Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Owl
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Ian called Grandmother right after wrapping up his alchemy work, having gotten her permission first.
It was to learn about Dolores's disposition, and since he'd already obtained Dolores's consent long ago, Grandmother cheerfully shared the results of her previous evaluation with him.
[She's more inclined toward good than evil. But if someone acts against the kind of goodness she pursues, she has an extreme streak—more likely to eliminate than to teach.]
It was nearly midnight.
Moonlight slipped through the gap in the window as Ian let out a low groan. The residential area was sparsely populated, so there were no pedestrians on the street. Only the streetlamps illuminated the dark pavement.
[Still, the goodness she envisions isn't so far removed from common sense, so there's no need to worry too much. She might just drain your energy with her high spirits, though.]
"Then she'll be fine."
[Yes. Dolores is a good mage.]
With Grandmother's endorsement, there was no reason to refuse traveling with Dolores. He nodded in satisfaction and quietly faced the cold wind blowing in from outside the window.
The wind was colorless and odorless. No pollen, no dust, no floral scents—just pure chill.
Ian stood there for a moment, letting the wind wash over him as he gazed up at the sky, then closed the window and turned back inside.
"Thank you for letting me know, Eun-ha. I'll repay the favor next time I get the chance."
[No need, it's fine...]
Grandmother started to refuse with a small chuckle in her voice but trailed off, as if something had just occurred to her.
A moment later, she spoke up again.
[In that case, could you pick up one item for me from Owl? I'll cover all the costs, plus extra.]
It wasn't a difficult request. Ian drew the curtains over the window and replied calmly.
"Sure, I can do that. What should I get?"
[A female goat's heart, thread spun by a virgin, and a plant grown by drinking a virgin's blood should do it.]
"Hm... A lot of virginity-related stuff."
Goats had long been symbols of the devil, and there were plenty of demons that took goat form, making them quite distant from purity. Baphomet itself had two horns just like a goat, after all. The occult's goat aversion was practically canon.
On the other hand, thread spun by a virgin or a plant nourished by a virgin's blood were items deeply tied to chastity—far removed from goats.
"Contrasting items. If it's not too rude, could you tell me what they're for?"
Ian asked carefully. Eun-ha answered readily.
[Nothing major. I plan to summon a demon. Amdusias—do you know of it?]
"Amdusias... Ah, the demon that resembles a unicorn? The one that grants knowledge of plants and musical talent."
[Exactly. You know a lot about demons too?]
Eun-ha murmured with a soft chuckle. The faint rustle of sheets came through her voice—she must have been lying in bed.
Ian turned off the room's lights, shoved the grimoires scattered on the bed into a corner, and lay down like Eun-ha. The soft mattress enveloped him gently.
"I've looked into it personally. Not in great detail."
[Everything you said is spot on. Amdusias is a demon of chastity that only contracts with virgins, so the summoning requires purity-related materials. The goat's heart symbolizes impurity being purified into purity.]
"I see."
[Yeah. Ideally, it'd be best with a plant soaked in my blood and thread I've spun myself, but that takes too long. And I don't really know how to spin thread anyway.]
Eun-ha said, shifting in her bed. Instead of replying right away, Ian fell silent for a beat.
'...If she can do it herself, doesn't that mean she's a virgin too?'
"Hm."
Information he'd learned unintentionally. Ian didn't let it show, glossing over it with a vague hum and changing the subject.
"Got it. I'll buy those materials if they're available and order them otherwise."
[Thanks, Ian. Just let me know the cost, and I'll transfer the money right away.]
"Understood. Then..."
[Ah, right. Good night. Hope your deal tomorrow goes well.]
"Yes. Good night to you too, Eun-ha."
[Hehe, sure.]
As Eun-ha replied, the rustling sound came again. Ian hung up, set his alarm, and closed his eyes.
Wriggle, wriggle.
The grimoires slithered over and pressed against his body. Hand of Recreation clung to his stomach, while Deep Sea Chronicles vibrated contentedly against his side. Blue Shackles and Book of Contracts hesitantly approached and stuck to his other side.
"...".
It was quite uncomfortable, but he knew pushing them away would just mean they'd crawl back at dawn, so Ian left them be.
Still, the thought of living like this forever made his head throb a little.
What could he do, though? It was fate—he had no choice but to accept it.
With that in mind, Ian drifted off to sleep alongside the grimoires.
It wasn't particularly warm. Just hard.
*
The next day, 8:50 a.m.
Ian arrived ten minutes early and waited for his companions on a nearby bench.
The weather had warmed up considerably, so it wasn't cold. The air was clearer than usual, and there weren't many people around the station. Unlike crowded public transit, hardly anyone took the train.
Of course, it was a weekday morning.
"...Hoo."
Ian sipped an iced Americano from a nearby café while people-watching.
Since he immersed himself so deeply in the unnatural, observing this everyday normalcy always put him at ease.
Like he wasn't excluded from daily life. Not a bad feeling.
Slurp.
He sucked on the straw and stared across the crosswalk. Amid the crowd, he spotted a woman with light brown hair.
Her waist bent forward about 15 degrees, fingers fidgeting over her stomach, and even in baggy clothes, her overwhelming bust was impossible to hide.
It was Han Yu-na. Ian tossed his nearly empty cup in a nearby trash bin, stretched his stiff body, and headed toward the crosswalk.
Just then, the light turned green. Han Yu-na shuffled along in the crowd, then spotted Ian on the opposite side and quickened her pace with a trot. Her expressions shifted rapidly.
Surprise. Excitement. Thrill. Embarrassment. Shyness. Fear. Acceptance. Resolve.
Her emotions played across her face plainly. Ian chuckled and waved as she approached.
"You're early."
"Y-Yeah. I woke up super early... Good morning..."
She replied in a tiny voice, her ears bright red. Ian led her back to the bench in front of the station.
"The others aren't here yet. I'm first, you're second."
"R-Really...? Then we can chat a bit..."
"Yeah. Got something to say?"
"N-No! Nothing special. Just... hehe, wondering how you've been... It's been a while since we last met..."
"Ah."
Come to think of it, the last time he'd seen Han Yu-na was during their fake couple act.
That was nearly two months ago now—quite a while. Ian gave a wry smile and leaned back against the bench.
"Sorry. I should've checked in midway."
"N-No, it's fine. You're busy... You don't have to make time for me."
Han Yu-na fidgeted with her fingers on her thigh as she answered. Ian nodded.
"Thanks. Anyway, how've you been?"
"G-Good. Nothing special. Just waiting for you to call... You said you were going vampire hunting."
"Oh, that. Circumstances changed, so I went alone. Speaking of, can I claim something else instead?"
"Uh... Sure. As long as it's not too much..."
Yu-na gave an awkward ehehehe laugh and patted the guitar case she'd brought along.
That was when it happened.
"Hmm, the young lady's here, but where are the other companions?"
"We have to wait for them to find us first, Dolores sis. They know what you look like, but we don't know them."
The word "young lady"—not one she used often—came from behind. Ian's head turned instinctively.
"Good point, Ari! I'll give you a special pat!"
"Ugh. Don't, sis."
The voices belonged to a petite girl and a woman as tall as an adult man.
The tall woman wore a red dress.
Yes, a red dress—just like something out of a romance fantasy novel. So flashy it hurt the eyes to look at.
"Ufufu."
Perhaps due to her extravagant appearance, passersby kept glancing her way. Instead of being embarrassed, she seemed to revel in the attention, smirking as she spun around once. Her red hair fluttered lightly, matching her dress skirt.
"...Ah."
Ian felt a sudden dizzy spell and prayed she wasn't Dolores.
Dolores illustration!
