The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 31

[Hahaha, after a good nap, look at this—I’m overflowing with energy! It feels like I’ve finally regained the energy I lost!]

Yomi laughed loudly.

It was adorable when it was the small Yomi, but its current form had its own cuteness. I could understand why Yomi was so overjoyed.

[Skill Points]

– Skill Points: 0

– Spirit Conjuration (A): 0/500

* Yomi (A)

* Baek-ah (B)

* Crystal Giant (C)

– Spirit Sight (B): 0/300

As the rank of Spirit Conjuration increased, not only Yomi’s rank but also Baek-ah’s rank rose accordingly.

‘Yomi seems happy, and that’s a relief.’

I looked down at Yomi, who was rolling around on the bed, with satisfaction.

“Thank you, Yomi.”

[You thanking me? Did lightning strike or something?]

“I just realized how much I missed your presence.”

In the absence of this fluffball, I had come to understand how much effort Yomi had been putting in.

[Hmph, save those sweet words. I’m not helping you because I like it! In three years, I’ll need a body to—]

“Dinner tonight is steak!”

[…Sirloin?]

Just as I was having a lively conversation with Yomi—

Bang!

The infirmary door swung open forcefully, and the sound of brisk footsteps echoed.

‘Not Han Yu-seong.’

Han Yu-seong’s steps were heavy but not fast. Plus, I was starting to get used to sensing spiritual energy through my skin. People might call this sensing presence.

If it was someone I knew well enough, I could now vaguely identify them by their spiritual energy.

“Ha-baek!”

“Senior So-yul.”

As expected, I was right.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so glad you’re alive! I was so worried you’d become one of those ghost stories!”

“Ah! It hurts! What are you doing all of a sudden?”

While I had guessed the identity correctly, I couldn’t predict Jin So-yul’s next action.

Crack!

Jin So-yul suddenly jumped onto my bed and gave me a free hug. As I tried to wriggle free, her strong biceps and triceps squeezed my spine with the force of a vice.

“Wait, could you tell me why you’re doing this?”

“What do you mean by ‘why’? I heard my dear junior was hurt, so I came to visit!”

“If you don’t tell me the real reason, I’m quitting the club!”

“I’m sorry, please don’t do that!”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Jin So-yul released her grip and bowed her head to the bed.

‘…Really, you never know what she’s going to do next.’

Jin So-yul’s unpredictability was both her strength and her weakness. Hoping it would be a strength this time, I asked cautiously,

“So, what’s your business?”

“Heh, business, you say…”

Jin So-yul laughed in a low voice like a third-rate villain.

“Well, now that we’ve made up, I was going to suggest we explore the second ghost story in earnest!”

Then she added quietly,

“And of course, I was worried about you.”

“That sounds like an afterthought…”

I suppose it’s already that time.

The occurrence frequency of club events varies for each club and is influenced by the timing of completing previous quests.

If this rule holds any validity, it seemed about time for Jin So-yul to make her suggestion.

“So, when are we going?”

“Heh heh heh. I’ll post the exact time and place soon, so stay tuned.”

“The fact that you didn’t say ‘right away’ means you haven’t actually finished planning, have you?”

“Such a detail-oriented nitpicker. Just let those little details slide.”

Jin So-yul waved her hand in annoyance. It seemed she’d leave now that her business was done, but then—

“By the way, Ha-baek.”

Jin So-yul, who was getting out of bed, stopped and fixed her gaze on my face.

“You seem different somehow.”

“Different, how?”

“It’s like your presence has grown. Or should I say, you seem bigger?”

“…Should I report this as sexual harassment?”

“Pfft, so cold.”

With a pout, Jin So-yul got up from the bed. As she turned to leave, looking a bit disappointed, I recalled the past events.

‘If it hadn’t been for Jin So-yul…’

If she hadn’t given me the hint about the dream catcher, could I have thought of lucid dreaming? Without her hint, Shin Seo-ha might have remained buried under the cave.

Thinking about it that way, Jin So-yul played a part in the successful completion of the mock subjugation. Maybe that’s why I felt a bit guilty letting her go just like that.

“Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“You came to visit but did you really come empty-handed?”

