How to Live as an Immortal - Chapter 268
Only Noblemtl
How to Live Immortally Episode 268
268 You’re like a miser
“You have good observation skills.”
The polar night that was damaged in the previous fight was kept at home. It would have been standard to have Jin Geon repair it, but the problem was that his past activities would be exposed.
“I have a recommendation.”
As he said, I looked down at the catalog and saw several cold weapons that the Mars Defense Forces handled. However, they were all ready-made products, and there seemed to be nothing that could replace the polar night.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult to make a custom order?”
At that moment, Justin opens his eyes sharply and raises his index finger.
“… … Mr. Gaon, the military is a group that protects the safety and property of citizens, not a workshop that handles personal affairs.”
Although he had grown up and gone through many incidents, he still seemed to be the same as before.
“Because you’re such a miser.”
“miser……?”
Justin is hesitant, perhaps because it’s a somewhat unfamiliar word to a 24th century person. Is this a generational difference?
“Well, I don’t need it right now. I’ll just have to find what I like the most.”
After exchanging a few more words with Justin, Gaon added as he wrapped up the conversation and stood up.
“Anyway, I’ll gladly accept the gift. If you need anything, call me.”
* * *
Mount Olympus, the highest point in the solar system. Metahumans have made their home there.
Namely, Paradise.
By an unexpected connection, Kenji was able to enter the place and live in seclusion, avoiding the eyes of the world. Having cut ties with his mother, all that was left for him was time.
That’s why he spent five months on rehabilitation training. He was slowly building up his foundation without being impatient, so he was slowly recovering to the level he was at before the injury.
‘Maybe more.’
After finishing my training, I felt the stinging gazes as I walked outside like a vagabond. Several people made eye contact, but no one approached me readily.
In paradise, Kenji was an impure being.
Have no choice but to wander around the crowd.
Only the common denominator of their abilities was able to forcefully hold onto such a relationship. There was no regret. To him, who had grown up in the Miyauchi-gumi to become a swordsman, relationships were a meaningless concept.
It would have been better to go out during that time and take final revenge, but unfortunately, that thought ended before it even started.
Father, I heard the news that Baek Seok-do died.
A feeling of relief seeped deep into his heart, sweeping away even the embers of passion. It was the first time that Kenji, a human, had lost his goal.
Even honing one’s skills is a mechanical habit.
“It’s literally empty.”
I was laughing self-deprecatingly,
“Hungry? It’s still early for lunch. Gosh, who wouldn’t call me a carnivore?”
Her pink hair, braided into two pigtails, fluttered beside her. There were many similar appearances in Paradise. But there was only one girl who walked around with a pair of large scissors dangling from her waistband.
The girl who once saved him―
“Psi Potts.”
“Yes, it’s me.”
There was no human beside her who was standing proudly. It was the metahuman brought by Mechanic. Henry, I think. These days, Psi is taking care of him.
“That guy?”
“Mr. House Cat is in solitary confinement. He tried to leave Paradise again.”
I heard he was obsessed with some idol. He was one of those hopeless scumbags, so it wasn’t something to worry about.
But I couldn’t help but be interested in the procession that followed behind her.
A hill that juts out on the outskirts of paradise. The line leading to the cathedral that occupies the place alone never seems to get shorter. Come to think of it, paradise has been particularly bustling lately because of that.
So much so that I couldn’t help but ask.
“By the way, what is that?”
“Don’t you know that, Mr. Stray Cat? Are you an outcast? That’s why I told you to always smile and go around.”
I want to slap that smile, but I hold it back. I haven’t forgotten who saved my life.
“You probably know that I was in bed until recently.”
“That excuse again. But I still feel bad, so I’ll be your friend.”
“No need.”
Kenji nodded, pushing away the tangled Psi.
“Tell me more. Why are you doing that?”
“What do you mean, funeral preparations?”
“funeral?”
Funerals were almost a dead ceremony for the common people. Because of the privatization of medical services, the additional fees were ridiculously high. It was common sense for most to keep things simple.
That’s why makeup was more mainstream than burial.
It was a paradise that was even more backward than the outside world. They value formality and omits all unnecessary procedures―
“Did a high-ranking official die?”
“Yes, sir, as you said, an important person has gone to heaven. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is our spiritual pillar. He even gave up his real name and kept his nickname. It was to signify that he would serve paradise for the rest of his life.”
“Who is it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone like that in Paradise.”
“If you want to be a consultant, you have to know.”
“consultant……?”
He was a person I had met while working as a swordsman in the Miyauchi-gumi.
Although he had virtually no actual force, his endless aggression was so terrifying that it was almost terrifying. So, I decided that he was not the type to accumulate virtue.
In reality, in Kenji’s eyes, he only looked like a monster struggling in fear of death. But―
“Wasn’t it?”
“Huh? Have you ever met your grandfather?”
“It was almost a fleeting moment. It’s a bit of a coincidence to even say we met.”
