novelzi Chapter 108: Ghost (3)
Chapter 108: Ghost (3)
Chapter 108: Ghost (3)
Epherene stared blankly at the paper inside the drawer. Memories of the letters she had sent to her sponsor suddenly flooded her mind as she absentmindedly fiddled with the handkerchief she always carried.
“... How can this be?” Epherene murmured.
Brrrrr...
In that instant, a chill crawled up her spine, causing the muscles in her neck to tighten. Epherene's eyes widened as she directed all her focus behind her. The unsettling presence of ghostly aura was eerily familiar, but this time, she refused to be caught off guard.
Whirrrr—
She gathered mana into her palm, readying a destructive spell, and swiftly turned around.
“Miss Epherene, are you all right?”
“Ah!”
It was Allen. Epherene quickly dispersed the magic.
“A-assistant Professor, I just saw a ghost—”
“Yes, I saw it too.”
“You did?!”
Allen nodded seriously, but then his eyes shifted to the letter in Epherene’s hand.
"Oh," Allen muttered, catching on to the situation.
Epherene noticed Allen’s expression and realized he had known about this all along.
"... Miss Epherene," Allen said, his tone firm, with a hint of frustration. "Entering the professor's office without permission and going through his belongings is grounds for disciplinary action."
“Yes... I’m sorry...”
“You’re quite the troublemaker.”
Epherene felt a wave of confusion wash over her. She knew she had done something wrong, but the sight of her letter in Deculein’s possession was baffling. The realization that he might be her sponsor sent her mind spinning.
Allen sighed softly before continuing, “In any case, you understand now, don’t you, Miss Epherene? The professor isn’t just a bad person.”
His words held a deeper significance.
Epherene bit her lip and muttered, “But why did he do it anonymously...?”
“He said you would have refused if you knew it was him.”
Epherene remained silent, unable to deny the truth. As much as she hated to admit it, Allen was right. Back then, and even now, her pride had always outweighed her abilities.
“But for now, it might be wise to run,” Allen suggested.
Epherene tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Sorry?”
Allen smiled, then pointed out the window.
“The ghost is still there—just over there.”
The ghost, with its blood-red eyes, was still clinging to the glass.
***
On the Floating Island of Megiseon, there was an autonomous investigative body called the Magical Investigation Department. Because the island was an extraterritorial and independent zone, outside the jurisdiction of any nation, the M.I.D. carried out its own investigations whenever a crime occurred.
Given that the investigations were conducted by mages, the department boasted a 95% arrest rate. The remaining 5% represented cases where the culprit had been identified but remained at large due to a lack of power to capture them—figures like Rohakan the Black Beast, Carla the Authority, or Rodran the Divine Soldier.
As soon as Idnik set foot on the Floating Island, she gave me a concise summary of the situation.
I furrowed my brow and asked in a stern tone, "A ghost?"
“Yes. Sylvia’s subconscious created a terrifying ghost, which then committed the murder. She’s currently facing charges of second-degree magical homicide,” Idnik continued. “However, this is still under investigation. While Sylvia’s mana was found at the crime scene, there isn’t sufficient evidence to definitively link the ghost to her.”
As we walked, we eventually reached the headquarters of the Magical Investigation Department—a geometric building resembling a stack of misaligned cubes.
“And why did you call me?” I asked.
“Deculein, you hold the Floating Island’s Bail Rights.”
I do? Idnik seemed to know far too much about things I wasn’t aware of, I thought.
"Regardless of whether the murder actually occurred, Sylvia's raw talent rivals Adrienne's. She doesn't belong in a place as restrictive as this," Idnik continued.
“How severe is her condition?”
“Her state is critical. She was already deteriorating when they confined her. If the stress becomes too much, the results could be disastrous. Her magic might spiral out of control and damage her core.”
A fundamental thought came to me. When a child was caught up in such a situation, it was only natural that their parent would be the first to arrive.
“What is Glitheon’s involvement in all this?” I inquired.
“He’s likely just observing, perhaps viewing this as an ideal chance for magical advancement. Even if he were to come, he wouldn’t be of any help—he doesn’t have the Bail Rights.”
“Idnik,” I called her just as she reached for the doorknob of the headquarters. She turned back to face me. “Why did I kill Cielia? What was that promise?”
I needed to ask, even if it aroused suspicion. Idnik’s expression turned puzzled, but she soon let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, I guess you'd be curious why Ciel didn't try to escape. Even she never told me that,” Idnik replied.
Her response came swiftly, as if she had already drawn her own conclusions. The imbalance of information worked in her favor. After all, there were very few mages in this world who could suspect the truth—that Kim Woo-Jin resided within Deculein’s shell.
“Ciel was terminally ill, but she couldn’t bear the thought of dying from sickness in front of Sylvia. She knew she was the only source of comfort Sylvia had.”
I stayed silent.
“I never fully grasped Ciel’s intentions. Perhaps she believed that if she were killed, Sylvia would survive fueled by revenge. Or maybe she simply couldn’t bear for her daughter to witness her gradual decline.”
I closed my eyes, enduring the sharp pain that throbbed in my temples. Her words stirred dark memories deep within me.
“But Deculein, it was you who killed Ciel. That remains unchanged. She knew you would be the one to do it, and even so, she didn’t run away. In exchange, you gained everything you desired.”
