SWNOVELXO Chapter 71
Chapter 71
At this point, it feels like we’ve become an idol group.
A co-ed trio idol group, no less.
But why a trio when only Leo and I returned to Korea?
That’s because…
“Holy One, it seems like you had a lot of fun without us. Surely, you brought me back a gift, right?”
Luna, who had been waiting for us at the airport, joined us.
Luna, waiting with sunglasses on.
Fine, let’s say she just came to welcome us back.
But then—
“Welcome, Your Holiness!”
“Welcome!”
What are these 40 people in black suits, bowing regardless of age or gender?
The atmosphere was such that even if a mafia boss were in the pope’s seat, it wouldn’t seem out of place.
Looking at them bowing deeply to me, I let out a small sigh and glanced at Luna.
“This is your doing, isn’t it?”
“Once you join the church, it’s only natural to risk everything to protect the Pope, the First Apostle of Limen. It’s an honor few in Eden could ever achieve.”
“For the love of…What happened while I was gone?”
I scrutinized the newcomers with unease. Among them was Jaemin, one of the early members I personally recruited to our church. As soon as our eyes met, Jaemin dropped to the ground and shouted.
“Long live the Pope! Long live! Glory to Limen!”
“…Sigh.”
“I focused on indoctrination. I pushed them to embody the doctrine physically for three straight days. Do you like the results?”
“How could you…No, it’s my fault for trusting you, Luna.”
If I’d returned a few days later, this might have spiraled out of control.
I had expected fresh, green recruits, but they’d absorbed this level of zeal in just three days.
We almost poisoned South Korea.
Still, thanks to Luna bringing in so many recruits, public order seemed somewhat maintained.
People only took pictures of me from afar; none dared approach.
Forcing a smile, I waved at them.
Then, I murmured quietly.
“I already feel drained.”
“By the way, Holy One, where’s my gift?”
“Oh, right. I accidentally left it in Japan. Want to go fetch it?”
“Who goes to retrieve their own gift? Your beloved subordinate sacrificed her free time to train the recruits…”
As Luna was about to drain the last of my vitality at incredible speed, the crowd’s murmurs grew louder again.
Wondering what was causing the commotion, I soon saw why.
The crowd parted briefly, and a man holding a floral necklace walked toward me.
At first glance, it seemed like a normal welcoming gesture.
But the man’s identity was anything but ordinary.
“Congratulations on your return, Kim Siwoo. You are a hero of South Korea!”
“Even though this is a bustling airport, and there could be safety concerns, should the President appear so suddenly?”
“Haha! What is there to worry about? The Irregular, acknowledged even by the U.S., is right here in front of me. Where in Korea could it be safer than this?”
South Korea’s head of state, President Seo Shinwoo, had personally come to greet me.
He placed the floral necklace around my neck, then extended his hand with a cheerful smile.
“Once the summit concludes, I’ll officially invite you to the Blue House. Since you’ve met Prime Minister Sasaki before, why not join us at the summit?”
“That would just invite criticism that you sold the country to a religion, claiming Limen Church is the real power behind the scenes.”
“It’s proof of my trust in you, Kim Siwoo. Now, over there—look at the camera and smile with me, will you?”
President Seo displayed the finesse of a seasoned politician, complete with showmanship.
Shaking hands with him, I smiled again, as camera flashes rained down on us.
Amidst the dazzling lights, President Seo spoke calmly.
“Thank you for granting my request. Thanks to you, South Korea can chart a new course.”
“I only went to save lives. I regret not being able to go sooner.”
“The ripple effect you’ve created will bring about countless changes. I will do my utmost to ensure there is no disappointment.”
With a resolute expression, he nodded slightly as if making a decision.
From here on, it was their problem to resolve.
“Are you heading home now, where your family awaits?” he asked.
I sighed softly.
“I wish I could, but there’s work piling up as the Pope.”
“Ah, leaders are always relentlessly busy.”
“I can relate.”
Let’s return to the sanctuary.
There were still mountains of issues to address.
“Greetings to His Holiness!”
“Greetings to His Holiness!”
Though it had only been a three-day trip, the atmosphere at the sanctuary had transformed beyond comparison to three days prior.
More than 100 people greeted us at the entrance of Ground Zero.
The recruits Luna brought to the airport were just the tip of the iceberg.
Looking at the newcomers bowing 90 degrees to me, I forced a smile and waved, then glanced at Luna.
“How on earth did you manage this…?”
“With love and compassion. I simply taught as Limen instructed. Oh, and I’ll give you a brief report on the new recruits, Your Holiness.”
“Speak as we go.”
Smiling faintly, Luna began her report.
“Currently, there are 142 trainees here. The oldest is 36, the youngest is 15, and the average age is 26.6. I also checked other groups; ours has the lowest average age by far. The only comparable one might be the Hundred Names Church.”
