The Night Of The Untraced

Should I say he looked conflicted? Or perhaps determined? For a moment, Gwangsik’s expression changed, becoming far too serious for just a fairy tale. As if that wasn’t enough, he looked at Seungjoo again and asked a question.“Wouldn’t you do the same, Seungjoo?”“Me?”“If you had to pay the price for something that wasn’t your fault, wouldn’t you want revenge too?”Hearing the word “price” triggered a thought. The curse on the Seo family, passed down for generations, all because of a single ancestor’s mistake.“…I don’t think I’d go as far as revenge.”“…”At Seungjoo’s unexpected response, Gwangsik stayed quiet. Seungjoo glanced at him and, seeing he didn’t seem upset, slowly shifted his gaze.“I wouldn’t think of doing something that grand… I’d probably look for a way to solve the problem. What good would revenge do?”It wasn’t that Seungjoo wanted to deliver the cliché line, “Revenge only leads to more revenge.” He just found the idea of pouring that much energy into something exhausting. Revenge was for passionate people—people with much more drive than him.“Not that I think people who seek revenge are weird…”Seungjoo had no intention of judging others for their choices. He was just giving his opinion because he was asked. And though he wasn’t curious, he decided to ask Gwangsik for his thoughts.“What about you? What do you think?”“I…”Seungjoo had expected him to say that, of course, he’d seek revenge. But surprisingly, Gwangsik hesitated, just like Seungjoo. It wasn’t that he had difficulty disagreeing; it seemed more like he was genuinely deep in thought. Seeing how troubled he looked, Seungjoo decided to wrap up the conversation instead of pressing him for an answer.“Why think so hard about it? You either do it or you don’t. Anyway, I was just saying you’re impressive.”Seungjoo regretted bringing up the Pied Piper story. For some reason, it seemed to strike a chord with Gwangsik that he couldn’t just brush off.Fortunately, Gwangsik didn’t seem to want to continue the conversation either. He shifted his gaze toward the sea and spoke.“I can only do it in places like this anyway.”Their eyes followed Muheun, who was now confronting the Gwimae. Though the scene was still dark, the sword Muheun had created from spiritual energy allowed them to make out his silhouette.“The sound travels through water, so I can only do it where there’s water. And it usually moves in a straight line, so if you don’t know the exact location, you can’t do it.”Earlier, when Gwangsik had located the Gwimae, he had whistled in the direction Seungjoo was walking. From Seungjoo’s reaction, Gwangsik must have guessed the general location of the Gwimae. Though the conditions were tricky, the fact that he could do such a thing was still impressive.“Well, at least you can do it. I saw earlier that even Muheun couldn’t do it.”Just like earlier, Seungjoo brought his hands together near his mouth. “I can’t even make a sound with this.” He tried blowing into the small gap, but just like before, only a faint hissing sound came out instead of a proper whistle.“That’s not how you do it.”Gwangsik, seemingly frustrated, reached out and took Seungjoo’s hands. He carefully repositioned Seungjoo’s awkwardly clasped hands, adjusting his fingers one by one. Startled by Gwangsik’s unusually cold touch, Seungjoo refocused on his explanation.“You need to shape your hands like you’re holding a ball, making sure there’s plenty of space inside.”Once Seungjoo’s hands were in position, Gwangsik neatly aligned his fingers.“Make sure your fingers are tightly pressed together…”Seungjoo had thought he was copying Muheun’s hand movements, but it seemed there was a big difference between watching and actually doing it. As his hands felt increasingly uncomfortable, Seungjoo frowned, and Gwangsik pointed to a specific part of the bone in his thumb.“Place your lower lip below this part of the bone.”“…Like this?”“Open your lips wider. Horizontally.”Following Gwangsik’s instructions, Seungjoo opened his mouth as if pronouncing the sound “eh” and pressed his lips against the small gap. He glanced at Gwangsik to confirm if he was doing it right, and Gwangsik gave a small nod with his usual expressionless face. Then, in a soft, whisper-like voice, he gave the final instruction.“Now blow.”A dull sound echoed, reminiscent of a foghorn or perhaps an owl’s hoot. Compared to Gwangsik, it was a trivial noise, but Seungjoo’s eyes widened in awe.“Oh!”It was a remarkable improvement. It reminded him of the time he had barely managed to produce a sound from the danso after practicing all day. Excited, he blew into the instrument once more, and this time a clearer “buuu” rang out.“Wow, you’re amazing!”Seungjoo exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. Watching it was fascinating enough, but actually making the sound brought him indescribable joy. He smiled broadly and praised Gwangsik, who suddenly closed his mouth and stared at Seungjoo.