Chapter 29: One-Man Army

Question (2)

Comet accepted Kwon Hyun-seung's small request.

"Specifically, what would you like me to do? Assassinate the cult leader?"

"Of course not. Some Awakened are involved with the cult, with intertwined interests. They are the most difficult opponents for us."

"Would you like me to deal with that 'some'?"

Kwon Hyun-seung shook his head.

"No. That's our job. Just gather them in one place so they don't cause any unnecessary accidents. Then we'll take care of the negotiations."

"One place, huh? That's a more difficult order."

"The cult leader sees you as a government official, Comet. If you use that gap, it won't be difficult."

Comet smiled.

"Interesting. What's the specific plan?"

Kwon Hyun-seung explained the plan. Originally, they were going to wait for the moment when all the Awakened were gathered in one place to start the operation, but since Comet had come, they would move boldly.

"I don't know if the cult leader will follow, but that should get them together. But can you face the Awakened without me?"

Kwon Hyun-seung hesitated here. It seemed that he was hesitant to mention another unsettling fact rather than being difficult to deal with the Awakened.

"...We have a few guns."

"Oh..."

Comet twisted her side hair.

"They were leaked from the military, so it's difficult to use them openly, but they'll be enough for a show of force."

Indeed, the military probably couldn't clean up perfectly while solving the chaos caused by the rift. It was inevitable that things would leak out in the process.

"With guns, it should be enough unless there's a top Ranker."

"Yes. I heard there aren't any Awakened of that level around the cult leader."

"Then let's do that. I'll be hiking in the small mountain next door in the meantime."

"Yes."

Comet got up from her seat.

"Then I'll go meet the cult leader now."

Comet watched Kwon Hyun-seung busily talking to the church members for a while before leaving the restaurant.

"I really don't know what life is."

『Huhu. If this body hadn't urged you to find survivors at the power plant, that commoner wouldn't be here.』

"You really did a good job. You don't have a complete understanding of death, but that's something to be admired. It's a difficult task for me."

『...It's embarrassing when you suddenly give me sincere compliments.』

"Sincerity is always embarrassing. I'm serious."

Comet arrived in front of the building where the cult leader was and stared at the building before going up the stairs. She revealed her identity to the people who seemed to be guards and waited for a while before she could meet the cult leader.

The cult leader spread his arms wide.

"Welcome!"

Comet exchanged greetings and sat on the sofa as guided. It was fluffy.

"I had some business in Incheon, so I came by."

"You came at a good time! I was worried that the way here might have been disappointing since this is a humble place."

"It was difficult to get here because it's in the outskirts, but a church member guided me, so I was able to come comfortably."

"Hahahaha! This is also fate."

Comet took a sip of coffee.

"I heard an explanation from the church member who guided me, and I heard that the church is quite large?"

The smiling cult leader tensed up. It seemed that he was nervous because Comet, who was thought to be a government official, was asking if the size of the cult was too large. Well, who knows when the military might come barging in one day.

"...Hahaha! It's just a flashy appearance. I've been helping the wandering and powerless little by little, and it's grown like this. Every day is tight."

Comet nodded and looked around the reception room. It was decorated splendidly to suit its role as a reception room. Since the prices of luxury goods had fallen sharply, it would have been easy to fill it up.

Among them, one thing stood out. It was a golden frog.

"Wow, what's that? Is it pure gold?"

"That one? A church member gave it to me. They said that as a cult leader, I should decorate it with something like that, so I had no choice but to accept it. It's nothing special."

It was questionable whether he really had no choice but to accept it. Although the prices of luxury goods had fallen sharply, gold was somewhat of an exception. In particular, since Incheon is close to the Seoul government, gold is not yet treated like a stone.

Comet clapped her hands.

"Oh, that's nice. I feel like it would be nice to decorate it in my room."

"Haha...?"

The cult leader paused. His brain seemed to be buffering as he tried to figure out what she was suddenly talking about.

Comet kindly said it again.

"I think it would be nice to decorate it in my room. Shouldn't I have something like that too? What do you think, cult leader?"

The buffering cult leader jumped up and smiled.

"Haha! Of course!"

It seemed that the government official was openly asking for a bribe, so it was taken as a positive sign.

"The perfect owner was here!"

The cult leader took out the golden frog and the product certificate and handed them over.

"Yes? Why are you suddenly doing this?"

Comet waved her hand without receiving it.

"I just said that I thought it would be nice to decorate it in my room, but I didn't ask for it."

"It's my sincerity! Don't worry."

"I'm in trouble..."

"Haha. Don't be like that."

