The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 94

"Cult Leader. Please wake up."

"Why..."

"You need to go to school. It’s already 8 o’clock."

Thud!

"Ow."

I hurriedly got up and rolled off the bed. With my mind still hazy from sleep, I looked at Kang Ji-ah standing in front of me. Eventually I realized that today was the weekend.

"Today’s the weekend, what school."

"You wouldn’t wake up no matter what, so I told a little lie... I’m sorry. Anyway, I’m glad you’re awake."

"...Why did you wake me up?"

"As you know, there’s an executive meeting today. You need to go quickly."

Forcing my dazed mind to wake up, I looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was 8 AM. As far as I knew, the executive meeting was at 6 o’clock. Not 6 AM, but 6 PM.

"There’s still plenty of time. Why did you wake me up so urgently. Ugh..."

I got up from where I was, touching my knee that had gotten hurt when I fell off the bed. Sleep had long since fled. Kang Ji-ah spoke quietly with her hands folded politely.

"I don’t know the details either, but Uncle said it would definitely be better to go early."

"Uncle did? ...Alright then."

I didn’t know the reason, but Uncle’s words were trustworthy. When Uncle used the word "definitely," it meant he was that confident.

Of course, that didn’t mean I didn’t trust Kang Ji-ah. It’s just that having lived together for years, I trusted Uncle’s words more than Kang Ji-ah’s.

I quickly finished preparing and left the chapel with Kang Ji-ah. I got into the car Uncle had parked. As always, Kang Ji-ah sat in the passenger seat and I sat in the back.

The car started immediately. I could sense a strange urgency in Uncle’s movements as he shifted gears and turned the steering wheel.

"Why are we going so urgently?"

Uncle drove with what seemed almost frantic efficiency, and only after entering the highway did he respond to my question.

"You know, don’t you. That Voodoo Gangwon branch chapel, there, uh, Taebaek Mountain. The mountain terrain there is rough and the roads are a bit strange. If we don’t go quickly, we’ll be late. We might even get lost."

"Didn’t you get a map?"

Uncle briefly fell silent.

"...You can’t trust what the executives say. Especially Chungcheong and Jeolla, Gyeongsang branches. The ones who gave us the map were the Chungcheong branch guys."

Uncle spoke meaningfully. I immediately understood what he meant. The conspiracy forces talking about impeachment and rebellion were precisely the Chungcheong and Jeolla branches.

The reason we left at 8 AM even though the meeting started at 6 PM, and Uncle’s preparation for the possibility that the Chungcheong branch, which was preparing rebellion, might have given us a wrong map to interfere with us.

The car quickly crossed the road and soon reached the mountain range. Uncle turned the car onto a mountain path. It was a much rougher and bumpier road compared to the highway, but Uncle skillfully navigated it with his excellent driving skills.

Eventually the car stopped on the mountainside. Everywhere was filled with trees and grass.

"From here we have to walk following the map. Though I’m not sure if the map is correct."

Uncle got out of the car, looked around the mountain here and there, and spoke. The map that the Chungcheong branch had supposedly given was in Uncle’s hands. We silently followed behind Uncle, wandering around various parts of the mountain. The path was rough and I almost fell several times. Especially Kang Ji-ah did frequently.

Tap.

I caught Kang Ji-ah’s wrist as she was about to fall and supported her. This was already the 11th time Kang Ji-ah had almost fallen.

"Ah! ...Thank you, Cult Leader."

"Look at the ground when you walk."

"Yes, I am looking but- Eek!"

Kang Ji-ah, who was speaking, almost fell again and I barely caught her.

"I told you to be careful." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Yes... I understand."

"Hey, Seon-woo. Just carry her on your back. I’m getting anxious watching."

It seemed like it would be faster to carry Kang Ji-ah on my back as Uncle suggested, but she firmly refused.

"No, no. I can go by myself...!"

Since she said she didn’t want it, I couldn’t forcibly carry her. We walked the mountain path again, and Kang Ji-ah followed us precariously, seeming like she might fall at any moment.

This continued for a full 3 hours. No, maybe 4 hours. I had no sense of time.

