Chapter 390: Suspicion Breeds Demons (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 390: Suspicion Breeds Demons (3)
I start packing.
Enough clothes and underwear for about a week.
And Kkamseul-i.
Poof!
Before I could even pick it up, the little guy seemed to understand my intentions and leaped into the suitcase.
Then, it wriggled its way between the clothes I’d already packed and vanished from sight.
Heh, look at this thing.
“Are you still going through puberty?”
Rustle!
The clothes rustled as if to say, “Don’t talk to me.”
“…”
It’s like I’m raising a teenage daughter.
I think Seo-yeon was just like this when she was in her second year of middle school.
Back then, it was my first time being a parent, and I worried a lot about what would happen if she went down the wrong path.
But not anymore.
“Well… do whatever you want.”
I know it’s just a phase.
It’s like a symbol of youth, something you can only do when you’re young.
A fleeting moment before they mature on their own, even if no one says a word.
“…Though I’m not sure if a slime needs something like that.”
Rustle, rustle!
What can I do if that’s what it wants?
All I can do is wait, giving it just enough attention so it doesn’t feel neglected.
“This should be enough.”
I’ll just buy simple things like toiletries when I get there.
Packing every little thing would just make the bag heavy.
I closed the suitcase, which still had plenty of empty space, and was about to zip it up.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone was at the door.
“Do-jin! Can you open the door for a second?”
It was Jeong-hee.
Her voice sounded somewhat urgent, so I walked over quickly and opened the door to see her with her arms full of things.
“…What is all this?”
“What do you mean? They’re essentials for traveling.”
She squeezed through the open doorway, strode over to the suitcase I had just closed, and threw it open.
Her jaw dropped when she saw the inside of the bag, which was empty except for some clothes and underwear.
“You’re leaving tomorrow and you still haven’t finished packing?”
“…I am finished.”
“This is…?”
Jeong-hee stared at me in disbelief before shaking her head.
“Aish… men. Honestly. If you don’t pack for them, this is what happens.”
“Ahem.”
Jeong-hee started putting down the items she was holding, one by one.
Ten tubes of gochujang, the toothbrushes and toothpaste she and Yu-jeong use, a sleep mask, and so on…
A never-ending stream of things that would be nice to have, but wouldn’t be a huge problem if I didn’t.
I was speechless.
“How did you carry all of that at once…?”
Jeong-hee gave me a bashful smile and replied.
“Maybe it’s because my body got younger along with my face… but I feel like I’m getting stronger these days, you know?”
“…Really?”
The amount of stuff seemed a bit much to be explained by just getting younger.
“Anyway! I picked out things you might miss when you’re traveling abroad, so make sure you take them all.”
“But I don’t like having a lot of luggage…”
As I grumbled lightly, she bit her lower lip, her expression turning stern as she pierced me with her gaze.
“Are you planning to just buy things there if you need them?”
“…”
“Don’t waste money on unnecessary things. Save it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I make good money, so I didn’t think it was necessary, but I decided to just obey.
It’s been a while since I’ve had someone fuss over me like this. It doesn’t feel half bad.
As she packed the mountain of items into the suitcase like a game of Tetris, she asked.
“You said you were going to China, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard the public security there is terrible…”
Her voice was filled with worry.
And for good reason.
China’s public security had deteriorated to an extreme degree due to the swarms of criminals.
The Public Security officers were running themselves ragged, but it was an uphill battle.
The country was vast and the population was huge, making it difficult to check on everyone.
That’s why China had become the final destination for criminals on the run from their own countries.
I heard it wasn’t even that hard to get in, as long as you bribed the corrupt officials—what they call guanxi.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I won’t be leaving Beijing.”
The secret meeting was being held in Beijing, the capital of China.
As it was the nation’s capital, even the most audacious criminals wouldn’t dare cause trouble in Beijing.
It had the highest concentration of Public Security officers, and if you got caught, there was no escaping.
“There, all done.”
Jeong-hee finally managed to stuff all the things she brought into the suitcase, barely zipping it shut. She smiled with satisfaction.
“Now, next up is…”
…There’s more?
While I was still surprised, Jeong-hee slowly crawled onto the mattress and threw off the coat she was wearing.
She was in a thin nightgown, the kind one would only wear to bed.
Through it, her sensual underwear was subtly revealed as she beckoned to me.
“What are you doing? Get over here.”
“…Uh, um.”
“We won’t be able to do this for a week… We have to get it all out beforehand♥”
She had a very good point.
* * *
Beijing Capital International Airport.
The world’s largest airport, rebuilt after being shattered to pieces following the Rift overflow.
After a two-hour flight, I arrived at the airport, went through a slightly strict immigration check, and stepped outside. There, I saw a man holding a sign that read ‘Do-jin Kim’.
He was a blond, blue-eyed man with the typical features one might associate with a foreigner.
His eyes, nose, and mouth were all large, giving him a refreshing and cheerful look.
But what I needed to pay attention to wasn’t his appearance.
“…A bit much for a guide or an escort.”
The concentration of mana naturally flowing from his body was quite dense.
At that level, he was at least A-rank.
A skilled individual who could easily be in the upper tier of that rank.
For someone like that to be working as a mere guide…
“Is this a waste of manpower, or are they just showing off…?”
I smiled wryly and walked toward him. Recognizing my face, he spoke first.
“Oh, nice to meet you. You must be Mr. Kim Do-jin, right?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
I was surprised.
“…Your Korean is very fluent.”
