Chapter 341
Johan was kneeling before a gigantic cross, praying.
“Grant prosperity to all people, and please let this land be illuminated by the Lord’s glory.”
A radiant mass of light descended behind him, making him appear holy.
Gripping the small cross hanging around his neck, Johan continued to recite his prayers.
He had prayed so fervently that his entire body was drenched in sweat.
Behind him, the believers watched Johan with fanatical eyes.
‘To think he prays so passionately for us.’
‘Lord Johan is truly the savior God has sent to us.’
‘I would gladly offer this one life for Lord Johan.’
To them, Johan was not merely a religious leader.
He was like the only savior they could trust and rely on.
For the believers, giving their lives for Johan was the greatest honor imaginable.
For the past few months, Johan had shut himself inside the church and done nothing but pray.
Normally, he would never spend this much time praying.
There were countless problems piled up in Dongdaemun, and handling and deciding everything was Johan’s responsibility.
But everything changed a few months ago after Neo Seoul—or more precisely, City Hall—issued him a warning.
He did not know what kind of secret agreement existed between Zeon and City Hall, but City Hall had warned Johan.
The warning was simple:
Do not interfere with Zeon’s activities in any way.
At first, he was dumbfounded.
Ever since Johan had established the Holy Temple in Dongdaemun, this was the first time City Hall had ever sent him a warning.
The next emotion that came was rage.
The thought that mere humans dared to command him—the savior—was unbearable.
After rage came acceptance.
He accepted the reality that defying City Hall’s orders was impossible.
After that, Johan locked himself inside the church and prayed.
He vented the anger buried deep in his heart through prayer.
“Lord! Please show the lost lambs the path they must take.”
At that moment—
As if responding to his prayer, an intense light burst from the cross hanging on the wall.
The people inside the church were horrified by the sudden blinding light.
“Ohh! God has answered us!”
“God has answered Lord Johan’s prayer!”
At the miraculous event unfolding before their eyes, people fell to their knees and wept.
Johan himself was equally shocked.
Even he had not expected light to pour out from the cross at this exact moment.
Wearing an even more devout expression, he stared at the cross.
Even then, the light pouring from the cross grew stronger.
It became so bright that it was impossible to open one’s eyes, as though the sun itself had risen inside the church.
But Johan, his eyes barely open, continued staring at the light emanating from the cross.
Then a voice reached his ears.
Whether it was truly the voice of God or someone else’s, even Johan could not tell.
He merely listened carefully.
A moment later, the light vanished as if it had all been a lie, and Johan rose to his feet.
Everyone’s eyes focused on him.
Raising the cross high, Johan shouted loudly,
“Today, God spoke to me.”
“Ooh!”
“He pitied all of you suffering upon this earth and said He will send a Saintess.”
“A Saintess?”
“Does that mean our order will gain a Saintess?”
People cried tears of joy.
Johan commanded them,
“The Saintess has already descended upon this land. Go and find her at once and bring her here. Together with the Saintess, our order shall flourish greatly.”
“We accept the savior’s command!”
“We follow Lord Johan’s orders!”
The voices of the fanatics echoed throughout the church.
It was the moment Dongdaemun, which had remained silent for so long, finally began moving again.
***
Thud! Thud!
The sound of knocking on the door early in the morning caused Zeon to open his eyes.
He sensed no presence inside the house.
Only then did he remember that a few days earlier, he had sent Brielle and Levin into the desert with Jetoya.
“Hoo…”
Unable to do otherwise, he had to open the door himself.
After roughly throwing on some clothes, he opened the door and saw Mandy.
“What is it this early in the morning?”
“I came because there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Is it urgent?”
“It concerns you.”
“Hah… Come in.”
Left with no choice, Zeon let Mandy inside.
As Mandy briefly looked around the house, her eyes lit up.
A map was hanging on the wall of Zeon’s living room.
It was a map of Neo Seoul.
Red markers were placed all over the map, with blue strings connecting each point.
Mandy asked Zeon,
“Where did you even get that map? And what are all those marked points?”
“Did you come here just to ask me questions?”
“Ah, right! That’s not it. I really came to tell you something. You know Dongdaemun, right?”
“Yes.”
Of course he knew.
The fanatic group threatening Sinchon was based in Dongdaemun.
“Dongdaemun’s movements aren’t normal.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know the details either, but starting four days ago, their activities suddenly became much more aggressive.”
“How so?”
“They’ve been sending believers out in all directions. It seems like they’re searching for something.”
“I see.”
“The important thing is that the word ‘Holy War’ came out of the believers’ mouths.”
“Holy War…”
“You know what that means in the church…”
Zeon frowned.
A war for God.
Under the justification of serving God, any atrocity could be rationalized through a Holy War.
For fanatics, it was the ultimate justification.
Because they possessed the absolution that everything they did was for God.
Not only their own lives, but even the lives of others could be sacrificed for God under the supreme justification of a Holy War.
