Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Aftermath Handling is a Hassle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With help from Elbe-chan and Sowol, I was able to escape the sealed zone and make it back to the surface.
The moment I got outside, I hurriedly called 119. Priest Kang Yo-han's condition was dire.
The bleeding had stopped, but his breathing was growing shallower by the minute. If we left him like this, he'd be crossing the River Jordan soon.
"Uh... Fixer...?"
"Ah, Sister. You're awake. Get up and help me out here."
Not long after I called 119, Sister Shin Seo-hyeon opened her eyes.
She looked around in bewilderment before asking me what was going on.
"Is this... outside?"
"Yes. As you can see, we're outside the sealed zone. We've evacuated everyone who was inside. Are you hurt anywhere, Sister?"
"I'm fine, but are you okay, Fixer? Earlier, your side was..."
"No problem at all. My clothes got a bit torn, that's all."
"I see... What about that anomaly that was helping us earlier? Did it disappear?"
"Yeah. It just went back for a bit."
Sowol was already tucked away in the ring. I couldn't exactly parade her around outside.
Only after checking my side and seeing I was okay did the sister relax and examine the bloodied Priest Kang Yo-han, sprinkling holy water generously over his body.
"This should keep any lesser spirits from latching onto him for now. You already called 119, right, Fixer?"
"Yes. I called right after we surfaced. They should be here soon."
"You did well. Next issue is these kids, then. I'll wake them up first."
I helped the sister wake the fallen children.
People would start filling the streets soon. We couldn't just leave the kids abandoned on the roadside.
The runaway kids were slow to wake, but the sister shared a tip: pinching the philtrum works wonders in cases like this.
"But with twelve kids, I have no idea where to send them all. We can't just release them like this..."
"There's a perfect place for them."
"Where do you plan to send them, Sister?"
"These children need to go to the church right away."
"You don't mean forced conversion again?"
"That's for the best for them too. They've all fallen to the devil's temptations, big or small. If we let them go now, they'll surely..."
...end up involved in more bad deeds, she said.
Even a single encounter or whisper from a demon is dangerous enough, but these kids had been enthralled and actively participated in evil.
They needed proper purification, checks for lingering malice, ongoing church supervision, and monitoring for any future demonic manifestations.
As the sister said, having the church take responsibility was the best outcome for everyone.
"We'll have to force the life of a cleric on them, but leaving them be would just make them societal ills again. Prevention before problems arise is better. Looks like we'll have to call Father Han Kyung-muk."
"Can he leave the cathedral to come all the way here?"
Wasn't he the cathedral guardian, bound to Jongno Cathedral?
"He'll probably send another brother who can get here right away. I'll make contact first."
She said contacting Father Han Kyung-muk would get someone here as fast as possible.
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon pulled out her phone and called the cathedral.
"They're sending someone right away. And it looks like Jongno Cathedral will handle these kids' identities going forward."
We'd finished waking the kids and were chatting to keep them from bolting when a van and ambulance arrived at the scene simultaneously.
The van was the transport sent by Father Han Kyung-muk for us, and the ambulance was the one I'd called.
The paramedics loaded the unconscious Priest Kang Yo-han and asked if there was a guardian or legal representative to accompany him to the ER. That's when a man in a suit hopped out of the van and volunteered to go along.
"I'll handle the aftermath. You two can head back. You've done more than enough."
"No, thank you, brother."
The suited man swiftly took charge and left for the hospital with the ambulance carrying Priest Kang Yo-han.
"Who was that just now...?"
"He's a brother who handles office work at the cathedral. He deals with legal responses and consultations for deaths during exorcisms, property damage, police investigations, and the like."
"Ah."
"Priest Kang Yo-han will probably be transferred to one of our hospitals. They'll assess the situation and take appropriate measures."
So that guy was the one who handled the real-world fallout.
Thanks to him, we quickly loaded the kids into the van and sent them off to the cathedral.
The kids boarded with bewildered expressions, clearly confused about why they'd been in a place like this.
All of them headed to Jongno Cathedral to be reformed by Father Han Kyung-muk. Like it or not, these kids were now tied to demons—there was no other way to guide them stably.
"Well, time for us to head back too."
"Yes..."
Once all twelve were loaded, the van was packed full, so we decided to take Bungbung-i separately.
"Um, Fixer."
"Yes?"
"You really... really did great work."
"Nah. You had it rough too, Sister."
"No. Without you, we wouldn't have wrapped this up properly."
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon bowed her head deeply, expressing her gratitude once more.
[Favorability: 80% → 90%]
[She regards you as a savior.]
[Her faith in you overflows.]
"I'll never forget this. And if there's anything I can help with, just say the word."
The sister's favorability had reached 90%.
This was the first time a human—not an anomaly—had warmed up to me this much.
It must mean her trust in me had skyrocketed after this incident.
"Same here—if anything comes up, call me right away. I'll do my utmost within my power."
"Hearing that from you feels so reassuring. Like I've gained a powerful ally."
"You're too kind. Shall we head back now?"
"Yes. Let's go."
I gave the sister a ride on Bungbung-i back to Jongno Cathedral.
Unlike the trip to the underground mall, the way back was incredibly peaceful.
It was hard to believe we'd been fighting demons just moments ago.
It felt like waking from a terrible nightmare.
"The weather's really nice."
The sister murmured blankly, gazing out the window.
