Homecoming (2)
The shopkeeper, who had no resistance to magic, turned into a docile sheep as soon as Illesis’ spell was cast.
Of course, the circumstances of ordinary people in the other world are not very different, but mind manipulation spells are considered taboo there, so they cannot be used recklessly.
Chris said as if he was a little taken aback by what he had ordered.
“Were you really learning mind suppression spells?”
“You say you write… … .”
At this point, Illesis also shook her head as if she was dumbfounded.
Fortunately, there is no cctv inside the store, so no evidence will be left no matter what they do.
Chris put his hands together briefly as if apologizing to her, then grabbed the shopkeeper’s items.
There was little cash in my wallet and at the checkout counter, but since I had a card, it wouldn’t matter too much.
Chris, who took all the relatively new smartphones, said to the owner.
“Reissue lost items in a week or so. Refund this later… … .”
Chris pulled out several thumb-sized nuggets of gold from his pocket and handed them to the owner.
I don’t know the price of gold here, but it’s probably not the owner’s loss.
Embarrassed by the unusual behavior, Illesis protests.
“Isn’t that a bit too much? I might run out of money later… … .”
“It’s okay because I took the card. And that was given to me by the King of Gold.”
“aha.”
It’s nothing if it’s not your own money.
Having secured the necessary items, Chris gave up and changed clothes in the storeroom.
I liked the original clothes, but there are many differences from modern clothes in terms of materials and finishes.
Only then was Illesis dressed as casually as possible and ready to go.
The two of them went out into the street again and found that the day was getting dark.
Chris enters a franchise cafe on the main street while Elesis trembles as she sees the street lights starting to turn on one by one.
I wanted to avoid talking on the street like this.
If passers-by overheard their conversation, they would be treated like madmen.
After roughly ordering a drink, Chris sat down and took out his smartphone, and Elesis moved to the seat next to him.
Thanks to that, our eyes are focused, but it’s okay because we have a little distance from others.
Chris pretended to be calm and brightly lit the dark screen.
I checked it before, but it is not locked because it is a middle-aged item.
“Uh, what?”
“Illesis, calm down.”
“ah… sorry. But what is this magic tool for?”
“It has several functions, but I will use it for information gathering.”
Chris opened the Internet window on his smartphone and searched for information about Arios Online.
Seeing that most of the related search terms are profanity, it seems that it is still a mangem.
Illesis, who understood the Internet through rough explanations and demonstrations, said full of doubt.
“Anonymous people posting information in a virtual space? Can you really believe that?”
“You hit the spot right from the start… It’s pretty usable even if your credit rating is low. There’s nothing like it, especially when you’re researching people’s trends like now.”
Chris explained that and corrected the search term on his smartphone.
I searched Arios online with the keyword “disappearance”, but no convincing results came out.
It’s strange considering that rumors had spread even when he was summoned.
“Is there information manipulation as well?”
The number of players who have crossed over to that world is in the hundreds no matter how small you catch them.
It’s impossible that that many people have disappeared over the years and there are no reports.
The police even conducted a search and seizure, but it made no sense that no information was coming out.
Chris felt an ominous feeling creep up his spine.
“Hey Chris, are you okay? Your complexion is not good.”
“never mind. Let’s find a lodging and spend the day. I have to go to my house tomorrow… … .”
“that’s right. You said your family lived in this city, right? I’m looking forward to it a little.”
Elesis gave off a strange laugh and stood up with Chris.
The only places to stay for two people whose identities were not clear were a sauna or a motel, but putting Illesis to sleep in a sauna was a bit like that.
It’s not like I’m short of funds anyway, so it’d be nice to let them stay in a proper room.
Thinking so, they find a suitable motel and enter. The counter staff looks at the two with suspicious eyes.
Chris ordered quickly before he gave a damn.
“Mind suppression.”
“Even here?”
Even as Illesis asked, he dutifully carried out the order.
Soon after, Chris accepts the two keys, and Illesis tilts his head.
“Wait, I might get attacked in my sleep, so wouldn’t it be nice to share the same room? It’s my first time here, so I’m nervous.”
“This isn’t that kind of town, so… If you’re worried, I’ll do as you say.”
Chris reluctantly accepted Illesis’ offer.
In fact, he was also a little uneasy. She didn’t even know how to use the sink’s faucet.
After seeing the tidy room and teaching her a lot of things, Chris quickly washed up and buried herself in the bed.
The return of the tide was more tiring than he expected.
In particular, it is very disturbing that information about the disappearance of Arios online is not spread at all.
As if trying to stop thinking, he surrendered himself to the surge of water.
The motel room, equipped with a proper bed and air-conditioning, was more comfortable than a bedroom in the lord’s castle.
Even Ilesis, who was next to him, couldn’t stop him from sleeping.
* * *
The darkness had passed and the sun was shining through the forest of buildings.
Chris and Elesis relaxed in their room and left the motel when check-out time was just around the corner.
As if it was worthwhile to intentionally avoid rush hour, the streets were much quieter than yesterday.
Chris, who was heading towards the subway station, noticed Illesis’ ship beside him making a noise.
I had eaten before coming to Earth, but since I went on an empty stomach for over 12 hours, I could feel hungry.
