Hermit Wizard

Taking a Risk to be Safer (5)

I answered with a smile.

“You are full of complaints, Ma’am.”

“How can I be dissatisfied? I’m grateful to you for saving my life.”

Lee Seo-rin must know that she was in perfect health now and in better condition than before she suffered from the disease two years ago. Her head was clear, and her physical strength was strong. Let’s be more honest. It wasn’t just a strong physical strength. Still, her muscular strength or endurance was almost on the level of an athlete’s physical ability.

She has been drinking an elixir every month for over two years. However, she experienced it two years ago – that if she didn’t drink it once a month, cancer she fought against would recur. If she took a quick abdominal MRI scan, she couldn’t see the cancer cells, but I once explained that the elixir prevented its recurrence with magical power. When I said that two years ago, it was “the truth.” It meant that I wasn’t lying.

“Unlike what you said, you must have something against your lifesaver. The Solidarity for the Reform of Unfair Trade? Haha, how is this an unfair trade?”

“You didn’t save me 100%, and I’ll be in a hearse next month anytime you decide I’m not worth saving anymore.”

“Hahaha.”

I didn’t say yes or no.

“And it’s unfair trade. Do you know how much money I’ve given you so far?”

“Where in the world is there something more expensive than life?”

“I’m saying this because I feel like my whole life has been mortgaged to you. And if you’re going to save me, you can help me in a good way!”

“I don’t feel good or bad, even if you die.”

“Uhhhh, shit, I shouldn’t talk.”

She complained and called the waiter out loud. The more we talk, the more she burst into anger. So, it seems that she was ready to eat and leave. I asked for lunch; she couldn’t leave this place right away. In fact, if it were only for the elixir, I could have sent it through a summoner instead of meeting her. It didn’t mean that today would just end with lunch; I had a request only she could fulfill. And according to the ‘contract,’ Lee Seo-rin couldn’t leave without listening to my request.

“I don’t have time today. This was barely timed out during filming. How can you give me a day’s notice? Don’t you know how busy I am?”

“I know there’s no filming today. Why are you lying?”

“Are you stalking me now?”

“You posted on your social media. ‘I feel really depressed and scared today. After yesterday, today’s shooting was canceled…what will happen to this world?’ something like that.”

“Oh, why would you search for my social media?”

“You were late for your appointment, so I was worried if you had a car accident on your way here. So, I searched your name on the Internet. If you get hurt, we need to treat you. I didn’t see any articles, but I saw what you posted on your social media.”

“…You always come late. I must have arrived later than the appointment time today.

Lee Seo-rin seemed to feel unpleasant sitting face-to-face with me and wanted to disappear after a quick meal. Still, my choice was a nine-course menu, which was the most expensive lunch menu and took a long time to eat. While grinding her teeth, Lee Seo-rin said she only needed a single dish, but the waiter politely told her that this course could only be ordered by two or more people. Lee Seo-rin, who had weary and forced eyes, ended up choosing the course herself.

Starting with the spicy beef tendon dish served as an appetizer, white porridge with the bird’s nest-like garnish, seasonal vegetables cooked in chicken stock, whole stewed abalone, Chinese lobster grilled with white wine sauce and thyme sauce, Cantonese steamed fish fillets on top of the tofu, stir-fried pepper sauce beef tenderloin, until Yangzhou Fried Rice.

During the course that followed for about two hours, we both emptied the dishes without saying much. Lee Seo-rin said that a single dish would be enough, but she ate through everything served. She always ate well. After finishing the fried rice, she took a few small teaspoons of the mango Simiro served as a dessert. Then, Lee Seo-rin lowered the spoon again and asked.

“Now, why don’t we talk? What other strange things are you trying to do today?”

“Why are you such in a hurry? Why don’t we talk after dessert?”

“I’m done eating.”

“…Did you finish it in three bites with that little spoon?”

“Men.”

“I didn’t eat enough…”

“Haven’t you been to the army? Why are you eating so slow?”

Yes, this woman hadn’t been in the army. I spoke with a bitter smile.

“Yes, I haven’t been there. I have no intention of going forward.”

The light of suspicion deepened in Lee Seo-rin’s eyes, looking at me like that.

“Because you change your face like that, how could I know how old you are…no, your age isn’t important. Are you even a person? Well, you’re more like a demon, aren’t you?”

“Wow, that’s hate speech, Ma’am. What do you mean I was a demon after a few face-offs?”

“I lived my whole life as an atheist, but because of you, I went to church for the first time and even prayed.”

“Why? To thank the Lord? For being miraculously alive?”

