The moment he realized the ghost's true identity, Callion felt the back of his neck stiffen. He would have been more curious if it had been an unknown entity, but the moment he realized it was a being that absolutely should not be in front of them, he was instantly struck by goosebumps.
'However...'
Callion tried to recall what he knew about Richard Hessengard.
17th Grand Duke of Hessengard.
A sincere Grand Duke who took his own life.
That was all.
Callion was shocked, as he had never imagined he knew so little about the previous Grand Duke of Hessengard.
After arriving in Hessengard, he received a separate education about the region. Starting with history, he covered customs, climate, the local language, and traditions.
Members of the council visited in turn every day without rest, and even while he was focused on recovering his health, he accepted their visits without ever avoiding them.
Among them, the most enthusiastic about education was Vanessa, the Chairwoman of the Council. Concerned about Callion's health, she would sit beside his bed and tell him the history of Hessengard as if she were telling a story, whenever he was not yet fully recovered and unable to sit and listen to a lesson.
Vanessa was quite an excellent storyteller, and thanks to her, Callion could easily hear the legends and history of Hessengard.
Didn't she sometimes even tell him behind-the-scenes stories that seemed like they would never make it into history books? But...
'There was hardly any talk about Richard Hessengaard.'
He had asked about the previous Grand Duke once. However, Vanessa gave an awkward smile, and after that, Callion no longer had any curiosity about Richard Hessengard.
Because he was too busy just trying to survive to have the luxury of harboring curiosity for someone already dead.
His death was already a done deal, and Callion found each day a struggle just to face what lay ahead. And when he regained his composure after some time, Richard Hessengard was a forgotten figure to him.
So much so that he only barely became aware of its existence a moment ago, after Erna said his name.
As Callion took a step forward to walk again, Erna, who was holding onto him, staggered. Had Callion not quickly grabbed her, she would have rolled down the stairs.
Erna, perhaps surprised as well, held onto his arm and did not move any further. The ghost was moving away, and there was no way to urge a sick person to hurry. Callion bowed low in front of Erna.
"Here."
“...”
"Hurry."
Erna moved her lips as if to say something, then climbed onto his back as if giving up. Her warm, feverish body leaned against Callion's back.
Callion lifted the exhausted Erna onto his back and followed Richard.
The heat infused in Erna’s panting breath, pouring onto his neck, grew even hotter. He could feel her body against his back growing hotter as well. As if feeling colder than before due to the rising fever, Erna trembled while hugging Callion's neck.
Nevertheless, feeling helpless at his inability to do anything, Callion walked after Richard.
The ghost came down to the first floor and walked toward the end of the hallway. Then it stopped where there was a wall.
'Are you going to get through that wall?'
He guessed that it would move like a ghost, but contrary to Callion's expectations, the ghost placed its hand on the wall. Then, the light flowing from the wall wrapped around the ghost's hand.
Callion quickly examined the wall where the ghost had placed its hand. He saw complex patterns etched into the wall, making it impossible to tell if they were writing or drawings. As the ghost placed its hand upon them, the wall opened, and it walked into the darkness beyond. Then, the ghost vanished.
“...!”
Callion, who was surprised that the ghost had suddenly disappeared, remembered the sight of the ghost opening the drawer.
It appears to open, but that is an illusion. It cannot exert any influence on the actual thing.
He hurriedly approached the wall. He saw the symbol where the ghost had raised its hand. He held Erna tightly with one hand and placed his own hand on the symbol.
He had expected a cold wall, but he felt warmth in his palm. At the same time, a strange tingling sensation. As Callion raised his hand, the pattern began to glow, and the light emanating from it enveloped his body.
The moment the light quickly swept across his body as if to examine it.
Rattle.
The wall opened, revealing the stairs in the darkness.
Even within the ruins, another alien atmosphere could be felt. Suddenly, Callion thought of the Grand Duke's Castle. Would there be something like this beyond these walls in the Grand Duke's Castle as well?
“What is this... again?”
Even while in pain, as if curious, Erna, who was being carried on his back, wriggled around, then poked her head over his shoulder and looked down.
Then she said.
“What... are you doing? Hurry up... and go.”
"You said you were scared."
“Now that you’ve come this far... there’s nothing more to be afraid of. Hurry up and follow... Him.”
As she did so, Erna patted his back with her finger as if telling him to hurry up and go.
