It was past midnight, but I continued talking with the Dark Elf Wip.
There was so much to hear.
“You are the ninth Returnee.”
“…There were that many?”
Wip explained that before me, there had been other Returnees.
Counting me, there were a total of eight.
Since Japan had twenty-one Returnees, this seemed to be a reasonable number relative to the population.
‘As expected…’
I had wondered why there were multiple Returnees in a country with a smaller population than Korea.
As it turned out, there was a reason for the lack of Returnees.
If Hainha found out, it would probably shock him enough to report to higher-ups.
“So why has this not been known until now?”
“Because of demons.”
Wip furrowed his brows while gripping the teacup.
“Starting with me, the first Returnee, every Returnee faced demons as soon as they returned. They sensed our powerful presence and came immediately.”
“Then they just didn’t show up in front of me.”
“Yes. Your holiness possesses incredible Sacred Power, and your husband is also an impressive strength, so they had to be careful.”
If Liam had come alone, it could have been disastrous.
I wouldn’t easily be taken down by some demon, but the issue was the hostage.
Using my loved one’s life to threaten me was a tactic that they often used.
If the Great Demon had threatened to kill Seo-yoon if he didn’t comply, I might have ultimately given in.
“Did other Returnees become subordinates to demons like Wip?”
“Ultimately, almost all did. Each person’s reactions and responses were different, though.”
According to Wip’s testimony, who had witnessed all the demon’s misdeeds, Returnees weren’t sitting idle.
One of the currently critically injured Returnees was barely alive after confronting a demon head-on.
Three others succumbed to threats and worked as subordinates, eventually severely injured by the demon’s torment and tricks.
“And… there were also two who completely ignored the demons, even if they held loved ones hostage. That surprised even the demons.”
To have a personality that even surprises demons! Truly, there are always incredibly wicked people everywhere.
“Are those people still hospitalized?”
“No. They’re in China. Since the management of Returnees there is inadequate, it’s easier to illegally make money.”
It was a mindset of preferring to go to another country to make big money rather than living under demon’s watchful eyes.
That was a reasonably rational choice—something people who wouldn’t mind losing their lives would decide.
“So currently, the only healthy Returnees are myself and Han Hee-jun, who has space isolation abilities.”
In summary, there were a total of seven Returnees in Korea. Excluding me, there were six.
Out of those, two were freed after serving as demon’s subordinates, and four were critically injured.
If I could heal their wounds, it might establish a good relationship with them. Or perhaps they would join our Order.
In other words, six Returnees would become close to me.
‘In the end, this worked out well.’
After struggling under the demon’s evil, I gained capable individuals to work for the Order.
It was essentially a trade of mental anguish for bright prospects. It was quite a profitable deal.
If I could receive such substantial and satisfying rewards, I wouldn’t mind going through troublesome events many times over.
Of course, it would be better if peace were maintained, though.
“O Sun, things are going well.”
The Goddess must be pleased by now.
I was tapping on the table in satisfaction when I asked Wip.
“But what is the Great Demon doing in Korea?”
Kim Yi-jeong wasn’t a Returnee.
He was a Great Demon, deceiving and corrupting while possessing a normal human’s body.
Why he tormented Korean Returnees was a puzzle. I thought about it but couldn’t figure it out.
Could it be that he found it easier to manipulate a smaller country from behind the scenes?
Or was it perhaps because of its geographic location, being a strategic point for advancement into China and Japan?
As I pondered this, Wip smiled wryly.
“That demon has no particular goals. If I had to put it into words, it’s just ‘for fun.’”
“…….”
Kim Yi-jeong wasn’t a demon with grand ambitions like ‘dominating Korea from the shadows.’
He simply enjoyed making people suffer for fun.
A mindset typical of a demon obsessed with pleasure and evil. I felt a surge of physical urge to eliminate him.
“Understood. Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. I imagine it must have been uncomfortable to think about.”
Finally, the whole situation was getting clearer.
After downing the remaining green tea, I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
Fortunately, it seemed I didn’t need to worry too much about head-splitting dilemmas.
‘For now, I need to prepare for when I return.’
The Great Demon that Liam dealt with was just a fragment. Its main body remained in the Demon World.
Since it was already soundly beaten by the Demi-god Hero, it probably wouldn’t easily come into this world again.
However, I couldn’t let my guard down. Even a part or a clone could be a nuisance.
‘I need to eliminate the main body.’
I wanted to invade the Demon World and deal with that Great Demon, whatever his name was.
Capturing the main body and ‘reforming’ it was also a tempting option.
However, if it stayed in the Demon World, that would be nearly impossible. A demon gains several times more power while in the Demon World.
No matter how I thought about it, capturing it seemed hard.
I really wanted to show a segment on TV where we educated a demon about humanity. Unfortunately, that seemed too unrealistic to hope for.
‘Anyway, I should plan for an invasion of the Demon World.’
A major event for the future was set.
Now I had to deeply consider how to cross over and how to judge that Great Demon.
Consulting with Kelaout should yield answers soon.
Just then, as I was momentarily lost in deep thought, the Pope’s Chamber window suddenly opened, and Liam walked in, carrying a man on his shoulder.
“You finally arrived.”
I jumped to my feet, warmly welcoming the Return of the Demi-god troublemaker.
To be honest, I had missed him. I hadn’t seen his face for almost a day.
Since he had worked hard dealing with the demon today, I was ready to let him do anything he wanted.
“Thank you for your hard work. Are you tired?”
But why was it?
Even as I approached him kindly, Liam was not wearing his usual broad grin.
“…….”
He just had a strange expression while looking down at me.
Instead of feeling distant, it seemed like he had something to say but didn’t want to let it out just yet.
