### Chapter 213 – Room 104, Cursed Room – ‘Prestigious Hotel High School’ Re (7)
—
– Lee Eunsol
The plan to find Aurelia moved swiftly into action.
“The daughter of the heavens has lived as a saint serving the god at the headquarters. She probably isn’t all that savvy about worldly matters. I doubt she’s gone somewhere completely unexpected.”
“I agree with Kain’s words. She can’t suddenly be taken away to a place she doesn’t know. Besides, given she was nearly choked to death, she probably won’t be too far away.”
“I have a few ideas about potential locations.”
As soon as we arrived at Hotel High School, Grandpa, utilizing his teacher credentials, began picking out places where the cult might have hidden. In the meantime, the previously fainted Elena woke up.
“I’m sorry for earlier, sis—”
“Don’t even worry about it. Just come join us for the meeting. Are you okay now?”
“I’m fine! But I think I won’t have the eerie thoughts for a while now.”
“I figured as much.”
“But, where’s Sanghyun?”
“I have no idea. Maybe he died when the underground city collapsed? It’s such a pity Kain lost his status window. Normally, we could check up on our comrades.”
“Even if we had it, it might not work. With Wisdom sealed, most of the functionality of the status window is blocked. Honestly, it’s a good thing that it is.”
“True. It’s terrifying to think the main character could use the status window. Anyway, Sanghyun is probably dead.”
“… I guess I should apologize to Sanghyun later.”
While I briefly relayed our previous discussion to Elena, Grandpa examined the map and narrowed it down to four potential locations. We immediately set out to check each spot. As the sun started to set that evening, when we entered the small forest near Hotel High School, we found an unusual light.
“That light! What is that? Is someone camping there?”
“Light?”
Elena and Grandpa looked at each other, confused.
“I can’t see anything. It must be too far away for you, sis.”
“No, it’s not that far.”
“Then it must be a light only visible to your ‘bird’s eye’? It seems like a supernatural phenomenon, so let’s go check it out.”
“Alright! But what’s with ‘bird’s eye’?”
“Since it’s a single, one-eyed creature, I called it a ‘bird’s eye.'”
… Did this naming sense come from Ahri? I felt too tired to dig into that right now.
As we ventured deeper into the forest, the light grew stronger. Upon finally locating a small hut, we understood the source of the illumination. A warm light was radiating from within the hut, seemingly penetrating the physical structure and stretching outward.
“Are we sure about this?”
Grandpa, the only one among us who was practically a combat specialist, held his gun in a tense grip, ready to charge if necessary.
— Click!
The door swung open, revealing a beautiful lady.
“Hello~!”
“…”
Aurelia had a bandage wrapped around her neck, with the light emanating directly from that area. I had heard that the ‘Divine Sun’ no longer granted her power, so could that light mean she was focusing all remaining energy on healing her wounds?
“Is conversation difficult for you? I heard you suffered a severe neck injury.”
“… I can manage.”
Her voice, contrary to her answer, was completely different from what I remembered. It came out very rough, gritty, and the moment she spoke, her expression contorted in pain. Surely, forcing herself to speak was her way of preserving some semblance of pride.
“Let’s loosen up. I don’t think we have any real reason to fight now, do we?”
“My father asked me to protect the cult—”
“To protect it? That cult seems pretty much finished already.”
“What you saw is not everything about the cult!”
“Eh, the cult doesn’t concern me much. The vital point is that your dear father doesn’t seem to care about you much.”
Aurelia’s face hardened at my sharp jab.
“My father must have had some grand plan. Don’t speak so carelessly.”
There was no confidence in her voice as she replied.
“Sure, there might be a plan. But do you think that plan is beneficial for either you or the cult?”
“I dedicated everything to him. If he says he needs my life, then I shall give it.”
Aurelia couldn’t easily forsake her faith. Disavowing her deity would mean denying the very life she had lived as a saint of the cult. Yet, contradictions were already present in her actions.
“Oh, so to summarize your words: The god has this huge plan that mere mortals can’t grasp, and if he needs your life, you’re ready to sacrifice it?”
“… Yes.”
“Then why did you flee from the underground city? Instead of running away, why not prepare to personally slice your neck for your father’s sake? If you were scared there, why are you here, messing around? You should be running towards the spot where your father lies.”
“…”
“Let’s not lie to ourselves. The ‘god’ is not the kind of being you imagine him to be.”
“You’re saying my father is different from how I see him?”
