SLRE 02

Chapter 02 ….

“Should I give it back to you?”

After studying him for a moment, that was what I finally asked. Whether this spirit truly was Solomon or not, I had concluded that he wanted the ring. That if I handed it over, he would stop interfering in my life.

Of course, whether I would actually give up the ring was something to think about later. For now, I asked the question simply to test the waters. A being with this level of intelligence and self-awareness—whether spirit or ghost—must have approached me with some purpose.

However, the spirit shook his head. Rolling his mournful silver eyes as he looked at me, he chose his words once more and answered slowly.

“No. If those who loved you truly believed, with all their hearts, that the ring would protect you, then it truly will protect you. And as long as the ring protects you, it belongs wholly to you. Little girl, what I wish to ask of you is something else.”

“Something else?”

“I sealed the demons inside bronze vessels and cast them into a lake in ancient Babylon. Water possesses a mysterious power that immobilizes evil. From the very beginning of creation, ‘water’ has existed as such. Even if it is not the primordial water that once filled the firmament, all water in this world governs both death and rebirth. Yet as time passed, the demons’ lingering resentment grew strong enough to seep through the seals, and at last their malice guided a fisherman’s net toward them. The fisherman ended up pulling them up from beneath the water.”

“I’ve heard that story. That he discovered the demons’ names and sealed them again.”

“That is a fable. A distorted version. In truth, the tragedy began there. I suspect that the ‘fisherman’ may have possessed magical talent. When he opened the vessel, the demons trapped inside seized the chance and escaped back into the world. Of course, some demons may still remain sealed in unopened vessels, while others—lacking the will to escape—might not have cared whether the lid was opened or not, scattering across land and water alike.”

The spirit, who had spoken calmly, shook his head again and crossed his arms.

“But darkness, by its very nature, exerts a powerful influence over humans. Even a fragment as small as dust can bring about fatal and horrific tragedies. It settles in people’s hearts, stirs wicked impulses, corrupts sacred souls, and turns them into offerings. Naturally, demons differ in disposition, and the more powerful ones sometimes desire things that are purer and cleaner—but we can speak of that later.”

I slowly nodded as I listened. It was a narrative I couldn’t entirely relate to, but it wasn’t unpleasant to hear it as an old legend. So, resting my chin on my hand, I decided to listen for a while longer. As I did, the spirit fluttered his robes and drifted closer.

“Our Father in the highest heavens has always worried about this. The angels, too, sought to resolve it, but I am already dead and dwell in heaven, and in the human world there is no one capable of dealing with multiple demons at once, so we had no choice but to leave things as they were. In truth, Gabriel often wished to send me down to this land to solve the problem, but I wanted to avoid the return of a dead man to the world. To some, it would carry too much meaning. I could become hope—or despair.”

Having said that, the spirit let out a brief laugh.

“To be honest, I wasn’t confident I could carry out the task well. Yet I couldn’t simply entrust such a mission to just any magician. For most people, commanding even a single demon is the limit. They cannot bear the magical weight carried by a demon’s name.”

“I see.”

“But if you wear the ring, it is different. I was once a human granted authority over demons and their names, and I used the ring to contain power too great for a human body to endure. That is the ‘Ring of Promise.’ It allows one to understand the language of plants and animals, to communicate with all beings of the world, and even to translate a demon’s name into human terms, lightening its burden. Simply put—”

“You mean… I can command demons?”

The spirit clapped his hands in delight, as if to say, “Exactly.” But I, on the contrary, narrowed my eyes and examined him closely.

No matter how I thought about it, this was suspicious. Even if I had some spiritual sensitivity, I was still a fairly ordinary seventeen-year-old girl—well, with only a few days left of seventeen. And here was some unidentified spirit suddenly appearing and suggesting that I try commanding demons. It wasn’t exactly trustworthy.

If I truly had such talent, and even if the ring really was the Ring of Promise—what if the spirit before me wasn’t Solomon, but a demon? Then how could this situation be seen as anything other than temptation?

The spirit nodded in satisfaction, as if pleased that I understood, but I stared at him skeptically and asked first:

“Then why did you suddenly come to me now? The demons were released long ago, and if the ring made its way to me in Korea through my parents, it must have passed through many owners by now.”

“Well—”

The spirit opened his mouth to answer, then suddenly closed it. He looked troubled, as though starting to speak and stopping several times.

