Chapter 22
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As soon as Jinseong appeared, Lee Serin, who had arrived at the dining room, ran over and looked him up and down. She looked him up and down, stared into his eyes, crouched down to look up at him, went up close enough for her nose to touch his body and glared at him.
Then she said:
"He looks the same from far away and up close."
Jinseong was confused by this behavior at first, but then saw the vague form of the demon turning its head towards Lee Serin and guessed the situation.
The demon must have said something.
The form was so blurry that at first glance, it looked like a landscape distorted by heat haze or water vapor. It was at a level where it couldn't be perceived if one didn’t pay attention, and even if they did, it couldn’t be perceived properly.
"Hey, he looks the same... Huh? That's not what you meant? No, I know... I just can't tell..."
All he could see was the form, and even that was only vaguely visible, so it was truly difficult to know its existence. In fact, in the past, Jinseong knew that Lee Serin had formed a pact with a demon, but he couldn't know what kind of demon it was or what it looked like.
Moreover, problems like World War III and the deterioration of his physical condition overlapped, making it difficult to meet with it even if he got into contact. It seemed almost as if the heavens didn't want them to meet.
Like begets like. As a small snake swims on the back of the eye, my eyes too will change like a snake.
A mercenary who had been his colleague once asked this question:
『 So you've never seen your adopted sister's demon? Aren't you curious? 』
That human who had been like a donkey full of curiosity kept shouting that he was curious and begged if Jinseong could go and see what the demon looked like now, at least. But at that time, he just brushed it off saying that if he couldn't see it then, he couldn't and he would just focus on sorcery.
If she had been in an accident or died, he would have made time to go look for her, but that wasn't the case, was it?
In the end, the people of this household lived well without incident until I died.
Jinseong muttered this inwardly and looked in Lee Serin’s direction with eyes altered with sorcery. As he gathered the symbolism possessed by snake eyes, the form of the demon that had been hiding itself while advising Lee Serin slowly began to appear.
The first thing that caught his eye was a red color reminiscent of rust on a lump of iron. This red color, which had a murky rust-like hue that wouldn't disappear no matter how much it was washed, looked like it wouldn’t shine under the sun and would be close to a deep red color in the dark.
And numerous stiff-looking hairs of this color covered the entire body densely like thorns, with long hair only on the camel's head and tail. Long strands like the hanging hair of a virgin ghost covered the entire head, making it look at first glance like a camel wearing a wig, and the hair on its tail moved up and down like a snake in gravity-defying ways despite being long and stiff.
The protruding humps pulsated slightly and emitted power as if filled with energy, and there was a golden tongue in the mouth that was opening to say something while looking towards Lee Serin.
And at the very top of the head sat an elaborately decorated golden crown.
I know what it is.
As soon as Jinseong saw this form, he realized what the name of the demon contracted with Lee Serin was.
A demon whose name differed depending on the culture.
In some places, Repena.
In some places, Gomori.
The most famous name was...
Gremory.
This demon, which had created numerous contractors in human history, was a transcendent being that only made women contractors. Women who made pacts with Gremory could obtain unimaginable wealth and strong power. This demon, said to be able to find all secrets and treasures, led the contractor's life in a positive direction.
It eliminated hunger by accumulating wealth and gave power to repel robbers with treasures.
It prevented grief over people around them dying in vain with the power of medicine and healing, and became a consistent, friendly life companion, so it could be said it was an existence unworthy of the name 'demon'.
Except for one drawback.
Beings who made pacts with demons are often lacking in something.
Like other transcendent beings, demons also had preferences.
Didn't people have preferences when raising pets too?
Some liked reptiles, some liked dogs, some liked cats, and so on.
They considered appearance, body size, length of fur.
Similarly, the type of human preferred by each transcendent being differed, and angels and demons tended to prefer humans who were lacking in something. This was because they liked to fill that lack with what they had.
Angels filled with affection and dependence.
Demons filled with their abilities.
Whichever it was, the contractor became happy.
The angel's contractor became happy by being subordinate to and dependent on the angel, and the demon's contractor became happy as their life became abundant with the demon's help.
Lee Serin would be happy too.
She was happy until the end even before he traveled back in time, and she would be happy in this life too.
The demon was a precious benefactor who sponsored for the contractor's happiness, and at the same time, a partner who stayed together for life.
"हूँ."
