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The two treated each other with familiarity.

At least on the surface, that is.

However, what lay within them was not animosity.

It was hard to say that their intimate demeanor was entirely false.

“Hahaha. Indeed, to be called a promising candidate, one must have that kind of mindset. It feels like my eyes are opening wide! Truly impressive!”

“You’re overly flattering.”

“No, no. I genuinely believe that.”

Kim Cheolsu laughed heartily as he spoke.

“To be honest, I had some expectations, but there was still a hint of unease. This might sound unpleasant, but the Shaman hasn’t achieved any results yet, has he? In our line of work, officials like us have this peculiar habit of only recognizing skills when there are actual results and information accumulated.”

“Ah. I understand. If I were to ask for blind trust without showing anything, how could that be considered faith? It’s not a faith offered to a god, and asking for belief without evidence is indeed a harsh thing. I fully grasp that fact.”

“I’m starting to like this more and more. Honestly, when individuals filled with fervor—I mean, just amongst ourselves, but… primarily the warriors—they often get upset, saying things like, ‘Don’t you trust my abilities?’ or ‘Are you lacking faith in me?’ Even if not, there’s that kind of annoyance too.”

He looked at Jinseong, who calmly responded, with a peculiar gaze.

“But I see that Shaman Park Jinseong doesn’t show any of that at all. It’s hard to believe you’ve just become an adult with such an attitude. Did you perhaps build connections through magic from a young age, or do some social activities…?”

“Hahaha. How could a newly adult person build connections or engage in social activities?”

“Hahaha. I was just throwing it out there.”

Jinseong simply answered Kim Cheolsu’s question without giving a definitive answer, as if it were a joke.

“However, I wasn’t speaking nonsense. I truly am starting to feel trust in Shaman Park Jinseong. To be honest, since I haven’t seen magic used right in front of me, I can’t grasp your capabilities accurately. But at the very least, if you have this kind of demeanor and such a mature mind… I have faith that you can handle this situation.”

As he spoke, Kim Cheolsu pulled out a bundle of papers and placed them on the table.

“Documents, right? The thing you mentioned over the phone…?”

“Yes. That’s correct. Well, it’s been all over the news, so you likely know well… something significant happened in Korea recently.”

“The commotion about strange monsters appearing on the hiking trail, right?”

“Yes. It’s been all over the news and the internet… a truly troublesome incident. Due to various complications, we can’t quietly sweep this under the rug, and now conspiracy theories and urban legends are intertwining, causing the situation to escalate.”

Kim Cheolsu sighed deeply, as if overwhelmed.

That sigh wasn’t feigned; it was filled with genuine concern.

“The government wants to resolve this incident as quickly as possible. No, they aren’t even looking for a perfect resolution; they just want to escape this terrible vicious cycle. Rumors begetting more rumors, urban legends birthing more urban legends… in this maddening scenario.”

“That makes sense. When stories start to gain traction, they can grow monstrous, turning into creatures whose claws can harm anyone.”

“Haha. You have a way with metaphors. Yes, that’s true. Growing rumors bring nothing good. Fear is only useful in emergencies, but in this peaceful state, it’s completely meaningless. It just serves as poison. It unsettles people, dampens spending, and brings only adverse effects to the country.”

Kim Cheolsu continued with tired eyes.

“Furthermore, when conspiracy theories appear stating things like, ‘This happened because of someone,’ or ‘Who lacks virtue for this to have occurred?,’ or ‘This happened because of government secret experiments,’… Ha. It’s just a matter of time before someone loses their head. And if a high-ranking official is removed, those below them will suffer as well.”

“That’s certainly the case. It would be like cutting a line in one fell swoop, and the impact wouldn’t be small.”

“Wow, did you actually experience societal life? When I say this, young people in their twenties would look at me as if to say, ‘How could that affect us officials if someone higher up gets cut?’ Hahaha.”

Jinseong smiled warmly at Kim Cheolsu, who looked impressed.

“That’s true. Unless one is someone who has given up on promotions and is genuinely seeking only government pensions and a peaceful life… there’s no doubt there will be a fallout.”

He said up to that point and then shut his mouth tightly.

Instead, Kim Cheolsu looked at Jinseong with a beaming smile.

As if to say, ‘Don’t you know what I’m trying to say even without words?’

And Jinseong responded to Kim Cheolsu’s expectation.

“So you mean it’s not merely about eliminating sea monsters or beasts, but rather a matter of greater importance.”

“Exactly.”

Seeing that Park Jinseong seemed sharper than he had imagined, Kim Cheolsu smiled happily.

It’s always better to engage with smart people than to deal with foolish ones.

