episode_0008
by fnovelpia“Whew~ Having money sure does ease the mind.”
The exorcist had split a substantial portion of the reward money with me, insisting it was my rightful share.
Apparently, they had half-threatened the client, demanding to know if they’d really been unaware that a dangerous ghost would appear.
For someone like me, the amount was staggering enough to make my eyes pop out.
Thanks to that, I headed to a particular shop with my newly fattened wallet in hand.
‘So this is the OP equipment shop the protagonist used too.’
It was a store specializing in exorcism supplies.
You couldn’t judge it by its hard-to-find, out-of-the-way location or its shabby exterior.
A shop with this much value-for-money and decent quality was rare even if you scoured the entire game.
Originally, players had to go through several tedious quests and battles just to get intel about this place.
But since I already knew, I just came straight here without any of that hassle.
‘Guess this is one perk of being a possessor. It’s not like I asked to get isekai’d, so I deserve this much, right?’
The reason I came here, of course, was to buy exorcism gear.
After checking the rules, I found that the Heaven and Earth Association’s practical exam even allowed personal equipment.
‘Though if you bring something too busted, your evaluation score might get docked instead. Not that a penniless guy like me needs to worry about that.’
There was no telling what dangers the practical exam might throw our way.
I figured it was best to have at least one piece of equipment to protect myself.
‘Though honestly, without money, I wouldn’t even have dreamed of this…’
Luckily, thanks to the exorcist handing over the reward, I was in a financially comfortable position.
With a light heart, I stepped into the shop.
“Welcome~”
The shopkeeper gave a perfunctory greeting from behind the counter.
This owner wasn’t exactly the friendly type.
If anything, you could say they had no real interest in running the business.
They didn’t even track what items they had or where they were placed.
‘Finding the stuff and deciding whether to buy it is all on the customer.’
In a place crammed with odds and ends like this, even that wasn’t easy.
Of course, that wasn’t my concern.
Being a possessor, I already knew exactly what to buy.
The protagonist’s early-game essential armor item!
It provided a massive boost to survival rates early on.
A godsend item for players struggling in the early stages.
‘I might be stealing the protagonist’s opportunity here, but…well, I gotta survive first.’
That talent+hardwork monster would thrive even without this, living happily ever after with his heroines—childhood friend included.
Worrying about a guy like that would be like fussing over Pinocchio when my own nose was three feet long.
“It’s deeper inside than I expected.”
The shop had the vibe of a large antique store.
All sorts of exorcism gear and ghost-related items were piled up everywhere.
Some were downright unsettling, like cursed dolls.
‘People actually collect this stuff? Are all exorcists just not right in the head?’
As an ordinary person, I couldn’t understand the appeal.
“Anyway, let’s just buy it and get out.”
Seeing those eerie items only made me anxious for no reason.
Truth be told, even a shop like this wasn’t entirely safe.
Many of these objects were genuinely cursed or possessed by evil spirits.
‘Ah, here it is.’
The early-game protagonist’s default defensive talisman.
An affordable item with reliable effects—true happiness in a small package.
‘Talisman, you’re the one! From today, you’re my lifeline!’
Just as I reached for it—
“Huh?”
“Oh.”
Someone else’s hand moved for the talisman at the same time as mine.
Turning my head, I saw a modest-looking woman with sizable breasts.
One look at her face, and my heart dropped.
Because I recognized her.
‘Minahye.’
The protagonist’s childhood friend since their earliest days.
And in the early game, his most dependable ally.
‘Damn. I rushed here the moment I got money because I was afraid Minahye would buy it first.’
In the original story, the protagonist got this talisman as a gift from a worried Minahye.
That incident led to him facing further trials, but anyway, it was an event meant to naturally assist him early on.
‘But of all times to run into her like this…’
At the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief.
If I’d been even ten seconds later, I wouldn’t have stood a chance to get it.
“Um… Were you planning to buy this?”
“Well… yeah?”
We both awkwardly pulled our hands back from the talisman.
There was only one left in stock.
One of us had to give up.
‘…The problem is how to persuade her to back down.’
Sorry, but I wasn’t about to yield.
Without this, I could actually die.
But then, Minahye nodded as if resigned and took a slight step back.
“Then please take it.”
My eyes widened.
She was giving up just like that?
“Are you sure?”
“You reached for it a little faster than me. It’s only right I let you have it.”
Well, I might’ve been a fraction of a second quicker.
About 0.5 seconds faster, if you counted.
