Chapter Text
Before you judge him, Kiyoung just wanted to give a little bit of explanation from his side.
He knew that humor is one of the societal pillars of the community. It's one of the fundamentals of human connection and proof of someone's mental condition. A joke can make or break someone standing in society's eyes. If it’s a good one and in good spirits, it could take someone to many places. But a bad one can break their standing in society in a minute
Now….Kiyoung wouldn’t say that he's a good comedian. Scratch that. He's not a comedian. Period. But he knows a good joke or two. It's kind of a given since humor can be a great tool to move closer to someone new and to butter up people who have a higher position than him.
Like Kiyoung's last boss back on earth. Old, stuck-up prick, and Very awful at his job. Unfortunately, Kiyoung can't do anything about nepotism. But he did get closer to him back then by making awful jokes he picked up from the internet because one of Kiyoung’s coworkers said that he has awful taste in humor.
Anyway, Kiyoung knows how powerful a good laugh is. So that’s why when he saw all of his cubs looking very tired and down from the last dungeon's attack, he decided to do something out of character for once. Even Ahn Kimo and Deokgu, the residence chatterers, are quiet. So it's all left to him to cheer them up as their Vice Guild Master.
Leaving it to Hyunsung is out of the question. Kiyoung can still remember those jokes he makes back at the tutorial. He would never wish for someone to go through that mental torture.
“…Everyone, I have something to say.”
Everyone at the dining table immediately looked at him. They all have curious and questioning looks on their face but weirdly, Hyunsung, Hyejin and Hayan look very alarmed. They must have thought something bad happened to him again.
‘‘These kids need to calm down. I’m not that much of a trouble magnet! They obviously need a good laugh.’’
He really just wants to lighten up the mood.
“…I'm-….I'm….pregnant.”
It's honestly just a simple joke.
“……”
“……”
‘Why is nobody laughing?’
Kiyoung counted to 1 minute but the entire room was still filled with silence and gawking faces.
Crash
Nevermind. Someone even dropped their plates and it fell to the floor with a clatter.
‘Tough crowd’. It seems his joke isn’t well received by the audience. Regret and shame started to pile up with every second that passed. Kiyoung needed to backtrack a little to ease the awkward tension.
“….. Hahaha..nevermind… It's just a joke!”
Even after saying that with a cheerful face, they seem to be still shocked and bewildered? Is Kiyoung making a joke really that out of character? Didn’t they know that, even though he's not very good in the tomfoolery department, Light Kiyoung will do anything to cheer up the people around him! Even making himself the butt of the joke! But it seems his effort was not very appreciated.
…They could at least give him a pity laugh. Kiyoung can feel the heat of embarrassment on his face.
“…..”
“……”
Why are they still silently looking at him with that face? They couldn’t possibly entertain the thought that Kiyoung is pregnant.
Right?
Suddenly, the voices began pouring in.
“…Uhm-“
“K-KIYOUNG-SSI!?”
“H-HYUNG-NIM !? I'M GONNA BE AN UNCLE!”
“AHHHH!!!!”
“WHAT!?”
“HOW CAN IT BE !?”
“NOOO!!-MY-O-OPPA!?”
“VICE GUILD MASTER !?”
Before Kiyoung says something, the tension is cut in half by loud screeching coming from multiple angles. The loudest one came from Hayan direction, where she looks like a death row prisoner that’s about to get euthanized while muttering something about the baby. While Sora, who's sitting beside her trembling worse than a sick chihuahua, keeps alternating looking at Hayan and the window. Elena fainted and fell off her chair, falling face first into the foods that splattered to the ground because Deokgu turned the table upside down while yelling excitedly about being a great uncle.
“SINCE WHEN!?-“
“Uhhh…..Like I said, it's just a joke-“
“OH, MY BENIGORE. SO THAT’S WHY YOU HAVE BEEN VOMITING FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS!”/
‘Uh…no, I was just having gastric issues.’
“THAT’S RIGHT!! I'VE BEEN WONDERING WHY VICE GUILD MASTER ATE SO WELL THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. TURNS OUT HE'S NOT ALONE!”
