LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 45
The pain didn’t last long.
It was just a momentary sting, similar to when dust gets in your eye, and after shedding a few tears, it faded away—such a minuscule pain.
But the shock was anything but small.
[You’ve set up measures against Spirit Vision? Not just any Spirit Vision, but something to block the kind that uses the power of authority?]
The demon mumbled in surprise.
“Ugh, my eyes… I was more shocked than when I tried to peek into the teacher’s office.”
Serin said, blinking rapidly, rubbing her eyes, and shedding a tear that quickly disappeared—such a tiny bit of suffering.
Iarin, who was beside her, was looking at her as if wondering why she was acting like that, but Serin ignored her completely, focusing solely on her smartphone.
“The beastly smell is gone now…”
The pungent smell that pierced her nose had disappeared.
[It’s not just the smell. You probably won’t be able to see secrets anymore, either.]
The demon whispered into her ear.
[Contractor, your bloodless brother seems to be quite a skilled shaman. I was curious about the low-grade ritual he was performing, but if he can block Spirit Vision through authority…]
Just as the demon was blowing steam like a camel, a message arrived on Serin’s smartphone, not the one Iarin was holding, but her own.
Serin checked the message casually, as she always did.
『 It’s fine to enjoy peeking, but you should be selective about whom you target and plan beforehand. 』
Seeing the piercing content, she froze.
Then she snapped back to reality and with trembling hands, replied.
『 No, that’s not it. 』
『 I don’t really like peeking. 』
『 If you say it like that, I sound weird. 』
『 I was just curious because it looked strange. 』
『 I don’t have any weird hobbies. 』
Serin’s fingers flew across the screen at an incredible speed.
Iarin let out an “Oh!” in admiration.
Serin bombarded Jinseong with texts, her usual gloomy and stammering demeanor vanishing, replaced by a serious and intense focus as she typed. It was less of an explanation and more like a forceful persuasion of her own views.
But Jinseong’s reply was short.
『 Don’t lie. 』
It was a rare terse line from Jinseong, who usually sent long messages.
Yet that single line seemed to pack a punch, and Serin found herself frozen again.
[Click. Contractor. I have to side with your brother on this one. Liking secrets and being curious is part of your nature, not merely a hobby, right? Contractor, my curious Contractor. It seems right to acknowledge this. ]
“Ah, no…”
Serin wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t keep her mouth shut at Jinseong’s next text.
『 It seems that you’ve neglected to pay attention to things like Spirit Vision blocks and defensive curses due to reliance on authority. If you come to Japan with Iarin, I’ll make one for you. If you carry that, you won’t have to worry about being caught while peeking or getting into trouble. 』
『 You don’t need to worry about the effort. It won’t take much work to make. I just need some materials that I’m short on, so if you come, it’d be great if you could bring those. 』
Jinseong seemed to have decided that Serin likes peeking without a doubt.
No matter how many messages Serin sent, he didn’t seem willing to change that thought.
‘My image… has changed…’
Serin, feeling gloomy, handed her smartphone to Iarin, who was rolling around on the bed, and tried to slip her own phone into her pocket.
But at that moment, the demon stopped her.
[Stop. ]
‘Why?’
The demon quietly looked at Jinseong’s message that had come to Serin.
[Why does your brother keep trying to call you both to Japan?]
The demon sensed a discrepancy.
If an ordinary person said such a thing, it could just be brushed off as someone looking out for their family.
Recommending a place they liked because they were traveling and wanting to encourage their family to visit isn’t odd, especially since Iarin and Serin were there as exchange students—not that they were completely tied down with no time. So such recommendations could indeed seem perfectly normal.
However, considering how Jinseong suggested bringing them both to Japan before his trip to Russia was set, an unsettling feeling arose.
Questions.
Questions continued to arise.
What could that “good information” possibly be?
Why did he quickly head to Japan when they said they won the trip to Russia, as if he had urgent business?
What was the reason for the long silence with no word from him after clearly going to Japan?
What was the fox’s appearance during Spirit Vision?
What was the purpose of preparing measures against Spirit Vision?
What was his real motivation for wanting to call his younger sisters to Japan?
