# 29
He had only 3 days left. No, perhaps only 2 days including today. The man hadn’t said a word about meeting on the third day.
With bad luck, he might be summoned at dawn, or the moment the clock struck midnight.
‘How generous of him.’
Jin-ha sneered internally.
Though the method was highly regrettable, the man truly wanted the correct answer. Otherwise, he would have immediately summoned Jin-ha and demanded that he spill the answer.
But as much as he sincerely wanted the correct answer, the punishment he would impose if Jin-ha failed to comply with his request would also be sincere.
This had led to the conclusion of giving Jin-ha an opportunity of uncertain length—two or three days. So Jin-ha absolutely had to find the answer the man wanted during this time.
Returning directly to his room, Jin-ha began writing down everything that had happened from the moment he met the man. He thought there might be clues there, since the man’s demand would likely be based on past events.
“……”
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find any clues.
“What on earth am I supposed to be curious about…?”
Jin-ha scanned the pile of papers that had accumulated, then closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. The sun was already setting. He had worked without eating breakfast or lunch, but felt only a lack of caffeine, not hunger.
Intending to brew more coffee, Jin-ha left his room and hesitated when he spotted a man lounging on the living room sofa. Seo Ji-seop also saw Jin-ha and shrank back with a guilty expression.
“Um, Jin-ha…”
“Good timing. Come and help me.”
“Huh? What can I do?”
Seo Ji-seop followed Jin-ha, who had entered the kitchen without replying. Jin-ha was putting a kettle on the stove and grabbing a handful of coffee beans to put in the grinder.
Seo Ji-seop snatched the grinder from Jin-ha and ground it vigorously, gesturing impatiently for Jin-ha to speak quickly.
“…You said you heard the rumor about the Master and me being involved from the servants, right?”
“I did…?”
“I need to hear from them about what kind of person the Master is.”
“Hmm…”
Seo Ji-seop rolled his eyes, groaned softly, put down the grinder, and took out a filter and coffee pot from the cupboard.
“I want to help you, and I will, but I’m not sure those people will tell the truth…?”
“That’s not for you to worry about, Guild Leader. Just introduce me. And… I’m sure they’ll be cooperative.”
The man had demanded questions from Jin-ha and given him time. That meant if he spent time investigating, he would find out what he should ask.
Jin-ha was the man’s toy, and now he was standing in a maze created by the man. The man who had placed Jin-ha here wouldn’t have sealed the servants’ lips.
Jin-ha’s face briefly contorted as he thought that far.
‘Actually, I don’t want to know too much…’
The more he learned about the man, the more he felt like he was walking on a dangerous single-log bridge. Unnecessary information was complicating his mind.
He didn’t want to waste emotions on a man whose emotional expiration date was only two or three months to a year.
But Jin-ha had nowhere to retreat in this game. To get what he wanted, he had to play along with the man’s whims.
Jin-ha gritted his teeth and said:
“He asks if I have anything I want to ask him, but I have no idea.”
“That sounds like he wants you to ask him something.”
“Honestly, I’m not curious about anything.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s more fixated?”
“…How can I be curious about something I’m not curious about?”
He could pretend, but if he did, it was obvious the man would make a fuss again. After all, this was the man who had asked why Jin-ha was acting so politely when he had behaved a little respectfully.
“Honestly, I don’t understand what that man wants from me.”
At Jin-ha’s sullen lament, Seo Ji-seop, who was pouring hot water over the coffee grounds, smiled with a strangely cunning expression. It was an unpleasantly lecherous look.
“If it’s what the Master wants from you, isn’t it a date?”
Jin-ha glared at Seo Ji-seop, who enjoyed connecting people romantically at every opportunity, with a contemptuous gaze. Seo Ji-seop flinched and replied defensively:
“I mean, you said he asked you to teach him something fun…”
“How does that connect to a date?”
Jin-ha, who had immediately cut off the absurd opinion, clicked his tongue.
If the man had such a cute aspect, it might have been easier. Wasn’t it because he didn’t that Jin-ha was struggling like this?
“Anyway, I’m going to find out everything about that man.”
“Everything?”
