The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 53

[Today’s Bosu is a porter. It’s a sad thing.]

"I’m sorry."

I used Bosu’s divine power to move the shopping bags and the collapsed Jeong In-ah to the front door. Then I pressed the doorbell.

There was no response, so I pressed it five more times, but it remained silent. When I glanced at the window, all the lights were off. It seemed there was no one at her house.

"Jeong In-ah."

"Uh...?"

"Can you go in by yourself?"

"Uh..."

Jeong In-ah repeated the same answer in a drowsy voice with her eyes closed, making it unclear whether she was conscious or not.

I couldn’t just wait here indefinitely for her to wake up, and having brought her to the front door, I had done everything I could.

But I felt uncomfortable about leaving her like this. The biggest problem was not knowing when Jeong In-ah would wake up.

If she woke up soon that would be fortunate, but if she stayed asleep like that, it would be a big problem. Even though it was spring, the night wind was still cold, and there was also the risk of crime.

"Ah, I don’t know."

I’ll just wait until Jeong In-ah wakes up and goes into her house on her own feet. It wasn’t like I had time to spare, but I couldn’t just leave her like this either.

While watching over her condition and staying by her side for some time, she briefly opened her eyes. Her focus was still blurry as if she hadn’t fully regained consciousness, and her eyes were drowsy.

Literally, she had only opened her eyes, and it seemed like it would still be a long time before she could sit up.

"When are your parents coming home?"

"Not coming..."

Jeong In-ah said with difficulty while blinking.

"Then when will you go in? Are you going to sleep here?"

"Uh..."

"You’re answering well. Are you actually fully conscious?"

"..."

No matter how I looked at it, she seemed fully conscious. At least it meant she had enough energy left to answer. I extended my hand to her again.

"Get up. Let’s go in."

Jeong In-ah grabbed my hand and barely stood up, but her legs were trembling. She looked precarious as if she might collapse again at any moment.

Jeong In-ah limped toward the entrance and opened the door by pressing the password with trembling fingertips.

"Go in and rest a bit. Eat some food too. Don’t skip it just because it’s bothersome."

She didn’t answer and just stared at me blankly.

"Are you listening?"

"...Ah, huh? Yeah."

"What did I just say?"

Jeong In-ah tilted her head thoughtfully as if pondering.

"...’See you tomorrow’?"

"You weren’t listening. I said eat and rest."

"Ah, okay."

Jeong In-ah nodded slightly. This time she seemed to have properly understood.

Just as I was about to turn around with the shopping bags and head home, Jeong In-ah grabbed my wrist. Her grip was so weak that it was ambiguous to call it grabbing. It was closer to just holding.

She held my wrist for a while, spacing out, then suddenly opened her mouth.

"I can’t eat."

"Why? Because your stomach feels bad?"

"There’s nothing to eat. I can’t cook either."

"What’s there to cook? Just roughly boil some rice porridge or something and eat it."

Jeong In-ah lowered her gaze. The corners of her mouth were drooping.

"I don’t want to eat alone..."

She said in a trembling voice as if about to cry, pulling at my wrist.

Seeing that made my head ache for some reason, and my hands and feet grew cold. My heart made a dry sound like a malfunctioning machine.

I forced my closed mouth open.

"But we can’t eat together either."

"Why not?"

"You want me to go in and watch you eat?"

"I wouldn’t mind that."

Jeong In-ah said matter-of-factly. Her eyes were vacant as if she had lost her judgment, but she didn’t let go of the hand holding my wrist.

I could easily shake it off if I forced it, but there was no need to, and I didn’t want to in the first place.

"Come in."

* * *

The inside of Jeong In-ah’s house, which I entered reluctantly, was extremely sacred.

First of all, it was very spacious, and throughout the wide rooms, religious paintings and statues were displayed everywhere. It seemed like ghosts wouldn’t dare come near.

[My stomach feels bad.]

Legba expressed discomfort, but it wasn’t my concern. The one feeling uncomfortable wasn’t me but Legba.

While I walked around the house with careful steps, Jeong In-ah collapsed onto the sofa as if flowing down. Then she closed her eyes as if trying to sleep again.

"Jeong In-ah."

"Uh? Oh, yeah."

She seemed to have fallen asleep in that brief moment, as Jeong In-ah opened her eyes in surprise. I knelt beside the sofa where she was lying and spoke to her.

"Food. Aren’t you going to eat?"

"I will eat."

"But if you just lie down like that, what should I do?"

Jeong In-ah blinked as if she had forgotten what to say, then completely closed her eyes.

"It’s bothersome... Can’t I just not eat?"

"I told you earlier to eat even if it’s bothersome. Get up. Quickly."

"If I cook, it tastes bad. If I eat that, I think my body will feel even worse..."

"Will you eat if I make it?"

Jeong In-ah nodded silently.

