The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 70

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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 70. Enigma

Bringing Maria into the fold was unquestionably an encouraging development.
Priests serve two kinds of gods: those who govern Healing and Curse Breaking, along with Support Spells—the Lusuria Order, deity of lust; and those who command Sacred Technique and repel enemies with holy power—the Invidia Order, deity of envy.
If Cho Hong was an Earthian who planted a foot in both the Invidia and Iraeus camps, Maria had walked a single-minded path from Level 1, serving only the Lusuria god.
Already a profession treated with noble standing, a High Priest specializing in Healing was valued nearly as highly as a mage. Her presence—a Level 4 High Priest capable of treating all but the gravest wounds cleanly—was not merely a positive factor but an element that inspired genuine goodwill among those for whom life itself was paramount, as it was for Earthians.
Having secured her recruitment, Seol Jihoo did not return to the Carpe Diem Office; instead, he made for the Library.
In any city, the Library stood as a repository of knowledge. Just as Alex’s report of the Mole’s appearance had been posted to the Plaza bulletin board, Seol reasoned that records of the multiple Subjugation Requests carried out against Ramman Village would be kept there as well.
Cho Hong had sworn she could sweep through the place single-handedly with a modest enough team composition, but Seol did not accept her word at face value—a habit picked up after the near-death experience of being surrounded by skeletons. At least when lives hung in the balance, he believed in thorough preparation.
While searching through materials, he unexpectedly encountered an acquaintance.
“Ho. Never expected to run into you here.”
An old man in a pointed hat with salt-and-pepper whiskers extended his hand in greeting. Seol Jihoo bowed respectfully and took it.
“I’m surprised to see you too. What brings you to the Library, Ian?”
“Heh heh. You’re the only Earthian I know who’d ask a mage why he came to a library.”
Ian chuckled, then asked.
“So, how have you been since then?”
“Oh, getting by quietly. Grinding levels, training, that sort of thing.”
“A peaceful life—that’s always worthwhile. By the way, did you receive the spear all right?”
“Ah. I realize I never properly thanked you for that. How has the Princess been?”
“She’s doing wonderfully, yes. Theresa’s always going on about pink, you know.”
Ian winked. Pink? Seol’s confusion was answered by the old man’s smirk as he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially.
“Heh heh. This is a secret only I know, but I’ll let you in on it—specially.”
Seol Jihoo found himself leaning closer without thinking.
“The thing is, there are many shades of pink, you see?”
“Sir?”
“For instance, the Princess’s particular shade leans toward baby pink. Mmm.”
Ian.
“Goodness, only joking, only joking! I absolutely did not use X-ray Magic to see anything, so don’t go thinking such thoughts. When you get that serious look, you frighten me half to death.”
The old man waved his hands dismissively, chuckling. Seol let out a sigh. He’d let his guard down and been caught again.
“I don’t mind ordinary jests, but sexual ones are a bit much.”
“That’s only because you don’t know the Princess well.”
“Pardon?”
“Today, for instance, I cracked a joke, and despite certain… difficulties in that department, she snapped back asking what I intended to do about it. Honestly, I was defeated.”
……
Seol Jihoo found himself at a loss for words.
“Enough of that digression. What brings you here?”
“I’ve taken on a Quest and thought there might be related materials here.”
Seol answered cautiously.
“A Quest?”
“Yes. The Ramman Village one.”
A spark of interest flashed in Ian’s eyes.
“Dylan and Hugo won’t be able to participate, then. So it’s just you and Cho Hong forming the team?”
“That’s about the size of it. You knew about this, Ian?”
“I have a hand in Quests myself, so I couldn’t help but know. Which means Dylan must have passed it along to you.”
Ian’s expression grew uncertain, then suddenly curled into a smile.
“Heh heh. Dylan, that rascal.”
He muttered the words almost to himself before speaking up.
“Do you have a few moments to spare? Five minutes should suffice.”
“Of course.”
“Good. I’ll be right back. Wait here for me.”
With a serious expression, the old man hurried off. Exactly five minutes later, he returned laden with an armful of scrolls and papers.