“For what reason did Johan declare a Holy War?”
“I don’t know either. City Hall has started investigating too, but no information has come in yet.”
“This is going to be troublesome. A Holy War…”
“The place closest to Dongdaemun is Sinchon, isn’t it? We don’t know what kind of trouble they might cause if they cross the border. So we need to prepare thoroughly.”
“Tch! Can’t they just stay quiet for once?”
Zeon clicked his tongue and shook his head.
When Johan moved, every fanatic living in Dongdaemun moved with him. The fanatics were like a swarm of locusts, destroying and exhausting everything in their path.
Knowing the nature of Dongdaemun, Zeon sincerely wished they would just stay quiet.
“Holy War… a war for God… Don’t tell me…”
At that moment, something crossed Zeon’s mind.
“Why? Did you think of something?”
“I do have a suspicion, but I think I need to investigate a little more closely.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you once I know for sure.”
Zeon answered while putting on the robe hanging on the wall.
The moment he put on the robe, Zeon headed outside.
He did not have to go far.
The moment he stepped out, he saw Dongdaemun’s fanatics.
As Zeon approached, the fanatics who noticed him hurriedly fled the area.
They were completely blocking off any contact with him from the start.
Zeon had never intended to talk with them anyway.
There was a much better target available, so there was no reason to waste words on fanatics.
“Excuse me.”
The person he addressed was someone who had just been stopped by the fanatics.
“Ah, Lord Zeon!”
The man immediately brightened upon recognizing Zeon.
There was no one living in Sinchon who did not know Zeon.
Zeon asked him,
“What were they asking about?”
“Ah, they said they were looking for someone.”
“Someone?”
“They’re searching for a girl who performs miracles.”
“Miracles?”
“They say there’s a Saintess who can make the crippled walk and heal the sick. As if someone like that could really exist. Yet they’re making all this fuss over it. Tsk, tsk.”
The moment he heard those words, Zeon became certain that his guess was correct.
‘They’re looking for that healer girl.’
How they had learned about Remura was not important.
What mattered was that all of Dongdaemun’s forces were now focused on finding her.
Zeon himself had only exchanged a few words with her and had immediately grasped the truth.
For now, people were distracted by Dongdaemun’s unexpected movements, but before long, they too would discover the truth.
An A-rank healer was someone coveted not only by Dongdaemun, but by every other district as well.
Probably every district except the West District, where mechanized Awakeners formed the core of its strength, would desire Remura.
‘Naturally, Dongdaemun will protect her with everything they have. At this rate, an actual Holy War may really break out.’
Remura was not a Saintess.
She was merely a high-ranking healer.
But the fact that she was a healer was not what mattered most.
What mattered was that Dongdaemun believed she was a Saintess.
To secure the Saintess, they would gladly throw away their own lives.
Whether it was the South District, the North District, or even City Hall, they would not care.
If someone stood in the way of securing the Saintess, they would be capable of anything.
That was the real problem.
If things went wrong, all of Neo Seoul could be engulfed in war.
“This is becoming troublesome.”
“What’s troublesome?”
The man who had answered him looked at Zeon with a puzzled expression.
“It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Thank you for answering my questions.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Lord Zeon is the savior of our Sinchon. Of course I should tell you what I know.”
“Thank you.”
After giving the man a light greeting, Zeon headed toward old man Clexi’s shop.
Old man Clexi was in the middle of speaking with someone.
Zeon recognized the person talking with him as an executive of Eyes of Argos.
“Come in. You should hurry along now.”
“Yes, sir.”
After exchanging a nod with Zeon, the executive of Eyes of Argos left.
As Zeon sat across from old man Clexi, he said,
“This is about Dongdaemun, isn’t it?”
“So you already know as well?”
“They’re already stirring up Sinchon.”
“It seems to be because of that girl. The A-rank healer.”
“I think so too.”
“Hm.”
The two of them already knew about Remura’s existence.
Because of that, it was not difficult for them to infer that the person Dongdaemun’s fanatics were searching for was Remura.
“What do you think will happen?”
“It’s only a matter of time.”
“So you think the same. If things go badly, the slums could be completely devastated.”
Old man Clexi’s expression was extremely serious.
“Not just the slums. Neo Seoul itself will face problems.”
“That girl is a bomb. In terms of destructive potential, she surpasses even an S-rank magical beast.”
“Perhaps it would be better for Neo Seoul if we eliminate her before it’s too late.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am. I don’t joke about matters like this. Our survival is at stake.”
The eyes hidden behind old man Clexi’s glasses gleamed sharply.
An A-rank healer was important, but not more important than Neo Seoul or the slums.
At least, not to old man Clexi, who had personally experienced the Great Cataclysm a hundred years ago.
No one understood better than he did how precious and dependable this tiny oasis in the middle of the desert truly was.
Old man Clexi lowered his voice.
“So tell me this. If I decide that girl absolutely must die… what will you do?”