Chapter 102
The Jeolla Branch and Gyeongsang Branch were the first to leave the mountain, followed by the Chungcheong Branch. The reason for the separate departures was that the Taebaeksan Mountain area was infused with my father’s spell, and if multiple people went hiking together, there would be a greater risk of getting lost. Lastly, when only the Seoul Branch—or rather just we—remained, Yun Chang-Su called out to me.
"Cult Leader, if I may say something..."
He guided me to a small room in the corner of the chapel and handed me a cup of tea. The tea had a very pleasant aroma, but I couldn't tell what kind of tea it was. I didn’t know much about tea.
With slow movements, Yun Chang-Su sat across from me and gently stroked his long beard.
"This is quite a difficult story to tell..."
"It’s fine. Please go ahead and tell me."
Yun Chang-Su was neither an opportunist like Yeom Man-Gun nor did he have Ha Pan-Seok’s stubborn temperament. Moreover, he was the only executive who had ever served the First Cult Leader among the executives who were still alive. To put it bluntly, he was like a senior executive. Whenever I faced Yun Chang-Su, I felt a sense of respect for him, not just as a leader to a follower, but also as a person. I wasn’t just being polite when I asked Yun Chang-su to put his hesitations aside and speak without holding back.
"I heard that you distributed excess funds from the Seoul Branch to the other branches to help overcome financial difficulties."
"Yes."
"I'm really sorry, but I think it would be better for me not to accept that money."
If it had been a request for more money, I would have gladly accepted. But I had no idea that he would refuse to accept the money. I couldn’t help but glance at Yun Chang-Su's face. Beneath his kind and warm smile, I could see resolute determination.
"Um... may I ask for the reason?" I asked.
Yun Chang-Su hesitated, touching his beard before explaining, "The Gangwon Branch has very few church members, so even if they received money, it would mostly be used for personal purposes. That being the case, I figured it would be better to give it to the Gyeongsang or Chungcheong Branches since they have more mouths to feed."
It was a reasonable explanation that seemed completely in character for him. However, not giving him any money wouldn’t be right. After all, there was a significant political reason behind giving money to the local branches.
Suddenly, I remembered something.
"...Weren’t you a teacher in the past?"
"Yes, that's correct. Although it was brief, there was a time when I taught children."
"Then, what do you think about establishing a night school?"
Yun Chang-Su seemed surprised by my suggestion. The wrinkles around his eyes seemed to deepen a little.
"By night school, you mean..."
"There are many people in the Voodoo Cult who cannot attend school due to various circumstances. I was thinking of creating a school for people like that."
Ji-Ah, for example, couldn't attend school. Well, it wasn’t that she couldn't attend, but rather that she chose not to. In any case, there were many people in the Voodoo Cult with very low academic qualifications. For instance, Yuk Eun-Hyung from the Gyeongsang Branch only had a middle school education, and Yeom Man-Gun didn't even properly attend elementary school before starting his business, so he had no education at all.
"Why don't we have you be a teacher and use the money to run the night school?"
"I appreciate the suggestion, but I am not qualified to teach others."
"You underestimate yourself. Your knowledge surpasses anyone’s, not just among the Voodoo Cult but also the Romanican Church."
These were not empty words. If we brought in people from the Romanican Church who claimed to be knowledgeable, they would all be rendered speechless in front of Yun Chang-Su. That was how knowledgeable he was.
"Raising the level of knowledge within the Voodoo Cult is in itself a resistance to the Romanican Church. There are only advantages to it."
"Hmm..."
"It also seems like a waste that this huge underground chapel is only used for executive meetings."
I used all the arguments I could to convince him.
Yun Chang-Su seemed to sink into deep thought for a while and eventually nodded slightly, as if he had made up his mind.
"In that case... we will need a few more teachers, and we will also need to admit some students..."
"I will seek help from the other executives in that regard."
