Chapter 98 - You Die (1)

Since I was already awake, I turned on my laptop.

I logged into [Mephisto Market].

I looked at the three gold coins on the desk that the Gnome had brought me.

I wasn't sure if gold could be used to pay for goods, but....

This was to obtain the magic items I currently needed.

I'd been reminded of it again during the last brawl, but my weakness was that Ritual Magic took time to cast.

...Up until now, my opponents had either underestimated me.

Or I'd exploited their openings to activate Ritual Magic.

But then I recalled Yoannis, who had cornered me relentlessly, commanding his Vampires without giving me a moment's rest.

As expected, against someone with extensive combat experience, no openings ever presented themselves.

On top of that, Yoannis himself was a monster capable of going toe-to-toe with Grizzly in close combat.

I'd also been in danger from the Vampires' gunfire.

And.

After observing the wizards I'd fought so far, I was now certain that Ritual Magic was a classical style.

Edward and Alphons had each created environments favorable to themselves, like fog and rain, casting magic freely within them.

Yoannis had used Greek Fire, crafted in advance through Alchemy, to deploy his magic.

The mercenary who'd ambushed me with Rune Magic had carved runes into his body, using magic without any special preparation.

That last mercenary's Rune Magic was admittedly inferior in scale and power compared to the others, but....

Its activation speed was undeniably fast.

Preparing magic in advance, or casting it quickly even at the cost of reduced power.

That seemed to be the modern style of magical combat.

That was why I intended to acquire an artifact to assist with my spellcasting.

A magic support item.

A safe yet fast way to increase combat capability, wasn't it?

...Though whether this would be enough to take down Raziel was a different story.

Raziel was simply too strong, so I'd set that aside as an exception for now.

I just needed to assess what I could do at present and act on it.

Unless I happened to be harboring a nine-tailed beast inside my body, or possessed the power of a death god and could awaken in an instant, I had no choice but to grow stronger steadily.

Anyway, until now I'd been busy learning magic and Breathing Techniques.

Having learned them to a reasonable degree, it was time to try a new approach.

Even setting aside incantations, if I could just solve the issue of drawing Magic Circles on the ground, casting magic would become far easier.

So I contacted 'Mephi-chan' on [Mephisto Market] to inquire about custom magic item production.

I wrote out what I had in mind. A reply came almost immediately.

[Mephi-chan – The adorable Mephi-chan, friend of all wizards, has arrived!

The famous Gyges-nim! Thank you for using Mephisto Market!

I think the item you described can be made. However, to achieve the effect you want, it'll need to be crafted through magic rather than conventional methods, so it'll take some time. Would that be alright?]

Time wasn't a major concern. I asked about the price.

[Gyges – I'm thinking a budget of about three gold coins. Would that work? If it's not enough, I can't go too high, but I'm willing to pay the difference in cash.]

[Mephi-chan – Gold is even better, actually. We have plenty of customers who want gold.

But is that gold made through Alchemy, or obtained through a contract with a demon?]

If it was gold obtained through magic, it was still gold, but....

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, I thought for a moment before replying.

[Gyges - An earth elemental picked it up and brought it to me. Is that a problem?]

[Mephi-chan – Oh! If that's the case, no problem at all! That's actually even better! It must be high-purity gold.]

The deal was made. Honestly, not knowing the fair price, I had a feeling I might have been ripped off.

But this was the only place where I could quickly get what I needed, so there was no helping it.

Then, while I was wondering how to hand over the gold coins...

[Mephi-chan – Ah... um, the area where you're currently located is a restricted service zone... Would you be able to come outside to make the payment? Our delivery courier will come to you.]

A dejected-sounding message came from Mephi-chan.

".........."

...Well, it was a Cathedral with a magical Barrier around it, after all.

If someone could waltz in easily, that would be a problem in its own right.

I quickly changed clothes, threw on a coat, and stepped outside the Cathedral.

After a brief wait.

"Caaaw~."

A crow wearing something like a tiny donation box flew up to me.

A crow Familiar, how classic.

Clatter clatter.

I dropped the gold coins into the box, and the crow flew away.

"Hoo...."

I exhaled, feeling the cold air, and narrowed my eyes.

Since I was already out here, why not check on those people who'd been bothering me?

"Gnome, are those guys still there?"

A Gnome rose up from the ground and spoke.

"Still there, Gnome. Taking shifts watching around the Cathedral, Gnome."

There were people loitering around the Cathedral.

At first I'd thought they might be mercenaries, but from what the Gnomes described, they were different from the foreign mercenaries who had attacked me.

I walked a short distance and moved to an empty alleyway near the Cathedral, where no one was around.

".........."

I never thought there'd come a day in my life when I'd seriously say this, but the opportunity had presented itself, so I went for it.

"I know you're hiding there... Come out."

It wasn't a particularly funny line, but if I wasn't careful, I might have laughed.

".........!!"

And at my words, figures who looked like bodyguards in black suits emerged.

'...Suits?'

The black suits reminded me of the Special Operations Division, but the attire and the feel were slightly different.

They didn't seem to have any immediate intent to attack. Feeling the iron cover of <De Vermis Mysteriis> in my hand, I asked.

