Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Haunted Territory - 4
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Mariana's house was remarkably modest for the home of the emperor's benefactor.
In fact, I'd heard that the emperor had wanted to keep Mariana in the capital, since she'd played a decisive role in placing him on the throne.
But Mariana had firmly refused, even turning down the gold and treasures the emperor offered, and returned to her hometown.
She'd said something at the time that had become somewhat famous.
-I have to feed my son breast milk. It feels wrong to keep leaving him with the neighbor lady any longer.
Mariana gave us an empty room and told us to rest for a bit.
In the meantime, we chatted idly.
Jenia spoke first.
"Mariana seems like a really good person."
"That's generous coming from a knight talking about a necromancer."
"Ugh. I've decided to change my mind a little. You really do have to meet people and talk to them to know."
"Well, I didn't think she was a bad person either. She has a nice personality."
The two of them stopped there and stared at me.
Like they were asking what I thought.
"I agree. I could tell at a glance."
Of course, Trail immediately butted in.
[Didn't you totally think she was the culprit? Until you saw the Blood Letters.]
‘......’
[Don't you think you're being a bit shameless even by your own standards?]
Shut up, you invisible pest.
Anyway, they seemed to gain some strange conviction from my agreement.
"If Maide says so too, it must be true."
"Yeah."
It felt like they were poking at my conscience, giving me a stomachache.
I changed the subject.
"By the way, Jenia. That kid Adwin."
"Oh...... Pfft. He's quite unique, isn't he?"
"Unique in a weird way."
"I don't know the details, but it's a symptom that rarely appears in some kids that age. It's not a disease, so don't worry."
"You handle it pretty well for something rare."
It was just a casual question on my part.
Something I'd been curious about even before my regression, but back then I wasn't interested enough in other people's business to dig into it.
But unexpectedly, Jenia's face darkened a little.
"Ophelia used to be like that a long time ago."
"Huh?"
"I told you before, right? About my longtime friend who joined the Knights of Light with me. We've known each other since we were kids."
Neril's expression clouded over as well.
"That kid started spouting weird stuff around thirteen or fourteen."
“......”
"I've dealt with it for so long that I'm used to it. Ophelia got better naturally before she became an adult, so Adwin will too."
"Uh, yeah."
Was it our awkward expressions?
Jenia hurriedly waved her hands.
"It's not as serious as all that. Anyway, let's decide on a plan from here."
I cleared my throat lightly.
"Ahem. Right. First off, obviously, we need to find the person behind this incident."
"The spell on their body, you mean? We can't just go around telling people to strip. What do we do?"
"Hmm."
I asked Jenia.
"Like before, with Agril's view...... no, finding Lady Ariena, can you do something like that?"
"You can just say you're cooperating with Agril's view."
"Huh? I can say that?"
From my pre-regression memories, it seemed like a trump card they kept secret almost until the very end.
Especially, I remembered they didn't want to let Neril know about it.
But Jenia's expression now was far too nonchalant.
"Well, we're all comrades now."
I never thought I'd see the day she'd say 'comrades' with Neril right in front of her.
Neril subtly turned her head to the side.
Her face looked flushed, but it must be my imagination.
Jenia continued.
"Agril's view can definitely see through to underground levels, but if the spell has been made transparent like Sir Tibur said, it might be hard to detect."
"I figured as much."
"Yeah. Sorry I can't be more helpful."
I was about to say not to talk like that.
"Don't say that."
But those weren't my words.
Jenia and I both widened our eyes and looked at Neril.
She furrowed her brow.
"Did I say something weird?"
"No, it's not weird, but."
"Jenia's been plenty helpful in unexpected ways. No need to beat yourself up over nothing."
Jenia grinned.
"It would have been perfect if you'd left out the 'unexpected' part."
"That's the key part, though?"
The two started bickering like always.
I watched warmly, pondering when to jump in.
Knock knock.
A knock came at that moment.
It was Mariana.
"Everyone. Dinner's ready."
Time to fill our stomachs first.
