"Wow, you're seriously cheap."
Igeon looked ready to hurl the phone.
What he was holding was none other than Hugo’s phone.
And the reason Igeon was about to fling it away was simple.
“I said let me meet her, and you’re fobbing me off with nothing but a photo?”
That was it.
What Igeon was looking at was none other than a picture of Hugo’s wife.
It was the trump card Hugo had pulled after Igeon said he wanted to see his wife.
Moreover, after saying he understood, that he would generously show his wife, this was what he had produced.
So naturally, Igeon could only be dumbfounded.
“This bastard was trying just as hard not to let me see his kids.”
But Hugo was shameless.
“What. Come on. At least I’m showing you a photo this time!”
Look at this guy?
Hugo did not flinch. He resolutely swiped through the screen.
“Here, look. This is our first date commemorative photo. This is our first time holding hands photo. This is our first kiss photo. And this is the commemorative photo from the first time I saw her bare face! Pretty, right!”
“…….”
“There, satisfied? Now you’ve seen my wife. That’s it.”
Finally, under Igeon’s menacing glare, Hugo flinched and averted his eyes.
Igeon wondered what the hell was wrong with this bastard, but then Hugo spoke as if granting a favor.
“Alright, alright. Then I’ll even show you a photo I treasure.”
Igeon, despite his disbelief, tilted his head at what was captured in the background.
“Well? Isn’t our Jiwoo pretty in every season?”
“Yeah, she’s pretty. But where were all of these taken?”
“What?”
“Even though the times are different, the date spots all look like the same place. Where is it?”
“What? Where else, your mu—”
As he was about to say “your museum,” Hugo gave a start and rolled his eyes.
“We went to see a gourd-smashing! There have been lots of fun exhibits while you were gone!”
Igeon looked at him as if he was done with him.
This bastard, seriously suspicious.
But Hugo’s heart was thumping with anxiety.
And somehow he felt that if he pushed it further, he’d get beaten by Igeon, but he couldn’t help it.
‘At least my daughter and wife, I can’t let him take.’
What had happened before when his children met Igeon?
For a moment, Hugo’s face turned asura-like as he recalled the matter of Yuha’s marriage.
‘Well, it’s not as if my kids have been stolen yet either.’
I’ll make Seongjae quit the sacred order the moment he meets him.
And as much as he trusted his wife, still.
‘I can’t let him meet the real thing.’
Hugo had already been racking his brains over his guardian deity.
Why?
[Contractor, I think it is time to revise the qualifications for joining the sacred order.]
Twenty years later. Not long after reuniting with Igeon.
He had been overjoyed when the guardian deity suddenly said to change the entry criteria.
Already, since they were the lowest-ranked divine seat and had few members, the high entry standards made it practically impossible for holy ones to join.
So he had been profoundly grateful.
‘Oh King of the Sun, this is a great idea. Still, we’re not an idol group; having entry criteria based on good looks isn’t keeping with the times. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, let’s use agility as the standard….’
[Let us raise the entry criteria to match Igeon’s appearance, not yours.]
‘Hey!’
Anyway, there had been incidents like that, and in various ways, Igeon’s looks were a bundle of trouble.
Of course, there was no way his wife would suddenly take a liking to Igeon’s face, but still.
‘I can never let them meet.’
Even if it meant taking a beating from Igeon, he would protect his wife and daughter.
That was when.
“Geon, it’s about time.”
Actually, the territory of Scorpio Seat, their destination, was closed off.
Of course, it was better than the southern divine seats that even suppressed the press, but still quite closed.
Thus there was only one way to enter Scorpio’s domain.
That was to pass through the United States—the territory of Leo—and then enter Canadian territory.
So he was about to say that they had to match the teleport time slot to head toward the American side.
“Geon?”
But the man in question was frowning while only looking at his phone.
“Geon, let’s go, won’t you?”
“Before we leave. I have something to settle.”
“Huh, so if it’s about my wife, I’ll show you these photos— Oof!!”
In the end, Hugo, unable to stand it any longer, was kicked by Igeon.
[Data Acquired]
[Trivial Barrier (A-rank)]
“Enough with the photos, you bastard. Not that.”
“?”
Hugo was startled by the article on the phone Igeon held out.
