The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 62

“I’m home.”

“Ah, you’re back. You must be tired.”

When I arrived home, Seol Baek-san came out to the front yard to greet me.

[The old man is still alive, I see.]

“Hmph, crafty fox. Still lingering around, are you?”

As soon as they met, Seol Baek-san and Yomi started growling at each other. I thought they’d gotten a bit friendlier, but it seemed I was mistaken.

“Come inside and have some food.”

“Yes, Father.”

Seol Baek-san entered the house with his hands behind his back, occasionally stroking his long beard, looking every bit the image of an immortal sage.

Bubbling

The sound of stew boiling was accompanied by the savory scent of soybean paste. Seol Baek-san briefly entered the kitchen and brought out the pre-prepared meal.

“Here, eat up.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy this.”

By this point, Yomi, who had disguised herself as a human, licked her lips in anticipation. Just as she picked up a spoon and was about to take a bite of rice—

“Who said you could share this meal?”

Seol Baek-san snatched the spoon away.

As a result, Yomi was left biting at the air.

“You rascal! I’ll make sure you regret this today!”

“I’ve lived long enough; bring it on, you vulgar fox!”

While the two tussled by the dining table, I quietly picked up my spoon.

‘Delicious.’

The rich, savory flavor of the soybean paste stew was something you couldn’t get at the school cafeteria. Now I understood why everyone talked about home-cooked meals.

“By the way, how did your exams go?”

Seol Baek-san stopped fighting and turned to me.

“They went alright.”

“Is that so?”

Seol Baek-san adjusted his sitting position and cleared his throat.

“They say even dogs don’t bother you while you’re eating, but, ahem.”

“You’re curious about my exam results, aren’t you?”

I took the report card out of my bag and handed it to Seol Baek-san.

“Oh, come on, don’t give me indigestion. Let’s discuss this after the meal.”

Despite his words, Seol Baek-san accepted the report card, clearly eager to see it. It was best to hand it over when he first brought it up anyway.

“What’s there to get indigestion over?”

“Uh, is that so?”

Seol Baek-san looked concerned.

It made sense. Although he may not have been very interested, he probably did some research on the school I wanted to attend and discovered that Babel was no ordinary institution.

“Hmph, don’t worry too much. What do grades matter anyway—”

So he probably thought. Even if he steeled his mind, he most likely doubted I could survive in a school full of prodigies. I fully empathized with those concerns.

“Let’s see… fifth place? You’ve done remarkably well. How many students are in your class?”

“Why do you need to know the class size?”

“Isn’t seventh place the class rank?”

I took another bite of food and shook my head.

“It’s the overall rank. By the way, there are 300 students in total.”

“T-the overall 7th place?”

Seol Baek-san trembled like someone having a seizure. It was no joke; if it had been any worse, I might have had to call an ambulance.

“Who do you think I am, after all?”

“If your mother had seen this…”

Drip, drip.

Seol Baek-san’s shoulders shook as he held onto the report card. I put my spoon down and gently patted his back in silence.

* * *

【There will be rain in various parts of the country today. Please remember to carry an umbrella or raincoat if you’re going out.】

The weather forecast played on the TV.

“Here, eat up!”

A plate of fruit was placed where my rice bowl had been. It was filled with various fruits like apples carved into Rabbit shapes, pears, and kiwis.

“I’m really full…”

“How could you be so ungrateful! If you don’t want this, should I get you more meat?”

This is overwhelming.

I politely declined the plate of fruit that was pushed to my chin.

“Puhaha, then this body shall accept it.”

“You pig of a fox!”

Before Seol Baek-san could snatch the plate away, Yomi shoved all the fruit into her mouth.

“I have something to tell you.”

I decided to get ahead of another potential fight.

“What’s so important that you’re setting the mood like this?”

I wondered if Seol Baek-san knew about the Rabbit.

“I met the Rabbit last time.”

“…”

Seol Baek-san froze as if a switch had been turned off.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, it came to find me during the festival.”

“What did it say when you met?”

“It said it had something it was working on and asked for my help.”

At that moment, the news anchor’s voice came from the TV.

【Breaking news! The National Science Institute has released findings that the C-virus, previously found in monsters, can now be transmitted to humans.】

The background showed the hospital I visited with Jin So-yul last time. The camera panned to someone’s hospital room.

【The virus was detected in the body of Hunter A, who had been missing…】

Yomi, who was eating the fruit, crushed the remote control under her leg. The TV turned off with the anchor’s last yelp.

“I guess that saves me the explanation.”

No further explanation was needed. Seol Baek-san had seen the same scene I did.

“The Rabbit is spreading the curse in the form of a virus.”

“I suspected as much…”

Seol Baek-san stroked his beard.

“Fortunately, it didn’t attack me when I refused.”

“If it had, you probably would have died.”

He was right. If the Rabbit had truly attacked, I would have been eliminated on the spot, regardless of the invasion or any hidden agendas.

“So, Father.”

That’s why I needed to be prepared.

There was no need to search far for a mentor to become stronger.

“During this break, I’d like to ask for training to enhance my spiritual abilities.”

* * *

The Seol family of Shamans is one of South Korea’s three great shaman families. Historically, the Seol family was said to have less spiritual energy compared to other shaman families.

“So the ancestors thought, if it’s lacking, just borrow some.”

The underground cave where Yomi was sealed.

Facing the shrine, Seol Baek-san and I stood opposite each other. The shrine’s resting place was spacious.

“Among the descendants, some were imbued with yin energy and excelled in subjugating spirits,”

Seol Baek-san removed the prayer beads from his wrist and wound them around his right hand.

“While others, filled with yang energy, showed talent in controlling Shikshin (Shikigami 式神).”