The place we arrived at was a cliff so dizzyingly high that you couldn’t see the bottom.

"...These damn bastards. They gave us a weird map."

Uncle irritably crumpled up the map and threw it down the cliff. I glanced down the cliff.

Below was so dizzyingly deep that you couldn’t see the bottom. Even I, who didn’t have a fear of heights, felt my legs tingle.

Kang Ji-ah was far behind, holding onto a tree.

"T-Teacher. What should we do? Should I go back now and-"

"Go back for what. We just have to wander around here and there to find it. Can’t be helped."

Uncle patted the frightened Kang Ji-ah’s shoulder and began leading us forward again. This time Uncle didn’t have a map in his hands. He was truly trying to find the way with nothing but intuition.

I thought it was too reckless. As time passed, the mountain was being filled with ominous and eerie darkness. Wandering the mountain any further was dangerous.

Besides, my legs were starting to hurt. I didn’t want to walk anymore.

"Sigh, the executive bastards are using all sorts of dirty tricks because you’re coming. I’ll have to beat them up when we arrive. If we can even get there."

Following Uncle’s grumbling steps, the flowers and weeds decorating the ground swayed left and right. There was no wind blowing.

"Teacher, something’s strange."

Kang Ji-ah was the first to feel the sense of dissonance. Following her, Uncle also seemed to feel something was strange as he looked around.

Eventually Uncle’s gaze turned toward me.

"Seon-woo, what are you muttering about right now...?"

Uncle asked with a puzzled frown. There was no need to answer, nor time for it.

I finished what I was doing. I carefully spread my politely folded hands, then gently caressed the soft soil with fingertips glowing with green light.

I closed my eyes. In the darkness, I heard the whispers of plants. At the same time, my stomach grew hot. Pain arose as if my internal organs were boiling and melting.

The pain made my fingertips and toes curl. My consciousness repeatedly drifted away and returned.

Even during this, I didn’t stop speaking. No, I couldn’t stop. The end of a prayer always had to end with that phrase.

"...Nan non Bondye."

In the name of Bondye... As I recited the last sentence of the prayer, the whispers of plants that had been gradually growing and dominating my mind stopped.

Whoosh...

Birds hiding throughout the mountain all flew up into the sky at once. The sound of their wings created an eerie and ominous resonance.

"What did you just do-"

Rumble rumble rumble!

Uncle’s words couldn’t reach their end. The mountain screamed and that scream swallowed all sounds.

Crack, crackle...

Tree roots shot up toward the sky and fluttered. They looked like snakes.

The screaming didn’t stop. As the sound continued and grew louder, the mountain changed its form. Flat ground became slopes, and slopes became ridges.

The mountain repeatedly scattered and gathered, creating a path. On both sides, tree roots and weeds that had broken through the ground swayed as if welcoming us.

Beyond the enormous path that extended straight ahead, a small hut could be seen not far away.

"Let’s go."

I said, pointing beyond the path.

Uncle was looking around in disbelief at the scene before his eyes, and Kang Ji-ah was crouched down with both hands covering her head.

"E-earthquake...!"

"No, it’s not an earthquake. Get up, it’s all over."

Uncle patted her shoulder to comfort Kang Ji-ah. Then he looked at me with puzzled eyes.

"Is it a power?"

Uncle asked confirmingly. I shook my head. It was a type of power, but strictly speaking it wasn’t a power.

"Prayer."

"I thought so. It seemed much stronger than last time."

Only then did Uncle nod in understanding.

What I had recited was the ’Prayer of Granbwa.’

I had conveyed my wish to Granbwa, who is the master of all plants in the world and the master of mountains, to guide us to the chapel.

"...This is a bit excessive."

I muttered to myself while looking at the enormous path created as a result of the prayer.

No matter how much it was a ’prayer,’ wasn’t it too excessive for a path guide? What Granbwa had created by twisting the mountain was closer to a small canyon than a path.

[I’ve been in the city for so long, and coming to the mountains after a long time made me a bit excited...]

"No, it’s not that you did wrong. Rather, it’s good. It’s fine."