“People say that people haunted by demons get well after going to church. You are like a ghost or a demon, or something similar.”

I was speechless and laughed hard. Lee Seo-rin fixed her eyes on me.

“I know that even cross, prayer, or amulets don’t work…”

I threw my eyes at the cross worn around her neck and the beads on her wrist. I didn’t know that she even wore an amulet. Maybe it was in her wallet or something.

“Why do you keep doing it if you know it’s not working? I’d think you would hate to go to church or the temple. I can’t see the amulet. Did you bring one?”

“It’s just in case. Because it’s scary, whether it’s Jesus, the Buddha, or the ancestors, I’m going around this because I hope this one will work, but now, I know for sure. These things don’t work.”

“How did you realize it now?”

“It’s because of what’s happening in the world right now.”

She shuddered with goosebumps.

“I think the world is going to be ruined. It’s no problem that the shoot was canceled yesterday and today. Our country seems to be rather lucky…the chaos in Yeouido seems to be less bloody compared to other countries…if there is a God in the world, there is no way to just look at it like that. So, I’m just going back to being an atheist. It’s really unfair. Why is there no God when there is a demon in the world?”

She emphasized the word ‘demon’ and looked at me. So, I denied it again.

“Oh, I’m not a demon, Ma’am.”

“You keep a terminal cancer patient alive and are going to kill her if she doesn’t do what you want. You control strange monsters that aren’t from this world. You change your face and voice whenever you’re bored. If you’re not a demon, then what are you?”

“No, let’s get this straight, Ms. Lee Seo-rin. When did I threaten to kill you? This is a very fair contract. This contract was signed because your soul admitted that it was on par with the price guaranteed to me and the ‘elixir’ provided to you.”

“No, I can’t believe it…do these strange events happening in the world right now have anything to do with you and your kind?”

“Oh, don’t worry, the Channel that’s open now…no, anyway, these events weren’t my doing.”

I wanted to say that I didn’t have the ability to do that, but then I swallowed back my words. I was sure that she knew something about the Channel situation through my words and way of speaking. Lee Seo-rin’s face, looking at me, turned white for a moment and quickly returned to her original face. Unexpectedly, she stopped prying into it and changed the subject.

Could it have been a quick judgment that if I really were the cause and Lee Seo-rin herself knew about it, she wasn’t confident to deal with her mentality up to that point? Or was it because of the worry that if she knew more, she would put her own life in danger? Even though she was close, she didn’t cross the last line. Was it a bad feeling or a good judgment that held her back?

***

There were practical restrictions to come to Seoul and live in the barrier’s protection. It would have been very convenient if there was such a magical thing that printed money, but there was no such thing in the world. Besides the need for housing, I needed materials to be catalysts for making a barrier. Still, I didn’t have the money to buy them.

So, after discussion, Parvache and I decided to find someone with enough money. There was also a magic to steal stuff in Parvache’s plan, but I opposed it. No matter how much magic I used, I wasn’t confident I would live with stealing. Let’s say I robbed a bank right away. Wouldn’t I be tracked in the process of spending that cash? How much cash do you have in your bank these days? What should I do about money laundering? Searching the Internet for such questions raises enough suspicion in itself, and I’ve ruled out that option from the start.

So, how could I save money other than stealing? I could get the money under an agreement. The other party gives me money, and I give the other person what they want. After deciding to make a deal, the things to think about were as follows.

-What to sell?

-Whom will I sell it to?

-How to keep my safety in the transaction process?

First of all, what products should I offer so that customers could open their wallets without worrying? It wasn’t acceptable to have a product that exceeded the taste of the customer. Products that meet the needs that everyone in the world had in common would be the best. What was it? The conclusion I came up with was “life.” No one in the world wouldn’t value their lives and be willing to pay for them. Thus, our item was decided – a low-grade elixir.

Whom will I sell it to? People who are sick are more desperate than those who are healthy. Then we had to find a customer who was ill enough to need elixir and could provide the resources necessary to build my barriers. I graduated from high school and couldn’t have any contacts or helpers to find such a suitable person, and I ended up with the general public. Therefore, I had to narrow down the customer base to famous people whose private information was easily accessible.

Information on celebrities who were seriously ill could be easily found on the Internet. Among them, the chairman of a large company, who was unconscious, was removed from the list. He must be on a strict guard, and I was afraid of being caught. After that, it was a celebrity that caught my eye. It was easy to find an article that a promising actress in her twenties had terminal pancreatic cancer. Thus, Lee Seo-rin was chosen as my customer. I felt guilty about making a deal with a critically ill patient for her life, but in the end, I convinced myself to save her from dying.