episode_0024

The ghost’s expression changed to an indescribable one. At my urging, the ghost began slowly unfolding my name and story with a bewildered expression. Before long, not the ghost’s, but Juliana’s crying echoed through the kitchen.

[Sniff, how could he, when I liked him so much..!]

“He’s really a bad guy.”

[Huff, he even said let’s get married!]

When the ghost’s anger subsides, he begins to complain. If given a place, he pours out his emotions even more excessively. After pouring out all the emotions, he becomes somewhat calm.

[Sniff…!]

“Come on, eat this and calm down.”

[Huff, gulp….]

As Juliana complained, she opened and closed drawers several times, and finally, when I put a cookie in her mouth that she got at the end of it, she started eating the tear-soaked cookie.

“Now forget about that trash-like guy and make a fresh start. How long are you going to resent others and live with hatred?”

[No, don’t…]

“That wasn’t your original dream, was it? Right?”

[Gulp, yeah… I wanted to be someone who could protect precious people… But that guy…!]

As Juliana blinked her eyes, trying to be trapped again in the memory full of hatred, I reached out my hand.

“Oh, come on, that person isn’t precious or even alive anymore.”

[Right…]

“So now forget about that garbage and aim for something better.”

[Can I do that? Can I?]

“Oh, what can’t you do? The strongest mercenary, Juliana, is right here, isn’t she?”

“Really?” When I said “coward,” Juliana, who had been confused, raised her head and said.

[Yeah… I was once called the strongest mercenary!]

“Right? So stop making weak sounds and try to get what you want from now on!”

[…Okay!]

“Come on, eat this and live nicely without doing bad things from now on. Got it?”

She nodded and ate the cookie. I laughed as I watched Juliana quickly eat the cookie.

“This should solve it.”

Promises are very important to the deceased.

“When this is over, there’s something I want to tell you. I’ll definitely tell you later.” When making a promise that implies death and then dying, there is a high probability of lingering regrets and becoming a ghost.

Living humans can easily break promises, but ghosts cannot. Therefore, from the moment Juliana accepted the cookie I offered, she became unable to harm others.

“What I wanted… What I really…”

She began muttering to herself as if lost in thought. Leaving her like that, I got up from my seat.

In such situations, leaving the seat was the polite thing to do.

“I should have Mia bring the remaining cookies.”

Thinking about Mia, who didn’t look well, I put the remaining cookies on a plate and left the kitchen.

***

“Yeah, I – … Huh?”

Juliana finally realized what she wanted and wanted to tell Lian. But what awaited her in the silent kitchen was silence.

“Oh…”

Having spent an incredibly long time as a ghost, she seemed unaware of the fact that quite some time had passed.

Juliana looked at the teacup placed in front of her with her mouth shut.

“…Strange person.”

She was a soul bound to a book by a dark sorcerer, a curse. She was more akin to a monster than a human, and it was all thanks to Lian that she maintained her sanity and was able to “think.”

“At first, I thought I was dead…”

As soon as she heard the strange question, “How are you fixing the horizon coordinate system?” her vision spun at an incomprehensible speed, and her body flew around like leaves caught in a typhoon.

“Oh, I’m being annihilated like this,” she thought, and she was able to look straight down at her own existence.

It’s like seeing a will-o’-the-wisp before one dies.

Even after being able to look straight at my existence, nothing changed. I felt something passing by in front of me so inexplicably fast and felt the world and myself drifting apart.

A dizzying feeling as if my existence is not just disappearing but being rejected by the world.

Just as reason, barely regained, was about to be overwhelmed by fear, my body, suspended in mid-air, abruptly stopped as if it had fallen from a great height.

[ Huh? Aaaah! ]

Just as it flew as if rewinding a string, it began to return in the same way.

Thud!

When I came to my senses, I was back in the original study. The book in which she was sealed was falling from the wall as if someone had thrown it against the wall.

[ Ugh… ]

Juliana, who had returned from a dizzying adventure through a comedy filter, felt extreme anger. But it wasn’t the same blind rage as before.