“Here. These are the records documenting the Subjugation Requests you were looking for. And…”
As Seol accepted the materials without quite thinking, the old man withdrew a thick book separately.
“A history text. You needn’t read it all—I’ve marked certain passages with bookmarks. Just read those sections, and you’ll have what you need.”
“You, Ian?”
“Mmm. It was some time ago, but I participated in a Subjugation once myself. More than that, the Ramman Village Quest is one of Haramag’s unsolved mysteries—one that piqued my interest back then.”
Ian continued.

“Bottom line, I failed. I had what I thought was solid reasoning, clues I’d pieced together. But in the end, I couldn’t uncover the root cause.”
“That’s what everyone says. I’d have expected as much too.”
“Well, can’t know for certain.”
Seol Jihoo laughed awkwardly, and Ian stroked his beard.
“Escaping alive from the Forest of Negation, which was forbidden to enter. Holding the fortress when we were certain to lose it. Both were feats beyond expectation.”
“I appreciate the praise, but I think we were simply fortunate.”
“Not at all. Those two victories came about because of your actions, not luck.”
Ian’s smile was warm and genuine.
“I’m putting pressure on you, aren’t I? If you resolve this matter, you’ll have contributed to the stabilization of the Haramag region and earned considerable merit. The royal family might even offer additional compensation.”
“It would be reassuring to have you with us.”
“I’d like nothing more, but the Seonak matter has me tied up. I’ve already extended myself to Sicily, so I can’t simply withdraw.”
“I understand. I’ll manage this well.”
Seol Jihoo smiled brightly.
“Good luck, then.”
Ian raised his clenched fist in encouragement as well.

Cho Hong returned late into the night in poor spirits. She’d searched high and low for a High Priest, only to be turned away everywhere. So she’d returned to the office and was about to grumble that they’d simply stand idle watching, when Dylan mentioned that Seol had brought one back—and she was left speechless.
“Really?”
“Yes. He said he found her himself.”
“Who?”
“Maria.”
“What? That wench!?”
Cho Hong’s voice rose sharply. Dylan calmly covered his ears and nodded.
“I understand it’s hard to believe, but could you lower your voice? Seol’s working right now.”
“Working?”
“Yes. I was thinking of helping a bit, but watching him, he doesn’t need it. He’s doing well enough that you couldn’t call him a novice.”
Dylan’s expression was pleased.
“Do you know how much I’ve wanted a teammate like Seol? And not only can’t he help us, he shouldn’t get in the way. Right?”
Cho Hong wasn’t one to listen to that. She stomped into the room and saw Seol Jihoo sitting at the desk, diligently taking notes.
“Hey.”
“Oh, you’re back?”
Seol Jihoo spoke without turning around.
“You really found a High Priest?”
“Yeah.”
Seol Jihoo nodded and asked a question.
“Why is Maria a wench?”
“Because she is. How’d you get her to agree? She’s got such a nasty attitude.”
“Stop cursing. I know her from the Neutral Zone.”
“Hey, when you talk to someone, don’t you look at them?”
Only then did Seol Jihoo half-turn his body, leaning back at an angle in his chair as he continued.
“Oh right—what about the archer and the warrior? Did you recognize them?”
Cho Hong hesitated.
“Ah, no? I was too busy searching for the High Priest….”
“I said I’d find the High Priest.”
“Who knew it’d be that easy! I felt bad dumping it all on you, so I went searching too! Why!”
Cho Hong’s voice cracked with indignation. Seol Jihoo let out a wry laugh.
“All right, all right.”
Then he turned back to the scroll and continued writing.
“Don’t worry. I arranged to meet Maria tomorrow at Eat, Drink and Enjoy. We can search together then.”
Cho Hong said nothing. Though she wanted to maintain her dignity as someone with seniority, Dylan was right—Seol Jihoo was already handling things well on his own. She felt a little guilty, if only slightly.
“…What are you doing?”
As she drew closer, she saw scrolls and papers spread across the desk, and a thick book as well.
“Mm. Documentation from the Ramman Village Subjugation Request.”
“And this?”
“A history of the Empire. Ian gave it to me to read.”
