“Simbol Keabadian punya banyak musuh.”
Itu adalah fakta yang diketahui semua orang.
“Seberapa kejam mereka memperlakukan warga?”
“Kau benar. Orang-orang celaka itu benar-benar sombong dan egois; mereka bahkan tidak mendengarkan orang-orang di sekitar kita.”
“Mereka mencoba menguasai dunia dengan kekuatan yang mereka miliki. Bukankah itu menggelikan? Seolah-olah kekuatan itu pada akhirnya bukan berasal dari Potret, namun mereka berjalan dengan begitu angkuhnya.”
“Ungkapan ‘meminjam kekuatan harimau’ sangat cocok untuk mereka.”
Memang benar bahwa Simbol Keabadian telah menindas dunia dengan kejam. Mereka berkali-kali mengoperasikan laboratorium Asosiasi—laboratorium yang penuh dengan eksperimen tidak etis; mereka mengorbankan manusia demi misteri besar yang disebut taman; mereka mengendalikan dunia sesuka hati mereka.
Bohong jika mengatakan tindakan itu tidak membantu sama sekali, tetapi bagi para eksekutif Potret, fakta semacam itu tidak penting. Yang mereka butuhkan hanyalah dalih, dan musuh dari musuh yang akan menghadapi target mereka.
Dalam pengertian itu, situasi saat ini cukup luar biasa. Hal-hal yang selama ini ditoleransi di permukaan, di bawah kepercayaan warga, kini akan muncul ke permukaan.
“Untungnya, karena hukuman ilahi, Presiden Asosiasi Dan Haera dan Tuan Guild Jung Haewoon menghilang.”
“Menghilang, pantatku. Mereka pasti sudah mati—pasti diseret ke neraka.”
“Mereka berani mengubah dewa yang mulia menjadi sesuatu yang vulgar seperti sistem, jadi tentu saja Dia menjadi marah. Itu pasti kebenaran di balik insiden ‘Taman Kenikmatan’ ini.”
“Dan membayangkan mereka bahkan mencoba menghapus Dia sepenuhnya dari dunia… sungguh tindakan yang tidak sopan!”
Mereka memandang dengan tidak senang ke arah Simbol Keabadian yang telah mencuri kesempatan mereka untuk menerima kasih sayang sang dewa. Bukankah mereka adalah makhluk yang paling cocok untuk memasuki utopia Potret, mereka yang berhak? Siapa yang membuat makhluk mulia itu—yang mengenakan kulit manusia—menjadi dewa….
Sudah sangat terlambat, tetapi sekarang, akhirnya, waktu telah tiba bagi usaha dan pengabdian mereka untuk dibalas.
“Sungguh beruntung—keberuntungan yang dikirim dari surga oleh sang dewa. Dan Justitia—pemimpin menjijikkan dari orang-orang keji itu—kini juga telah jatuh tertidur. Mereka bilang tidak ada yang tahu kapan dia bisa bangun.”
“Jika terserah padaku, aku ingin menghabisinya saat dia tidur dengan tenang, tapi….”
“Ahem, tunggu. Pekerjaan besar bukanlah sesuatu yang bisa kau selesaikan dalam semalam.”
“Itu benar. Kita harus berhati-hati. Seberapa baik pemimpin guild Justitia mengelola citranya? Jika kita membuat kesalahan, kata-kata aneh bisa mulai menyebar.”
“Masalah apa yang mungkin timbul dari beberapa cacing yang menggerutu?”
“Prioritas kita adalah menarik dewa mulia kita keluar dari lumpur. Kita tidak boleh membiarkan keributan muncul dalam proses itu. Tahan diri kalian, tahan diri kalian.”
“Grr… meski begitu….”
Pemimpin guild Justitia telah menentang mereka berkali-kali. Betapa menjijikkannya khotbah terus-menerus tentang keadilan itu. Pada akhirnya, dia hanya menjaga otoritasnya sendiri, namun dia tidak pernah berhenti bersikap seperti orang baik.
Para eksekutif Potret, khususnya, telah diserang berkali-kali oleh Justitia karena hal-hal seperti pajak dan korupsi. Mereka sudah kesal, dan begitu ingatan mereka kembali, itu menjadi lebih tidak menyenangkan. Seolah-olah dia sendiri begitu bersih—padahal jika dilihat, dia tidak.
