Chapter 107. Earth’s Assistants #2
Hwang Mir’s mother’s sudden change in attitude.
Seo Dan-bi, who found this suspicious, suddenly recalled a hypothesis Ha Yumi had just presented.
「I think it’s possible that monsters with abilities like possession? Parasites? have crossed over to Earth. And they’re taking over the bodies of people in high places or the media to silence public opinion.」
A chill ran down her spine.
She felt the hair on her body stand on end.
Covered in goosebumps, Seo Dan-bi swallowed nervously and stared directly at Ha Yumi’s face.
‘No way… Could it really be…?’
At first, she dismissed it as nonsense.
Ha Yumi had only mentioned it jokingly.
She hadn’t seriously proposed the hypothesis.
But now, her thoughts changed.
Ha Yumi’s theory suddenly seemed more credible.
That’s how shocking Hwang Mir’s mother’s change had been.
Especially considering the times they’d met before.
For Seo Dan-bi, who had experienced all kinds of humiliation from Hwang Mir’s mother, it was even more apparent.
‘Didn’t her father just say his personality changed too? This honestly makes no sense, does it? How could two people change their personalities overnight by 180 degrees?’
It was definitely worth suspecting.
Hwang Mir’s parents were wealthy.
If parasitic monsters truly existed, they would surely target them as coveted prey.
Seo Dan-bi glanced at the other four, then carefully parted her lips to speak.
“Hey, you know… that parasite you mentioned earlier─”
“Pururu.”
The dimensional magician, Sage Lunaris, called out to Seo Dan-bi, cutting her off.
Then, pulling out a notebook and pen from her pocket, she opened the notebook and held it out to Seo Dan-bi, speaking.
“Pururu, you’re good at drawing, right? Could you check if this is how you’d draw it? I’d like some expert advice.”
“Huh? All of a sudden, what do you mean…?”
Seo Dan-bi stopped herself from speaking.
Sage Lunaris, moving her pen.
She wasn’t drawing in the notebook.
Instead, she was clumsily writing words.
The handwriting was crooked, like that of a child just learning to write in Korean.
─Mir’s mother is watching us from inside the mansion.
─It’s not just Mir’s mother. Ever since she entered, more eyes have been watching us from the second and third floors.
─As you know, I haven’t been learning Korean for long, so please excuse my awkward choice of words and handwriting.
The assistants all fell silent, as if on cue.
Seo Dan-bi stole a glance at the mansion, then quickly took the pen and began writing in the notebook.
─Everyone in the mansion is secretly watching us? Seriously?
─Yes. Something seems suspicious. If it were just one person, maybe, but it’s clear that everyone in the mansion is keeping an eye on us. Also, don’t look toward the mansion; it’ll make it obvious.
─This is so creepy. Could the parasite monster Ha Yumi mentioned have taken over Mir’s parents’ bodies? I didn’t believe that theory at first, but now that Mir’s mother’s personality has changed, something feels off…
─I’ve checked the people inside the mansion, and they seem to be ordinary humans. But that doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of parasitic monsters. They could be hiding their power so perfectly that I can’t detect it.
Seo Dan-bi and Sage continued to pass the pen back and forth, using the notebook to communicate.
They discussed the hypothesis that parasitic monsters were taking over human bodies.
Beside them, Shin Somang and Ha Yumi were having a similar conversation with another notebook.
─Yumi, is there some sort of mental illness that makes people suddenly turn nice?
─There are similar conditions, but it’s probably not that. The symptoms are different, and it’s unlikely for a healthy person to suddenly develop a rare mental illness. Plus, the odds of multiple people developing it at the same time are extremely low.
─Then is it really possible that a parasitic monster took over Mir’s mom’s body?
─I have no idea.
─I see. But this way of talking is inconvenient. Can’t we just use a group chat?
─No, we can’t. If my hypothesis is correct, even the chat apps could be monitored. Now that we know someone’s watching us, we have to communicate very, very discreetly!
Watching them, Hwang Mir crossed her arms and fidgeted silently with her fingers.
“……”
Her parents’ sudden change.
Hwang Mir, who had been optimistic about it.
She had said things like, “It’s all for the best.”
But the truth was, she was also suspicious of her parents’ change.
Still, she didn’t want to dwell on negative thoughts.
She didn’t want to accept Ha Yumi’s hypothesis, not even a little.
Even if she didn’t like it, these were her parents, not just anyone else.
After all, they were her family, with whom she’d spent her entire life.
Hwang Mir let out a long sigh and carefully took the pen from Pururu, starting to write in the notebook.
─To be honest, I’ve also been thinking my parents seem weird. And when I heard Yumi’s theory, I got startled and scared. The thought crossed my mind—what if my parents were taken over by a parasitic monster? It made me anxious.
─But what are we supposed to do about it?
─I don’t want to believe that my parents were consumed by a monster. I just want to believe it’s not true.
She added words saying she wanted to think as positively as possible, and Sage shook her head as she took back the notebook, writing slowly with the pen.
─I understand how you feel, Mir.