“…….”A myriad of emotions flickered between them in that brief exchange of glances. Gwangsik’s pale, almost translucent eyes trembled slightly, betraying his inner turmoil. Seungjoo hadn’t expected Gwangsik to go serious, even if he hadn’t joined in on the laughter. Before Seungjoo could grasp the reason for this change, Gwangsik parted his lips to speak.“Hey, you…”Screeeech!It was then that a sharp sound pierced the air. Both Gwangsik, who was about to speak, and Seungjoo, who was watching him, jumped in surprise and turned toward the source of the noise. It sounded almost like a beast’s cry and came unmistakably from the direction of Muheun.“…Ah.”Seungjoo realized belatedly that it was the Gwimae’s scream. The sword of spiritual energy that Muheun had created had somehow pierced through the shell of the Gwimae. The barnacles clinging to it melted into a liquid, and the limbs that couldn’t be pulled back thrashed helplessly on the breakwater.Unlike the Gwimae, who was writhing in agony, Muheun didn’t appear to be struggling at all. He simply pulled the sword out and casually brushed off the blood. The blade, now slick and glimmering, plunged deep into the neck of the turtle.“…”It was a thought that Seungjoo felt guilty for harboring, but he was relieved that he had momentarily spaced out. Watching that one scene was uncomfortable enough; witnessing the entire process would have surely made him feel ill. Even now, it felt like he had been stabbed by the sword, with a prickling sensation in his throat.‘If we connect again…’Worried about the possibility of feeling pain, Seungjoo shut his eyes tightly. Just in case, he even covered his ears, but thankfully, he no longer heard the Gwimae’s cries. Only the pounding of his heart echoed louder in his ears.He remembered being told to count to 100 with his eyes closed. Though he hadn’t counted back then, he now diligently counted in his head. At that time, Muheun had held onto him once everything was over, but now he had no way of knowing if it was all done.How long had passed? Someone nudged Seungjoo gently. He reflexively opened his squinted eyes to see who it was. Unsurprisingly, it was Gwangsik, who had been staring at Muheun from a distance.“You can open your eyes now.”“…”Seungjoo slowly lifted his eyelids. He didn’t lower the hand that had been covering his ear; instead, he briefly glanced back and forth between Muheun and the Gwimae. The Gwimae lay motionless on the breakwater, as if it had completely given up its struggle.“Everything’s ready, so come over here.”Gwangsik spoke, his focus solely on Muheun. At first, Seungjoo thought he was just commenting on the situation, but from the way he spoke, it sounded like he was conveying Muheun’s words. As he pondered whether Gwangsik had gestured while he was distracted, Gwangsik added another comment.“And be careful; it’s slippery.”“…”Seungjoo halted in his tracks. He had just taken a step toward the stairs. He turned back to Gwangsik, incredulous.“…Did Muheun say that just now?”“Yeah, he’s talking right now.”Although Gwangsik’s reply was casual, Seungjoo couldn’t help but be astonished. Muheun was far away, beyond a distance that should allow for conversation. The fact that he was conveying Muheun’s words in real-time while Seungjoo heard nothing was astounding.“You can hear his voice from this distance?”“Of course I can.”Gwangsik answered briefly, then opened his eyes wide as if to say “can’t you see?”“You can’t hear it?”“Hey… of course I can’t.”What does he think people are? Only exorcists with exceptional physical abilities could talk at this distance. While it might be natural for them, it was utterly shocking for Seungjoo.“Does that mean he can hear us from here?”“He can’t hear just normal talking. You need to speak loudly for him to hear. Kim Muheun… is talking loudly right now.”From Seungjoo’s perspective, he couldn’t even see Muheun’s lips moving. All he could see was Muheun standing there with his hands in his pockets, staring over at them. Muheun could probably see all the expressions on Seungjoo’s face, given his keen eyesight.“He’s wondering what’s taking you so long.”“I’m coming now!”As soon as Gwangsik finished speaking, Seungjoo called out loudly. He thought that if he spoke loudly, it would be enough for Muheun to hear him. It seemed like Muheun bent down and smiled, but Seungjoo paid it no mind and moved ahead.“Ah, the stairs are trickier than they seem…”He had wondered why they were jumping off a perfectly good set of stairs, but now he realized that getting to them required a slightly complicated route. Though it wasn’t far, the thought of Muheun waiting made him anxious.“…I can’t jump down there, right?”Muttering to himself, Seungjoo glanced at the railing. He knew it was a ridiculous thought, but surprisingly, Gwangsik casually asked in response.