The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 139

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 139. He Who Seeks the Crown (3)

Hugo was too lost in his own world to hear anything that was said to him. Unless the subject happened to change entirely.
‘There’s no helping it.’
It would be greedy to expect teammates to support and follow unconditionally. After all, Cho Hong and Hugo weren’t machines—they were human.
Traveling together long enough, clashes of opinion were bound to arise. And when they did, as Ian said, that’s when a leader’s true character would be tested.
‘There’s no helping it.’
“I’m speechless. How can a person be that beautiful?”
“Indeed.”
Having gathered his thoughts, Seol Jihoo decided to give his mind a rest and indulge in Hugo’s reverie for a moment.
Seo Yu-hee was receiving visitors. Several priests, laden with plump bags, were grunting their way into the house.
Curiosity stirred. Now that he thought about it, he’d been seeing priests come and go with bags and bundles slung across their shoulders with increasing frequency lately.
‘What are they working so hard to move?’
Seo Yu-hee helped one of the younger priests with his load and disappeared into the house. A wistful sigh escaped Hugo’s lips.
Only then did he turn his head, eyes widening.
“Seol. What’s that?”
“?”
“The necklace. I don’t think I’ve seen it before… Why are you wearing it like that?”
When he glanced down, the pendant wasn’t visible. He could have sworn it was fastened properly.
“Ah.”
Following the string that had slipped over his shoulder, the jewel finally came into view. The pendant had slipped behind him, draped down his back as if hiding.
‘Strange.’
He’d been about to brush off the question casually, but Hugo had already turned away, looking elsewhere.
Seol Jihoo retreated quietly to a corner and whispered softly.
“Plone. What’s wrong?”
[I hate it!]
The shrill voice echoed through his head like a drum being beaten.
[I hate that guy!]
For Plone to express such blatant refusal was extraordinary, and Seol Jihoo was startled.
“What is it? Did Hugo do something?”
He gently stroked the pendant to soothe her, and Plone, barely calmed, whimpered like she was confessing.
[This morning I was wandering through the building by chance, and suddenly I heard this terrible shriek.]
“A shriek?”
[Yes. Not a human scream—the wail of a soul.]
“You mean there was a ghost in the building?”
[No. I was startled and went to check, but it was the sound of a weapon crying out. It was a truly beautiful axe.]
She seemed to be referring to the Battle Axe that Hugo had obtained in his exchange with Orahee.
[Even though its essence runs contrary to mine, it was truly, truly beautiful. It was radiant with holy light, and I could feel the purity of its soul within… but then….]
Plone’s voice faltered, laden with an inexplicable sorrow.
[It was licking it.]
Seol Jihoo doubted his ears.
“What did you say?”
[He was licking that axe, the one harboring such a holy soul! Tasting it here and there to see how it felt! Biting it and asking it to bounce, sucking it again and again! With that filthy tongue of his, licking and slurping, again and again…!]
Her voice recounting Hugo’s perverse behavior was thick with disgust.
[That poor soul. They must have been such a strong, noble person in life, with such tremendous deeds to their name….]
Plone’s voice echoed with distant melancholy.

Fleeing from Hugo, Seol Jihoo sought out the team’s advisor for consultation. As it happened, Jangmaldong, who was sitting on the office sofa, spoke as though he’d been waiting.
“So you said you’d take over as team leader, then?”
At this premature inquiry, Seol Jihoo’s expression went blank. Realizing he’d jumped ahead, Jangmaldong’s face reddened.
“Cho Hong mentioned it.”
She must have already twisted the story. Seol Jihoo let out a hollow laugh.
“That’s funny. What did you want to see me about?”
Seol Jihoo straightened his posture and got straight to the point.
“I’d like to know how far along the recruitment process for the Archer is.”
Jangmaldong’s eyebrows twitched.
Finding a new Archer was the Carpe Diem Team’s top priority issue to resolve. Until now, with no one specifically assigned to it, Jangmaldong had been handling it alone.
But what should he make of Seol Jihoo’s attempt to interfere at this juncture?
Jangmaldong was not so foolish as to miss the implication.
“Hmm….”
His weathered eyes scrutinized Seol Jihoo with meticulous care.
In truth, when Seol Jihoo had first returned from the banquet, Jangmaldong’s worry had been considerable—his complexion had looked terribly poor.
But after his journey through the Forest of Negation, something had shifted in his heart, and the heavy sorrow that had weighed upon him seemed to have washed away.
