episode_0055

#7

“… I’m an adult. I’m not a minor.”

“Is that so?”

Seeing her still suspicious gaze, I opened my wallet, showed her my resident registration card, and told her.

Of course only the front seats!

“Looks…like?”

“It’s not similar, it’s the same.”

Why on earth do people say we look alike? This is such a refreshing reaction that I have no words.

Are you a foreigner and don’t know what resident registration is? No, you don’t. You live in Korea, so that can’t be true.

“Okay, I just checked just in case. You can’t exploit children.”

“So, what do you want to ask of me?”

“There is someone I want to find…”

“Are you looking for someone?”

“Yes.”

I waited silently for her to speak a little more.

I wondered if Ina-san was better at finding people than I was… I had no idea how I, an alchemist, could be of any help to her.

Judging from the fact that he can’t continue speaking, it seems like he doesn’t really want to talk… But how can I help him without even listening to what he has to say?

By the way, what kind of person is he that has such a face?

It seems like I feel sorry… and sad… .

“I’ll just call you family.”

“Family… I see.”

“Yes. Is it possible that you came to Korea to find that family?”

“No… . There are other circumstances… .”

“Oh, yes.”

“No, that’s not it.”

It seems like he is neither Korean nor lives in Korea… .

How can I help you?

If your goal is to find people, it would be best to get help from the police.

But I didn’t necessarily bring up these words.

She must be asking for my help, as she has tried hard on her own but still couldn’t find it.

“How can I help you?”

“Let me say this first. The family I want to find is also a witch.”

“Witch… you say?”

“Yes.”

“Wouldn’t it be easy to find a witch? On Walpurgis Night, all the witches gather, so you can find them then.”

“Me too… I recently found out about it and went there, but it wasn’t there.”

Having recently learned about Walpurgis Night, it occurred to me that perhaps Eugene could have been a good teacher.

At least she taught me a lot of the common sense I need to live as a witch.

But there were still some parts that didn’t make sense.

Because the current Dorothy smelled like a rookie witch, as if she was looking at me.

She really is a witch with a great reputation for her healing skills… .

Honestly, I was a little skeptical.

“You said you wanted to find the witch. So, Dorothy, you want me to find your family through my witch network?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then?”

“I heard that alchemists can make various tools.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Like the tracking compass I used to find Suho.

Alchemy was a discipline and sect that created artifacts and various special materials.

It would be possible to create a tool to find an opponent in any form, not just in the form of a silk compass.

“You want to ask me for a tool?”

“Yes, that’s right! Can you help me?”

“It’s possible… . But, it’s not something I can do alone.”

“Do you need my help?”

“Do you have any body parts of your family. Like hair or nails? If you don’t have those, it’s hard.”

It may seem like an odd term for the mysterious and bizarre field of magic, but the human body can be the most effective fetish for identifying a person.

I’m not trying to talk about difficult terms like DNA or genes that are contained as part of the body.

You’ve probably heard it before.

When making something like a cursed doll in a horror movie, you put the subject’s hair or fingernails into the doll and then poke it with a nail.

Even such popular or indigenous beliefs had vitality in today’s world.

Even if it was magic, that part was no different.

No. Rather, sometimes simple beliefs or promises have a stronger life force.

“Part of the body…?”

In response to my question, her words trailed off and her face darkened.

“Isn’t there any?”

The longer the lost time, the more difficult it will be to find traces of the person involved.

The memories and things that we have kept will all fall away as time goes by.

“I guess I’ll have to look it up to find out.”

“Is it better not to have high expectations?”

“Oh, I’ll find it somehow!”

“No. I didn’t mean you have to find it. If there’s a high chance you won’t find it, you have to come up with a plan for that.”

“… … .”

If she could find the hair her family left behind, she could probably improve the compass she used to find Suho without having to put in any extra effort, but if that’s not possible, she’d have to make another tool.

Creating an artifact isn’t a task that can be completed in a day or two, so it wouldn’t hurt to prepare in advance.

“I’ll try hard to find it, but… , there’s a high chance it won’t be there… .”

“I guess so?”

“… Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no! Why should I apologize to you?”

We were dealing on equal terms in the first place.

There was no reason for me to apologize.

I give her healing magic, she gives me alchemy.

