TMBIPYMEN Chapter 38

Laila stared at the clearly stamped handprint. The woman brushed off her apron a few more times, but the mark wouldn't come off. If anything, it seemed to get darker.

"Just my luck. I just finished washing five blankets and now I have to do laundry again!"

The grumbling woman turned around with her basket, as if she had no further business with Laila. When the wind blew and her apron fluttered, the handprint showed again.

Five fingers spread wide. On the fluttering apron, it looked as if it were waving goodbye to Laila.

"Laila, what are you doing?"

At Yustar's call, Laila turned around like someone waking from sleep. Seeing her strange expression, Yustar asked, "What's wrong? Did you see something odd?"

If it's odd things, I see them every day. Laila thought. She shook her head and looked at the Seeker again. The needle still pointed northwest.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

Laila spoke calmly and began walking ahead.

Marnak, who served as branch chief of Tentinella's Fourth Branch, Adiak, holed himself up in his own small shrine to pray whenever he had a spare moment each day.

Originally a devout priest, his life's wish was for this mysterious sink problem to be resolved as quickly as possible so he could return to the position of an ordinary priest.

"Branch Chief."

As the shrine door opened, Marnak let out a sigh so small it was barely noticeable, then rose and removed his long white robe.

"What is it, Ropsker?"

"That man. The man who came yesterday. He's acting strange. I think you should come see."

Ropsker's cheeks, which never blanched at ordinary matters, had gone white. Whatever had happened, it was clearly serious. Marnak gestured for her to lead the way and hurried after her.

"What on earth happened? Just a while ago..."

"He was quiet. He was. This just happened. He's making a scene."

"A scene?"

"He's terrified."

Ropsker's voice had sunk into a gloomy tone. She knew well the expressions of terrified people, and their voices too. Before coming to Tentinella, she'd been the warden of a prison holding the most vicious criminals.

When they walked toward the execution ground, one step at a time, she was always beside them, and she was there when black cloth was placed over their heads too.

No matter how bold they were, when they realized death had come right before their noses, they would wail like children.

Having crossed the corridor and arrived in front of the room where the man was, Marnak unconsciously clasped both hands tightly together. His downturned, gentle-looking eyes were wide open as if he'd witnessed the most terrible sight in the world.

No, it was the most terrible sight. At least within Marnak's experience... Even if not first, it could easily claim second or third place.

"Save me! Ahhh! Let me out! I can't stay here! They'll catch me! They're coming to catch me! They're coming to catch meeeee!"

The man was covered in wounds from head to toe, and blood splattered everywhere when he moved. All were wounds he'd scratched into himself.

Some wounds were carved so deep that pinkish flesh showed through. Yet he seemed to feel no pain, running around the room and constantly shouting.

"The Seeker is coming! When the Seeker comes, they'll kill me! No, they're coming to catch me. Let me out! Hide me! No! No! No!"

Marnak drew in a breath. At that moment, the man whipped his head toward Marnak and began jumping up and down on knees he'd scratched deep enough to nearly expose bone. At the same time, his blood-covered palm pressed against the glass. Bang!

Ropsker immediately stepped forward, extending her arm protectively in front of Marnak. Seeing her hand move close to the sword at her waist, Marnak hastily stopped her.

"Don't do that, Ropsker. That will only frighten him more."

"But Branch Chief..."

"Save me! Get me out! The Seeker is coming! The Seeker is coming to catch me! They're coming to catch me!"

The man kept striking the glass. Of course, it was glass that couldn't be broken by ordinary strength, so there was no worry about him suddenly bursting out, but watching the bloodstain spreading across the glass was painful.

Marnak said, "I'll go in and talk to him."

But Ropsker immediately moved to stop him.

"Branch Chief, absolutely not! That man has lost his reason. There's no telling what he might do!"

Marnak looked down at Ropsker, then soon showed his usual gentle smile. It was an affectionate smile. The kind of smile containing kindness, goodwill, and sacrificial love.

Ropsker's faith couldn't be called devout even as an empty compliment, but whenever she saw Marnak, she thought that if there were a god, he should be like him.

"It's all right, Ro."

"No. Absolutely not."

"Don't be like this. I'm a priest before I'm a Tentinella member. What if I were still just a priest? Would you still stop me then, Ro?"

