Chapter 81
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Ghostly Commotion
What ghost out of nowhere? When Enoch looked at Tsukiyo with baffled eyes, she started throwing a fit.
“G-Ghost! A ghost showed up, nyang! A ghost!”
“If you smack it, even a ghost would die, no?”
“No! Ghosts are beings that dwell in the realm of souls, half-divine existences! Something I could never handle, nyang!”
That thing? A ghost is semi-divine level? That didn’t make any sense.
“There are things like that, you know. Banshees, ghosts. Monsters.”
“Those are different, nyang! They’re not purely souls—they just have bodies made of ectoplasm and mana!”
Tsukiyo shouted, her body trembling.
“I know! I’ve seen a ghost before! Those things are like disasters no mortal can deal with!”
What nonsense. Enoch replied indifferently.
“When was that?”
“When I was seventeen!”
“You’re saying you could see a purely soul-based being back then?”
“Yeah! You know the God of Life and Death too, right? Every single one in that endless legion he commands is a ghost! Even if their power doesn’t reach semi-divine levels, weaklings can’t even stand against them!”
“Oh….”
That added a bit of credibility.
But that was the power of the God of Life and Death, a semi-divine. Thinking about it, a purely soul-based ghost shouldn’t be something to fear this much.
“Even if it’s purely soul-based, they can’t do much anyway.”
If it could wield soul power on its own, it’d basically be semi-divine.
“That’s…! But still….”
“See? Nothing to worry about.”
Enoch waved his hand dismissively and nodded toward Jatun, who gave an awkward smile and began guiding them to Zikfrline.
“Hmm, Tsukiyo might be right this time.”
“What? That again?”
“Ghosts around two thousand years old can probably wield soul power, right? Sounds like it’s that old.”
“What.”
Two thousand years? Lately, the numbers he was hearing around him felt increasingly off.
“Ah, whatever. I’ll think about it if I see it later.”
Ghost or not, as long as it wasn’t weak, it’d die if he hit it hard enough.
*
Jatun led them to the training grounds. After navigating the complex paths without issue, they arrived at an impressively vast arena, where for some reason the only person present was Zikfrline.
“Oh! You’re here? Where’s Sword Duke?”
“Dunno. I don’t know either.”
“What, did you fight?”
“Nah. He suddenly ascended to semi-divine and turned into a tree.”
“Huh?”
Zikfrline blinked in confusion, then exchanged glances with Jatun.
“No way. Another semi-divine’s about to pop up?”
“Surprising, isn’t it? But is it okay to just tell us like this?”
“What’s the problem? Even if you know, it’s not like you can do anything to Rionne.”
Jatun’s lips flapped soundlessly, at a loss for words.
“W-Well, that’s true.”
“Anyway. What brings you here? I’m thrilled, of course, but honestly didn’t think you’d show.”
At Zikfrline’s words, Enoch sauntered to the center of the training grounds.
“Just. It came up. Figured it’d be good for gaining experience.”
“Ah, experience. Yeah, my dad always said experience matters most at the higher levels.”
“Yeah. You’re still a long way off, though.”
Zikfrline’s smiling expression froze solid. Tsukiyo eyed him curiously and whispered to Enoch.
“Jami Star. Must be the star paired with you, the Heaven’s Killer Star….”
“Paired sounds weird.”
“Not weird—just means appearing in the same era.”
After glancing around warily for a moment, Tsukiyo approached Zikfrline and poked his body.
“Hmm…. So fragile. Well, that’s normal, I suppose….”
“F-Fragile…? No way! I’ve been told I’ve got no rivals my age!”
No rivals….
Tsukiyo looked back and forth between Enoch and Zikfrline. Expert and Grand Master. Hmm….
“Yeah, uh, keep at it.”
“No! Wait…!”
Zikfrline, who had been hopping mad, yelled.
“Enoch! What’s with her!? Why’s she picking on me!”
“Choco.”
“Choco? What kind of half-assed name….”
A chill ran down his spine—Zikfrline shuddered at the killing intent and hurriedly backed away.
There stood Tsukiyo, eyes narrowed. Zikfrline flailed his hands in panic.
“N-No! I mean…! Sorry! It wasn’t about the name…!”
“Wasn’t it?”
“Uh…. Um….”
After agonizing, Zikfrline eventually bowed his head low.
What a weirdo. While Enoch clicked his tongue, Zikfrline somehow earned Tsukiyo’s forgiveness and brushed the dirt off his head.
“Anyway, if you want experience, there’s a good opportunity.”
“You gonna set me up with your dad?”
“…Nah? There’s a gathering soon for folks our generation to spar. But seriously, you wanna fight my dad? He’s insanely strong.”
“Stronger than Rionne?”
“Hmm.”
Zikfrline rubbed his chin. No matter how he thought about it, no.
“Not even close.”
“Then I win.”
Enoch declared without hesitation, drawing a hollow laugh from Zikfrline.
