The next day.
After finishing the task of bestowing blessings in exchange for warmth, I returned to my room.
Hieronymus, who usually wears similar attire, did not leave immediately as usual. Instead, he sat at a table and chairs in one corner of the quite spacious room.
He was indicating he wanted to have a conversation.
So, I sat across from him.
However, rather than starting the conversation right away, he asked Joanna to bring something to drink. Joanna lowered her head and left, and Hyungkesuni was not present.
And until Joanna returned, Hieronymus remained silent.
I couldn’t tell if this was a pointless waste of time or if he was trying to put pressure on me. But if he was trying to pressure me, he had the method all wrong. Hieronymus
Because to me, there’s no such thing as meaningless time.
I’m always watching the movements of those who have received blessings from me.
Of course, I didn’t mention this.
Because no one had asked.
So, Hieronymus remained silent until Joanna returned with the drink and set it down in front of me. As soon as Joanna placed the glass down, Hieronymus opened his mouth.
“Lady Rebecca, I heard you intended to go out yesterday.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I said this while drinking the beverage in front of me.
Huh? A hint of disdain flashed across Hieronymus’s face. Did I do something improper?
Well, good for me. That just gives me more ways to poke fun at him by hiding behind my ignorance.
Basically, Hieronymus and I have a contract, but we are close to being enemies.
We exploit each other.
From the start, the contract is a pack of lies. It’s as if it doesn’t even exist. And I’m sure Hieronymus knows that as well as I do.
So, I’m cautious. Of course, compared to the beginning, his expression has changed from that of a dangerous adversary to a fool who only has strength.
Anyway, he’s still dangerous. Therefore, as I wished for him to lower his level of caution a bit, I drank the beverage in my glass. It tasted sweet, but had a hint of tropical fruit with a bitter root taste.
When Joanna took out the drink, it seemed like it was close to a matured drink. Perhaps that’s why Hieronymus never brought the drink to his lips.
As for me?
I downed it in one go.
Hieronymus scrutinized my face while searching for my intentions behind my response. Then he showed a look of disappointment.
“Do you not like this place?”
“The human body weakens if it does not walk. This flesh needs to walk.”
Yes. In fact, many videos say that walking is good for health. That’s because those who could walk far and long were the ones who survived.
It seems like this place hasn’t diverged much from that path of evolution, as muscles start to wither if I don’t move my body.
At this, Hieronymus nodded, as if he understood.
“Then I shall prepare a place for you.”
“I need to walk a long way. It shouldn’t be a flat place, but an irregular one. This flesh must walk there to maintain its functions.”
It’s purely based on the needs of the body. That’s the truth. I don’t lie. When one wants to lose weight, they watch health videos, right?
Once, back when I was human, I watched many such videos. But that never led me to actually work out.
Hieronymus fell silent at my request. After all, such places are outside, not within the buildings.
I mean, it signifies that I need to walk outside.
There will be more encounters.
By now, my reputation within Future Hope Church has risen significantly. What kinds of changes will those who meet me bring about?
Well then, I think about that and restrict my actions. Hieronymus.
Because I’ll plant seeds through the laws you haven’t set.
Heehee.
*
A cult leader using the name Hieronymus. Yasle looked at the Outsider standing before him with no expression.
There’s truth to what he said.
The Outsider tries to maintain the body it inhabits no matter what. So it orders food and demands training for the body.
Once, the body that the Outsider inhabited suffered severe damage.
Using various techniques it had memorized during its time with the Yeongnyang sect, it created a weapon.
Its head was blown off, but it devoured the attacker and healed the wounds.
Unlike Hieronymus thought, the power of the Outsider was what regenerated Rebecca’s body; that’s what he saw.
It seemed that continuously seeking warmth was also necessary for maintaining this body.
That’s only natural in a person’s mind.
Because it’s strange to be able to powerfully transform another’s body so instantaneously while diligently trying to keep one’s own.
To see it as a god is simply too trivial.
Long ago, when Yasle was the leader of the Yeongnyang sect, he faced a god that acted like a beast.
This god, in the form of a savage beast, didn’t actually consume anything to live.
Often, after hunting, it would leave the remaining carcasses uneaten.
That god was one Yasle faced personally.
Not just that god. The data accumulated over ages of confronting gods showed that gods had no biological characteristics.
Additionally, when they take a human body, the subject no longer acts like a human being. Much like how Rebecca is fighting now.
At best, the only things left for them were to eat delicious food and drink.
But curiously, the body of the person the god had taken would remain until the god departed. And if the god left properly, the person would still be alive afterward.
All that information led to the conclusion that Rebecca wasn’t such a formidable being.
But because of that fact, Yasle assessed the situation this way.
If I stop Rebecca here, I have no idea what she might do. Because that would obstruct her actions to maintain her body, which could be seen as an act of hostility.
It could be likened to stealing a nest from a beast.
“I understand, Lady Rebecca. If Joanna and Hyungkesuni go together, feel free to do as you wish.”
In case something happens, I attached two who could move.
And additionally, I assessed that I should send a couple of warriors under the pretext of protecting Rebecca.
That way, it seemed I could easily control any potential emergency. After all, this area is entirely within the territory of Future Hope Church.
And thanks to the 45-day show they’ve been hosting, it’s no secret that Rebecca is an important figure.
The show that displays genuine miracles at Future Hope Church has been a huge hit.
