The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 199

"Sigh... It’s like I have a free pass when I’m with you," Yu-Hyun said, stretching his arms.

When he went alone, the security guard did not allow him to leave school early, even though he had shown his early dismissal permit.

However, when I mentioned that I was going to visit someone at the hospital with my friend, the security guard let us go without asking any questions.

To be honest, I had no intention of visiting anyone in the hospital. But then I remembered that I hadn't asked Min-Seo if she was going to participate in the mission trip, so I decided to tag along. I also slightly wanted to keep an eye on Yu-Hyun.

"I don't understand why they never let me leave early. Is it because I do it too often?" Yu-Hyun said.

I didn't bother to answer. If I were the security guard, I wouldn't let Yu-Hyun leave early, either. We walked silently toward the hospital.

The hospital where Min-Seo was hospitalized had an affiliation with F.A. and was very close to the school, within walking distance.

"So I can’t take this watch off even when sleeping?" Yu-Hyun asked, tapping the watch he was wearing while walking.

It was the watch I had given him to monitor him. I nodded.

"Take it off if you can handle the consequences."

"...What exactly happens if I take off the watch?"

"If you want to find out, try taking it off."

It didn't matter to me if Yu-Hyun took off the watch or intentionally damaged it. The watch harbored a location tracker, an eavesdropping device, and was embedded with various spells.

The moment Yu-Hyun took off the watch, he would fall asleep due to the curse of the fainting spell. Meanwhile, I could get to his location with the help of the tracker and then kill Yu-Hyun or put the watch back on his wrist.

Yu-Hyun stared at the watch silently and nodded.

"No, now that I think about it, I'm not that curious anymore."

"But why do you keep asking?"

"Well, I guess it almost feels like I’m a tragic hero whose powers are sealed away. I feel cool."

"..."

Bullshit.

We arrived at the hospital and went through the procedures for visiting. Since it was a hospital affiliated with Florence Academy, we were able to skip some steps in the process when we showed our student IDs to the receptionist.

The receptionist explained the health examination benefits that only F.A. students could receive, but I gleaned it off because I would never need a health examination. I didn't know what the consequences might be if I suddenly got a health examination.

"Come to think of it, it’s quite convenient being a clergyman," Yu-Hyun said while we waited for the elevator in order to reach Min-Seo's ward.

"What are you talking about?"

"Honestly, they don’t do much, but they get treated surprisingly well."

"That's true." I agreed.

He was right. One of the reasons why I tried to enter F.A. by going through the means of using a fake identity was because clergymen received better treatment than most professions.

Right then, the elevator arrived, and people poured out.

"..."

They were all clergymen with massive builds and fierce faces. The biggest clergyman among them frowned and looked down at me. He seemed familiar, so I maintained eye contact. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but I realized it was someone I actually knew.

"...Director Han Dae-Ho."

"Sun-Woo?"

It was Han Dae-Ho, the head of the Eastern Paladin Order. He called my name and extended his big, thick hand. I shook his hand formally.

Han Dae-Ho asked with an overly delighted expression, "What brings you to the hospital? Are you injured?"

“No, I came to visit a hospitalized friend."

"I’ve only seen you injured, so I thought that’d be the case today. Are you taking care of your health these days?"

“Yes, I haven't gotten injured much lately. But what brings you here?"

"I had something to investigate, so I stopped by during lunch. By the way..." Han Dae-Ho turned his head toward Yu-Hyun who was standing awkwardly beside me.

Han Dae-Ho looked at Yu-Hyun with narrowed eyes, then suddenly widened them as if he realized something. "Aren’t you Yu-Hyun? Were you two friends?"

"Yes, something like that. Haha..." Yu-Hyun greeted him with a nervous smile.

Yu-Hyun's polite demeanor was not only unfamiliar, but it was to the point where it was strange.

Han Dae-Ho grinned. "You've grown so much that I didn't recognize you. Is His Holiness in good health?"

"Haha... I don't know. It's been a while since I last saw him... He's probably healthy."

