The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 152

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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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Episode 152. Two Pieces of Gold (3)

Jang Tu’s attendant patted the young man’s shoulder as he complained.
“Look on the bright side. More passengers means safety, doesn’t it? Six will be more than enough.”
“Overkill, I’d say. But very well.”
“That’s the spirit. Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll be back shortly. Come on, let’s go!”
Jang Tu pushed Seol Jihoo’s back as if his legs were eager to move. The young man stumbled aboard the carriage with a yelp, only to find his breathing catch the moment he took in the other passengers.
Among the three people already seated, he recognized a familiar face.
A man and woman sat across from each other, their discomfort plain to see, while Pisora occupied the opposite bench with the weight of someone entirely at ease.
She had been absently rubbing her chin with the back of her hand when she glanced sideways and suddenly widened her eyes.
“What’s this? You’re just now boarding? Haven’t you left yet?”
……
“What are you dawdling for? We should’ve departed already.”
“Oh—a carriage. A carriage?!”
Lee Seongjin climbed up behind, flushed with excitement, and let out a startled cry.
Lee Seol-ah had the same reaction. The moment she saw Pisora, her pupils dilated as if the ground were trembling.
“What are you doing? Sit down already.”
Pisora gestured irritably toward the seats with her chin, and the two shrank back like mice before a serpent, settling into their places with nervous creaks.
Pisora snorted and then turned to Seol Jihoo with a slightly softened expression.
“You should sit down too. Lucky thing this worked out. I’ve been waiting around because we couldn’t gather enough passengers anyway.”
‘Passengers?’
Seol Jihoo’s face fell.
With Pisora aboard, did they really need to collect this many passengers? As someone of Upper Rank, she should be more than capable of handling any beast on her own.
‘Though I suppose taking just one passenger would be odd. You’d want at least two or three for it to make sense…?’
He tried to rationalize it, but with two additional passengers already present, that didn’t quite seem to be the reason.
And then he heard Jang Tu’s voice from outside: “Ha!” as if exasperated.
Pisora stared ahead with intent for a moment, then withdrew her gaze as if displeased.
Either way, it seemed urgent they depart, so Seol Jihoo took his seat.
A short while later, the carriage began to move.
As he watched, perhaps feeling his gaze, Pisora—who had been absorbed in fiddling with her hands—suddenly opened her eyes wide in irritation.
“What? Is it wrong for me to ride in a carriage?”
Seol Jihoo said nothing.
“I understand those two are uncomfortable, but then why not just leave right away? I came late on purpose, after thinking about it. It’s all just a strange coincidence.”
But his lips remained firmly shut.
“Anyway, I boarded this carriage first. I don’t want any misunderstandings.”
Yet why was she so insistent on emphasizing that it was mere coincidence?
Though their destinations could certainly overlap, Seol Jihoo felt an inexplicable unease.
“Are you heading to Haramag?”
“I have someone to meet there. I told you I already knew where I was going.”
“Who…are they?”
“What’s the point in telling you?”
Pisora coughed lightly and trailed off.
Besides, choosing a destination was Pisora’s own business. If she wanted to go somewhere, that was her decision—and Seol Jihoo had neither the right nor the standing to interfere. There was no reason to concern himself with it.
“Understood.”
Yet he silently resolved that if she so much as touched the children, he would not stand idle, and he nodded in acceptance.
Pisora crossed her arms and turned her head away without interest.
While the siblings watched cautiously, Seol Jihoo found himself unconsciously clicking his tongue.
‘I feel like I’m forgetting something important….’

They arrived in Haramag.
The siblings gazed around in wonder, occasionally letting out small exclamations as they took in the sights of the new city.
“You’ll be all right? Haramag has far worse facilities compared to Sheherazade.”
He asked just to be sure,
“Of course!”
Lee Seol-ah cried out with gusto.
“Sleeping with my legs stretched out in a humble cottage beats eating scraps in a grand palace a thousand times over.”
Watching Lee Seol-ah chirp away with such a clear, cheerful face, Seol Jihoo couldn’t quite decide whether he should feel relief or sorrow.
Lee Seol-ah turned to her younger brother with a broad smile, though he looked somewhat anxious.
“Right? Seongjin?”
“Yeah. But… hyung.”
Lee Seongjin, who had been glancing nervously over his shoulder, spoke quietly to Seol Jihoo.
