Routine Guild Inspection Day

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The cold ticking of the clock hands echoed through the room. Eden Guild's master, Victoria, wanted to know what the man before her was thinking.

"Curious about where the mengmang-grade ghost story, Noblesse, is hiding?"

"Yes. I saw a report about her in the States, and it piqued my curiosity. I figured I had to see her for myself."

Chris sat in his chair, calmly stating his purpose for the visit. The man, who always wore a light smile, had dragged his heavy footsteps all the way to Korea for one reason: the mengmang-grade ghost story.

"Among the ghost stories incomprehensible to humans, the mightiest of the mengmang-grade showing no power at all... I couldn't hold back the moment I heard the report."

"Sorry, Chris, but Britain and Korea have already decided to handle this one. No room for the US to butt in."

"Hahaha, I know that full well. I just need to lay eyes on that girl once with my own two eyes. That's enough for me."

"Just lay eyes on her, and that's enough?"

"Of course, I'll dispatch a few of our guild researchers in a support capacity, but seeing the ghost story myself is all I need. You wouldn't deny me even that, right?"

—Creak.

Chris pulled his reclined chair back upright and handed Victoria a list of researchers.

"From Britain, the MDM—Myth Detection Machine... was it? The same folks you sent when developing the ghost story detection gear. They'll fit right into the research in no time."

Victoria didn't like how readily Chris seemed to back off.

'What schemes is he cooking up now? Can't read the guy at all...'

She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling, but since he'd promised to just take a peek and head back to the States, she had no choice but to accept for now.

"Chris, you better keep your word. Just look and leave."

"Don't worry, Master Victoria. I'll really just 'look' and go."

"Tomorrow's the routine checkup and experiments on Noblesse, so come back then. You can see her through the isolation room glass."

"How kind of you. See you soon, then. Oh, and next time, the lady behind you can join us too. Makes me uncomfortable knowing she's hiding back there. Haha."

—Click.

Chris gave Victoria a parting greeting and left the room.

Once he was completely gone, Victoria let out a deep sigh.

"Jeez. How'd he know Elissa was behind the wall?"

"Sis, that's why I told you. He'd probably notice."

From the shadows behind Victoria, Elissa stepped out quietly and approached the girl.

"Well, I kinda figured he'd pick up on it anyway. So, Elissa, did you read Chris's emotions?"

"...I did. Same as always, though..."

"A still lake? No fluctuations, impossible to read?"

"Less a lake... more like a 'blue hole.' So deep and dark, you can't even see it from outside. That's why I don't like him. He doesn't feel human."

—Squeeze.

Elissa scooped up Victoria from her chair into a hug.

"Fwaaah~~ Anyway, let's head back to the dorms. It's night, and I'm sleepy. Gotta wake up early tomorrow, so off to bed."

"Hehe, what's up with my sleepyhead sis? Hoping to meet Si-hyun in the morning?"

"Wh-what? Why bring up that guy all of a sudden!"

"Just kidding~ Hehe."

Elissa poked Victoria's cheeks playfully as they left the briefing room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lea was deep in dreamland beside Si-hyun.

"Mmmnya... hehe... pudding's so tasty, you see..."

"Even Lea's sleep-talking is about pudding? Haha."

"Lea acts like such a tomboy when she's awake, so it stands out even more."

Si-hyun stroked the soundly sleeping Lea and chatted with the notification window.

"Notification window, the system already told me, but just to confirm: the Noblesse from the novel is Lea, right?"

The ominous black knight from the novel. A being that simply destroyed everything in sight. An existence devoid of purpose or meaning—the mengmang-grade ghost story, Noblesse.

'That knight is Lea...? This is way off. Like, character collapse level different.'

Luna had been exactly like in the novel. A ghost story endlessly collecting treasures to fill her emptiness.

But the Lea by Si-hyun's side was just...

"Huuu... Why won't anyone acknowledge me... This body is saaaad, you see..."

"Lea's sleep-talking extra heavy today."

