She barely suppressed her anger toward the unfriendly reaper and, in a careful voice, asked another question.
“I don’t even believe in the Main God.”
Wasn’t it only saints who believed in the Main God who could obtain holy power?
Havel answered as if it were nothing.
“Lady Arena is also a god.”
“No, why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you suddenly changing the genre like this and causing a scene?!”
“Genre?”
“This isn’t that kind of story!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ugh, never mind!”
I can feel it. I can feel it!
I can just feel Arena watching me panic like this and laughing her head off!
Camilla started drumming the table with a sulky face, and Havel, looking disgusted, quickly picked up his own coffee cup.
“Good grief.”
It was so exactly like Arena to throw something like this at her without a word and leave that Camilla could not even think of anything ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) to say.
“Lady Arena is really doing well, right?”
“Don’t worry.”
Then that was enough.
It’s a little baffling, though.
The fact that she had suddenly become the first saint of a god she did not even believe in was absurd, but still, gaining holy power was a good thing no matter how she looked at it.
And this doesn’t seem to have any side effects, either.
That meant she no longer had to heal other people while suffering possession aftereffects.
“By the way.”
“......?”
“Just because I’m the first saint, that doesn’t mean I have to go around gathering followers or anything, right?”
This was a little vague. There was no way she was obligated to go out preaching, was there?
“Do I need to found some Arena religion or something......?”
At that, Havel threw her a look full of fresh disbelief and open disdain, as if she were pathetic.
“Lady Arena would hate something like that, if anything.”
“That’s true.”
It would be a miracle if Arena did not just laugh in the faces of followers who claimed to serve her. She might even stare at them in fascination and ask what exactly they thought they were believing in when they followed her.
“When you meet Arena later, tell her I said thank you.”
“A mere reaper rarely has cause to meet a god.”
“In case you do.”
“...All right.”
Watching Havel nod reluctantly, Camilla let out a quiet snort of laughter.
Today especially, she missed Arena’s bold, ringing laughter terribly.
*****
Step.
“.......”
After meeting Havel and returning home, Camilla got down from the carriage and glanced toward the wall by the entrance.
Then, with an expression as if she had seen absolutely nothing, she briskly walked right past it.
[Hey, you can see me, can’t you? We just made eye contact. Stop pretending you didn’t and hold on a second.]
Step, step.
[She’s not even pretending to hear me....... Could you at least tell me if this is House Sorpel? I came looking for a girl named Camilla Sorpel— huh?]
Step, step, step.
[Pink hair and red eyes! You’re Camilla Sorpel, aren’t you? Right?]
“You’re back, my lady.”
“Yeah, hi. Is anyone home right now, by any chance?”
“No. The Duke and both young masters are out.”
[Didn’t I just ask if you were Camilla?]
“Then for about thirty minutes, make sure no one comes near the garden. I want to take a quiet walk.”
[Hey, child? Who exactly am I talking to right now?]
Camilla immediately changed direction toward the garden.
If there was any chance she might run into the three worriers, she would have talked in her own room, but otherwise...
Ugh, if I’d known this would happen, I would’ve asked our ghosts to come out and meet me!
She had absolutely no intention of dragging an unidentified unwanted guest into the estate.
Even while she moved toward a safe place with no people around, the unwelcome visitor’s chatter did not stop for a moment.
The instant she stepped into the garden with the chattering ghost in tow, Camilla threw out an irritated question.
“Who exactly are you?”
[You’re only acknowledging me now. That’s awful, seriously!]
She had done her best to put on a fierce expression, but the man did not even blink and only made a great fuss.
“How do you know my name?”
[I heard it through the grapevine. They said the daughter of this house can see the dead.]
Who in the world spread a rumor like that!
Damn it.
Am I some kind of celebrity in the ghost world now?
Just let me catch whoever it was.
I’ll really send them on to the next world!
Grinding her teeth inwardly, Camilla finally looked him over carefully.
The man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, had long blond hair that fell to his waist and features so fine that, at a glance, one might mistake him for a woman.
But his eyes were extremely fierce and sharp, giving him the sort of impression that was not easy to approach.
[I want to ask you a fav—]
“No.”
