Episode 65: Ghost Estate, A New Beginning for Three People (5)
Demons weren’t prone to physical destruction like other masters, so the abandoned castle was in pretty good condition.
Except for the mess caused by the previous owners hastily packing and leaving, it felt like a summer villa that could be lived in right away without any issues.
“Muriel, come here quickly. We were dividing the rooms.”
August quickly helped Muriel, who entered the castle with shaky legs, and explained.
“I’m on the first floor.”
Muriel said so without questioning or hesitating, as she didn’t have the confidence to climb the high stairs. August scratched his forehead and shook his head.
“That could be a problem. Originally, the first floor only has guest rooms or rooms for servants, but I was planning to stay there just in case. For safety reasons.”
August quickly added he would like Kaiton to take charge of the third floor for the same reason.
August seemed deeply impressed by Kaiton’s ability to freely use both levitation magic and attack magic at the same time. He seemed to think that Kaiton could easily jump down or deal with monsters approaching from the air. It was indeed a sharp and accurate assessment.
“I think you can choose between the second or third floor. I looked around, and there are two usable rooms on each floor. Since Crawford will be using the third floor, there will be one room left there.”
“M-Muriel, how about the second floor? I think I’ll feel relieved if Muriel is in the room next to mine…”
It was Ondal.
Muriel nodded without hesitation, saying, “Sure, Ondal, that’s fine.”
“August, could you show a bit more chivalry and take me to the room? My legs are a bit… unsteady.”
“Of course. Should I carry you there?”
“That would be even better…”
“No, I-I’ll do it. I’ll… help.”
“Huh?”
She’d asked August because Ondal was uncomfortable with touching people. But now he was the one offering first. When Muriel looked at him with wonder, Ondal nervously fidgeted with his hands and reddened cheek.
“C-Can I?”
“It’s okay, but… Will you be okay?”
“Sure, it’s fine… Are you sure it’s okay?”
Ondal possessed immense strength. She thought that if Sharan Kasal didn’t have magical abilities, he could have easily overpowered him with his strength alone. His power far surpassed ordinary strength. So Ondal lifted Muriel effortlessly. Nevertheless, even though he took the initiative, Muriel knew he wasn’t as comfortable to touch her as he’d like, as Ondall squirmed and fidgeted like an uncomfortable puppy needing to poop.
“Ondal, if it’s too difficult, you can put me down.”
“It’s not that… Muriel?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you… turn your head… the other way? Our breaths… are too close…”
“Uh-huh…”
Ondal was so embarrassed that it made her feel embarrassed too…
Muriel was startled and quickly turned her head. If they were too close, he could have just lowered his arm… Because Ondal had lifted Muriel so effortlessly, their faces were almost touching, and their breaths were mingling.
After they were both embarrassed, as soon as Muriel turned her head away, he relaxed his stiffened body, and they climbed the stairs together, step by step.
Ah… he couldn’t see, though. Would that be okay?
She belatedly remembered Ondal’s black blindfold.
Muriel whispered quietly to Ondal, making sure August and Kaiton, who were still watching them from the first-floor lobby, couldn’t hear.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you could see, even just for a moment…?”
“No. Muriel has to rest. If not, I’ll… get angry…”
What a surprise…
Muriel almost let out a yelp when Ondal lowered his head and whispered in her ear.
Wasn’t he just embarrassed about their breaths touching..! To whisper so casually in her ears…
Muriel regretted not just walking on her own two feet because her heart seemed to be pounding for no reason.
“Those two. Don’t they seem too close to be just friends?”
They seem a little too close.. Auguste squinted his eyes, sensing something, and muttered, but Kaiton looked at him coldly. Kaiton had been raising his eyebrows crookedly from the moment Kaiton heard Ondal say he wanted to sleep in the room next to Muriel on the second floor.
“Not really. They look like a stupid owner and a damn dog wagging its tail for love.”
“A damn dog… Isn’t that too harsh? Hey, Crawford!”
As if he had no more words to listen to, Kaiton briskly went up the stairs. Left alone, August tilted his head, thinking about the strange trio. August was a sharp-eyed man who was feared for his ability to read people in the kingdom, but he was rather clueless when it came to matters of affection. Having always lived a life where he was popular and everyone had overflowing fondness for him, he rarely paid attention to other people’s affections. So, August could only raise his head and find something strange without grasping the complicated lines of affection among the three.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
“If I can’t call him a damn dog, can I call him a wolf cub?”
Kaiton, who was climbing the stairs, muttered irritably as he watched Ondal enter Muriel’s room.
He couldn’t move forward while he was stopped in his tracks. Unbeknownst to him, he was waiting for the wolf cub to come out of Muriel’s room. However, even though it seemed like a long time had passed since they entered together, it didn’t seem like they were considering opening the door again.
