Chapter 44 - Mephistopheles (1)

Yohan's little studio apartment.

After breakfast and a few cherry tomatoes, I sat on the floor with my back against the bed, thinking about my current situation. A sigh escaped me, and my eyes narrowed.

"Haah..."

Sure, showing Sion the grimoire <The Lesser Key of Solomon> had been the best way to get through the campground incident. At least, that was how I saw it. In any case, this wasn't exactly a great situation.

It was a relief that I'd gotten away without much trouble despite being caught using a gun, but contrary to my original plan, I was now thoroughly entangled with the Special Response Section.

I remembered Sion's calm eyes as she looked at me.

"..."

She was practically convinced I was the master of <Mysteries of the Worm> and a magical criminal. At this point, I was starting to wonder if she just didn't like me.

Sion's words echoed softly in my head.

["... Meat and milk. I was just curious."]

The evidence was piling up, little by little. I clenched my teeth, one side of my brow creasing.

Fucking paranoid bitch. The most irritating part was that all her suspicions were right. I really was the master of <Mysteries of the Worm>, and I really was a serial killer.

I imagined my ownership of <Mysteries of the Worm> coming to light one day, and Sion bringing a whole mob of Special Response Section operatives over.

"I knew it! You've been suspicious ever since you were born!"

"Oh, yeah! Let's kill him, everyone!"

"Your mommy didn't abandon you for nothing!"

I could picture them opening fire on me in a rattling barrage.

Naturally enough, I had no desire to do an enthusiastic Bongsan mask dance while screaming, "You idiots! Who the hell are you shooting at?!"

I didn't want to die.

I'd considered just killing Sion instead, but that presented quite a dilemma.

I'd only encountered people from the Special Response Section during the Weekend Farm incident and this campground incident. In both cases, nobody except Sion had shown any particular interest in me. They'd asked all sorts of questions, but only the sort you'd ask a civilian exorcist who'd been through an uncanny incident.

If Sion, the one who suspected me, were to die under suspicious circumstances now... Sure, that might leave nobody in the Special Response Section suspicious of me. On the other hand, it might arouse the suspicions of the entire section. I could end up disturbing a whole hive just to kill one bee.

Even if I did kill her... it would have to be...

My eyes narrowed.

When we were out on the same assignment with me acting as a collaborator, in circumstances where it would look like the work of some other uncanny entity.

... Not that I found that option particularly appealing, either. The mere fact that I had anything to do with Sion's death could make me a suspect. ... Well, if I were about to be exposed, I'd have no choice.

"What a headache."

Muttering quietly, I looked at the grimoires I'd left lying on my desk.

<Mysteries of the Worm>, <The Lesser Key of Solomon>.

A grimoire with a steel cover, and a grimoire with an old leather cover.

As the master of <Mysteries of the Worm>, I was hunted by the government agency known as the Special Response Section. As the master of <The Lesser Key of Solomon>, I was targeted by other magicians. Somehow, things just kept getting more complicated.

Still, I didn't particularly think picking up a grimoire had ruined my life. My life had already been ruined.

Orphan. Bad personality. Philosophy major (honestly, this fucker deserves most of the credit).

... Well, not being a criminal had been a pretty significant distinction, but anyway. It wasn't as though my life had taken a plunge from high to low. It was more a matter of going right instead of left. Wasn't life all about working hard to get by while bitching and moaning anyway? Nothing had changed.

And though I mocked it as a useless, mediocre old grimoire, it had gotten me through some dangerous situations. I'd also grown pretty used to living with Grizzly.

THUD—CLACK! THUD—CLACK! THUD—CLACK!

"Gyaaa~."

I watched Grizzly happily opening and closing the refrigerator door. As a reward for behaving himself at the campground, I'd given him permission to spend some time fucking up the fridge.

THUD—CLACK! THUD—CLACK! THUD—CLACK!

"Gya! Gya-gya!"

CREEEAK!

The refrigerator rattled.

I might have to buy a new refrigerator soon. Maybe I should just buy a separate little one for Grizzly to use as a toy.

Anyway, since I'd set aside some time to think, I decided to consider my personal goals, too.

You know, like the hero of a certain famous ninja manga, with his grand dream of becoming village chief and making life a living hell for the villagers who'd bullied him.

