* * *
“I’m drunk?”
Seo Woohyun answered with a heavily slurred voice, his eyes widening in surprise.
It was clear to anyone that he was thoroughly intoxicated.
His cheeks were flushed, his tongue was loose, and though he was trying to focus his gaze, his eyes were unfocused—there was no way he was sober.
“Are you not?”
Erdian asked kindly, as if speaking to a child.
Seo Woohyun quickly shook his head in denial.
Well, if he says he’s not, what could Erdian do?
He pretended to accept it and then gently stroked Seo Woohyun’s cheek.
“If you say so, then it must be true. So, what did you do today?”
“Today, Sihero taught me most of the geography around here. But why are there so many kingdoms? Honestly, I still get confused about a few of them and can’t remember everything… Maybe my brain’s just getting rusty. I wasn’t great at studying in school, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”
Seo Woohyun chattered on and on.
It had been a long time since anyone had asked about his day.
With his spirits lifted, and a handsome man sitting beside him, treating him so kindly, he couldn’t help but smile.
“No one’s giving you a test, so why worry? If you don’t know something, just ask anyone.”
From the outside, he seemed to be diligently studying, but inside, it appeared he had been feeling anxious.
When Seo Woohyun exhaled deeply, the strong smell of alcohol wafted out. Erdian glanced at the plate of snacks.
Seo Woohyun had eaten a decent amount, but it was clear he had overindulged.
“…It’s not like the food and drink I consume comes out of thin air. I have to earn my keep. Anyway, I’m studying hard, though it might not be obvious…”
Seo Woohyun grumbled as he poured himself another drink and took a few sips. Erdian watched him quietly.
“…Even being diligent has its downsides.”
I know that Seo Woohyun Seo is almost pushing himself to the brink with how much he’s immersed in work.
It’s understandable, given that he lived in a place where survival meant having to push yourself to the limit—so it became a habit ingrained in him.
“Studying is great and all, but take it easy. Remember, no one here is going to push you.”
“I know, but when I’m not doing something, I feel uneasy. Nervous and anxious… I really have something I’m curious about.”
“What are you curious about?”
“When did you start watching over me, Erdian?”
Of all things, he had to ask the one question that’s difficult to answer.
Erdian smiled without replying, and Seo Woohyun pouted as if he expected this.
“You’re not going to tell me again, huh? Fine, I won’t ask anymore. It’s pointless since you never answer me anyway.”
Seo Woohyun muttered to himself and finished the remaining drink in his glass.
His face flushed with a rosy glow, and he said with a tipsy grin.
“Oh, right. If you can come down often, you should do it more.”
“Why?”
He would’ve been thrilled if Seo Woohyun said it was because he wanted to see him more.
However, what came out of Seo Woohyun’s mouth was an unexpected answer.
“The people in the temple really love you. Just hearing your voice makes them so happy and overwhelmed. If it’s not too much trouble, you should show up more often. Consider it fan service.”
A saint referring to divine descent and revelation as “fan service.”
Does he even know that the word “fan” doesn’t exist here? Erdian almost asked that but chose to nod instead.
“Alright, if that’s what you want, I’ll do that.”
“Don’t just say it; follow through.”
“Haha, no matter how you look at it, you’re just rambling. I bet your face will be something to see tomorrow when you’re sober.”
As Erdian laughed, Seo Woohyun’s half-closed eyes narrowed into triangles.
“Rambling? Who do you think gets drunk after just a few drinks? I handle drinking well even at company parties and make sure the manager gets a cab home. I’m not drunk.”
“Sure, if you say so.”
Erdian couldn’t help but smile as Seo Woohyun continued to chatter on.
Although Seo Woohyun had other friendly conversation partners like Sihero and Giselle, they often needed him to explain modern terms that slipped out of habit.
But with Erdian, Seo Woohyun didn’t need to explain anything—Erdian understood him perfectly, even without explanations.
No need to explain what soju bombs or taxis are.
Seo Woohyun had often felt frustrated when conversations with temple members were halted by unfamiliar words.
Meeting someone he didn’t have to explain things to made him excited.
And that wasn’t all. The gentle touches on his cheek or a hand ruffling his hair made his heart flutter.
Like a child whose words flowed naturally, unfiltered thoughts spilled out.
“Erdian, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“You smell good. Like sunlight and flowers.”
“Would you like to come closer and smell?”
Erdian leaned in so Seo Woohyun could easily reach him. It was a sly move, thinking he could steal a moment since Seo Woohyun was clearly drunk, but Seo Woohyun’s eyes widened.
Even in his intoxicated state, Seo Woohyun could sense the teasing tone.
“…Stop confusing me.”
“What’s confusing you?”
Erdian asked with amusement as he watched Seo Woohyun grumble. This time, Seo Woohyun’s lips pouted even more.
Though he waited for a response, all he heard was Seo Woohyun’s ragged breathing.
“You’re such a drunkard, not even answering.”
