He had purchased sixty cigarettes costing a whopping hundred million won, but Ian didn't regret it.
Objectively speaking, it wasn't such an unnecessary expense. Though similar in appearance to cigarettes, they possessed no addictive properties and were a simple consumable for pleasure, completely free of harmful substances. On top of that, they cleaned the lungs and even removed existing addiction to tobacco. Buying them was the right thing to do for quitting.
Health was always something best taken care of as soon as possible.
He had started smoking because life was hard, but now he was more or less getting by. There was no reason to keep a cigarette in his mouth. Since it wasn't a consumable for pleasure that did the body any good either, taking this opportunity to quit for good wouldn't be bad.
"Hmm."
Ian took the silver cigarette case the shopkeeper handed him and examined it this way and that.
The design was extremely ordinary—a pure silver case with no engravings whatsoever. Inside, twenty snow-white cigarettes were packed tightly. The remaining forty came wrapped separately in packaging.
"I added five extra as a service! And here, this is for tasting, so smoke it on your way!"
"Is it acceptable to smoke inside this building?"
"Yes! The owner here is a heavy smoker to begin with! Everyone just refrains because they feel self-conscious!"
Then there was no reason to hesitate. Ian nodded, kept one between his fingers, and stuffed the rest into his pocket. The metal cigarette case clinked against the lighter he'd received as a free gift.
"If this is an item crafted by the Clock Tower, can I purchase it at the magicians' shops as well?"
Szzt.
Ian asked, lighting the end of his cigarette. The shopkeeper took out her own cigarette as well, smelling the lemon scent that wafted toward her. Unexpectedly, she smoked a cigar.
"'Owl,' correct? The closed market only magicians can use."
"That's right."
"Then you should be able to get it. It'll be much cheaper than here, too."
"…"
"Ah, just saying this in case. I'm not selling them at an outrageous markup. I'm purchasing goods that only magicians can acquire at a premium and selling them at the Cartel, so of course I have to charge a handling fee! Besides, if you aren't a magician, you can't get them anywhere but here!"
So come by often. I'll give you a discount, she added. Ian smiled instead of answering and left the shop.
It went without saying, but he had no intention whatsoever of returning. With a place where he could get them cheaper available, why would he bother coming back?
"Huu."
Ian exhaled smoke and began to walk.
'Once I roughly finish my business in Busan, maybe I should look up information regarding Owl on the community.'
So far, while frequenting the community, he had rarely seen users discussing Owl. Perhaps the market didn't exist in Korea.
It was hardly unexpected, but the home of magic was not Asia—it was Europe. Among them, Britain was the most developed, followed by Greece, France, Germany, and others. Magic had spread throughout the Middle East as well, including Damascus and Israel, but East Asia had virtually no connection to magic.
It was inevitable. Since ancient times, their ancestors had believed in herculean strength rather than the treacherous power called magic, trusting in the existence of shamans and sorcery. Thus, shamans developed in Korea, and sorcery developed in Japan.
China was the exception. It was the only place in Asia uniquely fixated on martial arts, so there were virtually no magicians or sorcerers. It would not be an overstatement to say they were practically extinct.
It was no wonder the *Shan Hai Jing*, originating from China, had ended up in the hands of a Korean magician. The *Huangdi Neijing*, *Yushu Jing*, *Taiping Jing*, and the *Baopu Zi* written by Ge Hong—these arcane texts centered on Daoism were now scattered across the world rather than remaining in China.
Whether intentional or not, magicians in China were shut down.
Well, truthfully, it was their own karma.
All magicians in China had continued their lineage by following a single sect, just as martial arts were passed down. The problem was that this sect was dead serious about using magic through cannibalism.
And another problem was that the period when they had been running rampant happened to be when Mao Zedong was Chairman.
For reference, Mao Zedong had a track record of designating sparrows as harmful birds and wiping them out entirely. By coincidence—or perhaps not—magicians had also been designated as harmful existences.
This was the result. In China, magicians were shut down.
'A few criminals may have slipped in, but real Chinese-born magicians went extinct.'
Ian stubbed out the finished cigarette in an ashtray and exhaled a long breath. A refreshing yet sweet lemon candy scent traveled down his throat and filled his nose.
Naturally, Owl likely did not exist in China. There was no reason to pioneer a market when the customer base had gone extinct.
As for Japan… he wasn't sure. He had heard that magicians were being oppressed by Mika Fishel, but Japan still had far more magicians than the Korean peninsula. Perhaps they might be operating quietly in hidden places.
As for Korea, well, he could look into it starting now.
With that thought, Ian looked around the shops on the first floor.
Nothing particularly caught his eye, so he additionally purchased a convict's ankle shackle and one gold candlestick, then had them delivered to his home. Both were items frequently used in alchemy, so having one of each on hand would be helpful in various ways.
"The delivery service fee is a hundred thousand won. Thank you for using our service."