I gave Jin So-yul a sly smile. With a bright smile of her own, she turned and approached the bed again.

“Empty-handed? I gave you a hug!”

“Not that, like fruits or something.”

“What do you mean? According to a study from Stanford University, a hug given with all your strength is healthier than a fruit.”

“Stanford, not ‘Stan-hug’… Ah, damn it, you got me.”

Amused by my reaction, Jin So-yul chuckled as she approached.

This time, without climbing onto the bed, she stood beside it, looking down at me. Her smile was somehow more tender than before.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Jin So-yul gently hugged my head.

“It must have been tough, huh?”

“…”

Jin So-yul rested her head on mine and slowly patted my head.

‘Jin So-yul?’

It was a soft and comforting feeling, something I never sensed from Jin So-yul before. It felt like my soul was being healed. I found myself slowly relaxing, knowing it was Jin So-yul.

Knock, knock

Someone knocked on the infirmary window. Jin So-yul must have opened the door so forcefully that it slightly shifted the curtains.

‘Shin Seo-jun?’

The one who knocked was the Guardian Spirit, Shin Seo-jun.

Awkwardly smiling, Shin Seo-jun looked restless and uneasy.

‘Wait, if Shin Seo-jun is here…’

I suddenly realized that Shin Seo-jun was pointing to the adjacent window. And standing where he pointed—

Creak

Was Shin Seo-ha, holding a fruit basket, glaring at me with a chilly gaze.

* * *

Having left the infirmary, I returned to my small one-room apartment. Bright rays of light burst forth from the bed, making it hard to open my eyes.

[This is the first time I’m introducing myself. I’m Shin Seo-jun. Back then, my sister and I owed you a lot.]

The wings took up too much space to sit side by side on the bed, so I had no choice but to turn and sit on a chair across from the bed.

“Nice to meet you, but can you do something about this? The light is so bright, I can’t look at you directly.”

The source of the light was the massive radiance emanating from the Guardian Spirit. While he was asleep, it wasn’t this intense, but now it was bright enough that I had to shield my eyes with my arm.

[Ah, my apologies. It feels normal to me, so I forgot about it.]

Shin Seo-jun’s wings shrank to an adorable size, and the light diminished. Aside from the small wings, he looked like an ordinary person.

[What do you think?”]

A gentle-faced, handsome boy with red hair just like Shin Seo-ha’s, wearing what appeared to be a middle school uniform from Babel. It seemed he remained in the form he was when he died, a Guardian Spirit preserving his appearance at the time of death.

[Doesn’t it look like I’m alive?]

Scratching his head awkwardly, Shin Seo-jun followed me from the infirmary to my room.

“By the way, is it okay for you to wander around like this? Aren’t you always with Shin Seo-ha?”

[As long as I maintain a certain distance, it’s fine. That’s where my sister lives.]

Shin Seo-jun pointed beyond the balcony to an extravagant lodging facility constructed for the top students.

‘Ah, my life…’

I avoided looking at it, but this was a bit much.

“Thank you so much for that day. If you hadn’t come to find me in the dream, both my sister and I would have been in danger.”

Shin Seo-jun bowed deeply.

Yomi cleared its throat towards him.

[Hmph, at least you know your manners compared to that fierce girl.]

[My sister is not fierce!]

Shin Seo-jun shouted angrily at Yomi’s comment.

[She’s just a bit awkward, that’s all…]

Shin Seo-jun hung his head.

Perhaps if Shin Seo-jun had been alive, Shin Seo-ha might have been a brighter person.

“Yomi.”

[Tch, I’m sorry for the careless comment.]

Yomi looked aggrieved but still admitted its mistake. Likewise, Shin Seo-jun nodded sheepishly.

[Oh, no. I’m sorry for shouting suddenly.]

With the apologies exchanged, the atmosphere in the room grew awkwardly silent.

‘This is uncomfortable…’

No one spoke.

I realized now was the right moment to share “that fact.”

“There’s something I need to tell both of you.”

[What is it, setting the mood like that.]

Yomi opened its mouth wide.

It seemed I would need more time to get used to Yomi looking like a baby fox.

