Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 025
Chapter Title: Ghostbuster (9)
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Yohan clenched and unclenched his fist, recalling the sensation from earlier when the Grimoire had nearly been summoned.
He hadn't realized it before because he'd never been separated from the Grimoire since acquiring it.
But apparently, the Grimoire had a convenient teleportation function—it came when its owner called.
The book might not be in his hand, but it was effectively still with him.
And Grizzly was right there beside him.
Until he'd found the Grimoire, recovering it safely had been his top priority, leaving no room to consider anything else.
But now that he knew he could retrieve it without issue...
This was a crossroads.
Should he just follow Sion and escape like this, or...
I glanced at Grizzly, who tilted his head quizzically.
I doubted he'd come all the way here without causing any trouble.
There might not be complete trust between master and familiar, but...
This was exactly because, as his master, I knew Grizzly well.
I wasn't some naive optimist saying, "My dog doesn't bite."
I'd learned my lesson back at the Smith estate.
Grizzly was curious and mischievous—if left alone without his master, he'd definitely get into something.
If he'd stumbled upon something like a massive morgue fridge, he'd no doubt been opening and closing the door.
Maybe not, but it was possible...
And if there were CCTV cameras in this underground workshop, his presence would be discovered when Sion's colleagues and the government officials combed the place later.
So, if there was any evidence that might expose Grizzly's identity...
I had to find it and destroy it.
...The problem was how to separate from Sion naturally.
"........."
I'd gone quiet not because of the ghouls, but due to the Grimoire's teleport ability and plans going forward.
Seeing Yohan suddenly clam up as if truly shocked, Sion eyed him for a moment.
"Mr. Yohan, it's okay. Take slow, deep breaths."
As long as Yohan wasn't confirmed as the Grimoire's owner or the university killer...
He was just another citizen Sion had to protect from this bizarre incident.
I nodded appropriately at Sion's words and responded.
"...Thanks. I'm okay now."
That said, there were man-eating monster bastards right nearby.
I couldn't just stand around. For now, I'd follow Sion.
If there really was evidence that could expose me, I'd have to kill Sion and the officials, even if it meant taking risks, and destroy it.
I didn't like the idea of killing government agents and stirring up unnecessary trouble—it would definitely lead to pursuit.
But it was better than getting caught right away.
What was done was done; complaining wouldn't help.
I'd only come to the farm to make some parchment...
Getting tangled up with a government agency... What rotten luck.
I might have to prepare to flee abroad sooner than expected.
...There was a spell to learn foreign languages quickly, right?
Sion looked at me and spoke again.
"You're handling this calmly right now. Let's fall back slowly and look for another path."
For the time being, I'd hold back, wait for an opportunity.
"Sounds good."
To avoid detection by the ghouls, I slowly backed away following Sion.
Or at least, I tried to.
A jittery, anxious voice came from behind us.
"Haa! Haa! Found it."
"Did you find the exit? Where are the police? You said backup was coming."
In that instant, Sion's and my bodies both froze.
Defying Sion's order to stay in the cell because it was dangerous...
Two people from the cell who looked like a couple had followed us out.
Sion held up her palms to stop them from approaching, but of course, they ignored her.
They rushed toward her like they'd found a lifeline.
She spoke in a low, irritated voice.
"Why are you so slow? Hurry up and find the exit."
...Well, I could understand that.
They must be anxious. They might think they'd be abandoned like that.
Nerves frayed from fear, harsh words slipping out.
Being stuck in such a tense, extreme situation, it was natural they'd follow.
But what the couple did next...
As they got close, they spotted the man-eating ghouls.
"Ah- Aaaahhh!"
They let out primal screams.
-Classic horror movie victim behavior. Too natural.
"Gaaak!"
The ghouls' heads snapped toward us in unison.
...Alright, let's think positive.
This wasn't what I'd planned, but it was an opportunity.
I judged quickly. Once decided, no hesitation.
I spoke rapidly to Sion.
"You asked me to cooperate with this incident, right? I'll do it."
"Huh? Mr. Yohan!"
I bolted forward, drawing the ghouls' attention and luring them away.
Seeing a mammal fleeing with its back exposed, the ghouls instinctively gave chase.
"Gaaak!"
Sion's black eyes trembled as she watched Yohan's retreating figure lure away half the ghouls here—six of them.
Sion couldn't take on twelve or so ghouls while protecting Yohan and the couple.
...That made it a rational choice.
While one sacrificed himself to draw off some ghouls, Sion—with her combat prowess—could protect two and break through to find the exit and bring backup.
But there was no hesitation at all.
Sion smashed the jaw of a charging ghoul with her fist, frowning as she shouted at the terrified couple.
"Don't stray from me!"
Was this judgment because Yohan was used to bizarre incidents, or...
By now, Yohan and the ghouls were out of sight.
"Gahahk!"
The ghouls excitedly pursued the fleeing human, white coat tails flapping.
Before they could fully catch up, the human rounded a corner into a side passage.
The ghouls followed into the side corridor.
The last ghoul in the pack watched the scene and thought:
Before the others finish off the human, I need to hurry...
The moment that thought crossed its mind.
From the corridor where the other ghouls had chased the human...
