After the ruin.

The things that killed the most people were, of course, monsters like zombies.

But as time passed. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

After more and more people somehow survived the day of ruin, things became a little different.

It was still monsters that cut their lives short.

But the reason they died.

“Is it not an age with many wounded people?”

Was far more often.

The wounds of the mind.

'That was the part I paid the most attention to in the unit’s early days, too.'

My skill.

[Special Sauce] manipulates the emotions of those who eat it.

Even now, the food I made was probably being distributed through the Legion and its territory.

And through that food, I had managed the minds of the people within our territory.

The fact that no problems related to our unit had broken out was only because of that.

'...Even when I first went to Chuncheon.'

The city submerged in water.

Even though surviving there itself was not especially difficult.

There had been plenty of patients who had completely given up on everything and let their minds go.

“That building over there is an orphanage that cares for children who lost their parents. That one is a medicinal warehouse where we store medicinal ingredients, and most of what circulates from there is related to the mind.”

These people were different.

“Those whose mental wounds were too severe were in a state where they could not be called alive simply because their bodies still lived. After we gained enough strength to resist monsters to some degree... the first thing we had to do was treat those wounds.”

Buildings that, to my eyes, had seemed useless.

I had grown too accustomed to the Legion’s situation.

Because of that, I had ended up forgetting the part that even I had once been most concerned about.

“...The concept that binds us together as one. Religion is part of that... and also its core.”

But once I remembered that again.

I began to think that perhaps these very things were the reason they could form a force comparable to ours.

“Last time... when we said that we believed in Him, the system, I saw you frown a little.”

“...Ah, that was.”

“I am not saying this to criticize you. As Priest Lee Haein said, it is a part that can certainly seem strange.”

Of course it could.

In this ruined world, a new religion had suddenly appeared.

Even the object of worship was bizarre.

The first thing that had come to mind for me was a group of lunatics wearing the mask of religion.

“In truth, I was originally a Christian. But one day, the world became like this.”

But.

Contrary to what I had thought.

They did not particularly look like a group of madmen.

“Some people said the Lord had been disappointed in humans who did not believe in Him and had made the world this way. Hearing that, I thought. But I believed in Him and served Him. Why me, too? Even if I set myself aside, what about the children who died without sin? What sin had they committed?”

“.......”

“If the Lord had abandoned me, then why should I serve Him? That was what I thought. But do you know what was even more frightening? The opposite. If the almighty Lord had not abandoned us... then perhaps He had never existed in the first place. That thought.”

Rather, it was the opposite.

“It felt as if the mental world I had built over my entire life was collapsing. In a world like this, I lost confidence that I could keep living. I became certain that if things continued like this, the person I was would not survive. Physically or mentally.”

They were extremely rational people.

And precisely because they were rational.

“At that time, I received the teachings of the Church.”

As a means of survival.

They had chosen to worship the system.

Some people were mentally strong.

But even for them, enduring a world like this was not easy.

It had become a world where living was difficult unless you had somewhere to lean.

And.

“The Church was a place that became a home for people like that.”

This religion.

Was a place that provided exactly that place to lean.

A real existence that any awakened person knew.

Through that being who gave humanity power.

It told people that there was still somewhere they could rely on.

“Thanks to those teachings, my dying heart was treated, and I was able to survive.”

He looked once more at the buildings around us as he spoke.

“The doubts and distrust you hold are natural. I myself treated them like a cult at first.”

“.......”

“But... what saved me in the middle of the ruin was not the Lord, but a small, transparent rectangular window. It gave me a future in which I could live. You said that it might not be an existence worthy of faith, but.”

He stroked the window before his eyes as he spoke.

“Even if He truly is not a god, it does not matter. I was saved thanks to Him. That alone is reason enough to offer faith.”

At those words.

I quietly glanced around.

“.......”

“Ahem.”

The soldiers who had been listening seemed to have mostly been thinking the same thing I had.

After hearing the detailed explanation, they scratched their heads awkwardly.

And.

“...Pitiful people.”

And.

The person who had shown more hostility toward them than anyone else.

Jeong Sua was looking at them seriously.

***

In any case, like that.

The soldiers and I were guided into the Church’s inner grounds.

As we moved, I carefully examined the surrounding geography so I would not forget it.

“This is the place where the coronation is scheduled to be held.”

Soon.

We reached an enormous building.

“Whoa....”

I looked up at it with my eyes wide.

Because, well.

'The scale is just....'

It was a huge building, large enough that it did not fall far short even compared to the vimana.

Then.

Seeing my reaction, David opened his mouth in a slightly proud tone.

“The priests of the Church... those who received the grace of production-type classes, created this building with that grace.”

“...Ah.”

“In a world that has become like this, I do wonder whether it has any meaning, but we take pride in the fact that it is a building beyond comparison with any famous cathedral in the world.”

Just as he said.

It was a building shaped like a massive cathedral.

And this cathedral was not merely large. Its exterior was also extremely ornate and sacred-looking.

