Chapter 17 - Ghostbuster (1)
7 min read ·
A used bookstore without a customer in sight.
“Yaaawn...”
Just as the clerk yawned in the relaxed atmosphere...
A group of people opened the door and poured into the bookstore.
“Search the whole place.”
They began rummaging through the shelves, looking for something.
“Hey! Wh-who are you people?!”
As the startled clerk hesitated, wondering whether to call the police, a mild-mannered man who somehow looked like an educated gangster smiled and spoke.
“Oh, we're not anyone suspicious. There's a book we're looking for. Nothing strange about looking for a book in a bookstore, is there?”
“... I suppose not.”
“We'll buy a few books on our way out.”
Faced with the pressure behind that smiling face, the clerk simply kept quiet.
The intellectual-looking man, Manager Kim, inwardly scowled at the orders from those little bastards in the chairman's family.
According to intelligence from the Special Response Section, a grimoire might have appeared in search of its master. So they wanted him to search used bookstores and libraries and bring back any grimoires he found. Those fuckers were out of their minds.
* * *
The Order of the Holy Maidens.
Darkness had settled like a cozy curtain over a pure-white temple.
Flames shone beautifully in a brazier, and young girls gathered in prayer.
Of course, it wasn't a legitimate religious order.
But it had acquired real power with which to sustain and expand its organization.
A beautiful girl with silvery-white hair closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the cover of an antique white book.
<The Book of the Angel Raziel>
“Ahh... Great Raziel. Yes... Please speak to me.”
She listened intently, offering praise in an enraptured voice.
“Your saint will listen.”
Then the saint opened her eyes, revealing sky-blue irises.
Her voice came out bewildered.
“... What? Korea? ... Yo-han?”
WHOOSH
The flames burning in the brazier turned blue, and sparks leaped out to inscribe words on the floor.
'Kill Yohan.'
After failing to attract Yohan's interest at the used bookstore, <The Book of the Angel Raziel> had immediately moved on in search of a new master.
... But it could not accept this.
How dare he pass over its radiant self for that sinister—
<Mysteries of the Worm>
Choosing that shitty grimoire was unforgivable.
Even a holy grail filled with milk and honey became a poisoned cup if a single drop of poison seeped into it.
The vessel of evil had to be shattered before it grew.
When Raziel's oracle ended and the blue flames subsided, Elsie, the silvery-haired saint, cautiously asked the other girls a question.
“Um, e-excuse me... Does anyone know where Korea is?”
A bewildered voice rang out.
“... We're in Finland, though.”
Outside the Order of the Holy Maidens, a harsh wind blew.
* * *
An elderly, white-haired man wore a dark coat that covered his entire body.
Edward Coffin, the wanted necromancer who had slipped into Korea, swung a censer suspended by a chain from the rod in his hand in a dark cemetery.
Pungent smoke poured from the censer and spread through the graveyard.
“Ahhh...”
Several zombies, their bodies covered in black coats like Edward's, dug up graves with shovels and opened the coffins. Incense smoke seeped into the corpses they exposed.
A cold voice rang from Edward's lips.
“You who can no longer rise. I grant you leave. Rise again.”
“Ahhh...!”
CRACK
With sounds that should never have been heard, the corpses lying in their coffins rose one after another.
It was a process he had repeated many times. Edward watched the scene.
Places where burial was the predominant way of disposing of the dead were good.
There was plenty to use. He could use it without restraint.
Raising things that should never rise again, Edward stood among the dead and looked up at the sky.
Reading the stars through astrology, he had finally picked up the trail of a great treasure.
<The Lesser Key of Solomon>
Its more widely known, famous name was—
<Lemegeton>
A grimoire for commanding the lords of Hell, Solomon's seventy-two demons.
A grimoire any magician would covet.
Why had it revealed itself again?
Why had it appeared in this land...?
He didn't know, but it didn't matter.
It didn't matter. It didn't matter. It didn't matter.
“O great grimoire, O Lemegeton.”
Edward's voice rang out as he gazed up at the sky.