‘No. I was just eating as scheduled?’
“NO WONDER HYUNG-NIM LOOKS LIKE HE GAINED WEIGHT!”
‘…..Are you calling me fat?’
“….Everyone please calm down first-“
“That’s right. Everyone, please calm down. Loud noises and disruptions can cause stress which will burden Kiyoung-ssi and the baby.”
Heeyoung helpfully ordered everyone to quiet down, but why does she also not believe Kiyoung is just joking? Isn’t she a priest? The shouting and screaming immediately stopped, and all of them got back in their seats. Hyejin makes a face that looks very constipated while eating a very sour lemon. While Heeyoung, Yeri, and the others strangely keep glancing at Hyunsung with accusatory eyes. Meanwhile, Hyunsung who had been very quiet sat very still, looking down at the floor while his hair covered his eyes so Kiyoung couldn’t make out his expression. But what he picked up from the regressor instruction manual were very complicated emotions ranging from disbelief, bewilderment, fear, worry and the thickest are murderous intent.
Fortunately, it wasn’t aimed at Kiyoung but at some imaginative person who put his seeds inside of Kiyoung. But why has he also felt a tinge of disappointment from him?
“Kiyoung-ssi, please tell me if you feel any discomfort.”
“Yes! Please tell us! if you want to eat something else please. Just say the word!”
“That’s right, Hyung-nim!”
“O-oppa-“
“…..Guys, you do know that I'm a guy, right?”
For some reason, it seems they all believe that Kiyoung is having a baby right now. How? Why? For what reasons? We cannot live in a world of chaos! He's very touched that they will believe any shits that came out of his mouth and take it at face value despite how mind-reality bending it is. But Kiyoung feels something is very wrong with his cubs' educations if they can't even decipher what can be made possible and straight-up bullshit impossibility. Even Heeyoung and Hyejin, the most logical and rational one in the guild, also seem to eat up his lies.
“Yes of course.”
“Y-yes! I've checked every day!”
‘….What?’
“Then…. Doesn’t a man giving birth seem a little weird?.....And outrageous?”
“WHAT!? NO! DID SOMEONE SAID THAT TO KIYOUNG-SSI!?”
‘Hyunsung!?’
The guy has been silently stewing on the sides, and finally made some noises. But why was he so worked up!? Did he seriously think Kiyoung is carrying now!? While Kiyoung felt good that Hyunsung was offended on his behalf, this entire situation seems to be getting out of hand. For once Kiyoung is the one that felt out of depth. And why is he not questioning the validity of a man's possibility of getting pregnant!?
“Ahh…Uh..No but-“
“Kiyoung-ssi doesn’t have to worry. We will always accept you…And the baby. But can I ask…. w-wh-who the father is?”
“Wait- is-is it not you, guild master ?”
‘What? Why would Hyunsung be the father?’
Hyunsung's face looked very defeated, his disappointment very palpable. Is it because he thinks Kiyoung is going around recklessly sleeping around with people like a whore and making himself pregnant?
Well, good news for him, Kiyoung was not pregnant. If only they will just believe that.
The others are alternatively staring in horror between Kiyoung and Hyunsung. Hyejin's face looked very complicated and constantly switched from relief?? To concern and worry.
Meanwhile, Hayan seems to perk up hearing that and enthusiastically pitch in the idea that she's the father. Sora suspiciously looked to the side and avoided his eyes like she was guilty of something.
“O-of course it will be our baby! M-my magic power must have felt our deep love and made the baby inside of Oppa! “
‘That doesn’t make any sense.'
”A-and! My fluids are the only one that exists inside of Oppa! I checked every night! ”
‘…..What?‘
Kiyoung feels like unpacking those sentences will bring another plate on this shitshow so he's just going to ignore that for now. She probably meant saliva when they kissed right?
…Yeah, that must be it.
“..Guys I'm not- UGH-“
“KIYOUNG-SSI”
“VICE GUILD MASTER”
“O-O-OPPA”
This entire situation is just really bad for his blood pressure. Kiyoung who has just eaten after only downing potions for 2 days can feel his stomach protesting for having to work again, digesting the food he just ate before they fell down the floor because of Deokgu’s excitement at the prospect of being an uncle. Combined with the stress from this shit show, Kiyoung can feel the gastric fluids filling up his stomach ready to burst out of his mouth.