“You met that old geezer?”
“By chance.”
Cho Hong leafed through the book slightly and made a face of disgust.
“Ugh, just looking at it makes me want to puke. How can you even read this?”
“What? I find it pretty interesting, actually.”
“Do we really have to go this far? Just go beat it to death and be done with it.”
“There’s a good chance it’ll show up again. If possible, it’s better to uncover the root cause and eliminate it. That means we need clues.”
“And looking at it gives us clues?”
At Cho Hong’s jab, Seol Jihoo stretched hard, joints popping.
“Not directly. But there are a few things that seem… off. Inconsistent, I mean.”
“Inconsistent?”
“I’m not certain. Just a feeling.”
Seol Jihoo tapped his lips and yawned. Cho Hong sighed so deeply it seemed the ground might swallow her.
“Fine. Do whatever you want. I’m going to sleep. I’m exhausted from wandering around all day.”
“You worked hard. Sleep well.”
Cho Hong sprawled across the bed. She stared at the ceiling for a while with a sullen expression, then cast a sidelong glance.
“Aren’t you sleeping?”
“I’ll look a bit more. We have the Luminescent Stone, so I can leave the light off.”
“…No. It’s fine.”
But Cho Hong didn’t fall asleep right away. Her clear, bright eyes remained fixed on the young man sitting at the desk, absorbed in his book. With his sleeves rolled up and his face set in concentration, the wordless intensity in his gaze struck her as somehow fresh and new.
‘That’s strange.’
How long had he been here? she murmured softly to herself, hugging the pillow a little closer. For a long time before sleep took her, her eyes traced the broad, muscular line of his back—which seemed unusually wide tonight.

The next afternoon, Seol Jihoo met Maria as promised. What he hadn’t quite anticipated was that Maria would show up wearing nothing but a white shirt, buttoned as loosely as comfort allowed. And that she and Cho Hong already knew each other—in a decidedly unpleasant way.
“Wow, for real? What wind blew through to get the money demon involved in something like this?”
It was the first thing out of Cho Hong’s mouth the moment she saw her. Maria, one eyebrow arching slightly at the barb-laden greeting, smiled sweetly.
“Oh? I had a little hope since you mentioned Carpe Diem. But of all people, it had to be some brainless bitch famous for being a blockhead.”
“That mouth of yours never changes. I’ve always wondered if you could babble even if I slit your lips wide open.”
“Your skull must be as empty as you’re famous for. Any plans to crack open your crown right here and prove it?”
Veins rose across Cho Hong’s forehead. She laughed, baring her teeth.
“There she is. You really are a bitch. Your mouth’s dirtier than a rag.”
“Sure, my upper hole’s a little filthy. But it’s not as worthless and loose as your lower one.”
“Stop, stop it. Cho Hong, you stop too.”
Seol Jihoo quickly wedged himself between the two women, who were grinning and trading verbal volleys. Cho Hong was reaching for her Mace, and Maria was fingering her Holy Cross—they looked ready to break into an all-out brawl if left unchecked.
“Hmph.”
“Tch!”
Watching them both turn away simultaneously, he let his shoulders sag. This was already going sideways from the start.
But his gloomy mood was short-lived. The moment he led the two women into the tavern, Seol Jihoo felt every eye in the room swivel toward him—a familiar sensation from his time with Yu Seonhwa.
Now that he thought about it, he’d stepped between them to keep them from fighting, which made them, in a sense, flowers in each of his hands. Both possessed the kind of face that qualified as genuinely beautiful.
‘Hmm.’
The realization stiffened his neck and drew his spine taut. His expression relaxed into something self-assured. Seol Jihoo took great pains not to swagger as he walked. But unaware of the actual situation,
“Hey, look at that. Quite a unique combination.”
“Seriously. Two of the Six Luminaries in one party?”
“Wait. Isn’t that the guy who came with Agnes a while back?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Three of the Six Luminaries… man, that guy’s got some tastes.”
He had no idea such conversations were circulating around him.
The moment they sat at the table, Maria and Cho Hong fell silent in perfect sync, as if they’d planned it.
