Chapter 519 – Room 207, Gate Room – Fourth Trial: ‘Fallen King’ (5)
– Han Kain
The trials of the hotel are said to be adaptations of real events occurring somewhere in the universe.
What does this mean?
A boy bullied by his peers ended up in a mental hospital.
But guess what? The hospital director turned out to be a demon flaunting cosmic powers.
With the strength he got from the demon, the boy brought havoc upon the world.
A businessman lost everything due to betrayal from his wife and business partner.
Just as he was about to give up on life, he miraculously bounced back with the help of a mysterious ally.
But, surprise! That ally was the priest of a demon who died before he was born.
In the end, a cosmic moth that devoured countless mortals hatched and wiped out the Earth in one go.
This means such absurd events could really occur in reality.
The world is like a castle made of cards, ready to collapse without a trace with just one wave from the madmen across the universe.
Realizing this, I accepted that my belief in the unwavering existence of the world was, in fact, quite childish.
…
Such events could happen in Room 207 too.
Before I entered 207, I was afraid that my turn might lead to the “stage going to hell.”
Of course, with the ultimate manager referred to as the ‘hotel’ present, there had to be some safety net.
For instance, I doubt they’d let the Earth shatter or humanity go extinct; the hotel would intervene to stop that level of craziness.
On the flip side, a “moderate level of madness” might be permissible.
Moreover, based on past experiences, there was a slight difference between what the hotel considered “moderate” and what we did.
For example, imagine a scenario where all of humanity became slaves to snail aliens.
I’d be screaming about how to proceed with the trial in such a crazy situation, but the hotel might seriously suggest, “Now, save humanity!”
From the get-go, splitting us into four parties and dropping us in different timelines presupposes that the actions of the previous party could affect the future.
If the past party messed up and led 207 to its doom, they could argue it’s your fault for being incompetent.
So, I wanted to offer my comrades a sort of baseline.
In other words, a minimum guideline to prevent the apocalypse.
*
— Tap! Tap!
I was lost in the sea of information, furiously typing on the keyboard.
I was gathering info on my next target, the Horus cult.
“Is this the right place?”
Is the “cult” the Horus cult?
I don’t have solid evidence, but comparing it to my memories related to “real reality,” it’s suspicious.
Sure, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam existed in reality, but I’ve never heard of “Horus Church”!
It’s certainly the aftereffect of historical changes made by my past comrades.
As it’s a “cult,” there seems to be a divine sun involved…
“… Hmm.”
A sharp headache felt like a prick in my brain.
It was a result of events from a few days ago when I retrieved the grimoire.
At that time, the Vatican gathered all the students, teachers, and staff at the school, administering a “Grade 3 memory eraser” while also employing hypnosis.
They were trying to control information related to demons while erasing memories about “Agent Kim Minah.”
I considered resisting, but in the end, I just accepted it.
It was a measure after everything was over, and it was a drug and therapy administered to young students, right?
It should have been weak enough that I’d be able to endure it now, right?
As I expected, half a day passed, and memories I had naturally forgotten started to return.
A slight headache served as a bonus, but I saw it as a medal of victory.
Gulp!
Drinking a glass of ice water made me feel better.
— Tap!
While it’s not on the level of the big four religions, the Horus cult was also quite renowned.
The structure of the Horus cult was closer to that of Catholicism than Protestantism.
In other words, it had a central archdiocese in the U.S. and individual dioceses around the world.
The head of the cult, corresponding to the “Pope” in Catholicism, was known as the “Sofia Pontiff.”
“She’s missing?”
Intriguingly, the Sofia Pontiff disappeared about seven years ago, making it a worldwide news story.
Could it be connected to the trials?
The history of the cult got a bit murky.
They claimed to have existed since ancient Egyptian times, but from an external viewpoint, they seemed to vanish until the 20th century.
Academics mostly agree that they suddenly appeared in the U.S. after the great disaster in Spain at the end of 1897 or the beginning of 1898.
“They appeared in America…?”
While that makes sense, it feels strangely eerie.
They’re rooted in ancient Egyptian traditions but began in America?
Well, Christianity also stemmed from the Middle Eastern Jewish religion, but its practical history began within the Roman Empire, so perhaps that’s just how it is.
The perception of the cult in Korea was fairly decent.
They were large-scale and engaged in plenty of charitable activities, plus they had that unique Egyptian mythological mystique, right?
The long historical gap could also be seen as a strength in terms of not having a history of conflicts like witch hunts or crusades.
“I guess I’ll start visiting from tomorrow.”
I’ll probably need to go in-person to gather more detailed information.
*
“Hello there, student! Quite the unfamiliar face, did you just arrive?”
“Yes. Um, I’ve heard that the Horus cult is the place to go.”
Should I say something childish?
“I heard there are a lot of pretty girls!”
“Haha! Isn’t that a bit too honest? So, what’s your name?”
“I’m Cha Eun-ho.”
“I’ll note that in the faculty register. Please sit down appropriately.”
The Horus temple was rather beautiful.
It was adorned with elements that Koreans would associate with “ancient Egypt.”
As I looked at sphinxes and pyramid carvings carved on various walls, it felt like I’d stepped into a museum.
Soon, a “priest” dressed in bizarre garb likely from ancient Egypt appeared and began his sermon.
…
Sorry to say, I felt bad for Priest Kim so-and-so, but the sermon was honestly dull.
As a result, I was slightly disappointed with the Horus cult’s Korean diocese.
Ahem!
You know, I once completely devoured the Icthus cult during a midsummer night’s dream!
According to my views as a ‘religious business’ expert, sure, it’s important to throw money around to build beautiful and mystical temples, but more crucial is the people.
