The next day, Heavenly Demon came as if nothing had happened.
From Heavenly Demon’s view, seeing how she doesn’t seem to care much about me, she must have thought as I hoped.
I can generally guess why.
Whether it’s a dragon that flies across clouds spreading rain then disappearing, a tiger that can eat all living creatures in deep forests, smallpox that leaves scars even if children survive, or a monster shivering from cold from a strange world – they’re all the same thing.
Rather, if asked to choose the dangerous one, the perception is so different that people would immediately choose smallpox.
It’s a perspective on who kills more people. If you explain abstract things without a foundation for understanding, it ends up as strange talk.
A nuclear bomb and an eternally burning candle without fuel.
To the question of which is scarier, the less physics knowledge someone has, the more likely they’ll choose the nuclear bomb, while those with physics knowledge would choose the flame.
Actually, such a thing exists in our house’s fireplace.
Seeing how Heavenly Demon and Soo-oh don’t sense anything too strange, it seems it’s not even consuming qi as an unknown energy.
Anyway, Heavenly Demon doesn’t seem to think too seriously about me.
So today too continues like before.
It would be good if Soo-oh grows stronger this way, but it’s too wasteful to just spend time like this.
Maybe because the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult controls things, but even though I left an image as someone who heals disabilities at Jeonyang’s funeral, nobody comes.
Choseol’s age is still around 14.
There is time, but.
Perhaps it would be better to create a close relationship with Heavenly Demon and act with her backing.
The problem is that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is a religion.
Religion can’t just leave other gods be. Even polytheistic religions keep their main deity as is, but downgrade incoming deities and incorporate them by mixing in their own color.
Like in the faded memories when Buddhism spread to Hinduism, and Buddha became an avatar of Vishnu.
I don’t mind being under someone at all. But what makes me hesitate is that I can’t control things if that happens.
Last time when I didn’t control at all, it spread enormously, then because of that the world broke.
No, who could have known that when harvesters increased, the glass bottle wouldn’t hold and would break?
To limit that, a secret society that’s secretive and benefits only its members – for example, an organization like the Freemasons would be most ideal.
If I use healing as bait to draw in politicians, high-ranking officials, or the wealthy and make them harvesters, the warmth of all the people they kill would come to me.
Creating a structure that can run itself like this is the homework I need to solve.
Huh? This is completely like a heretic simulator…
Seems about right.
How can I really create an automatic warmth harvesting system in this second world?
While pondering that, I watched Heavenly Demon and Soo-oh repeating certain movements in the yard.
From after lunch until before dinner.
Of course, they’re not the only ones training. I exercise separately too.
But not movements that need internal energy like what Soo-oh does, just exercise to move the body.
Especially, I run a lot.
I run around this area in circles like when I circled the rock desert in Rebecca’s time.
The difference from Rebecca’s time is that since Choseol is tall, running isn’t boring because the speed is faster too.
And whether the genes are different, I can run very fast and for a long time without getting tired easily.
Of course, compared to Soo-oh who jumps around like flying using qi techniques called walking methods, I’m extremely slow.
That can’t be helped.
After finishing exercise like that, Heavenly Demon goes back, and Soo-oh and I prepare dinner together. Though there’s no immediate problem with food since the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult sends food supplies, they’re just ingredients so we need to cook.
So preparing meals, eating, cleaning up takes until midnight.
Here, since there’s nothing to do, we sleep early when the sun sets.
Days pass like that, one day, two days.
Before we knew it, it got chilly, and finally white crystals started falling from the sky.
Snow.
Winter has come.
The waterside visible below the cliff is frozen solid white, and the trees visible to the north are covered white with snow. Breath comes out when breathing, and we need to wear thick clothes.
The fortunate thing is that the house isn’t cold.
The flame in the fireplace remains the same as always. Of course, since it’s not an ondol structure, only the wall in the direction of the fireplace is warm.
It should be enough to get through winter.
An interesting point is that I’m the only one who pays attention to that flame. Even if we say Heavenly Demon doesn’t know since she’s only here briefly, even Soo-oh has never looked at the flame for long.
I’m a bit worried about Soo-oh.
What if she says something like “Wasn’t fire supposed to keep burning once lit?”
Actually, to maintain such a flame all winter, there should be firewood piled up on one side of the house right now. Soo-oh probably doesn’t know this fact.
Maybe I should make a bonfire somewhere else sometime.
While keeping in mind what Soo-oh needs to learn, I watch the daily life that continues every day.
