Chapter 37 Part2 (2/2)
”...Really?”
”Yes.”
Pleine nodded her head with a grave expression.
”They are afraid of the undead curse, not the undead born from the curse. You know the difference, right?”
”...Somewhat.”
”Good. Refer to this booklet for the rest... Then, please get going. You shouldn't have any problems no matter who you meet with your silver tongue.”
”I thought you were coming with me?”
”I'd like to, but... Haha.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo asked seriously, but Pleine just looked at him with a sour expression and shrugged her shoulders. Last time, she'd left and returned from the surface with just three permits, but it seemed like there was still so much she couldn't tell him.
”Alright. Then, see you later.”
”You're probably already acquainted with some of the other heroes, but if something happens underground, then I'll tell you immediately. The artifact has enough energy to bring you back, so you should be able to return without much difficulty.”
”Pleine, thanks for helping me.”
”...I'm sorry. Thank you for understanding my circ.u.mstances.”
Of course, there was a lot more he hadn't heard from her explanations, but Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was well aware that she wasn't hiding the facts because she wanted to.
Moreover, the fact that she couldn't tell him anything was proof that he was ahead of schedule. He shouldn't feel bothered by it; instead, he should just do what he needed to do one by one. The opportunity to go to the surface was invaluable.
”Then... I'll get going.”
”Take care.”
After he'd said his goodbyes, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo activated the Heaven Door's Key. At some point, the artifact had returned to its small ring form, but once Lee s.h.i.+n Woo willed it to activate, it expanded once more into the form of a gate.
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo got atop Jin's back again and caught his breath. He softly placed his hand above his neck. It was the best gesture that would relay both his will and his resolve without making Jin feel unpleasant.
”Are you ready, Jin?”
”I was ready a long time ago. ...You're good too, right?”
”Of course I am.”
”Good. Let's go.”
Jin wasn't an idiot. He knew just how amazing what he'd seen was, but he'd given up on understanding it a lot earlier than Lee s.h.i.+n Woo. He wasn't abandoning Lee s.h.i.+n Woo; he just clearly knew what he could do and what his role was.
[It's an honor to be able to take part in this opportunity with you, Master.]
”I'm counting on you, Rem.”
The three entered the gate without hesitation. At that moment, the Heaven Door's Key vibrated immensely, accompanied by radiating light that devoured all three of them.
The gate remained for a while longer, but soon there were no traces of it ever existing. Pleine realized that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had arrived on the surface and had retrieved the Heaven Door's Key. She naturally said.
”Are you seeing this?”
[Yeah, I am.]
She could hear the G.o.ddess's voice in her head. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had rudely said that she was possessed, but her communication with the G.o.ddess [2] was much simpler than he imagined. Since the two were deeply connected... Like Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and Jin's connection.
”You didn't call him here, knowing that this would happen, did you?”
[Yeah. Since even I don't have the ability to foresee so many repeated miracles. I felt really sorry for the heroes. Of course, it's not like I didn't have any expectations for him after turning him into an undead, but I didn't think he'd figure out a solution. A level 9 artifact... Even I can't make something like that that easily.]
”Still, you're not entirely blameless. Please beg the heroes for mercy, the ones you called over without even having a solution in place.”
[Can't I just say that everything is going exactly as I planned? If I say that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo is my new apostle, then...]
”There's no way he'd become your apostle. No one besides Lloyd H.K. would believe that stupid excuse.”
Pleine sighed deeply and refuted her. Perhaps her firm reply caused the G.o.ddess to sulk, as she remained silent for a moment. Then, she spoke again, as she felt it was pointless.
[Now all we need to do is kill them all.]
”That's the hardest part!”
[We have Lee s.h.i.+n Woo. He should be able to do it somehow, right?]
”You plan on leaving everything to Mr. s.h.i.+n Woo? Ah, you're the worst, you old hag!”
In her frustration, she momentarily cut her connection with G.o.d. She could, as she possessed her own 'divinity', although it was inferior to G.o.d's.
She soon questioned why she got worked up whenever it had something to do with Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, but she forced herself to stop thinking about it, as she thought it'd get embarra.s.sing.
”I guess I'll drink some coffee before I sleep. I'm just going to sleep it off.”
She returned to the counter, as if nothing had happened, and boiled some water for her coffee. Pleine soon changed her mind and took out some tea leaves. They were the same tea leaves that Seira had used to brew Lee s.h.i.+n Woo tea.
She boiled the water, let it cool a bit, let the tea leaves steep, and then poured it into a cup. A gentle fragrance wafted from the tea.
”If he does kill all of them... that is.”
Pleine took a sip of her tea and muttered. She couldn't help but frown.
Ah, she would never get used to this bitterness.
As she thought, her family was the worst.
[1] T/N: Divinity can be translated as holy. Anyway Door is a reference to Doraemon.
[2] T/N: Toy Car doesn't use the term 'G.o.ddess' very often. I'm not sure why he makes the distinction here.
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