Episode 90: Sanctum (2)
As soon as I received the message, I contacted Luke right away.
[Belief_]: Would it be okay if I came tomorrow?
The reply came immediately after I sent it.
It hadn’t even been that long, yet the response was so quick, it was as if he’d been waiting for it.
[Luke]: You’re welcome anytime.
The meeting time was set for late evening.
Until then, I didn’t have anything particular to do, nor did I feel like focusing on anything.
So, I decided to let the day drift by.
I slept in, stopped by a café for some coffee, and took a walk around the campus.
It was nothing like my usual days—packed, broken down into minutes, analyzed, and filled with training.
I figured it would be okay to spend at least one day like this.
I quietly looked up at Gaon’s sky.
The sun was slowly beginning to set.
Since I wasn’t expecting any messages, I had taken off my watch for the day. But when I finally put it back on and turned it on after a long while, a flood of vibrations hit all at once.
“…What the heck.”
[Missed call from Summer]
[Summer]: Mo
[Summer]: Hae
[Summer]: ?
[Missed call from Summer]
[Missed call from Summer]
[You’ve received a voice message.]
The screen was instantly filled with notification pop-ups.
I tapped on the voice message.
Without even using earphones, a familiar voice quietly flowed out of the watch.
— …What are you doing? Ahem. Okay. Just like that… Haein, where are you? It’s the weekend—what are you up to? Let’s eat together.
At first, it sounded like she was talking to herself, but then it naturally turned into a message directed at me.
The beginning seemed to be unintentionally recorded, with awkward coughing and murmurs mixed in.
I let out a soft chuckle.
Placing my finger on the watch’s keypad, I left a short reply.
[Belief_]: Later. I have plans today.
A moment later, the “read” check mark appeared.
Soon, a single line of message came back.
I didn’t bother replying.
The appointed time was almost here.
***
“Busy, huh…”
Yoon Chae-ha lay sprawled out on her bed, glancing sideways at an open book next to her.
The cover was still as flashy as ever.
[The Laws of Relationships Even a Shut-in Mage is Curious About ~ The Ultimate 199 Flirting Techniques!]
It was a book she had half-jokingly used before.
At first, it was just for fun—or maybe mild curiosity.
But now, things were different.
Yoon Chae-ha didn’t deny her feelings.
She wasn’t stupid—she knew exactly what this feeling was.
So this time, She wanted to be more careful, more serious.
She intended to read it calmly, like an ancient manuscript.
Just as she was about to make her fourth call, a certain line on the page caught her eye:
“If you pull too much, they might get tired of you! A bit of push and pull is essential!”
“…Is that so…”
She mumbled to herself and slowly set the watch down.
“……”
She waited silently.
“…This should be enough, right?”
She turned her gaze to check the time. Not even five minutes had passed.
“….”
Yeah. This wasn’t for her.
Push and pull just didn’t suit her style.
Following her heart was easier.
She shot up from the bed, threw on her coat, and stepped out of the dorm.
And the place she arrived at—
Was right in front of Jung Haein’s dorm.
She had walked there before realizing it.
Late afternoon on the weekend. The hallway was quiet.
The exchange matches were over, and it seemed most people had headed back to their family homes.
However, she knew that he hadn’t left.
Normally, male dorms were off-limits to female students.
But the surveillance wasn’t that strict, and it was the weekend.
If she was just a little careful, no one would notice.
She carefully pulled her hat down over her face and slowly climbed the stairs.
‘If I get caught, I’ll probably get scolded.’
But it didn’t matter much.
When she finally reached the door, she paused briefly to steady her breath.
Then, she knocked softly on the door.
‘What should I say? A magic question? Career advice? Or maybe just…’
Honestly, she just wanted to see him.
— Thud!
From inside, something clattered and fell over.
The sound of someone hastily moving, as if they’d just gotten out of bed.
He had probably been lying down.
She clutched her pounding chest.
And then—
—Creak…
The door opened quietly.
But what spilled out wasn’t a voice — it was heat.
And along with Jung Haein’s familiar scent came an unfamiliar, unpleasant body odor mixed in.
She immediately waved her hand in the air, as if trying to push the smell away.
And then, peeking out through the cracked door was a face.
“Huh?”
A woman, her loose clothes slipping off her shoulder, and her braided hair messy like she had just gotten up.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed.
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes trembled faintly.
She had seen this girl before.
During the mock team match.
The childhood friend who’d gotten destroyed by Jung Haein from the side.
Ha Sion.
Yoon Chae-ha’s head began to spin.
But it wasn’t just her who was thrown off by the situation.
Sion was equally baffled.
Haein was supposed to be visiting the Arcadia Order right now, and should’ve already entered the Sanctum.
She had just come over to enjoy a bit of “happy time” while he was away.
She thought the visitor would be either Kang Arin or Yu Hana.
Frankly, it was about time someone found out — if you leave a trail long enough, it’s bound to be caught.
But the woman in front of her… wasn’t one of the expected ones.
‘Ah.’
Sion instinctively sensed — this could get really annoying.
Yoon Chae-ha clenched her jaw and suddenly flung the door open.
— Whoosh.
‘…It’s Hot.’
Trapped heat and humid air burst into the hallway.
She quickly scanned the room.
Luckily, Jung Haein wasn’t there.
But that wasn’t the point.
Slowly. Very slowly, her head turned—like a creaky doll.
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes locked onto Sion.
“…Haa.”
Sion closed her eyes and bowed her head.
***
Arcadia Order, Outer Underground Reception Room.
I was seated in a designated waiting seat.
A space where soft candlelight blended with divine energy.
I was waiting for entry into the Sanctum.
I could only enter during Cheon Yeoul’s time slot.
So I had to wait until the hero, Yohan, finished his turn.
