After the Meeting - (1)
After the meeting ended, I finally had a proper conversation with Baek Nam-hoon, Lee Ha-neul’s master. Since he was her teacher, we shared a common topic in “Ha-neul” and managed to talk comfortably.
“Ha-neul can be a bit… peculiar,” he said.
“Totally. She keeps giving me weird orders, you know?”
“…Pardon?”
“She says I need a leash when we go for walks, and she smacks my butt while scolding me… It’s a little exhausting, but she still treats me really well.”
“Ha-neul… puts a leash on you… and smacks your…”
Baek Nam-hoon looked genuinely shocked by my answer. Why was he reacting like that? I was just telling the truth.
Anyway, I decided to ask him something that had been on my mind.
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Why did our Ha-neul…”
“Um… Minister?”
“Ah, my apologies. Please, go ahead.”
“I was wondering how the Force Arts users plan to deal with the goblins.”
“…”
The sudden shift to a serious topic caught him off guard, but he quickly regained his composure.
“As I mentioned during the meeting, we intend to search through the ancient texts left behind by the King of Yuldo.”
“Do you think the answer will be there?”
“Yes. I believe it will be.”
“…Understood. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you being so kind to me?”
He wasn’t just any Force Arts user. He was the Minister in charge of the nation’s safety from yokai. No matter how impressive my achievements were, it still felt strange for a minister to accept me so readily.
His answer came after a brief pause.
“Because… you are a spiritual beast, Lady Miho.”
“…”
“Even if you evolved from a yokai into a spiritual beast, a spiritual beast is still a spiritual beast. I believe in their existence.”
Right. He was unusually favorable toward spiritual beasts. Maybe…
“Do you know something about spiritual beasts?”
“…It’s rather ironic that a spiritual beast like yourself is asking me that.”
“The truth is, I don’t really know what spiritual beasts are supposed to be.”
“I don’t know much either. However, in the ancient texts left by the King of Yuldo, spiritual beasts are described like this.”
He took a short breath before continuing.
“Spiritual beasts, unlike yokai, are beings extremely benevolent toward humans.”
“They are the saviors of humanity who will deliver us from unseen threats.”
“…That’s way too embarrassing. I’m not that—”
“My right hand.”
His next words left me speechless.
“The spiritual beast, Sangun, proves this fact.”
“…That’s what was written.”
“I’ve read the text so many times that I remember the exact phrasing…”
“…Lady Miho?”
I had completely lost the ability to speak.
In the Minister of the Yokai Hunter Department’s office, Baek Nam-hoon sat in his chair, smoking a cigarette as he fell deep into thought.
‘Powerful yokai and goblins…’
‘Just what is happening to the world?’
As the head of the department responsible for protecting citizens from yokai and goblins, it was his duty to shield the people from these threats. Yet the intentions and goals of these newly emerged “enemies” remained completely unknown. It was incredibly frustrating.
The one silver lining was the appearance of the spiritual beast, Miho.
He recalled the words she had spoken just a few hours earlier.
“Um…”
“I’m not sure if I should say this or not.”
“The king I follow is also named Sangun…”
“It’s probably… not just a coincidence… right…?”
He never expected the name “Sangun” to come out of her mouth.
The tiger spirit, Sangun. He was a spiritual beast active over five hundred years ago during the age of barbarism. He had stood by the side of the “King of Yuldo,” the originator of Force Arts. The King of Yuldo had once said that the one he trusted most was not a human, but the spiritual beast Sangun.
The spiritual beast Miho had been born in the Hidden World ruled by the spiritual beast Sangun. Was it mere coincidence?
Perhaps not. There were too many suspicious points to dismiss it as chance. The appearance of the goblins had already shattered much of the knowledge he once held. He had decided not to believe in coincidences anymore.
‘The fact that Sangun is alive is definitely good news.’
If everything written in the texts was true, then humanity had gained a powerful ally.
‘However…’
Why was he living in hiding? Why had he created the Hidden World and taken on the role of a king? And why was he raising an “army of yokai” instead of spiritual beasts? Those questions remained unanswered.
Yes. Baek Nam-hoon had concluded that the yokai of Jirisan’s Hidden World were essentially an army. According to Miho, although their numbers weren’t large, every yokai living there possessed human hearts and were good-natured.
Good-natured yokai.
