Now that I[1] thought about it again, it was such a beautiful sight. The gift unleashed a massive beam of light, and the God of the Desert Elves, whom the continent had already forgotten or perhaps had to forget, appeared among us.

The light grew and manifested before unleashing a wave of holy power that was too much for mortals to handle.

The beautiful being had long, flowing hair. He had a pair of ears that were pointier than a high elf, making him resemble a Desert Elf. It was strange. I could clearly see the image made out of light, and I couldn’t believe that I could see a god up close.

“...”

“...”

It was a strange series of things that were hard to understand, but what I saw back then was a defining moment that encompassed everything. We were standing before a god; we were witnessing the continent accepting a new god.

Sahaga held Gela and disappeared.

They had a long conversation, but…

‘I couldn’t hear anything.’

It was all so sudden, and I was sure we wouldn’t be able to hear with human ears.

In some ways, it was a pretty upsetting ending.

Perhaps all the suffering we had experienced was a battle between gods, or perhaps it was simply because we could not understand the ordeal as mere mortals. People who were unaware of Sahaga and Gela’s backstory would surely have these thoughts.

“George, are you saying this happened because of Sahaga and Gela?”

“That’s the only explanation. After all, Gela calmed down immediately when Sahaga appeared. Of course, Miss Lee Ki-Yeon’s willpower to go against Gela was probably the decisive factor, but it was Sahaga who calmed her anger,” the Third-rate Gambler answered the Playboy.

“It’s pretty shocking, and it's really hard to understand…” Kennen mumbled.

“How can we understand the gods? They’re transcendent beings, after all. Just like the story of Juliena, the ancient shaman who was locked in a dungeon for angering a god, or like the warrior who had won the favor of a transcendent being and had received great power as a result.

"Gods are fickle, selfish, and selfless. In their eyes, we’re just mere specks of dust, so how could we understand them? A-A god’s love, in particular, is considered to be the most dangerous in any legend,” George explained.

“...”

“Gela’s anger toward the continent may be a very natural reaction when you think about it from her point of view,” George added.

“Are you talking about her taking revenge on the continent for abandoning Sahaga?” Kennen asked.

“We’ll never know if her anger is her wanting to get revenge on the continent for driving out Sahaga. It can also be because she’s simply angry at Sahaga, or if she’s just putting on a show to get his attention…” George answered.

“That’s a bit…”

“Can you say for sure that I'm wrong, Kennen? In the end, Gela got what she wanted. She possessed the body of the woman she had chosen and waited for an opportunity before threatening Laves by bestowing upon it a pitch-black rain.

"Ordinary people would’ve just waited for the rain to stop, but for the transcendents trying to maintain balance, I’m sure it was a serious problem,” George continued.

‘Transcendents trying to maintain the balance of the continent…’

I was sure they were referring to people like the Dragon of Sacrifice and Revival, the angel who governs the wisdom of the world, and the Master of the Rift. They were also the ones who handed them Sahaga’s gift.

‘Now that I think about it…’

I felt like a puppet. I felt like we were being led to wherever they wanted us to go instead of us taking the initiative to resolve the issue. No, I was sure we were being led. Those beings felt that their involvement in the lives of mortals had to be minimized, so they needed people to do the work on their behalf.

“In the end, they must've guided…” I mumbled.

“It’s a possibility because so many things worked out too perfectly to consider it a coincidence. As I said before, the gods are miracles themselves, Alex. Think about the Sunset God being in Gela’s position and losing the God of Sacrifice and Revival,” George said.

“This is just child’s play,” Kennen commented.

“Yeah, sounds like it,” George said.

“That made it easier to understand, George,” I said.

George smiled and sipped his drink.

“So… what happened to them, Alex?” George asked.

“

Ah

… are you referring to Mr. Lee Ji-Hoo… and Miss Lee Ki-Yeon?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well… I heard they left Laves, but you guys already knew that. Actually, the Continental Protection Management Committee has been keeping quiet as well,” I answered.

I remember them smiling brightly after coming back to their senses.

Miss Lee Ki-Yeon had a small blanket wrapped around her, and Mr. Lee Ji-Hoo hugged her. They smiled at each other, and they looked at the stars while sitting in front of a campfire under the desert night.

It was like they were in their own world. Miss Jo Hye-Jin and Mr. Elias seemed like they didn’t want to interrupt them, as they left them alone despite the many questions they had in their mind at the time.

They had a lot of things to take care of in Laves, so they had probably thought that everything would soon be handled, but the two disappeared the next morning, leaving only a note.

“It was probably a note saying thank you and that they’re going to live happily in a quiet place,” George informed.

“I wonder where they went,” I mumbled.

“Probably to a place no one can find them?” George answered.

“That’s romantic. From what I heard… it sounded like Mr. Lee Ji-Hoo made quite a few enemies…” I said.

“I’m sure they’re safe. Those two… will probably be able to overcome any trials,” George said.

They had even overcome a god's trial. I was sure they were living a simple life, looking at the clear sky they liked so much in a place where no one could find them. That was the best ending for this story.