"That's good to hear. Are you here for a visit as well?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Alright, next time, the three of us should grab a meal... Oh, wait a moment." Han Dae-Ho interrupted himself and took out his phone from his pocket.

As he checked the screen, his mouth, which had been stretched into a faint smile, quickly dropped. His expression had turned so stiff that it was almost scary. Han Dae-Ho tightly closed his eyes and forced a smile.

"...I was thinking of treating you to a meal if you had time, but it won't work out. An urgent matter just popped up, so I have to take my leave. See you around!"

"Okay, take care."

"Thanks, I'll contact you soon."

Han Dae-Ho, with his staggering-build-of-a-man physique, showed himself out of the hospital. We watched Han Dae-Ho's back and got on the elevator.

"Wow, how can someone be that big? Is he a gorilla?" Yu-Hyun exclaimed as soon as the elevator doors closed.

I recalled Yu-Hyun's unusually polite behavior in front of Han Dae-Ho.

"No wonder you were so polite. Were you scared?"

"How can you not be scared by someone of that size?

“What does his size have to do with anything? He won't be able to use blessings in front of you anyway." I couldn’t understand why Yu-Hyun was afraid of Han Dae-Ho.

Yu-Hyun had the ability to manipulate the divine power of others as if it were his own. No matter how strong Han Dae-Ho was, or even if someone stronger than Han Dae-Ho came along, they would be powerless in front of Yu-Hyun. This was because those types of people, including Han Dae-Ho, could not use any techniques that utilized divine power, such as blessings, miracles, or healing spells.

"What's the use of blessings? Just imagine his fist making contact with your head. I bet your brain fluid would splatter the floors before your tears have the chance to roll down your cheeks."

"That wouldn't happen in the first place. Why would Han Dae-Ho punch you in the head?"

"You never know." Yu-Hyun raised his head and looked at the elevator ceiling as if checking for CCTV cameras.

Of course, I knew that there were no CCTV cameras in the elevator. I checked for their presence right after entering the elevator.

Yu-Hyun sighed in relief. "Han Dae-Ho is dangerous."

"Why?"

"He has nothing to lose due to his unfortunate family circumstances, and his beliefs are so strong that you can’t persuade him."

Ding!

The elevator arrived on the fifth floor. We got off the elevator and continued our conversation.

"His family circumstances are unfortunate?"

Yu-Hyun nodded and replied, "Yeah, just a little unfortunate."

"Besides that, showing respect is not a bad idea. There may be a time when I need his help in the future. Han Dae-Ho is accomplished and has a nice social network."

"Hmm," I replied vaguely and nodded.

"There's nothing wrong with showing respect."

It was true that it wasn’t a bad idea to show Han Dae-Ho respect. However, on the other hand, it also meant that he only showed respect when necessary, rather than truly respecting the other person. Yu-Hyun did show respect depending on his situation, but so did I. That fact somehow made me uncomfortable.

Click.

As we arrived in front of Min-Seo's hospital room, Yu-Hyun opened the door and went in without even knocking. Min-Seo was lying down reading a book, and next to the bed was a small boy taking care of her. It was a single room and quite spacious. Because of that, Min-Seo did not notice our presence. I faintly heard Min-Seo and the boy talking.

"Nuna, water."

"Thanks. Oh, by the way, how was school?"

"Hmm... it’s all good, but the teacher makes the lessons hard to understand. Or maybe I'm just stupid and can't understand..."

"Should I beat up that teacher?"

"Huh? Come to think of it, I think I am stupid...!"

"Is that so? Then you'll understand it soon enough if you study it. Keep it up."

The boy helping Min-Seo seemed to be her younger brother. Although his appearance resembled Min-Seo’s, his way of speaking and demeanor were utterly different from hers, so it didn't feel like he was her sibling.

Min-Seo talked with her younger sibling while reading her book, and then she suddenly noticed the two of us. She furrowed her brows.

"What are you guys doing here?" Min-Seo asked abruptly, closing her book.

