Chapter 27.1

Chapter 27.1

Ara frowned slightly without realizing it, startled by the unexpected suggestion.

“A picnic?”

“Yes, a picnic. You don’t like the idea?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just…”

Her soft voice trailed off, then shifted to a more cautious tone.

“There’s nothing around there. It’s not a maintained cemetery park, it’s all just wild land. There’s really nothing to see. Are you sure it’ll be okay?”

“Why wouldn’t there be anything? Your grandmother’s there.”

Baekseol responded with ease, burying her face back into her bowl. Her nonchalant answer, though seemingly careless, actually comforted Ara.

… She may be headstrong, but she’s kinder than she lets on.

Feeling grateful, Ara resumed eating. As she chewed a warm mouthful of rice, her thoughts wandered back to Sa-wol, the dog she had once raised.

Sa-wol had been just like Baekseol—a loyal white dog from the countryside, brave and affectionate. He had been both her grandmother’s companion and Ara’s dear friend.

As Ara mentally listed the similarities between Sa-wol and Baekseol, a forgotten fact surfaced in her mind.

Wait… didn’t the elders used to say that white dogs could ward off spirits?

“Um, Baekseol, can you… see ghosts?”

“Of course. I’m a divine dog, a gyeonsin. I don’t just see them, I catch them too.”

Baekseol, who had finished her meal, licked her lips, her pink tongue flicking out like she was savoring something. With Ara’s imagination running wild, Baekseol started to resemble a hellhound ready to pounce on its prey.

“… So, if we visit my grandmother, will you… you know, try to catch her?”

Ara gripped her spoon tightly.

She didn’t know if spirits actually guarded graves, but she couldn’t risk the thought of the creature she brought along causing harm to her grandmother’s soul.

Wouldn’t that be the height of disrespect? A granddaughter bringing a ghost-hunting dog to her ancestor’s resting place? It seemed like the ultimate form of bad manners.

“What do you take me for? I only tear apart evil spirits. Regular ghosts? They’re just like passersby to me. They’re everywhere, and none of them are worth my attention.”

Baekseol shot back indignantly, clearly picking up on Ara’s suspicion.

Crunch, crunch. Even as she scolded Ara, Baekseol was still chomping down on her watermelon, the refreshing sound of summer filling the air.

“Stop worrying. Once you’re done eating, pack a lunch. And make sure it’s filled with your grandmother’s favorite foods.”

***

“But do you think it’s really safe for me to go that far?”

Ara hesitated for a moment as she stood in front of the iron gate at the edge of the yard. The eco-bag she was carrying, stuffed with picnic supplies, swayed slightly before settling back down.

“Last time I went to the market, the loan sharks spotted me. They probably think I’m still around here. They might even know where my grandmother’s grave is. What if they’re waiting there?”

“Don’t worry about it. I can shake them off easily,” Baekseol replied, sounding indifferent, as if Ara’s concern was unnecessary.

“Outside here is the Maze Garden. Remember? The fake goblin house that kept getting farther away no matter how much you walked.”

Ara nodded. How could she forget? The exhausting memory of wandering for four hours before finally collapsing in the yard of that house.

“The Maze Garden is literally a garden made of mazes. It’s a sort of boundary that our King Seok-kyung created. It stretches from this goblin site in Soyasan Mountain all the way to parts of Daeyasan Mountain. The paths change every so often, and it won’t let anyone unauthorized inside.”

“Oh…”

Ara quickly accepted the explanation. After seeing and hearing so many strange things, something like this felt almost normal by now.

“Regular humans could never find the exit of the Maze Garden on their own. They wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference between it and the real world.”

“What happens to people who accidentally wander in?”

“They just end up walking in circles until the path changes, and then they finally get kicked back into reality. That’s why everyone was so surprised when you made it here.”

You were the first human to do that. Baekseol added, wagging her white tail playfully.

“Anyway, I’m the one who manages the Maze Garden.”

With that, Baekseol puffed out her chest proudly and lifted her nose in the air, as if bragging.

“At least within the Maze Garden, there’s no path I don’t know. In other words… I’m like the perfect canine GPS. Got it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Just follow me closely, no need to worry. Those lowlifes won’t get in anyway. And if by some lucky chance they do… I’ll tear them all to pieces.”

Baekseol flashed her fangs and made a scary face, growling softly in a way that rumbled like distant thunder.

“Okay. I’ll trust you, Baekseol-nim.”

Ara steeled herself as well.

Come to think of it, this unruly dog might actually be more dependable than someone who would put a hat on her head and shove her in front of loan sharks.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Soon, the closed iron gate slowly creaked open.