The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 140

"You... don’t tell me! That article about you back then? Florence, Satan worshipper, miracle and all, hole in your stomach but came back to life, that one?"

"Yeah. How did you not know until now? Anyone could tell it was me."

"Your face didn’t appear so how would I know it was you? The name was fake too. And I don’t read Romanica Church articles in detail."

"Why not?"

"Because I feel like throwing up when I read them... Ah, that’s not what’s important. So you almost died then."

"I did die and come back to life."

When I nodded while speaking, Ha Su-yeong looked at me with furrowed brows. Her face showed she couldn’t understand me at all. That was understandable.

"...You crazy bastard."

"Look at your language. Just because we haven’t seen each other for a few months, you’ve gotten even ruder."

"Did I say anything wrong? If you had really died then, what would have happened to Voodoo?"

"So am I dead now? I’m alive, aren’t I."

"Ah, shit...! I’m talking about what if. If you died, we couldn’t use the Loas’ powers anymore, and ultimately Voodoo would just disappear!"

Ha Su-yeong’s words weren’t wrong.

Seven years ago during the Holy War, when my father, the 2nd Cult Leader, died and my mother, the prophet, was captured, Voodoo collapsed in an instant. If I, the next cult leader, had quickly reorganized the system, the situation might have been better than now.

But I spent a year with my mind half-gone, tormented by hallucinations created by the Loas’ voices.

The sudden death of a cult leader has a huge impact on a religion. If my identity is exposed while trying to rescue my mother and Ha Pan-seok’s son from the underground prison and a second Holy War breaks out, I will definitely die. According to my uncle.

Of course, I don’t intend to die so meekly. I’ll rescue my mother from the underground prison while finding a way to prevent a Holy War from breaking out.

But if there’s truly no other way, I’ll start a Holy War to rescue my mother. Then I’ll do my utmost to win that Holy War.

However, death comes at unexpected moments. No matter how resolutely I steel my resolve, when the time comes, I will die.

I needed to prepare for that. So my death wouldn’t affect Voodoo’s survival.

"Legba, let me hear your voice after so long."

I used reproduction sorcery to take out a consciousness candle and placed it on the ground. Then I called Legba, who had kept his mouth shut the entire time I was in the hospital.

Legba responded to my call with a low, deep voice, making an "mm" sound.

[...You’ve rested long. You haven’t forgotten my voice in the meantime, have you?]

Hearing Legba’s voice after so long was welcome.

I took out two more candles and lined them up in front of Ha Su-yeong. As each candle was added, Legba’s voice also grew slightly louder. The connection between Legba and me became closer through the candles.

[So what’s the matter. You wouldn’t have called just to hear my voice.]

"I want to examine succession compatibility."

[Succession compatibility... After calling me for the first time in so long, you’re giving me troublesome work right from the start. Without even asking how I’ve been.]

While Legba grumbled, Ha Su-yeong was looking at me with a dazed expression. It was a natural reaction. From her perspective, I would have seemed to be muttering to myself.

While Legba was choosing the language and words to use for the ritual, Ha Su-yeong belatedly came to her senses and spoke.

"Are you talking with a Loa right now? Or talking to yourself?"

"Of course it’s not talking to myself. Do you think I’m crazy?"

"...Then what’s this about succession compatibility?"

"Whether you can become the cult leader or not, I’m going to check that."

"Why do you need to know? You’re the cult leader now anyway."

I took out two more candles and lined them up again. The small flame at the tip of the candles flickered toward Ha Su-yeong. There was no wind blowing.

I wondered if I should lay out more candles, but five seemed to be enough.

With this, all preparations for the ritual were complete.

Only then did I answer Ha Su-yeong’s question.

"When I die, you might inherit the position then."

Ha Su-yeong’s sorcery skills are unparalleled, second only to me.

She knows how to cast sorcery on animals too, so in some ways it could be said she handles sorcery better than me. Though she sometimes acts foolishly, she doesn’t seem to have a bad head on her shoulders.