I rummaged through the shopping bags looking for ingredients. I was thinking of using the food ingredients I had bought earlier to make simple dishes like rice porridge or thin gruel.

There was also the option of giving her the ingredients and having Jeong In-ah cook, but I didn’t want to make a sick person cook. If she collapsed like earlier while using a knife or handling fire, it would be a disaster.

If that was the case, it would be better for me to do it.

Whoooosh...

I started cooking. First, I put instant rice in the microwave, and while that was heating, I prepared the vegetables.

Even if I made porridge, I didn’t think she could eat it in that condition, and if I made rice gruel, it would be difficult to add flavor.

So I was thinking of making something between porridge and rice gruel in terms of consistency.

I cut the carrots and zucchini as small as possible, and chopped the ground beef once more. While stir-frying the prepared ingredients in a pot, I mashed the rice to make the grains fine.

When the ingredients were half-cooked, I added the rice, and at the right timing, I added water. I just needed to boil it until the consistency was right and it would be complete.

"It’s time to get up."

I woke up Jeong In-ah who was lying down. She rubbed her drowsy eyes and barely got up from her position.

"I’m dizzy."

I drew warm water from the water purifier and handed it to her.

Dizziness was usually likely due to lack of water. Moreover, when you have gastritis, you need to stay well hydrated.

She received the cup with both hands, but didn’t drink and just stared at the water blankly.

"Drink slowly."

"Mm." Jeong In-ah nodded while drinking water. She really drank slowly, savoring each sip as if tasting it.

I washed the finished cup and put it back in its place, then checked the condition of the porridge. It was almost done.

I transferred the porridge to a bowl, let it cool appropriately, and waited for a moment. When it had cooled sufficiently, I handed the porridge to her.

"It might be hot."

"Wow. You cook well."

I didn’t answer and just kept looking at Jeong In-ah. Jeong In-ah, who was about to put a spoonful of porridge in her mouth, suddenly stopped moving and looked up at me. Our eyes met.

"Aren’t you going to eat?"

"Yeah. I already had dinner."

It was a lie. I was planning to go home and eat alone. If I ate at someone else’s house, I might be imposing.

Jeong In-ah nodded and silently ate the porridge. I kept watching her.

She must have been hungry, as she was eating well. Still, her eating pace was slow, so she probably wouldn’t get sick or anything.

After watching her for a while, Jeong In-ah looked up again.

"What? Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

"Because you’re ugly."

When I said it jokingly, Jeong In-ah looked at me with eyes full of betrayal.

"You’re ugly too. Idiot. Dummy. Stupid dummy."

"I’m kidding. Just eat."

"You always say it’s a joke."

She said sulkily and finished eating the porridge.

"Is it delicious?"

"No. It tastes bad."

"You ate it all though?"

"I don’t know. It tastes bad."

Her pupils shook and her shoulders stiffened. It meant she was lying.

She seemed to be sulking for no reason because I said she was ugly earlier. Anyway, it seemed like she had eaten it deliciously, which was fortunate.

Color was gradually returning to her face, which had been pale without any blood.

Looking at the clock, it was already around 9 o’clock. Jeong In-ah had regained consciousness, I had made food for her, and it was getting late, so I should probably go back soon.

It was also a bit strange to be alone with Jeong In-ah at such a late hour.

I helped with the cleanup, did the dishes, and prepared to leave.

"Are you leaving?"

Jeong In-ah got up and asked. Her legs were still trembling, but she wasn’t as precariously on the verge of collapse as before. She seemed to be the type who recovered quickly. Both physically and mentally.

"I have to go. I spent all my time making food for you. It’s exam period too."

"Hey, if you say it like that..."

"I’m kidding. I wasn’t going to study anyway."

I said with a smile.

"Kids who study well always say that. It’s annoying."

"I’m bad at studying though."

Jeong In-ah frowned as if incredulous. I responded with a smile. Then her distorted face brightened, and she started laughing too.

"Really, you..."

It was just a chuckle from absurdity, but it was a fairly bright laugh.

I knelt on one knee and tied my shoelaces that had come undone. I don’t know when they had come loose. I tightened the knot so they wouldn’t come undone again.

"Do Seon-woo."

Just as I was about to open the front door halfway and go out, Jeong In-ah called me. She combed her disheveled brown hair with her hands as she continued speaking.

"That thing, whether it’s porridge or rice gruel. Anyway, it’s delicious."

"Of course it’s delicious. I made it."

"Stop bragging... I’ll have to call you again next time I’m sick. As a porridge delivery service."

"Please do. But next time I’ll charge money."

Jeong In-ah’s eyes widened in surprise.

"What’s that? Today was free."

"Today was a free sample. From next time it’s 30,000 won."

"30,000, what? This is complete fraud..."

"So just don’t get sick."

I adjusted the heel part of my shoes and straightened my clothes. Until I opened the door and went outside, Jeong In-ah stood there blankly watching me.

