Chapter 14
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Your Name
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The person who visited the office was none other than Gu Hye-ryeong Monk.
We had definitely run into each other at the tutorial location, agreed to meet again, and then I completely forgot about it. He must have gotten tired of waiting and come looking for me himself.
To be honest, showing up out of the blue like this without any prior contact was a bit startling. I'd been short on sleep lately due to searching for missing persons in recent incidents, so I was already fatigued.
"What brings you to this humble place? If you'd let me know in advance, I could have at least prepared some tea."
"I'm sorry for dropping by so suddenly, Fixer. I brought this because I couldn't come empty-handed."
Not only did he immediately grasp the intent behind my words and apologize, but he also smoothly handed over a paper bag he had prepared in advance.
"This is..."
"It's handmade hangwa from our Lotus Sect. I hope it suits your taste."
The monk smiled as he handed it over. Inside the paper box was candy that looked unmistakably premium at a glance.
'It's treated as an item?!'
It was classified not as ordinary medical supplies, but as recovery items like those from a game.
Probably a non-commercial item not sold on the market. That was proof of its reliable effects.
I'd received as a gift something even hard to buy with money.
"Oh my, Monk. You didn't have to, but thank you. Haha. I'll gladly accept it."
I quickly took the Lotus Sect handmade hangwa set.
Even if I didn't need it myself, recovery items like this were always useful.
I could use it when a client's life was in danger, or if a colleague got hurt—stocking up on recovery items was always a good idea.
"Here, have some orange juice while we talk."
"Heh heh. Thank you, Fixer. I'll enjoy it."
I quickly grabbed juice from the fridge and poured a glass for the monk.
Honestly, as a promising exorcist from Korean Buddhism's White Lotus Order, he could have had an air of authority, but there was none of that.
He could have come empty-handed without issue, but for such a thoughtful person who brought a gift, offering a glass of orange juice was the least I could do.
"So, Monk, what brings you here today?"
"The main reason is that I wanted to talk with you again, Fixer. And I also have a request I'd like to entrust to you."
The monk slowly explained the full story of how he ended up coming to the Fixer Office.
"So, to summarize..."
"To sum it up, two monks from the White Lotus Order are currently missing. They left word that they found something in the mountains of Gangwon Province, and then all contact was completely cut off."
"Mountains in Gangwon Province."
"Yes. It seems they've discovered the Cursed Mountain Lodge."
The monks who patrolled the mountains to check for any anomalies without owners had found some lodge and entered it, only to vanish.
Anomaly probability: 120%. Given it was a remote mountain lodge, the White Lotus Order monks sensed it was the emergence of the 'Cursed Mountain Lodge'.
"Cursed Mountain Lodge. What exactly is that?"
"Literally, it's a building or place located deep in the mountains by itself. A structure that appears where no building should be—it's an anomaly and a supernatural phenomenon in itself."
Cursed Mountain Lodges varied in patterns, so it was hard to pin down without entering one.
I'd have to ask around in the World of Doom Gallery later for info.
The people there probably knew exactly what quests involved the Cursed Mountain Lodge.
Hye-ryeong Monk only saw it as a place anomalies appeared, so further investigation was needed.
"Is this request a solo mission? Or will there be companions?"
"The goal is to search for and rescue the missing. I'll likely accompany you, Fixer. And probably one more person."
"Another person joining?"
"Yes. An oracle from the Lunar Blossom Sect has shown interest in this matter."
"An oracle... I hope they're not too elderly or anything..."
Nothing was as troublesome and exhausting as an elderly companion.
Taking care not to let them die would double my workload.
"Hahaha. You have a good sense of humor, Fixer. Elders don't usually go to sites. The one coming this time is apparently a quite young oracle."
"That's a relief."
A young female shaman. Probably a promising talent like Gu Hye-ryeong Monk.
I hadn't properly met anyone from the Lunar Blossom Sect yet, so I was looking forward to it.
"Alright then. I'll prepare accordingly, and we'll meet at the appointed place the day after tomorrow."
"Thank you, Fixer. Accepting so readily will surely bring great blessings. See you then."
Gu Hye-ryeong Monk clasped his hands in greeting at the office entrance and bowed his head.
Soon after he left, the old quest I'd accepted long ago auto-completed.
-Met Hye-ryeong Monk during the day.
-Rewards granted.
A small amount of money and a plain rosary bead dropped, with no special features.
No description popped up, so it seemed like just an ordinary rosary with no effects.
"Earned fifty thousand won."
The rewards were stingy, fitting for a minor quest, but chatting for about twenty minutes and making fifty thousand was decent profit.
Above all, Hye-ryeong Monk had left the Lotus Sect handmade hangwa, which was a huge gain.
"Huh? When did you come out?"
"Oh, uh... hehe."
Before I knew it, the White-Faced Bride had popped out of the ring and was eyeing the hangwa with curious eyes.
She looked like she wanted one.
"Want to share?"
"Waaah... really?! I love it, husband. I love hangwa..."
She whined cutely, making it impossible to refuse.
I gave her a piece of hangwa along with a glass of orange juice.
Anomalies eat food too.
I hadn't realized because the White-Faced Bride had never eaten in front of me before.
I should grab a few later to bring to Elbe-chan too.
"That good, huh?"
"Yes! It tastes even better because you gave it to me, husband."
This could be seen as a kind of offering.
Offering food to a spiritual being—in a broad sense, it was a ritual.
So it made sense that the White-Faced Bride's hunger was being sated by the first offering from her husband in life.
"Want mine too?"
"Really? B-but you should eat some too..."
"I already tried one. One's enough for me. Seeing you enjoy it makes me happy."
"Eek..."
The White-Faced Bride, embarrassed by the compliment that she looked good eating, scooted right up next to me.
An anomaly awakened to love.
The White-Faced Bride was obedient, but what if she weren't?
She might have seriously tried to devour me. That's what anomalies were like.
"Come to think of it, I still don't know your name."
"Huh? My name?"
"Yeah. Your name."
Asking about her name made the White-Faced Bride, who had been happily munching hangwa, tilt her head in thought.
"I don't remember. Or rather, it's all jumbled up. Because I wasn't just one person."
"Ah..."
Right, the White-Faced Bride was an aggregate of grudge spirits who died before their weddings.
With countless grudges tangled together, she had no unified memories or single name.
"Husband, could you give me a name?"
"Me?"
"Yes... I'd love for you to name me."
"Hmm."
My naming sense was terrible.
But since she'd like it more if I did it, I'd think for a bit.
"A name, huh."
Anomalies' names usually came from their appearance, habitat, or how they harmed people.
So how should I name her?
"We met on a moonlit night, so how about Sowol?"
"Sowol?"
"Yeah. Sowol as in 'my little moon,' or Sowol as in 'bright white moon' like your soft skin."
"What... Husband, that's such a pretty name."
"Hey, hey. Crumbs on your face."
"Don't care! It's your fault!"
White-Faced Bride—no, Sowol now.
Sowol hugged me excitedly.
My freshly laundered clothes were now covered in hangwa crumbs.
Still, it wasn't bad. Seeing her so happy made me proud.
I'd always gotten flak for my bad naming sense, but Sowol seemed to love her name.
"That good?"
"Yes! I love it so much. It's the best. Sowol... Do I really deserve such a pretty name...?"
"Why not? Pretty name for a pretty girl."
"Yes... Thank you, husband..."
I stroked the back of Sowol, whose eyes were reddening, and she clung to me happily for a while.
Your bond with the White-Faced Bride has deepened!
Some new kind of notification appeared, but I'd check them all later in bulk.
For now, I just wanted to rest like this.