“Why does that person keep following us?”
“Following us?”
Seol Jihoo turned to look behind them. Pisora stood in place, shading her eyes from the streaming sunlight with her hand as she glanced around.
‘What’s going on?’
She’d been surprisingly quiet the whole way over, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
When the three of them stopped and looked back at her, Pisora cleared her throat.
“Excuse me. Where is the Plaza? It’s been so long since I’ve been here, I’ve completely lost my way.”
“If you just head straight down this main avenue, you’ll find it.”
“Ah.”
Pisora nodded, looking in the direction Seol Jihoo pointed.
“She got lost, it seems.”
Seol Jihoo offered this explanation matter-of-factly, but Lee Seongjin’s expression remained skeptical.
Soon enough, the three resumed walking down the street. But within minutes, they came to a halt again.
Pisora hadn’t gone in the direction she’d been shown—instead, she’d kept following them.
“Pisora? The Plaza is—”
“Do you know a good restaurant? Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten breakfast.”
Seol Jihoo tilted his head.
“If you walk straight down this main road and turn right at the intersection, there’s a place called Eat, Drink, and Enjoy. It’s pretty decent.”
“Ah. Thanks.”
Pisora nodded again. Then, with hesitant steps, she passed the three of them and headed toward the main avenue.
Only after watching Pisora disappear into the distance did Seol Jihoo resume his pace.
Across the street, several priests were bustling in and out of a building, drenched in sweat.
‘Again today?’
What on earth were they moving that it still hadn’t finished?
“Huff… huff… finally the last one….”
Watching a short, stocky priest struggling along with bundles in both hands, Seol Jihoo shrugged and headed toward the Carpe Diem building.
Just before climbing the stairs, he glanced back to be safe, but there was no sign of Pisora.
“Let’s go up.”
After heading up to the third floor first, Seol Jihoo smiled at the sight of the siblings hesitating below.
“Don’t be afraid. They’re all good people.”
Taking courage from his words, they climbed up one floor at a time with difficulty.
Hearing Lee Seol-ah’s deep breaths, Seol Jihoo pushed open the office door.
Perhaps because Jangmaldong had been notified through a message before they arrived, he was already waiting on the sofa.
“You’re here.”
“Yes. Cho Hong and Hugo are—”
“You should’ve contacted me earlier. They’re probably on their way.”
“We should have.”
After confirming that the siblings had entered, Seol Jihoo carefully closed the door.
“These are the kids I mentioned. This is Seol-ah—she’s the older sister by two years—and Seongjin is the younger brother. You two?”
“Hello! I’m Lee Seol-ah!”
“I’m Lee Seongjin.”
Both bowed respectfully. Though Seol Jihoo had warned them on the way over, Jangmaldong’s reputation was formidable, and the return of the King Maker was such a major event that even young siblings had heard the news repeatedly.
Jangmaldong opened his mouth.
“You said the older one is eighteen?”
“Yes, yes!”
“Then the younger one must be sixteen.”
Lee Seongjin said nothing, but his neck trembled visibly.
“Hmm….”
With his head slightly bowed, Jangmaldong’s eyes gleamed as he examined them carefully. The anxious siblings straightened their posture even further.
“…I see. For now.”
Just as he was about to speak—
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
The sound of rapid footsteps came rushing up the stairs, and then the door burst open.
“Grandpa~!”
“Huh? Yes?”
A woman with wavy, flowing hair swept in and rushed toward Jangmaldong.
It was Pisora.
Seol Jihoo, who’d assumed Cho Hong or Hugo would come running at news of a new recruit, found himself blindsided.
“Grandfather. I’m here.”
“You? You?”
Pisora wrapped her arms around Jangmaldong’s waist and knelt down without preamble, leaving him visibly flustered.
“What—what is this? Why are you here?”
In his bewilderment, Jangmaldong shot a sharp look at Seol Jihoo. But there was no way he could have known.
“Ah.”
‘Right.’
Now that he thought about it, Jangmaldong and Pisora knew each other.
Seol Jihoo, who had completely forgotten this detail, wrapped his head in his hands belatedly.
[At this level, I don’t think there’s anywhere else for me to turn to?]
So Pisora had been referring to Jangmaldong as someone to rely on.
The office descended into chaos, but Pisora paid it no mind. She clung to Jangmaldong as he tried to extract himself.