Everything I had wanted... I knew what that was—perhaps the death of Decalane, the cursed wraith that neither Deculein nor Yeriel could ever truly appease.
"So don’t consider running away now," Idnik concluded.
... Only now did I begin to understand. Deculein’s malevolence and shadow were always present, lurking in the background. The Villain’s Fate would reach out to me from unseen places at any time. Perhaps it was inevitable. Yukline and Iliade. And Deculein von Grahan-Yukline. He was a character designed never to survive.
“Hah.”
"... Hmm? Oh... as of late..." Empress Sophien said, her voice lingering as she blinked slowly. "I find myself... increasingly troubled by everything..."
"Is that so?"
"Yes... I have even found myself... contemplating a suicide..."
At her words, I immediately straightened. For Sophien to mention suicide, the situation was far more dire than I had anticipated. Her current state of ennui was already deeply concerning.
"Your Majesty, if you wish to accomplish great things, you must first attend to your health."
"Great things... hmm... fuck..."
I sighed and said, "... I wish I could delve into the thoughts within Your Majesty's mind."
In fact, the quest Darkness of the Imperial Palace required delving into the Empress's past, so I mentioned it to assess the situation.
Sophien opened her eyes, fixed her gaze on me, and said, "You wouldn’t be able to handle it..."
"There is nothing I am incapable of handling."
"If your goal was to anger me... then you've succeeded," Sophien said, her eyes narrowing. But as she tried to stand, she collapsed back onto the floor. "... Correction. You failed... You didn’t manage to anger me after all..."
The Empress's condition was far worse than I had anticipated. Her lethargy was unimaginable.
"Your Majesty, are you familiar with the creature known as a sloth?" I asked.
"You couldn’t possibly... grasp the depth of my lethargy..."
It felt as though a sloth had taken up residence in the Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, you even registered for my lecture."
"Oh... that? It wasn’t me... it was the cat who registered."
"The lecture will be held next Wednesday, biweekly."
Sophien fell silent. I turned to Keiron, who remained as quiet and steadfast as ever, a constant shadow of the Empress.
"Sir Keiron, it appears the Empress is unfit for a lesson today. Do you know the reason why?" I asked.
He nodded and stepped forward. Yet, the Keiron who had been standing behind the Empress remained where he was. In other words, there were now two Keirons.
"Come outside.”
One Keiron remained behind the Empress, while the other walked to the door and opened it.
"... Very well," I said, leaving Sophien—who resembled a sloth more than ever—behind as I followed the second Keiron outside.
As he led the way, Keiron spoke, "Her condition has steadily deteriorated, to the point where even breathing has become a burden. The cause likely lies beneath the palace. I assume you have been informed by Jolang."
"Indeed."
"Yet, it appears that even a mage of your caliber finds my magical talent intriguing."
I nodded. Witnessing someone suddenly split into two had indeed been extraordinary.
"This ability is what allowed me to enter the palace as an escort knight at the age of ten. The advantage of multiple bodies is invaluable for protection," Keiron explained.
"I see."
Keiron was among the strongest in this world. Though he rarely left the Empress’s side, his peculiar attribute had made him a figure of considerable power.
"We have arrived."
The underground door to which Keiron led me differed from the one Jolang had shown me before.
Noticing my curious glance, Keiron explained, "There are two entrances to the underground."
"Yes, this door differs from the one Jolang showed me. Have you been observing him?" I asked.
"Escorting requires more than mere physical strength; it demands an understanding of internal politics. When not wielding a sword, one must remain vigilant, with eyes open and ears keen."
"... Indeed," I replied, shifting my focus to the underground door.
Fizzle—!
The simple wooden door sparked at my touch, and an eerie sound filled the air.
— ... Sophien's death was far from ordinary.
She had died, revived, and regressed countless times, leaving this world irrevocably altered.
Sophien was a living testament to the world's strange miracles—her very existence as extraordinary as the world itself.
The resentment, sorrow, pain, and anger born from her endless deaths had seeped into the palace's underground, creating a dark, suffocating mire.
To explore that hellish death was a daunting task, akin to a major quest for any player.
This marked the beginning of the Independent Quest.
I turned to Keiron and asked, "Will you accompany me, Keiron?"
Keiron handed me a small sword, a silent refusal, and responded, "I am a knight sworn to protect only the Empress. I will not accompany anyone else. However, if you find yourself in danger, draw this sword. It will grant you a Manifestation for a time."
Keiron's words had a weight that naturally inspired trust, even without effort. He had been a model knight, much like Yulie.
"I understand."
When I nodded, Keiron took his place by the underground door. The two Keirons now guarded both the Empress and the door directly linked to her safety.
"Will it require much time?" Keiron inquired.
"The first time should be brief," I replied.
"The first time?"
"Yes."
This quest was essentially about entering Sophien’s mind and experiencing her regressions. While it didn’t involve literally entering her mind, it was close enough. Given that Sophien had died over a hundred times, there would be numerous retries. Today, this served as a substitute for the Runic Language instruction.
"... Understood. I will stand guard outside."
"Yes, understood."
With that, Keiron became as still as a statue once more, and I opened the underground door.
1. In South Korea, giving tofu to someone is a symbolic gesture when they get released from prison. The tradition is rooted in the idea that tofu, with its soft texture and neutral flavor, represents a clean start and a fresh beginning. ☜