[No, really, I truly need a fav—]
“I don’t want to.”
[I’m not the sort who asks for favors eas—]
“Get lost.”
[.......]
What? Why?
Should I flip him off? Ah, people in this world wouldn’t know what that meant.
Anyway, when she looked at him with the unmistakable expression of get lost while I’m being nice, he pulled a sullen face.
But Camilla truly, genuinely, extremely did not welcome this situation.
Why did they all act like if they asked her for a favor, of course she should grant it?
She was not some wish ticket people could use whenever they liked.
Whenever she got involved in resolving a ghost’s resentment, she always ended up seeing ugly things, and in the process, it was all too common for the people who cared about her to be worried because of it.
There was no reason for her to help strangers while hurting the people right beside her.
I don’t know what sort of rumor he heard.
Have I gotten along too well with ghosts lately, and that became gossip or something?
I mean, yeah, I have done a lot of idiot-softhearted things lately!
But that did not mean I was actually some easy mark.
After glaring menacingly at the male ghost for a moment, Camilla turned and left without a second thought.
Radiating from head to toe that if he spoke to her again, she would not let it slide, and not even sparing him another glance.
[...Ha.]
The male ghost stood there blankly until Camilla’s figure vanished completely, and only after a long while did he let out an empty laugh.
[She doesn’t resemble her at all.]
As if dumbfounded, he slowly shook his head.
*****
[Hey.]
“Go to the café.”
[Listen to me for a sec—]
“What was on the dinner menu today again?”
[Hey, listen when I’m talki—]
“I’m going to the company today.”
[You, you......!]
“Ah, I’m tired. I should go to bed early tonight.”
The ghost was more persistent than she had expected.
Because the divine beast King raised such a ruckus, he could not enter the estate, but he planted himself in front of the main gate and kept trying to speak to Camilla somehow.
He seemed to know about Havel, the reaper who occasionally appeared at the café or the company, and did not follow her that far.
So that’s why he’s only camping out in front of the house.
Naturally, Camilla was not an easy target either. She ignored him thoroughly.
No matter how desperately he pleaded or how furiously he shouted, she did not respond in the slightest.
About a week passed like that.
[Amy told me to go find you!]
“...Who?”
One name she could not ignore suddenly popped out of his mouth.
[Amy.]
“.......”
Why is her name coming up here...?
Camilla’s eyes widened.
Amy, the student ghost who had suffered while watching from the side as her brother, Professor Jaby, committed murder under the grip of twisted thoughts.
After everything had been resolved, she had said that even now she wanted to fulfill her dream and had gone off on a journey. That student ghost had clearly said—
[My dream was to travel all around the continent someday.]
She said she was going to tour ancient ruins, didn’t she?
The moment Camilla showed interest, the ghost began spilling one thing after another without even being asked.
As he poured out details no one but Amy herself could have known, insisting that his words were true, Camilla finally raised both hands in surrender.
“How do you know her, exactly?”
[We happened to meet.]
“Where?”
[At the ancient ruins of Ifrit.]
Ifrit was a desert region at the far western edge. It was exactly the kind of place Amy might go, so Camilla nodded a few times.
Then she heard what came next and bit her lip hard.
[I said I had resentment I wanted to resolve, and she told me to go find you.]
...Was it you?
Amy, you damned little brat!
Who told you to go around spreading nonsense like that? What am I, some ghost-only detective agency? Why are you advertising me!
“Haa.”
Camilla let out a long sigh. Her sharp gaze swept over the male ghost from head to toe.
“Come with me.”
She had no idea what he wanted to ask, but she decided to hear him out first.
[Come with you? But your house is.......]
“King doesn’t bite just anyone.”
Guessing why he was hesitating to enter, Camilla replied casually and started walking.
Honestly, what does he take our King for?
[Gyoo!]
Right then, King came trotting over to greet Camilla. She immediately scooped him up in her arms and lightly stroked his head.
[Grrr.......]
The moment King spotted the unfamiliar presence behind Camilla, he bared his white teeth.
“My guest.”
[Gyoo?]
“Yes, so shh.”
[Gyoo.......]
At Camilla’s words, King dropped his fierce air and simply stayed cradled in her arms, slowly closing his eyes.