Erdian playfully tapped Seo Woohyun’s nose, prompting Seo Woohyun to finally mutter.
“No, I’m not drunk… I’m Assistant Manager Seo from Pyokang Industries. I can hold my own until the third round of drinks and take care of everyone from section chiefs to managers… Huh?”
“How can you say you’re not drunk when you reek of alcohol?”
“I’m telling you, I’m not…”
Despite insisting he wasn’t drunk until the end, Seo Woohyun soon passed out.
Erdian gently took the empty glass still in Seo Woohyun’s hand and placed it on the table.
He then carefully cradled Seo Woohyun like a child and carried him to the bedroom, where two knights bowed deeply.
Erdian carefully laid Seo Woohyun on the bed, tucked him in, and spoke softly to the knights.
“Tell Sihero that Seo Woohyun should avoid strong drinks for a while. If he insists, give him only a little.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ll deliver the message without fail.”
“Alright, you may go.”
After dismissing the knights, Erdian sat by Seo Woohyun’s side for a long time as he slept soundly.
“Ugh, my stomach…”
Seo Woohyun groaned as he groggily sat up in bed.
His stomach felt unsettled, and his head pounded as if it would split open.
He’d never felt a hangover this intense before, and it startled him.
Rubbing his face vigorously, he frowned as memories from the previous night slowly surfaced.
‘Damn… Did I really drunk-talk to Erdian last night? I don’t even remember walking back here, and even though I was tipsy, I usually remember everything…’
The words he’d babbled in the garden were becoming clearer.
Seo Woohyun angrily kicked off the blanket with a loud thud, drawing a nearby knight to approach quickly.
“Saint, are you feeling unwell?”
“…No. I just drank too much last night, so my stomach is a bit off.”
“Shall I bring you something to soothe your stomach?”
“Yes, that would be appreciated.”
Still not used to dropping formalities with the knights guarding his room, Seo Woohyun awkwardly scratched the back of his head and exhaled deeply.
The smell of alcohol on his breath made his head spin.
‘Drinking like an idiot… I’m never drinking again. Was I insane? I said everything I shouldn’t have. Ugh!’
He pounded his fist on the bed in frustration, but he sipped the drink the knight brought him as if nothing was wrong.
He didn’t want to make a fuss and risk Sihero rushing in, worried that he was seriously ill.
‘Sigh, being a saint is hard, really hard.’
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, but living in luxury felt like wearing ill-fitting clothes.
Still, Seo Woohyun believed he would get used to it eventually and stretched out his body.
‘If I ever get drunk and start spouting nonsense again, I’m not human. Aaagh!’
While silently cursing himself for the foolishness of the night before, Seo Woohyun suddenly froze.
The way he clasped his hands together while stretching triggered a worrying thought.
His large eyes darted around nervously. He seemed to be on guard, worried that Erdian might suddenly appear out of nowhere after hearing his thoughts.
But thankfully, Erdian was nowhere to be seen. Even the voice that would occasionally comfort him was silent.
‘What? Maybe he was too busy to notice? Well, there are so many followers. Haha!’
Seo Woohyun quickly convinced himself. He didn’t want to believe that Erdian was just pretending not to notice.
After drunkenly babbling to Erdian, for some reason, Erdian didn’t show up unannounced anymore.
Seo Woohyun reasoned that as a busy god overseeing so much, he must have been occupied.
‘Wow, the trip is already tomorrow.’
Seo Woohyun pulled out a plain notebook from the stationery set Sihero had prepared for him.
It was an empty notebook, just in case it got lost.
Since others insisted on preparing his belongings, the only things he had to pack were the notebook and a pen.
He planned to take detailed notes of everything he learned during the tour.
He’d learned from his time at the company that human memory is unreliable, and things tend to slip away unless written down.
‘No causing trouble or going off alone during the trip. No drinking either. One embarrassing drunken outburst is more than enough.’
Since he had pushed to join the trip under the guise of an educational tour, he planned to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention.
He couldn’t just rely on the flimsy title of being a god’s chosen saint and act freely—group activities, especially among humans, were never something to take lightly.
‘But I’m a bit worried about the carriage ride. I’ve seen it, but I’ve never actually ridden in one…’
Seo Woohyun thought about the upcoming trip until he drifted off to sleep.
A faint smile appeared on his peacefully sleeping face.
It was the morning when the irregular inspection team was scheduled to depart.
Seo Woohyun silently watched the group as they made their final preparations.
He lingered around, wondering if there was anything he could do to help, but since only the wheel inspection was left, there was nothing for him to do.
Seo Woohyun glanced around, aware of the man standing next to him.
The forty-eight members of the irregular inspection team originally planned by Sihero had been reduced to seven by Erdian’s orders.
However, on the morning of the first day of the trip, there was an unexpected change in the number of people.
One more person had joined the group—specifically, a mysterious god whose intentions were impossible to discern.
* * *
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