“So, for now, bring back a priest’s holy law, or holy magic, or whatever. It seems possible with your ability.”
“Ah, it’s possible. It is possible. I think there are priests on Earth, but it doesn’t seem like there are any here.”
Lucien made a sullen face.
“Are priests so scarce?”
“They are very scarce. This isn’t Earth.”
He nodded lightly.
“Well, anyway, a curse of that level can’t be handled by an ordinary priest. It would take at least a Cardinal.”
Sinhyeok, who had been wracking his brain over the connections he knew nearby because of Lucien’s additional requirement, stopped dead.
“Hmm, very tricky.”
“Can you do it?”
At Lucien’s question asking if it was possible, someone suddenly came to mind.
“Ah!”
Lucien looked hopeful at Sinhyeok’s sudden exclamation.
“They do exist. They exist, but they’re inside that Gate.”
Lucien was simply happy to hear that there were some.
“Then hurry and go fetch them.”
“I’ll try. You said it’s the Gate practical training period anyway.”
He had been thinking of making a round trip under the pretext of practical training.
He ran straight to the senior instructor but heard an unexpected answer.
“Denied. What Gate for someone who was discharged just a day ago? Rest for now. You know the drill anyway.”
“Come on, Instructor. I’m still a trainee, and my squad is waiting.”
The senior instructor maintained a firm attitude.
He also relayed the orders handed down from above.
“I can’t just do as I please. I’ve received orders from above to keep you confined in the unit. That Gunsan incident, you’ve attracted quite a bit of attention, so the order is to keep you put quietly.”
“Ah. Tsk.”
Things had gotten strangely twisted midway.
Still, he tried once more.
“Still, I could sneak out real quick—”
“If you sneak out, we’ll all lose our heads. Rest quietly. Until you complete your training.”
The threat landed.
He ended up stuck and unable to move.
“Ha, really.”
Sinhyeok, dumbfounded, properly vented his frustration at the superiors showing such an unexpected reaction.
“Geez, they abandoned me before, and now this? It’s really absurd.”
He grumbled as he left the instructor’s office.
*What do I do.*
Deep in thought, he saw Hong Ichan heading out to training with a nonchalant expression, as always today.
*At this rate.*
Hong Ichan would have no choice but to quit.
Hong Ichan, who had been lined up in the drill ground, looked around.
An instructor had approached and quickly pulled him out.
Hong Ichan, singled out, was going to the senior instructor with a deflated expression.
“Ah, Hyung.”
He made an awkward expression, then laughed with a heh-heh.
“Instructor Lucien reported me, I heard.”
“That fellow is certainly fast.”
Hong Ichan entered the instructor’s office with a smile that was closer to forced.
*There is a way, though.*
A way to procure the purification potion to stop the rampage, and Ichan’s situation, which had already been reported.
There was indeed a way to solve everything at once.
*It’s just that I don’t like it.*
“Hmm, what to do.”
That method was that person.
There was one fairly powerful fellow in this direction.
The commander of the famous Hongik Battalion and the possessor of overwhelming might.
“It’s a bit much, though.”
*No, I must be crazy.*
He couldn’t bring himself to fawningly call that fellow and ask for help.
“Let me look again. A priest on the level of a Cardinal……”
No matter how much he thought about it, there truly were none.
“Sigh.”
As he let out deep sighs, Hong Ichan came out of the instructor’s office with a sulky expression.
“Hyuuugh.”
He made a tearful face.
“Hey, don’t cry.”
Ichan forced himself to hold back and strained to speak as calmly as possible.
“They told me to withdraw.”
“…….”
He couldn’t think of anything to say.
Ichan forced a smile and tried to speak playfully.
“Well, nothing can be done. Hehe.”
And as he passed by, Sinhyeok’s heart sank.
“Sigh. I’m really going crazy.”
The sight of Ichan walking alone forlornly was quite pitiful.
*Tap-tap-tap.*
At that moment, Baek Arin came rushing into the main building.
“Hey! Hong Ichan!”