“Should I carry you?”It was a straightforward question. So straightforward that Seungjoo almost nodded unconsciously upon hearing it. Of course, Seungjoo caught himself and replied in a hesitant tone.“Why would you carry me?”If it had been Muheun, he might have considered it. After all, it wouldn’t have been the first time he was carried, and there was no faster way than jumping off the ledge. Although, knowing Muheun, he wouldn’t have risked jumping from such a height for fear of getting him hurt.Seungjoo, leaving Gwangsik behind, strode towards the stairs. Gwangsik followed silently without offering again. There was a “No Entry” sign on the stairs, but no one paid attention to it.“Hyung.”When they reached the bottom, Muheun stood idly by, watching the two approach. At first, Seungjoo didn’t think much of it, but the closer they got, the more puzzled his expression became.‘…What’s up with him?’The look in Muheun’s eyes was far from ordinary. It was as if something had irritated him. Usually, when their eyes met, Muheun would smile warmly, but now he just stared, making it all the more unsettling.“What’s wrong?”Was there some issue with Gwimae? If not, could he possibly be tired of Seungjoo’s purification? Seungjoo considered two likely scenarios, but the words that came out of Muheun’s mouth were different.“What did you two do?”“Me and him?”There was something oddly intimate in the way Muheun said “you two,” causing Seungjoo to frown and glance back at Gwangsik. While the phrasing wasn’t exactly wrong, it carried an unnecessarily cozy vibe. It wasn’t like Muheun would get upset over a distraction, but his tone sounded as if he were asking, “What did you two do without me?”“Nothing much… We were just talking.”“Really?”Muheun replied flatly, a low hum vibrating in his throat. His narrowed eyes looked like he was either smiling or frowning. After standing still for a while, Muheun let out a small sigh and muttered softly.“The conversation must’ve been fun, huh? Holding hands and all.”“…Huh?”Holding hands? Seungjoo blinked in confusion at the absurdity of it, but Muheun had already turned his attention to Gwimae.Muheun pulled the sword lodged in Gwimae’s neck with a swift motion, and as he ran his hand along the blade, the soot disappeared without a trace.“I’ve drained its energy. You just need to purify it.”Seungjoo missed the chance to explain. Muheun, who had seemed upset just moments ago, now looked completely unfazed. In fact, his usual concern for Seungjoo had returned to his gaze.“You’re not hurt, are you?”“…”It wasn’t like they were holding hands—Seungjoo had just taught him how to play the finger flute. He considered explaining but instead shut his mouth and nodded. Now wasn’t the time to waste energy on personal matters, especially with Gwangsik standing right there.“If you can’t handle it, back out immediately. Just in case, I’ve prepared to seal it off.”“If it gets too painful, I’ll stop.”Seungjoo said this to reassure Muheun. He intended to endure most of the pain if he could. Judging by Muheun’s knowing smile, it seemed like he’d seen right through Seungjoo’s resolve.“If it gets dangerous, I’ll sever the connection myself.”“Like last time?”“Yeah, like last time.”Seungjoo recalled how Muheun had slapped a talisman on his forehead as if he were a jiangshi. If Muheun decided to step in, separating Seungjoo and Gwimae wouldn’t be difficult. Knowing this gave Seungjoo the confidence to offer to purify again.“Don’t worry. You trust me, right?”Seungjoo echoed something Muheun had said to him once—“You trust me, right?”—words meant to comfort him. Muheun’s expression briefly turned complicated before he smiled gently.“I trust you, our Seungjoo.”For the first time, Muheun returned the words Seungjoo had never been able to say back. Only now did Seungjoo realize how heavy the words “I trust you” felt. It wasn’t burdensome, just enough to fuel his resolve.“Gwangsik, you get ready too.”At Muheun’s words, Gwangsik, who had been quiet, stepped forward. While Muheun and Gwangsik prepared the talismans, Seungjoo carefully observed Gwimae’s condition. Though the sword had been removed, the creature remained limp and motionless.“Is it unconscious?”“No, it’s aware.”To prove Muheun’s words, one of Gwimae’s flattened legs twitched slightly. Seungjoo swallowed a breath as he looked at the legs sticking out from the shell. Even though Gwimae wasn’t exactly an animal, seeing it like this always made Seungjoo feel uneasy.“…Sorry.”He wasn’t sure if Gwimae heard his small apology, but right after he said it, the creature blinked ever so faintly. The soot trickling down its face looked like tears, and Seungjoo gently placed a hand on its face.“Don’t cry.”The soot that touched his fingers was absorbed into Seungjoo. He felt a throbbing sensation deep in his throat and closed his eyes. Muheun and Gwangsik watched him silently.