An Unexpected Alliance
"That's how it happened."
"That's what happened, apparently."
"So that's how it went."
Those were the words spoken in sequence by me, Lee Ha-neul, and the director.
I explained to the director in as much detail as possible how I had taken down the Jomagu. Of course, I said nothing about the Taeja Singi or the goblin. It wasn't that I particularly wanted to hide information from him. For some reason I couldn't quite explain, my instincts were sounding every alarm bell in my head. Absolutely. Under no circumstances. Never. Humans must never learn about the Taeja Singi or goblins.
I had naturally deleted the search history as well. The goblin horn I'd obtained from the Jomagu was safely tucked away inside my tail. As for that horn, I planned to ask Depo, Mangtae Grandfather, Janghwa Hyeonyo, or in the worst case, Sangun.
Because of that, there were parts of the incident that were difficult to explain. Fortunately, the director seemed to realize I bore no ill will and understood my position.
"I've roughly grasped the situation, Lady Miho. First, I must thank you for eliminating the Jomagu. Thank you, Lady Miho."
"Yeah, well..."
"So, to summarize what you've told me, Lady Miho... The Jomagu wasn't actually a seventh-grade yokai. It was a monster powerful enough to rival that blue-flamed nine-tailed fox. That seems to be the most important part."
"Exactly."
"Lady Miho. There's something I'd like to ask."
"Go ahead."
The director scratched his head vigorously and let out a deep sigh. Ah. A strand of hair just fell out. What a waste.
"Haa... Over the past two weeks, the Jirisan Yokai Hunter Office has faced unprecedented incidents. Three of them, in fact."
"..."
"The first was the blue-flamed nine-tailed fox. The second was you, Lady Miho. And the third was the Jomagu. Lady Miho, are all of these mere coincidences?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself. However..."
The blue-flamed nine-tailed fox. Me, a multi-tailed fox yokai. The Jomagu. The Taeja Singi. Goblins. Coincidence?
"I don't think... it's a coincidence. I'm not sure exactly how, but there has to be some connection."
"In that case, the possibility that more powerful yokai like the blue-flamed fox, you, Lady Miho, or the Jomagu might appear again..."
"It's probably high. Though there's no guarantee they'll necessarily show up here in Jirisan."
"...Understood. One last question. May I ask why you're sharing such valuable information with us?"
"Because I need your help."
I wasn't some arrogant yokai who believed she could unravel the secrets of the Taeja Singi and Ascension all by herself. Strength only grows when it's combined. Just as there is information only a yokai like me can know, there must surely be information that only humans can access.
I extended my hand to him and said, "Let's keep getting along from now on, Director."
The director stared at my hand for a moment, deep in thought. Then, as if he'd made up his mind, he firmly grasped it.
"I look forward to working with you, Lady Miho."
Lee Ha-neul, who had been watching our conversation from the side, was grinning from ear to ear. Hmm. It looked like I'd gained a pretty reliable ally.
Three days had passed since the incident with the seventh-grade yokai, Jomagu.
We were on the mid-slope of Jirisan, right at the spot where the Jomagu had gone on its rampage before disappearing. The creature had caused a staggering amount of damage for a seventh-grade yokai. Roughly one square kilometer of trees on the mountain had been completely leveled.
It was one thing for human-built structures to collapse. No matter how much money it cost, you could always gather materials and rebuild. But trees? Trees that had grown over decades or centuries couldn't simply be restored no matter how hard you tried.
Not everyone at the Jirisan Yokai Hunter Office possessed a warm heart that loved nature. Still, they all worked together with one mind and one purpose on the restoration efforts. After all, the ancient trees of Jirisan served as a vital natural barrier that primarily kept yokai at bay. Losing them meant losing defensive strength.
The director wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and brow with a towel, thinking to himself.
At least Lady Miho minimized the damage. If she'd gone all out with her firepower... I don't even want to imagine it.
Most likely, every tree within a two-kilometer radius would have been reduced to ashes. If not for Miho, their cooperative partner, they would have had no choice but to unleash overwhelming firepower to eliminate the Jomagu. After all, it was an impossibly powerful yokai for a seventh-grade entity—one that devoured all forces except physical strength.
After Lee Ha-neul had rushed to the office and reported that subduing the Jomagu had failed and that they needed to mobilize heavy firepower, the director had been prepared to wage total war. He had even considered bringing in bazookas and flamethrowers. Even if it meant burning the entire Jirisan area to the ground, stopping the Jomagu here was the mission and duty the nation had given him.
