The Black Dog of Gyeongbok Palace
Meeting — (3) Jungjong 25th Year (1530, Gyeongin) [Veritable Records of Jungjong, Volume 68, 7th Month, 16th Day, Gyemyo, 1st Article]
The Queen Dowager, the King, the Queen, the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince relocated to Gyeongbok Palace. The Queen Dowager moved first. The King, the Queen, and the Crown Princess followed at the same time, with the Crown Prince arriving last.
In the Queen Dowager’s bedchamber, a strange beast suspected to be a yokai pounded violently against the windows and walls even in broad daylight, and it toyed with ominous objects. Whenever the King was not by her side, the creature rampaged without restraint, striking everything in sight. That was why they relocated.
Lee Jeong-mae, son of Lee Ju-mae and holder of the rank of First Senior Grade, Force Arts Protector of the Nation, reported: “Seven force masters searched the Queen Dowager’s quarters, yet not a single one found the black dog.”
The King issued a royal command: “The Queen Dowager, the Queen, and the Crown Princess all witnessed the black dog. Explain why none of you could find it.”
Lee Jeong-mae replied: “I dare to surmise that the black dog possesses the uncanny ability to conceal its form.”
When asked what should be done, Lee Jeong-mae spoke again: “The black dog has resumed its rampage, and just as before, we cannot locate it. This matter lies beyond human capability. It mocks the royal family and damages royal property. Would it not be wise to seek the aid of a spiritual beast?”
The King commanded that it be done as suggested.
Sniff sniff.
“Mom, that big sister is weird! She’s crawling on all fours!”
“Shh… Mom told you not to talk to strange people!”
Sniff sniff sniff.
“What the hell, is she crazy?”
“She looks like a total nutjob… How can someone with a body and face like that act this way?”
Sniff sniff sniff.
Sniff sniff sniff sniff.
“Is she an influencer?”
“Maybe she’s doing some kind of broadcast mission.”
Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff.
“Whoa… did you see that figure?”
“Should I try talking to her?”
“Don’t. She looks completely insane.”
Ah. My senses had sharpened so much that I could hear every whisper clearly. After leaving the hotel room, I headed straight for the source of that unpleasant smell, moving on instinct. Since this was the moment to fully unleash my fox abilities, all the training I’d done with Lee Ha-neul felt pointless. I wagged my tail. My ears twitched. And I crawled on all fours—right through the middle of a crowded downtown street.
Of course it was humiliating. Mortifying. The kind of behavior that would disappoint the Director and everyone else who supported me. But the unease I felt from this unidentifiable scent was strong enough to outweigh all of that.
From past experience, I knew yokai had to be dealt with as quickly as possible. Waiting until after an incident occurred was far too dangerous. Prevention before tragedy was the only right choice. Better to risk everything and chase the scent with everything I had than to let innocent people die.
Still, I’d left a minimal safety net. I’d used foxfire to send the Director a message back at the hotel: “Looks like a yokai appeared in Seoul. Tracking it now.” He would understand. And if he didn’t… well, it didn’t matter. Other people’s lives mattered more than my relationship with him.
I let my instincts run free and expanded my senses.
“Grrrrrr… kyang.”
A fox-like sound slipped out of my mouth. Passersby stared. Some looked at me like I was insane. Others watched with curiosity. A few even gave me hot, hungry looks. None of them were pleasant, so I made up my mind to find the source of the smell as fast as possible.
Tap-tap-tap! I kicked off the ground and sprinted toward the scent on all fours. It was definitely faster than running on two legs. My hands would get dirty, but I could clean them with foxfire later.
Splat.
“Shit!”
I stepped on gum. Or rather, touched it.
Smack.
“Ah, seriously!”
This time it was spit. Or rather, touched it.
“Pfft…”
“Khh.”
People burst out laughing as they passed. These bastards. I was this close to casting Allure on them. Suppressing it while my instincts were fully unleashed took serious effort. After dozens of near-misses and countless photos taken of me, I finally reached the source of the smell.
…Namsan. It seemed to be coming from Namsan.
Unlike Jirisan, where the only people around were yokai hunter office staff, Namsan was a mountain filled with tens of thousands of visitors every day. If a yokai went on a rampage there… it would be an absolute disaster.