I was thinking of designating her as the next cult leader. Before that, I needed to confirm whether she had a body suitable for accepting the Loas as a prophet.

"...Dying?"

Ha Su-yeong seemed to be chewing over the meaning of my words, muttering quietly.

After the incident, I lost consciousness for several weeks.

Normally there should be no memory of when I was unconscious, but strangely I remembered that time clearly. While my body was lying in the hospital during my unconsciousness, my mind was at the crossroads.

"Why am I still here?"

Legba was at the crossroads. He approached me with a limping gait and answered my question in a deeply tired voice.

"Well, for someone who hasn’t died yet to come to the crossroads. I’m seeing this for the first time too."

"Someone who hasn’t died yet?"

"The dead must pass through this crossroads. The crossroads is also a path to the ’invisible world.’"

"Ah."

"But you’re here even though you’re not dead. Strange indeed. Baron Samedi might know, but that guy is so frivolous..."

Legba said this while taking out a pipe he had tucked in his vest. When he put it in his mouth and puffed a few times, smoke immediately began flowing from the pipe.

The smoke either rose to the sky to obscure the red moon, or covered the ground, rippling toward me.

"Put out the cigarette."

I said while coughing. Legba laughed heartily.

"At my age, can’t I smoke one cigarette? Just bear with it."

"How old are you?"

"Two years older than Baron Samedi."

"How old is Baron Samedi?"

"Two years younger than me."

It was a meaningless exchange. I sighed and sat there, looking around the crossroads scenery.

At the crossroads, the boundary between paths and non-paths was vague, and the flow of time was barely felt. It was a place where space and time were both hazy.

Legba stopped smoking and took out an hourglass, placing it in front of me. It was a very large hourglass.

"Let’s have the conversation we couldn’t have. Haven’t you been too busy these past few months?"

"That’s true."

"If you have anything to ask, ask it here." Legba said this while flipping the hourglass in front of me. Sand began flowing from top to bottom. I felt that flow and opened my mouth.

"What is this hourglass?"

"A device for feeling the flow of time. Time doesn’t flow if you don’t feel it."

"I see."

Though not clear, I vaguely understood. I nodded appropriately and moved to the next question.

"Do all the dead pass through this crossroads?"

"Yes. Some dead are aware of it, some are not."

"Did my mother pass through here?"

Legba was silent for a moment at my question.

"She has been here. But she probably hasn’t ’passed through.’ As far as I know."

"That means my mother is still alive."

"That’s up to interpretation."

I thought of my next question. But there wasn’t anything suitable to ask. Silence passed between us.

"Seems you have nothing more to ask."

"It seems so."

"Then I’ll go rest now."

Without giving me time to wonder, Legba tucked his pipe into his vest and continued.

"I think I’ll sleep long for a few months. Even after you wake up, I’ll probably still be sleeping."

"Do Loas sleep too?"

"Sometimes I feel like sleeping. It’s not necessary though. Anyway, I won’t speak to you while I’m sleeping."

"Won’t you be bored?"

"Call me if you’re bored. I’ll tell you interesting stories."

Legba laughed heartily as he said this. Then he smoked while limping away. At some point, his figure was no longer visible.

Since then, Legba really hadn’t spoken to me.

Left alone at the crossroads, I thought about many things while watching the flowing hourglass.

First, I thought of my dead father.

Then I thought of my mother, who should be alive.

I thought of the Holy War, of Voodoo, of the Romanica Church.

I thought of the countless relationships I’d met at Florence, and of Gu Jun-hyeok who had brought me to this state.

What would happen to Gu Jun-hyeok? He would probably be executed.

But since my mother, officially reported dead, was actually alive imprisoned in an underground prison, there was a possibility that Gu Jun-hyeok had also preserved his life in such a way. It was just a possibility, nothing more.

Clink.

I flipped the hourglass. I thought about sorcery and the Loas’ powers, and about the level of mastery that Legba had once spoken of.