You need to recruit a few “wealth transfer experts” who can sweep up the hard-earned assets of those who’ve lived righteously with just one mouth—
“Excuse me, could you step aside a bit?”
“Oh, my apologies.”
As I took a step back, some people began snapping photos of the surrounding sculptures and paintings.
It felt less like a church and more like a tourist site, with the priests joining in with smiles instead of stopping it.
Since it’s a newly rising cult, is it that they’re trying to attract guests with a tourist vibe instead of maintaining a solemn atmosphere?
This strategy doesn’t seem half bad.
Looking around, I noticed convincing Horus statues and “Pharaoh chairs” set up just for photo ops.
The Horus statue appeared somewhat cuter than the majestic version I’d imagined, probably because its head shifted from a hawk to an owl—
An owl?
“Uh?”
Wasn’t the symbol of Horus in real history a hawk? And now it’s been changed to an owl?
“…”
In the hotel, the owl symbolizes my benefactor.
Could this change really be a coincidence?
As I subtly shifted my gaze beneath the statue, I saw the following sentence.
“The incarnate of the sun and sky, Horus. He sees all of the present, past, and future and is, moreover, the wisest of all in the world.”
Horus supposedly sees all and is incredibly wise.
“…”
As I got closer, I noticed a parrot perched on the owl-like shoulders of Horus.
“The symbol of Horus is the wise owl. Furthermore, it is said that when he reveals his prophecies, the parrot conveys their meaning.”
“…”
Hey! This is way too blatant!
Are they really saying that a parrot, a native from tropical regions, serves as the messenger for a religion that originated in ancient Egypt?
The people of that time probably didn’t even know what a parrot was!
“One day, the arriving Horus will take the most beautiful and dignified form one can imagine—”
“Ugh!”
“Hmm? Student, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing!”
Seriously, come on!
Think about how Horus would feel watching this!
And when did Perro ever convey my thoughts?
“…”
Didn’t I act as a cult leader back in 206?
I didn’t feel embarrassed back then, did I? Looking back, that was when the divine sun had half-consumed my mind!
I really thought I was half a god during that time, so it was fine!
Now, in the absence of the divine sun, standing in front of this grand church and statues of ‘Horus’ is quite suffocating.
“… It’s tough.”
I unconsciously covered my face with both hands.
No one would know, but at that moment, I seriously wanted to crawl into a mouse hole out of embarrassment.
While I was spending this agonizing time alone…
“Hey, could you take a photo of me?”
“…”
“Can you hear me?”
A familiar voice echoed from behind.
Upon looking up to meet her gaze, I realized my mistake.
A few days ago, the Vatican wiped all memories regarding “Agent Kim Minah” from the students.
Naturally, I shouldn’t be able to remember Kim Minah’s voice!
It’s all due to this ‘Horus statue.’
“Uh, um, who are you?”
“Stop messing around and take a picture already.”
“… Sure.”
She had a really cold expression for someone asking for a photo.
— Click!
Soon, she and I engaged in a subtle battle of nerves.
No matter how I looked at it, this girl was either Ahri herself or someone related to her.
While she looked somewhat different, there were still plenty of similarities.
Aside from her stunningly beautiful features, she had those mysteriously glowing red eyes.
When I met her at school, her eye color was ordinary; maybe she was wearing colored lenses?
Her chest seemed a bit smaller, but that wasn’t a hugely important detail…
If she were Ahri, why couldn’t she recognize me?
Is it because my appearance has changed too?
Even if my looks have shifted slightly, there’s an aura to people.
Thus, just as I recognized Ahri, she should recognize me as well.
It’s estimated that Ahri’s starting point was around 100 to 150 years ago; did she lose her memories due to some incident during that time?
This alone doesn’t explain the soul-change I confirmed through the grimoire.
“Hmmm, Minah, how about we grab a coffee together?”
“… Sure. How about a quiet spot nearby—”
Just then, an old man’s voice unexpectedly rang out from behind.
“Hoho! Kids, going on a date is nice, but don’t forget about those waiting for you!”
Ah, this was the perfect photo spot!
As Minah stood up, a bit startled, the old man approached.
“Sorry, I got a little carried away talking to my friend—”
“It’s okay, it’s okay! When I was your age, I’d get butterflies just seeing the girls’ faces, so don’t worry about it!”
As Minah glanced at the old man, she stepped back, startled.
“Huh? Director?”
“Hmm? Do you know me?”
“… You’re always on TV. I saw you in the news.”
“Oh dear! This is what happens when you get old—sometimes I forget I’m a bit of a celebrity!”
By this point, I also recognized the identity of the old man.
As Minah said, I often came across him while searching for information related to the Horus cult.
He was the head of the Korean diocese of the Horus cult, Hong Gohak.
That was the identity of the old man.
“So, you two are starting here today?”
“Um, yes. My name is Cha Eun-ho, and I’m registered in the faculty list.”
“Good! And that cute young lady over there?”
“I still haven’t—”
“Kim Minah! You need to put your name on the list.”
“Really? Kim Minah? That’s great!”
As the old man smiled and gestured, the lady in charge of the register noted Minah’s name.
Soon, Minah looked at me in disbelief.
“I’m going to be attending this church from now on.”
“…”
She soon shook her head vigorously and left.
Just as I was about to follow her outside…
Again, the old man’s voice rang out.
“Hey, is your name Cha In-ho?”
“It’s Eun-ho.”
“In-ho, I saw you looking at the statue of Horus earlier… What did you think about it?”
“Uh, I thought it was cool? Handsome?”
“An owl face, and you called it handsome?”
“Um, its majestic presence is hard to conceal behind its owl symbolism—”
“Remember that.”
“Uh?”
“Someone will be returning soon.”
“…”
I didn’t know how to respond.
But I could feel an indescribable eerie vibe coming from Hong Gohak.
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