Chapter 83

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 83

The Saint of Rome (4)

"Uh…."

Oh Jin stood there with his mouth agape, staring at her blankly.

It wasn't because he was captivated by her beauty.

'How in the world…?'

The reason he froze was the encounter itself.

It was too coincidental to be called a mere chance meeting.

"Um…."

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Kwon Oh Jin."

He awkwardly shook her outstretched hand.

"Kwon Oh Jin…?"

Upon hearing his name, she fell into deep thought, then snapped her fingers.

"Neorang! Are you by any chance Neorang?"

"Yes, that's what they call me."

Even the Italian, Isabella, knew about it.

Indeed, the title of the Apostle of Polaris does attract a lot of attention.

"Wow…! I thought I smelled something good!"

"Excuse me?"

Smell?

"A-Ah! I'm sorry! Please pretend you didn't hear that!"

Isabella blushed and shook her head frantically.

Seeing her react so intensely made him even more curious.

'Good smell?'

Did she follow the scent to find him?

'But I'm not a hunting dog or anything.'

Oh Jin chuckled and looked at her.

"I don't remember spraying any perfume."

"But I asked you to forget it!"

Isabella flustered and closed her eyes tightly.

Her curly golden hair swayed as she shook her head, making her look like a fluffy sheep.

"Ahem! I was doing volunteer work for the gypsies in this area. I thought you were lost, so I came to help. No, I didn't follow the smell!"

She did follow the smell, though.

'Even if I don't know what the good smell is.'

Regardless, he felt their meeting wasn't just a coincidence.

'Come to think of it, Isabella mentioned she volunteers to treat the homeless.'

A large gypsy village would be a perfect place for the homeless to gather.

'So she smelled it while volunteering and followed it here.'

Well.

While it still seemed like an unlikely coincidence, it was more convincing than just bumping into each other on the street.

'Anyway.'

With the opportunity presented, he couldn't let it slip away.

"Yes, I got lost because it's my first time here. Could you help me?"

"Of course!"

Isabella smiled brightly and nodded.

"So, where are you trying to go?"

"Well… it's a bit of a headache."

Oh Jin scratched his head with a bewildered look.

"I was supposed to get the location from a note… but I forgot it."

"Oh, I see."

It was a lie.

Since he arrived via a link, he wouldn't have lost the location unless he lost his smartphone.

'I need to spend as much time with her as possible.'

To manipulate her to his liking in the future.

Building a relationship was important.

"Roughly… around here. I can't quite remember."

Oh Jin opened the map and tapped a random spot.

"Let's go there first then!"

Isabella gestured for him to follow.

He nodded and followed her.

"Thank you for your help."

"Hehe. No problem. I actually wanted to talk to you, Mr. Oh Jin."

"Me?"

"Yes! You're the first Apostle of the Weaving Star to appear in the world. And…."

Isabella smiled sweetly.

"I saw you fight the Hydra on TV. You were fighting to save the people trapped inside because the entrance was blocked, right?"

Ah, she was watching the broadcast.

Considering there were over a few hundred thousand live viewers, it wasn't surprising that some were foreigners.

"It wasn't just me fighting."

He shrugged modestly.

"Hehe. Still, though."

Isabella looked at him with sparkling eyes.

'This might be easier than I thought.'

Who would have thought that the broadcast would help in this way.

"I've heard a lot about you, Miss Isabella."

"About me?"

"Yes. The Saint of Rome is famous even in Korea."

"Ah, no. Saint? Not at all."

Isabella blushed in embarrassment.

"From the way you help lost people, it seems fitting."

"Oh, please don't say that."

They chatted lightly as they walked toward the location he marked on the map.

Of course, they never found the destination.

After about 30 minutes of wandering around,

"This must be causing you a lot of trouble because of me."

"Hehe. No, it's fine. By the way, can't you contact the person you're meeting?"

"My phone seems to be off."

"Oh…."

She looked at him with concern, and he shrugged.

"Well, there's nothing we can do. I'll just go back to my accommodation and try to contact them tomorrow."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Still, I feel bad for causing you so much trouble. How about we have dinner together?"

He suggested dinner naturally.

He had wandered around aimlessly to find an excuse to have a meal together.

'I'm glad I didn't bring my sister.'

