The Foreigner on the Periphery

Ha Eun-seong (22 years old, 6 months after death, cause of death: blood loss due to left carotid puncture) had been listed in Gwanghwamun. People were gathering in the square from early in the morning to prepare something.  

Ha Eun-seong was watching the scene while keeping some distance. "Look over there. What other protests did you see?"  

"From this time on, you've been diligent."  

There were some passer-by. However, it was rush hour, so most of the citizens moved quickly. And none of them could see Ha Eun-seong, the spirit body. With the eyes of the general public, he transparently penetrated his body, glanced at the square, and then turned his eyes away.  

The reaction changed when protesters began drawing complex shapes on the square floor.  

"Isn't that magic?"  

“What? Maybe… it's terrorism?!"  

"Ah, it can be. So you’re already upset? Let's see a demo of the demons."

The last guess turned out to be true. After receiving the confirmation of the spirit-sensitive person in charge of communication, that was, the modern-day shaman, the wizards poured their magic into them. Then, a soft light flowed from the magic circle, and hundreds of spirit bodies appeared in the empty space, like smoke. so that the general public could see them.  

= · · · · · · · · ·!=  

In line with the signal, the milky ghosts all started demonstrating with a psychic wave. From now on, their words could also be heard by the citizens.  

Thus was the magic effect. Ha Eun-seong still did not mix with it and kept a distance and looked at it.  

Moments later, another ghost flew from the opposite direction and stopped beside him.  

=Eun-seong, were you here?=  

=Oh, hyung. Are you here? =  

Koh Deok-hwan (age 33, death 15 years, cause of death: subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of a cerebral aneurysm) recommended him.  

=I heard that there is a good spectacle, would you like to go together?=  

=What is it?=  

=Is there actor Kwak Do-chul? He said he was having an affair with a ten-year-old half-elf idol, and his wife caught him and threw him, broke him, slapped him on the cheek, and made a fuss. Don’t let kids like us go in.=  

= No! It’s an office we got separately to use when the two of us met, but the builder must have worn out his spiritual power because he ate it and used cheap money!=

An ordinary person who did not have this ability had no ability to measure it. As he imagined the scene infested with voyeuristic ghosts, Ha Eun-seong felt a mental headache.  

= No, please don’t do that. You have to hold a demonstration like that because of those ignorant ‘some' ghosts! =

= Why are you doing that? =  

Seeing the insensitive attitude as if talking about other people’s affairs, Ha Eun-seong’s tantrums grew.  

=Protest to defend our rights!=  

He still looked disinterested.  

=Anyway, the children who have just died are very sensitive to such words. The right to exist, life-and-death discrimination, and resistance… Humans, elves, orcs, trolls, goblins, etc… A great racial unity, which had not been seen even when alive, was taking place among the dead. They all shouted together the motto they had prepared.=  

=Government guarantees spirit bodies the same right to existence as the right to life!=  

=Is it a proper country for a country where dead intelligent beings are treated worse than living animals?=  

=We are… of wizards… Mormots… No!=  

=In addition, the National Assembly should withdraw the ‘Amendment to the Prevention of Damage to Privacy Act’!=  

=I urge you to immediately stop the discrimination and prejudice-based legislative action that regards all ghosts as potential sex offenders and perpetrators of trespassing! =  

=I urge you! I urge you!=  

=Stop the psychic hatred!=  

One of the slogans they shouted was the claim to repeal the law that required all new buildings to install exorcism, Ha Eun-seong explained.  

= People who have lived because of ghosts that keep crossing the line are trying to make laws like that!=  

=Ah, anyway, we are watching with pure curiosity and fun without a gloomy heart… =

Koh Deok-hwan then asked, who was shrugging his shoulders. =If you are in favor of such a protest, why are you not wearing it here?=  

= For the same reason as your brother.=  

= I have no intention of participating?=  

= Even if my brother or I volunteer, they won’t accept it.=  

Saying that, Koh Deok-hwan glanced at the brow of Some Ghosts embodied the clothes and physical condition they wore just before death in their spirit bodies, and it was very difficult to change their appearance later.

Ha Eun-seong pointed out what Koh Deok-hwan’s spirit body looked like. The only thing he wore all the way up and down was an old, perforated trunk with the words ‘Ssangbell’ written in large letters.  

= It is said that this kind of dress is not good because it causes people to hate it. The same goes for me. =

In the case of Koh Deok-hwan, the problem was because there was not much to cover up, while Ha Eun-seong was the problem with the neck and what was underneath.  

= Ah … right? =  

Ha Eun-seong, who looked at him with a nod, exposed only his face, and below his neck turned out to be wearing the penguin doll clothes worn by a part-timer at an amusement park.  

Up to this point, depending on the person, one may feel a sense of intimacy. However, on the left side of the nape of his neck, a sharply-forged spear knife was deeply embedded in his neck. It could be said that the costume was sufficient to give fear to citizens beyond disgust.  

= It doesn’t look too funny or overly cruel. = Ha Eun-seong smiled.  

