He spoke with a look that suggested absolute confusion, having resolved the issue but still feeling a lingering unease, as he deftly moved his expression and addressed the Master.
“Hmm. This may be a rather rude question, but have you traveled recently or perhaps purchased something from abroad?”
The Master, serious at Jinseong’s inquiry, responded earnestly.
“Why do you ask such a thing?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much.”
Seeing the serious expression on the Master’s face, Jinseong forced a laugh, waved his hands dismissively, and raised his voice a notch.
“The power called mana isn’t commonly used. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect to find in places like Polynesia or South America. And as you know, those areas are warm and full of sights, famous as tourist spots, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Sometimes, I’ve brought back souvenirs from such places that turned out to be divine objects. Particularly, divine objects made in Polynesia often take the form of small statues crafted from wood, horn, or stone.”
His voice conveyed a casual air, but there was a hint of awkwardness in his forced smile, and he avoided the Master’s gaze, subtly revealing that he didn’t genuinely believe his own words.
“We didn’t go traveling, nor did we purchase foreign items. And even if we did, we wouldn’t have missed identifying it as a divine object. You’re aware that we are very sensitive to such things.”
“Ah, indeed.”
Jinseong nodded in agreement, pretending to accept the Master’s assertion.
‘It seems they’re not only excessively paranoid about shamans but also thoroughly inspect any items brought in from abroad.’
Yet Jinseong’s true thoughts were far from what he displayed. Internally, he was clicking his tongue at Japan’s pathological obsession.
A pathological obsession.
Efforts to block shamans and divine objects.
‘Tsk. This is why I wasn’t able to set foot in Japan in the past.’
They prevent shamans from entering the country, and even if one manages to smuggle in, they are tracked down using advanced devices and onmyōdō. Divine objects are, of course, scrutinized meticulously.
They likely conduct thorough investigations on those who order divine objects, tracking how the objects move and into whose hands they’d fall.
Not to mention…
‘Ah, I see. They require that packages be received by a person in Japan. There could be tricks involved there as well.’
In Japan, the principle was that packages must be personally received. Unlike in Korea, where items can just be left at the door, everything must be handed directly to an individual.
Of course, there were unmanned parcel boxes available.
However, those were only occasionally seen in bustling districts or new buildings.
‘Unmanned parcel boxes must also be equipped to detect divine objects or recognize the person receiving the item. The requirement for packages to be personally received is likely for easier tracking of the divine object’s movement route.’
Moreover, if they needed to discreetly observe or handle a ‘suspect ordering a divine object,’ disguising as a delivery person would facilitate access.
Jinseong couldn’t help but click his tongue at Japan’s obsessive determination to root out shamans.
‘Given that hun and baek are so widespread, it’s no wonder they feel bombarded by uncontrollable shamans entering from abroad.’
Thinking this, he candidly addressed the Master with a nonchalant demeanor.
“Well, it’s just a discussion of possibilities. I believe the odds are slim, but I couldn’t just ignore it completely.”
“Ahem.”
The Master nodded at Jinseong’s words.
The professionals he had seen earlier exhibited just such behavior.
Even when the possibility was slight, they would unnecessarily bring it up, taking up time while remaining indecisive, insisting on preparing for any contingencies without a definitive conclusion.
‘Those who have tasted ink are all like that.’
Jinseong casually rolled his eyes to observe the Master’s expression, mirroring an indecisive attitude as if recalling some past case that left him uneasy. Within that unease was a touch of pride and arrogance regarding his own knowledge.
“Looking at the cases, there are often absurd situations that, though rare, could happen. Like the incident in 1960 when mana was mistaken for radiation, or the one in the ’80s where imported wood contained a divine object, or the one in ’91 when a tourist who bought a souvenir keychain in Hawaii caused an engine failure on a plane, resulting in a five-hour delay due to the divine object’s effects….”
“Is that so?”
“Haha. Even reading about those incidents seems absurd, but mentioning such occurrences suggests the probability isn’t 0%, so I had to bring it up.”
Seeing the Master appear bored, Jinseong feigned a change in topic and exaggerated his gestures and tone to regain the Master’s focus.
“Hmm. That said, have you perhaps done any construction work?”
“Construction?”
The Master asked, sounding as if he were puzzled by the question.