"What do you want?"

They exchanged glances briefly, and then the woman who appeared to be their leader spoke.

"We apologize if we've made you uncomfortable. We had something to discuss with Yo-han... -nim. We were observing the situation."

'-nim?'

My brow furrowed at the unexpected address.

The woman spoke carefully.

"We work for the Shin Clan. One of the elders of the clan wishes to meet Yo-han-nim in person. We came to deliver that message."

'Shin?'

The only Shin I knew was Shin Si-on. Could there be a connection?

"...Shin, as in Shin Si-on from the Special Operations Division?"

The woman's face lit up.

"Ah! Yes! That's correct. She is the daughter of Clan Head Shin Do-ryong, our Miss."

I'd suspected she came from a good family, but to think there were actual clan retainers and all.

Si-on really was a proper lady of a prestigious family.

Come to think of it, she did have that air of someone who'd been raised with a proper upbringing.

...But it wasn't Si-on.

One of the clan elders wanted to see me? I couldn't figure out the reason.

My eyes narrowed.

I kept Grizzly on standby among them.

Out of courtesy, I asked.

"What if I say I don't want to meet them?"

"...Then we will relay that. We'll also stop surveilling the Cathedral."

The tension left my eyes. That was a more reasonable response than I'd expected.

'You won't listen to me? Die!'

'No, you die!'

I'd been having those kinds of exchanges so often lately.

But this was actually what a normal conversation looked like.

They really did leave quietly without another word, and.

I turned to Lee Mun-ryong, who had somehow sidled up next to me without my noticing, and asked.

"Do you know about the Shin Clan and their Clan Head, Shin Do-ryong?"

I deliberately didn't bring up the fact that he'd countercharged through the mall hall and fled.

It wasn't like we shared some deep bond of loyalty.

I'd abandon Lee Mun-ryong and run too if things got dangerous.

"I don't know the clan in detail. They're an Exorcist family that's been hunting monsters since the Joseon Dynasty."

Lee Mun-ryong said with a shrug.

"Shin Do-ryong has a nasty personality, and he's nastily strong."

Director of the Bureau for Abnormal Phenomena Countermeasures, and Clan Head of the Shin Clan.

Si-on's father, Shin Do-ryong.

I had no idea why the Shin Clan's people wanted to see me, but getting entangled with them would probably bring no good.

"I'll be staying at the Cathedral for a while, so wait nearby and stand by for contact."

I gave a simple order and went back inside to sleep.

Then, to recover my stamina, I slept until morning and got up.

As planned, I went to the bank to get a card made.

I bought food for Grizzly and a small personal refrigerator, then returned to the Cathedral.

Normally I would've ordered delivery and waited, but.

It was nice that the Breathing Technique from <Baopuzi> had enhanced my physical abilities.

Wasn't quiet, everyday physical strength and stamina the most useful kind of magic for daily life?

Anyway, I opened the door and entered the Cathedral's living quarters.

The kids were sprawled out across the living room like abandoned ducklings, and Soo-ah was looking at her phone. [TL: The original idiom, "like a duck egg on the Nakdong River", means to be left out or stranded, but here it's used to describe the kids scattered listlessly.]

Ellie and Ji-ye were nowhere to be seen.

...Come to think of it.

Ji-ye had no physical abnormalities, but just to be safe, they'd said they were going to get her checked at a hospital.

Soo-ah looked at me and said.

"Ellie said she'll be late. She asked me to feed the kids, so I was about to order lunch. What do you want to eat?"

Checking the time, it seemed reasonable for a combined breakfast-and-lunch.

Just then, one of the younger girls pointed at the pancakes that characters were eating in a TV animation and said.

"...I want pancakes."

"Pancakes? Hmm~ that does sound good. Is there a place that delivers?"

Soo-ah started browsing delivery apps, and I thought for a moment.

"If it's just pancakes, want me to make them?"

Sure, they'd taste better from a proper restaurant.

But it wasn't difficult, and ordering delivery would cost more.

Then Soo-ah and the kids stared at me with surprised expressions.

"...Mister, you know how to make pancakes?"

"Making them is easy. You just follow the instructions on the back of the box."

I went to the kitchen to check if we had the ingredients.

Whether Ellie had prepared it for the kids' snacks or not, there was pancake mix.

I was a bit hungry myself, so I started making them right away.

Making pancakes.

Mix flour with baking powder, sugar, and eggs.

Once the batter forms, pour in milk and mix until it reaches the right consistency.

Now pour the batter onto a frying pan and cook on low heat, and that's it.

Sizzle-.

Soo-ah watched from behind and said.

"Oh~ that actually looks legit."

"Camp mister, you're amazing! You're the pancake mister!"

'...Camp mister.'

Apparently, one of the kids remembered my face from the zombie camp incident.

I wasn't sure which was better between "camp mister" and "pancake mister", though.

Just then, a child who looked about five years old held up a plastic plate and asked in an innocent voice.

She must have found it strange that I was living at the Cathedral.

"Pancake mister, don't you have a home?"

"...I used to."

I placed a finished pancake on the child's plate to shut her up.

"Yaaay~ Pancake mister is the best!"