The Saint Wants to Rest - vanish into fiction

Considering the total population of South Korea, it was an absurd figure. Those who had despaired after failing to awaken, those with family members suffering from incurable diseases, and the countless people who had developed a blind faith after witnessing Ian’s miracles had literally caused a “stampede.”

“Deploy the entire IT team and restore it. If an additional budget is needed, I will approve it immediately.”

Choi Jae-heon gave the order and set down the receiver. He turned to Ian and let out a heavy sigh.

“More people flocked here than expected. It will be normalized by tomorrow morning, one way or another.”

Ultimately, after a desperate struggle by the IT team who stayed up all night, the server was barely restored by the time the next morning dawned. And the number of applications for the 1st Generation Priesthood received overnight exceeded a staggering 400,000.

“When am I going to read all of these?”

In front of a table where printed resumes were stacked like a mountain, Ian rummaged through the bundles of documents with a fed-up expression.

The criteria for the document screening were clear.

First, mana sensitivity must be non-existent or low.

Second, physical and mental strength must be high.

Third, the person must be someone who can approach anything with sincerity.

“Lord Ian, you must filter this one out.”

Vermouth, who was scanning the resumes with hawk-like eyes, pulled out a sheet of paper and spoke firmly.

“The motive for applying is impure. This is a dangerous person who risks damaging the dignity of the Order.”

Ian glanced at the resume and pushed it into the shredder without hesitation.

“Yep, disqualified. The problem is that there are too many people like that.”

Since he announced the establishment of a peculiar religion, many had applied for fun or for the sake of spying. A sigh naturally escaped Ian’s lips.

“What about this person?”

This time, Ian pulled out a resume.

“Kim Cheol-su, 29 years old. Former firefighter. Retired due to a ruptured ligament in his leg while saving someone at a fire scene. Mana sensitivity is low grade, so he failed to awaken as a hunter. The motive for applying is ‘Because I want to stand at the scene of saving lives once again’.”

Ian wore a satisfied smile.

“This is exactly the kind of person I wanted. Someone who will move for the sake of the world.”

Just then, Choi Jae-heon, who was reviewing documents with them from the opposite side, pushed a resume toward the center of the table with a heavy face.

“Ian, check this applicant’s resume.”

Choi Jae-heon’s voice was lower and more subdued than usual.

“He has a criminal record. It is not fraud or a violent crime, but he has one prior conviction for assault. His mana sensitivity is not bad, but he hasn’t awakened yet. He also has a history of attending an academy for training awakened ones in the past.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to exclude criminals?”

“But I looked into it, and it turns out he was sued for using violence while helping someone else. It seems he didn’t have the settlement money, so it remained as a criminal record.”

At those words, Ian’s eyes sparkled.

“It really is true. It says he trained his body for five hours every day even in this situation? His physical condition is quite good.”

Ian pulled up the corners of his mouth and drew a large circle on the top of the resume.

“Hyung, guys like this are the real deal. Those who have been pushed to the very edge of a cliff. Kids who have tasted the bitterness of failure and crawled on the ground never let go when you lower a lifeline of salvation. Someone being chased by debt collectors works much better than a fanatic. Send him up for an interview too.”

“……”

Choi Jae-heon stared at Ian in silence. His younger brother, who was praising noble sacrifice just a moment ago and was now spitting out words that were excessively realistic, felt unfamiliar.

“Your way of handling human desperation is quite fierce.”

Choi Jae-heon muttered quietly. It was not a criticism. Rather, it was a complex emotion mixed with admiration and a sense of loneliness regarding how his brother had become sturdy enough to pierce through and utilize the abyss of others.

“If your will is firm, I will put him on the list. I will handle the cleanup, so you feel free to unfold the board you are drawing.”

Ian stretched and his eyes shone.

The selection of the first priesthood of the Order of Regnasia, which the entire world was watching.

The curtain was about to rise on an extraordinary interview for those entangled in desperation, secular desires, and unyielding goodwill.

***

“Next group, please enter.”

A large indoor gymnasium located on the outskirts of Seoul. A massive dome shaped stadium, where sports matches or large scale concerts would normally be held, was being used today as the final interview site for the 1st Generation Priesthood of the Order of Regnasia.

Following the guidance of the staff members dressed in suits, the heavy entrance doors opened.

The twenty nine year old former firefighter, Kim Cheol-su, swallowed hard and shifted his weight onto his crutch. His left leg, which had been crushed after taking the hit from a collapsing steel frame at a fire scene in place of someone else, was screaming with pain as if being seared by fire, despite having swallowed twice the appropriate dose of painkillers.