Chapter 11

“By the way, I know very little about cursed spirits. Could you explain them in detail?”

Before the cosplayer could answer, Hiroshi Minai spoke up. “Cursed spirits are essentially monsters born from human negative emotions. The authorities classify them into five grades: Special Grade, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, and Grade 4, from highest to lowest. High-grade cursed spirits even possess humanoid consciousness and can communicate with humans…”

“Physical attacks are useless against cursed spirits, and ordinary people cannot see them. In other words, if a normal person encounters a cursed spirit, death is almost certain, with no chance of escape. Only sorcerers can harm cursed spirits…”

Hiroshi Minai spoke in great detail, and both listeners listened intently.

After finishing, Hiroshi picked up the water cup on the table and took a sip, then instinctively glanced at the cosplayer. The cosplayer, much like his father, wore an expression of ‘I have learned something new,’ a series of ellipses hovering over his head.

He didn’t believe the boy was unaware of these basics.

—In truth, the cosplayer did know, but not in such detail, so he was genuinely paying attention.

“I see. I have a question,” Keiji Minai said. “Although ordinary people can’t see them, after a cursed spirit dies… does its corpse remain?”

“No. It usually disappears within 24 hours,” Hiroshi replied.

Keiji breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Otherwise, even though I can’t see it, knowing there was a cursed spirit that died in my house just now but unable to dispose of it would be unsettling.”

Hiroshi was speechless. His father’s mental resilience was impressive, to say the least.

The real problem was that it was hard to get rid of, right?

“By the way, why did that cursed spirit appear at home? Well, never mind, cursed spirits are everywhere, so it’s not surprising,” Keiji said with a worried frown.

A home was supposed to be the safest place, yet now knowing a ‘killer’ could ‘move in’ anytime would trouble anyone.

“There weren’t any cursed spirits at home before,” Hiroshi said, his tone filled with guilt and self-blame. “I accidentally made eye contact with it three days ago. I had a bad feeling then, but I never expected it to follow me home.”

“What?! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I used to live in a temple, and the temple had special powers that prevented cursed spirits from entering, so I didn’t pay much attention at the time.”

“Ugh, how hateful! Do ordinary people really have no way to deal with cursed spirits?”

“You can use cursed tools,” the cosplayer said.

“Cursed tools?” Keiji looked up at the cosplayer, excited. “How do you use them? Where can you buy them?”

“Cursed tools are generally not available for purchase,” Hiroshi said. “They are very rare. Even sorcerers don’t have enough for themselves, let alone selling them openly.”

“But can you buy them on the black market?” Keiji, a businessman at heart, understood immediately.

Hiroshi’s silence was the answer.

“Haha, there’s nothing money can’t buy in this world. If there is, it just means you don’t have enough money yet,” Keiji said gleefully.

“If you want to buy them, you have to go through the black market. But the black market is full of curse users. It’s best—no, absolutely necessary—not to deal with them,” Hiroshi’s cold words extinguished Keiji’s excitement.

“Why?” Keiji asked instinctively.

“Curse users are too dangerous. They are unrestrained and might take a client’s money without doing the job—or even kill the client afterward.”

“Breach of contract? Then how do they stay in business? Without any sense of contract, who would hire them? Normally, such people would value their reputation more,” Keiji said, puzzled.

That was indeed the case.

But Hiroshi exaggerated this to discourage his father from taking risks.

“Hey, leave it to me,” the cosplayer adjusted his sitting posture and raised his right hand like a schoolboy answering a question.

“The school I’m going to soon is an official sorcery academy. Once I establish contact there, getting a cursed tool shouldn’t be a problem.”

He remembered that the technical college had a cursed tool repository.

Besides, the authorities definitely had channels for acquiring cursed tools.

“Well then, thank you in advance, young Mr. Feodor!” Keiji beamed, cheeks flushed, and habitually reached out his hand to the cosplayer. Then, realizing, he awkwardly tried to withdraw it, but the cosplayer moved first and grasped Keiji’s hand.

Keiji was touched but, mindful of the cosplayer’s condition, only shook his hand slightly.

“You really are my benefactor!”

“Not at all. I should be the one thanking Mr. Minai for his support.”

“I wonder if your school still accepts older students at 24? I have a degree from Tohto University; auditing classes would be fine too! Or maybe I should donate a building?”

“You can inquire about that.”

Hiroshi Minai was speechless.

* * *

April.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their soft pink petals tender and delicate. Golden sunlight bathed the cherry trees, making the whole scene look like a crystal-clear gem.

A gentle breeze stirred the petals, which swayed and floated, rustling softly.

New students entered the school gate one after another. Not far away was a striking banner reading, “Welcome New Students.” Along the main road, many people had set up tables and chairs—each belonged to a different club recruiting members. If a new student hesitated or slowed their steps out of curiosity, the seniors’ eyes would light up. Like catching a lamb, they would enthusiastically pull the student to sit and ask if they wanted to join a club, earn credits, and participate in various activities.

The green light turned on, the vehicle started, and the pink spring scenery along with the stream of incoming new students soon faded behind.

Suddenly, Suguru Geto felt his heart skip a beat, a hollow sensation rising within, along with a wave of confusion.

Though he had made up his mind, he wasn’t sure if becoming a sorcerer and walking the path of fighting cursed spirits was the right choice. He had only made the best decision he could at that moment.

After all, even as mature and steady as he was, Suguru Geto was only fourteen.

…If he were an ordinary person, perhaps he would have been among those new students. Suguru Geto thought.

But he was not.

The gentle and kind boy silently clenched his hands, his gaze growing resolute.

No matter what, turning back now would be futile; he had to move forward.

“Miss Ozasa, do many new students enroll every year?” Suguru Geto asked, glancing back at the brown-haired driver.

The woman looked in the rearview mirror at the boy in the backseat and replied, “There should be four this year, about the same as in previous years.”

“Only that few?” Suguru Geto was stunned.

He had heard that the sorcery world was always short of personnel but never expected the number to be so small.