“Let’s have another drink, Alex. How about we cheer for those two?” George suggested.

“Stop suggesting we have another drink, George. You’ve been saying that for a while. Did you forget who we’re meeting?” I asked.

“

A-Ahem.

” George cleared his throat.

Just then, the door of the shabby tavern opened, revealing two figures.

“This is where you were.”

“Miss Jo Hye-Jin, Mr. Elias. It’s an honor to meet you again,” I greeted.

These two were with us in the eye of the black typhoon.

They were the Blue Guild's God of Spear and the representative of the Union of Others.

Normally, we wouldn’t run into them, but we were comrades who fought together during that random incident. It was awkward meeting them in a place like this, but I relaxed upon seeing their friendly faces.

“You don’t need to be so formal. We’re comrades who fought together, after all,” Jo Hye-Jin said.

“B-But…”

“I’ll have a drink as well, and Mr. Elias as well,” she said.

“Sure, I’ll have a drink,” Elias said.

“...”

“...”

“I-I was really surprised… when you asked to meet…” I confessed.

“No, I’m actually sorry for asking to meet at a place like this. I actually thought you should receive better treatment…” Jo Hye-Jin paused.

“Yes?”

“You guys are heroes who saved the continent, after all,” Jo Hye-Jin continued.

“No… that wasn’t our intention. It’s just—”

“Whatever the reason is, it’s an undeniable fact that you three had contributed a lot to saving the continent. You deserve to receive a reward from the Continental Protection Management Committee, the Vatican, and Lindel’s major guilds, but unfortunately…” Jo Hye-Jin trailed off.

“

Ah…

I see,” I mumbled.

“We decided to keep this incident a secret. Of course, we prepared a gift for you, but officially, we decided to act like that incident has never happened at all,” Jo Hye-Jin explained.

“Can… I ask why?” I asked.

It was a stupid question, as there were many reasons I could think of.

I was sure it was to prevent discomfort among the denizens and to ensure that they would not live in fear again.

The Blue Guild wouldn't want them to know the truth.

In addition, transcendents protecting the balance of the continent had interfered, so just telling everyone that the issue was over wouldn't be enough to reassure the people. It would be best to keep it a secret for many reasons, but I heard an unexpected answer.

“It was Miss Lee Ki-Yeon and Mr. Lee Ji-Hoo’s idea,” Jo Hye-Jin informed.

“What?”

“Of course, there are reasons I can’t explain, but they wanted to live a quiet life.

He

said that he understood why they went into hiding, so of course, we had to stop our investigation,” Jo Hye-Jin continued.

“Who… said… that…” I asked.

“Father Lee Ki-Young said that. He said he wanted to respect those two,” Jo Hye-Jin said.

“...”

“He just wanted to wish them good luck,” Jo Hye-Jin added.

At the same time, the door of the shabby tavern opened again, revealing a familiar figure whom I had never seen up close.

“O Benigoa,” I mumbled.

The figure removed the hood attached to his white priest uniform, revealing his face to me. I had seen his face on screens before, but it was different seeing him in person.

The Saint of the Continent, the God of Sacrifice and Revival, the symbolic figure representing the holy power of the continent as the Honorary Cardinal of the Sacred Democratic Country, and the Son of Benigoa.

‘It’s really… Father Lee Ki-Young…’

“...”

“...”

I felt suffocated, and that was the only way I could describe my feelings.

I had never been nervous in any battle, but I became tense upon seeing him, making it harder to sit properly. He had to have stayed up all night after hearing about last night’s incident because he really looked tired. However, his exhaustion couldn't reduce his intelligent and holy demeanor.

I felt more awkward than when I saw Sahaga and Gela.

His faint smile made me tremble unknowingly like an aspen tree.

“F-Father Lee Ki-Young,” I said.

I wanted to jump up from my seat, but my legs wouldn’t listen. Just as I was about to apologize…

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Please stay seated.”

I heard his soft voice.

“So it's them,” Lee Ki-Young said.

“That’s right,” Jo Hye-Jin answered.

“They’re the Desert Guides…” Lee Ki-Young said.

“It’s an undeserving title. We just did—”

“You should take credit for your work. Regardless of your contributions, you’re already my heroes. I just feel really bad that we can’t give you the treatment you deserve. If there’s something you want, please let me know. If it’s something I can give you, I’ll do my best to get it for you,” Lee Ki-Young said.

“We don’t… really need anything… but…” I paused.

“Yes?”

“If you don’t mind, could you bless me…” I requested.

“That’s easy,” Lee Ki-Young said, placing his hand on my head. A faint light pervaded me in an instant. Then, he said a prayer, and it felt like my sins were purified out of me.

‘Is this a dream?’

The word "touched" wasn’t enough to describe my feelings.

Would I be able to ask him for his autograph? Or perhaps obtain a rosary from him?

I felt like my head was going to explode from my ridiculous thoughts, and it made me ask an unexpected question for some reason.

“Do you… know where they are?”

I could guarantee that I had never been this nervous in my entire life.

1. Alex’s POV ☜