“BLEGHRRR-“
“KIYOUNG-SSI! “
“HYUNG-NIM “
“O-OPPA”
“SOMEONE GET A TOWEL AND A BUCKET.”
“FETCH THE DOCTORS !”
Kiyoung already knows that his vomiting is just going to exacerbate the idea of him being pregnant. But right now he couldn’t really care less because his throat and stomach are hurt from the gastric acids. Including the incoming heavy headaches.
He can feel the others yelling and moving around him frantically asking if he's okay. Before he can answer his consciousness fades out.
……….
The next day, Kiyoung is basically strapped down on the bed.
Every time he tries to get up, someone holds him down and won't let him do anything except to go to the bathroom. It was like the confinement room ver 2.0.
Kiyoung started to miss the old windowless room because at least he can get up and walk around the room like a functional human being. It's not to say it's all bad, because Kiyoung is now pampered to high heavens by the others.
His room is covered with cushions made out of soft and fluffy materials, and it feels like walking on clouds. Even though he needs to force himself to eat 3 times a day. He can just tell someone whatever he's craving and it will magically appear. He gets a magic massage from Hyunsung every 5 hours.
Usually Kiyoung will feel anxious about his work, but fortunately, they have been passed on to Jin Cheong and Jihye. Jin Cheong is mad to be handed more work while Jihye just laughed at his situation and told him to make it up for her at a later date.
Of course, Kiyoung kept telling them constantly that he is not pregnant but they just solemnly nodded in understanding and told him not to worry. They obviously didn’t believe Kiyoung. They thought that he was ashamed of getting pregnant out of wedlock and wanted to keep it a secret.
The misunderstanding just kept getting bigger to the point that Kiyoung started to vomit every morning because of the stress. Heeyoung and Elena are now stationed beside his bed most of the time and high stats guards are positioned outside his door 24 hours.
It was a complete waste of money in Kiyoung's opinion. But then again, they will realize the truth sooner or later, so maybe Kiyoung just needs to enjoy his forced vacations for once.
‘Whatever. They probably just played along with the joke to get back at me. They're going to stop this whole charade in a week or so.’
………
Three months have passed and there is still no progress in people believing Kiyoung is not pregnant despite him shouting it in front of their faces. They just chalked it up to pregnancy mood swings.
His stomach has become a little chubby, also didn’t help. It's not his fault that his stomach bulges giving in to the illusions of pregnancy because they keep feeding him 3 times a day, plus healthy snacks and never let him walk even ten meters outside of the room, so all the calories stayed inside of him.
Fearing for his body figure, Kiyoung would attempt to make himself vomit out the food but then Heeyoung will use her divinity to calm his stomach down which I turn to make it impossible to throw up.
“HAHAHA-“
His dear old soulmate on the other hand, is not helping him very much.
“…Haha. Noona aren’t you being too mean?”
“Ohhh are you pouting right now? What is it because of your ‘mood swings’ again? Pffft-”
“Hmph…..Noona….Ughmm”
“Oh my- why are you acting so cute now? Hmm?”
“Can’t you help me out? Aren’t you tired from all the extra paperwork?”
What Kiyoung worried about the most was his pending work. Most of them need his signatures and more in-depth analysis. He trusts Kim Miyoung and the administrator's team capabilities but he was filled with anxiety when he's not overseeing it first hand.
Not to mention he doesn’t want to owe too much from Jihye because usually if the debt is big then he needs to pay the equivalence of that too. And with Jihye it can range from their casual roleplay to….Other stuff he accidentally heard from Jihye who ordered some…..Questionable stuff that Kiyoung wouldn’t want to be in 10 feet with.
“Hahaha is Kiyoung-ah worried about me now? Have no fear my dear soulmate, I won't charge you too high from this.”
“…..”
“Hmmm I can sense your doubt even from afar pfft-“
“…..Please be gentle with me.“
“Don’t worry, I won't be since you’re carrying something”
“…Seriously Noona ?”
