Chapter 27

Amon’s wound healed in just a week.

The wound that started from his side and covered half his stomach healed quickly, thanks in part to healing magic, but more so due to Amon’s natural regenerative abilities.

Amon had always been known for his fast recovery, and this time was no different.

‘Well, this too…’

It must be because of Divine Power.

Divine Power was an incredibly convenient force, capable of explaining all phenomena that couldn’t be explained by magic or science.

Of course, the heads of Divine Scholars trying to uncover its principles might be spinning, but that wasn’t Amon’s concern.

After completing his discharge procedures, Amon handed the bill to the Holy Knights.

At a glance, it was a four-digit amount in dollars, but none of the Holy Knights flinched.

They calmly swiped their cards and paid for Amon’s hospital stay.

Sonia’s face turned pale at the absurd amount of money being exchanged, but Amon remained unfazed.

‘Considering what I’ve done for the Vatican.’

For her, who had lived in an orphanage with a meager budget, it might seem like a fortune, but Amon, who knew the value of his contributions through the game, considered ten thousand dollars to be nothing.

Megacorp is a super-sized corporation that operates on the scale of national budgets.

Amon had engaged in transactions with the Vatican on that level.

In such a context, ten thousand dollars?

‘I could probably pay for a year in the hospital.’

The scale of what Amon had done for the Vatican was on a completely different level.

Thus, Amon could hand over the bill to the Vatican without any sense of debt.

“Let’s go, Sonia.”

Since it wasn’t a big deal anyway, Amon left the hospital with her.

The Holy Knights’ escort ended there.

The Hixen Group, which had been a threat to them, was gone, and the Vatican no longer had a reason to protect them.

It might seem cold, but the escort was only provided because it aligned with the Vatican’s interests. Expecting any further favors would make the two seem shameless.

Still, out of gratitude for the protection they had received so far, the Holy Knights offered to escort them to the church.

The two declined the offer.

“We have somewhere to stop by before the church.”

“Thank you for everything so far.”

When asked where they were going, Amon smiled awkwardly and replied,

“Joseon Town.”

*

The two got into a taxi and headed to Joseon Town.

It wasn’t their first time visiting the town where Koreans from Unified Korea gathered.

While running errands around the city, they naturally ended up in Joseon Town quite often.

However, it was their first time going there specifically to buy something and their first time taking a taxi instead of a bus.

In the taxi, Sonia looked at Amon.

Amon’s lips curled up in anticipation of what they would buy in the town.

Sonia, watching Amon’s profile, hesitated several times before finally speaking.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Ah, no… just…”

Sonia hesitated before speaking.

“Just… I was wondering if we could buy some meat for the kids…”

Amon pondered for a moment before nodding.

“Well, we have plenty of contract money.”

Apart from the annual income they were set to receive, a significant amount had been deposited immediately after the contract.

Enough to buy a real pig in this world and throw a barbecue party.

However, Amon had a concern.

“Will the kids eat it well?”

Objectively speaking, real meat has a stronger smell compared to synthetic bug meat.

Of course, it has much more fat and a richer flavor, but it’s still a matter of preference.

Moreover, real meat is more susceptible to antibiotics and bacteria, giving it a less hygienic image.

There are even people who refuse to eat real pork, considering it unclean, even though it’s edible.

But such worries were unfounded.

“I thought the same until I tried it, but it’s not like that.”

According to Sonia, once you try it, you can never go back to cultured meat.

The difference between fake and real was that stark.

“Really? If you say so.”

Amon added one item to today’s shopping list.

———

– Garlic

– Ssamjang

– Ssam vegetables (if available)

– Kimchi (if available)

– One whole pig (NEW!)

– Bell peppers (NEW!)

– Potatoes (NEW!)

– Tomatoes (NEW!)

——–

“Let’s call Johnson from the Mercenary Agency. He used to grill barbecue back in the day. We can also invite those we owe favors to.”

One whole pig would yield about 260 servings.

It was more than the orphanage kids could eat.

Amon, who was about to graduate from the orphanage, wanted to invite everyone who had helped them.

Amon, grinning, contacted the Orphanage Director.

Sonia quietly watched his profile before turning her gaze out the window.

Her eyelashes fluttered.

***

That evening, a joyful feast was held at the orphanage under repair.

Johnson, the goat beastman from the Mercenary Agency, enthusiastically grilled barbecue, his goat beard smudged with soot.

“Hoho! I never thought I’d get to do this again in my lifetime!”

Once the leader of a respectable mercenary group, he would often share tales of his past exploits when drunk.

Those stories always ended with barbecue, so it was clear he missed those days.

Perhaps that’s why.

It seemed like a sense of longing was transmitted through his mechanical eyes.

“Mehehe… The smoke must have damaged my eyes. The waterproof fluid is leaking.”

Fearing that the liquid dripping from his eyes might splatter onto the food, the old man turned his head.

His wife wiped the liquid with a handkerchief for her hardworking husband.

