Chapter 61

Long ago, there were two mermaids who called each other family.

The elder sister wanted to analyze the limits of humans, and the younger brother wanted to learn about human culture.

Of the two, the younger brother, Iser, wished that one day a world would come where humans and mermaids lived together in harmony. It was an absurd wish to hold in an era when fear and contempt between the two races were rampant. The mermaid knew that too.

“A world where sky and sea are joined. That is a truly splendid wish.”

The one who said that was the first human Iser had ever met.

Long blond hair curving like waves. Blue eyes filled with wisdom. The man, who always liked to wear white, said he was a priest and a doctor.

“It is a story that makes one feel happy just to hear it.”

“...”

He had been born with colors no mermaid could help but follow with their eyes.

The mermaid revered the white human.

“... Humans are lovable but fickle creatures. Is it difficult after all to hope such a day will come?”

“I will not say it will be easy. Humans and mermaids have that many differences.”

He gave realistic advice.

“Even humans hate one another because they cannot understand one another. How much greater, then, must the conflict between humans and mermaids be?”

Then he added kind words.

“But if more people come to share the same thoughts as you, Mr. Iser, one day that day will arrive.”

“...”

“In the end, it is a matter of perception. I believe the emotion called hatred can be overcome as much as one wishes if one understands the other party.”

“... It brings me great joy to hear you say that.”

It was like a dream.

“I like the sun. I think it is as wonderful as humans, who each carry splendid colors and live brief lives.”

“I understand mermaids serve the god of the sea. And yet you say you like the sun, Mr. Iser.”

“That is right. Of course I serve the god of the deep sea, but... sunlight is warm and gentle. It has a majesty different from the deep sea.”

“I understand what you mean. Sometimes, if one dozes beneath the sunlight, it feels very good.”

“That is difficult to do in the sea.”

Iser yearned for land.

“That is why I wish all the more to see human life with my own eyes.”

“As a son of the sun, I affirm your courage, Iser.”

“Thank you for not denying the descendants of the deep sea.”

With the help of the human called Giovanni, the mermaid siblings pretended to be human, and the elder sister nurtured her dream of becoming a doctor, while the younger brother nurtured his dream of becoming a priest.

“You wish to become a priest of the sun even while serving the god of the deep sea?”

“I am not an apostle of the deep sea, so I am not abandoning my duty. Above all, if I serve both gods, would union not come more quickly?”

“A simple but good thought. I pray the sun will see your heart, acknowledge you as family, and grant you holy power.”

Giovanni was the only being who did not condemn Iser’s futile dream.

He was kind and gentle. He had a playful side and would sometimes toss cheerful words to Iser and his elder sister, and as a priest and doctor, he was capable enough to save countless people while staying up all night.

At times he said silly things, and at times he became shameless to an absurd degree, but...

“I want to become like you, Jio.”

“In that case, should you not study medicine diligently as well?”

“T-That was not what I meant. I do not want to see blood.”

Giovanni was a man worthy of respect.

Even in an era overflowing with conflict and blame, he alone was always at peace. He was cheerful and gentle.

“There is blood that flows within peace and mercy too, Iser.”

“...”

In a time when everything was in upheaval, only Giovanni always held his place.

“Teacher, you will continue to stay here, won’t you?”

“I cannot do that.”

The only thing the siblings worried about was Giovanni’s lifespan.

“I am human, so I will die much sooner than you mermaids.”

“I know that already.”

“So I cannot clearly tell you that I will remain by your side forever.”

“...”

“But I shall promise that everything else will remain the same. I will not be swept up by the conflicts and suffering of the times and change as a human.”

“... Even though you are human, not a mermaid, can you truly do that?”

“Even if I come to die one day, I am certain that when you think of me, I will always be the same.”

Parting from him would be a very sad thing, but even that brief conversation was enough for Iser to find comfort.

“Can you promise me that even if your body returns to the earth, you will still be the same human you are now?”

“Rest assured, Iser. You are my admirable student, so how could I betray those expectations?”

“Thank you for putting my foolish worries to rest. Watching humans leave and change over and over must have made my heart ache.”

“I understand how you feel. As a fellow human, I too often feel bitterness at the flow of the world.”

“I am truly glad I was not the only one. That I was not alone...”

He hoped Giovanni would not easily deteriorate or collapse like other humans.

But soon, Iser regretted it.

“...”

“Run.”

Why did I make such a promise?

Perhaps things would have been better if he had made a selfish choice like other humans.

“G-Giovanni...”

“Never come back here again, all right? This place is no longer a home or a school.”

“Jio, wait.”

“Do not think of saving me. You are young, and you have no reason to suffer merely because of the flow of the times.”

“... Teacher...”

“Promise me.”

If only you had changed selfishly.

“There is a bastard hiding mermaids here! The traitor is here!!”

If only you had failed to overcome the fear of a future where pain and death were assured.

