Chapter 139: Demons Are Everywhere (1)
Monday morning.
It felt a bit odd to call it a day of the final showdown, but it was the day of the regional practicum.
-Teacher, I’ll do well in Ulleungdo!
Yumir boarded the ferry to Ulleungdo early in the morning, excited.
-Did you find out who your practicum mate is?
-No, they said they’ll tell us upon arrival. There seem to be other students on the ferry, so it looks like there are several teams.
-Why don’t you try making friends this time?
-I’d rather be friends with you, teacher. Kyaa>?<
-Let’s save the emoticons for when you buy them.
-……
There was nothing particularly problematic in the text exchange with Yumir.
Both of us had been careful not to leave any incriminating messages in our texts, and we kept our phone calls short, under three minutes.
Yumir often visited my house using her spatial teleportation, which made it impossible for me to leave.
And Monday was my day off as the librarian, Do Ji-hwan.
A holiday.
Beep beep.
My phone rang.
The caller, Baek Seol-hee, had even set a special ringtone for herself.
“Hello?”
[Ji-hwan… Do you have any plans to come up to Seoul?]
“What do you intend to do if I come up to Seoul?”
[I want to visit your house. In Banpo.]
Unlike Yumir, who was headed to Ulleungdo, Baek Seol-hee was headed to Seoul.
Or, more precisely, to Incheon, under the guise of going to Seoul.
“Sure, I welcome you. But since I last cleaned up and left it empty, it might be quite dirty.”
[I’m good at cleaning. I’ll clean it for you. It might be difficult to bring housewarming gifts, so I’ll bring something else as a gift.]
“What is it?”
[The most delicious thing my parents made.]
“Don’t use those internet-taught lines on me.”
[……]
Click.
The call ended.
“Was it not yet three minutes?”
Did she hang up out of offense, or was it just perfect timing because someone happened to be nearby?
-I misunderstood
-I just boarded the early morning train
-I was alone at the station for a moment
-Sorry for hanging up suddenly
Her text messages followed one after another.
I immediately understood why she sent these messages.
“She got offended.”
She hung up feeling offended and then sent these messages hastily, explaining the early morning train story.
Well, even if she was on the train, she was unlikely to hang up because someone came.
-I’ll either go to Seoul through Yumir or take a leave to go. Fortunately, the academy library is also closed.
-Isn’t it the librarian’s day off when the library is closed?
-I still have to organize the books during the closure.
It would be seen as a sly move to take leave for four consecutive days, but if I could spend those four days patriotically for the country with Yumir or Baek Seol-hee, it shouldn’t be a problem.
“So, then…”
Now, there’s no one who will come into my room.
Yumir was on a ferry and couldn’t easily return to her cabin from here, and Baek Seol-hee was on her way to Seoul from Busan.
I had practically no personal time, but it was fun and beneficial.
However, ‘if you’ve played enough, then it’s time to step up as an agent of the society.’
“Hello.”
[Wow, the busy manager these days. No contact and suddenly reaching out. Looks like there are no women around you now?]
“That’s how it turned out.”
I opened the window.
The red-haired woman, Brewer, on the balcony of the opposite building, waved at me vigorously.
[Busy with women and missing the time for regular reports. Even if you’re favored by the chairman, is that okay?]
“If it was urgent, I would have contacted you. I’ll be there soon.”
[You’re coming? What about Taeguk Watch?]
“I’ll bring it. Just wait 10 minutes. I’m ready.”
After hanging up the phone, I quickly packed some simple luggage and headed to Brewer’s house.
“I’m here.”
“You said 10 minutes, why so fast?”
“I need your help to pack and leave.”
“My help?”
Brewer showed interest with sparkling eyes.
“What’s it? Going somewhere for training?”
“Did you get involved with some bad organization for your training?”
“I received intelligence that Chilryunho is trying to enter Korea.”
“Coming right for the training, huh.”
Chilryunho, as the name suggested, was a group related to ability users from China.
They were a bit different from Triads, but the fact that they were crossing the West Sea gave me a certain feeling.
They were actually like that.
“They won’t just be coming in. Maybe they’re trying to sneak Mana Powder to the young ability users?”
“You knew all this?”
“Not really.”
I read it in a book.
