The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 50

The first weekend after the exams.

I sat by the bus window, lost in thought as the scenery rushed past.

“Finally getting to breathe some fresh air.”

Typically, I’d be holed up in the training room or the library, but this was my first time leaving the school grounds. Although Babel is essentially a boarding school, students are free to go out or stay outside on weekends.

‘I never really had a reason to leave until now…’

I glanced to my side. There on the seat was a black crossbody bag I’d bought at the convenience store.

“Wonder if there’s anything like this at home…”

Inside the bag were pieces of the Sain-gum I had broken.

In reality, I had rested for two minutes after Cheon Tae-seong passed through and then spent the remaining three minutes frantically gathering the broken fragments.

‘If I don’t get it fixed soon, there’ll be trouble.’

Weapon damage is the most severe penalty possible. Leaving it as is would hinder my ability to effectively handle future threats.

[A place with an armory but no blacksmith. The school you attend is quite contradictory, isn’t it?]

“I have no rebuttal to that.”

The weapon was originally issued by Babel. I first asked Choi Tae-min if it could be repaired. If not, I could always replace it with another Sain-gum.

However, the answer I hoped for did not come.

“Well, there aren’t any spares. That must have been the last one.”

There was a reason the weapon looked so worn when I first picked it. The last remaining weapon had no duplicates, and there were no blacksmiths capable of repairing it.

There was only one way I could think of to repair the Sain-gum immediately.

“Maybe Father knows something.”

The Sain-gum couldn’t refine mana but had the unique ability to channel spiritual energy. If anyone knew about dealing with spirits, it would be Seol Baek-san.

[Only showing up when you need something, not even bothering to visit. It seems you’re far from being a dutiful son.]

“…”

For once, I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t deny my biological parents, and with my past memories intact, I had no excuse.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

I quietly turned my gaze to the window. Yomi glanced at me from my shoulder, then closed her eyes again.

[Hmph, how boring.]

In the rattling bus, I soon drifted into a light sleep.

* * *

A rural road in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

I walked along a deserted mountain path. Beside me were wide-open fields and scattered graves.

‘The spiritual energy is getting denser.’

Even though it was bright daytime, the fog was thick, and the path twisted upwards. Along the narrow path, old guardian totems like Cheonhajeong and Jihayeong stared fiercely at me.

“Did those eyes just move?”

It wasn’t just my imagination.

Every time I passed, the eyes of the totems all moved toward me.

[They’re not looking at you. They’re looking at me. Those shriveled things are wary of the intrusion of any yokai.]

“Yet neither you nor they seem bothered at all?”

[It’s because I am contracted with you. If a lesser yokai tried to pass through here, its spirit would be torn to shreds.]

Despite her words, Yomi’s fur stood on end as she cautiously observed the surroundings. Indeed, the guardian totems exuded a sinister energy, but it didn’t seem to harm me.

Ding-ding-ding

As I approached the house, the distinct sound of bells came into earshot. Between the bare trees, intertwined ropes hung, from which straw dolls dangled.

‘A familiar yet foreign environment.’

Although I grew up in this setting, Seol Ha-baek in my memories passively accepted it without questioning what any of it meant.

“You’ve arrived.”

Standing in front of the tile-roofed house on the hill, a man with a long beard and wearing a modern hanbok looked down at me with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I’m back, Father.”

“I might forget what you look like, son. Does the school keep you locked up and never let you out?”

His sharp gaze was intense. Though I was accustomed to such scolding, my body still reacted.

‘It’s trembling.’

The severe image of Seol Baek-san ingrained in my memory made my shoulders quiver instinctively. But this much was fine. Instincts could be sufficiently suppressed by reason.

“How did you know I was coming?”

“The shikigami informed me. That ungrateful son of mine…”

Seol Baek-san turned a piercing gaze towards Yomi.

“And a cunning fox have arrived.”

[Heh, heh, long time no see and the first thing you do is throw a curse at me?]

Yomi chuckled, hiding her snout in her tail. Seol Baek-san clicked his tongue in displeasure but quickly turned away.

“Come inside.”

I thought Seol Baek-san would just head in, but he suddenly stopped at the door and turned around.

“Hmm, have you eaten?”

He awkwardly cleared his throat. Although I had eaten lunch before getting on the bus, for some reason, I found it hard to speak up.

“Let’s have a meal together, Father.”

* * *

Bubble, bubble, bubble.

The sound of stew boiling and a spicy aroma wafted from the kitchen.

I spread the table in the main room, dished out rice and side dishes, and quietly sat down.

“It’s almost ready.”

Seol Baek-san’s voice, somewhat cheerful, came from the kitchen.

Although I prided myself on my cooking skills and had offered to prepare lunch, Seol Baek-san had firmly refused.

“Come on, taste it and see if the seasoning is right..”

Seol Baek-san, now wearing an apron and oven mitts, placed a pot of kimchi stew on the table.

As the lid was removed, the savory aroma filled the air, revealing evenly cut tofu, green onions, and pork simmering in the spicy red broth, stirring my somewhat dormant appetite.

“No, Father, you should eat first.”

“It’s fine. You go ahead.”

“Then, thank you for the meal.”