“Whatever, fine. So, you going? If yes, I need to let them know ahead of time.”
“Yeah. But first, a match with your dad.”
“Got it, got it! Don’t complain later, okay? I warned you he’s strong.”
“Yeah.”
The stronger they say, the more exciting. He’d heard the king of Ravellion was a Grand Master, but for a marquis—not even a duke—wouldn’t he be Master level? Or maybe not.
Even a tiny elven village had more Grand Masters than you could count on one hand, so a kingdom should have a few at least.
“So when’s this gathering?”
“In three days.”
“What till then?”
“Dunno?”
Zikfrline looked at Jatun.
“Anything to do in Demisto?”
“Well, there are some spots with great beer.”
Jatun smacked his lips. Eri let out a sigh and said,
[Demisto’s famous for its swords. It’s got good mines and a thriving steel industry, so lots of high-quality weapons.]
“Yeah, that’s true. But nothing really worth seeing there.”
Jatun, a Demisto native, tilted his head. Sure, famous for swords, but Enoch didn’t even use one, and whatever gear he had on looked top-notch anyway.
“That gear of yours….”
“Was it Liraum? Rionne’s friend made it.”
“L-Liraum!? That teen prodigy among the Ten Great Artisans!?”
Then no need for gear here either—nothing to see in Demisto at all?
Ignoring Jatun with his jaw on the floor, Eri stretched out her tiny front legs.
[Let’s go check it out anyway. Might be fun.]
*
The marquisate of Demisto was vast. Naturally, it wasn’t just one territory called Demisto.
But there’s a reason it bears the name. Demisto—the heart of House Demisto—was the most developed city in the marquis’s expansive lands.
“Oh.”
Kaang-! Kaang-! Amid the fading sunset, the sound of hammers rang out.
Recalling his old trip with Rionne to the volcano where dwarves lived, Enoch strolled down the street.
“It’s big. Tons of forges too.”
“Yeah, plenty. When war breaks out, weapons pour out from here—it’s quite the sight.”
Enoch nodded at Zikfrline’s words. Someone who grew up in Demisto his whole life might take it for granted, but to Enoch, who hadn’t seen many smithies, it was pretty interesting.
Especially for Eri, who’d never been to that dwarven volcano—it seemed to excite her quite a bit.
[Daddy! Let’s go in there! Feels good somehow!]
“Want me to buy you a sword?”
[…Me? How could I?]
“Just bite down on it.”
[What kind of nonsense is th—huh?]
Eri, who’d snorted, suddenly pondered something deeply. Then she tapped Enoch’s head with her short paw.
[That’s a great idea! Let’s go!]
Entering Eri’s pick of a smithy, there was no blast of heat like expected.
Apparently the forge itself was inside, and this was just the shop.
“Welcome… Zikfrline, young master?”
The girl who looked like a clerk’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, hey? Looking for a sword for a friend.”
“Y-Yes, yes! P-Please, browse comfortably!”
Her face flushing bright red, the girl hurriedly offered to guide them.
“What kind of sword are you looking for….”
[One for me. A longsword about Daddy’s height would be good….]
“A f-fox…?”
Watching Eri excitedly drag the clerk away, Enoch glanced at Zikfrline.
“You get around, huh? Even the clerks know your face.”
“Yeah, well. Not much to do in the castle. Streets are kinda fun when I’m bored.”
“Young master, ever think about your guards’ positions? We weren’t having fun.”
“Don’t lie! You guys enjoyed it the most!”
Zikfrline grumbled. Watching him, a thought struck Enoch.
“But shouldn’t we tell the marquis? Come to think of it, he’s the host, right?”
“Huh? Nah, should be fine? Dad’s not picky.”
That so? As Enoch nodded,
“I-It’s out! It’s out, nyang! It came out, nyang…!”
Tsukiyo, face drained white, leaped and clung to Enoch’s face.
“…Can’t see with you in front. Move.”
Grabbing her scruff, he dangled her like a kitten. She flailed her limbs and cried out.
“Daddy! It’s out! It’s a ghost! A real ghost!”
“Nothing there?”
“I s-saw it!”
Enoch looked at Zikfrline, who shrugged.
“Didn’t see it myself. But yeah, it’s been showing up. Some damage too.”
“Damage?”
“Yeah. Not sure if it’s criminals using ghost excuses or a real one yet.”
“Ah.”
Enoch nodded. Something was there, apparently, but it didn’t spark much interest.
“More importantly, you have a daughter too? Aren’t we same age? If she’s that big….”
Zikfrline looked horrified.
“Five? Six? How old were you when you had her!? That’s a crime! Where’s the mom…!”
“Would I? She’s eight hundred.”
“Still in the seven hundreds, nyang!”
“Seven ninety-two.”
“Eek…!”
Zikfrline was even more horrified.
“At that age, why the hell…!?”
He ended up banging his head one more time.