* * *The sensation of floating in water was far more peaceful and comforting than he had imagined. Sunlight glimmered on the rippling surface, and friends swam gracefully in the shimmering light.In the midst of this serene scene, it didn’t take long for the peace to shatter.A black curse engulfed the ocean, clinging to his friends and him with relentless force. The air turned foul with every breath, and the once-fluid waters grew sticky and viscous. Among the friends who fell lifelessly to the ocean floor were those who hid in their shells, trying to survive the ordeal.By the time he had come into his own, relishing in the life of the sea, a thin thread of salvation appeared before him. Someone dressed entirely in black had come, cornered him, and cast him into the abyss of a deep slumber. At first, he was afraid, but in the end, he had been somewhat relieved.Yet, even that peace was short-lived. Though it believed that being submerged in the sea once again was its place of rest, an unwelcome guest arrived out of nowhere, shattering its slumber in an instant.“To think you’d die over something so trivial.”The sound traveled through the waves, reverberating and reaching its ears. Remarks belittling others—about how weak-willed it was, how it wasn’t fit to face exorcists—endlessly echoed around it.“I barely managed to open your spiritual eyes, and now…”Through the faintly lifted eyelids, it could see the sky, as black as the sea. Rough sand scraped beneath its head. How long had it been lying on its back, belly exposed? As soon as it realized, it flailed its limbs, but that didn’t mean it could return to the sea.“Mind your words. There are ears everywhere.”“Who could possibly hear us? We’ve set up a barrier.”The man who grumbled the reply lowered his head and looked down at Gwimae. The person who had put it to sleep wasn’t this big. Was it that Gwimae had shrunk, or had the man grown? Either way, he felt much more menacing than before.“Oh, does this Gwimae understand?”The snickering laughter was unbearably loud. They’re calling me “Gwimae” again. A name it had never been given in its life was now called out twice by humans whose identities it didn’t even know. It tried to say something, but only a high-pitched, screeching cry came out.“It can’t even speak, so what’s the point? I’m telling you, being too cautious is a problem.”The man speaking wore a black, round pair of glasses that hid his face. Beside him stood another person, but with his hat pulled down low, his face was equally obscured.“Anyway, let’s report this to the Chairman right away…”The voices gradually faded, becoming fainter. Its consciousness started to blur, and even keeping its eyes open became difficult. If only it could fall back asleep—it would be so much better.But, contrary to its wish, they didn’t let “it” fall asleep again.“We’ll begin.”With those words, cold liquid splashed across its exposed belly. At first, it was relieved, thinking it was seawater, but unfortunately, it was nothing like the seawater it had known for so long. The burning, searing pain that consumed its entire body was something “it” had never experienced before. It was excruciating.“Doesn’t seem to be working, does it?”“Let’s wait and see.”They likely had no idea, but the soot dripping down was its tears. Perhaps mixed with some blood, but mostly, it was an expression of the injustice it felt in this situation.“If even the Gwimae we just unsealed doesn’t respond…”Why were they doing this to it? What had it done to deserve such torment? Even its very birth hadn’t been by its own will, so why couldn’t it even choose to sleep now?“…We should let Team Leader Kim Muheun handle it.”At some point, the rumbling voices became hard to hear. Its vision, already unfocused, turned entirely red, making it impossible to see anything. It finally withdrew into its shell, following its longtime companions, but what had once been a cozy home was now nothing more than a furnace.“I heard that the young master purifies creatures like this…”All it could do was close its eyes and pray. Pray that someone would come to help. Or that this time would pass quickly. If not, it wished it could just fall asleep again.“I’ll hope the young master comes soon.”And if the young master came, what exactly would change? Would he share in this awful experience, feel this agony together? Could he, at least once, wipe away the tears that no one else had noticed?* * *Even after that, “it” was left there for a long time. A turtle that had flipped over could never return to its original state without help.It was only freed from its pain when the delayed tide finally rolled in and carried its aching body back to the sea.Seungjoo had never disregarded someone else’s pain, but he had never immersed himself so deeply in it either. During the process of purifying Gwimae, Seungjoo received all of its memories, and until the scene in front of him ended, it was safe to say that Seungjoo was not Seungjoo, but Gwimae itself. The pain, anger, and resentment that Gwimae felt—he experienced every bit of it as if it were his own.Perhaps it was a relief that, in the end, all that remained was peace. After sharing all its emotions with Seungjoo, Gwimae would always return to its past peaceful state. Seungjoo knew better than anyone that this wasn’t annihilation.