“Oh dear. No, never mind. This seems a bit sensitive for me to bring up.”
“Sensitive?”
“Well, you see. Ahem!”
Jinseong moved his eyes subtly, as if gauging the Master’s reaction before whispering.
“Didn’t I mention that the power called mana isn’t generally utilized?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then if there’s a need for mana in construction, or if a mana-infused item is involved….”
Jinseong trailed off, glancing upward slightly.
At once, the Master nodded as if he understood.
“Ah, you’re wondering if the government is building any facilities, aren’t you?”
“That could be one perspective.”
“There’s been nothing like that. The terrain is considered ominous, so no one dares to set foot there. The higher authorities are wary of it as well. The only facility here is the training hall.”
“Is that so?”
Jinseong nodded as if he understood, but his expression revealed lingering unease, as if something remained unresolved.
“Then I really don’t know why mana is still present….”
“Could the presence of mana lead to issues?”
“Yes. That could certainly happen.”
At that, the Master frowned slightly.
“Didn’t you just defeat the Ksitigarbha?”
“I vanquished that spirit.”
As Jinseong looked at the Master’s annoyed retort, he continued.
“This situation is similar to having extinguished a fire at home. The fire was put out safely, and the house remained untouched. The blaze that almost consumed the home has been quelled, and the fire has been put down. But just because the fire is extinguished doesn’t guarantee that another one won’t start in the future.”
Jinseong spoke with a conviction that seemed to assert the validity of his claims.
“Just because the fire has been safely put out, it follows that if we don’t address the cause of the fire, we can’t be sure it won’t ignite again due to the same reasons. If there’s a gas leak, fix it; if there’s an electrical short, repair it; and if a heater tipped over and started the blaze, then either use a safer heater or avoid using one altogether.”
“…So, you’re saying the fire’s out, but the cause remains unfixed, correct?”
“Hmm. I hate to say it, but… yes. That’s right.”
He nodded with an uneasy expression.
“We’ve identified that mana and spirits were the causes, and the troublesome spirit has been successfully banished. But why mana is present remains a mystery… That’s the issue that needs resolution for it to be perfect….”
“Mana, mana…?”
“This whole ordeal isn’t merely the work of an evil spirit. It’s that mana amplified the power to wreak havoc… If mana still exists, and a spirit appears to drain it and accumulate strength, this kind of incident could happen again.”
“Again….”
“And, well… It’s not something I want to discuss much, but if it’s an evil spirit or evil ghost, things could get a bit more serious.”
Jinseong observed the Master’s increasingly serious expression as he spoke.
“It seems my role ends here. You’ll need to hire another expert regarding mana.”
“…Which expert would be suitable?”
“Well, an extremely specialized person isn’t necessary. Just someone equipped to detect mana would suffice. But it seems we’ll need to search the entire mountain….”
The Master chuckled at Jinseong’s words.
“The entire mountain?”
“Yes. Since I don’t know where the mana is coming from, we’ll have to check everything.”
It couldn’t be helped, right?
The Master felt a twinge of annoyance toward Jinseong’s overly casual attitude as he mentioned something that was not his responsibility.
It wasn’t as if searching the whole mountain was trivial.
Not only would they need the time, but they’d also require personnel to operate the mana-detecting equipment, which would surely need many hands.
And besides, if the mountain became crowded with people unlike usual, the locals would notice, and if all the people wandering around were equipped with odd devices, it would naturally become a topic of conversation.
If that happened, quietly getting through would be nothing but a distant dream.
“…Alright. Thank you for your assistance today in battling the spirit, which consumed considerable mental energy.”
“Don’t mention it. I didn’t expend much energy, so there’s no need to worry.”
“How could I not? I won’t forget what happened today and will definitely repay you.”
“Haha, thank you. Well then… it seems our task is complete, so I shall dismantle the simple shrine we erected and head back.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all. You’ve put in much more effort, Master. Oh, and if you require any further assistance, please let me know. Though my age and experience are limited, should the Shiheng Style be summoned, I’d gladly step forward.”
Instead of fully trusting Jinseong’s counsel, the Master resolved to seek other alternatives from the back of his mind. Nonetheless, he refrained from showing it and bid farewell to Jinseong politely, then watched him drive away from the mountain before quietly mumbling to himself.
“Who might be an expert on mana….”