Hong Ichan flinched at Arin’s shout and hurriedly ran away.
“Hey! You—!”
When she saw Bu Sinhyeok, she quickly grabbed him and asked.
“Mister! What is the meaning of this?! Why is he withdrawing?! This is ridiculous!”
At her commotion, an instructor and the battalion commander came out into the hallway.
“Trainee. Calm down. There are circumstances. This, too, is the virtue of a soldier to obey orders.”
She didn’t calm down even at the battalion commander’s restraint.
“Where is the sense in doing this without a proper reason!”
“Trainee. An uncontrolled ability threatens even allies. This is the reason.”
At those words, Arin flinched for a moment as if she knew something.
*She knows too.*
Judging by her expression, she seemed to have roughly figured it out.
“Isn’t that why we’re training here?! Isn’t this the place we came to learn and control it!”
The battalion commander fell silent for a moment at her outcry. However, he calmly warned.
“The reasons are more than plentiful. Trainee, stop this and return to training.”
Baek Arin met eyes with Sinhyeok.
Sinhyeok quietly mouthed.
*Calm down. I’ll take care of it.*
She was about to explode further but calmed down for now at Sinhyeok’s message.
“Yes, understood.”
With the commotion settled for the moment, she looked at Ichan, who had his head peeking out in the distance.
“You, I-ss……”
Ichan flinched at the faint trailing hiss.
The battalion commander sighed and turned back.
“Everyone, let’s go back. Trainee Sinhyeok, you go back too.”
Sinhyeok nodded and asked for a moment.
“May I make just one phone call?”
“Huh? Sure. Want my phone?”
“Yes, sir!”
Sinhyeok quickly took the senior instructor’s phone.
And dialed a familiar number.
Right before pressing the call button, he took a deep breath.
“Hoooo.”
The senior instructor was curious who he was calling that he let out such a sigh.
“Who are you calling that you’re sighing like that?”
“The stars, sir. A high star.”
“What do you mean stars—hurry up and call, then go rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
He pressed the call button.
* * *
Inside a secluded building.
Brigadier General I Gangyeol was dealing with mysterious Awakened.
“Krrrgh!”
I Gangyeol ground his boot into the face of the man collapsed on the floor.
“Hey, who’s your superior?”
“Krrrgh!”
Seeing him desperately holding his tongue, he pressed down even harder.
“Stop being a pain and open your mouth. I’m asking who the higher-up is that brought the black magician here, hid him, and even supported him.”
“Kgh! I can’t tell!”
I Gangyeol extended his finger and aimed at the man’s stomach.
“Fireball.”
A spell condensed to the size of a fingernail shot out like a bullet.
*Fwoosh.*
“Kuaaack!”
Flames erupted from inside.
I Gangyeol watched for a moment, then withdrew the magic.
“Krrk.”
“Heal.”
The man was healed again and his wounds closed.
“Your superior.”
“I don’t know, I said I don’t know!”
I Gangyeol looked down with a frigid expression.
“Fine, let’s see how long you can say you don’t know.”
“Damn it!
*Ring-ring.*
At that moment, a phone notification rang.
The man pinned to the floor struggled with a panicked expression.
“Shit!”
I Gangyeol calmly reached into his pocket.
“It’s mine, moron.”
The man made a stupid expression.
Then, he smiled faintly.
“Save me! Save me!”
“Silence.”
*Click.*
The sound cut off, and I Gangyeol plugged the man’s mouth with the heel of his boot.
“Who could it be?”
When a call came from an unknown number, I Gangyeol pondered for a moment, then answered.
“This is Hongik Battalion Commander I Gangyeol.”
“Loyalty. This is Bu Sinhyeok.”
A completely unexpected person was calling.
“Ah, so it is, Sinhyeok.”
Surprised, I Gangyeol took his foot off the fallen man.
Then the man, freed from his bonds, nimbly got up and ran.
“One moment.”
He stretched his left hand toward the man.
“Entangle.”
The orchid in its pot grew long. At the same time, it grew, piercing through his body.
