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Chapter 38

“What the? You’re not sleeping?”

My uncle was reading a book in his usual place. I was wondering what kind of book it was, so I checked. As expected, it was a book about money. He was a very consistent person.

"Is that another economic book? We have a lot of money now. What’s the point of reading that?"

“That’s not right. If we have money, we should think about putting that money to work.”

“What if you end up losing money again?”

“Would you not go fishing just because you’re afraid of worms? There is always a risk to return.”

His words were not completely wrong. Uncle continued, "And you have to put money to work. If you leave it alone, it’ll slowly lose value."

"What are you talking about?"

“The amount of money remains the same, but prices go up every year.” Uncle shrugged his shoulders and said it as if it were an obvious fact. His explanation was not very clear, so I didn’t know exactly what he was trying to say, but I vaguely understood.

My uncle continued to drone on about money for a few minutes after that. It was some random rabble about supply and demand.

“—Thus, in conclusion! The source of the money can be obfuscated. In technical terms, it’s called money laundering.”

His lecture initially started with macroeconomics and investment advice but eventually shifted toward money laundering.

I was a novice in this field, so I had no idea what techniques he employed. In any case, my uncle was an expert in laundering illegally acquired funds so that the money could be used in the regular market.

"The money confiscated from Han Su-Yeop is in the process of being laundered right now.”

"How long does it take?"

"It takes two days minimum and a week maximum."

Apparently, the cash and commodities in Han Su-Yeop\'s room were in the process of being laundered. When I carefully asked the amount, he said, "Even if I give up my religious life, three generations can play and eat for the rest of their lives."

In any case, it meant that there was a ridiculous amount of money. It was an amount that easily covered the losses incurred from the stock investment from last time.

"Su-Yeop, get me some coffee."

"Ugh...”

With a groan, Han Su-Yeop went to make a cup of coffee. My uncle looked at Han Su-Yeop with a smug expression.

As a result of the fusion spell that I cast, Han Su-Yeop more or less became a zombie. However, he had not completely lost his intelligence, so it was possible to educate and train him. Thus, Han Su-Yeop became an errand boy for the underground chapel. The first thing that Uncle taught Han Su-Yeop was how to make coffee.

Soon, Han Su-Yeop served up coffee. My uncle accepted the cup and took a sip.

"It\'s a little bland. It\'s definitely convenient, but it’s a shame that he sucks at controlling the amount of water.”

"Aghhh...” Han Su-Yeop made a sound as if he was repenting for making a mistake. My uncle continued reading his book with the cup in his hand.

Although Han Su-Yeop had been punished, and I was able to take all his money, my heart still felt heavy. It was because Yoon-Ah became a zombie and was still wandering inside Baal\'s Maw.

I had no idea how to turn zombies back into humans. That meant that Yoon-Ah might have to live as a zombie for the rest of her life. When I thought about that, it felt like my vision was going dark.

[Don\'t worry about it. If you ask that guy, I’m sure there will be a way.] Legba said as I was trying to relieve my mixed feelings with a sigh. That guy referred to Baron Samedi.

"Surely, right?"

[Of course. He knows everything. Although I hate to admit it.] Legba said as if it were natural. It was somewhat comforting.

Indeed, there was surely a way. Even if there wasn’t a way, I would find a way.

I reaffirmed my resolve and moved to the warehouse that was located in the corner of the underground chapel. As I opened the door to the underground chapel and went inside, I saw Ji-Ah sleeping on top of a mattress in the corner of the room.

I had no idea why she was sleeping in there even though there was a bedroom and a lounge that was available. I went past Ji-Ah and searched the warehouse. I was able to find the Altar that we stole from Han Su-Yeop, and I took it out. To be precise, we didn’t steal it—it was simply returned to its rightful owner.

I placed Altar in a decent location and searched for something to sacrifice. The voices of Loa, who were excited at the thought of receiving a sacrifice, rang in my head.

[Oh, finally! Is it finally a sacrifice? I\'ve been so hungry that even my hair follicles have dried up at this point!]

[Be quiet, please. Shouting like that is demeaning.]

[You\'re looking forward to it too. You speak as if you don’t want a sacrifice, but your body is being honest.]

[Sacrifice. Half a year. It’s been! I, very looking forward to. I can’t stop laughing!]

The Loa chatted noisily in their respective tones. I ignored them and focused on finding a sacrifice.

Soon, I found a box of sacrifices for the Loa. Because it had been half a year since the box had been touched, dust was piled on top.

"There\'s not much."

I opened the box and looked inside. There were not many sacrifices, and they were not particularly of high quality either. If I were to grade the sacrifices, I would say they were somewhere between lesser and intermediate.

But there was nothing else I had to offer, so unfortunately, I could only offer these as sacrifices.

Once the money confiscated from Han Su-Yeop that was currently going through laundering became available, I would be able to buy high-quality sacrifices with that money. However, the priority at the moment was to put out the urgent fire.

