58 – The Ghost Appears
The crypt.
The leader nervously tapped the chessboard.
The Spider was facing its greatest crisis since its establishment.
Originally having eight legs and a head, the Spider now only had six legs left. But for now, things were still manageable. Balancing with three legs on the left and three on the right was enough.
Nevertheless, it meant that the number of moves the Spider could make was limited. As the leader, each move was precious.
“Witch. Why didn’t you help the Empire?”
The Spider had been secretly aiding the Empire from behind.
They gathered evidence of corruption in the Imperial Court and passed it on to the Empire, even lending a hand in creating their potions and miracles.
Because they all had a common goal of “bringing down the Empire.”
However, due to the propaganda of the empire, the holy kingdom collapsed. Moreover, the corruption that the kingdom had hidden was exposed to the public.
In particular, it was revealed to be true that the pope of the holy kingdom indulged in debauchery.
Many people abandoned their faith, and the state religion of the empire was no longer a respected denomination.
“If it were you, you could have prevented this situation.”
The witch bent the brim of her hat with her finger.
“You’re overestimating my abilities. I can’t turn back spilled water, no matter who I am.”
“I heard that it could have been prevented. Witch. Don’t tell me you’re feeling sympathetic now? You…”
The witch snapped her finger. Flames flickered and illuminated the witch’s face. Eyes filled with hatred and contempt were revealed.
“Stop it.”
“You went too far. I apologize. However, witch, you need to prove your worth to us this time. Because you failed in your mission.”
“Fine. What do you need? Speak.”
The leader said, looking down at the chessboard.
“Kill the emperor.”
The witch’s face changed slightly.
“Why? He is incompetent. Delaying his death as long as possible would be harmful to the empire.”
“That’s an old story now. The real power of the empire is in the hands of the crown prince. The emperor is useless now. It’s a bit early, but we need to speed up our plans.”
The leader tilted the vial of poison.
“You’ve been supplying drugs to Ascal. It’s very beneficial to us. Change the contents of that drug to a poisonous one. And Earl Erindale, he will be the murderer of the emperor.”
Even Ascal, if accused of assassinating the emperor, would find it difficult to escape. The empire would lose both their emperor and their dragon at the same time.
“Forger. Prepare a plausible story. We know. Sometimes, a pen can be much more powerful than a sword.”
“Fine. Last time was my defeat. This time, it will be difficult for even Grar to escape.”
The spider spins its web.
And the target of that trap is none other than Ascal.
This time, he won’t be able to escape the spider’s web.
“Minister, I see a ghost!”
Sushia opened the office door and came in.
Ascal, who was about to offer the mask, paused for a moment when he saw Sushia. Sushia, who had lost weight and had brighter skin from her training as a saint, made him wonder.
When a friend who was always casual suddenly dressed up, he couldn’t help but think, “Has she always been this beautiful?”
But she was still Sushia.
“Has she finally gone insane?”
“Really? Over there, over there! There’s a ghost behind Minister! “
“Jinpyeong… Is this going too far? Well, it is a place of magic, so a ghost might be possible. Alright. How does the ghost look?”
Sushia glanced silently at Ascal’s back for a moment and then gasped.
“It has no head. And it’s, it’s cursing the Minister!”
“…?”
“It’s saying, ‘That’s my seat… Give me back my seat,’ over and over.”
Ascal, considering whether to ignore Sushia’s absurd joke, coincidentally found it fitting to engage in banter.
“A seat? I can certainly make way.”
Ascal stood up.
“A ghost has taken the Minister’s seat.”
“And?”
“It’s not doing anything. But it seems satisfied.”
A ghost occupying this chair – not a bad jest for amusement.
“What is the ghost doing now?”
“It’s lying on the desk. Seems like it’s taking a nap.”
What on earth is this ghost doing?
“Sushia, the ‘almost saintly.’ Why not exorcise the ghost with your sanctity.”
“Come to think of it, I learned something from the pulpit. Shall I try it?”
Ascal nodded.
His leg was starting to ache a bit.
It was the perfect moment to end the jest.
Sushia approached the chair where the ghost supposedly sat, placing his palm as if above the head of someone seated there.
“Speak your name.”
A convincingly acted performance.
With a heart watching to see how far the prank would go, Ascal folded his arms.
“Oh, oh, oh. M-My name is…”
“What?”
