A week had passed since he handled the theme park request.
By now, the streets were steeped in the atmosphere of Christmas. Couples filled every direction, and the faint sound of carols drifted out from inside the shops.
‘Brings back old memories.’
Ian was an orphan with no one in the world. He had been without parents from birth and had lived his whole life in an orphanage. Though he had become independent right after graduating high school, his entire childhood had been spent there. All his memories of Christmas, full of childish wonder, had been left behind in that place as well.
He vaguely remembered the Santa cosplayer who had come for volunteer work. He remembered being happy after receiving a pair of socks from that person.
Now, all of it was a memory of the past.
He did not particularly miss it. Since the orphanage served God, life there had been extremely strict, so if he had to choose, his current life was far better. Though he had never dreamed he would become a magician, the kind that only appeared in novels, and step into the hidden side of the world.
Life was truly strange. Ian chuckled and took a sip of his instant coffee mix.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I had something urgent to take care of.”
Just then, the owner of the real estate office, who had been typing away at his computer, handed Ian a green grape candy and sat down across from him. Ian smiled gently and shook his head.
“It’s all right. It’s about time university students start looking for rooms in advance, so I understand you’re busy.”
A real estate agency not too far from his home.
Since he had come into some money, he had personally made his way here to find a workshop.
Finding one through an app would not have been bad, but every listing posted on the apps had prices that were anything but ordinary, so he had given up on that. If there really were no decent listings, he would have to find one there, but he intended to do everything he could first. Going around in person was part of that.
“Haha, thank you for understanding. More importantly, regarding the conditions you mentioned earlier, fortunately, I think I can narrow it down to a few.”
“Really?”
“Yes, yes. Here’s a list I organized separately. Please take a look.”
The owner held out a printed sheet toward Ian. Ian put down the paper cup he had been holding and examined the list carefully.
What he wanted, first of all, was a cheap studio or officetel that did not have many people around and was not too cramped.
It was a little demanding, but if he was going to use it as a workshop, he had to be that picky. Rather than risk being caught by ordinary people while attempting alchemy, it was better to prevent such danger from coming his way in the first place.
And as for the price, the cheaper the better.
“Hmm……”
Ian’s black eyes slowly moved down the page, scanning the conditions and prices of the listings.
The conditions were not bad, but the prices were oddly high. Without hesitation, he turned the page and checked the next sheet.
This time, the prices were a little lower, but the room sizes were awkward. The page was full of studios that looked as though they would be cramped to bursting if he simply piled up materials before even doing anything.
He passed on those too.
At last, the final page.
It was lined entirely with listings that were mediocre in every condition.
Unfortunately, there was not a single one he liked.
Just as Ian sighed inwardly and was about to close the list, one listing at the very bottom caught his eye.
An officetel building located not too far from Ian’s home. The floor space was fairly large, there were several rooms, and it came with quite a lot of basic options. And yet the deposit was not even fifty million won.
It was such an outstanding listing that it went beyond abnormal and made him wonder if it was a scam.
Pointing at the officetel with his finger, Ian asked the real estate owner,
“Why is this place so cheap?”
“Ah, that officetel……”
The owner trailed off awkwardly, then took a sip of instant coffee and explained.
“It’s full of rumors that ghosts appear there.”
“……Ghosts?”
Ian asked back, his brow furrowing slightly. The owner nodded.
“Yes. It’s famous around here. Starting with the ghost of the first-floor security guard, there are corridor ghosts, elevator ghosts, earthbound spirits, and so on and so forth. It’s just a ghost building, a ghost building.”
“……”
“Over the past year, they took in eight residents, and all eight of them took their own lives. After that, no one moved in at all.”
“……And yet the building is somehow still being maintained.”
“The landlord must have a lot of money. Anyway, I don’t recommend that place. Even a shaman went in there and died instead. This is real. I’m not joking.”
The owner warned him with a serious expression. Ian thought for a moment, then answered with a smile.
“I’ll take this one.”
“Ah!”
The owner practically flipped over.
“I won’t take responsibility! I really won’t! Don’t come complaining later and ask why I didn’t stop you, seriously!”
“I won’t. I’ll meet the landlord and talk to them myself, so please just give me their contact information.”
