The Ghost of the Divine Tree (3)

A translucent figure floating in the sky, with a slender face that still looked youthful.

The uniform of Aiter Royal School, and long hair reaching down to her waist.

Finally, through the girl's affirmation, Eunhyeon confirmed that the ghost hovering in the sky before him was Erin Hersha.

"Fascinating. A story that only existed in theory. A spirit that hasn't gone mad and has retained its original mind and memories. This could be a case worth reporting to the academic world if handled right."

Eunhyeon muttered while stroking his chin.

It was a phenomenon he genuinely wanted to research seriously with Iliana.

With that thought, he continued observing Erin's spirit form.

At his gaze filled with such overt curiosity, Erin seemed uncomfortable and averted her eyes before speaking to him.

"What?"

"Hm?"

Tilting his head as if he didn't understand, Erin continued.

He couldn't tell if she was gauging his reaction or what, but Erin was speaking in a hesitant, timid manner, glancing at him cautiously.

Eunhyeon made a puzzled face but soon chuckled in understanding.

"Yeah, I guess that wasn't how to act in front of a person. Sorry. I got carried away by my curiosity and lost my head for a moment."

Even after living so long, he was reminded anew of how much there still was to learn.

Eunhyeon reflected on how he'd unconsciously been observing and analyzing her current state, then apologized to her.

"Even if you've lost your body and only your spirit remains, if you retain your memories and dignity as a human, then you are human. Don't talk yourself down like that."

It was a statement that applied to Eunhyeon himself, who had long since transcended the human category.

After living an immortal life for so long, even he could no longer truly call himself human.

Perhaps because she'd heard such unexpected encouragement, Erin turned her head slightly and replied in a tiny voice, avoiding his gaze.

He couldn't tell the color of her translucent ghostly skin, but she seemed a bit embarrassed.

"And you're not fully dead yet. It's too early to give up hope."

She'd almost nodded instinctively but then widened her eyes as if asking what he meant.

Pondering his words slowly, she finally understood and stared at him in shock, seeking confirmation.

"That you're not dead yet?"

For some urgent reason, she nodded vigorously several times in affirmation.

Eunhyeon chuckled, wondering why she was acting like that when it wouldn't make his answer come any faster.

Perhaps because she'd latched onto a possibility she hadn't even considered, her eyes sparkled with anticipation, cutely urging him to hurry up.

"Before that."

"My name is Eunhyeon. I'm just a handyman."

She made a face like 'I couldn't care less about your name?', but Eunhyeon ignored it, reading her inner thoughts from her expression.

'What a girl whose feelings show right on her face.'

"I came looking for you because I want to know the full story of Baronet Lenion Hersha's embezzlement of public funds. And how you ended up in this state."

Erin scowled and glared at the man before her.

As expected, he'd brought up the one topic she least wanted to discuss.

She figured the reason he'd first dangled the possibility of her revival was probably for this.

'Answer my questions if you want to live. All of them, without missing a single one.'

Erin assumed that was his intent.

Iliana's commission to Eunhyeon had been to investigate the disappearance of a girl named Erin Hersha and find her.

But that was just the surface-level request.

The kingdom wouldn't entrust a simple missing person case to Iliana.

In the end, the true purpose behind assigning the job to Iliana was something else.

To uncover the full details of the 'embezzlement by Baronet Lenion Hersha', and recover the stolen gold coins to the national treasury.

That was the kingdom's real goal in commissioning Iliana.

Searching for the missing Erin Hersha was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠merely part of the process.

After hearing Eunhyeon out, Erin scowled.

She now understood why he'd sneaked into the school in the middle of the night.

Eunhyeon realized he'd infiltrated the school seeking clues about her disappearance.

'I hate this so much...'

Even in this state, her father Lenion Hersha's crimes still haunted her.

Her memories from when she had a body were crystal clear.

While attending school, she'd endured the stigma of being a criminal's daughter and the contemptuous gazes for her lowly commoner blood.

She'd even been humiliated by a barrage of magically conjured water, all because she supposedly 'smelled like filthy commoners'—a pathetic excuse.

Despite such treatment, Erin hadn't been able to resist.

Because it was all true.

Her father had committed crimes, and she was a commoner by birth.

Erin had bitten her lip and endured all those cruel humiliations.

There was one good thing about becoming like this, where no one could see, hear, or touch her.

She was free from that painful time.

But even in this state, that incident would follow her?

With a fed-up expression, Erin asked Eunhyeon.

"Then what do you want?"

"Of course."

Eunhyeon nodded confidently, but she looked skeptical.

Still, she didn't refuse his words.

