Chapter 928. Gen (7)
Naturally, my memories with Templar Gen popped up in my head.
We had made a ton of memories in a short period of time, so the betrayal was extremely painful. He was... the only person who approached the Saint of Light when there was no one else around him.
He was the one who had seen me as who I was rather than as the God of Sacrifice and Revival or the Honorary Cardinal of the Vatican. He became the lighthouse that guided me whenever I was weary.
The relationship I had with Templar Gen was deeper and more meaningful than what people could see. Based on the script, Templar Gen was my way out of my painful life, and he was the savior who had helped me get through tough days.
As the lonely honorary cardinal, I thought he and I were alike.
We cherished our own faith; we enjoyed adventures; we met new people, and we enjoyed the sights that the continent had to offer to us.
Despite knowing that we were fated to live by the card that fate had dealt to us, we still cherished every single moment that fate had given to us. That was why I thought we were alike. I thought he'd understand me, as he became a Templar as soon as he was born.
‘That was the script.’
No, I thought... we understood each other, but the document that I had just stumbled upon changed my mind. The document contained details on using the faction war within the Vatican and the honorary cardinal.
Of course, my dumb and foolish self had yet to fully read the document, but he didn't have to do that, as he was going to rip it apart, anyway.
Tears flowed down my eyes like a waterfall as I threw away the items in my hands. I trusted him a lot, so I truly felt betrayed. Of course, my actions could also be born from the recent habit that I had nurtured. I was talking about my habit of wearing my heart on my sleeve before him.
I looked so sad that I couldn’t describe this emotion that surprised even myself.
‘I feel like my heart is going to explode if I don’t do this.’
“Eek!” I cried out, making a sound that was supposed to be exclusive to Jung Ha-Yan. Then, I crumpled the document and threw it to the ground. ‘Shit, my emotions are important right now.’
“Tell me!” I shouted.
I had to show him that I still trusted him and that I didn’t want to lose him. Although he had already betrayed me, I had to look sad... like I couldn’t accept the truth. I even looked desperate and pitiful.
'Please give me some kind of excuse.'
“...”
'Tell me there was a good reason for this. Tell me you didn’t build a bond with me because of this.'
“Was it... Was it really because of this?” I questioned.
'Say something, anything, you fool.'
However, the idiot before me couldn’t give me any excuses. He was quiet, but he looked like he had eaten something disgusting. Obviously, I cheered because it was a sign that he had actually fallen for it.
His intentions at first were different. According to the mysterious document, there was a chance that he simply wanted to win my favor. However, he changed slowly as we spent more time together.
He ended up enjoying his time with the pitiful Saint of Light more than fulfilling his original goal.
‘I’m acting pretty desperate.’
The insignificant little adventure had made me so happy that I had completely forgotten about the other problems that were giving me a headache.
I saw Gen—not Templar Gen, looking at me as just Lee Ki-Young.
We ended up having a bond that wasn’t part of his plan.
‘It’s making me cry.’
The potential criminal looked just as horrible as me, and he despised himself deeply. I wanted to say something, but he seemed to be thinking that he had no right to give an excuse. A frown soon suffused his face, and I assumed it was because he thought his silence was enough of an answer.
“It’s... true,” I mumbled.
“...”
“Ha... haha... It really is true. Your goal was to use me in this fight among the factions,” I said.
“I’m sorry,” Gen said.
I was having so much fun that I couldn’t focus at all.
“What were you trying to do, Templar Gen?” I asked.
“...”
“What the hell were you trying to do in the Vatican? I... I... What the hell was your...”
I couldn’t finish my sentence.
“W-What have I... been doing...” I muttered.
'My head was filled with the pain of betrayal and despair. How can I think straight at a time like this?'
I staggered upon getting hit by a sudden bout of dizziness.
I started gasping for breath; I was having a hard time breathing.
“Father Lee Ki-Young...” Gen said.
“Don’t come close to me,” I warned him.
“...”
“You are a stranger to me,” I said.
'That's such a memorable line.'
“I-I’ll pretend I didn’t see this,” I told Gen.
'Stages of denial...'
“W-We never met in the first place,” I stuttered.
“Are you—”
“Don’t show up before me,” I said.
“...”
“Don’t appear in front of me ever again. I-I’m going to go... pray. Goddess Benigoa...” I paused.
“...”
'Let’s act like our encounter with Pirate King Gol P. Roger, our fight against multiple monsters, and the drinks we shared at that camp had never happened in the first place.
'Let’s abandon the bond that we had built between us.
'I’ll lock up Lee Ki-Young again and return to being the Saint of Light as well as the Honorary Cardinal of the Vatican. I’ll return to the saint who loved all mankind so much that he had once sacrificed everything for them. I’ll live the life I've been living so far.'