I didn’t know what he had swallowed back, but he clearly didn’t seem skilled at lies or deception. I decided not to press him and simply listen.

After pondering for a while, he responded with an expression that made it obvious he was skipping over several details.

“When humans learn of the Ring of Promise’s power, they misuse it. Your parents may not have even known such power existed, but…”

He hesitated briefly, then confessed as if making a reluctant admission.

“Everyone makes mistakes. People err. But some create greater wrongs from smaller mistakes. The ring makes people that way.”

He lowered his gaze faintly, still weighing something, hesitation evident.

“Precarious.”

After a long pause, the spirit spoke.

“And powerful.”

He rubbed his face a couple of times with his small hands, then lifted his head with a calm, composed expression, as if he had never hesitated at all, and continued evenly.

“Wealth and power blind people and harden their hearts. And when the object is deeply connected to demonic traits, the temptation is stronger than you can imagine. We have watched you for the past ten years, living without abusing the ring’s power. And so we decided—to teach you how to use the Ring of Promise, and to guide you to the place where the Lemegeton lies, so you may drive the demons away.”

The spirit, who had abruptly stopped speaking, sighed and added awkwardly,

“The problem is that by descending to this land, I’ve drawn the resentment of some short-tempered demons. They are likely rampaging in search of me. That’s why I’m in a hurry—and why I kept speaking to you so insistently.”

I sat quietly without answering. From the top bunk, I swung my legs as I looked at him, then pulled myself back into the bed and straightened my posture politely before responding.

Either way, refusing seemed the wisest course.

“But sir, I’m a student right now. I don’t have the ability or time to do something that grand.”

“I will give you the knowledge you need. And you have the ring of the King of Israel—what is there to fear?”

“My school record.”

“Hm?”

“Universities don’t just look at test scores anymore. They evaluate grades and diligence in school life.”

“Hmm…?”

“Even if I apply through regular admissions, I’m fairly confident—but I don’t think there’s any reason to deliberately reduce my chances. So I don’t think I can take on such a task right now. Maybe during the one or two months before the semester starts, but after that I’ll be busy for about three years.”

While the spirit hesitated, I pressed my advantage. High school students really are busy—but in truth, I had no intention of getting involved in something like this later, either.

“Besides, once I enter university, there will be other responsibilities appropriate to that stage of life. I have an obligation to live as stable, ordinary, and risk-free a life as possible. So unfortunately, I can’t accept your request. And as for lending you the ring—it holds more meaning to me than you might think. As my parents’ keepsake, and as my personal possession.”

“But, little girl—”

“I’m truly sorry.”

“This matter is more important than you realize…”

The spirit said dejectedly.

Given his elderly appearance, seeing that expression almost made me feel guilty—but a refusal was still a refusal.

I couldn’t trust him yet, and dangers threatening the world felt far more distant than my grades or future stability.

Turning my back to him, I prepared to go to club activities, hugging the sheet music by my pillow. The spirit, apparently unwilling to give up, fluttered down onto my shoulder, but for the moment he only watched me, as if gauging my mood.

Glancing at him, I decided I should later take this spirit to a church or cathedral. Wouldn’t a truly sacred place have the power to drive away evil? If this spirit was trying to deceive me, visiting a holy place alone might deal with him easily. Since I was headed to the auditorium that served as a chapel for club activities anyway, I decided to let him sit on my shoulder for now.

Unfortunately, the spirit did not disappear. On the contrary, the moment we entered the chapel, he seemed invigorated, fluttering around to inspect the modern sanctuary. I stared at him for a moment, then strode inside. This was very different from what I had expected.

The spirit hurried after me and perched on my shoulder again. Ignoring him, I sat beside Asel. Suddenly, Asel stared at me, then tilted his head.

“Sola, did you do something?”

“Huh? What?”

“No, it’s just…”

Touching his chin, Asel looked thoughtful, then puzzled.

“Don’t you smell something fresh and pleasant? Kind of fruity—sweet, I guess.”

“Did someone put on perfume?”

“I thought it was you. It’s coming from your direction, so I was surprised.”

I instinctively turned my gaze to the spirit. After all, the only thing different from usual was his presence.

I’d heard Asel was the pastor’s nephew, and that his parents were devout believers. If an evil spirit were nearby, wouldn’t his mood worsen rather than improve?

“A boy with good spiritual senses.”

The spirit whispered.

“I feel something from him too.”

