episode_0020

After spending a full day, I headed out to the hotel the next evening. Contrary to my sisters’ worries, I didn’t catch a glimpse of the principal’s hair anywhere.

As I pulled my hood down and lowered my head in the evening glow, I could feel the gazes diminishing. Maybe I should have done this sooner.

It might be unreasonable to go around like this in my daily life, but I think occasional outings should be fine.

The principal had suggested getting a tour guide if I wanted, but I had declined long ago. There were other things I needed to do now.

Following the directions given by the hotel staff, I started to see glimpses of the park scenery in the distance.

Even though the sun was setting, there were still quite a few people around.

Artificial lakes and stone fountains were scattered around, and some people were gathered by the walking paths, feeding the birds flying overhead.

In a small theater tucked away in a corner, I saw elderly people lighting up colorful fireworks and small firecrackers. Every time a magical firework popped softly, the children around clapped their hands and laughed.

I heard that elderly wizards whose magical abilities had declined due to age made a living like this.

Turning my head to the opposite side of the theater, I checked the name of the park. T15 Masada Municipal Nature Park. This was the park I was looking for. And today was Friday.

Following the manual, I walked around looking for someone. Soon enough, I found an elderly man sitting on a secluded bench, reading a newspaper, dressed in a gray fedora and a red checkered shirt.

Approaching the bench behind him like a stranger, I sat down. And when the surrounding noises completely disappeared, I spoke to the old man.

“It’s late spring, but the weather is quite chilly, isn’t it?”

Upon hearing my voice, the old man glanced at me briefly. Then, turning his head back, he replied with a voice mixed with a dry cough.

“The scent of winter is still lingering in the spring breeze. It’s a season that’s hard to bear for us old folks.”

“When people age, they get all sorts of illnesses. Arthritis is one of them.”

“Your teeth don’t seem to be in good shape at a young age either. Be careful when biting into an apple.”

“I always cut my apples with a knife before eating them. If I bite into them whole, my teeth hurt.”

The old man nodded weakly at my response. Folding the newspaper and placing it on his lap, he took out a cigarette pack from his pocket.

Lighting a cigarette and exhaling a puff of smoke, the old man said, “There’s a nice bar nearby. It’s called ‘Silver Moonlight.’ It’s an old-fashioned place with amazing drinks. You’ll surely like it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man’s presence vanished in an instant. I looked around, but there was no sign of any people nearby.

In the place where he had been sitting, there was only a folded note left behind. I unfolded the note, memorized the map, and then set off immediately.

The bar the old man mentioned was located in a quiet corner of an alley a few blocks away from the park. After twisting and turning through the winding paths several times, I thought it would have been extremely difficult to find without the map.

As I opened the door, clean and elegant decorations greeted me. I was the only customer there.

I sat down at the far end of the counter, where a middle-aged bartender was wiping a glass with a dry cloth. He approached me and asked, “You’re a first-time visitor. What would you like to order?”

“Well, what do you recommend on a day like today?”

“The Sazerac is not bad. The sweet Sidecar is also good.”

“Sounds good. But I think an Old Fashioned would be even better.”

The bartender, after hearing my response, paused for a moment before continuing.

“…But isn’t the weather quite unpredictable these days? It’s still chilly outside even though it’s spring.”

“It’s perfect weather for catching a cold. My friend has already been sick for three days.”

“Oh no, that’s not good. I heard that red medicine is really good for colds, right?”

“Is that so? My friend took a pill in an orange capsule.”

As the conversation ended, the bartender nodded lightly at me. Suddenly, his face began to blur and melt away.

After a moment, a man with a hearty and rugged appearance, complete with a bushy beard, emerged from the blur.

“Long time no see, kid. You memorized the answers well. I threw in a few extra words on purpose. You could even work at our Intelligence Bureau with those skills, you know?”

The man smiled at me.

“Nice to see you again, Chief. During that time…”

“Chief? Call me ‘hyung’! But it seems like I haven’t seen you in a while, you’ve become quite manly! Right?”

The man interrupted me and chuckled, patting my shoulder.

His name was Mok Jin-woo, a former classmate of mine from the academy who now served as the Chief of the Intelligence Bureau.

He was one of the few people who knew my true identity, including the Director and my sisters.

“So, now that you’re an adult, have you learned how to drink? Or should I call you ‘miss’? Or maybe…”

“…I’ll pass.”

…He was a good person, but his only flaw was his love for teasing.

After enduring Jin-woo’s pointless chatter for a while, I finally managed to bring up the matter at hand.

“So, I heard that our little kid is enrolling in the academy. Was that the first thing you discussed with the principal when you came to Masada?”

“…You already knew?”

“Most things that happen in the capital are within our grasp. But don’t worry, I don’t know the details of your conversation. The greenhouse of Haewolhwa is one of the few places that the Intelligence Bureau can’t touch. So, what’s the matter? Do you want me to find any weaknesses for you?”

“It’s not a weakness… it’s similar. Do you know what the ‘Curse of the Spirit Master’ that affects the Jeongyeon family is?”

“The Curse of the Spirit Master, huh. Interesting. Ah… I see, so that’s why the principal contacted you…”

Jin-woo nodded as if he understood something, then smiled mysteriously.

Even though I hadn’t mentioned the conversation with the principal, he seemed to have grasped the situation based on the recent information.

“…Anyway, the situation requires some information from that side. But I couldn’t find it on my own…”

“That’s probably the case. Most information related to spirits is monopolized by the Yeon family. Moreover, sensitive areas that could be weaknesses have even tighter security. It’s almost impossible for outsiders to obtain relevant information. Coming to me was a good choice.”

Jin-woo nodded and said, “Well… I could roughly tell you now, but it’s better to know it properly. Alright. If you wait here, I’ll send you the information at the right time.”