With a half-doubtful expression, the owner muttered something or other before handing Ian a number. Ian left the real estate office and immediately called the number.
After the ringtone sounded three times, the landlord picked up.
“Hello? I’m calling to sign a contract for the vacant room there.”
*
As soon as the landlord received his call, she told him to meet her at a nearby café. Fortunately, the café did not have many customers, so Ian chose a suitable corner seat and sat down, waiting until the landlord arrived.
Not long after, a middle-aged woman entered the café.
She looked around with an extremely anxious expression, then spotted Ian and came over to sit across from him.
“Hello. You’re the owner of the officetel, correct?”
Ian greeted her with a slight bow of his head. But the answer that came back was not an introduction.
“The c-contract, was it from that real estate agency? An app? I don’t know where you saw it, but just do it as listed there. You can move in today, right now, so come whenever you want.”
“Uh…… pardon?”
“I’ll take care of all the necessary documents myself, so just bring yourself. I’m sick and tired of listening to the ghosts! I want to live seeing people again!”
Her eyes widened wildly as she glared at Ian. His figure was reflected clearly in her bloodshot eyes.
“If you want, I’ll make the terms even better! Deposit? Monthly rent? Just say the word! I can lower them even more!”
“F-for now, I understand. Please calm down for a moment.”
“If I keep living like this, I really think I’m going to die! Please, please, even you, young man, just move in!”
Ah, this is hopeless.
Ian clicked his tongue inwardly as he stared at the landlord, who was speaking with fervor.
Her slightly unfocused eyes. Her bloodshot eye rims. Her fingers, scabbed as if she had bitten them raw, and her chapped, swollen lips.
There was not a single normal thing about her. It meant she had gone mad long ago. At the very least, she was in no state to have a proper conversation.
Then again, after living while being tormented by ghosts, it would be ridiculous to expect her to be fine. Ian let out a deep sigh and tapped the table with his finger.
‘Still, it’s not a listing so mediocre that I’d give up just because the landlord is crazy.’
He would not be able to find a similar room anywhere with these conditions and this price. It seemed better to simply humor the landlord to an appropriate extent while staying there.
And while he was at it, he could dispose of the ghosts in the building and make efficient use of them as materials.
He had been running low on materials lately anyway. It would not be bad to stock up heavily at a time like this.
Ian nodded and made his decision.
“I’ll move in. Please take care of everything you can handle. I’ll pay you afterward.”
“……! Oh my, young man, thank you! I’ll really pack it full of favorable conditions for you! You mustn’t commit suicide or suddenly leave the place!”
“I won’t. More importantly, may I take a look at the place right now? I’d like to look around by myself.”
At Ian’s question, the landlord readily gave him permission.
And so, after leaving the café, he immediately made his way to the officetel building.
“……”
Before long, he arrived at the building. What he saw at the same time was an impressive building, and countless miscellaneous ghosts stuck all over the windows.
[Welcome.]
Every single one of them was mouthing those words. It was a chilling sight, but Ian entered the building without hesitation.
The sensor lights lit up at his appearance. But soon, they began to flicker again. Ian checked the positions of the CCTV cameras around him, stood in a blind spot, and quietly waited for the ghost to appear.
The ghost did not betray his expectations and revealed itself beneath the flickering light.
It was the ghost of a woman in a pure white mourning dress, her face smashed apart as if it had been ground against asphalt. She stared intently at Ian and broke into a grin.
[Kyaahahahaha!!!]
Soon, she came charging madly toward Ian. From a small corner behind her, other miscellaneous ghosts peeked their heads out.
They looked as if they were eagerly anticipating how Ian would die.
But instead of panicking, he summoned his grimoire. He placed his hand directly on the spiritual body of the charging ghost and chanted a spell.
“Be born anew.”
Crack!!
The ghost’s form crumpled. Ian picked up what had transformed into a small sphere, smiled in satisfaction, and slipped it neatly into his pocket.
Then he stared at the ghosts beyond the corner and grinned.
“Next.”
[Kyaaaaaak!!]
When he uttered the line he had wanted to say at least once, the ghosts fled in utter panic. Hiding the grimoire inside his coat, Ian chased after them down the corridor.
[Kyaaaaaaaaak!! It’s a crazy human!!!]
Fortunately, the night was still long.
Crunch!