Chapter 209: To You on Earth (2)

Inside a hotel suite at the time when the moon tilted quietly.

Neti sighed as she gazed at the glittering city outside the window.

She felt a pang of sorrow at being left alone in the room, while her sister, the Saintess, and even Corvus had all departed.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she had intentionally chosen to stay behind. How could she just sit still if her brother-in-law needed help?

However, squeezing three people onto a borrowed (?) bike was simply impossible.

And more than anything, they couldn’t just abandon the Necromancer they had captured.

As a result, she was left all alone in the hotel room. But she didn’t particularly mind it—after all, she was well aware that she was the weakest among them.

Corvus was already a true Superhuman and mage, while her brother-in-law and the Saintess were likely among the top-tier talents of their generation.

The only thing that puzzled her was that her sister, who was once at a similar level as her, had somehow become so powerful that she could no longer gauge her strength.

What was the secret? If it were just talent, then she and her sister should be about the same.

Then, could it be… the power of love? Her secret to strength wasn’t something like befriending a bicorn instead of a unicorn through love… right?

If that were the case, then… what about us sisters…?

Just then, the voice of the Necromancer bound in the corner of the room, cut off her wandering thoughts.

“…Do you desire power?”

When she turned her head, she saw the Necromancer wearing a meaningful expression. Oh, what now?

Neti briefly considered using telekinesis to strangle her, but instead, she just gestured with her chin, as if to say, ‘Go on, keep talking.’

But it wasn’t that she was particularly tempted—she was just bored.

Whether the Necromancer understood this or not, she seized the opportunity, her eyes gleaming like someone who saw a chance.

“I can help you.”

“Oh? And how exactly would you do that?”

“It’s not that difficult. You simply need to unlock the power hidden in your bloodline.”

“…My bloodline?”

Maybe mistaking her question for genuine interest, the necromancer continued to whisper like a snake.

“Divinity…! The power that those called ‘gods’ throw at their priests like a favor!”

“…”

“If you can unlock it and wield it properly… you will gain unimaginable power.” ”

“Oh… so I have that in my blood? I’ve never noticed it myself, so what makes you think so?”

As if she had been waiting for that question, the Necromancer quickly answered.

“The very fact that you were able to enter His mental world inside the train is undeniable proof.”

“…”

“Only fallen stars—divinities that have crashed into this land—could have been drawn into the trap I set! So, you must be—”

Before she could finish, Neti raised a hand to cut her off.

“Wait a minute, hold on. Are you saying that getting sucked into that crappy place is proof of divinity?”

“Yes, the trap was originally meant for the CIA agent. But you and your group were caught in it as well.”

“…”

“At first, I thought there was an error in the spell, but after reviewing it over and over again, I found no mistake.”

Watching the Necromancer declare this with utmost confidence, Neti let out a small chuckle.

She had an inkling… and she was right.

“Come on, if you’re going to lie, at least make it sound a little more convincing.”

She or her sister might be a different case, but it made no sense for her brother-in-law and the Saintess to possess such a bloodline.

The Necromancer probably didn’t know the true identity of the Saintess, which was why she could spout such nonsense with confidence.

Having lost interest, Neti waved her hand dismissively and spoke.

“Enough, no more small talk.”

“W-wait! It’s not a lie! My magic was truly flawless! If you go to my colleagues in LA…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure.”

With that, Neti used telekinesis to seal her mouth and the Necromancer, whose mana was sealed by Seti, could offer no resistance.

She only groaned helplessly with a look of frustration.

After a while, the exhausted Necromancer helplessly crouched in the corner of the room, and silence returned to the suite once more.

At least until the two girls with flowers dragging Yeomyeong along returned.

At dawn, when the diligent ones roused from their slumber, the Tindamel Merchant Group warehouse, located on the outskirts of Gemini City, received an unexpected guest.

A tough-looking dwarf whose face was mostly covered in burns.

The dwarf with the monocle was someone recognised by every merchant who frequented Gemini City.

“J-Jepun Digarak? At this hour?”

Hearing the sudden news, the startled Tindamel quickly stood up.

The worker who had delivered the message seemed just as surprised, replying that he had already confirmed it several times.

“Why would the mafia’s underboss…?”

Was it perhaps because he was confining a band of thieves?

Thinking of ominous possibilities, Tindamel headed toward the warehouse entrance.

As soon as the door opened, he found dozens of mafia members staring at him and the workers.