Comet received the golden frog that the cult leader was forcibly handing over. Since he was giving it, she had no choice. The cult leader smiled contentedly. It seemed that he was happy to have a connection with the government.

Comet stared at the golden frog and suddenly muttered.

"Ribbit, ribbit."

『...I really can't understand the way of thinking of commoners.』

"I just wanted to try it. Frogs are cute."

When the cult leader looked at her with a puzzled expression, Comet smiled.

"You're very generous."

"Hahaha! I hear that a lot!"

"If you're like this, I can't help but help you."

"I didn't give it to you for that reason. Hahaha!"

Comet laughed lightly.

"As far as I know, there are Awakened here too."

"Of course! The church's mercy does not distinguish between strong and weak. Several people are members of the church."

"I don't have anything to offer right now, but I can spar with them."

"Sparring...?"

The cult leader was puzzled.

"In this day and age, I think it's a very valuable experience to safely spar with a top Ranker. What do you think?"

"Hmm... That's a good idea! I think two people will have time on their schedule! I'll arrange a place!"

Comet shook her head.

"No. Let's spar with everyone."

"Yes?"

The cult leader was flustered by the assertive request. Comet rubbed the golden frog and smiled.

"I want to spar with everyone."

"But some people have schedules..."

"I don't think that's a problem I need to consider. It's a valuable experience, isn't it? Or is it a troublesome experience? Surely not."

"...Hahaha! Of course not."

The cult leader laughed awkwardly. It seemed that he was embarrassed that the government official was throwing her weight around.

Comet smiled.

"I'm glad we agree. I'm doing this out of goodwill, but I was worried that it might be rude. I'm relieved that it's not. Call everyone. I'm also curious about the church's strength."

"Strength..."

The cult leader paused for a moment. Then he nodded seriously.

"I understand. I'll arrange a place."

He probably thought that the current sparring was not Comet's whim but a request from the government. The cult leader probably thought that the government wanted to know the strength of the cult, so they were asking for sparring to confirm it.

But unfortunately, Comet is not a government official. She's just a civilian who's eating up the cafeteria food.

"I'll guide you through the church while the Awakened church members are coming!"

The cult leader put the golden frog and the product certificate in a paper shopping bag and gave it back to her. It felt light in one hand.

"Sounds good."

The cult leader walked ahead. The first place they visited was a fabric store owned by the church. As befitting a fabric store, church members in cult attire were sitting together and sewing.

The cult leader seemed to want to emphasize the church's harmlessness by showing the government official an everyday space rather than a religious space.

"We repair the clothes of the church members here. There are plenty of clothes abandoned without owners, but there are not plenty of clothes with memories, so memories are repaired here."

"I see. It's a space where you do great things."

They were not making cult attire.

"You don't make uniforms here?"

"We commission that clothing to factories or make some of it in other places."

They probably trade with some companies that have survived by becoming organized. Since they wouldn't be doing cash transactions in this situation, they would be bartering food or labor in exchange for uniforms.

Comet looked around the fabric store and suddenly found a familiar face. It was the church member who refused to guide Comet, who was lost with the Princess. She still vividly remembered being rejected because she didn't believe in religion. To be exact, she was rejected because a stranger asked for directions in a frightening time. She was carrying a sewing box, so she must be living here.

Comet carefully approached the church member and bowed her head.

"Hello."

"...Huh?"

The church member, who was focused on sewing, raised her head and widened her eyes.

Comet gave a kind smile.

"We met earlier, right?"

"Ah, that time..."

Comet bowed her head.

"I'm sorry about that. I was lost, and I acted rashly because I saw someone I could ask."

"Oh, no, it's okay. I was wrong. Were you trying to come here?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"No, what's there to be sorry about? I was the one who misunderstood and grabbed a random person."

"I'm glad then."

Comet talked with the church member for a while and moved to another place with the cult leader's guidance.

Comet whispered to the Princess.

"I'm glad I apologized."

『You were lucky.』

"I guess so. Maybe it's because I do good deeds from time to time?"

『Huhu. You have a funny sense of humor.』

"It's not a joke..."

After being guided to a few more places by the cult leader, they moved to the sparring location. It was an open space. Five Awakened were waiting.

"This is Black Comet."

Comet exchanged friendly greetings with the Awakened members. There were three martial arts types and two magic types. There was one Alchemist, which seemed to be the reason the cult leader went to Seoul to protest for the opening of a mountain where alchemy herbs grow well.

They weren't familiar faces. Comet roughly gauged their levels and nodded.

"There's no need to spar one by one."

She walked to the center of the open space and looked back at the five Awakened.

"Come at me all at once."

A knife was raised.

"I'll give you the first move."

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