“Tidak peduli bagaimana aku memikirkannya, untuk memanfaatkan kesempatan yang diberikan dewa ini dan melaksanakan perbuatan besar…”
“Jika kita sehati-hati ini dan pemimpin guild Justitia bangun, bagaimana kita akan menanganinya? Bisakah kita menangani wanita yang menyebalkan itu?”
“Jika itu si tukang ikut campur itu, dia pasti akan ikut campur dalam urusan Potret juga. Dan dia adalah penganut awal yang menciptakan Potret—dia memiliki dalih dan legitimasi.”
“Yang satu itu tidak bisa dibujuk, kau tahu itu. Daripada membiarkannya mengoceh omong kosong dan menghalangi pekerjaan kita, saat dia sedang lemah seperti ini….”
Pada saat itu, pria tua itu memukul meja dengan ringan, membungkam semua orang.
“Cukup.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Aku mengerti sepenuhnya apa maksudmu.”
Dia adalah mantan kepala perusahaan SW.
“Aku juga tidak buta akan kecemasan itu. Dia akan menjadi penghalang besar—jika tidak sekarang, maka kapan pun dia pasti akan menjadi benih najis yang bisa merusak dan menghalangi tanah ideal Potret.”
“Kalau begitu….”
“Kebetulan, aku sudah menyiapkan sesuatu ke arah itu.”
Sebuah rencana yang sederhana—dan rumit.
* * *
Cha Eun-hye mengusap dagunya.
“…….”
Mantan kepala perusahaan SW itu mengajukan satu proposal.
‘Aku akan memberimu item yang bisa memulihkan pemimpin guild Justitia, jadi maukah kau memberiku kesempatan untuk bertemu dengan Potret?’
Sekilas, itu terdengar seperti proposal yang masuk akal.
Mantan kepala perusahaan SW itu adalah seseorang yang juga diingat oleh Cha Eun-hye. Dulu, sebagai eksekutif Potret, dia menunjukkan obsesi yang sangat besar. Cha Eun-hye, satu-satunya yang masih mengingat hari-hari itu, juga telah berusaha mengurangi pengaruhnya, tetapi dia bukanlah tipe orang yang mudah dipatahkan.
‘Dan pada akhirnya dia menjadi kepala konglomerat besar, dan sekarang… dia membawakanku proposal seperti ini.’
Cha Eun-hye tidak menelan mentah-mentah proposal ini.
“…Apakah sudah dipastikan?”
“Ya, Yang Mulia.”
“Dan itemnya?”
“Tidak ada yang aneh dengannya, tetapi untuk memulihkan pemimpin guild Justitia sepenuhnya….”
“Itu tidak cukup?”
“Tapi itu akan sangat membantu dalam memulihkan stamina.”
“Rasanya kita sedang bermain permainan probabilitas.”
Mereka telah menuangkan segala macam item, tetapi kondisi Seo Seohui tidak membaik. Jika itu hanya cedera biasa, mungkin, tetapi kondisinya memburuk dari waktu ke waktu. Dia ingin menyelamatkan temannya, yang membusuk karena segala macam kutukan dan penyakit, tetapi pemulihan dengan item biasa tidak mungkin dilakukan.
Jadi dalam situasi saat ini, bahkan “pemulihan stamina” itu adalah sesuatu yang patut disyukuri.
‘Itu sudah pasti.’
Yang membuatnya penasaran adalah—
‘Mengapa aku?’
Saat ini, baik Hunter Seo Jio maupun Potret Gio tidak dikelola oleh pemerintah; keduanya berada di bawah pengawasan Kolektor. Jika dia harus menetapkan alasan, itu adalah “karena presiden yang bercita-cita menjadi idola lebih mudah daripada Kolektor,” tapi… rasanya masih tidak nyaman jika hanya menganggapnya seperti itu.
‘Tentu saja, ini adalah tawaran yang memadai untuk harga yang memadai. Bahkan jika kita mendapatkan kesempatan untuk bertemu dengan Potret, probabilitas guru akan bertemu dengannya secara pribadi tidak tinggi. Mereka bilang dia bahkan tidak akan keluar saat teman-temannya berkunjung… jadi mengapa dia harus maju dan merespons dengan ramah hanya karena aku terlibat.’
Dia akan memulihkan kondisi temannya yang koma bahkan sedikit saja, sebagai ganti mengoordinasikan pertemuan yang memiliki peluang gagal tinggi.
Bahkan terlihat pihak ini membuat kesepakatan yang sedikit lebih baik, tetapi di sisi lain, dia akan memberi seorang fanatik kesempatan untuk bersentuhan dengan dewa. Itu bisa dilihat sebagai pertukaran yang kira-kira setara.