[ Damn him..! ]

It was anger towards Lian, who had caused a terrible ordeal, not just a desire for vengeance.

[I won’t stand still!]

Excessive fear turned into anger and made her lose her mind. Juliana floated her original body, the book, in the air and left the study.

She turned on the transparency function to avoid being discovered by ordinary people and flew to where Lian’s presence could be felt.

All that was in her head was the thought of getting revenge.

[ In fact, I was born in an alleyway -.. ]

I never thought of complaining while drinking. But strangely, in front of a child like Lian, emotions sprang up uncontrollably, and I ended up crying like a fool.

Moreover, Lian treated her so naturally as if she were a ‘living person.’ That fact gently melted her frozen heart.

As the soul bound by curse and resentment regained freedom, clear reason was found again.

It felt like waking up from a long dream.

Juliana broke away from her thoughts and focused on what she truly wanted.

[ “I can’t atone for those who are already dead… but I want to help those who have resolved to protect their loved ones.” ]

Coming to a conclusion, she entered into the book and let it float in the air.

[ “Lian, the girl who wanted to protect that child. Let’s help her.” ]

It was the best choice she could make. The transparent book floating in the air flew towards Noah’s presence.

Noah, who had followed Jess, was sitting in his room.

“I can do it!”

Whenever Noah tried to help even a little, Jess would stiffen his tail and push him away, so he had no choice but to ask Pia to take over and leave the restaurant.

Back in his room, Noah became lost in thought.

“…It’ll be difficult to go back to the study today.”

Going back in wouldn’t be difficult, but it hadn’t been half a day since Lian had dragged him out, insisting that he shouldn’t go in. If she found out he had sneaked into the study not long after their conversation, she would surely be disappointed in him. With that thought, his feet wouldn’t move easily.

“I don’t want to be hated.”

Noah buried his face in his knees, lost in thought.

“How can I become stronger? Is there really… no other cruel way?”

Cruel and terrible methods that could certainly grant him strength flickered before his eyes. Noah didn’t want to seek strength in that way.

“…Is it just wishful thinking?”

He wanted to save him. He wanted to protect Nero. His feelings were sincere. He believed he could endure any pain, but he didn’t want to harm another life for that reason.

“I’m such an idiot.”

His indecisiveness felt like a festering sore. The eyes that had sparkled with a glimmer of hope in the midst of melancholy emotions now dulled.

Thud.

At that moment, something lightly fell on Noah’s instep. Noah raised his head from his knees to see what had fallen.

A white book lay in front of her.

Rustle.

Even though Noah hadn’t opened the book, it unfolded on its own. In an instant, as more than half of the book turned over, a white ghost, Julianna, popped out.

“Ah…”

Noah looked on in a daze at the dream-like situation.

“You wanted power, didn’t you?”

Unlike before, Julianna spoke with a slightly malicious smile.

“I can give you the power to protect your loved ones. Why not make a contract with me?”

In a tone and smile that conveyed genuine sincerity rather than a smile meant to bewitch the person who opened the book, Noah found herself nodding involuntarily. At that, Julianna furrowed her brow and said,

“What if you nod without even hearing the contract terms? Haah… I guess I’ll have a lot to teach you in the future.”

And so, Noah gained a mentor.

***

Mia’s mansion, being a residence once used by nobles, had quite a few places that she did not use. One of them was an indoor training ground.

Since Mia had said that whether or not she used the training ground was irrelevant, Noah was using it without any hesitation.

“Haa, haa…”

“If you’re done resting, quickly do another lap.”

“Okay…!”

In the spacious training ground, Noah was running, sweating profusely.

“She’s working hard.”

I smiled proudly, watching Noah’s unwavering determination and Julianna, who stuck by her side, constantly offering clues for training.

“Just like a character from the original work…”

Suddenly, cold sweat began to trickle down.

“A character from the original work…”

I could feel my whole body becoming soaked.

“Oh….”

I had forgotten.

Thud. My legs gave out, and I knelt, feeling my strength leaving my knees.

“I was forgetting the protagonist…!”