Suddenly, a light emitted from Sushia’s palm, illuminating the ghost as its form gradually became visible to Ascal, too.
It was a figure that seemed like a headless, overweight man.
– Karis Sorem.
“Sir?”
He was the head of the evaluation department who had his throat slit with a single word while accompanying the emperor.
No, were there really ghosts?
“You do not belong here, so stop clinging and go where you must go.”
“No, I hate it. I want to be a leader. Not like this.”
Ascal continued to walk.
And he gathered the appointment letter, badge, and seal and handed them all to the ghost.
“Take them all.”
It was a sincere request.
Ascal was a man ready to pass on his leadership position at any time.
“Oh, dance, dance.”
“Dance?”
“Dance, dance once.”
As the temporary leader, the ghost immediately began to bully.
Susia looked at Ascal in disbelief.
“Do as he asks.”
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“It’s hard…”
Susia began to perform the dance she learned from the School of Stars.
Sway, sway.
“Oh, oh, terrible, terrible.”
“What?”
“You can’t dance horribly.”
And the ghost, satisfied, emitted a bright light and disappeared.
“I tried so hard. But was my dance really that bad?”
“Hmm.”
It’s best to save words in situations like this.
Ascal sat back in his chair.
“Living, you see all sorts of things.”
“Now, will you believe me?”
However, not too long ago I had a conversation with starlight. So, there’s no reason to be surprised by ghosts now.
“By the way, this is a big problem. Seeing ghosts? It would be impossible to live.”
“I know. What should we do now?”
It seemed like the result of training as a candidate for a saint, Soo Sia’s inspiration had developed and this had happened.
“So, does that mean that if I become a saint, I have to see ghosts every day?”
It was a close call.
I made the right decision to reject the offer back then.
“I can’t help you with this. I might not know if I were an occult expert. Wait a moment.”
Come to think of it, there was a place I remembered.
The Witch’s Forest.
Perhaps there, I could solve Soo Sia’s problem.
“But seeing ghosts might not necessarily be a bad thing. Soo Sia. Isn’t there at least something to keep you from being bored?”
“You easily say that it’s someone else’s problem. Minister. The 22nd chapter, second line of the Star’s Scripture!”
“Do not turn away from a person in difficulty, but treat them as if they were another body. Ouch.”
It popped up automatically.
This is why rote learning is a problem.
“Please don’t ignore the sheep in trouble, Father.”
“I can’t believe it, how did you memorize the scripture?”
“The truth is, that’s the only part I memorized. I thought I could use it someday, so it was worth memorizing.”
So, Soo Sia, who almost became a saint, and Ascal, an official priest of the Star Church (just before its dismantling), headed towards the Witch’s Forest.
It was an hour after Ria finished her work and returned to her empty office.
“Wow. Of all the things I’ve heard before, this is the best!”
“Our Perga isn’t joking around after all.”
Wearing wing blinds, Perga flew with Ascal and Soo Sia towards the Witch’s Forest.
As if considering the owner, Perga slowed down in rough terrain and smoothly passed obstacles, providing the best riding experience.
Ascal had a reason for heading towards the Witch’s Forest, in addition to Soo Sia.
“I need to procure a map for making crystal tea soon.”
Even at the Evaluation Bureau, Ascal had always managed to bring the crystal tea he personally made to the emperor. As a result, the emperor’s physical condition improved to the point where he could even go hunting.
If the emperor dies, there will be a major upheaval in the empire.
It would be best to escape from the empire before that happens. Although various attempts so far have been fruitless, human dreams do not end easily.
“Minister, there’s something that must be told right now.”
Sushia placed her hand on Ascal’s waist.
Her voice trembled slightly.
Ascal glanced back at Sushia and saw that her face was flushed.
“Is it something that absolutely cannot wait?”
“Yes. I can’t bear it any longer.”
“Tell me.”
The wind blew and Sushia’s white hair fluttered. Her contemplative face moved her lips as if she were also a young girl.
“I’m itchy.”
“It’s finally the right time.”
Ascal stopped Fer.
“Go and come back.”
The Witch’s Forest was just around the corner.
With plenty of trees, it provided optimal cover.
Sushia hurriedly moved her feet.
And then.
“Ahh!”
“What’s the matter!”
Upon hearing Sushia scream, Ascal rushed over.
“Th-there’s a ghost! A lot of them! They’re all staring at me!”