[You must have used up a lot of energy, I’m sorry...]

"Nothing to be sorry about. It was cool. Really."

I comforted the dejected Granbwa with all sorts of praise and set out on the path. Kang Ji-ah stood up from her position, forcibly calming her trembling legs, and Uncle supported her while following behind me.

[Would ’song’ be possible too?]

While walking along the path, Legba asked. I shook my head.

There are three ways to use the Loa’s powers.

First, ’borrowing’ the Loa’s power. Second, conveying wishes through ’prayer.’ Third, communicating through ’song.’

The methods I currently know how to handle are only the first and second methods.

To handle the last method, ’song,’ I needed to grow my prophetic capabilities while simultaneously increasing the absolute amount of offerings.

"It will be possible soon."

Also, this executive meeting would serve as a stepping stone for that.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Voodoo Gangwon branch chapel.

This was a region that had received the blessing of Do Myeong-jun, the 2nd cult leader. No, it might be more appropriate to say it was a region that received a ’curse.’

Just before the Holy War broke out, Do Myeong-jun carved sorcery around the Gangwon branch chapel and its vicinity. As a result, the chapel became an unknown place that could never be found without a map.

The Holy Knights and Holy Warriors who set out in pursuit would get lost in the mountains and go missing, or fall to their deaths and be found as gruesome corpses downstream. Eventually the Vatican gave up the pursuit and decided to prohibit civilian entry to the mountain.

The reason the executive meeting was held at the Gangwon branch chapel was for this reason. Those who weren’t invited could never find the Gangwon branch chapel.

"It’s already time. I’m about to start the meeting..."

Yoon Chang-su, who was the owner of the chapel and an executive of the Gangwon church, looked around the round table.

The Gyeonggi church executive couldn’t participate because he was temporarily taking refuge overseas to avoid Vatican pursuit.

The problem was that Lee Jin-seong, the Seoul church executive, and the cult leader Do Seon-woo still hadn’t attended the meeting.

"I heard that the Cult Leader would also attend this meeting... Even executive Lee Jin-seong is nowhere to be seen. Is there anyone who can contact them?"

Silence flowed. Yoon Chang-su turned his gaze to a man at the far end of the round table who was picking at his nail hangnails.

"Wasn’t executive Yeom Man-geun on friendly terms with executive Lee Jin-seong?"

"That’s nonsense. I haven’t seen that bastard’s face in a long time."

Yeom Man-geun of the Jeolla church showed displeasure openly on his face and spoke curtly.

Yoon Chang-su frowned for a while after hearing those words and kept his mouth shut. He needed time to understand Yeom Man-geun’s words due to the dialect.

"Executive Yeom Man-geun. Your language is rough, please restrain yourself a little."

"Do you think people sitting here came because they wanted to? We came all the way here from the middle of the night, but that cult leader bastard still hasn’t shown his face-"

"Hey, watch your language."

The one who cut off Yeom Man-geun’s words was Yuk Eun-hyeong of the Gyeongsang church. They were famous for not getting along well.

"Hey? Ha! Hey?"

Yeom Man-geun glared at Yuk Eun-hyeong with his already small eyes narrowed to the extreme. Yuk Eun-hyeong stared back at Yeom Man-geun with bulging eyes emitting sharp glints.

"There are things you can say and things you can’t say. What’s with calling the Cult Leader ’bastard’? Speaking with such language is why the Cult Leader gets scared."

The underlying perception in Yuk Eun-hyeong’s seemingly supportive words was subtly treating the cult leader like a child. Yeom Man-geun let out a sneer.

"Well, sitting quietly from the start with a defeated spirit. The fact that our Voodoo is in this state shows how small the Cult Leader’s vessel is. Heh heh heh."

It was an openly mocking tone. Yuk Eun-hyeong subtly rolled up his sleeves while glaring at Yeom Man-geun.

Yeom Man-geun glared back at Yuk Eun-hyeong who was looking at him.

"Look at those eyes, trying to kill someone."

"Now, now, please stop. We can’t help it if the Cult Leader couldn’t come. We should proceed with the meeting among ourselves, shouldn’t we?"

