Chapter 71

The story about it had just been heard from Pell moments ago. It seemed that the Commander of the Soldiers’ Order had sought the Counseling Office due to the ghost issue.

How could the timing always be so perfect?

Shrugging, she responded to the Commander’s words.

“I know about it… but why do you ask?”

“Our entire Soldiers’ Order has been in great distress because of that rumor lately.”

The Commander’s expression truly reflected deep concern.

“Well, I heard that knights have resigned because of it…”

But why? 

She shrugged again. The Commander sighed deeply.

“Yes, they all quit. Soldiers from the 1st Order, 3rd Order, and even our 2nd Order. Because of that, the soldiers refuse to conduct evening patrols nowadays.”

“Wouldn’t punishing them for dereliction of duty solve the problem?”

No matter how terrifying a ghost might be, abandoning one’s duties was unacceptable.

At these words, the Commander sighed once more.

“If we did that, there would be no one left in the Imperial Soldiers’ Orders. Even I, along with the 1st and 3rd Commanders, do not wish to conduct evening patrols.”

She wondered just how terrifying the ghost must be to frighten the entire order.

“In that case, can’t you negotiate with the Imperial Knights to temporarily hand over the evening patrol duties?”

“That could be done, but… it wouldn’t be a fundamental solution. Even if the knights patrol, the ghost won’t disappear.”

“A ghost…”

Discussing ghosts as a problem felt increasingly surreal.

“Do ghosts really exist?”

After all, ghosts were intangible phenomena, weren’t they? Believing in them made one susceptible to fear, but disbelieving meant they wouldn’t bother you.

“They really… really exist. Every soldier who has gone on evening patrols over the past two weeks has seen the ghost, fallen ill, and then resigned.”

“Ill?”

“Yes. After hearing the ghost’s voice, they collapse from exhaustion and wake up to suffer chills and auditory hallucinations for three full days.”

Falling ill as well? Only then did she grasp the gravity of the situation.

“So, Commander, do you wish for a fundamental resolution to the ghost problem?”

“Yes. At this rate, mass resignations will incur His Majesty the Emperor’s wrath.”

Indeed, mass resignations would deplete the Imperial Palace’s forces, a matter severe enough to be considered treason.

“That’s why I’ve come to you, Chief. I heard that when one consults with the Grievance Counseling Office, any problem can be solved… Is there any way?”

That was indeed the recent reputation of the Counseling Office.

At least until she realized that such achievements were a folly driven by ambition.

Despite resolving to no longer turn the office into a problem-solving agency, the Commander’s desperate expression, clinging to the hem of her clothes, was impossible to ignore.

Still, dealing with ghosts? She struggled to think of a solution since she wasn’t a priest.

“In that case, should I contact the temple?”

She thought that since temples dealt with demons, they might handle ghosts as well.

“But the Imperial Temple Department has already been contacted, and they’ve been here.”

The Imperial Temple Department, composed of those with divine power, usually supported medical teams and provided services to the Imperial Palace.

Divine power was, after all, unparalleled for healing.

“So, if you’ve come to me, the ghost must still remain.”

“Yes… The Temple Department performed an exorcism, but the ghost did not disappear.”

This meant contacting the temple again to request a priest would also be futile.

“Then there’s no way I can resolve this, is there?”

“But strangely… I kept feeling that if I came to you, Chief, something would be resolved…”

The Commander cautiously observed her reaction.

She raised an eyebrow at the oddly trusting tone.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well… Lately, rumors about you have spread throughout the Imperial Palace. They say you’re an all-round problem solver…”

“All-round problem solver…”

Hearing yet another new nickname, she felt a headache coming on.

Gripping her throbbing head, she regretted not heeding Eched’s advice earlier and stepping away from the Counseling Office sooner.

Ultimately, she could only nod in agreement, unable to firmly reject the request.

“Thank you so much, Chief!”

The Commander’s face brightened with relief, as if saved.

“There’s no guarantee I can resolve it, so save your thanks for later.”

***

Knowing the enemy and oneself ensures victory. She knew they had to understand the phenomenon of the ghost.

“So, the ghost appears during evening patrols, between nine and ten o’clock, near the stairs on the first floor of the main palace?”

“That’s not entirely accurate. It was first spotted there, but soldiers began avoiding the area, and the ghost expanded its range.”

Hearing this was unnerving. 

A ghost wandering around to find people…

“In the main palace, hasn’t His Majesty seen it?”

She voiced a sudden thought, causing the Commander to look terrified.

“If His Majesty were to collapse…”

The Commander’s expression suggested he didn’t even want to imagine such a scenario.

Indeed, the Emperor was old now. If he were to collapse anywhere, it would be a disaster. Especially if he hit his head.

“That was thoughtless of me.”

She retracted her words, concerned for the Emperor’s well-being.

“Next, it’s been confirmed that soldiers who encounter the ghost experience a peculiar illness for three days.”

“Yes.”

“What did the medical team say?”

“When the soldiers collapsed, they were taken to the infirmary. The medical team couldn’t determine the cause but said it seemed as if their life force had been drained…”

“Life force?”

She began to suspect whether a demon was involved.

Demons were said to have disappeared in ancient times, yet the existence of Eched, a Divine Beast, made she question whether demons were truly extinct.

‘Wait, a Divine Beast?’

“Have the afflicted soldiers been shown to a healer with divine power?”

“No. Night-shift medics usually don’t possess divine power, and the Temple Department staff had already left by then.”

With only basic medics on duty at night, she began piecing together the ghost’s identity.

The soldiers’ symptoms resembled divine power depletion, though auditory hallucinations were unusual.

Hallucinations might simply be fear-induced.

“Have you figured something out?”

“Roughly?”

Her light affirmation startled the Commander, who immediately asked what it was. She shook her head, saying it wasn’t the right time.

If the ghost turned out to be what she suspected—a Divine Beast—then it would be an unprecedented discovery.

Such a scenario, not even present in the original story, worried Shaterian. Yet, confirming the existence of the being was the priority.

“Pell.”

“I absolutely refuse!”

Merely calling Pell’s name caused the sharp-witted Pell to flatly reject the idea, fleeing the Counseling Office with a stack of papers before she could say anything further.

She pouted but let it slide. After all, revealing a Divine Beast to the public was not an option.

This left Eched, the only one capable of handling the situation. Once again, it came down to Eched.

Resigned, she set off to seek Eched’s help.

***

Night fell, enveloping everything in darkness.

Dong, dong, dong.

At precisely nine o’clock, the clock in the main palace hall chimed.

Accompanied by Eched, she took this as their cue to head toward the left staircase on the first floor of the main palace, where the ghost had been reported.

“This place is so eerie; it’s the perfect setting for a ghost.”

“Are you cold?”

“A little chilly.”

Eched removed his uniform jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Still warm from Eched’s body heat, the jacket was comforting. The subtle scent of Eched was also pleasing.

Caught off guard, she found herself sniffing the jacket, only to snap out of it in embarrassment.

‘He didn’t see that, did he?’

Stealing a glance, Eched was looking ahead. Relieved, she vowed to maintain composure.

Finally, they arrived at the site.

[Where are you going?]

A voice, just as the rumors described, called out.