After a while, a priest in robes quietly approached me down the corridor.
“Brother, preparations for your guidance into the Sanctum are complete.”
“Ah, yes.”
I slowly got up from my seat.
I had prepared a lot.
From sandbags to boost training efficiency to various other things—I’d packed quite the bundle.
That was when—
“You’re here?”
From beside the priest, Cheon Yeoul appeared.
‘…Wow.’
It was a look I’d never seen before.
Her outfit was different from usual.
A sacred garment adorned with traditional patterns embroidered in gold.
The form-fitting design revealed the curves of her body, creating a complex mix of impressions.
“Sorry, it took a while to put this on.”
Cheon Yeoul fidgeted with her clothes, looking slightly embarrassed.
“We’ll have to take everything off once we’re inside anyway… sigh.”
I stopped walking for a moment.
“Take off? Take off what? Why take it off?”
I hurriedly asked, but she just gave a sly smile and turned her head.
“You’ll find out once we go in~”
I couldn’t tell if she was joking or serious.
…It must be a joke. She’s a Saintess, after all.
We slowly walked down the corridor leading to the Sanctum.
Before long, we reached the entrance.
The large doors were shut, and two believers bearing the Hero’s emblem stood in front of them.
Then—
Rumble…
The thick doors slowly began to tremble and open.
The divine energy flowing from within felt strangely heavy.
And from that space, one person walked out.
It was Yohan.
“Haa…”
His body was soaked in sweat, as if exhausted from training.
As he exited, the waiting believers quickly approached him, wiping his sweat and handing him a towel with care.
Breaking the silence, the priest beside me bowed slightly and spoke.
“It is now time for the two of you to enter.”
I nodded.
Cheon Yeoul also took a short breath and stepped up beside me.
Beyond the temple ceiling, moonlight seeped through a stained-glass skylight.
The moon was already at its zenith.
“W-Wait.”
Just then, Yohan, who had been about to leave, turned his head toward us.
As if only now noticing us, a look of bewilderment spread across his face.
His gaze lingered briefly on Cheon Yeoul.
Then it shifted to me.
“You… the two of you are going in? Together?”
“Yes,” the priest quietly nodded.
“…”
Yohan’s eyes flickered slightly.
At that moment, Cheon Yeoul, who had been standing beside me, carefully approached.
Her fingertips brushed along my sleeve, and then—without hesitation—she wrapped her arm around mine.
She never once turned to look at Yohan.
“Let’s go.”
I nodded and followed her lead.
“Yeah.”
We walked toward the Sanctum doors.
The moment we stepped over the threshold, the divine energy within brushed against our skin.
As I inhaled, a cold, clear energy filled my lungs.
Rumble…
The doors closed behind us, sealing off the chamber from the outside world completely.
The light fell silently.
The only light came from the moonlight filtering through the stained glass.
A soft glow enveloped the Sanctum.
Holy energy seeped into every corner.
With each breath, it felt as though a cool divinity was sinking deep into my lungs.
Rather than feeling solemn, I strangely felt… at peace.
I lightly stepped on the ground with both feet.
Then a few jumps.
“Damn.”
It felt different.
I had never even considered using it myself—just set it up and forgot about it.
It had always been reserved solely for the Saintess and the Hero.
I could feel my body becoming activated.
I unpacked the things I had brought.
Sandbags, resistance bands, and various other tools.
I didn’t have much time.
To make the most of this short window, efficient time management was essential.
Now was the time to focus.
“I think I’m going to be pretty busy from now on, so let’s both just focus on—”
I turned toward Cheon Yeoul as I spoke.
Then.
Shrrrk…
The sound of fabric brushing against the floor.
“Hey, what are you—”
She was slowly taking off the holy robes she had been wearing just moments ago, layer by layer.
Undoing the sleeves, loosening the sash—her clothes naturally slid off her shoulders.
She’s actually undressing?
Shrrrk…
This was getting dangerous.
I quickly turned my head away.
“Cover up. There’s nowhere safe to look.”
“It’s not like that. To better absorb the divine energy floating around in the Sanctum… I have to expose as much skin as possible.”
Huh?
She said it so casually.
It made me wonder if I was the only one being weird about it.
It really felt like I was the only one overreacting, while she didn’t think much of it.
“…Really?”
It made sense, theoretically.
I did feel the divine energy more strongly on the exposed parts of my skin, like the backs of my hands.
The areas covered by clothes felt more dull by comparison.
I gave a somewhat awkward nod.
“I’m not taking it all off or anything. You should expose a little too—it’ll help.”
Cheon Yeoul’s words started to convince me.
Yeah, since I was here, I might as well absorb it more efficiently.
I shrugged off my top and sat down.
Time to start the real training.
Gotta do what I came here to do.
Then.
“Hey, Haein.”
“Yeah?”
I turned my head absentmindedly.
And I immediately swallowed hard.
Shark.
As the fabric slipped off, half of her bare body came into view.
The robe had slid down from her neck, revealing the gentle curve of her side.
Moonlight streamed through the stained glass above, cascading softly over her shoulder and hip.
What she wore underneath the robe was unexpected.
Less holy attire, and more like something designed specifically to absorb divine energy.
It covered exactly what needed to be covered, but left as much skin exposed as possible.
In a way, it was the most efficient outfit one could wear inside the Sanctum.
The contrast between the sacred atmosphere and her striking appearance created a strange harmony.
She looked quietly at me.
On the edge of her lips was the usual playful smile—but this time, layered with something else I couldn’t quite place.
“So? Do I look pretty?”
My face felt like it was on fire.
I felt like I should say something, but there was nowhere to look.
In the end, all I could do was slowly nod.
“…Yeah.”
Somehow, it felt like focusing on training today…
Wasn’t going to be easy.