The officer, hearing that question, could only stare blankly at Jinseong.
The first question was something trivial that scrambled the mind, while the second was a horrifying question that seemed impossible to answer?
Cheon Hee-soo wrapped his head in thought and pondered the answer.
‘What could it be? Something greater than the Creator? Thought? Knowledge? Wisdom? It doesn’t seem like it could be a tangible thing; it clearly feels formless. Perhaps something like the fastest thing in the world? But sin is great, noble, rich, resolute, blessed… The world? No, how could a creation be greater than its Creator?’
He endlessly wrestled with his thoughts.
He couldn’t help but deliberate more and more.
After all, the teddy bear-shaped creature next to him would never come up with that answer.
He had to think of the answer himself!
But as Seong Min-hyuk watched the officer sweating and worrying, he stepped forward boldly. Clearing his throat, he shouted loudly at Jinseong.
“Where’s the answer in that, you bastard?!”
At that response, the officer, who had been wracking his brain next to him, suddenly snapped his head up in shock.
His face had turned an ashen white, and he looked at Seong Min-hyuk with a glare, as if asking why he would respond that way. However, Seong Min-hyuk unapologetically met Jinseong’s gaze with confidence, and soon a voice echoing from behind Jinseong’s mask was heard.
“Correct.”
“What?”
The officer stared at Jinseong in disbelief at the proclamation.
Yet Jinseong calmly continued speaking.
“No matter how vast and undiscovered the world is, how can there possibly be someone who fulfills it all? Transcendence, such a wondrous thing, may fulfill parts of it. However, it’s impossible to have it all while piercing through every contradiction. The answer is ‘none.'”
The golden mask twisted into a grotesque smile.
“Old theologian and devoted holy sorcerer, Verver, stated that your four-letter deity is truly great and omnipotent. However, the existence of transcendent beings undermines the absolute nature of that great being, and he had endeavored in a monastery, pondering and pondering. Thus, when he repeated his prayers, fasting without a single sip of water, at last, a revelation came, marking a being closest to the great four-letter god!”
Jinseong proclaimed in an exaggerated voice.
“Who is like God? Ah, here stands one closest to God, resembling Him, spreading his wings and sharing his inquiries—truly, it is glorious. Ah, Michael, the great being who tramples dragons, wields fire, and governs the sun!”
He suddenly tore a banknote off his body with a finger and set it ablaze. He then waved his palm over the dancing flame, creating shapes that resembled an angel holding a sword and a scale.
“Michael said, ‘O you who have fallen into confusion. You are the faithful servant of God. What are you pondering? There is nothing greater than the Almighty, and there is nothing more wicked than a demon. The great god is absolute, so what are you worrying and worrying about? No matter how much a born baby grows or scatters seeds, the unchangeable fact is that it came from its mother’s womb, and no matter how vast the world is, it is only natural that the Creator is greater. Do not ponder the obvious, and do not lose yourself in falsehoods.’ The only necessary thing is sincere prayer, O Verver. You must strike the narrow gate of heaven with the light of humanity’s goodness only!”
Henry, observing the stunning display of flames, murmured.
“What the hell…?”
His expression resembled that of the bear, which couldn’t comprehend the nonsense it heard.
Jinseong burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Indeed! There’s nothing more blessed than to act rather than just understanding. You truly believed that there’s no answer and thus found the right answer, which is the best of all.”
“Hmm.”
“Yes. You can be proud. You sought out this horrifying question that had tormented the old holy sorcerer with nothing but your instincts, and indeed, such wisdom reflects the old saying that a sage lies within the soul of man.”
Jinseong praised Seong Min-hyuk heartily before resuming his posture.
Then, with his expression returning to a neutral mask, he asked again.
“This is my last question. Do you think it’s acceptable to act rather violently in the name of justice?”
That question sent chills down the spine.
The soldiers all widened their eyes in unison.
The officer’s complexion drained completely.
Even Seong Min-hyuk, who had been so proud to answer until now, found himself startled.
It was such a question.
Wasn’t it something a terrorist aiming for a coup might ask?
“Ah, don’t misinterpret. Overthrowing a government is indeed quite a violent act. Acting against your superiors is also fairly extreme. The ‘slightly violent acts’ I refer to relate to excessive suppression, you see.”
“Excessive suppression?”
