episode_0678

A messy tension flows.

Of course, the only person who is leading this tension and feeling it directly is Son Si-woo in front of us.

Oh, but the longer we spend face to face, the more strange my feeling becomes.

I keep having the illusion that I’m seeing someone exactly like me in front of me.

Even though I already have another body and am living there.

That’s why I react more sensitively than usual to everything.

It feels like 1 is enough to make me angry, but it gets blown up to 4, 5, or 6.

I don’t feel good.

“I already know that you are in league with the Jealousy Sect.”

“Uh, how… .”

“Back in the day, when you were introduced to that woman at the black market’s upper-class jealousy cult, I was there too.”

The guy looks at me with eyes filled with astonishment, as if remembering something.

“Seo, surely there was an intruder at that time…!”

“Oh, yeah. That’s me.”

From then on, I knew that the guy was working closely with the Jealousy Sect and was helping them out.

That’s why I’m curious about depth.

“Tell me. What did you give them and what did you receive?”

How deep is the connection between the guy and the church?

“Everything without exception.”

The guy who had been frozen with his head down as if lost in thought soon raised his eyes and asked.

“Does it make any difference if I say that?”

“It doesn’t change.”

I’ll listen to the guy’s story and then judge.

Is it simply a transactional relationship?

Or is it a relationship where the religious order is unilaterally using Son Si-woo?

If not even that… , it seems like the guy is using the power of the church.

My decision will also change depending on that.

“… What changes?”

I answered the question to the guy who asked it.

“For example, the existence of a religious order.”

or not.

“Your life or death.”

“… … !”

He pointed his sword at the guy, who was suddenly filled with the guild master’s office, and spoke again.

“So don’t hide anything and tell me everything.”

If you don’t want to die unjustly.

Gulp!

The guy’s mouth opened with a dry gulp.

* * *

The Jealousy Sect, which came out of nowhere and reached out, has two meanings for Son Si-woo.

“When I realized the truth of this body and was in despair…, they came to me.”

A group that reached out to save me when I was having a hard time and when I was in most need.

“ said he would heal this body. In return, he asked me to become a member of the Jealousy Cult.”

A sinister group with unclear identity and purpose.

But at the time, the latter did not give him any sense of crisis or anxiety.

What good would that do when your body is already falling apart?

“So…, I took their hands.”

At first, I was skeptical.

All sorts of frustrations and despair were recorded in the small cracks of memory.

Celebrities, magicians, healers, etc. from each country.

A body that never recovered even after going to a saint.

Will they be able to achieve the recovery of their body that everyone shook their heads at, saying it was impossible?

Their demands were brutal, as they had to do something nearly impossible.

The dagger was still in his arms, and Michelle said as she handed it to him.

-“This is a sacred object of our church.”

-“New water… ?”

-“Yes. It helps you take away something that you don’t have but the other person has.”

Jealousy.

Intense hatred or hostility that arises from heightened feelings of envy toward others.

A dagger imbued with such power could accomplish incredible feats.

The exact cause of his body’s deterioration is permanent damage to his magical circuits.

The dagger restored that permanent damage.

To be more precise, it would be more correct to say that the dagger took away the circuits of the opponent that had been dug into it and repaired his damaged circuits.

However, I couldn’t say this with confidence.

Because the body of the target who had their circuits taken away was dried up and dead like a mummy.

What if Kim Do-jin finds out about that?

‘I’m going to die.’

In the past, Son Si-woo was also nicknamed ‘Sonka-Cola’.

Every time they talk about the treatment of villains, they insist that human rights are a luxury for them, but at the same time, whenever they actually go out on a villain suppression operation, they mercilessly break the bones of their enemies, and in severe cases, they do not hesitate to kill them.

Some people called him radical when they saw him like that, but the majority supported him.

Especially those who have lost something precious to the villain revered him almost as a god.

He reacts sharply to enemies who infringe on the rights of others.

It seems like his personality has changed a bit now, but his fundamentals probably haven’t changed.

“What is the treatment?”

“… I can’t tell you. I swore I would never reveal your vision.”

“I see.”

I can understand it well.

Healing permanently damaged magic circuits is something even a saint cannot do.

If you have that kind of ability, you absolutely must not be caught.

But something felt off.

‘There is a high probability that this is not a normal treatment.’

They are a cult that worships the goddess of jealousy, one of the seven deadly sins.

Because it seems highly likely that they used a more extreme method than normal treatment.

“So, you promised them a cure and made a deal to give them the help they needed?”

Son Si-woo nods his head.

“Yes.”

“Killing Jincheon was part of that?”

“… That’s what they did. They said that they had to kill him in order for the Jealousy Cult to survive.”

“Hmm.”

That’s not wrong.

If Michelle, another Apostle of Jealousy, had died to Jincheon, the Jealousy Sect would have collapsed or had to serve Jincheon, who had awakened as a full-fledged Apostle.

‘Every word is true.’

There seemed to be no lie in what he said.

‘That’s true… .’

However, I had a feeling that what he said wasn’t the whole truth.

There are two ways to properly fool a person.