The words welled up in his throat, but Callion decided to hold them back for now.
It would have been different if Erna were scared, but since she also wanted to go, there was no reason to hesitate. Callion cautiously went down the stairs. The stairs were quite steep, enough that if they were to fall even slightly, it was clear that both he and Erna would be seriously injured.
Just as he had been descending for quite a while, following the ghost running far ahead, the wind brushed past Callion's sweat-soaked forehead again. And finally, the end of the stairs came into view. Beyond it...
"...pillar?"
It is a massive underground space. At the end of that space, two enormous pillars seemed to be supporting the entire ruin.
Although it was the first pillar he had seen since arriving, Callion was certain of what it was.
The coat of arms symbolizing Hessengard consists of two pillars.
There was no doubt that this was the origin of that sentence.
Callion carefully set down Erna, whom he had been carrying, and caught his breath for a moment. His back, which had carried her, was already drenched in sweat.
Erna, seated on the floor, was staring at the ghost's retreating figure with a feverish, dazed face.
The moment she saw it, Erna also realized that the Hessengard crest originated from that pillar. At the same time, she sensed a trace of powerful magic.
'So this was the place.'
The wizard who was sent to Irgis's Forest said that traces of powerful magic cast in the past remained here.
However, since they could not find the actual location that would have been the center of the casting, they could not be sure if the magic had actually been cast.
'A ruin in a spatial rift, and since it is a hidden underground area even within that ruin, it is only natural that you couldn't find it.'
Erna smiled, finally relieved that the curiosity she had harbored was resolved. Callion watched her from the side with eyes full of worry. She must be in quite a bit of pain from the headache caused by the fever, yet she is smiling. Could it be that the heat has risen in her brain and her condition has become more serious?
Callion caught his breath and lifted Erna up again.
"It smells like sweat..."
"Hey."
"Is this the time to argue about that? I can't exactly tell you to just walk away," Callion grumbled, when Erna smirked and hugged him.
“...It’s not that I dislike it.”
“...”
Callion bit his lip as the arms hugged him, drenched in sweat.
Crazy. There is no need to look this pretty at a time like this. Callion sincerely cursed the current situation.
If only this place weren't like this. No, if only there weren't things like ghosts. No, if only Erna weren't sick...
Grinding his teeth, Callion approached the pillar while tightly holding Erna. In the meantime, the ghost had already arrived in front of the pillar. As the two approached the ghost, they soon noticed something strange.
It was clearly an intact pillar. However, the moment the ghost touched one of the pillars, it appeared to be riddled with fine cracks, making it seem as though that part might collapse at any moment.
'So that's what it was like in the past.'
It has been 10 years since Richard Hessengard died. That implies that a new pillar has been erected in the span of 10 years...
'That can't be true.'
Not only was it impossible to construct a new pillar of this size, but it was even more impossible to move it to the ruins.
'Did they restore the pillar?'
However, Callion did not know a way to restore the pillar, which had been shattered to such an extent, to its current state as cleanly as it was. Then there is only one answer.
'Magic.'
It was said that the first Grand Duke of Hessengard was a wizard. If so, there was a high probability that some ancient magic was cast upon those two pillars as well.
The ghost leaned his hand on the pillar and lowered his head. Even though it was a blurry apparition, it was easy to tell that he was crying.
He was weeping desperately. With a face so sorrowful that one would think, "Even if I lost all my limbs, I couldn't cry like that."
After weeping while leaning against a pillar for a long time, he took something out of his pocket. It was a dagger with a gleaming blade. Grasping it with both hands, he...
"Oh!"
Erna, who had been watching the ghost, turned her head in surprise. The ghost stabbed itself in the neck with a dagger without hesitation. Since it was an illusion composed of hazy light, the red color of the blood was not visible, but the sight of the blood flowing down his neck and soaking his clothes was vivid.
With that, the ghost's figure vanished. At the same time, magical lights lit up in the dark space.
The two people, relying on the faint light of a ghost, closed and opened their eyes at the sudden outpouring of light. A massive pillar still stood before them.
It was a vast space. At the same time, it was also a space with nothing but pillars.
What should I do from now on?
While Callion was deep in thought, Erna, in his arms, muttered.
“When coming in... that pattern...”
"Are you talking about the one that was attached to the wall?"
“Yeah, that...”