“Precisely. For instance, let’s say someone did a drug binge and went out with a baton to beat people. The one who was beaten ended up hospitalized with their bones shattered, and even after using every means to recover, they could no longer behave normally as before. But if the assailant only gets charged with special assault, people might react with outrage.”
Jinseong spoke in a hushed tone.
“Oh, that bastard ought to have his entire bones crushed.”
And then that quiet voice morphed into a chorus of whispers among various figures in the banknotes stuck to his body.
Each figure began to move their mouths and speak.
“One person’s life ruined, and they get only a slap on the wrist?”
“That guy will live comfortably in a hotel-like cell.”
“The victim has their whole body broken, lost their job.”
“And they might struggle to survive with mental illness, yet how can this happen?”
“The scoundrel who committed such a terrible act is in there using connections?”
“Moreover, they’re a druggie. Who knows if they were trying to kill someone under the influence?”
“Shouldn’t they be charged with attempted murder? Such trash.”
“They need to be isolated from society.”
The voices grew louder.
“Provide appropriate punishment!”
“That bastard deserves more than this!”
“Enough of the slap on the wrist—punish them immediately!”
“Deliver the right punishment!”
“Right!”
“Execution!”
“Execution!”
“Execution!”
It sounded as if a crowd was chanting.
The officer’s expression was one of shock, dazed by the overwhelming echo, as though enveloped in crowd madness. But Seong Min-hyuk, standing unaffected by the captivating noise, puffed out his chest and shouted.
“An execution for battering someone? What nonsense is that! Regardless, the law must be upheld! If you dislike it, change the law!”
“Is that how it is?”
Jinseong nodded knowingly at Seong Min-hyuk’s response.
Then he stood up and walked directly toward him.
“That is also correct. For those working in the state, the law is like a fetter. Truly a reasonable notion. However, you are not a paragon but a law-abiding citizen, and though you piled up weapons, you preferred to swing them rather than use them as tools for training.”
Jinseong leaned his head sideways, resembling the mask like a twin.
“You know, there are criminals who are permitted to kill. Whether they’re a criminal or not, you know there are permissive acts of killing. One submits to their instincts, smashing bones and twisting limbs until they shatter, throwing bodies in heaps as if bowling. You know it.”
Jinseong moved his hands, adorned with banknotes, manipulating the mask as if trying to ensnare Seong Min-hyuk with its glimmer.
“Warfare.”
Jinseong placed his finger on the corner of the mask’s lips and pulled it upward to his ears. The gold molded like clay, splitting into an uproarious smile, and from its hollows, golden droplets began to form and trickle down the mask.
“Warfare approaches. The criminals you deem deserving of death will flock here. They will wield guns and brandish knives at the ordinary citizens of the Republic of Korea. Men and women alike will be dead equally as they push forward and onward. Buildings that once pierced the sky will crumble, turning everything into ruins. Ah, despite the Miracle on the Han River, what can be done? Though it achieved what seemed unattainable, man’s evil is larger and swiftly resets it all.”
“What?”
Seong Min-hyuk frowned at Jinseong’s words.
The overly detailed description, as if a video was reenacting before his very eyes, was enough to agitate him.
“Here. An opportunity has come to you. An opportunity to freely kill the criminals causing harm, lawfully and without repercussion. How to display your honed strength and rise as a hero of the nation. You shall be a hero. Take my hand, and you will gain soaring honor, and with my assistance, in the upcoming war, you will save the lives of countless people. Ah, truly a good and beneficial act.”
Jinseong spoke to Seong Min-hyuk like a monster seducing him.
“You, a murderer, sure have a lot to say.”
“Hehe, murder. Did I not say earlier? Killing the soldiers who invade us isn’t murder; engaging in combat with those armed is called warfare, not murder. You did not explicitly state that the law is the measure in your first answer, but in your third question, you sincerely declared that the law must be upheld. Therefore, acts that don’t contravene the law are not sins, and what I did is beyond your concern.”
Jinseong stated succinctly.
“In the midst of war, if a spy is uncovered, and those who try to infiltrate and commit heinous acts are slain, how could that be a crime?”
“A spy?”
“Indeed. You wouldn’t just sit idle if, amidst war, a spy came in to swindle and sow chaos, now would you?”
“That… is true.”
“What I did falls into such a category. Knowing the future, I killed them without hesitation, leaving only one good person who would never betray the nation. That was my good deed.”
Jinseong caressed his banknote-covered arm and spoke.
“Think about it. How could I have killed so many and left only one behind?”
