episode_0201

I am not your enemy (5) ― One Mind Salvation Church Paradise

The sound of dishes and spoons gently clashing together.

At a glance, the long table was filled with luxurious food.

Kang San was absent-mindedly rummaging through a steak that was fluttering hot steam.

Is it because I was almost forced to be invited to the Salvation Church dinner?

I didn’t have an appetite even for foods of unimaginable composition in the world.

A sumptuous dinner at just the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.

And the people of the Republic of Korea whom I always missed.

The environment couldn’t be better than this, but Kang San just stared at one place without saying a word.

The leader of the Salvation Church continues to stroke his chin as if he is thinking about something similar to himself.

Sigh!

At that moment, someone stood up on the other side of Gangsan, dragging a chair.

“Everyone is speechless and the mood is dead, so I’ll just speak first!”

Yoon-kang looks at the leader with a frown on his face, as if he can’t stand it any longer.

The leader, looking at the protagonist who quickly stood up from his chair like everyone else, nodded his head as permission.

Yoon-kang, who gave a grateful look to the leader’s nod, stared directly at himself.

“San-ah, whatever happens, come back to the Republic of Korea.”

“… … Brother.”

“No! First, listen to what I say.”

Yoon Kang stopped Kang San, who started speaking to answer, and continued speaking.

“First of all, Park Jin-heon, I am sorry for not knowing about your problem with that bastard. It’s a bit crazy to think that a bastard called Awakened was secretly harassing you. Normally, this kind of thing should be discussed man to man, but ordinary people and awakened people―”

“Gang-a―.”

“Ah—Wait a minute, Mom! This is something I have memorized, so if I try to purify it, I won’t be able to remember it!”

Yoon-kang, who overcame Ha Chae-kyung’s attempts to dissuade him, opened his eyes wide and continued speaking.

“But isn’t now important? First of all, Park Jin-heon, who had a problem with you, ran away like a rat to the point where we didn’t even know where he went, and no matter what the process was, you came back to us. Then, of course, I have to return to the Republic of Korea. Where is the world again?”

“… … .”

“And where did the old man who was obviously with you go? Why didn’t you come with me and are you still in that world or something?”

Yoon-kang bombards me with questions with crooked eyes.

Kang San smiled bitterly and looked up at Minguk’s younger brother, who was still the same.

“You’re still the same, brother.”

“Yes. I’m glad to see that your limbs are still intact. Instead of suddenly getting into an emotional mood, will you first answer what I say?”

“… … You will arrive a little later than me. Perhaps he will come with Seongju.”

“Ah― It’s frustrating. That’s not what I asked, San.”

Yoon-kang tilted his head even more crookedly and let out a lament mixed with a sigh.

“You know what I asked, so why do you answer like that? Why is this smart kid acting like this all of a sudden?”

“… … .”

“I’m asking why you, who are part of our family, are acting like you belong to some place called the world or shit.”

Ah, that’s it…

Yoon-kang waves his hand as if he is annoyed and then politely points to the exact center of the table.

There was a religious leader there who was listening to their conversation with interest.

“You can naturally understand what a mountain is like if you spend a few days in paradise, but there really is no better place than this. To exaggerate a bit, it’s a better place than it was before the zombies started rampaging.”

The cult leader laughs and chuckles at Yoon-kang’s untimely praise.

Kang San, who was watching this, quietly kept his mouth shut.

“Furthermore, regardless of the past, he put us in charge of the nation again! Be easy-going! What do you know! This is a man’s man. There was a president like this in the Republic of Korea before it was ruined by his abusive words-”

“… … It’s gone too far, Kang.”

“No, why even my brother- If you stop me from praising the leader, I- Sigh-”

Unlike Ha Chae-kyung, Yoon-kang sighed as he looked at Yun-hyeon, who did not open his eyes, and looked directly at Kang-san again.

“Anyway! Stop talking nonsense and come back to the Republic of Korea. Seriously, is there a better, safer place in the world than here? If you have any, please tell me. Is that world a better place than paradise?”

“… … .”

-no.

The World is neither better nor safer than Paradise.

Even without having to answer with his mouth, the answer that was already ringing in Kang San’s mind was a negative.

He quietly turned his head and looked at the river.

That pretty face looking at you with eyes swirling with countless emotions.

Paradise is the safest place in the world he knows now.

Therefore, my younger sister, who was more precious than anything else in the world, had to be here.

It is not just because of paradise and the round membrane that protects it.

Kang San gazed at the leader of the Guwondo Church who was looking at him from a short distance in the river and sea.

The existence of Han Gu-won feels different from when I knew nothing.

No, an awakened person named Han Gu-won.

Kang San’s eyes fluttered involuntarily and he thought of the zombie wave that had occurred less than a few hours ago.

Himself and the paladins breaking through the black clouds covering Gwangmyeong City.

Their hand-to-hand combat tank appeared to break the atmosphere in which we unilaterally crush them.

The paladin collapsed on the ground and he blocked the steroids like instinct.

A strategy against steroids established through the countless sacrifices of adventurers.

And death came so suddenly that even unexpected variables and flashes of light could not pass by.

That death was lightly postponed by just one person.

Grumble-

Kang San, who unconsciously clenched his fists, could not forget that scene.

[Understanding weight]

A different perspective with the help of mana.

A man who is the only one who has preserved his color, white, intact in a world that is completely stained red.

