‘A wraith is wandering around the mansion?’
Bianca’s frantic report deeply etched itself into Reina’s mind.
If someone else heard, they might mockingly ask, “You’ve dealt with zombies, so why are you trembling at the thought of a mere ghost?”
But this wasn’t a trivial matter.
It wasn’t just any ordinary occurrence—it happened right before the memorial service for Ian’s mother, Leticia.
A memorial service, after all, is a solemn occasion where people pay their respects to the deceased by visiting the mansion and exchanging greetings.
Given that it was a memorial for a noble family of dukes, many prominent figures were expected to visit and pay their respects.
Though the atmosphere should be one of quiet mourning, for nobles eager to build connections with Ian, this was an invaluable opportunity.
And now, such an incident had occurred just before the event—how could they not be worried?
At worst, it might leave a strange impression on those who came to pay their respects.
‘We have to resolve this before the memorial day. Even if the wraith is said to be powerful…’
With her reputation as a sharpshooter and Bianca’s status as the master of the Black Magic Tower, handling the wraith shouldn’t be impossible.
However, what troubled Reina and Bianca was that the battlefield would be none other than the Volkanov mansion itself.
“If it wasn’t serious, I would’ve dealt with it myself without bothering you.”
“So, you’re saying it’s serious enough to warrant my help?”
“Yes… It’s roughly at the level of an upper-tier Expert. And we haven’t even identified its true nature…”
“Top-tier Expert…”
If it was at that level, subduing or exorcising it would undoubtedly leave the mansion in complete disarray.
Reina frowned at the thought.
Considering the effort the retainers were putting into preparing for the memorial day, working tirelessly day and night, it made her head ache.
“It’s best to avoid fighting if we can. If it were a small, private memorial, it’d be one thing. But with all the prominent figures from the Empire attending, we can’t show them a mansion in shambles.”
“I feel the same way. I can’t let my husband’s reputation take a hit.”
It wasn’t just about damaging Ian’s reputation.
It would also undermine Lia’s dedicated efforts to organize the memorial and, by extension, insult Erzebeth, the Empress of the Empire.
Reina and Bianca had to resolve this matter delicately and without causing any damage.
This was their new challenge.
“Phew… How about we try this?”
“Do you have a good idea?”
Reina, who had just grasped an idea, turned her gaze to Bianca.
“Instead of subduing it, let’s seal it.”
“Seal it… That could work. But you know sealing isn’t simple.”
“I know. Capturing an entity that moves freely, defying physical laws, isn’t easy.”
Even skilled sealing practitioners struggled to contain wraiths.
The difficulty lay not only in setting up the seal on an invisible target but also in the wraith potentially fleeing before the seal was fully in place.
To seal a wraith at the upper-tier Expert level, they’d need a true master of sealing to stand a chance.
Could they find such an expert? And even if they could, would they keep quiet about a wraith haunting the Volkanov estate?
Bianca began listing potential candidates in her mind.
A few minutes later…
“There is someone…”
“Yes, someone we know well.”
At the moment Bianca exclaimed in realization, Reina smirked and named a familiar figure.
“The instructor… No, she’s no longer an instructor. Let’s go see Haley, Sister.”
***
“Phew, I can finally take a break.”
Ian stretched after carelessly tossing his coat over a chair.
His eyelids felt heavy, and his pounding head was evidence of how exhausted he’d been.
“Not that it’s surprising. I haven’t had a moment’s rest since Eri became the Empress.”
Erzebeth, once a princess, now ruled the Kallos Empire as its Empress.
The first thing she did upon assuming power was to keep Ian by her side like a cherished companion.
Of course, he wasn’t simply idle—he occasionally assisted with her duties or handled matters concerning his family.
But when he returned home, hoping for some rest, his responsibilities continued.
He had to spend time with Lia over meals and walks, then listen to Bianca’s grievances about rebuilding the Black Magic Tower.
