WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 84: Heretic Extermination Request

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The Mystic Association's occult work wasn't limited to spirit banishment of anomalies and hunting yōkai.

They apparently handled the paperwork exorcists needed as well as bounty work targeting major criminals.

"Americano's ready."

"Pastor Go's is the hot one, right?"

Team Leader Kang Gihan brought over a tray of coffee and handed them out.

As for me, I was an iced Americano guy even if I froze to death.

I took a long sip from my ice-filled cup. It was better than I expected.

It only cost 2,000 won, so I hadn't expected much, but it was cold and tasty.

Naturally, the shops operating inside the Association weren't franchises.

Since the Mystic Association itself was secret, everyone from the cafeteria staff to the café workers were professionals hired after signing confidentiality agreements.

"I brought the documents."

The papers Team Leader Kang laid out contained more detailed information.

"Kim Gicheol, former leader of the Eden Salvation Church. Pastor Go, you've heard that name plenty of times, right?"

"Wasn't he the one who ran off with his followers' money? I heard no one knew where he'd gone."

He was fairly well known in this line of work.

"I've heard the name too, but I don't know the details. I heard he made the people in Netflix documentaries look tame."

"That's nothing."

Team Leader Kang explained what was in the documents.

"Sexually assaulting female followers and extorting offerings from believers don't even rank among his crimes. The bastard offered living sacrifices."

"Living sacrifices?"

Pastor Go continued when he saw my shock.

"The Eden Salvation Church is a cult based on the Old Testament, with its leader claiming to be Jesus of the Second Coming. Though every Christian cult leader claims to be Jesus of the Second Coming."

"He's especially vicious. He went on about the Binding of Isaac and offered his followers' children as living sacrifices."

The Binding of Isaac...

It was an event recorded in Genesis, in the Old Testament.

God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to test Abraham's faith.

After agonizing over it, Abraham decided to offer Isaac. At that moment, an angel revoked the command, and Abraham offered a ram instead.

It tested the faith of Abraham, the forefather of Israel. His descendants later established Israel, and Jesus was born long afterward, so it was an important event in the Old Testament.

"What kind of logic is that?"

"He says sons must be offered as burnt offerings to test the parents' faith, while daughters must be offered as the womb of Jesus of the Second Coming. Then their descendants will establish God's kingdom."

Wasn't he fucking insane?

Were cult leaders nothing but people obsessed with sex?

"You let people like him run free?"

"Of course not. Once his true nature was exposed, the government eradicated the cult. He's still wanted."

Cults, though, were good at going underground where no one could see them.

Their internal loyalty and solidarity were strong, and they often saw it as religious persecution.

In other words, they were the perfect kind of group for conspiracy theories to spread through.

"Then why hasn't he been caught? If he's committed crimes this horrific, you'd think he'd have been caught long ago."

"Hoo... I wish that were true."

Kang sighed deeply, then explained why.

"Kim Gicheol... He was a cult leader, but his abilities were real. A Black Knot sorcerer... If his organization had been bigger, he could've taken the Great Unification Church's place."

"..."

Black Knot.

That meant a sorcerer at the highest rank the Mystic Association could practically grant.

Kim Gicheol was a Black Knot sorcerer?

That was honestly unexpected.

"He was a born genius. There are only a handful of Black Knot sorcerers to begin with."

"And that bastard just had to cause trouble. Or should I say he was finally exposed? The ritual where he offered living sacrifices."

So...

He'd been someone who should've been killed long ago, but he was a powerful sorcerer, so they couldn't catch him and he got away.

Then recently, he'd returned to Korea.

"Well... he definitely sounds like someone who needs to be caught and beaten to a pulp."

"Um... Gari Bodhisattva."

"Yes?"

Kang looked at me and spoke with difficulty.

"The bounty is substantial even if you simply kill him... but if you bring him in alive, I can promise at least three times that amount."

Three times as much if I captured him alive?

"Are you planning to arrest him and put him on trial?"

"That's..."

Kang trailed off, and Pastor Go cut in.

"You intend to use Kim Gicheol."

There was anger in Pastor Go's voice.

I thought I understood their intentions now too.

They wanted to capture him alive and use him as part of the Association's forces.

My God.

They wanted to keep a lunatic who offered people as living sacrifices alive?

Kim Gicheol's bounty was a full ten billion won.

They were promising three times that, which meant they were willing to pay thirty billion won.

"Is he really worth that much?"

"Black Knot sorcerers... are incredibly rare. He's practically quasi-special-grade. We'd be getting a slightly downgraded version of our department head or Pastor Park."

His value was immense.

Yeah, I understood what they meant, but still.

"That's too much."

"..."

The Mystic Association wanted to capture a crazed murderer like that and put him to work...

"You don't absolutely have to capture him alive. If it proves impossible... the Association will still pay the promised compensation if you exterminate him."

They couldn't hide the expectation behind those words.

* * *

The chapel was dark.

They had bought the building of a bankrupt church plant and used it as-is, so it didn't look all that different from any other church on the outside.

Gone were the splendid Heavenly Palace, the congregation that had approached several thousand followers, and the altar that had performed "miracles."

"Obedience is salvation. Follow Abraham's faith."

"Obedience is salvation. Follow Abraham's faith."

With their hands clasped and heads bowed, the believers repeated the preacher's sermon.

They listened blindly to the preacher's raised voice and prayed until they sweated.

May salvation come.

May Jesus, who had returned to this land, save us.

The cult leader was Jesus, returned to this Korean land.

Scripture said:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which they can be saved, save Jesus Christ."

Ah, Jesus.

