“Then, what you’re saying is… the nations that have lost contact might have all fallen to the witches…?”
“Well, that’s one possibility. I sincerely hope that’s not the case. They might have been destroyed for other reasons, or maybe we just temporarily lost contact with them.”
Mok Jinwoo shrugged, as if trying to lighten the mood.
“Either way, to be honest, I don’t see much hope in the current situation. And… it’s a definite fact that something is happening again on this land.”
He lit his cigarette and took a deep drag before exhaling. Afterward, he spoke again.
“It’s different from fifteen years ago. Back then, the witches openly declared their presence everywhere. They focused solely on spreading destruction and slaughter.”
“…”
“But the ones appearing this time… they’re more cunning, more meticulous, and more skilled. Yes, it’s like they’ve become more like us. Maybe they learned to survive, or perhaps they’ve inherited some knowledge… Hoo…”
The colorful smoke that reached the ceiling dispersed, enveloping the surroundings like mist.
“Religion, of all things. The witches from fifteen years ago couldn’t even imagine such a method. Back then, they were just barely imitating us, wrapped in skins.”
His words brought back memories. A city shrouded in an orange smog. The grotesque chapel hidden beneath it. Even the seemingly modest and devout woman who was its tyrant.
“If you hadn’t stumbled upon the First City by chance, by now it would have become a hive spreading erosion and mutated species. And we would have had to bear much greater damage. While we managed to contain it with a city lockdown for now.”
Mok Jinwoo shivered. His words made me immediately grasp the gravity of the problem.
“There might be others who have infiltrated disguised as us…”
“Exactly.”
***
“Now, we can’t trust anyone. The biggest fear is not knowing where they’re hiding or what they’re up to.”
Mok Jinwoo exhaled smoke again as he replied.
“We could try checking by examining their brains or making cuts on their bodies… but realistically, it’s nearly impossible to inspect millions of citizens one by one. Besides, they’d probably notice our intentions long before we could.”
Then he abruptly turned to me with a joking tone.
“Want to check?”
“Check…?”
“Yeah. What if I’m a witch? How about cutting off a finger? Hm?”
“Please don’t joke about that. It’s horrifying. If you were a witch, there wouldn’t be any need to tell me all this. Besides, you’re a man.”
“Tsk, no sense of humor…”
When I replied with disgust, he clicked his tongue, as if disappointed.
“Anyway, that’s the situation we’re in. And I… I believe you’re the only key to solving our current difficulties.”
“Me…?”
“Yes. The divine authority you possess. You said it allows you to completely control particles within a certain radius, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I first heard that. That power isn’t in the hands of a witch but in yours.”
He closed his eyes briefly, lost in thought.
“…The witches from fifteen years ago were near-catastrophic enemies. Nearly infinite magical power, combined with incomprehensible divine authorities.”
“…”
“But that doesn’t mean it was entirely impossible to defeat them. We suffered great sacrifices, but in the end, we managed to exterminate all of them active at the time.”
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at me as if trying to peer into my soul.
“But your divine authority… it’s a power unlike anything we’ve experienced before.”
“…It renders any response from the opponent completely useless.”
“Exactly.”
He nodded.
“If that power had been in their hands, they wouldn’t have needed to conspire in secret like they do now. Even the most talented magician wouldn’t have been able to stand against them. What use is magic when you can’t even cast it?”
“…”
“Perhaps the Republic would already have fallen, and you and I might have ended up lying side by side in coffins.”
“Please stop saying such horrifying things.”
“Heh, alright. Anyway, let me ask… do you still have no memory of how you came to possess that power?”
It seemed this question was the main point of today’s conversation.
But the only answer I could give was to shake my head.
“…None at all. If the Leader hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even have known I had such a divine authority.”
After a moment of silence, he asked, his expression filled with a mix of guilt and hesitation.
“By any chance, do you remember what kind of person your late mother was?”
I could immediately understand the intent behind his question. The guilt and hesitation on his face explained it too.
