Several days had passed since the incident on the cruise ended. Fortunately, nothing troublesome had happened in the meantime. It had been one peaceful day after another.
Maybe it was because he encountered the extraordinary so often. The ordinary everyday life that had once felt merely boring now seemed exceedingly sweet. Just lying in bed made his heart feel at ease, as if his mind were clearing.
That was just from lying around at home. If he went on a proper vacation, wouldn’t he be able to refresh himself even more?
Was there any need to agonize over whether to go or not?
Ian immediately packed his things on the spot, booked a night at a rather expensive five-star hotel, and spent the entire day holed up in his room without budging.
It was the kind of vacation commonly called a hotel staycation. The service was better than he had expected, and there was even a bathtub with a clear view of Seoul’s nightscape, so it was not bad at all. It felt as though the fatigue was leaving his body.
“Phew……”
Feeling that this must be what a successful life was like, Ian snapped a photo of the Seoul nightscape spread out beyond the window with his phone. Then he immediately made a post on the community board.
[Hawawa, baby mabungie has come out on a proper vacation for the first time in ages.]
[Anon]
(Photo of Seoul’s nightscape)
I want to sip wine while looking at this beautiful nightscape.
[Upvotes 0][Downvotes 4]
[Comments]
-Deep-Sea Anglerfish: Your bit is disgusting. Why are you suddenly acting like this?
└Anon: Hawawa, don’t say such mean things.
└Deep-Sea Anglerfish: Did hanging out with Smoothie turn you into the same kind of person?
└Anon: Don’t cross the line.
└Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie: ?
-Taming Master: Why crawl into a hotel like an idiot? What if you get involved with a Mystery and end up isolated?
└PleaseHardDelete: Isn’t that too extreme? If you look at it that way, there’s nowhere you can go, is there?
└Taming Master: Eek! It’s a bald freak! Get lost!
└PleaseHardDelete: Hey, you fucking shithead.
Leaving the familiar stream of comments behind, Ian lay down on the bed. The distinctive soft yet uncomfortable sensation of a hotel bed gently enveloped his entire body. It did not feel bad.
“Phew……”
He wanted to smoke, but the smoking area was quite far away, so he gave up. He did have a portable ashtray, but there were other guests staying on the floor right above him. There was no need to stir up trouble by smoking at the window or in the bathroom.
‘Should I make this vacation a long one?’
Just a few weeks ago, Ian had taken several days off after completing the library commission. But in the process, he had been dragged to the hospital together with the heresy inquisitor and ended up getting involved with the Administration Bureau. In truth, it was hard to say he had gotten any proper rest.
His condition itself had not been that bad, so he had even accepted the cruise commission, but once it was over, both his mind and body had ended up fairly worn down.
That was only natural, considering the commission he had accepted thinking it would be simple had somehow involved a deranged cult and an Outer God from the Cthulhu Mythos. No matter how capable Ian was, he could not have solved it while grinning foolishly as easily as picking his nose. If that had been possible, he would have been raising hell long ago.
‘Magic isn’t some invincible power.’
Even if Ian were to meet the Eight-Foot Ghost—the anomaly he had first encountered—again now, it would be impossible to crush it with an overwhelming gap in strength. Whether then or now, he would still have to dodge its attacks and land effective blows.
It was true that he had more methods available to him, but the way he dealt with opponents had not changed. Even if he opened a grimoire and commanded, “Split in half and die,” there was no way the other party would just obediently listen.
Well, anyway.
Even if he had grown used to magic and accumulated quite a bit of experience, there was no need to force himself through an unreasonable schedule. For the time being, he should focus on resting.
Just as Ian thought that and gulped down a glass of cold water, the phone he had placed by the bed vibrated briefly.
Without much thought, he picked it up and checked it.
[Kim Iseo: Are you available for a call right now?]
Ian’s face stiffened slightly after reading the message.
Kim Iseo.
That was the name of the Administration Bureau agent he had encountered at the theme park and the hospital.
They had already exchanged names and even drawn up a contract, so it was not particularly strange for her to contact him.
It was not that late either. The sun had just set, and the streetlights had only just come on. It was the kind of hour too early to sleep and too late to begin any activity. Ian hesitated for a moment, then called the number the message had come from first.
Before the ringtone could even sound twice, the other party answered the call.
[Mage.]
A voice quite low for a woman flowed through the receiver’s speaker. Ian sat down on the sofa and replied.
“You contacted me rather late.”
[Something urgent came up at the Administration Bureau. Things have finally stabilized to a certain extent.]
“Something urgent?”
[One of the Grim Fairy Tales appeared in the provinces. It was a tale mixed from The Red Shoes and Cinderella, and there were quite a few victims, so it took some time to clean up. I apologize.]
It was not exactly something she needed to apologize for, but Ian knew it was just a formality, so he did not show much reaction. Kim Iseo, not seeming to mind either, continued in an even tone.
[The reason I contacted you was to inform you that the contract has been concluded without issue and to schedule your visit to the Administration Bureau headquarters building. Is there a time that would suit you?]
“A visit? Do I really need to?”
He had entered into a cooperative relationship with the Administration Bureau, but that did not mean he trusted them unconditionally.
