Northern Grand Duke (6)

Misty showed up in front of me every day. And confessed even louder.

,I love you! Sincerely!

,Hmm.

,If you reject me, I’ll cast a really scary curse this time…!

But nothing happened as expected.

,Ugh! Why am I so harmless!

Misty stomped her feet. It was cute to see her floating in the air and spinning around.

,This time… this time it’s really scary…

Third try. But failed again.

,Ah… I give up.

She slumped down on the floor, all droopy.

,Now I’m alone forever… a poor ghost that no one loves… Come to think of it, I can’t even kiss because I’m a ghost…

,It’s no use pretending to be pitiful.

,That’s too much….

She sighed, striking a dramatic pose in the air.

,Still… at least I conveyed my feelings like this…

Misty smiled faintly. It was a lonely smile, but she also looked somewhat relieved.

,Thank you. For… listening to my heart like this.

The moonlight illuminated her smile. I could feel the pure emotion that hadn’t changed even after hundreds of years.

She muttered in a hollow voice.

Misty, who had become sullen, sat in the corner. The moonlight shone on her translucent figure.

Suddenly, Misty jumped up.

,No! I can’t give up like this!

,Again?

Misty slowly revealed herself from behind the tombstone. I guess what she’s going to do this time.

,Ugh… I am a terrifying ghost!

The way she threatened in a trembling voice was rather cute.

,If you don’t accept my confession… I’ll eat you up!

Suddenly, the end of her words became blurred. Her translucent face was dyed with embarrassment.

,How is it? Scary?

,No.

,Heeing.

With a sigh, her shoulders slumped. The terrifying ghost act ended in 3 seconds.

,I did it with something really scary this time…

Misty, who had become sullen, sat on the tombstone. The way she stomped her feet was just like a child.

,You come up with something new every day.

,Of course! I’ve been practicing alone for hundreds of years!

Misty suddenly jumped up. This time, she struck a pose that looked like it was from a horror movie.

,This time… every day in your dreams…

Pause for a moment.

,Ah… I’m not a succubus.

Another sigh.

,Then… I appear in Haru’s room every night and…

Another pause.

,That’s right… I can’t go outside the cemetery.

A third sigh in a row.

,Really… how can I be so harmless…

Misty, lying on the floor, looked up at the sky. The moonlight shone on her translucent figure.

,Still! Next time… next time for sure!

She jumped up and clenched her fist.

,I’ll come more scary tomorrow! Be prepared!

But with those words, the smile that spread across her lips was so innocent.

[Haru-nim, that ghost… is getting cuter and cuter, not scary at all?]

Misty tries to confess in a new way every day. But every time, she realizes her limits and becomes frustrated.

,Ah! I remembered!

Misty suddenly floated in the air.

,Tomorrow, I’ll do a chorus with the skeletons… Ah, that won’t work either. The skeletons can’t even hear me…

She was too pure for a ghost who had lived for hundreds of years. Rather, that made her look more special.

,Yeah, that’s why she’s a harmless ghost.

Today, the cemetery was filled with her clear laughter.

*

Now I have to find the Tomb of the Necromancer King. Kiara’s eyes are starting to look strange when she looks at me.

I was exploring the cemetery with Misty again today.

,Um… Haru.

After hesitating for a while, Misty carefully opened her mouth.

,Actually… the Tomb of the Necromancer King you’re looking for. I knew the location….

,Now you tell me?

,I’m sorry. I’m really… really sorry.

Misty’s voice trembled. It contained a pure sense of guilt that was too pure for a ghost who had lived for hundreds of years.

,I was afraid you would leave after finding the tomb. I’ve been alone for hundreds of years… but I made a friend….

She trailed off. Tears welled up in her round eyes and sparkled in the moonlight.

,Now… I’ll tell you. I don’t want to deceive such a good person like you anymore.

Her voice was firm, as if she had made up her mind.

,This way… be careful.

Misty took the lead. We went down to the basement along the old stairs.

,I know this place well, so don’t worry and follow me! I’ve been exploring alone for hundreds of years…

At that moment.

Jijijik-

Misty’s foot touched something.

,Ah!

Swaa-

Arrows poured out.

,Eek! Get out of the way!

Misty hurriedly ducked. It was ridiculous to see her twisting her translucent body here and there to avoid the arrows.

,Um… Misty.

,Huh? Just a moment! There too… Eek!

Misty rolling to avoid the arrows pouring out again.

,You can just pass through it.

,…Huh?

Misty paused. Her translucent face turned red in an instant.

,Ah… that’s right. I was a ghost…

It was cute to see her smiling embarrassedly.

Wait, but.

,But how did a ghost activate the trap?

,Well… I wonder? Haha… Ah! There’s another trap over there…

Kukung-!

This time, the floor collapsed.

,Eek! Be careful!

The question deepened as I watched Misty flailing around in a panic.

,Is she really a harmless ghost?

Activating the trap, rolling around as if she had a physical body… something was strange.

,Ah! Look over there! It’s the Tomb of the Necromancer King…!

We went deeper and deeper into the tomb.

Misty smiling brightly and taking the lead.

Everything was going according to plan.

,The Tomb of the Necromancer King… it’s almost over.

There was a set procedure to obtain the artifacts from the Treasure Vault. I had to resurrect the Necromancer King and defeat him. The artifacts containing the ultimate secrets of necromancy could only be obtained that way.

The ingredients needed for the Necromancer King’s resurrection ritual. Essence of Grudge, Fragment of Hatred, Crystal of Despair… Misty ate them all ‘deliciously’.