I thought about the Loas’ powers that my mother had wielded as a prophet, and felt how shabby the Loas’ powers I wielded were in comparison.

Once, twice, I flipped the hourglass.

Finally, I thought about death.

The crossroads was a land infinitely close to death. There, I couldn’t help but think about death. When I die, I will come to this crossroads again.

Clink.

When I flipped the hourglass for the seventh time, I woke up.

At first I was dumbfounded. It seemed like I had been at the crossroads for just a few minutes, but also like I had stayed for years.

The first day I was busy adapting to the dulled sense of touch and lost sense of taste, and learning to breathe with one lung.

The second day I pondered what had happened at the crossroads. While thinking alone, I seemed to have become detached from many things. Especially about death.

Around that time, I think I had the thought that I should decide on the next cult leader. If I, as the cult leader, died irresponsibly without any preparation, Voodoo would suffer the same hardships as seven years ago.

Once I accepted death, I began thinking about what would happen after death rather than death itself.

"What are you talking about? Why would you die?"

But Ha Su-yeong didn’t seem to understand my thinking. I looked for words to explain, then found it too bothersome to explain at length and answered as concisely as possible.

"I don’t mean I’m dying now, but that I might die someday."

"Someday? Don’t tell me you’re terminally ill?"

"No... I mean I might die someday. Not that I’m definitely dying at a specific time."

"Ah..."

Ha Su-yeong seemed to vaguely understand my words then. She sighed and looked down at the ground with downcast eyes.

[Get ready now.]

Just then, Legba’s voice was heard. I approached Ha Su-yeong and extended my hand. She just stared at my hand blankly as if she didn’t understand.

"What are you doing? Give me your hand."

"What? No!"

"Why? Are you embarrassed?"

"Bu, bullshit. That’s not it..."

Ha Su-yeong stepped back in alarm while looking me up and down. She wandered her gaze for a while as if she didn’t know where to look, then squeezed her eyes shut and continued.

"...I don’t want to hold hands with an exhibitionist pervert like you."

"You’re the one who followed me and peeked. So are you a voyeur?"

"Ah shit, really... Why do you need my hand?"

"Because it’s necessary for the ritual."

The ritual for examining succession compatibility requires contact with the subject.

Actually, the ritual itself would be fine without contact, but the subject could be in danger. Though somewhat troublesome, it was a necessary procedure.

"Anyway, your hand."

"Am I some kind of dog?"

Ha Su-yeong said this while reluctantly extending her hand to me. I placed her hand on top of my palm. There was almost no sensation of touch.

I could only vaguely feel that her hand was on top of mine, and that her hand was a little cold.

"Now close your eyes."

"Always ordering me around..."

Though Ha Su-yeong grumbled, she obediently followed my words well. After confirming she had closed her eyes, I closed mine too. The darkness overlapped with the crossroads scenery.

Legba’s muttering, which had started quietly, gradually became clear and distinct.

Before long, Legba’s muttering stopped. Between the alternating darkness and crossroads scenery, I felt something drain from my body. Whatever had drained out was flowing to Ha Su-yeong through our clasped hands.

[Let us begin.]

With Legba’s words, cold sweat ran down my spine.

* * *

What Ha Su-yeong saw before her eyes was darkness. Nothing was visible except darkness. It was natural since her eyes were closed.

A strange sensation was felt from their clasped hands. It seemed like something was flowing in, and it was tingly like electricity flowing.

"...You’re not trying to do something weird, are you?"

Ha Su-yeong asked just in case. She could understand closing eyes since people do that when praying too, but she couldn’t understand why they had to clasp hands like this.

Hopefully it wasn’t the case, but she wondered if he was doing this with ulterior motives.

"..."

Do Seon-woo didn’t answer and just put strength into their clasped hands. Ha Su-yeong flinched and shook, brushing away the random thoughts that kept welling up.

