Nigel grew deeply unsettled as he recalled the ghost he’d seen as a child. He wasn’t exactly afraid of ghosts anymore, but still…
“…”
No—he was definitely still scared. Didn’t this mean ghosts really existed? According to Inas, one was haunting his bedroom. That thought alone made his skin crawl.
As Nigel anxiously bit his lip, Hayes sighed.
“Lord Nigel, you mustn’t show this kind of fear elsewhere.”
“I know. I’m only like this in front of you.”
Because Hayes was one of the few people he could let his guard down around. Even though—depending on the route—Hayes had betrayed him in a past timeline…
The unpleasant memories that surfaced every time he looked at Hayes made Nigel sigh.
Of all times, it had to be while Inas was away that he heard something like this.
Inas had left for the northern territory on Nigel’s behalf. He was likely knee-deep in subjugation work, hunting down the increasing number of monsters, barely able to catch his breath. Still, despite being away in appearance, Inas had been visiting Nigel almost every night.
But tonight, Nigel had heard he either wouldn’t be able to come or would be extremely late. He’d gone out with the other knights on a major mountain expedition and wouldn’t have any spare time.
“Now that I think about it… those adventurers. They’ve been poking around the mansion lately. Said they’re here to solve the ghost problem or something…”
Seeing Nigel so distressed, Hayes cautiously spoke up.
In the last timeline, there hadn’t been any ghost-related incidents, so he’d been confused about where all this was coming from. But now it made sense. This must be the <Quest> Inas had mentioned—the one Kay triggered and was supposed to solve on his own.
“What should we do?”
Ever since Kay had barged into Nigel’s room uninvited, Hayes had been openly wary of him. He probably only brought it up now because Nigel was clearly terrified. Not that he really believed Kay could solve the problem—more likely he was just trying to ease Nigel’s mind.
Unlike Hayes, Nigel found the idea rather tempting. If this ghost incident really was Kay’s quest and he’d already started investigating, then it was likely a problem he could wrap up fairly quickly. Most of the minor incidents that occurred in the capital, Kay resolved in a day or two.
“Let’s leave it to them. Give them whatever support they need.”
“Understood. Should we conduct our own investigation as well?”
“No.”
Nigel had wanted to keep his options open, but right now, Kay wasn’t very useful for emergencies since he hadn’t roamed around enough. If he was going to gain levels, he needed to clear quests like this on his own.
“Ghosts are tricky for us to deal with anyway. Those guys have experience cleaning up all sorts of odd jobs. Let’s see how they handle it.”
“Yes, understood.”
With a plausible enough excuse, Hayes immediately accepted the order. He always carried out commands faithfully, so he’d now assist Kay as instructed.
Nigel, feeling reassured, turned back to finish his work.
When he lowered his gaze, he saw a tiny hand like a curled fern—pale, thin wrists attached to it. Beneath that, a thick blanket stuffed with goose feathers. When he looked up, heavy curtains blocked all the light from the window.
Just looking at it was enough to make him feel depressed.
Nigel instinctively realized he was in a dream.
A dream of a time he barely remembered—an unhappy period of his childhood. Nigel watched it unfold like a scene from someone else’s story.
In the dream, he was sick with a bad cold and looked absolutely miserable. He kept coughing dryly while the physician came and went. It made him furious how the man kept bringing bitter medicine that didn’t even help. In a fit of rage, Nigel threw his pillow and burst into tears.
Eventually, tired from crying, he buried his face into the pillow and sniffled. That’s when he heard the door creak open. Too weak to lift his head, he muttered for them to leave—but the footsteps came closer on their own.
“Nigel, my beloved little brother.”
The soft, affectionate voice made Nigel’s head snap up. Etna stood before him.
His older brother, Etna, had been Nigel’s greatest pride.
Though only in his early twenties—practically still a youth—he was already hailed as the strongest swordsman in the kingdom. Not only that, but Etna was also a master of both spear and bow. There wasn’t a single weapon he couldn’t handle—his physical instincts were just that exceptional.
Of course, martial skill wasn’t Etna’s only strength. By the age of seven, he was already engaging in serious political and legal discussions with his mentor. By thirteen, he was assisting in ducal affairs and handling them flawlessly.
And most of all, Etna was always gentle with Nigel. Even when Nigel, sick and irritable, lashed out with bratty tantrums, Etna never once raised his voice. He looked after Nigel whenever he could spare the time, and once he’d finished his duties, Nigel was always the first he checked on.
“Heard you’ve been really sick, Nigel.”
“Yeah… it hurts…”
“If only I could take your place and be the one in pain instead…”
Etna spoke with genuine sorrow. No one wanted to hear words like that, but Etna always meant every word he said.
And Etna truly did meet the end he’d spoken of.
He died of a sudden endemic disease at a young age. It was a sickness that had lingered near the Magnus Duchy for some time—people would suffer for a few days and then suddenly pass. Mostly young children or the elderly fell to it. No one had expected strong, healthy Etna to die from it.
“It would’ve been better if Lord Nigel had died instead.”