“……”When he regained consciousness after the purification, Seungjoo found himself lying on Muheun’s dormitory bed. The salty sea breeze was nowhere to be found, replaced by the soft bedding that enveloped him. Blinking slowly, Seungjoo moved his blurred gaze and parted his lips.“…Hyung.”“You’re awake?”He had called out, expecting Muheun to be by his side, and sure enough, Muheun quickly came over to him. With a rustling sound, Muheun placed something on the bed’s headboard, then carefully brushed Seungjoo’s bangs aside. He smiled gently, lightly stroking Seungjoo’s cheek.“There’s a pillow mark here.”The touch of his fingers against Seungjoo’s cheek felt cool. Since he had just woken up, Seungjoo’s body temperature was slightly higher than usual. Normally, he would have sensed something colder as well, but for some reason, he didn’t feel anything now.“Do you want to sleep some more?”“No… I’ve slept enough.”Seungjoo replied slowly and turned his head to look at Muheun. There was no need to ask how he had gotten to the dormitory. After losing consciousness, Muheun had probably brought him here. And he could easily guess how Muheun must have felt seeing him passed out.“Does anything hurt?”“Not at all.”Muheun carefully examined Seungjoo at his clear response, looking at his eyes, nose, mouth, and then his eyes again. After thoroughly inspecting him, he spoke in a soft voice.“Your spiritual eyes have closed.”“That’s what it felt like.”It was just as Seungjoo had thought. When Muheun touched him, he hadn’t felt any spiritual energy, unlike before. Judging by the dark sky outside, it was still early morning, but it was hard to believe that his spiritual eyes had already closed. As Seungjoo furrowed his brow in confusion, Muheun narrowed his eyes.“You probably used up all your spiritual energy purifying Gwimae.”It was a statement that both made sense and didn’t. It wasn’t the first time Seungjoo had purified a Gwimae, so it felt strange to think that he’d used up all his energy now.“Wasn’t I fine the other times?”“Yes. So I thought about it while you were sleeping…”It seemed Muheun had done a lot of thinking while Seungjoo was out. As he gently touched Seungjoo’s face, he continued to speak softly.“The first Gwimae you purified was too weak. The next Gwimae you encountered, I intervened and stopped it before you could purify it. But this time, the Gwimae was much stronger.”The first Gwimae he purified must have been the one that resembled a sparrow. The next was the snake-like Gwimae. Both were definitely less exhausting than this time.“The amount of spiritual energy you use likely depends on the strength of the Gwimae. Even Muryeong said that the stronger the negative energy in an evil spirit, the more energy it takes to purify it.”“Was that turtle really that strong?”“Yes, it was strong.”But didn’t they subdue it too quickly? Although he hadn’t watched the process closely, he knew that they had drained Gwimae’s power while they were briefly chatting. He thought again how impressive Muheun was, but Muheun, as if puzzled, added:“But for all its strength, it was surprisingly calm. It barely resisted.”“……”Seungjoo recalled the memories of Gwimae from a little while ago. It had desperately begged to be helped, to be freed from its pain.‘Maybe it recognized the person who could help.’Perhaps Gwimae had believed that Muheun would be the one to ease its suffering. After all, the last time it had been sealed, it had gained long rest through a similar process. Or maybe Gwimae even thought of Muheun as the “young master.”“I didn’t expect you to use up all your spiritual energy. But this time… well, there was a lot of it.”When Muheun said “a lot,” he had an awkward expression on his face. No wonder—he was entirely responsible for the increase in spiritual energy. Feeling embarrassed as well, Seungjoo looked away and mumbled.“I’m not some air purifier filter…”“Air purifier?”A smile tugged at the corner of Muheun’s lips. It was just a silly comment, but it seemed Muheun found it amusing coming from Seungjoo. Seeing him quietly smile, Seungjoo slowly sat up in bed.“Hyung, I saw that turtle’s memories earlier.”In a calm tone, Seungjoo explained the scene he had witnessed. He mentioned that two exorcists had unsealed Gwimae, and one of them was the same person who had used a cigarette to open his spiritual eyes. He recognized the man by the round sunglasses he wore.“They said they were going to report to the Chairman. That man really is the culprit.”Just as Muheun had suspected, the Chairman seemed to be involved in all of this. It wasn’t exactly shocking, but there was something curious about it.