She knows what Jace is up to these days from Florier, who occasionally stops by Simone's room for no reason.
She said he recently started eating proper meals, moving away from soups made with just ground-up ingredients.
She also heard from the butler about what had happened during that long time and that he was still learning the language he was lacking.
In the process, she heard Florier say with emotion that she had naturally lifted the curse and told him about Simone, who had saved him, and that soon he would be able to hire a tutor.
So, even though she had never seen it in person, she used to think that fortunately, the saint's desire was well-received.
In fact, unless the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess specifically called her to Jace's room, Simone would rarely visit the Grand Duke's room after he regained consciousness.
So, it was the first time Simone saw Jace's healthy face in person.
His face is still gaunt, though it's hard to see. But he definitely looks healthier than when she last saw him.
“Simone, how about you at least give him a glance at this point? It’s a shame that he's been hiding and watching you because he wanted to talk to you all this time-”
Bianchi played along as if she was driving. At her words, Simone turned her head silently and looked at Jace.
Then, Jace was startled and panicked and ran away like a herbivore running away.
“He ran away.”
Simone looked away indifferently and continued reporting to the Marquis of Barrington.
“It will probably take about three days to make the talisman. What will you do, Your Grace? Will you come with me?”
“If it doesn’t bother you, then don’t do that.”
Although he was the same age as Simone, his actions were clearly those of a shy eighteen-year-old.
***
A few days later, Simone, Louis, Abel, and the Marquis of Berrington headed back to the closed orphanage.
“Simone.”
Arriving at the orphanage, Marquis Barrington looked around with a gruff expression on his face.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
Simone nodded at his worried words.
“Don’t leave my side.”
“Of course, there are still nearly thirty ghosts inside-”
As Bianchi teased the stiff-faced Marquis of Barrington, Orkan glared at her and smiled at the Marquis as if trying to fool him.
“It’ll be okay. Haven’t you been here once already? Wasn’t it okay then?”
“That’s true, but...”
The Marquis of Barrington recalled the condition of the headmaster and teachers he had seen at Illeston Manor.
Not only was there no holy place, but there were traces of blood flowing out from the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and everywhere else.
Besides, they didn't seem to be in their right mind.
He doesn't know about Simone or the hardy adventurers with her, but wouldn't most common people like the Marquis of Barrington end up like the director and teachers if they fall for the spirits that lurk there?
These are ghosts that can harm people to such an extent if they want to, so can they really be banished with a piece of paper called a talisman like Simone said?
Of course, it wasn't just any ordinary paper, it was paper that had absorbed Simone's powerful death mana, but the method of exorcising it was so simple that he couldn't help but suspect that it wasn't safe.
But Simone's steps had already begun to move towards the orphanage.
In fact, as she had explained to Barrington, not all the ghosts in this orphanage were so weak that they could be banished with a talisman or something.
Having lived in an orphanage and been directly bullied by them, there were quite a few ghosts that Simone had to use quite a bit of force to get rid of if they resisted disappearing.
The most representative example was the nine-foot ghost hanging on Simone's shoulder.
This ghost would be no match for a talisman.
Because it's not just a ghost that scares people, it's a ghost that can actually kill them.
Nevertheless, the reason Simone said that it was easy to exorcise this large number of ghosts was because of the will of these orphanage ghosts.
The ghosts that cannot escape from this place are like resident spirits, so to speak.
A ghost is tied to this orphanage building, although the reason is unknown.
That was the reason why the ghosts that had been persistently harassing Simone did not chase her after she ran away, except for the nine ghosts.
Also, there probably wasn't a big reason why they were harassing Simone.
The ghosts were bound, but no one noticed them, so Simone was the only one who could see and hear them.
They tormented Simone by chasing after momentary pleasure like that.
In addition, they had been killing time by locking up the director and teacher who had come to pack their belongings and taking revenge on Simone instead.
But now? Now that the orphanage is closed?
There is no Simone who recognizes their existence. There are no people who can occasionally joke around or watch them.
