Omen (1)
Omen (1)
To think he'd stir up all that chaos and then not even show up himself.
'Unbelievable.'
Yes. The absurdity of it left no room for anger.
When I first checked the list and realized the truth, the urge to track him down and tear out his heart surged through me. But now that feeling had faded to stillness, as if it had never been real.
'I must not delude myself.'
The emotions I felt now were wholly my own. But the composure that stilled my boiling rage the instant it arose—that was not my will. It was Void's influence, surfacing in response to Vuar's appearance.
I have never forgotten this fact, not once. Yet every experience like this brands it deeper into my mind: this body is mine, but it is not mine.
"Um, Professor...?"
A clear voice, the one voice that could bring this body and mind an almost singular calm, tickled my ears.
I raised my head and met the gaze of Baek Ha-na, looking up at me while wrapped in the fur coat Claire had personally gifted her.
"That makes twenty."
The original seven, including Baek Ha-na.
Thirteen more, selected from this exam.
Over half of the new additions were children who had formed ties with Baek Ha-na. The remaining five were the young servants of the Goddess of Benevolence, the ones that loud-mouthed nuisance had been wary of for the past three days.
"Well done, all of you. I'll inform your respective professors about attendance for the lectures you're supposed to be in today, so go back and rest."
Relief spread across the faces of the students who had been standing there stiff with tension.
"Dismissed."
Jane Moore, sticking close to Yoon I-seul's side, sent a heated glance my way. But since she had formed a bond with Baek Ha-na, I had no further business with her and ignored it.
-Yes, you can come to the place you visited last time.
-All five of them passed. Yes. Understood, I'll wait at the intersection.
Yoon I-seul, who hadn't brought her own car, and the young servants of the Goddess of Benevolence began gathering their belongings to move on.
I glanced between this group and Yoon I-seul, then watched Jane Moore's back as she followed Yoon I-seul and vanished. After a moment, I turned around.
Click.
As I walked quietly behind Baek Ha-na and the children, I sensed the Rift close behind us. Crystal, who had emerged, hid herself inside the bag concealed under my coat.
"Hey, can we all even fit?"
"It might be a bit cramped, but we can definitely fit Big Sis Ha-na and Big Sis Seo-hee in, ma'am."
Na Yeon-ju answered Idni's question with a confident face, a luggage bag in each hand.
Whirrr─
As Na Yeon-ju neared the black car parked there, the folded side mirrors unfolded like wings and the engine started.
'No need to call Claire.'
Considering all the luggage, there was still more than enough room. So I used mana to hold Maria's body back as she was about to climb into the passenger seat.
"Huh...?"
"What the—hey. It's cramped enough already, why are you trying to crawl in here?"
"I—it's not me, my body just...!"
Idni scrunched up her face in confusion, and Maria's lips moved as if to speak, but I herded the kids into the back seat first, then got into the passenger side.
"Squished!!"
"Na-young, come sit on my lap."
"Mhm..."
The children twisted and overlapped, gradually making space for each other.
Na Yeon-ju, gripping the steering wheel, tilted her head at me in the passenger seat.
"Why isn't anyone sitting here, sir...?"
"That's what I said!! Hey!! Maria!! I'm tired, so quit messing around and get up front already!! Or move so I can get out!!"
"Eek?! Wha—where are you touching?!"
"Where did I tou—aaahk!!"
"G-get your hands off!!"
Just when it seemed they were settling in, Na Yeon-ju's comment and Idni's improperly placed hands plunged the back seat into instant chaos.
'No matter where you put them, they're noisy little things...'
How could they possibly want to act like that when they were clearly exhausted and fatigued?
I could keep my composure only because I'd grown used to the sound of their voices. If even a hint of another human's voice had mingled in, I would have forced their mouths shut.
"I-I'm departing now, so everyone please settle down, ma'am...!!"
With the car shaking, Na Yeon-ju looked back at the tangled kids with a troubled expression, wiggling her fingers nervously.
'I should increase the training volume.'
Seeing their energy spill over like that, I'd have to tell Claire to raise the intensity of their drills.
But that was a separate matter. I had chosen this option to save time, and further delays were not what I wanted.
"Huh...?"
"See?! I told you so?!"
The children, their bodies held by the intangible force of mana, exchanged flustered glances.
Maintaining this state meant nothing to me. But the children were undeniably the masters of this space, so I moved the little white fluffball that had been staring at me for a while onto my lap.
Perk─!!
At once, a pair of furry beast ears sprouted atop the creature's head.
'Finally, quiet.'
Perhaps Baek Ha-na's reaction had dimly alerted them to my presence. Once I released the restraints, Maria and Idni quietly pulled away from each other and sat up properly.
