"With this many explorations under our belt, it's about time we found out…."
Ho Yuwon's voice was strange.
It sounded like joy, but also like sadness, or a dark fear, or a tremor. It also sounded like he was smoothly concealing all of it.
What was certain was the content of his words.
'About time we found out?'
It meant that what I had asked about, the traces of the Blue Dragon Team I found in Segwang Metropolitan City, was what Ho Yuwon had been expecting.
Question: What you know about the Dispatch Rescue Team Blue Dragon
"Pardon? Isn't that something you should be explaining to me, Mr. Noru? It's the reason I planned this Project, after all. To find out about a certain Extinction-class supernatural disaster. So…."
Ho Yuwon grabs my shoulders and looks into me.
"What did you find out in Segwang Metropolitan City?"
That's when I was sure.
"About the Blue Dragon Team."
This man knew about the Blue Dragon Team from the very beginning.
And it is deeply connected to Ho Yuwon's purpose for exploring the 'sealed Segwang City'….
'A grudge?'
I couldn't be sure, but a cause-and-effect relationship was forming in my mind based on my suspicions.
That the deep grudge Ho Yuwon held against the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau was, in some way, tied to the vanished Blue Dragon Team.
After some thought, I explained the facts as they were.
Discovery of Sekwang Technical High School
: Traces of the Blue Dragon Team confirmed at said high school
"Ah."
He froze.
"So it was accessible from the subway station after all…."
'After all.'
The joy of someone whose guess was correct.
What you know about Sekwang Technical High School
"Pardon? I enter that high school every last day of the month in Daydream. I just figured it was related to Segwang Metropolitan City from its name."
Verdict: Lie
"..."
Ho Yuwon's eyes darken to black.
He looks at me.
Question: What Ho Yuwon did in Segwang Metropolitan City before it was sealed.
"...Are you curious?"
Positive
"I used to do the same thing I do now."
The man's eyes move to look at the nameplate in front of the waiting room.
Fox Counseling Room
"Counseling."
....
"It's a rewarding job. Because of that, I would periodically visit a certain high school to counsel the students."
…!
The Fox Counseling Room seems to distort.
"I did many things for my clients…."
And the next moment.
"But that's all in the past."
Everything returned to normal.
Ho Yuwon was looking at me with a faint smile.
....
Question: What Ho Yuwon is looking for in Segwang Metropolitan City
"I."
Ho Yuwon's voice lowered.
"What I'm looking for is in a facility connected to one of the Segwang Special City Subway stations."
....
"Please continue exploring in the same direction you are now, Mr. Noru. Explore the subway stations and try to guess the situation outside. Then I think you'll find it. And when you face it…."
A smile spread across his lips again.
"At that time, you'll know right away, even without me telling you. What it is that Ho Yuwon is looking for."
....
Question: Ho Yuwon's feelings about the Blue Dragon Team
"Well. I probably hate them? Since I hate the Disaster Management Bureau."
But his voice as he answered was strangely dry.
I was plunged into an even more inscrutable feeling.
The Blue Dragon Team.
Segwang Metropolitan City.
And… about Ho Yuwon.
That evening.
"Grapes-ie."
I finally got to meet with the Disaster Management Bureau agents.
The other team members had left the Fox Counseling Room for interviews and personal check-ups related to the Dream Collector.
So I, 130666, was the only one there, but honestly, I had more urgent things to talk about, so I didn't have time to be flustered or whatever and immediately stood up to welcome them, but….
"...First, let's go somewhere else."
The agents' expressions were grim.
I accepted the cognitive distortion provided by the will-o'-the-wisp and followed them into a nearby Disaster Management Bureau container once again.
I didn't even have a moment to worry, 'What if the Disaster Management Bureau finds out where I am?'
"…Grapes-ie. The thing we confirmed."
These agents had gone and raided the secret archives on the 33rd basement floor of the Gangwon Branch of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau to find data related to Segwang Metropolitan City.
'No wonder they backed out of the exploration so readily…!'
Question: Concern about disciplinary action if discovered
"Agent Grape doesn't need to worry…."
"Yeah. We already got it. A pay cut!"
"..."
Agent Bronze has his hand on his forehead….
"Anyway, that's not what's important. It's what we found out, isn't it?"
Agent Choi grinned out of habit.
But a cold sweat had beaded on his temple.
"…When we checked the sealing records, there were censored words even in the secret archives."
The agents' faces were sunken as they added that it was not a good sign.