It was a huge improvement from the days when he’d bring up strange phishing sites because he was awkward with smartphones, but that wasn’t the important part.
From major global media to obscure gossip rags. They were all videos and articles badmouthing Sagittarius Seat.
Realizing what Igeon was looking at, Hugo sighed.
“What, why are you suddenly looking at articles from ten years ago?”
Asking what was good about that, Hugo tried to open the latest page.
“Right now, the whole world is going crazy because you saved Belgium. You’re top news and it’s full of praise for you, so look at that…”
However, Igeon put his phone away.
“What did you do wrong to be torn apart like this?”
“!”
Seeing his friend being cursed at by others, not by himself, was unpleasant.
And at Igeon’s reaction, which showed no sign of backing down, Hugo put on a troubled expression.
The incident ten years ago, when he had lost his wife and cherished subordinate, and on top of that, his honor was tarnished.
Certainly, it was the event that caused Sagittarius Seat to inevitably become the lowest-ranked divine seat.
But Hugo thought there was no need to care about it now.
What mattered now was that the victims of that incident had awakened thanks to Igeon.
“It’s fine. Your achievement will soon be known worldwide, and being cursed at, well… It was my mistake, after all.”
Igeon let out a laugh of disbelief.
“So. The dome Sagittarius Seat built was breached? And you didn’t even notice?”
Hugo smiled bitterly.
That’s why, right after that incident, Sagittarius Seat is the only one among the twelve divine seats that does not protect its city with a dome.
Even though it had once been praised as an iron wall, a dome second only to the Defense Divine Seat.
And the dome was the reason for the divine seat’s existence, and to the extent they didn’t use it, they were ignored by the people.
“I guess back then I was arrogant, thinking I could do it like you. I acted up even though I didn’t have the ability.”
At the same time, an absurd laugh burst out.
Still, Hugo was an ability user he had personally taught and acknowledged.
“Do you really see this as your mistake?”
“…What?”
At that moment, Lee Jaewon cut in.
“That’s what I was going to tell you.”
“What?”
“That monster that devoured Madam and me back then. It wasn’t a monster that invaded from outside. It was summoned from within.”
“!”
Igeon smiled.
“That’s right. Your dome was never flawed from the start. It had never been breached. It was simply that a human summoned a monster from inside.”
Hugo was bewildered.
All this time he had thought only of his own incompetence. He couldn’t help but be bewildered.
“…But how could a human summon an enemy of humanity!”
“Didn’t you see it in the Virgo Seat sanctuary this time? The scene of humans summoning monsters.”
“……!”
“They must have summoned it back then too, ten years ago. And likely the culprit is that woman, Libra.”
“……!”
“It’s obvious. That woman hated me—no, my very existence—terribly.”
Igeon narrowed his brow.
“Honestly, I consider that woman the culprit. The culprit who tried to kill me in the tower.”
“!”
“You were my partner. And your image among the twelve was good.”
You had a bit of a pushover side, but the way you genuinely tried to save and protect people set an example for the world.
Frankly, it’s annoying, but your image was tens of millions of times better than my own trashy one.
“I don’t know the reason, but she needed to bury me as incompetent scum. And you, speaking favorably of me, must have been a huge thorn in her side.”
So that woman tried to bury Hugo.
Through that incident ten years ago.
Igeon’s eyes then flashed.
“And you were caught by the ankle by Libra, weren’t you?”
“Wha-what?”
“Don’t pretend you weren’t. When that crazy guy mentioned the western divine seats and brought up Libra, your face stiffened.”
Hugo sighed.
As expected, Igeon’s eyes can’t be avoided.
“Right. Actually, in that incident ten years ago. The perpetrators were Libra’s sons.”
“!”
Yun Taewoo and Yun Siwoo.
At the time, they were minors.
Thanks to that, their names weren’t exposed to the press, but Hugo knew they were the culprits.
‘Well, I didn’t know they had summoned a monster.’
Back then, he had only known that an accident had occurred while they played with bodily fluids that monsters liked.
And after the incident, Libra herself came to him with a proposition.
[Now, Hugo, choose. It’s one or the other.]
Whether he would take the blame himself and protect his children.
Or whether he would expose the fault of Libra’s sons, and they would all die together.