─It’s only natural to hope nothing happens to your family. It’s a perfectly normal thought.
─But Mir, that’s not being positive.
─That’s just being complacent and out of touch with reality.
─One must always assume the worst possible situation and act accordingly.
─The more you avoid facing the truth because you don’t want to believe it, the more likely you are to face an even worse future.
─If you truly care about your family, you can’t ignore the truth. Don’t let your judgment be clouded by personal feelings. You have to look at the world objectively and face reality.
─If your parents have really been taken over by parasitic monsters, thinking and acting the way you are now would be the same as abandoning them. In the end, it’s the same as doing nothing. And that’s not enough. You should be doing everything in your power to save them.
Silence filled the terrace.
It had been quiet before, but now the silence was even heavier.
Hwang Mir lowered her head.
And slowly, she began to scribble with the pen again.
─I’m sorry… I guess I wasn’t thinking straight.
─You don’t have to apologize. You’re human, Mir. It’s normal to not know how to handle something like this. You should be proud you’re not panicking.
Sage Lunaris pulled the notebook toward herself.
Then she continued writing.
─Anyway. While we’re not certain yet, if your parents have been taken over by parasitic monsters, I’ll find a way to eliminate the monsters without harming their bodies.
─But as I said before, we’re not sure yet, so we’ll need to investigate whether they’ve really been possessed by monsters. I’ll start investigating from today. Just trust me.
As she wrote, Sage thought to herself.
Even if Hwang Mir’s mother had been taken over by a monster, as long as it wasn’t a doppelgänger or some new type of monster, it would be okay.
Possession or parasitic monsters didn’t kill their hosts.
But doppelgängers killed the original and then pretended to be them.
‘As long as it’s not a doppelgänger or some new type of monster I don’t know about, I can save Mir’s mother.’
With a desperate hope in her heart, Sage gathered the assistants.
“Everyone, gather around. I’m going to renew the protection spells I placed on you earlier. We need to be extra discreet since so many eyes are watching us.”
After casting the protection spells, Seo Dan-bi, Ha Yumi, Shin Somang, Hwang Mir, and Sage Lunaris—five women in total—finished their meeting and began to leave the mansion.
“Mir, are you leaving already?”
Hwang Mir’s mother approached silently.
Hwang Mir flinched as she turned to face her mother.
“Y-yeah… I’ll come again next time, Mom.”
“You could stay a little longer. If you’re okay with it, why don’t you and your friends spend the night here… Ah… no, never mind. Staying over might not be such a good idea.”
Hwang Mir’s mother stammered for a moment.
She cast an awkward glance at Sage from the corner of her eye.
Her behavior was suspicious, to say the least.
“Well then, take care, and see you all next time.”
With Hwang Mir’s mother seeing them off, Hwang Mir and the other four women bowed their heads hurriedly and left the mansion.
***
No matter how I look at it, she seems like an ordinary human.
But something feels slightly off.
It’s really hard to tell.
Sage Lunaris gathered her thoughts, then turned and headed back toward the mansion.
Inside the mansion.
When Hwang Mir’s mother saw Sage, she stammered.
“H-huh? Mir’s friend? Did you leave something behind…?”
“…Yes. I forgot something.”
Sage’s eyes glinted for a moment.
She quickly cast a clairvoyance spell.
It was a spell that could be used right in front of someone without drawing attention.
‘There’s no other creature inside her body. So, she hasn’t been taken over by a parasitic monster?’
One possibility ruled out.
What remained.
A monster with possession abilities.
Or a doppelgänger.
Of course, it wasn’t limited to just those two.
There could also be new types of monsters Sage didn’t know about.
“What did you leave behind? I’ll help you find it.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve already found it.”
“Huh…?”
“Then, I’ll be on my way. See you next time.”
After leaving those words behind, Sage exited the mansion without bowing her head this time.
Watching her back as she disappeared, Hwang Mir’s mother turned and entered the mansion.
Inside, a man was waiting.
She used telepathy to communicate with Hwang Mir’s father.
［Are you… really sure about this? That woman is a monster?］
［…Yes. That woman is a monster.］
Hwang Mir’s father clicked his tongue, his expression twisted.
He was irritated with Hwang Mir’s mother for revealing herself and greeting the woman without even gauging the situation.
［Be more cautious next time.］
［I’m sorry… I thought she was just an ordinary human…］
［Ordinary human? Does that look like an ordinary human to you? Have your senses gone dull?］
［……］
［As I told you before, she’s a monster we can’t handle. Even if our entire species attacked her at once, we wouldn’t stand a chance.］
［That much…?］
Hwang Mir’s father sighed deeply.
Holding a wine glass, he looked out the window, muttering to himself as he thought.
［Sigh… To think such a giant figure exists in this world… From now on, we must tread carefully. One wrong move, and we could be wiped out.］
His judgment was accurate.
Sage Lunaris.
Not only was she known as the dimensional magician in Elemencia, but she also held the title of “Sage.”
Her danger level was S-class.
She possessed power comparable to that of a hero or a Demon King.
Although, not at this moment.