"But we got the general gist of what happened. Now, listen…."
And Agent Choi explained.
The Disaster Management Bureau's response records, written on paper, up to the 'Extinction-class supernatural disaster-Metropolitan City Deletion'.
"At first, a call came from the branch office. The Disaster Management Bureau branch in that very metropolitan city."
Request for support from the ■■ Metropolitan City Branch:
Exploration of a newly discovered Supernatural Disaster.
Rapidly increasing ripple effect, projected casualty rate severe.
"Naturally, the Bureau's system dictated that we first identify what kind of disaster it was. …But get this. Three veteran agents from Team Baekho who entered the metropolitan city went missing in two hours."
Contact lost, all attempts to locate them failed.
: Processed as missing
But this was only the beginning.
"Five hours later, we lost contact with the branch office in that metropolitan city itself."
....
"And, it's written that they never saw anyone from that branch again. …This was the last contact record."
Unidentified call: You can't come! Don't come! There's no way we can handle this… (static)
Call ended.
*Identified sounds: The sound of glass shattering, screams, the roar of something heavy collapsing, a music box melody, ecstatic murmuring.
"After that, all records about what kind of supernatural disaster it was were censored. Except for the casualties section."
Estimated deaths: 620,000.
"That… all happened in just one day."
....
In one region, hell had descended.
"The Bureau, having confirmed the situation, hastily and officially banned agents from entering the metropolitan city."
They must have been trying to at least prevent additional agent casualties in a situation that was beyond their control.
"…But you know."
Agent Choi smiles bitterly.
"It seems other agents took group leave and infiltrated the area on their own. To save whoever they could. …As for the Emergency Rescue Squad, more than half of their entire personnel went."
Ah.
"And."
Agent Choi drops his head slightly.
"None of them made it out. Not until the entire metropolitan city was sealed along with the Extinction-class supernatural disaster."
....
The Disaster Management Bureau… must have ultimately decided to seal the Extinction-class disaster in the face of countless casualties and the fear of a nationwide spread.
By deleting it, so it would not be perceived.
"And that's how the Emergency Rescue Squad was left with almost no personnel."
....
"So it's written that 'to reduce the sense of incongruity,' the team was completely dismantled and reorganized with 'a certain team with similar duties.' But all of those team names were censored."
Agent Bronze and Agent Choi.
The two of them look at me.
"In that sense."
A strained smile spreads across Agent Choi's face.
"From now on, while you're exploring that metropolitan city, do you think you could also look for traces of Disaster Management Bureau agents?"
Hoo.
Traces confirmed.
"…!"
Traces of Disaster Management Bureau agents confirmed inside the Hanbit Library facility during this exploration
Items: A broken glass lantern and a letter
"What?"
And.
Team Name: Dispatch Rescue Team Blue Dragon
Agent Choi's eyes sink into a deep blue.
"Blue Dragon Team."
....
"Right. So that was the original Emergency Rescue Squad. Haha, Jaegwan, no wonder our work was so damn hard…. We were doing the work of two teams. Weren't we?"
"Agent Choi."
"It makes sense, you know. If you're talking about the Four Guardians, the Blue Dragon should be there too. But even though that team was the only one missing, none of us thought it was strange. We never even made a joke about it…."
"..."
"They must have made it so we couldn't remember on purpose."
Agent Bronze speaks heavily.
"…It was a disaster with over 600,000 casualties in a single day. It must have been a necessary measure. …For the sake of more lives."
Logically, he was right.
'The Disaster Management Bureau branch in the metropolitan city lost all contact and everyone was presumed dead in an instant.'
The problem is, that's an outsider's perspective.
'…For the people who were sealed off while still alive, it's just being buried alive.'
And that there is a being who remembers all of it.
'Ho Yuwon.'
I don't know what method he used, but Ho Yuwon clearly knows about Segwang Metropolitan City and the disaster that occurred within it.
In that sense.
Ho Yuwon's animosity toward the Disaster Management Bureau probably began when the Bureau decided to seal Segwang Metropolitan City.
'…Hoo.'
I don't know what I'm supposed to feel.
Perhaps I'm less disturbed because I'm 130666, whose body has collapsed to the point where I can't even maintain my form.
'...First, the urgent matters.'
Let's do what I can.
Request for confirmation and judgment
: Torn talisman
"…A talisman?"
It's the structure related to Sekwang Technical High School.
Location of discovery:
Inside the Blue Dragon Team's glass lantern
"…!"
