灰色オオカミ「Grey Wolf」

Phase 8

Jimin's POV

'Jimin.
It's been a little more than half a year since you began studying in that country.
We received a report from the academy.
It appears that you have excellent grades.
He praised you!
However, you are a traveler that shoulders this country.
Don't be overconfident, and keep doing your best.'

I finished reading the letter I received from my brother…sigh "Oh dear...You have a stern father." Taehyung said after letting me finish reading. "Yeah..." "Jimin, will you also become a soldier when you return to your country?" he asked. "I suppose. That's what I've been told ever since I was little." But... "A-And you, Taehyung? Didn't you say you wanted to be..." "Yep, an adventurer! I'm gonna travel around the world like my grandpa!" He answered. "That sounds wonderful." "Those sweets look delicious!" He said as he ran to a cart selling tarts and pies. Perfect I can buy something for Yoongi too. "Hmm... Maybe the pear tart?" I thought aloud. "You're taking this pretty seriously, Jimin." Taehyung said. "Yeah. Yoongi is fussy about his sweets, so I'll get a full course of punishment if I don't please him." "Punishment?"

"Yoongi! Look, I brought you a present!" I said loudly as I climbed the remaining steps to reach the garden. But Yoongi wasn’t where he usually was. "Hey, Yoongi! You're here, aren't you?" I looked around and saw his pipe laying on the floor. "It's Yoongi's..." something is not right. I went back down and tried to search for him in all the places he could be. "He isn't here either... Or here..." I went to his house and saw the front door wide open. Don't tell me he... "Jimin..." "Hoseok-ssaem, where's Yoongi?!" I asked. "Late last night, I saw him with the inspector and one of his father's men..." Ssaem answered. "The Marquis Kim?!" "They said they're moving him to a convent!" He continued. "Why the sudden decision?" "I have no idea. But Yoongi said to give this to you. Yoongi wrote that after asking them to wait. He acted brave, but his eyes were full of tears. He walked away himself after he finished writing." Hoseok ssaem said as he cried… Yoongi...

Third Person's POV

"I did as you instructed, Father. But don't you think it's too early to move him?" Namjoon asked his father, Jungkook, through the phone. "Have you become attached to him? I thought I told you that the weak of heart will never reach the truth." Jungkook asked him. "Oh, I didn't mean..." Namjoon replied. "It's risky, but we need it." Jungkook said before he hung up the phone.

Back at the academy, it was mathematics class. "Who will solve this problem?" The teacher asked the class. "I will." Jimin volunteered to solve the math problem and finished without any errors. "Very good. Return to your seat. Now, the next problem..." But Jimin continued to solve the remaining questions on the board "Is he deaf?" "Is he all right in the head?" "H-Hey! Go back to your seat!" Jimin finally came back to his sense and went back to his seat.

Jimin's POV

"I see, Yoongi is gone..." Tae said after I told him what had happened. I refused to tell him but his constant begging just made me tell him. "Yeah. I went to the police station, but Inspector Kim never showed up..." "I'm sure it'll be fine! After all, Yoongi doesn't belong in a convent. He'd quickly run away and come back here to eat sweets. Besides, you don't have to worry since he's with his father..." Tae said. "That's exactly why I'm pretty worried about him." He being with his father worries me more. "S-Sorry." I apologized to Tae. "No, I should apologize..." He said with a smile. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." I said and went to the library. I needed some time alone… to think… "'Idiot'? What does he mean by that? He's a sore loser even at times like this. If he was on the verge of tears, he should've been honest and written 'Help'... Where are you now?" "You can't find me?" I heard Yoongi's voice. I quickly stood up and went to his house. "This should be good..." I packed his clothes, not noticing someone entering the room.

"No. That black pants only goes with that dress shirt over there." Namjoon hyung said. "Inspector!" "Don't tell me you're going to look for him. Without any clues... I thought you were a slightly more prudent baby squirrel than that." Hyung said "Please tell me where Yoongi is." "The light of the Gray Wolf's life is about to go out. He hasn't eaten or read since his transfer, and now he won't even howl." "Huh?!" "He may be a peculiar life form that can only live under specific conditions. So I stopped by, thinking I could at least send his luggage over…" Hyung paused for a while to take out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Fortunately, it's almost the full moon. Even you should be able to get in there with this." "In there?" I asked him. "'Beelzebub's Skull'. The Gray Wolf is being held prisoner deep inside. The gulf coast of Lithuania. There's a remote convent that's been around since the middle ages. That's "Beelzebub's Skull". That country and Crete have a longstanding alliance. It was the perfect place to stow away the Gray Wolf and keep him quiet, but..." "Why take him there?" I asked hyung. "Our aim dictates that we must lure out a certain person. And the Gray Wolf is essential for that." "A certain person?" "Jimin. There'll be trouble if he becomes free. However, it'll be worse if he dies. My father isn't worried... But sooner or later, he'll..." "Understood. I'll go to him. But this isn't for you or the Marquis Kim. I'm... I'm going because I'm... Yoongi's friend."

The next day, I bought a train ticket to get to where Yoongi was. "Passengers for the Old Masquerade, please board immediately! The train will depart soon!" I heard the train conductor say while I boarding. The train was quite packed so I had to find a cabin where I could at least have a seat. "Hello. Mind if I join you?" I asked after knocking on a door of a half empty cabin. "Oh, cute Oriental boy, are you going to Beelzebub's Skull too?" a man who was in the cabin asked me. "Yes." "You must be a smooth operator to be invited to Phantasmagoria at your age." He continued. "Phantas...?" "Oh, come on. This." He said as he showed me the same envelope Namjoon hyung gave me "Once a month on the night of the full moon, a secret soirée is held at that convent. And that's..." "Phantasmagoria!" I finished his sentence. "Indeed! Well, it's a kind of show. A floating ghost and a man who disappears while inside a box. Venerable magicians gather from all over Europe. It's old-fashioned for the 20th century, but rumor has it the show's staff are all charming beauties. Right, old man? You too." He asked an old man who was also in the cabin.

"Silence, damned wretch! I'm just going to visit my daughter." The old man said. "I see. She must be a nun. You're traveling far." I said. "Black hair, black eyes. Just like the legendary reaper." The old man said. Sigh… not here too… "I've got it. That convent was built in the middle ages during a bubonic plague epidemic. People at the time compared the disease to the black Grim Reaper." The younger man said. "P-Please stop! It's true that people at the academy call me the Grim Reaper, but..." the man laughed "Boy. Um..." "I'm Park Jimin." "I'm Simon Hunt. I work for a major clock manufacturer in Heraklion. Let me know if you're thinking about buying a new clock. I'll give you a discount." He introduced himself. "Th-Thank you. Nice to meet you..."

It was already night time, I quietly walked out of the cabin and stood in the corridor. "It's no good. I just can't fall asleep..." I heard a door close and turned to that direction and saw a familiar red hair man. "Bang Sihyuk!" I followed him to the storage car. "Strange. I thought I saw him come in here." He wasn’t there but I looked around to see if he was hiding somewhere. "A chess doll?"