“Thank you. And, that…”

“Yes?”

***

After finishing the business and leaving the bar, it was already dark outside.

But even though the sun had set, the city was still glowing with its own light. The red and blue lights of tens of thousands of street lamps illuminated the distant streets.

It was a landscape that felt alien to me, one by one. Today was the second day, so I had somewhat adapted, but I couldn’t remember how fascinating it was yesterday. In the remote countryside, night and darkness had the same meaning, but that formula didn’t apply here.

As I walked back to the hotel, I reflected on the conversation I had with Mok Jin-woo earlier.

I had asked him not to inform the innkeeper and the sisters about my current situation, and he had readily nodded with a look of amusement.

It was fortunate that he had a cheerful personality that didn’t match his position. Anyway, since I had finished everything I needed to do immediately, now I could just go back to the accommodation and lie down as if I were dead…

-Boom!

I was about to turn back to the main road after wandering through several alleys. Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from deep inside one of the alleys. Soon, people’s cries of surprise began to fill the surroundings.

-Don’t do that…!

-Stop right there!

-What kind of footsteps are those…!

A distressed female voice and the harsh voices of several men…

Something seemed to have happened. It didn’t seem like the security was perfect here…

The loud footsteps were getting closer to where I was.

If I didn’t move from my spot, I would inevitably get involved in something troublesome in less than a minute.

With that thought in mind, I tried to leave the alley immediately, but a sudden thought pulled me back.

My mother wouldn’t like it if I left someone in a difficult situation.

Moreover, I was barely surviving thanks to the kindness of the innkeeper and the sisters.

I couldn’t ignore someone in need.

“…”

It didn’t take long for me to make a decision. I changed direction and headed towards the source of the disturbance. I wandered through the back alleys of the city, which were like a maze.

The sounds were getting closer to me. By now, I could identify someone panting heavily and the sound of shuffling footsteps.

And as I turned a narrow passageway, I finally confirmed the identity of the pursuer.

A girl with a distressed expression on her face appeared from the darkness.

Dressed shabbily, looking around the same age as me…

It seemed like a naive girl from the countryside who had gotten into a difficult situation by mistake.

“Oh? A person, a person… Excuse me, can you please…!”

The girl’s face lit up as if she had seen a savior. She ran towards me and almost clung to me, trying to plead for help.

But I instinctively pushed her away.

Even though I was wearing a mask, my body automatically rejected the sudden contact in a situation where I wasn’t mentally prepared.

Moreover, she was a girl I had never seen before, not someone familiar like the sisters…

“Excuse me… Please help me… I took the wrong turn and there are scary people…”

Whether she interpreted my actions as a refusal, tears began to well up in the girl’s eyes.

And now, the voices of the pursuers could be heard.

“We’ve almost caught her…!”

“This is a dead-end anyway, she can’t escape. We just wanted to have a little fun…”

“Alright, let’s keep the order this time…”

The vulgar conversation they were having confirmed that they were the cause of the commotion.

I signaled for the girl to be quiet by putting a finger to my lips. However, she covered her mouth with both hands.

“Sigh.”

They still hadn’t noticed my presence. In that case, there was no better way than a surprise attack.

I hid in the corner, waiting for the right moment. And as soon as I sensed their presence right in front of me, I sprang out and punched the guy in front of me.

– Oof!

My punch landed right on his Adam’s apple. There was no need to enhance my body with magic. The man, unable to even scream from the impact of my strong fist, stiffened and fell to the ground.

– Thud!

“What the hell is this guy!”

“Where did he come from…!”

The fallen man’s companions exclaimed in shock and anger. I immediately targeted the next one. I pulled out a sharp blade from my pocket, grabbed the guy’s wrist as he tried to attack me, and twisted it in the opposite direction, dislocating it.

– Ouch!

“Ahhhh!”

The sound of bones breaking and a scream of pain erupted simultaneously. The man clutched his broken arm and writhed on the ground like a shrimp.

– Oof! Thud!

“Stop…please…”

I directed my kicks towards his face. The sound of his nose breaking and the sensation of teeth shattering were palpable.

The man, who was begging for mercy, soon lost consciousness and lay motionless on the ground.

The last remaining guy tried to kick me from behind, but I grabbed his ankle and twisted it in the opposite direction.

– Thud!

“Owww!”

With the sound of muscles and joints twisting, his ankle took on a grotesque appearance.

I then exerted force on his opposite knee and stomped on it several times. The man, unable to use both legs, sat on the ground, groaning in pain.

“Please…spare me…!”

I grabbed his collar as he tried to crawl away and punched his abdomen several times.

“Ouch…stop…”

The man soon vomited a mixture of blood and saliva and lost consciousness. I threw him to the ground. The surrounding area was already filled with blood and groans.

“Phew…”

I exhaled the breath I had been holding.

I don’t feel any pity for them. They should be thankful to me just for sparing their lives. I only kept them alive because causing trouble as soon as I arrived in the city would be embarrassing.

But it will be difficult for me to play the role of a normal person in the future.

“Th-thank you…!”

The girl who was about to thank me suddenly looked shocked and backed away. It was then that I realized my hood, which I had been covering my face with, had fallen off.

“…”

In this situation, anyone would react like that, even to a strange masked person.

I had no desire to attract attention. After all, I wouldn’t be encountering this person again in the future.

I put my hood back on and left the scene.

“Excuse me…wait…!”

The girl’s voice faded away from behind. Now that I had regained my senses, I could find my way back on my own.

All I had to do now was quietly stay at the hotel and head to the meeting place on Monday morning.

Naturally, that’s what I thought.

***

“You…! You’re the one from last time with that person!!”