Chapter 85

Chapter 85

“We’re going back. We need to move Benat.”

The Duke’s voice came from behind her. Turning her head, she saw him carrying the young marquis in his arms. Right, the deer wasn’t what mattered now. They needed to get the young marquis to a physician as quickly as possible. She walked straight toward the Duke and tried to help him support the young marquis.

As they took each laborious step, the deer suddenly appeared before them and blocked her path. Of course, since it was a ghost, she could just walk right through it—but she didn’t feel like doing that. The Duke seemed to think the same, hesitating and stopping in his tracks.

The creature pawed at the ground as if wanting to say something. Maybe it wanted to ask about the soul trapped inside the sword. Thinking about what to do, she looked down at the dagger lying on the ground. Then she spotted the priest rising and picking it up.

“Priest, if… if we break that sword, would the soul trapped inside be freed?”

The question slipped out of her. But the priest only shook his head.

“That’s not a good idea. Breaking the sword would release the soul, but it’s too dangerous. An unstable soul might try to find another vessel. Right now, that vessel could be you, my lady. Or someone else.”

“Ah…”

So maybe they had to keep the animal souls trapped inside the dagger after all. A sense of helplessness settled in. Souls needed to ascend to hope for a next life, but trapped inside the sword, they couldn’t ascend at all. Including the bear that had just died, all the souls in there were missing their chance at reincarnation.

“Then what about that sword?”

She lowered her gaze to the dagger the priest held, and asked. The priest tucked it into his robes and added,

“I’ll take it to the temple for now. It might attract more animal souls. And it’s too dangerous for ordinary people to hold onto.”

“…What happens to the souls trapped in there?”

“Hmm… It will take a long time, but I’ll see to it that every soul can ascend naturally. However, this sword can no longer be used. Once all the souls leave, it will shatter.”

He spoke calmly. Just then, the deer seemed to react, hesitating. It then approached the priest and began pacing around him.

By this point, I was certain the creature understood us. I’d thought it might be a Divine Beast, given its unusually strong aura for an animal—and that hunch had been right.

“Look. I’m sorry about the bear. But I swear I’ll help the trapped souls ascend. So… can you just step aside?”

There was no room for extended deliberation. I spoke straight to the deer. Whether it would listen was another matter, but I figured at least trying was worth it.

“Are you worried about the spirits the Young Lady can see—the ones clinging to the sword?”

The Priest’s voice followed close at my ear. He could sense souls but not see them, and my behavior seemed to throw him off.

“Yes, the deer keeps circling the sword. And I think it understands human speech to some degree.”

“Is that so…?”

His tone laced with surprise, he turned his head toward where the soul lingered. Then, stroking his chin as if mulling it over, he slowly began to speak.

“I will see to it that all the souls can ascend. Even if it takes time, I won’t give up—so please don’t worry too much.”

That was a remarkably courteous way to address a soul, especially an animal’s. Perhaps that very politeness is what made his sincerity shine through.

Hearing this, the deer quietly turned and began to drift out of the cave. Its movements were slow, as if reluctant to leave, but bit by bit, it vanished from our sight entirely.

“It… it left? Easier than I thought…”

“That’s usually how it goes with animal souls. I was worried since if it understood speech, it must be intelligent—but luckily, it seems to have moved on.”

The Priest said. I stared at the spot where the deer had disappeared. For some reason, I could picture it lingering, worrying over those souls. I had a feeling it would stay here, watching over the animal spirits as they came and went. Even if its own soul wore away to nothing, it would still guard this forest.

‘Maybe that deer values staying here more than ascending…?’

The thought flickered through my mind as I hurried out of the cave. Afterward, the Duke quickly helped the Young Marquis onto his horse. The Priest and I mounted ours, and we navigated the dark forest paths until we finally reached the spot where we’d left the carriage. The runaway horses had returned. Only after the coachman had hitched them did our party climb into the carriage and leave the forest behind.

Before me, the priest and the young marquis came into view, both looking utterly wrung out. They’d clearly been through something far beyond what anyone could have anticipated. The young marquis was badly injured—had nearly died, even. Still, now that he was lying down in the carriage, he seemed to have settled, which was a relief. And hadn’t we peeled that clinging soul off him? No more disasters would come of this.

