Chapter 70
Crackle!
Infusing divine power into the holy artifact Moses' Burning Bush Twig caused it to catch on fire. When infused with divine power, the holy artifact allowed wireless communication between others who possessed the fragment. Soldiers regularly used it during missions, as it had better sound quality than radios or regular calls.
"Ms. Min-Seo?"
Ha-Yeon used the artifact to talk to Min-Seo.
The flickering flames of the twig briefly wavered and soon settled into a steady pattern. This meant that a successful connection had been established with the other person.
—Ah, ah. Can you hear me?
"Yes, I can hear you. What should I do first?"
—Uh, yeah. I can hear you as well. Give me a second.
Each time the flames flickered, the sound from the other person came through. It seemed as if Min-Seo's voice had turned into a melody, and the flame danced in response to it.
Through the flames, there was a rustling sound as if Min-Seo was rummaging for something.
—Alright, what should we do first... Have you located Sun-Woo?
"...What?"
—When you do, stick with him. Su-Ryeon will stick to Jun-Hyuk, and I'll take care of the rest of the guys. It seems like everything will work out if you stick with Sun-Woo.
"Koo Jun-Hyuk? Jun-Hyuk? I'll stick with that person. Let’s have Su-Ryeon stick with Sun-Woo─"
—That’ll complicate the plan. Moreover, it'll be more troublesome to change it at this point. It'll be easier if you stick with Sun-Woo.
"Uh, um, I..." Ha-Yeon made an awkward sound, unable to properly refuse or accept the plan.
Strategically, it would be efficient for Ha-Yeon to stick with Sun-Woo, but she didn't want to. The reason for this was simple: she disliked him.
She didn't understand why, but during eradicating demon practice, she felt something offsetting about him. She recalled seeing his vacant eyes and hearing his dry voice that always sounded angry. As she recollected her memories, Ha-Yeon felt an unbearable discomfort. She shook her head to shake off the memories.
—Uh, um, I? What? Anyway, stick with Sun-Woo. It’s the most efficient thing to do.
"Ah..."
—Even if you don't like it, just bear with it this time. I'll definitely help you after everything is over.
"...Alright. I understand." Reluctantly, Ha-Yeon nodded.
Min-Seo had made a proposal to Ha-Yeon. In exchange for assisting Min-Seo during the Holy Name of Charity re-election test, Ha-Yeon would be given important information directly related to getting good grades. From Ha-Yeon's perspective, who was obsessed with her grades for various reasons, it was an offer that she couldn't refuse.
Crackle, crack...
Soon, the flames attached to the burning bush snuffed out, which meant that the connection with Min-Seo had been severed. At the same time, rain began to fall from the sky.
Ha-Yeon immediately took out a holy artifact she had prepared and infused it with divine power. The holy artifact expanded like an umbrella and shielded her from the falling rain.
"Sigh."
Ha-Yeon let out a sigh of frustration and looked around to find Sun-Woo. Fortunately or unfortunately, Sun-Woo was close enough to be seen with the naked eye.
The other students were running towards the Ark on the mountaintop, but Sun-Woo was just standing still, seemingly lost in thought.
‘Why does it have to be him again?’
Lately, it seemed like she was getting involved with this ‘Sun-Woo’ in uncomfortable situations. It felt like the circumstances were being orchestrated, forcing her to get entangled with Sun-Woo.
She didn’t like Sun-Woo, but everyone around her kept telling her to stick together with him, whether it was her father or Min-Seo.
"Tsk."
‘I don't like it, but I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Ha-Yeon walked through the rain, making her way toward Sun-Woo.
***
It was pouring rain. The raindrops were so thick that the term "heavy rain" didn't do it justice. I stood there and let the rain hit my entire body while gazing at ‘the thing’ on the mountaintop. Although I could only make out a silhouette due to the heavy rain, that was probably the Ark.
The goal of the first checkpoint was to climb up that mountain and enter the boat within the time limit. It shouldn't be too difficult to climb within two hours, since the mountain wasn't too high. Of course, this was the assumption with clear weather. But now, with the heavy rain, it was challenging to even walk, let alone climb.
"Bossou."
As an experiment, I called Bossou.
[Bossou, in a good mood, responds to the Prophet's call! Today I am in great condition.] Bossou replied in an energetic voice.
Fortunately, it seemed possible to use the Loa's power inside the boat. Naturally, it was possible to use divine power as well. Perhaps it would be possible to use Voodoo magic as well, but I refrained from it to avoid any potential danger.
If I could use Bossou's power, climbing under the pouring rain wouldn't prove to be a difficult task. I took a step forward and slowly headed toward the mountain.
The rain was still pouring from the skies, and the water had risen to ankle height. A splash accompanied each step I took.
"Excuse me."
At that moment, someone called me from behind. I turned my head slightly. To my surprise, I was greeted by an unfamiliar face.
"...Who?"
It was truly an unexpected face because I didn't recognize her at all. She smiled at me as she tied up her wet hair with a hairband.
"I’ll do what I want." I calmed my breath and finally rejected Ha-Yeon's suggestion. It wasn't solely because I disliked her.