Tapi ada sesuatu yang terasa ganjil.
“…….”
Para penganut Potret ingin menghilangkan emosi manusia dari ‘Potret Gio.’
‘Kontak ini kemungkinan adalah upaya yang terkait dengan hal itu.’
Memicu perubahan dalam kedewataan bukanlah hal yang mudah. Terutama bukan untuk misteri sebesar ‘Potret Gio.’ Dan orang biasa yang bahkan bukan pekebun, bukan pula Awakener? Mustahil.
Jadi bahkan jika mereka bertemu, satu-satunya hal yang bisa dilakukan penganut Potret adalah persuasi.
‘Tidak, ada metode lain… tapi tetap saja, itu bukan metode yang bisa digunakan dalam situasi saat ini.’
Karena dikatakan dia telah memperoleh emosi manusia, hal terbaik yang bisa mereka lakukan adalah menyentuh bagian itu.
‘…Itu memang membuatku khawatir. Sekarang setelah guru mempelajari emosi biasa, dia akan bereaksi lebih sensitif terhadap rangsangan luar daripada sebelumnya, dan dalam kasus itu, bahkan kesalahan kecil bisa membawa bencana.’
Tetapi mereka adalah orang-orang yang membenci kedewataan mulia mereka memiliki emosi manusia. Mereka bahkan ngeri dengan insiden saat ini—apakah mereka benar-benar akan melakukan sesuatu yang mengerikan dengan tangan mereka sendiri? Probabilitasnya tidak tinggi.
‘Bahkan jika mereka tidak ngeri, sebagai penganut Potret, mereka yang berpikir seperti itu akan menjadi minoritas. Sebagian besar Potret adalah fanatik, dan dia adalah salah satu dari sedikit eksekutif yang mengendalikan mereka… dan bahkan jika dia seorang eksekutif, dia masih harus memperhatikan suasana hati para penganut.’
Jika tidak, mereka akan kehilangan dalih dalam mengendalikan para penganut. Itu akan seperti secara terbuka menempatkan diri mereka pada level yang sama dengan orang-orang tidak sopan yang berani menyeret dewa ke posisi manusia—bagaimana mereka akan menanggung akibat dari pilihan seperti itu?
‘Tentu saja, ada juga cara untuk melakukannya tanpa sepengetahuan para penganut.’
Dan itulah yang sebenarnya menjadi kekhawatirannya. Sikap apa yang akan dia tunjukkan terhadap kedewataan dengan emosi, sebagai eksekutif Potret—atau sebagai individu. Dan bagaimana itu akan memengaruhi keseimbangan kekuatan saat ini.
“…Apa yang sedang kau pikirkan?”
“…….”
“Jadwalkan pertemuan dengan mantan kepala perusahaan SW. Setelah itu, dengan tuan guild Kolektor.”
“Ya, Yang Mulia.”
“Aku perlu bicara.”
Dia memutuskan untuk menerima item yang ditawarkan mantan kepala perusahaan SW itu.
Karena dia memiliki teman yang jika tidak, akan segera mati.
Chapter 404
“The Symbols of Eternity have many enemies.”
It was a fact everyone knew.
“How harshly did they treat the citizens?”
“You speak the truth. Those wretches were truly arrogant and selfish; they didn’t even listen to people around them like us.”
“They tried to rule the world with the power they had. Isn’t it laughable? As if that very power wasn’t received from the Portrait in the end, yet they strutted about so brazenly.”
“The phrase ‘borrowing a tiger’s might’ suits them perfectly.”
It was true that the Symbols of Eternity had driven the world harshly. They operated the Association’s laboratories countless times—labs full of unethical experiments; they offered humans to the enormous mystery called a garden; they controlled the world however they pleased.
It would be a lie to say those actions were of no help at all, but to the Portrait executives, such facts were not important. What they needed was a pretext, and an enemy of an enemy who would face their target.
In that sense, the current situation was quite excellent. The things that had been tolerated on the surface, under the citizens’ trust, would now rise above the water.
“Fortunately, by divine punishment, Association President Dan Haera and Guild Master Jung Haewoon are missing.”
“Missing, my ass. They’re surely dead—surely dragged down to hell.”
“They dared to turn the noble god into something vulgar like a system, so of course He has grown angry. That must be the truth of this ‘Garden of Pleasure’ incident.”
“And to think they even tried to erase Him from the world entirely… what an irreverent act!”
