Chapter 573 Comforting A Ghost

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As we enjoyed lunch, I began to think about what Veredorr had told us. Maybe forcing the guy to speak everything wasn't the right thing to do. I've been taking it for granted that every single Undead can obey me and do as I said, they're always happy to help and all! But… Veredorr's kind of different, he's always gloomy and silent, and unless I ask him a lot, he never really speaks.

I guess he has yet to overcome his trauma…?

…

No.

That's not right.

Ghosts, Undead like us… we never overcome our traumas.

We are dictated by them.

Our very existences are an amalgamation of magic and resentment, all the traumas we hold maintain our new existences.

We never leave behind the things that marked us.

The things… that made us suffer the most.

For some reason I lost such memories, maybe because of that, I've been able to adapt and cope with everything easily, but once I regain all those memories, will I change?

Maybe… I will become like Veredorr, or even worse.

Ah, well…

I guess I just don't have to overthink it.

Looking at Nyx's innocent eyes as she eats her food kind of fills me with happiness.

Maybe I can cope with it…

As long as I am with everyone here, as long as I have them at my side.

Maybe Veredorr merely lacks that, he thinks he has nobody with him anymore.

His best friend died gruesomely, and the girl he loved killed him cold-heartedly, as if he was just trash that got in her way, completely denying everything they have lived together.

It must have broken him emotionally and mentally too much, and the cold he emanates doesn't help, he probably feels completely desolated, in an endless snow scape of his own making.

I just have to bring him some warmth, help him out.

Make him think he's actually a friend and not just… a tool, as he might believe I think he is.

After having lunch, I left everyone inside of Aquamarine's house, as I quickly flew to look for him.

"Veredorr…"

I found him hiding inside an empty barrel behind a desolate street alley.

"…"

He didn't respond, pretending to not exist.

I quickly flew towards him and began to talk to him.

"Come on, get out… I want to talk with you but I want to see you at the eyes."

"…"

He slowly flew outside the barrel.

His red eyes seemed filled with darkness, his white hair covering one of his eyes, as his pale face looked at me. He looked very miserable.

"I'm sorry…"

I patted his shoulders.

"Why?"

"I shouldn't had forced you. That's not what a friend should do… I don't want to be just a typical necromancer. Sure, with monsters and other things that don't even have personalities, I can't really talk like I am doing with you. But you're not like them, right? So I wanted to tell you that you're a precious ally, and one of the citizens of my village. Sorry about that, we just wanted information and I kind of… No, I can't really say some stupid excuse, I was just being inconsiderate."

"Master…"

"Just call me Maria, come on."

"It is alright?"

"Yeah! We are partners now, right?"

"Hmm…"

Veredorr sighed, flying to my side.

"…Will you kill Tear?"

"I… It is something I cannot decide right now."

"She's a good girl, she's… only being controlled by her own traumas and resentments, by the crown…"

"…I'll try to figure out something."

"I guess… Killing her would be the best thing to do at this point. Perhaps how many she has killed already…"

"Veredorr… Okay, fine! I won't kill her!"

"Eh?!"

Veredorr was surprised by my sudden change of opinion.

"If I just take away the crown that'll do, right?"

"W-Well, perhaps… But are you sure? I…"

"I know she means a lot to you. I was planning to just make her a ghost girlfriend for you, but I can relate to how you feel. It is always better to save someone's life than prefer to turn them into undead. If there's the possibility, they're better off remaining alive. Being an Undead is not something we exactly want someone we love to go through, right?"

"Right… It is… so desolate and cold."

"I know… I know how it feels. Come, let's go eat so you can warm up."

"Can I even eat?"

"You can try! I can eat a lot! Maybe you can get the Phantasmal Stomach skill!"

"Such a thing exists? I miss the flavor of a warm stew, or a warm tea…"

"Let's go eat then!"

Veredorr looked back at me with his red eyes, his melancholic face slowly changing, only a little bit.

"Thanks…"

"Aw, don't think about it. We'll rescue Tear and the Ice Giants, and destroy that damn Crown, end of the subject."

"Maybe I had the wrong idea about you, you're really a different person than I thought you were…"

"Am I? of course I am!"

We flew back to Aquamarine's residence and quickly served Veredorr food. He began stuffing himself quickly after suddenly realizing he could eat.

Materializing his body and all, he warmed his insides with a delicious meat and potatoes stew, and then ate freshly baked bread with cheese, after that he drank like three cups of tea, and then ate a second and third plate of stew.

"Ah, everything's so warm… So comforting… I can't stop eating, this stew reminds me so much of the one Tear used to make…"

Veredorr began biting a piece of bread, as tears began flowing from his red eyes, which quickly froze into ice crystals.

"Thank you…" He cried, as he smiled in between tears.

"Aw come on, don't be so overexaggerated now." I sighed, patting his back. "Want to come to a little trip around dungeons?"

"Ah… Sure."

And like that, we set off.

At the end, Veredorr was just someone that needed some words of encouragement, and warm food.

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