Chapter 66 – Terror (2)

“The Apostle is self-healing, but the wounds are severe so Yerim, you’ll need to help. So now…”

Seo-eun, who was quickly speaking while looking at Yerim, stopped when she saw someone.

“You… why are you here?”

Unlike her usual self, Seo-eun’s lips trembled as she glared at the person.

“Didn’t expect to see you right after entering the sacred zone. It’s been a while.”

Jin-su, who had been staying behind others since entering the safe zone, greeted Seo-eun with a bitter smile.

I felt puzzled by the angry Seo-eun and awkward Jin-su.

It was natural for Jin-su to act like he knew Seo-eun.

He was my best friend in my previous life, and Seo-eun was my lover.

However, Seo-eun’s reaction was unexpected.

While I had cut ties with Jin-su in this life after being disappointed by his actions,

Seo-eun had maintained a good relationship with him until my last moment.

I had even thought they might live together after my death.

But their current situation was completely different from my expectations.

Though they couldn’t be as close as before since Seo-eun was living with someone else, the current atmosphere was beyond that.

Unlike the uncomfortable Jin-su, Seo-eun’s face was full of anger, fear, and disgust.

This clearly wasn’t just dislike.

Seeing Seo-eun’s expression, Jin-su took a step toward her with a sad face.

“It seems misunderstandings about me have deepened since we parted without me being able to apologize. Still, I’m grateful that meeting you alive allows me to at least apologize.”

As he approached, Seo-eun held out her hand toward Jin-su.

“No, I don’t need an apology. Just don’t come near me.”

Jin-su looked uncomfortable at her expression, as if looking at a disgusting bug.

“The misunderstanding seems very deep. It will take time to clear up.”

“What misunderstanding! I remember everything you did to me and the deceased after Sun-woo died. Yet you dare call it a misunderstanding! I can’t tell you to leave this sacred zone, but don’t come near me!”

But regardless of Jin-su’s uncomfortable expression, Seo-eun just kept waving her hand at him.

As Seo-eun made a fuss, Jin-su’s presence stopped there.

Seo-eun lowered her hand with a sigh, and I frowned.

Though his presence and appearance clearly stopped there, his mana was stealthily approaching Seo-eun.

His ability usage was better than expected. Ordinary people definitely wouldn’t notice.

However, I, Hoffman, and Zahina noticed his movement.

But I didn’t move. Hoffman and Zahina also stayed still.

I didn’t need to step in.

Someone who would protect her was rushing here now.

Whoosh!

Suddenly wind arose, and two people appeared in front of Seo-eun.

No, that’s how it would have appeared to Seo-eun.

The people who appeared were Jin-su reaching his arm toward Seo-eun and Jae-ha, Seo-eun’s husband, who grabbed that arm.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, right. There was you who intercepted in between.”

Jin-su muttered quietly while looking at Jae-ha who grabbed his arm.

Though quiet, both I and Jae-ha who was holding the arm could hear clearly.

Jin-su relaxed his expression again and spoke loudly.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to greet someone I used to date.”

Seo-eun, who had been blinking in surprise, burst out at Jin-su’s words.

“What dating! You just forced yourself on me using the excuse of helping after Sun-woo died!”

Jae-ha patted angry Seo-eun’s shoulder, then turned to look at Jin-su.

“Anyway, she’s my wife now. She’s not a woman you can touch.”

With those words, he released Jin-su’s arm.

“Team leader’s husband is really cool.”

Yerim’s admiration was heard from the side.

Indeed, it was impressive even from a man’s perspective.

Though the situation wasn’t resolved at all.

Even after releasing the arm, Jin-su and Jae-ha glared at each other with angry Seo-eun behind them.

Zahina was the one who sorted out this messy situation.

“Though everyone’s staying still enjoying the show, shouldn’t we proceed with our tasks? We need to accept the people, and there’s the Apostle issue mentioned earlier.”

At Zahina’s words, people watching with excited faces suddenly came to their senses.

People looked at Jin-su with awkward expressions.

They finally realized this wasn’t someone else’s business.

Jin-su, who had been facing off with Jae-ha, let out a small sigh and turned around immediately.

He bowed to the people who had followed him.

“I’m sorry. I confused everyone with my personal matter. She’s someone I’ve known for a while. After my friend’s lover died, various misunderstandings accumulated and she’s very angry with me. Since I made many mistakes, I’ll continue apologizing to resolve this issue.”

People nodded at his words.

Though curious about what happened, now wasn’t the time to ask.

Seo-eun also took a deep breath at his words.

Then she addressed the people.

“I apologize too. It wasn’t something to say in front of everyone, but my emotions got heated. Welcome to the sacred zone. Our management department will immediately provide accommodations and necessities.”

The management department women watching from behind came forward to guide the waiting people.

People entered the building following the management staff’s guidance.

This time, Jin-su also moved with the people following the guidance.

However, he kept stealing glances at Seo-eun even while entering the building.

He watched Seo-eun so discreetly that even I could barely notice.

As I watched this scene, Yerim spoke to me from the side.

“Are you okay, Sir Knight?”

“Okay? About what?”

“You look unhappy.”

“I’m fine. Just watched an interesting scene.”

