Chapter 103: Holy Site Pilgrimage

“Come with us, brother.” “Ugh… damn it…”

The man was dragged away by the Holy Knights.

Having watched the whole scene, Ion muttered, “We really can’t cut in line.”

“Yeah. They used to let you pay to jump ahead, but not anymore. Rich merchant or proud noble, everyone has to wait their turn honestly.”

One week per site, then… Ion felt a slight gloom as he closely examined the Holy Knights’ weapons.

They carried two kinds: sword and musket. No shield. Bran, noticing Ion’s gaze, whispered,

“You could probably block their swords easily, but be careful of the muskets. They’ve got something special.”

“What kind?”

“They turn divine power into bullets. I’ve never been hit, but someone who has said it’s both physical and mental damage at the same time.”

Ion instantly thought it might be similar to the World Tree’s mental realm attacks. That was a mistake.

“Memories of tripping flat in front of your crush, bragging only to be immediately corrected, smiling wide with food stuck in your teeth… all those come rushing back at once.”

“…So it forces you to relive every cringe moment in one go.”

“Don’t say it so lightly. The guy who got hit still has trauma—he can’t even keep a blanket at home. He’s alive, but it’s no way to live. Damn… might as well just kill you… cruel bastards…!”

Ion sympathized. And…

Unless I’m in <Vegetable Consciousness>, I should avoid fighting Holy Knights if possible…

He didn’t have any particularly shameful memories coming to mind right now, but better safe than sorry.

The real waiting began.

Idelfin’s holy sites weren’t open 24 hours. The staff—called “saints”—needed meals and sleep, so the gates closed during those times. Pilgrims naturally ate and slept then too.

Some wanted to stand without eating or sleeping to shave off waiting time: awakeners, swordsmen, mages—people who didn’t need rest. Even they were forced to wait during closure hours, for fairness with normal people. The people right behind Ion were exactly that type and were grumbling.

“Damn it, wasting days just for a stamp.”

“Still, once you get the Holy See certification, you qualify for most user parties. Just endure a bit.”

“Doing all this crap for money. Ugh.”

“Hm? Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but are you aura users?”

Bran struck up a conversation with the complainers. Ion shook his head with a here we go again look.

“Yeah. Aura Expert.”

“Ooh! I hadn’t seen a single awakener around me until now. What a pleasure. Honored to meet you. Care for some bread in celebration?”

Shops lined the queue area; pilgrims filled their stomachs with overpriced bread and drinks. Price was no issue for rich Bran.

He bought heaps of bread and handed it out front and back, opening the floodgates of conversation. Not just the people in line—shopkeepers, apprentice Holy Knights managing the queue, even pilgrims far ahead came back to chat.

Bran told them everything except that he was a hybrid: how the strongest in his family got a special position and he was forced into it because he was too strong, how his mom used to pinch his ears so hard the tops stretched… all the trivial details.

A very loose-lipped hybrid.

After happily chatting away, once lights-out came and everyone scattered, he’d say:

“Pfft. Foolish humans. Calling me big bro and little bro without knowing I’m the hybrid they’d hate. Aura Expert-level brats acting all high and mighty just because I butter them up. Kekeke. This is why I hang out with humans!”

Easygoing, loose-lipped, and a little twisted.

At sleep time all lights went out. Some slept sitting in chairs, some sprawled on mats bought from shops. In rain, Idelfin provided tents. The weather stayed clear the whole time they waited.

Bran sprawled on a mat; Ion sat in a chair hugging Sanse’s pot.

“Dam Ion, not lying down? You sleep sitting every day.”

“This is more comfortable for me.”

“Nobody finds sitting comfortable. Lie down.”

“Be quiet and sleep.”

Ion laid Baba on the blanket. It flapped in protest, but after a few strokes of its fluffy round body, it fell asleep snoring.

On a night when everyone except the patrolling Holy Knight was asleep, Ion looked up at the countless stars.

Is Earth one of those stars?

Lately, traveling with Bran had made him think of Hong In-su a lot—the way he’d been oddly affectionate only toward Ion. From there his thoughts naturally drifted to Earth.

What was happening on Earth?

After seeing Jin Seong-ha loitering around the orphanage through the Sage’s Mirror, Ion had often puzzled over why Jin Seong-ha was there and why the orphans had shown him Ion’s pajamas—as if giving a tour.

He couldn’t imagine the circumstances that led to it.

What was certain: Jin Seong-ha could easily break the vine wall around the orphanage. The awakened spirits would have tormented the orphans.