The one who mediated the nerve war between Yeom Man-geun and Yuk Eun-hyeong was Ha Pan-seok of the Chungcheong church. He showed a sly smile and continued.

"Anyway, he was a cult leader who was there or not there, so it shouldn’t be a problem if he’s absent."

"What do you mean..."

Yuk Eun-hyeong tried to say something but eventually shut his mouth. He had no particular words to refute.

The last time 3rd cult leader Do Seon-woo attended an executive meeting was 2 years ago.

However, as Ha Pan-seok said, the cult leader was no different from a borrowed barley sack. He showed none of the cult leader’s powers like sorcery or Loa abilities, and conveyed all his statements through executive Lee Jin-seong’s mouth.

The only words the cult leader had uttered with his own mouth were meaningless questions like "Is Mother still alive?"

The first cult leader controlled believers with kind yet sharp dignity, the second cult leader with eerily persistent madness and merciless decisiveness. In contrast, the third cult leader had no such charisma.

No one believed in the third cult leader, who stared into space with hazy eyes containing no desire, obsession, or emotion. Even the relatively favorable Yoon Chang-su and Yuk Eun-hyeong only supported the third cult leader out of pity and sympathy.

"Let’s start quickly. How long are we going to wait?"

At Yeom Man-geun’s urging, Yoon Chang-su glanced at the clock. The hands were racing fiercely toward 6 o’clock.

Yoon Chang-su seemed hesitant. It was awkward to proceed with the meeting excluding the Seoul church headquarters, but it was also awkward to keep waiting indefinitely for the Seoul church that might never come.

"Still, let’s wait until 6 o’clock-"

"How frustrating... Let’s wait and see. Ha Pan-seok seems to have something to say."

Yoon Chang-su opened his mouth, but Yeom Man-geun interrupted as if he had been waiting and cut him off. Suddenly silence fell over the chapel, and Ha Pan-seok took the opportunity to stand up from his seat.

Clap!

Then he clapped and clasped his hands together.

"Now, now, listen. Seoul church executive Lee Jin-seong and the 3rd cult leader won’t be able to attend the meeting."

"What do you mean?"

Wrinkles deepened around Yoon Chang-su’s eyes. Ha Pan-seok showed a brazen smile and continued.

"I, uh, just received word. They had an accident on the way and had to return to Seoul urgently. It’s not time to sit here doing armchair, uh, armchair..."

"Armchair theorizing?"

"Right. Armchair theorizing while they’re absent."

"Then what should we do?"

Ha Pan-seok’s words were all just preamble. Yoon Chang-su, feeling frustrated, raised his voice to ask.

"That’s what I mean..."

Ha Pan-seok trailed off while looking around the round table. The deliberate hesitation was firstly to gauge the atmosphere, and secondly to increase attention to his statement.

"Well, since they’re absent, let’s ask. What do you all think about the current cult leader?"

Ha Pan-seok finally spoke.

The intent of the question was obvious. Taking advantage of the Seoul church’s complete absence from the meeting, he was trying to win over the Gangwon and Gyeongsang churches to the rebel forces built around the Chungcheong and Jeolla churches.

If they won over the Gangwon and Gyeongsang churches, everyone except the Seoul church headquarters and Gyeonggi church would join the rebellion.

Even if the rebellion failed, they could secure justification to bring down the cult leader through the procedure of impeachment.

"I don’t think he’s qualified. He became cult leader at a young age, during the chaotic time when the Holy War broke out. But hasn’t it already been 7 years since then? In 7 years, he’s shown his face at executive meetings maybe once, and even then he only said meaningless things. A cult leader with no leadership, no backbone, nothing - just because he’s the cult leader doesn’t mean we have to follow him!"

Ha Pan-seok deliberately chose only extreme expressions to persuade the executives. However, it was also his honest feelings about the current cult leader.

"Honestly, I think my daughter Su-yeong would be better as cult leader."

"Right, in terms of ability, Ha Su-yeong would be better."