Even if revived, she might have to relive that painful time.

But right now, Erin was terribly lonely.

No one could see her, hear her, or touch her.

If she could just live again and escape this loneliness...

That was her inner resolve.

"Fine. Then let's move on to something else."

"What I want to hear is your story."

"Yes. Everything about you. I want to hear about the life you've lived."

Erin narrowed her eyes at Eunhyeon, who smiled as he said it.

It was a highly misleading statement, but he seemed oblivious.

Since there was no malice in it, Erin sighed and began recounting her past.

Eunhyeon and Erin sat on the rooftop floor, sharing stories for hours—including her past.

Through the conversation, Eunhyeon's impression changed; he seemed like an omniscient scholar who knew everything.

He'd pinpointed the problem with her current state at a glance and even proposed a solution.

There was one thing during the talk that left Erin dumbfounded.

It was about the moment she fell from the rooftop; she'd made eye contact with a female student inside the school building.

Erin said the girl had developed a major trauma from witnessing her fall.

Especially when she heard that Erin had been grinning at the girl while falling—Erin reacted with horror and denial.

She admitted to making eye contact with the girl but vehemently denied smiling.

She was so furious about the misunderstanding that she huffed indignantly, making Eunhyeon laugh at how amusing it was.

Eunhyeon acknowledged that her rooftop suicide attempt was real, but seeing her deny smiling at the girl made him think perhaps the girl had mistaken her expression for something terrifying amid the extreme fear.

Perhaps because she'd finally found someone to talk to after so long, the initial fear Erin had felt toward Eunhyeon gradually faded.

Worried that this could spawn weird ghost stories and strange rumors about her, she even demanded he bring the girl right then, but Eunhyeon flatly refused, calling it ridiculous.

Eunhyeon shook his head at her sulking and stood up.

He'd gathered all the info he needed; it was time to prepare to resolve the case.

"Gotta go. I've heard what I needed, and there's a lot to do."

Eunhyeon nodded.

She looked extremely reluctant at the thought of him—the only one who could perceive her—leaving, which would leave her alone again.

"In two days, everything will be settled. I'll revive you then. But are you really okay with that?"

Even if revived, as long as she lived in this country, the label of 'criminal's daughter' would cling to her like a tail, tormenting her.

The path ahead for Erin would be thorny, not peaceful.

Eunhyeon explained this to her. Choosing between her current 'life as a spirit' or reviving to start anew as a 'human' was her decision.

"I see."

Eunhyeon nodded at her choice.

"Got it."

Eunhyeon waved goodbye to the ghost girl, Erin.

Under the bright moonlight, walking home at dawn, he organized and synthesized the information he'd gathered in his mind.

He now had all the answers to the case.

The cause, background, process, and why it led to this outcome—he knew it all.

The issue now was how to resolve it.

As Eunhyeon walked, lost in such thoughts, he arrived home before he knew it and opened the door to enter the mansion.

"I'm back."

"You're pretty late."

As soon as Eunhyeon entered, he saw Iliana sitting on the sofa, not asleep.

He glanced at the clock on the wall to check the time.

Seeing it point to 3 a.m., he realized she'd been waiting up for him.

"You didn't sleep?"

"I waited for you. It felt wrong just handing off the job and going to bed first. And... never mind, that's it."

"Hm?"

Eunhyeon raised a question mark at how Iliana had started to say something but brushed it off.

"So? How'd it go?"

Iliana was greatly surprised to hear he'd luckily encountered Erin Hersha's soul.

Just like when Eunhyeon first saw Erin, she was deeply intrigued by the fact that the lingering spirit hadn't become a specter—a spirit-type magic beast—but had retained human consciousness and memories.

"From a mage's perspective, what do you think?"

"Hmm. It's a highly interesting topic, but proving it won't be easy. There's only that one case, and it's not something you can artificially reproduce anyway. Hmm... There might be a way if I think hard, but nothing comes to mind right now."

"I see."

"You know more about this stuff than I do anyway."

"Still, I'm one of the continent's top mages. You could at least ask for advice."

"Hmph. Sounds good. But it's possible, huh? That kind of thing..."

After hearing the explanation, Iliana let out an admiring breath, her eyes sparkling like she'd discovered something new as she sank into deep thought.

Eunhyeon just stared at her silently.

"What're you staring at?"

Feeling his blatant gaze, Iliana paused her thinking and asked.

"Nothing. Just... you look like a kid who's found a new toy. Who'd think you're over forty, you old—mph!"

"Shut that mouth of yours?"

Whiiiing

A sharp wind howled as strange air currents wrapped around Eunhyeon's neck.

It was a low-rank spell, but the highest among them.