“Exactly, so—”
“Don’t make me laugh! Just who do you think you are to know what my god is like? I’ll admit it; I don’t know what my father intends. But I understand him much better than you! Do you think I’m lacking fight? I was merely playing along with this charade to buy time for my neck to heal—how dare you—”
Aah! Did I just touch this girl’s sore spot? Did I put too much pressure on her? As Aurelia became genuinely furious, light began to surround her hands again. At the same time, the bandage around her neck turned red. This madwoman might think of fighting us with the energy she was using to heal!
In that instant, incomprehensible words came forth, calming the chaos in the area.
“I ask, why is the world full of pain? Evil fills the heavens and the earth. The reason? This world was shaped by a false creator. Thus, the promise of paradise was given by the lord.”
Surprise washed over Aurelia’s expression.
“Let go of everything that weighs you down as you prepare to depart for paradise. Surely, the treasures of this false world hold no value! The corrupt flesh is the greatest obstacle before paradise, so cast it away first.”
“What on earth…”
“Why are you surprised? Is it so shocking that the doctrine hidden from outsiders comes out of my mouth? Or are you amazed that a mere animal can speak human words?”
“…”
Did Kain figure out their doctrine or something? Did he figure it out during the first attempt? Forgetting that he memorized it is one thing—do you need such a good memory to get into K University?
“Don’t be surprised and listen. For eons, the lord has schemed on this land…. The time of judgment is at hand.”
What the heck is happening with this atmosphere?
As if waiting for a cue, Elena raised Pero Kain on her wrist and stretched her hand toward the sky. At the same time, it seemed she activated her lie detection ability, as her eyes turned golden, moving a few steps back and positioning herself with the sun behind her.
“You, Aurelia. Are you so certain your faith in the lord has not been betrayed? If your god truly came for you and the faithful, why did He extend His hand in your moment of catastrophe?”
Aurelia began to tremble. Her reaction differed entirely from when I spoke. Was she lost in confusion upon hearing the doctrine she had kept secret from outsiders come from an enemy’s lips?
“You… are you an apostle of the ‘Newly Established’?”
“Poor child. How long have you been alone in that crumbling cold hut? How many times have you sought the god while sitting on a rotting chair?”
“How do you know that?!”
What do you mean how? It’s obvious! If you’ve been humiliated by the god you’ve served and have fled to a hut, what kind of thoughts would fill your head? You’d probably be sobbing while just thinking about your god!
Elena: What is Kain doing?
Lee Eunsol: Kain doesn’t seem to be visible in the conversation tab.
Elena must have been going with the flow, not realizing what Kain was doing at all! What a champion—
As I thought about how impressive that was, I turned just enough to see Grandpa already kneeling with the expression of the most sublime reverence in front of the parrot that looked like it descended from the heavens.
Aha! I was the problem. Let’s solemnly pray. And think sad thoughts, sad thoughts.
“Child. A strong heart you’ve upheld all your life. You can’t just give that up in a moment. Hence, I will give you this opportunity.”
“This opportunity…?”
“Follow me. In the moment of judgment, you will be able to question your father.”
…
Is that it?
When I slightly raised my head, I saw Pero Kain stretching one wing back and tapping Elena’s head gently. Finally, Elena turned around and began to walk elegantly as if she were dancing. Aurelia began to follow her in a daze, like someone enchanted.
Now I feel like I’m starting to get it. This woman is utterly weak to mystical shows! Is she a style similar to Elena?
To not break the mood, I kept sad thoughts in one corner of my mind while reviewing the conversation we just had.
What would be left in the heart of a saint betrayed by the god she had devoted her life to, having fortified her cult—what could that yearning possibly be? Revenge? No, perhaps that thought might come later, but right now, the opponent is a god.
Her biggest longing is none other than ‘Why?’
Why did the god abandon the cult? Why did the god forsake the saint? If the god truly orchestrated this grand plan for a noble cause, then sacrificing her life would be a willing act of devotion. After all, that level of fanaticism could be expected from a saint.
But the god sacrificed both the cult and the saint without any prior explanation. Thus, the only emotion left swirling in her mind could only be ‘Why?’ However, she had no way to resolve that question herself. If she ventured alone seeking answers, she would be killed by the god’s hand.
Kain proposed that we help Aurelia find that answer.
Thinking back on it, Aurelia accepting Kain’s offer wasn’t merely due to the intimidation of a mystical show. We effectively proved we had supernatural powers, and she was hit precisely at her greatest wish, sealing the deal!
…
Did Kain calculate everything in the brief moment of meeting Aurelia? Or did he just arrive at an instinctive conclusion? Who knows? If it’s a parrot of that caliber, it feels like it could genuinely claim to be an apostle of a god.
That night, contrary to predictions that he would have died during the collapse of the underground city, Kim Sanghyun appeared, completely unharmed.
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