Chapter 33
A five-star hotel in Siberia, Russia. A building that had already been swallowed by an anomaly and become a haunted hotel itself,
Someone strode into the room, pushing open the door on the top floor.
A middle-aged man with snow-white hair and a clean-shaven face.
He was Eddie Howard, publicly known as the mage who controls anomalies. He yanked off the coat he had been wearing and glared at the man who had already been waiting in the hotel room.
“Monkey Dream was stolen.”
“…….”
“It appeared in Korea. But before long after showing up, it vanished completely. It's strangely fast for the Bureau's work.”
“Isn't the Korean Bureau famous for being competent? They're a lot better than that sluggish lot in China, or Russia here, which is practically left to rot.”
“Even so, they aren't good enough to pinpoint its location and hunt it down the moment an anomaly appears. There must be something else going on.”
With that, Eddie flopped down across from the man seated at the round table.
The blond, green-eyed man smiled faintly and held out a glass of wine to Eddie.
“Have a drink and calm down. You'll just age yourself.”
“...Hah, damn it.”
Eddie muttered a curse and gulped the wine down. Watching him, the man rested his chin on his hand.
“Still, Korea, huh... It ended up in quite an unusual place. There are a lot of weird organizations there.”
“I know that already. What kind of country is it, not even Britain, and yet it has a mage community, and even an exorcist group called 'Mudang'? The psychics are all tightly organized too.”
“Maybe they're just people with surprisingly good social skills. Or maybe they only banded together because they didn't want to get stabbed in the back.”
“They're nothing like neighboring Japan. There are weird ones there too, but the only ones you need to watch are the shrine maidens and the Bureau.”
“Can't be helped. More importantly, instead of just complaining about what's already happened, why don't we start talking about the plan?”
The man tapped his fingers on the table and smiled. Eddie felt the urge to stab that perpetually relaxed face with a knife, but he held it back and let out a long breath.
No matter what anyone said, the man before him was the leader of a mage organization and the owner of a grimoire from an Outer God. If he rushed in recklessly, there was a good chance he'd be killed instead.
[Mystery Apocalypse].
A grimoire capable of turning the targets he personally killed into mysteries. The theme parks that had opened around the world were also the result of his own handiwork.
The number of lives sacrificed in the process alone was overwhelming. His sightings in India and China were no coincidence.
“…….”
Right behind him, there was also an anomaly standing guard as if to protect him.
A headless female bodyguard with a book jammed into the place where her head should have been. Once human, she had at some point become a grimoire storage case, and was now glaring at Eddie with a gun in one hand and an eye in the other.
If he did anything foolish, he'd be killed before he could even do anything.
Naturally, Eddie had no intention of dying yet. He unclenched his fist and lifted his wineglass before speaking.
“...What plan are you talking about?”
“You know. I provide you with a mystery, you use it to grow, and then you do one thing I ask of you. Wasn't that our contract?”
“...Would you normally call that a plan?”
“Well, it's part of the big picture I'm drawing. Anyway, it seems clear the first step of that plan has gone wrong.”
The man took a sip of wine and looked at Eddie.
“Since we stupidly blew one chance, for the time being we'll have to focus on making more anomalies grow again. What should I provide you this time? Should I just hear the conditions and randomly toss one out like last time? Give you that gacha dopamine hit?”
“...Fine. Give me one that's easy to control, but still has plenty of room to grow. And I'd like one that only appears in a limited number of countries.”
“Hmm... Sure. I'll sort through them and send you one. Just make sure you don't end up getting killed instead.”
The man smiled faintly as he said that.
“All right, then. Time to settle accounts. In exchange for handing over one mystery and its control, you'll have to carry out one of my orders.”
“…….”
Eddie pressed his lips together and glared at the man. The man didn't care either way. After a moment of thought, he slowly parted his lips.
“Ah, this should work. Lately the grimoire keeps spouting strange things. Something about the one called Reconstruction of All Things finding a suitable candidate, or the Lord of the Outer Sea dropping a grimoire onto Earth. That sort of thing.”
“…….”