"We'll arrive soon, so everyone please hold on just a little longer, ma'am."
At last, the scenery outside the window began to move.
Sway, sway─
Baek Ha-na leaned naturally against my chest, her newly grown tail wagging as she precisely nestled her head between my shoulder and neck.
'I've sensed it a few times before this...'
I'd erased every trace of my presence. Yet Baek Ha-na could clearly perceive me when I was invisible and imperceptible.
She had achieved something bordering on the impossible.
"Oh, right. Yeon-ju?"
"Yes?"
Na Yeon-ju, focused on driving, answered with a glance at the rearview mirror. Maria leaned her head forward slightly and continued.
"You don't have your own car yet, right?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. As I mentioned before, there's a particular one I really want as my first car, ma'am."
"Right. It was too expensive, so you'd been saving up. But you invested all of it for us, didn't you?"
"...? Uh, yes, ma'am...?"
As Maria's questions continued, a look of suspicion crept onto Na Yeon-ju's face.
"Right, right. Our admirable youngest."
"...?"
Na Yeon-ju's lips twitched as if to say something, but she kept her mouth shut and refocused on driving.
**
"You have returned, sir."
-Peep~!!
After confirming the children had returned to the dorms, I came back to the mansion and approached Claire, who had uncharacteristically let her lovely golden hair down long. I asked her about it.
"You've let your hair down."
"The little one seemed to take a liking to my hair tie, so I lent it to her for a while."
As if to prove it, the fairy was holding the black hair tie in her hands.
-Do it!!
As I handed my coat to Claire and changed my shoes, the creature flew over in front of me, thrusting out what she held and making her brazen demand.
"Your speech is too casual."
-Do it please!!
This is like having a gift handed to you on a silver platter.
When I took the hair tie, the creature smiled brightly and turned around. It was a little loose, but I tied her light-green hair as tightly as I could into a neat ponytail.
-Pehehe~
Happy about something, the creature shook her hair back and forth, then flew back onto Claire's shoulder, chirping away.
"Did you achieve the result you desired, sir?"
"No. More importantly, you feel somewhat distant for someone who was only away for three days."
Flinch.
Claire, walking beside me, stopped short. Her eyes, clear as water droplets, widened and her lips moved.
"Th-that was not my intention..."
"I know."
"...!!"
Only then realizing I'd been teasing, Claire pursed her lips—ever so slightly more than usual—and stepped close again.
"...I regret that your endeavor did not go well."
"Indeed."
I'd already shaken off the emotions, so I didn't feel much of anything. I nodded vaguely and gently stroked her hair as she drew near. I repeated the gesture until we reached the study, and with that small bit of mischief, I was able to soothe her sulking mood.
"An additional report has come in regarding the disappearance case you inquired about last week."
"Report."
With my ears open, I composed an email to Jaden and An Hyeon-do.
"One of the kidnappers in England has turned himself in and requested protection."
"England."
"Yes. He belonged to a guild called Quickdust that has specialized in illegal operations. He confessed that for the past year, they have been abducting children and extracting their hearts."
Hearts.
"The one who turned himself in."
"He was found hanged the next day."
"He was silenced."
"A wanted order was immediately issued for all members of Quickdust, and their main base was raided. However, by the time they arrived, all of them had already been killed."
"Anything else."
"Nothing."
"I see."
I nodded and pushed my chair back slightly. Then I patted my thigh once.
"..."
Claire, who had been standing before my desk for her report, noticed my signal. She averted her gaze and her white cheeks slowly flushed crimson.
"Claire."
"Yes..."
Only after I said her name did she hesitantly approach, carefully settling her bottom onto my thigh.
-Claire hot!!
The little creature perched on Claire's shoulder, chewing her hair, frowned and relocated to my shirt pocket.
"Claire."
"Yes..."
"That's not what I meant."
She clasped her hands tightly together on her lap.
"...Yes, Woo-jin."
The inexplicable emptiness vanished, replaced by a pleasant sense of fullness.
"It seems Na Yeon-ju has a particular car she wants. Tell Lee Ye-sol to acquire it for her."
"Yes..."
"Also─"
Buzz.
A short vibration came from my coat. I frowned and pulled out my smartphone.
[ Jaden : Handled. And the old man has returned to the tower, it seems. ]
"...Must you go out...?"
"Hardly."
I helped the lady on my lap to her feet.
"Though it wouldn't be bad to step out for a bit."
-Peewoong?
As I stroked her head, the creature inside my pocket poked her head out.
"A chance to drop this one off and take a stroll."
"Ah...!"
Claire's face flushed an even deeper shade of red.