The Curse That Kept Me Silent Was Lifted
Impossible... #1
The Seeker and her party had defeated the withered king and cleared the way for the spirits they encountered on the return journey, urging them onward to their homeland.
With the group moving briskly, the four women from the Seeker’s party—Riel, Olivia, and Lora—paused to light a campfire and set up camp halfway along the route.
Even at the midpoint, the anticipation in Riel’s voice was unmistakable.
“We’ll finally make it home,” she murmured, her eyes bright with unspoken hope.
Others around the fire listened intently, while Megus, who had questioned them so sharply before, now spoke with unmistakable excitement.
“When this last task is over… what will each of you do?”
“After the reports?” Olivia replied thoughtfully. “I’d like to set up a small workshop and live quietly. Honestly, I’ve grown tired of traveling so far and wide.”
“I’ll join the knight order,” Riel said without hesitation. “It’s always been my dream, and now the qualifications are certainly in place.”
“I’ll just pray and help those in need on the road,” Lora added gently.
“And you, Megus?” Riel asked, tilting her head. “Do you have any plans?”
Megus let out a short groan, buying herself a moment.
“I’ll head back to my territory first. After that… I’ll think about everything else.”
She hadn’t reached a firm conclusion, but the simple desire to rest was clear in her eyes.
Though she was a young lady of a count’s house, she had no intention of being a nuisance to those around her.
“Ah… well, that isn’t bad at all,” Olivia nodded, then her eyes suddenly sparkled.
Her usual calm expression lit with excitement.
“In that case, may I set up a workshop in your territory?”
“Really?” Megus’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
“I will,” she confirmed, “as long as I can live quietly there. As long as I don’t go hungry. Magic isn’t something you buy with money—it’s done with the head. If I need materials, I can step out occasionally.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Megus said with a smile, “but are you certain it’s safe?”
“It is. I originally planned to open one in the capital, but I worried the bustle would ruin the peace.”
“Mm… you’re probably right,” Megus agreed, clearly relieved.
Living in the capital would mean constant interruptions—calls from the king, requests for instruction, or desperate pleas for help.
Even returning to her own territory would bring similar issues, but far less frequently.
“So it’s settled. Laura and I will stay in the capital, while you two head back to the territory?”
“Wow. The pieces really are falling into place,” Riel said with a grin.
They spoke of the future they would soon face, still riding the high of their bloody, ash-covered journey and the sweet rewards that followed.
The crackle of the campfire warmed them further under the starlit sky.
—
Thus the noble ones praised their deeds and pledged, as a king unworthy of divine favor, to repay all efforts with utmost diligence.
Days passed.
Finally, the party arrived in the capital and performed the ritual in the royal palace audience hall.
The king, with his neatly trimmed golden beard, knelt before the four women and declared in a solemn voice.
Behind him, the chief courtier and the chancellor smiled and nodded approvingly.
“We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s grace,” Megus replied on behalf of the group.
The crowd outside the palace erupted in cheers.
Across the entire capital, the air buzzed with songs of praise for those who had etched their names into history.
“Today I shall host a banquet in your honor,” the king announced. “I hope the modest gathering will allow you to share in the joy.”
“Your Majesty’s generosity is overwhelming,” they answered.
Upon reaching the capital, the party had been given a day of rest at the palace; today was the ceremony and banquet.
Despite the tight schedule, their expressions remained bright.
It was not a matter of life and death, after all, and no one had died.
“Then, everyone, we shall see you this evening. Dismissed.”
The courtiers and knights bowed deeply and withdrew.
Everything regarding rewards had already been decided, with no objections raised.
“Ah, please wait here a moment,” Megus said as she and the others exited the hall.
The king’s voice from behind caught at their heels.
Only they had been called back.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Have we… failed to complete something?” Megus asked, standing before the king and chancellor.
The chancellor answered in their place.
“Though it is late, I have words I wish to share with you. Would you accompany me to the antechamber?”
“Of course,” Megus agreed, curious about what could be so urgent.
“Is there something serious?” Riel whispered.
The air between the king and chancellor had been far too heavy for a mere ritual.
“I’m not sure,” Megus replied. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
“Please, sit,” the king offered, gesturing to the seat beside the chancellor.
Megus and the others exchanged glances before taking their places.
“Chancellor,” the king said gravely, “that.”
The chancellor produced an old leather-bound notebook from his robes and set it before them.
“What is this?” Megus asked, eyeing the worn cover.
“A record left long ago by one of the shrine maidens,” he explained.
“A shrine maiden?”
“Indeed. As you know, spirits have existed since ancient times, and countless people have dedicated their bodies and minds to them ever since.”
The chancellor’s gaze drifted into the distance as if lost in memory.
“This notebook contains… secrets I dare not reveal. A shame, one might say.”
“A shame?” Lora shot up from her seat in shock.
As a woman who had always trusted in the chancellor’s purity and nobility, this was like a bolt from the heavens.
Yet
“Even if it is a shame, no bribes were taken and no wicked deeds were committed. Calm yourselves.”
“I… I apologize,” Lora bowed her head.
The chancellor’s steady voice helped her settle.
“Haa…”
Even when the time came to speak, the words stuck in her throat.
Still, she had to say it.
The chancellor placed the notebook on the desk, committing once more to what he had long decided.
“From this moment, I shall reveal the truth behind the curses you have all endured.”
—
“The world…”
After the chancellor spoke the truth about the curses and the king confirmed it, Megus and her companions moved numbly toward their quarters.
The others shared the same dazed expression.
Each had learned the truth, exchanged it, and discovered something new.
Only after defeating the withered king had they begun to sense it.
“That’s… strange,” the chancellor said, furrowing his brow. “The stronger the spirit, the heavier the curse it leaves behind. Of course, Lora’s divine power could heal even that, but merely receiving a little would be impossible. Especially for spirits at the level of three knights.”
He trailed off, searching for the right words.
“Have any of you ever experienced your limbs growing numb, later turning to stone, or spitting blood, or feeling your heart about to burst after only a short walk, or dizziness that blinds your vision?”
“No,” they answered in unison.
Except one.
The porter, Edgar Frost, had been the exception.
The moment the realization hit, the blood drained from the faces of Megus and her companions.