The Drunken Mask
The mask, now wearing Choi Go-eun's body, cleared her throat with a low rumble. "Hmm, ahem... Ah, ah. It's been ages since I've spoken with my own voice. The fact that I've regained this much of my intellect is all thanks to you. Thank you."
Whoever was using Choi Go-eun's body turned her head from side to side, loosening the neck. I didn't need to ask who it was. What stood before me was obvious.
"...You..."
My legs wanted to stumble backward, but I forced them forward, approaching the masked Go-eun. The moment I finally opened my mouth to speak to the thing standing there, she cut me off with casual ease.
"First, let's correct one misunderstanding. It's not that I choose not to increase the number of Masters. I can't. The mask in front of you is bound to you, and it is the last one left in this world. Of course, if you die, I could always seek out a new contractor."
With a lazy flick of her fingers, she brushed the mask upward. This was not the Go-eun I knew. Something else was piloting that body—most likely the mask itself. Just what the hell was this thing?
"Wait. The last remaining mask? You're saying there were others? What exactly are you—"
"Shh."
The mask, still speaking through Go-eun's mouth, had read the question I'd only thought inside my head and answered it first. The sudden opportunity made my mouth run on its own, spitting out every doubt I had, but the endless stream of questions died the instant she pressed a finger to her lips.
"I've finally come outside after so long. I have no interest in spending the whole time answering your questions. I gave you one answer already... so you have two left. Exactly two more questions. That's all I'll entertain. It's a hassle."
"...How convenient for you."
My sarcastic mutter didn't faze her. The mask simply walked past me, stretched out on the bench, and propped her chin on one hand. She yawned, let out a soft chuckle, then looked up at me, waiting.
Two chances to ask questions. The thought Only two? flickered through my mind, but for a miracle I'd stumbled into by pure luck, it was more than enough. I sifted carefully through the storm of questions in my head and finally spoke the one I needed answered most.
"What do you want? If I offer that 'alcohol' to you as tribute, what happens?"
This was the information I had to have first. The thing in front of me existed far beyond human comprehension. It transformed people into a new species called Saintess, harvested their bodies for semen, brewed it into liquor, and drank. And now it had seized control of Go-eun's body, using her mouth and voice to speak its own thoughts. A mask like this shouldn't exist. If "alcohol" wasn't truly all it wanted, then I...
"I'd rather keep that a secret. I don't trust you enough yet. But don't worry. You are my precious contractor. In this era, none of the things you're afraid of will happen. Even if the opportunity comes to me early, it won't harm any of you. That much I can promise."
"......."
"It's true. I have ab-so-lute-ly no interest in whether creatures called humans live or die. Believe me or don't; that's your choice. Right now, what I truly want is indeed alcohol. The brew born from the mingled lust of man and woman is the finest."
The mask lifted an invisible glass to her lips in a mocking toast and smiled in a way that turned my stomach.
I didn't know whether to believe her answer. My head throbbed, but thinking about it wouldn't change anything. Pressing further clearly wouldn't make her reveal anything else, and her claim that she simply wanted the alcohol for pleasure didn't feel like a lie. This was as far as this question would take me. I'd hoped to learn a little more...
I clicked my tongue at the rising irritation and moved on to the next question.
"...What exactly is a Saintess? If you can't increase the number of Masters anyway, there's no reason to make more Saintesses, is there? If they're only tools to create alcohol, why bother increasing their numbers? If they're unnecessary... can you reduce them?"
There were countless vital questions, but the ones that rose first were about Haemi-noona and Yunsol. If Saintesses existed only to brew liquor, how many did it really need? I was the sole source of semen, yet two were already producing alcohol, and the number could keep growing. Since I had no real choice in any of this, I had to discover some way to limit the victims. For the two who had already been changed, if nothing else.
Is there any way to turn a Saintess back into a normal human? I wrapped the real question in softer words and cast it out.
"...I said two questions, yet here you are bundling all sorts of extras together. It's cute, so I'll allow it. I'm sorry, but I can't give you the answer you want to hear. There is no way to restore a human who has become a Saintess. But why does that interest you? From where you stand, isn't it a good thing? Those two bitches have rather nice faces and bodies. Being surrounded by such females shouldn't be a hardship for you. Or is it guilt? Pfft..."
"...Shut up."
There was no way to turn them back. The moment I heard it, something in my chest twisted strangely. It was a feeling I'd never experienced before—self-loathing, guilt, and a vague hesitation hovering somewhere between them. I let out a long sigh.
I glared at the mask that was openly laughing at me, then jerked my chin, demanding the next answer.
"Ah, you also asked why I increase the Saintesses, didn't you? That is purely for my own enjoyment. There is no other reason. Each Saintess produces a different flavor, you see. For example... the liquor made by that female named Haemi tastes like a refreshing fruit wine. I haven't sampled the brew from the other female, Yunsol, yet, but I have a feeling it will be something deep and rich. Hehe... That's the only reason I increase their numbers. The flavors differ so wildly that collecting them is genuinely entertaining."