“Everything from his preferences to his past.”
“That much?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, if that’s what you want to do…”
Jin-ha briefly glared at Seo Ji-seop, who was answering in a shrinking voice, then shook his head. Seo Ji-seop was famous for his story of marrying his wife, also a Hunter, after a passionate romance, and he was the type who would spread rumors that two rocks were dating if they were next to each other.
There was no time to worry about such trivialities.
“I’ll find out everything by tomorrow, down to how many pairs of socks that man owns.”
* * *
“Did I make such a difficult request?”
The man, lying sideways on the balcony railing eating grapes, asked irritably. Behind him, Legas, hugging a pile of documents, quickly shook his head.
“Not at all, Master.”
“Then why can’t he guess it?”
“If I may be so bold, Mr. Jin-ha is trying his best.”
“…It does appear that way.”
Jin-ha had been busy chasing after the Magic Tower’s servants since morning. It was obvious what he was asking about without having to check. It was clear that Jin-ha was making an effort.
So the man was watching the situation while holding back his dissatisfaction. If Jin-ha hadn’t made any effort, then rather…
The man’s gaze intently followed Jin-ha, who appeared and disappeared among the hanging laundry. Various dark fantasies were unfolding in his mind when:
“…May I ask why you’re letting him roam free?”
“What?”
“You could keep him confined in a room and watch him, like you did with the rock or the sheep.”
At Legas’s question, all the pleasant scenarios in his imagination burst. The man dropped the finished grape stem onto the balcony with a displeased expression.
“No, it can’t be like that.”
“Is that not enough?”
“Jin-ha must come to me of his own accord. That’s the only way…”
At that moment, a water pipe burst, spraying water around. Jin-ha, who couldn’t dodge in time, was soaked. He took off his wet jacket, hung it over his arm, and swept his wet hair back. His drenched white shirt clung to his body, revealing his skin.
The man raised his upper body and stared at the scene hungrily, when a large man appeared with a towel and handed it to Jin-ha. After they exchanged some words, the two burst into laughter.
“Legas.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Remove that.”
The man coldly commanded, pointing at Seo Ji-seop.
* * *
Jin-ha and Seo Ji-seop stood under the sun, talking while drying their wet outer garments.
According to today’s investigation, the man’s tastes were extremely diverse. Or more accurately, his whims changed as quickly as boiling porridge. One day he liked blue, the next day he found it dreadful. One day he liked warmth, and after waking up the next day, he preferred cold.
The problem was that his followers, who sought the power and authority he possessed, always tried to accommodate his taste. The tower turned blue, then red, then purple. The indoor temperature was desert-hot one day and arctic-cold the next.
The more Jin-ha investigated the man, the more he felt he didn’t understand him.
“There’s no particularly helpful information.”
As Jin-ha spoke dejectedly, Seo Ji-seop pointed to a corner of Jin-ha’s notebook and consoled him:
“Cheer up. At least now you know how many pairs of socks the Master has.”
“Is that even worth mentioning?”
Seo Ji-seop flinched and smiled at the neurotic retort. Conscious that he had shown excessive irritation, Jin-ha rubbed his forehead and sighed.
“I’m sorry for taking out my frustration on you…”
“It’s okay. I like it when you’re irritated too, Jin-ha. It makes you seem brighter.”
What a strange person to describe such an unpleasant attitude as bright. Jin-ha shook his head and looked at his notebook again.
“I guess I’ve talked to all the servants now…”
“Huh? Not yet. Don’t you want to meet the librarian?”
“The library?”
“Yeah, there’s a pretty big library on the third floor. I heard the librarian there isn’t a magician either.”
“Wait, the third floor?”
When Jin-ha asked with a frown, Seo Ji-seop flinched as if he had made a mistake.
“I’m sure I told you I was only supposed to go up to the second floor.”
“Ah, right. Oh my, I completely forgot.”
“Stop acting.”
His pronunciation was slurred from clenching his teeth tightly. Seeing Jin-ha’s stiffened expression, Seo Ji-seop hesitated but finally confessed the truth.
“…I was just so curious about magic. Sorry.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