“Hmm.”
“If I desired the perfect crime, would I really leave a witness behind? Just by this, you could tell I’m not someone who has committed murder and can clearly distinguish right from wrong. Reflect. Don’t you agree?”
“That is true, but still, you killed people.”
Jinseong grinned at that question.
“There exists a monstrous snake that bears a dreadful poison. When you see the hatchlings crawling, is it right to just walk by, or should they be killed?”
“They ought to be killed?”
“There exists a tiger cub that will grow to kill people. Should you leave it alone?”
“You should kill it.”
“There’s a monster that will grow to spew poison, contaminating the waters and causing agony to many. What would you do upon witnessing it?”
“I must eliminate it.”
“Even if it’s a cub?
“What does it matter that it’s a cub? It’s clear it’ll cause harm when it grows.”
At that answer, the golden mask spoke.
“That is what I did.”
Jinseong had Seong Min-hyuk think for himself and answer.
Continuously, continuously, he asked questions that Seong Min-hyuk could reasonably answer, wanting him to derive his answers independently, to form common ground through the act of answering.
And finally, when that common ground was formed, Jinseong began to enthrall Seong Min-hyuk.
“The loan sharks have likely received orders from Japan to suck the lifeblood out of the people. And when war breaks out, they will become an internal disease, plunging everyone into suffering—raising interest rates, lending to more people, making life even harder for those who have already been suffering. And if someone wants to repay their debts, they will threaten and command them to comply. This will surely cause harm to the nation.”
He explained the kind of things loan sharks would do.
“Take this item to the designated place. Sell your body. You need to get locked up in prison. Sell us your child. Your child seems talented; send them abroad for study. If you want to repay your debts, labor as we instruct. Give us your organs.”
He mockingly imitated those loathsome loan sharks, theatrical, allowing Seong Min-hyuk to vividly visualize it.
“There must have been drugs in that bag. Selling yourself would have likely been done by foreigners or traitors. The people killed at the behest of the loan sharks would be patriots, while the sold children would be treated as toys by those provoking war. The capable ones would undergo brainwashing to become their loyal minions, robbing the Republic of Korea of its future and strength, while those forced to labor would ultimately fill their coffers. The extraction of organs would have been but another means of profit. Ah, horrendous and further horrendous.”
Seeing Seong Min-hyuk’s face hardening, Jinseong continued.
“And the nation that would engage in such acts is right next door. An utterly uncivilized lot. We once called them ‘foreigners’ and now refer to them as the Japanese.”
“The Japanese…”
“Indeed. I could not sit idly by and watch those scoundrels harm Unified Korea; I merely acted. Thus, while I may not deserve praise, I should not be punished. Don’t you think?”
Seong Min-hyuk found himself gazing at the officer without realizing it at that query.
But as his head began to turn, Jinseong halted him.
“Why rely on others for your thoughts? Trust in the wisdom that helped you easily answer the second question. Your instincts will conjure an answer, forming a ‘correct answer’ that even this seemingly clever person couldn’t devise. Simply believe in your instincts and express your experiences to derive the correct answer.”
The golden mask uttered these words and began to shift shape.
The brilliant mass transformed into powder, falling to the ground with a soft thud, and the banknotes that had wrapped around its form crumpled, morphing into the shape of insects. Where the golden pieces dropped, they too crumbled like sand, eroding the shape of the person.
What remained where the banknotes and gold once were was empty air.
“What the hell is this?”
Seong Min-hyuk was startled and tried to catch it, but it was futile.
The figure began to collapse rapidly as if accelerators were activated, vanishing instantaneously. The banknotes turned into insects soared high into the sky, while the sand that fell to the ground vanished as if absorbed.
“Three questions and three answers. When resolved correctly, a path opens. Just as Sheesep Ankh opened the way, I too can now move freely.”
Jinseong formed a mouth on the barely holding-form and spoke.
“I will take my leave.”
Once that was uttered, it vanished in the blink of an eye.
Gold to the ground.
Banknotes to the sky.
Thus, the beast that had toyed with everyone just moments ago disappeared without a trace.
Yet as he vanished, it seemed he had words he wished to impart, for he left writings in the earth.
“Remember this. I act for Unified Korea.”
“The war has already begun. Now you too shall feel it.”
“Japan will employ all sorts of tricks.”
“If you need help, speak.”
“I will move with your tacit approval, and in your indifference, I shall benefit the nation.”
