Chapter 81

Chapter 81

We took the priest and traveled down to Abanbark. Then we made straight for the forest where the hunting festival had been held. We rode in the carriage along the forest path for a good while until, at some point, the road began to narrow. At the same time, the carriage jolted to a halt.

“I can’t go any further in!”

A moment later, the coachman’s shout reached our ears. At that, our group all tumbled out of the carriage. A cool breeze met our skin, brushing against it like a light caress. The air that followed each breath was remarkably clean. And it didn’t seem to be just because of the dense foliage. Though this place was used as hunting grounds and had surely seen many deaths pass through it, not a trace of that atmosphere lingered. It was as if no ghost existed here at all.

The irony of it struck me. On any normal day, I would have welcomed this peaceful scene quite gladly. But today was different. Because to identify the soul clinging to the young marquis, I needed to follow the traces of the ghosts.

“I think we’ll have to go further inside.”

I looked back at the duke and spoke. He nodded slowly, then opened his mouth.

“Very well. Then let’s go only as far as the area where no wild beasts roam. Going too deep would be dangerous.”

He had the coachman unhitch the horses from the carriage at once. Then, gripping one set of reins, he turned to look toward the young marquis.

“By the way, Benat. Can you ride? You’re still not fully healed.”

“What do you take me for? It’s just one arm I can’t use.”

The young marquis shrugged one shoulder and shot back. I had to wonder, ‘Isn’t being unable to use one arm usually enough to keep someone from riding?’ But the young marquis didn’t seem to be joking. The Duke simply gave an indifferent, “Well, then it’s settled,” as if it were no big deal. Luckily, it seemed guiding a horse wouldn’t put too much strain on his body. The real problem was me. Priests sometimes ride horses during pilgrimages, so the priest could manage riding. But I had never once mounted a horse in my life.

“What should I do? I don’t know how to ride.”

I crept over to the Duke and young marquis, quietly opening my mouth.

“In that case, would you like to ride with me?”

The young marquis smiled roundly and said.

“Let the patient ride alone. Don’t overexert yourself when you’re not even fully recovered.”

The Duke, who’d been adjusting the saddle a moment ago, cut in abruptly.

“I’m fine. I’m fully healed—it’s just one arm I can’t use.”

“That makes you a serious patient. It’s dangerous—ride alone.”

“I roamed battlefields after taking a bullet to the shoulder. This is nothing.”

They suddenly started bickering and squabbling in front of me. I couldn’t help but think the two of them were incredibly childish.

What the hell were they fighting over?

But I couldn’t honestly voice that opinion. So I just pressed my lips tight and watched them. The young marquis and Duke exchanged a few more words like that. Then they turned their gazes toward me.

“Laura, you can either stay in the carriage or ride with me.”

The Duke said. I answered, “I’ll go along too.” Staying here was an option, but I didn’t particularly want to. I wanted to find out the truth about the ghost clinging to the young marquis. So their fighting was a separate matter.

“This guy rides rough. If it’s safety you want, I’m the better choice.”

This time the young marquis added. At this point, I suspected their goal might actually be to put me in a bind—offering two choices like this. But if I had to pick one, I could manage. I nodded vaguely, trying to give a suitable answer.

“Hmm… Pardon me for interrupting, but the young lady must go with me.”

But just then, another voice I’d forgotten about cut in. I turned my head to see the priest scratching his chin, looking flustered.

“It’s about finding souls, isn’t it? The sun hasn’t set yet… but still, the Young Lady’s body is prone to possession, so going with me—someone who has Divine Power—would be the safest… I think…”

“….”

“….”

“……Ah. Now that you mention it, that’s right. Then I’ll go with the Priest.”

He’s right. I nearly made a pointless choice….

I scurried over to the Priest’s side. Then, struck by a thought, I turned my gaze toward the Duke and the Young Marquis. They stood frozen, looking utterly at a loss. Apparently, a third option had never crossed their minds. And seeing them so flustered, the Priest also seemed thrown off, turning into a block of ice.

What is this… atmosphere? Should I stay still too…?