“I just want to make sure. Who knows? Oppa, Lee Jihoo and Kiyeon never wore any protections after all”
Kiyoung threw the goddess's mirror out of the window. The guards gave each other a knowing look and nodded to themselves while Kiyoung could hear them muttering ‘mood swings’. Suffice it to say the office workers that worked the floor below started spreading rumors about the Honorary Cardinal's mental condition
………
5 months in, Kiyoung is ready to blow up.
He's feeling too stuffed being inside his room for months. They argue that it's dangerous and stressful for him to be outside in his vulnerable state. So Kiyoung uses that against them by saying that he's very much stressed inside of the room and demands to be let out. He let out his potent tears of light to get some pity points and even begged on his knees. It successfully made them flustered and give in.
Of course with compromise from both parties. Kiyoung is allowed to go outside as long as he has a skilled guard beside him and avoid going to public or crowded places.
Of course, Kiyoung already knew the perfect place for entertainment that met all their criteria: His beloved Cheong-hyung house!
It's a private place that has a wide area and Jin Cheong is definitely very strong to guard him. Plus Kiyoung can finally be left alone from their nagging.
Hyunsung seemed to want to protest but immediately shut his mouth when Kiyoung started to tear up while stroking his belly. And so to Jin Cheong’s mansion it is.
“Get out.”
“Aww are you really going to kick out someone who's carrying a baby?”
“Leave. I don’t want anything to do with whatever shits you're doing right now.”
“As expected of the demon summoner whose cruelty knows no bounds.“
“I'M NOT A DEMON SUMMONER! YOU BASTA-“
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Did no one ever tell you not to shout at someone who's expecting? You really have no manners”
“YOU'RE NOT PREGNANT!”
“Yes, that’s what I've been saying to everyone, but it seems they are very excited about the baby's arrival”
“And whose fault is that? I'm not very surprised that they believe your dumb joke of being pregnant in the first place.”
“Woah there, tread carefully before I accuse you of slandering one of the biggest guilds in the continent.”
“I don’t care, leave.”
“No, let me in.”
“Why can't you just leave me alone!? “
“I'm so very lonely and bored Cheong-Hyung!~”
“Go away! I've had enough of the extra work you gave me. I have no time to babysit you.”
“Well…..Did you know I've never told anyone who the father is?”
“…..”
"Everyone is already convinced I'm pregnant, do you really want me to make you the 'father'?"
“…..”
“Cheong-Hyung, do you miss Jin Young ?”
And with that Kiyoung got a free pass to Jin Cheong’s mansion. Although he initially came for entertainment and to kill off his boredom, Kiyoung took his original shares of paperwork to do it himself.
Doing the paperwork feels like an important habit that Kiyoung got after arriving on the continent, so when he can't do any of it for months it fills him with anxiety and emptiness. And now he can feel his anxiety cease little by little and that unfamiliar weight on his shoulder lessened.
He also feels a little bit of pity towards Jin Cheong, who has already got many things to handle as one of the main pillars of the Republic, so adding Kiyoung’s work must feel like torture for him. The unopened chess boards in the corner of the room look very pitiful and lonely.
He must have no time to take care of himself just by looking at his haggard looks. His hair was messed up like a bird's nest, sunken cheeks like he hasn’t eaten in days, and the big black bags under his eyes, are very telling how many days he hasn’t slept.
Jin Cheong at first gave him suspicious looks on why he was doing the paperwork instead of being an annoyance like usual, but then welcomed the change with an open arm very quickly when he realized he finally had free time to take care of his hygiene and nutrition.
It went like that for weeks.
Kiyoung would come to Jin Cheong place to ‘recuperate’, while the Blue Guild is busy managing Kiyoung’s work. Like his potion factory and the church and kingdom relations. Yeri snarked about Kiyoung's constant visits to Jin Cheong place and asked if he is the real ‘father’.
Hyunsung heard about it, and the guild gym including the training ground is now under total renovation. Many guild members saw the guild master sharpening his sword in broad daylight on the day before the Republic representative, the Shadow Hero, Jin Cheong arrived for a business-related reason.
