And from this man, similar incidents continued to arise.
At midnight, outsiders secretly broke into buildings, only to be left outside with wounds on the back of their heads. The people who suffered such injuries lost their memories for a period ranging from a few hours to as long as several days.
It was as if they had imbibed a strong drink and lost consciousness.
Once, twice, thrice…
As these occurrences became more frequent, people couldn’t help but notice the common thread among them.
“Those who barely manage—or can’t manage at all—to pay for medical expenses?”
First point.
The individuals found sprawled in front of buildings with wounds on the back of their heads were all poor.
To be precise, they were people who weren’t poor but had become impoverished.
Their financial situations were dire, and most of them had even lost their insurance.
Naturally, the thought of hospitalization was a dream; they’d just get their wounds stitched up and either be sent on their way or be told to find someone else after they had been discharged to do it for them.
And second.
These individuals had no connection to the buildings.
They neither worked at the companies within the buildings nor had any acquaintances with those who did. Moreover, there was no hiring occurring in the companies inside the buildings. It was a case of having to lay off existing employees, let alone bringing in new ones.
If those already in the company needed to be let go, it was unlikely they’d be hiring anyone new.
Combining these two facts made it impossible not to realize the purpose behind their entrance into the buildings.
Suicide.
These were individuals who had come to leap off the buildings.
The same type that could frequently be found on Wall Street—
They created a somber atmosphere on the streets and were directly lowering building prices.
However, surprisingly, unlike others, they did not die.
They were simply left with wounds on the back of their heads.
In other words, this meant they had not perished—
“Hahaha! This is absolutely wonderful!”
Park Jinseong had brilliantly fulfilled Lucas’s request.
“Awesome! To think you’d stop those bastards trying to lower building prices like this! Good, very good!”
Lucas approached Park Jinseong, shouting with an animated expression. He clapped his hands with joy, his American flair for the dramatic pouring out as he praised Jinseong.
“Did you call upon a guardian angel for the building? Oh, that’s fantastic. An actual guardian angel, protecting the building and safeguarding my assets!”
“Haha. Not exactly protecting my assets, but it turned out that way.”
“Oh, true! The building is my asset, so protecting the building isn’t much different from protecting my assets! Besides, it’s rather benevolent. A guardian angel doesn’t just come out of nowhere. If I had called upon a guardian demon, those bastards would’ve been dead elsewhere, which would be a tad unfortunate… Hah, but still, I suppose I should be satisfied that the guardian angel gave each of those damn bastards a smack on the back of the head!”
As Lucas said this, he subtly asked Jinseong.
“…Speaking of which, can you summon a guardian demon?”
“It’s possible.”
“If you summon it, can it really force those guys out of my building while simultaneously allowing them to meet a terrible end?”
“That too is possible.”
“Oh, that’s quite dreadful. As a pious and moral person, I don’t even want to think about that.”
Lucas chuckled.
Yet, his mind was racing as he pondered whether summoning a guardian demon would be a good idea.
However, his concern did not last long.
Seeing Park Jinseong smiling brightly made the thought of summoning a guardian demon vanish.
“No, I shouldn’t needlessly increase expenses. Especially for something that involves summoning something ominous like a ‘demon.’”
To Lucas, Park Jinseong’s smile resembled that of a merchant anticipating a huge profit.
For a merchant, a big profit meant substantial gains.
That meant there was plenty of room for potential losses within that gain.
There’s nothing easier than scamming an unsuspecting person.
After all, isn’t Lucas here in this very spot while scamming someone clueless?
The asymmetry of information.
With more information, it becomes easy to deceive someone with less knowledge and seize their wealth.
And here, regarding ‘magic,’ Lucas found himself entirely at a disadvantage.
Before him stood a shaman, while Lucas knew nothing about magic whatsoever.
In such circumstances, would he even consider commissioning another request?
In this smoothly operating situation?
Well…
It didn’t seem like a wise decision.