Just not having to give lengthy explanations or repeat oneself brings a certain enjoyment to the conversation.

“If that’s the case, the government’s request to me shouldn’t just be something as simple as elimination or such.”

“Haha, correct. We’re thinking of assigning something more significant to you, Shaman Park Jinseong.”

Kim Cheolsu smiled as he pulled out some photographs from the documents and laid them out where Jinseong could see them well.

“They’re pictures of the monsters.”

The images depicted the creatures that had emerged this time.

A massive tree with six arms.

A tree shaking flowers that resembled human faces.

A monster resembling a mix of mermaids and birds.

A catfish the size of a person, dressed as if it were a monk.

…

…

…

The photos were all taken with a good camera, each one boasting high-quality images.

“As you can guess, these are the monsters that appeared this time.”

“The image quality is impressive.”

“Yes. Recent satellite technology has improved significantly. Hahaha.”

Kim Cheolsu said that while observing Jinseong’s face intently.

“By any chance, do you recognize any familiar monsters? Or any that come to mind?”

“Well, a familiar monster…?”

However, Jinseong’s demeanor was vague.

It was as if he questioned whether it was appropriate to use such expressions for monsters.

Instead, he posed a question back at Kim Cheolsu.

“Hmm. Is it that the government still hasn’t identified these monsters?”

“Oh, that’s not the case.”

“You’ve found them.”

Jinseong observed Kim Cheolsu’s expression slowly and then smiled brightly as he asked.

“Then the reason you sought me is that these monsters are too worrisome to tell people about, is that correct?”

“Precisely. That is indeed the right term.”

Kim Cheolsu agreed with Jinseong’s words and handed over a sheet of paper.

On that paper were characters written in a language that, despite being neighbors, felt far away.

Iwanabouzu, Amabie, Nanjamonja, Jinmenju…

Names that undeniably didn’t seem Korean and even included Hiragana and Katakana.

Anyone looking at them would know they were Japanese.

The sole exception being “Seonja.”

“I see. Except for one, they’re all Japanese yokai… these must be creatures derived from Japanese magic or divine objects.”

“Yes. Moreover, the one presumed to be Korean is ambiguous; it’s possible that it was taken during the Japanese colonial period… it’s a very troublesome situation.”

“So, what you’re asking me to do is to investigate the source of these curses, to confirm whether the appearance of these monsters is indeed related to Japan.”

“In addition.”

Kim Cheolsu took out another document to hand to Jinseong.

“Another thing. I hope you can find a way to ‘safely’ eliminate these monsters.”

The second sheet Kim Cheolsu offered contained various photos and scientific names of bacteria and viruses.

“These monsters leave behind something horrifying before they die.”

“Hmm.”

“In addition to infectious diseases like dysentery, there are also deadly plant pathogens and microorganisms that adversely affect the soil… all of them are serious but troublesome in their own right.”

Jinseong nodded upon seeing the materials.

“I understand what you mean. Such occurrences aren’t rare.”

“Quite… is that so?”

“Yes. Originally, magic has often been used for blessings and protective charms, and a common method for this was to gather misfortune on specific objects, plants, or organisms before purifying them.”

Jinseong continued with a serious expression.

“There were various methods for purifying offerings that had absorbed misfortune. This could involve floating them on water and sending them away, burning them, giving them to a sinner before casting them out, burying them, or tying them to a bird’s leg and sending them away… However, while there are differences in methods, there was one commonality.”

Swish.

Jinseong waved the paper once in the air before placing it on the table.

“That is, you must not leave offerings behind.”

“You must not leave offerings…”

“Let’s say… there’s hazardous waste. This hazardous waste, if left alone, will affect people and will also have detrimental effects on the environment. Collecting this waste together is akin to gathering misfortune on offerings.”

And this ‘bad stuff’ collected must be disposed of.

“And this gathered hazardous waste must be eliminated somehow. Whether it’s by burning it, sending it to another country, or burying it… Just gathering it in one place and thinking, ‘Ah, it’s gathered, so that’s good enough,’ would be foolishness, wouldn’t it?”

“I see.”

“If you only gather it, it can be dispersed again by rain or storm, or a passerby might unknowingly come into contact and suffer harm. Alternatively, the hazardous waste could seep into the ground or groundwater, causing significant issues. Therefore, safely disposing of gathered hazardous waste is a given.”

“The same applies to disposing of offerings, right?”

“Yes, precisely.”

Jinseong pointed at one of the photos.

“I explained about the protective charm because I presume this magic shares a similar nature.”

“A similar nature?”

“Misfortune, defilement, contamination… the properties of an offering that harbors harmful elements.”

 

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