"........"
The reason for creating more Saintesses was simply to taste different kinds of alcohol... Just what was this mask?
"In any case, the questions are over. Has your curiosity been satisfied, Contractor? Provide me with alcohol on time, and every woman you desire will be yours. That's all you need to know. So... as long as you don't starve me, we can get along nicely. Understood?"
The mask sprang up from the bench, walked over slowly, and rested a hand on my shoulder. After a light laugh, she suddenly grabbed my collar and yanked me close, pressing my ear to her mouth.
"Listen well. My favorite side dish is the contractor himself. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
The gentle tone, the familiar sound of Go-eun's voice delivering a threat—it made me swallow hard. The nosebleed that had once blinded me, the consciousness that had drifted away, the first headache I'd ever known. My own body still remembered that those things had been death. Cold sweat slid down my back.
"...Good. How obedient~ I have a feeling you and I will be together for a very long time. Well then, it's a shame, but time is up. I must go back inside. Still, we'll see each other again soon. Huhu..."
"...Get lost."
"Yes, bye-bye— Ah...."
"Whoa?!"
The moment the short farewell ended, the mask peeled away from Go-eun's face and clattered to the floor. At the same time her body lost all strength. I caught her collapsing head with both hands.
"Haa, haa...!"
The impact of hitting the stone tiles in her place shot through me, but I first brushed her hair aside to check on her.
".......Suu..."
She was breathing softly and evenly. It seemed she'd simply fallen asleep. I let out a breath of relief, then picked up the mask that lay rolling on the ground, glaring at it the entire time.
Just what was this thing? Who had created it, and for what purpose? And why had I been the one to pick it up?
But those questions were pointless now. My life was a fragile match flame, and the mask was the one holding it to its lips. If I didn't violate a Saintess, the flame would go out. The only thing I'd gained from this hard-won chance was the knowledge that a leash had been fastened around my neck.
..........
"Ha, damn it. Seriously... Hey, Choi Go-eun, wake up for a second..."
By the way, what was I supposed to do with her? It didn't look like she'd be waking anytime soon.
After carrying the deeply sleeping Go-eun around for a while, running into her friends and getting their help, and then smoking a cigarette to calm down, it was already lunchtime.
"...Ah, Wooju oppa!"
I was standing in front of the student cafeteria, fiddling with my phone, when I heard a voice calling me from a distance. It was Go Yunsol. Neatly braided hair, calm eyes behind her glasses, small stature, and breasts that seemed far too large for her frame—they bounced as she ran toward me.
I'd already promised to meet her for lunch, and there were things I needed to tell her, so I'd deliberately asked her to come to a restaurant near the library.
"Ah, you came? ...Have you eaten?"
"Ah, um... Not yet..."
At my greeting she fidgeted with her hands, then answered in a voice that grew smaller and smaller. That was just the kind of person she was. Timid, extremely shy. It had taken a long time for her to grow comfortable with me after I'd returned to school. In the beginning even simple conversation had been difficult. Only recently had we reached the point where we could talk without awkwardness.
But...
"...H-have you eaten, oppa?"
"Not yet."
Her voice carried a different kind of awkwardness as she asked the question shyly. I already knew why Go Yunsol had suddenly reverted to the way she'd been when we first met. Reborn as a Saintess by the mask, she now carried manufactured goodwill toward me.
The awkwardness hovering around her wasn't simple shyness. It was goodwill—strong enough to resemble a crush. Her face was flushed, and she kept rubbing her thighs together.
"...If it's okay with you, Yunsol, I'll buy. Shall we eat at the place just outside campus today? There are too many ears here... This feels like something we should talk about quietly, just the two of us."
"Y-yes! I'd like that... Hehe..."
"All right, let's go."
Go Yunsol, who had been twisting her fingers nonstop, gave an adorable smile and followed after me.
The student cafeteria was in the middle of campus, full of watching eyes and listening ears. It was no place for this conversation. A restaurant outside the school should have far fewer familiar faces...
"What do you feel like eating, Yunsol?"
"I-I'm fine with whatever you choose, oppa... What about you?"
"Hmm... Nothing particular comes to mind... Right now I want alcohol more than anything. I feel like getting drunk."
"Then I could also—"
"No. Isn't today your debate day? No alcohol for you..."
We kept the awkward, disjointed conversation alive as we walked off campus.
"....?"
A scent brushed the tip of my nose. Something refreshing yet comforting. Without thinking, I turned around. What I saw was flowing silver hair and bright blue eyes. A fox-like beauty wearing a white frilled blouse and a black skirt embroidered with gold thread.
"...Oppa, is something wrong?"
"Huh? Ah, it's nothing."
...Did our school have foreign students? For some reason I couldn't explain, I walked past the foreign woman who gave off a warmth like sunlight.
".........Hmm."