The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 187

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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 187. An Unexpected Change of Mood (2)

“…I should’ve said this topic’s off-limits too.”
Pisora muttered with a rueful smile.
Then she exhaled a long breath and shook her head.
“All right. I’ll tell you.”
Against expectation, she agreed readily to his proposal.
But where to begin?
It was delicate enough to make him hesitate for a moment.
So Seol Jihoo decided to first reconfirm what she actually wanted.
Enough time had passed that Pisora’s mind might have changed, and if so, he could end up speaking to empty air.
Seol Jihoo cut straight to the point.
“What’s your reason?”
“?”
“Why do you stay with Carpe Diem?”
Pisora’s face showed no hesitation as she answered.
“I’ve never put the answer to that question into words, but I think I’ve shown it well enough. Through my actions.”
This meant her resolve hadn’t wavered.
“It’s just hard for me to understand. Someone like you could get into groups far bigger than Carpe Diem.”
“That’s true.”
Pisora acknowledged without any trace of boasting, matter-of-factly.
“But a place with the feel of Carpe Diem is hard to find. If I had to put it in words, it just suits my nature.”
“Your nature?”
“I’m not interested in joining an already-finished team and just warming a seat. You know I entered as a hostile marker, right?”
Seol Jihoo remembered seeing that with the Nine Eyes, so he nodded.
“That’s what all the men say—that military service was hard but worthwhile when it’s over. Now I get it. In those early days, it was brutal. Crawling like a beast, treated like a slave….”
Pisora chuckled and swirled her pinky finger inside the soju glass.
“But I clawed my way through and did my part, and eventually silenced them all with nothing but my skill. That turned out to be unexpectedly fun.”
The word ‘fun’ grated on him slightly, but Seol Jihoo didn’t press the point.
Some people found more joy in the climb to max level than in playing at max level itself.
That’s probably what she meant.
“Plus, I think I timed my entry really well.”
“How so?”
“Think about it. The Carpe Diem you’re in now has infinite growth potential. There’s a real chance it’ll become a mega-organization that, down the line, even people who wanted to join couldn’t get in.”
Pisora withdrew her finger and licked it clean.
“I don’t know what you think, but there’s still plenty of room for me to shine on this team. And if I join a group that’s about to take a big leap and help drive that growth, then later I’ll be treated as a founding contributor.”
“A founding contributor?”
“Yes. If I’m reading you right, when you eventually become the head of a faction that bears part of Paradise’s weight, you won’t brush me aside.”
Pisora smiled as if just imagining it delighted her.
At such a nakedly honest confession, Seol Jihoo couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Isn’t it a little early to be dreaming rose-tinted dreams?”
“Dreams exist to be dreamed. I’m confident.”
Fair enough.
As the key figure who built White Rose into what it is, it made sense for her to speak with such certainty.
All things considered, given Pisora’s skill level, it was something to welcome with both hands—yet there were details that gave him pause.
Honestly, from what Seol Jihoo could see, Pisora was an Earthian who wore the title of leader far better than that of lieutenant.
“Then wouldn’t you be able to build a new team yourself? With your experience, your capacity as a leader is more than—”
“No.”
But before he could finish, Pisora waved her hand firmly in denial.
“I don’t hate compliments, but you’re overestimating me. I know myself. As a leader, I’m hopeless.”
She shook her head, continuing.
“Besides, in my future work there, I won’t be guiding anyone or anything like that. You want to know why? Because I have no intention of doing so. Absolutely not.”
She even emphasized the words ‘absolutely not’ by repeating them three times.
Caught off guard by such a fierce reaction, Seol Jihoo saw something mournful flicker across her face.
It was only a brief moment, but he caught it, and only then could he begin to guess what lay beneath her words.
‘Trauma.’
A single miscalculation that had cost all her longtime comrades their lives—that incident had unmistakably left its mark on her heart.
For a moment, complicated feelings stirred within him, but Seol Jihoo gave his head a slight shake.