Well. Thanks to Miho, that catastrophe had been avoided. He felt genuine gratitude toward her.
"Lady Miho, could you help move this tree over here?"
"Yeees~"
"Hup... You even answered me... Thank you, thank you so much!"
She had even volunteered to help with the restoration work. What kind of yokai in the world would do something like this? Lee Han-ul's suspicions about Miho were slowly melting away.
Crackle. She began emitting blue flames from her tails and started moving the trees at an astonishing speed.
"Ooooh!"
"As expected of Lady Miho! Incredible!"
"The pride of Jirisan! The Yokai GOAT!"
Sigh. This is so embarrassing, you idiots...
Lee Han-ul looked at his subordinates, who had completely fallen for Miho, with a pitiful gaze and pressed a hand to his forehead.
What would be appropriate compensation for eliminating the Jomagu?
In Lee Ha-neul's case, she had refused any reward. She claimed she hadn't done anything and that Miho had essentially taken it down alone. She even asked that her share be given to Miho instead.
The director wondered what she might ask for in return. It was a little nerve-wracking, but he had decided to grant her request without hesitation. Even if she asked for information classified as Level 2 or higher.
Handing over Level 2 classified information to a yokai would be disloyalty to the nation and a betrayal of humanity. Yet he had no justification to refuse Miho's request. Nor did he particularly want to.
She had saved his life, eliminated the Jomagu, and even helped with the restoration work. Refusing the request of someone who had done so much for humans would not be the action of a decent human being.
Yes. This was the moment the director's suspicions about Miho finally came to an end. Although he hadn't yet fallen for her the way the other employees had, it was clear he was beginning to view her in a much more positive light.
Moreover, the Jomagu incident had allowed them to form a proper alliance. There was no longer any reason to think poorly of her.
For that reason, the director went to find Miho, who was playing in the front yard of the Yokai Hunter Office. She was hopping around energetically between the sprinklers, and the office staff were watching her with warm, affectionate smiles.
...Spending this precious lunch break just watching one fox yokai. From Lee Han-ul's perspective, it was completely incomprehensible behavior.
Anyway, the director ignored his subordinates and approached Miho. Or rather, he tried to, only to be blocked by his staff.
"Director, wait just a moment!"
"Why?"
"L-Lady Miho is playing right now."
"I know. I can see that. So what?"
"Maybe wait about ten minutes before you talk to her... We want to watch her a little longer! Isn't she just adorable? Anyone who interrupts this isn't even human!"
"Fine, I understand. From now on, I'm not human anymore."
"Ah, Director, please!"
With his subordinates complaining so loudly, the director had no choice but to wait ten minutes before speaking to Miho. As a result, he ended up watching her play along with the rest of his staff.
Hmm. Well. She was pretty cute.
"Please buy me some Doggy Freeze."
"...Excuse me?"
Doggy Freeze? It was a word he'd never heard in his life. What could it be? What was this enchanting fox yokai asking him for? Could it be one of those ultra-expensive luxury brands people always talked about? Or perhaps something that wasn't legally available in South Korea?
Lee Han-ul swallowed hard and asked Miho, "If it's not too rude... may I ask what Doggy Freeze is?"
"It's supposed to be the highest-grade dog food."
"...Excuse me?"
For a moment, Lee Han-ul wondered if he'd heard wrong. But seeing her six tails swaying gently back and forth, it seemed he had heard correctly.
He was momentarily stunned by Miho's request, but soon regained his composure and spoke.
"If it's dog food, we still have plenty left at the office. It's all premium grade, so you can have as much as you—"
"That stuff has no flavor at all."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. The cheap dog food you gave me at the beginning was way better. How should I put it... it's like vegan food. The chewiness and umami are both lacking. Ah, should I not say that? Director, you're not vegan, are you?"
"..."
"That Doggy Freeze stuff is apparently famous among dog owners. Something about their dogs loving it so much they could die happy. Anyway, please buy me one small breed bag, one big breed bag, and one for all ages. Later, order whichever of the three tastes best."
"Under... stood."
Is this a human, a dog, a fox, or a yokai?
The director was starting to get seriously confused about Miho's true identity.
"...Do you need any dog chews as well?"
"Huh? That's a bit... I'm not a dog, you know."
"...My mistake. I apologize."
She'd probably like them though. Secretly, Lee Han-ul decided he would order some dog chews along with the food.