A few days later the headline read:
[Discord between the Blue Guild and the Republic. The reason is still unknown, Chance of war is high. Still no comment from the Honorary Cardinal and Blue Vice Guild Master.]
Jin Cheong's reaction to Hyunsung's instant hostility is to break his mansion furniture to shreds while cursing out both Kiyoung and Hyunsung.
Kiyoung, who had gotten tired of Jin Cheong shouting, ordered him to make food instead of burning his places to the ground. Surprisingly, He listened and begrudgingly made Kiyoung foods while venting out his rage at the poor meat products. His soulmate on the other hand laughed at both of them and began to spread the news to more places.
But then, news about Kiyoung's pregnancy is out.
How?
Well, it's because a certain ‘someone’ decided to buy a pregnancy and baby kit without any hint of subtlety. Of course, the reporters who were hungry for news picked up on it like sharks smelling blood on the water. There has already been a rumor spreading around about the Honorary Cardinal's ‘mood swings’, Not to mention Kiyoung's lack of presence in public for months. Suffice it to say the whole continent is in jeopardy.
Heera Noona was surprised at first when she heard about it but then went back to her carefree attitude and gave him support saying that she wanted the baby to look like him. Though she did look bewildered when Kiyoung said the baby isn't Hyunsung’s.
Yuno is the one that has the calmest attitude. Kiyoung told her the truth and she believed him because she didn’t say anything about Kiyoung being pregnant in her clairvoyant skills. She thought that this was just one of Kiyoung's plans so she played along.
Pope Basel and the heads of the state heard about it too. Immediately, All of the templars and holy knights are dispatched to escort him to the holy church.
Pope Basel welcomed him with teary eyes praising Benigore in every few sentences for the new ‘miracle and blessing’. Even Alice and Charlotte give congratulatory gifts filled with new and trendy baby clothes.
At this point, Kiyoung can't really say "I'm not pregnant, it's just a joke". Not that anyone would believe him. So he’s going to do what he's best at, doubling down, and making the situation worse.
[Pssst, Benigore, I need you to come down and tell everyone about your new blessing on me.]
[Junior Lee Kiyoung? What are you planning?]
[Tell them that I'm pregnant.]
[What!? You are pregnant!? Who is the bastard that dares to touch believer Lee Kiyoung!? Wait, is it Kim Hyunsung?]
[What? No. I'm not pregnant. And why did Hyunsung name keep popping out!?]
[Then why?]
[Long story short, a joke went wrong so now we're in circus town.]
[Wouldn’t it be better to just tell them the truth?]
[You think I haven’t done that!? If that shit really worked then I wouldn’t be standing here talking about this STUPID FUCKING MESS with YOU!]
[…..S-sorry..]
[…No...I'm sorry….For yelling….I'm just very stressed right now.]
[Believer Lee Kiyoung….]
[..So can you please just tell them that?]
[…..Okay. But what are you going to do about this?]
[Don’t worry. I have an idea.]
[?]
[Let's make a play. Get Belial-nim to join in.]
He told Benigore to play along in front of the Pope that the God of Sacrifice and Resurrection is currently expecting. Pope Basel almost fainted from happiness after Benigore directly came down and blessed Kiyoung in front of everyone.
The entire continent celebrated the miracles for a week straight. The only good thing that came out of this shitshow is the large increase of divinity.
Everytime Kiyoung felt stressed from all of this, he took a look at his bank account and felt his shoulders become less burdened.
Kiyoung couldn’t continue this facade any longer anymore so he decided to make a play where a group of cultists kidnapped him and then uses his "baby" as a sacrifice to call the great demon Belial. It’s a perfect play with a great plot and ending.
Kiyoung patted himself on the back thinking he should get a film degree after this is over. He even got Jin Cheong to be the head of the cultist, of course with a little bit of blackmail and threatening that if he didn’t do it then Kiyoung will bring Jin Young into reality.
It's a quick way to earn big divinity and end this whole shenanigan. He has Jihye organized the cultist and Belial ready for the big show.