*Kuaaaack!*
He screamed a silent scream.
Leaving him to bleed freely, I Gangyeol continued the phone call.
“Sorry. Someone interrupted for a moment.”
“Th-that……”
Sinhyeok on the other side of the phone hesitated for a long while.
I Gangyeol did not rush him and simply waited.
“Uh, I’m sorry about yesterday.”
At the apology he offered first, I Gangyeol said calmly.
“It’s fine. Let’s just have a drink later.”
After that calm exchange, Sinhyeok continued.
“Commander, could I perhaps ask you for one thing?”
“Huh? Sure.”
The commander listened quietly to the story and readily agreed.
“Yes, I’ll take care of that. Wait a moment.”
The call ended, and before him was only the sight of a dying man.
“Huh?”
He hurriedly dispelled Silence first.
“P-Persona. S-save me.”
He furrowed his brow at the familiar name coming from the man’s mouth.
“So that scoundrel was above you lot.”
“Yes! That guy is alive! So save me!”
*Thud.*
The man’s head exploded.
Command Sergeant Major Gim Hyeonsuk came down after.
“What a mess. Fight a little cleaner.”
“I confirmed the backer. He mentioned Persona.”
“Is that so. I confirmed too. Their funding came from the Association. Then it roughly adds up. Who smuggled that bastard Persona out.”
I Gangyeol sighed.
“Damn it.”
“We need to warn Sinhyeok in advance. He’ll surely be targeted.”
“I need to take care of something else first.”
Gim Hyeonsuk called out to him as he hurriedly left the scene.
“What is it?”
“Sinhyeok asked me to do something.”
“What?! He called?! After causing that mess yesterday?!”
I Gangyeol nodded with a slightly excited expression.
“What did he want?”
* * *
“Thank you for the phone.”
The senior instructor asked with a peculiar expression.
“Who did you call?”
Sinhyeok laughed awkwardly, spoke quickly, and ran off.
“It was Brigadier General I Gangyeol. I’ll be going now. Loyalty!”
*Hurried footsteps. Slam.*
Master Sergeant I Junho was haunted by the words ‘Brigadier General I Gangyeol……?’
“Tsk! Damn it!”
He quickly dashed out.
Heading to the battalion commander’s office, he immediately sought out Captain Gim Chanyeol.
“Loyalty! Sorry, I have something urgent to repo—”
He was already up, holding the phone with both hands, talking to someone.
“Yes, sir! I’ll take immediate action! Yes, yes! Loyalty!”
The call clicked off, and he let out deep sighs.
“Ah. Did the call already come?”
“Yes, Instructor. A little—no, quite late.”
“I-I’m sorry. I came right away after hanging up.”
“Ha, ha. Just what is that trainee? For Brigadier General I Gangyeol to step in personally.”
The instructor guessed the content of the call.
“Are we canceling Trainee Hong Ichan’s withdrawal and deploying Trainee Bu Sinhyeok to the Gate practical training?”
“That’s correct. The Gate has been designated. He didn’t say what or where it was, though. Since the trainee says he knows it, just send him as he says.”
Captain Gim Chanyeol sighed and spoke quietly.
“Sigh. Rank is a tyrant, huh.”
Master Sergeant I Junho quietly exited the battalion commander’s office and looked for the gloomy Ichan and Sinhyeok, who had caused the trouble.
When the senior instructor arrived, Sinhyeok beamed.
“You damn brat.”
“Ehehet.”
“That’s disgusting.”
As the strange conversation went back and forth, Hong Ichan looked at them oddly.
The senior instructor spoke to Hong Ichan first.
“Your withdrawal is canceled.”
“What?!”
“And Trainee Bu Sinhyeok is being immediately deployed to the Gate practical training. You know the Gate, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir! I know!”
“Ugh. I can’t stand the sight of you, so hurry up and get ready! You have exactly two minutes!”
At the words “two minutes,” Sinhyeok and Ichan quickly gathered their things with beaming expressions.
“Hey! Move it! I can’t see your hands! Do you see your feet?!”