Chapter 218

Lee Yeon-woo was faintly aware of the possibilities his body held, and his position on the matter was this.

'Then I ought to research it.'

An exceedingly sound and natural conclusion.

One day, after all the Human Guests had left and he was clearing up the hotel's various affairs, Lee Yeon-woo researched his own blood with the resolve of 'carving his name into the history of medicine.' Something a little different from the earlier 'talisman' —

he had researched a kind of 'medicine.'

"By way of, an excuse."

Rarely, Lee Yeon-woo avoided Seome's gaze.

"As the child was fated to be offered to the 'Fox Den' before long, she could not be saved by ordinary means."

"I wasn't saying anything in particular."

"Your gaze was strong."

"I wondered whether we were getting new family."

Seome tilted her head.

"And when that family turns out to be a child from my own home region, I can't help taking an interest."

"I did use a method similar to the one that saved you, Miss Seome, but she is not bound to me as strongly as you are."

"Mm, I don't quite get the feel of it."

"If I must liken it to a human relationship, it would be about the level of a child adopted by the eighth cousin of an in-law."

At which the 'Drenched One,' who had been listening quietly, asked,

"Then isn't she a stranger?"

"I have been saying she is a stranger from the start, and 'the eighth cousin of an in-law' is an expression Koreans commonly use."

"In that case it is a level too shameful to call a contract."

Apparently the Water Wraith was satisfied. Her face said that if Lee Yeon-woo picked up some other strange thing somewhere and brought it home calling it a contract holder, she would make a proper scene of it. Lee Yeon-woo was left dumbfounded.

"Do you wish to keep a child that small in check?"

"As I have said again and again, I include children, so I may."

"I was well aware you had no conscience, but it grows more serious by the day."

"How is this a matter of conscience? It is a matter of survival. From of old, the first child regards the second as a rival the moment its parents bear it, and watches for a chance to kill it."

"Are you not viewing sibling relations far too cruelly?"

By this point he had not even the energy for the commonsense rebuttal of 'I am not a parent and you are not my child.'

'Since a contract in this world is said to be a kind of rite of becoming family to begin with, invoking common sense will only put me at a disadvantage.'

Lee Yeon-woo resigned himself with practiced ease.

"Through that influence there is a part of her connected to me to some degree, but at a level so faint as to be nonexistent, so I simply chose 'not to look.' She appeared short on nourishment, and filling that was all I did."

"Grace, one might say."

The old vampire went on as though it galled him.

"To receive and serve Sacred Blood bestowed directly by a god — how fortunate she is."

"I believe I have warned you any number of times not to say it that way; it is mortifying."

"So — are you saying you will go out again?"

"As my body is one that is influenced by the 'Fox Den,' I thought it might take some time. I mean to be back as fast as I can, but it is also true that the child is looking for me."

It did not seem her life was under immediate threat, but she appeared to be wandering the Fox Den alone. That was how it felt to Lee Yeon-woo through the connected 'blood.'

[Sixth Sense]

'A young believer is searching for you in the fox's belly.'

'"Fox God."'

'"One who lost the way has returned to the god."'

'"Bestow upon me the grace of the right path."'

'A young believer is searching for you in the fox's belly.'

'"Fox God."'

'"One who lost the way has returned to the god."'

'"Bestow upon me the grace of the right path."'

"……."

In this fashion.

"It seems she came to the 'Fox Den' again deliberately in search of me, and as it is a matter I set my hand to, I ought to be the one to resolve it. I have told you in order to ask your understanding."

"It is no concern of mine, but."

The old vampire rolled his eyes drily and added,

"Matters seem to be turning somewhat awkwardly."

"Is there some further problem?"

"A strong presence is drifting about the 'Fox Den.'"

"A strong presence?"

"It does not look particularly benign."

The vampire asks with a curling smile,

"As it happens, there are disciples I have set to hibernate in the mountain."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Will you use them?"

"I said, have you lost your mind."