The spirit—his face like a steamed bun with a dangling beard—sat on my shoulder, tilting his head to himself.

Unsettled and suspicious as it was, I ignored him and continued talking with Asel. Asel briefly talked about his plans for the vacation, and I listened, nodding along.

The conversation soon shifted to studying.

Once the topic changed to academics, Asel groaned about his struggles with math. I found it new, but not particularly difficult—our perspectives clearly differed.

He aimed for the humanities, while I aimed for science. Asel picked up languages easily and had already earned several certifications in middle school. I, on the other hand, found it easier to understand concepts and solve problems logically than to memorize them. I don’t think I’m bad at memorization, but I don’t enjoy it either.

Maybe it’s just a matter of disposition.

People say advanced math is about “application problems that test creativity,” but in reality, it’s closer to pattern recognition.

There are set frameworks, and you simply have to respond in unexpected ways within those vast frameworks. In other words, there are many patterns with predetermined answers.

If you become familiar with enough patterns, you can handle most situations—even so-called “application problems.”

Whether in math or science, true creativity is probably only required in advanced study after entrance exams, which doesn’t concern someone like me, who’s choosing a major for employment prospects.

And searching for an appropriate answer like this is something I’ve been doing my whole life. No wonder it feels manageable.

Languages, on the other hand, are harder for me because I struggle with exceptions. Korean is fine, but foreign languages are tougher.

I could memorize everything and score well, but that’s all. I’m far from someone naturally gifted with languages.

…Come to think of it, this old spirit said the Ring of Promise made people wiser. Maybe my academic aptitude was influenced by it. The thought left me uneasy.

“Are you talking about learning?”

The spirit whispered.

I fiddled with my pen and wrote a reply in the corner of my sheet music. With other students around, I didn’t want to speak out loud.

<Yes.>

“Young students with such passion for knowledge—it’s admirable.”

Passion for knowledge… was that really the right phrase?

I thought about it briefly, then wrote another question instead.

“It likely has, to some extent. But everything in this world changes depending on how the user employs it. Power is no exception. In fact, great authority can manifest completely different effects depending on the will of its wielder.”

“The ring is not omnipotent. When someone has the will and a certain level of ability, it merely nudges them forward and helps a little.”

“Every human has some degree of magical talent. The difference lies in degree. What matters is whether one develops it or not, uses it or not.”

That, too, was a strange stance. After urging me to try summoning demons because I had the talent, he now claimed that the ability depended on whether one chose to use it or not. Suspicious indeed. Using the ring recklessly sounded like a recipe for disaster.

Tapping the pen against the sheet music, I frowned, then quickly opened it when I saw the teacher enter.

“If you form an unjust contract, offer the wrong sacrifice, or fail to offer one at all, then yes, it could. Contracts with demons must be made from an equal—preferably superior—position. The Ring of Promise merely helps with that. The ability to summon demons itself exists within you—and within all humans. Everyone has darkness within them, and darkness is the most powerful force for drawing in base beings.”

<Then, sir—does the ability to summon demons come from an evil heart?>

The old spirit gently landed on the music stand, crossed his arms, and met my gaze.

“No. Fear. Fear, anxiety, worry, weakness of heart, and greed summon demons. Negative emotions empower them. When someone fears demons, they grow in the darkness by feeding on that fear. A magician must summon demons through logical, dispassionate causality, without emotional disturbance. For that, composure is essential. Gabriel recommended you to me, Sola.”

Gabriel.

That didn’t seem like a name one should toss around so casually. I eyed the spirit suspiciously, then moved my pen again.

<Me?>

“Yes. In truth, that ring is—no, unnecessary details. What matters is this.”

Unbothered by my growing suspicion, the spirit continued gently.

“You will not dream of empty greed, nor feel meaningless fear. You possess a soul capable of becoming strong enough when needed—a pure, powerful soul. That is why the ring opened itself to you, allowing you to hear the world’s voices and commune with all of nature.”

He whispered as if singing.

“The song of trees, the footsteps of clouds, and on some nights, bells not of this world ringing from far beyond the sky. In truth, even before I helped you, you were already the rightful owner of the completed ring. I am merely teaching you how to use it—correctly, not wrongly.”

As I mulled over his words, doodling meaningless scribbles in the corner of my notebook, I suddenly looked up. Asel had nudged my side—it turned out the CCM accompaniment had already begun.