...a cute girl sleeping blissfully, oblivious to the world.

"I didn't exactly ask for it."

"Dunno about that. Anyway, it's kinda weird."

"She's nothing like Luna."

The first mengmang-grade to descend upon the world, Luna. The silver-haired girl had the exact appearance from the novel, along with her terrifying powers intact.

But Lea was the total opposite.

"Luna had immense power from the start, but Lea has none—not even a smidge. Like she's lost everything."

And Luna had no emotions when they first met. But Lea had them from the get-go, expressing them boldly too.

It was extreme opposites, no need to go that far.

"Oh, and another weird thing. Lea remembers Lucifer. She bragged about beating him."

"I asked, but she doesn't remember details. Just kept saying she 'beat him.'"

A girl who forgot her own name but remembered Lucifer. Maybe Lea had some connection to him, like Luna did.

"But asking you won't get me answers anyway, right?"

"Sigh, knew it."

Si-hyun pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Notification window, one last question. Answer if you can."

"Ghost stories are beings that lost something, right? Like Luna lost her memories and emotions. And Lea seems to have lost her memories and power... Am I on the right track?"

"Alright, that's enough for today. I'll figure out the rest slowly."

Si-hyun shrugged, somewhat satisfied, and lay down in bed.

'No need to rush. One step at a time... we'll get there.'

Si-hyun gazed at Lea sleeping peacefully beside him. The girl had a slightly furrowed brow. Nightmare?

Without thinking, Si-hyun reached out and stroked her head a few times.

"Mmm... hehe... Lucifer..."

Lea mumbled happily and started smiling faintly.

Si-hyun felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu at the familiar name again.

"Yeah, Lea. What happened between you and Lucifer?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The girl with purple eyes who proudly boasted of defeating Lucifer. Whenever she murmured his name in sleep, her face looked utterly blissful.

'If it was a bad memory with Lucifer, she wouldn't smile like that in her sleep.'

"...Dunno the details, but I hope it's not a sad past like Luna's."

Si-hyun lay down next to the softly snoring Lea and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Hmm, kinda miss how peacefully Lea slept last night?"

From morning, Lea was dashing around the kitchen hunting for her hidden pudding.

—Crash!

"Fyaaah?! S-Si-hyun! This body didn't do it! The plate fell on its own, you see!"

"Tell the truth, and I'll forgive you."

"...You really will forgive me...?"

"Yeah."

"This body dropped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the plate looking for Si-hyun's hidden pudding! I told the truth, so forgive me, you see!"

Lea huffed indignantly, striking a triumphant pose. Her whole body screamed she was innocent since she'd confessed.

"Fine, you confessed, so I forgive you."

"Hehe, now give me morning pudding, you see!"

"But! My hands don't forgive!"

—Streeetch!

Si-hyun grabbed Lea's cheeks and pulled.

"Hweee...! S-Si-hyuun...! Cheeks hurt too muuuch, you seeee...!"

"Now repeat after me: I won't eat pudding without permission."

"Pu... pudding... with... no per... mission... won't eaaat, you see...!"

With teary eyes and mumbling lips, Lea's pitiful yet adorable look tugged at him.

'Tch, should punish more, but... too cute. Let it slide.'

Si-hyun lowered his hands from her cheeks and buttoned up the rest of her shirt.

"Huuu... Si-hyun, why's this body changing clothes first thing in the morning, you see?"

"Today's the routine checkup. And something about a new research team, so they want us early."

Si-hyun scooped up Lea in a hurry and boarded the shuttle bus to the guild.

"Lea, I gave you pudding, so behave during the ride. Got it?"

"Omnomnom, yeah! No worries, Si-hyun!"

As Si-hyun smiled warmly and petted Lea—

—Tap tap.

Someone tapped his shoulder.

"Yes? What is it?"

Turning around, Si-hyun saw:

"The seat... next to you... empty...?"

A petite girl with a unique aura stared straight at him.