Using the Altar, I sacrificed the offerings that were inside the box.

[Phew, Come at me. I am the [strongest] right now.]

I gave the Horn of Bullfighting to Bossou.

[Thank you! I’ve satiated my hunger a little. I’m sorry for last time.]

I gave the Soil That Holds a Smile to Granbwa.

Other than that, I gave other sacrifices, such as the Lightning Struck Tree Branch and the Shipwrecked Steering Wheel, to the respective Loa that matched the sacrifice’s characteristics. The sacrifices were not very good, and above all, the number of sacrifices was far too lacking. It was probably going to be hard to utilize one hundred percent of the power of the Loa.

However, I should be able to use about twenty percent of the power of Loa, and the drawbacks should be much less severe than before.

[I. Didn’t. Get. A. Sacrifice. Why?]

As I was offering sacrifices, the fire Loa ‘Marinette,’ which I had taken back from Han Su-Yeop, whined.

[Shut up, you traitorous bastard.]

[Sorry. Unfortunate.]

Legba\'s voice and Marinette\'s frightened voice alternated in my head. As a price for betrayal, Marinette was going to starve for months.

There was no need to make offerings to Legba, Baron Samedi, and another one of the Loa. All three of them were so powerful that they didn\'t particularly have a need for sacrifices.

[Do Sun-Woo! You can have my power! Do Sun-Woo! You can have my power!]

[Do Sun-Woo, is he a god? Do Sun-Woo, is he a god? Do Sun-Woo, is he a god?]

When all the offerings were sacrificed, the Loa frantically devoured them and thanked me. The compliments were so fierce that they felt burdensome.

"Blasphemy. Difficult."

I lightly raised my hands in satisfaction. It was something that I wouldn’t be able to do in front of others, but it was fine since there was no one else in the warehouse.

“Mr. Cult Leader? What are you doing?”

“Oh.”

My complacent thought was soon erased.

Ji-Ah had been sleeping for a long time, but she stood up and looked at me. I had no idea when she had woken up. Her eyes were half closed as if she had woken up just now.

My face turned red in embarrassment.

"...I umm. I needed to talk to the Loa for a moment to make sacrifices."

"Aha. But what exactly is supposed to be difficult? Did something happen?”

“...I’ll go out now.”

I hurried out of the warehouse without answering.

* * *

[If you\'re going to do that, take a sleeping pill.]

"I don\'t want to."

[You’re so stubborn for no reason. Does it make sense that you haven\'t slept for six hours in two days?]

"It doesn\'t make sense. It won’t kill me, though." As I responded with a smile, Legba sighed deeply in my head. It was a deep sigh that contained the weight of the world.

[Do what you want to do. The one who’s tired is you, not me anyway.]

"Yes, yes. I\'ll do what I want to do."

[You still suck at wearing your necktie.]

Legba kept muttering inside my head. I ignored Legba and focused on wearing my school uniform. Wearing a tie was still awkward. I definitely remember Jin-Seo showing me how to do it last time, but strangely, I couldn\'t remember how it was done.

After wearing my school uniform, I left my house and went to school. My head ached, and my steps felt incredibly heavy. There was also dizziness as if the world was spinning. It was because I didn’t sleep well for the past two days.

When I closed my eyes to sleep, I remembered In-Ah, who was desperately looking for her younger sister, and Yoon-Ah, who became a zombie.

For the brief period of time when I was able to fall asleep, I had nightmares. And the contents of the nightmares were, of course, about the two sisters: In-Ah and Yoon-Ah. Even if I wanted to sleep, I just wasn’t able to do so.

But I didn\'t want to take sleeping pills either. It was because it was easy to get dependent on drugs. If I became addicted, then I wouldn’t be able to sleep without sleeping pills for the rest of my life. I’d rather sleep less than end up in that situation.

[I understand, but you don’t have to go so far. Excessive restraint is foolish.] Legba clicked his tongue and said.

I just walked to school without responding. I had absent-mindedly lost focus along the way, and when I came to my senses, I was already in the classroom.

"What in the world?"

Perhaps I had acquired a teleportation skill.

[You lost consciousness while walking. You stupid, asinine idiot.]

"Aha."

I must have been really tired if I had lost consciousness while walking. I sat down in my seat and slept for a while. Obviously, I couldn\'t sleep well. I was only able to fall asleep and wake up repeatedly. Instead of relieving my fatigue, my headache only worsened.

[Take a sleeping pill. Or you can ask that guy from back then. The one who uses the ‘blessing of peacefulness,’ or whatever it’s called.] Legba subtly advised.

During the demon eradication practical training, I definitely remember there being a student who could cast the advanced blessing of peacefulness. But I couldn’t remember her name. I think her hair was gray. The girl that was always around Ha-Yeon. What was her name again?

“Woo hey!”

