Lately, Gio had been exposing the Saintess to various new experiences.

“So this is...?”

“Yes.”

Gio smiled brightly.

“Isn’t it good? Tteokbokki?”

“I heard it used to be sold frequently in Korea before the Cataclysm.”

“Nowadays it’s hard to find, which breaks my heart.”

“Nowadays...? Hunter Sergio, how old are you again?”

“That’s ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ not important. What matters is the tteokbokki in front of us.”

“Ah, right.”

The bishop looked down at the tteokbokki sitting on the white plate.

“Our order never had rice cakes, did we?”

“I prepared and supplied them myself. It had been a long time since I made rice cakes, so I was worried—but they turned out well.”

At that, Aram’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s my first time eating tteokbokki.”

Gio’s face hardened.

“First time?”

“Yes, rice cakes are hard to come by.”

More than anything, the Moon Sect wasn’t the type to care about cuisine. Unless it was a research subject, food was merely fuel to them. Luxuries like rice cakes rarely came in.

“I probably could’ve ordered some if I’d asked, but... most people just said they’d rather spend on research materials than food.”

Had even one person said, ‘Actually, I’d really like to eat this,’ the item would’ve been procured. The Moon Sect wasn’t a poor, destitute group by any means. But not a single person had ever said such a thing.

Gio’s expression turned deeply pained.

“No wonder your storage room always looked barren...”

“Barren, you say?”

The bishop looked flustered. From her perspective, overseeing the entire order, it had always seemed sufficient. The brothers and sisters in charge of cleaning and cooking had never complained either. It was Hunter Sergio’s reaction that felt strange.

But Gio had already taken it as a calling.

“Then shall we eat before it gets cold?”

These bone-headed researchers needed to be turned into pigs. That would surely be the shortcut to world peace.

“I’m embarrassed to say, it’s been a while since I made this, so I don’t know if I captured the true spirit of a market snack.”

“Market...?”

“The Saintess seemed interested in food culture before the Cataclysm, so I picked something you’d commonly find back then. Sweet tteokbokki, with tempura, sundae, and liver on the side.”

“You really seem to know a lot about pre-Cataclysm cuisine.”

These were dishes that were almost impossible to find nowadays.

“Did you study it?”

“In a way, yes.”

Gio smiled and thought to himself.

‘These Moon Sect people really can’t think of anything unless it’s framed as study, huh.’

He just liked eating good food, that was all.

Had it been before the Cataclysm, these people would’ve all gone to Harvard. Perhaps it was the Moon Sect’s unique sense of duty—"Let us enrich the world through knowledge and wisdom." But really, it seemed like they just enjoyed studying.

‘No wonder they became so insular.’

Geniuses were like that sometimes. They struggled to interact with the world because everyone else was just too slow. It must’ve been maddening to watch people fumble around confirming what was already obvious.

And so, such geniuses spent their lives locked in one place. The people of the Moon Sect ended up applying their own logic to everyone else: “Since we’re like this, you must be too.”

‘Severe lack of social skills.’

You pathetic little frogs, stuck in a well.

‘The well was simply too big, and that became its own poison.’

But not to worry. Gio was already prepared to grab them by the scruff and drag them outside. Whether it fit or not, they needed to mingle with the rest of the world to even begin to understand what didn’t fit.

“Does it suit your taste? You didn’t seem used to spicy seasoning, so I made it as sweet as I could...”

“IT’S SPICY!!!”

“Oh dear.”

Aram shot up from her seat and rushed out, pouring bottled water into her mouth. Gio, who had been about to pour her a glass of sweet juice, hesitated. Then gently placed the filled glass in front of the trembling bishop.

“I really did try to make it sweet...”

“...Thank you...”

“I didn’t expect such a total lack of spice resistance.”

“Our order rarely uses spices in food, so...”

“And why is that?”

“Strong flavors and scents are said to interfere with thinking...”

“Why though?”

Look at these poor little lambs. They truly didn’t understand the joy of good food. Even when Gio had looked over their food storage before, he’d thought, ‘This is a bit bleak,’ but this was on another level.