“Both of those entities are Outer Gods, you know? So bring me information on where the grimoires they wrote are, as well as information about their owners. I'll give you plenty of time.”
“...Even though you already have a grimoire of an Outer God, you're still coveting another one?”
“Haha, what a thing to ask.”
The man tilted his head and smiled gently.
“If something needs to be dealt with, it ought to be dealt with properly.”
*
The Vatican, the tiny city-state in Italy.
A tiny independent country ruled by the Pope, home to the Holy See that oversees churches around the world.
Outwardly, it was little more than an ordinary religious holy land, but they too were undeniably beings who had stepped into Mystery. Their nature had changed, but the name 'inquisitor' was still being used against Mysteries.
Even aside from that, the inquisitors of the present also handled the job of exterminating those who consorted with Mysteries or had fallen to corruption.
They were all bound together by extremely solemn doctrine and faith, so most of them were no different from logs stuck fast from end to end.
However, exceptions exist wherever you go.
“Mmm... ”
Cecilia Capone.
A devout believer and inquisitor who had been exposed to Mystery since birth and raised inside the Vatican her whole life.
She lightly ignored the alarm for morning prayer and pulled the blanket over her head. Her tiny body curled up on the bed like a cat.
She had just finished handling a werewolf hidden in Italy until dawn. Fatigue was still pressing down on her whole body, gnawing at her eyelids. In other words, she needed more sleep.
What prayer? In this state, she was obviously going to nod off and get hit for it, so did she really need to go?
So she was bailing.
Naturally.
Her creed was that when you rested, you should rest thoroughly.
“Hey, Capone!”
But the devout Catholics wouldn't let her lie there in peace.
“Get up, you lazy cat-bitch!”
Federica, her roommate and a woman famous for her thick, earthy profanity, yanked Cecilia's blanket away and shoved a hand under her armpits to hoist her up.
“Ugh...”
Cecilia struggled, but Federica ignored her and shook her up and down without mercy.
“You have to show up for morning prayer, you idiot! You'll end up getting on the archbishop's bad side, you know?”
“He already did... He said he'd shove me into the confessional again if I don't pray before meals...”
“Then why are you lying around here?!”
“I'm tired...”
At Cecilia's words, Federica let out a long sigh and glanced at her habit.
It was basically a black inquisitor uniform modified for easier movement, but even that couldn't hide the bloodstains. Beneath Cecilia's clothes, torn to shreds and soaked in blood, a dark red pool had formed.
It was proof that the battle at dawn had been anything but easy. If she hadn't had regenerative abilities, she'd have been reduced to a bloody pulp and eaten by the werewolf long ago.
“...Haa.”
In the end, Federica set Cecilia down and let out a deep sigh.
Cecilia's regenerative ability was impressive, yes, but it wasn't a power that manifested for free. It basically required a massive amount of calories, and once those ran out, it would start using her life force as fuel.
Fortunately, since she was just looking exhausted instead of wheezing, it seemed her life force hadn't been touched yet, but it was still clear she'd had it rough.
“Mm...? Federica...?”
Cecilia rubbed her eyes and looked up at Federica, who had suddenly fallen silent. Federica let out one more sigh and planted her fist on the top of Cecilia's head.
“Eek!”
Perhaps because she'd landed a fairly hard one, Cecilia gave out a weird scream. Either way, Federica left the dorm for morning prayer after leaving her parting words.
“Cardinal Giorgio was looking for you. Seems it's about an assignment, so if you're not going to morning prayer, go there first.”
“...Giorgio? That weird-looking old man?”
“Yeah, that old man. If you strike another weird pose in front of that cardinal, I'll confiscate all your manga, so keep that in mind.”
“...Gold Experi—”
“Shut up.”
Click, thunk!
Federica shut the door and left. Cecilia yawned and went into the bathroom to wash up quickly.
After drying her hair with a dryer and putting only sunscreen on her face, she put on her blood-soaked habit and left.
Perhaps because it was morning prayer time, there weren't many people in the Vatican corridors. Thanks to that, she was able to reach Giorgio's office without anyone getting in her way.
Knock, knock.
She knocked on the door.
