Special Response Division Conference Room.
The Team Leaders of each division held a meeting about the recent surge in Supernatural Phenomenon cases, their faces exhausted.
Of course, Supernatural Phenomenon cases were bound to occur.
Even so, compared to other countries, South Korea was a relatively safe place when it came to such incidents.
There were fewer dangerous cases involving casualties, and they occurred less frequently.
But lately, the number of abnormal phenomena had increased dramatically.
And that wasn’t all.
A photograph appeared on the presentation screen, showing an elderly white man dressed in black with a stern expression, walking down the street.
The agent conducting the briefing spoke with a low groan.
“Edward Coffin.
He’s a British wizard and a wanted Necromancer.
We’ve confirmed that he’s entered South Korea.”
The expressions of the Special Response Division agents darkened.
Team Leader Park grimaced and spoke.
“….Why the hell has that lunatic come here?”
“We suspect he may be connected to the sudden increase in Supernatural Phenomenon cases.”
A woman with black hair and a composed appearance listened to the discussion.
Shin Sion, the Team Leader of Division 3, brought her fist to her lips and contemplated something.
The other agents’ gazes gradually shifted toward Sion.
Team Leader Park looked at her and asked,
“Got any idea what might be going on?”
“…No, it’s still just a theory in my head.”
“We don’t have any answers anyway, so go ahead.”
Sion stood up and spoke in a calm voice.
“This might not be the most accurate analogy, but do you know about the Black Hole Formation Process?”
“Let’s assume this table is a flat sheet of fabric.
Right now, the cups in front of each of you are keeping the fabric balanced and stretched taut.
But—”
Sion picked up the cups in front of the people on either side of her and brought them over to her own side.
Three cups now sat together in front of Sion.
“What would happen if three cups were gathered in one place?”
“Well, the balance would be disrupted.
The weight would concentrate in one spot, making the fabric sag.”
Sion nodded.
“Exactly.
And then the other cups would get sucked into that sunken area as well.”
“That means…”
The Special Response Division agents understood what Sion was getting at, and their brows furrowed.
“Smaller supernatural phenomena are being drawn toward a concentration of enormous mystical power that has suddenly gathered in one place.”
Sion continued in her calm voice and took out some documents.
“Following the disappearance of The Book of Raziel the Angel, which had been kept in the Vatican, there’s now another Grimoire that was recently in the possession of rabbis.”
“We’ve received a report that The Eighth Book of Moses has disappeared.
The rabbis denied it, but judging by the growing number of voices expressing concern, I believe it’s true.”
One of the agents cautiously raised a hand and asked,
“What exactly is The Eighth Book of Moses…?”
“It’s a collection consisting of ten volumes.
The first five are ordinary books documenting the life of Moses, while the sixth volume onward contains Grimoires detailing the plagues and miracles Moses performed.”
“Hold on.
We can discuss the details later.”
Team Leader Park interrupted, looking horrified.
“So you’re saying two Grimoires have appeared somewhere in South Korea, looking for their masters?”
“No.
At least three.”
“…What?”
Sion spoke cautiously.
“This is only speculation, but I suspect the culprit behind the professor’s murder may also be a Master of a Grimoire.”
At that moment, a government official interrupted.
“No, let’s leave that aside for now.
The situation has quieted down, and it’s not important to the current crisis.”
“…Is that so?”
Sion narrowed her eyes slightly for a moment before concluding,
The situation should resolve itself with time, but…”
The Special Response Division agents turned their gazes toward the photograph of the elderly wizard displayed on the presentation screen.
“The real problem will be the wizards who come here to claim the Grimoires.”
.
.
.
The meeting ended.
While Sion was resting in the break room, a female rookie agent approached and handed her a cup of coffee.
“Team Leader Sion!
Thank you for your hard work!”
“Oh, thank you.”
Sion smiled faintly, accepted the coffee, and took a sip.
Then she picked up the documents she’d left on the table and began reading them again.
“Are those the documents from the meeting?”
“No.
They’re about a recent case involving a demonic possession at the mansion of a painter named Smith.”
Sion showed the documents to the female agent.
“The case has been resolved, but it’s been bothering me personally.”
“There were casualties, but wasn’t it just an ordinary evil spirit case?”
“Yes, that’s true.
However, judging from Mr.
Smith’s statements, I suspect it might have been a Boogieman rather than an ordinary evil spirit.”
“The Boogieman?
That’s the one, right?
There haven’t been any reported appearances in South Korea yet, but overseas, whenever one appears, the casualties are usually severe…”
The female agent read through the documents, tilting her head slightly.
“Some people were murdered, but if it was exorcised by a nun’s prayers, then perhaps it really wasn’t a Boogieman.”
“Maybe it was just an ordinary evil spirit after all?
