## Chapter 84 – Confession
#84. Confession
As far as I know, confession is a religious ritual where you confess your sins to a priest and receive forgiveness.
Of course, just because you’ve confessed doesn’t mean you’re exempt from the punishment for that sin. It’s merely an act of seeking self-comfort by unburdening your sins to someone.
“…I do have concerns, but I haven’t committed any sins?”
“It’s alright. Confession isn’t just about confessing sins. Some people actually share their worries during confession.”
Though it felt a bit unsettling, my mind was filled with the thought that I just wanted someone, anyone, to listen to me right now.
When I nodded, the priest led me to a small wooden booth located in a corner of the chapel. Opening the door, I was greeted by a cramped room that didn’t even seem to be a single square meter.
I went inside and sat down, entrusting myself to the small chair.
The soundproofing was better than I expected; once the door closed, I couldn’t hear any outside noise.
“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
The priest’s voice came from beyond a small hole connected to the other side. I cautiously glanced around before following suit.
“Amen.”
For the record, I’m an atheist.
“Feel free to speak comfortably.”
“…I had a relationship with a woman, and she got pregnant. The problem is, I haven’t promised to marry her, nor are we even lovers. Just thinking about this makes my head spin, and now she wants to have the baby and marry me.”
I felt like more and more of a scumbag with each word I spoke, but the priest simply listened to my story without saying much.
“Of course, it’s not that I dislike her. It’s just that I’m still young, so the sudden pregnancy and marriage are a burden in many ways. Plus, her family is so well-off that I can’t help but feel somewhat intimidated.”
Actually, looking at it this way, I’m pretty pathetic.
It’s barely even a concern; anyone else would consider it a blessing.
“Brother, may I offer my thoughts?”
“Huh? Oh, of course.”
“It’s natural to have worries and concerns about an unintended pregnancy and marriage. In fact, taking the time to contemplate and worry more, and clearly understanding your feelings, may be the path to a harmonious family.”
The priest’s words, delivered in a calm voice, were filled with clichéd expressions.
Don’t be afraid of marriage, the birth of a new life is a blessing, there’s no right answer in everything, and so on.
He quoted verses from the Bible, trying to comfort me in his own way, but it wasn’t really helpful.
I was half-listening to the uninspiring words when I heard something shocking that snapped me to attention.
“And… this is just my speculation, so feel free to dismiss it. It’s possible that the woman is mistaken about her pregnancy.”
“…Pardon?”
“You mentioned that the woman is from a wealthy family? Roughly how wealthy?”
“I don’t know exactly… but probably around the level of a major conglomerate.”
Of course, what I said was only in terms of wealth.
In reality, being one of the top three magical families meant that wealth was only a small part of their power. Considering their influence in the magical world, even high-ranking tycoons couldn’t stand tall in front of the Choi family of Seongbuk.
“Ah.”
The priest seemed to ponder for a moment after hearing me, but soon opened his mouth again.
“The church has various blessing ceremonies. In particular, parents who don’t want their newborn child to suffer from illness often donate to the church and receive blessings.”
I’d heard about that before.
That wealthy people donate huge sums to the church when their children are born, and in return, they receive various blessings.
“But what does that have to do with the pregnancy?”
“Well… there’s a blessing that people from wealthy families receive as a matter of course.”
“Could it be…?”
From the priest’s somewhat hesitant reaction and the conversation he’d had with me so far, I could only deduce one thing.
“…There’s a ‘Blessing of Infertility.’ Usually, such families are extremely wary of unwanted children being born due to their children’s mistakes, so…”
The moment I heard that, I slapped my forehead without realizing it.
‘I wondered if it was possible, but there really is such a blessing?’
It was startling, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t incomprehensible. If the young master or princess of a rich family got involved with some shady characters and suddenly had a child, there would be no more troublesome problem than that.
In novels, the issue of illegitimate children of nobles was a common trope, whereas in reality, it was hard to find such cases in Europe or America.
I’d never seriously considered the reason for this, but if there was indeed a ‘Blessing of Infertility,’ it would be stranger if problems arose from illegitimate children.
“Of course, it’s not a permanent blessing. It can be lifted at any time if the couple visits the church.”
The priest’s voice quickened, as if he were making excuses.
Was he worried that I’d think the church was materialistic?
‘No need to worry, who in the world doesn’t know that the church is materialistic?’
The modern church was practically a religious corporation. From holy water to all sorts of blessings and purification rituals, the church had a near-monopoly on them.
Anyway, I was shocked to hear about the ‘Blessing of Infertility’ for the first time, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t that strange.
Hospitals also perform vasectomies and contraception procedures, so there was no reason why the church couldn’t do the same. And if you paid enough, you could skip the troublesome surgery or procedure and have 100% safe sex.
As someone who had been worried about contraception, I was almost tempted to receive the blessing myself.
It was unlikely that Iris, a race guaranteed by the World Tree to have difficulty conceiving, would have any issues for the time being, but the same couldn’t be said for Chun Yeo-hwa and Noel.
