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On the floor lay a bed, and above in the sky hung a canopy in a dreamlike garden.

To fulfill the Saintess’s second wish, Junior No. 2 found himself once again entering the realm created by the Golden Horn Reaper.

The wish presented by the Saintess, for some reason, did not seek its own fulfillment.

[The second wish is for the sect members who were with me to have a delightful time and be content.]

To grant this wish, Junior No. 2 chose to use the cuteness of the Mini Reapers to entertain the sect members.

The Mini Reapers didn’t possess the ability to summon the dead, but since the souls of the sect members resided within the Saintess’s realm, it was a possible method.

‘Festival time!’
‘Hehe!’

A party for the deceased was unfolding there.

Perhaps due to Junior No. 2’s encouragement to have fun, the Mini Reapers also appeared quite excited.

“….”
“….”

The sect members, whose bodies had been burned and tongues severed, regained their original forms in the dream garden and wore bewildered expressions.

They could speak again, but unused to it, they simply kept their mouths shut and opened their eyes wide.

“Th-there is….”
“I was supposed to be dead….”

Despite their initial confusion, a few began to open their mouths, stuttering their words.

They were surprised to feel that the burns had vanished, covering their faces or feeling their own features in amazement.

The sect members were trying to comprehend the current situation in their own ways.

“Paradise….”
“Is this a paradise?”

Although the garden’s appearance was very unfamiliar to them, they began to associate the happiness and warmth emanating from it with paradise.

Towards these sect members, the Mini Reapers started toddling over.

‘Human! Let’s play together!’
‘Let’s have fun!’

The Mini Reapers, holding their favorite snacks, had come to gather the humans.

Though the sect members still looked a bit dazed, they started to walk towards the party area, drawn by the cheerful smiles of the Mini Reapers.

It made sense; the Mini Reapers were taking on the shapes of the “Blue Girl,” considered the descendants of the gods.

“Is this really paradise?”
“This promised land doesn’t seem like this….”

Though some of the sect members initially doubted if this was truly the promised paradise, they were quickly dazzled by the Golden Reaper’s bright smile and the powerful mental pollution.

As the dream garden is a dream, it continuously shifted its form for the sake of the people.

What was once just a bed, a canopy, and a moat of hot chocolate, now had a massive golden bonfire blazing at its center.

Not a tiny bonfire the size of a building found in the Chinese sect, but a grand bonfire as mighty as those mentioned in historical texts.

Upon seeing the giant, warm flame, the sect members shed tears of emotion and slowly walked into the bonfire.

“This is….”

But unlike the white flames that had burned and destroyed, the golden flames merely embraced humanity with warmth.

The sect members could sense that both the white and golden flames held divine power since they had once thrown themselves into the white flames.

And from the garden, which had featured only candies, cookies, and marshmallows, various foods like meats and alcoholic drinks began to spring forth.

The ones cooking were the Mini Reapers who worked in the Free City Alliance.

They were the children who used magic on marshmallows and jellies to create various dishes.

‘Meat!’
‘BBQ!’
‘Black Pudding!’

Various Mini Reapers were showcasing an array of foods to the humans.

Changes began to happen to the Mini Reapers as they roamed the garden.

Black, round doll-like outfits began to appear, enveloping the Mini Reapers.

Their appearance bore a resemblance to that of the Old God.

‘It’s a little black brother outfit!’
‘Hehe.’

The Golden Reapers, worried their mom might get angry, habitually looked around, but upon confirming that she was not present, they giggled and started to play in their new outfits.

In the black doll outfit, infused with mental pollution as if made by the Yellow Reaper, the sect members perceived the little Black Reapers wandering around.

Thus, whenever the sect members saw the Golden Reapers in their black clothes, they felt as if they were encountering apostles of the gods and prostrated themselves on the ground.

‘Hehe.’
‘Humans are strange.’
‘Come on, don’t bow, let’s just play!’

Seeing the humans like this, the Golden Reapers urged them not to bow but rather to join in the fun.

As the grand festival of the Mini Reapers under the warm golden bonfire extended past a day, it slowly began to taper off.

As evening fell, the Golden Reapers started to nod off as if they were sleepy.

The sect members who had been wandering the paradise with the Mini Reapers settled down in front of the golden bonfire, quietly enjoying their food.

Surrounding them were Mini Reapers in abundance.

Golden Reaper with a happy expression, sleeping peacefully.
Blue Reaper magically creating a variety of foods.
Black Reaper serving food and feeding the sect members.
And the Ghost Reaper, sulking due to the unpopularity of Black Pudding.