Thanks to the old man’s efforts, many people got to taste real pork.

Given the ruined environment and the rarity of meat, many had never tried it before.

Of course, one could taste real meat if they wanted, but with a month’s salary almost gone in one meal, it was out of reach for most.

Thus, Amon’s invitation was immensely appreciated.

The merchants who provided jobs to the orphans,

The housewives who occasionally donated to the orphanage,

The priests and Holy Knights who owed the orphanage,

The workers repairing the orphanage,

All had their lips greased that day.

Faced with such food, people could easily become greedy, but the adults maintained their dignity to the end.

“Would you like to try this?”

“Eating luxuriously, I see.”

“Eat as much as you want.”

Knowing that the children were the stars of the day, they gave the meat to the kids.

It became an unspoken agreement among the guests to stop at a level that would please their taste buds.

– “Eat this and stay strong.”

– “Thank you. We’ll turn this place into a palace.”

Watching a worker gratefully accept a bowl from an orphan, the Orphanage Director wiped her tears.

‘To think I’d live to see such a day. I never imagined I’d witness such a wonderful scene.’

As she wiped her tears, people shouted towards her.

“Thank you, Director!”

“Thank you, Director!”

Since Amon had bought the pig, the money’s source would have been questioned, so they borrowed the Director’s name.

The Director, receiving gratitude for something she hadn’t done, awkwardly turned her gaze towards Amon.

Amon and Sonia were enjoying a meal alone in a corner of the orphanage.

Amon was enthusiastically eating barbecue pork belly with wraps.

In contrast, Sonia was just poking at her meat with a fork.

Only after satisfying his craving for pork belly did Amon notice Sonia’s plate.

“You’re not eating?!”

Amidst the voices of the crowd, Amon raised his voice.

Then, meeting her eyes, Amon was startled.

Sonia’s eyes were filled with sadness.

Just as he was about to ask if something was wrong, she flicked her finger.

Snap!

Simultaneously, the party fell into silence.

Amon, panicking, looked around but soon grasped the situation.

‘No, this is…’

Upon closer inspection, the party hadn’t gone silent.

The space where the two were and the space where the people were had been separated.

Amon recognized this feeling.

“Did you learn that from the Priest?”

Nod.

Sonia nodded.

It was the silence barrier that had enveloped the office when Amon had a private talk with the Priest.

Sonia had replicated it in this place with a flick of her finger.

Seeing this, Amon clapped.

“Congratulations. I knew you had talent.”

Amon genuinely rejoiced in Sonia’s achievement.

Normally, Sonia would have puffed out her chest proudly with Toad, but today was different.

The more Amon praised her, the darker her expression became.

Seeing her expression, Amon finally grasped the mood.

“…Is something wrong?”

In response to Amon’s question, Sonia made a shocking statement.

“We… need to be apart for a while.”

***

Amon froze at Sonia’s shocking statement.

It took about a minute for Amon to process the situation.

“Being apart, what do you mean…”

“Amon. You’re planning to become a mercenary, right?”

Amon nodded.

Although he had received help from the Vatican under the condition of becoming a Holy Knight, after turning the Hixen Group upside down, he realized something.

He wasn’t cut out for organizational life.

A free spirit at heart, he couldn’t stand being under anyone.

Moreover, he doubted he could suppress his temper in the Vatican.

He was the type to charge at a boss with dual blades upon hearing blasphemy.

If he witnessed the corruption of priests and nuns in the Vatican, a genocide wouldn’t be out of the question.

Considering all this, it was better for everyone if he didn’t join the Vatican.

This was something he had discussed with Sonia during his hospital stay.

At the time, Sonia had confidently declared she would live as a mercenary too.

But now, she was saying they needed to be apart.

Amon combined this fact with the performance Sonia had just shown and deciphered the meaning behind her words.

Even without her saying it, he understood what she meant.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes… I want to go to seminary.”

The option of going to the Vatican was already off the table.

Since they had decided to be together, the vow of chastity was impossible from the start.

Sonia couldn’t become a nun.

But regardless, Sonia wanted to attend seminary.

It wasn’t because she was particularly devout.

“The Priest told me I have a talent for Divine Magic.”

Divine Magic.

A magic that blends Divine Power and Magic Power.

A technique born from formalizing Divine Power like magic to expand tactical options.

The problem was that magic, regardless of the era, was considered advanced knowledge.

It required understanding what substances cause what reactions scientifically,

Calculating speed and trajectory with mathematics,

And articulating all this into a spell formula to cast.

It meant one had to be proficient in science, math, engineering, and coding.

There’s a reason mages in games have high intelligence stats.

Naturally, advanced knowledge couldn’t be self-taught.

Great talent required great mentors.

Not wanting her talent to go to waste, the Priest made her an offer.

“He said he could recommend me to a seminary for Divine Magic.”

This was something to be happy about.

The problem was that the seminary was in California.

Far from the state they were currently in.