"Come tomorrow."

I gave her a request instead of a goodbye and left the house.

* * *

On the way home. I walked unsteadily with the shopping bags and had a conversation with Legba.

[Looking at her, she seems to be desperately searching for her sibling. How about just handing her over as a zombie?]

"That’s a really selfish thought."

[What’s selfish about it? She should be grateful just for finding her sibling.]

Actually, it was closer to a debate, or even an argument, rather than a conversation. Legba was my reliable ally and advisor, but there were times like this when our opinions didn’t match.

Especially in moral aspects, Legba was too cold. To put it nicely, he was rational, and to put it badly, he was selfish and lacked consideration.

"If she finally found her sibling but they had become a zombie, how do you think she’d feel?"

[How would she feel? Whether zombie or human, a sibling is a sibling, so she’d be happy.]

"Put yourself in her shoes. If I found my mother but her brain had all shriveled up and she couldn’t say anything and only made monster sounds, how do you think I’d feel?"

[Oh dear. That would be unfortunate.]

"Yes. That’s exactly it."

I finally succeeded in making Legba understand. I didn’t know if it was an appropriate analogy, but as long as Legba was convinced, that was enough.

[Right. That may be so, but the guilt you feel toward that woman is excessive. It’s not even your fault.]

"It is my fault."

[The one who made that woman’s sibling into a zombie was Han Su-yeop. Not you. There’s no reason to feel guilty.]

"Han Su-yeop was a Voodoo executive, and I’m the Voodoo cult leader."

[So what?]

Legba retorted as if incredulous.

"A superior must take responsibility for their subordinate’s mistakes."

[What kind of superior are you?]

’What kind of superior are you?’ Whether intentional or not, it was a shockingly ambiguous expression that made my head spin for a moment.

I chuckled and opened my mouth.

"Sometimes you talk about the cult leader’s dignity and such. If you say that now, it doesn’t make sense."

[Right. A cult leader must maintain dignity. But there’s no need to take responsibility for crimes committed by executives. There’s even less need to feel guilty.]

"If I don’t take that responsibility, where does the dignity come from?"

Legba fell silent for a moment at my question.

[Dignity comes from power. You have that kind of power.]

"Does suppressing with power work? That’s not a cult leader but a dictator."

[Cult leaders sometimes need to show dictatorial aspects. And therefore, there’s no need to take responsibility for everything.]

"That’s not the case now. And if I enjoy the benefits of being a cult leader but don’t take responsibility, how is that different from a pseudo-religion?"

Legba laughed briefly. [That’s quite funny. The world already knows Voodoo as a pseudo-religion.]

"Because the Vatican decided it was a pseudo-religion."

Voodoo is a pseudo-religion and I’m the 3rd cult leader of a pseudo-religion. The world has defined us that way.

But that doesn’t mean we can actually act like a pseudo-religion. That would be admitting that Voodoo is indeed a pseudo-religion.

"But just because they decided that doesn’t mean we actually become a pseudo-religion."

Legba was silent for a while after hearing my words.

I became a cult leader at too young an age compared to my father, but that doesn’t mean I can avoid the responsibilities of a cult leader. Being young can’t be an excuse.

Whether I’m three years old or seventy years old, what matters isn’t age but the fact that I’m the cult leader.

That’s why I consider Han Su-yeop’s wrongdoings as my responsibility, feel guilty toward Jeong In-ah, and strive to turn Jeong Yun-ah back into a human.

[Your eloquence has improved a lot.]

"Yours has decreased a lot, Legba."

[Haha. Your attitude is the same though. At times like this, you really take after your mother.]

Legba laughed heartily. I laughed along and walked silently through the empty alley.

The steps I took and the shopping bags in both hands were heavy. Even the air felt thick and heavy as if pressing down on me. I felt like I might just sit down on the asphalt ground.

But I kept walking steadily. Like wading through thick swamp, it was laborious and each step was difficult, but not to the point where I couldn’t walk.

If you think something is bearable, anything becomes bearable.

"Ah, you can’t come this way. Please take a detour."

When I was less than 50 meters from home, a Holy Knight blocked my path.

It was a bit absurd. To suddenly block the road without even explaining what was happening.

"What happened?"

"There’s a fire. The extinguishing isn’t finished yet, so please go back if possible."

"A fire?"

I looked at the building burning in the distance.

Unextinguished flames were brightly illuminating the surroundings. Smoke was rising thickly, blocking the moon, and ash was scattered everywhere. There was a acrid smell of smoke everywhere.

Crack.

There was a sound of something breaking from the shopping bag I had dropped. It was probably an egg.

[Today too, and always, beware of fire!]

Baron Samedi’s cheerful and humorous voice echoed in my ears. The fire he had warned me to be careful of wasn’t the forest fire at Eden Hill, nor Kim Jin-seo’s cigarette.

"That, that’s our house burning...?"

Our house was on fire.