Chapter 58

Looking at the being covered in a pitch-black cape, the blonde priest, Kang Seo-dam, thought.

‘I didn’t know a god would come to an event I was pushed into against my will.’

This event was not his.

Kang Seo-dam had taken over after the priest who was originally supposed to supervise went missing, and he had never imagined that he would encounter a god in an unexpected form at such an event.

‘But it’s remarkably quiet for a place a god is personally attending.’

Both the Goddess of the Sun he served, and that god who was enjoying amusement by blending into the crowd pretending to be human.

For such an exceptional situation, no chaos had occurred.

‘…I can understand people not noticing since the Goddess hasn't descended, but for a god who has openly taken a human form to be this quiet is a wondrous thing.’

It seemed to be a god with a high understanding of humans.

“…….”

Well, most gods who enjoyed amusement were human-friendly.

‘It has a cool and desolate atmosphere, unlike the Temple of the Sun. Could it be a god of the death or disease type? Seeing the cool energy, it could also be a god related to the deep sea.’

Jio had received a ‘certificate’ from the Sun God, but that was just one of the elements that constituted Jio.

Jio fundamentally had a gloomy atmosphere, as if he personified a funeral.

Unless he checked up close or came into contact, there was no way for Kang Seo-dam to know what type of divinity he possessed.

He roughly guessed and looked around.

“…Hmm….”

Acting like I know him to a god who enjoys amusement will only get on his nerves.

‘He doesn’t show any signs of wanting to bestow a miracle of disaster. Seeing him interact sufficiently with other humans, he probably has no intention of ruining this event. Let’s just let this pass quietly.’

Perhaps he was a god with low name recognition or one who sought a small elite group, and was thinking of finding his own followers at this event.

It was a rare event globally, but he had heard it was something that happened secretly in the religious world.

“…This batch is lucky.”

The god in the form of that black cape might choose them himself, and even if not, this was already a place where the Goddess of the Sun had cast her gaze.

The interest of other gods would also rise, so the probability of the prospective priests being chosen would increase.

“…….”

Suddenly, Kang Seo-dam realized that the Black Cape was staring intently at him.

His mind went blank for a moment.

“…….”

The moment he recognized his situation, Kang Seo-dam did not act defiantly and immediately lowered his gaze.

‘There’s no act more foolish than trying to withstand a god’s gaze directly.’

Though it may have been out of consideration for other humans, or perhaps for a higher quality of amusement, the Black Cape’s class was lowered to a human level, to the point where almost no divinity could be felt.

But that didn’t change its vast essence.

A god was, in the end, a god, and Kang Seo-dam was a priest who was particularly sensitive to a being’s class and divinity.

If he were to meet a god’s gaze directly, he might lose consciousness.

“…….”

“…….”

As if he knew that, the Black Cape withdrew his gaze again.

‘…Was he being considerate?’

It was a great relief that it was a god who knew that humans were weak beings.

Most gods who enjoyed amusement without knowing such things would harm humans without any malice.

“…….”

Kang Seo-dam, who had quietly swallowed a sigh of relief, checked the time.

“…In 1 minute from now, prospective priests, please finish your greetings with your families and gather before me. I will guide you to the dormitory where you will learn the main ceremony etiquette.”

God or whatever, Kang Seo-dam himself just had to fulfill his responsibilities as a priest.

***

“I think I have to go now.”

At Cha Isold’s words, Cha Ara nodded sternly.

“Right, if it’s hard, just run out.”

“You just don’t want to say anything proper, do you?”

“Ah why, he can just live by farming like the village head.”

“So you’re urging him to give up before he even starts? Are you trying to break his spirit?”

“Isn’t it better to do what you’re good at than to hold onto something that’s not working out.”

“That’s true.”

Cha Eun-hyeok also nodded his head.

“If you really feel like this isn’t for you, you can just come out.”

“Yeah, I will! But I’m going to become an awesome priest in the future and become the head of the Cha family, so I’ll work hard!”

“I’m the head of the household.”

“I will become the pillar of this family!”

“I’m the pillar too.”

“See you tomorrow!”

Cha Isold, who had grinned with a pure smile, turned his gaze to the other guests.

“I’m going now.”