“They poured some kind of liquid on Gwimae…”What could their goal be? He didn’t know their exact motives, but he could tell they were experimenting on Gwimae after unsealing it. From Gwimae’s perspective, the whole process just seemed like torture.“When things didn’t go well, they said they’d leave the clean-up to you.”He didn’t mention that they intended for him to perform the purification. There was no need to say it aloud—Muheun would have already guessed. After all, he’d been openly asked to handle the purification.“Why are they doing this?”“I’m not sure. From what they said, it sounds like they’re trying to figure out a way to completely deal with Gwimae…”It was a plausible theory, and Seungjoo had also assumed as much. The issue was that there didn’t seem to be a good reason to go so far in finding a “solution.” Besides, Muheun had mentioned that the current Chairman wasn’t someone particularly known for taking responsibility.“Once a Gwimae is sealed, it takes time for its power to recover, so they probably thought it was ideal for experimenting. Naturally-born Gwimaes are strong and fast, after all.”“…So, what do we do now?”They had found the culprit. The only issue now was the lack of evidence. Though Seungjoo had clearly witnessed it with his own eyes, the only person who might believe him was Muheun. If just the two of them accused the association’s president of being the culprit, it was likely to backfire on them.“If we just leave it, they’ll unseal Gwimae again…”Even while they searched for evidence, the president would undoubtedly continue with the same actions. Cleansing Gwimae wasn’t particularly difficult, but Seungjoo wasn’t eager to witness the pain the creature endured during the process.“We’ll have to put him on trial.”Whether Muheun understood Seungjoo’s concerns or not, he responded in a clear, straightforward tone. Naturally, Seungjoo couldn’t hide his surprise and asked again.“The president?”“Yeah, the president.”“Can we even put the president on trial?”Seungjoo knew there was a trial system within the association. The problem was that it required the president’s approval to initiate one. It wasn’t impossible, but the process would be incredibly difficult.“That’s pretty much like… impeachment.”Once someone had power, it was hard to bring them down. Even if everyone worked together, it would be a challenge, and here they were, just the two of them—what could they possibly achieve? Moreover, Seungjoo wasn’t even part of the association.“Well… the president is the head of the association, but that doesn’t mean he can decide everything by himself. Most things require the agreement of the executive board.”In other words, he didn’t hold absolute power. Even though the explanation came out of the blue, Seungjoo nodded, signaling his understanding.“But, you know… there are cases where even the entire board sides with the president, right?”“That’s true.”“In preparation for situations like that, the association created a separate team that doesn’t have to follow internal regulations. It’s kept secret from the public, known only to the executives.”It was essentially an extrajudicial team. As expected from something only the executives knew about, this was the first time Seungjoo had heard of such a secret team—and about the special authority given to them.“And that team has been given the power to summon the president for trial at any time, regardless of the situation.”“…A forced summoning power?”Seungjoo’s eyes widened in surprise as he asked again. If such a power existed, things would definitely get a bit easier.“Yeah, though it does come with risks…”Muheun shrugged and trailed off. Seungjoo wanted to ask who held that power, but before he could, Muheun picked up the item he had placed on the headboard earlier.“This is the forced summoning authority.”“…”It looked like a round wooden plaque, somewhat similar to the official seals used in the old days. On the front, the character ‘零’ was engraved, and Seungjoo, who could read most common characters, had no trouble recognizing it.“Zero?”“Yeah, ‘falling zero.’”Why does he have this? Seungjoo couldn’t help but wonder. The forced summoning power, something only a secret team within the association possessed, a tool of near limitless authority…Muheun flicked the wooden plaque slightly and added, “If you read it differently, it also means the number zero.”“Zero as in…?”Seungjoo blinked. As soon as he heard the word “zero,” a certain realization dawned on him.No way… With that thought, he turned to look at Muheun. Muheun’s lips curved slowly into a grin, and he spoke.