Unless the Administration Bureau had gone insane, they would not openly stab him in the back, but the possibility that they would do something similar was more than abundant.
Of course, it could have been excessive paranoia. They might not have any particular thoughts, while he was shadowboxing all on his own. But if that could serve as the glue keeping his head from flying off, there was no reason to act complacently. It was always better to be overly careful about safety.
For the same reason, entering the Administration Bureau building was not exactly a good choice.
Fundamentally, Administration Bureau agents did not like mages.
If they were forced to choose between liking and disliking them, the overwhelming majority would choose dislike. There were more people who harbored resentment than those who were indifferent, so it was effectively no different from walking into a thorn thicket on his own two feet.
He understood their feelings. He had already heard that their favorability toward mages had hit rock bottom because of the spontaneous human combustion case and the confinement-room cursed doll case.
But understanding did not mean accepting.
Why should he have to bear resentment for something he had not even done himself? There were limits to how unfair something could be. Unfortunately, Ian was not magnanimous enough to accept such injustice with a smile.
‘Rather than going there for no reason and getting caught up in something dangerous, it’d be better to just handle cooperative commissions.’
Just as Ian’s expression hardened with that thought, Kim Iseo answered amid the scratch of what sounded like her writing something down.
[I know what you are concerned about. However, there is no need to worry.]
“You sound confident.”
[Because I am certain. There is no reason to be intimidated.]
Her tone softened a little.
[Administration Bureau agents are not fools. They will not go out of their way to provoke a mage they have agreed to cooperate with and cause trouble. To begin with, if an Administration Bureau employee provokes or criticizes a contracted mage, rather severe sanctions are imposed. In serious cases, they are dismissed after memory erasure.]
“……”
[This is a punishment intended for the mage’s sake as well, but more than that, it is a rule created to protect Administration Bureau agents. If a mage and an Administration Bureau agent clash, it is obvious who will die.]
At her calm voice, Ian gave a bitter smile.
Administration Bureau agents might be impressive, but most of them were ordinary people with no abilities at all. If a battle broke out with a mage who directly seized and wielded Mystery, there was no need to wonder whose head would fall first.
[So please rest assured. What you are worried about will absolutely not happen. To add one more thing, the other mages tend to come and go from the Administration Bureau building whenever they are bored. Of course, not all of them do, but about two of them occasionally spend time drinking coffee at the Administration Bureau café.]
“They’re eccentrics.”
[If even another mage sees them that way, then perhaps they are.]
After saying that, Kim Iseo paused briefly before adding one more thing.
[Visiting the Administration Bureau building does not mean your belongings will be inspected. You may bring your grimoire with you freely.]
If she went that far, Ian had no reason to refuse.
As it happened, he had no particularly urgent schedule. As long as his safety was secured, spending a day for the Administration Bureau did not seem like a bad idea.
If things went wrong, he could simply summon a creature of the outer sea. If he first distorted the structure of the Administration Bureau building with the Hand of Re-Creation and then released only a few Messengers, the Administration Bureau would fall into a state of emergency.
It would be best if such a thing did not happen, but just in case, he ran a simulation in his head. While doing so, he spoke.
“I’m planning to rest for a while, so I’m not taking on any commissions. This is just a visit.”
[……Understood.]
A disappointment she could not hide seeped into her voice.
Of course, he had no intention of taking back what he had said.
*
The next day, after resting comfortably at the hotel.
Ian rode his bike through the heart of Seoul. Following the entered address, the bike advanced on its own, adjusting its speed and direction.
‘Is it around here?’
Ian raised the visor of his helmet and looked around from atop the bike.
All he could see were buildings soaring as if they would pierce the sky.
It was the utterly ordinary sight of Seoul. However, somewhere in that forest of tall buildings, the Gyeonggi Branch of the Administration Bureau was hidden.
Just as the saying went that if one wanted to hide a tree, one should hide it in a forest, it seemed they had hidden the Administration Bureau building in a forest of buildings. If one called it obvious, then it was obvious, but it was still a reliable method. This was better than a huge building standing alone in a deserted mountain valley.
“Hmm.”
Gripping the bike’s handlebars, Ian headed toward the address marked on his phone’s navigation. A moment later, he stopped in front of a massive building.
Looking at the interior from the outside, it was an utterly ordinary company. People in suits were moving about beyond the windows, and employees carrying documents or coffee were busily running through the corridors.
In reality, it was not like that. The cognitive interference and distortion cast over the entire building were merely manipulating the scenery. The real view inside was probably far from that of an ordinary company.
He had already been told, so he was not flustered. Ian parked his bike in a nearby lot, shrank his helmet, and put it into his bag. He roughly folded his gloves together as well.
“……”
Adjusting the position of his coat, which had been ruffled by the wind, he walked toward the Administration Bureau building.
And the moment he arrived at the entrance.
“Ah, he’s here.”
A black-haired woman sitting on a nearby bench muttered as she looked at him. Ian’s steps came to an abrupt halt, and sensing his gaze on her, she smiled faintly.
“Handsome, but with a scary face. It’s you. Nice to meet you.”
She dropped the cup of cocoa she had been holding into the trash can and approached Ian. Then she held out one hand and said,
“I’m Kim Yul. I’m a mage, same as you.”