“Have you ever been to Germany? I’ve heard that Schwarzwald is quite magnificent.”
“You mean the Black Forest? It’s a place where witches are quite abundant. Thanks to its isolation, it’s an excellent place for witches to experiment with witchcraft. Occasionally, bizarre creatures born from failed creations are spotted, but really, is that such a big problem? I doubt it would be a concern for either of us.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere. Well, Maurice might not have any issues, but me… haha. At my age, how could I possibly have the skills to wander around carelessly there?”
“Age is just a number. Gautama Buddha didn’t attain enlightenment just because he was older, right? Even if one is young, enlightenment can be achieved, and if the attainment is supported by awareness, reaching that state can be done effortlessly.”
“Enlightenment, huh. That’s truly a distant tale. The walls are always high and widespread.”
Jinseong and Maurice spoke while maintaining a distance from each other.
To others, it looked like a veteran shaman and a freshly-minted shaman were having a friendly chat, with Jinseong appearing humble and Maurice seeming considerate of the young shaman.
Yeah.
On the surface, that is.
“Jinseong Park could easily leap over those walls. He’s someone who lives with a blazing spark inside him ready to ignite at any moment. How could that possibly be impossible? I believe he can turn any wall to ashes and evaporate through them, moving forward without hesitation.”
“Oh my, you praise my passion so; I hardly know how to respond.”
Their conversation seemed amiable at a glance.
But if one looked closer, they’d notice something odd.
Their dialogue only skimmed the surface, circling around without delving deeper.
“Jinseong Park is a truly remarkable shaman. I’m very curious about who his master is. It’s very intriguing.”
“Master? Unfortunately, I didn’t have one. I had to self-study.”
“Self-study? That’s truly impressive. I’ve heard that much of the shamanism in Korea has been lost; did you perhaps study shamanism through resources related to Chinese practices?”
“Sadly, I haven’t had access to any shamanism related to China. I’ve heard that when the Chinese communities spread across the globe, their practices dispersed with them, but I’ve had no luck in that regard.”
Like two beasts circling each other in search, Jinseong and Maurice attempted to glean information about one another through their very subtle conversation.
They employed all non-verbal and paraverbal cues and artfully tucked their inquiries within their dialogue, probing into each other’s background.
Jinseong tried to infer Maurice’s territory and hometown to guess his shamanic skills, while Maurice threw questions to uncover what kind of shaman Jinseong was.
Yet even amidst their questioning, neither moved an inch closer.
As if they were keen on maintaining a safe distance.
Of course, there was a difference in their attitudes regarding that safety.
It was Maurice who was on guard, while Jinseong maintained his distance out of respect for Maurice’s wariness.
Thus, it seemed they would continue to run parallel.
Unless an unexpected interloper appeared.
“Haha, son-in-law, fancy seeing you here?”
The scoundrel of the Artua Clan.
William.
William approached Jinseong with a friendly demeanor and slid into the empty space beside him, wrapping an arm around Jinseong’s neck in a playful headlock. However, he didn’t actually apply pressure; it was just for show. He patted Jinseong’s shoulder as if to say it was nice to see him, then turned away.
He then fixed his twisted smile directly on Lee Yang-hoon and remarked, “That bastard, the owner of this wretched mansion.”
His smile was laced with malicious intent.
William eyed Lee Yang-hoon deliberately, loosening his neck and subtly rolling his shoulder as if preparing to throw a punch at any moment.
There was clearly a storm of anger within William’s approach towards Lee Yang-hoon, a tension thick enough that it felt like he could grab him by the collar and start swinging at any instant.
“Stop it.”
Jang Young-cheol stepped in front of Lee Yang-hoon.
He couldn’t just stand by and let some lunatic try to strike Lee Yang-hoon.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s not create a ruckus here. That’s not very polite, is it?”
Jang Young-cheol admonished William with a solemn expression.
“What’s with this old man? Don’t block my way and just get lost.”
“Wha—what did you say?”
But unfortunately for Jang Young-cheol, the one standing before him was less a person and more akin to a beast.
Politeness?
That was something a scoundrel displayed only in front of the woman he fancied.
William hurled a string of insults at Jang Young-cheol, a complete stranger whose name and face he didn’t even know, as if he were a rage-filled child.
Even worse, the one spewing such insults seemed significantly younger than him, looking barely out of his teenage years!
How dare this young punk hurl curses at someone like him, who had aged gracefully!
“You brat! Don’t you have parents? How dare you speak like that to an adult!”
Jang Young-cheol’s rage finally exploded.
Seeing this wild young westerner throwing a tantrum was more than he could bear.
“Oh, just get lost! You’ll get a taste of my fist!”
And witnessing Jang Young-cheol’s attitude sent William into a fury as well.
How dare this scoundrel set up some piece of garbage and ruin his chance to retaliate against Lee Yang-hoon, and now this old man blocking his path and lecturing him.
Of course, he had to be angry.
With a fierce momentum, William approached Jang Young-cheol, his arms and waist tensed as if to swing at any moment.
The situation was akin to a powder keg ready to explode.
It felt like a brawl could break out between William and Jang Young-cheol at any second.
Just as tensions reached their peak.
“William, young master. What’s all this commotion?”
Another stranger interjected between the two.
“Oh, crap.”
Seeing the person who called out to him with a stern tone, William halted his advance towards Jang Young-cheol.
“It’s troubling to create such a ruckus. Your behavior is what leads to such eruptions, isn’t it? Young master, you lack devotion, humility, and patience. Why tilt towards the side of sin on the scales of good and evil?”
“Oh, shut it, you goddamn Jesus freak! I get it already!”
A middle-aged man sternly lectured the now-persistently-annoyed William.
As if he assumed the role of a principal teaching manners.
William, clearly uninterested in exchanging words, grumbled back half-heartedly and shot one last glare at Lee Yang-hoon, then downed a cocktail sitting on the table in one go. Instead of placing the glass back on the table, he threw it right to the floor.
Crash!
“You stinking eastern bastard, I’ve got your face etched in my memory. Let’s settle this when I have the chance. I’ll shove some trash down your throat just like the Santa Claus statue you’ve got sitting in that mansion.”
With a chilling threat towards Lee Yang-hoon, William turned on his heel and left.
As William exited, silence enveloped the space as if a storm had just passed through.
Jang Young-cheol, unable to rein in his fury, turned beet red while Lee Yang-hoon frowned in distaste, and Jinseong stood there expressionless, seemingly deep in thought. Meanwhile, Maurice continued to observe Jinseong without showing any interest in William.
Silence.
In the bustling hall, it felt like their section had been isolated from the ongoing festivities as silence stretched on.
Breaking the silence was the man who had intervened to stop William.
“Ahem. I must apologize. Young master William has caused quite the disturbance… and been a nuisance.”
The man began with an apology for William’s antics.
“Ahem, no need for that. By the way, ‘William’? William, you say? Ahem!”
Upon hearing the name “William,” Jang Young-cheol realized the identity of the reckless young man who had dared to provoke him.
“Tch, what can I expect from a kid whose parents can’t control him? You don’t need to apologize. But, who exactly are you?”
“Oh. My introduction was delayed.”
The man offered a friendly smile.
“I am Thomas B. Stevenson. Though my physique might be lacking, I serve the Lord and spread His word.”
