episode_0198

I am not your enemy (2) ― One Mind Salvation Church Paradise

“… … Surrender?”

To ask back because you don’t understand, it’s a question with a thick layer of ridicule.

“Yes.”

However, Kang San answered the leader’s question in the affirmative without showing any emotion.

“Why?”

“Seongju is not a fool. I know better than anyone else who the next target of the Salvation Church will be.”

“Then am I an asshole?”

The leader tilted his head and asked Kang San.

Kang San closed his mouth for a moment and made eye contact with the religious leader.

“It’s suspicious that he suddenly falls down on the floor. You’re the one who came to tell him that?”

“… … .”

“You didn’t tell Seongju that we didn’t have a very good relationship?”

“… … I am an envoy who has come ahead of time to appease the spirit of the religious leader who may have been angry. Seongju asked me to hurry up and take care of any unfinished business and make sure to tell him that I just want to see the leader as soon as possible.”

“Does Seongju plan to visit paradise himself?”

“Yes, leader. Of course, it will be a holy honor that can only be received if the religious leader allows the visit.”

“You didn’t just lie down, you lay down very close.”

“I just hope for the religious leader’s mercy.”

However, despite repeated conversations, the cult leader’s crooked head did not loosen.

“You painted a peaceful picture with no conflict or battle.”

“Seongju knows that it is the right ending for everyone.”

“… … I don’t think so?”

The leader laughed lightly and shook his head.

“The guy who calls himself Seongju, whose face I don’t know and whose name I don’t know, seems to be drawing a different picture?”

“… … .”

“Isn’t it as if this situation itself is speaking to me? I’m different from other guys.”

I am not an idiot like Minguk and Daehan.

“I don’t gamble like those guys, risking everything at once. Swing straight with all your might and don’t leave your side empty. I’ll jab you first.”

The sect leader smiled as he looked at Seongju’s ‘jab’.

“With that jab, I will bring initiative and atmosphere, and I will take your breath away and see how you react. Even if I fail, it doesn’t really matter. Because what I’m losing is just a throwaway card that wasn’t very useful.”

I look like that, what do you think?

In response to the leader’s quietly whispered question, Kang San faced him without showing any expression until the end.

And then he answered his question in a grave tone.

“… … I am very disappointed, leader.”

“… … Disappointed?”

“Yes. I’m disappointed.”

Kang San turned his head for a moment and looked out the window.

There, a huge electronic display board continued broadcasting today as usual.

“Even if it is not the world, your voice is echoing in every corner of Seoul.”

An advertisement for One Mind Salvation Church, which is bound to stand out in a broken world.

“In the broadcast, you promised peace and love with a very natural expression. He also showed us a place called paradise and told us what he was doing. That person is not very pleased with our world’s sincere surrender.”

I would like to ask the religious leader.

Kang San looked straight into the leader’s eyes and asked in a clear voice.

“Is our surrender to the One Mind Salvation Cult leader also an extension of the battle?”

or not-

“Do you want the battle to continue?”

If not that too-

“If an envoy other than me had come, would you have viewed it differently?”

──────.

The leader did not open his mouth for a while.

He quietly looked into Kang San’s eyes and slowly answered Kang San’s question.

“It’s been a long time since I see you persuading me again.”

“… … .”

“But it’s a little different than before.”

… … Things have changed.

Kang San slowly pondered the leader’s words and let out a small smile.

Memories of the past that come to mind with a smile passing by your lips.

Kang San stared at the river and sea that were looking at him with trembling eyes and chanted.

“It was enough time for something to change.”

“Yes, people change in the end. Whether it is a good direction or a bad direction.”

But-

The leader raised his eyebrows and looked straight at Kang San.

“You won’t change.”

Kang San, you are not.

“So you didn’t leave everyone?”

every.

For the first time, my eyes fluttered at the words mentioned by the leader.

The library people, Minguk, Salvation Bridge, and autumn and the sea.

