Plague Of Depravity (1)

Geniuses are eccentric. Most ordinary people cannot understand the world they see and comprehend. So geniuses sometimes save the world, but they also sometimes drive it to ruin.

But worse than a genius is a mediocrity who thinks himself a genius.

A true genius has the ability to clean up the disasters they cause, but those who merely consider themselves geniuses create calamities without realizing it and lack any ability to fix them.

—On “Plague of Depravity“, social critic Seom.

Only one year and two months have passed since the start of the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’.

No—it’s not even a full two months. Yet the continent has already been shaken twice.

The first was the unprecedented event of the Triple-God Manifestation, and the second was the plague incident.

Less than a fortnight after the plague spread across the continent, a remedy began to be sold under the name of Heavenly God’s representative Benialis.

The price for a single dose was a staggering 100 gold. In local currency, that’s about ten million won.

However, nobles who wished to live—and even well-off commoners—bought the medicine by the handful and took it.

The 100-gold price, unattainable for commoners, gave the wealthy—including nobles—confidence. They firmly believed they would be cured.

But a problem arose.

“What?”

Benialis rushed over at the call of the head of intelligence.

He came filled with expectations of the money from the sales, and of improving his reputation and the name of Amor.

But life rarely goes as expected.

“I’ll say it again. The cure rate is 10%. Barely 10%.”

“…Madness! That’s impossible!!”

The intelligence chief asked in a low voice toward the vehemently denying Benialis.

“Is the cure rate really 70%?”

“Are you saying you doubt me?”

Even as Benialis snarled like a beast, the intelligence chief remained unafraid and even sneered.

“Of course. There must be some difference. Seventy percent versus ten. If anyone wouldn’t suspect that in this situation, let them step forward.”

“Leech! How dare you! To me, Amor’s representative!!”

But that only seemed to anger the intelligence chief more.

The intelligence chief slammed his hand down on the table so hard it thundered and rose to his feet.

“You—are you even Amor’s representative? Have you forgotten I am the head of intelligence? What? Amor’s representative? A man who didn’t even repair the temple’s wards and mismanaged things so the temple and Amor’s statues ended up like that?! And I heard you were the first to run away that day, unlike the paladins who went out to stop the demon god’s representative!!”

“…Eiik!”

“Word of your behavior has already reached the Holy Realm Alliance. Is that all? Do you really think Amor is unaware of what you’ve done?”

Gasp―!

“And now, because of the shit you piled up, Amor is the one getting cursed. You’re charging 100 gold for a medicine that doesn’t even have a ten percent cure rate and calling it a remedy! Who are you angry at right now!!”

Benialis’ expression showed a flash of realization as he watched the intelligence chief rage, pointing fingers at everyone.

He had momentarily forgotten that he was dealing with the head of the organization that controlled information.

It was inevitable—Benialis had been perceived as a highly capable servant who would accomplish any task, so this reaction was natural.

Given the nature of the Battlefield of the Gods, Amor couldn’t possibly know every rumor around him, and Benialis thought he could escape by artfully inflating things when he next visited the Garden of Gods.

He also calculated that he could shift blame onto the continent’s people—a plan he convinced himself was plausible (though in truth it wasn’t…).

But the stubborn man shouting in front of him foiled all those plans.

Amor must have heard the whole story while looking at Benialis, and now Benialis had no escape.

Photos that were like a death sentence for him were scattered across the broken table as Beniaris stood there stunned.

“Look! See what you’ve caused!!”

Photos of the ruins where symbols of the goddess Amor lay broken in halves and scattered.

Ruins presumed to be the Amor temple.

As if dragon breath had been unleashed, nothing remained intact—no undamaged buildings.

Amid the wreckage, five statues of the goddess Amor still stood firm and unfallen.

But the appearance of the Amor statues was odd.

With trembling hands he flipped to another photo and saw an enlarged image of one of the Amor statues.

In the photo the Amor statue’s chest was gone and both hands holding swords were severed. And…

“Th-This…?

“Now you understand? The things you’ve done? How dare you use Amor’s emissary to persecute me!”

A thick, long stone pillar was deeply lodged between the statue’s legs. The rope in its left hand and the statue’s damaged state made it look almost like a fallen courtesan.

