The conversation came to an end.
Once the dialogue was wrapped up, Jinseong used Seitani to liberate him from the Dream World, and the man, freed from the dreams, slowly surveyed the basement scenery with a sense of nostalgia before turning to gaze at Seitani, who was curled up in a corner.
“What is the name of that ghost?”
He asked, seemingly favoring the darkness of the corner as he looked at Seitani, while Jinseong answered his question with a doll-like, unyielding smile.
“It’s a secret.”
“Oh dear. What a shame.”
Knowing a name can lead to acquiring information.
If he spoke Seitani’s name, the man would naturally investigate it, looking into her abilities and weaknesses.
Jinseong wasn’t particularly keen on that.
It would only reveal weaknesses that didn’t need to be exposed.
The man immediately gave up on learning the name due to Jinseong’s refusal. Perhaps it was just a trial question, as his interest in Seitani vanished entirely, and he stared intently at Jinseong instead. He squinted in the dim light as if to perceive the insects that made up Jinseong’s form.
However, simply staring wouldn’t yield any visible evidence.
Though Jinseong’s body was indeed made of insects, he moved as if to mimic a typical human, breathing periodically and even creating a pulsing mass that resembled a heart in the exact location of one.
It was impossible to discern just by looking.
“Truly impressive.”
The man marveled at Jinseong’s seamless disguise, one that hardly seemed believable considering he had blown his head off not long ago, and stretched to ease his stiff body. Then, under Jinseong’s guidance, he made his way out of the basement.
Throughout their journey outside the mansion, neither the man nor Jinseong said a single word; they simply walked. The man walked to exit, and Jinseong walked to lead him out.
Only after they had stepped outside the mansion did Jinseong finally speak.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Well, I suppose I must return.”
The man responded to the obvious question with an obvious answer, and then he regarded Jinseong with a smirk.
“By the way, I’ve heard many say you’re rather aggressive.”
“Hm. I’ve heard that from time to time.”
“Seems like it’s not just from time to time.”
The man appeared to be quite relaxed.
Like a beast unshackled or a porter who had just set down a heavy load.
“Though I might not be in a position to say this after your sudden assault, I appreciate it nonetheless.”
“Is that so.”
“The methods may have been rather extreme, but… I must express my gratitude for opening my eyes.”
Despite having been assaulted, the man seemed to harbor a sort of fondness for Jinseong.
This fondness stemmed directly from how Jinseong had behaved towards him.
What began with a sudden attack and kidnapping had transitioned into Jinseong’s very amicable demeanor. He summoned ghosts, controlled people’s dreams, and projected consciousness into those dreams without any hint of trickery.
In the man’s view, it would have been within Jinseong’s power to confuse his mind, possess him, manipulate him like a puppet through his dreams, or gnaw at his mental state before seizing control or embedding suggestions.
Indeed, had Jinseong set his mind to it, the man would have surely struggled to resist.
Yet, Jinseong had refrained from such actions.
He hadn’t taken any menacing steps to gnaw at his mind or interfere with his body. Though he did nullify the magic on him, that seemed more a precautionary measure than an act of malice.
Jinseong had not inflicted any harm on the man, physically or mentally; instead, he had only engaged in conversation.
For a long and prolonged time, ceaseless dialogue.
This discourse bore a sense of enlightenment, much like a wise master guiding a lost traveler. There was nothing coercive about it, no condescension from above, nor any pontification from a self-appointed superior.
It was merely a continuous sharing of stories and opinions to help him glean some understanding.
Of course, the content could be seen as somewhat excessive… yet there was neither coercion nor malice.
Nothing in the way of brainwashing, but rather, it seemed Jinseong genuinely wished for the man to become someone independent rather than a member of the group.
Feeling Jinseong’s intent, the man kept his ears open, gradually tuning into Jinseong’s words.
And as he listened and mulled over these thoughts, the man’s thinking expanded infinitely. He began to embrace possibilities far broader than his previously narrow mindset.
In some ways, this was unsurprising.
How could one expect to take in the entirety of the world while only gazing in one direction?
Even if one stood atop the tallest mountain, the view would encompass no more than a small fraction of the world. The world is vast, yet how could one think freely while peering about with one eye shut like a blind man?
Jinseong set the man’s crooked head straight, opened his previously shut eye, and awakened his half-dozing brain.
Now, what he would see, what he would grasp, and what he would think would rest entirely upon him.
“I believe returning home will feel like a new experience. Haha.”
The man spoke, feeling as if he had been reborn.
He added that perhaps this feeling stemmed from having emerged from the dark basement.
“However, is there truly nothing you desire from me?”
“None.”
“Even after all this, you have nothing you want?”
“Haha. A practitioner of magic has embraced freedom over confinement—what more could I desire? I’ll repeat it: I want nothing from you.”
“Hm.”
Jinseong slightly shook his head at the man’s query about wanting anything.
He needed nothing from him.
“You don’t need to do anything for me either.”
“Well, even if there were things I wanted, I couldn’t meet many of them. I’m not in any high position in the Onmyoji Council…”
The man grinned as he trailed off.
“Haha, speaking of positions, that’s amusing. Not long ago, I probably would have said the power of the Onmyoji Council could grant anything, but here I am, already separating the Council’s power from my own. How fascinating; it’s as if I realize I’ve changed.”
Had this been just a short while ago, he would have boasted to Jinseong without restraint.
The Onmyoji Council was family, and one word from him could prompt the council members to extend favors. He would have stated that the council possessed immense power and could fulfill any wish, with the caveat that unreasonable demands would be met with no forgiveness.
He undoubtedly would have said exactly that.
But what about now?
Naturally, he finds himself separating the Onmyoji Council from his own identity.
This, indeed, was change.
A positive change, at that.
“I should be careful with my words upon my return. Hahaha. If I’m all alone amidst a familial atmosphere, I’d be the only one at a loss.”
Japan never leaves a protruding nail alone.
The educational system in Japan doesn’t simply polish a raw gem into a jewel; it shapes it like every other rock until they all resemble one another. This method might deter extraordinary geniuses from appearing but instead continuously produces average or above-average talents efficiently. Adding loyalty to the country and absolute obedience to superiors makes them easy to manage.
Such tendencies didn’t differ even among the elites.
If anything, it was even stronger among them.
Elites often trapped themselves within the illusions and biases surrounding the label ‘elite.’ Some referred to it as dignity, while others called it composure.
It became the flamboyant armor that made elites stand out, yet it also served as a shackle, restricting their movements.
In such a world, if an eccentric were to suddenly pop up?
Naturally, they would find themselves hit with a hammer.
Unless that eccentric turned out to be an overwhelmingly genius individual…
Most would struggle under the might of the hammer wielded using standards, order, and tradition.
Unfortunately, the man was neither an overwhelming genius nor did he want to be beaten up and insulted for playing the eccentric.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Oh, right. I plan to tell my senior that you’re someone worth ‘recognizing.'”
The man said with a smile.
“It’s nothing significant, but it should make things a bit easier for you moving forward.”
*
In the villa the man departed from, only two remained.
Saigo Rise and Jinseong.
Just the two of them.
“Why did you let him go so easily?”
Rise inquired from across from Jinseong.
Perhaps out of curiosity, her fox ears perked up, and her tail swayed gently.
“I did not let him go easily.”
Jinseong turned to rise, smiling at her question.
“Did I not grant him an enlightenment like a flame in his heart?”
Fire.
The light that illuminates the world, dispels darkness, and sharpens everything.
And fire—
It burns, consumes, and spreads.
As it blazes more fiercely, it swells in size.
That is the nature of fire.