Public and private must always be kept separate.
It makes sense to set aside emotion and focus on the matter at hand.
In exchange—though that’s not quite the word—Seol Jihoo decided to speak his own mind honestly.
“Pisora asked me not to mention this, but I’ll say just this much: I’m genuinely grateful for your participation in the war. I mean it sincerely.”
“Hearing you say that means a lot to me. I was worried you’d mock me for making such grand proclamations and then getting knocked out in one strike.”
Seol Jihoo shook his head.
He had no intention of saying such a thing.
No one could have predicted the emergence of the Seven Great Armies, and the legion commander was an entity beyond all standard measures.
And as he’d heard later, even when promised that Pisora would be spared if she revealed who the Immortal Diligent One was, she’d kept silent to the end.
In other words, she’d upheld her loyalty as a comrade.
There’s a saying that a person’s true nature can only be known when pushed to the brink, and that was the reason Seol Jihoo saw Pisora in a new light now.
She was far better than some bastard who’d raised his hand and proclaimed he’d reveal his identity.
“You showed such contempt at Big Stone Rock Mountain. Yet now you’re willing to stake your life.”
…Her temperament is still unchanged, though.
Seol Jihoo clicked his tongue inwardly, then opened his mouth quietly.
“The reason I haven’t been pleased to see you until now is, of course, because of the children. Seol-ah and Seongjin fear you and harbor some very negative feelings. I assume you understand why that is.”
“Yes. I suppose so.”
“Of course, given your relationship with Bok Jeongsik, I think I understand why you acted that way. More precisely, I understand the reason.”
At that moment, Pisora’s eyebrows twitched slightly as her shoulders relaxed.
“The important thing is that this political relationship hasn’t influenced the bonds between you and the siblings further. Carpe Diem has no factional strife.”
……
“Ideally, I’d like it if you and the children got along well, but… in any case, I’d hope your relationship improves so it doesn’t hinder our future activities.”
Seol Jihoo spoke while observing Pisora’s face.
At this moment, her expression was only slightly stiffened, with no particularly noticeable change.
Given that her nickname was “Roughneck,” Seol Jihoo took this as a positive sign and continued slowly.
“Since we’re already here.”
He poured soju into an empty glass as he spoke.
“What if you apologized first? I honestly don’t think Seol-ah and Seongjin would refuse if you made a sincere apology.”
That’s why he didn’t see it.
The way Pisora’s brow suddenly furrowed intensely.
“If you’re worried, I’ll help too. They’re not bad kids at heart. If I talk to them—”
Clang!
The sound of a spoon being set down hard rang out.
Seol Jihoo had been tilting his glass when he raised his gaze, his eyes blinking.
Pisora was staring directly at him with a face flushed with emotion.
“Pisora?”
“I seriously don’t understand—”
Frustration burst out immediately.
“Look. All I was trying to accept was just you telling me going forward: don’t give me looks, don’t fight, don’t start trouble. That much. And now? An apology? Asking forgiveness?”
Suddenly the tantrum erupted.
Seol Jihoo stared at Pisora with a dumbfounded expression.
“Right. So I’m a criminal. I’ve committed a sin worthy of death. Is that it?”
Seol Jihoo’s eyes narrowed.
“…What did you say?”
His voice had grown noticeably lower.
“I’ve committed a grave sin worthy of death!”
As Pisora’s voice turned sharp and piercing, gazes gathered from all around.
Seol Jihoo’s mood sank entirely.
“That sounds exactly like you’re saying you did nothing wrong.”
“No? Who said I did well? But then why do I still have to be treated with such caution?”
“That’s laughable. Someone who hates being eyed so carefully—why did you give the children that treatment?”
“Because it was warranted!”
Pisora’s eyes widened as she shot back defiantly.
“Pisora.”
Seol Jihoo’s brow narrowed.
“Do you not wish to speak with me?”
“Is this even a conversation? It’s a one-sided ultimatum!”