"What is Voodoo in the first place? Pursuing freedom and resisting oppression! Wasn’t that Voodoo’s first doctrine? When the Romanica Church is acting so tyrannically, the so-called cult leader isn’t even resisting but is holed up sleeping. I sometimes wonder if this is really a cult leader!"

"That’s right, truly correct words."

Yeom Man-geun nodded and chimed in. It was thoughtless agreement without even properly listening to Ha Pan-seok’s words.

"What do you think, executive Yuk Eun-hyeong?"

Ha Pan-seok, who had been giving an impassioned speech, turned his gaze. Yuk Eun-hyeong hesitantly lowered his eyes as if unsure how to answer.

"It’s too sudden to answer..."

"Isn’t business quite tight because of the illegal mercenary crackdown order? Just say what you’ve been thinking usually."

Ha Pan-seok showed a sly smile and urged an answer.

Due to the recent Vatican order to crack down on illegal mercenaries, Yuk Eun-hyeong’s troubles would be considerable.

In this situation, the cult leader wasn’t even attending executive meetings, let alone providing support, so even Yuk Eun-hyeong would naturally develop opposition to the 3rd cult leader.

Ha Pan-seok tried to win him over by taking advantage of Yuk Eun-hyeong’s difficult situation.

Winning over someone who gathered thugs to run a mercenary group would undoubtedly make the rebellion much easier.

"I..."

"Executive Yuk Eun-hyeong, don’t answer, and executive Ha Pan-seok, please sit down."

Just as an answer was about to come, Yoon Chang-su spoke solemnly. Yuk Eun-hyeong kept his mouth shut as instructed.

However, Ha Pan-seok didn’t sit down. He just stared intently at Yoon Chang-su with eyes flickering with fire.

"Does executive Yoon Chang-su have no complaints about the current cult leader?"

"I see you’re planning rebellion or impeachment, but don’t do foolish things."

Ha Pan-seok felt considerable bewilderment that his rebellion plot had been seen through even though he hadn’t mentioned even the ’r’ of rebellion, and barely managed his expression while hiding his startled feelings.

"Rebellion? What! I was just honestly expressing the feelings I had during the ’Starless Night’-"

"Yes, I understand what you mean. If it’s not rebellion, that’s fortunate. So now please sit down quickly. This is the last warning."

Yoon Chang-su firmly cut off Ha Pan-seok’s excuse. His voice trembled thinly, and his face was somehow pale.

His gaze was directed toward a flower pot placed next to the door.

The leaves of the orchid he had been growing as a hobby and for ornamental purposes had grown long and wide, swaying left and right like living creatures.

"Warning? You still see me as a kid reciting multiplication tables under you?"

However, Ha Pan-seok’s eyes didn’t even register that orchid. He was only indignant that Yoon Chang-su had ’warned’ him as if treating him like a subordinate.

"Executive Ha Pan-seok, that’s not it..."

"Not what? What’s not-"

Rumble rumble rumble!

The sudden enormous mountain echo swallowed Ha Pan-seok’s voice. The enlarged orchid leaves swayed left and right, and the building began to shake accordingly.

Thud, crack, crash...

Sounds of things falling and breaking echoed from all directions. Ha Pan-seok was precariously maintaining his balance on the gradually tilting floor.

"Oh, my!"

Thud!

The building wasn’t just tilting to one side but shaking in all directions. It was impossible to maintain balance and stand.

Eventually Ha Pan-seok fell, roughly slamming his back against the floor.

"Ow, ow..."

He crawled on the floor making pained sounds. Sharp, tingling pain from his back was spreading throughout his body.

Rumble rumble...

Regardless, the mountain continued to roar, and the building kept shaking.

However, strangely, the building shook but never collapsed.

Also, except for Ha Pan-seok, the other executives sitting in chairs barely felt the vibration or tilting.

"Did executive Yoon Chang-su do this?"

Yuk Eun-hyeong asked amid the chaos.

He was assuming that this earthquake-like twisting of the earth’s axis was Yoon Chang-su’s doing, as the owner of the Gangwon church chapel.

If Ha Pan-seok had listened to Yoon Chang-su’s words and sat down earlier, he wouldn’t have lost balance and fallen, wouldn’t have crashed his back on the floor, and Yoon Chang-su had instructed Ha Pan-seok to sit down as if foreseeing the future.

