The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 41

“How is this even possible?”

On my way to meet Jin So-yul, I looked up at the third-year building, now fully restored as if nothing had happened.

“Puhuhu, the fox orb is something that only a fox yokai filled with divine power can possess. Anything broken can be repaired with it, as long as the fox orb isn’t used for destruction.”

Yomi chuckled, crossing her arms. Fresh from lunch, she appeared in her manifested form as Seol Ha-na.

“If it’s such an incredible item, why didn’t you use it to fix the restroom before?”

“Hmph, in a state lacking spiritual energy, it’s impossible to even summon the orb. Moreover, I wouldn’t waste my precious fox orb on something as trivial as fixing a restroom!”

“Of course. You are truly remarkable.”

I waved my hand dismissively at Yomi. Thanks to her, I avoided any disputes with Seo Geum-bi, so I let her bask in her glory for now.

‘Though public attention has shifted to the missing person case regardless.’

Everyone’s focus was on the man who had gone missing and was recently found.

Due to the barrier disrupting the CCTV, people were frantically searching for the man’s whereabouts, who had been found unconscious in a classroom.

[Breaking News: One of the hunter team members who went missing while carrying out a rescue mission last February was found unconscious at a school last night.]

The media and school officials were buzzing with news about it.

Fortunately, Babel’s intervention prevented a flood of journalists, so only a small investigation team was allowed on campus. This helped divert attention away from us, for which I was grateful.

“I wonder if she’s okay.”

Carefully, I opened the infirmary door, just in case Jin So-yul hadn’t woken up yet.

“Hiyaaa!”

Just who I should be worried about.

The first thing I heard was a loud, piercing shout.

“Judging by what you’re doing, seems like you’re fine.”

“…Senior, what are you doing?”

“Oh, Ha-baek and Ha-na!”

Jin So-yul was standing on the bed, vigorously doing squats. For a second, I mistook her for Han Yu-seong.

“They say a sound mind resides in a sound body, right? Regular exercise is essential to keep the body sound.”

“But why are you doing it on the infirmary bed…? Ah, I got sucked in.”

“Uht-cha!”

Jin So-yul energetically jumped off the bed.

“I’m going out now.”

“Going out? Shouldn’t you rest a bit more?”

“There’s no rest in Jin So-yul’s dictionary!”

Despite her declaration, Jin So-yul staggered and plopped back onto the bed.

“Senior!”

“Oh, that’s strange…”

I quickly supported Jin So-yul. Judging by her expression, she seemed quite surprised herself.

“Stop pretending to be tough. Didn’t you have something you wanted to tell us?”

Yomi stood silently, looking down at Jin So-yul without a hint of agitation. Jin So-yul smiled awkwardly at Yomi’s provocation.

“Hehe, to be honest, I do feel a bit dizzy. But I really need to go out.”

“Is there something you’re stubbornly holding on to?”

Jin So-yul nodded silently. Then, she pulled out a small talisman from her pocket and handed it to me.

The small talisman was encased in a plastic protective cover that looked like it came from a tourist shop. Though well preserved, the signs of age were apparent.

“This is a gift from my mom. Well, I’m not exactly sure if she really was my mom.”

“What do you mean?”

In the original storyline, little is revealed about Jin So-yul besides being an occult enthusiast.

What Jin So-yul was about to share was something I had never heard before. Her expression seemed somewhat sad.

“I actually grew up in an orphanage.”

Jin So-yul scratched her cheek.

“The head of the orphanage told me that a young woman left me there as a baby and asked to pass this on to me.”

Jin So-yul clutched the talisman tightly and held it close to her chest.

“So, your obsession with the occult until now…”

“Yeah. According to the head, the woman was wearing clothes that shamans wear. So, I thought I might be able to find traces of my mom.”

This explains Jin So-yul’s fixation on occult elements… To think that such a lively person had such a secret. As I was pondering what to say,

“That’s ridiculous. Just because you share blood, you’re desperately searching for the mother who abandoned you?”

Yomi was the first to speak.

But her eyes showed not sympathy, but rather contempt and disgust.

“Do you think she’ll be happy to know you’ve been searching for her?”

Yomi let out a scornful laugh.

Her words were sharp and full of thorns. I didn’t stop Yomi because I knew she was the one who was the most similar to Jin So-yul.

‘The crippled fox…’

A fox cub, abandoned by its pack due to its inability to use its legs from birth, grew into a powerful yokai filled with bitterness. Both Yomi and Jin So-yul, having been abandoned by their blood relatives, share a striking similarity.

“Ha-na, you might be right. Trying to find the person who abandoned me might be a foolish act.”

Jin So-yul nodded with a sorrowful expression.

“Still, I want to know. And I want to ask them why they left me.”

Jin So-yul’s resolute gaze met Yomi’s. Yomi seemed momentarily taken aback by her determination but then scratched her head in frustration.

“Humans… I just can’t understand them.”

Yomi extended her hand towards Jin So-yul.

“Give it here.”

“Huh?”

“The talisman.”

Without questioning why, Jin So-yul hurriedly handed over the talisman. Yomi grasped it tightly in her fist and closed her eyes.

