Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The Ghost Story Club
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Chapter 148
To be honest, what caught my eye even more than the princess was the doll’s appearance.
From the clothes it wore to its skin and hair… aside from its short limbs, it was so detailed one might mistake it for a person.
It was probably what the world called a Bisque doll, or a ball-jointed doll. One of those types.
‘Is that supposed to be cute?’
I had no intention of mocking another’s sense of beauty, but… how should I put it?
It looked like something you’d find left all alone in a gloomy, abandoned house.
The materials of its clothes and accessories were high-quality, but it was definitely not something I’d ever want to bring home.
In terms of craftsmanship and overall quality, the dolls of the Iron-Blooded Duke and Leone that the dean had shown me were far more complete…
But the doll the princess was holding had an unsettling appearance precisely because it vaguely resembled a human.
In any case, the doll’s eyes were wide open, and the inverted colors of its sclera and iris made it even more unnerving.
‘I should just gouge its eyes out…’
…Even without the doll, the princess’s personality was a bit much. I was hoping she would just take Seren and leave.
But the princess strode into the tavern and sat down across from me.
She looked at me with eyes that were a mirror image of Glen’s, then smiled faintly.
“I heard all those of Bednicker blood possess rare black hair and bewitching violet eyes, but your hair color is rather interesting.”
“I inherited more of my mother’s bloodline.”
“Ah. I thought you used hair dye, but I guess not.”
Hair dye?
I looked at the princess.
Her hair was pitch-black. Yet, those who carried the imperial bloodline were supposed to have red hair.
As if noticing my gaze, the princess smiled brightly, twirling a lock of her hair.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
“…”
For a moment, a term my third martial brother often used, ‘unblockable,’ came to mind.
It meant a move that was impossible to guard against, and that was precisely my situation.
If I complimented her and said it was pretty, it would imply that dyed black hair was better than the red hair that signified the imperial family’s legitimacy…
But if I said it wasn’t, I might be charged with insulting a royal, or something of that sort.
Fortunately, the merciful princess changed the subject.
“What’s good here?”
“…The braised chicken and grilled lamb chops are delicious.”
“I see. I’ll have a cup of black tea, please.”
“…”
I wondered if they even had such a thing on the menu here. The owner, however, was no fool and quickly nodded his head.
“Coming right up!”
He looked ready to plant, harvest, dry, and brew the tea leaves on the spot if he had to.
The princess looked at us with a leisurely expression and spoke.
“Seren, it seems you were on a secret rendezvous. Did I interrupt?”
“No.”
“Hmm. I have class this afternoon, so I’ll be gone in a moment.”
The princess bantered, as if to show she wasn’t completely clueless…
And true to her word, she stood up after drinking just one cup of tea.
Her attitude suggested she had really just stopped by to say hello.
“The tea is just so-so. Anyway, I’ll be on my way. By the way, have you gathered any members yet?”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t made any progress yet.”
At that, the princess’s gaze turned to me.
“This friend seems like a good candidate.”
“Um… If that is your wish, Your Highness, I will speak to him separately.”
“Please do.”
The princess smiled brightly and left the tavern.
Seren pressed her temples with a weary look and said.
“…Could you order me a glass of beer?”
“Okay. Owner?”
“Right here.”
The owner brought over a draft beer as if he’d had it ready.
Seren chugged the entire 500cc mug in one go and wiped her mouth.
“Phhhew…”
“You’re a surprisingly heavy drinker. Want some more food?”
Seren glanced at the plate and said in a gloomy voice.
“I want some fried chicken.”
“Right… Anyway, what’s this about a member the princess just mentioned?”
“She’s talking about the Ghost Story Club. Her Highness is the president.”
“What’s a club?”
“Simply put… it’s a gathering of students with similar hobbies.”
“Hmm. A group purely for fun, I see.”
“Her Highness wants to secure five members for the club. I don’t know the specific reason, though.”
“I see.”
I picked up a piece of chicken and asked.
“How many members are there now?”
“Just me and the princess. Two of us. With you, it would be three.”
“So you need to find two more.”
“Yes.”
Seren spoke with a sense of urgency.
“She said she’ll invite us to the clubroom once we have all five members. I think there might be a clue there.”
“Are you in a hurry?”
“We don’t have much time. There are less than ten days until the full moon.”
What about the full moon now?
The gaps in information sometimes brought our conversations to a halt like this.
It would be an inconvenience if we were to maintain this cooperative relationship.
I looked at Seren.
Somehow, I felt this was a crucial turning point as I opened my mouth.