I explained the Blue Dragon Team's letter and the state of Sekwang Technical High School as quickly, concisely, and intuitively as possible.
Tension rises on the faces of the agents as they listen to my explanation.
"Wait. Can you tell me more about that talisman?"
I immediately drew the talisman as I remembered it.
The half-torn shape that was inside the glass lantern.
And also the most recognizable lines from the completed form of the talismans that were plastered all over the 5th floor.
The character for protection.
"..."
The pupils of Agent Bronze, who is looking at the shape of the smoke I drew, widen.
"This… is an evil-warding talisman.B wall demon (Pyoksa).
"It's made to ward off evil and protect a space or a person."
"Jaegwan, have you ever used one in the field?"
"No, sir. These kinds of talismans were hardly ever used once the production of glass hand cannons increased. I learned it was due to stability and cost issues."
Agent Bronze raises a finger and traces the lines of smoke I'm drawing.
"It's powerful, but the price is just as high. It's the kind that puts a strain on the agent, as it requires summoning a supernatural phenomenon."
"..."
"And… this isn't a commonly used format to begin with."
Beyond the smoke, Agent Bronze's blue eyes look at me.
"Can you describe what kind of paper or ink was used? A rough color or feel would be fine."
Source of paper: Scrap paper
A library checkout card from a library where a certain great being has made its resting place
"…! Based on a Supernatural Disaster…. Wait a moment, that's."
And Agent Bronze, stopping his words, quietly looks again at the remaining half of the lines on the torn talisman I drew….
"When it comes to talismans or scriptures, Jaegwan is one of the best in the entire Hyunmu Team. Because of where he used to work."
'…Where he used to work?'
But before the thought could continue, just as he said, Agent Bronze soon raised his head.
"You said this was torn? Inside the lantern?"
Positive
"…By any chance, was there no will-o'-the-wisp inside?"
...!
Will-o'-the-wisp absent
Only a trace of the flame remained, guiding the way
"…Is that so."
Agent Bronze's complexion darkened.
"It seems this evil-warding talisman, instead of borrowing the power of another spiritual being, used Goblin's Play based on the power of the supernatural phenomenon within the metropolitan city."
Goblin's Play.
"The broken glass lantern that Agent Grape found, was it by any chance larger or smaller than the standard lantern Agent Grape received before?"
…!
Positive
It was definitely smaller and more ornate than mine. That characteristic….
"It's a lantern consecrated according to one's fate."
"Yes."
Agent Choi clenched his fist.
"It seems some agent who passed the 'goblin trial' tried to protect that high school by borrowing the power of their will-o'-the-wisp… and the talisman broke."
....
If that's the case.
Request: The creation of a new one of said talisman
"…!"
An attempt to restore Sekwang Technical High School to the form its original protector intended.
"We can try that."
The light returns to Agent Choi's eyes, and he looks at me.
"But we'll have to do it unofficially."
Positive
"Alright. Still, there's a way. Let's go."
And the agents rise from their seats.
'Wait a minute, if we're going to the Disaster Management Bureau's workshop, it's a bit difficult for me to follow….'
It would be a bit much for a supernatural being candidate who deserted after leaving a single letter to suddenly show up. I can't even walk the streets in this state in the first place.
Since there was still no word from the Reptilian Aliens, it was the moment I suggested I would go get a Transport Cage.
"Mm. No, it's fine where we're going now."
Huh?
When I turned my head, surprisingly, Agent Bronze was also smiling very slightly instead of sighing.
"It's Jaegwan's old workplace."
…!
"Ever heard of it? It's a very spiritual bookstore."
Leejeong Bookstore
One of the various sources from which the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau obtains divine artifacts.
A long-standing cooperative relationship that has continued since the late Joseon Dynasty, and sometimes agents even introduce clerks to the bookstore owner who says he needs a hand.
'And one of those clerks was a young Agent Bronze.'
My goodness.
I raised my head and looked at the bookstore.
Under a clear night sky where a bright crescent moon and, unusually, a sparse scattering of stars were visible.
There is a small, tranquil shop.
Lee
Jeong
Book
store
On the glass door, slightly opaque from age but well-maintained and polished, hangs a metal bookmark wind chime.
A small space, a contrast to the Hanbit Library I had just explored.
"CEO. Dong-i is here."
Tinkle.
With a light sound, the three of them entered the small bookstore.
Into the sparkling and silent mystery of dust.