I received the contact information of all the executives this morning. It seemed that Ha Pan-Seok, who had spare time due to focusing solely on the operation of the cult, would be helpful for recruiting the teachers.
Student recruitment could easily be resolved by contacting Yuk Eun-Hyung. The mercenaries under Yuk Eun-Hyung's command were all part of the educationally marginalized group who couldn't attend school due to unfortunate circumstances. In addition, there were plenty of other people, such as Yeom Man-Gun or Ji-Ah, who could attend the classes if a night school was established.
"Thank you for caring so much, and my apologies again. I should be handling everything on my own..."
"Since it's my proposal, it's only natural that I take care of the foundation. You don't have to apologize for anything."
With that, the discussion about establishing the night school came to an end. I stood up and tried to leave, but Yun Chang-Su's gaze toward me seemed a bit complicated, so I sat back down. The way he looked at me seemed to indicate that he had something more to say.
"Cult Leader, do you know about the reverse spell technique?" Yun Chang-Su asked out of the blue.
I had heard of the reverse spell technique before. It was a technique that literally reversed the effects of a Voodoo spell.
In ancient times, there was a cult leader in the ancient Voodoo Cult who used the reverse spell technique to treat those who were addicted or mentally damaged by Voodoo spells. On the other hand, it is said that there was also a cult leader who used the reverse spell technique with the restoration spell to massacre countless people. There were no records of such events—I only heard it from Legba. Thus, it was unclear whether it was true or not.
"I know about it."
"I recently heard that you were looking for a method to undo zombification."
"Ah, yes. How did you know about that...?"
"Executive Jin-Sung told me."
My uncle secretly worried a lot about Yoon-Ah. In spite of saying mean things such as ‘She is a burden’ and ‘Why do we have to take care of that and live with it when it’s not even our fault?’ he looked into various methods of undoing zombification. As a result, he must have ended up asking for help from Yun Chang-Su.
Yun Chang-Su spoke with a determined expression on his face. "By using the reverse spell technique, you should easily be able to undo zombification."
"Really? I suppose so," I casually replied as I nodded my head.
I wondered why Yun Chang-Su had suddenly brought this topic up. All the literature and relics regarding the reverse spell technique had long since disappeared. It was indeed possible to reverse zombification through the reverse spell technique, but the problem was that there was no way of using the reverse spell technique.
There was no way that Yun Chang-Su didn’t know that. So, the fact that he had suddenly brought up this topic meant that...
"By any chance, have you found out how to use the reverse spell technique?"
There was no other possible reason for him to bring up this topic. Yun Chang-Su nodded slightly in response to my question. Instantly, a strange feeling bubbled up from deep within my chest. If I could use the reverse spell technique, I could turn Yoon-Ah back into a human. Then, the complicated emotions I felt every time I saw In-Ah would also disappear. I could finally see a glimmer of hope.
However, Yun Chang-Su’s face was devoid of emotion as he spoke in an ominous tone, "It is said that the leaders of the Ancient Voodoo Cult used staves."
"Yes, I heard they used staves made out of the branches of the Soul Tree."
"That's correct. Among them, do you know the name of the staff that was made out of the third branch of the Soul Tree?"
I tilted my head in response to Yun Chang-Su's question and tried to recall the answer from my memories. The first branch was Life. The second branch was Death. And the third branch was...
"Resistance."
"That's correct. It's called Resistance, and it is also known as Reversal."
Both Resistance and Reversal were similar in the sense that they 'defied' something. Therefore, the name of the staff made from the third branch of the Soul Tree was both Resistance and Reversal.
It was said that the Cult Leader chosen by the Staff of Reversal would be able to defy fate until they ultimately met a tragic death, or they would be able to defy even their ultimate fate and rewrite fate itself.
Of course, this was also just a story that was passed down. The important thing was that, with the Staff of Reversal, one could use reverse spells. Yun Chang-Su slowly and hesitantly blinked as he said, "The reason I'm telling you this is that... I've found the location of the Staff of Reversal."