“When I entered Shin Seo-ha’s dream…”

I recalled the memories of that time.

An unidentified monsters attacks the city. Fallen buildings and monsters splattering purple blood.

I saw it. On top of the highest heap of debris, someone who had been watching the carnage from the beginning.

“The Moon Rabbit was there.”

Dressed in a sharp suit with a tall stature.

Even with a heavily pressed fedora, those long ears couldn’t be hidden. With large, bright red eyes, he was watching the horrific scene.

[The Moon Rabbit?]

Shin Seo-jun, unfamiliar with the existence of the Moon Rabbit, tilted his head in confusion.

“The yokai… the monster we are chasing. I think it’s the one that attacked you and your sister.”

[But why?]

Shin Seo-jun’s expression turned pale.

For him, who had lost everything that day, it was hard to accept that someone had orchestrated such a tragedy with a specific purpose in mind.

‘Seo Geum-bi was right.’

Seo Geum-bi had mentioned finding traces of purple blood presumed to be from the monsters on that day. The monsters there had more in common with zombies than actual monsters.

It was like they were something wrapped in human skin…

In any case, the fact that the Moon Rabbit was involved in Shin Seo-jun’s death seemed certain.

[If the Moon Rabbit was indeed there, I can guess what it was up to.]

Yomi growled lowly.

[It was probably gathering grudges.]

“Grudges?”

[Yes. What do you think that curse you are holding is made from?]

I took out the purple orb from my pocket. Inside, the grudges were still intertwined, screaming.

[Grudges are condensed negative emotions. It’s not easy to acquire them unless you specifically hunt malicious spirits. So it decided to create them itself. That’s just like it.]

Creating grudges directly, in other words, means going around killing people. For it to be effective, it had to be dramatic and tragic, accumulating strong negative emotions in the spirits.

[I won’t forgive them. How dare they… target my sister…]

Crunch

Shin Seo-jun ground his teeth in anger.

The usually gentle expression on Shin Seo-jun’s face turned a fiery red, like that of a demon.

[At least you were luckier. If you hadn’t awakened as a Guardian Spirit, you would have lost your sense of self-awareness and become part of the grudges.]

[It’s not lucky at all. I-]

[If you hadn’t, you might have been the one to harm your sister this time.]

“…”

At Yomi’s sharp remark, Shin Seo-jun hung his head. After a long moment of contemplation, Shin Seo-jun finally spoke.

[I want to help catch that Rabbit, too.]

His demeanor was as calm as before, but there was a resolute look on his face.

“It’s good to have more allies.”

[I’ll do my best!]

Shin Seo-jun grasped my outstretched hand. Although I couldn’t conjure him, the presence of a Guardian Spirit would surely be a great help.

[Hmph, but something still feels off.]

“What do you mean?”

Yomi narrowed its eyes, still feeling uneasy.

[For it to carry out such an attack in the heart of the city with so many eyes watching must have been quite a burden. It feels like it had some other scheme besides just gathering grudges.]

“Another scheme?”

[Who knows…]

Yomi trailed off.

Though it added remarks aimed at Shin Seo-jun, it might be Yomi who felt the most anger.

“By the way, why was your sister so angry?”

When our eyes met beyond the infirmary, Shin Seo-ha, for some reason, looked furious and then left abruptly.

After leaving the infirmary, I noticed a fruit basket lying on the floor. According to Shin Seo-jun, it was brought by Shin Seo-ha.

[Really?]

Shin Seo-jun grinned slyly. It was clear he knew something.

“You can sense Shin Seo-ha’s emotions to some extent, just like Yomi and I share feelings, right?”

[Yes, that’s correct.]

“Then you can roughly guess why she left abruptly earlier, can’t you?”

At that point, Shin Seo-jun made a cryptic statement.

[My sister doesn’t fully understand her own emotions either. I can’t just go around talking about feelings that even she doesn’t grasp.]

“Can someone not know their own emotions?”

Not knowing your own feelings—it was a riddle in itself. I pondered for a while but couldn’t find an answer. Shin Seo-jun added with a smile.

[Of course, she might figure it out eventually.]

He smiled, showing his teeth.

It struck me how alike the twins seemed in their quirks.