Well, at the time, having lost his wife and cherished subordinate, he only had the thought that he had to protect his remaining children at least.
It was then that Igeon asked.
“Then, could Seongjae’s low faith be because of that incident?”
“What?”
In fact, Igeon had found something very strange.
Even if it was natural that his enemy Libra’s faith was -99%.
- Sagittarius Seat Faith: 0%
His faith toward his father was considerably low. Of course, at first he thought it was just puberty…
“Well, it’s understandable that your son dislikes you. I was just wondering if it might be related to that incident.”
At that, Hugo groaned softly.
There was only one thing he could guess from back then.
‘Dad. I’m serious. I saw it. Those high school guys summoned a monster. They didn’t spill something by mistake.’
‘Don’t talk nonsense.’
It was at the funeral.
And recalling what he had said to his son at that time, Hugo rubbed his brow with a groan.
He had apologized, and it wasn’t that he didn’t believe his young son’s words.
But back then, he had no choice.
‘Even if you hadn’t called for Mom.’
Libra was targeting his children, and if he didn’t at least say something like that, it seemed his son would keep going around saying such dangerous things.
So he had said that on purpose, but the regret remains.
“Still, it’s probably not because of that incident. He was only five years old back then. How could he remember that?”
“Why? Seongjae is smart.”
“Nah, he’s always dead last in school.”
At that, Igeon tilted his head.
Dead last? Far from dead last, I heard he’s first in the whole nation.
Especially in science, I saw Harvard trying to recruit him?
Well, whatever.
“Anyway, so Libra’s sons are the ones who messed with you guys?”
“!”
Hugo flinched at the sudden ferocity in Igeon’s voice.
“Good. I had business with Libra anyway.”
Libra Seat is the first-ranked divine seat.
The fact that she suddenly rose to first place after his death, among other things, was too suspicious, so he suspected her first.
And she was already tangled up in his friend and nephew’s business?
Perhaps because of that.
“Jaewon. Those culprits, Yun Taewoo and Yun Siwoo. Find their whereabouts.”
Igeon’s eyes glinted chillingly.
Lee Jaewon smiled and nodded.
In fact, going to find Scorpio Seat was half because of Libra.
‘I heard Scorpio possesses a special object that can annihilate guardian deities.’
Igeon must be aiming for that.
Sure enough, Igeon spoke.
“And prepare to fight Scorpio properly. Scorpio dislikes me so much they run away the moment they see me.”
At that, Lee Jaewon tilted his head.
Scorpio Seat dislikes Lord Igeon?
‘That can’t be.’
On the contrary, Scorpio Seat…
Soon, Igeon said.
“At any rate, you should also mentally prepare yourself.”
At the mention of mental preparation, Hugo’s eyes also flashed.
‘Libra Seat.’
She was the first-ranked divine seat reigning over the others.
In the past, he couldn’t think of confronting her because the children were young, but now.
The children are now able to protect themselves. Moreover, she seemed connected to the incident of imprisoning Igeon in the tower.
‘There’s no reason to stay still any longer.’
Probably Igeon wanted to say the same thing.
Let’s deal with Libra together.
Besides, there was also the matter of Yuha’s arm.
So Hugo, newly moved, gathered his resolve and looked at Igeon, but…
“Ah. Seongjae. This is your uncle. Put your mom on. You said she’s awake again? Yeah. I want to video call.”
“Hey!!!”
The phone was snatched away.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time.
The sanctuary of Scorpio Seat.
There was a beautiful woman watching news of Igeon.
And the Sky Castle Drakma where Leo had fallen.
The one who had put up the bone for auction at the Drakma auction, now commonly called the Bone Auction.
And to her, a follower of Scorpio Seat came running urgently.
“Holy Lord! It’s an emergency!”
At the follower’s fuss, the beautiful woman clicked her tongue as she closed her laptop.
It was an immense pressure. She was a peerless beauty on whose face a smile could never be found.
“Be quiet. Where do you think you are, causing a commotion?”
“I’m sorry! But that is, I heard that Igeon is heading toward Scorpio Seat’s sanctuary…!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the beauty dropped her laptop.
“I-Igeon!”
The cold-faced beauty began to flutter nervously.
(To be continued…)