Just as I was about to dip my spoon into the stew,

“Let’s savor the meal prepared by the head of the Seol family’s shaman household.”

“Geez, you scared me.”

Out of nowhere, Yomi—or more precisely, Seol Ha-na—appeared. She sat cross-legged in front of the table, lifting a spoon.

“You impudent fox!”

“Ouch!”

Seol Baek-san smacked Yomi’s hand with his palm.

“What’s this! Isn’t there a saying among you humans that not even a dog should be disturbed during a meal?”

“Since when could you manifest so fully, fox? How dare you sit at a human’s dining table! Who taught you to use chopsticks so impudently?”

I taught her.

It’s better than watching her eat with her bare hands in front of everyone.

“Father, it’s fine with me.”

“How can you say it’s fine? If the contract isn’t fulfilled, the yokai will possess your body in three years.”

Seol Baek-san’s harsh words made Yomi shrug her shoulders.

“Yet you haven’t considered the predicament of this body having to enter that human body.”

“What did you say!”

Seol Baek-san and Yomi were growling at each other. I couldn’t even lift my spoon, bearing the strain between the two of them.

“It’s fine with me, so let’s just eat together. Yomi has helped me a lot, Father. Thanks to her, I’ve been saved many times.”

At my words, Yomi crossed her arms and puffed out her chest. Seeing that smug expression made me want to pinch her cheeks.

“And Yomi, if Father hadn’t allowed it, you wouldn’t have been able to come out in the first place.”

“Of course, that’s true.”

Seol Baek-san nodded solemnly.

“So let’s all eat together.”

They exchanged glances and reluctantly nodded.

“As it’s my son’s request, I have no choice. Just this once.”

“Hmph, let’s see how good it is—”

The moment Yomi took a spoonful of the kimchi stew,

“Gasp!”

Yomi’s shoulders shook.

“This flavor is truly remarkable! The umami of the broth is indescribable, and the savory taste evokes the depths of the sea!”

“Even a yokai can appreciate fine taste.”

Despite his stern voice, Seol Baek-san’s face reddened.

“What is the secret behind this?”

“That’s the epitome of human civilization, called MSG.”

“Truly miraculous.”

Yomi devoured the rice and stew with gusto. Amidst the satisfying sounds of her eating, the crossbody bag beside me started to hum.

[Is it that delicious? Yomi-sama, let me taste it too!]

Seol Baek-san’s gaze shifted to the bag upon hearing Baek-ah’s voice.

“I had a hunch, but it seems you’ve brought along a wandering spirit.”

“Actually, Father, I was hoping you could take a look at this.”

I began to unpack the bag, laying out the broken Sain-gum and the pieces wrapped in a towel.

Seol Baek-san examined the fragments carefully, stroking his beard with a serious expression.

“This is a Sain-gum. And quite an old one at that.”

“It was already quite worn when I first got it. Do you think it’s possible to repair it?”

Seol Baek-san furrowed his brows at my question.

“Spiritual artifacts like the Sain-gum actually perform better as they age. Judging by the wear, a high-ranking monk probably used it… However, repairing it is impossible. Even if we somehow fix it, it won’t function as it once did.”

Seol Baek-san stroked his chin as if remembering something.

“Hmm, wait a moment.”

He went to the storage and brought back a shabby box, placing it on the floor. The outside of the box was covered in yellowed talismans.

“Go ahead, open it.”

Following his words, I lifted the lid of the box. The musty smell of old things wafted out with the air.

“A Sain-gum?”

Inside was a Sain-gum, a bit bulkier and longer than the one I had been using.

When I took it out and held it, the sword hummed in response to my spiritual energy.

“This is the Sain-gum I used for my training when I was young. As you can see from its condition, it’s still in good shape.”

Seol Baek-san scratched his nose.

Indeed, it appeared moderately worn, and personally, the longer handle made it much easier to grip compared to my previous one.
“May I take this, then? If approved, it might end up becoming school property, though…”
“What’s the big deal about that?”

While the idea of his old artifact being handed over to an unfamiliar institution might have been displeasing, Seol Baek-san didn’t care.

“If a child needs something, a parent gives them everything they can, including their liver and gall bladder.”

“…Thank you, Father.”

I accepted the Sain-gum.

“Then I’ll gratefully use it.”

The moment I took the Sain-gum as my own possession.

[※Weapon Replacement※]

Spiritual energy swirled like a vortex from the broken Sain-gum. The energy spiraled like a tornado, enveloping the new Sain-gum in my hand and gradually being absorbed into it.

[Yippee, it’s spacious again!]

Judging by Baek-ah’s reaction, the transfer was successful.

“Thank you, Father. I’ll make good use of it.”

“Hmm, if you use it well, Ha-baek, this Sain-gum will be pleased too.”

Only then did I pick up the spoon.

Noticing the empty pot and Yomi rubbing her belly, I put the spoon back down.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

Since I was here, I decided to address my remaining curiosity. I conveniently had the right item nearby to start the conversation.

“Do you know anything about the Jin family?”

The box that held the Sain-gum was covered in talismans.

When I first saw it, I immediately recognized that they were from the Jin family.