“Look upon me.”
Spreading both arms, he howled toward the heavens.
“I am the one who shall wear Solomon's crown! Look upon me! O Lemegeton!”
“Ahhhhh...!”
The wails of the dead spread through the sky.
Edward's eyes gleamed darkly.
Even if Lemegeton had already chosen a new master, it didn't matter.
He would kill that person...
And prove that he was the superior magician, more worthy of the grimoire.
‧
‧
‧
The Special Response Section's new female operative covered her mouth and gagged at the horrific scene in the cemetery.
“Urgh...”
The nauseating stench of corpses filled the air.
And the grotesque, towerlike structure assembled from rotting bodies made her head spin.
“Is that a Tower of Babel?”
Sion frowned too, but she examined the structure without looking away.
Unable to understand, the female operative asked Sion. She couldn't fathom why anyone would go so far as to use magic to erect a structure like this.
“Why would someone do this?”
Sion thought for a moment before answering.
“... By analogy, it's competition for a mate.”
“What?”
“If Edward Coffin came here seeking a grimoire, he's showing off his magical ability to it, like a toad croaking louder.”
The female operative stared at the horrific structure with trembling eyes.
“... Does this actually work?”
“Maybe if the grimoire hasn't chosen a master. If it already has one, no.”
Sion spoke firmly.
“Grimoires place more importance on their preferences when choosing a master.”
There were some grimoires whose ownership changed as spoils when their masters were killed. But every grimoire was different, so she couldn't say for certain.
In any case, the current concern was this:
“Someone who does this won't accept that easily. He'll keep causing trouble.”
Sion narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the devastation in the cemetery.
“We have to catch him before he does something worse.”
* * *
Having earned thirty million won from Smith, Yohan was on his way to the hotel he'd booked to experience a proper hotel staycation when he spotted an assortment of goods displayed beneath some tents.
'... A charity bazaar?'
He had time. Why not take a quick look around?
He wasn't planning to buy anything in particular, but he wanted to relax and feel like he was on vacation.
As he browsed, he spotted stacks of books for sale beside a stall selling drinks and cookies.
When he approached, the attendant smiled and spoke.
“How about some cookies and a drink? We have books too.”
“Sure, I'll take a look.”
I gave the woman a casual reply and looked at the stacks of books.
“... Hm?”
A book with an old leather cover caught my eye.
<The Lesser Key of Solomon>
My eyes narrowed slightly at the title, which I felt I'd seen somewhere before.
... Well, there were plenty of books with Solomon in the title.
Just as I turned my gaze away with that thought...
“Sir, would you like to try a sample of this drink, at least... Ah!”
SPLASH
The attendant had poured a drink into a paper cup and was about to hand it over when she lost her footing, splashing it across my face.
“...”
“I-I'm sorry!”
She hadn't done it on purpose, and she was apologizing. What else could I do but accept her apology?
“No, it's all right.”
I took out a handkerchief and wiped my face.
Apparently still troubled by it, the attendant spoke cautiously.
“Um... To make up for it, would you like to take a book of your choice?”
“...”
I looked at the book displayed in front of me.
<The Lesser Key of Solomon>
There was nothing particularly strange about it, but how should I put it? This felt a little contrived.
In the past, I would have bought it out of curiosity. But now I knew that books called grimoires existed in this world.
I hadn't read its contents yet, and I didn't know whether it would be a blessing or a poison.
At least Grizzly listened to me fairly well.
Couldn't that book contain a monster that wouldn't obey me?
... Still, maybe I should give it a quick skim first?
While I was mulling it over, the attendant brought another drink.
“Hehe... Sir, I'll hand it to you properly this time—Ah!”
SPLAAASH
I was drenched once again.
“...”
Running a hand through my wet hair, I let out a quiet sigh.
“Haa...”
Somehow, I felt as though I'd made eye contact with <The Lesser Key of Solomon>.
All right. All right. All right.
I just have to buy you, right?
I picked up the book and spoke to the attendant.
“How much is this? I'll just pay for it properly.”