“I still haven’t heard the full story. I have to ask, just in case…”
I lowered my voice.
“…Is one of those two a cultist?”
“…”
Seren didn’t answer right away.
But I saw her chin dip ever so slightly.
“I know it’s hard to believe.”
“No. I believe you. You’ve glimpsed into Laplace’s Grimoire, after all.”
*Clatter-!*
Seren shot up from her seat, a look of utter shock on her face.
“How do you know about the Grimoire…?”
I scoffed and took a sip of my beer.
I had been thinking about this for the past few days.
It was exhausting to pretend I knew nothing when I was already aware of some of her circumstances.
We would continue to see each other, and at times, work together. The constant worry about slipping up didn’t suit my personality.
So I came to a conclusion.
I would reveal some of my own cards as well.
“Sit down. You’re drawing too much attention right now.”
“…”
Seren looked around.
Given the atmosphere of the place, none of the other patrons seemed particularly interested in what anyone else was talking about.
But her sudden jump to her feet had drawn some eyes.
I continued as Seren sat back down.
“Just as you know things I don’t, I also know things you don’t. More than you can imagine, at least.”
“…”
“You know, I don’t believe trust between people can only be formed through a completely truthful relationship. In fact, I’m of the mind that even parents and children should have their secrets.”
It was a bit more roundabout than I usually was… but I hoped she would understand the intention behind my words.
Because if Seren refused and demanded I tell her everything, I wouldn’t really have a way to respond.
‘It would just fall apart.’
But the Seren Goodspring I knew was not a slave to rigid principles.
She was someone who could think flexibly when the situation called for it.
Besides, cutting ties here would be a great loss for her as well.
“…”
After a brief silence, Seren nodded.
“…You’re right. Thanks to Laplace’s Grimoire, I know parts of the future.”
It seemed she had made her decision.
To continue this alliance.
Of course, her wariness towards me might have increased slightly, but that didn’t matter.
I had once thought of Seren in the same way.
But Seren had shown me that she would uphold her sense of justice until the very end…
Seeing that made me think.
How important could the secret she was hiding really be?
So I didn’t have to wrack my brain over it.
Regardless of the secrets I kept, I was true to myself.
“What did the Grimoire say?”
Seren spoke in a slow tone.
“…The second full moon, the reddest river of twilight shall reach the dark heavens. When despair and grief swirl and bring down the Tree of Knowledge, the river of blood shall dye the full moon its own color.”
“…”
I’d heard prophecies were usually spoken in a way that was hard to understand…
Fortunately, this one wasn’t so cryptic that it was impossible to decipher.
“…The second full moon probably means the full moon of the second month.”
“In the capital, the only place that could be called the Tree of Knowledge is the Cartel Academy.”
“The dark heavens… does that mean the disaster will happen at night?”
“Most likely. And finally, the line about the river of blood dyeing the full moon its own color…”
“It’s talking about a crimson moon.”
I finally had an idea of which Demon King would manifest at the Cartel Academy.
“Hadenaihar.”
“That’s right.”
Seren nodded gravely.
The Demon King of the Crimson Moon.
A faction also known as the Assassination Cult. They were the most clandestine force within the Dark Cult, and most of its members were experts in assassination, infiltration, and espionage.
It was a Demon King I had my own history with… The assassins who tried to kill me in the Jewel Mountains were from Hadenaihar.
In other words, they were masters of hiding their true identities.
Seren lowered her voice even further.
“To be honest, I’m half-convinced the princess is the collaborator.”
“…Usually when someone says that, it turns out Glen is the collaborator.”
“That’s only in novels. Reality is different. A suspicious person acts suspiciously, which is why they’re suspicious. It would be stranger if someone like that wasn’t the culprit.”
I had to agree.
“Do you have any proof?”
“Her actions are too suspicious. When she’s not in class, the princess apparently holes herself up in the academy’s Research Wing, and there are a lot of strange rumors.”
“The Research Wing?”
Seren nodded.
“It’s an area in the northern part of the academy. Usually, it’s professors who rent the laboratories, but I heard that students with exceptional talent can also rent private labs.”
“What are the rumors?”
“Things like screams being heard from inside her room, seeing the princess covered in blood, or her carrying a leather sack with unknown contents by herself… That kind of stuff.”
“They sound like baseless rumors…”
Seren finished my thought.
“…But there’s no smoke without fire.”
“Hmm…”
“Of course, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. I’ll investigate further, so I’m counting on you to keep an eye on the prince.”
I nodded.
