A helpful item.
“Is it… a helpful item?”
“Indeed. Though I haven’t tested it, it should suffice for storing divine power. Even if it doesn’t, it holds its own meaning, so it wouldn’t hurt to use it to build connections.”
Marx’s finger bone.
To Jinseong, that item was deeply intertwined with the origins and superstitions of people.
He hadn’t delved deeply into the nature of divine power, but—
If Jinseong’s thoughts were correct, it was clear that Marx’s finger bone could easily accept Rise’s divine power.
But what if it couldn’t?
It didn’t really matter.
He could just use it for something else.
Why not use that item to build a rapport with members of the Communist Party in Japan?
There’s a party known as the “Japanese Communist Party” which has existed since the days of the Japanese Empire.
It’s a historic party characterized by its pacifist tendencies, positivity, and defense of a democratic system…
However, it wasn’t a particularly strong party.
The Japanese often deride them, calling them “fools with their heads filled with flower fields.”
Yet, the resilience required to maintain a party over such a long time was undeniably present.
While other parties are united by strong power and profit, the “Japanese Communist Party” has a sticky, clinging feel to its cohesion.
In that regard, forming connections with this Japanese Communist Party would surely bring advantages.
As Blessing gradually expands Jinseong’s influence over the ruling and opposition parties, it could create an incredible synergy.
“Profit…”
Rise quietly muttered that word and nodded.
It was a sign of her faith in Jinseong.
She looked towards him, as if agreeing to follow his intentions, then slightly turned her head.
In the direction she turned, the Great Witch was sitting with her legs crossed, displaying an utterly arrogant demeanor.
Anyone who saw would likely think that Odilia was the owner of this room, not Rise.
She even wore a bored expression, as if waiting for the conversation to conclude.
Rise thought about Odilia’s attitude with a sense of irritation.
“Annoying.”
Annoying.
Like a hangnail next to a fingernail.
Like a tiny thorn stuck under a nail.
Like stepping on a piece of snack stuck to the sole of a bare foot.
Annoying.
“Interference.”
To Rise, Odilia was an interference.
A disruptor who ruined the good atmosphere twice.
What grudge did she hold?
No, she knew.
She understood with her head that that woman had no ulterior motives or emotions.
But, like a natural disaster, as if they were caught in a bad fate, she had intruded and ruined the atmosphere twice when it was good… It was hard to wrap her emotions around that.
Yes, it was difficult to understand.
A slight surge of annoyance welled up within her as she felt a resistance, like repelling magnets of the same pole.
And in that moment of feeling such emotions, Rise smiled, as she had learned from a friend who transferred from Kyoto during her school days, and as she did from Jinseong.
Some say a smile is born from aggression.
And the smile Rise was wearing now was just that.
A bit of aggression.
A hint of resistance.
A touch of irritation.
All of it wrapped into her smile, ready to switch to offense at any moment, thus arming Rise.
Jinseong seemed to notice or not.
“Then will both of you agree to follow my plans? Once you’ve heard the story, there shall be no retreat, for the only opportunity to back out is now. You must understand the weight of your words to decide.”
He was merely asking Odilia and Rise if they would follow him.
“Yes, as the deity wishes.”
“Yeah, I’ll do it.”
And that answer was the same.
Rise’s affirmation was filled with trust.
Odilia’s was tinged with slight reluctance and hesitation.
“Good.”
The future began to change.
It was a slight distortion, something that could be viewed as a minor error.
Yet, even if it seems light now, how can it remain slight where the future is concerned?
No need to liken it to a butterfly.
What happens if a traveler, while walking well, slightly shifts direction?
What occurs if a well-erected pillar is tilted or slightly moved from its position?
When a traveler’s footsteps veer into a different direction, that traveler will find themselves in a completely different place than they originally envisioned.
Perhaps, like Ringwanderung, they may think they’re progressing but are instead endlessly looping in the same spot.
The twisting of a building’s pillars will gradually intensify.
While not a significant issue on the lower floors, the more layers there are, the more it will begin to twist. That twist will grow, and eventually, it could become a weakness that collapses the entire building under its weight.
One must not treat light matters lightly.
Thus, Jinseong crossed over to America.
To understand how the future began to change.
What the variables might be, and whether he could control them.
If he can’t control them, can he predict them? If he can’t predict, can he utilize them?
To truly grasp all that, he was here.
And thus, he chose to get involved in the Great Witch’s affairs.
He had to show Odilia a side of himself as a deity.
“Rise has now learned more about me.”
Of course, it was incidental that Rise learned of “Park Jinseong”.
Jinseong had taught Rise that the essence is what is important, and that the facade is merely something that can be changed at any time.
Even if one paints wood and shapes it into a bizarre form, it doesn’t cease to be wood; a house may take various forms depending on the region, but its essence remains a space for humans to dwell.
So, even if it feels foreign, realizing its essence reveals it to be familiar. What seems difficult to accept becomes easy when one sees its true nature, and that is the path to enlightenment.
Perhaps because of this teaching?
Rise didn’t harbor many doubts about Jinseong’s identity.
Of course, she must have been curious.
What is Jinseong’s identity? What kind of past does he have? What future does he envision?
To Rise, Jinseong was a person full of questions.
Yet she was neither engulfed nor obsessed by them.
For her, Jinseong was ‘the deity’, the one who taught her, the being she served, the one who saved her.
That was enough.
That was how Rise viewed Jinseong and his essence.
Names and pasts were merely masks overlaying that essence, mere paint.
What mattered was the essence, and that he was with her.
Thus, it mattered little that Rise learned more about Jinseong.
Even if she were to know more about him, her attitude towards him would not change.
However…
What about Odilia?
Would that superstitious, eccentric, yet sensitive Great Witch, who could be easily deceived and fall into ruin, truly remain unchanged upon seeing another side of Jinseong?
Well…
It’s hard to guarantee.
However.
The fact that she had been foolish enough to be deceived by a religious figure to the point of her own downfall before her return means…
It indicates that Jinseong could indeed whisper something to pull her along.
He had confidence that unexpected reactions could be controlled.
Thus, Jinseong could devise a plan on the spot.
“I will tell you a tale that will benefit us all. It carries only slight danger, yet at its end shines treasure, truly a splendid opportunity. Remember, both of you, great benefits await, so clear your minds of the temptations within, and act as I instruct.”
And that plan was.
“You two will now seize control of a farm.”
It was a mildly terroristic endeavor.
“It isn’t that difficult.”
Or perhaps more aptly put, it could be described as a ‘siege’.
“What?”
“Uh?”
The two doubted their ears.
Rise questioned Jinseong’s words, then mulled them over, her eyes widening slightly, while Odilia unfolded her crossed legs and straightened her back.
And then they almost simultaneously exclaimed in protest.
“Deity! We’re working with her?!”
“Wait! Seizing control of a farm?!”
But there was a difference in their protests.
Odilia was shocked by the statement about ‘seizing control of a farm’, while Rise was taken aback by the words ‘you two’.
Naturally, although their protests appeared similar, there was a significant difference…
“….”
…And noticing that, Odilia couldn’t help but be wary of Rise.
Unlike before.