If Haeun knew about this, she would have flipped.

"Oh, there's no need to worry. I did it because I wanted to."

"Still, I feel bad sending you off like this."

"Hmm. If you insist… How about that?"

She pointed to a street kebab stand.

I heard she comes from a wealthy family.

But she eats this too.

"Sure."

He nodded and bought two kebabs, then they sat on a nearby bench.

"Hehe. This feels like a date."

Being Italian, she was quite forward.

'I almost got excited.'

He nodded lightly, trying to think of Haeun.

"It's not really a place for a date, though."

She smiled wryly and looked at the gypsy village.

The buildings looked like they could collapse at any moment, and the people passing by were dressed in tattered clothes.

'It's like the neighborhood I grew up in.'

The only difference was the scale, which was several times larger.

Life is miserable for the poor and powerless, no matter where you go.

"Ah! Miss Isabella is with a guy!"

"Really?!"

The children passing by pointed at them and shouted.

They seemed to know her, calling her 'sister' with friendly smiles.

"It's not like that!"

Isabella quickly stood up.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"

"Ooh la la~ She's with a guy~!"

'Ooh la la?'

How long has it been since I heard that phrase?

"Kids!!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

The children ran away.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Oh Jin."

"It's fine."

"Ha. I should have suggested we eat inside a restaurant."

She sighed and chewed on her kebab.

"You seem to be popular with the kids?"

"I come here to volunteer often."

She mentioned treating injured people for free.

"You're so kind."

"…."

Suddenly, her expression darkened.

"It's not like that."

She clenched her fists and lowered her head.

"Not at all… I'm not kind."

If this isn't kindness, what is?

"Is this your first time in Italy?"

"Yes."

"In Italy, gypsies… are discriminated against from birth."

"Is that so?"

Like the position of African Americans decades ago.

"It's not that everyone who discriminates is bad. The crime rate among gypsies is indeed very high."

She looked at the old gypsy village with a distant gaze.

"I'm… the same. I pretend not to, but deep down, I think they're different."

"Is that wrong?"

Discrimination isn't good, but it's a problem that can't be completely eradicated.

Because of race, ideology, gender.

As long as we are human, discrimination and conflict are inevitable.

We can only strive to reduce them.

In that sense, she was someone who made a significant effort.

"Hehe. That alone isn't enough to say it's wrong. But…."

She continued in a low voice.

"Actually… every time I help them, I can't help but think…."

She bit her lip.

"—'Lucky.' Lucky I wasn't born a gypsy, lucky I have a powerful stigmata, lucky I have great talent."

She spoke in a suppressed voice, as if scolding herself.

"The reason I help them… is actually because I want to feel that sense of superiority."

So.

That's why she said she wasn't kind.

"Hehe. I shouldn't say such things to someone I just met…."

"Is it wrong to do so?"

"Excuse me?"

"If you help others to feel superior, is that wrong?"

She's a strict young lady.

"That's…."

"Good deeds done with the expectation of a reward are still good deeds. Whether the reward is material or psychological."

"But!"

"People praise good deeds done without expecting a reward as true good deeds. Why do you think that is?"

The reason is simple.

"Because it's easier to exploit."

"The more pure, selfless saints there are, the more advantageous it is for you."

If you lose something,

I gain that much more.

"Feeling superior is why you help them, and not wanting to feel that way is why you don't. Which one ultimately helps them more?"

"…That's…."

"Judging only by the result is foolish, but judging only by the process is even more foolish."

"…."

Isabella's eyes widened.

After a short silence,

"…Mr. Oh Jin, you're a unique person."

She smiled brightly.

"I'm not unique."

Just.

He said what she most wanted to hear, convincingly.

"Hehe. No, you are."

Isabella stood up and patted her bottom.

"I have to go now. Oh, and here's my business card."

She smiled and handed him a card.

"Can we talk again sometime?"

"Of course."

He had planned to ask for her contact information, but she offered it first.

"See you next time, Mr. Oh Jin."

She looked at Oh Jin intently and whispered, "Sembra delizioso."

'What was that?'

Was it because her voice was too low?

The translation didn't work properly.

'Well, anyway.'

He waved at her as she walked away and stood up.

"Alright, then."

Time to meet Paolo Lancioni, who's waiting for him.