I was not sure when, but the protagonist encountered members of Chilryunhoe during training in Ganghwado, leading to trouble.
And they tried to lure Academy students with Mana Powder, but were completely annihilated by the furious protagonist and his group upon landing in Korea.
So, I thought it might be that.
“Snow White is heading to Seoul. Said she’s going to Incheon too, definitely to keep Chilryunhoe in check.”
“So, we’re going to Seoul?”
“No, going to Ulleungdo.”
“… You’re taking me with you?”
Brewer scratched her cheek, slightly flustered.
“Do you know what people have been saying about me lately?”
“I don’t know, but does it interfere with work?”
“They say I use two boxes of Treasonous Boxes every three days. Whenever I go to throw out the trash, people try to see what’s in the plastic bag, ugh.”
“Then all the more reason to go to Ulleungdo with me.”
I pointed to the suitcase I brought for Brewer.
“Pack it. Just you and me, going to Ulleungdo. We’ll use a pension as a base and prepare for any emergencies.”
“Something more worrying than Chilryunhoe? Is Ulleungdo going to explode or something?”
“Would be better if it was just that.”
The heroine was kidnapped.
By the Goblin.
“I need to check if the information I gathered through the community matches.”
“I’ll check right now. Seems like a person, who is it?”
“This woman.”
I showed Brewer the woman corresponding to the heroine in the second volume.
“…This woman, she’s going to Jindo?”
“Not Ulleungdo?”
“Yeah. Go to Jindo.”
“…Hmm.”
The original story.
Was twisted.
‘Which is rather good.’
Did the heroine kidnapped by the Goblin end up somewhere different from the protagonist in the original story?
Without considering the fixed elements of the original, I just needed to focus on my concerns and solve the problem.
“Still, going to Ulleungdo. The woman I’m currently taking care of and trying to get into the secret society is heading there.”
“Yumir?”
“Yeah.”
“Just to ask, wouldn’t that student misunderstand if you and I go to Ulleungdo?”
“…Ah, right. You don’t know my current situation.”
I couldn’t inform Brewer.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t update her about Baek Seol-hee and Yumir always being around, let alone hear the regular reports. How could I update her about my relationship with them?
“In a nutshell, I’m in a scandalous downfall.”
“…Holy moly.”
It might be her first time hearing it, but no other word described our current relationship as aptly as a scandalous downfall.
“And add a surrogate mother.”
“Totally lost it. Both of them are okay with that?”
“I persuaded them physically with the Goblin Bat.”
I pointed below, and Brewer, following my direction, let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew. I was worried for a second. If it’s that, it’s fine. Thank goodness. I was concerned about throwing out too many Treasonous Boxes, but if it’s actually like that, it makes sense.”
“…By the way, what do you put inside them before throwing them away?”
“Gukbap broth slightly mixed with gelatin to solidify.”
“…….”
I felt a bit queasy.
“Then, please take care of it. I’ll be a good partner for a week, just trust me. Umm, don’t call me Brewer for now-”
“Celestia.”
I extended my hand to Brewer, now Celestia.
“Shall we go to Ulleungdo together for a breath of fresh air?”
For the mission.
Yumir Protection Operation.
“Wow.”
Yumir uttered a soulless exclamation on the deck of a ship heading to Ulleungdo’s port.
She came here last week.
In Ulleungdo, she had many experiences and an incredible life event. She even shared a naked communion with the S-class hero Snow White.
And now, Ulleungdo again.
Thinking of the symbolic meaning of Ulleungdo was pleasant, but it only worked when a particular man was involved.
Bumps only worked when they interlocked; otherwise, they were nothing.
“I wish the teacher would come quickly… Huh?”
Crackle, crackle.
Above the deck where Yumir had come out to see the sea.
A young man in a dark blue modernized Hanbok held a bear pipe, gazing at Ulleungdo. Wisps of pale smoke drifted from his pipe.
“…….”
Smoking on the deck where everyone was.
Yumir glared briefly at the man and moved away.
A lecture about ‘Cigarette smoke being dangerous for pregnant women’ came to mind, and she immediately headed to her room.
“……Puff. The world is wonderful. Even electronic cigarettes come in this design.”
The young man nonchalantly smoked his bear pipe-designed e-cigarette while looking at Ulleungdo.
‘Alone’.
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