WTBHI 25

Episode 25

“Good heavens, how utterly bizarre! Doesn’t this seem like a witch’s doing?”

“A witch? Don’t tell me you still believe in such nonsense! It’s obviously the work of an assassin! Everyone knows the Loreth family was drowning in debt—even stray dogs on the street! They couldn’t repay, so they were killed off in the end.”

Gremory wandered among the crowd, gathering information. According to the rumors, the entire Loreth family—along with their servants—had died in their home. All except one: the eldest son, Allen Loreth.

The dead all shared one eerie similarity: they had either drowned themselves in the lake or strangled themselves to death, as if possessed by vengeful spirits.

Perhaps because the incident was so bizarre, even a week later, people still gathered in front of the mansion to whisper ghost stories. Just like now.

“Then how do you explain the servants who died by strangling themselves?”

“The assassin must have strangled them first, then moved their hands to make it look like suicide!”

“Then what about Allen Loreth, who still wanders the house like a ghost? Anyone can see he’s been severely possessed by something!”

“He’s just gone mad from shock. Losing his entire family in a single night would drive anyone insane.”

Having grasped the gist of what happened, Gremory strode toward the Loreth mansion. No one stopped the black cat slipping through the slightly ajar front door.

Inside, the house was in complete disarray.

Iris, who had followed her in, cautiously surveyed the scene.

—Goodness… This is too cruel. No matter how deep in debt they were, massacring an entire family is barbaric. Civilized people should resolve things through legal means.

“I doubt this was just about debt.”

—What do you mean?

“There’s a dark energy on the second floor.”

Now in human form, Gremory climbed the creaky stairs.

In a small, filthy bedroom, Allen Loreth sat on his bed, his mind utterly broken.

Gremory crossed her arms and stared at him.

Allen was in a state of silent madness. And behind him, clinging to his back, was a bleeding female ghost. The ghost glared at Gremory, her hands poised as if to strangle Allen.

Gremory immediately recognized her nature.

A vengeful spirit.

Vengeful spirits could inflict pain and create eerie phenomena—similar to witches, but with one key difference: they suffered just as much as those they tormented.

And they were obsessively fixated on something. They burned their own souls until their goal was achieved, usually tied to grudges from their past life.

‘Judging by her appearance, she must hold a grudge against Allen. She probably slaughtered the servants and the entire family too.’

Had the price of a dead being influencing the living taken its toll? The spirit looked even more tattered than Allen.

‘Did she resent the Loreth family enough to reduce herself to this state? How vicious. Getting tangled with something like this would be even more troublesome than paperwork.’

Gremory turned to leave, deciding it wasn’t her problem—until Iris grabbed her shoulder.

—Please help her.

“……What?”

—I was almost turned into a vengeful spirit myself because of the witch hunts, so I understand. That woman must be in agony right now. Please help her.

Gremory shot Iris a glare. Why should she help a stranger—no, not even a living person?

—Because she’s one of your brother’s subjects. At some point, she must have smiled at you, praised you as a saint. Isn’t that reason enough?

“That’s not reason enough. She’s just a damned ghost throwing a tantrum. Helping her would mean joining in on her rampage.”

—She must have had a reason for lashing out. Find out what it is. Maybe there’s a peaceful way to resolve this.

“Ugh, why are you so invested in other people’s problems? Annoying.”

—I told you, I almost became a vengeful spirit too. That’s why it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem. If it’s too hard for you, imagine that spirit is someone close to you.

Gremory pouted. Did she really have to go that far to help?

Yet, unbidden, Renia’s face surfaced in her mind.

Renia.

You died after a witch possessed by a demon devoured your soul. That witch’s goal was to bind me completely to the demon world—by severing the thread connecting me to the human world through the summoning.

When I realized you had died while I was briefly in the demon world, I clutched the burning thread and descended to the human world, only to face your corpse. I desperately tried to revive you until the thread burned away completely.

‘If kind, innocent you became a vengeful spirit, there would only be one reason.’

Resentment toward the witch who killed you. Or—

‘……Resentment toward me, for causing your death.’

The thought of Renia as a vengeful spirit made her heart sink. A wave of discomfort, thick and suffocating, rose within her.

What was this emotion? She couldn’t identify it, but one thing was certain: if someone as close as Renia had become a vengeful spirit, she would have helped without question. No—even if they weren’t close, she would have at least asked why they held such resentment.

And perhaps this vengeful spirit had once been as kind as Renia. If a good person had been wronged and turned into a vengeful spirit, what choice was there but to help?

“Fine. I’ll help.”

Gremory addressed the spirit threatening to strangle Allen.

“Why do you want to choke him?”

—……

“Look at her, refusing to answer. I went out of my way to ask, and she stays silent. Vengeful spirits are all like this—stubborn beyond belief.”

Grumbling, Gremory glanced at Iris, who forced a smile and spoke to the spirit.

—We’ll help you. If you have a grievance, please tell us. By the way, this woman is the strongest witch from the demon world—she can help with anything.

The spirit stared at Gremory, who bared her crimson eyes and long fangs, instantly proving her identity. The spirit flinched, then spoke.

—I was Allen’s lover.

—Yes, and then?

—One day, his family fell into insurmountable debt, and I tried to break up with him. But Allen wouldn’t let me go. He clung to me, relentless. In the end, I took him back, and after that……

The spirit clutched Allen’s neck, fury radiating from her.

—Because I was Allen’s lover, the debt collectors took me. They used me to threaten him, beat me, toyed with me……! And then they killed me! If Allen had just let me go, I wouldn’t have been dragged into the Loreth family’s mess!

“So you killed the entire Loreth family?”

—Yes! And even after I died like this, the Loreths were desperate to hide my death to protect their reputation! Even Allen, the man I trusted, buried my body in the mountains to conceal it!

The spirit howled in anguish.

Gremory fell into thought.

‘Huh? This is similar to my situation.’

Allen, burdened by debt, reminded her of herself—hunted by witches. Right now, she lived peacefully because her location remained hidden, but how long would that last?

What if the witches attacked the Grand Duke’s residence? What if they took the household hostage?

What if the people of the Grand Duke’s residence resented her, just like this spirit?

……What if they all died because of her?

Her heart lurched again. Gremory tried to identify the emotion she was feeling.

‘In demonology, humans feel “guilt” when they’ve done something wrong. We were taught to exploit that to make their souls tastier, but…’

By human standards, this emotion was undoubtedly guilt. And it was horrifying.

‘I felt guilty about Renia’s death. That’s why my hands trembled so badly in front of her corpse.’

Not wanting this terrible feeling to grow any stronger, Gremory made a silent vow.

‘I won’t cling to the Grand Duke’s residence like Allen did.’

It was a resolution that left her chest heavy.

“Tell me where your body is buried. I’ll purify you so you won’t suffer anymore.”

—……Under the red rock in the northwestern mountain.

“Anything else you want?”

—Just give my body a proper burial. That’s enough.

Gremory dug up the spirit’s remains and carried them to the Emerald Forest.

As she did, she silently reaffirmed her decision.

I must leave the Grand Duke’s residence soon.