Meanwhile, around that time, Hugo was staring at the newspaper as if dumbfounded.
'What is this advertisement?'
Lee Geon's face was plastered across the paper.
'A full-page ad, no less.'
It wasn't just the newspaper. Major portals, outdoor billboards, even prime-time TV ads—the most expensive advertising slots of all.
And along with those ads, content correcting Lee Geon's rumors was spreading everywhere.
Of course, that wasn't what truly caught Hugo's attention.
'Good heavens. An ad in New York Times Square?'
He had outright rented out the single most expensive advertising spot in the world.
Naturally, Hugo knew full well who was behind this astronomical advertising campaign.
'That bastard. Not long ago he claimed he couldn't stand the sight of Lee Geon drawing public attention.'
Yes.
The sponsor behind these exorbitant ads was none other than the Virgo Saint, Kevin.
Of course, there was only one reason why that attention-seeker would place such ads and work to suppress the rumors for Lee Geon.
[Lee Geon, fight me!]
[Alright. I'll fight you.]
[Really?]
[Yes. In return, put out the ads I tell you to first. Then I'll fight you.]
[Fine, I accept.]
That simple-minded fool, honestly.
'He doesn't even consider the possibility that he's being used.'
Lee Geon was exploiting Kevin's desire to fight him in this very manner.
Why?
'Looks like he was pretty fed up with Stephen's face being plastered all over the United States.'
Well, Leo was immensely popular, after all.
Whatever the reason, Stephen's ads at every turn had clearly pissed Lee Geon off.
'He'll be satisfied now, having rented out a spot Stephen has barely ever managed to secure.'
Of course, he knew well that wasn't the only reason.
'He wants to completely shut down the rumors about him.'
Perhaps thanks to blasting Leo away in one hit, the malicious rumors about Lee Geon had been replaced by a wave of huge anticipation, but still...
The immense popularity of the Twelve Saints was no accident.
Claiming that battling other people and hunting monsters were different, the fanatical factions shielding the Twelve Saints were considerable in size.
Zealot cults, they were.
Notorious hooligans, utterly unreasonable, the kind even Hugo detested.
[In the end, it was Lord Stephen who caught the Crimson Eye!]
[It was another Saint who caught it!]
[The final outcome is unknown until the Crimson Eye is truly caught!]
[How could a fledgling new deity possibly compare to the Twelve Divine Seats!]
'Still, Geon just laughed it off.'
What did it matter if the cult of Lee Geon existed? He just chuckled, saying the truth would be exposed as soon as the subjugation began anyway. But Hugo was displeased.
The European Union and several major nations were subtly lending their weight to those fanatical cults too.
Well, nations that put their Saints forward would find it problematic if the legend of the Twelve crumbled, so it was understandable that they habitually disparaged Lee Geon, but still.
'I wish a real Crimson Eye would appear so we could see those Twelve Saints fleeing for their lives.'
It didn't matter either way.
"Anyway, it was you, wasn't it? The one who took the Sagittarius scripture."
At those words, the person on the other end of the line with Hugo let out an empty laugh.
- Was there even a bible scripture in a piddling little place like Sagittarius? So they did have a Holy Vessel there?
At that arrogant laugh, Hugo's eyebrow twitched.
He wanted to retort, but the other party was none other than the 2nd ranked deity with a following of one billion worshippers.
"Anyway, you took it, right?"
- Hah. Why would I take anything belonging to losers like you, who aren't even Ophiuchus?
"If not you, then who..."
- For goodness' sake, can't even manage a bible. And you even received a bow from Lee Geon.
"Wait, the bible was taken by you ten years ago..."
- You even ate a meal with Lee Geon.
"What?"
- And just yesterday, Lee Geon even brought you a late-night snack. How utterly undeserving of a Sagittarius.
"......"
This bastard was definitely...
Pretending to be a rival, but surely he was a hardcore Lee Geon fanboy.
"Anyway, the scribe had the Sagittarius scripture that was in our sanctuary. I don't know why you raided our sanctuary back then, but didn't you steal it?"
Kevin clicked his tongue as if annoyed.
- Buzz off, Sagittarius. I have no interest in the likes of you. Honestly, I don't even know why Lee Geon has been friends with someone like you since long ago. A bottom-ranked deity at best.
"Argh, I'm asking if you really didn't take that horse-shaped stone statue!"