They looked with displeasure at the Symbols of Eternity who had stolen from them the chance to receive the god’s favoritism. Weren’t they the very beings most suited to enter the Portrait’s utopia, the rightful ones? Who was it that made that noble being—who wore the skin of a human—into a god….
It was far too late, but now, at last, the time had come for their efforts and devotion to be repaid.
“It truly is fortunate—heaven-sent luck granted by the god. And Justitia—the loathsome leader of those vile wretches—has now fallen into sleep as well. They say no one knows when she will be able to wake.”
“If it were up to me, I’d like to deal with her while she sleeps quietly, but….”
“Ahem, wait. A great undertaking is not something you can accomplish overnight.”
“That’s right. We must be cautious. How well has Justitia’s guild leader managed her image? If we make a mistake, strange words could start to spread.”
“What problem could there be with a few worms grumbling?”
“Our priority is to pull our noble god out of the mudflat. We must not allow noise to arise in that process. Restrain yourselves, restrain yourselves.”
“Grr… even so….”
Justitia’s guild leader had opposed them countless times. How disgusting that constant preaching about justice was. In the end, she was only guarding her own authority, yet she never stopped acting like a good person.
The Portrait executives, in particular, had been attacked many times by Justitia over things like taxes and corruption. They’d already been irritated, and once their memories returned, it became even more unpleasant. As if she were so clean herself—when you look at it, she wasn’t.
“No matter how I think about it, to seize this opportunity the god has given and carry out the great deed…”
“If we’re this cautious and Justitia’s guild leader wakes up, how will we handle that? Can we even handle that annoying woman?”
“If it’s that meddlesome busybody, she will definitely interfere in the Portrait’s affairs too. And she was an early believer who created the Portrait—she has both pretext and legitimacy.”
“That one can’t be persuaded, you know it. Rather than let her spout nonsense and obstruct our work, while she’s weakened like this….”
At that, the old man lightly struck the table, silencing everyone.
“Enough.”
“…….”
“…….”
“I understand perfectly what you mean.”
He was the former head of an SW company.
“I am not ignorant of that anxiety, either. He will be a great obstacle—if not right now, then at any time he will surely be an impure seed who can ruin and obstruct the Portrait’s ideal land.”
“Then….”
“As it happens, I am already preparing something in that direction.”
A simple—and complicated—plan.
* * *
Cha Eun-hye rubbed her chin.
“…….”
The former head of the SW company made a single proposal.
‘I will give you an item that can restore Justitia’s guild leader, so will you not grant me an opportunity to meet the Portrait?’
At first glance, it sounded like a reasonable proposal.
The former head of the SW company was someone Cha Eun-hye also remembered. Once, as a Portrait executive, he had shown an enormous obsession. Cha Eun-hye, the only one who still remembered those days, had also worked to reduce his influence, but he was not the sort of person to be broken so easily.
‘And in the end he became the head of a major conglomerate, and now… he brings me a proposal like this.’
Cha Eun-hye did not take this proposal at face value.
“…Has it been ascertained?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“And the item?”
“There is nothing strange about it, but to fully restore Justitia’s guild leader….”
“It’s insufficient?”
“But it will be of sufficient help in restoring stamina.”
“Feels like we’re playing a probability game.”
They had poured in all kinds of items, but Seo Seohui’s condition was not improving. If it were a simple injury, perhaps, but his state was worsening by the moment. She wanted to save her friend, rotting away from every kind of curse and disease, but recovery with ordinary items was impossible.
So in the current situation, even that “stamina recovery” was something to be grateful for.
‘That much is certain.’
What she was curious about was—
‘Why me?’
At present, neither Hunter Seo Jio nor Gio’s portrait was being managed by the government; both were under the Collector’s custody. If she had to assign a reason, it would be “because an idol-aspiring president is easier than the Collector,” but… it still felt uncomfortable to chalk it up to only that.
‘Of course, it’s an adequate offer for an adequate price. Even if we gain a chance to encounter the Portrait, the probability that teacher will personally meet him isn’t high. They say he won’t even come out when his friends visit… so why would he step up and respond kindly just because I’m involved.’
She would recover her comatose friend’s condition even a little, in exchange for coordinating a meeting that had a high chance of failing.
It even looked like this side was making a slightly better deal, but in another sense, she would be giving a fanatic an opportunity to come into contact with a god. It could be seen as a roughly equal exchange.
But something felt off.
“…….”