Misty is one of the many souls absorbed by the Necromancer King. In other words, it means she is part of the Necromancer King.

And the ingredients I fed her as snacks were all necessary for the resurrection of the Necromancer King.

,Now the system will recognize Misty as half Necromancer King.

,Huh? But it’s closed over there… what should we do?

,Why don’t you go? Maybe a cute ghost like you will open the door?

,Hehe… cute…

As expected, the huge stone door slowly opened as Misty approached.

,Wow… it really opened!

A voice filled with pure admiration.

,Amazing! How did you know?

Her translucent eyes sparkled. It was a pure joy that was hard to believe for a ghost who had lived for hundreds of years.

,Just… a hunch?

I shrugged. I felt guilty for deceiving Misty, but this was the best I could do.

[Master, is this okay?]

,This is for her.

The resurrection of the Necromancer King is not necessary. Because there is already a special being called Misty.

,Shall we go in?

Beyond the stone door, the Treasure Vault was revealed. It was full of creepy artifacts.

Misty was still smiling brightly and looking around.

,Haru! Look at this!

Misty’s bright voice echoed.

,This is…

A dusty mirror, ‘Kaleidoscope of Souls’. It was the artifact I had been searching for.

,Wow, it’s a pretty mirror!

Misty reached out her translucent hand. The surface of the mirror vibrated slightly as if reacting to her touch.

,This… it can hold the souls of the dead or transfer them to a new body. Isn’t it scary? Huh? But how do I know this?

,I see… how does it look to you?

,Um…

Misty tilted her head and looked into the mirror.

,It’s a little sparkly… Ah! I can see my reflection!

It seemed amazing that she could see herself in the mirror even though she was a ghost.

,Huh?

Then, suddenly, Misty’s expression became puzzled. She casually touched the wall, but her hand didn’t pass through.

She touched the wall in surprise. Even though she was a ghost, she could touch things like a living person.

,Is it because there’s still the Necromancer King’s magic in this space?

Misty was still touching this and that as if she was amazed. Like a child discovering the world for the first time.

,Misty, I have a good idea. This space…

I met Misty’s translucent eyes.

,How about making it your room?

,…Huh?

Misty’s movements stopped. Her translucent lips trembled.

,Really? My room…?

,Yeah. I think you can actually live and touch things in this space?

,Let’s see…

I opened the inventory. It was full of items I had collected.

,How about this?

I took out a ‘Leaf Embroidery Blanket’. It was a rare item I got from the Elf Village.

,Wow… it’s really soft!

Misty touched the blanket. A subtle moonlight-like glow reacted to her translucent touch.

,And…

I also took out a ‘Dream Cabinet’. The furniture made of transparent crystal went well with her ghostly characteristics.

,Put this here…

I took out small props one by one and lined them up. ‘Fairy Night Light’, ‘Mist Curtain’, ‘Starlight Mirror’…

,Ah! This is…

Misty found a small jewelry box. It contained ‘Soul Opal’.

,Pretty…

Misty’s eyes sparkled at each item she took out. A face full of pure joy, like a child unwrapping a Christmas present.

,I never thought it would be used for this.

The items I had collected with a collector’s tendency made a girl smile tonight.

,Put this here… that there… it would be nice to have a fluffy bed too! I don’t need to sleep because I’m a ghost, but…

Even this ordinary happiness had not been allowed for her for hundreds of years.

,Put a bunny doll… and add lace decorations…

A voice that is becoming more and more lively. The gloomy tomb was turning into a cute girl’s room.

,Look! I can really touch it!

Misty hugged a small bunny doll. Even though she was a ghost, the doll hugged her arm tightly.

She laid out her plans in an excited voice. She was talking for a long time before suddenly stopping.

,I wanted to have this when I was alive.

It was a small voice. But the longing contained within it resonated in my heart.

One by one, the furniture was taking its place.

,Now it’s really… my room…

A voice filled with emotion. The ghost’s transparent tears shone like moonlight.

At that moment, clear tears welled up in Misty’s eyes. She wiped away the tears with her translucent hand, but they kept flowing down.

,Ugh… I want to confess again.

,What kind of scary curse this time?

,No, this time just… sincerely…

Misty floated in the air and looked around.

,I think I should go now.

I looked at Misty. In the newly decorated room, she looked clearer than ever.

,I got the artifact I needed thanks to Misty. Thank you.

,You’ll… come again, right?

An anxious voice. It was a word containing hundreds of years of loneliness.

,Of course. But a little later. Now that you have your own house, you can wait better, right?

,Still… a little more…

Misty came to me. Her translucent hand tried to grab my sleeve, but this time it passed through.

,Ah…

Her expression froze for a moment, then she raised her head as if she had made up her mind.

,Ugh… a curse…

She struck a pose as if chanting a spell in the air. But nothing happened as expected.

,Ah… I guess I’m really too harmless.

Misty, who had become sullen, tapped the floor with her toes. Even though she was floating in the air, the movement was lovely.

,Goodbye. Harmless ghost.

I waved my hand and turned around. I heard her voice from behind.

,Yeah! You have to come!

It was a bright voice, but it seemed to be trembling somewhere.

,I’ll definitely succeed in the curse next time…! A curse that will keep you from leaving me for the rest of your life!

With each step I took, the eerie energy of the cemetery faded away. The moonlight shone more and more clearly.

When I turned my head, Misty was still waving her hand. Like a little guardian spirit protecting her room.