“Why did Lee Hangyeol become a believer before me? I’m not even one yet! I was aiming for that First Disciple title!”
“……”
Tae Woon had been lounging in the massage chair like a king, not giving a damn who walked into the break room—but the second Lee Hangyeol showed up, he looked genuinely caught off guard. Could that really be why? A strange, unsettled feeling bloomed in Kim Sibaek’s chest.
“That’s… something you might figure out if you put a hand over your heart and reflect on your behavior.”
Think about how Tae Woon had treated Lord Biendeoé. There hadn’t been a shred of reverence—he was either indifferent or flat-out annoyed half the time. There was no way someone like that could develop true faith.
Sibaek had meant it as a nudge for self-reflection. Instead, Tae Woon grabbed his hand and dropped it right onto his own chest.
Even if it had been his own chest, feeling it so suddenly would’ve been jarring. But this wasn’t even his chest—it was someone else’s.
Completely thrown, Kim Sibaek shouted,
“Not my hand—your hand—!”
“Hyung, my chest is pretty nice, right?”
“…Uh. Yeah. Damn. That’s a good body.”
But then Tae Woon flashed a mischievous grin, and Sibaek’s embarrassment just… dissolved.
Anyone could tell from the way his suit fit that Tae Woon was ripped. Sibaek had seen his bare chest before during treatment, but he hadn’t really had time to look. Now, it hit different. It should’ve been awkward—but Tae Woon still felt more like a kid brother than anything else. And that only made Sibaek feel more emotional.
This kid used to collapse from anemia in front of him all the time… How much had he gone through to get this strong?
Nose stinging, Kim Sibaek found himself absentmindedly tracing his fingers over Tae Woon’s chest. The muscles were dense and springy, almost like metal—nothing like normal flesh. Beneath the fabric, he could feel the raised texture of old scars.
Everything about him was a living record of the life he’d survived.
As if he could sense Sibaek’s thoughts, Tae Woon blushed and leaned in to whisper, voice soft and sweet, brushing against Sibaek’s ear.
“This chest… it’s yours now, hyung.”
“……”
That snapped Kim Sibaek right back to reality. He yanked his hand away like he’d been burned—but too late. Lord Biendeoé had her eyes squeezed shut, and Lee Hangyeol looked ready to bolt, flailing awkwardly.
“Should I… maybe give you two some privacy? I’ll make sure no one else comes in here…”
“No, no. I’m so sorry.”
Lord Biendeoé had already seen plenty of nonsense, sure—but this? This was just mortifying in front of his little brother. Groaning, Sibaek buried his face in his hands, seriously debating whether Tae Woon needed a literal gag.
[Death and Beauty shakes her head with concern, thinking her Apostle’s mouth is hopeless no matter how many times she tries to silence him.]
“……”
Hard to argue with that.
Oddly enough, Tae Woon’s ridiculous antics actually helped Lee Hangyeol collect himself. He launched into a barrage of questions, eyes glittering with suspicion and curiosity.
“Okay, let’s say you are a god. What region are you from? If your true form is a crow, is this animism? I thought animism was a really minor, localized belief system that barely survives anywhere today. Or is the crow just symbolic? Did you get into religion while working abroad as a National Intelligence Service agent? Are you reviving a dead faith from the past? And why is it that only your god can send Divine Words? If it’s ‘Death and Beauty,’ does that mean she’s a goddess of death? Is there an Underworld? And if the mythology’s that big, then it has to be polytheistic, right?”
Caught in a storm of question marks, Kim Sibaek found himself both fondly amused and utterly exhausted. Yep. Mages are the same in every world.
There was no getting around it now. He had to tell the truth—well, the version of the truth he’d already shared with Director Noh and Gwak Yoonsang, with just a bit of embellishment.
It wasn’t until much later that he managed to explain things properly to Hangyeol. Thankfully, once Hangyeol had experienced things firsthand, he accepted the story more easily than expected. He mulled it over for a while, then asked the real kicker:
“So then… how old are you, exactly?”
“…Ninety-seven.”
“Whoa! Grandpa!”
Lee Hangyeol practically leapt to his feet like he was about to bow. Tae Woon burst out laughing while Kim Sibaek scrambled to stop him.
“Hyung, even in Hollywood, you don’t see many couples with a sixty-year age gap. You’re gonna get called a cradle robber—maybe even a criminal.”
“Can you not?”
He barely managed to stop Hangyeol from calling him Grandpa out loud—but the questions kept coming.
“Are there any religious symbols? Like a cross or a swastika?”
“There are, but they’re sacred script. Regular folks can’t make them.”
“So can I use faith powers too, like you?”
