Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 015
Chapter Title: Aftermath (1)
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Amazement, admiration, awe.
As Smith stared at Yohan, struggling to find the right words,
Yohan banished the Boogeyman. With the possession lifted, Emily coughed and stirred awake.
"Cough, hack... hack!"
"Emily!"
Smith leaped to his feet right away. I stepped back from Emily to give them room.
Smith approached her with trembling steps.
"G-Grandpa... I..."
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
He pulled her close, gazing at her pale face that was finally regaining some warmth.
"Thank you... thank you..."
Tears streamed down his face as he embraced the granddaughter he'd thought he'd never see again.
I quietly slipped away at the sight.
"........."
There was no need for me to wedge myself in there and make a show of it, and I didn't want to anyway.
I hadn't exorcised the Boogeyman possessing Emily out of some noble purpose or pure heart.
This was business.
Mission accomplished, so now I just needed to collect my pay as agreed.
As I headed for the door,
Ellie looked at me with wide eyes before snapping out of it and speaking up.
"Ghostbuster! I believed in you!"
Even though I'd said it myself, hearing it so openly made me feel both pleased and embarrassed.
"Just call me Yohan."
Ellie glanced at Smith and Emily with a relieved smile, her expression softening.
"Okay, Yohan... thank you so much."
Her pure, kind smile gave me pause, and I looked at her for a moment.
She'd really meant it when she said she wanted to save Emily.
Anyway, first exorcism ritual: success. One job down!
...Or so I'd like to say.
"........."
I eyed the pastor's corpse leaning against the wall outside the door.
Shaman, Suhyeon, pastor.
The evil spirit issue was resolved, but with three dead bodies, cleanup was the real problem.
Now that the Boogeyman was gone, the blizzard isolating the mansion would clear up naturally.
But what do we tell the police when they arrive?
'The culprit who killed everyone was an evil spirit possessing Emily, and I exorcised it perfectly! Problem solved! You're free to go!'
Say that, and I'd be hauled off as the prime suspect for a drug test in no time.
I stared down at the bodies.
'Can't just tell Grizzly to eat them all and dispose of them...'
The anomalies were gone with the spirit, but suddenly vanishing corpses would look even more suspicious.
The fact that those three had come to the mansion wouldn't disappear.
If the bodies vanished, it might make things even shadier.
Ellie noticed my gaze on the pastor's corpse and cautiously turned her head toward Emily before whispering,
"Um... like with the chandelier, maybe we should cover it with a bedsheet."
She was worried Emily would be traumatized if she saw it upon waking.
"Yeah, good idea."
I nodded at her suggestion and looked away.
Staring at corpses wouldn't solve anything anyway.
And it was bad for mental health.
No point brooding when no solutions were coming to mind. For now...
"How about we grab some food?"
"Huh?"
Recharge energy while eating. I'd scarfed down a quick dinner and worked straight through; now I was starving.
When your stomach's empty, you lack the drive for anything, and your brain doesn't work.
The housekeeper Sora, slumped on the floor, overheard our talk and spoke up in a shaky voice as she came to her senses.
"U-Um... sorry. My legs gave out... I can't stand..."
She'd seen the evil spirit burst right out of Emily's body and was still rattled, her strength drained.
I shrugged and cracked a joke to lighten the mood.
"It's fine. At least you didn't piss yourself."
"I-I did..."
Sora squeezed her eyes shut, and liquid trickled from under her disheveled housekeeper skirt.
"...It's okay. You're not dead. Just rest."
I took a casual step back.
"I'll make my own food."
Even if she was the housekeeper, after pissing herself in fear...
Forcing her to wash up quick and cook felt wrong.
After covering the bodies with bedsheets alongside Ellie,
she headed back to check on the now-awake Emily.
I rummaged through the kitchen for something edible.
There was ramen and instant rice. Even in a mansion, they kept instant stuff handy. Made sense—convenient.
Honestly, ramen and rice would be quick, tasty, and filling...
But all carbs, so not the healthiest.
I dug deeper and found bulgogi beef and veggies in the fridge.
"Oh, bulgogi..."
I eyed the bulgogi pack thoughtfully.
I'd saved his granddaughter's life—and his own. He wouldn't mind if I used some bulgogi.
"Got meat and veggies. Curry it is."
You might question bulgogi curry, but it's surprisingly good.
Simple, delicious, and healthy too.
I grabbed a pot, heated some oil, and stir-fried the thin-sliced beef.
Have to watch it so it doesn't stick since it's so thin.
Once browned nicely, I added bite-sized potatoes, carrots, and onions, stir-frying them together.
Pour in water for broth. Once boiling, add curry powder.
Now just simmer till done.