“I’m the team leader of that ‘Zero’ team.”The Exorcists’ Association was in a state of emergency. News that had turned the entire organization upside down in a single day had spread like wildfire among all the exorcists. It was about a trial that was happening—something that rarely occurred, maybe once a year—and the defendant was none other than the association president.The one who accused him was Kim Muheun, and Muheun had pointed to the president as the culprit behind recent incidents in the association. While the president wasn’t always innocent, this time, the matter was extremely serious. Allowing spirits to linger and unsealing Gwimae went directly against the fundamental principles of the association.Muheun’s actions, as someone who was outwardly just a regular team member, naturally drew the attention of the entire association. While his possession of the forced summoning authority remained unknown, that only added to the intrigue. Even for Kim Muheun, it wasn’t a decision easily made, going against the president of the association.However, the executive board members who were aware of the 0 Team and the forced summoning authority thought differently. As soon as Muheun accused the president, they acted as though they had been expecting this and called for an emergency meeting. The first thing they did was summon every member of the 0 Team.“You need the unanimous consent of the team members to use it.”It was just as Muheun had told Seungjoo. After confirming the agreement of all the team members, the executive board formally submitted the case to the tribunal. Seungjoo didn’t witness it personally, but he got the impression that the process was moving faster than expected.“You’re making a huge mistake.”Despite the president’s warning, Muheun remained completely unfazed. He merely looked at the president with indifferent eyes and, without a word, let out a short laugh. His attitude was so confident that it made Seungjoo, standing behind him, feel awkwardly self-conscious.It would be two weeks before the main trial began. During that time, the president would be under the tribunal’s surveillance, unable to do anything. It was similar to being under house arrest, and he wouldn’t be able to take a single step outside the association. He couldn’t unseal any more Gwimae or issue any orders.“…Is it supposed to be this easy?”All of this had happened in just half a day after Seungjoo found out about Muheun’s true identity. While Muheun was handling everything, Seungjoo had spent his time waiting for him to return to his dorm. He had even managed to nap a bit, though it was still a short amount of time.“Easy? We’re about to start the hard part now.”According to Muheun, using the forced summoning authority carried significant risks. First, they had to present solid evidence within the designated period, and if the president was found not guilty, they would have to take responsibility for it. Additionally, the moment the authority was invoked, Muheun would have a tribunal member monitoring him, which was why it was rarely used.“Where’s the tribunal member?”“Outside.”“…Outside?”Seungjoo, startled, turned to look at the dormitory door. A yellow talisman made of hanji paper was stuck in the middle of the firmly closed steel door. Although his spiritual sight was sealed and he couldn’t feel anything, the talisman was likely blocking sound and space.“How are we going to find evidence?”Despite knowing that fact, Seungjoo lowered his voice on purpose when asking. They were certain the president was the culprit, but they had no evidence, and that was a closely guarded secret. It was practically a gamble, and if this was exposed, even the tribunal might grow suspicious.“I’ve already asked the team to help. I told them to track the president and his closest associates over the past few days. We just need to follow their movements and find the Gwimae he unsealed.”“Your team does things like that?”“Yeah, they’re good at covert investigations.”What an odd skill for exorcists to have. Odd-numbered teams specialized in capturing Gwimae, even-numbered teams were regular exorcists, and the 0 Team did undercover work. They didn’t just do surveillance, but it was certainly an unusual duty for exorcists.“If we can find evidence that the president unsealed a Gwimae, we’ll have no trouble winning the trial. If a Gwimae is found in the places he’s been, that will be enough circumstantial evidence.”On the surface, it sounded like a perfect plan, but Seungjoo wasn’t quick to agree. After all, everything hinged on whether or not they could find a Gwimae.“What if there isn’t a Gwimae?”“There will be.”Muheun responded without a moment’s hesitation. Seeing his dark eyes grow hazy, Seungjoo felt his slight anxiety disappear. Muheun’s crescent-shaped eyes looked at Seungjoo as if to reassure him not to worry.“There will be.”“…”If Muheun said so, then it must be true. He had never been wrong, not once, since the very beginning. And with such conviction, even more so.“Are you going to seal the Gwimae when we find it?”“Well, actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about…”Muheun trailed off, hesitating for a moment. His slightly furrowed brow and curling lips showed just how much he disliked what he was about to say. But that was only for a moment; soon, he looked determined and continued.