While trying to remember, someone tapped me on the head. While lying on my desk, I rotated my head to face her. In-Ah was looking at me while smiling with a shopping bag in one hand. Her eyes shone brightly.

"Aren’t you going to study today?"

"I\'m tired. But what the heck is \'woo hey\'?"

“Because your name is Sun-Woo. I took the Woo from your name and added hey.”

I wanted to ask her where she left the ‘Sun,’ but I didn’t have the energy to ask, so I just nodded.

In-Ah sat in the seat in front of me and stared at me with her head turned around. For some reason, I avoided looking at her. I didn’t have the confidence to be able to treat her as usual.

"You look really tired today. Do you want to sleep a bit?" In-Ah said as if she was worried. She seemed to think that it was because I was tired. I shook my head and moved my gaze back to In-Ah. Even if I tried to sleep, I didn’t think I would be able to anyway.

"What\'s that?" I said while pointing to the shopping bag that In-Ah was holding. She smiled with vigor and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her face was filled with anticipation and excitement.

“I’m seeing my sister today. I was going to give her a gift.”

"Oh, you’re sister. They said that they found her...”

"Yup! I\'m going to do practical training in the morning and then leave early during lunchtime to go to the Paladin Order immediately."

I felt my heart tighten for some reason. I lifted my head and silently gazed at In-Ah. Her brown hair was slightly curly. Her bright brown eyes were twinkling. It was something I only realized now, but her eyelashes were long, and her double eyelids were quite thick.

She looked so similar.

When I looked In-Ah, Yoon-Ah came to mind and made me feel depressed. And when I looked at Yoon-Ah, In-Ah came to mind, and my heart would sink. In-Ah and Yoon-Ah looked too similar to each other. They were so similar that it felt cruel.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

Oblivious to how I was feeling, In-Ah smiled brightly. She took out a hand mirror and examined her face from different angles.

"Huh? There\'s nothing on my face. Why were you looking at me like that?”

"Just because. You looked so happy."

In-Ah looked out the window and said, “Isn’t that obvious! Of course, I would feel happy. That\'s right, the cherry blossoms are slowly beginning to bloom too.”

Outside the window, I could see buds that had formed on the branches. The sky was clear and blue, and fresh sunlight was shining down on the buds like a warm embrace. It was an exceptionally beautiful day, but that made my heart feel even worse.

"Are you sure?"

"Huh? What?" In-Ah tilted her head as if she didn\'t understand.

"You said that the Paladin Order found your sister. Are you sure?"

"I won’t know that until I go there. But wouldn\'t it be almost certain?" In-Ah answered with a slight frown as if she wondering why she was being asked such a question. The atmosphere, which had been warm just a moment ago, now felt somewhat stiff and cold.

"Right."

I said no more and just nodded.

"Why did you ask that?”

There was still a smile on In-Ah\'s mouth, but unlike before, it was a little forced. The wind flowing from the gap in the windows blew and shook her hair.

Ring.

A ringing noise came from somewhere. However, there were no bells nearby. The image of Yoon-Ah screaming in the damp Baal’s Maw flashed through my eyes and disappeared.

"Just in case. I thought it would be better not to expect too much."

The smile around In-Ah\'s mouth gradually hardened and soon disappeared. Her shining eyes were already empty.

Only then did I realize that I had made a mistake.

“Sorry, what I just said was–”

“Hey.” Without even giving me a chance to apologize, In-Ah spoke to me icily.

My heart felt numb as if it had frozen over. In-Ah gazed at me with empty eyes that were deeper than the abyss.

“You sure are saying some strange things.”

“It was a mistake.”

“You told me not to look forward to it. That’s not something you say on accident.”

She was absolutely right.

I was already well aware that her sister had become a zombie. I also knew that she was endlessly screaming while trapped inside Baal\'s Maw. I already knew that she wouldn’t be able to reunite with her sister even if she went to the Paladin Order today. I already knew that her expectations and excitement would soon be replaced by grief.

If expectations were high, then disappointment would also be high, so I had said so in the hopes that her mental stability would not collapse. It was not something that I said by mistake—it was something that I earnestly said from the bottom of my heart.

"I\'m sorry."

"Can\'t I look forward to it?"

My belated apology was lost in the wind.

“The Paladin Order called me and said that they found my sister. Isn’t it fine for me to look forward to it?”

I lowered my head in silence.

“Why are you telling me whether I should look forward to it or not?”

Her voice trembled as she asked, "...Just who do you think you are?"

The silence was fleeting, but it felt like it would never end. In-Ah glanced at me with empty eyes, and she soon got up from her seat and left the classroom.

Smash.

The sound of the door closing was loud.

Ring, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle.

The sound of the bell ringing and the sound of the iron bars shaking kept echoing in my head.

Slide–!

"Hey. In-Ah, why are you so mad? What the? What happened?”

Jun-Hyuk came in late and made a fuss.

His timing was truly masterful.