But given our height difference, you could argue it was practically simultaneous.
Yet she was the one stepping back first.
“But isn’t this something you needed too?”
“I was just looking for a gift to cheer up a friend. I can find something else.”
Minahye even smiled gently, clearly considering my position.
Her smile radiated generosity.
Th-This is the dignity of a main heroine?
‘Wow, so this is what it takes to be the protagonist’s childhood friend.’
Who’d have thought she’d yield so easily over something we both reached for at the same time?
As a gamer, I couldn’t help but feel moved.
‘From Minahye’s perspective, she doesn’t strictly need this, so that’s probably why…’
As she said, Minahye had no particular reason to insist on this item.
I came specifically because I knew its in-game effects were good.
But to her, it was just one of many random items in the shop.
‘Well, sorry, but I’ll be taking this.’
Knowing who the original owner was supposed to be, my conscience pricked me a little.
But unlike the protagonist, who’d just find it convenient, I needed this.
“Thank you for letting me have it.”
“Not at all. Really, don’t worry about it.”
Minahye gave a light bow and stepped away to browse other items.
‘I feel like I owe her now. It’s surreal seeing a game character in person.’
As an early-game supporting character, Minahye had a simple yet pretty appearance.
Not that I had any ulterior motives, of course.
As the childhood friend, Minahye was utterly devoted to the protagonist.
Even if she weren’t, there’s no way a girl like her would ever like me.
“I’d like to check out, please.”
“Certainly~”
Anyway, I got what I came for, so time to head home.
I didn’t want to linger in such a dangerous place.
‘Thank goodness I barely had enough money.’
Just as I safely secured the talisman—
“KYAAAH! G-Get away! AAAHH!”
A sudden scream came from deeper inside the shop.
The startled owner and I exchanged glances before rushing over.
The owner had to go—it was their store, after all.
As for me, the voice belonged to none other than Minahye.
“H-Help me! An evil spirit… it’s—!”
A sinister black spirit had latched onto Minahye.
Her pale skin was already beginning to darken.
“What the hell is happening…?”
I couldn’t make sense of the situation.
As far as I knew, there was no event like this in the game.
If a heroine was in mortal danger, they wouldn’t just gloss over it.
“I-It seems an evil spirit emerged from one of the items!”
The shopkeeper’s face stiffened as they spoke.
“An evil spirit?”
“That book the customer was browsing earlier. The spirit must’ve been dormant inside.”
Looking closer, I spotted a black book on the floor near Minahye.
This was a place filled with all sorts of cursed objects.
It wasn’t uncommon for some to contain sealed evil spirits.
‘But Minahye never mentioned anything like this in the game…’
A thought suddenly struck me.
‘Wait… is this because of me?’
Originally, Minahye would’ve bought and gifted the talisman to the protagonist.
After that, she’d have had no reason to stay longer and would’ve left.
But this time, I was the one who got it.
Naturally, Minahye must’ve lingered to browse other items.
And in doing so, she ended up opening that cursed book.
In short, this was a butterfly effect caused by me.
‘Oh, come on! How was I supposed to know this would happen?!’
Minahye played a crucial role in the story as the protagonist’s greatest ally.
Had I known she’d end up in danger, I’d have sought alternatives.
“Ghh…! Gah…!”
The spirit’s corruption seemed to be worsening.
Finally, Minahye collapsed.
Her pale skin looked deathly, as though she might perish any second.
“What are you doing?! You’re the shop owner—do something!”
“I-I just run the shop! I’m not an exorcist!”
The owner shook their head.
“Besides, that’s a particularly vicious spirit. Even seasoned exorcists wouldn’t know how to handle it!”
Then why the hell is it here?!
I bit back the words.
This was that kind of shop, after all.
Right now, that wasn’t the point.
‘Whatever it takes, I have to save her!’
Minahye couldn’t die here.
She was a core character meant to play an active role throughout the story.
All I did was snatch a single talisman, and now things had spiraled like this.
If Minahye were gone entirely, I couldn’t even imagine how the story would derail.
‘And I can’t just stand by and let someone die because of me.’
Most importantly, this was my fault.
How could I live comfortably after watching someone who was supposed to survive perish because I interfered?
‘I wanted to save this, but I’ve got no choice.’
Avoiding Minahye, I focused squarely on the evil spirit and uttered:
“Die.”
—Fzzzt!
The moment I spoke, the spirit vanished, and the book dissolved into ash, scattering instantly.
The shopkeeper beside me stared at me like I’d just slain a dragon.
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