=However, I will go to the ghost shelter immediately after the protest is over and post a review on my blog. This should be known widely. =  

He was running a blog on the daily life of ghosts, and within two months of opening, the number of visitors had exceeded 100,000. The number of clicks then exploded after a part of the article was captured and paid to various communities.  

= Are you still doing that? Stop bullying volunteers.=  

= No bullying! We share the banner advertising fee with a knife. Thirty minutes of typing is worth the money?=  

= What, you mean you distribute money? Then that's not volunteering at all.=  

= It’s volunteering because you help even when you tweet that you don’t receive a single penny. And, he’s very nice. He even suggested that we do YouTube together because he will bear the initial funds?=  

= I can’t film or record, but what do I do on YouTube?=  

= I’m a spiritually sensitive person, so I went into her body to try and solve it. Every time the video starts, Bing authenticates. =  

Ko Deok-hwan clicked his tongue.  

= The world is the real world. What do you do with that kind of money? Will you all send money to the dongsaengs? =  

= Of course. If the ghost had money, what would it be used for? =  

There was an option to enjoy various kinds of pleasure by occupying the body of a sensitive person. However, it was meaningless to Ha Eun-seong, whose desire almost disappeared, and it was dangerous because moving violently or taking a long time while possessing it would become a burden on both sides.  

Therefore, the limit was to play for several tens of minutes according to the script prepared in advance without using a lot of body.  

‘The idea itself doesn’t look bad…’

Nevertheless, God Deok-hwan felt that Ha Eun-seong was salty. Even after his death, he was a young man who was passionate about earning money for his younger brothers.  

= Yes, I got it. You should watch this demonstration as much as you can. =  

In the end, he was about to give up and go to the scene of the affair by himself.  

= Huh? Why are you doing this over there? the police have come Even the living volunteers protested wildly. =  

Huh? They seemed to be fighting. There were a few scenes that were as provocative as a hand-to-hand fight.  

"No, where is this law?"  

From what he heard, it seemed that the city had suddenly revoked the protest permit it had given them.  

It was simply common. Ha Eun-seong groaned.  

= I’d rather not give permission in the first place. Why are you doing this and that? Rotten bastards.=  

The volunteers were guessing why. "Obviously, we reported in advance that we would gather this much, but are you afraid that we will actually get together?"  

Today was the first time the ghosts had gathered in the hundreds for a demonstration. As it grew larger and larger, it seemed that the city decided to cut the buds at this point. The Ghosts also protested.  

= Are you afraid of gathering hundreds of people? Only this? In the future, we will gather more and solidarity!=  

The atmosphere became increasingly harsh and Ha Eun-seong was watching the scene with a cold expression despite Koh Deok-hwan’s advice to avoid the seat. As the quarrel continued and the ghosts did not comply with the order to disperse, he saw the police ordering something.  

Then someone pulled something that looked much like a wheeled cannon. Seeing this, Koh Deok-hwan’s face became pale.  

= That! Exorcism shock wave generator! Hey, hey! you can’t stay here Run away quickly!=  

It was an unfamiliar weapon to Ha Eun-seong, who had such a short death rate. However, his notoriety was so deafening that his expression was also stained with fear. A weapon capable of inflicting pain even on the dead. Even in his lifetime, he hated being sick, and even after his death, he listened to the details of the building where the exorcism camp was installed from his seniors and memorized it, so he did not even go near it.  

However, that was a magic tool with a power that was several dozen times that! “No!”

The protesters stood firm as if they were not going to run away, and Koh Deok-hwan quickly bounced his body upwards as if he had decided that he should run away first. Ha Eun-seong, who had hardened in fear, moved a little too late.  

However, the police did not wait long.  

Bang! There was a roar that both the living and the dead could hear. At about the same time, milky raindrops started soaring towards the sky. The vibrations that started from the shock wave generator then swept the surroundings. The living could not even feel the wind, but the spirits were thrown away like scraps of paper caught in a typhoon.  

Hundreds of demons protesting in the magic circle and Koh Deok-hwan, who had escaped and flew up first, screamed as if torn apart by the shock wave. He bounced off at such a high speed that he couldn’t even imagine how far he would be pushed.  

Ha Eun-seong was watching all those scenes.  

= · · · · · · · · ·?!=  

From below, he slowly started looking up.  

=  · · · · · · Huh? =  

Slowly moving his stiff neck, he captured every scene in his eyes.  

= What is this, what? =  

He began to play the lottery It was floating on the roof of the stand.

= He said it hurts unbelievably? =  

He knew that the shock wave had hit, but it just ended up passing by like water. He got caught up and couldn’t fly. The other ghosts, who had endured the shock of being horribly beaten, were floating in confusion.  

There were no other Ghosts around. Then…  

“Uh?” The spirited man who was in charge of communication between the wizard and the ghost in the protest turned his head with a recalled face, and the two met their eyes.  

When she saw Eun-seong Ha, she could not hide her astonishment. Her lips then began to move slowly.  

"How are you…?" Ha Eun-seong felt like she didn’t know what to answer.  

***  

"This is Agent Ye Minjun. A visit with Princess Vermi is scheduled today."  