“Did you come to get what you hoped for with the power you hoped for?”

“… … .”

Kang San closed his quivering mouth and did not avoid the leader’s gaze.

Creepy eyes that seem to be scanning everything beneath oneself.

A different feeling of overwhelm than the purple pupils of Seongju.

The leader, who was looking at Kang San carefully, slowly smiled at the corners of his mouth.

“What… … Even if I tell you this, it won’t be of much use.”

“… … .”

“So the point is that the lord of the castle will personally visit paradise to surrender.”

“… … Yes, leader.”

match-!

The head of the church nodded in response to Kang San’s affirmation and clapped lightly.

“Then in the end, I guess I have to have an important conversation with Seongju.”

“Thank you, leader. I immediately spoke to the attendant waiting on the platform-”

“Ah – I’ll do that a little later.”

The leader interrupted Kang San’s continued conversation and showed a playful expression.

“And it turns out that one of the citizens of the Republic who was not invited to paradise due to unavoidable circumstances has returned.”

Aside from Park Jin-heon, who had already collapsed, Kang San, who was the only one who could not step on paradise land, did.

“It’s the sea.”

“… … Yes, leader.”

Togak- Togak-

Kang Bada quickly got up from her seat when the leader’s name was called and sat next to him.

When the leader slightly turns his head, he carefully lowers his face and begins to listen to his whispers.

Kang Bada, who kept nodding as if she understood the quietly whispered instructions of the leader, straightened her back and left the conference room.

“Now that things have come to this, I thought I would guide you to paradise, even if it is belated… … .”

“… … .”

The leader quietly whispered to Kang San, who was looking at Kang Bada leaving the conference room without a single glance at him.

“What do you think?”

***

Purr – purr –

A white horse that continues to scratch the ground with its front paws and calmly accepts my hand.

I took another look at the white horse, which had a much larger body than an ordinary white horse, as if to prove that it came from the beginning.

‘Holy Spirit Horse’.

This white horse was the vehicle that proved that he was a Holy Knight of the Church of Salvation and the weapon that would become his alter ego.

Purr!

I looked at Kang San, who was petting another Holy Spirit horse right next to me.

Staring at the Holy Spirit Demon, but with blank eyes that are not looking at the Holy Spirit Demon.

‘It has to be that way. ‘I have a younger sister who died right behind me and is not alive.’

I looked at the Gangbada and the Holy Knights who were calmly standing at a distance from us, and then looked at the guy.

“If you like it, I can give you at least one.”

“… … A word that seems so special that even I, who doesn’t know much about horses, can understand it?”

“To say they are special is not enough.”

The Holy Spirit came upon horses that were so superior that they were thought to be different species due to the influence of the beginning.

Strictly speaking, it is being nurtured with such special power that it can be thought that the Holy Spirit has come upon it.

Tiring—!

[City Power of the One and Only Salvation City ‘Paradise’: Military Affairs]

[Military Status]

[Nurturing and training]

[Paladin: Activation]

[Special feature ‘Holy Knights’ has a positive effect on power!] (Read more)

[Priest: Activation]

[Special facility ‘Seminary’ has a positive effect on power!] (Read more)

[Heresy Questioner: Activation]

[The absence of the special facility ‘Heresy Inquisition’ hinders the training of Heresy Inquisitors.] (See details)

[Religious Police: Activation]

[Research and Development]

[Descent of the Holy Spirit Project: 75% (1100/1100)]

[Details: A fragment of the Holy Spirit descends on the ‘white horse’ in the beginning… … ]

[Armor of Faith Project: 20% (1100/1100)]

[Details: Researching Paladin armor… … ]

[With the harmony of religious functions and city power, the resources needed for research are replaced with ‘Praying Believers’!]

[The happiness and quality of life of ‘praying believers’ are very high!]

[Progress in training and research increases noticeably!]

[The probability of receiving bonuses for training and research progress increases!]