Dreams? Goals? It might sound silly, but my current situation was a little unusual, wasn't it? I figured I ought to have at least one motivation like that—something to spur me into action. It wasn't exactly scientifically proven, but people said having a goal made a difference in how efficiently you worked.

"..."

But I really couldn't think of anything suitable. I hadn't learned magic to accomplish something. I'd learned it to preserve my safe way of life.

Come to think of it, had any of my plans so far actually worked out?

Working as an exorcist might draw the attention of a secret government organization! Let's not do exorcist work.

Nope. Got fucking suckered in by thirty million won and took an exorcist job.

I ended up doing exorcist work, but let's not get mixed up with the government.

Nope. Went looking for magical ingredients, introduced myself to the government's Special Response Section, and even exchanged numbers.

I picked up a gun in a magician's workshop, but let's be careful about using it. Anyway, let's not get involved with the Special Response Section anymore.

Nope. Gleefully blasted away at zombies, got caught using magic, and became a civilian collaborator for the Special Response Section.

"..."

... Some of it was my fault, and some of it was circumstances screwing me over, but nothing had gone according to plan. Still, I was fine with the whole shooting-at-zombies thing. That had been genuinely fun.

I sighed.

Right. I wanted to act intelligently and rationally. That didn't mean I actually was an intelligent, rational person. Sometimes I acted on impulse. If I'd really been smart, I wouldn't have majored in philosophy in the first place...

Still, getting back to making plans, I stood up and opened <The Lesser Key of Solomon>.

[The First Pentacle of Saturn]

Magic that subjugated spirits and made them answer questions. I'd even made the pentacle on parchment, but the zombies had attacked us at the campground last Saturday, and I'd never actually gotten to use it.

That was also why I'd been sitting around staring into space and making plans all morning. If it had still been Saturday, I would have just used the magic right away to get information from the spirits of Kim Miryeo and that nameless old magician who'd controlled the zombies.

Still, those two magicians had taught me something. I'd learned roughly where I stood in the world of magicians.

'I'm fucking strong as shit.'

To be precise, the grimoire's abilities and Grizzly were ridiculously powerful... but the grimoire was mine, and Grizzly was my summoned creature. Let's count them as my abilities. It would be pretty ridiculous to leave summoned creatures out when evaluating a summoner, wouldn't it?

Anyway, Grizzly alone could take care of most magicians. They weren't even a match for him.

Kim Miryeo and that old magician. I hadn't been unlucky to get caught up in the incidents they'd caused. They'd been unlucky to run into me. A couple of lunatics had charged in with knives and gotten hit by a truck.

Be good in your next world.

As I went back over those incidents, something occurred to me. ... Come to think of it, that old magician who'd controlled the zombies... I'd let it pass at the time, given the situation, but...

["That is a dangerous power! It isn't something a greenhorn like you can handle!"]

His Korean had been incredibly fluent. Was a second language essential for a magician after all? You did have to flee to other countries if you got exposed. Being good at magic alone really wasn't enough. Looking at it that way, I was still inexperienced as a magician.

"... All right."

I nodded and wrote out my future plans and to-do list in a blank space in my notebook.

First: study a second language!

There was no guarantee the magicians I met in the future would speak Korean. I'd need to study a foreign language to learn about my enemies. I'd start with English, since it was widely spoken. I'd need it if I fled abroad, too, so it was essential.

Second: go running!

My magical abilities made me powerful, but my body was ordinary. I needed to build up my stamina so I could run away properly if necessary. It was good for my health, too. I'd already been doing it whenever I had time, but I should work harder at it until I got my hands on a breathing technique.

Third: get a driver's license.

The campground incident had shown me how inconvenient it was not to know how to drive in an emergency. Still, I didn't have a car, and it wasn't that important. I'd give it a try if I had time to spare.

"Hmm..."

I quietly looked down at what I'd written in my notebook. I'd listed the things I currently needed, but...

Studying English, exercising, getting a driver's license.

I'd ended up with exactly the sort of goals a college student would set for vacation.

"... How responsible."

Apparently, even a magician had to lead a responsible life.

I rose with a faint smile. Since I happened to have no work, I decided to go for a run in the nearby park.