34-17

Chapter 17 

"...Sword Saint." 

"Ah, it's you..." 

"Mir." 

[Sage] Mir, known to the world as someone born with the [Prophecy] trait. She predicted events that would have a major impact on the world or incidents in Korea. 

Unlike prophets in fiction, who often say, "If I tell you, the prophecy loses its meaning..." and refuse to reveal details, she was not like that. 

"You don't look well. Is something wrong?" 

"...Is it that obvious? Yes, I have something on my mind." 

"Would you mind talking to me about it?" 

Even without her [Prophecy] trait, she was knowledgeable enough to be called a sage. 

Judging by her appearance, she seemed about the same age as Sword Saint a true genius. 

Of course, her rank was S-class, but her physical abilities were weaker than other superpowered individuals. 

"It's just... I think I can't let go of regrets from childhood." 

"...Is it because of Lee Jinwoo?" 

"?!" 

Sword Saint was startled for a moment, then calmed herself. 

"...As expected, I can't hide anything from you." 

Well... the other person is the [Sage]. She could read people's hearts as if she had telepathy. 

Some people disliked meeting Mir for that reason, saying it felt like their secrets were being stripped bare. 

"That's right. Mir, villain Lee Jinwoo might be the same Lee Jinwoo I gave up on." 

"I've told you before, haven't I? Why I trained so hard..." 

"......." 

"What if villain Lee Jinwoo exists because I gave up on him? If he became a villain because of me... is it really right for me to judge him?" 

"...Sword Saint." 

"I... I really don't know. It's not an exaggeration to say I started training with the sword because of him... and now I have to judge him..." 

This was Sword Saint's only weakness. 

"Do I have the right...?" 

They weren't close enough to share personal stories from the start. 

When Sword Saint first joined the Association, the Sage approached her first. 

Perhaps she recognized Sword Saint's potential? They quickly became close, and before long, they were sharing personal matters. 

But it was the first time she'd seen Sword Saint this shaken. 

She must have been struggling with this for a long time. 

"...Sword Saint, do you remember the phrase you always say?" 

"...Yes." 

"'I carry out justice.'" 

She started training to protect a bullied child, so her values were rooted in punishing bullies in other words, villains. 

Maybe it was a side effect of neglecting her studies and only focusing on training. 

She had a simple black-and-white mindset: save good people, punish bad ones. 

"...But Mir, Lee Jinwoo was a victim..." 

"...But now he's a villain." 

"...." 

"I'll give you a general answer. It might be hard to hear, but it will help you sort out your thoughts." 

"...." 

"Everyone has a story. Every person has their own life. Villains are no exception. Villains weren't born to harm people from the start. If they were, we'd have heard about it. They must have become villains for some reason. But we can't understand them all. The fact is, they've done bad things." 

"...That's true." 

"Of course, villains can become good people again. But that's only after hitting the brakes. If a car is going 100 km/h, can it suddenly go in reverse? That's hard. Only after stopping can you go backward." 

"Lee Jinwoo is the same. We need to stop villain Lee Jinwoo." 

"...It's hard," 

"It's not easy, but you have to decide." 

  Whether to look away, or to carry out justice as always. 

After the Association officially declared Lee Jinwoo, leader of the Ja-Ae Cult, a villain, 

"Citizen crackdowns on the Ja-Ae Cult" began in earnest. 

Just like the old No Japan movement, people started throwing eggs and graffiti at Ja-Ae Cult buildings sometimes even more violent actions. 

And it wasn't limited to buildings... 

"Ugh~~ Die, you cult whore~" 

"Filthy slut, you stink, get out!" 

Women who had been "saved" by Lee Jinwoo inevitably became tanned gals, so it was obvious who was a cult member. 

In other words, they'd been "branded." 

Because of this, celebrities who had appeared on TV with a "tough girl" concept hurriedly removed tattoos or made their skin lighter small issues, but notable. 

But while there were those who jeered without thinking, there were also groups who protected them. 

"Hey, isn't that a bit harsh?" 

"Yeah, tsk tsk, these people are just victims..." 

It was a group of men disabled people, homeless, office workers, and more. 

The common thread seemed to be that they had some relationship with the cult members... 

"What? Who are you, mister?" 

"Watch your mouth, kid..." 

No matter how much of a "slut" someone was, no man could resist women with the looks of their first love or even more. 

Even if it was just an act, if they'd had sex, some affection would develop! 

"Sob, our cult leader isn't a bad person..." 

Tears always win! 

"Oh dear..." 

"Hey, you jerks! Who do you think you are, making a young lady cry?" 

The sweet men, seeing the cult members cry, felt a complicated mix of desire and sympathy and comforted the crying women. 

"You, you...!" 

"Hey, you! Why are you crying?" 

Of course, from the other side's perspective, it was outrageous. They saw themselves as the side of justice, guaranteed by the Association, while these cult women were officially designated as villains. 

But the backlash was fiercer than expected. 

"Hey, lady, what's that smell? Is it coming from your unwashed hole?" 

"Come on, people should get along, not fight..." 

The people insulting the cult members were mostly women. Some men spoke up, but it felt more like they were just going along. 

Even though they were on opposing sides, when you see someone with celebrity-level looks crying, any man would soften. 

Of course, it made no difference to women. 

"What, what did you say!?" 

"Honey!!! Don't just stand there, say something!!" 

"What do you want me to say..." 

A husband getting scolded by his wife for doing nothing. Honestly, he didn't even want to be dragged to the protest in the first place. 

"Look at that wife, so ill-tempered, really nagging her husband!" 

"Tsk tsk, women should be cute like this..." 

When they're on your side, they're endlessly sweet, but as soon as they're the enemy, these men go straight for personal attacks! 

Of course, there's no such thing as a permanent friend or enemy. 

"Oppas... sniffle thank you..." 

A cult member, who looked at least ten years younger than the men, called them "oppa." 

In fact, Lee Jinwoo's "salvation" made women's bodies their absolute best, so even women in their 30s or 40s looked like they were in their 20s after being sprayed. 

By age, the cult member might even be older! 

But for the men, such trivial things didn't matter. 

If a woman gave it up for free, even men with a BMI over 30 would be happy. 

And if the woman looked and felt like she was in her 20s, with perfect skin and figure? Men couldn't resist their instincts. 

Since the Ja-Ae Cult appeared, these men found great satisfaction in life. 

So much so that they actively recommended it to others! 

If the Ja-Ae Cult disappeared, they might lose the will to live. 

Like a drug addict who can't live a normal life without drugs! 

Maybe that's why? 

When the Association declared the cult a villain, citizens spontaneously gathered to protest. 

  We oppose! We oppose! 

[The Ja-Ae Cult is not a villain!] 

[What's wrong with loving freely?!] 

[The followers are not brainwashed; they act completely normally!] 

[The Association must revoke the villain designation for the Ja-Ae Cult!] 

Men, who almost never gather for anything, came together this time over 10,000 strong! 

This was one of the most remarkable events in recent memory. 

It showed just how many men the Ja-Ae Cult had captivated.