The Sealed God in the Fan, Part 8
This place sold both used and brand-new bakery equipment.
Since a ghost was lingering around such a store, it was easy to guess that they had some lingering regrets related to this industry.
Usually, though, it was along the lines of wanting to finish something they couldn't complete in life, or asking for help to bake just one last time.
And who would have to buy the ingredients for that?
Himself, of course.
It was a chore that wasted both his time and his money.
Therefore, he had absolutely no intention of working for free.
...But a disciple? And one good enough to compete in a world baking championship?
This was a different story.
It was a rather tempting proposition.
But is it really... realistic?
Even if he wanted to recruit such a disciple, wouldn't someone of that caliber be snatched up by some expensive hotel or invited abroad?
Why would such a precious talent ever come to his bakery, which hadn't even opened yet?
"Sir?"
At Jang Yul's question, Noel pressed his index finger to his lips.
"There's a ghost."
Jang Yul nodded, understanding Noel's gesture.
It's not an evil spirit, is it?
Jang Yul looked around, but not even an employee was passing by.
He felt anxious for no reason.
"This... this isn't right, is it? After all the preparation we did. Just because I died, they shouldn't give up so easily. Shouldn't they use that grief as fuel to push forward even harder?"
The ghost wrung its hands, its voice thick with frustration.
"Well, that's up to them. They might wander for a bit and then pull themselves together, right? Isn't that just what youth is all about?"
Noel shrugged, pretending to examine a machine.
What did this ghost expect him to do about a disciple who had lost all motivation after their beloved master's death?
"But they sold all the equipment we picked out together to this place! That's basically declaring that they're finished."
"Ah. Is that why you've been lingering here?"
Noel had wondered why the ghost was haunting this specific spot, and it seemed it had come to reminisce.
"Yes! There are so many machines we went all the way abroad to get, and they sold them for dirt cheap!"
"Really? Which ones are they?"
Noel asked, fully intending to avoid buying those specific machines.
Going all the way abroad to get them?
That meant if they broke down, getting replacement parts would take ages.
In the worst-case scenario, he might have to ship the entire machine back overseas.
That sounds like a nightmare.
Whether it was used or brand new, the most important thing was whether he could get spare parts quickly and easily.
And whether maintenance and repairs were convenient.
To Noel, that was the absolute priority.
"I don't want to tell you. Those... those are machines filled with memories."
"I'm asking so I can avoid them. I'm not buying them."
"...Oh, is that so?"
"And you shouldn't cling to them like that anyway."
"Why not?"
"This is a store, not a museum. Someone is going to buy those machines. What are you going to do then? Follow them home, yell at them for buying them, and throw a tantrum?"
"..."
The ghost fell silent. It seemed it hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Even the smallest obsession is the fastest shortcut to becoming an evil spirit. No matter who buys them, just let it go."
"...I really didn't know."
"Well, now you do. So, you said you'd do anything for me if I helped you?"
"Yes, yes! I'll do anything within my power!"
Despite its eager reply, the ghost watched him anxiously.
"Your disciples are really skilled, right?"
"Of course they are! They were absolutely indispensable to my bakery. Sometimes—no, actually, quite often—I felt they were even more talented than I was."
"Your bakery?"
"Yes. I used to run a pretty popular bakery. It was just me and my three disciples. But after I suddenly died of a heart attack, they... closed the shop. Before I died, I jokingly told them to keep running the place well even if I suddenly passed away, but I guess the shock was just too great for them."
The ghost rubbed its arm, looking down. Perhaps because it hadn't talked to anyone in a long time, the words flowed out effortlessly.
Huh?
Noel blinked.
This sounded familiar.
"I never married, so I don't have any children. I raised those kids since they were running around with runny noses, so they felt like my own. When I asked them to run the bakery in my stead, I truly meant it."
Ah, that's it!
He remembered what Jang Yul had said in front of the interior design shop, right before they ate those cream-filled buns at the bakery.
"The owner there died suddenly. They said the cause of death was a heart attack, and he didn't have any family. He had disciples, but he never specified who would inherit the place. Since there were no relatives either, the bakery fell apart. The disciples, who had stuck around hoping to inherit even a franchise branch, ended up fighting among themselves, and their relationships completely blew up."
The bakery ruined, the disciples' relationships shattered—it was that exact place.
"Have you visited your disciples since you died?"
"...No."
