CH 24

“…… Ohhh, I didn’t know there was a lakeside on such a cliff. Merylou-kun, did you find it?”

“Yes, I did. I think I’m the only one who knows about it. I’m the only one who knows about it. …… After all, I’m the only person who’d been willing to explore every inch of this forest.”

Merylou was a little proud of herself. She’s right, not many people would be crazy enough to go through the trees on the outskirts of the forest road and climb high cliffs.

“…… See, that’s what Souya and Mia are after, isn’t it? Check it out.”

In a shady spot where thick trees covered the sky, I could see four night grasses blooming, as far as I could see. If we searched the area more carefully, we could easily collect the remaining 15 bunches.

“…… I see. It’s true that they are growing in clusters. Thank you for the help, Merylou-kun. I’ll be able to collect the requested amount in no time.”

“Thank you very much, Merylou-san. I hope I can repay you in some way next time your in Ilstadt.”

“Well, that’s a promise …… So, now you’re going to meet my friend. Come here, please.”

When Souya and Mia said thank you, Merylou looked a little embarrassed, and slowly walked towards the waterside of the lake. 

“Hey, I’m here again. Young boy!”

As they got closer and closer to the lake, Merylou suddenly shouted out. In front of them, besides the water, they could see a huge tree and a big stump.

“Oh, by young boy, that means …… Is your friend a boy, Merylou-kun?”

“…… What. Souya, would it be bad if I had a boy friend?”

“No, not at all. I don’t mean that.”

As if Merylou’s voice had reached him, a boy’s figure appeared from the side of a large tree near the water’s edge. He had brown hair, short sleeves, short pants, and was about the same height as Mia and Merylou, but with a smaller build.

“…… Hey, young boy. It’s been a few days. I’ve brought two acquaintances with me today. Their names are Souya and Mia.”

Merylou calls out to the boy, but he mumbles something inaudible and monotonous.

“…… As always, I can’t understand what you’re talking about …… Can’t you just learn my language?”

Souya couldn’t help but hold his face as he watched the exchange between Merylou and the boy. He had a strange feeling from the moment he heard from Merylou. It was actually obvious when he saw it.

“Um, Merylou-san, he’s ……”

Mia also noticed something wrong with the boy, and she was holding her mouth with both hands, looking unhappy.

“Ahh, he is a friend of mine. But I can’t understand a word he’s saying, and he’s stuck here …… What the hell is going on here?”

The boy’s body was half transparent, with a vague expression on his face.

“He is a ghost, Merylou-san. He’s already dead …… If he can’t leave that spot, then I guess he’s an earth-bound ghost.”

With the boy standing in the tree by the water’s edge, Souya quietly told Merylou.

“I see …… Well, I knew there was something wrong with it, somehow …… But, Souya. Is he really dead? Look.”

Merylou sat down on a stump, took out an ocarina from her backpack, and abruptly began to play. As the ocarina played a nostalgic tone, the ghost boy’s face seemed to smile just a little.

“Did you see that? This boy can recognize this song …… He’s happy when I play the ocarina. And you say he’s dead?”

After the performance, Merylou spoke back to Souya in a somewhat emotional manner.

“Yes, it’s not unusual for ghosts to be interested in things that happened before they died. In case the boy liked music, he might be impressed by the performance.”

Souya replied to Merylou in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What the hell is death? If what you’re saying is right, Souya, then how long has this boy been here, and how long will he be here? …… If I hadn’t come here, would he have stayed here forever, unseen?”

Merylou, who was sitting on the stump, dropped her shoulders. The boy standing by the big tree looked at Merylou with a troubled, vague expression.

Souya looked at Marylou and the boy, and then spoke to Merylou with a determined look.

“Merylou-kun. I have the means to listen to and communicate with this boy. What would you like to do?”

Merylou immediately responded to Souya’s suggestion.

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“Souya …… is that true?”

“I’m not going to lie. It’s just that I can’t do anything about him. I can only confirm his intentions and what he wants to do from now on.”

Merylou looked up at Souya in a daze, her expression a mixture of hope and despair.

“Souya, please. Please help this boy. I’ll do whatever I can to help ……”

Eventually, in a trembling voice, Merylou bowed her head to Souya.

“Raise your head, please. Merylou-kun, being depressed doesn’t suit you.”

Souya patted Merylou on the shoulder as if to comfort her, and then took a deep breath to prepare for the big task ahead.

“Souya-san, is it even possible to talk to a ghost? The number of people that have the ability to use Spirit-Speak to speak to ghosts is limited, even for high priests.”

Mia asked Souya with a concerned look. The art of communicating with spirits, Spirit-Speak, is one of the highest levels of the sacred arts, and of course Mia can’t use it yet.

“Kuku, Mia-kun. You’re probably thinking that I told Merylou-kun some bullshit. It is true that if I pretend that I heard the boy’s words and say something appropriate, it will look like that.”

“N-No …… I didn’t mean that. But, It shouldn’t be that easy to talk to a spirit. What do you plan to do?”

“Well, I do know one way to do it, apart from spirit-speak. Well, there’s a certain amount of risk involved, but …… since it’s a request from the lovely Merylou-kun, I’d like to do whatever I can to make it come true.”

Souya smiled thinly and suddenly turned on his back and falls to the grass.

“Mia-kun. I’m sorry, but I’m going to need you to keep an eye on my body. I’d appreciate it if you could gesture to me when the three minutes are up. If I’m not careful, I won’t be able to get back.”

“…… Don’t tell me, Souya-san.”

By his words and the motion of falling down, Mia seemed to have noticed Souya’s other method. High Priest use the sacred art, spirit talk as a means of communicating with ghosts. And there was the other magical method that Souya was trying to use. It was a matter of becoming very close to a ghost himself.

“–Oh, demon, release my soul from my body. [Wraith Form].”

Souya’s soul detached itself from his body.