Erna opened her mouth with difficulty.
“I... saw that... where we fell...”
“Gasp, gasp...”
Sweat poured down from Callion's forehead like rain. He couldn't even properly remember how he had gotten out of the underground.
Erna, who was being carried on his back, let out a few groans and eventually lost consciousness. When he briefly touched her forehead, it was burning hot. Even though she was unconscious, Erna occasionally mumbled that she was in pain, and tears streamed down her face.
He wonders what on earth kind of illness it is that is causing such a hard time.
Callion, having returned to the place where the two had first fallen, looked through the walls one by one in search of a place with a pattern, as it seemed impossible for Erna, whom he was carrying, to regain consciousness.
"I found it."
It is clearly the symbol he raised his hand to before entering the underground. And if he raises his hand to this again...
Callion paused for a moment and looked back.
There is so much to see in this place. This structure resembles a grand castle, the objects, the ghosts, and even the pillars underground.
There is a secret in the past that they were not even aware of because no one mentioned it. But...
Callion took Erna down from his back, held her in his arms, and approached the symbol.
What was important to him right now was not things like secrets.
He recalled the image of Erna nodding her head and her face turning red at his confession.
She is his wife. And now, she is also his lover.
What was important to him right now was the reality within his embrace.
Callion placed his hand on the symbol without hesitation. As he did so, the same light he had seen before entering the underground enveloped his hand, and at the same time, he felt a dizzying sensation of falling.
“..!”
Callion instinctively hugged Erna, as if nothing could hurt her.
The surrounding landscape changed chaotically. And the moment the hard ground was trampled beneath his feet.
“Grand Duke!”
“Grand Duke Callion!”
Familiar voices were heard.
“Cedric? Orpheus?”
It was undoubtedly their lieutenants, Cedric and Orpheus, who were watching him with surprised faces from a short distance away.
Callion looked around. The first thing he felt was the cool, refreshing forest air. Next was the blinding, intense sunlight.
It was clearly the Forest of Irgis where they had been.
He doesn't know how much time has passed, but the sun was now high in the sky, whereas it had been a dark night when the two people disappeared.
Callion shouted at the two people running toward him with surprised faces.
“Prepare your horses! We’re going straight to the Grand Duke’s castle!”
Erna lay limp in his arms with her eyes still closed.
'However...'
Callion tried to recall what he knew about Richard Hessengard.
17th Grand Duke of Hessengard.
A sincere Grand Duke who took his own life.
That was all.
Callion was shocked, as he had never imagined he knew so little about the previous Grand Duke of Hessengard.
After arriving in Hessengard, he received a separate education about the region. Starting with history, he covered customs, climate, the local language, and traditions.
Members of the council visited in turn every day without rest, and even while he was focused on recovering his health, he accepted their visits without ever avoiding them.
Among them, the most enthusiastic about education was Vanessa, the Chairwoman of the Council. Concerned about Callion's health, she would sit beside his bed and tell him the history of Hessengard as if she were telling a story, whenever he was not yet fully recovered and unable to sit and listen to a lesson.
Vanessa was quite an excellent storyteller, and thanks to her, Callion could easily hear the legends and history of Hessengard.
Didn't she sometimes even tell him behind-the-scenes stories that seemed like they would never make it into history books? But...
'There was hardly any talk about Richard Hessengaard.'
He had asked about the previous Grand Duke once. However, Vanessa gave an awkward smile, and after that, Callion no longer had any curiosity about Richard Hessengard.
Because he was too busy just trying to survive to have the luxury of harboring curiosity for someone already dead.
His death was already a done deal, and Callion found each day a struggle just to face what lay ahead. And when he regained his composure after some time, Richard Hessengard was a forgotten figure to him.
So much so that he only barely became aware of its existence a moment ago, after Erna said his name.
As Callion took a step forward to walk again, Erna, who was holding onto him, staggered. Had Callion not quickly grabbed her, she would have rolled down the stairs.
Erna, perhaps surprised as well, held onto his arm and did not move any further. The ghost was moving away, and there was no way to urge a sick person to hurry. Callion bowed low in front of Erna.
"Here."
“...”
"Hurry."
Erna moved her lips as if to say something, then climbed onto his back as if giving up. Her warm, feverish body leaned against Callion's back.
Callion lifted the exhausted Erna onto his back and followed Richard.
