Chapter 118
"A proposal?" I asked, intrigued.
I never imagined that Ogun would make a proposal to me. Ogun's power was stronger in the present than in the past, thanks to the advancement of iron-production technology, weapon-production technology, and warfare development.
Ogun's power, which had been limited to controlling swords and armor, was now magnified to control firearms and tanks. Despite having severe drawbacks, using Ogun's power had tremendous merit for me, enough to overlook the disadvantages.
[Yes. And I guess you know that I'm not hung up on the likes of sacrifice.]
"..."
[I would gladly accept the sacrifices you offer, but it would be shameless of me to accept sacrifices without lending my power in return. It could lead to misunderstandings that I am a Loa who fleeces the Prophet...]
Under Ogun's cold and sharp voice was a scorching heat. Ogun did not tolerate acts that went against his own integrity. At least he was consistent. However, that didn’t mean that I liked how he demanded honesty with no flexibility at all.
"So, what is the proposal?"
[I will lend you my power when you finally become honest. I will also accept the offerings when that happens.]
"The heck?"
Suddenly, the steel around me screeched, the sharp and eerie noise ringing in my ears. The surroundings suddenly seemed to have become hotter. The iron armor and weapons that I had brought to offer as sacrifices were red hot, white smoke snaking off of the pile of iron. This meant that Ogun was angry.
“...Would you be kind enough to restate your proposal, please?”
[Yes.]
The steel around me finally seemed to calm down as I changed my tone. I wiped off the sweat caused by the sudden heat and waited for Ogun to continue.
Ogun let out a loud and sharp cough that sounded like metal clanging.
[Cult leader of the Voodoo Cult or a student of Florence Academy. You don’t have to be one or the other. Be who you truly believe you are. That is the path to honesty.]
"It’s hard to wrap my head around what you’re saying."
[Honesty is inherently difficult.]
As Ogun's voice faded, the sound of the metal ceased as well. The heat emitted by the red-hot metal still lingered in the spot where Ogun had been.
I waved my hand to fan off the heat and tore open the offerings sent by other executives.
"Woah..."
Executive Yuk Eun-Hyung from the Gyeongsang Branch had sent water as their offering. It was a 500 ml plastic bottle half-filled with water, kindly labeled with a name pen as ‘Sahara Showers.’ It seemed suitable to offer it to Dan Wedo, the Loa of Water.
Although there was only one item that could be considered superior quality, there were also many offerings that corresponded to advanced quality items, like the Hoof of a Basan Bull or the Feathers of a Black Rooster.
It seemed appropriate to offer each of them to Bossou and Marinette, respectively. There were also offerings suitable for Bade. The offerings from Yuk Eun-Hyung’s executives were well-composed and sufficient to captivate the hearts of the Loas.
Next, I opened the offerings from Yeom Man-Gun. The box was covered in green tape, making it a challenge to open.
Thud!
As soon as I opened the box, I took a step back and fell to the ground. I had landed square on my butt, but strangely, it didn't hurt. I was too surprised to feel the pain.
"... What the heck is this?"
The offering that Executive Yeom Man-Gun from the Jeolla Branch had sent was an animal carcass. The animal’s fur coat was charred black, and its unfocused eyes peeked through the half-closed eyelids. The pupils were horizontally stretched. They were the eyes of a sheep.
Yeom Man-Gun left a note on top of the corpse.
[This here's a tenderfoot ram, hardly more 'n a button on a breechin' strap. He done got himself zapped by lightnin'. Sure had me a tough ol' time searchin’ for a little critter like this.]
As I tilted my head, the quick-witted Legba, immediately started interpreting for me.
[He means that it’s a baby male ram.]
I could almost hear Yeom Man-Gun's bold dialect echoing in my ears through reading his note. If this was a male lamb struck by lightning, this was an offering to Sobo and would be considered to be of superior quality.
[I, Sobo! Have something to say as the Loa of Thunder and Lightning.]
"Yes, go ahead."
Sobo's voice had an edge of seriousness to it, unlike his usual tone.
[Considering all the trouble I’ve been through, I think I should be given an offering of this level. If you don’t give this time as well, Sobo... can't stand it anymore!]
"Of course, I will give it to you. You've done so much... I’ll be counting on you next time as well."
I comforted Sobo, who was speaking with a dumb tone.
Sobo's power was sometimes a light that illuminated the darkness and others a flame that burned demonic beasts. I used Sobo's power for a long time because his power was highly versatile and strong yet did not have that big of a downside.
Sobo had worked hard and would continue to work hard in the future. Therefore, it was better to maintain a good relationship with Sobo.
In the silence, I heard Sobo sniffle.
[I'm touched! I also looking forward to working with you in the future...]
"...Of course!" I answered cheerfully, feeling a slight pang of guilt.
Afterward, I offered the sacrifice through the altar. Dan Wedo quietly shed tears, and Sobo choked up with emotion.
[Prophet, Sobo and I are twins, but strictly speaking, I am the older brother. I hope you understand that...]
