The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 91

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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 91. After Hardship Comes Joy

They lingered by the lake for hours, yet they couldn’t have stayed there forever. They drank water until their bellies were full, filled their water skins to the brim. Then the two of them reluctantly left the lake behind.
Though their joints still ached and throbbed, simply quenching their thirst had doubled their condition. Thanks to it, their pace climbing the Hill of Trumpet after leaving the Forest of Negation was noticeably lighter.
But they didn’t push themselves, taking adequate rest at intervals, and walked through day and night without distinction.
On the fourth night, darkness grew deep.
“What will you do first when we get back?”
Teresa asked during their night march.
‘When I return to Haramag?’
There’s plenty he wants to do. Meet his colleagues, eat delicious food and drink cool beverages to his heart’s content, get his body healed so he’ll need to visit the temple, continue training diligently once recovered, and besides….
‘Wait.’
Now that he thought about it, he felt like he was forgetting something enormously important.
[Next time you’re going anywhere, you tell me first. Understood?]
‘Oh!’
He barely swallowed the cry that was about to escape.
In truth, before leaving, he’d agonized over whether to contact her or not, and ultimately decided against it. Kim Hanna would never approve, after all. So his plan had been to slip away quietly and act innocent when he returned.
By now there would surely be chaos. She’d know for certain.
‘My back….’
Remembering Kim Hanna’s harsh hand, Seol Jihoo sighed deeply. Teresa, oblivious to his inner turmoil, continued cheerfully.
“Won’t you come to the royal palace with me?”
“The royal palace…?”
“Yes!”
Seol Jihoo wavered. If he sought protection from the Haramag Royal Family, he might be able to survive.
But he quickly shook his head. Beyond whether it was possible or not, he couldn’t spend his whole life confined within palace walls. Better to take the beating upfront than delay it. One misstep could turn five blows into dozens.
“Thank you for the offer, but… I think I need to report myself alive first.”
“What are you worried about? Just come, and I’ll sort it out.”
“That’s kind, but I’d like to give them a pleasant surprise.”
Teresa laughed softly.
“You really are peculiar. Fine. I’ll call for you later.”
It seemed she was determined to invite him to the royal house regardless. Since there was no reason to refuse, Seol Jihoo gave a vague murmur of agreement.
The meadow path soon connected to a broad road. And shortly after, a towering gray wall stood stark beneath the night sky. Though distant, it was unmistakably a city wall.
Both man and woman stopped at the same moment. For several minutes they stood silent, simply gazing. Distant though it was, what they saw was unquestionably a city wall.
Haramag.

At last they had arrived at Haramag. Having safely entered the city, Seol Jihoo could not contain his emotion. The filthy streets stained with sewage, the dark, faded buildings—each and every thing filled him with fresh feeling.
The hour was late and few people were abroad. The two of them, who had traveled close together the whole way, parted only when they reached the Plaza. They stood facing each other, looking intently.
What need was there for words? Teresa suddenly extended her hand.
“Congratulations.”
Not “thank you for your hard work,” but “congratulations.” He grasped her hand firmly in return. The princess’s palm held a warmth he had not felt before.
“Thank you.”
“Get plenty of rest. I’ll call for you soon, so don’t refuse.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Should I give you something to look forward to?”
Teresa winked. She seemed to be hinting at a reward.
‘What could you possibly give?’
He smiled thinly, almost ready to crack a joke about whether the princess herself was the reward, but managed to swallow it. He needed to get back and rest as soon as possible—he couldn’t afford to give her any opening for a comeback.
The two parted ways, both turning their backs simultaneously. Teresa headed toward the royal palace, Seol Jihoo toward the office.
‘Why does this feel so hard?’
Perhaps the tension had finally broken. As he entered the city, the fatigue he’d been suppressing came crashing down, and his body grew heavy with exhaustion. Seol Jihoo dragged himself forward using the Staff as a walking aid.
Soon familiar buildings came into view, and he found himself on the verge of tears. Taking the stairs one painful step at a time, the moment he pushed open the door with his last strength,
Clang!
“…Huh?”
The door was locked. No matter how he turned the handle, it wouldn’t budge.
‘Is no one here?’
He pounded and called out, but received no answer.
‘Surely not…’
A thought struck him. Had Cho Hong gone to the research facility again to rescue him?
‘…It can’t be, right?’
Either way, he had no choice but to turn back.
‘Damn it….’
If he’d known it would come to this, he should have gone straight to the royal palace. Belated regret washed over him.
Seol Jihoo descended the stairs with a grumble, exhaling sharply as he lifted his gaze. The building across the way caught his eye on the way up.
‘Looks like it’s finished….’
Who’d moved in? The curiosity faded quickly. He smacked his lips and turned his steps. At this point, there was only one destination left.
After an ordeal that seemed endless, Seol Jihoo arrived at the Lushulia Temple and limped inside.
“I….”
The woman sitting at the reception desk, nodding off, suddenly opened her eyes. Sleep-hazed eyes widened the moment they landed on the young man leaning against the blue window, grinning weakly. He barely managed to open his mouth.
“I need treatment….”

