The Best Cure for Those Returnees is a Beating

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Just before the Celestial Lady called Kwon Tae-ho.

Kwon Tae-ho had turned over the Truth Church’s watcher who was attached to Choi Jin-seo to the police and requested an emergency search warrant for the Truth Church headquarters.

However, the response he received was a rejection.

The police said they couldn’t issue a warrant based solely on Choi Jin-seo’s statement, prompting Kwon Tae-ho to leave the station, insisting he would do things his way.

“How did it go?”

“They told me not to meddle unnecessarily with religious organizations.”

It seemed the officer had pocketed some money from the Truth Church, which made Kwon Tae-ho grumble. Yoo Seol asked him.

“Are you still going?”

“Of course. It’s not like I need a warrant to barge in there, right?”

Essentially, warrantless seizures and searches are only permissible for prosecutors or judicial police officers.

However, in urgent situations, enforcers have the authority for warrantless searches aimed at arresting or detaining suspects. The criteria for what constitutes an ‘urgent situation’ are not separately defined.

In other words, it’s a case of “as you hang it on your ear, it’s earrings; as you hook it on your nose, it’s nose rings.”

“Just like always, we’ll go with pre-emptive measures and sort it out after. Let’s leave the aftermath to you, assistant.”

“Yes, well. It’s not like this is surprising anymore.”

– Ring ring!

Just then, Kwon Tae-ho’s phone started ringing. The number displayed was unfamiliar.

“Hello? Is this brother Kwon Tae-ho?”

“……Is this the Truth Church?”

Normally, he would have hung up thinking it was some suspicious religious solicitation, but under the current circumstances, there was only one person to call him “brother.” It was obvious.

“Yes, this is Celestial Lady Rozelia from the Truth Church.”

“What?”

However, he was shocked that the Celestial Lady herself was calling, so he asked back in surprise. From the other side of the line, a soft chuckle could be heard.

“We don’t have time for chit-chat; let me cut to the chase. Can you come to the church headquarters right now?”

“I was already thinking about that, but it rubs me the wrong way when you say it like a command. Why should I?”

“Hmm, well? You wouldn’t want your precious subordinate to get hurt, would you?”

“Is this blatant intimidation now?”

Kwon Tae-ho clenched his grip on the phone. Yet the Celestial Lady on the other end continued to irritate him with her calm demeanor.

“If you think it’s a threat, then you’d better comply, right? Don’t waste time bringing the police. Just come alone. Well, you probably can’t mobilize the police anyway.”

Kwon Tae-ho, in disbelief at her confident assertion, asked,

“I suspected the police wouldn’t issue a warrant, but did you plant your followers in the police?”

“Come and ask your questions? Hurry up; your cute subordinate has rubbed me the wrong way a bit, and if you keep me waiting too long, who knows what I might do?”

“Let me give you a piece of advice. If you lay a single finger on our new recruit after this time, you won’t merely walk into prison—”

– Click.

Before Kwon Tae-ho could finish, the Celestial Lady hung up. Infuriated, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

“Damn it. This religious nut is quite the expert at getting under people’s skin.”

“Is something wrong with Ha-yeon?”

“Yeah. It seems like our rookie got caught by those guys and did something quite significant. It looks like the dear Celestial Lady is really ticked off.”

“Then Ha-yeon likely hasn’t been brainwashed yet.”

“Well, we’ll find out when we get there.”

As Kwon Tae-ho lit a cigarette, he exhaled his frustration towards Yoo Seol.

“Unless the newcomer’s safety is secured, let’s just comply with their demands for now. I’ll head in alone without notifying the management office or the police.”

“That’s bound to be a trap.”

“But we can’t just abandon the rookie. Assistant, wait nearby. I’ll contact you if I need anything.”

“No, I’m going with you. We can’t just leave the newcomer behind.”

Kwon Tae-ho chuckled at Yoo Seol’s words, which mirrored his own.

“Weren’t you complaining about being overworked while acting as our office expert?”

“It’s an emergency. Since we’re short on personnel, I might as well do the legwork.”

“Alright, since you insist on tagging along, I’ll make sure to put you to work.”