The more I learned about the city power ‘Gundam’, the more I felt there was only one thought.

I thought that the pearl necklace was too precious for a pig named Yeon-cheol.

Of course, ‘military’ is not limited to modern weapons.

Now that the paradigm of war has already been completely distorted by the existence of the Awakened and Mana, military does not mean nuclear weapons or rockets.

Now, our ‘military’ was ‘special jobs’ in the training column and ‘vehicles’ and ‘armor’ in the research column.

Among them, the Holy Spirit Horse is even more special.

Strictly speaking, it is a joint work of two powers, the power of the beginning and the power of the great world.

“It’s too much of a gift to receive for no reason. I will gladly decline.”

“Thank goodness. I also said something half-empty.”

Purr-

Kang San smiled lightly at the honest words and continued talking while stroking the spirit horse.

“You have so many means of transportation, so why bother raising a horse like this?”

“Of course. A paladin from the Church of Salvation appears in a place where help is needed, but appears in a sports car? There is no picture more strange than that.”

In that sense, this Holy Spirit Demon had to be the proof and alter ego of a Holy Knight.

A knight in pure white armor who appears riding a huge, shiny white horse.

The two weapons of the Salvation Church that appear in moments of crisis.

“I don’t think what you see is everything. Isn’t it important that the Paladin came?”

“No.”

I shook my head, denying his words.

Then, taking a glimpse of the river and sea behind him, he gave a definite answer to Kangsan.

“What you see is everything.”

Kang San, dressed in brown leather, follows my gaze and catches a glimpse of Kang Bada, who is wearing a suit.

Then he smiled bitterly and denied it.

“Not for me.”

“When I talk to you, this is always the problem. Nothing comes to a proper conclusion.”

“I agree, leader.”

“I think you said you came in advance to appease my anger… … .”

“Well… … If it’s a problem like that, I think I’ll have to be on the other side of the world from the leader.”

“Ha― I know.”

Purr-

A light chat followed while stroking the Holy Spirit Horse.

This time, Kang San turned to me first and opened his mouth.

“You seem to be feeling a little more comfortable.”

“Who? Me?”

“Yes. You feel something different than when we met again in Republic of Korea.”

“Isn’t that obvious? Like you said, it was enough time for something to change.”

In response to Kang San’s words, I looked around the vacant lot that was now a training ground for paladins rather than vigilantes.

The paladins are more passionate about their training, perhaps because I came here.

I continued speaking while looking at the thick beads of sweat all over their bodies.

“Unlike back then, you have become a little more toxic.”

“You said earlier that nothing has changed. Did I hear you wrong?”

“Look at this, look at this. I didn’t do it because I thought about my life… … .”

Well, if that were the case, there would have been more than one or two moments where I would have kept my mouth shut a long time ago.

Kang San, who smiled slightly at my gaze urging him to answer, was the first to open his mouth.

“Before that, may I ask you something first?”

“Of course. Ask me anything.”

“Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? He even personally guided me to paradise.”

“Why? You are asking something obvious that has only one answer.”

I shrugged my shoulders and answered calmly.

“To regret it.”

“… … .”

“Regret when you see the things you threw away twinkling.”

Paradise, salvationist, and your brother.

Kang San slowly turns his head when he hears the word ‘younger brother’, and Kang Bada reveals the flinch he had been suppressing so well.

Kang San, who was looking at his younger sister with admiration, answered.

“I already regret it enough.”

“What if I could end those regrets?”

“… … .”

“Don’t you want to come back? Into the arms of my younger sister and mother.”

Kang Bada heard my whisper and raised her head and gazed at Kang San.

Sad eyes filled with earnest wishes.

“Can’t you come back with the thought of being with your sister rather than necessarily being with me?”

A question that perfectly represents Kang Bada’s feelings.

Kang San looked at Kang Bada, who was nodding his head without realizing it, and smiled bitterly.