*
On the way back, my uncle was holding the steering wheel as he asked, "So, what did you talk about with Yun Chang-Su?"
The sun had set, and darkness had descended upon the pitch-black highway, making it impossible to see anything. My uncle, however, was driving proficiently even in this darkness. He was naturally adept at seeing things at night.
"I just... heard a little bit of information about the reverse spell technique," I said.
"Reverse spell technique?"
"It's a technique for using Voodoo spells in reverse, and it's somewhat related to a method that can undo zombification or something..." I explained vaguely.
There didn't seem to be much point in explaining in detail to my uncle, who didn't know anything about Voodoo spells. But when I mentioned its connection to a method that could undo zombification, my uncle's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Tell me more about it. Did you learn how to use the reverse spell technique? Or do we need some sort of training?"
"It's a long story."
"Ah, kid. Just tell me, even if it's a hassle. I’m driving you back after all."
I briefly summarized the conversation I had with Yun Chang-Su for my uncle. I explained that the reverse spell technique involved using spells in reverse. I also explained that it was possible to turn zombies back into humans using this technique. However, to use the reverse spell technique, the Staff of Reversal was needed...
"...and that’s the gist of it."
"Staff of Role-playing? Where is it? Does it even exist?"
"It’s not the Staff of Role-playing. It's the Staff of Reversal. And yes, it does exist."
"It exists? Then we just have to go find it, right? Where is it?"
My uncle's expression was unusually bright. He seemed pleased that there was hope of being able to turn Yoon-Ah back into a human.
"Saudi Arabia."
"...Ah, Saudi Arabia."
My uncle's expression instantly darkened at my response. After that, the conversation abruptly ended. My uncle drove while I looked out the car window, and Ji-Ah’s head bobbed as she was dozing off.
According to Yun Chang-Su, the Staff of Reversal was displayed at the National History Museum in Saudi Arabia. The first problem was that it was displayed in a museum, and the second problem was that it was displayed in the national history museum of Saudi Arabia.
First of all, South Korea and Saudi Arabia didn't have a good relationship. The national religion of our country was Romanicanism, and the national religion of Saudi Arabia was Islam. It was a well-known fact that Romanicanism and Islam had a very bad relationship. Even three-year-old children knew this. It was clear that Saudi Arabia would send us right back if we tried to enter the country.
However, there was a bigger problem.
[It looks like we can't even think about going until the civil war is over,] Legba muttered under his breath.
As he said, Saudi Arabia was currently in the midst of a religious civil war. The Shia, the Sunni, and the Romanican Church missionaries residing in Saudi Arabia were the main players in this intense and brutal conflict that showed no signs of stopping. It was said that the streets were filled with corpses and that homes had been turned into ruins due to the bombings.
In fact, it was not only Saudi Arabia, but almost all the regions of the Middle East that were suffering from the internal conflicts between the Shia and Sunni. People referred to these events as the Arab Winter. It was a term that referred to the state of chaos and social instability that had spread throughout the entire Middle East due to the continuous internal conflicts that occurred since the Arab Spring. In the midst of all this, what would happen if I went to Saudi Arabia and tried to steal the Staff of Reversal that was exhibited at the National Museum? It was completely hopeless.
"Baron Samedi... you lied to me...?"
I suddenly got angry as I recalled Baron Samedi's words that I would soon be able to find a method to turn Yoon-Ah back into a human. Well, to be frank, it wasn't really a lie. He said I would be able to find the method of turning Yoon-Ah back into a human. He never said that I would actually be able to use it..
While gazing at the mountain peak that was bathed in the brilliant moonlight, my uncle suddenly called out to me. "Sun-Woo."
"Why?"
"Did you put on your seatbelt...?" my uncle asked with a trembling voice while staring ahead.
His hair was drenched in cold sweat. The sweat flowed down to the tip of his chin and dropped off. I pulled out a few tissues from the back of the car and handed them to him.