Making offerings and receiving blessings is one thing. For someone with a sound mind, it could be a disturbing act.
But then.
Under Yasle’s leadership, those who dedicated themselves to Future Hope Church saw others receiving blessings without making offerings. Those who were amputees or had serious injuries returned in complete form.
No, rather, they became much stronger and more good-looking or beautiful.
And Yasle orchestrated it this way.
Those devoted to Future Hope Church received better blessings.
It became evident that obeying his commands could make one a better person than simply making offerings.
The offering faction and the dedication faction.
He deliberately divided them and guided them in a direction that was convenient for him.
Amidst it all, Rebecca became not just a simple tool, but blessings themselves. Easy to manipulate, good-looking, and most importantly, devoid of violent power.
As if created specifically for his use, she became a significant asset to Yasle.
Thus, even if Rebecca roams freely within the tightly controlled territory of Future Hope Church, Yasle allowed it.
No, he didn’t have concerns about her actions as such.
Rather, he was worried about strange individuals clinging to Rebecca.
For instance, there’s Andrew, who was trying to win her favor.
His real name is Andrew Jax.
He was among those who had ruled over a religion before it became known as Future Hope Church. Of course, that doesn’t mean he was the number one figure.
Originally, Future Hope Church was a loose organization. Strictly speaking, it was close to an unstructured folk religion.
To put it simply, Andrew was in a similar position to a pastor in a Korean-style Protestant church. He had his own church and would complete things internally within that church.
Thus, even excluding Andrew, there were countless others who held leadership roles.
It was Yasle who systematically organized it and constructed the current cult form.
If Yasle had no ill intentions, one could say he had elevated a folk religion to a universal one.
But it’s amusing to note that without those ill intentions, creating such a massive organization would have been nearly impossible.
In any case, due to the rapid reforms, there were believers who viewed Yasle unfavorably.
Originally, it was necessary to train the children to expel such elements and form a cartel for them to eventually occupy higher positions.
However, that action typically takes place over several generations.
Yet Yasle had no intentions of looking far ahead to achieve his revenge.
So he tangled them together, deliberately removing only the fanatical elements and maliciously expanding, mixing it all up to create the current Future Hope Church cult.
That’s why Yasle’s gaze was not upon Rebecca but upon those approaching her.
Yasle let Rebecca roam freely within Future Hope Church without any restrictions.
Because he believed she was a beast that would follow orders well.
No, rather, he was planning to take advantage of this opportunity to catch any disloyal elements. Direct punishment is a double-edged sword, but since touching a disciple is an easy way to remove a potential heretic due to the claim of divine profanity, it could be easily dealt with.
When the divine is profaned, people easily lose their sanity.
That’s because they feel like they’ve lost their most important value. People react painfully when something is taken from them.
“Then can I go out starting today?”
So, in response to the Outsider’s question, Yasle nodded.
“Yes, of course, Lady Rebecca. However, you must go out with both Joanna and Hyungkesuni.”
“Yes, understood. Hieronymus. I’ll do that.”
Hieronymus stood up without ever bringing the drink to his lips. He said goodbye to Rebecca and promptly opened the door.
As the door closed, a girl with gray, pale hair walked toward the shadowy side of the corridor. Hyungkesuni.
Thud.
A deep blue veil covered this place. A soundproof veil that didn’t let light or sound escape. Inside it, Hyungkesuni spoke.
“Did he allow it?”
“Yeah. No matter how much of a beast it is, if it tries to destroy its house, it might react dangerously, so not allowing it could be even more hazardous.”
“House?”
For a moment, Hyungkesuni didn’t comprehend Yasle’s words. But soon, she realized he meant that the Outsider lived in the body of Rebecca Rolfe, which was like a house.
“That body could also be seen as a nest. But do you truly think it will run away?”
“If it runs away, we can just catch it and throw it in our cage. But since it has worked diligently until now, this amount of reward shouldn’t be too bad.”
Yasle looked at his accomplice. This was a person who had aided him in various tasks, such as killing subjects that posed a threat while creating this cult and controlling the ones who had been killed to dismantle opposing organizations.
The Witch of Ecstasy.
Originally, when she was with the Yeongnyang sect, she was an enemy not meant to live under the same sky. From Yasle’s perspective, she was merely a woman acting out of simple pleasure.
But she was also a witch powerful enough to survive against the sect. So when the Yeongnyang sect fell, he sought her out. He thought that if the leader of the sect abandoned his god and created a cult for revenge, the Witch of Ecstasy would gladly help him.
And, just as he expected, she lent him her strength.
She was a partner that could betray him at any moment. However, as long as he kept her entertained, she would lend him her power until vengeance was fulfilled. And that was the nature of their contract.
She regarded Yasle with her murky, lightless eyes and said.
“Don’t regret it.”
“Rather, I plan to use this opportunity to catch any disloyal elements, Hyungkesuni. I’ve ordered Rebecca to always take you and Joanna with her when she goes out, so keep an eye on any approaching humans.”
At that, Hyungkesuni hesitated to say something but nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I will follow the orders. Church Chief Yasle.”
Thud, she snapped her cane, and the dark blue veil disappeared.
Then Hyungkesuni stepped forward and went inside. Yasle watched her and then donned Hieronymus’s mask and moved forward.
There was so much to be done for his revenge.
