Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: Stray Cat on the Border (5)
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They talked for quite a while longer after that before the two of them left the house. By then, the time had already passed five o'clock.
"She's still so young. Do you think she'll be able to handle it?"
"There aren't any other options."
"I'm worried about whether she'll be able to endure it."
Taeju frowned and glanced back at Siu's house one more time.
Sia let out a small sigh as she spoke.
"There's no helping it. Mangnyang are beings that live on the boundary, so boundaries don't work well on them either."
It was a characteristic of mangnyang.
They dwelled in that hazy space on the boundary—not in the realm of light, nor in the realm of shadow.
So, deploying a boundary offered no guarantee of safety.
"They're not like ordinary vampires with clear weaknesses, and they don't reveal themselves easily either."
"Vampires, huh? It's been a while since I last heard that term. We won't be dealing with them anymore anyway."
Taeju said that, then let out another sigh.
"It brings bad luck."
"If only mangnyang would run off like that too."
Taeju and Sia had informed Siu that the only way to catch the mangnyang was for her to act as bait.
It was an extremely dangerous method. There was no reliable way to protect Siu, and once they summoned it, talismans or other means wouldn't work, so there was no way to predict what might happen. But the only way to escape the mangnyang was to capture it.
Naturally, she was terrified at first and refused, but when they told her that if she couldn't do it, the next target would be her parents, she agreed to be the bait.
"If we can just face the mangnyang head-on, catching it should be easy, right?"
"I'd love to say 'that puny mangnyang...' but it's not as simple as you might think. Still, it's not impossible for me."
Taeju smirked at Sia's confident words.
"But something feels a bit off, don't you think?"
"What do you mean?"
Sia replied in a stiff voice.
"That kid didn't seem curious at all about whether the thing with her grandfather's face was really her grandfather."
"Yeah, she didn't."
Taeju nodded.
They had told her to ask anything she was curious about, and they were expecting that very question.
They even had an answer prepared. But the question never came, so they never got the chance to respond.
"Normally, that's the one thing people are most curious about."
"Well, after hearing the word 'mangnyang,' she might have vaguely realized it. That it wasn't actually her grandfather."
"Yeah, that could be."
However, Taeju still seemed unsatisfied as he spoke.
"But even after meeting us like this, some doubt lingers. Is it something to hide that her grandfather had dementia? Of course, it would be weird to bring it up before being asked, but even when we asked about her grandfather, it felt like she was dodging the answer, didn't it?"
Judging by Siu's attitude, if they hadn't uncovered it, she never would have mentioned that her grandfather had passed away from dementia.
"There must be some reason for that..."
At Taeju's words, Sia added,
"What strikes me as odd is the ghost story side of things. It's impossible for a young person to be possessed by a mangnyang without a reason."
Why target Siu, who wasn't yet ripe, instead of going after some easier elderly prey?
"There must be a specific reason for that too. We don't fully understand this side yet either."
At Sia's words, Taeju seemed to ponder for a moment, then ruffled his own hair and grumbled.
"Maybe it's better to just brute-force it physically. This is giving me a headache."
"Unless you get a body like Woli's, we're destined to rack our brains."
"Ah, that's impossible."
Taeju sighed that they'd just have to keep thinking hard. The sun was starting to set now, past the hottest part of the day, but it still felt a bit muggy.
Summer was drawing near.
* * *
[Mangnyang, huh.]
Taeju returned to the office and called the boy's father.
Even after hearing the identity of what had possessed his son, the man responded calmly.
"Yes. Shall I explain what a mangnyang is? It might take a bit, though."
[I doubt I'd understand even if you did, so no need. So, knowing what it is means you can solve the problem?]
"We've found a method for now. Whether we can catch it right away is still uncertain."
[I see.]
His voice sounded exhausted. That was understandable. The man must have been rushing to handle work that had piled up during the funeral. With his son's issue on top of that, Taeju could imagine he was mentally and physically drained.
"If I may ask an impertinent question, though."
Still, there were things he had to ask.
"What kind of person was your father?"
[You mean my father? Siu's grandfather?]
The man asked again, as if questioning whether he'd heard the sudden inquiry correctly.
[Why do you ask?]
Taeju deftly evaded without outright lying.
"Well, we encountered the mangnyang for the first time at the funeral, so I wondered if it had some connection to the deceased."
Taeju didn't mention that the mangnyang had originally been attached to the deceased. Telling the man that might be too harsh.