Cast silently, targeting his own neck.

He'd only meant to tease her lightly by poking at her sore spot.

Eunhyeon gave a wry smile, raised both hands in surrender as if to say sorry.

"Hmph."

Not fully appeased, Iliana snorted and turned her head away sharply.

The magic naturally dissipated, and the menacing wind gradually died down.

"Sorry, sorry."

Dazzling sunlight made him squint, realizing it was morning.

Eunhyeon automatically sat up, got out of bed, washed his hair, face, and brushed his teeth, changed clothes, and headed to the living room to prepare breakfast.

He heated an iron griddle with a magic tool, melted a pat of butter, placed slices of bread on top, and cracked eggs one by one over them.

A sprinkle of salt and pepper for simple seasoning, and when the bottom of the bread turned golden brown, he flipped them, added grilled ham and cheese, and melted the cheese with a single-digit fire spell.

Then he plated it, sliced it into bite-sized pieces with a knife, added a side of salad, warmed a cup of milk to the right temperature, and set it all on the table.

Just then, Iliana emerged from her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠room, yawning in her pajamas.

"Sleep well?"

"No."

Her eyes still heavy with sleep, she yawned through his morning greeting but flatly rejected it with a pouty expression.

She was still miffed about last night's teasing.

He suppressed a laugh at her attitude and pulled out a chair for her.

The steam and aroma from the food on the table wafted to her face, stimulating the appetite of Iliana, who hadn't been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up long.

"You think this'll make me forgive you?"

Perhaps because today's breakfast looked especially elaborate.

She saw it as atonement for angering her last night and snorted at Eunhyeon.

Not even realizing what she'd done wrong.

Offering such appetizing food to soothe her only made her more annoyed.

Iliana crossed her arms, refusing to touch the fork, showing she had no intention of forgiving him yet.

"Nah, I know you better than that."

"Hmph."

Iliana snorted again but finally picked up the fork and started eating.

"We'll wrap it up tomorrow. Help me out a bit."

Iliana was still sulking but reluctantly nodded.

She never let personal feelings interfere with official business.

Her displeased expression at having to nod was just a bonus.

"I'm heading to Riod's today."

"Didn't you go yesterday?"

"It was too late."

He could've gone if he wanted, but he'd spent hours talking to Erin.

By then it was already dawn, too late to visit Riod's mansion.

"Gotta ask him for some help too. He won't coldly refuse, right?"

"Hmph, that guy refusing you? No way. If you asked, he'd cut off the king's head for you."

"Hey, don't say that outside. My head rolls for royal defamation."

After finishing breakfast with Iliana and cleaning up, Eunhyeon left the house straight for Riod's mansion.

"Hello."

As soon as he exited the mansion, he was greeted by a blonde girl waiting at the gate.

"Eira? Why are you waiting at the entrance this early?"

"You said you'd visit yesterday, but you didn't, so Father sent me personally."

Eunhyeon swallowed a wry smile and his doubts about whether that was necessary.

Last night, as he left the library, Iliana had messaged ahead that he'd be coming, but he hadn't gone.

Still, sending his own daughter this early to escort him felt excessive.

"Didn't expect you to come yourself. I figured Iliana passed the word."

In fact, the investigation authority for this case had been assigned to 'Riod Olivion', leader of Artia—the knight order with the kingdom's strongest forces.

Artia had been ordered by the court nobles' council to fully uncover the case and recover the embezzled funds.

In that context, with the Hersha family—the center of the embezzlement—all either executed, fled, or missing, even Riod must be frustrated.

"By any chance... is Sir Eunhyeon stepping up like this because of Father's request?"

"It was Iliana's request. Didn't even ask who it was from. Probably someone from the royal side anyway."

"Ah! The Black Witch..."

Eira looked a bit surprised but nodded in understanding.

"Plus, that uptight lion asking me for help on a big case like this? Hard to imagine."

Eunhyeon tried picturing it and grinned at the image of Riod scowling with wounded pride.

Eira gave a wry smile at the light jab at her father.

"I'll help out a little, though."

Eunhyeon smiled softly, and Eira beamed back happily.

They boarded the prepared carriage, and it didn't take long to reach the marquis's mansion.

Eira led the way, receiving greetings from the servants as they entered, and Eunhyeon followed.

"Welcome."

The marquis's wife, already waiting to greet him.

Terezia Olivion bowed to Eunhyeon.

He returned the greeting with a smile.

"Sorry to intrude while you're so busy."

"No, my husband is the one working hard. I can only wait anxiously, hoping to be of help to him."

Terezia smiled and accepted his apology.

