/
I Am Your Father (3)
I had a feeling.
Although the godfather was still eating as if nothing was wrong, I was certain that he suspected something. It looks like we had triggered his trickster’s intuition. Now, he was trying to probe into me – no – us. This is exactly why I had tried to leave the island before I could come face-to-face with him.
The godfather turned his head to Chief Kim, who was sitting beside me, and asked, “But if that’s so, how did you get in touch with his younger brother? I’m just curious as to what led you here.”
Chief Kim gulped at this sudden question and stammered, “B-by chance, we happened to overhear that Sang-Ho-ssi had gone to Sakgui Island.”
The Godfather tilted his head at Chief Kim’s choice of words, as if he felt that something was strange.
“By chance?”
“Yes. We just happened to overhear it at the docks.”
Click-
The Godfather set down his spoon. At this signal, the nearby believers also stopped eating.
“That’s strange. You shouldn’t have been able to find the boat that took him to Sakgui Island at the docks.”
There was complete silence.
“Ah, that’s… Although the boat wasn’t there, we were told by… some other captain at the docks. You see… we asked him where the previous boat was going, and then he…”
We’re screwed.
Once Chief Kim started panicking, it looked like he had lost all track of what he was trying to say. The Godfather took a deep breath and flipped the table, sending all the dishes on it flying.
Clatter clatter-
After the table crashed onto the floor, the Godfather shouted in displeasure, “They smell of Satan and the Devil! Drag them out immediately.”
At this order from the Godfather, a group of strong-looking men stood up and stormed over to us. Then these thugs grabbed us by our arms, holding us in place. The rest of the villagers cheered, and grabbing broomsticks and pokers, they started attacking us.
“Hyung!”
“Kyaaa! Oppa!”
Shit. It can’t be helped. Although I had just been planning to come back with the police once I got out of here, it looked like I needed to change tactics.
With all my might, I roared, “Stop this, Jeom Mal-Seok.”
The men who were dragging Ji-Hye out the door and the villagers armed with household implements, they all stopped in their tracks. Their stares showed their surprise at an outsider knowing their godfather’s real name, Jeom Mal-Seok.
I slowly walked over to and asked, “What do you think it meant when the giant tree started bleeding from the moment that you stepped foot on this island?”
The Godfather’s head snapped towards Sang-Ho, “Choi Sang-Ho! You dared to tell these outsiders our sacred history!”
“N-no way! I definitely did not. I swear on my life.”
Bam- Bam-
“Hy-Hyung-ah!”
The Godfather’s accusation struck Sang-Ho like a hammer, and he waved his hands in distressed denial. Then he dropped onto his knees and banged his head on the floor as he claimed his innocence. Blood dripped down from his wounded forehead and stained the floor.
‘The bleeding of the giant tree’, which Jeom Mal-Seok had managed with some paint, was a sign of the world’s distress. It was the omen that had led to the birth of the Past Life Cult.
Ignoring my racing heart, I continued to speak. All the while, step by step I drew closer to the Godfather.
“Who was the one who bestowed the divine power in your ‘right hand’?”
Whenever he pretended to heal the sick, he always used his right hand. Of course the successful cases were mostly all performances done with the cooperation of his accomplices who had accompanied him to the island, but there were reports that he had sometimes been able to actually cure illnesses, probably due to the power of faith. The godfather flinched and buried his hands beneath his sleeves.
“Who was the one who allowed you to hold on to your own consciousness through countless reincarnations?”
The answer to this was their Heavenly Father. There was only one existence that they believed could transcend both time and space. So the life and death of his believers followed the path that he had made for them.
“If you truly claim to honor thy father, then you should all bow your heads immediately,” I shouted at the people who had previously been wary of us. Firmly, but at the same time with confidence.
As my words rang out, the people’s expressions slowly began to brighten. From anger to joy, and frown worry to hope.
Drip- Drip-
There was the sound of rain gently drizzling. This was the only sound that could be heard in the silent hall. The godfather, his accomplices, and the believers, they all looked like they were alarmed or had fallen into a daze. Both the people who knew the truth and those who did not were similarly astonished. Though there was still a stark difference between the two groups.
That lying bastard, Jeom Mal-Seok, seemed to be confused as to how I had managed to change the situation in an instant.
Okay then. Let’s give it a go. Between us, who will be able to claim they represent the real ‘faith’?
“This… What kind of nonsense-”
I smiled at him benevolently. This was the signal to start our game.
“Child. I am your father.”
Note: Hi everyone! Unfortunately, we have to come to the difficult decision to put this novel on indefinite hiatus after chapter 47. We will be releasing Patreon chapters weekly after this month. Thank you for your support thus far! *bow*