Chapter 20: Desertion Will Not Be Tolerated

Even as he left the Orange Store, the smile did not leave the Demon God’s lips.

Though it was an incredibly weak force, he had clearly broken one of the chains.

“Team Leader.”

“Yeah?”

“Arrange for my lessons as soon as possible.”

The Team Leader brightened at the Demon God’s words.

“Oh? Sun-woo, are you finally getting motivated?”

“Indeed.”

‘I shall convert this power into the abilities of an idol through these lessons.’

The Demon God’s resolve was firm.

And that effect was clearly revealed in the various lessons that began that afternoon.

“W-what’s with this? Which company were you at? Why haven’t I heard any rumors about you?”

“Are you really from overseas? I guess you learned properly abroad. Your ‘feeling’ is no joke.”

“You’ve never learned? You only did the basics? You’ve never actually been trained before?”

The instructors were bewildered by Sun-woo’s presence.

The learning ability of the Demon God, who had begun to focus, was truly formidable.

He possessed a natural-born aura and a top-tier physical body.

A single drop of power.

And will.

The Demon God grew and evolved by the second, to the point that the members working with him were constantly surprised.

If things continued at this rate, there would be no setbacks in the comeback preparations—

But if things were that easy, being an idol wouldn’t be a punishment.

“Why is the last person not appearing?”

The title track included a rap part.

The member in charge of rapping in Pantheon was Ji-ho.

However, he had not arrived yet.

“Um. He’ll be here soon, Sun-woo.”

The Team Leader tried to brush it off.

But the Demon God could read the shadow on the Team Leader’s face.

Because he was a Demon God.

He could notice such things with uncanny accuracy.

“Team Leader, what is it? Those dark clouds hanging over your face?”

“Huh?”

The Team Leader flinched at the sharp observation.

“Do not think of deceiving me. It is already plain to my eyes.”

The Team Leader stared at the Demon God in silence.

The Demon God enjoyed the Team Leader’s surprise and admiration.

“So you can notice things like that, yet you usually act so recklessly?”

“…….”

It seemed there was a slightly different impression.

“So, what is the matter?”

However, the Demon God moved on as if it were nothing.

“Ugh…”

Tae-young asked the groaning Team Leader.

“Team Leader, are you in contact with Ji-ho?”

“In the beginning, Ji-ho said he’d be a little late, so I allowed it. But lately, he hasn’t been picking up.”

The members also knew that Ji-ho was coming late.

However, it was definitely strange that he hadn’t arrived by now.

“Are none of you able to reach him either?”

The Demon God asked the members as well.

The company still discouraged them from using social media DMs to avoid potential controversies if they made a mistake.

Since they used messenger apps for work, the Pantheon members used those as well, but…

“The group chat disappeared after Kang-yul left. We were contacting each other individually, but lately…”

“Hmm?”

‘A desertion, is it?’

The Demon God knitted his brows.

Just when I am about to perform this punishment in earnest, a deserter appears among my subordinates?

“The thing is…”

Ha-gyeom, who usually spoke vibrantly about anything, spoke up very cautiously.

“I think I heard something strange from Ji-ho.”

At those words, everyone looked at Ha-gyeom.

“Something strange? What was it?”

“I talked to Ji-ho during the vacation… I told him I felt good seeing Sun-woo’s success.”

Ha-gyeom glanced at the Demon God.

Of course, even in this situation, the Demon God offered a haughty smile.

“Right… Anyway, Ji-ho was different. He said something about how it seems okay even without him.”

“What?”

“But when I comforted him, he seemed to cheer up again quickly. He said he’d come back after the vacation and work hard himself. We even did a ‘fighting’ together.”

A memory that would have been nothing if Ji-ho had appeared felt quite ominous in the current situation.

Tae-young let out a sigh.

“Ji-ho was originally closest to Kang-yul. He was happy for him like it was his own success when Kang-yul became the center.”

Ha-gyeom added.

“That’s why Ji-ho was the one most shocked when Kang-yul left.”

Yoon-seo also added a word.

“That’s right. He could barely eat… He wouldn’t eat even when I made something for him.”

The Demon God closed his eyes for a moment.

Had he taken a critical hit from Kang-yul’s betrayal and lost heart?

Is that why he deserted?

Desertion by subordinates was something he had experienced countless times.

Could there have been no deserters during the many wars he fought?

Of course there were.

What did he do then?

“Let us go at once.”

“Huh?”

“Let us go capture him right now. We cannot leave him like this. I must bring him back personally.”

The Demon God had personally stepped forward every time a subordinate deserted.

He would find their tracks and meet them again.

“I think Sun-woo is right. We should go.”

“That’s right, Ji-ho hyung is struggling, so we can’t just be practicing.”

“Sun-woo, you! Tae-young hyung and Yoon-seo were right about you being kind.”

The members were moved by the Demon God’s judgment.

“We shall capture him and beat him until his senses return. We can tie him up and beat him until he cries and promises never to do it again.”

The reason the Demon God tracked them personally was to set an example for the other subordinates.