Perhaps he was wondering if my mother could have been a witch.
Maybe she fled or somehow survived… and as her child, I inherited her divine authority.
“…I don’t think it’s what you’re imagining.”
But this time as well, all I could do was shake my head.
“I know my mother settled in the pioneer village over fifteen years ago. She rarely ventured outside the village…”
“Hmm…”
A hint of disappointment appeared on his face.
“And my mother… she was just an ordinary person. Although she had a bit of a fiery personality, she always cared for and loved me. I don’t think someone like that could be the monster you’re describing…”
“I see. My apologies for bringing up such a painful subject…”
“It’s alright. It was necessary.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, have you ever encountered anyone suspicious in your life? Or experienced anything unusual?”
“No. Before the Leader took me in, I never left the vicinity of the village. It was such a small community that if anything suspicious had happened, there would’ve been rumors long ago.”
“I see. Still, keep all possibilities in mind, including what we just discussed. If we can uncover the principle behind how that power was passed to you, we might find a clue to countering them…”
“…Wait a moment.”
“Hm?”
The word ‘clue’ triggered a memory.
A dream I’d had after returning from the south. The ruins overlooking the sea to the east. A group of people sitting together, discussing something incomprehensible.
But now that I think about it, I might have an inkling of what it was.
The women sitting there were all witches. Their conversation was about their plot to stain the world.
I hadn’t told anyone, fearing they’d think I was insane. But now that I’d learned more of the truth, there was no reason to hide it.
I relayed everything I saw in the dream to him in as much detail as possible. The date, the surrounding scenery, the number of people present, and so on.
“What… This is… unbelievable… Are you serious?”
Mok Jinwoo muttered, his mouth agape as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.
“I’m fairly certain. I recorded everything immediately after waking from the dream. If you doubt me…”
“No, no. That’s not what I meant.”
He waved his hand urgently.
“…Yes. I remember something similar happening with the wall guards. There was talk of desertion and kidnapping—it caused quite a stir for a while. But if that woman had been possessed by a witch…!”
Then he enthusiastically continued with his questions.
“Who else did you mention?”
“The florist, a PLF member, a night stage singer, and a nun. I think the nun is the woman I killed. Her name was Betelgeuse.”
“My god…”
Mok Jinwoo rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. He muttered fervently to himself for a long time.
“Then it’s not a surviving individual but a newly appeared one for sure… If they used the term ‘hatching,’ it must mean viviparous… scattered across different places… 347 florists in the capital’s records, night stage singers within the last two years… PLF members in the south… The Great Enemy? Could it be…”
Finally, he stared blankly at me, his eyes wide.
“…You have no idea how significant what you’ve uncovered is.”
“But I haven’t figured out everything yet. While we know about Polaris, we don’t have concrete information on the witch Spica… and there are others as well…”
“Even partial information is a blessing. Uncovering their identity is almost like voluntarily disarming yourself. Witches are no exception.”
His voice was filled with excitement.
“Alright. Leave the investigation on that front to me. And…”
Just as he was speaking, he glanced at his wristwatch and suddenly stopped. His voice relaxed, and he gave a sly smile.
“Looks like it’s already time to escort the young master home.”
***
“A natural enemy of spirits?”
“Yes. That’s why spirit magicians were unusually ineffective in witch hunts. Spirits were always terrified of them.”
“Hmm…”
On the way back, I continued to converse with him.
“I don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Why was the existence of such a dangerous monster kept a secret? People know about witches, but they have no idea about the heteromorphic species within them.”
“Because it wasn’t the right situation for that.”
Mok Jinwoo answered briefly.
“Although the Witch Incident ended, its aftermath spread across the entire nation. Even the Five Families, which sustain the country, were no exception.”
“…”
“Heukryeon and Paechun each lost their successors in different ways. Jeokhwa became obsessed with seizing the vacant power, and Baekgwang struggled just to maintain itself. Wolyeong, from the start, wasn’t very interested in worldly affairs.”