“You’ve already awakened mana, so you can’t use divine power.”
“Do I need to go somewhere to pray, like a church or something?”
“There aren’t any temples on Earth. Devout followers sometimes set up a small altar at home, but that’s not necessary. Just pray with your heart.”
“Ooh! Is there a prayer script?”
“There’s no formal prayer script for regular followers.”
Still, Kim Sibaek found the conversation enjoyable. When it comes to religion, veterans always welcome newcomers—and the fact that his very first believer turned out to be his little brother from the orphanage? That was quietly heartwarming.
After hearing a brief explanation, Lee Hangyeol offered his take.
“So it’s a pretty flexible, low-maintenance religion, huh? Easygoing, convenient.”
Sibaek just smiled, glossing over the truth—that this kind of casual structure was the inevitable fate of a small, struggling faith forced to survive by flying under the radar. Hangyeol scratched his head and threw out one last question. This time, it wasn’t aimed at Sibaek—it was directed at Tae Woon.
“But how come you never became a follower, even though you’re always with him?”
At that, Tae Woon smirked and rubbed his chin, the corners of his mouth tugging up playfully.
“Because I’m already a devoted follower of the Church of Sibaek?”
“Whoa!”
If anyone else had said something that cringeworthy, Hangyeol would’ve shriveled up in secondhand embarrassment. But coming from Tae Woon, it just sounded… cool. Kim Sibaek, on the other hand, looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. And Lord Biendeoé? She fell into quiet concern at the realization that her Apostle might actually have more faith in his lover than in his god.
***
“I’m just glad Hangyeol accepted it so easily.”
“That’s because he doesn’t think too hard. He just blindly follows me around.”
Out of context, it might’ve sounded like he was belittling Hangyeol—but Tae Woon’s voice held no trace of mockery.
“I have to make sure I guide him carefully so he doesn’t mentally shatter. If I ordered him to, he’d probably blow up half of downtown Daejeon with an explosive spell without a second thought. But if he actually saw people dying in front of him, he’d fall apart.”
It wasn’t something you could laugh off. Kim Sibaek opened his mouth, paused, then gently countered.
“But… you’d never give him an order like that, right?”
“Mm. Yeah. I wouldn’t.”
Tae Woon’s gaze was distant, his voice quiet and calm—but then, just like that, his expression lifted into a cheerful grin.
“Man, that got a little dark. So—what do you want to eat?”
The two of them were seated in a private room at a barbecue restaurant. It was meant to be a little recovery meal for Tae Woon, who hadn’t been out of bed for long.
…Though calling him “fully recovered” was probably a stretch.
He looked perfectly fine on the outside, but he was still holding down the demonic energy within. If Sibaek brought it up, he’d just brush it off with a “Don’t worry about it,” so he kept quiet—but of course he was worried. The least he could do was feed the kid something good and help him regain his strength.
Normally, whenever they ate out, Tae Woon’s card always ended up on the bill. But not today. Today, Kim Sibaek was treating. His wallet was more than ready for it too, between the settlement from the HG Guild and the signing bonus from the 7777 Guild. Sure, the source of that bonus was technically Tae Woon… but still.
“When it comes to recovery food, nothing beats premium Korean beef, right?”
“They serve Spotted Beluga here too. Y’know, the magical beast that looks kinda like a dolphin with dappled skin? Lives out in the open sea.”
“Oh, that one? Yeah, tastes good.”
Back on Earth, Sibaek’s inner Korean had kicked in hard—premium meat equals Korean beef—but whatever. If Tae Woon brought it up, it meant he wanted it.
They ordered the Spotted Beluga, and soon enough, the staff brought over side dishes and a plate of glistening meat. For Lord Biendeoé, they’d arranged a bowl of cherry tomatoes with the staff’s understanding.
The server started grilling the meat right at the table. When it was ready, Kim Sibaek wrapped a bite in lettuce and hand-fed it to Tae Woon. Like a baby bird, Tae Woon opened his mouth and chewed obediently. Every time he swallowed with a happy little munch, Sibaek felt full just watching him.
“Is it good?”
Nod, nod. The server desperately kept their eyes glued to the grill, trying not to stare at the adorable head bobbing beside them.
“You’re eating so well—it’s really nice to see.”
“Hyung, you should eat too. Want me to wrap one for you?”
“Mmm… better not. I feel like you’d say something inappropriate while feeding me.”
“Caught me.”
Tae Woon grinned, eyes curving into playful crescents. He might act cute, but his mouth always found a way to slip in something suggestive.
“So, hyung—after breaking the bed with me the other night, are you really planning to move out and go back to the dorms?”