The price was somewhat absurd, but he let it go. What could one expect from a money-crazed corporation?
After sending the delivery, he went straight down to the second floor.
Unlike the first floor, the second floor was not divided into shops; weapons filled the entire space.
Cold weapons and firearms were densely displayed on the walls and shelves alike. The air carried a faint scent of gunpowder.
"…."
There were no clerks to attend to him separately.
This was better than having someone cling to him for no reason. He gulped down the remaining americano, threw it in a nearby trash can, and slowly looked around the second floor.
'The best would be to buy something easy to carry with decent firepower.'
The only firearm he currently possessed was a single pistol handed over by the Management Bureau.
Since it took 9mm rounds, it certainly had considerable firepower, but it was inevitably weaker than the revolver he had previously used. When it came to completely severing limbs rather than merely incapacitating them, revolvers were a bit more useful than automatic pistols after all.
Ian's combat style leaned far more heavily toward magic than guns. Guns were always merely support tools; they could never become a primary means of attack. They were too intuitive a weapon to begin with, making them awkward to use unless it was an ambush or a chaotic melee.
So far, most instances of Ian using guns had been ambushes. If he had faced Edina, Camilla, or the Unicorn Saranggae head-on, firearms would not have been a particularly useful option. He probably would have been countered before even firing a few shots.
Even now, Ian could ignore all sorts of bullets with the magic hanging from his coat. Unlike other magicians, this particular magic was effective even against ambushes, making it peerless in terms of safety. Getting hit in the head would still kill him, but since it was easy to deal with as long as he had reverse-direction targeting, it didn't matter.
Anyway.
Since firearms were a support tool, there was no need to obsess over automatic pistols that required pulling the trigger repeatedly. Projecting strong firepower shot by shot and creating openings was far superior.
In that regard, revolvers were the best among pistols.
"...I'll buy this one for now."
Ian muttered, taking hold of an ordinary-looking silver revolver.
Grip? Excellent.
Ammo? Since it used Cartel-specialty rounds, the cost was considerable, but the recoil was nearly nonexistent and the firepower could shatter a typical skull like a watermelon, making it perfectly suited to Ian's purposes. There was nothing else like it.
The only drawback was that it was a bit heavy, but that was something he could easily endure. He nodded, placed the revolver in its dedicated case, and set off to find other weapons. He roughly picked out a few daggers as well, paid for them together with the revolver, and went back up to the first floor.
"Ah, you're here."
Seo-a had already arrived in the lobby. She seemed to have just been about to send a text; holding her phone, she turned to Ian.
"Did you buy everything?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Well, I bought everything too."
Seo-a shrugged and lifted the bag she was holding.
Inside the bag were a box of bone powder, three curse dolls, horse blood, and numerous severed fingers. It was a rather heterogeneous sight, but as far as magic ingredients went, these were perfectly ordinary.
"Besides this, I had a death row inmate's corpse delivered to my workshop. It was a bit expensive."
"How much?"
"About fifty million won? It might not be much if it were just a corpse, but for a skin bag with all its organs removed, that's quite expensive."
Ian made a sour expression upon hearing the price of the corpse.
'The cigarettes I just bought are more expensive than a corpse....'
The weight of the cigarettes in his coat pocket suddenly felt heavy, but he ignored it. He just needed to think that they held greater value than a corpse.
"Shall we go now if there's nothing else? Or do you want to check out the arena?"
"No thanks. Let's head back."
"Alright then."
Seo-a smiled brightly, humming a tune as she cheerfully walked toward the elevator. Ian followed her with a smile, and the Cartel employees bowed deeply to the two of them.
It was excessive kindness, but it was the Cartel, so he let it go. Ian adjusted the position of his bag slightly and pressed the elevator button firmly.
"When are you planning to resolve the school ghost story?"
"Probably this evening? I was thinking of preparing and setting off as soon as we parted. This shopping was for that."
"Ah."
"The shamans did ask me to handle it, but they couldn't even remember what kind of place it was. It seems like a rather unusual one, so I was planning to prepare thoroughly."
"Sounds dangerous."
"What mystery isn't dangerous? Since when were mysteries ever so friendly to humans?"
"...True enough."
Ian smiled wryly. Seo-a also burst into a short laugh and boarded the arrived elevator.
"What's with you, though? Are you worried about me? I think I might be a little moved."
"Well... of course I'm worried. It's not like we're complete strangers."
"...Right. We're friends, after all."
Seo-a blushed slightly and smiled bashfully. Having never made a friend in her entire life, the word 'friend' resonated with her in a rather pleasant way. Perhaps that was why she glanced up at Ian and moved her lips slightly.
"Then, as a friend, will you go with me? To resolve the school ghost story?"
"...Together?"
"Yeah... never mind if you're busy."
"No, I don't particularly have any plans, but...."
Ian trailed off, racking his brain to see if there was any urgent matter at hand. But nothing came to mind. He had been thinking of stopping by Owl, but that wasn't urgent either. He had more than enough time to help Seo-a resolve a commission.