"What’s wrong with you?"
"No, well, erm... Um, Sun-Woo. I...” Uncle said with a quivering voice.
“I see the Grim Reaper right now..."
"What?"
"You, you... right now, next to you. Right next to you. It’s right next to you..."
It wasn't like he was under a hallucination spell or anything, so why was he suddenly saying he could see the Grim Reaper? I was a little surprised by my uncle's unexpected words, but judging by his expression and tone, it didn't seem like he was joking. I shifted my gaze to my side.
Someone wearing a silk hat was staring at me with red eyes and smiling.
[I came because my ear was itching, and lo and behold, you were badmouthing me. Birds hear the daytime talk, and I hear the nighttime talk. Haven't you heard that saying before?]
"...Baron Samedi? Why are you here?"
I wasn't at all that pleased with his sudden appearance. Baron Samedi's mischievous voice resonated in my head instead of going through my ears.
[Why am I here, you ask? Couldn't you at least pretend to be glad to see me?]
"I can only pretend to be glad in a situation where I can actually be glad..."
[Oh, another retort... You really are a headstrong Prophet, aren't you?]
"Honestly, it's not the first time, right?"
Baron Samedi laughed.
[Correct, it isn’t the first time, for sure. Your mother was the best at having no manners... Anyway, I came here to explain.]
"Explain all of a sudden?"
[I didn't lie,] Baron Samedi said with a firm tone.
He adjusted the angle of his silk hat with his left hand and flicked his right finger. Suddenly, a metal hip flask and a glass with ice appeared out of thin air. The hip flask clinked as it filled the glass with rum.
[Let's have a drink first and then continue the conversation. Well, our Cult Leader here is a minor, so he can't. Yeah, our prized chief priest who's driving!] Baron Samedi handed the glass to my uncle.
[How about a drink?]
"..."
My uncle didn't answer and focused only on driving. His clothes were soaked in cold sweat. Baron Samedi shook the glass as if urging him to take it quickly, but my uncle kept his mouth shut and only held onto the steering wheel. Baron Samedi sighed in disappointment as he took back the glass.
[Well, drinking and driving is a bit too much, I suppose? It's a shame. I was hoping to make a new friend before going back.]
Baron Samedi chuckled and quickly downed his rum, emptying the glass in one gulp. Uncle looked at Baron Samedi's reflection in the mirror and swallowed nervously. I felt like an accident was bound to happen if this continued. No matter how good Uncle's night vision was or how skilled he was at driving, it was difficult to focus on driving in this situation. I opened my mouth to catch Baron Samedi's attention.
"So, what is it that you want to say?"
[No need to speak so aggressively because of a joke.]
"I repeat, what do you want to say?"
[Yeah, yeah. It was the words of the noble Prophet, and I ignorantly disregarded them.]
Baron Samedi cleared his throat and continued speaking, [I’m going to say it again. I didn't lie. You actually discovered a method. You found out that you can use the reverse spell technique through the Staff of Reversal and that you can undo zombification through the reverse spell technique, right?]
"The problem is that the method is not feasible."
[What are you talking about? It is feasible,] Baron Samedi said with a serious tone.
[Within a short period of time... No, let me use the correct expression. Tomorrow, you will come to realize that my words were not false.]
"I’m going to school tomorrow, though?"
[Then you will realize it at school. It's best for you to believe. Regardless of what happens, this is all the truth.]
'Regardless of what happens, this is all the truth?' It sounded familiar for some reason. I couldn't quite remember where I had heard those words before.
"...I understand for now,” I said as I reluctantly nodded.
Whether Baron Samedi's words were true or false would be determined tomorrow. Judging by his tone, it didn't seem like a lie, but it was better to remain skeptical of Baron Samedi's words until the end.
[By the way, hasn't Ogun mentioned anything about me?] Baron Samedi asked while sipping his second glass of rum.