“What.”
“I was trying my best to hold back. But the more I listened, the more—”
Pisora expelled a harsh breath and started the engine.
“Those two. They should be grateful they just got the cold shoulder. Of course, you side with the kids, so you’d love to puff them up. But could you honestly say the same thing if they were complete strangers? No. Have you ever once tried to see things from my position?”
Seol Jihoo didn’t fire back right then for one reason.
[He’s showering them with praise so thick you could cut it with a knife. Could he say the same thing if they weren’t people he knew?]
A memory of something Jang Maldong had said long ago flickered across his mind.
“I understand why I acted that way, you think? No. Not at all. I don’t understand a thing.”
Seol Jihoo crossed his arms, swallowing down the fury rising in his chest.
“Then what exactly is it?”
“Reasons? Plenty. Absolutely overflowing with them.”
At that, Pisora—who had been breathing heavily—crossed her own arms and jerked her chin up.
“First off, I don’t like that that bastard brought them in the first place.”
“He could’ve come alone. But no, he had to drag his sister in, whining about it so much we ended up with double the official records to pay out.”
“And hitting Level 2 in three months? Please. White Rose poured every resource imaginable into them—if they couldn’t climb to Level 2, that’d be pathetic.”
“Plus, when I said something about the support being a bit lopsided, suddenly my senior archer gets pulled from the roster. You don’t think that’s a problem? Sowing discord in the guild? It’s ridiculous.”
Pisora unleashed her words like gunfire, and Seol Jihoo clicked his tongue.
The fact that White Rose was a mess was something he already knew.
By the sound of it, Bok Jeongsik had used Lee Seol-ah to pressure Pisora’s faction, and that’s why she resented them.
“Most of what you’re describing doesn’t really seem like Seol-ah’s fault.”
“See? I knew you’d say that. Look, I’m not here to split hairs about right and wrong. I’m telling you why I don’t like her.”
And she pressed on immediately.
“You think that’s all?”
Pisora steadied her breathing and opened her mouth again.
“Plain and simple—if she was flawless at what she does, nobody would say a word. They say something because she fails. At minimum, you should show some effort. But she cries the moment someone criticizes her. She forces a smile when greeting people.”
“Are you saying Seol-ah didn’t try?”
“She probably thought she was making a genuine effort. But from where I’m standing? Absolutely not. You ought to know by now—that’s not how easy a world this is.”
Then Pisora fixed Seol Jihoo with a piercing stare.
“Want me to tell you something funny?”
Her mouth twisted into a bitter line.
“Remember the defection talks? That bastard. Honestly, I was even considering actually letting him switch sides if he’d just hand over some of the banquet supplies.”
“As far as I know, that didn’t happen.”
“My brother heard it straight from the source. And that asshole’s a master at changing his tune. I bet he went and told your grandfather something about repaying a debt, or maybe he said he’d put in a good word for Seol-ah and Seongjin on some future expedition.”
Seol Jihoo’s expression hardened like stone.
“And why not? He wasn’t exactly neutral before either. But there’s only so much coddling and consoling one person can take. Every chance he got, it was ‘In the Tutorial, this happened’ and ‘In the Neutral Zone, that happened’ and ‘My older brother Seol’ this and ‘My older brother Seol’ that. Like they’re on some kind of school trip or something.”
Pisora spat sharply on the ground and brushed her bangs back roughly.
“So? Let’s say I ignore everything else. Did I ever lay a hand on them? Did I curse them out?”
…….
“No matter what the guild rules are, as someone who sacrificed my own growth and paid the most in official records, and as a senior guild member—is pointing out when someone’s doing wrong and giving them a look a sin worthy of kneeling and begging forgiveness?”
There’s a saying about standing in another’s shoes.
Assuming what she said was true, if he himself had been in Pisora’s position, how would the Golden Law have judged the siblings?
If they’d constantly said things like “Sang-ah, you don’t measure up” or “In White Rose, we did it differently”?