The sight of him reaching out his hand while staring into the distance as if he wasn’t interested in me made me bite my mouth tightly.

“No― Why don’t you answer like this, San-a―!”

So strong.

So overwhelming.

Why are you a religious leader?

I don’t know about the king or emperor, but why do you call yourself God when you are the leader of a religious cult?

So – if the castle lord becomes stronger than the religious leader, does the castle lord become a god?

Or – if I become stronger than them and call myself a god, will I become a god?

‘no.’

Kang San answered on his own and looked directly at the leader who was looking at him with a calm face.

He is merely an awakened person who is slightly stronger than us, wearing the mask of omnipotence.

Why is no one curious about what happened after that mask came off?

Are they not trying to find out the true feelings of Han Gu-won, the awakened person who is not the leader of the Salvation Church?

… … That’s it.

That’s the only reason.

“San-a—! What if I suddenly get bruised at such an important time? Hey—!”

The reason why he cooperates with Seongju’s proposal.

“No, the real answer is and bruises―”

“Stop.”

A voice that stops Yoon-kang, whose face was slowly turning red.

The religious leader, who was enjoying watching them from the head table, looked into the air and raised one hand.

The religious leader, who had all eyes on him in an instant, smiled and whispered.

“… … I didn’t know it would come so quickly.”

***

A wide plaza leading from the temple and a train platform centered on the Gate of Salvation.

The downtown area, which could rightly be called the center of paradise, was crowded with believers.

No, it would be more accurate to say that it was unusually crowded today.

A crowd of people forming a circle as if centered around something.

The sound of someone constantly whispering something to the believer next to him could be heard from far away.

“Please step aside for a moment, sister.”

The paladins were in a hurry to back off the believers who might interfere with my path, and the believers who turned their heads to their demands took a sharp breath.

“Gyo, Gyojuniim—!”

The believers covered their mouths with both hands in shock as if they were shocked when they saw me.

A growing number of believers noticed me approaching and quickly began to make way for me.

He looked straight ahead, responding with a smile to the believers who were already kneeling or clasping their hands and stamping their feet.

“Is this the place, brothers and sisters! Is this the country of the Salvation Church? Ah!”

There was a castle there.

A young man in his twenties who was shouting in joy with most of his body already on the floor.

It’s a leather outfit that looks similar to Kangsan, but it’s an adventurer’s outfit that looks so luxurious that even just looking at it with the naked eye, it’s on a whole different level.

The guy who was looking at everyone with a young expression on his face for a while noticed me walking towards him.

“Aaaah! I’m a teacher! King of kings! Almighty King of Creation—! The savior of Seoul! ”

… … Are you crazy?

It was a sight that immediately made me frown, but I continued to walk towards him without any problem.

Seongju was constantly shouting with emotion, with a face that looked like he was about to shed tears at any moment.

“Please do not forgive me as I am finally meeting the leader! But I engraved the teacher’s words in my heart every day! I understood, thanked, and loved the great intentions of the religious leader—!”

A heartfelt cry that resonates throughout the downtown area of Salvation Church.

All the believers who saw the scene began to put their hands together with tears in their eyes.

“Rise, Lord of the World.”

“Aaaaa― I’m a teacher!”

With a benevolent smile, I placed my hand on Seongju’s head as he leaned deeper.

“Paradise does not distinguish between those who came first and those who came later.”

“You are gracious! You are truly merciful!”

“Distinguish between those who went out and those who did not.”

“You are justified. That is a wise statement. These words are like gold and jade! Baked etymology!”

Salvation-!

Devotees quietly respond to the chanting of Seongju.

I looked around at the impressed believers as if I was looking at the most beautiful painting in the world, and then continued.

“I am truly fortunate. The lord of the world is truly a man with open ears.”

“Keuheuk―! thank you-! Bakedeo-!”

Salvation-!

Now the beginning and chorus automatically continue.

and-

match-! match-! match-! match-!

At one point, the believers, unable to control their joy, began to applaud and shed tears.

“This is also the grace of the religious leader! The cult leader’s love is finally reaching the world!”

“Salvation! Salvation! Salvation!”

I looked down and observed the believers who were beginning to share their joy as they had done so far.

side-! side-! side-!

The lord of the castle who is constantly kissing the floor of paradise.

… … This bastard.

I laughed as if it were ridiculous and gave a little strength to the hand holding his head.

“I would have told you to wake up, Seongju.”

“… … iced coffee-! Sorry, teacher! I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn’t help but feel anxious! Please kill me—!”

Seeing Seongju jump upright, I straightened my back and smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“What is it like to die? Isn’t a happy day like today a day when no one can die unless someone wants to die?”

“Aaaaa—!”

“Let’s stop and go inside. The sun is slowly setting and the wind is chilly.”

“Thank you, thank you, leader.”

He shouted, shaking his shoulders loudly at my warm whisper.

“You welcome me like this, brothers! You are such a warm person, sisters!”

“Aaaaa—!”

“Thank you so much! It’s like finding a second home, no! I have finally found my second hometown—!”

“Salvation—! Salvation—!”

“Did you all feel the same way? I finally feel so at peace―!”

Seongju puts his hands together and shouts, just like the believers.

I looked at him quietly and gave him a warm smile one after another.

This bastard-

Even when I told him to wake up, he didn’t wake up.

Even when I tried to go in, it wouldn’t go in.