Chapter 74
The last thing I remembered… was Mammon driving his long, spear-like arm through my heart.
The chilling, gut-wrenching feeling of my heart bursting lingered vividly in my mind. I could still remember the cold sinking sensation as my body drifted into the water.
I also vaguely recalled a glimpse of Goddess Lilia appearing before me, only to vanish just as quickly.
And then…
There was peace.
A deep, soothing peace.
No pain, no despair, no fear—just a soft, comforting warmth enveloping my entire body.
As I sank into that hazy bliss, not wanting to wake…
[It’s done. You’ll be fine now.]
A gentle voice whispered in my ear.
In that unreal haze—dream or illusion, I couldn’t tell—that voice rang out like a hallucination. I slowly lifted my head.
I felt someone cradling me.
From their back, I saw several pairs of wings spread out.
The wings on the right shimmered in a holy, radiant white. But the wings on the left… were pitch-black, so grotesque they made me recoil just from the sight.
Then something strange happened. One of the black wings began to tremble—and slowly, it started turning white, matching the ones on the right.
What… is this?
Is this another one of those apocalyptic visions my prophecy powers like to show me whenever they feel like it?
I tried to look at the face of the being holding me.
But I couldn’t see it.
The blinding golden light surrounding them was so intense, it felt like looking directly into the sun.
“Who… who are you?” I asked, my voice dazed and foggy.
She gently stroked my cheek.
[That’s not for me to answer. It’s something only you can decide. What do you want me to be?]
What kind of nonsense is that?
Was this some kind of riddle?
“Where am I? Am I dead? Is this Hell? Or Heaven?”
[That depends on how you define it. Where do you want to be? Hell? Heaven?]
Wasn’t that obvious?
“Heaven. I… I hope this is Heaven.”
[Then so it shall be, Amael. Remember this—everything depends on your choice. If you choose this to be Heaven, it will be.]
She placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
[You who will continue to suffer alone… go forward now.]
The light began to grow brighter, more intense.
I flailed my arms.
“Who are you!? Tell me your name!!”
But she never answered.
And then, in the next instant—
A jolt of terrifying reality slammed into me.
Wait. Didn’t Mammon pierce my heart?
Then why…?
Why does my body feel so alive?
Why is my mind crystal clear?
This doesn’t make any logical sense.
And yet, amidst the confusion, a flicker of hope sparked in me.
Maybe…
Maybe I really did die?
Yeah. That has to be it.
Mammon personally descended and wrecked me. My soul should’ve been obliterated beyond recognition.
Please.
When I open my eyes, let it be my familiar, dingy apartment ceiling.
Let my hand find my phone next to my pillow.
Let me open the window and see crowded cars and concrete towers.
Please… just let it be…
Korea.
Let it be Korea…
“Ho—Saint!! Saint!!”
Ah.
No.
I squeezed my eyes shut in desperation, but opening them again didn’t change the scenery in front of me.
Grandpa Yodel.
I see Grandpa Yodel.
And behind him, the paladins of the Church of Grace are lined up in formation.
The tear-shaped symbol carved into their armor is clear and unmistakable.
Ah.
This isn’t Korea.
I’m not dead.
Wait.
Didn’t Mammon pierce my heart?
Then I should be dead, right?
So why… why am I still alive?
Why!?
“Saint!!”
“Oh, blessed be the Saint!!”
“Prophet of Grace!!”
“Praise Lilia !!”
Surrounded by a chorus of cult-like worship, I didn’t feel joy—just disbelief.
I mean, come on.
Mammon himself showed up and turned me into a human donut, and I still didn’t die? What more do I have to do?
What the hell can I do to finally die?
Should I be happy?
Should I be depressed?
I couldn’t even tell anymore—I just stared blankly at Grandpa Yodel.
“Saint, you should go see the Princess first,” he said, wiping away tears and reaching out his hand to me.
“She wants to consult you regarding law enforcement and cleanup in the Scrap Yard. Will you go?”
That’s when it finally hit me.
Right.
I caused a full-on labor uprising, didn’t I?
With a heavy sigh, I rose to my feet.
Another failed death.
The evil god fragment… and now this.
Why is it that I can’t even die when I want to?
Still.
Since I’m not dead… I have to take responsibility for what I started.
“Lead the way.”
Because I never wanted the workers of this city to suffer.
Inside the grand assembly hall of the Town Hall—where every administrative and political decision for the Scrap Yard was made—Almeine and lomene sat expressionless despite seeing me, their faces calm, cold, and unmoved.
I was sure they were relieved deep down. But given the atmosphere of the room, it wasn’t the right moment for warm greetings.
The hall was packed with factory owners and labor advocates. And from the looks of it, Almeine and lomene had also brought in figures from the Imperial family and the All-God Temple.
The air was so heavy, it felt suffocating.
“So what you’re saying is, this entire disaster… is our fault, Mr. Bias?”
“That’s right! I said it’s your fault!! You traitorous bastard breaking imperial law! I always knew you labor radicals were shady, but I never imagined you’d stoop so low as to join forces with demon worshippers! And don’t you dare say my name—address me as Mayor!”
“The demon worshippers came from within the factory owners too! But you ignore that completely and only blame the labor movement? Bravo! Really! You might as well gouge your eyes out and toss them—Mr. Bias! Since you clearly haven’t been using them for a while!”
“Karl Lenaro! You foul-mouthed bastard! I said, call me Mayor!! How dare you—!”
“Enough!! That’s enough! Both of you, be silent!”