“Booze!”
“Booze, booze, booze!”
They sounded like baby birds chirping, and Seol Jihoo pressed his palm to his forehead.
“…Bring it.”
“Kyaha! Hey! Bring all the Rum and Vodka you’ve got!”
When it came to liquor, Cho Hong was unrivaled in her mixing prowess. She deftly blended the Rum and Vodka, pouring with practiced ease and sliding a glass to each of them. Of course, Seol Jihoo didn’t even touch his lips to his, but Maria threw hers back in one shot, her body trembling.
“Whew, that’ll wake you right up.”
“It’s good to drink, but don’t forget you came here to find team members.”
“Don’t worry. Our leader’s just sitting quietly watching. I’ll handle it.”
Cho Hong said it with total confidence, then poured again. As the two women exchanged drinks like they’d never fought at all, Seol Jihoo watched with his chin propped in his hand.
Time passed. As bottles began to stack neatly on the table, Cho Hong, who’d been downing shots steadily, suddenly stopped.
“Hey.”
At her signal, Maria glanced toward the entrance. Two men and a woman were coming in. Maria let out a low hmm, nodded, and shrugged her shoulders.
“They’re not garbage. Do what you want.”
“Okay. Hey, Mikhail!”
Cho Hong waved, and the man at the front of the group widened his eyes and raised his hand in greeting. He was lean and muscular, with short-cropped hair.
“You’re still alive?”
“Don’t be rude, man.”
Mikhail chuckled and signaled the two people behind him to wait. Cho Hong opened her mouth.
“How’ve you been lately? I heard you’re about to hit Level 4 soon.”
“It’s killing me. I can rack up more experience eventually, but it’s the money that’s the problem. Equipment costs are absurdly expensive, you know.”
“Yeah, they jump up almost tenfold.”
Cho Hong laughed in agreement, her whole face brightening.
“So here’s what I’m thinking—interested in taking on something lucrative?”
“Work?”
Mikhail glanced back reflexively, then his expression shifted to surprise.
“Maria? What brings you two together?”
“Work, obviously. Nothing massive—more of a side gig for pocket money.”
Mikhail whistled low.
“That’s promising. Let’s hear it.”
He turned around again and beckoned his teammate closer. Three more people pulled up chairs around the table.
“So what’s this about?”
“It’s urgent. Have a drink first.”
“Pass. Anything you mix, I won’t touch even if it’s free.”
“Tch. It’s nothing fancy—a Subjugation Request for Ramman Village.”
“Ramman Village?”
Mikhail’s face darkened immediately.
“Come on, that’s barely worth the effort…”
He turned back to the two women, clearly puzzled.
“Both of you for something that trivial? Isn’t that overkill?”
“You talk a lot. So are you doing this or not?”
Maria’s irritation cut through the air. Mikhail’s gaze drifted sideways as he considered, taking in the woman with her arms crossed—her brow drawn tight enough to give her a sharp, almost tense edge. When she shook her head, her long, dark hair swayed like silk. Mikhail spoke.
“Mm. This sounds rough.”
“Think about it again. The distance is close. Just a day or two to build experience.”
“Nah, I’ve done this before. At our level, hunting a few mutants doesn’t help much anyway.”
Cho Hong licked her teeth. She glanced back, and Seol Jihoo, catching her eye, spoke up.
“That’s not necessarily true.”
“Huh?”
Only then did Mikhail turn to look. Cho Hong opened her mouth.
“Introductions are late, I know. This is Seol, our team’s new recruit. And he’s also the leader taking on this request.”
“Seol?”
Mikhail stared blankly, then suddenly clapped his hands together.
“Oh! The Aden Gorge! You’re from Aden Gorge, aren’t you?”
“You know about it?”
“Do I ever. We participated too. Wow, running into a celebrity here.”
Mikhail extended his hand, his words flowing on.
“Man, great to meet you, really. I’m Mikhailov, Level 3 Sword Runner. And this here is—”
“Veronica. Level 3 Sharp Ranger.”
Veronica spoke up as well, a spark of genuine interest crossing her face.
“And here’s Gierscal. Level 3 Guard.”
