I have many things to do. There’s a lot to take care of so our little one can live comfortably.”

She would prefer if he just stayed with her instead of being so busy…

The girl’s lips quivered, but she silently followed him.

Don’t complain.

I’m already receiving more than I deserve.

Later, after I’ve washed away all the sins I’ve committed, I’ll help the monk.

That was her thinking.

Fortunately, the girl’s thoughts didn’t have time to deepen further.

“I’m sorry, did you wait long?”

“Not at all. I knew you were in class, so it’s no problem.”

She never expected that “waiting” meant literally standing right outside the door.

As soon as she opened the door and came out, a tall man in a suit was standing there, which startled the girl inwardly.

“Seeing you take such good care of the child, I must be getting old.”

“…What exactly do you think of me?”

“Ho ho ho, please take good care of the little one.”

Monk Jamyeong gently pushed the girl’s back.

“Off you go now.”

Only then did the girl hesitantly approach the man, whose face she had to crane her neck to see.

For some reason, the air seemed to grow colder as she got closer to him.

He was clearly loved by the Almighty God, radiating such powerful energy.

“We haven’t properly greeted each other before, have we? I’m Lee Sunghwan. I’m the Guild Master of the Chungseong Guild, though I’m not worthy of the title.”

Despite his gruff voice, the girl’s tension visibly decreased.

Since he was chosen by God like her, he couldn’t be a bad person.

Even if he was a bad person, he must be properly atoning for his sins like her.

The girl reached out and took the Guild Master’s hand.

His hand was very large and rough.

It would hurt to be slapped with this hand, so she’d have to be careful not to give the Guild Master any reason to hit her.

“I don’t have a name. The monks call me ‘little one’ or ‘child.’ Please call me whatever you like.”

Though he had already heard this, the Guild Master swallowed a sigh that was about to escape as he felt the soft sensation in his calloused hand.

“Alright, let’s go. I heard from the monk that you haven’t been out since coming to the temple.”

“Yes…!”

The girl’s voice rose in excitement for some reason.

“What would you like to do?”

He could grant any wish she had.

That was the power held by the Chungseong Guild Master.

But the girl’s request was unexpected.

“The city… I want to see the people living in the city.”

Her eyes, which didn’t seem to belong to a child her age, were deeply pensive.

The Guild Master nodded without a word.

He could take his time getting to know the girl from now on anyway.

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