The first part started with hard mode because Kiyoung’s security was too tight, he almost had no room to leave or be alone in his room. Not to mention the multiple artifacts and spells Hayan and Hyunsung put on him. So they made a big distraction first.
A big explosion near the city should do the trick as the cultist's introduction and debut. The three big guilds were tasked to investigate the terrorism incident so there's a little hole in the security for Kiyoung to slip out. He was also pretty sure that Jin Cheong very much enjoys the challenge like the game addict that he is.
That night…
“Took you long enough.”
“Shut it.”
“You bet you could come 3 minutes ago.”
“Tch.”
Kiyoung and Jin Cheong bet on the time he will need to kidnap Kiyoung. Little did he know, Kiyoung gave him a detour route of the secret passage. It's technically no cheating since all Jin Cheong said he needed was the route. He never said the ‘fastest’ route. So the blame is really on him. Jin Cheong who had come to ‘kidnapped’ him pulled out a red rope to tie Kiyoung up.
“Ahh..ughh-“
“…Stop making weird noises”
“It tickled.”
The next part is quite easy, they just have to hold their kidnapping post position until the next stage. Though they needed to move a few times because they were almost found out by the frenzied armies searching for the missing Honorary Cardinal. Delightfully, Kiyoung finally gets the time to catch up to some of the demons from Belial’s corps. It never hurt to strengthen his connections in the underworld.
[I’m very happy to finally work together on a big project with you again. Only that beautifully disgusting soul can come up with this ingenious play.]
[You're overpraising me Belial-nim.]
[No, it's always a delight to peer into the inky darkness and witness the sweet rotten fruit bloom into the most amazing performances in the entirety of hell.]
[This lowly servant is elated by your compliments Belial-nim.]
Of course, Kiyoung being the way he is, wants to make the climax scene to be more dramatic so he planned to add something to the script. He didn’t tell anyone because he didn’t have the time to do it. After all, the armies have come down fast to their location.
“KIYOUNG-SSI!”
“O-OPPA!”
“VICE GUILD MASTER!”
“HONORARY CARDINAL!”
Voices calling out filled with worry and concern. The person they come to save is currently being tied and held by the cultist leader who has a demon mask on his face, hiding his identity. All of them readying themselves to attack.
But suddenly big demonic arms came out and swept most of them out. All of these are being broadcasted by Jihye who's sitting in the back drinking coffee.
“Give it up. We are going to bring back the Great Demon Belial to rain despair to the continent.”
Kiyoung can feel Jin Cheong physically cringe from saying the lines. At first, he's very adamant that the leader doesn’t need to say a word but Kiyoung forced him to say at least one of two lines by bringing up the bet he lost before.
While the people around him are busy fighting, Kiyoung is readying himself for the climax. He started to force his body to mimic shudders and seizures. He screamed while everyone started to panic and Jin Cheong gave him a look like saying 'What the fuck is he up to now?'
Kiyoung’s dark brown hair turned into titanium white and his dual-colored eyes turned frosty blue. He changed his class to plague lord and began to trash around the rope screaming. The entire army turned deathly pale when they saw him changing.
“AHHH-GET THIS FUCKING THING OUT OF ME!”
To make the climax more authentic, Kiyoung used his bio-alchemist skill and pulled out gigantic demonic arms, then ripped his stomach wide open for the entire armies, demons, and the continent to see. For a brief moment the entire continent is filled with despair and lets out terrified screams at the same time.
“KIYOUNG-SSI!”
“O-OPPA!”
“NOOOO!”
“AHHHH!”
Of course, Kiyoung already downed an entire anesthesia potion before. Everyone was shocked, Jihye spat out her coffee, burning her own throat in the process, and fortunately for Jin Cheong, his shocked expression was covered with the mask.
[Belial-nim it's your turn!]
[…Ah yes, excuse me for a second.]
Fearing the climax falling before the end, Kiyoung connected to Belial to bring him out of his bewildered stupor. Thankfully he's a professional, so he immediately gets back into the character. Kiyoung can feel Belial is impressed and amazed by his stunt.
Demonic limbs came out of the prop portals one by one. A wriggling mass of tentacles, courtesy of Limur, complemented as a nice prop for the background.