It really was beautiful weather. Clear skies without a single cloud.
The streets buzzed with energy, and I spotted elementary school kids laughing and running, probably on their way to school.
No one had any idea a demon had nearly descended.
"It makes me realize anew how lacking my own cultivation is. I need to redouble my efforts."
"Why? You did great this time."
"No. Without you... I surely would have despaired and fallen to the demon's whispers. I'm still... so weak."
The sister wore a melancholic expression.
She was still hung up on that brief moment when the demon's whispers shook her resolve.
Words of comfort felt inadequate, so I simply took her trembling hand in mine. I know sometimes a small gesture like this means more than a hundred words.
"Thank you... Fixer."
Her trembling soon stopped, and she wiped the corner of her eye before thanking me again.
She'd pulled herself together. Good to see her back to normal so quickly.
"Oh, right— you need to stop by the cathedral too, Fixer."
"For an inspection, I take it?"
"Yes. Since you fought directly..."
I needed a check at the cathedral too, to ensure no demonic traces lingered on me. They'd screen everyone involved for any issues.
"Oh, and by the way..."
The bug swarm from the motel fight came to mind.
There was still that one kid who swallowed bugs after being enthralled by the demon.
"When we get to the cathedral, can you note down that kid's description? We need to find them fast."
"Got it."
They'd handle the rest at the cathedral; I just had to pass on what I knew.
Having people to deal with the aftermath sure made things easier.
"Bungbung-i's refusing to go further. Looks like we walk from here."
We soon arrived near Jongno Cathedral.
As before, Bungbung-i balked at getting too close, so we had to walk the last bit.
To avoid any trouble, I left the ring with Sowol in the scooter.
"You've arrived! I heard the rough details. To resolve the case in just one day—who'd have thought? You two accomplished a great feat."
As we entered the cathedral, Father Han Kyung-muk, who was already there guiding the runaway kids inside, approached us.
"All thanks to the Fixer. I couldn't have done it alone."
"Haha. If even Sister Joanna says that, you must have been a huge help. I believed in you from the start. I knew you'd solve it with her."
"Aw, it was nothing."
Demon exorcism isn't exactly "nothing," but the sudden praise embarrassed me, so I waved it off.
"Ho ho ho. And neither of you is hurt?"
"I'm fine, but the Fixer's side..."
"You're injured? Then you need to go to the hospital first!"
Father Han Kyung-muk moved to call an ambulance, so I quickly stopped him.
No need to waste paramedics' time on a scratch-free me.
My clothes were a bit torn, but I hadn't spilled a drop of blood.
"Phew, that's a relief. Shall we discuss the details inside, then?"
"Yes, let's."
Afterward, the sister and I briefed Father Han Kyung-muk on the situation and the name of the evil we'd faced.
Upon hearing "Andromalius," he crossed himself, recited a prayer, wrote the name in Latin, and swiftly drafted a letter for the Vatican.
His serious expression suggested Andromalius's appearance was no small matter.
"Truth be told, Andromalius is a sort of herald. Think of it as a vanguard."
"Then..."
"Forces steeped in malice are targeting this land for some reason."
"..."
"But don't worry too much. The priests will return from the West Sea soon. Evil hordes won't easily gain a foothold here."
Father Han Kyung-muk said not to worry, but why did I feel so uneasy? It seemed like bigger incidents were brewing.
Demons were far more persistent than I'd thought.
I hoped it all wrapped up without issue. But in this World of Doom where incidents never ceased, I wasn't optimistic.
"Well, time for me to head out."
"Good work. If you see any omens or misfortunes keep occurring, come straight to the cathedral."
"Will do."
"Ah, Fixer. I'll deliver the fee for this job within two days."
"Sounds good. Call ahead before coming to the office, and I'll make time."
"Yes, I will."
I underwent a few simple tests to check for lingering malice and received a personal blessing from Father Han Kyung-muk before leaving the cathedral.
"Thank you for your help. Take care, Fixer."
"You too. See you all next time."
With Father Han Kyung-muk and Sister Shin Seo-hyeon seeing me off, I hopped on Bungbung-i.
Everything wrapped up well. Now to the office for a shower and sleep. I'm exhausted.
I feel like I could pass out any second. Bungbung-i will get me to the office, so maybe a quick nap...
"Um, hubby...?"
"Hm? Yeah, Sowol."
As I was about to doze off, Sowol popped out of the ring and spoke from the passenger seat.
What? Why the sudden vibe?
"Don't you have... something... to say to me...?"
"Huh? Oh, right. You did great too, Sowol. Good job."
"No... not that..."
In that instant, Sowol's eyes changed.
Not the gaze of adoration for her heavenly hubby, but the predatory stare of a top-tier anomaly spotting prey.
What's this now? Because of the overnight stay?
Her piercing stare was making me uncomfortable.
"Sorry. No way to contact you."
"Even so, leaving me for an overnight with another woman...? What are you two...?"
"What do you mean? The sister and I are just client and fixer. What's with the interrogation all of a sudden?!"
"...Is that really all? That natural hand-holding with the sister earlier... what was that...?"
Sowol's grilling hit me right in the chest, leaving me speechless.
On the way back to the cathedral, the sister was anxious, so I'd held her hand to calm her. Sowol had seen it all from inside the ring.
This is tricky. No clue how to soothe her.
I thought the aftermath was done, but no—Sowol was still pending.