The ghost hesitated.
Why was it hesitating?
"Why didn't you go?"
"Because... I didn't want to see their sad faces."
So you have no idea what's actually going on, huh?
Ironically, the root cause of the disciples' conflict was this very ghost.
Noel put on his most amiable expression.
"I'm planning to open a bakery, and I need someone highly skilled."
And right in front of him stood the perfect candidate.
A being who could easily come to work even before the shop officially opened.
After all, he had the power of materialization.
If he used his power to modify the baking area, the ghost would easily be able to maintain physical form for several hours.
"Tell me. Do you still want to bake?"
Noel looked at the ghost with the gentlest eyes he could muster.
Ghosts didn't get tired.
They didn't need an hourly wage.
They didn't need to sleep.
They existed solely on the fuel of their unfulfilled, burning desires from life.
There are so many spirits filled with far more passion and desire than the living.
He could easily assist with minor physical tasks like handling ingredients.
"Of course I do."
At those words, the corners of Noel's mouth curled upward.
"...So much. I want to do it so, so badly."
The ghost stared at its own hands with deep affection.
How happy it had been while baking bread, cookies, and countless other desserts.
The aroma of freshly baked goods.
The joy of seeing them turn out exactly as shaped.
The very moment the dough rose in the oven.
It missed it all so terribly.
It missed it so much that it had been wandering around the bakery even today.
"But I can't do it anymore."
The ghost forced a smile. What was impossible was impossible.
"Why are you so sure about that?"
"What...?"
The ghost blinked.
"First, why don't you help me choose?"
Since the ghost would be the one using the equipment, it was only right that it made the selection.
Noel flashed his most innocent smile.
Beep, beep, beep.
Noel entered his passcode and walked into his apartment.
Kkamangi was already rolling around on the floor, hugging a toy fish.
"I got back first!"
"Wow, I'm so jealous."
Though his voice was entirely devoid of emotion, Kkamangi puffed out its chest proudly.
"Right? Ah...!"
Kkamangi suddenly scrambled to its feet.
Noel checked the time.
It was that time of day.
"What is it? Do you want me to open the window?"
"No. Today, I'm just going to phase through the wall."
Look at this little bean.
Noel let out a dry chuckle.
"I'm going to see Sinhu!"
Lee Sinhu.
That was the name of the child Kkamangi had rescued from the fire.
"Go ahead. Just make sure you're back before sunset."
"I'll listen for any fun stories on my way back!"
"Sure. I'm going to become one with the sofa today."
He realized it more and more: this body was incredibly weak.
To think he would be this exhausted just from walking around a little.
"You and the sofa were always one, Noel."
"What...?"
"Asin, I'm leaving!"
"Be careful on your way."
"Okay!"
Kkamangi immediately phased through the window and the wall, disappearing outside.
"That little bean...!"
Noel grumbled, but after quickly washing his hands and feet, he sank into the sofa.
"...Sigh."
A deep sigh escaped his lips.
"Was it very exhausting?"
"My feet feel like they're on fire."
Asin glanced at the soles of Noel's feet, and seeing they were perfectly fine, she let out a soft chuckle.
"Your physical stamina is sorely lacking."
"Tell me about it. I barely did anything, and I feel half-dead."
Noel was already completely limp.
Only in this state did he feel like he could survive.
"I saw you encounter a ghost at the store earlier."
"It ran away the moment you showed up."
It had fled desperately before he could even try to stop it.
To be fair, Asin's divine pressure had been rather intense at that moment.
"It seemed troubled."
"Me?"
He had actually been having quite a good time, so what was she talking about?
"No, the ghost."
"Asin...?"
Just as Noel's eyes began to narrow, Asin asked with a smile.
"What did you discuss with that spirit?"
"It asked me to help with something regarding its disciples."
"Ah, is that so? I chased it away for nothing, then. Do you intend to help?"
"Apparently, that ghost used to run a pretty famous bakery."
Upon looking into it, Jang Yul's words had been entirely accurate.
In fact, Jang Yul's explanation had been even more detailed.
Noel stole a sideways glance at Asin.
"Why do you look at me so tentatively?"
"Well, I was thinking... what if I hired that ghost as an employee?"
"That... ghost?"
Asin asked, taken aback.
How?
Such questions naturally followed, but she already knew the extent of Noel's power.
He was capable of making spirits visible to human eyes.
"Exactly."