Perhaps because of that, the change had become unmistakable.
The two eyes facing him were as quiet as a still lake, their surface calm and undisturbed. When they first met, Jangmaldong had taken him for nothing but fluttering feathers, but now he could perceive a weight he hadn’t noticed before.
Yet he hadn’t lost his gentleness either—he resembled a mass of cotton, thoroughly soaked through with water, lukewarm and heavy.
‘This one….’
Without doubt, he must have endured considerable hardship before and after the banquet.
But as they say, the earth grows firm after rain. He seemed to have weathered his heartache well, so how could Jangmaldong not feel pleased?
‘I was right to send him.’
Jangmaldong nodded his head slowly, a habit he fell into whenever his mood improved.
‘Time to hand things over.’
Jangmaldong’s role was as the team’s advisor. Even though he had returned to Paradise, he had decided not to take the frontlines, so now he could finally devote himself to his role as a counselor.
…Yes. As long as Seol Jihoo didn’t lose sight of his current purpose, Jangmaldong would always be a reliable supporter.
“You seem to have plenty on your mind.”
So he readily engaged with the question.
“There’s no shortage of applicants wanting to join. I don’t even know how many times a day I receive examination requests. I thought the interest was waning, but the moment the banquet ended, the flood began again.”
That meant Carpe Diem had achieved its intended purpose at the banquet.
“Is it that you cannot find an Archer who satisfies you, sir?”
“There are several who meet the minimum standards. If there were none, I wouldn’t even be troubled about it.”
Jangmaldong folded his arms and tapped his forearm with his index finger.
“It’s not that no one catches my eye, but I told you before—when I took my break, I traveled through several cities, right?”
“Yes. To see for yourself.”
“It was when I went to Scheherazade. A man I knew asked me to visit, so I stopped by the White Rose guild on the side.”
“White Rose?”
“The formal name is White and Rose. They’re a mercenary outfit that makes their living on contract work. Most of their members hail from Area 1, and they’ve received Copper Marks on several occasions, so you can think of them as a reasonably sized organization.”
Jangmaldong, having explained in detail, continued.
“But I heard quite an unusual proposal there.”
“What sort of proposal was it?”
“Do you know Lee Seol-ah and Lee Seongjin?”
Seol Jihoo, caught off guard by the unexpected mention, barely managed to affirm.
“Of course I do.”
“White Rose asked whether I’d be interested in bringing the siblings over.”
“What?”
“They made a recruitment offer first. Not a loan—a permanent transfer.”
Seol Jihoo swallowed hard. He had been considering recruiting the siblings, but his mind had been on Cheon Sal-seong and the White Headband Girl; he had completely forgotten about Lee Seol-ah and Lee Seongjin.
“Sir, I apologize, but how does the recruitment system actually work?”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.”
Jangmaldong snorted.
“If I got into all the details, there’d be no end to it… but I think I mentioned you watch some sports occasionally?”
“Just casually, when I have spare time.”
“It’s simple. Think of it as similar to the transfer market in domestic baseball or international football.”
“Transfer market… are you referring to Free Agency or Buyout?”
“Exactly.”
Jangmaldong spoke matter-of-factly.
“I hear those two received Copper Marks.”
“That’s right.”
“Considering this is their first contract, they probably signed for around two years.”
“Is that measured in Paradise time?”
“Of course. Why?”
Seol Jihoo tilted his head.
“I heard that it takes an Earthian roughly two years on average to pull their weight.”
“Mm.”
“But if you release them into Free Agency right when those two years are up….”
Seol Jihoo let his thought drift.
Marks—whether Red or Copper—were like admission tickets; one had to pour in enormous merit to earn even one or two.
And after spending two years nurturing someone, to grant them Free Agency at the very moment they became useful?
It seemed like a system that didn’t quite make sense.
“I mean, even Silver Mark contracts sometimes lock in longer initial terms. Red Mark is a given from the start, so we don’t count that.”
Jangmaldong continued.
“But whatever way you slice it—stamping the Mark and bringing in an Earthian is like buying a lottery ticket and scratching it slow over two years.”
He flicked his stick back and forth, then abruptly asked a question.
“What do you think is the most important thing when raising a complete greenhorn from nothing?”
“Training.”
“Hm. That sounds like you.”
Jangmaldong wrinkled his nose and formed a circle with his thumb and forefinger.