“Th-this… No!!”

“Wait, foolish representative!”

The intelligence chief stormed out as if to smash the door.

Left behind were Benialis and two representatives.

The two representatives crept up and looked at the photos.

“Gah!”

“Whoa… Isn’t this… fucking screwed?”

They exchanged glances and glanced at Benialis, who kept muttering ‘No.’

Then they quietly slipped away and disappeared somewhere.

Benialis was left alone.

Unaware that the others had left, he kept repeating, hopelessly, “I didn’t do that,” as if in a daze.

The continent’s people despaired.

They had paid dearly for a medicine made by Heavenly God’s representative and found it hardly effective.

They believed they had been deceived by a divine emissary. They despaired, and that despair was on the edge of turning into madness.

The northern residential area of Exorsus.

A mansion noticeably larger and grander than the others.

Lee Hyo-ju, sitting in the garden with her eyes closed, opened them. She sprang up and ran to the third-floor study where Kim Han was staying.

As she reached the third-floor hallway, Kim Han’s frequent loud voice rang through the corridor.

“I said! There’s no need to be glued to me all the time!”

“…I’m sorry. I must stay by my master’s side.”

“No, I mean…!!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Wow, seriously! It’s the first time I’ve realized the word ‘sorry’ can make me this angry!”

“So-rry…”

“Ah! Enough!! Go train. Especially you—don’t train curses or that kind of luck technique. Practice what you’re already good at: Healing, status ailment recovery, medicine, and even ‘Star’s Tale,’ and get checked once a week.”

“…Understood.”

Kim Han’s voice stopped Mae Young-ryeong as she was about to leave.

“Ah! Wait. Two hours training, twenty minutes rest. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner—each ninety minutes. Rest. Bedtime is 11 PM. Wake at 7 AM. Go.”

“…Yes.”

Reluctantly stepping back, Mae Young-ryeong and Lee Hyo-ju crossed paths in the corridor.

Mae Young-ryeong, more awkward than before, only nodded and they passed each other.

Lee Hyo-ju knocked and entered the study.

Kim Han was busily writing something, as if creating something.

“Oh? What’s up? Weren’t you using Gwaneum (Seeing Sound)?”

“Yes. I have a report.”

Since the day the Amor temple was ruined, everything had been satisfactory.

The place steadily accumulated a considerable amount of luck—almost like a luck-version of Heavenly Strength.

According to Mae Young-ryeong, it has been steadily siphoning luck from the ruined Amor temple and from living representatives.

The legion members had become a bit more representative-like, and the atmosphere of focusing on training was positive.

Arun, perhaps shocked after meeting Violentia this time, was getting beaten by Talis almost daily.

Yes. Everything was good, but… the problem was that girl.

Since that day, after seeing Violentia up close, he threw himself into training so intensely that he fell asleep as if fainting rather than resting.

One morning, feeling a warm presence and opening his eyes, Mae Young-ryeong was wriggling and had somehow burrowed into his arms and fallen asleep.

In other words, Mae Young-ryeong was the problem. Since that day she tried not to leave his side for a moment.

Once he even mistook that she might think of him as her mother.

At first he cursed and tried to soothe her, but it was useless. Only by giving her some task would she cheer up and leave him like before.

In all his not-so-short life, he had never known the phrase ‘I’m sorry’ could make someone feel so stifled and angry!

No sooner had he sent Mae Young-ryeong out than there was a knock.

Lee Hyo-ju opened the door and entered.

“Oh? What’s up? Weren’t you using Gwanum (Seeing Sound)?”

“Yes. I have a report.”

Lee Hyo-ju’s report was interesting.

Recently she had been consistently maintaining Gwanum for two hours a day.

She could only sustain it for two hours so far, but compared to the thirty minutes she couldn’t even manage at first, it was a huge improvement.

For two hours, the current mood of Exorsus’s continentals and the rumors and information passed by word of mouth all streamed into Lee Hyo-ju.

“So you think now is the right time?”

“Yes.”

“Really? Then do it. This is the first operation a military strategist will execute. I’m looking forward to it. But don’t overdo it.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

“Ah, wait a moment before you go.”

He hurriedly called Lee Hyo-ju back. Checking her status window, he handed her two books.