"Hmm."
His deliberation was brief.
As it was, the message she had left when she committed suicide after being attacked by an Outer God still lingered before his eyes. He felt more at ease offering help when he could rather than sending her alone to a dangerous place. Ian turned to Seo-a with a faint smile.
"Half the reward."
"Deal."
The two smiled and shook hands.
After all, you take what you can get.
*
It was well past midnight.
Seo-a and Ian stood before a school bearing the name Sayo High School, staring at the firmly closed main gate.
Beyond the gate were a well-maintained artificial turf field with soccer goals and the school's massive main building. Ian placed the newly purchased cigarette between his fingers and twirled it for no particular reason, quietly observing the gloomy school.
'It's been a while since I've been to a high school.'
Several years had already passed since graduation. It wasn’t that long ago, but even so, he was left with the feeling that quite some time had passed. As for school life, well, he’d gotten through it fairly normally. Even if there were no memories worth cherishing, neither were there any nightmares…… So, considering he was an orphan, he supposed it hadn’t been too bad.
“Catching the ghost story haunting the school off guard is surprisingly simple.”
Seo-a, who was an orphan just like Ian, approached him from the side and said,
“Just pretend to be an obvious weakling at school.”
“…….”
“That’s why we’re dressed like this.”
She turned to Ian with a smirk. Ian, too, looked down at her and let out a deep sigh.
“……School uniform cosplay at this age.”
There was no point in hiding it.
Seo-a was wearing her own high school uniform, while Ian was wearing a rented one.
A uniform worn again after so long was still unbearably uncomfortable. It was only because he was wearing a coat over his shirt that the chill didn’t seep deep into his bones; otherwise, it would have.
“Don’t complain too much. It was unavoidable.”
“It’s not unavoidable, though. We could just go in, and it wouldn’t really matt—”
“Now, let’s go!”
Seo-a ignored Ian’s complaint, threw the bag containing the corpse over the gate, then vaulted over the school’s main gate with practiced ease. Ian, too, let out a deep sigh, stepped onto the iron bars, and slowly climbed over the gate.
The moment his feet touched the ground.
Rustle. Creak. With those sounds, his vision brightened.
“……?”
His face went blank and stupid. Ian blinked repeatedly and raised his head, which had been lowered.
That was what he saw.
“Ugh, I don’t wanna go to school. Is it already the new semester?”
“We had a long break.”
“Like hell it was a break. They called us in even during vacation!”
“You there! Don’t run! And you. Did you dye your hair? Why is it this color?”
“Ah, Teach! I told you, it’s gravel! It’s real! Ah, ahh! I-It’s real, I said! Don’t pull my hair!”
Night had vanished into day. The road to school was lined with cherry blossoms in full bloom. Students filled the surroundings.
“…….”
A thick scent of cherry blossoms brushed the tip of Ian’s nose, lingered, then vanished.
The pouring sunlight was warm. The unique freshness of spring filled the air, and students walked with heavy steps toward the school, brimming with vitality.
No matter where or how he looked, it was an obvious anomaly. Ian immediately smothered his bewilderment, hardened his expression, and stretched his empty hand straight out into the air. It was to summon his grimoire.
“Seonbae!”
Just then, someone suddenly approached from behind and hugged his arm tight.
“Eeheehee, it’s really you, Seonbae. Mmm, you smell so good, Seonbae…….”
“……And what kind of ghost story is this—”
Ian muttered so and turned to look at the presence that had grabbed his arm.
At the same moment, his body froze stiff.
“Good morning, Sunbaeng!”
The first thing that entered his eyes was hair as black as if the deep sea had been moved onto land. Cherry blossoms fluttered between strands of jet-black hair that held not a single ray of light, and Ian’s face was reflected perfectly in her crimson eyes, red like blood. That expression was one of bewilderment that left no room for excuses.
“……You.”
“Yes! I’m your lovely junior, ■■■! And your girlfriend, Seonbae!”
At her natural reply, Ian was rendered speechless. Regardless, the black-haired girl smiled brightly at Ian and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Now that school’s started again, I can see your face every day! Hee, Seonbaaaae. I seriously thought I was going to go crazy because I missed you so much, you know?”
“No, what kind of insane situation is this.”
“Ehehehe, I’m going to come to your classroom every break! Be prepared, Seonbae……! Ah, if you cheat on me, I’ll kill you, okay? If you’re talking to another girl when I come, I’ll kill you too. Especially if you’re with Teacher Lea, I’ll really eliminate you both.”
“……Hah.”
“Cheating is a big no-no! Mwah, mwah, mwah.”
She—she who had perfectly replicated the outward appearance of the Master of the Outer Sea—planted loud, smacking kisses on the nape of Ian’s neck.
Ian couldn’t help but feel his mind grow hazy, and he squeezed his eyes shut.