Seol Jihoo closed his eyes slowly.
“Now comes the emotional manipulation, I suppose. ‘They’ve had it rough, they’ve suffered. Please understand them.'”
…….
“Why? Do you think I’m being unfair? My life hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park either, you know. I could stay up all night and tell you about it—will you sympathize with me after?”
Pisora laughed at her own words, a hollow, mirthless sound.
“No need to dredge up the past. These days are killing me as it is. The guild’s destroyed, I’m penniless, I’m adrift like a lost duckling, and I nearly died in that war.”
Yet Pisora had never once asked for sympathy.
She simply bore it.
Because it was her choice, her mistake, and she knew it.
Lee Seol-ah is the same.
Because she showed a flawed attitude, there’s no reason for her to apologize.
“And my close friend ended up taking her own life a few days ago, so her funeral was—”
In the next instant, Pisora clamped her mouth shut.
At the same moment, Seol Jihoo’s head snapped up.
“Sorry?”
But Pisora said nothing and looked away.
Her pupils, fixed on the wall, had reddened slightly.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and her throat convulsed with a sharp, visible motion.
After a few minutes of silence.
“…Anyway.”
Pisora sniffed lightly and opened her eyes weakly, finally speaking.
“You can’t even manage a single apology? Don’t talk to me like that.”
Her voice came out trembling, thick with emotion.
“Not just there—here too. This is how I’ve always lived.”
It wasn’t a matter of becoming stronger when wronged, nor was it born from inferiority.
Just as Seol Jihoo had his own way of living in Paradise, so did Pisora have hers.
Pisora simply didn’t understand Lee Seol-ah’s approach.
“That’s how you’ve always lived…!”
She finished speaking with a voice full of resentment, then in a fit of frustration grabbed the soju bottle and drank deeply from it.
‘A way of living…’
Seol Jihoo stared at Pisora, whose face had flushed crimson, his own expression one of speechlessness.
In the old days, he would have hurled insults—calling her crazy, saying she was spouting utter nonsense—and stormed out of there long ago.
But after going through various ordeals in Paradise, Seol Jihoo’s way of thinking had shifted dramatically from what it once was.
There’s a concept called the Underdog Effect.
Simply put, it describes the phenomenon where people support and cheer for those they believe to be the weak.
Yet being strong doesn’t make one inherently evil, just as being weak doesn’t make one inherently good.
That’s what he’d learned at the Banquet.
Thinking along those lines, he grew curious.
Why had Bok Jeongsik, who was said to have cherished his children dearly, suddenly decided to use the siblings as a sacrificial pawn?
Could he truly be certain, absolutely certain, that the siblings bore even the slightest shred of blame?
It was a question too difficult to judge—right or wrong—and suddenly his mind became tangled.
Seol Jihoo chewed his lower lip anxiously before finally gripping the bottle.
Like Pisora, he drank straight from it with all his strength.

Sunlight tapped against his eyelids.
Seol Jihoo’s eyelids flickered, and he opened his eyes halfway, drool pooling at the corner of his mouth.
Before he could even think about what had happened, a vicious hangover crashed down upon his brain.
After suffering for some time, once the familiar dizziness subsided, Seol Jihoo managed to open his eyes with difficulty.
Through his blurred vision, something long and pillow-like came into view.
He remembered how, toward the end, they’d both drunk in silent, competitive succession, pouring liquor into their stomachs.
But at some point, his memory simply cut off.
“Ugh…”
As the headache crashed over him again, Seol Jihoo reflexively pulled the pillow closer.
‘I don’t even know anymore.’
He figured he should sleep more and buried his face deep into the pillow.
Whether from residual body heat or something else, the pillow was surprisingly warm and soft.
At the unexpectedly pliant feel of it, he let out a contented sigh.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, a voice half-drowsy yet unmistakably irritated drifted to his ears.
“This guy’s doing this again…”
Seol Jihoo’s eyes flew wide open.

(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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