“Got it.”
* * *
“The Research Wing? I know that place!”
Pam, whom I ran into at the cafeteria, chirped.
“They say it’s super scary and creepy.”
“Scary?”
“Yeah! There are tons of ghost stories about it. Like hearing a tapping sound on a window in the unlit building late at night, feeling like you’re being watched, or having your body stolen if you make eye contact with the pale woman in the window…”
Hearing this reminded me of the strange rumors Seren mentioned about Princess Ferist.
Without me even asking, Pam let out a sinister chuckle and continued.
“The most impressive one was the story about ‘the non-existent Building 13.’”
“Building 13?”
“The Research Wing only has buildings up to number 12, but they say Building 13 appears on Friday the 13th. If you can’t resist your curiosity and step into Building 13, you’ll have one foot in the other world.”
“What happens then?”
“A game of tag begins. You have to evade the ghosts inside until morning to return to the real world.”
“Hmm…”
“The other details were surprisingly specific and interesting, too. Like how only the nurse’s office is an absolute safe zone, or how you can only attack the ghosts with the cleaning tools in the supply closet…”
I let Pam’s words go in one ear and out the other, but then she clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered something.
“Oh! Come to think of it, Evan went to the Research Wing yesterday.”
“Evan did?”
“Yep. On an errand for the swordsmanship professor–”
“Aaaargh!”
A desperate scream cut Pam off.
Pam, who had been setting a spooky mood for her story, jumped in surprise.
I wasn’t quite as startled, but I was still pretty surprised as I looked toward the source of the scream.
At a table a short distance away stood Evan, who we had just been talking about.
He was looking down with a blank expression at a student writhing on the floor…
Looking closer, I realized the student was familiar too.
‘Talis?’
He was the one who had tried to pick a fight with me in Professor Alec’s class.
He was looking up at Evan, his nose bleeding as if he’d been punched.
“You, you…! Do you think you can get away with doing this to me?”
“Weren’t you the one who insulted the Helvin family first, senior? You also threw the first punch.”
Instantly, all eyes turned to Talis, and the oaf’s face turned beet red as he raged.
“When did I ever…!”
“There’s a communication crystal installed in this cafeteria. Would you like to verify the truth with it? I don’t mind.”
At that moment, Talis shot up from his seat and charged recklessly.
His speed was decent, but his movements were clumsy and his attacks simple.
It was too emotional of a move.
Evan dodged it with ease, twisted Talis’s arm, and slammed his face onto the cafeteria table.
*Crack!*
“…!”
Someone let out a short scream at the sound of a shattering plate.
A chilling silence fell over the once-noisy cafeteria.
“Uh…”
Even Pam seemed to flinch.
I, too, felt that things were taking a serious turn.
“…I know people like you, senior.”
Evan whispered, looking at the blood spreading across the table.
“The disgusting type who pulls rank the moment things go wrong. But why don’t they understand? That their precious authority won’t protect their life.”
“Guhhh, ugh…!”
“They must not know that you should be careful who you pick a fight with. I’ll teach you. When you do something stupid, you have to pay the price.”
Evan put more force into the arm he was twisting. *Creeeak.* Talis’s arm joint began to bend at an impossible angle.
“Ugh, ughh…!”
Just as Talis, pinned to the table, began to thrash, Karis, who was next to him, quickly intervened.
“Evan! That’s enough!”
“…”
“Hey! Can’t you hear me? Let go of him right–”
Karis’s body flinched.
It was the moment he saw Evan’s face as he glanced back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see it from my angle.
“You…”
“…Hmm. Was I a bit too harsh?”
Evan smiled slightly and released his grip.
With a clatter, Talis got up.
The moment his eyes met Evan’s, he let out a yelp and scrambled out of the cafeteria.
“What’s with you lately? You’re being a little strange.”
“What’s so strange? We learned it at the training retreat. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
“What?”
“If anything, I held back. If I had my sword, I would have cut off one of his limbs.”
As Karis’s face hardened, Evan smiled again and said.
“Lighten up. It was a joke.”
“…”
“Let’s just eat. Good thing. We’re lucky. No blood got on the lamb.”
Evan sat down and began to eat the food on the now-messy table.
“…Th-That was startling.”
Pam placed a hand on her chest, looking like a squirrel that had just seen a predator.
“Was Evan always like that? I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him angry. Oh. Although, he was smiling…”
“…”
“D-Don’t tell me his body was taken over by a ghost… right?”
I didn’t reply, just took a drink of water…
But my eyes continued to follow Evan.