Chapter 20: Spectral Body (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20: Spectral Body (2)
“How fascinating.”
Beside him, Katya’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched Aiden get tossed around like a ragdoll.
“Are you really getting beaten up by a ghost right now?”
“Don’t just stand there watching! Come and hel—!”
Before he could finish, his body went flying in another direction.
Ghosts in the Hidden Realm—a space ‘overlaid’ upon the material world—normally couldn’t exert much influence on the physical plane.
Normally.
Unless, of course, they were terrifying enough to warp those very laws.
In other words, the fact that this was happening at all was a testament to how powerful the ghost currently slamming Aiden around had been in life.
“You’ve got some nerve, you little bastard—!”
Katya couldn’t hear the ghost, but the roaring voice of the Knight of Dawn was incredibly ferocious.
Despite his fierce demeanor, his appearance was remarkably elegant. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, handsome features, and wore the full plate armor of a knight. If he just kept his mouth shut, he could easily pass for a noble and refined hero.
“What? Overhyped? Petty? You wet-behind-the-ears brat, you must really want to die—!”
If only he wasn’t spewing such words, that image might actually hold.
Aiden thought as he was sent flying once more.
“…Senior, please calm down for a second—”
“Senior, my ass! I have no reason to be associated with the likes of you!”
With that, the Knight of Dawn raised a fist, his anger having clearly reached its peak. He looked ready to deliver a massive blow.
Honestly, this was starting to look dangerous.
“I said, cut it out!”
With those words, Divine Power flared from Aiden’s body.
At the sight, the Knight of Dawn froze mid-pounce. Doubt and shock mingled in his spectral eyes.
“…Divine Power?” the Knight of Dawn muttered blankly. “You definitely have the scent of a Qi manipulator. How can you use Divine Power as well?”
“…”
Aiden let out a bitter smile and brushed the dust from his clothes.
“Like I said, Senior.”
Yes, he knew that revealing his ability to use multiple supernatural powers would pique the man’s interest.
“Your junior greets you. When it comes to being Multiple Ability Users, that makes us senior and junior, doesn’t it?”
Throughout history, those who could wield multiple supernatural abilities possessed an extremely rare talent, and the Knight of Dawn standing before him was one of them. His fame across the continent was simple: no one else could so skillfully wield multiple supernatural abilities, each typically a unique trait of a different nation.
“I need your help.”
That was also why Aiden needed to recruit this man.
He was the only person in the world who knew Aiden’s ‘growth route’ inside and out and could offer detailed advice.
“…To be honest, I desperately need your help, Senior. Otherwise, something truly terrible will happen.”
Namely, the fate of the world was at stake.
Aiden was currently the only one who properly understood the existence of the world-class threat known as the ‘Main Scenario.’ If he failed, everyone would die.
“…What kind of nonsense is this? A moment ago, you were calling me overhyped and whatnot, and now you’re—”
“That was all a lie just to meet you, Senior. If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to summon your spectral body.”
“…”
“Who in their right mind would actually look down on the First Knight and a continent-class hero?”
“…”
He could feel Katya’s incredulous stare from the side. Although she couldn’t hear their conversation, her eyes clearly said, Do you really think anyone would fall for that?
— System Message
▶ You have made contact with the ‘Knight of Dawn’, Mayer Belford.
▶ Although he is not a character who directly influences the Main Scenario, the abilities he possesses are extraordinary. He holds the value of a ‘Key Figure’.
▶ Your Bond Level with the target has increased to Level 1!
▶ Linked with the skill ‘Weaver of Fate’!
…Apparently, there was. Someone that simple existed.
Aiden stared at the window, laughing hollowly to himself. Given the man’s personality, Aiden had figured a little flattery would win him over, but for it to work this perfectly was almost absurd.
“…Do you really think anyone would fall for such half-hearted flattery?”
The fact that he was saying this while clearly falling for it made it even more mind-boggling…
The Knight of Dawn, Mayer, crossed his arms, his expression still pouty.
“Besides, isn’t there someone in this era who would overshadow someone like me? Lionheart… was it?”
Aiden wondered how a ghost knew such things, but as evidenced by how easily he had fallen for the provocation, Mayer cared deeply about his ‘honor’ and ‘reputation.’ It would be stranger if he didn’t care about the one who had surpassed him to claim the title of the strongest knight.
But.
