Chapter 167
Chapter 167
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Tracing the Sorcerer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"By any chance, when did your granddaughter first come down with the Mystery Fever?"
"It was after Mi-yeon passed away."
Eun Mi-yeon.
She was Eun Seol-a's mother.
"That's your granddaughter's mother's name."
"Yeah, that's right."
"What do you think caused your daughter's Mystery Fever to pass on to your granddaughter?"
"I don't know. It's called a 'mystery' for a reason—something beyond human understanding. But I suspect the mystery that dwelled in Mi-yeon transferred to Seol-a, her host of similar disposition."
"I see it differently."
"What?"
This was the crucial part.
"I believe the Mystery Fever might be the result of someone's curse."
"......A curse?"
"I've witnessed a similar case firsthand. A powerful curse that kills one person and passes to their child. Of course, a curse that strong would require extensive preparation—sacrifices, tools related to mysteries, that sort of thing."
Everyone stared at me in shock.
"......You're saying the Mystery Fever that afflicted my daughter was someone's curse?"
At that moment, Eun Hye-su's eyes widened as if something had clicked.
"Do you have some idea?"
"My daughter once mentioned something about curses. But that was before she fell ill, so I didn't think much of it."
This was new information to me.
"That only strengthens the possibility of a curse."
"......A curse. I never even considered it. If it's a curse, that explains why all those doctors couldn't cure her. But who would do such a thing?"
"We'll have to find out step by step."
Eun Hye-su gazed at me with flushed cheeks.
"Fascinating deduction. You're nothing like the doctors I've seen before."
"It's just a hypothesis."
"Fine. Let's say you're right, and the Mystery Fever is due to a curse. How do you plan to track down the sorcerer?"
"I have two methods in mind."
Everyone leaned in attentively.
"The first is to lure the sorcerer out."
"Lure them?"
"Yes. Take your granddaughter outside where the sorcerer can spot her. Whoever cast this curse must harbor immense malice. They'll react to something."
"But simply going out doesn't guarantee the sorcerer will find Seol-a. Isn't that too reliant on chance?"
"Then make them come to us."
"How?"
"Make her famous. They'll come crawling out on their own."
This was exactly how Eun Seol-a's Mystery Fever resolved in the original story.
Next year at the Sorcerer Academy, Eun Seol-a would shine with outstanding grades, earning her a reputation as a once-in-a-generation prodigy on par with Lee Seo-jun, Yoo A-ra, and Choi Seo-yoon.
Word of her illness would spread too.
Hearing this, the sorcerer would approach her in disguise during next year's Special Class arc.
"Make her famous to draw them out? Intriguing. But that won't work within your promised two days."
Originally, I might have faced some suspicion, but I planned to raid the sorcerer's lair within two days and end it.
With Eun Hye-su's trust building now, extending the timeline seemed fine.
"Maybe not. But when it comes to your precious granddaughter, is two days really the priority?"
"Fair point. Alright, what's the second method?"
"Investigate traces of your late daughter to track down any suspects."
This was just a throwaway line.
To pique Eun Hye-su's interest and make my deductions seem more plausible.
In the original, nothing about Eun Mi-yeon's traces was ever mentioned.
So this method wouldn't actually be used.
Eun Hye-su pondered deeply for a moment.
"Traces, huh..."
"There probably aren't any real traces, right? Then we'll go with the first—"
"There is one."
"Pardon?"
"In Seoul, there's a space my daughter used before she died. It's still intact. Check it out."
Wait, what? Seoul?
"This is uncanny. How did you pinpoint a curse as the cause from there?"
In front of the Eunwol family estate's main gate.
Lee Seo-jun, ready to head out, looked at me and asked.
"I told you earlier. I've seen a similar case. That's why I guessed."
"Where do you even see things like that?"
I clamped my mouth shut. How was I supposed to explain this?
"......That's..."
I hesitated, and Lee Seo-jun eyed me suspiciously.
"Why stop mid-sentence? Where did you see it?"
"......You don't need to know."
"Sigh. So many secrets."
Lee Seo-jun shook his head and gave up quickly.
I didn't have time for his petty reactions.
Something completely unplanned had cropped up.
Eun Seol-a's mother's space.
It had never appeared in the original story.
Experiencing these MacGuffin-like elements from the original always felt off.
What if I found something unexpected there?
Lost in thought, I spotted Eun Seol-a running toward us from afar.
Unlike usual, she wore modern clothes.
A small bag on her back—judging by its size, likely enchanted with space magic.
"Sorry. I had a lot of stuff to pack, so I was a bit late. And I talked with Grandma a little more..."
Eun Seol-a bowed apologetically.
"Don't worry about it."
Then Eun Hye-su appeared behind her. She gave me a lingering look before speaking.
"You really don't need my help?"
"No, we're good. If the family head gets involved, the sorcerer might bolt. We need to seem vulnerable to draw them out."