We're doing this to eat and live, after all.
In the end, that day we spent more time chatting than planning.
Adwin acting weird, Jenia reverting to normal.
Neril sniping coolly, Mariana smoothly deflecting.
Me sipping my drink, Trail grumbling.
[I wasn't saying anything.]
It was a pretty harmonious time, even a bit warm.
Just as I was thinking this wasn't so bad once in a while.
Clank.
Like a declaration that the break was over, the sound of clashing armor came from far away.
Click.
I set down my glass with a sigh.
"Looks like dinner ends here."
Everyone else tilted their heads, as if they hadn't heard yet.
Jenia caught on next.
"Twenty...... twenty-five?"
"Twenty-seven."
"Impressive as always. Anyway, the footsteps sounding uniform means they're trained elite soldiers."
"I recognize the one in front. It's Tibur. He must have requested reinforcements from the lord."
Jenia responded in a colder tone than usual for her.
"Nothing's confirmed yet. I need to protest to Father Captain."
"Father Captain's a title too, huh."
Then Neril spoke.
"You all have great senses. I can hear it now too."
"Sele would have no problem, right?"
"Putting me out front? Against the Knights of Light?"
"Ugh."
It was then.
Mariana, who'd been listening intently to our conversation, said something quite unexpected.
"You don't need to use a fake name."
"Pardon?"
"Sele's a pseudonym, isn't it? You're Neril Slaine, the Witch of Atrocities."
This time, I was genuinely surprised.
We'd never mentioned Neril's name in front of her, had we?
Mariana calmly set down her spoon and continued.
"My son told me."
"Adwin?"
"Yes. Adwin, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. Explain it yourself."
Adwin had his head bowed like he'd committed a crime.
But bolstered by Mariana's encouragement, he cautiously opened his mouth.
"So, um...... I can see souls behind people, like halos."
"Could you say that again?"
"Heh heh. If he says souls, the culprits might have trouble understanding. It's like the gray hue of a murky world."
"Explain it in normal words."
"Ah, yes. It's just like I said."
Maybe because Neril's aura turned menacing, Adwin's symptoms improved in a flash.
"Souls each have their own colors and traits. If you watch closely, you can see traces of the life they've lived."
“......”
"But Miss Neril's soul is too old."
I swear I heard something snap.
Kids' innocence is terrifying.
"It feels like 150? 200? That old of a soul."
"Hoh, ho. Go on."
"No one's lived that long except the Witch of Atrocities. So I told Mom that lady seems like Neril Slaine."
So that means Mariana had been playfully joking with the Witch of Atrocities.
Just a little while ago.
'The Martial King is nothing compared to you.'
Clap.
I lightly clapped my hands.
"I get the gist. The important thing now isn't that Neril's old."
"Hey."
"It's dealing with the uninvited guests who came late at night."
Bang.
As if waiting, the door flew open hard right as I finished speaking.
The lock shattered clean off.
The one who appeared was Tibur, as expected.
Mariana's face hardened.
"What's the meaning of this? What rudeness is this?"
Tibur replied in a drawling tone.
Not directed at anyone in particular.
"I heard the Witch of Atrocities was spotted in Quelk Territory. Apparently she left behind a huge mana afterimage from clashing with someone."
He was talking about the traces from my fight with Neril.
As far as I knew, the Knights of Light dispatched affiliated mages to each territory.
So it wasn't strange for Tibur's name to reach that mage.
"And you're that witch, the one who introduced herself as Sele?"
"So what?"
"Ha. You sure have the gall to show your face around."
"I'm like that."
"Shut your mouth!"
Jenia reacted to his harsh shout.
"I'll explain, Sir Tibur."
"No. No need to listen."
"Pardon?"
"I already reported to Captain Dame that I'd found the Witch of Atrocities. But the captain said Vice-Captain would handle it, so don't worry about it. Probably to monitor the witch, since she's traveling with you?"
“......”