The Portrait’s believers want to remove human emotion from ‘Gio’s Portrait.’
‘This contact is likely an attempt related to that.’
Inducing change in a divinity is no easy thing. Especially not for a mystery as enormous as ‘Gio’s Portrait.’ And an ordinary person who isn’t even a gardener, nor an awakened one? Impossible.
So even if they met, the only thing a Portrait believer could do would be persuasion.
‘No, there are other methods… but even so, they aren’t methods that can be used in the current situation.’
Since it was said he had gained human emotions, the best they could do would be to touch that part.
‘…That does worry me. Now that teacher has learned ordinary emotions, he’ll react more sensitively to outside stimuli than before, and in that case, even a small mistake could bring disaster.’
But these are people who loathe their noble divinity having human emotions. They were even horrified by the present incident—would they truly do something horrific with their own hands? The probability was not high.
‘Even if they weren’t horrified, as Portrait believers, those who think that way would be a minority. Most of the Portrait are fanatics, and he is one of the few executives who controls them… and even if he’s an executive, he still has to watch the believers’ mood.’
Otherwise, they would lose their pretext in controlling the believers. It would be like openly placing themselves on the same level as irreverent people who dare to drag a god down to the human position—how would they bear the aftermath of such a choice?
‘Of course, there is also a way to do it without the believers knowing.’
And that was exactly her concern. What attitude he would show toward a divinity with emotions, as a Portrait executive—or as an individual. And how that would affect the current balance of power.
“…What are you thinking?”
“…….”
“Schedule a meeting with the former head of the SW company. After that, with the Collector guild master.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“I need to talk.”
She decided to accept the item the former head of the SW company offered.
Because she had a friend who would soon die otherwise.
* * *
“Mm….”
Bisabeol smiled thinly.
“He says he wants to see our son.”
“Excuse me, but I really hate hearing that remark. Are you doing it on purpose?”
“How could I dare, in any safe sense, offend Your Excellency?”
“…….”
Cha Eun-hye, who had been silent for a moment while smiling, soon continued her questions.
“First… I want to ask whether it’s a possible proposal.”
“I believe we must ask our son.”
“But even asking would require a price, wouldn’t it.”
“Haha, well….”
Bisabeol, rubbing his chin, tilted his head.
“I understand your intent. It is true that our guild does not have an item capable of restoring Justitia’s guild leader to her original state. We can produce a similar effect, but the side effects are severe beyond that….”
“That taste of yours, collecting only such dangerous things, is still hard to sympathize with.”
“As befits someone who used that taste to create the greatest trash can on Earth, what a modest remark. In any case, if it’s the SW company, the item should be trustworthy. They are a strong company in that field.”
The SW company was a pharmaceutical company that specialized in developing recovery items. It didn’t just make them; it also collected various recovery items, so it would have plenty of information on them as well. If they hadn’t played some trick, there truly were few recovery items of that caliber.
Yes—if they hadn’t played some trick.
“But if you’ve gone so far as to schedule a meeting with me, I suppose its safety has been proven.”
“There is no issue with the medicine. The conclusion is that it has no rejection reaction even with Justitia’s guild leader.”
“And with only the medicine made by the SW company, full recovery would be difficult.”
“As you guessed. It will prevent the immediate worst and restore stamina beyond that. But since the current situation is one where we should be grateful for even that, we….”
“So you came to trade.”
Bisabeol laughed softly.
“I believe I have a rather close relationship with Your Excellency, do I not?”
“…I consider you one of my few trump cards.”
“Oh, then. Of course.”
It wasn’t widely known, but Cha Eun-hye and Bisabeol’s connection was quite old. The two had faced each other even before Seo Jio became a god, and after the ‘Eternal Promise’ was made, they were people who met from time to time along with the three heroes.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly a trustworthy relationship. It began as bad blood, and above all, Bisabeol’s personality was fairly filthy. But Bisabeol became a sated dragon as he gathered his collectibles. Now, he was among the people who could be considered, in his own way, reliable.
“You know I’ve treated you well all this time, right, ajussi?”
“I do. Of course, I know.”
Bisabeol was a man with a dangerously troubling taste and ability from a pan-national perspective. But Cha Eun-hye trusted Bisabeol—more precisely, his greed—and Bisabeol had, as befits that, managed dangerous objects splendidly.
He was generous to his works, yet did not cross the minimum line. Because he knew that only then could his hobby be afforded consideration on the national level. It went without saying that because Cha Eun-hye yielded, the process was carried out moderately.
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!