- Ah. Yeah. That thing. I thought it would make a fine footrest for myself, so I took a bunch. Why? Got a problem?
So this bastard was the culprit after all.
Thanks to that, Hugo, who had been thoroughly humiliated by the scribe, clenched his fist.
Lee Geon had told him to keep a close watch, so he was observing, but he seriously considered assassinating him at night.
But Kevin, completely oblivious to this, spoke.
- Anyway, heading to Scorpius, right? Be careful.
"Why! Not enough as a shoe sole?"
- No, it's not that.
Kevin, suddenly serious, fell silent.
It was an uncharacteristic silence, but it didn't last long.
- Sagittarius. Do you remember what happened in the Tower?
"What? What are you talking about?"
- Truthfully, I don't remember a thing. What happened in the Tower.
"…!"
Simultaneously, Hugo felt bewildered. Because he had heard something similar from Leo before.
Though, of course, with Leo, it was just his personality to not remember unimportant things, so that could be excused.
- All I remember is just before entering the Tower, and then when I opened my eyes, I was in the forest outside.
Hugo was perplexed.
Was this connected to the reason Geon told him to watch Kevin?
Though, Lee Geon didn't really seem to consider Kevin a major enemy.
'He just burst out laughing after seeing the answers on that questionnaire.'
So, whatever Kevin had answered, who knew? Wasn't it easy enough to just make up an answer?
It was then.
- Anyway, you're heading directly to the Scorpius Sanctuary, right? I'll join you shortly and guide you. I know the geography of the Scorpius Sanctuary like the back of my hand.
Hugo scoffed, telling him not to waste his effort.
"Don't need your guidance anymore, you punk. We already met."
- What? Met?
"We've already met our Scorpius. She's here."
- Scorpius is there?
"Yeah. Met with the scribe..."
- That damned woman!!!
Click.
The call disconnected before he could even finish. Hugo wore an annoyed expression.
"Geez. This fanboy attention-seeker, really."
* * *
Meanwhile, at that same time.
"Hey."
An empty office space inside the hospital.
Lee Geon sat facing Scorpius. And looking at Hayley, Lee Geon frowned.
"Hey. Are you listening to me?"
"Yes. I'm listening."
Scorpius answered and then declared proudly.
"I'm listening, so speak quickly!"
But the followers watching the scene just broke out in a cold sweat.
Because Hayley's state, sitting face to face with Lee Geon, was bizarre.
Her body was clearly facing Lee Geon, but her face was looking back over her shoulder—a strange spectacle.
Her neck wasn't just bent; it looked like her cervical vertebrae were close to turning completely around.
'Is her neck alright?'
Yet, whether she was aware of her appearance or not.
"I told you to speak quickly! Why do you summon a person and then refuse to talk!"
Lee Geon looked utterly dumbfounded.
"Hey. I'm not over there. I'm here. Wanna try talking while looking at my eyes?"
At those words, Hayley flinched. Then, as if terrified, she slowly turned her head.
Her neck, rotating stiffly, was practically mechanical.
Eventually, her face, creaking back around like a robot, came to face Lee Geon.
"Oh. Long time no see, Lee Geon. I'm sorry I couldn't come find you sooner."
At that reaction, Lee Geon let out a hollow laugh.
'Her eyes are glued to the ceiling.'
Because of this, Lee Geon couldn't help but be angry.
Why?
"I guess you really hate me that much. If you can't even stand to look at my face."
"!"
Flustered, Hayley hastily looked at Lee Geon's eyes.
"No! That's not it! It's not that I hate you...!"
But the moment their eyes met, Hayley turned her head away as if she was dying.
'I can't! I really can't meet his eyes!'
At the same time, her heart felt like it was going to burst.
'I've never, ever been this close to him...!'
The distance to Lee Geon was barely 30 centimeters.
'Oh my god, Lee Geon is this close.'
She'd never even imagined being this close—close enough to see the pores on his skin, though she wasn't actually looking.
She'd rather face a monster; meeting Lee Geon's eyes took far too much courage.
Perhaps because of that.
Hayley again turned to look behind her, her neck bones seemingly ready to snap.
And then.
"I'm comfortable like this, so let's just talk this way!"
Even the distance of her chair subtly slid backward, 1 centimeter, 2 centimeters at a time.