However, Bade seemed somewhat displeased with the situation. Even though the offering I gave to Bade was of good quality, the quality was lower than what I offered to Sobo or Dan Wedo.
"I'm sorry. I'll give you something better next time. The conditions that I’m under just don’t permit..."
[No need to apologize! I just hope you understand. I'm not a petty Loa who complains about the quality of offerings!]
"Of course, I understand."
[I'm grateful that you understand!]
With those words, Bade disappeared. Like Sobo, Bade’s power was pretty efficient, so it was better to build a good rapport in advance. To prevent Bade from feeling too disappointed, it seemed like a good idea to ask the executives next time to find wind-related offerings.
Next, I sacrificed an offering to Bossou.
[Bossou is overflowing with power! He feels like he can pull out all the pillars of the underground chapel!]
"Huh? Uh, please don’t."
Bossou was in an excited state after receiving an offering after going a long time without one. While trying to calm him down, I placed the herbs I received from Yun Chang-Su on the altar. As I did so, Granbwa’s clear voice resonated in my mind.
[Oh, Prophet, you forgot to place the last herb on the altar. Please put it there too.]
"This one... I was planning to brew into medicine and consume it myself."
[...Sigh. In the end, you succumb to Legba's words. I'm disappointed, really!]
"No, it's not like that─"
[Forget it. Take care of your health. Take care of your body too.]
Granbwa disappeared, leaving behind a warm, heartfelt message with a cold tone as if she were disappointed.
After giving an offering to Granbwa, I had sacrificed all the offerings that the executives had offered to me... Except for the iron armor and weapons that were originally intended for Ogun.
"..."
I silently pondered as I looked at the scattered armor and weapons on the floor.
[Cult leader of Voodoo Cult or a student of Florence Academy.]
I remembered what Ogun said.
The reason why I joined Florence Academy. was to save my mother, who was trapped in the underground prison of the Holy See Headquarters. But that was not the mission I had as the Cult Leader of Voodoo Cult. It was purely a mission I had as my mother's son. So what was my mission as the Cult Leader of the Voodoo Cult? Or what should my mission be?
[You don’t have to be one or the other.]
I wasn’t sure what honesty Ogun expected from me. It was a problem I had never deeply thought about before.
I lay down in front of the scattered offerings and the altar. I was tired, but I couldn’t go to sleep. I got up and sat down. I planned to practice spells or something with the remaining time.
[Better to sleep early today.]
At that moment, the Voodoo magic I unleashed turned into a purple mist and settled on the floor. The mist shook and dispersed, then finally took shape. What appeared was a white hand, its long fingers dry as a twig. The voice came from those fingers.
[Long time no see.]
"Has it even been that long?"
[Really? My sense of time has become quite faint lately. Maybe it’s my time to die, haha...]
Baron Samedi laughed. As the Loa of Death, it was a joke in itself for him to talk about his own demise, but it wasn't funny at all. I glared at the hand with a stern expression. The hand waved itself back and forth as if to dismiss my gaze.
[Is it really necessary to glare at me like that? It's quite upsetting, you know?]
"Why is it that only your hand is here?"
[I left it at the intersection.]
It was a puzzling statement. Sometimes Baron Samedi's words seemed meaningless, yet sometimes they sounded profound. His words were always like that. His pale hand wiggled as if it was swimming through the air.
[That's not what’s important. As I said earlier, it's better to sleep now. If you don't sleep now, you'll be very tired tomorrow.]
"Tomorrow... Is something going to happen tomorrow?" I asked, becoming anxious.
Baron Samedi wagged his finger as if hesitating to answer.
[Well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out. I don't know for sure either.]
"Oh, how boring."
[As always, you will find it helpful if you listen carefully to what I'm about to say.]
Baron Samedi continued speaking, completely ignoring my grumbling.
[Beware of screams and cries. They are echoes of the false pain.]
“..."
[Don't trust the voice of the head.]
"You're just saying more incomprehensible things. Can I break your finger?" I asked, gripping Baron Samedi's finger.
He turned into mist and slipped out of my grasp. The mist returned into the shape of a hand again. Suddenly, his long and slender index finger was pointing at me.
[Out of all the things I've said so far, this is the most direct prophecy. You'll find out tomorrow.]
"Tomorrow..."
[There's no need to worry too much.]
Baron Samedi's hand turned into mist and diffused through the air. As the mist dispersed and faded, Baron Samedi's voice also grew quiet but never faint. His voice never seemed to lose its clarity. It had a mysterious quality that a human voice could never possess.
[Tomorrow will be a very enjoyable day. For you and for me.]
*
Early in the morning, there were a total of twelve teachers, and faculty members gathered in the conference room. Three of them were teachers of each department, Do-Jin, Ye-Jin, and Kim Bok-Dong, and the remaining eight were combat personnel who had previously worked as crusaders or paladins or had experience participating in the Holy War. And the last person was Chang-Won.
"I'm sure you were all surprised by the sudden call, but thank you for coming. The reason I called you all here early in the morning is... Ah, first, please take this."