“Why did it have to be Etna who succumbed, and not Nigel?”
After Etna’s death, such cruel whispers passed through the ducal household. It was heartless, but from the family’s perspective, losing Nigel would’ve been the lesser cost. Nigel himself had often thought the same—that it would’ve been better if he had died.
Maybe that’s why—
Ever since Etna’s death, Nigel had been seeing ghosts. Many visited him, but the one who came most often was his brother.
When he opened his eyes in the middle of the night, Etna would be silently watching over him. It felt like Etna was asking to take over his body. Terrified, Nigel cried his eyes out. On the day he could no longer endure it, he went to his father and begged.
It was likely these things that made his father change his mind. Originally, he’d planned to adopt a relative as heir, but those experiences must’ve swayed him.
“Don’t get sick, brother.”
“Nigel…”
“You mustn’t be sick.”
The Nigel in the dream whispered softly.
Suddenly, Nigel realized it had been a very long time since he’d thought of his brother. Had he been avoiding it out of guilt? Feeling a fresh wave of sorrow, he threw his arms around Etna.
“My sweet little Nigel.”
“Mm…”
“Be wary of Inas Idenbach.”
Nigel’s eyes snapped open. How did Etna know that name?
He lifted his head. Etna’s face had gone pitch black—completely unrecognizable.
A low, eerie weeping sound echoed near his ears. And just like that, the dream ended.
***
When Nigel woke up, his entire body froze.
Someone was there, in the dark. His just-awoken eyes hadn’t fully adjusted, but…
One thing was certain: whatever stood before him wasn’t human. He could clearly tell that a pale shape loomed in the pitch-black room, and strangely enough—it was partially see-through.
It was a ghost.
Not the one Inas had mentioned—the ghost of a former Duke—but a woman in a simple dress. Her beauty was startling, and her face oddly familiar. Her neatly tied hair swayed with her every movement.
The woman silently mouthed words, lips moving as if trying to speak. But all Nigel could hear was a faint wheeze, like air leaking from a balloon. He couldn’t make out a single word.
Why isn’t my body moving?
He had to run. But he couldn’t even twitch. If only Inas were here—yet it was quiet all around, confirming that Inas really couldn’t make it tonight. Nigel wanted to cry.
That’s when he heard it: the sound of a door opening far away.
Footsteps followed, moving from room to room. Heart pounding, Nigel silently begged for those footsteps to find him. After what felt like forever, they approached his bed.
“Ah!”
A startled voice rang out. With that, Nigel’s frozen body finally responded. He bolted upright—and saw Kay, eyes wide in alarm.
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to just barge in again, but… the ghost came this way and I wasn’t sure what to do…”
“I’m not blaming you—just do something about that!”
Nigel shouted at the babbling Kay. At his voice, the ghost whipped her head around. Her once-beautiful face twisted grotesquely. The braided hair unraveled, each strand rising into the air like snakes. It was horrifying.
Kay darted forward, grabbing Nigel’s hand and yanking him behind. He shoved a lantern into Nigel’s grasp and drew his sword.
“Don’t come out. I’ll handle this… somehow.”
As Kay spoke, a party window popped up. Nigel immediately accepted and checked Kay’s status.
Level 41. Around 400 HP, just over 70 MP.
Considering the average monsters around the capital were around level 30, this ghost shouldn’t be too tough—as long as Kay could land a hit.
“Can a sword even work on a ghost?”
He’d never heard of slashing a ghost to death. Kay gave a hesitant nod.
“Yeah. I got this artifact from some shaman or whatever this evening. Said it’ll let me hit ghosts.”
Nigel gripped the lantern tightly. The explanation wasn’t reassuring, but if Kay brought it, it had a chance. According to reports, Kay had a weird streak of luck—he somehow managed to solve things that shouldn’t have worked out.
Probably a side effect of his protagonist buff.
The ghost’s bloodshot eyes turned crimson as she lunged at Kay, swinging her ghostly white hands like claws. Instead of countering, Kay dodged, stepping back again and again. His face looked shaken—full of confusion.
Soon, he was fully on the defensive. The distance between him and Nigel widened. Nigel, now panicked, shouted:
“What’s wrong?!”
“Duke! I, uh… don’t you think that ghost… looks like you?”
“What?!”
Startled, Nigel looked closely at her face. He’d been too scared earlier to do more than notice it seemed familiar. But now that he examined her—yes, she looked just like him.
That’s when Nigel opened her Character Info Window.
Ghost of Rimera
Former Duchess of Magnus.
Died young and tragically, unable to rest in peace. Now bound to the mansion in the capital. Her memories of life are fragmented, and she endlessly longs for her lost family.
Level: 34
Drops:
– Ghostly Garment
– Wedding Ring
Special Reward:
Triggers hidden route <The Duke’s Secret>
Nigel was hit with a wave of shock. He’d been too young when she died to remember her face clearly. But he’d seen enough portraits to recognize her resemblance.
How could I not realize it was my mother?
Wracked with guilt, Nigel called out to her.
“…Mother.”
At the word, Rimera jerked her head toward him.