‘...Has the average Korean tolerance for spice dropped?’

Come to think of it, making gochugaru does take quite a bit of time and effort. Everything these days was homemade. Growing peppers, drying them, removing the stems and seeds, grinding them—that was all money.

‘There’s definitely been a drop in the demand and supply of spicy ingredients...’

Collectors were rich, but based on what Joo-Hyun had told him, ordinary people barely ate anything more exciting than temple food. Opportunities to enjoy vivid flavors had generally decreased.

“...Hmm...”

Still, the Moon Sect was extreme.

“I should’ve made it even sweeter.”

“No, it was perfectly delicious.”

The bishop, who had calmly managed the pain on her tongue from the beginning, recovered fully with just one cup of juice. Holding the glass delicately in both hands, she spoke.

“Any sweeter, and the flavor balance would’ve been ruined.”

“Thank you for understanding my intention.”

Returning to the table, Aram paled as she took the juice.

“...Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything spicy before.”

“And this is what the Moon Sect that values knowledge has been doing?”

“No, I knew what the taste was like. As a novice, we’re taught about our own bodies first, so of course I’d had some experience with taste.”

“To better manage yourselves.”

“That’s why I’ve felt spicy sensations before... but eating it as food...”

“So that’s where the ‘almost first time’ came from.”

She was basically a newborn.

“If it’s too spicy, trying the tempura might help. I like dipping it lightly in the tteokbokki sauce before eating. That way it’s much less spicy. And the texture’s fun too.”

“Oh, the sweet potato tempura is good. Maybe because it’s sweet, it feels way less spicy. The batter is really crispy. And the sweet potato inside crumbles softly...”

“Isn’t it?”

The fact that Aram could already describe it like this proved she had the makings of a pig.

‘She’s discovered the true flavor of sweet potato tempura.’

For the record, Gio’s favorite staple crop was sweet potato. f.re(e) w.e(b)nov el.c.om

“......”

Watching her, the bishop asked,

“Saintess, does it suit your taste?”

“The more I eat it, the more addictive it is.”

“I’m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“...D-Did I overindulge in gluttony?”

“Hardly something you’d call gluttony.”

But suddenly, the bishop had a thought.

“...Maybe next time, we should try eating out.”

She felt compelled to let her experience even more.

‘I’m still not sure what I want to do with all this, but...’

Watching the Saintess live like a real person made her brain go completely white.

Whether that was a good or bad thing, she didn’t know. But if the Saintess was the one choosing, then maybe it wasn’t bad. After all, Hunter Sergio, an adult like her, freely pursued whatever he felt like.

‘Yes. It’ll be fine.’

Even so, her chest felt heavy.

“......”

She would need to offer a prayer to the Moon.

***

“...You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Yoo Seong-Woon covered his mouth.

“What is that?”

“It’s the Moon.”

“Why are you holding it?”

“It’s a hostage.”

“...Why?”

“With a proper teacher to grant knowledge, there’d be no foolishness.”

“......”

At those words, Yoo Seong-Woon muttered to himself.

“...You really do have a villain streak...”

“Well spotted, my friend.”

Argio smiled brightly from behind the portrait.

“Say hello. This is our newly acquainted friend, the Moon.”

A tiny moon the size of a crystal orb shimmered in Gio’s palm. It even seemed to wave at Yoo Seong-Woon. His eyes narrowed at the moon drawn inside the painting.

“Gio, I feel like you’re misunderstanding something here, so let me clarify—friends are people who build trust with mutual consent.”

“I didn’t kidnap, threaten, or brainwash it. I know very well how you see me, but I promise, nothing that scary happened.”

Gio had simply had a conversation with the Moon.

“That’s how people get close—by talking.”

“So this is your new divine friend?”

“Yes. It felt like a massive AI born in the cosmos... Determining its actions and knowledge-sharing based on an immense data set. It was fascinating.”

“In that sense, it’s kind of like you.”

“Like me?”