"I am aware that you wield an unfamiliar power."
Wielding such power without a god to back him was inherently anomalous.
Yet, Asin did not pry.
Just as miracles existed in the world, anomalous beings could exist as well.
Moreover, if that being was performing good deeds, what did it matter?
"But can you truly keep a spirit visible to others for such a prolonged period?"
"Of course not under normal circumstances. I'll have to modify one of the rooms."
"Do you intend to use sorcery?"
"You could say that."
Since it was close enough to the truth, he simply agreed.
"I trust your power. However, I worry about what might happen should others discover this truth. Furthermore, even if the ghost desires it, I hope you do not bind it to you."
"Ah. That's a fair concern."
Noel understood Asin's worries.
He held up two fingers.
"First, no one will notice the materialization unless they physically touch its skin. It can even eat food. You might wonder where the food goes, but it's the same as with you, Asin. It returns to the void."
The void was like a cosmic eraser.
How could a deceased spirit consume anything?
It was impossible, but if forced to happen through sheer power, the act would erase the anomalous existence itself to correct the error.
That was what they called the work of the void.
"So..."
"Are you saying it returns to the rift?"
"Yeah, exactly."
Asin referred to it as the rift of the world.
The terminology differed, but the concept was the same.
Noel folded one finger down.
"And of course, I won't bind the ghost. When I asked, it said it wanted to do this. It even promised to do whatever I asked if I granted its wish."
"So, you wish to employ its help only until the bakery is well-established?"
"Exactly. I need to get the business on track so customers start coming in. I only want to borrow its strength until then. And if the ghost wants to keep working after that, I won't stop it."
Noel smiled genuinely as he spoke.
In his original world, he had used materialization to leash ghosts and use them as bodyguards.
If he hadn't, he would have died long ago.
Being hunted was miserable enough, but surviving had only earned him all kinds of infamy.
Before his death, those who called themselves heroes and champions under the Empire's protection had pursued him relentlessly. How could he have survived that onslaught otherwise?
He had been so exhausted.
He had been so tired of the endless accusations, the refusal to listen to any explanations, and being branded as the ultimate evil of the world, that he had truly wanted to let go of everything.
That's why I wished for a life like this.
Back then, he had often joked that if he weren't living such a life, he would have used the talents of his ghostly bodyguards to open up a shop.
"In that case, proceed as you wish."
Asin readily gave her approval.
"Are you really okay with this?"
"What I feared was the gaze of the heavens. Oppressing the dead without a righteous cause is an act that draws celestial scrutiny. It places one under surveillance, so to speak. Once that happens, the heavens grow exceedingly sensitive to your every move. I merely wished to avoid such a predicament."
"Even though I don't receive Divine Punishment?"
"There exists a master over the countless gods—one who can be called the heavens itself. Who could possibly evade His gaze?"
"And who is that?"
"The Heavenly Emperor, also known as the Jade Emperor. He is a distant being, far beyond our reach, but it is always wise to remain cautious."
So he's the true supreme god of this world.
Noel committed the name to memory and chuckled lightly.
"Hey, don't worry. How could I ever cross paths with such a lofty existence?"
He wouldn't meet a being like that even if he lived a hundred lifetimes.
It had been the same in his previous world.
"Have you ever met him, Asin?"
"I have met him once, for a very brief moment. I was not even permitted to gaze upon his divine countenance."
"What did he say to you?"
"I do not know. I cannot recall. However, I remember him patting my head as if in praise."
Asin gently touched her black hair. Just recalling the memory brought a warm, comforting feeling to her chest.
"It was a very warm hand."
"He must have been praising you, Asin. Telling you that you were doing a good job. And you really did do well, didn't you? You could have risen to a much higher rank, yet you turned it down just to protect someone. That's no easy feat. If it were me, I'd probably be complaining to anyone who would listen out of sheer resentment."
"Thank you. That is more than enough for me."
Asin smiled warmly.
There was no greater joy than having someone truly understand her.
"Alright. I'll go meet that ghost again tomorrow."
The moment Noel sat up, the purple flames wrapping around the fan suddenly vanished with a sharp snap.
Noel and Asin stared at the fan at the same time.
...The purification is finished?
Just as he was about to slide off the sofa, the fan suddenly bounced into the air before landing back on the floor.
Noel swallowed hard.
What is this?
As he cautiously approached, the fan began to violently shake.