Of course, Noel was a beastkin, so the chances of her having a child with me, a human, were very slim, but the mere possibility was a problem.
“Brother? Are you alright?”
“…I’m fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
“Haha, I see. Let’s conclude the confession here. It might be good for you to clear your head for a bit.”
“Ah, just a moment!”
“Yes?”
“…Is it possible for me to receive a blessing as well?”
***
*Ding-dong-*
The familiar ringtone echoed through the messy laboratory.
“What is it?”
The woman grabbed her phone with a touchy voice, but a smile soon bloomed on her face.
[My Son-in-Law♡]
Seeing the name on the phone screen, Choi Young-ok, once known as the Pyromancer and the object of fear for countless villains, cleared her throat and answered the call.
“My son-in-law!”
[…Hello.]
Although it wasn’t widely known due to information control, her son-in-law would be the headline for a while if the media found out about him tomorrow.
His talent was beyond just being excellent.
He was truly overwhelmingly and astonishingly talented.
Not only was he an outstanding mage, but he had also saved her granddaughter’s life. She couldn’t help but adore him.
“Is something the matter?”
[Well… I was wondering about Hye-na.]
“Huh? My granddaughter?”
Choi Young-ok noticed that his voice on the other end of the line was slightly different from usual.
Of course, he always seemed a bit intimidated by her, but this time it was different. Rather than being wary of her, he seemed more embarrassed.
[…Did Hye-na also receive the ‘Blessing of Infertility’?]
“Ah.”
Instantly, a pleased smile spread across Choi Young-ok’s face.
Now she understood why Kang Hyun-woo’s voice was different from usual.
“Son-in-law?”
[Yes?]
“No need to waste money on condoms, okay?”
[…]
It wasn’t a direct answer, but with a little intuition, there was no need to ask further.
[Could you please keep what I asked today a secret from Hye-na?]
“Of course. Does this old woman seem so clueless?”
[…Thank you. I’ll visit the Magic Tower soon.]
“Hehe, alright. See you next time.”
Just as the call was about to end, Choi Young-ok remembered something she hadn’t said.
“Ah, that’s right.”
[Yes?]
“This old woman would be happy with either a great-grandson or a great-granddaughter, so I’d be grateful if you’d let me name the baby.”
[…I’ll try my best.]
Choi Young-ok smiled faintly at the embarrassed voice on the other end of the line and hung up.
Her granddaughter, whom she wouldn’t trade for the world, had found a loving husband.
Was it okay for such a happy thing to happen to her in her old age?
“…So.”
Choi Young-ok, who had been staring at her phone with a kind smile for a while, suddenly turned cynical.
Her gaze towards the uninvited guest sitting on the sofa in the corner of the laboratory was filled with discomfort and annoyance.
“What business could the Tower Master possibly have with our son-in-law that she would come here in person?”
The woman with ashen hair cascading below her shoulders, murky ashen eyes, a tight-fitting black dress, and exposed fair thighs put down her teacup.
“The black tea has a lovely aroma.”
One of the twelve great Magic Towers that supported the world.
Han La-el, the youngest Tower Master of the Ashen Tower and the youngest 7-circle mage.
“Please don’t glare at me so fiercely. I’m intimidated when the former Tower Master acts like that.”
“Answer my question first.”
“It’s nothing Professor Choi needs to worry about, so please don’t be too concerned.”
“Ah, so you’re saying an old hag like me shouldn’t meddle in young people’s affairs?”
Crimson flames flickered in Choi Young-ok’s eyes.
Han La-el smiled at the wave of raw magical power.
“Of course not.”
There was an absolute difference in rank between the two, with Choi Young-ok being a 6-circle mage and Han La-el being a 7-circle mage, but Han La-el didn’t disregard Choi Young-ok.
In fact, she would say that Choi Young-ok was the only mage within the Ashen Tower who could stand up to her.
Having dealt with countless villains and protected the people from the disaster known as magical beasts since her youth, she was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding combat mages in South Korea.
Many people acknowledged her skills and respected her.
The title of Pyromancer was by no means an empty one.
“Surely I wouldn’t do anything to harm the Choi family of Seongbuk’s prospective son-in-law, would I?”
“One never knows.”
Han La-el, faced with Choi Young-ok’s subtly hostile reaction, picked up her teacup again and wore her signature inscrutable expression.
“Ah, perhaps… are you worried that I might seduce Hyun-woo?”
“…You crazy bitch.”
“Hehe, you don’t have to worry. I’m not so desperate that I need to seduce someone else’s man.”
There weren’t many people in South Korea who could maintain such a bright smile in the face of Choi Young-ok’s obvious displeasure.
Another title for Choi Young-ok in her youth.
The Berserk Pyromancer.
No one wanted to face a 6-circle mage who had lost her mind.
“Ah, but of course, if Hyun-woo falls for me first, that’s another story? He’s talented, and his face is decent enough…”
But that didn’t apply to Han La-el.
*Bang!* A wave of crimson flames swept through the laboratory.