[I doubt it’s anything bad. There’s no way harm could come to the two of you, but… the smell of sunlight and iron, and also today’s peculiar odor—the reason for those smells is unknown to me, and I have no idea what might happen once you go there.]
Jinseong had an already uncanny karma attached to him.
If he were to do “something” that even the demon couldn’t guess, could it truly be beneficial for Iarin and Serin?
The demon made a decision to protect the two from uncertainty.
[Contractor, my Contractor. Can you trust me and send me a text like this?]
‘U-uh, okay? Okay! I believe in our Grimoire!’
[Good, my cute Contractor. Thanks for believing in me. Now, write this down. Since you’re still adjusting…]
* * *
『 I think it’ll be difficult to go to Japan right now as I’m still trying to adjust. I’m sorry. 』
『 Brother! I’d love to visit Japan, but it might be tough for now. Please take me next break! 』
Jinseong laughed at the messages from Serin and Iarin.
“It felt like this was bound to happen.”
He muttered to himself as he removed a ring attached to the case of his smartphone and tossed it to the ground.
The thorn, which seemed to absorb light, was made of a plastic-like material, but it had no shine, and as soon as it hit the floor, it weathered rapidly into a pile of dust that was anything but ordinary.
As the ring vanished, Jinseong grasped at the air, pulling out two small spines from within the slime’s body, bending them into the shape of a ring. He then plucked one of his own hairs, inserted it between his fingers, and rubbed it into ash before applying it to the ring.
The ash merged with the ring as if it were a liquid.
The result was a piece resembling the ornament he had tossed, but now, it was a luxurious, glossy black.
He stuck it onto his smartphone case.
“Om-”
And then he approached Rise, who was looking curiously at the floating ring, and plucked one of her hairs.
Surprised that her hair had been pulled out, she let out a small yelp and shed a tear.
Just like before, Jinseong expertly made ash from her hair, applied it to the floating ring, and presented it to her.
“It’s a gift. Attach it to your smartphone case.”
“A g-gift?”
Rise received the ring, bewildered.
After a moment, it seemed she remembered something and looked at him.
“What does this mean?”
To her dazed question, Jinseong replied.
“It’s a divine object that can block Spirit Vision. It wasn’t made through a ritual, so it doesn’t have great power, but it would definitely be superior to anything you could find in stores, so attach it to your smartphone.”
“Ah…”
“Even if it were to fall into someone else’s hands, it wouldn’t be effective. It was made from your hair, so it will only work for you. Furthermore, if someone attempts Spirit Vision, you’ll know right away, so you’ll be able to sense if anyone is watching you immediately.”
“Thank you…”
Rise murmured with a mix of gratitude and bewilderment.
“This is the first time I’ve received something like this from a man…”
“It’s nothing special.”
Jinseong brushed it off and used teleportation to move elsewhere.
Once he left, Rise continued to stare at the ring for a while, fascinated, and perhaps out of curiosity, Seitani stopped tormenting the slime and approached her with bizarre movements.
She circled around Rise, bouncing and spinning, her head tilting strangely as she tried to speak.
“I want to see too.”
“Me too.”
“Curious.”
“Curious.”
“Me too.”
Then she slyly extended her hand as if asking for it.
The pitch-black nails and filthy hands emanated a foul stench, the fingers twitched like tentacles, urging Rise to hurry and place the ring on them.
Seitani looked at Rise, spinning her head as she did.
“Don’t.”
Rise firmly refused while recalling the fear she had experienced in the dream-like state.
“Just, a moment.”
“Just for a moment.”
“I’ll just take a quick look.”
“I’ll give it back immediately.”
“I’m curious.”
However, even after being rejected once, Seitani continued to hover nearby as if still fixated on her, and her insistence persisted until Rise felt the urgency of the horror from her own dream-like experience began to overtake her irritation.
“I told you no!”
At that, Seitani seemed to sulk, lowering her head, and crawled back over to the slime.
The slime wriggled as if questioning why it was being tormented again, but Seitani ignored it and slapped her hand against the slime’s head, sending it crashing against the wall.
Rise glanced at that scene before quickly attaching the ring to her smartphone case.
“Ahem.”
Then, fearing Seitani might start the whining again, she hurried out of the main office.
She walked with an unusually light step.