Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 528

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 527: Room 207, Gate Room - Fourth Trial ‘The Fallen King’ (13)

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- Han Ga-in

Sophia, Pontiff of the Church of Horus.

On the way to her hiding place, A-ri gave me a great deal of information.

Apparently, Sophia was Eun-sol's daughter from when Eun-sol had fallen into the medieval era.

To us, it was nothing more than a role assigned by the Hotel, but Sophia believed Eun-sol was her biological mother.

In the past, Eun-sol had given Sophia information about us as though she'd seen the future. Sophia believed those prophecies and had waited for us ever since.

“Sophia's faith in us was incredible. Though it might've been faith in the dead Eun-sol more than faith in us.”

“Really?”

“She was extremely devoted. Even when I killed Lucas, Sophia's fellow disciple, she didn't blame me. Of course, that was also because Sophia thought Lucas had gone too far.”

Hearing that made my chest ache a little.

I was grateful to Eun-sol for preparing for the future, and Sophia felt a little like a companion.

Then I remembered what A-ri had said earlier.

‘My relationship with Sophia wasn't one where we told each other every secret.’

‘It could've become that kind of relationship, but things got tangled up along the way. I'll explain bit by bit.’

What had happened between them?

“How did things get tangled up like that?”

“... One hundred and twenty years isn't a short time.”

A hundred and twenty years was long enough for the world to change many times over.

Still, Sophia had believed in us for centuries. Time alone wasn't enough to explain the rift between them.

“A lot happened. It didn't all go wrong at once. We slowly drifted apart over a long time. Don't misunderstand, though.”

“What shouldn't I misunderstand?”

“It isn't like we became enemies. It just feels like we went our separate ways.”

“...”

“That was all in the past. Now that you've returned, it's time to get back in the same boat. We're almost there.”

* * *

Sophia's hiding place was a detached house on the outskirts of Seoul.

Someone might wonder why a world-famous figure was hiding in Korea, but it wasn't strange.

To the Cult's upper ranks, South Korea must have been a Sacred Domain.

For Christians, it would be like the land where Jesus was prophesied to return someday.

The inside of the residence resembled a hospital.

A few doctors and several servants appeared to live there permanently.

The place was discreet and heavily guarded. Despite being in Korea, some of the servants even had guns at their waists.

Fortunately, everyone recognized A-ri, so there was no conflict.

“Where's the Pontiff?”

“She is inside.”

“Is she awake?”

“She sleeps most of the time these days.”

“Wake her.”

“Yes.”

A little later, a guard led us into the bedroom.

“Hello.”

My first impression of Sophia was simply, Wow, she's beautiful.

She looked to be in her early twenties, a classic Western beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Based on her appearance alone, it was more believable that she was Elena's daughter than Eun-sol's.

Sadly, that was where the flattering description ended.

“...”

Thin arms, a pale face, ragged breaths.

Anyone could see she was gravely ill and close to death. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

She was completely unlike lively Elena in that regard, though Sophia probably hadn't always looked like this when she was healthy.

“Um...”

“She has awakened.”

Sophia slowly sat up, drawing ragged breaths.

A-ri took a step closer.

“It’s been a long time, Sophia. How have you been?”

“As you can see, I am moving toward the final milestone of my life.”

“... I brought good news.”

“You mean the person beside you?”

“That’s right. This person is-”

“Wait. Could everyone please leave us?”

At Sophia's gesture, not only the guards but even the doctors left the residence.

Sophia then asked directly.

“Are you Lord Horus?”

“That’s right. The person you've waited for all this time. Ga-in, go on.”

I approached, feeling a little awkward. Sophia stared at me intently.

She was beautiful enough to remind me of Elena, but instead of making my heart race like Elena did, she made me feel pressured.

Maybe it was the authority she'd gained from sustaining the Church of Horus for so many years.

“You look a little different from the picture A-ri drew for me.”

Just as Eun-sol had drawn A-ri and Grandfather's appearances for Sophia, A-ri must have drawn mine.

“Not so different that I can't recognize you. Besides, I won't be the one making the real judgment.”

“Judgment?”

At that moment, warm energy suddenly wrapped around us.

“...!”

Blazing flames, a sun descended upon the earth.

The Inheritance with the greatest power and versatility I possessed, no, that I knew of!

The Sacred Sun revealed its radiance once more.

When I unconsciously held out my hand, the Sacred Sun naturally responded.

The sacred relic that had lost its master long ago and served his subordinate had finally returned to its master's embrace.

--- Rumble...

As a light vibration ran through the entire residence, as if expressing joy, Sophia replied.

“Lord Horus, welcome back to this land.”

* * *

The moment the Sacred Sun returned, a strange change occurred.

My body began itching all over, and then my appearance changed.

My body returned from Cha Eun-ho to Han Ga-in. My facial features, my slightly altered build, even the Feather Tattoo for Teleportation, all returned to normal.

It was as though a seal had been lifted, and as though the Hotel was telling me something.

The consideration that kept the Holy See from recognizing you in the beginning has ended. From now on, wage all-out war.

“Ugh...!”

Unlike my startled self, Sophia and A-ri took it in stride.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“My body suddenly returned to normal.”

“Rather than returning, that body was always yours, Ga-in. The illusion was simply lifted.”

