“I-I’m Nari. Why the heck did you call Dad?”

“Ugh.”

In a cafe not far from Busan Station, Nari’s dad sat looking flustered. Of all places, he had to be in Busan.

Nari stared at her dad, who looked somewhat disheveled.

Whether it was because she had seen the picture frame just a few hours ago, Nari lowered her head, glancing only at the fingers fidgeting under the table.

Mom and Dad had a really good relationship.

Since they started dating in middle school, the photo album always contained stickers of Mom and Dad from their school days.

The memory of flipping through Mom’s album when she was young was still vivid. Mom, the sophisticated and lively hunter, and Dad, the easygoing househusband.

Although there were some judgmental glances due to the traditional gender roles being reversed, they paid no attention.

Originally, as a couple with such a good relationship, Dad’s deviation was even more shocking after Mom’s death.

“…What if Dad forgot everything about Mom.”

The mere thought of it felt unfair.

While a group like Mago, unrelated to them, vividly preserved traces of Mom, how could Dad forget Mom so easily?
The person who claims to have feelings for Mom becomes the master of one’s fate, even forming a connection with Mom and being a spouse. How could you, who had such ties with Mom and even became part of our family, discard me like this?

As Nari entertained such thoughts, she suddenly suppressed the rising irritation. After biting her lips tightly, Nari pondered for a while on how to express herself before finally speaking.

“I came because I have some questions about Mom.”

“…Mom?”

“Before Mom passed away. It seems like she did a lot of things here.”

“…Your mom did indeed do a lot here.”

Dad’s eyes narrowed slightly. Nari knew that it was Dad’s habit when he was angry. Since Mom left a connection with Mago here, and there might be someone who liked Mom in Mago, did Dad dislike Mago for that reason?

As Nari continued to speculate based on the subtle change in Dad’s expression, she hesitated for a moment and cautiously twisted the conversation.

“And, um… about Mom… she, uh… was born with some kind of… destiny? Do you know what that is?”

Dad’s eyes widened significantly at her words, and then he burst into laughter.

In the happiest appearance Nari had ever seen him, she couldn’t bring herself to continue the conversation.

“Nari! You’ve finally become interested in Mom!”

“…Huh?”

Nari’s forehead slightly wrinkled. Wasn’t it a red light that her ancestors warned about, a sharp sensation indicating that something was not right?
“Oh, Dad…? Do you still remember about Mom?”

“Well, of course. It’s your mom, after all. There’s no way Dad would forget.”

“But you immediately started a new relationship. Saying you wanted to be with that woman…?”

Nari chose her words carefully, trying not to reveal her sharp suspicion. Dad nodded continuously while smiling.

“That? Since you didn’t trust Mom, it was just a smokescreen. Now that you can trust Mom, I can show you.”

“What do you mean I didn’t trust her?”

A shiver ran down Nari’s spine. Something was strange. It had been strange for quite a while.

Dad, smiling broadly with anticipation, had a demeanor Nari had never seen before, neither when Mom was alive nor after she passed away.

While smiling, Dad spoke to Nari again.

“Nari, did you know your mom was the ruler who governed the Three Realms?”

“…The throne… Are you talking about the Seat?”

“That’s right! Didn’t our daughter know?”

Dad nodded. Mom’s Seat was not well-known.

Even Nari, her own daughter, didn’t know.

Twenty years ago, revealing the name of the Seat in South Korea often led to the discovery of heresies, resulting in harsh penalties from the Hwasein. Therefore, it was rarely discussed. After stabilization, mentioning Mom had been taboo for ten years due to the events of a decade ago.
“Do you really think your mom couldn’t close the gate ten years ago? No, right? No… your mom is Nari. She briefly went to another world.”

“…Another… world?”

“Yes, your mother’s divine mission is undoubtedly to save the world. But now, she’s hiding in the mortal realm to avoid evil plots!”

“Evil plots, Dad? What are you talking about?”

Despite Nari expressing her frustration, Dad paid no attention. Instead, he continued with his verbose explanation.

“She will appear to save us. At that time, Dad will meet Mom again. To make that happen, we need to do well. That’s why I had no choice but to borrow money from you. Understand?”

Nari clenched her pants tightly under the table. A growing certainty accompanied the intense feeling.

It felt like an overly clichéd story.

That sounded like a typical religious tale.

Since the emergence of the Seat and Hwasein, many religions had sprung up. Most of them turned out to be cults.

Given Dad’s demeanor and actions so far, it was clear that this was by no means a healthy religion.

Moreover, Dad’s words resembled those of a person involved in that religion…

“No, no. It can’t be. It must not be.”