Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 009
Chapter Title: Boogey Boogey Boogey (1)
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Park Cheol-min, the landlord of the haunted building, was in an exceptionally good mood these days.
Ever since that young man named Kim Yohan had taken the security guard job, the strange nightmares had stopped, and no weird incidents had occurred in the building.
It seemed the saying about good energy being real held some truth.
The rumors that had already spread weren't dying down easily, so customers were still scarce, but things were steadily recovering.
He'd been worried about whether to call a shaman, but thankfully, he'd saved that money.
He needed to save up for his daughter's art school tuition since she wanted to go there so badly.
"Dad, come on quick."
"Alright~ Coming."
Cheol-min wandered around the exhibition at his daughter's call.
Then, murmurs rose from the crowd as everyone's attention converged on one spot.
An elderly man with neatly combed white hair, impeccably suited in fine attire.
It was Smith, the famous painter of mixed American heritage.
Though retired now, he still wielded considerable influence in the art world.
As Cheol-min approached to greet him, Smith recognized him first and came over.
"Cheol-min, it's been a while. You look much healthier today."
"Y-yes! Thank you, sir. Haha!"
Life was full of ups and downs, as they said. Cheol-min's acquaintance with this renowned, wealthy artist stemmed from a chance conversation at a previous exhibition.
Smith had taken an interest in the story of Cheol-min's haunted building.
"How have things been lately?"
"Oh, haha! Well, I met a benefactor, and it all got sorted out."
"A benefactor...?"
At the mention of a benefactor, Smith fell silent for a moment, pondering, before speaking up.
"Cheol-min, if it's not too much trouble, could we discuss the details over at that café inside?"
"Pardon? Oh, sure! Of course."
Cheol-min gladly brought his daughter along too. Without being asked, he started from the story of how his daughter had a talent for art.
He went on about how he'd sensed from the start that Yohan was special.
He spiced it up, claiming Yohan was a benefactor sent by Buddha out of pity for him.
Maybe he truly believed it by now.
Either way, the conclusion was that no strange phenomena had occurred since Yohan started as the security guard.
"I see... Thank you for sharing."
After finishing his talk with Cheol-min and wrapping up at the exhibition, Smith got into the car driven by his chauffeur and headed home.
The car left the city lights illuminating the night and wound along quiet mountain roads toward a Western-style mansion.
It had originally been a vacation home, but now he lived there to care for his granddaughter, whose health had deteriorated.
...Yes, it was all for his granddaughter.
Smith gazed at the mansion door for a moment, let out a sigh, and entered the house.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
A scream like shattering glass echoed through.
"...!?"
Smith rushed urgently to his granddaughter's room.
"Emily!"
He burst through the already open door.
There was Emily, Smith's blonde granddaughter, her skin as pale as the white pajamas she wore. Her eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face, she huddled on the bed, trembling.
"M-miss, it's okay. Please calm down."
The new maid tried to soothe Emily, but it was no use.
"Mom... Dad... they're talking to me."
The horrific nightmares featuring her deceased parents.
Smith approached the bed and embraced his fear-stricken granddaughter.
"Emily, it was just a nightmare. Nothing more."
"They're telling me... in such horrible forms... to die quickly."
"They'd never say something like that!"
But Emily's trembling wouldn't subside.
Smith ached watching his granddaughter shake in his arms.
The eerie incidents starting in the house one day, her nightmares.
Sensing something off, he'd taken her to a hotel, but then she suffered a high fever and vomited black blood.
The doctors couldn't pinpoint the cause, so they'd returned here. But nothing changed.
If anything, it had worsened.
"...Now the nightmares come even when I'm awake. They whisper to me from inside the closet, atop the bookshelf, in the cracks."
His precious child, entrusted to him by his late son.
Overwhelmed by helplessness at being unable to do anything for his suffering granddaughter, Smith squeezed his eyes shut.
"Lord... what wrong has this child done to deserve this?"
Anyone would do now. Even if it was a pipe dream, if it could save his granddaughter, he'd try anything.
With trembling hands, Smith called Cheol-min.
"Yes... it's Smith. ...Could you put me in touch with that young man, Kim Yohan?"
And beneath the bed.
Two heads—one man's, one woman's—pressed face-to-face, mouths torn to their ears in grins.
Anticipating the new prey walking in on its own, long fingers quietly tapped the floor.
They slithered deeper under the bed.
Yohan stopped by a department store with a traditional herbal medicine shop and bought powdered musk along with other necessary items.
Since he was at it, he picked up more than just incense materials, so his spending was higher than planned.
Anyway, with the materials ready, he decided to make it right away.
In the kitchen, he opened the grimoire and reviewed the magic incense section again.
[The ingredients for incense aren't strictly fixed; they vary by mage and school. I experimented with some exotic ingredients and spices from Damascus, and since they worked well, these are what I use.]
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Teacher... If ingredients differ by mage, why not use cheaper ones?
Middle Eastern spice merchants... You bastards...
"Whatever, it's not for anyone else—it's all for me. Gotta use the good stuff."
He muttered to himself, shaking off stray thoughts.
Holding the grimoire in one hand, he added ingredients to a pottery bowl and prepared.
For incense, the planetary day and hour weren't particularly important during creation.
First step in making magical incense.
Add aloe, nutmeg, styrax, and musk, then crush and mix thoroughly.
He pounded and blended the ingredients with a mortar and pestle.
Second, once evenly mixed, chant the incantation.
"God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Grant this incense the power and virtue to draw in good spirits and drive away evil ones."
"By the grace of the Holy Spirit, bestow protection and virtue upon those who use this incense. Lord, bless and consecrate it."
After the chant, add more spices.
It just said to add spices, so he used what he had at home.
Some classic pepper, and since chili adds heat as a spice, he crushed peperoncino and added it.
For the oil, he'd considered cooking oil but went with premium olive oil to match the expensive ingredients.
Then mix thoroughly again.
Clink~ Clink~
He peered into the pottery bowl and narrowed his eyes.
'Am I a mage... or a chef...?'
Anyway, for the finish, sprinkle holy water over the mixture.
Wrap it carefully in soft cloth or a handkerchief for storage, and it's done.
Take out as much as needed and burn it when required.
And he had immediate use for it.
He pulled out the white trench coat he'd bought at the department store.
Not because he suddenly wanted a coat, but to make a robe that protected against evil spirits and aided in magic.
It had to be white, so he got a white coat.
Lately, magic without tools like wands or crystal balls—purely mental calculation—was trendy... but why bother with a robe too?
He inscribed the magical sigils from the grimoire on the inside with red ink.
On the front inside and back, left arm, and right arm, he wrote the names.
Front: [YOD, HE, VAU, HE], back: [ADONAI], right arm: [EL], left arm: [ELOHIM].
Then, he lit a mini brazier from the department store's camping section.
Added the incense he'd made earlier, burned it, and let the rising smoke fumigate the hanging coat.
He fanned the smoke toward the coat to ensure even coverage.
The smoke smelled special, yet... like smoked meat?
Anyway...
Ting tang~ The magical incense and robe were complete.
Then his phone rang.
The caller ID showed the man who'd posted the security job last time: Park Cheol-min.
He didn't think there was more to discuss... What could it be?
He answered anyway.
"Yes, hello."
"Haha! Mage Yohan, I hope you're well. This is Park Cheol-min. Thanks to you, things have been peaceful."
His eyes immediately narrowed.
He hadn't done anything particularly worthy of respect. If someone called him "mage" so deferentially, it was either because they were extremely polite...
...Or they had an agenda. One or the other.
Let's hear him out.
"You're too kind—it's nothing to do with me. Go ahead."