Only when Gerson, the high priest of the Silent Order whom I remembered from my previous inquisition, raised his voice did both sides finally shut their mouths. But the hostile air between them didn’t fade so easily.
“Honorable Princess, esteemed members of the Pantheon, and inquisitors of the Black Fortress.
The man before you—Karl Lenaro, leader of the labor radicals—has violated imperial law on multiple counts. He has committed countless acts of terrorism against imperial authority and deliberately attempted to sabotage legally operated businesses.”
Mayor Bias, whom Karl always addressed derisively, pointed to him with a civil but firm voice.
“On top of that, though I do not know all the details, I heard that the Saint was attacked by demon worshippers while among their ranks. Isn’t it obvious? They allied with the demon cult to assassinate the Saint. Arrest them at once—on heresy or whatever charge you like. Execute them.”
“You bastard, Bias! That’s slander! We never tried to kill the Saint!”
Karl Lenaro shouted in outrage, but Mayor Bias ignored him completely. His face lit up with joy as he turned to me.
“Saint! You came at the perfect time! Please testify! Weren’t you attacked while you were among the labor radicals? Speak the truth—we must uncover what truly happened!”
Bias stared at me with hopeful eyes. Karl, on the other hand, looked like he didn’t even know what face he should be making.
The last time I saw him…
Let’s just say it wasn’t on the best of terms.
I warned them what would happen. They didn’t take it well.
Then Mammon barged in out of nowhere and wrecked everything.
Karl Lenaro and the labor radicals exchanged tense glances and whispers before he stood up and turned to me.
“Saint. You know. You know how the workers of this city have lived. You’ve seen how we’ve been treated.”
His voice was low, trembling.
“We had no choice but to rise up. If anyone could understand the purity of our cause, it would be you. You, who once led a general strike for the sake of the workers!”
“Purity? I question whether criminals like you even have the right to speak such a word. It’s simple—these labor terrorist scum made a pact with demons to destroy Scrap Yard and its industries, and in the process, attacked the Saint who only ever tried to help this city!”
Bias stood, pointing an accusatory finger at Karl and the others.
“Arrest them all! These terrorists are the root of everything! They’re the ones trying to tear down our lawful empire and our way of life! Capture them and this all ends!”
The labor radicals glared daggers at the mayor and the factory owners, barely containing their rage—but that was all they could do.
lomene and Almeine turned to me.
“Is that true, Saint? We need a clear account before we can pass judgment.”
“Karl Lenaro has been wanted for imperial law violations for some time now. Did they really make a pact with demons? You, who were closest to them, would know better than anyone.”
All eyes turned to me.
The labor radicals looked at me, faces tight with desperation. The factory owners gazed at me with smug satisfaction.
I didn’t answer.
From the perspective of the revolutionaries, this was a disaster.
The authorities had swept in and seized control of the entire city in an instant.
Chances are, the royal family and the Pantheon had never been on their side to begin with.
Of course they hadn’t.
These were people who called religion a drug for the masses and launched terrorist attacks against law-abiding factory owners.
With just a few words…
I could have them all killed.
One flick of the tongue, and they’d all be executed.
But I didn’t.
“I’d like to speak with Karl Lenaro and the labor leaders privately. Could you grant us the room for a moment?”
A small room next to the council chamber.
We sat in silence on the sofas, not saying a word.
lomene and Almeine weren’t thrilled about putting a prophet in the same room as so-called terrorists, but in the end, they respected my request.
“Saint… We rose up for the workers. You know that.”
After a long silence, Karl Lenaro finally spoke.
“We couldn’t just sit by and watch those capitalist pigs treat people like disposable parts. Yes.
We broke the law. But the imperial law was never on our side. You… who gave up sleep and meals to treat the sick during the general strike—you know what we stood for.”
I let out a bitter chuckle.
Their methods were violent and extreme. But their passion was unmistakably pure.
And yet, I also knew—crystal clear—how that pure passion would end.
“The Saintess of the White Order handed me this.”
I pulled out a neatly compiled folder that Almeine had just given me.
“The demon worshippers were caught off guard when they were exposed. They didn’t have time to destroy their records, so every shred of evidence was preserved. Just from skimming through their surface hideouts and underground bases, they uncovered troves of proof.”
Mammon.
The worshippers of that gluttonous demon lord ran their cult like a company.
They drafted detailed strategies, optimized costs, and focused on maximizing grudge harvesting efficiency.
Thanks to that, even their long-term plans were neatly recorded—and that folder was now in my hands.
I handed it to Karl and the other labor leaders.
They took the documents with trembling hands and began to read.
And slowly…
Their eyes widened.
“I—I become the warden of a labor camp… where I monitor and brainwash countless workers?”
One of them muttered in horror.
“I issue an order to starve millions of laborers?”
Even Karl’s voice trembled now.
And that wasn’t all.
“To increase steel production… we confiscate all metal objects from people’s homes to create cheap, low-grade iron? And destroy all forests in the process?”
“We incite teenagers and children… and indoctrinate them?”
“We publicly shame and execute intellectuals in the middle of the city square?”
As their voices quivered in disbelief…
One woman burst out.
“I isolate women and stir up hatred toward men to the point that we create a whole generation of toxic monsters?! No! That can’t be true! I’ve dedicated everything to the women’s liberation movement! There’s no way I’d do something like that!!”
They were all shaken to the core.
But what could I say?
“It would have happened exactly as written. Every single word. I know… because I am a Seer.”
That was the reality.
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