The heat infused in Erna’s panting breath, pouring onto his neck, grew even hotter. He could feel her body against his back growing hotter as well. As if feeling colder than before due to the rising fever, Erna trembled while hugging Callion's neck.
Nevertheless, feeling helpless at his inability to do anything, Callion walked after Richard.
The ghost came down to the first floor and walked toward the end of the hallway. Then it stopped where there was a wall.
'Are you going to get through that wall?'
He guessed that it would move like a ghost, but contrary to Callion's expectations, the ghost placed its hand on the wall. Then, the light flowing from the wall wrapped around the ghost's hand.
Callion quickly examined the wall where the ghost had placed its hand. He saw complex patterns etched into the wall, making it impossible to tell if they were writing or drawings. As the ghost placed its hand upon them, the wall opened, and it walked into the darkness beyond. Then, the ghost vanished.
“...!”
Callion, who was surprised that the ghost had suddenly disappeared, remembered the sight of the ghost opening the drawer.
It appears to open, but that is an illusion. It cannot exert any influence on the actual thing.
He hurriedly approached the wall. He saw the symbol where the ghost had raised its hand. He held Erna tightly with one hand and placed his own hand on the symbol.
He had expected a cold wall, but he felt warmth in his palm. At the same time, a strange tingling sensation. As Callion raised his hand, the pattern began to glow, and the light emanating from it enveloped his body.
The moment the light quickly swept across his body as if to examine it.
Rattle.
The wall opened, revealing the stairs in the darkness.
Even within the ruins, another alien atmosphere could be felt. Suddenly, Callion thought of the Grand Duke's Castle. Would there be something like this beyond these walls in the Grand Duke's Castle as well?
“What is this... again?”
Even while in pain, as if curious, Erna, who was being carried on his back, wriggled around, then poked her head over his shoulder and looked down.
Then she said.
“What... are you doing? Hurry up... and go.”
"You said you were scared."
“Now that you’ve come this far... there’s nothing more to be afraid of. Hurry up and follow... Him.”
As she did so, Erna patted his back with her finger as if telling him to hurry up and go.
Am I what you're talking about?
It would have been different if Erna were scared, but since she also wanted to go, there was no reason to hesitate. Callion cautiously went down the stairs. The stairs were quite steep, enough that if they were to fall even slightly, it was clear that both he and Erna would be seriously injured.
Just as he had been descending for quite a while, following the ghost running far ahead, the wind brushed past Callion's sweat-soaked forehead again. And finally, the end of the stairs came into view. Beyond it...
"...pillar?"
It is a massive underground space. At the end of that space, two enormous pillars seemed to be supporting the entire ruin.
Although it was the first pillar he had seen since arriving, Callion was certain of what it was.
The coat of arms symbolizing Hessengard consists of two pillars.
There was no doubt that this was the origin of that sentence.
Callion carefully set down Erna, whom he had been carrying, and caught his breath for a moment. His back, which had carried her, was already drenched in sweat.
Erna, seated on the floor, was staring at the ghost's retreating figure with a feverish, dazed face.
The moment she saw it, Erna also realized that the Hessengard crest originated from that pillar. At the same time, she sensed a trace of powerful magic.
'So this was the place.'
The wizard who was sent to Irgis's Forest said that traces of powerful magic cast in the past remained here.
However, since they could not find the actual location that would have been the center of the casting, they could not be sure if the magic had actually been cast.
'A ruin in a spatial rift, and since it is a hidden underground area even within that ruin, it is only natural that you couldn't find it.'
Erna smiled, finally relieved that the curiosity she had harbored was resolved. Callion watched her from the side with eyes full of worry. She must be in quite a bit of pain from the headache caused by the fever, yet she is smiling. Could it be that the heat has risen in her brain and her condition has become more serious?
Callion caught his breath and lifted Erna up again.
"It smells like sweat..."
"Hey."
"Is this the time to argue about that? I can't exactly tell you to just walk away," Callion grumbled, when Erna smirked and hugged him.
“...It’s not that I dislike it.”
“...”
Callion bit his lip as the arms hugged him, drenched in sweat.
Crazy. There is no need to look this pretty at a time like this. Callion sincerely cursed the current situation.
If only this place weren't like this. No, if only there weren't things like ghosts. No, if only Erna weren't sick...