Hesitating about the menu for a late breakfast, he soon went into a franchise hamburger house.
I am not a native of Jongno, so the risk was great to choose a private store here.
He is a Korean restaurateur… In particular, I didn’t rate the people who sold burgers very highly.
‘There’s a reason why things like this sell so well, right?’
Chris, who took the order and brought it to the table, thought as he removed the wilted vegetables to the side.
It might have been too much stimulation for Illesis, a person from another world, but she originally had a generous appetite.
Indeed, Illesis really enjoyed the combination of sodium, sugar, and fat.
I wondered if feeding junk food in the morning was really a good thing, but since my usual diet was so healthy, this much would be fine.
Chris also sped up the meal as he felt the taste of his hometown he missed.
After a satisfying meal, the two boarded the subway before lunchtime.
Illesis, wearing a baseball cap, looks around, revealing her face, but the people around her seem to perceive her as a tourist.
Relieved by that fact, Chris took Illesis’ hand as soon as he reached his destination and got off.
Escaped from the bustling Dongdaemun, Elesis hardened her complexion as she faced the new high-rise buildings.
“Did this side of the world look so ugly anywhere? It’s amazing, but it feels so desolate… … .”
“This city is especially so.”
Chris responded half-assedly and went in search of his house.
The closer you get to your memories, the heavier your legs and the tighter your chest becomes.
It would have been better if I had moved.
As Chris thought about that, Illesis, who sensed his feelings, squeezed his hand tighter.
The reunion with my parents that I wanted to see happened rather unexpectedly.
A woman is carrying a shopping cart on the sidewalk in front of a large supermarket.
She had grown a few strands of white hair, but it was definitely his mother.
Chris stopped in place as if the other person was showing off, saying a prayer that he didn’t do well in the other world.
Illesis also noticed the woman’s true identity and swallowed, but the mother with the shopping cart glanced at them and just walked past them.
Chris is now in his original form, so it is normal to recognize him at once.
There is only one reason why I can’t recognize my son who was separated from me a few years ago.
It’s probably because the devil’s demonic powers spread to his family.
As the ominous vision came true, Chris quietly knelt.
I’ve been through a lot of hardships, but I’ve never had such a painful experience.
I noticed it roughly at the point where there was too little information about the disappearance, but the process of proving it would have been so painful.
If I had expected even 10% of this pain, I would not have dared to come here.
“Hey, Chris… are you okay?”
Illesis next to me panics, not knowing what to do.
Chris has regained some coolness thanks to her fuss.
As the intense pain dulls, anger fills the emotional void.
All this pain is because of the evil spirit, so you should be tormenting him, not the poor Illesis.
As if not knowing his speed, Illesis dug through the wound that had begun to heal.
“Your parents seem to have been mind-altered, too, and I think I can fix it. Shall we go after it right now and return it to its original state?”
“… no it’s okay. Thank you for your heart, but I’ll ask you after everything is over. You’d better not know anything right now.”
Come to think of it, it didn’t seem so bad that he was completely unaware of his son’s disappearance. Parents don’t have to suffer now.
Even so, this cannot be an exemption from mischief.
Having made up his mind with difficulty, Chris left the front of the house and headed for a shopping mall near the subway.
After having lunch in a style familiar to Illesis, enter the cafe and resume the investigation of the target.
Epictale Games, a game company and developer that operates Arios Online, is a small and medium-sized company located in the Guro Digital Complex.
Chris first collected information about Epictail Games through job search sites.
I tried it without expecting much, but I was able to get the company’s sales, the average annual salary of employees, the evaluation of the new employees, and the average number of years of service with just a few touches.
“What, what are these things so detailed? Besides, the indicators are too good?”
Epictail Games’ average salary is the highest in the industry.
However, it does not seem that welfare is lacking, and the retirement rate is extremely low.
Except for the fact that it has been recording losses for five consecutive years, it is an ideal workplace.
The evaluation on the anonymous SNS used by office workers was also good, so it didn’t seem like they paid the site manager.
Illesis, who was examining his expression, asked anxiously next to him.
“what’s the matter? Is something suspicious?”
“Because it is a company that is too much for the Mangem I used to know. Well, the service itself was fine, even if it was a manga game. It won’t make much money, but they do updates and events all the time.”
At this level, it is unbelievable that a company that made a sh*t game like Arios Online.
No, not only Arios Online, but also Hell-Joseon, too.
Usually, when looking at companies with unusually high indicators, they are small companies with fewer than 10 employees, but this one has 100 employees.
It seems to be considered the best job for game developers and engineers.
Chris said confidently around that time.
“It seems that the evil god has manipulated these guys too? The funds needed for operation can be easily raised… … .”
“Oh yeah? Okay, so why don’t we go get some dessert?”
Illesis spoke very calmly, as if he did not feel any special inspiration.
In fact, as long as the two people are capable, there is no big problem even if the staff are affected by the evil spirit.
You can use spells such as mind manipulation as well as holy seals, so what’s difficult?
This mission is similar to the thief Arsene Lupine robbing a corner store in the neighborhood.
Chris sighed at Illesis’ reaction, but he didn’t seem to be taking it too seriously.
He got up from his seat and searched for shops around the Guro Digital Complex.
Looking very happy, she followed him with light steps.