Jinseong canceled the magic and sat down. He rubbed his slightly stinging and dry eyes with his hands to create tears.
I have something to tell that guy.
Lee Serin, who had been talking with the demon for a while, seemed to have finished her conversation and sat opposite Jinseong, shifting her eyes around.
Whether it was because it was awkward to make eye contact with Jinseong, or because she was bothered by something Gremory had said, she kept looking at where Gremory was, looking at the door, lowering her head to look at the table, never looking straight ahead.
How much awkward time passed?
Clank.
"I'm here~ Oh? Only two of you?"
Someone came in.
It was Lee Arin, Lee Serin's twin with the exact same appearance. Unlike Lee Serin, who was neatly dressed despite it being breakfast, she came in her pajamas, only having washed her face without even thinking of combing her messy hair.
She looked like a lioness who had just woken up, sauntering in.
She walked lightly and sat next to Jinseong, then poked his shoulder.
"Hey, hey. Oppa, oppa."
When Jinseong turned his head, Lee Arin smirked.
"It feels like I haven't seen you in a long time? Huh?"
She said this while slightly averting her eyes.
"What are you so busy with that you're always out, staying out overnight, out again. I might forget your face at this rate, hm?"
Her grumbled words sounded like she might be picking a fight at first, but there was worry embedded in those words.
"And smelling of gold wherever you go, whatever you’ve been up to. It's good to make money, but, you know, right?"
With those final words, the dining room fell silent again. After saying that, Lee Arin turned her head abruptly, twirling her hair with one finger, and Jinseong had nothing particular to say so he remained quiet. In Lee Serin's case, whether it was because of the atmosphere of the dining room enveloped in silence or because it was awkward, she just kept her head down gloomily.
What broke this deathly silence was Lee Yanghoon and his wife and concubine. The trio of saviors broke the awkward atmosphere of the dining room and sat at the head of the table, and Lee Arin, who had been silent, spoke to Lee Yanghoon and her mother.
Then with the whole family gathered, the meal began.
And silence fell again.
It was a silence created by Lee Yanghoon's old-fashioned attitude that insisted unnecessarily on table manners, heavy and elaborate dishes that were hard to consider as breakfast, and expressed that talking during meals was ill-mannered. Because of this, everyone had to eat breakfast quietly while even being mindful of the clinking of utensils, and could only talk after the meal was over.
Lee Yanghoon, drinking the green tea that came with the dessert in his hand, said to Lee Serin and Lee Arin:
"I heard your placement was canceled."
"Yes..."
Lee Serin nodded at those words, while Lee Arin reacted casually, seeming rather pleased that the placement was canceled.
And Jinseong looked at the three of them curiously.
The placement was canceled?
The high school that the Lee Serin, Lee Arin sisters attended was Seoul Special High School for Supernatural Abilities.
This school, abbreviated as SSH (Seoul Special High), was a high school specializing in developing supernatural abilities. The curriculum of this school, which attracted many people who wanted to become stronger through summoning, magic, martial arts, etc., focused on individual development. This school, which provided education for strengthening individual combat power and supernatural abilities, naturally had a large proportion of field training.
They did activities that contributed to the world with their supernatural abilities, such as going to places where evil spirits appeared to subjugate them, helping to arrest criminals, and assisting with government work.
At this time, the two should have been scheduled for placement at the police department...
"Don't be disappointed. Rather, you should be grateful it happened in advance. If a violent crime had occurred during the placement, I would have been very worried."
"That... Yes..."
"The Patriotic Association said that it must have been an incredibly strong person. If you had encountered such a vicious criminal during your placement, you could have suffered greatly. It's a blessing in disguise that the placement was canceled."
Lee Arin's eyes sparkled at those words from Lee Yanghoon.
"Really? Those old dudes said that?"
"Hey! Watch your language! You haven't even reached the realm of first-class yet!"
"What?! Seriously, old man! At least buy me some spirit medicine if you're going to say that!"
"Spirit medicine should be used to break through walls! I told you it's dangerous to eat it carelessly!"
"Then at least give me some private lessons!"
"Well it’s difficult to have private lessons for the martial arts you've learned, isn’t it! Who told you to learn such martial arts..."
"Then buy me some tonic!"
"No... Sigh..."
Jinseong quietly watched their argument.
Patriotic Association, Patriotic Association.
What came to his mind was the letter made with blood.
They saw my letter. The Patriotic Association took the bait.