Kwon Tae-ho, grinding out his cigarette, stated firmly.

“Let’s go, time to deal with some criminals.”

*

Meanwhile, at that very moment.

The Celestial Lady descended to the underground prison to confine Park Yoo-jin again, accompanied by her fully-brainwashed Lee Ha-yeon.

“When the time comes, I’ll call for you. Until then, please keep an eye on Rosemary.”

“……Yes, Celestial Lady.”

Having consumed a large amount of blood in a short time, Lee Ha-yeon had an empty, doll-like expression.

Soon, she would regain her consciousness and become an active follower devotedly following the Celestial Lady, but that wouldn’t happen overnight. However, for the upcoming confrontation with Kwon Tae-ho, Lee Ha-yeon would only serve as a hostage, rendering her original self irrelevant.

– Clunk. Clink.

The Celestial Lady personally shackled Park Yoo-jin’s hands and feet. The care in her touch clearly showed the degree of affection she harbored for Park Yoo-jin.

“……Rozelia.”

Park Yoo-jin called her name. Even after multiple repetitions, she had still been reflecting on the unfamiliar name when she quietly added.

“Shin Mi-rae.”

– Halt.

At that name, the Celestial Lady abruptly froze.

Shin Mi-rae.

Her true name, which she had used before being granted the name “Rozelia” by the god.

“……I told you repeatedly not to call me that.”

“Mi-rae, let’s stop this.”

The Celestial Lady spoke with a hint of anger, but Park Yoo-jin’s stance remained resolute.

“What do you mean ‘stop’?”

“All of it. Following that religious sect in the other world, brainwashing innocent people while claiming ‘our god has descended,’ it all needs to end now.”

“I am the messenger of my father Dion. I have the duty to guide the poor people of this land to salvation.”

“That’s not duty, that’s obsession!”

A single tear rolled down Park Yoo-jin’s cheek.

To her, everything the Celestial Lady was doing appeared foolish.

No matter the life she lived on the other side, having returned to the original world, shouldn’t she be living her former life again?

In truth, despite her dramatically altered appearance, Park Yoo-jin sought to begin her new life as herself. She folded away the life she lived as “Rosemary,” leaving it in the past.

But the precious friend before her couldn’t do that. Despite having returned to the original world, she stubbornly clung to the life of the divine messenger Rozelia, rather than Shin Mi-rae.

Why on earth?

What made her become so obsessed with her former life?

That former life couldn’t even be described as happy; looking back, it was filled only with pain, sorrow, oppression, and despair.

What on earth was she holding onto in Rozelia’s life?

“……Obsession? What kind of nonsense are you spewing?”

Park Yoo-jin, gazing at her beloved friend, had to chew on her lips in frustration.

“This isn’t obsession; it’s destiny.”

As the divine messenger. And as the vanguard, the pioneer, and the missionary who set foot in this world before anyone else.

“Even you have shared the same grace and blessings as I; why can’t you see that?”

She was merely doing what she was meant to do.

Just as Park Yoo-jin felt exasperated looking at the Celestial Lady, so too did the Celestial Lady feel the same toward her.

Two people who had transitioned to the same world on the same day, only to return to their original world on the same day, shared strikingly similar appearances like twins, yet their values had completely diverged. What had caused them to split apart?

To understand that, one must trace back to 15 years ago when both were caught in the dimensional rift.

*

15 years ago.

In the era when the Celestial Lady still went by Shin Mi-rae.

Shin Mi-rae and Park Yoo-jin were adorable, lovable third-grade elementary students who had just entered their double-digit ages.

Having grown up as friends due to the closeness of their parents, they were inseparable.

If you asked them who their most precious friend was, without hesitation they would name each other. The two were always together, even on the day the dimensional rift opened, they were sticking to each other like glue.

And due to that, they were swept up in the rift together and transitioned to the other world.

The world they arrived in was a medieval fantasy-style realm.

Characterized by a variety of gods and religions, it was a place where gods formed close relationships with humans, and religious authority was incredibly strong.

To put it bluntly, this ended up being a stroke of luck for them.

It was nearly impossible for ten-year-old girls who couldn’t fend for themselves to suddenly adapt to a new world.