“How could you say something so hurtful? Where else could I possibly go?”
“Let go, let go of me!”
“What am I supposed to do? Because of that bastard Bok, I’ve become a laughingstock. Completely ruined.”
“Just let go, I said!”
“Grandfather~ can’t you just give me one room? I’ll figure out my own meals. Please?”
“No! Stop it!”
Jangmaldong wrenched himself free, breathing heavily. He paused to catch his breath, then let out a frustrated sigh.
“Explain this slowly! What do you mean asking for a room? Did that bastard tell you to come?”
“Well, no… but there are plenty of rooms here. I have no one else to trust now but you, Grandfather~ Come on, just one~.”
Pisora pleaded like a granddaughter badgering her grandfather to buy her this or that.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because—this building belongs to you, doesn’t it?”
“It doesn’t.”
“What?”
“I transferred everything to that bastard.”
Jangmaldong pointed at Seol Jihoo.
It was true. After Dylan’s death and Seol Jihoo’s formal appointment as the new Leader of Carpe Diem, full authority over the building had been transferred to him.
Pisora hadn’t anticipated this. Her movements froze. She turned her head slowly to stare at Seol Jihoo with undisguised calculation.
A moment later.
“Heave-ho.”
Seol Jihoo seized the moment of Pisora’s bewilderment, dragging her out the door.
“Goodbye!”
He closed the door firmly with a cheerful farewell.
Click!
Of course, he didn’t forget to lock it immediately. He even blocked the doorway.
“Um, excuse me.”
Knock, knock. He heard urgent knocking, but Seol Jihoo didn’t answer.
‘I need to head to Big Stone Rocky Mountain soon.’
Looking at the confused siblings, Seol Jihoo steeled himself internally.
“Just a moment. Let’s talk about this. Wait, why did you lock the door again?”
Click, click!
He’d need to recruit a new Archer too. He’d have to drill the kids as well.
Most importantly, now that he’d handled the urgent matters, Seol Jihoo needed to throw himself into the training he’d been forced to postpone since his Level Up.
“Hey. Is this any way to treat someone? Shutting the door in their face?”
Once he’d driven Pisora away somehow, a month or two spent at Big Stone Rocky Mountain would settle the matter. What was the worst she could do?
‘She’ll wear herself out and leave on her own.’
“Open the door! Let’s talk about this! This is ridiculous!”
Her voice grew louder by the second.
But Seol Jihoo had no intention whatsoever of getting further entangled with this troublemaker. He would not open that door.
Bang, bang!
“Hey! Open this door right now!”
Then it happened.
“What the hell? Who is this? Who are you?”
Suddenly, a sharp, cutting voice mingled with a cold tone from outside the door. It was Cho Hong’s voice.
“What?”
“I said, who the hell are you? Why are you making a racket outside someone else’s door? Shut your mouth.”
“A cripple? What the hell?”
“Good grief, look at those eyes. I’m seeing a crazy woman… what, you want a hit?”
Jangmaldong and Seol Jihoo’s eyes went wide as saucers at the same moment.
“Open the door! Open it! Hurry!”
“Yes, yes!”
Seol Jihoo, startled, fumbled with the lock and threw the door open.

Thud!
“Ahhhhh! I’m done!”
The moment she set down the heavy bundle, a girl in white robes plopped down on her backside.
“You worked hard.”
Seo Yuhee spoke gently, hurrying over to carefully unfold the bundle. As she examined its contents, she began arranging them one by one on the shelves.
The girl wiped the sweat from her forehead, drew a deep breath, and her eyes grew luminous.
“Ah, this fresh scent….”
Indeed, this underground space—stretching some fifty meters—was filled with the pale mist rising from Eternal Snow and the cool herbal fragrance drifting from medicinal plants.
The girl sniffed the air, turning in a slow circle, and gasped in wonder.
Small wonder, really.
The left shelf held various medicinal herbs, flowers, and plants stacked high by type,
the front shelf displayed wooden boxes emanating a sacred aura and bottles of Antidote Potion arranged in neat rows of different colors,
and the right enclosure held all manner of beasts prowling about.
It was, one might say, an underground sanctuary where every sort of miraculous elixir and sacred creature had gathered.
There was simply no way not to marvel.
“Wow. How did you manage to gather all this, sister?”