Grinding his teeth, Callion approached the pillar while tightly holding Erna. In the meantime, the ghost had already arrived in front of the pillar. As the two approached the ghost, they soon noticed something strange.
It was clearly an intact pillar. However, the moment the ghost touched one of the pillars, it appeared to be riddled with fine cracks, making it seem as though that part might collapse at any moment.
'So that's what it was like in the past.'
It has been 10 years since Richard Hessengard died. That implies that a new pillar has been erected in the span of 10 years...
'That can't be true.'
Not only was it impossible to construct a new pillar of this size, but it was even more impossible to move it to the ruins.
'Did they restore the pillar?'
However, Callion did not know a way to restore the pillar, which had been shattered to such an extent, to its current state as cleanly as it was. Then there is only one answer.
'Magic.'
It was said that the first Grand Duke of Hessengard was a wizard. If so, there was a high probability that some ancient magic was cast upon those two pillars as well.
The ghost leaned his hand on the pillar and lowered his head. Even though it was a blurry apparition, it was easy to tell that he was crying.
He was weeping desperately. With a face so sorrowful that one would think, "Even if I lost all my limbs, I couldn't cry like that."
After weeping while leaning against a pillar for a long time, he took something out of his pocket. It was a dagger with a gleaming blade. Grasping it with both hands, he...
"Oh!"
Erna, who had been watching the ghost, turned her head in surprise. The ghost stabbed itself in the neck with a dagger without hesitation. Since it was an illusion composed of hazy light, the red color of the blood was not visible, but the sight of the blood flowing down his neck and soaking his clothes was vivid.
With that, the ghost's figure vanished. At the same time, magical lights lit up in the dark space.
The two people, relying on the faint light of a ghost, closed and opened their eyes at the sudden outpouring of light. A massive pillar still stood before them.
It was a vast space. At the same time, it was also a space with nothing but pillars.
What should I do from now on?
While Callion was deep in thought, Erna, in his arms, muttered.
“When coming in... that pattern...”
"Are you talking about the one that was attached to the wall?"
“Yeah, that...”
Erna opened her mouth with difficulty.
“I... saw that... where we fell...”
***
“Gasp, gasp...”
Sweat poured down from Callion's forehead like rain. He couldn't even properly remember how he had gotten out of the underground.
Erna, who was being carried on his back, let out a few groans and eventually lost consciousness. When he briefly touched her forehead, it was burning hot. Even though she was unconscious, Erna occasionally mumbled that she was in pain, and tears streamed down her face.
He wonders what on earth kind of illness it is that is causing such a hard time.
Callion, having returned to the place where the two had first fallen, looked through the walls one by one in search of a place with a pattern, as it seemed impossible for Erna, whom he was carrying, to regain consciousness.
"I found it."
It is clearly the symbol he raised his hand to before entering the underground. And if he raises his hand to this again...
Callion paused for a moment and looked back.
There is so much to see in this place. This structure resembles a grand castle, the objects, the ghosts, and even the pillars underground.
There is a secret in the past that they were not even aware of because no one mentioned it. But...
Callion took Erna down from his back, held her in his arms, and approached the symbol.
What was important to him right now was not things like secrets.
He recalled the image of Erna nodding her head and her face turning red at his confession.
She is his wife. And now, she is also his lover.
What was important to him right now was the reality within his embrace.
Callion placed his hand on the symbol without hesitation. As he did so, the same light he had seen before entering the underground enveloped his hand, and at the same time, he felt a dizzying sensation of falling.
“..!”
Callion instinctively hugged Erna, as if nothing could hurt her.
The surrounding landscape changed chaotically. And the moment the hard ground was trampled beneath his feet.
“Grand Duke!”
“Grand Duke Callion!”
Familiar voices were heard.
“Cedric? Orpheus?”
It was undoubtedly their lieutenants, Cedric and Orpheus, who were watching him with surprised faces from a short distance away.
Callion looked around. The first thing he felt was the cool, refreshing forest air. Next was the blinding, intense sunlight.
It was clearly the Forest of Irgis where they had been.
He doesn't know how much time has passed, but the sun was now high in the sky, whereas it had been a dark night when the two people disappeared.
Callion shouted at the two people running toward him with surprised faces.
“Prepare your horses! We’re going straight to the Grand Duke’s castle!”
Erna lay limp in his arms with her eyes still closed.
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