‘To mix in a clever lie with the truth, or to tell the truth but conceal some of it.’

The hand in front of my eyes seemed to be the latter.

It feels like they are trying to tell the truth because it is obvious that the lie will be discovered, but they are trying to confuse people by hiding some of it so that they cannot infer the complete answer.

Kim Do-jin thought.

‘What are you trying to hide?’

How did you treat your body?

Or something in return for it?

Or is that the goal that the church and Son Si-woo are trying to achieve together?

However, one thing is certain.

‘I think it would be better to separate them.’

Because the brilliant name of Son Si-woo can bring the jealous sect active in the shadows into the light.

If there is strong trust between both sides, it is nearly impossible to separate them.

But what if one side’s trust isn’t that strong?

What if one side sees the other side as nothing more than an object of use, and they find out?

Son Si-woo’s trust in the Jealousy Sect is quite thick.

But what about the opposite?

“Hey, hand…, no, friend.”

Kim Do-jin hesitates as he tries to call the name Son Si-woo.

It was a difficult task.

Even if it is a name that has been thrown away, the act of giving a name that was mine to someone else is an act of abandoning.

“Hoo… , as you can see from the moment I first saw you, I don’t hold any grudge against you.”

“… Yes.”

It was quite surprising, but Son Si-woo also felt that he truly had no grudge against me.

On the contrary, he considered himself to be half a benefactor.

‘In some ways, it might be natural.’

The father standing alone in the house in my memory looked very lonely and desolate.

It was a dilemma.

I can’t just abandon my family and run away, but it’s also burdensome to take care of my family alone.

It couldn’t be otherwise, since his own characteristics helped him escape from such a painful situation.

“So what I’m saying now is just for your benefit.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kim Do-jin continued speaking with a stern expression toward him, who was answering quite seriously.

“I don’t know exactly what your relationship with the Jealousy Cult is, but it would be best to cut it off at least.”

Gulp!

Son Si-woo swallows dry saliva at the serious tone.

“Why?”

In response to his question, Kim Do-jin spread out his fingers one by one and explained.

first.

“They are a group belonging to the shadows. They don’t fit with your name as a national hunter.”

second.

“You seem to think of them as equals or friends, but I think they probably don’t think of you that way.”

Third.

“Actually, this is the most important part… , they are likely to become my enemies. If you continue to join hands with them, you will also become my enemy.”

Kim Do-jin shook his head with a bitter smile.

“I hope that I don’t have to kill myself.”

That was the only thing I really didn’t want.

Even if you’ve shaken off the foolishness now, we’ve been together for decades.

I didn’t want to hurt that body directly and lead it to death.

Also, what will happen after the person you swapped bodies with dies is unknown.

Son Si-woo’s intuition, which had maintained its position among countless truths and lies, understood this accurately.

There is not a single bit of falsehood in the reasons he gave just now.

That’s why I was curious.

“The second reason. Is there any reason why you think that way?”

“You can tell just by looking at it a little while ago.”

The relationships between people can be inferred from just a few facts without having to look very long.

That was the case with Michelle.

“She is not a rude or oblivious woman. But she burst into the guild master’s office before you could even give her permission. What do you think is the reason?”

“That’s… , because we’re just so close.”

Kim Do-jin closed his eyes tightly.

Trust bordering on blind faith is not simply a matter of naivety.

“Hey.”

“… Yes.”

“You slept with that girl, right?”

“That, that, how about… , huff!”

Son Si-woo looks at Kim Do-jin as if he were looking at a goblin.

“How would I know, kid? I knew because you acted like a stupid little punk who gave everything to the woman you had your first time with.”

As is the case for both men and women, being first has special meaning.

That’s also why Han Ju-hee is special to him.

First experience, first lover, first family.

Because most of the unforgettable firsts in life are all hers.

“My friend, take note.”

Kim Do-jin continued speaking while wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

“A relationship can only be maintained when both parties care about each other. Even if one side struggles to continue, the result is obvious.”

Kim Do-jin and Son Si-woo also know this.

“You know too, right? In my memory, what kind of time did the human being endure?”

“Ha, but, Michelle… .”

Even though he knew that, Son Si-woo had a hard time accepting it.

How much she has done for herself.

Didn’t you stay by my side while I was recovering, accompany me wherever I went, and always serve me?

Kim Do-jin took one last chance at him, who was not willing to give in.

“Okay. Then let’s do it like this.”

“How is it?”

“I’m going to try to test it. Is this woman named Michelle really trustworthy or not?”

“… … .”

Son Si-woo was worried.

He still believes in her.

She must also have strong faith in herself.

That’s why I wanted to show it instead.

The bond between himself and her.

“Okay, but in exchange for trying it out, please do me one favor.”

“What do you want?”

“If Michelle is truly a trustworthy woman…, then even if something happens later, I won’t kill her.”

Kim Do-jin laughed.

It seems like I didn’t really spend all my time with the people around me while living under the name Son Si-woo.

Soon he nodded willingly.

“Okay, call.”

Because it was a bet that could never be lost.