Seol Jihoo nearly got thrown out. When asked to show his wounds, he’d stripped off his robe in one motion, and the female priest had shrieked—a sharp, piercing cry.
The silver lining was that she stopped screaming after barely five seconds. At a glance, she recognized the severity of the injuries and hurriedly called for people.
Transported to the intensive care room, he maintained a dazed state amid the flood of healing magic. The bed felt wonderfully soft after so long, but his mind refused to drift into sleep. Days of relentless pursuit without respite had conditioned his body to stay alert.
For another thing, the surroundings were needlessly loud.
“Spray more healing water!”
“The back, the ribs… at least a week old, these wounds. Let’s attempt a mass restoration.”
“Wait! The left shoulder and thigh…? G-good grief! What—what kind of wounds are these?”
“This one… seems like it received emergency treatment….”
He laughed hollowly. The constant coming and going felt like being in an emergency room.
‘Are they really that bad?’
Then suddenly the noise ceased. Seol Jihoo, keeping his eyes half-open and staring at the ceiling, tilted his head at the sudden silence.
‘Is treatment over?’
Now that he thought about it, he’d felt a piercing gaze for a while now.
“I’m not going to make it. Really….”
‘What—what is it…. Who is it….’
Through his blurred vision, a figure came into focus.
‘Why are they….’
He’d barely made it back alive. As he lay there feeling sorry for himself, he saw what looked like a white priest’s robe with bare shoulders and long, glossy black hair like ebony.
‘Cho Hong?’
No. No, that wasn’t right. Cho Hong didn’t dress like that. Somehow the outfit looked familiar, like he’d seen it before.
“…terrible… how worried….”
The voice grew distant. A hand reached out tentatively to his forehead. Whether it was his imagination or not, the palm seemed to tremble slightly at the contact.
A moment later.
“Cure Critical Wounds.”
The moment a familiar voice reached his ears,
Brilliant light flooded everything.
His vision—no, light poured from the room and spilled into the corridor beyond, a radiant cascade that left Seol Jihoo awestruck. Never in his life had he seen light so beautiful and dazzling.
Soon he felt the glow seeping into his entire being and closed his eyes in comfort. His wavering consciousness snapped shut. His tensed mind, at last released, finally surrendered to sleep.
Seol Jihoo gave himself over to the overwhelming tide of slumber and collapsed into deep sleep in an instant. The face of the sleeping man looked happier than anyone else in the world.

That morning.
The Haramag Royal Family issued an official announcement, unprecedented in its nature.
The announcement stated that Seol and Teresa Hatse had survived and returned early that dawn. With this, the fates of all personnel who had participated in the first operation and the rescue team were now confirmed.
The Haramag Royal Family added several more lines to the statement.
The two had cooperated with the Federation during their escape. They had completely destroyed the Delphinion Duchy research facility—the main headquarters among all Mass Production facilities. As a result, they had successfully pierced through the increasingly dense cordon of Parasites and returned home.
Beyond stopping the Mass Production Plan itself, they had also inflicted significant losses to enemy forces during the operation—a pleasant bonus.
And so this news,
“Listen here! Cho Hong! Cho Hooooong!”
– What is it? Old man? Why the fuss? Have you been drinking this early?
“Never mind that. Come here! Hurry!”
– What on earth are you talking about? How many times do I have to tell you?
“Seol came back! Seol came back, I’m telling you!”
– W-what?
—not only reached Haramag,
“The Lushulia Temple? I thought that iron-willed woman was determined to reclaim him no matter what, didn’t you say? That she set a condition of returning to active duty?”
“Yes, miss. We’re still investigating, but… it does appear he returned of his own accord. The main temple of Lushulia is preparing, but they haven’t marched out yet.”
“Hmm… Things are unfolding amusingly. What was that man’s name again?”
“Seol, miss. Ah, now that I think about it, I heard an interesting piece of news this morning.”
“An interesting piece of news?”
“That young man called Seol Jihoo, they say. Lushulia’s daughter is caring for him personally.”
Sheherazade, and so on.
Not even a day passed before it rippled across the entire realm. Let alone reaching the Federation and the Parasites.
Meanwhile, the man at the center of it all….
“Snore….”
He was deep in the throes of dreamland.
Even after sleeping a full day solid, there was no sign of him waking. A body that had finally tasted proper rest continued to demand, and demand, more sleep.
Seol Jihoo was in an excellent mood. For reasons he couldn’t name, the sensation of being held close, wrapped in warmth, was utterly sublime.
No—words couldn’t do it justice. Cozy, safe… in short, if all the tenderness in existence could be distilled into a single moment, this was surely it.
And every so often came that soft, yielding texture that took his breath away—something ineffably gentle. It was remarkably plush and downy, substantial in size as well. Each time he buried his face in it, led by his nose, his mind drowned in inexplicable comfort and contentment.
‘Happiness.’
So drowsy he could die content, he’d wake for a moment only to feel sleep steal over him again, and he’d drift off once more.
But that wasn’t all.
“Come now. Open up—”
The light had frightened him at first, but grew gentler with time. Better still, sometimes in his dreams someone would speak to him, and if he did as they asked while half-asleep, something delicious would find its way into his mouth.
‘Mmm… smells good. Is that porridge?’
Seol Jihoo sniffed appreciatively, and opening his mouth as expected, warm porridge trickled gently inside. Even believing it was a dream, he swallowed obediently.
‘Delicious, delicious….’
Yet he remained perpetually on guard. Now and then a bitter scent would slip in among the rest, and—
‘!’
Those times, he’d eagerly take it into his mouth, then snap it shut in an instant. Just like now.
“Hey, what—?”
The light seemed taken aback.
“How did you even know it was medicine….”
One thing became crystal clear: he appreciated the care, but he wanted nothing to do with medicine.
“Come on, just take it. You’ve eaten, so you need to take your medicine too.”
“…….”
“Really, this won’t do. Do you know how precious this medicinal herb is? Be good now, yes?”
“…….”
“Come along. Open—”
“…….”
Seol Jihoo refused mutely. But the voice coaxed and cajoled with relentless persistence, and finally, unable to resist the gentle pressure, he opened his mouth.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh….”
A grown man pulling a child’s face. After finally managing to get him to take the medicine, a long sigh escaped.
“Really… when will you ever grow up.”
He heard the words, but now that he’d eaten, sleepiness returned. Seol Jihoo yawned widely and burrowed back into that warmth. How wonderful it was to have his hair stroked gently, his back patted soft and steady.
After hardship comes comfort, they say. Fed and put to bed.
‘Happiness!’
And so Seol Jihoo continued to savor this blessed life of leisure, oblivious to how the world outside was turning.