“...”

A-ri was probably right.

Thinking back, not only A-ri, but even duplicate Ga-in, who had reached a higher realm than me, had recognized this body as Han Ga-in.

It meant the Hotel had only tricked our eyes temporarily. This body had been mine from the beginning.

Then what did it mean that the Blessing of Wisdom, the last power I hadn't recovered, was hidden within Han Ga-in?

Deep down, I'd thought my real body might be asleep somewhere in Room 207, unconscious.

I'd assumed recovering that body would naturally restore my Blessing too.

Apparently not.

“How is the Sacred Sun? Is it charged enough?”

“Yeah. Enough to fight properly right away.”

Sophia had spread faith in Horus far and wide alongside the Sacred Sun, so the sun's power was already sufficient.

The Church of Horus was a public religion, so it couldn't perform human sacrifices. Still, it was incomparably larger than the religion I'd established in Room 206.

It seemed they had made up for the lack of quality with quantity.

Sophia soon asked with a weak smile.

“Lord Horus, what are your plans now?”

“I need to wake the other companions. If possible, I also need to recover a few, um, treasures.”

I had to wake Grandfather Mook-seong and Mi-ro.

And whatever else happened, I had to find the Hourglass.

A-ri answered.

“Mook-seong and Mi-ro are both in America. I'd have liked to keep them both in Korea, but they were difficult to move.”

I'd heard a little about it on the way here.

The stone sarcophagi containing Grandfather and Mi-ro were both inside the massive Hibernation Labyrinth Yumi had made, so they couldn't have moved them carelessly.

Sophia replied.

“Then you'll need to stop by the Archdiocese in America?”

“That’s right.”

“I'll arrange a plane. Be ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks.”

After making a quick trip to America, the final stage was surely...

“Europe will be last, right? Aedia is in Spain, isn't she?”

“Well...”

“Everyone's had it hard until now, but let's all be careful from here on out!”

By the time A-ri recovered Min-a's Fragment, the Holy See must have realized something unusual had happened.

Just as we were about to refine our plans one last time, Sophia spoke carefully.

“Lord Horus.”

“Hmm?”

“Could we speak alone for a moment? I... have truly waited for you for so long. I want to enjoy this holy moment by myself, even if only briefly.”

She looked like an utterly pure and devout priest.

A-ri gave a slight nod, then answered simply.

“Will three minutes be enough?”

“Yes.”

“I'll step outside.”

Soon, only Sophia and I remained in the room.

“... A-ri left.”

“She did.”

It was honestly awkward being alone together. Besides, Sophia's act from earlier had been a little obvious.

“Your acting was awkward.”

“... Was it? I'm usually quite confident when it comes to putting on an act for others.”

“I am too. More than anything, you see me as...”

Somehow, I'd played the role of a cult leader several times despite it not suiting me.

Because of that, I'd become good at telling true believers apart from people who weren't.

Just because someone went to church didn't make them deeply devout. There was a difference between those who worshipped me as an actual god and those who saw me as a powerful magician or ruler.

It was a strange thing to say to the head of a religious organization, but Sophia was clearly the latter.

“You seem to think of me as an excellent magician rather than a god.”

“Do I?”

“...”

“A-ri will come in two minutes.”

“That’s fine. What I need to say will take ten seconds.”

Sophia continued to look at me silently.

“...”

It seemed she hadn't been entirely lying when she said she wanted to enjoy a holy moment alone.

“Lord Horus.”

“Go ahead.”

“We did not show it in front of you, but A-ri and I are not entirely comfortable with each other.”

A-ri had already told me that.

“Can I ask why?”

“A-ri is...”

“...”

“Moving farther and farther away.”

“What?”

“Sometimes, I thought A-ri had become closer to that side than this one. Like Fortuna, who crossed the Boundary entirely.”

“...”

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

Holy Mother Aedia was not on the Hotel Party's side, but she was definitely on humanity's side.

Then couldn't there be beings on the opposite side?

...

That night, amid news filled with the Seoul disaster, an article appeared: ‘Missing Pontiff Sophia Found.’

* * *

The next morning.

After hurriedly packing, we headed to the place Sophia had told us about.

Nearly all preparations for the flight had already been completed.

At Sophia's urgent instruction, a plane took off from a tiny runway.

For a moment, I wondered whether this was legally possible, and whether a plane this small could fly all the way to America...

It felt ridiculous to question it now.

I just had to trust that Sophia had taken care of it.

Come to think of it, A-ri and I didn't even have passports.

Only after the plane departed did A-ri ask a question.

“Sophia, what was that article yesterday?”

“Hm?”

“An article suddenly came out saying you'd been found.”

“It means the Holy See sensed an unsettling current. Isn't that why we're leaving in such a hurry? The longer we delay, the less predictable their next move becomes.”

At that moment, I stared out the window in a daze.

“Lord Horus, don't tell me it's your first time on a plane?”

“He acts like he knows everything, but he's secretly kind of hopeless at all sorts of things-”

“A-ri...”

“Yeah?”

“Look at that.”

Far off in the sky.

Several tiny dots were visible at a distance too far away for anyone without exceptionally good eyesight to spot.

“Ah.”

Holy See drones.

--- Whoosh!

Drones firing missiles!