What was he supposed to do with that information now?

***

"What happens if one ingests a part of a god?"

"Well I'll be, fuck."

Dan-cheong looked at Section Chief Yun as though seeing something grotesque.

"What sort of thing is that to say while the Director is writing her letter of reflection?"

"It's normally called an incident report. I heard secondhand from the Chief of Staff that you went to see the Tarot member and ended up hauled to head office one more time."

"Head office has no flexibility at all, really. They won't hear a word a person says."

"Which is why — whatever possessed you to go and meet a Dokkaebi of that size one-on-one? Native Dokkaebi in name only; in practice there'd be little difference from a foreign breed."

"Tch. This is why there's no talking to desk-players."

The remark pointed at head office as well as at Section Chief Yun.

"Those Seoul sharpers. You've got to distinguish native from foreign-bred, and instead it's grumble, grumble…."

"The one grumbling right now appears to be you, Director."

"Head office has gone plenty stagnant~ The old days had romance to them, and they were good."

Dan-cheong bobbed her head.

"So what's the fearsome question in aid of?"

"I read the report you shared with the section chiefs, Director."

Section Chief Yun held out the papers and pointed to one spot.

"Here — there's an account of a red bead."

"There is."

"At the time it's described in the form of a 'talisman,' but after reading the report I studied the material on blood magic. There were cases where, the higher-ranking the blood mage, the more their blood was used as poison or as medicine."

"Aha."

Dan-cheong scratched the side of her head with her fountain pen and leaned back in her chair.

"So you were curious how a poison or a medicine made from the 'blood god's' blood would manifest? Section Chief Yun has an unexpected streak of curiosity about this field."

"There's a record of a 'talisman' being given to a civilian too, and isn't it exactly the right size to swallow? Fortunately, in this case the civilian seems to have followed instructions well, but…."

"I understand the worry, but your Director doesn't know that far either."

She spun the fountain pen between her fingers.

"Velmareth is a being out of legend to begin with. To make an irreverent comparison, it's like a being out of scripture. They say it existed in the beginning, but only a high-ranking blood mage would know exactly what sort of being that was."

Only,

"Guesses can still be made."

"Guesses…."

"How many 'gods' are there in the Gaps?"

"I understand they're classified into roughly four."

Transcendent beings far beyond the human dimension and human common sense. Vast divine spirits wrought by the Earth's great nature, or by history. Recognition Species that hold absolute initiative and have been granted the name of god.

And last, humans off the standard scale, born artificially and come to usurp the domain of the divine.

"In the case of the 'blood god,' I understand it belongs to the artificially made gods. Correspondingly there's a great deal of information only blood mages can access, and I'm told the known cases are few."

"But can't you guess from the cases of other 'gods'? In the end, eating part of a mysterious being is 'a dangerous gamble that forcibly mixes another's soul and causality into your own body.'"

Dan-cheong tapped the desk with the fountain pen and added,

"But that's when it's ingested without proper 'consideration.'"

"Then would this case of the 'blood god' be somewhat different?"

"That one was probably dangerous, being in the form of a 'talisman.'"

She set the fountain pen down on the desk entirely.

"Only, that Dokkaebi is remarkably fond of humans. His understanding is high, and he has practical knowledge too."

"Come to think of it, the 'blood god' is broadly a kind of blood mage as well, so it's natural enough that his understanding of the human body would be high. All the more if he's using a vessel in human form as though it were his own."

"Meaning he has the will and the capacity to show a human 'proper consideration' and 'goodwill.'"

Dan-cheong shrugged her thin shoulders.

"Mind you, one of the 'blood god's' rank could simply subordinate a person as a believer outright. But he lacks the awareness that he is a being of that order, so in many ways it'll differ from the usual cases of a 'god.'"

"In that case — could he actually make a 'proper medicine'?"

"The effect would be bloody outstanding, but roughly, aye."

The Dokkaebi called 'Lee Yeon-woo' whom she had seen for herself respected and loved humans exactly as they were. He would surely adjust so as not to twist their form badly even by accident.