“I’d like you to cleanse it, Seungjoo.”“…Me?”“Yeah, you.”It was an option he had considered, but he hadn’t expected to hear it from Muheun. The president who’d always asked him to purify the Gwimae was now detained by the tribunal, and Muheun had never been fond of Seungjoo cleansing the creature.Yet now, he was asking him to do just that. When Seungjoo looked at him, puzzled, Muheun sighed and explained slowly.“It would be easier for me to seal it, but… we need to find a ‘motive,’ not just evidence. If you cleanse it, you’ll see the memories, and we can figure out why he did all this.”Muheun didn’t stop there. He added, “We also need to find out who in the association is part of this new faction.” It was the same method Seungjoo had once mentioned—using the Gwimae’s memories to identify the culprit by their spiritual energy.“…You really want me to do it?”Seungjoo asked, still incredulous, but Muheun just chuckled as if to say he didn’t want to repeat himself. He must have spent a long time thinking it over before saying it.“Seungjoo, you once asked me, ‘Do you trust me?’”‘Don’t worry. You trust me, right?’That was the playful question Seungjoo had asked before purifying the Gwimae. He’d just been echoing Muheun’s words without putting much meaning behind them. Although Muheun had briefly shown a strange expression when he heard it.“I thought about it while you were sleeping. What if you never opened your eyes again? Should I have stopped the purification? Should I have intervened earlier… things like that.”“Geez, you worry too much…”“Yeah, I did worry a lot.”Muheun squinted his eyes playfully in response to Seungjoo’s casual remark. He reached out to Seungjoo, who was sitting on the bed, and gently brushed his eyelids.“And here you are, awake after all.”A simple statement carried a mixture of emotions. Seungjoo couldn’t say anything for a moment, simply locking eyes with him. In Muheun’s dark eyes, there was a trust strong enough to surpass all those worries.“I trust you.”“…”“This is the best way.”Seungjoo didn’t know what kind of confirmation his casual question had given Muheun. But what was clear was that as Muheun said those words, there was a subtle sadness in his expression. Like someone sending off a grown child.“I’m sorry for being so stubborn all this time.”“What…”Seungjoo hadn’t realized it before, but it seemed he had felt a bit hurt by Muheun’s constant rejection of his suggestions. It was clear now that the thought of not being recognized had stung. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be feeling so genuinely reassured at this moment.“There’s no need to apologize…”Maybe now they were finally on equal footing. A sense of quiet satisfaction bloomed inside Seungjoo. The idea that there was something he could do now, that he could work together with Muheun on something, felt rewarding.“Just like you said, if we find the Gwimae, I’ll purify it. And since you’ll be with me, you can step in if things get dangerous.”“Yeah, I will.”Seungjoo couldn’t bring himself to say something as sentimental as “I trust you, too.” Instead, he gave Muheun the words he knew he needed to hear most.“I won’t get hurt.”“…”A gentle smile spread across Muheun’s lips, not the habitual kind, but one that only appeared when he was genuinely pleased.It would have been a perfect moment if Muheun hadn’t added a touch of his usual playfulness, holding out his pinky.“Can you promise that?”“…Oh, fine. Fine, I promise.”Seungjoo grumbled, telling him not to act like this when they were both thirty years old, but he linked his pinky with Muheun’s anyway, deciding to humor him this once. Muheun firmly hooked their fingers together, sealing it with a thumbprint before finally letting go.“We’re going to start looking for the Gwimae tonight. We need to gather evidence within two weeks, so we have to move quickly.”They had reported the association leader that morning, so there was still time left before sunset. Seungjoo absentmindedly checked the view outside the window and nodded. He had slept well and regained his strength, so it seemed best not to delay any further.“What time exactly are we leaving?”“We’ll head out as soon as the sun sets. But first, we need to prepare.”“Prepare?”Seungjoo gave Muheun a curious look, wondering what else they needed to get ready. Muheun chuckled softly, nodding like it was the most obvious thing in the world.“Your spiritual sight is still sealed, isn’t it?”The chapters have been revised, edited, and compressed, and the complete main story has been released for free, as I’m concerned it might be taken down or worse. I didn’t want to disappoint the readers, so I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope you enjoy reading the complete story! The side stories will be coming soon, so don't worry~