Dressed in suits, the mafia were all armed with swords or maces—a symbol that proved they belonged to the most notorious Knight Order in the city.

They were not just the ordinary La Cosa Nostra mafia, but the Knight Order.

Tindamel tried his best to hide his fear as he approached Jepun, who stood at the front.

“Good morning, Mr. Jepun Digarak. What brings you here at this hour?”

Jepun briefly scanned Tindamel’s face and asked as if to confirm something.

“You’re the merchant Tindamel, from the southern region, correct?”

“Yes, I am Tindamel, but…”

“I heard you’ve been holding the Dodon Brotherhood and some bandits in here. Is that true?”

“…”

Should he tell him the truth? But since it was related to the Saintess, Tindamel hesitated to speak.

He felt his throat tighten, and a cold sweat ran down his back.

The other merchants and workers, who had been watching from behind, quietly began to back off. Noticing this, Jepun smiled.

“Don’t be too nervous. We’ve come to help you.”

“Pardon?”

“To be precise, we’ve been asked to assist you.”

“Asked? B-by whom?”

“A friend with golden eyes. He said he was sorry for not meeting you yesterday, and asked me to deliver that message.”

Jepun raised an eyebrow as if asking if he understood, and Tindamel stared blankly at him and the knights in response.

“Cheon Yeomyeong? How did he…?”

“Sometimes, good deeds and connections return as good fortune. Don’t you agree?”

“…”

“And starting from today, your merchant group will be under the protection of our Knight Order. Is that alright?”

As soon as Tindamel nodded absentmindedly, Jepun gestured to the knights.

“Then, in that case…instead of the police, we’ll be taking the bandits.”

Immediately after that, the retired knights wielding swords and maces, along with their apprentices, swarmed into the warehouse.

– The K-Knight Order? Why are you here…? W-Wait! Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father—Argh! W-Wait! My bones! You hit my bones!

For a certain young master who was certain he’d be released by the end of the day, it was an unfortunate turn of events.

Around the time when the sun illuminated the city.

The morning routine in Gemini City was no different from any other day.

Trucks and cars were lined up in front of the Dimensional Portal, the sound of cargo being loaded echoed from the station, and countless laborers were heading to work.

The same monotonous cityscape repeated daily like a treadmill, yet a few noticed something was different.

The first ones to take notice were the dwarves who sold barley bread.

They realized that the Earthian mafia members, who usually bought barley bread sandwiches from them every morning, were nowhere to be seen.

And the moment they understood the situation, the dwarves swiftly packed up their stalls and returned home faster than anyone else.

Next, the orcs seeking work noticed something odd.

They saw that their rivals, the Beastfolk laborers, had significantly decreased in number—especially the so-called Prairie Brotherhood, who were nowhere in sight.

And the orcs’ reaction was no different from the dwarves’.

Even if they lived hand to mouth, nothing was more important than staying alive.

…Anyway.

As those quick to notice emptied the streets, a small truck made its way toward the Dimensional Portal.

It was an unremarkable vehicle at first glance.

The cargo bed ferrying packed furniture and household goods, with a group of shabbily dressed women sitting in the back.

They were definitely ignorant folks heading to Earth without a clue. Or perhaps, a truck disguised to make it look that way.

Either way, that was none of the city dwellers’ concern—but it was a different story for one of the women sitting in the cargo bed.

“Brother-in-law, are you really sure we will be able to cross the Dimensional Portal like this?”

A voice filled with equal parts of worry and anticipation.

The question was directed at a young man with golden eyes sitting across from her in the truck.

“Well… probably?”

It was not a very reassuring answer. The girl who had asked the question, Neti, glanced towards the approaching Dimensional Portal and spoke again.

“I heard the Portal’s security is no joke… Aren’t you even a little nervous? If we get caught, we’re certainly going to jail!”

“Just like most of the things we did beyond the Dimensional Portal?”

“…”

Unable to come up with a rebuttal, Neti pursed her lips while Yeomyeong chuckled.

“It’ll be fine. These fake identities were created by the top mafia in this city. It won’t be that easy to get caught.”

And he was right.

Just a few hours after Seti had delivered the list of demands, Sancho provided them with perfectly crafted fake identities—the Cheon family, who came from the countryside, descendants of Koreans who had fled beyond the Dimensional Portal during the Korean War.

They had apparently made some money recently and were planning to return to Earth.