Anyway, this is how our meeting ended.

We exchanged contact information and talked about what each of us needed.

“If you happen to find any castings that you need for magic, please contact me anytime. I will assume that you don’t have them and will be researching the artifacts.”

“Yes! I will.”

#8

After breaking up with Ms. Dorothy,

Instead of going back to Gaeseong where the workshop was, I went to briefly meet the Yeon siblings.

Sujin was receiving intensive care in the intensive care unit of a university hospital, and Suho was taking care of his older sister with utmost devotion.

The kind owner of the boarding house who had provided them with a place to stay unexpectedly lost a sincere employee, but he wishes for Yeon Su-jin to get better soon and occasionally brings her the porridge he had cooked.

Knock knock.

The smell of disinfectant peculiar to the hospital room stung my nose.

On the white bed, Soojin, who looked a little thin, was lying on the bed, talking to Sooho.

“Oh, it’s the sky. Hello.”

As expected, Soojin also remembered the story of the dream world that Sooho had created.

Because she and I spoke for the first time in the dream world.

“Sister. Hello.”

I lightly accepted Suho’s greeting with a smile and calmly stared at Sujin.

Because she looked quite different from how I remembered her, I found myself looking at her.

Even though I know it’s rude… .

“Hahaha… . A bit ugly, right?”

They say that when you undergo chemotherapy, the first thing that happens is your hair falls out. She was embarrassed by her bald head, so she put on a blue beanie that was next to her.

Her wrists, visible through the sleeves of her baggy hospital gown, were so dry and emaciated that it was hard to look at them.

That’s how I feel right now as a friend, but I wonder what Soo-ho’s feelings are… .

I found it hard to imagine.

“Hehehe. I was bored, so you came at a good time. Do you want some tangerines? Sit next to me. I’ll peel them for you,”

“What kind of tangerines are these in the middle of summer… . It’s not even winter… .”

“Even if it’s not the season, are house tangerines delicious?”

“You succeeded. Sujin. You bought some house tangerines too.”

“Then~ it was a success.”

Following Soojin, who was tapping on the side of the bed, I walked over to the empty seat next to me and sat down.

As I got closer, I could see her thin body better.

“Why are you so skinny? Are you eating?”

“Hmm~ You’re eating like a pig.”

“Yeah… You should gain some weight.”

“Yeah, yeah. You should eat a lot and grow well too.”

“Me, me. I’m still growing.”

“Yeah, yeah~”

Then, Soojin pointed at Suho, who was quietly watching our conversation, and smiled mischievously.

“By the way, there’s this guy, right? Sky. He talks about you so much, right?”

“? My story?”

“Yeah. You said we went to Busan together this time?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I had something to do.”

“Anyway, that experience must have been really memorable. So what did the two of you do?”

“Huh, really~?”

Our guardian… .

Who would have thought that I was single, being in bed alone with a woman was so stimulating.

To the point where I went to my older sister and told her everything I knew.

“Who, Sister! When did I!?”

“Hey. Look at him. He’s embarrassed. Yeon Soo-ho. You want to tease your older sister?”

“Oh, no!”

Suho, whose pure white face was blushing with embarrassment, glanced at me and then stomped away outside.

Are you running away, Yeon Soo-ho?

“Hey! Where are you running away to!”

“I don’t know!”

Knock knock! Knock knock!

With Suho gone and the mood becoming a little more subdued, we had a slightly more serious conversation.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yeah. A little?”

“Lies. You look very sick.”

“Hahaha… . I guess the awakened ones usually take strong medicine. So it makes me feel a little bitter?”

“… Even the awakened ones lose their hair when they receive chemotherapy.”

“Well, that’s right. We’re all the same. I barely stopped Suho from shaving his head, right?”

“Guardian degree?”

“Yeah. I think that’s what I’m thinking. It’s burdensome.”

By the way, I think I saw a news article where if a family member shaves their head due to cancer treatment, their siblings will also shave their heads for the sake of the family.

Guardian guy, you have such a wonderful idea.

“I have to marry you later, but it’ll be difficult if I shave my head, right?”

“Yes, yes?”

“Oh my. No? A man and a woman went on a trip together?”

“No… . That’s… .”

First of all, with my body type, I would marry my younger brother to a woman like this?