It was only then that Yu-Hyun and I finally approached Min-Seo.

Upon seeing us, her younger sibling stood up from his seat, clasped his hands together, and bowed down.

"Oh, hello! Are you my sister's friends?" Min-Seo's sibling happily greeted us.

"Yeah, are you Min-Seo's younger sibling?" I smiled and returned their greeting.

Her sibling returned it with a bright smile of his own. Unlike Min-Seo's sharp and fierce eyes, which were filled with dissatisfaction and wrath, her sibling's eyes were clear and bright.

"That’s right! Oh, then please exchange greetings. I'll be on my way out."

"Huh? You can stay. We’ll be leaving soon anyway."

"Hey, let him go. He has to study anyway."

I spoke up because I wondered if he felt like he was forced to leave because of us, but Min-Seo stepped forward to send her sibling away. Her sibling glanced at us, trying to gauge the situation, and then scurried out of the hospital room.

Yu-Hyun glanced at Min-Seo's sibling discreetly, then shifted his gaze toward Min-Seo.

"Younger sibling? That’s cute. Is he in elementary school?"

"Yeah."

"Is he your real sibling?"

"Then would he be my adopted one? Why would you ask that?"

"No, it's just that he doesn’t really resemble you. Your sibling seems really kind."

"Do you think I would be raising him if he had my personality? I would have gotten rid of him a long time ago." Min-Seo chuckled.

It seemed like a joke, but it also felt somewhat serious because Min-Seo was the one talking. Min-Seo alternated her gaze between the two of us.

"But why did you suddenly come here?"

"To visit you. It’s nice to see us, right?" Yu-Hyun said nonchalantly.

"No, it sure fucking isn’t. You should have at least brought some money with you if you were going to pay me a visit."

"Money? Not even gifts?"

"Well, what's the difference? You have to buy gifts with money anyway."

"Gifts, you know, come from the heart."

"Bullshit. And money doesn’t?" Min-Seo chuckled sarcastically. "Anyway, why are you guys really here? It's not like you would come here just to pay me a visit."

"Are you going on the mission trip?" I asked the question I had been meaning to ask for a long time.

The mission trip was creeping up. As someone who had been running errands for Ye-Jin for a while, I knew which student council members were going to attend the mission trip. Su-Ryeon was the only one not attending, while the rest were all attending. However, Min-Seo's attendance was still unknown. Min-Seo hesitated for a moment at my question.

"Who's going?"

"Everyone except Su-Ryeon."

"Yu-Hyun, are you going too?" Min-Seo asked.

Yu-Hyun shrugged. "Maybe? I think I applied for it, though."

Min-Seo looked at Yu-Hyun with disbelief, then sighed. "Huh... not a single thought behind those eyes, eh?"

She remained silent, lowering her gaze. It was clear that she was contemplating.

Min-Seo looked at me and asked, "...Is Jin-Seo going too?"

As I nodded, Min-Seo's expression darkened even more. Her contemplation appeared to deepen. Silence filled the air as I waited for Min-Seo's answer. The silence was so thick that one could even make out the sound of the wind shaking the curtains.

"Sigh... Just say I’m going for now."

"For now?"

"I need to see how my ankle heals. Let them know that I’ll make it there if I can walk, but..." Min-Seo narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Jin-Seo is going too? Can she go when she's in that condition?"

"What condition is she in?" I asked, suddenly curious.

Come to think of it, I only knew that Jin-Seo was injured and hospitalized—I didn't know how she was doing. I only vaguely heard that she was severely injured, but I didn’t think about it too much because I hadn’t had the peace of mind to contact her, nor had I received any form of contact from her.

Min-Seo looked at me with her characteristically aggressive gaze and opened her mouth. "Haven't you visited her in the hospital? Are you crazy?"

"...I didn't have time."

"And how busy could you have been? No time, my ass. If you're curious, go see for yourself. I heard she's hospitalized on the eighth floor of this building."