I hesitated for a moment, then stopped in my tracks. And so, a heavy silence settled between us.

“….”

“….”

“…Then, let’s set out.”

It was the Duke who broke the tense quiet first. He swung onto his horse, still gripping the reins, and turned the animal’s head with practiced ease. The Priest and I mounted our own horses. The Young Marquis climbed onto his with a fluid one-armed motion. Then, with the Duke leading, we began to press deeper into the forest.

“This forest seems clean. I can’t find anything.”

How long had passed? The Priest, scanning our surroundings, raised his voice. He was right. No matter how far we followed the forest path, we couldn’t uncover any trace of the souls. The woods were too vast, and what we sought was too vague.

“I think it’d be best to wait until nightfall. If the spirit attached to the Young Marquis appears, Your Grace, please observe how they react. If it really came from this forest, it might behave differently.”

The Priest continued. And it made fair sense. Ghosts usually move through the darkness. So to face them properly, waiting until night was wise. The catch was that wandering the forest at night carried considerable danger. So we decided to head back to the lodging and gather more proper hunting gear.

Rumble—

We were on our way back to where we’d left the carriage. Suddenly, a loud noise crashed from the sky. I glanced up and saw black clouds gathering.

‘Huh? It’s going to rain…?’

An uneasy feeling crept over me. Given the circumstances, it felt like some ill omen. And as I watched, the clouds massed thicker, slowly devouring the sun. By the time we reached the carriage’s spot, deep shadows already draped the forest.

“What now. The weather’s terrible.”

The Young Marquis said, staring up at the sky.

“Still, let’s not postpone the schedule. You keep having nightmares, don’t you? If this isn’t resolved, you won’t be able to sleep properly, will you?”

The Duke dismounted and replied in a flat tone.

“Then, how about the young lady stays at the lodging? It will be dangerous in this environment. I also worry about the risk of possession.”

The priest dismounted and interjected into their conversation. Then, he extended both arms toward me. It seemed like a signal for me to hold onto him and climb down. So, I turned and lowered my arms toward him. But just then—a chilling aura surged from behind me.

Huh? A ghost?

In that instant, tension seized me, and my entire body stiffened.

Why is a ghost appearing now?

Considering the time we’d spent since entering the forest, it wasn’t late yet. Still, the ghosts showing up meant they were using the darkness brought by the rain clouds to reveal themselves. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Of all days, why did it have to cloud over like this the moment we stepped into the woods?

“Young lady. Don’t move, stay right there.”

The priest, who also sensed the ghostly presence, whispered in a low, gravelly voice.

“Kyaaah—”

And from behind him, a piercing cry I’d never heard before rang out. A chill ran through me as I slowly lifted my gaze and saw a soul formed from a tangle of various beasts. But it wasn’t what the Duke had described before. Numerous animal heads were clustered in a circle, and between them were wedged birds’ wings.

Those things rolled across the ground until they suddenly collapsed. At the same time, countless animals began to pour out from within.

“Laura! Stay right there.”

The Duke quickly rushed toward me. He stood right by my side, ready to confront the animal souls. But fortunately, the scattered beasts made no move to attack us. They simply wandered around the forest. Some souls even coalesced into orbs and ascended on the spot.

“Priest, the animals are scattering. What’s happening?”

I asked the priest, gripping the reins tightly.

“Yes, I can feel the souls splitting into fragments too. Perhaps that soul accidentally followed the Young Marquis. It only managed to break free after returning to their base.”

“Then… is it okay now…?”

“For now, let’s return to the lodging. We’ll check if it’s fine then. And… don’t get your hopes up. There’s a high chance that lingering souls are still attached to the Young Marquis.”

“Ah, yes…”

Still, from the very start, too many souls had clung to him. He couldn’t shake them all off at once. But maybe, for now, his nightmares might ease. That alone was a small comfort.

“Are you all right? What happened?!”

The young marquis’s voice reached her from a distance. He hadn’t dismounted yet, turning to look back at them. Unable to see or properly sense the spirits, he seemed not to understand the situation.