Plus, I was a bit troubled hearing my previous life’s name from my former lover.

I was also curious about what happened between them after my death for their relationship to become like this.

Should I look into it when I have time?

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

Before that, I had something to ask Yerim.

“By the way, why am I ‘Sir Knight’? You call Zahina ‘sister’ and Hoffman ‘uncle’.”

“Well… that’s…”

At my words, the talkative Yerim froze stiff. She became like a broken robot and stepped back.

When I kept looking at her, she lowered her head and said quietly.

“It’s because you’re exactly like the knight I’ve always imagined? Is that strange?”

Was I the image of her ideal knight?

Well, unlike Sun-woo from my previous life, this life’s Jansen Egger was a handsome blonde knight with a tall build and defined muscles.

After gaining mana, my skin blemishes disappeared, and fortunately, I had no facial scars.

Come to think of it, my current appearance was similar to blonde knights in romance fantasy movies.

‘Is that why the noble ladies were so kind?’

Anyway, given Yerim’s unexpected explanation, I couldn’t ask her to change how she addressed me.

While I was feeling awkward, Hoffman clicked his tongue, but somehow I didn’t feel like cautioning him.

While talking with Yerim like this, everyone had entered the building.

The only people remaining outside were Seo-eun, her husband, and our party members.

After everyone went inside, Seo-eun sighed again.

“I never thought I’d see that person again.”

Seeing Seo-eun struggling, Jae-ha embraced her shoulders.

“Don’t worry. I’m by your side.”

“Yes. I trust you.”

Watching the couple’s intimate conversation gave me goosebumps.

It was quite irritating to watch.

Seeing them like this, I probably didn’t need to investigate what happened before.

With them like this, wouldn’t they live well enough without my concern?

While thinking this, Seo-eun’s words were heard.

“Shall we go together then? The Apostle is waiting.”

At Seo-eun’s words, Yerim’s expression darkened.

“Ah… I was just managing to think about something else.”

I had admired her for maintaining a bright expression even in this situation, but she was forcing herself to act that way.

Her best efforts to avoid reality became useless in the face of the approaching situation.

“The Apostle is scary… And they say he’s under strange misunderstandings. He won’t get angry, right?”

Though I heard she was saved by the Apostle, her fear seemed greater than gratitude.

However, she didn’t seem to dislike the Apostle. She didn’t seem to dismiss him as a cult leader either.

She just looked like a student going to meet the disciplinary teacher after making a mistake.

We moved along with Yerim.

The Apostle probably only called for Yerim, but she was now a member of our party.

We couldn’t let our party’s priest go alone in a situation like this.

Even though we were in the safe zone, it wasn’t truly safe.

Both the Apostle we were going to meet and the people who attacked him were potential enemies to Yerim, no, to all of us.

The Apostle was lying in the director’s office on the second floor of the museum where we had met him before.

It was an ordinary director’s office, neither extremely luxurious nor austere.

Leather sofas, a wooden desk, and bookshelves. An elegant but old-fashioned room.

A bed that didn’t match the room was placed on one side.

The Apostle was lying on that bed, and the awakened one I had beaten up was standing beside him.

Blood-stained clothes, face and arms covered in wounds, and a pale face.

He looked quite critical.

While Yerim examined the wounds with a surprised face, I asked the Apostle.

“You’re badly hurt. I thought you were stabbed, but was it an explosive?”

“It was something like a homemade bomb filled with nails and metal balls.”

He answered in a calm voice. His voice didn’t sound like someone severely injured.

“I guess you can’t know who did it.”

“Well, I couldn’t catch them on the spot, but it’s not like I don’t know who did it.”

He replied to my continued words in a composed voice.

Though his voice was composed, his eyes were different.

“Stop talking. Your wounds will open more.”

Yerim placed her hands on the Apostle’s body and drew out her internal mana.

Yerim’s body glowed softly, and light began to flow from the Apostle’s wounds as well.

However, the light from the wounds was so faint it was hard to discern.

The wounds disappeared quickly. Much faster than when Yerim had treated someone before.

It couldn’t be helped.

The Apostle had already almost finished healing the wounds.

The insides were already healed, only the visible external wounds needed to be erased.

“A test…”

The Apostle smiled at my muttered words.

After the wounds disappeared, he got up from the bed and thanked Yerim.

“Thank you, Sister Yerim. As expected, you too have received God’s blessing.”

“No, I just… I’m sorry.”

Yerim was flustered at the Apostle’s words.

“Not at all. This power was given by God seeing the virtue you’ve accumulated.”

He moved his body around, then spoke again.

“Now that we’ve confirmed Sister Yerim was chosen by God, shall we check something else?”

“What?”

He turned his gaze from the puzzled Yerim and looked straight at us.

“Before that, seeing you came here together, it seems you’re treating Sister Yerim well.”

“She’s a precious party member.”

He nodded at my answer.

“I heard you were together even before Sister Yerim was chosen by God. You called it a party?”

He looked us three over and continued.

“I was going to go with just Sister Yerim, but then, why don’t you all come along?”

He spread his hands toward us.

“To where the sacred object that created this sacred zone is.”

He said with a bright smile.

“We need to check if Yerim can be an alternative for this sacred zone, as those wicked ones say.”