It seemed like he knew that I had summoned Ogun yesterday. Baron Samedi's intelligence-gathering skills gave me chills once again. I rubbed the goosebumps on my arms as I nodded.
"He didn't mention anything."
[Is that so? Seems like he really dislikes me. We were once inseparable...]
Baron Samedi sighed as he took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. They used to be so close, so how had they become enemies? I suddenly felt curious.
"Why did you have a fight with him?"
[Well, since I’m here, let me tell you the story. It all started when—]
Vrooooom—!
Baron Samedi was interrupted when the car suddenly accelerated like crazy. My uncle desperately shifted gears and slammed on the brakes, but the car didn't stop. Instead, it continued to race forward as if it was about to crash into the guardrail at any moment.
"What the hell? Slow down. Why are you in such a hurry..."
"It's the brakes...!" my uncle said in a panicked voice.
He desperately turned the steering wheel, narrowly avoiding the guardrail and continuing on the curved road, but another curve was approaching right in front of us. The car seemed to be accelerating uncontrollably.
What should I do in a situation like this? Maybe I could use Bade's power to create a gust of wind and lift the car...
However, there was no time to react. The guardrail was right in front of us. There wasn't even enough time to say a prayer. By the time I finished praying, the car would have already crashed through the guardrail and plummeted off the cliff.
Snap.
At that moment, a cheerful sound echoed from my left. It was the sound of Baron Samedi snapping his fingers.
"Ah, huh...?"
As a result, the car flew up.
The car that should have crashed through the guardrail and fallen off the cliff was now soaring through the sky. The moonlight felt blindingly close. The world seemed to be endlessly getting smaller through the car window.
Baron Samedi took a sip of his cigar, exhaled the smoke, and said, [To continue my story, I gambled with that guy, betting a part of each of our power. Obviously, I won, and I gained a little bit of his power.]
"Obviously?"
[Yeah, I obviously won. It was a rigged gamble. That's why he hates me.]
I nodded while gazing at the world beyond the car window. The breathtaking scenery of Taebaek Mountain, bathed in moonlight, came into view. The gorge that I had created through my prayer was the first thing that caught my eye. The Gangwon Branch underground chapel was completely invisible, perhaps due to a spell.
Stars fell from the sky. The moon felt so close as if I could reach out and touch it. The sky didn’t even have a single cloud, so it was even more mysterious and beautiful.
[Thanks to me winning that game, it looks like I saved your lives.]
"...What kind of gamble did you do?"
[A dice game.]
Snap.
As Baron Samedi flicked his finger again, the car slowly descended to the ground. Baron Samedi tossed his cigar out of the window and said, [I really love dice games, even though I'm not a god.]
Thud!
The car landed safely on the road, and we set off. My uncle took hold of the steering wheel and resumed driving with a bewildered expression on his face. As he did, he tested the brakes. The brakes activated smoothly as if they had never malfunctioned in the first place.
[While I was at it, I also fixed the car. No need to thank me.]
"..."
[Well, see you later! Let's play dice or something next time we have the chance...]
With those words as a parting farewell, Baron Samedi left. A heavy silence filled the air. Uncle wiped his sweat off with a tissue, and Ji-Ah continued to sleep through it all. Everything felt surreal, like a dream, but it was definitely not a dream.
Uncle silently drove and glanced back for a moment.
"Sun-Woo, what was the name of the person you just spoke to...?"
"Baron Samedi."
"How did you manage to have a conversation with someone like that without stuttering...?" Uncle asked with a trembling voice.
From Uncle's perspective, Baron Samedi's appearance must have been incredibly terrifying. Unless they were incredibly brave, it was only natural for anyone to be startled if someone with an old-fashioned silk hat, formal suit, pale eyes, and completely white skin had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. However, when I saw Baron Samedi, I was not surprised at all. I was just a little uncomfortable. Somehow, Baron Samedi’s appearance felt familiar, and sometimes I even felt close to him.
"Because I am the Prophet?"
That was the only answer that immediately came to mind.
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