A massive vortex of spiritual energy swirled at Seol Baek-san’s feet. Each bead of the thick prayer beads was inscribed with one of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs: 子丑寅卯辰巳午未 (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat).

“Oh noble and exalted being that follows me, heed my call and grace this place with your presence.”

With the prayer beads between them, both hands came together as if in prayer. This was Seol Baek-san’s stance to form a bond with the spirit.

“The Fortune Pig of the Twelve Zodiacs!”

Smoke billowed, and a massive silhouette began to take shape behind it.

“What in the world…”

My gaze kept rising, higher and higher. It was taller than the roof of the shrine.

“Oink, oink.”

As the mist cleared, a gigantic, flesh-colored pig wrapped in a red robe appeared. Embroidered on the center of the robe was the character 福, symbolizing good fortune, and the pig’s smiling face radiated an image of prosperity, just as its name suggested.

“So, what do you think?”

Seol Baek-san, standing on the pig’s shoulder, burst into a triumphant laugh.

“This is a Shikshin (Shikigami 式神).”

Shikigami (式神): Beings known as familiars in the West, who form contracts with the practitioner to lend their power.

“First, we need to test how much you’ve grown, Ha-baek.”

“Oink.”

The Fortune Pig sat cross-legged and stretched its arms. A whitish veil of mist settled around its body.

“Try to bring down the Fortune Pig.”

Since there are various types of Shikigami, their strengths vary greatly. Even if one contracts with a powerful Shikigami, the practitioner’s individual skill may prevent them from fully utilizing that power.

But the reverse is also true. If the practitioner’s skills are outstanding, even a seemingly weak Shikigami can become mighty. The same applies to the channeled spirit.

Seol Baek-san looked down at me.

“I wonder if you and that fox yokai are in the former category or the latter?”

“Neither.”

I drew the Sain-gum.

Blue foxfire flared up along the blade.

“We’re both the best.”

As I swung the sword, the foxfire coiled around it shot forward. The flames sliced through the air, striking the Fortune Pig’s abdomen.

“Oink, oink!”

The pig was enveloped in flames, twisted in agony. Soon, the Shikigami vanished in a cloud of murky smoke.

“Aargh!”

With his footrest gone, Seol Baek-san tumbled to the ground.

“Ouch, my aching back…”

“Are you alright, Father?”

[Puhaha, trying to flaunt all your fancy moves, and look where it got you.]

“Alright, I accept it.”

Seol Baek-san stood up, wobbling, and tapped his lower back with his fist.

“I may have underestimated you. Trying to test you with something this basic. Ha-baek, you’ve definitely grown.”

“I’m not a child forever, after all.”

Would Seol Baek-san be convinced now?

I bent down and met his eyes.

“The Rabbit was looking for me. It said it would come back for me, and I don’t want to face it and regret thinking, ‘If only I were stronger.’”

“…Alright.”

Seol Baek-san rose to his feet. He wrapped the prayer beads around his hand again, forming the gesture of prayer.

“Seol Baek-san, the 32nd Head of the Seol Family of Shamans.”

At that moment, an immense spiritual energy surged from Seol Baek-san, who had seemed ordinary until then.

‘Has he been suppressing his spiritual energy on purpose?’

Chills.

The overwhelming sense of pressure I felt when I first encountered the Rabbit resurfaced. Cold sweat formed on my back, and my breathing became labored.

“From now on, I’ll be training you not as my son, but as a fellow shaman.”

With a steely gaze and firmly set lips, Seol Baek-san looked at me. I bowed my head toward him.

“I’m in your care.”

Immediately after, spiritual energy swirled behind Seol Baek-san once more.

“Fortune Pig of the Twelve Zodiacs!”

Boom!

Through the thick smoke, another silhouette began to form. This time, it was almost touching the ceiling of the underground cave, far larger than before.

“Oink oink.”

The creature that appeared was another pig, but it resembled a wild boar more closely. With black skin and sharp, protruding horns, it had a face full of dissatisfaction, and solid muscles were visible through the robe it wore.

“Yomi.”

[Got it!]

Once again, I gathered spiritual energy into the Sain-gum and swung it at the Fortune Pig.

Whoosh!

The condensed spiritual energy engulfed the Fortune Pig. Flames wrapped around its entire body, but,

“Oink!”

With a single snort, the foxfire clinging to its body was entirely extinguished.

“That measly attack won’t even leave a scratch on the Fortune Pig.”

Seol Baek-san’s sharp gaze pierced through me.

‘This can’t be. It was my best attack!’

To think it wasn’t even fazed.

Judging by Yomi’s expression, even she hadn’t anticipated this, looking quite taken aback.

“One meal a day.”

“…What?”

The look Seol Baek-san gave me over his shoulder was devoid of any mercy.

“During this vacation, don’t even think about coming back up until you’ve defeated the Fortune Pig.”

When Seol Baek-san opened his palm, a small yellow goblin appeared on it.

[Goblin, goblin!]

With short limbs and bright, beady eyes, a single short horn protruded from its head. Its body was clothed in a straw skirt, making it resemble a baby.

“During this time, I’ll stay above ground. This little goblin will bring your meals. Do your best.”

As soon as Seol Baek-san disappeared down the passage, a semi-transparent barrier appeared behind the Fortune Pig.

‘A barrier?’

To think he would actually lock his own son in an underground cave like this.

Basically, it meant I couldn’t leave until I defeated this pig…

“This is quite the predicament.”

To jump straight into such spartan training without any intermediate steps, right after asking for special training.

Whoosh

I ignited the Sain-gum again.

There’s no backing down now. Without this level of resolve, I’d forever remain stagnant.

“I’ll just have to keep trying over and over.”

It’s time to start hitting the stone with an egg.