Has Il-on returned by now?

Mermaid habitats weren’t infinite, so after teaching everything, he’d have gone back to Earth. Even if the Mines killed him after he was no longer useful, he’d worn <Shed Skin>, so he’d return safely.

Ion still hadn’t mastered the ring Il-on had passed through Sara. He only knew it was an item from Earth.

Wendy Lowell should be awakening <Sanctuary> around now too.

How was Wendy, who’d been researching the awakening method, affecting Earth after obtaining <Sanctuary>?

And…

Is Choi Jung-go still alive?

He’d warned them, so Jin Seong-ha should have handled it—hopefully by guiding him toward awakening his fourth skill.

Thinking of Jin Seong-ha gave him a headache.

Jin Seong-ha was the protagonist meant to lead the real Hunter and Hero. [Pleasure] had chosen Jin Seong-ha and Sara as leads. To escape the play, the protagonists’ help was absolutely necessary.

When I meet him this time… I really have to tell him everything I know.

Just thinking about it made him not want to return to Earth.

Not for any other reason…

He was worried about the shock Jin Seong-ha would suffer… and how on earth he’d explain it.

With such a strong ego, the impact would be huge.

Everything was scripted. None of it was free will.

But at the same time, with that strong mentality, he might recover quickly.

The day of return to Earth was now only ten days away.

Head aching, Ion rubbed his cheek against Sanse’s leaves.

He just wanted everything to end quickly.

Teacher’s assignment, the secret of his birth, the Apostles and God… he wanted to be free of it all.

Finish the mission fast, hold Sanse, fiddle with Baba, and then…

…

And then what?

“Once you achieve your goal, what do you plan to do after that?”

He suddenly recalled what Dam Il-on had asked.

Back then, Ion had only one answer.

Death. He would disappear from the world.

Because he was residue that existed only for that purpose; once the purpose was fulfilled, there was no need to remain alive.

But now… he wasn’t sure.

He was still residue… so why was he thinking about “after everything ends”? Why had it become like this?

“Haa…”

A long sigh escaped. Baba rubbed its eyes and sat up.

“Dam Ion… sighed… what doing… not sleeping?”

“I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake up.”

Ion patted Baba; it fell back asleep. He stroked the cute bat with his finger, swallowed the next sigh—because the bat was sensitive to his sighs.

Guess I should sleep.

The night deepened.

Visiting both holy sites took exactly one week.

Both were small graves with stone monuments. Ancient script was carved on them; Ion, who had studied ancient languages diligently, could mostly read it.

They were the graves of human heroes who had once received Elida’s direct manifestation.

Did these heroes never realize until the end that they were part of a play created by an Apostle?

They must have been devout believers.

If they had learned the truth, would they have been consumed by betrayal?

Or… would they have been satisfied that they brought joy to God?

Ion pushed the questions aside and bowed respectfully.

The final holy site was inside the Holy See—Ion’s goal.

The towering twin spires flanking a domed main building looked like guardians. In front of the Holy See at the heart of Idelfin, Ion reviewed the plan.

First do this… then like that… he’ll react this way, so I do this…

As Ion mentally rehearsed, Bran beside him hopped around making noises like “Agh, ouch, ahh, eek.”

“Argh, it stings. How much holy water did they smear on this barrier? Ugh. Ouch. Damn.”

He had been fine at the first two sites, but the moment he reached the Holy See’s barrier, even Bran was struggling.

“Looks like you can’t. Wait here. I’ll go in alone.”

“Are you insane? Ow— I can’t send Baba-nim alone into a dangerous doghouse like this— ouch— no way. It stings.”

“If you want to come, endure the stinging. You planning to hop around inside going ‘ouch, ahh’ like a puppy that needs to pee?”

“What’d you say? Puppy that needs to pee? Hey! Imagine constant static electricity on your skin! Ahh— do you think you could stand it as well as me?”

“That’s why I said don’t come in. It’ll sting even more inside.”

“Hmph, Elida’s divine power is dog food compared to Demon God Hegis. I’ll overcome it with spirit! Just wait. HUP!”

“…”

Elida and Hegis are the same god…

Ion looked at Bran with a mixture of pity and exasperation, then asked Baba perched on the pot.

“Baba, you okay? Doesn’t sting?”

Baba yawned and answered.

“Yeah. Fine. Sanse says it doesn’t sting either.”

“Of course Sanse is fine. But you… I don’t know why it doesn’t affect you. You have the Demon King’s magic circle, the exact opposite of divine power.”

“I know why.”

“What is it?”