“Here, take it back.”

After returning the talisman to Jin So-yul, Yomi turned away cynically.

“Not many can make such a talisman. You might find something if you look into the Jin shaman family.”

“Really? How did you know?”

“I’ve seen one like it somewhere before.”

Yomi brushed off further explanation with vagueness. She added no more to the conversation. Jin So-yul, looking at the returned talisman, smiled broadly.

“Thank you, Ha-na!”

“Ugh, let go of me!”

Jin So-yul hugged Yomi tightly, rubbing her cheek against hers. Yomi struggled to break free, but in terms of pure strength, she couldn’t escape Jin So-yul.

‘But Jin So-yul’s parents are already…’

I recalled something Yomi had said in the past.

“The wicked shaman of the Jin family (家) who trapped me in the shrine! I heard she died without any descendants.”

I wasn’t sure who had told Yomi that, but if it were true, should I really let Jin So-yul continue searching for her mother?

‘Should I tell Jin So-yul?’

Yomi hadn’t informed her.

Or perhaps, it wasn’t necessary to tell her just yet.

“So, what about going out today?”

“Oh, I’ll postpone looking for my mother’s traces. Actually, I’m worried about that man, so I wanted to visit him.”

Jin So-yul’s expression turned sympathetic.

“I’m worried he might be in pain.”

“The news said he’s still unconscious.”

Tears welled up in Jin So-yul’s eyes. But she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve and continued speaking in a brave voice.

“It’s okay. Even just seeing his face would be enough.”

I pondered for a moment.

‘She does remember yesterday’s events after all.’

I had wondered if she might have forgotten, but Jin So-yul clearly remembered what happened yesterday.

“Senior, can I come with you?”

“Huh? I guess that’s fine…”

I decided it was better to keep an eye on Jin So-yul’s condition nearby. I was also concerned that another infected creature might appear.

“Ha-na, you’re okay with it too, right?”

“Hmph, like I have any choice. I can’t stray far from you anyway, can I?”

“Hehe, looks like our Ha-na is quite the Oppa fan.”

“…Do you want to die?”

At Yomi’s response, Jin So-yul chuckled.

“Then I’ll stop by the dormitory and head straight for the main gate. Let’s meet at the main gate in 30 minutes!”

“Understood. We’ll then…”

As I was about to lead Yomi out of the infirmary,

“…Hey.”

Jin So-yul called out to us.

I glanced back without turning my head fully.

“Are ghosts truly real?”

Her question seemed to be laden with various emotions. I struggled to find a proper response, but nothing suitable came to mind.

“If you believe they are, then they must exist somewhere, right?”

After all, I’m typically not one for words.

“Yeah, thanks.”

With Jin So-yul’s grateful smile behind us, we quietly left the infirmary.

‘It’s a relief to see her perk up.’

Should I consider that a weight has been lifted from my shoulders?

If I had ignored Jin So-yul’s advice yesterday and annihilated the infected creature, we might never have learned that it could hold the key to curing the C-Virus.

“Thanks, Yomi.”

I glanced sideways at Yomi.

Yomi making her own judgment to subtly inform Jin So-yul was a big help—it saved me the trouble of having to explain things directly.

“I realized after touching the talisman earlier.”

Yomi sighed softly as if there was more she wanted to say.

“Have you never noticed anything strange about that girl?”

“Strange? Like what?”

Yomi twirled her index finger.

“Even though she’s sensitive to spiritual energy and could sense my presence, she couldn’t fully perceive it. My magic didn’t affect her, yet she could interact with spirits.”

“Now that you mention it…”

Indeed, there were quite a few odd things when I thought about it.

She didn’t seem to see spirits clearly but could sense their presence. Yomi’s magic didn’t work on her, but she could land effective blows on Baek-ah with her bare hands.

It was as if she were both oblivious to and aware of spiritual presences, a contradiction.

“So, the cause lies in the talisman?”

“Yes.”

Yomi nodded.

“Typically, a talisman can only hold one wish—like warding off disasters or banishing evil spirits. But the Jin family, which sealed me, is exceptional.”

Yomi crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

“That talisman not only contains wishes to destroy evil and promote good, but it also gradually weakens the owner’s spiritual senses. That’s why that girl could only half-open her spiritual eyes.”

“Wait, if it weakens spiritual senses over time, what happens if she keeps carrying it?”

“Hm.”

Yomi rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“In a few years, she might entirely lose her spiritual abilities. It seems her mother wanted to forcibly strip her of those abilities.”

“Lose her abilities in just a few years?”

This isn’t good. If Jin So-yul really loses her spiritual abilities, it could hinder our efforts against the C-Virus.

‘Wait, now that I think about it…’

A question suddenly arose in my mind. Chronologically, Jin So-yul’s mother’s death would have happened after Yomi was sealed by the three shaman families.

Yomi should have been sealed in the shrine all this time, so how did she know about Jin So-yul’s mother dying young?

“Yomi, who told you that Jin So-yul’s mother had passed away?”

“If not you, who else could it be?”

Yomi snorted dismissively.

Then, out of Yomi’s mouth came an unexpected name.

“Your father.”