Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 030
Chapter Title: Owner of the Grimoire (2)
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Countermeasures Bureau, Response Special Task Force meeting room.
A formal meeting was in progress regarding the Weekend Farm—a wizard's workshop disguised as a ranch—and the national disaster-level Grimoire.
"Putting together the evidence from underground, the workshop's owner was indeed Kim Mireh, and it looks like she died failing to tame her familiar."
"Kim Mireh. The daughter of ○○ Group Chairman Kim, right? What are they saying over there?"
"They claim they had no idea. They're apologizing profusely, saying they're truly sorry their child caused this mess... Jeez, what a situation."
At that moment, a low voice echoed through the meeting room.
"He's the one who donates the most money to our Countermeasures Bureau. For now, let's leave it at that."
In an instant, every agent's gaze in the room cautiously turned to the head of the table.
Given the meeting's topic, the participants included—
A man who looked young for his actual age, with a well-trained body, a languid air, and cold eyes.
—the head of the organization to which the Special Task Force belonged: Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau Director, Shin Dorong.
Shin Dorong flicked his hand as if to say not to waste time and pressed on with the meeting.
"Moving on to the next issue. Team Leader Shin."
"...Yes."
A calm-looking woman with black hair.
Response Special Task Force Team 3 Leader Shin Sion stood at the director's call and took over the meeting.
She brought up a presentation on the Grimoire Mysteries of Insects, which had been placed atop Kim Mireh's corpse.
"Some of you might not know, but..."
A black-and-white photo of the Grimoire with its iron cover appeared on the presentation screen.
"It's a Grimoire designated as national disaster-level hazard by the international organization for bizarre incident response, the Wilmer Foundation."
One of the agents raised a hand to ask a question.
"I've heard of it, but... what's the criterion for 'national disaster-level'?"
It wasn't like 'national power-level' or something. National disaster-level didn't quite click suddenly.
"It means exactly that: a grade that threatens a nation's survival or the maintenance of its social systems."
Shin's calm voice rang out.
"If it appears or is misused, it could cause massive loss of life or disasters. It has the potential to trigger an apocalypse."
"...However, because of that danger, most who get their hands on Mysteries of Insects can't handle it and self-destruct. It's not widely known for that reason."
The presentation advanced, showing a black-and-white photo of a beautiful woman with black hair, dressed in an elegant black funeral dress, exuding a refined aura.
"Owner of Mysteries of Insects during World Wars I and II."
She held the iron-covered Grimoire in her hand.
...And unlike her cool demeanor, she was flashing a V-sign at the camera.
"She was feared by other wizards as 'the one whose name must not be spoken,' which is how its danger became known."
Park Team Leader spoke in a bored tone.
"Sounds like a nickname for someone who'd barge into a combined elementary-middle-high academy and get wrecked by a high schooler."
"...That was trendy back then."
Anyway, Shin continued the meeting.
"In the end, she was repelled by Vatican priest Yohan, who was the owner of the Grimoires Lemegeton, Cultes des Goules, and Lesser Key of Solomon at the time."
"Mysteries of Insects was stored and sealed at Miskatonic University, but since it's surfaced again, it seems it broke its seal to find a compatible new owner."
With the background explanation more or less wrapped up...
"The familiar bound to Mysteries of Insects, the Transparent Vampire, is dangerous too."
"But compared to the magic the Grimoire holds, it's little more than an accessory. According to Cthulhu Mythos—"
Shin explained the forbidden magics in Mysteries of Insects that even wizards feared yet coveted.
The secret art of body theft: turning one's body into maggots and burrowing into another's brain to seize control.
The secret art of time regression: sending one's mind or current flesh back to the past unchanged.
And the most dangerous one.
"Not sure if it's real, but... it's said to contain the summoning incantation for the Great Old One called 'the Worm That Gnaws the Night'—the one that devoured the planet Shaggai in a distant galaxy, leading to its destruction."
Park Team Leader couldn't hold back.
"Wait, didn't a Crusader wizard use that? Fuck, why summon a cosmic giant bug all of a sudden?"
Shin rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, then replied.
"It's said the cover of Mysteries of Insects was made from a meteorite that fell from the sky. ...Maybe it's connected somehow."
"Damascus is also the land where the original Lemegeton was created, so it might be influenced by Outer God elements."
The Special Task Force members fell silent. Just the human slaughterhouse facility tied to Chairman Kim was headache enough.
A national disaster-level Grimoire, on top of that...
"············."
They were controlling information for now, but...
If word got out that this Grimoire had been in Korea, who knew how many wizards would swarm.
Why did the work keep piling up no matter how hard they hustled?
The Special Task Force members hoped the vanished Grimoire had found a new owner abroad somewhere.
And that this owner would self-destruct like Kim Mireh and the previous ones.
After a few more exchanges, the meeting wrapped up appropriately.
Shin cautiously approached Shin Dorong and spoke.
"Director, I have something else to say privately."
"Hm? Sure. Follow me to my office."
Shin Dorong nodded readily and led Shin into his office.
As Shin sat on the office sofa, her pupils trembled for a moment.