“You’re constantly fusing with the ‘Gio’ that suits you best and evolving.”

Yoo Seong-Woon thought to himself.

‘Maybe that’s why he’s gotten so much better at mimicking humans.’

Even lies—which a divine being of order shouldn’t be able to tell—he’d become quite good at now.

“If I think of it that way, I wonder... will this Moon one day become a divine being capable of lying?”

“Hmm, people do call that an evil god.”

“It’s the fastest way to distinguish between traditional gods and evil ones.”

“But who knows what this friend will become?”

Gio grinned.

“You’re surprisingly not shocked.”

“I’ve just... accepted that this is how far things were bound to go.”

Please, don’t go abducting divine beings from other people’s religions.

‘Not that this guy would ever listen to me anyway.’

Even when he first mentioned a religious war, Yoo Seong-Woon had felt it—he was going to cause some kind of massive incident. At least it wouldn’t harm Earth, so he’d mentally prepared himself to handle the cleanup.

“Thank goodness it’s not the kind of being that would get talked about in rumors.”

“Is there even a kind that would?”

“The Moon Sect doesn’t have a physical manifestation of divinity, right? And unless it’s the Saintess herself, direct communication’s impossible. And she’s been so focused on recovery she wouldn’t notice anything missing...”

“I brought it precisely to spread rumors.”

“......”

Yoo Seong-Woon reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of candy. He popped it into his mouth and crunched down.

“Alright, so what are you planning now?”

“Oh my. Did you just finish that candy in one second? Careful, you’ll get diabetes. Watch out for adult diseases, okay?”

“Before diabetes catches me, I’ll burn all the sugar as energy. So, what’s your plan?”

“Word will start to spread that something’s wrong with the Moon.”

“And then?”

“It’ll be time for my new friends to arrive.”

Argio looked absolutely delighted.

“Do you like amusement parks?”

“...Well...”

It was a good look on him. Yoo Seong-Woon smiled faintly.

“I don’t hate them.”

***

“...?”

A man asked with a dazed expression.

“...What is this, exactly?”

“An advertisement!”

“No, I mean...”

“I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Uh, uh... uh...”

The man looked uneasily at the woman dressed as a fox. Perky ears, a fluffy tail, and a long, neat maid outfit that didn’t reveal a thing.

‘That’s... niche.’

He glanced back at the flyer.

We Invite You to the Amusement Park of Dreams!

Are you weary from this harsh world?

Do you have dreams you gave up on because of reality?

Have you been putting off rest because work won’t let you breathe?

Then come to us!

Here, everything you’ve ever wanted awaits you!

Imagine yourself spending money freely.

Imagine yourself surrounded by adorable animals.

Imagine yourself healthy, with wings, flying freely through the sky.

No matter how ridiculous or absurd your dream is, it’s welcome here.

We will give you the dream of freedom from your boring everyday life.

All you have to do is this:

1. Before sleeping, place a note with your dream under your pillow.

2. Whatever happens, enjoy the dream to the fullest!

That’s all!

To those who dream, the world belongs.

“...So, what is this really...”

The man looked up—but the strange fox maid was already gone.

“...Huh?”

What the hell? A hunter?

‘Or... a monster...?’

But monsters handing out flyers to humans made no sense. Maybe it was just a hunter using an unusual marketing strategy. He calmed his startled heart.

Flyers like this showed up often in random alleyways.

‘All those conditions... probably just a service using their skill. The world’s gotten weird—hunters doing business with their skills...’

There were plenty of hunters who built businesses using intangible abilities. So the man didn’t think too much of it. He wasn’t about to try it himself, but it wasn’t the first time he’d been approached with something strange.

And then, a few days later, prompted by a colleague, he actually followed the instructions from the flyer.

“......”

His eyes lit up in awe.

“...It—it really... really works.”

His mouth stretched wide into a grin.

“This is insane.”

And then, a few more days later, the government issued an official safety notice to citizens:

A dungeon named “Amusement Park of Dreams” is spreading rapidly. Do not engage. Keep your distance.

But the people didn’t listen.

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