“Just… one piece at a time, somehow it all came together.”
“Goodness, look at that precious thing there.”
The girl gazed at a fowl-like creature whose feathers shimmered gold across its entire body and swallowed hard.
“Sister, couldn’t you give me just one Golden Phoenix Bird? It’s so hot—I could simmer it and have a lovely meal.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve only got one left.”
“I see. Can’t be helped then. How about just one bottle of Bamboo Flower Red?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Then the Nine Emperor Orchid Grass! I’m not asking for all of it—just one leaf!”
“No.”
The girl’s eyes grew wet with each firm refusal.
“That’s so mean….”
Seo Yuhee offered an awkward smile.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have enough for my own child.”
“Your child? Did you get married, sister?”
Seo Yuhee, absorbed in her organizing, let out a laugh.
“Marriage, what’s that.”
The girl giggled too.
“Of course I was joking. Someone like you, so guarded, couldn’t marry anyone. …Though you must be pretty young, judging by how you say ‘child.'”
“I can’t deny it. The way you joke around, your mental age relative to your body is frankly suspect.”
The thought amused her—she covered her mouth, laughing softly.
“Anyway, that person matters to me that much.”
The cheerful conversation stopped abruptly.
“Matters… to me….”
Something was wrong. Her arms slowly fell to her sides, and Seo Yuhee’s refined features hardened as if seized by dread.
In a way, she looked paralyzed by fear. It lasted only a moment, but tears were already forming in her eyes.
“Sister? Are you alright?”
“…Yes.”
After a deep breath, she resumed organizing with slightly rougher, more urgent movements.
“Forgive me. There’s someone I absolutely cannot afford to lose here.”
“Absolutely?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hm— if you say that, you must have lived in Paradise Life quite a while. Who is it?”
As the girl murmured to herself, trying to puzzle it out, Seo Yuhee shook her head.
“I haven’t been here that long.”
“Then it shouldn’t matter if you die, right? I mean, there wouldn’t be such a big gap in memories….”
“But memories disappear anyway.”
Realizing her slip, the flustered girl stared intently at Seo Yuhee’s back.
“I can’t lose the memory of Paradise… or Earth’s memories will tangle with it….”
“…….”
“I’ve only just… if I’m not careful and slip back to how I was before….”
The delicate voice wavered and trailed off.
“…I suppose that’s true….”
The girl nodded softly in agreement, then tilted her head away. It felt as though she’d stumbled onto a secret she shouldn’t touch.
That was when her eyes caught on a lumpy bundle lying on the floor.
Seo Yuhee, a master of tidiness, had just left it scattered like that?
Impossible. Curiosity piqued, the girl crawled over and checked what was inside.
“Oh!”
Her eyes went wide at once. Because inside gleamed weapons and armor, glittering brilliantly.
Not just one, but nine of them.
“What… what is all this?”
“That? Oh. Misaligned Wishes.”
“Misaligned Wishes… ah, right. You mentioned you went through an Event earlier and made a wish.”
“I gathered the equipment from people who died in Stage 3. Didn’t want to waste it.”
The girl’s eyes sparkled.
“Sister!”
“No. Not happening.”
The girl’s face fell immediately.
“…But I didn’t even ask for anything?”
“These all have owners.”
“Wait. You just said they belonged to people who died!”
“Regardless, no. You touch them without permission, and you’ll regret it.”
Growing tired of Seo Yuhee’s constant refusals, the girl sprawled out on the floor.
“Fine, fine.”
She gave up cleanly.
Seo Yuhee was generous and giving most of the time—seeing her refuse so firmly meant there had to be a specific reason she needed those things.
The girl wanted to whine about the effort it must have taken to carry all this here, but she owed Seo Yuhee too much from the past to push her luck.
Still, a hint of longing lingered, and she couldn’t help but pout a little.
“Who’s it for?”
Seo Yuhee finished arranging everything and brushed dust from her hands, turning to look at her.
“You want to know who’s lucky enough to receive such an unprecedented and generous gift from me?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Seo Yuhee rested her chin on her index finger and gazed up at the ceiling.
A gentle smile spread across her face.
“The rabbit next door.”
“…A rabbit?”
The girl blinked blankly.
“Yep. That kind of thing exists.”
Seo Yuhee smiled warmly.
“A very cute white rabbit.”

(To be continued)

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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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