“Money.”
He insisted once more, with force, that if you had money, you could raise even the most hopeless fool to Level 4 within a year or two.
“It’s not just about feeding, housing, and clothing them. Every resource an Earthian needs to grow is connected directly or indirectly to money. The conclusion is money.”
Seol Jihoo found this utterly convincing—he’d already spent time worrying about money himself.
“But this resource called money is finite, isn’t it? And the higher the Level gets, the more exponentially it costs.”
That was when Seol Jihoo understood.
“So you decide whether to invest further at the two-year mark.”
“Exactly. It’s wiser to pour water into a bowl that holds it, to invest intensively in talent that shows real promise rather than waste effort on what won’t grow.”
“Then what about Seol-ah and Seongjin?”
“Essentially, they’re being released.”
Jangmaldong spoke bluntly, but Seol Jihoo’s face showed skepticism.
Through the Nine Eyes, he’d confirmed Lee Seol-ah’s potential was far from low. If anything, it had struck him as considerable.
To be frank, Lee Seongjin was an unknown, but Seol Jihoo could say with absolute certainty that Lee Seol-ah was not the type to be released.
“You mentioned being in the same cohort and asked me to think about it—but I looked into it and something felt off. The pieces don’t fit together right.”
Jangmaldong rubbed his jaw.
“That Lee Seol-ah girl. Apparently she hit Level 2 not long after leaving the Neutral Zone.”
He glanced over, but Seol Jihoo didn’t seem particularly surprised. He’d already heard about it from Yoon Seora.
[I’ve gotten word about Seol-ah now and then. They say her talent as an Archer is exceptional. They thought she’d reach Level 2 in just a few more months.]
“Speaking as someone with your experience—don’t use yourself as the benchmark. Even with White Rose’s backing, reaching Level 2 in three months is considered quite fast by any standard.”
“That’s true.”
“Anyway, given the situation—what do you think?”
“They’re good kids.”
His answer was immediate.
“I traveled with them from the Tutorial onward. They have good hearts and their skills are beyond reproach.”
“If they have good character and real ability, why would White Rose let them go?”
“I’m not entirely sure. But I am certain about Seol-ah, at least—even if she’s still young. The Archer path is her true calling. She learns fast too.”
“You’re singing her praises with no end. Can you say the same thing without mentioning that you know her?”
“Yes. And actually, Seol-ah’s evaluation didn’t come from me—it came from Agnes. At the Neutral Zone, I asked her to train Seol-ah directly, and even though I don’t know who brought her in, Agnes said she’d caught a real gem, maybe even someone with Upper Rank potential.”
“What?”
Jangmaldong’s brows drew together.
“Agnes herself, directly? You’re serious?”
“It’s not a lie. You can ask her yourself.”
Jangmaldong let out a grunt and stroked his upper lip.
Seol Jihoo’s judgment hadn’t been tested and thus couldn’t be trusted, but if Agnes—of all people—said such a thing, that changed everything.
He’d need to see it himself to be certain, but the odds of it being genuine were high.
“Huh… a child of that caliber… it really is strange.”
Seol Jihoo found it suspicious too, but what mattered now was that a chance to recruit both siblings had arrived.
He’d already made up his mind to pick a new Archer who’d listen well. Lee Seol-ah fit close to the ideal Archer he was looking for.
For Seol Jihoo, who’d clashed with Header several times over multiple expeditions, missing this opportunity wasn’t an option.
“I really want to bring her in.”
“Well, if what you’re saying is true, this won’t come around twice.”
Upper Rank wasn’t something that appeared every day, so Jangmaldong had no reason to object.
“Fine. I’ll make space for her.”
“Thank you.”
“Since they made the first offer, it should be finalized within today or tomorrow.”
“How much should I prepare as payment?”
Seol Jihoo asked carefully. It wasn’t that he lacked funds, but this was his first recruitment and he had no sense of what figure to expect.
“Well, if you’re right, she’d fall into the top tier of promising talent…”
Jangmaldong shook his head as he deliberated.
“Let’s hear their offer first. Nothing’s confirmed yet, so don’t rush. Go visit the Temple today.”
“The Temple?”
“For a Level reading.”
Jangmaldong tapped his staff against the ground.
“You’re going to have to raise it anyway, so don’t put it off any longer. And there’s no harm in having a high Level when you’re doing external work.”
It was sound reasoning, so Seol Jihoo nodded obediently, though a worry nagged at him all the same.
