---

Coming of Age Day.

An event for kids who have just become adults.

The coming-of-age ceremony that Jinseong participated in was held at a hotel.

The Ilgeum Group sponsored the event, providing a hotel for the occasion.

The spacious and pleasant hotel auditorium could also be used as a training hall when needed, and it seemed solid enough that even swinging Sword Energy wouldn’t easily break it.

Countless people filled that auditorium.

And among all those people, the main characters, without a doubt, were the kids.

Some children had hopeful expectations about becoming adults.

Having been recognized as adults, they might have thought about doing things they couldn’t do as students, legally drinking and smoking, and meeting many potential romantic partners to celebrate their youth.

Some kids would be thrilled to finally be able to watch adult content legally, while others might be looking forward to escaping the dreadful high school and heading to the freedom of university, and some would think only about their rights, forgetting any responsibilities that come with adulthood.

And some cynical folks might think this way:

“Gathering these clueless, freshly-minted teenagers for a performance, then making dirty jokes while watching them! What a ridiculous event!”

Thus, the kids participated in the celebration, each holding their own expectations or cynical thoughts.

However, one thing was certain: there was no absolute right answer.

The kids with expectations had their own answers, and those who were cynical had accurately predicted some of the proceedings.

The affairs of the world couldn’t be neatly split into just two categories.

Just as the principles of everything go.

“E- now that you are stepping into society as adults…”

The Coming of Age ceremony itself was similar to other events.

An odd old man popped out, droning on like a principal with never-ending words, and due to the excruciating boredom of the event, the tension among the attending kids gradually relaxed, replaced by disappointment filling the air instead, as they were drowned in historical significance and cultural value of the so-called ‘Coming of Age Day,’ driving them to the brink of insanity.

Then, once that long speech finally ended, kids came bursting out for their prepared performances, showcasing their overflowing talents, and they received applause without reserve, like saviors breaking the dull atmosphere.

After a bit of time, the kids began to enter the event hall.

All the kids were dressed in beautiful, colorful hanbok.

However, none of them wore anything on their heads.

Neither the boys nor the girls.

“Since the Goryeo period, our people have placed hats on boys and braided hair for girls once they come of age. This is called custom and rite. Such traditions of ours have been carried on, disappearing for a time before being revived. You should engrave deep in your hearts the weight of adulthood and what becoming an adult truly means…”

The host prattled on about the value of Coming of Age Day as a traditional culture, then activated the artifacts installed at each seat.

Whirr—

With a small sound like a motor starting, objects placed in front of each seat levitated and seemed to find their place atop everyone’s heads. Boys received topknot wigs and hats, while girls received wigs known as gache.

“You are all now adults at this very spot. Yes, not merely aging another year, but you have been recognized as adults by society, by everyone. And being an adult means carrying both responsibility and rights. Yes, in ancient times, one was expected to form a family and be able to provide for them; in return, one could do anything permitted by society: whether business, farming, or studying…”

The essence of the event lay entirely in placing hats and braiding hair.

The rest was mere seasoning to heighten enjoyment for the participants.

In other words, it meant that those gathered for this ceremony were now gaining their freedom.

“—With this, participants may return to their families with the promise of adulthood. And I hope you enjoy the remaining schedule of the event while spending intimate time with your families.”

Thus, the kids disappeared behind the stage with dignity and headed toward where they could eat delicious food and chat, rather than being the spectacle on stage.

Jinseong mixed with the crowd and slipped away.

Finding the place where the Lee Clan and the witches gathered wasn’t difficult.

Jinseong walked quietly toward the location where his group was gathered.

“Hey, bro! You fit right in!”

As he arrived, Iarin greeted him with a smirk, inspecting him like a creepy uncle and threw out a compliment that seemed more like an insult.

“Anyone would mistake you for one of those scholars, right? Huh? Really looks like a gisaeng’s brother, huh? Well, since a gisaeng’s brother is still a brother, I guess it fits!”

Then, wanting to see Jinseong’s appearance up close, she walked over, playfully stepping with her footwork and approached him. She touched the scholar’s garb he wore, took off the hat, and tried wearing it on her head.

She slid her hands into the wide sleeves to try it on, and then holding what she had taken, ran over to Anastasia, attempted to put it on her head as well.

Seeing Anastasia in the hat, she thought she was cute and reached out to hug her, but was blocked by the tentacles sprouted from the colorful fluff she had brought.

Jinseong chuckled lightly at Iarin’s mischievous, effervescent behavior. He then sat down at an empty spot at the table where the group was gathered.

As soon as he sat down, Yang-hoon eagerly spoke up as if he had been waiting for him.