'Yeah, I got my hopes up too much.'
There was no way someone out there could truly understand the real Lee Ki-Young.
There wasn't a person alive... who could see me as Lee Ki-Young rather than as the Saint of Light.
'But is this really okay? Is it really okay to pretend like nothing had happened between us?'
“But.. I—”
“Please leave. If you don’t, I’ll call someone,” I threatened him.
'Is it really okay for me to abandon my true self? Is that really the right choice?'
‘What is this guy doing?’
Say something.
‘You’re really going to let it end like this? You’re not actually going to leave, are you?’
'Haa... you slow-witted fool.'
“What are you doing?! Templar Gen! Didn’t you hear what I said?” I shouted.
'Say something, damn it. I’m ready to accept everything.'
“Eek!”
Ha-Yan’s scream!
“That may have been the case at first, Father Lee Ki-Young,” Gen said.
“...”
“At first... I may have approached you with that kind of intent,” Gen continued.
“What... are you saying—”
“However, that wasn’t the only reason,” he interrupted me.
‘What? Is that true?’
“Don’t make me laugh,” I said.
“I’m not sure when it started. Actually... it’s possible that I was seeing myself in you from the very beginning. I could’ve been looking for my true self that I had lost—no, my true self that I never had,” Gen explained.
‘Really? Is that true?’
“I wasn’t just pitying you,” Gen added.
‘So the fake bond I created wasn’t fake? The fake bond I created was real to you?’
“I’m well aware that whatever I say isn’t good enough to be an excuse,” Gen said.
“No, it’ll be a good excuse. I’m more than willing to accept your excuse as long as you make the right choice.’
However, I needed to say something different in order to get what I wanted.
“Are you trying to insult me? Templar Gen! Don’t think you can justify your actions with those words. I... I trusted you. I thought you were a good man and someone I can trust...
"Did you enjoy it? Did you think... I was a fool... a naive person who's easy to trick? I’m sure you were happy fooling me!” I retorted.
“T-That’s not true!” Gen exclaimed, denying it.
‘You fool... You’re the naive person who’s easy to trick.’
“That’s really not the case,” he said.
“Then...”
“I swear on Goddess Benigoa that I never thought that way. I-I respect you. I really... really respect you. I've always found you admirable for how you had sacrificed everything you had for the continent and the Goddess,” Gen confessed.
“...”
“However, my respect for you goes beyond that. I admire you for giving up your true self and living as the Saint of Light and the Honorary Cardinal. I admire you for choosing to live as the God of Sacrifice and Revival. I-I wouldn’t dare think... that you’re a fool or a naive person who’s easy to trick,” Gen explained.
‘Look at his reaction. He’s so... clumsy.’
“The memories and bond that we had built together weren’t lies. My intention may have been impure, but the time we had spent together wasn't meaningless,” Gen continued.
'I’ll show him that I'm hesitating.'
I decided to make just one informal comment before immediately backing off.
It would be a sign that I had accepted his words as Lee Ki-Young.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
“The time we spent drinking rum and traveling the continent wasn't... meaningless,” Gen added.
“D-Don’t make me laugh! Templar Gen!” I shouted.
'Man, he’s not bad...'
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that easy for him to become a criminal.
I was pretty stubborn, and my honorary cardinal self would never be convinced of him.
“I don’t want to think that those times were meaningless,” Gen said.
“What are you—”
"I'm going to take you with me," Gen said. He calmly revealed his plan to commit a crime. He babbled on about his plan to commit a terrible crime without blinking an eye.
He looked like a psychopath, and I couldn’t help but tremble in fear.
“You've sacrificed too much, Father Lee Ki-Young. I’m sure the continent... the Sacred Democratic Country... and Goddess Benigoa want you to be free.
"I thought I was bestowed this blessing to fight my enemies. I foolishly... thought... that was the reason why I got these wings,” Gen explained.
'You disgusting monster.'
“However, I don’t think that was the case, Mr. Lee Ki-Young. I probably needed these wings... to take you to more places and show you the new continent,” Gen said.
'You criminal.'
“You can show your true self now. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself anymore, nor do you need to keep wearing clothes that don't fit you at all,” Gen added.
'So you’re going to tie up the Saint of Light using that smelly and dirty blanket?'
“An adventure...” Gen trailed off.
“...”
“It’s time to go on a long adventure, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” Gen continued.
I was scared, and I was trembling like an aspen tree.
‘Save me... S-Someone. Hyung-Sung... Ha-Yan... Deok-Gu...’
This was the worst, but my life could be in danger if I rejected him, so I-I had no choice but to grab his hand.