According to Amon’s knowledge, the distance from Colorado to California was about the length of South Korea.

Commuting was out of the question.

Hearing this, Amon’s expression darkened.

“You… can’t come with me, can you?”

Amon nodded.

Objectively, Amon had zero talent for magic.

His brain wasn’t that high-performing.

Sonia didn’t want to part either, and Amon didn’t want to let her go.

But both knew.

If they missed this rare opportunity, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.

Sonia would forever lament not learning magic, and Amon would regret holding her back.

It wasn’t that dreams were more important than love.

Because they loved each other, they knew how beautiful the other’s dreams were and had to let go.

Silence filled the space between them.

Sonia tried to say something, her lips trembling, but her throat choked up.

Amon broke the silence.

“Sonia.”

“…”

“Sonia. Give me your arm here.”

At Amon’s request, Sonia hesitated, then extended her arm.

Click.

A bracelet clasped around her wrist.

The beautiful silver accessory caught her eye without her realizing.

Amon took out a golden bead in the meantime.

Crack.

The bead shattered, and a golden aura seeped into the bracelet.

Soon, a connection of knowledge and bond formed with her soul.

“This is…”

“Now this bracelet is yours.”

Even without Amon saying it, she understood.

The bracelet was bound to her.

Whenever and wherever she wanted, it would clasp around her wrist.

Even if destroyed, it would reform through her soul.

In other words, this bracelet would be with her forever.

But the bracelet’s effect wasn’t just that.

The binding effect was just a basic feature of the Legendary Essences Amon had used.

The true effect of the essence he used was…

“My Divine Power… is recovering.”

The Divine Power she had expended to maintain the barrier was being replenished.

It was the bracelet’s effect.

Means to recover Divine Power were very limited.

Meditation or sleep.

Unlike Magic Power, there were no potions, so Divine Power had to be used carefully.

In such a world, Divine Power users tried all sorts of methods to recover their power quickly.

So much so that essences related to Divine Power recovery could fetch the price of a building at auctions.

Sonia, knowing its value well, couldn’t respond properly.

“But something like this… you too…”

“It suits you better than me.”

Sonia couldn’t reply.

As Amon said.

True to its Legendary Essence status, the essence had additional effects.

Recovering a fixed amount of Divine Power upon consumption.

The key here was that it was a fixed ‘amount,’ not a fixed ‘ratio.’

Whether she used 1 or 100 units of Divine Power, it would recover 5 units.

In other words, it was an effect suited for someone who frequently used Divine Power.

This effect suited Sonia much more than Amon.

After all…

“Now, every time I shoot, my Divine Power will recover.”

Her Divine Power was consumed in tiny amounts while absorbing recoil.

Combined with the bracelet, it meant she could fully recover her Divine Power by emptying a magazine, creating a bug-like synergy.

“How is it?”

At Amon’s gift, her tear ducts filled.

“With this… how can I part from you…”

“That’s why I gave it to you.”

“So I won’t forget you?”

Shake shake.

“No. So you’ll remember me even when we’re apart.”

At Amon’s answer, Sonia finally burst into tears.

She clung to Amon, shouting into his chest.

“I won’t forget you! I’ll video call you every night!”

“Okay.”

“Don’t take any requests when I’m on break!”

“Got it.”

“Come visit me at school sometimes.”

“Okay.”

“And… and…”

Her promises continued.

Amon, holding back his tears, patted her back.

In the barrier completely cut off from the outside,

The two made countless promises.

***

And the next day.

“Are you two idiots?”

Despite the Priest’s rude remark, the two couldn’t lift their heads.

They had come to thank the Priest for the recommendation and to ask him to take care of Sonia.

Amon’s eyes were moist as he asked the Priest to look after Sonia.

Sonia, still not fully accepting the fact of parting, kept lifting her head to hold back tears.

Seeing the two like this, the Priest, who had heard their story,

Made the above remark.

The reason for the Priest’s reaction was simple.

“Why can’t Amon just come along and you two live together?”

“…”

“Miss Sonia. Is the seminary a boarding school?”

“…No.”

The seminary is a regular university.

Whether you live in a dorm or rent a place.

Once classes are over, the school doesn’t care where you go or what you do.

“Then is there any reason Amon can’t go to California?”

“…No.”

Mercenaries are free.

It’s a job chosen for its freedom.

There was no reason Amon couldn’t operate in California.

“Then why did you two think you had to part?”

At the Priest’s words, the two couldn’t lift their heads.

Right.

Why did they think that?

Looking into each other’s eyes, no matter how much they thought, they couldn’t find a reason.

The Priest sighed at the foolish couple.

“They say love is stronger than medicine… How can it lower people’s intelligence like this?”

Though not mixed with curses, the remark had a powerful effect of stabbing at their hearts.

***

That evening, sounds of something being kicked around came from Amon and Sonia’s room, and the next day, the blanket was in tatters, a secret known only to the Director and the Priest.

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