On top of that.

'...Looking closely, it’s fortified in places.'

Its practical combat utility in case of emergencies.

Seemed to have been prepared without a single gap.

“Tch. Not bad.”

Lee Sanga, the team leader in charge of our unit’s production-type members, was looking at it while clicking her tongue.

'He said they were priests.'

This was the construction of a building that would become the center of the faith they believed in.

Awakened people who already had outstanding abilities had performed the work with religious conviction added on top.

In the most literal sense, it was probably a building they had poured their souls into making.

“Then if you come this way... that would be fine, but.”

At that moment.

David looked around with a slightly troubled expression and spoke.

“...Could the Legion members wait around here?”

At those words.

Corporal Seo Suhyeok frowned and said,

“Wait here? If that was the plan, we would not have come as escorts in the first place.”

“Ah, yes, I understand that part.”

With a heavy thud.

The massive cathedral doors opened.

“...But it is not a space large enough for all of you to move through at once.”

A corridor with many people moving about.

...Just because the building itself was large did not mean the corridors inside had to be wide.

Because of the people already busy preparing something, the interior was in a chaotic state with people moving around everywhere.

It was not a corridor that could accommodate every Legion member we had brought in a rush.

“...You’re not telling us to dismiss all the escorts, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Private Lee Byungmin. Take the soldiers and wait nearby. The personnel who will come with us are....”

Like that.

Leaving only several dozen soldiers with us.

We entered the building.

“...It’s a little late to ask this now.”

I watched the people bustling around as if preparing something for a moment.

Then I scratched my head and said,

“After you hold that coronation thing, you really will come under the Legion... right?”

Now that we were right in front of it, I found myself wondering whether that was really true.

These enormous facilities, and even a temple like this.

It did not feel real that a force of this size would come under me just because my level was the highest.

“To be precise, it is slightly different.”

“...What?”

At David’s words.

I was startled, wondering if they were changing their story now.

“Not under the Legion. Under you, Sergeant Shin Youngjun.”

“...Ah, so that’s what you meant.”

Fortunately.

It seemed they had not lied.

'I’m the guild master, so I do wonder whether those two things are really different... but they still know Lieutenant General Kim Hyeon-seok as the guild master.'

From their perspective, the difference between those two statements seemed fairly significant.

But then.

“...I know this is discourteous.”

David, who was guiding us, lowered his voice slightly.

A voice so quiet.

“We have already identified, through a certain method, roughly what your level is.”

Unlike just before, when Legion members had been surrounding us on all sides.

Now that we were walking through a narrow corridor.

There was a very slight distance between me and the other Legion members.

'...Is he trying to keep the other Legion members from hearing?'

Using that gap.

David spoke to me in a voice so small that even the Legion members with superhuman hearing would not be able to hear it.

“...I know.”

In this age, peeking at another awakened person’s information was certainly a discourteous method.

But even so.

I was not shameless enough to call him out for being rude over that.

“An unbelievably high level... Everyone who heard it thought they must have misheard.”

In any case.

He continued speaking to me in that still-careful voice.

“You must surely have faced many crises where you could have lost your life by now.”

“Well, yeah. It’s that kind of world.”

“My God. No matter how dangerous the world has become, it is not common for someone to experience enough crises to reach a level as high as yours.”

“......?”

By the way.

Why was a guy this huge suddenly leaning in and whispering to me like this?

It was a little burdensome, and also puzzling.

“...In truth, I observed you on the way here. I saw familiar signs.”

But.

He continued speaking carefully in that same low voice.

“The way your gaze turned several times as you examined the surroundings closely. The way you looked around, even if it meant slowing your steps, as though trying not to miss even the smallest thing.”

What came out of his mouth...

Was something I had not expected.

“Excessive concentration of attention and physical tension... I saw signs of checking compulsion, one symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

“What?”

“It may be temporary anxiety, but it was not behavior suited to a situation where you were being escorted by many unit members. It is something often seen in people suffering from panic disorder, or PTSD.”

...Obsessive-compulsive disorder?

PTSD?

“From what I saw, Sergeant Shin Youngjun, you appear to be suffering from several mental issues. In addition to what I mentioned... I noticed that you seemed, unconsciously, to be afraid of something, or to be on guard to an excessive degree.”

Regarding what he was saying.

I did have some guesses.

'...There was what happened in Seoul, too. Since Lieutenant General Kim isn’t here right now, I was trying to learn the surroundings in case something happened.'

Because of that.

Just as he had said, I had been looking around here and there.

But it seemed David’s thoughts on seeing that were a little different.

“If I am mistaken, then that would be best. But your excessively high level... and the mental issues visible even to me.”

“...What is this all of a sudden?”

“There is only one reason I can think of that could explain this situation.”

So the other Legion members would not hear.

While maintaining an ordinary attitude.

He opened his mouth in a very small, slightly grief-stricken voice.

“In the process of following Lieutenant General Kim Hyeon-seok’s orders... did you not experience many terrible things?”