What's more, perhaps because she was so close to Lee Geon, Hayley's face as she fidgeted turned visibly red.
Watching this, Hugo and Cheon Seongjae couldn't close their mouths.
'That's a severe case...!'
They instantly understood what Lee Jaewon must have seen and realized.
The scribe was having a complete mental breakdown.
And then, Lee Geon, unable to watch any longer, burst out in laughter.
"Is that so? It's not that you hate me?"
But Lee Geon's gaze turned grim.
"Then you must have quite a guilty conscience. Enough that you can't even look at my face."
"…!"
Flustered, Hayley tried to say something, but soon shut her mouth.
She knew all too well that she wasn't in a position to be confident in front of Lee Geon.
Of course, she had never once tried to harm Lee Geon, but because of her position, she hadn't been able to help him when he was struggling.
The only thing she could do at the time was arrange things so that Lee Geon wouldn't die, as much as possible.
Thus, Hayley's shoulders were just slightly slumping when.
"Forget it. What's your angle?"
"What?"
Lee Geon's eyes sharpened.
"Why pretend you don't know? That 1 billion won bone that the cat won at auction. You're the one who put it up at the auction house, aren't you?"
"?!"
At those words, the shocked followers gaped. It was the first they'd heard of it.
"That bone, which has become a legend in more ways than one..."
Even Gote, who had been on a mission at the time, had heard the immensely famous story of Leo's bone.
At the same time, the world had been abuzz asking which wealthy magnate had put it up for auction.
But.
"That was put up by Scorpius?"
Cheon Seongjae was honestly surprised too.
No wonder she had said to give all the winning bid money to Lee Geon's foundation.
But Lee Geon laughed, saying that wasn't all there was to it.
"And besides that, you sent me a fountain pen through Yoo Ha. What's your scheme?"
At this, Hayley flinched.
Sending the bone was actually to lure Leo into Lee Geon's path, and the fountain pen was simply because she knew Lee Geon would need a scribe.
'If it's Lee Geon, he would make good use of the scribe's existence.'
In her own case, the scribe had tried to barge into the Holy Vessel's location recklessly and throw her life away, so she had been forced to lock her up.
Eventually, Hayley, gulping dryly, feigned calm.
"It's nothing special. I just returned them because you're the owner of the items. Just a whim, really."
"Really?"
"Yes. There's no ill will. Wasn't the bone or the fountain pen just objects without any special ability anyway?"
At those words, Lee Geon for some reason chuckled lightly.
"Really? Fine. Then prove it."
"What?"
Lee Geon brought out a piece of paper. The followers flinched.
It was clearly the questionnaire he had made both Hugo and Kevin fill out.
"Answer this questionnaire truthfully."
And seeing the questionnaire, Hayley looked embarrassed.
[Q. What do you think of Lee Geon?]
[Q. What do you want to do about Lee Geon going forward?]
"Why? Can't you answer it?"
At those words, Hayley laughed as if asking what he meant.
"These? They're simple questions."
Simultaneously, Hayley took a pen from the pencil holder on the table.
But seeing the pen Hayley had picked up, the scribe turned deathly pale.
'N, no!'
Why, of all things to pick up, did it have to be that!
The flustered scribe shot up.
"Ha-, Lady Hayley! That pen is n-mmph!"
The scribe had her mouth clamped shut by Cheon Seongjae and was stepped on.
At the same time, Lee Geon smiled.
Yes. What Hayley had picked up was precisely that item.
Of course, its appearance was different.
Because when Lee Geon had recently reinforced it, its looks had changed.
But Hayley, having no way of knowing that, wrote down her answers on the questionnaire with the fountain pen.
The answers were just a single line each.
[Q. What do you think of Lee Geon?]
-> Colleague
[Q. What do you want to do about Lee Geon going forward?]
-> Cooperate depending on conditions
"Alright. Will this do?"
Hayley handed the answer sheet to Lee Geon. And as Lee Geon began reading it meticulously, Hugo sighed.
"Geon. No matter what Scorpius answered..."
But that was the moment.
"Dammit."
"Geon?"
The expression on Lee Geon's face as he seriously scanned the paper was quite a sight.
"Taeksoo."
"Uh, yeah?"
Lee Geon glared at the fountain pen as if he couldn't understand it.
"Seems like I messed up the reinforcement. This thing's broken."
(Continues in the next episode)