Liam, who shares every moment of my day with me, is suddenly keeping secrets? That was a sure sign something unusual had happened.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“First, heal this person. He’s badly injured.”
Liam calmly changed the topic and gently set the man he was carrying down onto the couch in the Pope’s Chamber. It turned out to be Kim Yi-jeong.
I flinched for a moment but recalled what Wip had told me just moments ago.
‘Kim Yi-jeong was merely the host body exploited by the Great Demon.’
This person was also just a victim in this matter. I couldn’t help but feel guilty since I had constantly insulted ‘Kim Yi-jeong.’
“I’m sorry.”
I quickly started healing, pouring all my apologetic feelings into the process.
Meanwhile, Liam nonchalantly walked out of the Pope’s Chamber, not throwing me a smile or a wink.
It was a departure that deepened my doubts and even left me feeling a bit disappointed.
What shocked me the most was that he didn’t even say, “sleep well.”
How could he do that? Why is he suddenly turning his back on me?
In a way, it seemed trivial, but I felt strangely upset. Wasn’t it way too different from his usual self?
We had had some disagreements before, but never had he avoided talking to me like this.
Maybe that’s why, while I wanted to ignore it and keep calm, I was unable to do so.
Liam’s cold expression kept lingering in my mind.
Even after finishing the healing and sitting back down, my mind wouldn’t settle, and instead, it grew increasingly troubled.
Once the feeling of disappointment began to rise, it wouldn’t stop, swelling in my chest.
Then suddenly, it transformed into another emotion.
“Wip.”
“Yes, yes?”
Wip flinched at the slightly tense tone of my voice. Ignoring it, I asked seriously.
“Is it petty of me to feel upset about my husband acting distant while hiding something from me?”
Wip pondered, resting a hand on her chin, and then shook her head.
“I don’t think it’s petty. It’s quite justified.”
“Indeed, isn’t it?”
“…Maybe?”
Then Wip added, “I’ve never been married, so I’m not sure,” but that wasn’t the point.
‘Then I won’t talk to you either.’
Thus began a cold war that would continue until he reveals what happened.
*
Kelaout returned from his mission the next day around noon.
“This is Archbishop Kelaout. I have returned from my mission.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Your Holiness, I will report on the progress and outcome of the mission.”
Nodding lightly, Kelaout began to speak solemnly as usual.
“Firstly, I went to the place where Liam was last seen yesterday. There, I met the ‘Returnee’ boy. He was the one responsible for severing contact between Liam and the rest of us, and through two interrogations, I uncovered that the demon had placed a seal on the boy’s mind.”
A seal was a technique similar to the language correction placed on me. I had volunteered for that one.
“Where is that boy now?”
“He is currently here, at the Sun Cathedral’s lodging. After I finish all my reports, I will introduce him to you.”
Han Hee-jun.
According to Wip, he was your typical bad high school student, often referred to as a ‘school delinquent.’
Not quite a bully, but somewhat twisted. However, since Wip had strongly defended him, saying he wasn’t a bad kid, I had taken her word for it.
“Do you think he matches with our Order, Archbishop?”
When I asked for the opinion of someone who had met him first, a smile formed on Kelaout’s lips.
“That child has a severely twisted manner of speech. They also have a rather undesirable attitude toward elders. We will likely need time and patience to guide him down the right path.”
“Understood. Please handle that part yourself.”
It seems that, contrary to Wip’s defense, he must be quite a complicated character.
Thus, with Liam and the Young Dragon, there was now one more student under Kelaout’s tutelage. Since it was unrelated to me, I could laugh about it freely.
I naturally smiled gently and continued.
“How is Seo-yoon doing?”
“Your sister is currently recovering at home, resting. She is somewhat fatigued from the aftereffects of being isolated for over a day. I helped her recover quickly with a Sacred Spell. I plan to visit again to aid her recovery.”
As expected of the Archbishop. He always did his job cleanly and well, making it impossible not to be pleased.
However, Seo-yoon truly went through a lot.
Just as Kelaout previously pointed out, I had a strong feeling in my bones that someone aiming at me could harm her.
To prevent such incidents from happening again, I needed to assign a bodyguard to her.
“Archbishop, please deliver this child to Seo-yoon.”
I handed the defensive sword, Wolju, to Kelaout. This thing could take down most strong opponents easily, so it would protect Seo-yoon well.
“Wolju, I’ll rely on you!”
-Count on me!
Happily promising, I patted the sword before signaling for Kelaout to continue reporting, and suddenly his tone changed to a careful one.
“I have some news that remains in the realm of speculation and suspicion, but I feel it is important to share.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about Liam, that friend of yours.”
“…….”
I felt a bit uneasy hearing the name of that troublesome brat.
I hadn’t exchanged a single word with Liam today. I had avoided looking at him or even coming near him on purpose.
Because of the behavior and attitude Liam had shown yesterday, I was attempting to show him that I was upset with him…
Yet, he didn’t do a thing to ease my feelings and added to the complicated silence instead.
‘What the heck.’
I was far too curious, but I absolutely wouldn’t approach him first. Even if he apologized, I planned to brood about it for a while.
As I waited patiently without revealing my inner turmoil, Kelaout’s deep voice soon broke the silence.
“I’m not certain if this was properly sensed, but let me share what I’ve perceived.”
“Yes. Please tell me quickly.”
What happened that made him hesitate like this? I felt growing impatience until Kelaout narrowed his left eye.
“Yesterday, Liam’s divinity momentarily twisted.”
“…Excuse me?”
“It was a very brief moment, but his pure heart became tainted with impure emotions.”
“…….”
Though Kelaout continued to speak, his words faded into the distance in my ears.
‘What in the world happened…’
Various ominous possibilities began to flood my mind.
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