Christ, who had returned to this land in the flesh of Kim Gicheol.

I believe. I believe.

So please grant us salvation.

"Brother."

A gentle voice came from behind him as he prayed.

A deacon in a white clerical robe smiled kindly.

"Congratulations. Your son turns fifteen next week."

Yun Seongho's throat went dry.

"...Yes."

"That will be the day Eden's gate opens for you too, Brother."

The deacon beamed as if congratulating him on getting into college.

"Just as Abraham offered Isaac, you have been granted the honor of offering your son to God."

"..."

"Your daughter will soon have the honor of serving the cult leader as well. I'm jealous that you have so many grown children."

"..."

Hesitation and fear clouded Yun Seongho's face.

The deacon caught that expression with frightening precision.

"Brother. You're wavering."

"...!"

Yun Seongho met that sharp gaze, then lowered his eyes and looked away.

"Brother."

The voice remained gentle.

But those eyes... those eyes were sharp as blades and cold as ice.

"You've heard it preached over and over. That you should follow Abraham's faith. Why are you wavering?"

"B-but..."

"Doubt is a seed Satan plants."

Squeeze!

The hand gripping his shoulder tightened.

"Surely the love of a mere parent cannot come before love for God."

With that, the deacon quietly left.

Only silence remained in the chapel.

Yun Seongho took out his wallet with trembling hands.

Inside was a photo he treasured.

A family photo taken at an amusement park.

His young son was smiling brightly, while his daughter held cotton candy and put an arm around her brother's shoulder.

Only his wife was absent from the picture.

"Hoo... Hoo!"

Yun Seongho breathed harshly.

In a cracked voice, he kept trying to hold himself together.

"Only, only the Leader's miracle can save us."

The Leader truly performed miracles.

So this hesitation meant his faith was lacking.

Only obedience, obedience, obedience would make him worthy of salvation.

* * *

The last place Kim Gicheol, leader of the Eden Salvation Church, had been seen was Pocheon.

They said Kim Gicheol and a large number of his followers had moved there, so that was where we needed to start looking.

So we came here first.

To Pocheon.

"My lord~ We've entered Pocheon."

"Huh... already?"

Outside the window, rice paddies and fields stretched out, with greenhouses scattered here and there.

Curving cement roads ran along the low foothills.

In the distance, Pocheon proper was packed with signs reading "Idong Galbi."

This town was probably famous for its hot springs and Idong Galbi.

"That was some smooth driving. I nodded off for a second."

"Did you have a comfortable rest, my lord?"

"I didn't know Kohaku could drive too."

"Hehe, this humble one has even driven the very first Toyota."

Just how old was the first Toyota?

I knew Kohaku was older than she looked, but still.

"He was spotted somewhere around here, right?"

Kim Gicheol, leader of the Eden Salvation Church, had been missing for a long time.

Some said he'd illegally entered another country, while others said he'd died fighting over the cult's assets.

Most of what I found online was useless conspiracy theory nonsense.

Which meant we had to come investigate ourselves.

I thought Pastor Go would come along, but he was too busy.

He had to prepare for Sunday service.

"My lord, shall we eat first?"

"No, let's deploy the kids first."

Kohaku parked the rental car, and when we got out, Gari and Eight-Foot Sister followed behind us.

And then...

"My legion. Are you ready?"

Coo coo coo coo!

Chirp!

Good. I had brought a hundred members of the Gugu Corps from the Seoul sanctuary.

That should be enough to control the skies around here.

"Finding suspicious people would be difficult, so focus on watching from the air."

If things went wrong, they could gather and serve as a fighting force.

It would also be useful to share their vision from time to time and observe the ground from above.

"My lord, since they're birds, I think it'll be difficult for them to find a specific target."

"I think so too. So..."

I glanced over the spirits flickering around us.

Furry four-legged animals.

"They're everywhere, aren't they? Cats and dogs."

Now then, where could I find some suitable bones?

"Kohaku, can you communicate with animals too?"

"Huh? Well... if they're fellow canids, I can communicate with them a little."

Was that because foxes were canines?

At least that saved me the trouble of finding corpses to summon.

I began channeling spiritual power into the dogs' spirits.

When I called them, I didn't need their consent.

Maybe because animal souls were of a lower rank, every one I called could be subdued as an undead spirit.

Once I enlisted a few animal spirits, they immediately followed me.

I held out a piece of Kim Gicheol's clothing that the Association had given me.

"Can you find this?"

Woof?

Right, they couldn't smell it since they hadn't manifested physically.

I poured in more spiritual power and gave them physical forms. A few fine-looking mutts appeared.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

"Woof woof woof!"

Hmm, good.

But something was missing.

"Kids, want me to do something nice for you?"

Woof?

I had gained the authority of Marchosias, the beast demon.

Its magic didn't stop at commanding animals.

"By the authority of Marchosias, demon of beasts, I command you, weak animals. Open your eyes to a 'new body'!"

Three mixed-breed dogs. I wanted a little more, so I added a nearby grass snake, along with several members of the Gugu Corps because it looked like it would need more thrust...

"Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"

"Hisssssss!"

"Coo coo coo?"

Good. It was complete.

Three heads, a snake for a tail, and about six Gugu pigeons added because it looked like it would lack propulsion.

Then I "mixed" them.

"M-my lord..."

"What do you think? Doesn't it look like some giant mythical beast?"

Cerberus, the gatekeeper of hell, something like that.

"Yes, well... it does have a terrifying appearance, as if it crawled up from chaos."

This was the result of Marchosias's magic, "Hybrid Beast."

Maybe someday, I could really make something like a griffin.

Footnotes:

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