Chapter 136
“What kind of person are you?”
Han Si-hyuk smirked at Han Siha’s sharp words.
“Just a prophet.”
“These days, it seems prophets smash people’s heads in. You interpret the stars’ will in quite a violent manner.”
“….”
“Are you sending people to the side of God while reading His will?”
Han Siha’s words were so biting they bordered on excessive, but Han Si-hyuk had no intention of responding, no matter what was said.
The power that neutralized Archant’s unique ability and subdued him with immense strength in an instant.
Han Siha couldn’t help but wonder where that power came from.
But there’s no need to know.
Han Si-hyuk muttered coldly.
“It’s better for kids not to know.”
“…This is ridiculous.”
Han Siha frowned, clearly displeased, but Han Si-hyuk continued without stopping.
“There are things that are better not to know for your own safety.”
Han Siha was quick to catch on.
He seemed to have discerned something from Han Si-hyuk’s power, but that was all.
He couldn’t have figured it out in detail.
Even his emotional outbursts indicated as much.
“I hope you haven’t touched something you shouldn’t have.”
“Are you giving me advice right now…?”
“If it’s something dangerous, don’t do it behind the scenes. Don’t make it troublesome later.”
That was as far as Han Siha got.
“Wait a minute….”
Bang.
Sensing that Han Si-hyuk wouldn’t open his mouth further, Han Siha abruptly shut the door.
He had entered without knocking and exited without a farewell.
“Phew, that brat.”
If he weren’t my brother, I would have just killed him.
As soon as the door closed, Han Si-hyuk relaxed his rigid posture, which he had been maintaining obsessively.
Then, he slowly mulled over what Han Siha had said.
“I hope you haven’t touched something you shouldn’t have….”
Han Si-hyuk let out a small laugh, almost unconsciously.
“It seems it’s already too late.”
The smile vanished from Han Si-hyuk’s face.
At the same time, a nauseating sensation surged within him.
Cough.
His body, unable to withstand the overload of magical power, soon spat out blood.
The backlash from the effort to kill Archant in one blow was now catching up to him.
Han Si-hyuk grabbed his throbbing head.
“Ugh.”
The face that had appeared so serene, as if it felt no pain, finally twisted with agony.
A life of being ignored as an illegitimate child for lacking magical talent.
Even after becoming the continent’s greatest prophet, he couldn’t let go of his lingering desire for strength.
And finally, he had obtained it.
But now, that power was eating away at him.
Slowly, but surely.
It felt as if this power was gradually consuming him.
Han Si-hyuk tossed the blood-stained handkerchief aside and reopened the documents.
“The Katablam cold case….”
There was still much work to be done.
* * *
At the same time, Solia was sitting huddled on the staircase of the first-floor hallway.
The cold stairs, particularly in the dead of winter, were not the most comfortable place to sit alone, but she was too deep in thought to notice.
Thoughts of something that defied common sense were floating around in Solia’s mind.
Solia murmured softly.
“What on earth is going on…?”
The Chamber of Memories.
Due to Archant’s spatial distortion, Solia had fallen into that place as well.
The memory package Solia received belonged to Han Siha.
Solia had also opened it.
But there was nothing.
Literally, it was a space of ‘nothingness.’
She couldn’t help but find it odd.
Is it possible for there to be no memories?
Can a space be completely empty?
Solia had been trapped in that void, filled only with a dazzling white light, for quite a long time.
“This is strange… so strange.”
Thinking it might be a common occurrence, she even asked Seymour.
‘Did you see my memories?’
Seymour, who had opened Solia’s package.
‘Huh… your family went completely bankrupt, huh?’
‘Are you okay? Is life any better now?’
‘It looked worse than I thought. What are you going to do?’
Solia had felt like smacking Seymour for his blunt words, but she had gained some valuable information.
Opening a memory package does indeed take you inside the person’s memories.
With that in mind, it seemed even stranger.
“Why didn’t Han Siha have any memories?”
That question lingered, so Solia leaned against the wall and muttered.
“Is it… amnesia?”
Several tragic character settings popped into her head, but they seemed too far-fetched, so she shook her head.
As she was pondering, a familiar face caught her eye.
“Red bean buns… red bean buns… new… red bean buns….”
Yoon Haul, hurrying to the snack shop with a beaming face.
No one knew more about these kinds of things than her.
“Yoon Haul!”
Solia urgently grabbed Yoon Haul.
“Huh? Solia?”
* * *
Though they were in the same squad, they weren’t particularly close on a personal level.
But Solia had something she was curious about, and Yoon Haul had plenty of time to listen.
Yoon Haul listened to Solia’s story and fell into deep thought.
“So you’re asking what it means when you enter the Chamber of Memories, but the person’s memories aren’t visible?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Solia didn’t mention that it was Han Siha.
So, after thinking for a moment, Yoon Haul casually responded.
“Maybe they’re from another world.”
“What?”
“If they’re from a different world, their past memories might not be visible.”
Solia’s eyes widened.
From another world? She couldn’t fathom what that meant.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Solia asked again.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t know… like a ghost or something…?”
Gasp.
Solia instinctively covered her mouth.
Then, with a trembling voice, she asked.
“Are you sure about that?”
“I’m not certain. But other than that, I can’t think of any other reason. Even if someone is immune to mental magic, that doesn’t mean their memories would be invisible!”
Yoon Haul looked back at Solia with a bright smile.
A ghost, really?
It was a topic too shocking for Solia to accept.
Solia stammered with a pale face.
“Uh… um… so… wouldn’t a ghost be untouchable? If you can touch them, they wouldn’t be a ghost, right…?”
“No, some ghosts can borrow human bodies.”
This was an area completely unfamiliar to Solia.
Yoon Haul’s eyes sparkled as she continued explaining something she clearly knew a lot about.