"What's it called — the blood mages in the old Sensitivity Bureau were mostly doctors. Or pharmacists. So long as they don't cross the line far enough to become vampires, there's no rear guard so dependable."

"You're hoping that Dokkaebi becomes that kind of rear guard."

"If not, would I be busting my fucking arse like this? Aigo, I'm dying~ Those fuckers at head office, really. The head Director himself is sitting still, so why are they the ones throwing a fit first, a fit."

"You work hard."

"Anyway."

Dan-cheong looked at Section Chief Yun again.

"You don't cross the line either."

"……."

"I know you hate Dokkaebi. Native won't make much difference. But you need to know this too — of the bastards who approach a Dokkaebi meaning to use it to their own taste, not one has ended well."

Section Chief Yun dropped her head. Seeing that, Dan-cheong went on quietly.

"Why — did you think you could make use of him?"

"I'm sorry."

"A young Dokkaebi, a native one, so he looked easy?"

"I thought wrongly."

"If you're going to hate them without distinguishing native from foreign-bred, then you'd better also know both are equally dangerous beings. Section Chief Yun — do ordinary people see a typhoon coming and think to pen it up and run a wind turbine off it?"

It was nonsense.

"What the Sensitivity Bureau has to do is keep such calamities from leading to the worst. No more, no less — let's just dodge the worst, hm? And instead of anything else, you set your sights on a blood mage's Core?"

"Since he was friendly, I was… curious whether a transaction might be possible."

"Well, I think well of the fellow."

Dan-cheong murmured.

"Because the positive influence outweighs the harm his mere existence gives."

It would be a lie to say no private feeling, no thin pity, was mixed in besides. But for Gangwon Director Dan-cheong it was neither more nor less than that.

"Because beyond being a less dangerous calamity, he's a calamity with room to be of help. Because one can try speaking to him. Because that lets me gauge, even a little, how that calamity will come at us from here on — that's why I like him."

Because he is useful, and if handled well, exploitable.

"Which is why I mean to build a friendly relationship in advance."

"My greed went too far."

"Knowing it is enough."

Dan-cheong scratched vigorously at her head.

"Damn things. My head's already splitting because those hardliner fuckers at head office won't listen to a word, and now the ones under me are throwing fits too."

"I'm sorry."

"Do the others hold the same opinion?"

"There's talk of whether a trade relationship couldn't be formed, if he's a Dokkaebi one can talk to that well. That in the end, if we're going to use him as 'ours,' isn't it much the same…."

"That fellow isn't simply a native Dokkaebi."

Dan-cheong squared up the papers to be sent to head office, tapping them, and went on.

"He's half native, and the rest is Recognition Species. Don't you know you mustn't touch one that's subordinate to a Labyrinth?"

"I've heard one must not intervene carelessly because it tangles the 'play.'"

"That's right. One slip and we get offered up. You mad things."

That was a matter separate from the goodwill the Dokkaebi showed.

"So leave him be, hm? He's a newborn Labyrinth, five years old just now. And a rare breed with a native Dokkaebi mixed in, at that. What are you proposing to do to a newborn who's only just begun groping his way around the human world?"

"Even so, surely not a newborn…."

"He's a young divine spirit who can't so much as manage a name of his own. He must be left alone until he's mastered his authority and settled his own position toward the human world. Watch the sprout, and if it rots, cut it off then — that's all."

It was not yet the time to touch him. Neither to extend a hand nor to take his head.

"It's the time for putting the kid-lock on, understand?"

"Kid-lock…."

"For now it's enough just to build a good impression of our side. Long after, when that young thing has firmed up its position and can wield its power, then opening a channel for a trade would be fine."

"I understand what you mean."

Section Chief Yun cleared her throat.

"You're saying we raise him as a human-friendly Dokkaebi."