If a deserter was left alone, the atmosphere could spread.

He had to turn them into an example of what happens to those who end up in that state.

“Sun-woo?”

“Hyung, that’s a crime.”

“Is this kid being kind… really?”

The Demon God tilted his head.

“Is that so? Then is spitting on him and throwing filth at him acceptable?”

“No!”

“Tsk, a small pleasure vanishes.”

“…….”

However, the conclusion did not change.

“Let us go.”

The members would go down personally and bring him back.

The faces of Tae-young, Yoon-seo, and Ha-gyeom turned solemn.

***

“What? You’re saying Ji-ho isn’t at home?”

Ha-gyeom’s voice rose by an octave.

The Demon God’s party had just arrived at Ji-ho’s house in a car driven by the site manager.

The Team Leader, who couldn’t come along due to important business, had called ahead, so they met Ji-ho’s older sister.

“I’m sorry, the truth is… Ji-ho hasn’t come home for three days.”

The sister’s voice trembled.

“Both mother and father are so worried they can’t sleep… I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell the truth because I was hoping Ji-ho would return before the members arrived.”

The family seemed to have hesitated, fearing that telling the company the truth would negatively impact Ji-ho.

But according to the sister, the situation was much more serious.

“Then what should we do? Did you report it to the police?”

“No. Not that either…”

Reporting a current idol as missing was indeed a difficult matter.

Tae-young hurriedly called the Team Leader to inform him of the situation.

“Team Leader, Ji-ho is in real trouble. He’s not even at home.”

They had come expecting to persuade Ji-ho while he was holed up at home, but to think he had vanished from there too.

“I was the last person to talk to him.”

Ha-gyeom clutched his head in guilt.

“Ji-ho hyung, surely nothing bad has…”

Yoon-seo’s imagination began to unfurl with anxiety.

In that way, chaos spread through the Demon God’s party…

“Hmph, I suppose I must step in.”

“???”

Except, of course, for the Demon God.

Sorrow, worry—such things were concepts that did not apply to him.

He was used to such things.

Tracking was also familiar.

“Sun-woo, do you have a way?”

Ha-gyeom asked with wide eyes.

Of course.

First, to find a deserter, one must examine the starting point.

“Show me Ji-ho’s living quarters.”

“?”

As the sister hesitated for a moment, Tae-young explained.

“Sun-woo is from overseas and he learned to speak through historical dramas. Just take it as it is.”

“Ah, yes.”

An understanding surrounding the Demon God was reached.

Perhaps this, too, was an arrangement by the gods.

The sister soon answered the Demon God naturally.

“The family also searched everywhere because we were worried about Ji-ho.”

“Hmph. Was it not merely ‘everywhere’ by the standards of a clumsy human?”

“?”

“Lead the way!”

“…….”

Even after accepting it, it was unavoidable to feel a lingering sense of unease.

Because the person was the Demon God.

***

Ji-ho’s room perfectly reflected his personality.

“Oh, it is quite tidy.”

No unnecessary items and a practical arrangement.

Even the military plastic models on one side of the room revealed his meticulous nature.

“Sun-woo, it’s so clean here. Is there anything left to search for?”

Ha-gyeom asked half-doubtingly.

The Demon God replied with a relaxed smile.

“You are right.”

“Huh?”

Not only Ha-gyeom, who asked the question, but also the members and the sister all looked at the Demon God.

‘You walked in so confidently? And now you say there’s nothing to search for?’

“Sun-woo hyung, you still have a way, right?”

Yoon-seo asked just in case.

In any case, the Demon God had always solved the problems at hand until now.

“Yoon-seo knows well.”

“As expected of Sun-woo hyung!”

“Everyone, out.”

“Pardon?”

The Demon God waved his hand dismissively.

“Ha-gyeom, reflect on your doubt toward me. Tae-young, take everyone outside.”

Ha-gyeom still wanted to ask what the method was, but Tae-young grabbed his arm from the side.

When he looked, Tae-young shook his head.

“…….”

Ha-gyeom stared at Tae-young for a moment before simply heading outside.

He was gradually becoming accustomed to the Demon God.

“Finally, it is quiet.”

Left alone, what the Demon God did was…

“It is a good thing I did not destroy you.”

He pulled out the black ghost doll—the Shadow.

“Come out and catch the scent. It would be unseemly for this body to sniff out even the minute darkness of a human.”

In terms of status, the Shadow was not a hunting dog but a mere puppy.

However, even a puppy can catch a scent.

In other words, the Shadow could also track the minute traces of darkness left behind.

Sniff, sniff.

Sniff, sniff, sniff.

The Shadow scurried around.

It went behind the desk, clung to the lamp, and roamed between the military models as if about to knock them over.

Then, it stopped at one spot.

– Whirrr.

The Shadow spun around on top of it.

The sight of a black ghost doll spinning on its own would have been a horror to anyone else, but…

“Well done. Continue to act in this manner.”

The Demon God put the Shadow, which was bouncing up and down at the praise, back into his pocket.

“Everyone, enter!”