I didn’t meet him because I wanted to. The person who introduced me to him was none other than – for a moment, the whole place was stirred so strongly that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
What emerged from the procession were a group wearing pure white hoods and stoles around their necks. Their faces were covered by golden masks, and holographic halos were floating above their heads.
In a world where humans have usurped the power of God, there are still groups that believe in and follow His existence―
“Is it religion? Even in a boring place like paradise, there are bound to be interesting people.”
Kenji watched the strange event with interest, but Psi couldn’t bring herself to laugh.
“… … You finally came. No, is this the moment you came?”
* * *
“Oh, this doesn’t seem like a very welcoming atmosphere.”
The woman’s beautiful brows furrowed at the uninvited guest’s visit to her room.
Paradise was a place that brought together metahumans who had nowhere else to go, and it was the only safe haven they were allowed, but not everyone thought so.
Humans are creatures who, when they form a group, need to divide into factions again to feel secure.
The old man standing in front of me was the same.
The mechanic standing in front of her shouted as if guarding her.
“Where the hell do you think you are, coming in with your mud feet?”
“It’s been a while, Mechanic. Or should I say Andrey?”
The difference in their physiques was so stark that he was trapped in the mechanic’s shadow, but the old man bowed his head with dignity. He didn’t even think about taking off his golden mask and hood.
“Get out.”
“Please put aside your anger for a moment. I have simply returned home.”
“I didn’t know that a person of great sin would regard paradise in that way.”
A red light burst out from the mechanic’s eyes.
The old man had once committed a great sin and was banished from paradise. At that time, it was the consultant who exposed and executed his tricks and schemes.
“Everyone knows that I am not here to mourn the loss of the consultant. Everyone knows that anyone can express their opinion, and the resulting discontent will divide paradise.”
Although the woman hit the nail on the head, the old man just laughed hollowly.
“God’s grace and mercy should be applied equally to everyone. There is no room for my will or personal feelings to intervene. As a religious leader, I have simply come to pay tribute to the souls of the martyred believers.”
“A believer?”
When the mechanic asked with a puzzled look, the old man answered readily.
“The consultant was one of our believers. It’s just that he couldn’t easily reveal it because something unpleasant happened.”
“Is that what you call talking?”
The mechanic, who had stomped his feet so hard that the entire cathedral resonated, approached the old man. It was a play on words from start to finish. It was not something that could be confirmed by someone who was already dead, and the old man could just make it up as he pleased.
“I guess you’re just trying to get back to paradise.”
“I’m not guessing, I’m being certain.”
“I agonized over the mistakes I had made, reflected on them, and was soon reborn as a new person.”
“It’s getting more and more spectacular.”
In the mechanic’s memory, the old man was violent and vulgar. He was like a fountain spewing out desires as they were.
But now, after decades, he had completely changed. It was as if he was a different person. However, the mechanic himself knew better than anyone that this couldn’t be true. He must have been practicing his social skills and communication skills outside of the office.
“As expected, you don’t believe me.”
“Should I believe it?”
“No. The victim won’t be able to believe the perpetrator’s words. But that’s okay. Even if I’m reborn as a new person, I won’t turn away from my past self.”
widely.
As the stone is struck down, the believers who followed the old man put down the items they had brought.
“It is my sincerity. I will donate to the development of paradise.”
Support amounting to hundreds of billions of PIA. Nearly half of the funds that supported Paradise came from the hands of the consultant. With his death and the collapse of the business he had built, it was only natural that there would be disruption to his activities.
The woman who counted the profits and losses came to a conclusion.
“I will gratefully accept it. But let me make one thing clear. This is a real donation, and it does not forgive you in the least.”
“Okay, I understand. It’s all for the sake of our brothers and sisters who are suffering in foreign lands.”
“We are not brothers and sisters, we are the same kind. No one can be superior or inferior here.”
Not the same species. Allowing such expressions would be tantamount to acknowledging the differences between humans and metahumans, and understanding the hunt by the Emergency Disaster Response Team.
So they are of the same type.
A species of human being who formed a different group from them.
“… … .”
The old man closed his mouth at the unexpected remark. Just as silence was about to fall in the room, the woman spoke up.
“So, that concludes our business? As you can see, I’m busy with the funeral preparations.”
“There is still one thing left.”
“Please keep the main point brief.”
“Please give me a chance.”
“I think we’re done talking about donations.”
The old man shook his head at the woman’s firm attitude.
“That’s not it. What I want to talk about is the story of revenge. Since the consultant has devoted himself to paradise, shouldn’t we also pay tribute to him?”
“You’re not planning on taking on the entire Mars Defense Force, are you?”
“Fortunately, we found out who was closely connected to the consultant’s death.”
The woman couldn’t help but pause at those words. She was seeing a cross-section of an incident that the Mars Defense Force had closed off as a secret.
“I will not accept any payment. You do not have to consider it a debt of gratitude. I will leave paradise as soon as I am permitted to do so.”
“Why do you do that?”
“Didn’t I say it was simply to honor the souls of the believers?”
The moment the eyes inside the golden mask shone ominously,
“Would you like to hear it?”
A gentle voice, unbecoming of it, flowed out.