[HAHAHA IMPUDENT MORTALS. FEAST YOUR EYES ON THESE. YOUR BELOVED BITCH OF GODDESSES JUST LET HER SON OF LIGHT GIVE ME THE PERFECT SACRIFICE TO RISE AGAIN AND BRING BACK DESPAIR!]
Screams of despair echoed across the entire continent. But before all of the great demon's limbs can come out, Kiyoung gives out a code to Jihye to bring down the light. Fortunately, She snapped out of her shock and did as told.
[Benigore, now!]
[HUH!?-Uh w-wait-]
[Hurry!]
[A-ahem, stop there you demon scum! Your kind is not welcome here in the light. You will bring no despair to the continent for I have faith in my believer, my Son of Light.]
Benigore, used her divinity to bring down some pretty lights and cut off some of Belial’s limbs and the tentacles. It was a good thing they did a little training before so the choreography feels and looks very cool.
The Goddess of Light cut down the demon limb one by one while protecting her faithful saint who is currently in pain. Kiyoung can feel their divinity skyrocket, he can even see the holy knight army on their knees praying to Benigore with gusto.
[My believer Lee Kiyoung, come back to me ]
“AGHH-“
[Do you hear your companions' voices calling out for you to come back?]
“Ughhh-…Aghhh!”
“Sobs..O-OPPA CAN YOU HEAR MY VOICE!?”
“K-KIYOUNG-SSI, PLEASE COME BACK, IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY!”
“VICE GUILD LEADER-”
“HONORARY CARDINAL-“
“AGHHHH!”
Kiyoung let out the biggest scream yet. It hurt his throat. Kiyoung really should get an Oscar by this point. He put his entire heart and soul into that perfect scream of despair. He changed his class back to Light Alchemist after Benigore shone some light on his body.
He had fallen to his knees and made a confused face.
‘Light Kiyoung knows nothing.’
Before he fully faces planted into the ground he can feel familiar arms wrapped around him, calling out to his name. It's his cubs.
“K-Kiyoung-ssi! Heeyoung!”
“O-Op-Oppa!”
“Hyung-Nim!”
Kiyoung's body was very cold because of the blood loss. Unfortunately, he had no idea because the anesthesia numbed his body and lowered his thinking ability. All he knew was that he's surrounded by his cub's who are crying so much they could make a river.
“W-what..?”
“Don't talk, save your strength Kiyoung-ssi.”
Heeyoung and Elena's holy power washed over his body, he can also feel Hyunsung silently massaging his bruised wrist. Thanks to the blood loss and anesthesia he felt very sleepy. While everyone is focusing on him. Benigore has finished sending Belial back to the shadow realm.
And with that came the victory cries from all around the continent. But strangely there's a subtle solemn and sorrow mixing in the air. The Honorary Cardinal was rescued but his baby is gone.
Kiyoung decided that is the perfect time to tap out. Jin Cheong and Jihye-Noona can clean up the rest.
…………
As things turned out. Kiyoung anesthesia was working so well that it made him sleep for a week straight. He woke up on his soft bed surrounded by Hayan and Hyunsung each laying down by his sides, Heeyoung and Elena sleeping on a chair next to his bed. Deokgu and the rest of his cubs were sleeping on his couch. They all seemed to camp out in his bedroom all week.
“K-Kiyoung-ssi!”
“O-Oppa!”
Hyunsung and Hayan woke up at the same time when they felt slight movement from Kiyoung. Both of them are already crying and calling out his name while checking his body like a broken record. Heeyoung and Elena woke up by the noise they were making and immediately did a full body check up. By the time they are done everyone in the room is awake and looking at him with pitying eyes. It's time for his weak light Kiyoung who knows nothing act.
“Cough… W-what happened ?”
“W-what did you last remember, Kiyoung-ssi ?”
“I-ughh!”
“K-Kiyoung!”
“Oppa-”
“Hyung-”
“Vice Guild Master!”
Worried voices resounded around him when he slightly winced at his body.
“I-I don’t remember much…I think we were dining together with the new special menus?”