The man sitting silently raised his hand in a small acknowledgment.
“I still have that image burned into my mind, you know—how you lured them. At first I didn’t know what was happening, but honestly, I was blown away.”
Mikhail, grinning broadly, pulled his chair in.
“Anyway, what were you saying earlier? About it not being that way?”
Seol Jihoo cleared his throat. If Maria and Cho Hong both endorsed this, they were probably a solid team. In a sense, this whole arrangement existed because of them. He’d done enough favoring already—now it was time to act like the leader they needed.
“Do you happen to know about the particular characteristics of the Ramman Village request?”
“Characteristics? Like what?”
“First, mutants appear in the subjugations.”
“I already knew that.”
“Second, the species changes with each subjugation.”
“Yeah, I think so. Though they weren’t particularly strong.”
Mikhail tilted his head uncertainly.
“And third, the scale of the subjugation teams has grown larger as time goes on.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Perhaps sensing something amiss in the air, Mikhail’s voice dropped.
“You said you’ve taken this request before, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. About a year ago? I’m not sure of the exact date, but around then.”
“Then you’re aware that the teams taking on this request have been steadily increasing in both size and ability each year?”
Mikhail blinked.
“Look at this.”
Seol Jihoo held out a piece of paper.
“Excluding the Kingdom’s Subjugation Corps, from the first request to the last. As you can see, missions that were primarily Level 1 work gradually shifted to Level 2, then Level 3. And now, for whatever reason, a request has come in to Carpe Diem.”
Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.
“Wait. You’re saying—”
“The mutant that appeared this time will likely be quite different from the one you knew.”
“Hmm… I see. That’s why Maria and Cho Hong—”
Mikhail stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Since it’s based on Library records, it doesn’t sound like nonsense, and I can follow the logic. So that’s why the compensation creeps up, little by little, every year.”
The other man signaled his agreement. Seol Jihoo sensed it was time to dangle the hook.
“There’s more. I intend to use this opportunity to unravel the mystery, if I can.”
At that moment, Mikhail’s eyes gleamed. Being an Earthian who’d scraped by in Haramag well enough, he understood instantly what that meant.
Mysteries operate on different principles than ordinary quests. Simply solving what countless people have failed to accomplish grants considerable renown in itself—a kind of career advancement, you might say. To deny the appeal would be a lie.
“Hold on, you don’t strike me as joking about bringing those two along. You’re serious?”
“No, I’m not. To be honest, I don’t have certainty. But someone trustworthy gave me important information.”
“Someone trustworthy? Who?”
“Ian Denzel.”
That was the deciding blow.
“Ian? Really?”
“If you asked him directly, it’d all come out anyway. Why would I lie?”
Fair point. Mikhail let out a heavy sigh and gnawed at his lip. The conflict playing across his features was unmistakable. Veronica nudged him in the ribs; Gierscal tinkled his glass and coughed.
“No need to overthink it. The distance is only about half a day’s travel anyway. Even if we gain nothing else, we get experience—and if luck smiles on us even once—”
Seol Jihoo deliberately let his words trail off. The message was clear: if you want to hear more, you’ll need to commit.
“So what do you say?”
He flashed a sly smile, fingers interlaced.
“…You really know how to leave a man hanging.”
Mikhail grumbled.
“If we’re judging purely by persuasion, I’d believe you were high-ranking.”
In the end, he raised both arms in surrender.
“Okay. Let’s find somewhere more private and hear this delicate matter.”

Early the next morning, the Expedition Team—or rather, the Subjugation Team—gathered at the south gate of Haramag. When Seol Jihoo and Cho Hong arrived hand in hand, a pair of contracted drivers and porters were waiting.
A moment later, Maria arrived dressed in white priestly robes, just as she had been in the Neutral Zone. Soon after, Mikhail appeared alongside Veronica and Gierscal, all converging in turn.
Four warriors, one archer, and one priest. Average level 3.2. Given that this wasn’t a particularly dangerous expedition, the composition seemed better than expected.
Shortly after.
Two carriages, each carrying three people, rolled out through the gate with determination.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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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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