"An opportunity like this won't come again. Never mind me — wait until the head Director croaks, and do you think a rare breed like this will turn up again? Not a chance. If he goes through puberty and his character comes out crooked, how are you going to answer for it?"

"That really would be a calamity…."

A native Dokkaebi, and a Recognition Species born of the Foundation's last death throes, and on top of that a divine spirit who was Velmareth besides. If a mysterious being like that came to bear ill will toward humans… the end of it did not need to be seen.

"Then there must certainly be those saying we should cut the sprout before that happens."

"Aigo, fuck, you'll have twigged it — that's the hardliners' position right now. We're fucked. The Earth's last day isn't far off, is what it is. Do you get now why your Director is busting her fucking arse like this?"

"I have been truly discourteous."

Bowing politely from the waist, Section Chief Yun added,

"I wish you well in your overtime, Director."

"Well now, look at this brat. Is that a thing to say to a superior?"

"Shall I make you a coffee?"

"Quit your nonsense and go settle the youngsters."

Dan-cheong clicked her tongue.

"I'll have to see what tricks the head office lot are playing."

Lately, the movements had been a little strange.

***

Within the shadow of a tree.

"One who lost the way has returned to the god."

"……."

"Bestow upon me the grace of the right path…."

There was a gaze watching the child.

***

It was a night when white fog, thick enough that one could not tell one direction from another, had swallowed the mountain whole. In a darkness heavy enough to seem graspable if she reached out, the chill damp wet the child's cheeks.

Each time she set down a foot the fallen leaves crushed and made a sound, but the child did not stop walking.

"One who lost the way has returned to the god."

The frail voice spread out beyond the fog and presently sank into the cold air. A strange silence followed, as though the entire mountain were holding its breath to eavesdrop on the child's voice.

"Bestow upon me the grace of the right path."

"Fox God, one who lost the way has returned to the god."

"Fox God…."

Oaks that soared as if to pierce the sky looked down at the child like enormous monsters, and the cry of some unidentifiable mountain beast lay low in the distance.

"……."

Biting her lip once, hard, the child opened her mouth again.

"Bestow upon me the grace of the right path."

An eerie chill climbed her spine and her body trembled finely, but the child did not stop her prayer, reciting it like an incantation.

"Fox God, one who lost the way—"

At that very moment, wind gusted as though an enormous beast had exhaled, and the fog split to either side. At the sudden chill the child's breath caught. Without meaning to, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"……!"

When she opened her eyes carefully, a pair of faint golden lights wavered in the gap of the parted fog.

"……."

"……."

As that light — like a beast's gaze, or like a Dokkaebi flame — drew quietly closer, something other than fear, an unaccountable relief, began to fill the child's eyes.

The child looked up at the man who had arrived before her with soundless steps. From the black hem of the man's clothes came the scent of deep night fog and grass.

"…Fox God."

At that call, the man slowly folded up the corners of his eyes and smiled. The corners of his mouth, curving in an arc, were uncannily like a fox's. The child's heart pounded.

'He really came.'

A face pale and drained of blood, hair dark as though it held the night sky, and the golden sun penned within black irises. Everything was exactly as the child remembered.

The child approached the Fox God, who had held out a hand.

"Fox, Fox God. God…."

"……."

"God, the grace—"

Just then,

"Ah."

SPLASH — and

blood spattered across her face.

"Ah…?"

"……."

THUD, roll, roll—….

The Fox God's head fell to the ground.

"Fox, God…."

"Child."

"……."

"What are you doing here."

Beyond the collapsed form of the Fox God, a man standing with the moon at his back was looking down at the child. He was a man whose impression held not a trace of vitality, calling to mind white ash left after firewood has burned away.

In his hand was held a large blade.

"They call me Lee Yeon-ho."

His gaze toward the child was dry, without a single point of warmth.

"……."

"Shall I see you home, or…."

Between the two of them, crimson blood pools underfoot.

"Would you rather be offered into the fox's belly, as befits a cultist?"

He seemed as though he would 'respect' even that.