"What's so great about having a Divine Beast anyway?…hmph."
Even so, the Duke of Sorpel's touch on the pendant was still cautious. The pendant was essential to finding or awakening the Divine Beast.
"Sigh."
Eventually, a long sigh escaped his lips again.
* * *
She seemed to have an upset stomach.
Camilla, who had been sprawled out on the bed, sat up.
As soon as she returned to her room, exhausted after today's uncomfortable meal, she slumped onto her bed, feeling unwell. She felt the need to take a stroll out in the garden.
[Miss Camilla.]
Camilla paused in her stride, contemplating which garden to explore, when she heard a voice calling her name. It was Derrin, the butler ghost.
"Yes?"
Camilla looked puzzled at Darren's uncharacteristic behavior.
He didn't have his usual gentle smile. Rather, he looked a bit nervous.
"What's wrong?"
[There's someone I'd like to introduce you to.]
Camilla remained silent for a brief moment, gazing intently at Derrin after his remark.
[He is—]
"It must be a ghost."
[Pardon? Oh, yes.]
If a ghost wants to introduce you to someone, of course it's another ghost.
"Then I'll decline."
[What?]
"We don't have to meet, do we?"
[Ah, no… that person!]
This was a favor from none other than Derrin. As much as she'd love to, she can't…
'Your expression is so serious.'
That ghost must not be an ordinary person for him to speak with such an expression.
In her experience, there's nothing good that comes from meeting such a ghost.
She would have bet a fortune that it would be a very, very, very big hassle.
I'm sorry, Sir, but I don't want to.
[Miss, that person is—]
"I'm feeling a little under the weather."
[M-Miss…]
"I'm sorry."
With Derrin calling out to her in a panic, Camilla hastily left the room. Fortunately, Derrin did not pursue her.
'I feel kind of bad about it.'
Would this be a situation where she would be receiving help from Derrin and Ferrol?
She previously asked him of his desires, with the intention of fulfilling any request he made.
'But you told me you didn't need it.'
She thought he said he didn't have any favors? It was Derrin who said he was just happy to be able to help the people of the duchy again.
She felt a little bad, but she didn't want to be connected to another ghost.
'Once the ghosts start coming, there won't be an end to it.'
Ferrol and Derrin are enough for now; she did not want to be introduced to another ghost.
'But you're giving up easier than I thought.'
Camilla's steps were a little lighter.
However…
[Lady Camilla.]
[I'm sorry if you're sleeping.]
[Sorry to do this while you're eating…]
[He really wants to meet you…]
[Can you meet him just once?]
[Miss.]
[Lady Camilla.]
She was mistaken.
'Oh my god…'
Butler, were you always this persistent?
In the days that followed, Camilla grew increasingly tired of Derrin hovering around her, day and night, repeating the same words over and over again.
If a really self-absorbed, mean-spirited person — no, ghost — had been chasing and harassing her like that, she would have ignored it.
However…
'You look so sad!'
It was hard to ignore him when he's following her around with a genuinely pleading look and an apologetic expression.
"Okay."
Eventually, Camilla surrendered.
"I'll meet him."
[Thank you! Thank you so much!]
"It's a haunt, right?"
[Pardon? A haunt? What's that?]
"It's a ghost who's bound to one place. Isn't he a ghost who can't leave that specific location?"
Rather than chasing her around for days and begging her to meet him, it's more simple to just bring the ghost with him.
It's not like she can just lock the door and not let them in.
She thought of one thing when Derrin came to her day and night: the ghost cannot wander.
In other words, she'd have to visit and meet them herself.
[That's right.]
Derrin nodded vigorously.
[He can't move as freely as we do.]
Derrin marveled at Camilla's ability to accurately grasp the situation with only a few clues.
"So, where is it at?"
* * *
'I don't like it.'
[Sob.]
'I hate it.'
[Gah! Why did I have to die!?]
'I really hate it!'
What the hell is going on here?
When people think of places that are likely to be haunted, they think of funeral homes, mausoleums, and graveyards.
Ding!
They were wrong. Surprisingly, the ghosts didn't stick around to those places.
This is because the moment they realize that they're dead, they either ascend to heaven or try to tend to any unfinished businesses that had not been concluded during their lifetime.
In fact, it's difficult to find the soul of the person in the place where they mourned their death.
Rather, there were more ghosts who wouldn't go near a funeral home or ossuary because they didn't want to see themselves dead.
'However…'
Why are there so many ghosts here!?