Bubble... bubble... As I watched the pot,
I briefly wondered if chanting a spell over curry would make it tastier.
'Curry, I sanctify thee. Become more delicious!'
Sounded fun, but too silly. I dropped it.
Then I sensed someone behind me and turned.
Ellie and the others entered the kitchen.
"Making curry, huh."
"Yeah, ingredients were there."
Sora, now changed clothes, stared at the pot with wide, weary eyes.
"Pros are different... so calm... even cooking..."
You could argue if food goes down easy in a mansion littered with corpses, but...
"We're alive. Gotta eat."
It goes down. It has to.
No one's gonna look after me but me.
Best to eat when you can and recover stamina.
Cops would show at dawn for questioning. Rest was key to holding up without slipping.
Ellie nodded at my words, something clicking for her.
"Yeah... we're alive."
She turned carefully to Emily.
"Emily, let's eat together. Your body's weak from the possession—food will help you recover."
"I... don't have an appetite... sob, ugh... because of me..."
Tears welled in Emily's blue eyes.
"Because of me, the others..."
Her small shoulders shook. She must retain some memories from the possession.
Smith and Sora's gazes slid toward me subtly.
I got why they'd come to the kitchen.
Not for curry—they wanted the expert to say something reassuring.
I'm no therapist, though.
Still...
I looked at the pitiful, trembling blonde girl, Emily.
...I pitied Emily.
Or rather, her situation.
It hit close to home.
She hadn't asked for it, but got tangled in something bizarre, linked to deaths.
I had the grimoire; she had the Boogeyman.
I'd chosen to live as its mage owner; with hers exorcised, she could just live happily now. But still similar.
So I approached Emily.
"Emily."
I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, offering my version of comfort.
"Life happens. You might accidentally kill a person or two. Don't mope too much."
"......Huh?"
Emily's face went blank.
Ellie, Smith, and Sora gaped in shock.
Emily and Ellie stammered,
"Th-Thank you for caring, but... um..."
"Y-Yohan, I get you're trying to comfort her, but... that's not it."
I glanced around at their reactions.
'Guess not, huh...'
Ever since deciding to become a mage, even my personality had hit...
Mage average. The MA.
Perfect timing—the curry finished boiling. I changed the subject.
"So, who wants curry?"
They hadn't realized it, but hunger and exhaustion won; they ladled and ate.
"...It's good."
Emily hesitated but joined in.
"I'll have some too."
At least I'd gotten her to perk up a bit.
I turned to Smith and Ellie.
"Oh, right. I had a favor to ask you two."
The isolated mansion in the dark, bodies strewn about.
Curry scent wafting as dawn broke.
Surprisingly, the cleanup went smoothly.
I'd braced for the worst—dragged to an interrogation room for grilling.
But when Smith explained the situation,
Instead of police, men in black suits—government officials—arrived.
They investigated the mansion, made us promise secrecy, and sent us home.
At my request, Smith told them Ellie had exorcised the spirit possessing Emily with her prayers.
Ellie objected fiercely, but matched my story when I cited personal reasons.
Honestly, hard to put into words, but considering the aura around Ellie, she'd have survived alone even without me.
Anyway, if those officials were the secret government outfit I imagined, they either handled things sloppily...
...Or the mansion incident was small fry compared to some massive, nasty crises they were dealing with.
Either way, good for me.
Time passed. Now I was at the airport seeing Smith off to America.
The government downplayed it, but deaths had occurred, and rumors worried him—he was leaving for Emily's sake.
"Yohan, thank you again. Truly."
"Nah, Emily toughed it out."
No need to come just because he called, but first client—customer satisfaction mattered.
Plus, might need to flee abroad someday.
No harm keeping in touch with Smith in the States.
Ennobler of his granddaughter. He'd spot me a meal at least.
Emily met my eyes.
"Thank you so much."
Polite as ever. I smiled back politely.
"Safe travels. Call if you need help again."
"........."
Emily stared at my face a moment longer before looking away.
•
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•
After Yohan left.
In the airport lounge, Emily sketched in her book.
Scratch-
The pencil moved, making steady strokes.
Smith approached with a pleased smile.
"Emily, what are you drawing?"
"Eh? N-No, it's! Nothing!"
Emily hurriedly closed the sketchbook in panic.
"I-I see."
Smith figured she was embarrassed to show an unfinished piece and backed off.
Emily sighed and reopened it.
It was a memory from the possession.
Yohan grabbing her hair on the bed.
"Ugh..."
Her face flushed crimson at her own explicit drawing.
She covered it with both hands, toes curling.
No more nightmares now.
Boogeyman exorcised.
But Emily had developed a strange fetish.