“…..K-kiyoung-ssi th-that was months ago”
‘Yes that’s right. It was before Lee Kiyoung ever uttered the blasted ‘I’m pregnant’ joke.’
“R-really ? Then wh-what happened all those months?”
‘Lee Kiyoung knows nothing. I have no idea what events happened in the last few months.’
All of them paled and looked around at each other. None of them seems to know how to break the news to the poor frail saint who just woken up, that he just lost his baby as a sacrifice for the demons that have kidnapped and tortured him twice. It was an awkward silence until Heeyoung broke it.
“It's nothing, Kiyoung-ssi. you don’t have to worry. We just rescued you from a demonic cultist and you have been sleeping for a few months.“
‘Nice save Heeyoung.’
“Y-yeah that’s right! O-oppa is saved now.”
“Kiyoung-ssi should rest more, okay?”
All of them tacitly agreed to never tell the poor victim about his tragic predicament. They feel like it’s better to bury all of it. let their frail friend heal instead of burdening him with stress and mental breakdown for the loss of his unborn child. The amnesiac play ver 2.0 is perfect for Kiyoung. He won't need to act like a grieving parent for weeks and no one will ask anything about the baby again.
And with that the tragedy of the Honorary Cardinal who lost his unborn baby as a sacrifice to a demon.
Some theorized that it is the demon's fault, but some also posited the idea that he completely forgot the existence of his dead child because of a mental breakdown. His consciousness erased the memory completely to protect his sanity. There's a new unspoken rule on the continent, never speak about the incident and the lost baby to the pitiful Saint of Light.
……
[Junior Lee Kiyoung!]
[Benigore ?]
[You finally woke up! Are you okay?]
[Uh.. Yeah]
[Okay…..WHY IN THE NAME OF HEAVENS DID YOU DO THAT!?]
[Huh?]
‘Uhhh why is she yelling at me? Isn't she too aggravated ?’
[DON’T YOU ‘HUH’ ME.]
[..Benigore, calm down…]
[NO YOU CAN'T JUST RIPPED OUT YOUR STOMACH AND TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!]
Why is she being so difficult now? Is there a problem in the aftermath of the play? The scenarios played out nicely before he went unconscious. Maybe it's the clean up? There is a chance that some people feel bitter because the goddess of light is late and let her faithful subject get tortured for the second time to the point of even losing a baby. Though Kiyoung was still skeptical about it because there is no way Pope Basel will let that kind of thinking smear Benigore honor.
[….Are your followers giving you problems for not saving me faster?]
[NO. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE!?]
[Uhhh….]
[AFTER YOU FAINTED JIHYE BROKE ALL OF THE PROPS AND BURNED DOWN THE ENTIRE PLACE, SHE'S PISSED OFF! EVEN JIN CHEONG JUST SITTING IN THE CORNER MUTTERING INCOHERENTLY ABOUT YOU! I’VE BEEN WORRIED SICK FOR YOU! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT!?]
[….I'm sorry I just want to make it more…..Authentic ?...I will give a heads-up next time..]
[IT'S NOT A MATTER OF GIVING A HEADS UP, YOU FOOL. IT’S A MATTER OF YOU RIPPING OUT YOUR STOMACH AND ALMOST DYING!! IF THE FIGHT IS EVEN A MINUTE LONGER, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SIT HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS STUPID MESS WITH ME ! SO NO! THERE BETTER BE NO NEXT TIME.]
[….Yes…]
For the first time in his life Kiyoung can understand the meaning of divine wrath.
It feels a little jarring hearing Benigore angrily screaming at him when usually she would just meekly reprimanded him. His head feels quite dizzy anyway so it's better to back down first when benigore is in her rage mode. He knew that they will be worried but they should tone it down a little bit of their overreaction.
From what Benigore said, he should probably make a plan and multiple backups if what she said about Jihye outburst of the aftermath is true. For now he should just wait until Benigore is done screaming in his head.
……….
[Hahh…Hahh…You better make a good apology cake for Jihye, because you’re on your own dealing with her.]
[….]
[…..]
[….Can you help me bake the cake ?]
[…..]
[…..]
[…..Sure]