He needed intense training to develop skills befitting his Level, but lately he’d been so swamped he hadn’t found time to practice the Qi Circulation Technique.
“The beginning is always the busiest.”
Whether Jangmaldong sensed Seol Jihoo’s unease or not, he continued calmly.
“You need to build a strong foundation at the start so things become easier later. You’ll be incredibly busy for a while, so consider me dead.”
The way he said it—as if training was off the table entirely—made Seol Jihoo sigh inwardly.
‘It’s only just begun, and already the crown feels so heavy….’
His chest grew heavy, but after a moment he shook his head.
He couldn’t afford to whine at the very first step.
“Understood.”

Seol Jihoo made his way to Gulla’s Temple without delay. In truth, he had mountains of questions about the newly awakened azure eye among his Nine Eyes—the Mature Fate Choice—but he’d decided today to keep his business brief.
Gulla had a habit of speaking in riddles, and whenever he tried to ask for details, the spirit would dodge by claiming he wasn’t ready yet.
His head was already complicated enough to burst; better to ask nothing than to invite more stress.
[You’re doing well.]
He’d settled on that resolve, but he hadn’t anticipated Gulla speaking up unprompted.
[I mean about the cannibals you eliminated. In any case, it worked out. Evangeline Rose’s anticlimactic death had been painful, but now the gap is filled.]
‘?’
[Heh. Truly, you’re no ordinary fate. To see butterfly effects ripple from such modest actions—remarkable.]
For some reason, Gulla sounded delighted, and Seol Jihoo blinked uncertainly.
‘My Level is….’
[Ah yes. You’ve fought in the Square of Sacrifice twenty times over, and you’ve cleared the Banquet, so Level 4 should be… hm?]
Gulla was about to confirm it when he suddenly gasped.
[That Necklace….]
‘The Necklace?’
Seol Jihoo reflexively looked down at the Pendant. The jewel that had originally shone with a clear blue light had turned dark and murky ever since Plone took residence within it.
‘Now that he mentions it, it does seem familiar somehow….’
[It’s a Remnant of Seven Virtues. How did you even acquire such a thing.]
‘A Remnant of Seven Virtues?’
Unable to restrain himself, Seol Jihoo asked.
[Such things exist.]
…Was he joking? Seol Jihoo barely stopped himself from spitting in exasperation.
At this point he wondered if Gulla was deliberately teasing him, but since it wasn’t the first or second time, it barely registered.
Yet there was one thing Seol Jihoo absolutely could not compromise on.
[Very well. By Gulla’s name—.]
The moment Gulla’s distinctly unhurried voice resonated,
Seol Jihoo’s head snapped up so fast it looked like he’d been struck by lightning.
[From this hour forward…?]
Gulla faltered. Seol Jihoo’s face was positively radiant with anticipation, shining brilliantly.
[Seol Jihoo to be….]
Gleaming.
[L-Level 4….]
Gleaming.
[Ma—]
In that moment, Gulla could see it clearly.
The moment he spoke just the first syllable of “Mana,” that radiant face went dark instantly.
[Ma….]
Then his eyes went wide as if he’d been struck from behind. His expression turned desperate—like a drowning man clutching at straw.
[…….]
He didn’t need to read thoughts. Just by looking at his face, he could feel it flooding through—that wordless plea, that desperate hope: Not that. Please, just consider any other option.
Gulla’s voice came slightly diminished.
[I appoint you Mana Pro Lancer. I trust you will demonstrate achievements worthy of this unique Class going forward.]
Seol Jihoo’s face went completely dark, as if he’d just received a death sentence. His mouth slowly fell open, and his shoulders sagged.
It was far beyond mere disappointment. Like a child who’d rushed home eagerly expecting delicious meat, only to find a bowl of plain bean sprout soup sitting alone on the table—he looked utterly devastated.
Seol Jihoo stood stunned, mouth agape.
“I’ve been curious about something for a while….”
[What is it.]

“Until now, your Class name… was it given by you, Gulla?”
[Indeed.]
“…I see….”
[?]
Seol Jihoo stood motionless as a stone, then slowly tilted his chin upward to gaze at the ceiling. For a long time, he did not stir at all.
In the endless silence, Gulla found herself oddly embarrassed.
[Well.]
A hollow sigh escaped him, as though the will to live had drained away.
[Why. What.]

(To be continued in the next episode)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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