"Whether it's surveillance instead of arrest or not, that's beside the point. I can't override the captain's orders. Just as I can't interfere in your duties, Vice-Captain Jenia, you can't interfere in mine."
Jenia tilted her head.
"Your duties? You're not here to arrest the Witch of Atrocities?"
"No. The one I have business with is Mariana over there."
“......”
"I'll ask you, Mariana. You were in the capital when the late emperor passed away long ago, weren't you?"
Mariana nodded calmly.
"Yes. Isn't that known to everyone in the empire?"
"I don't know what happened after. You uncovered a horrific secret with necromancy and earned His Majesty's grace. But you refused all gold and treasures and returned to your hometown here."
"That's all common knowledge too."
"But no one knows you had a companion on the way back."
Companion?
Mariana's face drained of color.
She cried out hurriedly.
"Stop......!"
"No need to hide it. I already know everything."
"Stop it!"
"Wasn't your husband traveling with you?"
Mariana paled and looked first at Adwin.
Adwin's eyes shook like there was an earthquake.
"Mother. You said Father died before I was even born."
Hold on a second.
This seems like it could cause some trauma.
Suddenly, memories of my own mother surfaced.
And the name of my father above her head.
'But.'
-Innocent.
Mariana's head still read the same.
I believe it.
I trust my ability, which has saved my life countless times before and after regression, and given me opportunities beyond imagination.
Meanwhile, Tibur kept talking.
"They say everyone around hushed it up because it was such a great feat. Even though the situation was highly suspicious."
"You."
"There's no spell on your body. So I can't arrest you for that."
“......”
"But I can arrest you as a suspect in your husband's murder. A nice chat in the interrogation room might uncover other crimes too. Arrest them all."
I stepped forward slightly.
"Before that, a moment."
"You again. Vice-Captain Jenia, as I said earlier, this doesn't concern you. Call off your subordinate."
"I'm not Jenia's subordinate. I'm her comrade."
"I wasn't talking to you. Insolent fool."
"Can't reason with you. Mariana."
Mariana startled and looked at me.
She kept glancing nervously at trembling Adwin.
"Y-Yes."
"What's your husband's name?"
“......”
"Please. It's important."
Mariana, though confused, answered straightforwardly, perhaps trusting me.
"Somel Ain."
Good.
'Show me.'
[Married couples have lots of secrets. Which one?]
'The secret that reveals the truth behind this incident.'
[Okay.]
[Used Eye of Omniscience.]
[Current Eye of Omniscience level is 2. Viewable secret rank is C-rank.]
[Selection condition is 'Secret between Mariana Ain and Somel Ain.']
[Corresponding secret rank is C-rank. Viewing.]
A screen appeared.
A man whose face resembled Adwin's—Somel—flickered into view. Blood couldn't lie.
He looked anxious, staring at the food on the table.
"Mariana's late."
As he muttered, the door opened and Mariana entered.
She gave Somel a light kiss and said.
"Sorry. Am I too late?"
"It's fine. You made it before the food got cold."
"Hee hee. Let's eat."
They began a pleasant meal.
The main topic was Adwin.
"I miss our son so much it's killing me."
"We'll arrive in a week. Hang in there."
"Yes. Sigh, I shouldn't have taken this job after all."
"You don't get to choose when the emperor's master gives an order."
"I don't care who sits on the throne. You're my emperor."
Ugh, cornflakes everywhere.
Somel raised his cheekbones in a sappy grin.
From their talk, they were en route back home after enthroning the emperor.
Then Mariana said.
"Oh, by the way, I just met a weird woman."
"Weird woman?"
"Yeah. This might sound harsh, but she seemed deranged. Calling me a fine vessel or whatever......"
"Huh?"
"I tried to brush it off as nonsense, but her expression was creepy. The world's full of all kinds of people."
My body hair stood on end.
It'd been ages since I'd felt such a thrilling intuition.
'I have a feeling I know who. That woman.'
Somel asked.
"Hmm. Did you catch her name?"
"Yes. Idria, I think."
And with that, the screen cut off.