“Here, set fire to this place! Burn him together with those horrifying mermaids!!”

“Drag that traitor out at once!! How disgusting, raising mermaids...!”

“Why in the world did you hide the mermaids, you who have saved so many humans all this time?”

If only you had abandoned us and run away, or betrayed us... how much more at ease this wicked heart would have been.

“They have not committed crimes great enough to bear the brunt of your anger. They are only children.”

“He must be insane, calling monsters like mermaids children. He is a traitor to humanity!!”

“If that can put an end to this village’s nightmare, you may call me that.”

“You hypocrite...! Behind that good-natured face, pretending to do good deeds, you were raising mermaids in secret!!”

“I hope that one day this painful relationship will reach a peaceful end.”

Giovanni remained noble to the very end.

“...”

Even when I was trapped in that narrow fish tank made by human cruelty.

Even when I could not overcome the terrible hunger that felt as if my organs were melting, and I sank my sharp fangs into that rotten, festering flesh.

You were kind.

“...”

Why is it so cold?

* * *

“...”

“Are you okay?”

A human child asked him.

Only after that young face entered his sight did the mermaid realize he had woken from a wicked dream.

“Your face looked really bad.”

“... I think I had a nightmare.”

“Really? Should I tell the priest?”

“It is not that serious a problem.”

He refused the kindness with a smiling face.

‘I do not want a human’s help right after having a dream like this.’

Why had he suddenly dreamed of Giovanni?

‘Because I am in the arms of the Sun God...? Or because of that human called Seo Jio I saw yesterday?’

The mermaid rolled his pearl-colored eyes and recalled the one he had seen at the event hall. The man who had covered his whole body in a black cloak certainly had an eye-catching air.

Only around that man, it was quiet as though all life had died. Mana cowered as if watching a sovereign’s mood, and the air flowed as though somehow cowed, holding its breath.

The man was probably a Hunter so powerful he could no longer be called human.

‘And of all things, his name is Jio...’

No, perhaps it was not truly a matter of his name.

“...”

It was unpleasant.

The fact that he had recalled the image of his noble mentor from some fickle, selfish human.

It disgusted him even more than his own conduct now, pretending to be human and participating in his elder sister’s massacre...

“...”

“Eunha, does your head hurt?”

“... A little.”

Do not be kind to me.

“It will get better now, though.”

Please, just be horrible.

‘There is no chance I will show mercy toward humans now.’

No matter what happened or how, Iser hated humans.

He hated selfish humans because they reminded him of that horrific nightmare from that day, and he hated selfless humans because they seemed to be imitating his mentor as if they had any right.

The mermaid’s anger was not something that could be erased even after an entire lifetime.

‘In the end, before pain and death, they are base creatures that will writhe like mere insects.’

The very fact that a human had spoken to him, a mermaid, was loathsome enough.

“...”

Even so, he smiled.

That was the greatest good deed this wicked mermaid was capable of.

“Sorry. You woke up because of me, right?”

“No? That is not it. I am just not used to the bed...”

“Then we can sleep together now.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“You do not have to thank me.”

Though he was disgusted with himself for blindly hating an entire race and participating in his elder sister’s massacre, he could not stop.

Iser looked at the human child lying comfortably beside him and twisted his lips.

“...”

As much as my mentor.

‘Just that much.’

I wish all of them would die horribly.

Me, and all of you too.

* * *

The day of the main ceremony.

“Huh?”

The priests’ procession began.

“That’s that thing, right?”

“That’s it. The priest procession.”

“They all look young, so it must be an induction ceremony...”

“It is about time for the Sun Cult to hold an induction ceremony.”

“Wow, look how cute the kids are.”

It was an event held around eight in the evening, when most office workers were getting off work, so there were many onlookers. In order to receive the gaze of god, induction ceremonies were usually held in the late afternoon.

“Even if they are young, they are all priests, so their holiness really is on another level.”

“I feel purified just watching them. Is it because it is the Sun Cult? It feels warm too.”

“Should we call some other people over? You never know who might be chosen today.”

Even if the existence of gods had become more familiar than before the Great Catastrophe, the majesty of gods remained unchanged. People were excited, wondering if they might witness the miracle of one of these young priests being embraced by a god.

In truth, even without such calculating intentions, the priest procession was enough to draw people’s eyes. There were censers swaying like tinkling bells, and because it was the Sun Cult, the symbols of the sun held in the hands of the prospective priests.

“Ah, it’s warm...”

“As expected of the Sun Cult.”

On such a bitterly cold winter day, the gentle and solemn procession of the sun stirred a feeling unlike any other.

“... Wow...”

“...”

The same was true for Yu Seongun, Jio, and their group.

“I have not seen many induction ceremonies, so I could not get a feel for it, but this is what they are like.”

“Have you not seen them often?”

“Induction ceremonies do not happen all the time... They have to take days and other things into account.”