Well, Do Seon-woo wouldn’t have ulterior motives toward her, and even if he did, there was no way to resist.

At that moment, a strange landscape appeared beyond the darkness. It was a path with an eerie and desolate atmosphere. A red moon in the sky was illuminating the path. The scenery appeared briefly as if passing by and quickly disappeared.

[Now open your eyes.]

A voice echoed in her head. It wasn’t sound flowing in through her ears, but sound literally ringing through her head.

"Mom, wh-what is this...!"

It was an unfamiliar sensation. Ha Su-yeong stepped back in surprise, trying to pull her hand away. But Do Seon-woo was gripping Ha Su-yeong’s wrist strongly and wouldn’t let go.

When she opened her eyes, he was glaring at her with coldly hardened pupils. Cold sweat flowed from his forehead, and his lips were pale blue.

"Don’t let go."

"...Ah, okay."

She didn’t know why, but it seemed like she shouldn’t let go. Meanwhile, the sound of an unfamiliar person clearing their throat echoed in her head.

Every time the coughing sound was heard, Ha Su-yeong’s shoulders trembled. It felt like the sound was boring into her brain and tickling it.

[Sorry if I startled you... First, I am Legba. Do you need an introduction?]

"...Legba."

The trembling stopped when she heard his name.

Legba. Master of all Loas and lord of the crossroads. Any Voodoo believer couldn’t help but know that name. To think she would have a conversation with that Legba, she felt both dazed and her heart swelled.

Without time to be immersed in emotion, Legba’s voice continued.

[There seems to be no need for a separate introduction. Then let’s examine your compatibility right away.]

Gulp.

Ha Su-yeong swallowed without realizing it. It seemed dozens of times more nerve-wracking than taking tests at school. She glanced at Do Seon-woo once for no reason.

His unwavering gaze and the firm strength felt from their clasped hands gave her a strange sense of relief.

[Now, answer my questions.]

"Y-yes."

[What’s 7×8?]

"Huh?"

Ha Su-yeong asked back with a dumbfounded expression. She had expected questions about Voodoo, or at least questions about religion. But suddenly multiplication tables - it was too out of nowhere.

But thinking she couldn’t just stay still, she hastily opened her mouth.

"5, 56!"

[Correct. Then what’s 11×13?]

"Um... 143?"

[Oh, not bad. Then 142×1987.]

"Ah, no. How am I supposed to do this mentally!"

[Can’t even do such simple arithmetic... The answer is 282,154. Unfortunately, you fail.]

"What!"

Ha Su-yeong let out a hollow laugh because it was so absurd. Legba didn’t miss that and opened his mouth in a serious voice without any playfulness.

[A hollow laugh... You completely look down on the Loas.]

"No, that’s not it."

[That’s not it?]

"Th-that’s not it..."

Ha Su-yeong trailed off, not knowing what to do, then looked at Do Seon-woo with trembling pupils.

From what she’d heard, Legba was usually a playful and benevolent Loa, but once angered, he became more frightening than any other Loa.

Having offended such a Legba, she was afraid she might receive divine punishment right away.

Whether he knew her feelings or not, Do Seon-woo was just grinning. That smile was so annoying she wanted to shout at him, but she couldn’t because of Legba.

"Legba."

Do Seon-woo looked at Ha Su-yeong, who was paralyzed with fear and could neither do this nor that, and said with a laugh.

"Why are you teasing the kid?"

[Her reactions are very entertaining. Unlike yours.]

Legba laughed heartily. Ha Su-yeong couldn’t fully understand either Do Seon-woo’s words or Legba’s words.

She alternately looked at Do Seon-woo and the sky as if something was broken, then belatedly understood the situation and narrowed her eyes.

"...You teased me!"

[Yes, I teased you. Do you have any complaints?]

"No, um... I don’t."

Ha Su-yeong hurriedly collected her words.

"You’re trying to tease me again. Anyway, is this enough?"

Do Seon-woo looked at her and laughed while asking Legba. Legba chuckled low and opened his mouth.