If it was Wolyeong, it must have been the principal’s family.
It seems the title Hae Wolhwa of Sloth wasn’t given without reason.
“Of course, there was an investigation. It lasted for a full three years. But in the end, it concluded without discovering any trace.”
If all the witches of that time were killed, and the witches of this era hatched anew from egg-like entities… it’s no wonder the investigation failed.
“So everyone considered it a temporary danger. Or rather, they had no choice but to think that way.”
“What do you mean?”
“With tomorrow being uncertain, what good would it do to claim the existence of alien monsters? It would only cause public anxiety. And so, the existence of witches was forgotten… the families became engrossed in power struggles… and here we are today.”
He shrugged his shoulders and muttered in a voice tinged with regret.
“The only one who kept insisting on their return was Jaehyuk. If even the principal or I had listened to him earlier…”
“…”
“Well, now it’s too late to do anything but atone. Anyway, there will soon be an official announcement about the existence of witches. Active measures will be sought, and though it will be difficult, operations to root them out will continue. The situation has changed now.”
He scratched his head with a complicated expression.
“You said you used your divine authority when dealing with that Betelgeuse woman, right?”
“…Yes. I saved it until the very last moment and then used it.”
“Did your power work on them?”
“It worked. I think it blocked not only their magic but also her brainwashing-like power, which was her divine authority.”
“Was there anyone else who witnessed that fight besides you?”
“There was one person, but it’s fine. They’re a trustworthy friend.”
“Who is it… Ah, I see.”
Mok Jinwoo, initially puzzled, smirked mischievously.
“That young lady from Baekgwang, huh?”
“…”
“Don’t look so serious. Alright, you rascal.”
Then, changing his expression in an instant, he continued.
“If there’s any chance your power or your existence has been revealed to the witches?”
“That side should be fine too. Until the moment of her death, she was frantically trying to inform her kind. If my existence had already been relayed, there’d have been no need to exhaust herself like that.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief. Truly a relief…”
Mok Jinwoo finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Until the decisive moment comes, it might be best to keep your existence hidden for now.”
“I was already planning to do that.”
“Good. For now, return to the cradle. Stay there quietly for a while, as if you know nothing. But make sure to keep a close eye on any movements happening there.”
Lowering his voice, he whispered.
“The Social Gathering Tragedy. No matter how I think about it, something about it feels suspicious. Each of them was a carefully selected notable, not a vagrant. There was no reason for them to cause such a commotion.”
“…”
“It was undeniably an overly unnatural disturbance. If that tragedy was someone’s well-crafted conspiracy…”
Even though he didn’t finish his sentence, the meaning was clear.
“And there’s no rule saying that students can’t become the hosts for witches.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Then…”
“Wait.”
As I was about to leave after exchanging farewells, Mok Jinwoo suddenly stopped me. His face showed an uncharacteristic hesitation.
“And also… hmm…”
“If you have something to say, please just tell me. Didn’t you promise to tell me everything without hiding?”
“Well… ha, this is…!”
After scratching his head in frustration, he finally spoke with a resigned tone.
“…Fine. With Jaehyuk gone, and you being directly involved, you have the right to know. You’re clearly an adult now anyway.”
I wondered if there was something more he hadn’t told me about witches. Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to look so troubled.
“…What if.”
“Please, go on.”
“…The misfortune that happened in your pioneer village two years ago…”
“…?”
But the story that came out of his mouth was something I had never anticipated.
“If that incident wasn’t an accident but a premeditated conspiracy… what would you do?”
***
-Thud!
“Ah, ah…!”
It had been a perfect day. Or so it should have been.
Yeon Minha’s trembling hands shook uncontrollably. Her red eyes were filled with unmistakable fear.
In front of her lay her father’s journal, crumpled into a complete mess.
“Why… Why on earth… Father… Why would you do such a thing…”
Her voice was thick with sobs. It wasn’t sorrow but resentment toward someone that overwhelmed her.
“Why… why did you destroy that boy’s village…!”