“Such ghosts, um… might look just like regular people on the outside. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
“R-really? There’s no way to tell them apart…?”
Solia’s question made Yoon Haul stroke her chin thoughtfully.
There was, of course, a way to distinguish them.
Yoon Haul spoke in a calm voice.
“Ghosts don’t have a heartbeat. Even if they borrow a human body, it’s the same. It’s like they’re just using the outer shell.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But checking that is pretty difficult, isn’t it?”
“Right.”
“In that case… red beans.”
“Red beans…?”
“It’s a dish used in the southern regions to ward off ghosts. I heard ghosts hate red bean porridge.”
To Solia, this was an unfamiliar dish, even by name.
“Red bean porridge?”
“And salt. They also sprinkle salt to drive away ghosts. I’m not an expert in this, so I don’t know the details.”
Yoon Haul was a prophet who interpreted the stars, not an exorcist who chased away ghosts.
She wasn’t well-versed beyond that, so her words trailed off.
By that time, Solia, who had been listening to Yoon Haul’s words with a dazed expression, slowly nodded.
“Red bean porridge and salt… got it…”
“But are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine…”
“Then why’d you suddenly bring up ghosts?”
“It’s nothing, really!”
“It seems like you’ve got a fever…”
Han Siha is usually sharp about things like this.
Yoon Haul rolled her eyes and asked.
“Should I call Han Siha?”
“No… No way!”
“Why not?”
“Han Siha! Absolutely not!”
“W-wait… Solia! What’s wrong with you?”
“I… I have to go!”
With quick, hurried steps, Solia sprang up from the stairs and ran off.
Behind her, Yoon Haul’s cheerful farewell echoed.
“Bye, Solia!”
Solia bit her lower lip with a pale face.
Now that things had turned out this way, unsettling memories began to resurface.
‘His personality did change…’
She couldn’t help but be concerned that Han Siha had changed from the person she had known since childhood.
Solia shook her head vigorously.
No, it couldn’t be. He looks completely normal; there’s no way he could be a ghost.
Yet, she found herself trembling uncontrollably.
She felt strangely cold.
“Ugh…”
Still, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to confirm.
“Should I try feeding him some red bean porridge?”
* * *
I was at the training ground with Basil late into the night.
I had so much on my mind that my head felt cluttered, so I decided to train to clear out all those thoughts.
“Huff… huff… I’m gonna die.”
I planned to just head back, shower quickly, and collapse into bed.
But then…
“You’re… going to cook for me?”
“Y-yeah.”
Out of nowhere, Solia had called me.
She even suggested we have dinner together, just the two of us.
I was quite taken aback since we had never done something like this before. Solia had always kept a bit of distance from me, even though she was close with Lee Han.
Her suddenly offering to cook for me, well, it felt a bit strange.
But since she offered, I followed her.
“I’m pretty hungry.”
“Right?”
On the second floor, there was a kitchen where students could practice cooking.
Since most students ate the dormitory meals, no one ever really cooked there, so it was naturally empty.
Solia looked back at me nervously.
“This is my first time cooking… Is that okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll eat whatever you make. But why are you just standing there?”
She was trembling.
Even though she’s usually quiet, she’s not the type to worry about what others think of her.
In fact, she’s always been the type to maintain her composure, yet she seemed to be nervously glancing at me, shaking all the while.
“Is it… because you’re cold?”
“Do you want to borrow a jacket?”
“No, it’s fine! Just stay right there!”
She forced me back into my seat when I tried to stand.
What’s up with her today? Did she eat something bad?
Something about her seems off.
I leaned my chin on my hand and watched her.
She really was busy, though, so it seemed she was indeed preparing something.
But she had no real reason to suddenly invite me to dinner.
“Why are you suddenly doing this…?”
Crash.
Wait, something just broke, didn’t it?
“You okay?”
“I’m fine!”
“You don’t sound fine!”
Clang!
Yeah, she definitely doesn’t seem fine.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I jumped up from my seat.
Solia had dropped a dish, and she turned to me with a flustered look.
“What are you making that’s causing you to wreck the kitchen like this?”
“I-I already made it… I just dropped it while serving…”
Steam was rising from behind her.
She must’ve been cooking while I was training.
“Uh… do you… by any chance…?”
Solia spoke up first.
“Do you like red bean porridge?”
“No?”
The answer shot out of me immediately.
I don’t like sweet things.
“What?”
“I’m not a fan of red bean porridge.”
“Eeeeek!”
“Why ‘eek’? Is it really that shocking?”
I should be the one shocked.
What on earth is going on in this academy’s world that has Solia making red bean porridge?
Does this make sense?
Something feels off.
“Y-you don’t… like red bean porridge?”
“Let me serve myself. Even though I don’t like it much, since you worked hard on it, I’ll eat it.”
Solia, with a ghostly pale face, handed me the ladle.
I grabbed a bowl that looked intact and started serving the red bean porridge.
Steam billowed up as if it had just finished cooking.
This really looks like the red bean porridge I know.
Solia watched me intently as I filled the bowl and sat down at the table.
Her gaze was intense—almost to the point of making me uncomfortable.
“You’re… not eating?”
“I want to watch you eat. Go ahead.”
I was touched, not expecting her to be so attentive.
It must’ve been tough to make.
“Alright, I’m eating now.”
“Mm-hm.”
I blew on the porridge to cool it down a bit, then took a spoonful and put it in my mouth.
Even then, Solia’s eyes were still fixed on me.
The hot porridge slid down my throat.
And then…
What the heck is this?
“Gag.”
It tasted like watered-down beans.
It was a new paradigm in bad porridge.
“Hey, hold on a second. What did you… urgh!”
I immediately reached for a tissue.
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