There is only silence. In this place where there is nothing, they just spend eternity without doing anything.
In empty space, with nothing.
Their feet are tied and they can't go out and find fun.
Simone planned to use the will of the ghosts who had lost their play to exorcise them.
***
Entering the orphanage building with Simone and her party, Marquis Barrington was able to witness an indescribably bizarre sight.
As soon as the door opened and Simone and them stepped inside, a thick, smelly substance like pus began to flow down the walls from all directions.
“...What is this situation?”
As the Marquis of Barrington muttered in surprise, Wren, who was standing next to him, spoke quietly so as not to disturb Simone.
“Haven’t you seen it, Your Grace? I’ve only seen the ghost here once.”
The ghosts here are different in nature from ghosts born from curses.
That's why it was difficult to even see it unless you were someone with particularly strong inspiration.
However, since they are something that clearly exists, they sometimes appear as strange phenomena.
Louis took a step back to avoid the liquid that had already flowed to his feet and looked at Simone.
Simone was staring straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to the smelly liquid.
“Looking at it this way, it’s quite bizarre.”
Orkan also frowned and showed his refusal to see the same thing Simone saw.
“There really is everything in the world.”
Marquis Barrington looked at Orkan, who was muttering, and said without realizing it.
“What on earth is that kid looking at?”
Then, Simone, who had been standing still and looking straight ahead, suddenly turned around and smiled.
“Are you curious?”
The Marquis of Barrington almost shook his head in fear at the nuance that seemed to suggest that she would show it to him if she wanted to, but after thinking about it for a moment, he nodded.
"I'm curious."
The dead were crowded into this place, and seeing it with his own eyes was a terrifying thing even for the Marquis of Barrington, but he was still curious.
No, he had to see it.
'For my lord.'
To find out what threatens his lord and this empire.
He wanted to see and understand the ghosts that Simone, a necromancer, spoke of with a smile and a light heart.
Simone nodded at his words and spoke into the air.
“I’m never coming here again.”
As expected, there was no answer.
Simone continued talking, whether or not he liked it.
“And this building, we’re going to tear it down today.”
Simone pointed to the Marquis of Barrington.
“That person.”
At that moment, Marquis Barrington gasped in surprise. For a moment, dozens of eyes floated in the air, glaring at Marquis Barrington before disappearing.
A disembodied soul only reveals itself when it is deeply engrossed in thought.
It was on this principle that Barrington briefly saw a part of the soul.
Simone laughed softly and took the amulet out of her bosom, saying that it was time to really get started.
“Wouldn’t it be better to take this and disappear than to be trapped in a place with nothing forever?”
Simone waved the talisman in the air.
“I’ll tell you again, I’m not coming here anymore. This is your last chance to disappear.”
With those words, Simone held out a talisman.
Then, surprisingly, the amulet disappeared as if it was on fire, and the same result occurred every time Simone handed over the amulet.
As each piece disappeared, and eventually all the talismans were burned, the liquid that had filled the walls of the hallway disappeared as if it were a lie, leaving only broken furniture, dust, and food behind.
Simone shook her hands and turned around.
“It's all over.”
“...Did all those ghosts really go away thanks to the talisman?”
“Yes. Now you won’t see ghosts or anything like that. They’re all gone.”
Except one.
Simone swallowed her words with a smile.
The nine-foot ghost still hangs on Simone's shoulder.
She tried to send it away naturally along with the ghosts from other orphanages, but it just laughed and didn't accept the talisman and just burned it.
She knew it was a level of ghost that could harm humans, but she didn't think it would be able to burn an amulet that contained even a small amount of death mana, so she broke out in a cold sweat.
'What on earth does this woman have to say that she's holding out and not going?'
It was a long time after meeting the old ghost that her curiosity arose, but Simone did not bother to ask the ghost and just pretended not to know and returned to the mansion.
Now, this orphanage will be a place where the nine ghosts will stay alone while Simone is in the mansion.
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