The man grinned with his large mouth.
“I love Korea. I listen to K-Pop all the time. I watch a lot of K-Dramas, too!”
“Um…”
I never thought I’d get such a strong dose of national pride in a place like this.
As I stood there smiling awkwardly while he listed off his favorite songs, the man’s expression changed to one of realization.
“Oh, my! I haven’t introduced myself, have I? My name is William. William Turner.”
“Nice to meet you, William.”
Okay, got it.
William, the Korea enthusiast.
I cut in before he could start another monologue.
“I think we should probably get out of here first…”
“Ah! I’m sorry. I got a little too excited.”
“It’s fine. I like K-Pop, too.”
“Oh…! Really? What songs do you enjoy listening to?!”
Uh, um.
“Girls’ Generation?”
“…That song is twenty years old, isn’t it?”
Sorry.
That’s from back when I was still young.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
With the mood now awkward, we got into the car he had rented beforehand and headed to a suite in a five-star hotel.
Judging by the slightly messy state of the room, it didn’t look like the Saintess was staying here…
“Is this where you’re staying, William?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
He answered coolly. I asked him,
“Then the Saintess is…?”
“Ah, she is staying at another hotel. There’s something we need to do before you go to meet her.”
“I see.”
I had a pretty good idea of what it was.
He must be talking about the method she said she’d prepare to hide my face.
“Just a moment.”
William said before entering one of the bedrooms. He came out a short while later.
He had gone in empty-handed, but now he emerged with a small hand mirror.
That mirror… it looks familiar somehow.
He approached me, pointed to the hand mirror, and asked.
“Do you know what this is, Do-jin?”
“Uh… I think I do.”
Looking at it closely, something came to mind.
“The Gemini’s Mirror.”
“Correct.”
So this was what she had prepared.
The Gemini’s Mirror was an artifact invented by a French magician.
Its ability was simple.
You show the faces of two people in the mirrors on the front and back, and then activate it…
Flash-!
With a burst of light, the mirror swaps the appearances of the two people reflected in it.
Just like now.
“…”
Wait a minute.
I frowned at the reflection of the man with the sharp features in the mirror and chided him.
“You could’ve given me a heads-up before using it.”
On the other side, William, now wearing my face, offered an exaggerated apology.
“My apologies. I was in such a hurry that I couldn’t tell you beforehand.”
If you hadn’t gone on that K-Pop tangent, you would have had plenty of time to explain.
Well, whatever.
“The meeting will take place over three days. Until then, you will live as me, and I will live as you.”
It was a good plan.
With this face, I could accompany the Saintess without drawing too much attention.
By the way.
“I’m surprised you managed to get your hands on that mirror.”
The Gemini’s Mirror was a forbidden item, as it was easily abused by criminals.
Because of that, whenever one appeared on the Black Market, it was traded for a very high price.
I’d heard that it had become almost impossible to find recently, since it was a one-time-use artifact that disappeared after its three-day duration was up.
“I only received it from the Saintess, so I’m not sure how she obtained it.”
“I see.”
Well… I could guess.
She was someone that famous people from all over the world hoped to meet at least once.
It was probably mixed in with the donations they poured on her.
“Now… it is time for us to part ways here.”
William said, handing me a note.
It had a rough map of the area, with an address written in both Chinese and Korean.
It seemed to be pointing to another hotel not too far from here…
“If you go there, you will be able to meet the Saintess.”
So that’s how it is.
After slipping the note into my pocket, a question popped into my head, and I asked him.
“What do you plan to do for three days with my face?”
I asked in a slightly suspicious tone. He waved his hands as if to tell me not to worry.
“Haha… I’ll just be cosplaying as an ordinary tourist. I won’t do anything to harm your reputation, Mr. Do-jin, so you don’t have to worry.”
That’s a relief.
Before leaving, I gave him one last warning.
“And try not to praise Korea too much, if you can.”
“Oh… you’re trying to take away my greatest pleasure.”
“Ordinary tourists don’t praise Korea that much.”
“If you say so, I have no choice.”
At least he listens.
We agreed to meet here again after everything was over, and I left the hotel immediately.
I didn’t even need to ask anyone for directions.
I followed the map, and soon enough, I saw a hotel that was even larger and more magnificent than the last one.
It was a place I had been to once before.
“…It’s been a while.”
Polaris Hotel.
The most expensive and luxurious hotel in China.
I heard a single night in a suite here costs almost 100 million won.
As I entered the hotel, a massive lobby appeared.
I was looking around when a hotelier approached and spoke to me in a friendly tone.
“Hello, Mr. William!”
“…Ah, yes.”
“Thank you for visiting our hotel again this year. Now, I will guide you to your room.”
Judging by the relaxed way he delivered his prepared lines, he wasn’t just a regular employee.
I followed him to the very top, the 55th floor.
He led me to the door of the suite known to be the most expensive and bowed politely.
“You may go inside.”
His tone was quite different from before. After speaking, he turned and walked back the way he came.
As he said, I opened the door and stepped inside. A woman who had been standing amidst the expensive scenery turned her head toward me.
A woman whose face was covered by a veil that completely obscured her features.
She approached, the hem of her pure white dress fluttering, and spoke.
“We finally meet in person.”
A benevolent voice that made you want to kneel and confess all your sins just by hearing it.
She placed a hand on her chest, bowed her head slightly, and continued.
“I am Sophia Saintess.”
Her presence, which could only be described as holy, shook me to my very core.