"......Still, this seems too dangerous."
"Grandma, I'll be fine. I can protect myself."
Eun Hye-su looked at Eun Seol-a with pity.
"Tch. Fine. Come back safe, no injuries."
Eun Hye-su patted her shoulder, then turned to me.
"Don't let anything bad happen to Seol-a. If something does..."
Instead of replying to her sharp gaze, I nodded.
We left the Eunwol estate and headed out.
For Eun Seol-a, leaving the family even briefly for the first time, excitement lit her face.
"Are we heading straight to Seoul?"
"Yeah. That's where her mother's traces are."
Eun Seol-a nodded at my words, then stared at my face.
I met her gaze, and she quickly looked away, mumbling shyly.
"......Do you really think the cause of my mother's and my illness is a curse?"
"That's what I believe."
Her expression grew serious. Then, with a hint of anger, she said,
"What kind of reason could there be..."
"There must be one. We'll ask when we meet them."
"......Okay."
Eun Seol-a nodded.
"Shall we go?"
We walked toward the portal gate. Upon arrival, she eyed it tensely.
"Why the face?"
"I've never used a portal before."
"Never?"
"No."
In this world, first time using a portal was like riding a train for the first time in the modern day.
Or maybe not—portal gates were far pricier.
"Then Seoul will be your first too?"
"Yes. That's why I'm nervous."
I chuckled.
This was straight out of a country bumpkin in a movie.
회귀한 엑스트라가 천재가 됨
169화
Flash!
We returned to Seoul via portal gate.
Less than a day away, but seeing the towering buildings stirred an odd nostalgia.
"Wow...... So many tall buildings..."
Eun Seol-a's eyes sparkled at the cityscape.
Her reaction was endearingly like a villager seeing the big city in a drama.
"Pretty amazing, huh?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Yes. It's like a time machine to the future. All those magitech systems plastered on the buildings too."
Unlike yesterday, she was chatty, buzzing with excitement.
Truth be told, I'd reacted the same when I first arrived in this world.
Seoul here was a bit—no, a lot—different from the one I knew.
"I still find it amazing every time."
"Pardon?"
Eun Seol-a turned to me.
She seemed puzzled by the layered meaning.
I shrugged.
"Humans building stuff that high? Wild."
"Oh, right."
She nodded.
"Let's head out."
We took a taxi to Eun Mi-yeon's address.
En route, Lee Seo-jun curiously asked Eun Seol-a,
"You look fine since yesterday. No pain from the illness?"
"I'm okay now. It comes in cycles with fever. About twice a month, every 15 days."
"Huh, unique. How long till the next flare-up?"
"About a week."
"A week..."
Lee Seo-jun nodded.
"Oh, right."
Eun Seol-a turned to me.
"You said my illness might be from a curse. If it is, you're planning to find the sorcerer, right?"
"Obviously."
"What then?"
"No idea. From what I know, curses don't lift unless the caster releases them."
Her face darkened.
I said that, but we'd probably have to kill the sorcerer.
Easiest way to break the curse.
Given who the sorcerer was, no choice anyway.
Time flew.
We arrived shortly—the place wasn't far.
"This it?"
An old, rundown villa in a deserted area.
Gloomy, like no one lived there.
No signs of human presence around.
"Address checks out."
"This is where Mom lived..."
Eun Seol-a stared blankly at the building, lost in emotions over her late mother's space.
"Shall we go in?"
"Yes."
We entered.
Eunwol-owned, but long neglected and dilapidated.
"203. Here."
Creeeak.
Inside was cozy.
About 15 pyeong one-room.
Scanning around, no obvious curse paraphernalia.
"Just a normal room?"
"Seems so."
MacGuffin staying a MacGuffin?
Looking around, a photo on the wall caught my eye.
Sorcerer Academy backdrop, students in uniforms.
Lee Seo-jun spotted it and asked Eun Seol-a,
"Your mom was a Sorcerer Academy student too?"
"Yes, that's what I heard."
Lee Seo-jun nodded, studying it.
"......Huh?"
Suddenly, he looked shocked. I sidled up and peered too.
Familiar faces inside.
Jin Cheon-woo and other key figures from the past.
"Same generation."
"The family head said her daughter owed Jin Cheon-woo."
"Oh yeah."
Lee Seo-jun nodded.
"......I've been wondering since yesterday—is this Jin Cheon-woo the former leader of the Jaun Subjugation Squad?"
Eun Seol-a chimed in.
Lee Seo-jun thought then nodded.
"Yeah."
Eun Seol-a looked surprised.
"......Mom was connected to him? Never imagined."
We searched the place thoroughly. No curse clues emerged.
As fatigue set in, I found a locked drawer.
Faint magic—protective spell.
A barrier I could easily dispel.
I channeled mana.
Lee Seo-jun and Eun Seol-a turned toward me.
"Kim Seon-woo?"