Baron Samedi's prophecy said to be cautious of my back, but it could be a warning to be careful of betrayal. Based on probability, Ha-Yeon had the highest chance of betraying me, as she had tried to betray me once already during the demon eradication practice at the beginning of the semester.
"If you go that way, you'll be eliminated. Don’t you understand?"
"I understood. But why should I believe you?"
"Why should you believe me? Of course, you should believe my words because it’s the truth...!"
"And how do I know that?"
If Ha-Rin intended to betray me, I could escape the predicament using the spell embedded in the ring. But what if Ha-Yeon intended to betray me? Ha-Yeon possessed the blood of purification, so the spell embedded in the ring wouldn't allow me to subdue her. In other words, trusting Ha-Yeon was too risky. So, it was better not to trust her at all.
"And why should I turn back when there's a perfectly fine path?"
"Because that path is a trap. I came here to help you. I know the shortcut."
"A shortcut."
Her repertoire seemed to mirror what happened during the demon eradication practice. She would lead me through a shortcut and then betray me. This was Ha-Yeon's specialty.
By this point, it became even more difficult to trust Ha-Yeon. And there was another reason why I couldn't trust her.
"Why are you helping me? What do you gain from it?"
Ha-Yeon had no reason to help me. Since her intentions were unclear, I couldn't trust her.
After hearing my question, Ha-Yeon seemed to be slightly angry. Her lips trembled, and her eyebrows twitched. Her face turned slightly red. It seemed like she became so mad that blood was rushing to her face. However, I felt the same way. Just looking at Ha-Yeon's face made me feel sick.
"Ha, is it so difficult to say a simple word of thanks when someone is trying to help you?"
"Yeah. I don’t need your help. Thank you very much."
"D-do you think I want to help you? I don't want to talk with you either!"
"Oh?" I cut her words short.
I didn't want to hear her voice, let alone engage in conversation with her anymore. I didn't want to see Ha-Yeon for a moment longer.
"If you don't want to help, then don't help. Get lost."
"Wow..." Ha-Rin expressed her admiration as she stood beside me and looked at me with a dazed expression.
Even if Ha-Yeon really knew about a shortcut and was genuinely approaching me to help, I had no intention of accepting her help. I would rather be disqualified.
Leaving behind Ha-Yeon, who was staring at me blankly, I climbed the mountain with Ha-Rin. We chose none other than the smooth path. The path was well-paved, so it was easy to walk even in heavy rain.
While climbing the mountain, Ha-Rin glanced at me from time to time.
"...Are you okay? Her father is a very powerful person, you know."
"I'm fine."
The fact that Ha-Yeon's father was Sung Yu-Da was a well-known fact to everyone. If Ha-Yeon reported this to Sung Yu-Da, and he came to the school to harass me or cause me harm... I would actually welcome it. Instead of me going to him, it would be better if Sung Yu-Da delivered himself to me.
Besides, Ha-Yeon would never report this to Sung Yu-Da. I was certain of it. I knew Ha-Yeon and Sung Yu-Da better than anyone.
"Um... Excuse me? Hello?"
While we were climbing, Ha-Rin tapped my shoulder. I turned my head, and Ha-Rin's eyes widened in surprise as she took a step back.
"Wo-woah. Your expression, um. It's quite scary."
"...Is that so?"
Caught up in thoughts of Ha-Yeon and Sung Yu-Da, it seemed that I had unintentionally scowled. I forced a smile and relaxed my face. Ha-Rin finally let out a laugh of relief and asked, "Your goal is to become the Holy Name of Charity, right?"
It was an unexpected question. We were currently taking the Holy Name of Charity re-election test, so it was natural for the goal to become the Holy Name of Charity. I couldn't fathom why Ha-Rin asked such a question. It was a strange question as if she was implying that becoming the Holy Name of Charity wasn't her goal.
"Of course. You're not?"
"Yeah, I'm not aiming for it." Ha-Rin chuckled as if everything was meaningless to her. "I... just felt like I had to do something. I’ve been failing my practical training so far, and I've been questioning why I came to F.A. I felt like I should be doing something, so I came out to this."
"Ah, I see."
"Sorry for the sudden ramble."
I nodded, to which Ha-Rin responded with a bright smile. It seemed like a gesture of gratitude.
I wasn't sure about the details, but it seemed like she didn't take the test with the intention of becoming the Holy Name of Charity. Why would she take the test if she didn’t aim to become the Holy Name of Charity? I briefly wondered, but everyone had different thoughts and goals. Even if I couldn't understand, I decided to accept it.
"But I wonder if it’s okay to have such an easy exam," she said as we walked.
I nodded in agreement. Indeed, the test was too easy. Although it was just the first checkpoint, I felt like they had made a mistake in choosing the proper difficulty.
"Oh, and..."
Bang!
At that moment, there was an explosive sound. Ha-Rin's words dissipated into the air. The loud noise seemed to come from near the mountaintop.
"Huh...?" Ha-Rin let out a confused cry and raised her head.
I followed her gaze and looked at the mountaintop. Far away, water was falling from the mountaintop. No, it was not mere water. It was a waterfall.
Splupluplash–!
The waterfall screamed as it approached us. The students climbing the mountain ahead of us were helplessly swept away by it. The waterfall carried dirt, pebbles, rocks, and even uprooted trees.
It was a landslide.