“As it happens, I am that Lionheart’s husband.”
Mayer’s brow furrowed deeply at those words, but Aiden’s next remark twisted his expression into something bizarre.
“I can guarantee it. Even she would have a hard time catching up to you, Senior.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Aiden saw Katya’s lips twitch. She looked like she was wondering what on earth he was talking about, but Aiden was being entirely sincere.
Setting aside the simple question of who was stronger, his statement was bound to be true, provided one condition was met.
If only this man had been given a little more ‘time.’
Then even Dame Noel would surely never have been able to surpass the heights he’d reached.
For a dead soul to remain without passing on, two conditions had to be met. First, they had to be a figure great enough to leave their name in history. Second, they had to harbor a regret so deep it prevented them from closing their eyes even in death.
In the case of the Knight of Dawn…
“There are still so many things you left unfinished, aren’t there?”
Mayer’s expression shifted dramatically. Where before there was only anger and rage, now, for the first time, he looked utterly caught off guard.
“…”
The Knight of Dawn was a character who existed only in the game’s lore, yet he had left an incredibly deep impression. The realm this man had narrowly failed to reach—because he’d realized his own talent too late—was described in a single sentence:
It is not a domain for humans to challenge.
It was said that his legendary exploits across the continent were merely training to reach that domain.
“…You.” Mayer stared at Aiden for a long moment before letting out a chuckle. “You say the most amusing things. There’s no way records of such things would still exist.”
“Please think of it as the passion of a junior who admires you, Senior.”
“Like hell. You just approached me to use me. Do you think I can’t tell that much?”
“Actually, you’re right.”
“…”
While Mayer was left speechless by this devastating honesty, Aiden shrugged and continued.
“But then again, there’s no better person for you to use in return than me, is there?”
“What?”
“How long do you think it will take for another Multiple Ability User to appear after me?”
“…”
“And what are the chances of such a person coming directly to you to talk like this?”
“…”
“And overcoming all those odds, what is the probability of meeting someone who would swear to ‘fulfill your wish in your stead’?”
Mayer’s expression crumpled further.
“…You really know how to pick the most annoying things to say.”
His annoyance stemmed from the truth in Aiden’s words, a fact made clear by his next question.
“What do you want me to do? As a ghost, it’s not like I can do much.”
Hooked.
Aiden smirked inwardly and picked up a nearby relic. It was a bracelet he had kept his eye on since entering, an item that could be worn comfortably.
“—To put it another way, there are things that are only possible because you are a ghost.”
“What?”
“For starters, would you mind ‘entering’ this?”
Aiden then went on to explain exactly how Mayer could ‘help.’
“…How on earth did I get caught by a guy like this?”
It was certainly an explanation that warranted such a sigh, but…
* * *
A moment later.
“Hmm.”
Aiden let out a breath, staring at the bracelet. It now emitted a subtle, mysterious glow. Mayer’s soul had been successfully contained.
With this…
He had achieved all his goals.
He had Rania’s spirit medium, he had contacted Mayer’s soul through it, and—though he hadn’t acquired it yet—he knew of the First Imperial Prince’s skill, which was optimized for handling such souls.
It was safe to say he had gathered all the necessary ingredients to resolve Act 1, the ‘Ghost Knight Incident.’
“Are you all done?”
“Yes. Now we just need to leave.”
He answered Katya’s question cheerfully.
“But…” Katya tilted her head, cutting him off. “Don’t you think we’ve been here too long?”
“—Pardon?”
“That wasn’t there a moment ago.”
He followed her gaze. A crystal embedded in the wall was pulsing with a red light. It was clearly an alarm about to trigger. As if in response, the entire room began to be bathed in the same red hue.
As the surroundings turned crimson, Aiden’s expression stiffened.
“It looks like an automatic system that triggers if someone stays inside for too long.”
“—Instead of analyzing it, we need to stop it…!”
Aiden moved to act, but…
In an instant.
Crack! The alarm, which was about to blare red, shattered. It had been cleanly sliced in two by a terrifyingly fast sword strike.
Aiden stared blankly in the direction the attack had come from.
Appearing out of nowhere, Dame Noel was sheathing her sword with a sigh.
“I don’t know what you were doing, but you should refrain from entering such places recklessly. If things go wrong, you could find yourself in a great deal of trouble.”
“…Dame Noel?”