[Yes, this is sufficient.]

"Good, that’s a relief."

Do Seon-woo said this and let go of Ha Su-yeong’s hand. There was a "snap" sound of something breaking in her head. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

She had a brief headache and felt dizzy. Beyond her darkened vision, she saw another strange landscape. A red moon and a path with vague boundaries. The landscape passed by quickly and disappeared, and her vision returned to normal.

When she finally came to her senses, the headache had disappeared cleanly. Legba’s voice could no longer be heard either.

Everything that had just happened felt dreamlike, as if it had all been a dream or hallucination.

"...What, what happened? Is this the end?"

"Yeah, it’s over. Good work."

Do Seon-woo nodded matter-of-factly as if it was nothing. She couldn’t understand what was supposed to be over.

Ha Su-yeong frowned while glaring at Do Seon-woo slightly. She didn’t have the confidence to glare openly.

"You said something about compatibility examination. What happened with that?"

Legba had definitely told her she "failed." This would mean she wasn’t suitable as a prophet or cult leader.

Ha Su-yeong knew this fact, but asked anyway. She didn’t want to show her disappointment.

"You’re compatible."

"...Huh?"

But Do Seon-woo’s following answer was unexpected.

"Bullshit. Le-Legba said I failed."

"Of course it was a joke. The fact that you could hear Legba’s voice in the first place means you’re compatible."

"Don’t lie."

"Would I lie about something like this?"

Do Seon-woo said while fixing his gaze on the ground as if trying to count the ants crawling on the floor. Thinking about it, he was right. There was no reason for him to lie about this.

If so, that meant she had a body suitable as a prophet. This also meant that after Do Seon-woo died, she would become the 4th cult leader.

"...I see."

Ha Su-yeong slowly nodded while muttering. She was happy to receive recognition, but not as happy as she’d thought she would be.

Her becoming cult leader was only after Do Seon-woo died. That fact somehow made her feel complicated.

Ha Su-yeong shook her head to dispel her thoughts. It was just a distant story anyway, she thought while looking at Do Seon-woo. He was still shirtless.

Ha Su-yeong asked in a deliberately sarcastic tone.

"Excuse me, Cult Leader. Why aren’t you putting on clothes yet?"

"There’s a reason for everything."

"Do you want to show off that not-so-great body so badly?"

"...I haven’t been able to exercise lately. Being only in the hospital."

It was meant as a joke, but Do Seon-woo answered with a quite serious face.

To be honest, his body wasn’t bad. Anyone could see he had exercised quite diligently, so it would be fair to say it was good.

However, Ha Su-yeong was bothered by the scar carved on his abdomen. Every time she saw the scar, she felt like her own stomach hurt in sympathy. If he wasn’t going to put on clothes, she wished he would at least cover that scar.

But Do Seon-woo didn’t even seem to hear her words and kept looking only at the ground.

"Ah, what are you doing? Put on clothes!"

"Ah, if you don’t want to see it, then scram... No, it’s better to show you."

Do Seon-woo muttered incomprehensible words and used sorcery. It seemed to be reproduction sorcery, "Dawn’s Sword."

Do Seon-woo seemed to check the condition of the dagger he had drawn through sorcery, examining it by turning it back and forth. Then he looked up and down at an old bare tree that was withering in the corner of the distant wasteland.

As always, Do Seon-woo’s sorcery was very refined. It made me wonder if I could ever reach that level.

But there was no time to admire it. Do Seon-woo raised the dagger and stabbed it directly into his own palm. From what I could see, it seemed he had stabbed quite deeply.

Blood dripped from his palm. Ha Su-yeong’s hands and feet went cold seeing that scene.

"Wh-what are you doing? What are you doing, you crazy bastard!"

"Watch from there. You might need to use this later too."

Do Seon-woo answered matter-of-factly as if it didn’t hurt much, then dipped his finger in his own blood and began drawing pictures on the ground.