“Oh, right, Cha Isold seems like you’ll do well, so don’t worry too much.”

“Thank you!”

Cha Isold, who had extracted praise and support from the white-haired Hunter, turned to the Black Cape with sparkling eyes.

“Hyung!”

“…….”

“I’ll do well, you know?”

“I think so too.”

“Hehe.”

Cha Isold finally managed to extract encouragement from the Black Cape as well.

“If I get chosen by the Sun God, can I smell like you, Hyung?”

“Do I have a smell?”

“I don’t know for sure, but you smell like a sun-dried blanket.”

To describe it a little more, it was a feeling like ‘a sun-scented blanket just put in the wardrobe.’

When he smelled him, it felt like he was in a dark cave made from a blanket that had been hung out in the yard, hiding snugly inside.

It was dark, warm, and cozy.

“…….”

Cha Isold, who had been looking up at the Black Cape for a long time, suddenly made a bold demand.

“Hug me just once!”

“Isold, please.”

You frustratingly cheerful kid.

Cha Eun-hyeok was horrified by his younger brother’s disastrous sociability, but Jio didn’t mind much.

“If that is what you wish, I can hug you.”

“Wow!”

“Come here.”

The Black Cape opened his arms.

‘Cool.’

Was it because of the lighting from above?

The inside of the cape was nothing but black shadow.

Into the embrace of the Black Cape, which looked as dark as the night sky and as cozy as the inside of a wardrobe, Cha Isold scurried and buried himself.

And quite surprisingly, his body temperature was cool.

He thought it would be warm because of the cozy warmth he felt, but it was unexpected.

“It has been a long time since I have hugged a child the size of student Cha Isold.”

The gentle voice falling from above sounded like a lullaby.

“That child was also small, like you, student Cha Isold.”

“I’m not small.”

“You are smaller than me. Of course, student Cha Isold will soon become a wonderful adult.”

“Hehe….”

“May the sun shine upon you.”

“…….”

Cha Isold lifted his head and saw the face under the black cloth that only he could see.

Gentle eyes that resembled the sea entered Cha Isold’s vision.

“…Wow.”

Those eyes,

were very large.

And cozy.

“…You’re really handsome, brother!”

“I hear that often.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Is that so?”

The face under the cape that no one could see was smiling with a kind light.

“Then I will see you tomorrow.”

“Ah….”

Cha Isold let out a disappointed gasp.

He was sad to part with him, but it was also a shame to see his platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes being dyed black as if a light bulb had gone out.

He looked really cool just now.

‘Isn’t that a color that suits Jio-hyung much better?’

But Cha Isold did not insist any further.

“Then I’m really going now!”

The other prospective priests had already gathered in front of the real priest.

The blonde priest was checking the number, names, and faces of the gathered children and telling them something.

As he got closer, he could hear what the blonde priest was saying.

“Cha Isold?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Cha Isold will be partners with Eun-ha from now on.”

“Partner?”

“I will give you a detailed explanation once all the students have gathered, so for now, please pair up with Eun-ha and stand in line. The student with blue hair over there is the Eun-ha I mentioned.”

“Okay!”

Cha Isold approached the child the priest had pointed out.

The friend the priest had identified as ‘Eun-ha’ had blue hair with a warm, blue-green hue.

As Cha Isold approached his side, the boy gave a somewhat soft and kind smile.

“You’re Cha Isold, right?”

“Yeah, you’re Eun-ha? He said we’re partners.”

“I think it’s because priests work in teams of two as a rule.”

“You mean two people are one team?”

“That’s right.”

Eun-ha’s pearl-colored eyes crinkled. It was a benevolent smile reminiscent of the priests.

“The partners might change after the main ceremony, but I heard that partners who met at the initiation ceremony often stay together until the end. We might stay partners… so I look forward to working with you.”

“That’s so cool.”

“You think so?”

Eun-ha, who said that, let out a small laugh and Cha Isold felt a sense of déjà vu from that smile.

‘Huh, he resembles Jio.’

Cha Isold instinctively felt the difference between ‘Seo Jio’ and ‘Giovanni.’

He realized that the change in Jio’s hair or eye color was not a simple matter of appearance, but an essential change in his personality and nature.