Then he called Ji-ho’s sister and the members.

Everyone who entered looked at the object in the Demon God’s hand.

“A plastic tank model?”

It was a meticulously crafted plastic tank model.

Adhesive had been used, and it was a completed work with a finished paint job.

“Ji-ho made that one recently.”

At the sister’s words, Ha-gyeom asked.

“Recently?”

“Yes, Ji-ho would immerse himself in making plastic models whenever something wasn’t going well. When his worries grew long, the models increased.”

Ha-gyeom’s face darkened slightly.

Knowing he was the only one who had heard Ji-ho’s worries had left him uneasy, and now seeing the model made it worse.

“It seems things weren’t resolved when we talked on the phone. I felt relieved without even knowing it.”

His eyes even turned slightly red.

“It’s not your fault. How could you know if Ji-ho didn’t show it?”

“That’s right, Ha-gyeom hyung. Ji-ho hyung must have been comforted.”

Tae-young and Yoon-seo grabbed Ha-gyeom’s arms from the side.

As the two offered comfort, the Demon God also offered a small word of consolation.

“Since you know to be ashamed of your foolishness, it is enough.”

“…….”

For some reason, Ha-gyeom had the bizarre experience of his guilt fading and his eyes returning to normal.

“Su-Sun-woo hyung, so what about the tank?”

Yoon-seo looked back and forth between the Demon God and Ha-gyeom and hurriedly changed the subject.

He didn’t particularly see anything special about the tank, so his expectations weren’t high, but…

“Ah! Sun-woo hyung!”

The Demon God lifted the plastic model and slammed it forcefully onto the floor.

Crunch!

The model made of plastic shattered into pieces.

It was a sight that would have shattered the heart of any military fan.

However.

“Look closely.”

In the empty space inside the tank, there were several pieces of paper.

In particular, a single yellow piece of paper with writing in red ink caught their eyes.

“Sun-woo, isn’t that a talisman?”

Ha-gyeom’s eyes widened in surprise.

“A talisman? Our Ji-ho doesn’t believe in things like that!”

Ji-ho’s sister shook her head as if it were impossible.

The Demon God handed her one of the papers from the tank, which looked like a note.

The words written on the memo were—

‘I wonder if I really have to go this far. I don’t believe, but I want to believe. Even if I’m holding onto something that is nothing.’

“Is this Ji-ho’s handwriting?”

“Yes… even though it’s scribbled haphazardly, it’s Ji-ho’s handwriting.”

The sister bit her lip.

The weight of the worries her brother had carried seemed to crush her anew.

“A few days ago, he stayed holed up in his room without even eating dinner. To think he was having these thoughts.”

She then looked up and asked the Demon God.

“Even we, his family, didn’t know he had put anything in here. How did you know?”

But the Demon God merely smiled.

“There is also one of these in here. Is this not a business card? Do human shamans use business cards as well?”

[Great Sage General]

[Divine Revelation. New Year’s Fortune. Compatibility. Affection. Three Calamities. Dream Interpretation.]

[Phone Consultations Available. 100% Reservation System.]

The Demon God was appalled upon seeing the business card.

They were doing all sorts of things.

Even the gods did not act like this.

They only knew how to give vague oracles in their respective domains.

How convenient would it be if they could know everything like this?

“Will Ji-ho hyung really be okay? How worried must he have been for someone of his personality to do this…”

Yoon-seo asked anxiously with a sense of dread.

“What is Ji-ho’s personality like?”

“He’s rational and likes science. He doesn’t believe in superstitions at all. To think he hid something like this.”

“It is fine. From now on, he merely needs to believe in me. Let us tell him to worship my photo instead of a talisman.”

“…….”

Yoon-seo’s worry vanished instantly, and his eyes returned to normal.

Looking at Ha-gyeom with those eyes, he saw that Ha-gyeom was also looking at him with eyes full of a sense of kinship.

“Ahem. Then shall we try calling this number?”

Tae-young calmly shifted the atmosphere.

“No. If we do, there is a risk they will hide Ji-ho.”

When the Demon God shook his head, everyone focused on his words.

He finds clues and speaks confidently about what to do.

Before they knew it, the hunt for Ji-ho was being commanded by the Demon God.

“We must carry out a surprise raid without giving them time.”

“A surprise raid? You mean go there?”

“Indeed. We must go and burst in right this moment.”

“What if he’s not there?”

“I shall simply make them talk.”

Then, the Demon God smiled.

While everyone felt a chilling sensation, they also all had the same thought.

‘If it’s Sun-woo, it feels like he could actually do that. But we shouldn’t let him go too far.’

The members decided they would have to be the ones to stop Sun-woo if needed.

“Um, the address on this business card. I know it. It’s in the mountains, so you might get lost. Can I go with you?”

With Ji-ho’s sister stepping forward, it was the final piece.

The Demon God issued his command.

“We depart. We shall capture the deserter and cut the head of the one who instigated it!”

Everyone thought that was a bit much, but.

“Let’s go!”

Well, they could stop him when the time came.

Everyone shouted their departure for now.