Boom! Crunch-! Crack! Crunch!
Sounds of something exploding, being crushed, and torn apart echoed.
"......?"
The ghoul instinctively halted, and from the side corridor...
Step- step-.
Calm footsteps rang out as the white-coated human emerged alone.
In his hand was a strange steel lump of a book that hadn't been there before.
Crunch-!
That was the last sight the tardy ghoul beheld.
"Gyaa~."
Grizzly finished off the final ghoul chasing Yohan by smashing its head with his paw.
"Good job, Grizzly."
I asked Grizzly about something I couldn't check earlier with Sion around.
"Before you came to me, did you see a mage? Someone different from ordinary people? Or a special-looking room?"
Separating from Sion had worked, but...
That didn't mean everything was resolved.
If the owner of this underground workshop—a mage—was still around, it was dangerous.
"Gyaa?"
Grizzly pondered my question, then made retching sounds—keh- kehek-—before opening his mouth.
He placed something on his translucent tongue to show me.
It was a human finger with well-manicured nails.
"Haa..."
Damn, he did cause trouble after all.
Figures. No dinner, so he must've been hungry. He'd ignored the ghoul corpses, too.
I furrowed my brow and said to Grizzly,
"Grizzly, didn't I tell you not to eat people recklessly?"
"Giat!?"
At my low voice, Grizzly shook his head vigorously, as if wronged.
"Gyaa! Gya gya gya! Gya gya!"
"Hm...?"
Something was up? Anyway.
Good news first: the insane mage who'd been mass-kidnapping people was already dead by Grizzly's hand, since he understood me properly.
Bad news: now I really had to destroy evidence before the government's secret agency agents arrived.
It was a race against time.
"Grizzly, lead me to where you ate that finger's owner."
...I'd check his reaction myself anyway.
The door to Kim Mireh's room lay in splinters.
The central control room with multiple CCTV screens.
A space like a personal office.
I narrowed my eyes.
At the corpse collapsed in a pool of blood from its severed neck and arms on the floor.
Swipe-
I turned to Grizzly, who was furtively watching me.
"You did eat a person!"
"Gyaat!?"
Grizzly acted wronged again.
One of my eyebrows rose at that.
'...What's going on?'
Curious, I scanned the room briefly.
Near the corpse, on the desk, I spotted a peculiar book with a dark red cover.
'This-.'
This was a mage's workshop.
It wouldn't be some ordinary book with an odd title.
I flipped it open and skimmed it.
Then I understood why Grizzly seemed so aggrieved.
The spells in this Grimoire were akin to ancient cannibalistic rituals.
Like how someone with bad eyesight eats a bird's eyes for better vision.
Or a weak liver eats a beast's liver.
This took it further.
It aimed for immortality through cannibalism.
Immortality in name only—the principle was devouring people to become something inhuman.
A monster itself, extending lifespan that way.
Hmm~ So if you have the aptitude and talent, you could become a vampire too?
Probably not a monstrous vampire like Grizzly.
More like the aristocratic image.
I looked down at the headless, armless corpse and smiled faintly.
There was a reason Grizzly felt wronged.
If he'd trained as this Grimoire described, it wasn't human anymore.
Anyway, not my taste.
I wasn't dying tomorrow or anything.
Perfectly healthy limbs, plenty of life ahead—not appealing.
And I considered myself the most important thing in the world.
...I didn't want to become something else.
I set the Grimoire down and looked at Grizzly.
"Gyaa~"
Grizzly whined as if asking if I finally understood his innocence.
As his master, I thought:
The result was good, but this...
Ah, Grizzly noticed it wasn't human and was a bad guy who'd imprisoned his master, so he ate it. (×)
Ah... He woke up hungry, no master around, off the leash, so he just ate whatever. (○)
No matter how I thought about it, this was it.
'...Gonna have to scold him, huh?'
Calmly, I pulled a water bottle from my bag and took out the holy water-infused celery inside.
"Gyaat!"
Grizzly spotted it and curled up in the room's corner, whimpering.
"Gyaaa..."
Pretending to be pitiful to avoid punishment.
"No pity party!"
Discipline had to be firm.
"I told you not to eat just anything. Bad boy, bad!"
Thwack- thwack-.
I brought my wrist near Grizzly's head and smacked my own wrist with the holy water celery—smack- smack-.
"Giiia...!"
As I was scolding him, through the broken door...
"Ah, miss, big trouble! The ghouls- You!?"
A farmhand entered, spotted the woman's corpse and me, and froze in shock.
Punishment over. Time for evidence disposal.
"Grizzly, eat."
At my command, Grizzly lunged and tore out the farmhand's throat, killing him.
Crunch-!
"I'm gonna investigate a bit, so eat that quietly and behave."
As Grizzly munched on the worker, I pulled fingerprint-proof gloves from my coat's inner pocket.
Why carry something like this? Obviously for situations like this.
Anything else to find? I carefully searched the headless, armless corpse.
'This is why I'm a real criminal now...'
A chuckle escaped me.
'No, I am a criminal.'
But "criminal" sounded too violent.
So, euphemize it.
Call it mage-like.
I found a wallet, opened it, and checked the ID.
This corpse's name was Kim Mireh.