Rise cheerfully suggested something to Jinseong, and as he nodded, they stepped outside together. Following him silently, just a step or two behind, they headed towards the cafe. When they arrived at the cafe and ordered coffee, she immediately fixed her gaze on Jinseong’s face.
As their eyes met, she smiled brightly.
“It was supposed to be a great journey, but the unexpected rascals really spoiled the mood.”
After flashing a cheerful grin, Rise finally spoke once she received her warm coffee.
Her voice radiated joy when she mentioned the ‘great journey,’ but as her words trailed off, a hint of regret seeped in.
Why did the feeling of regret keep intensifying?
Was it because the sudden disaster felt more significant due to the otherwise lovely journey?
Or perhaps…
“They say if the ending is beautiful, everything is beautiful… Unfortunately, our trip to America didn’t quite end on a high note.”
Realizing that this joyous journey was about to conclude brought this on, didn’t it?
As she said, “The trip to America is coming to an end,” she met Jinseong’s eyes again. Their mutual gaze wasn’t just a playful exchange; it conveyed a sense of certainty mixed with determination, silently conversing without words.
“It’s truly unfortunate. In olden days, there were thieves who would threaten to ruin travels, but such events should be minimal in modern times. To have been hit by even that slim chance will certainly leave a bittersweet taste.”
Jinseong spoke affirmatively, as if to agree with her conviction.
Your thoughts are justified. The journey to America will indeed end here.
Rise nodded, as if she anticipated his words. She cradled her coffee cup with both hands and stared at the coffee quietly.
The surface of the dark coffee rippled slightly, and the warm aroma tickled her face.
“Well, regret is something you can’t avoid, but… it’s okay.”
Rise swallowed a sigh filled with regret and gently shook her coffee cup. As if trying to shake off that regret, she seemed to want to dissolve it into the warm coffee and erase it entirely.
Then, with a wink, she added, “This regret will only make the next trip more enjoyable.”
With that, she fixed her gaze on Jinseong once more.
Their eyes intertwined again, but this time it felt distinctly different from before.
It was not laden with certainty but rather bordered on a question, almost teasing.
This time, the way Rise looked at him felt all the more relentless, with an undertone of something earnest.
Jinseong received that gaze with a slight smile and nodded in response.
“Yes. Next time… Europe or South America could be fine.”
That nod was a sign of his willingness to travel with her again.
“Or, if you wish for growth, Japan or Korea wouldn’t be bad either.”
This also hinted at his subtle intention to share more about himself.
“…Yes.”
Thus, Rise found herself momentarily unable to respond to the meaning behind his words and his expression. She stared blankly for a moment before breaking into a bright smile and softly responding, “Yes.”
Even though she said ‘yes,’ she wasn’t quite satisfied with how the word had felt as if it had been squeezed from her throat.
“If I’m with the Deity, it would be enjoyable.”
So, she squeezed her throat once more and said that…
—
The trip to America had been a good experience for Rise.
Through foreign travel, her perspective on the world widened, and her understanding of ‘other’ things deepened. Just as a frog stuck in one well cannot comprehend the world, a person confined to one place struggles to think freely. This journey would undoubtedly become nourishing for Rise’s life.
Separate from broadening her horizons, it also significantly benefited her spirit.
Due to Jinseong’s somewhat harsh teachings, her mental state couldn’t be deemed entirely healthy. Particularly because Jinseong said that Rise had a ‘seeker-like mentality.’
Having a seeker-like mentality meant she had a knack for understanding and embracing the topic through contemplation and meditation, and it suggested a temperament that could persist toward a grand goal without giving up—this could be an excellent trait if directed properly. However, if twisted, it could gnaw away at a person endlessly.
Moreover, while sorting through divine objects and magical records in a mysterious place, Rise unknowingly absorbed adverse effects from them.
Even with Jinseong’s help in blocking those influences, nothing was guaranteed perfect. Of course, curses or contamination were naturally fended off, but even mere fragments encountered during sorting were likely enough to exert a little toll on one’s spirit.
Even if they were not magical elements.
For instance, cursed divine objects made from human fetuses, or books crafted from human skin flayed alive, were deeply horrifying. They would certainly exhaust and irritate anyone, even without any magical elements attached.
Thus, the timing of this journey couldn’t have been more fitting.
It perfectly unraveled the accumulated toxicity of her spirit.
As evidence, Rise’s face brightened, and her speech became livelier, much like when she gossiped about a drama she loved.
Yet, they say where there is light, there is darkness.
In stark contrast to Rise’s improvement, there existed someone whose condition had deteriorated.
The Great Witch Odilia.
“….”
Odilia was curled up beneath her blanket.
She had pulled the blanket up over her head, tightly cocooning herself, curled up like a shrimp.
Perhaps because of the thin blanket, her posture was visible from the outside, with Odilia lying on her side, completely hunched in.
However, one stark difference from a shrimp was how clearly her hands were gripping the blanket tight.
Odilia held the blanket firmly.
It seemed to carry the unwavering will not to tolerate any attempts to expel her from this cozy refuge, claiming to herself that she wasn’t human but a shrimp and that this place was a small, precious space capable of healing her heart.
Desperation.
Yes, desperation was evident.
She seemed to be silently screaming for time to relieve her stress, humiliation, and fear.
Or perhaps she might think the outside was filled with danger.
“….”
No, it could just be her longing for just a moment’s peace in this country, America, which had left her with nothing but the worst experiences and impressions.
For Odilia, this trip to America had been a complete disaster.
Not just any disaster.
It was ‘truly’ the worst.
Without needing to mention what happened on the farm, the troubles that followed her everywhere were more than enough to send her mood plummeting.
Meeting Jinseong could be said not to have been a bad encounter, but—
“….”
The woman beside Jinseong, Rise, was not a pleasant meeting at all.
In fact, it was unequivocally a bad encounter.
Just looking at her vaguely reminded Odilia of a fox, with that bright smile and the undeniable feeling of strength she radiated.
Then there were those crazy eyes, filled with a hint of madness.
With her trauma regarding madness, Odilia despised becoming entangled with someone who had such eyes. Especially if that restrained madness seeped through their every gesture.
Furthermore, to play the fairy on the farm was—saying it was the worst wouldn’t even do it justice. It was nothing close to being merely watching a performance; she was the one putting on the act herself.
Particularly, doing that performance right in front of Jinseong made it all the worse.
“Why was it the worst, you ask?”
Well, you see.
Considering that Jinseong’s age was similar to that of Ella, whom she wasn’t fond of at all—acting like a child in front of young blood was nothing short of unseemly.
Perhaps there was even a sense of shame in having done such a thing in front of such an esteemed shaman and prophet.
If that had been where it ended, it would have been bearable.
But there were more nails to drive in her already frazzled mental state.
An enigmatic shaman had ambushed her.
The lights in the hotel went out simultaneously, the very space turned hostile, and bizarre sounds filled the air…
The worst.
How could this not be deemed the worst?
Thus, Odilia yearned for a refuge to relieve this stress.
A sanctuary where she could close her eyes and be freed from stress as if by magic.