“That’s to be expected. This is Korea.”
Established religions mostly consist of players awakened through faith. In Korea, where atheism is prevalent among the youth, the outcome was obvious.
Players awakened purely by potential leaned toward new religions, while those awakened by deep faith joined established ones.
Still, 142 was a solid number.
“What about the Hundred Names Church?”
“Surprisingly, they have 190—48 more than us.”
“That’s not too surprising.”
The Hundred Names Church had clearly prepared thoroughly. They quickly recruited talents and secured paths for advancement through alliances with organizations like the Transcendent Coalition.
Given the circumstances, pulling in this many recruits was already a success.
Especially since my recent actions in Japan boosted awareness, making it easier to attract talent both there and here over time.
“If we strengthen ties with the Coalition, we might see even better results… So, how’s the training?”
“Professors from the National Academy of Awakened have been teaching about the rights and duties of Awakened for the past two days, and we’ve been introducing core doctrines through the scriptures Leo translated.”
“What’s your impression of them?”
“It’s hard to say yet. As you said, most of them were atheists.”
For an atheist to accept faith overnight would take time. If Limen appeared and performed a miracle, it might end quickly, but I doubted that was her style.
While pondering, a new system message appeared before me.
[A new category has been unlocked.]
[You can now use the
[You can choose between
[
[
It felt like a strategy game, with clear strengths and weaknesses for each focus.
But for me, the choice was obvious.
“Combat-Focused.”
[The focus has been set to
If Eden had been a land of peace after the demon king’s defeat,
But Earth was volatile.
There was no guarantee that a battle wouldn’t break out tomorrow.
So the decision was clear: teach core doctrines, then temper them through combat.
Their faith would be tested and strengthened through life-and-death struggles.
However—
“Will this lead to a church overflowing with paladins?”
Most clergy trained through this method would become paladins, which concerned me.
An ideal church balances priests and paladins, but this tilted heavily toward one side.
Leo’s response reassured me.
“Your Holiness, no need to worry. Even priests can mature through arduous trials like combat. Didn’t I, too, grow this way?”
“That’s true.”
“Priests are just bookworms anyway, right?”
Right.
Even in Eden, there was rivalry between the archbishops and the leaders of the Holy Knights, wasn’t there?
I had momentarily forgotten since both Leo and Luna came from the same prophet background.
Leo shook his head at Luna’s words and replied:
“It’s still better than a shield-bearer who can’t even recite scripture.”
“Oh, little brother. Been a while since you had a rank lesson from that shield-bearer, huh?”
“You should remember that His Holiness is undoubtedly a priest, Sir Leventon.”
“And at the same time, he holds the position of Supreme Commander of all the Holy Knights. Isn’t that right, Your Holiness?”
Both of them looked at me simultaneously.
Their eyes practically begged me to take their side.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Was there anything unusual at the temple while I was away? Like an oracle or something?”
“None at all.”
“Really?”
It’s taking a while to hear from Limen. Something seems to be going on in that other world, but without more information, it’s frustrating.
By now, it should be about time to receive contact.
“Oh, right.”
Instead, Luna delivered other news.
“Today, Choi Seo-jin, the leader of the Goblin Guild, is supposed to visit. He should be arriving about now.”
“…Now that Aiden is gone, is it Choi’s turn? Some kind of macho conservation law, huh?”
“Oh, there he is.”
At Luna’s words, I turned to look ahead. Choi Seo-jin was walking toward me with a broad grin on his face.
Without a single subordinate in tow, Choi Seo-jin walked confidently.
His Hawaiian shirt, completely unfazed by the winter season, wasn’t exactly emphasizing his manliness—it was downright absurd.
“Ah, the globally recognized Irregular! Our Pope Kim, isn’t it? I almost fell asleep waiting for you.”
“Uh, Representative Choi.”
“Yes!”
“Please try to avoid America’s Barbarian if possible.”
“Barbarian? I’ve actually wanted to meet him at least once.”
“I think one of you would end up dead.”
You know the saying—when two of the same kind meet, one must fall.
In this case, it’s usually the weaker one who dies.
No matter how much of a top-tier Awakened Representative Choi might be in South Korea, he’s no match for the Barbarian.
At my half-serious joke, Choi scratched his head and casually responded in an unconcerned tone.
“How about a little walk? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“You could’ve just called me, you know.”
“It’s a principle of mine—business must be conducted face-to-face.”
What sort of business could have brought him to see me immediately after my return?
I nodded and replied.
“As it happens, there’s a walking path I’ve wanted to show. Let’s go.”
Judging by the feeling, it seems like Representative Choi has stumbled upon something promising.
I can’t help but feel a bit excited already.