It was a pretty convincing cover story, yet Neti still grumbled in dissatisfaction.

“…Even so, don’t you think one guy with four women is a bit strange?”

“I completely agree with Miss Neti! This is all indeed very strange!”

The crow, playing the role of the family’s ‘pet,’ chimed in agreement.

Then, the ‘wife’ sitting in a corner of the cargo bed—none other than the Saintess—voiced a different opinion.

“Why? I think it’s fine.”

“…”

“Well, I mean fake identities are always like that, aren’t they?”

Neti furrowed her brows and looked at the Saintess.

Seemingly enjoying herself, the Saintess smiled and turned to Neti’s brother-in-law, who was playing the role of “her husband”.

She’s so obvious.

Forcing herself to swallow the words that had risen to the tip of her tongue, Neti turned her eyes toward her sister.

Instead of the cargo bed, Seti was sitting in the passenger seat, conversing with a middle-aged man named Sancho. The serious expression on her face made it awkward to call out to her.

No matter what, how could she still focus on her own business even after having her role as a wife stolen from her?

Then again, perhaps this composure of hers was one of her strengths.

Well, that was also probably why she was the first among the sisters to climb onto the hearth… The impure thought flickered through Neti’s mind, but she erased it as quickly as it appeared.

Anyway, it didn’t matter. According to her plan, the order of things wasn’t important.

…Anyway, Neti continued the conversation while watching the approaching Dimensional Portal.

“Brother-in-law, what are your plans once we return to Earth? Are we heading straight to the academy?”

“No, we do need to return to the academy, but I plan to stay a few days in LA first.”

Yeomyeong said, glancing at Dilla, the Necromancer whose body Seti had taken control of.

“I have some business with the Necromancers in LA.”

She swallowed hard as she gazed into his cold golden eyes.

Whether it was a stroke of luck or misfortune, Yeomyeong didn’t ask her any questions and simply turned away.

And not long after, they arrived at the Dimensional Portal inspection station.

[Vehicle number 8WDG112. Please stop. There will be a brief inspection.]

A voice, threatening like that in a military checkpoint, echoed out as the stop sign rose from the road.

That wasn’t all. On the other side of the checkpoint, armed U.S. soldiers were scanning the area from a lookout post high above.

The scene felt all too real as they approached the Dimensional Portal.

“Please, please, just let us pass…”

Neti muttered, seemingly a bit nervous, but the inspection ended much quicker than expected.

And as soon as the soldier inspecting the truck confirmed Sancho’s face, he bowed his head slightly and lowered the stop sign.

[Confirmed. Pass.]

That middle-aged man must be pretty important, huh?

While Neti blinked in confusion, the Saintesses took the opportunity to sit next to Yeomyeong, pretending to be his wife.

The truck carrying their group passed through two more checkpoints.

One of them even had a mana-detection machine, but once again, Sancho just exchanged a few words with the inspector, and the staff barely seemed to care as they passed.

They were lucky that the U.S. military wasn’t paying close attention… Neti swallowed a shiver of nervousness and asked Yeomyeong.

“Weren’t the Dimensional Portal checkpoints supposed to be really strict?”

“They are strict. Even this regular truck has been inspected three times, hasn’t it?”

“It is, but… it feels too easy…”

She trailed off, and Yeomyeong smiled gently before answering.

“The person driving is a big shot in this city. That’s why they cleared the way as soon as they saw his face.”

A big shot? Neti’s face showed more confusion.

“But why is a big shot like him helping us smuggle through, though?”

Unsure of how to explain, Yeomyeong paused for a moment, but it was Sancho himself who answered.

“It’s my way of repaying a favor and, at the same time, it is to send a signal to the other organizations.”

“A signal?”

“A signal that the alliance is over. After I finish helping you cross the Dimensional Portal, I plan to make sure everyone understands what happens when they cross the line.”

Neti grew even more bewildered, but the Saintesses seemed to understand it perfectly and prayed quietly.

“…The dues of sin may come slowly, but it always comes.”

As soon as her short prayer ended, the truck finally joined the line heading to the Dimensional Portal.

At the area where countless vehicles were lined up, waiting to cross the Dimensional Portal.

They all remained silent as they saw the Portal only a few hundred meters ahead.

Along with the trembling of the truck, everyone sank deeper into their thoughts.

Determination, love, fear, and revenge.

As the truck passed through the Dimensional Portal, Yeomyeong unconsciously muttered the words to himself.