Ziiiiiip–
Chang-Won opened the zipper of the backpack he had placed on the conference table to take out Branch of the Burning Bush of Moses. He took eleven of them out. A single branch was already expensive, but he gave one to each of the summoned teachers. The teachers accepted it, not sure of why they were given the branches.
"The Satanist Identification Project is nearing its conclusion. The Satanists would find the current situation less than comfortable since we are gathering together to identify them and aren’t easily dispersing in fear."
The teachers nodded quietly with puzzled expressions. They still had no idea why Chang-Won had called them here.
"So, I think we might soon encounter a big problem. Whenever the Satanists caused an incident, the security system and the CCTV always went down. It is highly unlikely that electronic devices such as cell phones and radios would function.”
The CCTV cameras in the area where the Satanists had passed were always broken or damaged. The same was done to the security system. The Satanists always disabled electronic devices through unknown ways.
"That's why we provided the Branch of the Burning Bush for you. If you all work together and communicate effectively alongside your combat skills, you will be able to quickly evacuate the students and suppress the enemy..."
At that moment, Chang-Won stopped speaking and covered his mouth with his hand to cough. After wiping the blood on his palm with a tissue, he took a deep breath and continued speaking.
"...On the other hand, if we are unable to communicate, there is a high possibility that even the evacuation of the students, which should be the top priority, will not be possible."
A dim light flickered in Chang-Won's eyes with a mixture of fear and conviction. What he feared most was the loss of students' lives. There should never be a situation where students suffer due to the teacher's negligence and inadequate response. Thus, Chang-Won tried to organize an internal organization led by teachers capable of combat by donating Branches of the Burning Bush to establish their own communication network.
"I apologize for only being able to provide this much support at the moment. Even this was prepared suddenly..."
"Oh, no. This is more than enough, Mr. Chairman."
"That's right. And these Satanists are nothing to us. As long as we don't let our guard down, we have nothing to worry about."
As Chang-Won bowed his head, some faculty members quickly bowed their heads in response. Chang-Won looked up and smiled subtly. It was a strange smile, kind and gentle, but one could feel a sense of deep trust within it.
"Thank you very much. I wholeheartedly put my faith in you. Well then..."
Chang-Won told the teachers to each take a Branch of the Burning Bush and return to the teacher's office. He didn't forget to deliver words of encouragement to each person. The teachers felt a renewed admiration for Chang-Won's character and returned to the teacher's office pridefully.
"I'm sorry, but can you come to my office?" Chang-Won asked Do-Jin to stay behind when all the teachers had left.
Do-Jin followed Chang-Won to the chairman's office without knowing what to expect. Chang-Won rummaged through a desk, then handed Do-Jin a vial. The liquid inside the bottle had a faint glow.
"As you know, this is a potion made by former Cardinal Sung Yu-Da with the power to purify 'Contract' black magic."
Contract was a type of black magic that turned humans into demons or humanoid demonic beasts. With this type of black magic, many clergymen had to stab their colleagues' hearts with their own swords. Contract was the utmost feared and abhorred black magic by the clergymen.
"It's still in the development stage, so we can't turn those who have already become demons or demonic beasts back into humans. However, we can temporarily halt the process of devilization and demonification."
"So this is the potion that was stolen last time."
"Yes. I think someone stole one from the research lab, as the level of security there is weaker than my office. It's probably the work of the Satanists."
Chang-Won laughed bitterly and handed Do-Jin the vial. Do-Jin did not take it. He just stared at the shimmering liquid in the vial, lost in thought.
"Take it," Chang-Won demanded.
“This is so sudden... Please, at least tell me why.”
“I want you to protect this vial, and in case of an emergency, use it at your discretion."
Do-Jin's face flared up in surprise as he was suddenly entrusted with such an important task. Chang-Won simply chuckled as usual.
"We can't leave something this important in the hands of an old retiree. It's much safer in the hands of someone still in the line of work."
Chang-Won forced the vial into Do-Jin's hand and added, "Besides, my judgment has become clouded as it can be. I hope we never have to use this vial, but if the situation calls for it... My personal emotions would interfere with my judgment."
"Contrary to what you think, I am not level-headed at all," Do-Jin said, bowing his head in embarrassment. "It would be better to entrust it to Bok-Dong. It may not look like it, but he is sharp and rational."
"I’ve made the same offer to Bok-Dong before. He rejected it, saying that you were more suitable for this task. Since, as you said yourself, a person with sharp and rational judgment recommended you, wouldn't it be right for you to take on this task?"
Chang-Won's smile deepened. Do-Jin, looking confused, lowered his gaze to the floor. He had run out of reasons to refuse the offer.
Do-Jin took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, I am afraid. I find it burdensome that the use of the potion is entirely dependent on my judgment and thinking about the responsibility that comes with it..."
"You don't have to worry about that," Chang-Won said as he stood up from his seat and placed both hands on Do-Jin's left hand, which was holding the vial. "I will take full responsibility. I entrusted this task to you, so don't feel burdened."
As he said those words, Chang-Won gazed at Do-Jin, his eyes filled with confidence and determination.
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