“Let qi flow faster here. If you stretch it out, qi might backflow and rupture your blood vessels.”
“Yes, Master!”
Soo-oh and Heavenly Demon are getting along well today too.
It’s one thing that Soo-oh has grown attached to Heavenly Demon, but Heavenly Demon’s attitude has become very gentle.
In other words, Heavenly Demon has grown attached to Soo-oh.
Hehe.
Very good.
Once attachment forms, it’s hard to separate. Just by being near that, I receive benefits too.
It’s only been half a year but she fell so easily. Honestly, I worry whether Heavenly Demon can properly lead the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Well.
Being alone from the start and becoming alone after losing someone are different.
They say it’s ultimately people who fill loneliness, right?
Heavenly Demon doesn’t privately meet anyone separately at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult headquarters unless it’s for work. Then this place must be private.
How foolish.
Anyway. One.
Maybe because Heavenly Demon only works when at headquarters, surprisingly her evaluation internally isn’t bad.
Rather, it’s good.
Yes.
Surprisingly so.
Looking through the eyes of Byeongil or Heaven Palace Hall’s, among the hall masters, there’s no one particularly hostile to Heavenly Demon now.
Rather, when hall masters meet, they talk about being glad that Heavenly Demon is acting like a proper Heavenly Demon, or that Jeonyang should have died earlier.
From my view, it’s honestly amazing the hall masters are still alive when more than half of the 10 halls had incidents of rebellion against Heavenly Demon.
I thought she would execute at least one person as an example, but there’s no resistance since it’s treated like nothing happened. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult quickly returned to normal, and things flow without incident.
In other words, it means there are no major incidents.
Then how about the subordinates…
They accepted Heavenly Demon more readily than expected.
That’s how it looks from the perspective of Gapjae and ordinary-born harvesters from Heaven Palace Hall Master’s side, and the harvester who gave us fruit at Jeonyang’s funeral.
Some think Heavenly Demon completely changed into a different person, some say heaven helped, there are various diverse opinions, but generally the conclusion is the same.
They say it’s much better compared to when Jeonyang was around.
Rather, they say only Jeonyang was bad, and some even say everything returned to normal because that person died. It’s very funny as it’s like the reaction to the death of a seductress who was confusing the king.
They only curse Jeonyang.
Yes.
There’s no mention of Heavenly Demon.
As if it’s something that shouldn’t be spoken of, they only say the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is a good place to live now.
Not just in open places, but even in tavern drinking sessions and drinking at their own homes, they don’t say a single word about Heavenly Demon except praising her management.
I’m curious how they view someone who changed so drastically in both gender and appearance, but it’s disappointing that I can’t see their reactions.
I sense worship and fear towards the object of their devotion from them.
That’s probably why they don’t say anything about Heavenly Demon except praise and admiration.
Honestly, it’s disappointing.
If it’s a world of the strong, there should be chaos to become strong. But here there are only livestock satisfied with their rank.
All harvesters could become Heavenly Demon but no one tries.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is a very static place.
I tried to shake it up once, but failed… Rather than time just passing without gaining anything, should I really go outside?
Soo-oh follows Heavenly Demon, and Heavenly Demon cares for Soo-oh.
I can go alone.
I looked down at my body, then looked again at the forest visible far away.
Outside the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Far away. Very far away.
After crossing the forest and reaching the city, then crossing cities several more times, you reach that place.
Oh Myeongseong is there.
He often eats spirit medicine or sits in meditation where there are many monks.
Each time, my inclusion rate rises then stops. Even if he becomes a harvester, he’ll only give warmth when he dies, so I wish he’d become a harvester quickly.
Maybe because he’s not completely mine, I don’t get warmth even when Oh Myeongseong kills people.
Sometimes the view has no sound, or only sound, or only shows inside the body. It shakes like being in a place with poor communication.
Still, I learned one thing.
That an incomplete state exists.
In other words, if this state continues for long, there’s a possibility of developing means to oppose me.
It’s a problem I’ve never thought about before.
There was some arrogance somewhere too.
That no one could stop me injecting myself into light.
But if it can be stopped, someday I could be driven out too. It means I need to be delicate in making harvesters too.
I should be careful. After all, I’m still just in a position of receiving food from the bottom.
Still, I need to go outside even if it means taking risks. Where Oh Myeongseong lives, there are good people, ordinary people, and bad people.
Such a chaotic place is where I can easily gather people.
But rushing in blindly would be stupid.
I need to build up strength until I can fend off some degree of danger.
At least, after this body grows to look like an adult…
Then I’ll go outside.