Among churches with weak influence, there were some that might not hold an event even once in ten years.

“Especially if they want to prepare a flashy induction ceremony like the one we are watching now, it costs quite a bit of capital. An induction ceremony for a church without money or influence is not as grand as this. It is more like they just pray in the temple and end it.”

So it was true that this sort of event was a fairly good spectacle. From the perspective of citizens living in the city, it was quite a special event.

“They are about to enter the temple interior. We have already saved seats, so let us go in ahead of time.”

Yu Seongun looked back at Jio.

“If more time passes, too many onlookers will gather, and it will become hard even to find our seats and get inside.”

“Understood.”

“Are you not having a hard time because there are too many people? When you went out last time, it did not seem like you enjoyed noisy places.”

Although the previous sightseeing trip had ended safely, Yu Seongun still did not know much about the Portrait of Jio.

He did not know what sudden part might become a trigger and provoke an aggressive reaction.

‘The Guild Master would not only brush off something like casualties without a second thought, but even enjoy it, saying there was something to watch... The more he is like that, the more I should pay attention at least.’

Bi Sabeol was benevolent only to his collectibles; objectively speaking, he could not be called a good person. Though Yu Seongun himself merely felt bitter about people dying and left it at that.

Around then, the piece spoke.

“I am a little tired, but not enough for you to worry.”

“... I see. Then that is a relief.”

As expected, it was a piece with strong patience.

‘Still, I should be careful.’

In that way, as the procession gradually entered the temple interior and the people were organized as well, the priest standing at the very front placed the incense he was holding on the altar and stopped the prospective priests’ steps.

He gestured to the young priests and arranged them, like the conductor of a choir.

“... Goddess who illuminates heaven and earth with gentle light, send down fire upon this place today where your servants are gathered. These young priests are like sprouts grown by following your light, and...”

The priest, Kang Seo-dam, who had recited the prayer announcing the induction ceremony, soon brought it to a close.

“Receive this small light.”

“Receive this small light.”

With the Sun Cult’s prayer as the final words, Kang Seo-dam bowed his head to the altar, then turned around and once again bowed his head to the prospective priests standing in their places with the symbols of the sun in hand.

After confirming that the prospective priests bowed back, Kang Seo-dam opened his mouth.

“This is the Temple of the Sun, but the sun will not be forced upon the prospective priests. With the help of the Sun Goddess, you will learn how to face gods and how to become their servants. I hope that today’s induction ceremony will become an opportunity for you to gain another parent.”

RING.

After ringing a silver bell, Kang Seo-dam continued.

“Before cultivating the mind and body to serve a new parent, the prospective priests will have time to express gratitude for their worldly ties. Until the closing event begins, prospective priests, please exchange your greetings.”

The induction ceremony was divided into part one and part two, and in between there was a kind of break time that allowed them to spend time with their families. Not every religion did so, but the Sun Cult’s induction ceremony was like that.

Thanks to the education given in advance, all the prospective priests moved to find their own places.

“Mom, Mom...!!”

“Oppa, I’m a priest now!”

“This outfit is cool, right?”

Some trotted away to spend time with their families, while others headed off to rest in the waiting room.

“...”

He, too, was just about to move to rest.

“...?”

For some reason, one prospective priest who could not go anywhere and was hovering in place entered Kang Seo-dam’s eyes.

‘... I believe that child was called Eunha.’

He was an impressive child with blue hair that, for some reason, brought the sea to mind. Perhaps he truly hoped for that line as well, because his holy power itself had a strong chill to it.

‘I know he is from the carnation children, so he has no family to speak with separately, but why is he standing still over there?’

He could not manage even a single priest under his jurisdiction carelessly. Kang Seo-dam looked around.

‘Who is he looking at right now?’

When he moved his eyes along the child’s gaze, he saw a black-haired prospective priest receiving hugs from his family.

‘That child is...’

He thought his name was probably Cha Yi-sol.

“... Ah.”

Black Cloak was among them too.

‘He is the one I met last time.’

Kang Seo-dam remembered that, unlike a god, he had simply watched the event and left cleanly.

‘The induction ceremony itself is quite long, but if he has shown himself again today, is it to receive a new believer after all?’

As he watched with that question in mind, he could tell that Eunha’s gaze was touching Black Cloak.

“...”

Perhaps he wanted to join that group.

‘Well, that side is especially lively, so if he is a carnation child, it would be natural for him to feel envy.’

Fortunately, not long after, Cha Yi-sol dragged Eunha over. Perhaps he was quick-witted, because he was naturally introducing his partner to his family.

He watched carefully in case that consideration had hurt his pride, but Eunha, who was being dragged along like that, did not seem to feel too bad either.

“... It should be fine now.”

Black Cloak also seemed like a god with a high understanding of humans, so there would likely be no major problem.

Only then did Kang Seo-dam move to take his own rest.