* * *

A few days later, the Duke and I visited the marquis’s manor to check on the young marquis. He was lying in bed when we entered, but he sat up the moment he saw us. Even with bandages wrapped around his belly, he didn’t seem to be in much pain.

“Laura! You came? And Elize, hello.”

“…Don’t get up. Just stay lying down.”

The Duke waved a hand like he couldn’t believe it. Then he stepped forward and pushed the young marquis’s head back down, forcing him flat against the bed again.

“Why~ I can’t stand being cooped up like this! I haven’t been able to go outside at all lately. Everyone here—every single person—keeps blocking me!”

“That’s because you keep moving around and reopening your wounds. If you keep this up, how am I supposed to face the marquis and his wife? Stop your nonsense and lie still.”

“Oh, come on. I’m the one reopening my wounds—what’s that got to do with you not facing my parents?”

The young marquis gave up and just moved his mouth from where he lay, his tone dripping with theatrical complaint. It seemed like this was his way of begging to be let outside.

“I’m the one who took a sick person into the forest. And then you fell off the horse again.”

The Duke replied, casually pulling the blanket up over him. Tucked in all the way to his nose, the young marquis blinked, staring at his friend with eyes full of sulky emotion.

“I don’t think so. They’d probably consider it lucky. Did I tell you? There’ve been sightings of pirates disguised as Krentisians. I was almost selected to go deal with it, but getting hurt like this got me out of it. That’s a huge win, right?”

“Honestly. You really are recovering—spouting nonsense like that.”

“What? I’m serious. I mean it. Honestly, isn’t this better than going out to fight? Right, Laura?”

The young marquis’s gaze rolled around and landed on me. He seemed desperate to get some sympathy, one way or another.

“No! I don’t like either option! I’d rather you just not get hurt at all!”

But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. I shook my head emphatically. Sure, heading off to fight pirates was worrying enough in its own right. But I didn’t want to rank which was worse—falling off a horse and getting hurt wasn’t exactly pleasant either. Especially since I’d witnessed the scene firsthand.

“Ah, really… Everyone treats me like I’m made of glass. I’ve had plenty of knight training, you know…”

The Young Marquis’s brow furrowed instantly, a sulky crease tightening between his eyes. His grumbling voice seeped out from beneath the blanket, muffled and petulant. At that, the Duke let out a disbelieving sigh, then couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well, whose fault is it for layering on souls thick as paste? If you think about it, that’s what caused this mess. Deal with it. It’s your own doing.”

“Ah… right… That’s right. I just remembered the souls clinging to me. What the hell was that about? Don’t tell me they were all the animals I hunted… or… something like that?”

Suddenly, the Young Marquis threw off the blanket and asked him. This time it was about the souls that had latched onto him. After all, that had been the cause of his injury, so it seemed a fresh curiosity had struck him.

“…There were probably some like that. According to the priest, a few of the animals you hunted got tangled up in that sword. And that drew in other lingering souls from the surroundings.”

“Really…? Well… I guess I’ll have to stop hunting for a while…”

At the Duke’s answer, he scratched one cheek with a rather awkward air. Then he stroked his chin for a moment, as if weighing something. He seemed to be mulling over the souls that had bound themselves to the sword.

“By the way, Young Marquis. That sword—the priest took it. He said once all the souls ascend, the blade will shatter.”

And I, in the meantime, abruptly cut into their conversation. The truth was, the priest had taken the sword without so much as asking the Young Marquis’s permission. Of course, the Young Marquis had been badly injured, hardly in a state to grant consent. Besides, there was an urgent need to let the souls trapped in the blade ascend as quickly as possible.

But still, it was the Young Marquis’s possession. That fact nagged at me inwardly. Unlike me, though, the Young Marquis just gave a casual shrug, as if it was no big deal.

“That’s fine. Well… it is a heirloom of House Karsen, but it can’t be helped. Getting those souls to ascend seems more important.”

“What? What?! That thing is a heirloom?!”

It came out of nowhere—an unexpected declaration that caught me off guard. I let out a startled cry. The young marquis seemed utterly unconcerned that a family heirloom might be shattered, and his nonchalance threw me. Weren’t nobles supposed to treasure their ancestral relics? Yet he acted as though it hardly mattered.