And Eun-ha’s smile was strangely similar to ‘Giovanni’s.’

‘Why?’

Of course, Cha Isold didn't know that the name of the Jio with platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes was ‘Giovanni,’ but he at least knew that it was quite similar to Eun-ha.

“You have a really cool smile!”

Cha Isold came to a simple conclusion.

“A hyung I know smiles just like you.”

“…He smiles like me?”

“Yeah!”

“There can’t be many people like that.”

Eun-ha rolled his eyes to the side and said, as if muttering.

“How strange.”

“…Yeah….”

Cha Isold felt something was off.

‘He’s smiling, but it’s like he’s not smiling.’

Eun-ha’s smile was very similar to ‘Giovanni’s,’ but unlike Jio, from whom he could feel warmth without even looking, it was strangely cool.

It was a temperature similar to a snake or a river stone he had once touched.

Unaware of Cha Isold’s thoughts, Eun-ha, still with a faint smile, asked.

“Is the ‘hyung you know’ that person over there?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

Eun-ha was talking about Jio.

“That’s Jio-hyung.”

“…….”

Eun-ha, who had blinked his eyes silently, asked again.

“Jio?”

“His last name is Seo. Seo Jio.”

“Ah, I see.”

Eun-ha, who had looked back at the Black Cape whose face was completely hidden, opened his mouth.

“He has a unique atmosphere.”

“Right? He’s super warm, you know?”

“Is he someone chosen by the Sun God? Or….”

“He said he’s a follower of the Sun God.”

“A follower.”

Eun-ha muttered in a faint voice.

“He’s not on that level.”

“Huh?”

“I just thought he must be a very devout person.”

“He’s super warm, right?”

“He is.”

And also as cold as if he weren't human.

Cha Isold, who heard that small mumble, couldn't interpret Eun-ha’s words and his eyes widened, but Eun-ha didn't talk about Jio anymore.

He asked about his family.

“Then the black-haired people next to that black cape… are they your family?”

“That’s right, we look alike, don’t we?”

“You do look very alike. I can tell you’re family at a glance.”

Eun-ha smiled slightly.

“I also look very much like my older sister.”

“Really? Then she must be very pretty.”

“She is as beautiful as a princess.”

“Huh? Uh… really?”

Do people normally call their own older sister ‘as beautiful as a princess’?

‘He seems like a very learned person.’

Cha Isold, who had picked up Cha Ara’s speech habits, concluded that Eun-ha was a ‘learned person.’

For some reason, his smile and the gentle tone of his voice, like Jio-hyung’s, seemed very sophisticated.

So he liked it.

“Let’s be friends!”

“…Should we?”

“You can take your time.”

This friend probably doesn’t trust people easily, so I have to be considerate.

“I’ll wait.”

Cha Isold was a quick-witted child.

***

The Mermaid Princess always wanted to know about humans.

What kind of lives did they lead above the water’s surface, where the sunlight shimmered like a net.

Why did they, who couldn’t even breathe in the water, sometimes throw themselves into the sea?

Why did they fall apart like that?

What did they think, what did they eat, and by what structure did they laugh, cry, and get angry.

The mermaid went up.

She kept going up and.

She saw the prince.

“…….”

Warm.

The warmth that spread over the water’s surface was a symbol of the sun.

Platinum-blonde hair, which held the net-like sunlight she had looked up at from the deep sea, flowed in waves like the ocean, and it sparkled like silver on the water’s surface.

Blue eyes that held a warm light felt warm, despite having the color of the sea.

The Mermaid Princess who ruled the sea was curious about humans.

She was curious about the limits of humans.

“…….”

Would the human who resembled that sunlight be warm even in the sea?

So she held his hand, and just like that….

“…….”

Splash.

“…….”

Into the sea.

“…Ah….”

I think I fell.

The eyes that held pearls blinked dazedly.

The blurry focus soon became clear, and red lips drew a languid curve.

She had, at some point, woken up from her sleep.

“My.”

The beautiful princess, wearing a large doctor’s gown, said.

“I had a good dream.”

Didn’t I, Giovanni?

The Mermaid Princess, sprawled on the water’s surface, smiled.

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