It was speculation that Yoon Chang-su, who was a Taoist and skilled carpenter before being a Voodoo practitioner, could easily accomplish this.

"That’s unlikely."

However, Yoon Chang-su shook his head with a stern face. His gaze moved toward the tightly closed door.

"The Cult Leader has arrived."

Creeeak.

With an eerie and ominous sound, the door opened. The swaying orchid leaves had opened the door on their own.

Soon three men and women walked into the chapel.

First was Seoul church executive Lee Jin-seong. Then a small girl.

Lastly, the 3rd cult leader, Do Seon-woo.

"You’re all here."

The cult leader spoke while looking over the executives’ faces, with a kind yet somehow unsettling smile on his lips.

The executives didn’t greet the cult leader. They just swallowed their saliva while looking at the scene beyond the door.

Ground had risen on both sides of the path the cult leader had walked.

No, it seemed like the ground had sunk around the path the cult leader had walked. It looked as if the mountain had cleared a path for the cult leader. The resulting canyon was majestic and magnificent.

Every executive knew this was a miracle achieved through the cult leader’s Loa powers.

"...Have you arrived, Cult Leader?"

"It’s been a long time, executive Yoon Chang-su."

When Yoon Chang-su bowed his head in greeting, the cult leader also bowed his head in return. Then he walked leisurely to sit at the head seat of the round table.

"I’m a bit late. There was a problem with the map you sent... Sorry to keep you waiting."

The cult leader said this while glaring at Ha Pan-seok who was sprawled on the floor crying in pain, then shifted his gaze to Yeom Man-geun.

"Isn’t that right, executive Yeom Man-geun?"

"Ah, no. It just passed 6 o’clock..."

Yeom Man-geun’s lips trembled as he trailed off. Then Yuk Eun-hyeong suddenly stood up and bowed deeply toward the cult leader.

"Have you arrived, Cult Leader!"

"Have you arrived..."

Following Yuk Eun-hyeong’s military-like greeting, Ha Pan-seok also barely got up from his position to greet him. Due to the pain, Ha Pan-seok’s voice was slurred.

The executives greeted him as if calm while inwardly feeling surprise and fear at Do Seon-woo’s changed appearance.

Apart from his previously small frame becoming noticeably sturdier, his previously hazy eyes now held a cold and sharp gleam. It was a fearsome gleam different from the madness that had been in 2nd cult leader Do Myeong-jun’s eyes.

What on earth had happened to change a person so much...

Without time to be shocked, Do Seon-woo opened his mouth.

"Everyone please sit down, and now let’s start the meeting-"

Roll roll roll...

However, as soon as he opened his mouth, a pen on the table began rolling with exaggerated sound.

Tap.

The pen kept rolling without stopping, then eventually fell to the floor with a dry sound.

Looking closely, the desk was tilted slightly to one side. It wasn’t just the desk. The entire building seemed to be tilted slightly to the right. Because of this, the pen couldn’t stay on the desk and naturally rolled and fell.

"I sat down in a hurry without fixing things properly."

"No sir. Thanks to the tilt, it even creates tension..."

At the cult leader’s words, Yuk Eun-hyeong hastily shook his head and flattered him. It was flattery containing his own wit and humor.

"I appreciate your words, but it would still be right to return it to normal."

The cult leader smiled at Yuk Eun-hyeong and slowly raised his right hand. Green light dwelt at his fingertips.

Rumble rumble!

With that, a roar sounded again. The building shook.

Ha Pan-seok, who had been standing awkwardly, sat down right there with a pale face while holding his head. If he fell again, his back would surely break.

Rumble rumble...

The mountain echo eventually stopped. The cult leader picked up the pen that had fallen on the floor and placed it on the desk. The pen stayed motionless on the desk. It meant the level had been corrected. Only then did the cult leader smile with satisfaction and open his mouth.

"Now, let’s really start the meeting."

The executives couldn’t rashly open their mouths and looked at the cult leader with nodding heads or trembling eyes.