"Ah… ah! Yes! Yes sir! Hello! The preparations for the visit are complete!"  

Upon revealing the identity, the immigration agent froze. Passing by him saluting like a private, Minjun entered the basement of the Jenkinson Company headquarters.

Princess Vermi was imprisoned in a VIP detention center, used only in rare cases where political prisoners and high-ranking officials were detained. Minjun was reunited with her a day later than planned due to her tax investigation.  

The two eyes then met. " · · · ·"  

The princess was wearing something resembling a straitjacket worn on a violent patient in her psychiatric unit. Unlike the kind worn by races such as humans, it was made of magic metal. It was wrapped around with chains with spells to prevent them from opening their mouths, and a straw was inserted between their teeth for serving and watering.  

Chunkyung! Tsar! The agent memorized a spell and released only the chain that had closed his mouth. The princess then sighed and spit out the straw. The saliva was mixed with blood.  

The agents probably didn’t act harshly, and it seemed that he ground his teeth and chewed the soft flesh in his mouth alone.  

"Did you say you want to see me?" Various emotions such as regret, shame, anger, and despair flashed alternately in the crocodile’s eyes. Without an immediate answer, he looked at Minjun like that, then brought out his words.  

"From now on, I hope that no one but the two of us will hear this conversation going back and forth." He was surprisingly fluent in English.

‘After all, you’ve been preparing to emigrate to Earth for a long time. It was a lie to say I wasn’t interested.’  

Minjun tried to point out that her request was futile. "I came here to hear the confession behind it. As stipulated by the law, of course, report to the superior …"  

"It is up to you to pass on all of my words to them later or to pick and choose. So for now, I want you to just do what I ask."  

His eyes were too clear to be dismissed as emotionally biased or irrational. Minjun, who had guessed the intention, finally decided to do what the other person wanted.  

Right! As he snapped his fingers, the princess felt the texture of the atmosphere change. There was no need to check that the surrounding noise was blocked.  

This was because she clearly gave a ‘warning.'  

Princess Vermi said, "You are a prisoner. Right?”  

Minjun neither affirmed nor denied this. He seemed to have noticed when he saw Dell and himself arguing in an alien language in the terminal. He then stared at the crocodile with a calm gaze. It was only then that she realized that her request to stop the sound from flowing outside her had taken into account not only herself but also Minjun’s position.

"I have something to ask the prisoner. My crimes will eventually be dealt with by a committee, and I have very little information about them. If you promise to answer my questions in as much detail as possible, I will confess to you."  

Her next question was this. "If this is a crime of this magnitude, what kind of punishment do you think I will receive?"  

His eyes trembled with slight fear. "If you are a reformed laborer, how many years in prison? She was told that she sometimes throws them into the Abyss relentlessly. What is the standard?"  

In fact, he couldn’t guarantee that Minjun would answer the truth. Nevertheless, she thought that the princess was somehow able to trust her opponent in this matter. There was no evidence, but this seemed to be the case.  

Minjun, who was looking at him, said, " · · · · · · · · · · ·Before giving an answer, I think you should first know the background of who the princess came into contact with and did this. If you answer me first, I will tell you as far as I know."  

In the end, Minjun also confessed his identity and agrees. Although it was said to be a disrespectful race, his opponent status was a princess. The extent of the committee’s labor reform system was known.  

"Good.”  

Then, Princess Vermi confessed that she acted according to the immigration broker’s request, and after hearing it to the end, Minjun said: "Doesn't the princess have this ability?"  

“Yes.”  

"It is common for criminals who are not economical to be thrown into the Abyss, as you said."  

"?!"  

"Considering the princess status, I think such a dramatic situation can be avoided."  

“ · · · ·Is it?”  

Only then did a little relief pass by. "Instead, you must make a sincere statement so that the Commission can track down and arrest the broker who persuaded you to engage in illegal activities. Also, given the circumstances, the princess seems to have been deceived by them, so if I emphasize that part…"  

At this, the princess was astonished. "A scam?!"  

Minjun calmly explained. "In exchange for delivering Jenkinson’s cargo, the broker promised to lobby the committee? That’s a plausible story. But the content of the lobby … pressures the kingdom to release Stan, which accounts for 15% of GDP."  

"Why?"  

"Even though the committee has an unfair treaty with each dimension, this is too much. It is only the delegates who are in the head role within the committee that can make such a decision…"  

"Yeah, they are the ones who can lobby directly to the delegates."  

"I don’t think so. There's no way people with that kind of ability could be a broker."  

"I think it is possible. They are of the same species."  

Minjun’s expression hardened slightly. "Is that broker the same race as any of the members?"  

The princess then answered with a firm voice. "Yeah, I can be sure because I've met him in person."  

"However, those who wish to rise to the throne must be of an ancient race."  

"That's right."  

"?!"  

Minjun’s eyes became as cold as ice. Now the princess was saying that the one who introduced herself as an immigration broker was one of the races that created and run the committee.  

"What race were you?"  

At this, the princess recited the name of a race that Minjun did not expect.  

"Carbite."