The secretary had placed black tea and strawberry cake in front of her like a snack for a child.
"...Director, what's this?"
Shin Dorong signaled the secretary to leave, then smiled softly at Shin.
"When it's just us, call me Dad. You like strawberry cake, right? Eat while we talk."
"I want to separate work and personal matters at the office."
At his daughter's admirable words, Shin Dorong chuckled endearingly.
"Our Sion's all grown up. But—"
He continued in a low voice.
"If you wanted to separate work and personal, you shouldn't have joined the company where Dad's the director."
"It's impossible from the moment you're my beloved child."
Shin looked at Shin Dorong with a calm expression.
"You're the one who taught me breathing techniques and how to fight anomalies."
"That was to protect yourself if things went south. Not to join the Special Task Force."
Shin Dorong's eyes narrowed slightly, then relaxed the moment they met Shin's.
He needed to show a stricter side sometimes.
Her eyes take after me... but her looks are all her mom's.
Seeing Shin's face, which resembled his late wife—the woman he loved—always softened his heart.
"...So, what is it you want to say?"
"Isn't it too soon to conclude Kim Mireh died failing to control Mysteries of Insects? Regardless of her crimes, the former Kim Mireh."
Shin spoke cautiously.
"What if she was actually killed by the true owner of Mysteries of Insects?"
Shin Dorong rested his chin on his hand, tapping his lips with his index finger.
"Go on."
Though Shin called it her own speculation, after hearing her reasoning, Shin Dorong nodded.
"I'll grant that Kim Yohan is suspicious, at least."
Her theory: Kim Yohan, suspect in the university massacre, learned Kim Mireh attended the same university by coincidence.
To cover his crimes, he killed her, deliberately leaving Mysteries of Insects—which could serve as evidence of his guilt—and even made the Transparent Vampire visible on purpose.
"But the only basis for your theory is your suspicion of that man, Kim Yohan. You know that, right?"
Shin nodded.
"...Yes."
"Yeah, I've been to the scene myself. I get that gut feeling. He's the most suspicious among those in the university lecture hall."
Shin Dorong spoke in a low voice.
"But there's no proof he's really the owner of Mysteries of Insects, and now's not the time to split our forces."
Chairman Kim, Kim Mireh's father, who ran the human slaughterhouse disguised as a ranch.
"Even a chaebol daughter gets a lot of pocket money, but did she have enough to buy a ranch and build massive underground facilities beneath it? Could she handle it without the group chairman knowing?"
"...Probably not."
"Exactly. She claims otherwise, but that old bastard Chairman Kim is definitely the backer. There are likely more facilities like that disguised ranch."
Shin Dorong's eyes narrowed, gleaming coldly.
"He's dodged consequences so far by a thread, using his connections... but we use this chance to uproot him."
Shin Dorong's expression softened immediately, but his voice remained firm as he spoke to Shin.
"So put your personal investigation on hold. That's not what's important right now."
Shin gazed at her cooled black tea and replied.
"...Understood, Director."
"Tch, I told you to call me Dad."
Shin Dorong added, sounding a bit sulky.
Yohan's small studio apartment.
Having read the pages that had been written in incomprehensible script until now, Yohan narrowed his eyes and lightly tossed Mysteries of Insects onto the desk.
Clang.
He let out a sigh.
"Haa... How is it that there's not a single proper spell?"
He'd flipped through it with a sliver of hope that maybe a real hidden spell like Fireball would pop out.
Instead, out came the trio of utterly useless spells.
First: a spell to turn your body into maggots and steal someone else's?
If you turn into maggots, are you even 'you' anymore? You're just maggots eating a person's brain.
I've said it before, but I value myself above all. I'm precious.
I didn't want to become something else.
Second: going back to the past?
This one's a hard no.
I've read Cthulhu stories, and per the lore, the hounds of Tindalos live in the cracks of time.
A race you'd never encounter normally, but crossing time seams gets you observed by the Hounds of Tindalos, and you're hunted for life.
Beyond that, time regression stories are popular these days, and I like them too.
But across subculture history, time travel plots always lead to disaster.
Things get tangled up with butterfly effects and whatnot, turning into a total mess.
Better not to do it than end up worse off.
Last, the third one's the most hopeless.
Summon a cosmic giant worm to devour Earth?
What then if Earth blows up? Am I living in space? Moving to Mars?
Just imagining using those trash trio spells tells me I'd be screwed. No way.
I felt drained and leaned back in my chair.
Yeah... fine. Admit it. ...No Fireball.
It hit harder than realizing I have no parents.
"Gya?"
As I slumped, Grizzly approached and rubbed his head against my hand.
"·········."
I stroked Grizzly's head.
"Gyaah~."
I honestly didn't know what I'd do without Grizzly. ...Of course, without the university murder incident, I wouldn't have this headache either.
But that's in the past. My current situation matters more, right?
In my view, the best thing from Mysteries of Insects is Grizzly.
...And well, there are all sorts of other magics too.
I eyed Mysteries of Insects, which felt more aptly named Minefield of Magic.
I opened Lemegeton and read.
No learning weird stuff. Just solid magic study.