"Aren't you not on good terms with Jin-Seo? Why are you so interested in her?" Yu-Hyun asked.

Min-Seo turned her head toward Yu-Hyun and raised the corners of her mouth, smiling. Although she was smiling, her eyes looking at Yu-Hyun were empty, devoid of focus. It was a smile that sent chills down one’s back.

She slowly looked around the room, which seemed empty with only one bed.

"It's not that we're not on good terms... We just don't understand each other. It's not that I'm not interested in her."

***

Min-Seo and Yu-Hyun exchanged a few more words. Most of it was small talk, with Yu-Hyun initiating the conversation and Min-Seo responding to him.

I was a mere observer of their interaction. Occasionally, when I was asked a question, I would play along and give a suitable answer. From my perspective as a third party, Yu-Hyun and Min-Seo got along well. As I watched, I understood why Yu-Hyun wanted to visit Min-Seo. She was the only one who was somewhat on his wavelength. On the other hand, Yu-Hyun was the only one who could tolerate Min-Seo's aggressive tone without putting much thought into it.

"Once you begin to talk to her, Min-Seo's personality is not that bad, right?" Yu-Hyun said as he walked out of the hospital room.

"What on earth are you talking about..."

"No, I’m serious. Even though she can be a bit difficult at times, she can be cute sometimes, you know?"

I decided to keep my mouth shut. I couldn't possibly empathize with Yu-Hyun's words. Of course, I didn’t think Min-Seo was an entirely evil person. Like others who were not good at understanding others' emotions, she had a reasonably rational and logical side to her. But other than that, she didn’t have any other characteristics. If I had to name one, it would be her masterful ability to piss someone off with her words.

"Min-Seo's reputation has been blown out of proportion, just like mine."

"Yeah." Out of annoyance, I gave a vague response and got on the elevator.

I went to the eighth floor as Min-Seo had told me. And as soon as I arrived, I felt a sense of unease.

Compared to the fifth floor, which gave off a very strong hospital atmosphere due to the strong smell of disinfectants, nurses, doctors, and priests specializing in healing running around with tired faces, the eighth floor didn’t feel like a hospital at all.

Instead of the strong smell of alcohol, I noticed a pleasant scent, like that of flowers, and the doctors, nurses, and priests specializing in healing walking through the hallway seemed relaxed. Even though the two floors were inside the same building, it felt like I had entered a completely different world.

"The F.A. Foundation doesn’t admit patients here for free. You have to pay out of your pocket to be admitted here," Yu-Hyun said.

He surveyed the environment on the eighth floor. "She’s hospitalized in a nice place. It makes sense since she does have a lot of money... Oh, there it is. Room 813."

"But can we just go in like this all of a sudden? Without any procedures?"

"Well, what does it matter? We'll just be take a quick look and then we’ll leave," Yu-Hyun said nonchalantly and approached room 813.

Knock knock.

When Yu-Hyun entered Min-Seo's room, he opened the door without even knocking, but he cautiously knocked before entering Jin-Seo’s room.

"You didn't knock earlier. Why are you doing it now?"

"I find Jin-Seo a bit scary," Yu-Hyun said and knocked again.

Knock knock.

However, there was no response. He knocked again, but there was still no response. Yu-Hyun tilted his head in confusion.

"What, is she asleep?"

"...That’s possible. Let's just go in." I calmly opened the door, trying to control my growing sense of anxiety.

Unlike Min-Seo's empty room, Jin-Seo's room was filled with various furniture and decorations. Although the size of the single room seemed similar, Jin-Seo's room had a more uplifting vibe.

Yu-Hyun and I approached the bed cautiously. By this point, Jin-Seo should have noticed that someone had entered, but there was not even a flinch from her bed. It seemed like she was deeply asleep, covered head to toe by her blanket.

"..."

I noticed something strange when I realized that the IV needle that should have been stuck in Jin-Seo's arm was rolling on the floor.

Swoosh!

I lifted the blanket.

"...Huh?"

There was no one on the bed.