“This is Cecilia Capone. May I come in?”
“……Come in.”
As soon as she heard the reply, she opened the door and went inside.
Giorgio, who had just been tapping away at a laptop, stared at her with an incredulous expression.
“...Why are you here now? What about morning prayer?”
“I was tired...”
“Even so, you should still attend morning prayer. Shouldn't we beg Him once more to protect us now that a new day has dawned?”
“...I'll go later. But you didn't go either, did you, Cardinal?”
“I was up before dawn... No, let's leave that aside. Sit down first.”
She did.
Giorgio poured some instant coffee from the office and handed it to Cecilia.
“Devil's swill...”
“Don't say such blasphemous things.”
He took a sip of coffee and slid one sheet of paper across the table. Cecilia lapped at the coffee like a cat while skimming the document.
[Grimoire Tracking.]
The title written at the very top of the document was that. The contents below were an assignment order telling her to head to Korea, since a prophecy had been received about a new Outer God's grimoire,
Cecilia stared at Giorgio with wide eyes.
“...Am I being sent to Korea as punishment?”
“No, is that the important part? An Outer God's grimoire has appeared in Korea.”
Giorgio gave a dry laugh and tapped the document with his finger.
“The order is to track it first, figure out the owner's nature, and decide on disposal at your own discretion.”
“...I'm not supposed to kill them?”
“Make that decision yourself and come to a conclusion.”
“I'm not good at that sort of thing...”
“I know. But the conclusion was that being vague like this is actually better. So go to Korea and, with the help of the Catholics there, track down the grimoire's owner. Whether you befriend them or turn hostile, that's entirely up to you.”
It was a heavy mission, to the point where she wondered if it was really something that could be handled this haphazardly.
But if the prophets and oracle voices of the Holy See said so, then so be it. They were the kind who were wrong more often than the weather service, but they did get it right now and then. Cecilia had no veto.
Still, separate from that, there was one problem.
“...But I don't know Korean.”
Cecilia was a native of Italy. She could speak a little English, but she didn't know any other language at all.
Giorgio knew that too. So he smiled kindly, took a book from the shelf, and held it out to Cecilia.
[Let's Study Together! Basic Korean Learning Playground!]
[785 pages]
Out came a book that was neither basic nor remotely playground material.
When Cecilia looked at Giorgio as if asking what it was, he took a sip of coffee and answered.
“You leave in a week. Memorize the basic greetings and such by then.”
“...You want me to study? I only finished middle school. I dropped out of high school.”
“That was because you didn't want to... ahem, wasn't it because you quit after deciding you didn't want to study? Now that you're an adult, you should study again. Life is all about constant learning. So.”
Giorgio smiled and folded his hands together.
“Do it.”
“…….”
Cecilia felt like crying.
*
About two hours after entering the officetel building, Ian had succeeded in getting rid of everything except the few ghosts he needed.
He had deliberately left two ghosts behind.
One was a security guard who attacked intruders, and the other was an elevator ghost. Unlike the other ghosts, which did more harm than good, these two at least had their uses.
The security guard ghost went without saying. If an intruder or robber ever came from outside, it would step in immediately and exact revenge.
The elevator ghost wasn't much. It desperately touted its ability to automatically press whatever button he wanted without him having to do it himself, so he accepted it. It probably had other tricks too, but for now that was enough.
“All right, let's be good.”
Ian patted the shoulders of the two shivering ghosts and went into the contracted room to inspect the inside.
It was a remarkably good room. Spacious, and it was clear it had been kept fairly clean. Ian nodded in satisfaction and told the ghosts.
“From now on, don't come out unless it's for the work you were assigned. Got it?”
Nod, nod.
The two ghosts nodded furiously.
That settled the room-hunting. Ian smoked a cigarette in the officetel's smoking area and took a taxi home.
And then, the next day.
When he woke up early in the morning, there was a message waiting for him.
[Boss: Ian, the convenience store's been rebuilt! Let's go to work!]
“Ah.”
Ian scratched his tousled hair and sat up in bed.
Come to think of it, hadn't he said he was quitting?
It seemed he'd have to deal with this first.