…Damn it.
Kaiton, admitting that he was bothered, stroked Fen that was next to him and spoke.
“Go to Muriel’s room.”
-Crrrr..
Fen responded cheerfully as if it had been waiting.
“Stick closely by her side from now on.”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
It was a strange dream.
It was such a bizarre and distorted dream that it took a while for her to realize she was dreaming.
Muriel was sprawled on the ground, dying.
The sun was rapidly fading from the sky. However, it wasn’t turning into night.
What was blocking the sun was the colossal star of calamity.
It was a time of the Demons when the light of the world was obscured, the divine magic was taken away, and only darkness spread to fuel the madness of demons.
Humans could not use magic in the time of the Demons.
She needed to quickly heal her wound before it became unusable, but Muriel left the bleeding wound alone. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to live. She no longer had enough pacio left to handle even simple healing spells.
If she healed herself, she would become a demon, and if she didn’t, she would die.
Muriel simply chose to die. She thought that was a little more peaceful.
Muriel saw herself slowly losing her life alone in a desolate place where no one was around.
She had a pair of blue earrings in her ears. It was the talismans that she had given to Kaiten.
Why did she have this…?
Only after thinking that did Muriel realize that she was in a dream.
Strange. As that thought continued, she finally noticed something truly strange.
She was looking at herself…
She was both in the midst of bleeding to death and at the same time watching that scene. It was as if her body and soul had separated, and both sides were clear. The sensation of dying belonged to her, and the act of witnessing it also belonged to her.
“Muriel…”
As the longed-for name escaped with weakened breath,
Tears flowed from her eyes that hadn’t yet closed.
‘I can’t die.’
She couldn’t die yet. She still had a reason to live.
So Muriel escaped to the world of demons.
It was to meet someone she missed.
And so, Muriel was reborn as the Demon King during the time when a new evil was born.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Gasp…!
Haa… gasp… gasp… gasp…
Muriel woke up from her dream, clutching her heart. The chilling sensation of her impending demise because of her pacio still lingered near her heart. The frigid touch of impending unhappiness just before turning into a demon could be felt from her tongue to the tips of her toes.
Muriel struggled to lift her limp body devoid of any strength. She wanted to go to the fireplace that was heating up the room. Wiping her sweaty and disheveled forehead with her hand, she crawled towards the fireplace. In her line of sight, she noticed Ondal and Fen.
She thought she was alone, but there they were, sleeping on someone else’s bedroom floor. Like exhausted children who had played and fought until they collapsed, the two beings hugged each other cutely. However, Muriel had no energy left to even muster a faint smile. It was too cold, and she felt too confused.
What was that dream about?
Was it a vivid dream created by Muriel’s subconscious because her pacio was extorted too harshly by Kaiton?
Or…
Could this be the prophecy of the saint who sees the threat to the kingdom?
And those earrings…
Muriel stormed out of her spot. She was still dressed in the same attire in which she’d left the bed. Her bare feet on the cold and dirty turned red. But Muriel, whose teeths were already chattering because it was cold, quickly climbed the stairs without noticing, her blue hair fluttering.
She had to get rid of them.
She couldn’t figure out what that dream meant. She couldn’t even comprehend why such a thing would happen. So she couldn’t stop it. To just wait for the future to come without being able to do anything. It was unbearable. She wanted to do something, anything.
Click.
The only thing she could recognize was that blue earring, and she could get rid of it right now. So, she rushed forward with enthusiasm, but…
“…Muriel?”
The problem was that as soon as she faced Kaiton, who had not fallen asleep and was looking back at her, her senses returned in an instant.
“Ah… you weren’t sleeping…?”
“Does that mean you came in thinking I was sleeping?”
“!”
“…You’re dressed like that?”
Kaiton furrowed his brow as he scanned Muriel. Muriel was wearing a robe she had found in the room after finishing a long, leisurely bath. It was certainly not appropriate attire for visiting someone else.
“This is…”
Furthermore, like a stealthy cat, she’d sneaked in without even knocking. It would be strange to anyone’s eyes. It must look like she had a proper plan. Did it look like she was here to seek revenge for what happened during the day…
She thought running away was the best answer, so Muriel tried to escape down the hallway, but Kaiton approached her and closed the door, trapping Muriel between him and the door.
“You look like a mess. What’s going on? Why the rush?”
Kaiton started tidying up the strands of hair that were sticking to Muriel’s forehead and cheek with a laid-pack gesture. At first glance, It seemed like he was expressing concern, but Muriel could tell. Those dark eyes were filled with malice.
Thanks! The chill time is a fun time! There is basically almost nothibg that could hurt this party of 4! An all elements wizard supplied with infinite pacio, a saint, a guardian knight, sharan’s eyes, a winter spirit!