Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 031
Chapter Title: Owner of the Grimoire (3)
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A wrinkled old man with age spots dotting his face.
Kim Mireh's father and the true owner of the disguised ranch that had operated as a human slaughterhouse.
Chairman Kim of the ○○ Group tapped the dark red-covered Grimoire on his luxurious desk with his index finger.
"Right, that Kim—Kim—Kim Mija or whatever?"
Kim Bureau Chief, a man with the look of an intellectual gangster, replied cautiously.
"...It's Kim Mireh, Chairman."
Chairman Kim's face twisted.
"Damn it! When you have over fifty kids, you can't remember every name! It's not because I'm old! Not because I'm about to kick the bucket!"
Growing tired mid-rant, Chairman Kim leaned back in his chair.
"Never mind. That's not the point anyway. ...So it's true? That it appeared?"
To avoid upsetting him, Kim Bureau Chief answered immediately.
"Yes, according to intel from inside the Response Special Task Force. Though it vanished right away, so it might not be in Korea anymore."
"...They say Miss Mireh was chosen but failed to control it. Is that true?"
Chairman Kim gazed down at the Grimoire.
"They're my kids, but I can't imagine any of them being chosen by a Grimoire."
The one he had now wasn't even something that had chosen him—it was handed over by a vampire.
"It probably just appeared by pure chance, or else..."
Chairman Kim's mouth opened wide, revealing beastly fangs. A grotesque smile formed.
"Someone got used by the true owner of that Grimoire."
"You mean?"
Grinning unpleasantly at the wary Kim Bureau Chief, Chairman Kim said,
"Look into the list of victims kidnapped to the ranch that day."
His face showed no sign of a grieving parent.
"...Healthy bodies, yeah. And handsome ones, while you're at it."
It was simply the joy of finally getting what he wanted swelling up inside him.
"Pull the trainee idol list too."
The body possession secret art within that Grimoire!
Discard this rotten flesh and claim a new body.
"...No, actually, living in a woman's body for once wouldn't be bad. Or starting a new life in a kid's body altogether."
Not some half-baked life extension—true immortality at last. Drool trickled from Chairman Kim's mouth in his ecstasy.
To wield his influence.
Chairman Kim was the biggest donor to the Anomalous Phenomena Countermeasures Agency.
But he wasn't the only sponsor, of course.
A middle-aged man with stark white hair despite his age and a solemn demeanor.
Namgung Su picked up the faded family photo on his desk, sourced from Response Special Task Force intel.
One where he was young, smiling with his little daughter...
A photo from when his wife was still alive.
".........."
He brought his trembling hand to the photo.
Searching for magic that could reverse death...make it so it never happened.
He'd gathered info not just from the Anomalous Phenomena Countermeasures Agency but everywhere else too.
And finally, he'd found a lead.
A Grimoire that had appeared on Korean soil.
The time regression secret art within it.
...Of course, he knew it was dangerous.
But still! Even if just for a fleeting moment, he wanted to go back.
Revive the wife who'd died because of his choices.
Then his secretary spoke cautiously.
"Sir, your daughter mentioned going to a church camp for volunteer work this time..."
"If she wants to go, she goes."
Namgung Su gave a curt reply.
His weary eyes still stared into that happy past.
A wizard from England.
An old man draped in a black coat.
The wanted necromancer, Edward Coffin, howled toward the sky.
"Lesser Key of Solomon! Lemegeton!"
With obsessive fervor, he roared at the Grimoire that hadn't shown him even a trace.
"Why! Why won't you come to meee?!"
How many spells had he showcased all this time?
Yet it showed zero interest, refusing to appear.
Staring at the sky, Edward lowered his head. And then—
"...I see. Simple corpses aren't enough, it seems."
Muttering ominously, his eyes gleamed darkly.
"Aaaah..."
A horde of the undead followed Edward toward the campsite by the reservoir.
If it wasn't enough, he'd scale it up.
The Response Special Task Force flies were closing in harder, but it didn't matter.
To it. To the great Grimoire.
"I am the one fit to wear Solomon's crown. Behold me, Lemegeton."
He just had to prove he was the worthier master.
Kim Yohan's tiny one-room apartment.
He'd studied magic too.
As punishment for hiding the utterly useless Triple Brothers Spell.
The Grimoire lay casually on the desk, a black metal cover stuck with a Post-it reading [I am a lewd Grimoire].
And Yohan reviewed the Grimoire to make a pentacle.
Just as metals for pentacles had to match planetary attributes—like silver for the Moon.
When using parchment or animal hide, there was another detail to mind.
The color of the magic circle ink.
Moon: silver, Mars: red, Mercury: mixed, Jupiter: sky blue, Venus: green, Saturn: black, Sun: gold.
-Use colors matching the attributes like this. He had to draw the magic circle on parchment.
But whether metal or parchment, engraving the circle didn't complete the pentacle.