To survive, they inevitably had to rely on others. However, in this medieval fantasy world, there were hardly any benevolent figures willing to take in young children, lacking concepts like human rights or welfare.

However, the world they landed in was one where religious influence overshadowed even that of kings and nobles.

The city had well-established orphanages and welfare facilities run by various sects, and after wandering through the slums for just a few days, the two were taken in by a priest and were placed in an orphanage.

The orphanage they entered was operated by the Church of Dion, the god of war. As is the case with religious organizations running orphanages, the two of them also received teachings about God while living there.

But.

If they were naive orphans born in that world, it might have been a different story, but after experiencing modern scientific civilization, there was easily no way two children could suddenly have faith in the gods of this other world.

At times, while making nonsensical remarks, the two children naturally became outcasts in the orphanage.

And as they did so, they leaned on each other more deeply.

Having been forcibly separated from their parents and thrown into a world they had never seen before, the only person they could rely on was each other, their lifelong friend.

“Mi-rae, I miss mom.”

“So do I. I miss my mom and dad.”

At the end of the day, when it was time for bed, it became almost routine for them to talk about their old world while looking at each other under the same blanket.

Others dismissed their stories as nonsense. The only ones who listened to each other were them. So every night, they clung tightly to each other, sharing stories of their former world.

“I want to see my school friends. I miss my teachers.”

“And the Taekwondo master and my friends.”

“And the stationery shop uncle and aunt in front of the school.”

“And my next-door brother who always went to the arcade.”

“And the sister who taught me how to make bubbles at the playground.”

“And the art academy teacher I went to with my mom.”

“I miss my piano teacher. She played the piano really well.”

“You do too, Yoo-jin. You said you were going to play piano at the school festival, right?”

“Yeah. But I think the school festival date has passed now.”

“Do you think all our friends are in fourth grade now?”

“Probably. Everyone except us is in upper grades now.”

“The bubble-making sister said upper grade starts from fifth grade.”

“Then what’s fourth grade? Middle grade?”

“That sounded like it makes you sound like a middle schooler.”

“I wanted to go to middle school too. I wanted to wear a uniform.”

“So did I. I wanted to go to the movies with friends, not just my mom. I wanted to hang out at the arcade until late.”

“Don’t upper grad girls also not go to arcades at night?”

“The arcade brother said he goes until midnight.”

“Isn’t that brother an adult?”

“I saw him in a uniform. So he’s a high school student, right?”

“I wanted to go to high school, too.”

“So did I. I wanted to go to the same high school as you, Yoo-jin.”

“Were you going to a different middle school?”

“No, we have to attend the same middle school together.”

“Mom said she’d buy me a smartphone when I enter upper grades.”

“I was told I’d get one when I become an upper grader.”

“Is that upper grade fourth grade? Or fifth grade?”

“……I don’t know. Mom didn’t tell me.”

“…………I miss mom.”

“………………Me too.”

Though it was a conversation they had every day, the ending was always similar. By the time tears brimmed in their eyes from longing for their families, one of them would inevitably close their eyes and try to force themselves to sleep.

Because if they stayed awake, they would only feel sadder. To forget that sadness, they needed to fall asleep.

That day too, the two of them held each other’s hands tightly and forced themselves to sleep without wiping away the tears flowing down.

-Squeak.

However.

“Hey, kids.”

That day was a little different.

“I didn’t eavesdrop. I happened to pass by and heard your conversation…”

That day, by coincidence, a priest affiliated with the church visited the orphanage. And he coincidentally overheard their conversation.

When the two opened their eyes, a man in his early thirties stood before them.

The man’s hair was black. In a country where brown or blonde hair is common, a person with jet black hair reminiscent of the night sky was exceedingly rare. And coincidentally, the two of them also shared that same black hair.

At face value, it might seem like an odd coincidence that could easily be shrugged off.

However.

“I’m just asking out of curiosity, so don’t think it’s strange…”

The moment the man spoke his next words.

“Are you perhaps from Korea?”

Hearing that question, both of them felt a simultaneous jolt.

This meeting was not a coincidence; it was destined.