Such a variety of Mini Reapers shared warmth with them, all wearing happy expressions.

In this calm atmosphere, Junior No. 2 was observing the bonfire along with the Golden Horn Reaper from a distance.

[Everyone looks so happy.]

At that moment, the Saintess approached Junior No. 2 and sent out a wave of magic.

When Junior No. 2 turned his head, the Saintess made eye contact and continued her words.

[I always wanted the sect members to find true happiness and arrive at a fulfilling ending in the ‘paradise.’]

[But I was merely a doll. A substitute for the ‘Saintess,’ who was said to have disappeared for attacking the descendants of the gods.]

[I never imagined such a time would come….]

The Saintess fiddled with her shattered eye and smiled gently.

After that, she began to chatter on endlessly, as if she had many stories left to tell.

Tales of how no records document the foundation of the sect.
Of how when the sun sets in a city filled with mirrors and glass, it is truly beautiful.
And tales of when sect members once attacked the descendants of the gods.

These seemed like stories she hadn’t personally experienced but rather retellings of what the sect members had shared.

Nevertheless, the Saintess spoke of these as if they were her own memories, with a truly happy face.

[According to the contract, I will become a lamp.]

While saying this, the Saintess suddenly mentioned the agreement.

“Why such a contract…?”

When Junior No. 2 asked in surprise, the fake Saintess chuckled softly.

[The sect members contracted with the Man of the Lamp to bring about the bonfire.]

[So they could obtain the bonfire that creates white flames by burning objects tirelessly.]

[When the bonfire started to blaze again, everyone was so overjoyed….]

However, the Saintess’s expression while speaking of the bonfire seemed rigid despite her words.

[But that bonfire was a trap of the lamp.]

[In the end, that bonfire led to the death and injury of many, which brought the army, resulting in the demise of the sect members.]

The fake Saintess gazed at the sect members sitting with happy expressions in front of the golden bonfire and continued speaking.

[The real bonfire was this warm….]

Then she turned her gaze back to Junior No. 2.

[The contract made by the sect members stipulated that if the bonfire goes out, it would take the souls of the sect members.]

[I didn’t want that, and thus I made a new contract using my body as the condition.]

[A contract to free the souls of the sect members while granting my two wishes—what I thought was an extremely advantageous contract….]

And the Saintess covered her mouth with a happy expression and chuckled softly.

As if she opened her mouth to laugh aloud.

But of course, the Saintess was a doll, and couldn’t make any sound.

[The sect members committed many sins, and there may be no promised paradise for them.]

[So today, this midnight festival is the paradise promised to them.]

And lastly, while watching the sect members laugh and chat joyfully, the Saintess spoke.

[I am satisfied. Congratulations on fulfilling the contract, representative Hyejin.]

“!!!”

Junior No. 2, thinking there might be another way, tried to stop the Saintess.

But the moment she uttered those words, the sky fell apart, and the blissful dream ended.

*

As I was yanked out of the dream, I found myself surrounded by the smoke of gas lamps.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

As the smoke parted, the Man of the Lamp appeared, bowing politely while clapping.

[The contract has been fulfilled.]

The Man of the Lamp said that while looking at Junior No. 2.

Then the contract in Junior No. 2’s possession transformed into light and scattered away. Simultaneously, Detective Sunbae, Hammer Sunbae, and Junior fell from the air.

They all seemed disoriented but appeared unhurt.

However, a hefty chain was wrapped around the detective’s wrist, and at the end of that chain dangled the lamp ‘Watson.’

As if it could never be escaped.

[We will always be together. Holmes.]

From the gas lamp, a sinister shadow flickered.

Junior No. 2 lifted their head to look at the Man of the Lamp, but he seemed no longer interested in the detective crew.

With a slightly amused voice, the Man of the Lamp sent out a wave of magic.

[Now, come here. A lamp has been prepared for you.]

The Saintess, stealing one last glance at Junior No. 2 with a slight smile, slowly followed the Man of the Lamp into the smoke.

“Is there really no way out?”

Junior No. 2’s voice sounded slightly anxious.

Seeing this, the Golden Horn Reaper recalled moments from earlier.

Memories of training and the warnings given by the detective.

[“When the time is right, call out loudly”]

[“For your junior, and for us all.”]

The Golden Horn Reaper gathered firewood and shouted with determination.

‘Mommyyy!’

In that instant, a massive lightning bolt pierced through the gas lamp’s smoke, shooting up to the sky.