[Hmm, I see. He was a really good man in life. Even accounting for the fact that I might be biased as his son, that's how he was. He was always kind to everyone and very diligent. Of course, he did suffer from illness in his later years.]
"Illness in his later years, you say."
[He had Alzheimer's, a bit of it. He was okay in the early stages, but from one day onward, it deteriorated rapidly. It happened over the last few years.]
It was what they'd suspected and confirmed through Siu.
"Did he stay at home the whole time?"
[Yes. They said there's a waiting list for facilities. I guess more people are in the same situation than you'd think. He passed while we were waiting after applying.]
"That must have been heartbreaking."
[It was, but thanks to that, someone else could get a spot. That's how I try to think of it.]
The man's response carried considerable kindness and wisdom, but in the end, it meant the deceased had waited for a facility bed at home until he passed.
That meant the deceased had spent quite a long time living at home with Siu.
There was a reason why the young student acted so mature.
Having heard what he needed, Taeju tried to wrap up with a lighter topic.
"I see. Oh, by the way, your home garden was really beautiful."
[Gardening was my father's hobby. In his later years, he took up landscaping as a pastime. He couldn't keep it up long because of the illness, though. Now there's no one to maintain it, so I thought about changing it, but I couldn't find a way to make it even prettier.]
Taeju was a bit surprised that the sophisticated garden was the work of an elderly man just starting to learn landscaping.
"That's impressive."
He hadn't felt any of the typical old-fashioned vibe one might expect from an elderly person.
"Honestly, I thought it was the work of a professional."
[That's what I think too. He might have had real talent. If not for the dementia, it would have been a fine new pastime.]
"I think so too."
Taeju nodded along lightly. In the end, the topic change hadn't succeeded much. After a brief silence, the man asked.
[Was that helpful information?]
Taeju hurriedly replied to the man's question.
"Oh, yes. Thank you. It must have been painful memories."
[It doesn't matter. If it helps resolve my son's issue, that's a relief.]
As the call seemed to be wrapping up, Taeju mentioned the final matter.
"By the way, to resolve the issue, we'd like to bring your son here tomorrow. Is that alright?"
[You mean my son coming there?]
The man spoke in a tone that wasn't entirely keen.
"Yes. Rather than rummaging around your home, which has no proper setup, it seems better to prepare and install what's needed here."
[It's not my favorite method.]
"Yes, I understand your concerns. You're worried about whether it's safe for him to leave the house."
The man didn't deny it. But the man's worry was the opposite of the truth. Siu needed to be separated from her father right now.
For multiple reasons.
[Is the equipment you need to install something that's hard to set up in our home?]
"Yes, there are a lot of things to consider. We're hesitant to install unfamiliar things in an unfamiliar place, and some items could get damaged if we're not careful."
No matter how necessary, tearing through someone's home corner to corner is rude. It wasn't a lie, and it made for a pretty good excuse.
[I see. Yeah, that makes sense.]
The man seemed to agree, as he didn't ask why not do it at home. Instead, he asked something else.
[But did my son agree to it?]
"Yes. Your son consented. Instead, one of us will go directly to pick him up. So there won't be any issues on the way."
Taeju preempted the man's potential worries.
[If the kid says he's okay, then it's fine, but...]
The man trailed off, still seeming uneasy. But since he couldn't suggest an alternative, he eventually permitted his son to go out.
[In that case, I'll bring my son there tomorrow morning.]
As if wanting to play even a small role, the man said that. But Taeju expressed opposition.
"No, it's better if we go pick him up ourselves."
The child's anxiety grows stronger when with his father. For now, they needed some distance.
"I understand your concern, but in case of an emergency, a guest would be... I know it's rude to say it this way, but a hindrance."
The man sighed at Taeju's rather cold words.
[I suppose there's no helping it. Is there anything else I can do, then?]
"Not for now, but if something comes up, I'll let you know right away."
The man seemed a bit dissatisfied at Taeju's words but didn't overturn the decision.
[Understood for now. What time should I expect your visit tomorrow?]
"We're thinking around one in the afternoon. And it probably won't wrap up until after dinner. Ah, that might be better. I'll calculate roughly when it should end and let you know, so you can pick up your son then. He'll likely be exhausted by the time it's over."
In situations like this, giving them something to do eases the anxiety. At Taeju's words, the man's voice relaxed, relieved to have a task.
[I see. Alright, then. About what time should I come?]
"Hmm, right now I'd say around ten at night, but... we can't be certain when it'll end, so we'll contact you again."
[Yes. See you then.]