It sounded as contradictory as “sweet salt” or “salty sugar.” Still, he had decided to trust the spiritual beast named Sangun for now.
If the King of Yuldo had left behind a will that Sangun had inherited, and if he had created the Hidden World with clear purpose and intent, then it would be wrong to interfere.
Baek Nam-hoon had warned Miho never to speak of this to anyone else. It was still far too much information for ordinary humans to accept.
In any case, it was time to officially announce Miho’s existence to the world.
He couldn’t help thinking how fortunate it was that she was so beautiful. Whether it was a good thing or not, she had already become the “fox yokai” receiving passionate support across internet communities. Her stunning appearance, her acts of saving humans, and her literally “dog-like” behavior had all contributed to that popularity.
After organizing his announcement, Baek Nam-hoon headed toward the press conference hall where hundreds of reporters were waiting.
Goodbye, Seoul. It was nice meeting you—let’s never see each other again.
I did manage to make some decent memories, but the phantom pain in my right leg still lingered. That pain had been truly horrific.
We were scheduled to return to Jirisan tomorrow. As soon as we got back, I planned to request an audience with Sangun. I wasn’t sure if he would give me proper answers, but I couldn’t just ignore what Baek Nam-hoon had told me.
Hojun said he wouldn’t be returning to the Yokai Hunter Department with us. He planned to head to the Taoist Association tomorrow to learn Taoist Arts related to “goblin extermination.”
“Ugh, studying is such a pain in the ass…”
I had no idea why the heavens would grant such brilliant talent to a crude, irredeemable guy like him. It was beyond me.
“Hey.”
Hojun spoke to me.
“What?”
“‘What?’ Show some respect to your master, you lewd fox.”
“Why?”
“…You really never let me win a single argument. Anyway, when are you coming?”
“Where?”
“Where do you think? The Taoist Association. Did you already forget?”
“Oh.”
Right. We had agreed to go to the Taoist Association to look up information about goblins and spiritual beasts. With everything that had happened, it had completely slipped my mind.
I told him I’d come soon. Looking up information was important, but right now, I just wanted to rest. I wanted to hug my soft, fluffy Depo and sleep like a log. I was exhausted.
Ah. In the old days, I would’ve cracked open a cold beer at a time like this…
“Should we crack open some beers and drink to our hearts’ content?”
“Yes!”
The moment Lee Ha-neul suggested it, I answered in less than a second.
That’s right. Nothing beats alcohol for relieving fatigue.
When I agreed, the director looked a little worried as he turned to me.
“Lady Miho, are you sure it’s okay for you to drink alcohol? You’ve never tried it before, have you?”
“What, am I going to die from it?”
“As far as I know, canines lack the enzymes to break down alcohol…”
“By that logic, chocolate should be the same, but I eat tons of it and I’m fine. It’s freaking delicious.”
“…That’s true. Very well, let’s go drinking.”
If I could have my way, I would’ve loved to spread out a mat by the Han River and drink until we were roaring drunk. I was sick of looking at this hotel room.
But with my eye-catching appearance, if I showed up at the Han River, the headlines would definitely scream “Monster Spotted at the Han River.” So we had no choice but to buy alcohol at a convenience store and gather in the hotel room.
Chiiiiik.Click.
The sound of opening a beer can was strangely satisfying. I lifted the ice-cold beer and gulped it down.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
“KyaAAAAAAAAA!”
This was it. How had I lived without remembering this taste?
After the beer came soju-beer mix. The golden ratio was one part soju to three parts beer. I mixed one perfectly and downed it in one go.
“Kyaha!”
Watching me drink like a runaway train, Lee Ha-neul asked worriedly.
“…Miho, aren’t you drinking too fast? You don’t even know your own tolerance.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Exactly, who cares? Look at this alcohol pouch. It looks like it could hold at least two more bottles of soju, easy.”
There he goes again. Time to crush Hojun once and for all.
“Hojun, you good at drinking?”
I provoked him. He took the bait.
And then… my memory cut out.
…
…
…
…
When I came to, it was already the next day. For some reason, the front of my clothes was wide open. What the…? What happened?
…Ugh, I can’t remember anything. Fuck.
No way, right?
I quickly turned to look beside me and let out a sigh of relief. The person snoring away next to my bed was, thankfully, Lee Ha-neul.
…I should ask her what happened yesterday when she wakes up.