Even as she spoke, she carefully chose her words, glancing at him subtly.

His youthful looks and personality made her hesitate at first, but he was a friend who had helped her husband and would continue to do so.

She couldn't treat him lightly; she pondered the right level of courtesy for this young man.

'I told her there's no need to be so formal...'

Eunhyeon thought it still wasn't easy for her.

Her long golden hair reached her waist, with part braided down the center—striking.

Even without jewelry or ornate makeup, she exuded an elegant, antique air.

'How did that gruff lion snag a woman like this?'

Riod and Terezia weren't the type to openly express affection directly, but to Eunhyeon, they seemed perfectly matched, caring for each other deeply—like lovebirds.

A couple who supported each other in every way.

He smirked inwardly, thinking his friend had done well in that department at least.

"Is your visit today related to the case my husband is investigating?"

At Terezia's question, Eunhyeon snapped back to attention and nodded innocently.

"I'll guide you to him. He's waiting."

"Thank you."

Eunhyeon bowed in gratitude for her kindness.

Following the marquis's wife to the study, he knocked and entered.

"You're here."

The brown-haired man at the desk, reviewing documents, welcomed him.

One of the great heroes who ended the great war against the Mirvavilla Empire twenty years ago with the continental alliance.

Riod Olivion, Eunhyeon's comrade.

"She's too good for you, really."

"Can't argue there."

Instead of a greeting, Eunhyeon teasingly praised Terezia, who had escorted him so politely.

Riod agreed with a wry smile.

After the Arkena Great War with Mirvavilla ended and he faced the reality of Eunhyeon's death—the man he'd trusted and relied on—he'd fallen into listlessness and emptiness.

She had pulled him out and pushed him to his current position.

Without her, could he have earned the title of Pernias Kingdom's strongest knight, had children, and lived like this?

"Straight to business?"

"Yeah."

Riod explained that his knight order believed Elvin had taken the gold Lenion embezzled and was currently tracking the fugitive son.

The most ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unexpected fact was that Lenion, reported executed, had been found assassinated in his prison cell.

Discovered by a patrolling guard, less than three hours after incarceration—it had thrown Riod and Artia into chaos.

While tracing the gold, they'd caught wind of Elvin fleeing north and begun pursuit. That was the current status.

"That Elvin guy's a mage, right?"

"Second-year in the Court Mage Corps, Meigers."

"Hmm, a commoner joining that elite group. Pretty skilled mage?"

"Decent. They say he had talent eyeing upper digits soon."

"Whoa, at his age?"

Digits referred to mage rankings.

Generally divided into ten grades from one to ten digits.

Even across the continent, only about 10% of mages reached five digits.

Elvin had reached that level at a young age.

"Alright, I've heard it all. Good info. Now, I need a favor."

"What?"

"Gotta catch a big fish. Need some bait."

"Hm?"

"Your daughter. Mind if I borrow her?"

"Huh?"

Riod blinked at the request, not grasping it at first.

But it didn't take long to understand.

"Heh, for that? Sure, anytime."

Eunhyeon was surprised by how readily Riod agreed.

What father would push his child into danger?

But Riod thought differently.

"Personally, I don't want my daughter to be a knight. After seeing your work, I've realized the dangers again and hope she'll quit."

"......"

"Plus, you wouldn't let that kid get hurt anyway. It'll be a good lesson in reality. Teach her a bit about the world."

"Weird coming from the one asking, but you raise your daughter too much like a boy. She's such a fresh young lady—who'd want her turning into a musclehead like you?"

"I opposed her becoming a knight. But if she's joining my order anyway, a taste of reality is good. You'll prepare everything, so no worries about danger, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

Eunhyeon nodded.

"Still, she's my friend's daughter. I'll return her without a scratch. As her uncle figure, should I slip her some pocket money?"

"Ha."

They didn't look that different in age—friends or siblings might pass, but who else would see it that way?

Riod snorted inwardly.

"So, where are we headed?"

With her father's ready permission, Eira followed Eunhyeon out of the marquis's mansion under Riod's orders.

Her mother Terezia had looked displeased to the end at the plan but didn't protest her husband's decision.

She worried about deliberately putting her child in danger to force growth through adversity.

"Adventurer's guild."

"The guild? Why?"

"Eira, ever been fishing?"

"No?"

"Old saying: Fish get hooked not because of the angler or rod, but the bait on the hook."

"So, the bait matters more than skill or gear?"

"Exactly. We're going to set the bait."

"You called me 'bait' to Father earlier..."

"Yep. So I'll tell you what to do from now on."

Eunhyeon quietly hugged Iliana, soothing her to calm her anger.