I picked up speed and raced toward Namsan. Of course, I still obeyed the traffic lights. I wasn’t some morally bankrupt person like Hojun. No matter how urgent the situation, rules were rules. Getting hit by a car while crossing on red would solve nothing.
“Ugh…”
Man, this light was taking forever. While waiting, my mind wandered back to the meeting. The Director and Lee Ha-neul were probably furious. What if they cut ties with me? I didn’t even want to imagine how devastated I’d feel.
* * *
Contrary to Miho’s worries, the Director did not resent her. In fact, he felt grateful. Her message—“It seems a yokai has appeared in Seoul”—was an enormous development. She had clearly decided that eliminating the yokai took priority over hiding her identity. It was proof of the trust he placed in her.
They had to respond immediately. Fortunately, the nation’s top force masters were already gathered in Seoul for the meeting. Even if a yokai appeared, they should be able to handle it without major casualties.
…Though the timing couldn’t have been worse. If only Miho had attended the meeting first and proven her humanity to everyone. Right now, whether people would even believe her message remained uncertain.
Director Lee Han-ul rushed back to the meeting room and reported the situation. Lee Ha-neul slammed her hand on the table.
“We have to go help Miho right now!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
A brief silence followed. Then—
“Wahahaha!”
“Miss Ha-neul, Director Han-ul, you two have quite the talent for comedy!”
“The atmosphere was getting stuffy. Thank you for lightening the mood, hahahaha!”
“Ha-neul, you’re going to break the table.”
They roared with laughter. At first glance it looked like the typical arrogance of high-ranking officials, but from their perspective, why would they believe the words of some unknown fox claiming to be a spiritual beast? Especially when that message was something as absurd as “a yokai has appeared in Seoul.” On top of that, the yokai detection radar wasn’t reacting at all.
Of course, the “formless shadow” at Jangsan hadn’t been detected either, but Seoul’s radar was on an entirely different level of performance.
“I-it’s not a lie! Miho isn’t the kind of kid who would lie…!”
Lee Ha-neul was flustered. The Director looked gloomy, as if he had expected this reaction. Hojun remained slouched and indifferent. Baek Nam-hoon, the meeting’s moderator and highest authority, wore a complicated expression.
He was weighing his options. Should he arrest Lee Han-ul and the others right here, or follow his disciple Lee Ha-neul’s words and track the yokai immediately? His dilemma wasn’t about whether he could trust the spiritual beast named Miho—it was whether he could trust Lee Han-ul and Lee Ha-neul.
If he could see this “Miho” with his own eyes, Baek Nam-hoon was willing to support her fully. If the characteristics of spiritual beasts he knew were correct, then supporting her would be the right path for humanity. Spiritual beasts could be trusted. But Lee Han-ul’s words… could not. Not until they were proven true or false.
Even though his disciple Lee Ha-neul strongly backed the Director of the Jirisan Yokai Hunter Office, that alone wasn’t enough. No matter how much he trusted his disciple, this was a matter of national importance. Public and private matters had to be kept separate.
Amid the chaotic meeting room, one person quietly raised a hand. Hojun.
“Everyone, quiet. Hojun, please speak.”
“Yeah, it’s nothing major.” Hojun picked his nose as he continued. “The Taoist Association and I personally guarantee the existence of the spiritual beast Miho.”
Silence. Then Baek Nam-hoon addressed him.
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
“Yes.”
With that, Baek Nam-hoon smiled. If Hojun—rather, the entire Taoist Association—was vouching for the spiritual beast named Miho, then everything Lee Han-ul had said was true. A yokai had appeared in Seoul.
“Adjutant.”
“Yes, Minister.”
“Prepare the evacuation order. And to all the force masters and Taoist masters gathered here—”
Baek Nam-hoon swept his gaze across the room.
“Please track the yokai that has appeared in Seoul. We will resume the meeting after the yokai has been dealt with.”
“That’s absurd! Issuing an evacuation order based on an unproven claim—”
“Exactly! Even if what they say is true, how are we supposed to find the yokai when the detection radar isn’t working?”
Baek Nam-hoon gave a dry laugh at their protests.
“You’ll have to track it on foot.”
“…”
“For your information, back when I was active, we didn’t have any yokai detection radar at all.”