“Right. Anyway, it’s a genuinely good thing that a guardian angel is protecting my building. And since the effect is immediately noticeable, it’s even better. In essence, true profit should be tangible and directly felt. In that aspect, Jinseong Park’s magic is very, very excellent. It contains elements that people who deal in money would truly appreciate.”
Lucas folded away the thought that had popped into his head and lavishly praised Jinseong.
As if trying to hide the thought he’d just had.
“In that sense, I have the faith that the other requests I commissioned are also progressing well—a belief that you will resolve the curse hanging over the building’s situation, and that the idol you crafted will yield excellent results. Hahaha.”
With that, Lucas paused briefly to gather his thoughts.
Then, he slowly turned his head to survey the floor.
The very floor where Jinseong was staying.
On the vacant floor were the furniture and food he had ordered for Jinseong, as well as electronic devices such as TVs and computers. And there was even a tablet PC, making it truly a facility that would put a hotel to shame.
Of course, it was devoid of decorations, making it feel somewhat empty—but didn’t that easily get overshadowed by the splendid night view and the excellent furniture?
Jinseong must have been comfortable in this splendid space.
At least, that’s what Lucas thought.
“I originally thought that it would take a long time to yield specific results from my commission. I figured I’d have to wait at least a quarter before seeing anything. But, oh, that was my miscalculation. One I can happily admit was a delightful misunderstanding.”
The space was more than generous for a single person to inhabit.
“And this happy misunderstanding has also awakened my American instincts. You see, Jinseong Park, Americans have pioneering spirits etched into their very DNA, the New Frontier. They’re different from the Germans, who meticulously analyze numbers as if they were insane, and unlike the French, who get bogged down by counting and end up failing. America grew larger through pioneering efforts, and acting boldly and gallantly is considered a virtue.”
Indeed.
For a single person to stay long-term, the space was far too valuable.
“Perhaps it’s similar to you being Korean. Pali Pali—hmm, that’s a hard pronunciation. Ppalli Ppalli. Yes, the ‘quickly’ that Koreans have almost on their lips, similar to how we’re people who adore boldness. That’s why I was able to reach a decision. Boldly, yes, boldly.”
What mattered was ‘long-term.’
The mere presence of Jinseong here was not an issue.
There was no problem.
But could there be no problem now that he knew the effects of the magic were superb and excellently applied?
Hmm…
How much money could be made by letting this empty floor be occupied?
“Jinseong Park. I have come to have sufficient faith in you. Moreover, I’ve come to trust in the results as well. Yes, to the extent that I believe you may not need to stay here any longer.”
Thus, Lucas resolved to send Jinseong elsewhere rather than having him continue to reside here.
This floor’s value was just too high for Park Jinseong to occupy alone.
And…
“That’s very fortunate. When you said you wanted to mention something important, I thought perhaps there was an issue.”
“Oh, that’s not the case. You’re exceptional. Truly an outstanding shaman! It’s hard to find a shaman who can wrap up a commission so intensely and reliably. Not just in America, but globally!”
Jinseong possessed remarkable abilities.
Indeed.
Truly, it was incredible.
It was hard to believe he was someone who had just recently become an adult.
It was unbelievable he had emerged from Korea, which was known as a magic desert.
Unbelievably outstanding abilities.
…And that was the problem.
“His magic skills are too remarkable.”
Too remarkable?
That’s possible.
There are indeed geniuses in the world.
Especially in America, where such geniuses often emerge and prominently shine in various fields.
But what if the phrase “too remarkable” is prefixed with “at such a young age”?
A brilliant child prodigy like something out of a movie?
While that might be acceptable if it ended there…
What if the nation where this genius was nurtured had a shattered educational environment?
What if proper education was but a dream, and acquiring materials was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack?
What if the area that stood out as a field was one that required resources for growth, while simultaneously having immense risks—in particular, a field such as ‘magic’?
Naturally.
One could hardly avoid suspecting something strange, right?