If it had been a real Boogieman, the casualties wouldn’t have been this low.”
The people killed by the Boogieman were Park Minhee, a Shaman; Go Juwon, a Pastor; and Kim Suhyeon, a college student.
It was a tragic incident in which three people had died, but considering the bizarre circumstances surrounding Boogieman incidents overseas, three deaths seemed insufficient.
Although something about it didn’t sit right with her, Sion nodded.
“That’s true.”
“…Um, I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds.”
The female agent spoke hesitantly, watching Sion’s reaction.
Sion shook her head.
“No, it’s fine.
You don’t need to worry about that.
You don’t need a special position to express your opinion.”
Sion gave her a gentle smile before returning her attention to the documents.
She examined the victims’ autopsy reports.
Park Minhee and Go Juwon had both died instantly when chandeliers fell on them, causing their heads to strike the wall with tremendous force.
But Kim Suhyeon, apart from falling over a railing and breaking his neck, had also suffered broken ribs and internal organ damage.
It was as if something had struck him with tremendous force…
‘There’s something subtly different about his case compared to the other two.’
And above all, what kept bothering Sion was—
Her gaze settled on the name Kim Yohan in the documents.
She had happened to notice the name.
That was also why she’d gone to the adjacent team to obtain these documents.
At first, she’d assumed it was simply someone with the same name.
But the person in question had indeed been present in the lecture hall during the professor’s murder.
Sion’s eyes narrowed.
She gently brought her fist to her lips.
This is just a delusion…
Just a delusion, but…
If Yohan is a Master of a Grimoire, why did he stay hidden so well until now, only to get involved in this incident?
“…What could he be thinking?”
Sion murmured softly to herself.
***
Yohan was on his way to the café where he’d arranged to meet someone, lost in thought.
In the end, he’d managed to make money without undergoing much investigation.
But anyone with a brain would quickly become suspicious of him if they were part of the government’s Secret Government Organization.
However, what was done was done.
Besides, he’d discovered that his magic worked far better than he’d expected.
That was why he’d decided to become an Exorcist in earnest.
Given the circumstances, it was the right move.
He needed to get involved in Supernatural Phenomenon cases.
After all, wasn’t there a saying that if you wanted to hide a tree, you should hide it in a forest?
Someone who happened to be present at the scenes of several Supernatural Phenomenon cases under investigation?
That looked suspicious.
But what if that person turned out to be someone who’d been involved in dozens of Supernatural Phenomenon cases?
Then he’d simply be someone who tended to get caught up in these kinds of incidents.
It was like how a detective could keep appearing wherever murders occurred without being the culprit.
Well, it was also possible that I was just smearing ink all over myself to conceal the black stains already on my body…
But I couldn’t think of any better approach.
And since I needed to make money quickly in case I ever had to flee abroad, I’d decided to act this way for the time being.
Ding-a-ling—
When I opened the café door and stepped inside, Ellie spotted me and raised her hand slightly.
I walked over and took a seat.
“Mr.
Yohan, how have you been?”
“Pretty well, all things considered.
How about you, Ms.
Ellie?”
After exchanging brief greetings, I got straight to the point.
“I heard Mr.
Smith had something he wanted you to give me.”
“Yes.
He originally intended to give it to you in person at the airport, but it wasn’t finished in time, so he asked me to deliver it instead.
Here you go.”
Inside a small box were a bundle of papers and a letter.
‘What’s this?’
I took out a rectangular piece of paper and examined it.
It was—
A business card featuring a comical, cartoon-style illustration of a Boogieman looking startled and frightened.
[Ghostbuster, Kim Yohan]
My name and phone number were printed on it.
I opened the letter and began reading.
‘Mr.
Yohan, I truly want to express my gratitude to you, but perhaps because I’m not a man of letters, I find it difficult to put my feelings into words.
So I’ve left you this small gift.
Once again, thank you, truly and sincerely, for saving Emily.
With gratitude,
Ghostbuster’
I put the letter down and looked at the business card again.
A business card designed by a painter who sells paintings worth three billion won…
A ridiculous illustration of a Boogieman, with the words Ghostbuster printed seriously beneath it.
“Ha!”
A smile spread across my lips.
It was silly, but—
I didn’t dislike this kind of thing.
“Thanks for delivering it.”
I pocketed the business card and stood up.
Ellie spoke hesitantly.
“Um, well…
Could we get in touch again sometime?”
Knowing I’d regret it later, I still couldn’t resist making another joke.
I handed Ellie the Ghostbuster business card.
“If something strange ever happens around you, who are you going to call?”
Ellie’s eyes widened for a moment, but fortunately, she played along.
“G-Ghostbuster.”
“Haha, thanks for playing along.”
I left the café and walked home, quietly humming the BGM from the movie.