He had clearly heard from Dame Stella that Noel had gone back because she wasn’t feeling well.
“Where on earth did you come from…? Didn’t they say you went back?”
“…I was planning to. But I saw you and Her Highness sneaking past the Imperial Palace security, so I followed just in case.”
“…”
“You looked like you were in trouble, so I lent a hand.”
So she saw through it all.
And yet, she hadn’t tried to stop them; she had just quietly tailed them.
Well, whatever.
Thanks to her, they had avoided any annoying complications. He should thank her.
“Thanks to you, we got through safely. Thank you, Dame Noel.”
“…Yes.”
“…”
What’s with this reaction?
Her reply was so blunt and stiff that a wooden doll would have seemed more lively. Noel quickly turned her head away and pulled her hat down low, as if trying her best to avoid eye contact.
“…Please follow me. I will guide you to the exit.”
“…”
“Let us return to headquarters immediately. I would rather not prolong this night any further.”
As Aiden tilted his head at her strangely blunt attitude and followed, Katya murmured from behind them, staring at the back of Noel’s head with a suspicious gaze.
“…Her attitude seems… slightly different…?”
* * *
An unusual commotion was stirring within the military headquarters.
The reason, of course, was Dame Noel. After parting ways with Aiden and heading to her private room, she was causing quite a stir.
“Oh, Dame Noel? How was the banquet today—”
The person who started to speak shut their mouth instantly. It was a natural reaction. Anyone who saw Noel’s expression as she strode down the hallway would realize that talking to her was a terrible idea.
“D-Dame Noel. Are you alright?”
“I am fine.”
“If you are unwell, I can contact the medical unit right away—”
“I said, I am fine.”
“Eek!”
One of the concerned onlookers gasped involuntarily. Noel’s response had been incredibly sharp. Normally, she showed nothing but a blank face or a polite, fabricated smile, but her current expression carried the heavy weight of tightly suppressed emotion.
She must be in a bad mood…
Though they didn’t know the details, something must have happened at the banquet.
While everyone retreated hesitantly, Noel walked with heavy steps toward her private room. She kicked the door open, threw her sword down, and hung her coat and hat on the rack.
And then…
“…”
She collapsed, slamming her head onto the desk with a loud thud.
Immediately, some of the heat that had been turning her ears and the crown of her head crimson began to subside. It had been incredibly difficult to keep it from showing.
What on earth?
What?
What, what, what?
Only those thoughts filled her mind. Her breathing was shallow. She had managed to endure it until she reached her room, but now heat was surging through her entire body. It felt as if someone had poured liquid fire into her veins.
—Because I like her.
“—!”
As the sentence replayed in her mind, she slammed her forehead against the desk once more with another loud thud.
…What is this?
Panting heavily, forehead still pressed against the desk, she ruffled her hair in frustration, but the question refused to leave her. Even she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
That man… he said he liked her.
Why? How? For what reason?
As far as Noel knew, there was absolutely no reason for him to harbor such feelings for her.
It’s a lie.
He was a con artist by trade. It was highly likely he had only said that to get out of a tight spot. Rationally, she understood this.
The problem was… to dismiss it as a mere lie, she had to ignore everything she had seen and heard up to this point.
—I’ll do it. The Proof of Worth. If that’s what it takes to get married.
…to dismiss it as a mere lie,
—But why did Aiden want to learn Dharmic Power in the first place?
—He said it was for the person he loves.
—Didn’t I tell you? You chose your husband well. Isn’t a life worth living when someone with that kind of talent looks at you so devotedly?
…there were all the things she had seen and heard until now.
“…”
In the first place, wasn’t it strange for him to go so far as to lie just to take her side? Considering everything Aiden had done, the First Imperial Prince’s offer aligned perfectly with his usual disposition. He wanted to avoid danger, cherished his family, and preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
And yet… was there any reason for him to reject a proposal that perfectly satisfied those desires, even resorting to a lie?
To fabricate such an absurd claim… it could only mean… that Aiden liked her—
“----!!!”
With her forehead still pressed against the desk, she slammed her fists down repeatedly. It was an act that threw dignity and grace completely out the window, but she was in no position to care.
Why would you say that, Aiden? Why on earth—
Amidst her tangled, chaotic thoughts, only that one question floated with perfect clarity.
“…Haaah—”
A long sigh escaped Noel’s lips, as if her very soul were leaking out.