Next came fumigation. Purify it with incense smoke from a brazier while chanting the incantation.
"Now... what ingredients go in the brazier to burn?"
Charcoal, aloe, frankincense, and mastic.
His eyes blinked involuntarily.
...Mastic? What the hell is mastic?
'Help me out, Google!'
A quick search, and it popped up. Thank God for the modern world.
Mastic – natural resin from the mastic tree on Greece's Chios Island.
His eyes narrowed automatically.
His face scrunching up in frustration.
'Stop using rare ingredients alreadyyy!'
He wanted to yell.
A little consideration for newbie wizards would be nice.
'...Where to buy it? Does it ship?'
Worried since it only grew in Greece, but a search showed relief.
Apparently produced in bulk as a health supplement good for gut health, available even in Korea. Price like a regular supplement too.
"...Frankincense is pricier, actually."
Beggars can't be choosers. He had some money now anyway.
After ordering the necessities from an online shop, he checked the time.
Time to meet the client.
As a matter of course, an exorcism request. Ghostbuster business.
He slipped on the white coat hanging on the wall. And—
Tap—
Peeled off the Post-it from the Grimoire.
He'd tease it, mess around sometimes.
But it was an amazing thing too. Had to take good care of it.
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Meeting the female client who'd consulted about a ghost in her one-room, I was inwardly flustered despite keeping a straight face.
'...There's nothing here?'
Her face pale as if she'd faint any second, the client pointed to a corner of the room.
"Wh-when I get close to that wall over there, it feels colder and just... off. ...I-is there something?"
I examined the wall.
'...No, seriously, there's nothing.'
She went on about other ghosts in the room too.
But to me, this screamed stress-induced nerves. Psychological anxiety.
Imagining ghosts from unease and convincing herself they were real.
Her stress and fear from "ghosts" were real enough, but there were no actual ghosts here.
'She needs a counselor, not an exorcist...'
But telling her that? She wouldn't listen.
She'd just call me a fake exorcist.
No point convincing her or arguing.
Fine, exorcists were consultants too, basically.
"Mind if I check the bathroom real quick?"
"Huh? Oh! Sure! Is something weird there too? It feels kinda damp!"
...Well, it's a bathroom.
Inside, I quickly scrolled her SNS.
And found out her dog she'd had for years had recently died.
White-furred Maltese, female, name: Ppoppi.
"Alright, this'll do."
A sigh escaped as my eyes rolled halfway.
"Haa... what am I even doing."
Moments later.
The client sniffled, staring at the wall she'd said felt off earlier, tears streaming.
"Sniff, ugh... *sob*! S-so Ppoppi really came to see me... I didn't even know... S-sorry."
I said softly, with maximum empathy,
"No need to think that way. It's no one's fault."
"Ex-exorcist... what does Ppoppi say?"
'Damn... how would I know dog language?'
Not that it even existed.
But we'd come this far; couldn't back out. So I fed her some nice platitudes.
"...She says eat properly. Not too much delivery food."
I glanced at the takeout wrappers piled in the corner and continued.
"Make balanced meals yourself even if it's a hassle, get some aerobic exercise, keep a good sleep schedule. ...Yeah."
"And since you're worried without her around, go see a good professional counselor and talk it out."
The client wiped her tears and said,
"D-does Ppoppi talk that well?"
I nodded, staring at the wallpaper pattern.
"Yeah... she's a really smart pup. You raised her well."
Time to wrap it up. This was getting tedious.
"Finally, she's grateful you remember her but hates seeing you mope... She's leaving now."
The client gazed at the wall, sniffling.
"*Sob*... Ppoppi, got it. ...I'll eat right, exercise, and go to counseling. ...Thank you."
Request resolved.
Another one down! Except...
"Uh, the fee?"
I sighed inwardly.
"No charge. Wasn't a malicious spirit, and I didn't really do anything. Just the consultation fee."
...Not much money made.
Pocketing a small consultation fee and a brunch cafe gift card she'd gratefully shoved at me as "spoils,"
I headed home thinking,
It was just beginner's luck with Smith.
...I got ahead of myself.
Maybe Ghostbuster wasn't a high-earning gig after all?
Then my phone rang.
Checking the number: Ellie, the quirky nun from Smith's mansion.
"Yes, Kim Yohan speaking."
"Ah! Yohan! Hi!"
A warm, friendly voice rang out as I picked up.
"It's Ellie. Remember me?"
"Haha! Of course."
Nothing bad about her, so I responded politely enough.
"What can I do for you?"
"It's not a Ghostbuster job... We're short a helper for the church camp."
Her bright voice carried over the line.
"Could you possibly help? Oh! Not for free, of course—we'll pay properly!"
At the unexpected offer, one eyebrow rose.
'Church camp helper? Hmm?'
Not super appealing, but paid? No reason to turn it down.
Fine, make money doing odd jobs in downtime.
"Can you tell me the schedule first?"