Where Camilla was walking now was a cemetery, a place filled with graves of people who had done great things for the country.
It was the place where every nobleman in the empire — or at least those who lived off the government — wanted to die and be buried.
It was an honor for their family just to be buried here.
"At the end of the day it's just a graveyard, right?"
What good did it do if you were buried here after having served your country well? It's a place filled with people who are so filled with resentment they were unable to leave this world and are left wandering around their graves.
Rather, aren't they less willing to accept their death more than other ghosts because they are unable to enjoy greater power and achieve more?
Camilla didn't pay the slightest attention to the ghosts around her, or they'd be clinging to her and thinking they had found someone to talk to.
Instead, Camilla trotted along behind Derrin, who was walking ahead.
[This way.]
It was no ordinary graveyard where she followed Derrin, the butler ghost.
It's a more upscale space, where the tombs of those with higher status were.
As they climbed the stairs to higher ground, the number of tombs quickly dwindled.
'What a bloody good day.'
The sun shining down on the graveyard was unusually warm, and she couldn't believe she was wandering around here in such nice weather.
[Lady Camilla.]
After a moment, Derrin stopped walking and quietly called out to Camilla.
Raising her head, she could see a middle-aged man sitting comfortably by a grave.
[Good Sir.]
Derrin approached him quickly and spoke softly.
Then, the middle-aged ghost who had his eyes closed slowly opened them and looked at Camilla.
[Is that her?]
[Yes, Sir.]
Camilla hasn't yet been properly told who she was meeting. She could only follow Derrin, who had repeatedly told her that she had to meet him.
[…]
The middle-aged ghost stared at Camilla. Camilla stared back at him.
[Can you really see me?]
"I can also hear you."
[Hoho…ho…]
The laugh he let out seemed very empty. It was a laugh that was mixed with happiness, sadness and other different emotions.
[Finally… Am I finally seeing some closure.]
Some closure. As expected, he wanted to ask for a favor.
[I should probably introduce myself.]
"Herschel Sorpel."
[…!]
"You must be the former Duke who once led the Sorpel family."
[…How did you know? Did Derrin tell you?]
Camilla let out a small sigh at the puzzled middle-aged ghost— no, at Herschel, and pointed to the back where he was sitting.
"I also know how to read."
[Oh…]
His name was written on the tombstone where he was sitting.
THE 39TH DUKE OF SORPEL, HERSCHEL
RESTS HERE
'It's been a long time if you're the 39th Duke.'
The current Duke of Sorpel is the 42nd Duke of the Sorpel family.
[The reason why I called you here—]
"Before that, may I ask you a question?"
[…? Ask me anything.]
At Herschel's permission, Camilla's gaze shifted to his head.
"Is it genetic?"
[Genetic?]
"Your hair."
His head was very stunning.
Sparkle, sparkle.
His bald head, glistening in the sunlight, kept catching her eye.
* * *
'The Divine Beast?'
Camilla's mind was racing as she walked away from Herschel. She had a vague idea about the Divine Beast.
Divine Beasts, which are owned by the three greatest ducal families of the empire, and the Divine Beast of the Sorpel family, which had disappeared a long time ago.
She even knew what the Sorpel's family crest symbolizes.
'White Tiger.'
A white tiger.
'It's a great match for Ludville.'
Recalling Ludville's hair with no other colors mixed in at all, Camilla sighed.
'So then…'
He wanted her to find it, right?
Herschel was the middle-aged ghost whom she just met. He was the one who caused the disappearance of the Divine Beast in the Sorpel family.
'Well, technically, it's not his fault.'
Surely, he didn't mean to be poisoned.
Not being able to tell his descendants the new location of the Divine Beast was his undoing, thus becoming a ghost unable to leave this world.
He needed to tell them where it was somehow, but after all these years, he was frustrated that he didn't know how.
How pained must he have been of his death that he would become haunt, unable to be unbound from his grave and unable to ascend to the afterlife?
'It's a shame, but…'
What was she supposed to do?
Herschel told her where the Divine Beast was located.
However, such things aren't that simple. What would everyone say when she found and brought back the long-lost egg of the Divine Beast?
'It'll be horrifying.'
She's getting a headache just thinking about the barrage of questions that the family members will pour on her.
Why does she have to act like a shaman here, too?
A sigh escaped Camilla's lips as she realized that she might have to do some fortune-telling around here, too.
'And where? Underwater?'
It's a perfect way to be labeled as a crazy bitch for sure.