“Park Jinseong.”

“Yes.”

Yang-hoon, without saying a word, slid a document envelope over to Jinseong.

Then, casually, as if it were nothing important, he added.

“It’s a gift.”

Yang-hoon gestured for Jinseong to check it out.

“The most crucial thing when you become independent is your dwelling. It’s better to sleep here than living with those other shamans who sleep in the woods or on the streets without any house or home.”

Jinseong opened the envelope as Yang-hoon had suggested.

Inside was a document.

A document proving that a building was established in Jinseong’s name.

Indeed.

It wasn’t a home.

It was a building.

Not just any building, but a building located in Seoul.

A place that was conveniently located and busy, known to people as a prime spot. Moreover, it stated that not long ago, it had included an artifact-based security system.

An item that couldn’t be easily obtained even with money.

When Jinseong looked up at Yang-hoon, he waved his hand dismissively and handed another item to Jinseong.

A bankbook and a card.

“Once you’re independent, you can’t just immediately get by. I’ve saved enough money in here for you to live adequately for a while. And as for the card… well, the building might be empty, so you can use that to furnish it.”

When Jinseong checked the bank account, it contained millions in won.

Moreover, the card which came alongside it was also extraordinary.

This was an excessively generous gift for someone who wasn’t even family.

Yet, Yang-hoon had no hesitation in giving such gifts to Jinseong, and Jinseong didn’t feel burdened receiving them either.

He simply uttered one phrase.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.”

Thus, Yang-hoon’s material gifts came to an end.

But just because he had given everything material didn’t mean the gifts were finished.

“Get up. I’ll introduce you.”

Yang-hoon stood up, taking Jinseong along with him somewhere.

They headed to a place where his connections from the business world gathered.

“Oh, isn’t that the chairman of the Gwangyang Group? Long time no see.”

“Haha, it’s been a while. It seems these occasions don’t come easily nowadays…”

“Indeed. Ah, there’s a fine-looking young man next to you. Might he be…?”

“Yes. That’s right. He’s like a son to me. If I’d been blessed with a son, he would have turned out just like him. Hahaha.”

Yang-hoon began taking Jinseong around, making introductions.

As rumors about Park Jinseong had started to spread, most who were introduced knew who this freshly-minted adult was. After all, no one at this event lacked a social standing that would keep them from knowing about Park Jinseong.

Thus, people simply regarded him as an ambiguous figure cared for by Yang-hoon, but Yang-hoon highlighted their close bond by fiercely attaching phrases like “like a child” and “raised alongside my daughters” to introduce Jinseong as a source of pride for the Lee Clan.

Moreover, he actively revealed that Jinseong was a shaman.

“This kid has shown a keen interest in magic since he was young. It was so intense that after completing his compulsory education, he completely fell into the world of magic.”

“Oh, is that so? While it’s easy to start practicing magic, doesn’t it take commitment to reach a mastery level?”

“Haha. I thought so too, so I tried to discourage him. But his love for magic was so profound that he swiftly developed tremendous skills without a second thought. Though he has just come of age, I assure you his magic skills do not lag behind other shamans at all.”

“Now that could be a boon for our country.”

“Right? You know the world views our nation as a Magic Desert and doesn’t think highly of us? This kid might just flip that perception around and help Korea become a powerhouse in shamanism.”

“Is that so? Impressive.”

“Well, there’s a traditional event happening soon. Would he be able to participate?”

“An event? What kind of event?”

“Oh, it’s nothing major. Just a traditional event… it’s even broadcasted on TV, but the ratings are low.”

“Isn’t that quite impressive if it’s broadcasting on TV?”

“Not really. It’s not like it’s a real magical ceremony; it just feels like an imitation because there’s no shaman involved. But since you have a skilled shaman in mind…”

And Yang-hoon’s “introduction” drew quite a favorable response.

With Yang-hoon vouching for him as “like a child” and as a rare young shaman emerging in the barren landscape of Korean shamanism, and unlike the eerie or grotesque other shamans, he was handsome and charismatically tall.

It’s no wonder the reactions were positive.

And such good responses sparked thoughts of how “maybe it wouldn’t be bad to assign him to a small task to see his abilities.”

Thanks to this, Jinseong received several invitations that might not be substantial but were still enough to serve as stepping stones.

Thus, with Yang-hoon’s help, Jinseong began accumulating golden connections, engaging with people with whom he wouldn’t normally have had the chance to converse. He continued meeting and parting ways for quite some time.

“Haha. Yang-hoon, it’s been a while!”

One of the most valuable people at the event approached Yang-hoon, the former chairman of the Ilgeum Group.

 

---