Ropsker stared at Marnak for a moment with narrowed brow, then said, "Yes, I would have. No one needs to deliberately deal with a madman and take that risk."

Marnak smiled again. This time it was a smile layered with compassion. Sometimes when Ropsker saw his smile, she felt a corner of her heart tearing. She wanted to scream and cover his face.

That's exactly how I feel now. Ropsker thought.

How wonderful it would be if she could knock this man unconscious right now? Of course, she could do it if she put her mind to it, but she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. She couldn't lay a hand on Marnak for any reason.

"Ro, step aside. I need to see that poor person."

Marnak said. Though his tone was gentle, it was practically an ultimatum, so Ropsker had no choice but to step back. However, she had one condition she absolutely couldn't yield on.

"Very well. But you must go in with me. And if I judge that something might happen to you, Branch Chief, I won't hesitate."

"All right."

Marnak whispered in a voice tinged with a smile. That calm voice seemed to caress Ropsker's cheek.

"Yes, Ro. I understand."

The man who'd been pounding on the glass and making a scene seemed exhausted from his own efforts and had slid back down, scratching at his shoulders and arms. Ropsker carefully entered, keeping one hand on her sword hilt so she could draw at any moment.

Marnak followed behind her. His eyebrows drooped at the sight of blood splattered everywhere.

"Mr. Deykoc."

The man's shoulders twitched at Marnak's voice. His pupils looked somehow faded and hazy. He still wore a terrified expression, but at least showed no signs of making a scene like before.

Marnak spoke again.

"Mr. Deykoc, can you hear my voice? Do you understand?"

Deykoc, who'd been blinking his dark, deeply sunken eyes, nodded with difficulty.

When Marnak extended his hand, he reached out his own, trembling. Seeing the scabs and bits of flesh stuck thickly under his dirty fingernails, Marnak's expression turned pitying.

"Don't worry, Mr. Deykoc. You're safe here. No one can come to catch you..."

"No, Father! You don't know!"

"He's not a priest. He's..."

Ropsker tried to interject, but Marnak placed a finger on his lips and stopped her. Ropsker closed her mouth with a slightly blank expression.

Marnak spoke again.

"Tell me, Mr. Deykoc. Tell me. What is it you say I don't know?"

Deykoc held Marnak's hand with one of his own while scratching wildly at his already wounded opposite shoulder and forearm with the other, shaking his head.

Fear seemed to be eating away at him. It seemed to be swimming through his mind, tearing through it like needles, giving him pain.

"Father, you don't know that... that thing. It's chasing me. Wherever I am, it chases me..."

"What's chasing you, Mr. Deykoc? Is it a demon? Or something else?"

A moan flowed between Deykoc's trembling lips.

"It's... it's truly wicked. Father, it's the most vicious and terrible 'Seeker' in the world. I, I never even said I wanted to play, but it forced me into the game. That's right, I'm certain."

"Forced you into the game, how?"

Deykoc raised his head blankly. This time it wasn't because of fear. Puzzlement dwelt in his expression.

"It tagged me."

Marnak narrowed his brow.

"Tagged? You mean it hit you?"

"No! That's not it! Father! It, it tagged me! Like how the Seeker catches another child—it tagged me and left! After that, it, it keeps chasing me. Originally I should be, become the Seeker, but it... doesn't want that. It wants to be the Seeker forever. And it chases people..."

"Did you see it? What did it look like? What did it actually do to you?"

Deykoc's fingertips, which had been scratching his arm, stopped with a twitch. Ropsker saw fear—unspeakably terrible fear—rise like dark storm clouds in his expression again.

When Deykoc opened his lips like someone who'd lost their senses, a foul smell came out. It must have been from rotten teeth. The combination of—probably—formless fear and physical pain had clearly driven him to the brink of madness.

"I saw them... Yes, I saw them. Young boys and girls. The one who tagged me was a girl. She left a handprint on my pants, like mud, but it wouldn't come off. Then she started appearing in my dreams, no... at my house. Under the landing, under the bed, inside the wardrobe! Good God, Lord! Father, you must believe me. Once the 'Seeker' catches you, it's over from then on. They'll chase you until you die. I know! So let me out of here!"