Seoul.
Shin Young Pharmaceuticals headquarters.
“Yes, yes…. This afternoon at 6:25, you said? Yes. I understand.”
Click. The sound of the receiver being set down.
“Hmm….”
Kim Hanna’s expression, as she looked at the phone on her desk, was complex and subtle.
‘Seol Jihoo.’
It had been clear for some time that he’d joined the rescue operation without a word. Though the ship had already departed by then.
She’d only just heard he’d returned alive. She’d been busy handling urgent matters and had come back to Earth, which was why the news reached her so late.
Either way, his safe return was cause for celebration. Yes. Thank goodness for that, but….
“Ugh.”
Kim Hanna pressed both hands to her face.
‘That reckless bastard….’
Already drawing attention for bearing a Gold Mark, and now he’d caused an incident of massive proportions.
His role in defending Aden Fortress and what he’d resolved this time were on entirely different scales. It was an affair affecting the whole realm of Paradise—there was no way his name wouldn’t become known. It had far exceeded anything she could handle on her own.
Seol Jihoo didn’t fully grasp it yet, but Paradise wasn’t a simple world. Since Public Artifacts could bring Paradise’s goods to Earth, countless interest groups engaged in cutthroat competition. It was chaos.
It wasn’t for nothing that numerous large criminal organizations were visible, and if luck turned sour, one had to be careful not just in Paradise but in reality as well.
Just moments ago was a case in point. A call came from the secretariat—the eldest daughter wanted to see her. There could be only one reason why that pervert wanted to meet so suddenly.
“Sigh….”
Kim Hanna, in utter despair, slapped her own cheeks smartly with both hands.
If there was any miracle close to divine providence, it was this: Lushulia’s daughter was looking after Seol Jihoo.
Seo Yoo-hee was, in substance and in fact, one of Paradise’s highest powers. Though she had once stepped down from her position and withdrawn, her abilities, reputation, influence, and the faction loyal to her had not gone anywhere.
With her, there could be no shield more certain than any other Earthian could provide. Even as Kim Hanna’s chest loosened with relief at her stepping forward of her own accord, a question took root in her mind.
‘Why is she protecting Seol Jihoo?’
It was certain they had no prior acquaintance. Among Seol Jihoo’s circle, there was no one named Seo Yoo-hee. No—she was shrouded in such mystery that no one on Earth even knew where to find her.
‘Is she raising him?’
That was possible. Among the famous figures currently active in Paradise, not one or two Earthians bore the mark of Seo Yoo-hee’s hand. Was Hyeon Sangmin not her work as well?
While that reasoning wasn’t incomprehensible, Kim Hanna resolved to focus on what lay before her. There were more than one or two things demanding resolution.
‘I’ll need to accelerate the plan.’
Of course, before that, there was one thing she absolutely had to do.
‘That bastard. Just let him show his face again.’
Kim Hanna’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light.
‘Just let him.’

(Continued in the next part)

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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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