In short, there wasn’t a single moment for himself.
“Already overwhelmed, and now the memorial service is approaching. It’s enough to drive me insane.”
A maddening schedule. Looking back, he still couldn’t fathom how he managed.
“Well, at least most of the urgent tasks are handled. Maybe now I can finally get some sleep.”
Cherishing the rare opportunity for rest, Ian threw himself onto his bed, ready to close his eyes, when—
Thud, Thud, Thud!
“Ian! Ian! Something terrible has happened!”
Bursting into his room was Neltalion, her face pale as if she’d seen something unspeakable.
As the door burst open, Neltalion, with her short legs, struggled to climb onto the bed. Ian lifted her up and placed her in his arms. She nestled in close, trembling.
For her to react like this… something must have happened.
Judging by her frightened demeanor, Ian wondered if she had done something to warrant a scolding.
“What’s wrong, Neltalion? Did you get yourself into trouble again?”
Ian vividly remembered the time she had secretly snuck a piece of Reina’s birthday cake, fallen asleep with the fridge door open, and caught a cold as a result.
She’d been severely scolded back then… surely she hadn’t done something like that again?
As if understanding Ian’s thoughts, Neltalion shook her head vigorously.
“No, not this time! I didn’t do anything bad!”
“Really? Are you sure you didn’t eat anything you weren’t supposed to?”
“Well… I might have eaten a little…”
Her hesitant response gave her away.
It was clear she had eaten something, and Ian could tell right away.
Though she denied it, her slightly greasy lips betrayed her.
‘Hmm… Did she eat meat?’
Still, Ian doubted she had stolen food, especially after Bianca had scolded her so sternly last time.
She probably got it from one of the cooks rather than sneaking it herself.
In the bustling daytime, it would be impossible to secretly raid the refrigerator.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine to eat. I’m not upset.”
“But… I don’t want to get scolded…”
“It’s okay. If Bianca says anything, I’ll handle it. You can do whatever you want.”
Ian meant it.
After all Neltalion had been through, he couldn’t imagine scolding her over something as trivial as food.
As someone who thought of her as family—even though their bond wasn’t by blood but by contract—he saw no issue with letting her eat as much cake or meat as she wanted.
“Really? Hehe!”
Relieved by Ian’s reassurance, Neltalion beamed, her smile radiant with joy.
Ian gently patted her head, and she wriggled happily in his arms.
Then, as if something suddenly occurred to her, she raised her voice.
“Oh! This isn’t the time for this! Ian, I have something important to tell you!”
“Hm? What is it? Do you want to eat something specific?”
“No, not that! It’s a ghost! There’s a ghost, Ian!”
“A ghost?”
“Yeah! It’s wandering around the mansion! And it’s super strong!”
While Neltalion shivered with fear, Ian remained calm.
There wasn’t even a need to maintain composure—it simply wasn’t a big deal.
“It’s the memorial service. It’s normal for wraiths to show up.”
After all, the purpose of a memorial is to honor the deceased while preparing offerings of their favorite foods.
On Earth, where ghosts are considered fiction, such occurrences would be scoffed at. But Gaia is a fantasy world.
Here, demons, zombies, and even necromancers existed, so wraiths were nothing surprising.
‘There’s no need to be scared of a ghost. Unless it’s some lunatic wraith causing havoc, there’s nothing to worry about.’
Ian also knew that anyone with mana could defend themselves against wraiths if necessary.
And unless someone truly unhinged was orchestrating this, there was no reason to suspect anything abnormal.
In other words, the matter was simple.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it, okay, Neltalion?”
“Okay, Ian!”
To Ian, a wandering ghost wasn’t worth worrying about at all.
‘Still… showing up this early, huh? The memorial hasn’t even started yet.’
He smirked, thinking about the ghost’s identity—someone Ian was quite familiar with.
The thought of their reunion brought a faint smile to Ian’s face.
