He paused for a moment before shifting his gaze to Melissa—or more precisely, to the doll in her hand.
The “ghost” they were talking about was Sefiut. Since they’d decided to hold off on his nightly strolls for a while, there wouldn’t be any more sightings of mysterious floating fireballs in the middle of the night.
Ketir turned his head sharply away. The rumor would die down soon enough, and he had no interest in wandering around and stirring up unnecessary trouble. Thankfully, the two didn’t cling, even if they looked a bit disappointed.
They politely bowed and quickly disappeared. Was it the two people that were bothering him, or was it the creepy rumor they mentioned? Ketir stroked his chin, eyes fixed on the direction they’d gone.
“Seems like this is getting bigger than expected.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. This mansion’s so big—we can live with a ghost or two, right?”
“What a horrible thing to say.”
“Wait, are you scared of ghosts?”
“……”
“Hmm… that’s understandable. Don’t be discouraged! If a ghost tries to attack while we’re walking, I’ll protect you!”
How? He asked with a glance. Melissa giggled and tapped her sword sheath.
“I’ll just slash it!”
“A ghost…”
“Yep! If I really put my spirit into it, I think it might work!”
Better to run than wait around to see if that works.
Ketir didn’t bother replying—he just sighed. They hadn’t talked much yet, but she was shockingly consistent in her energy.
Ries, sitting below the two of them, perked up his ears. At a glance, it looked like he was listening to their conversation—but in truth, he was eavesdropping on another one entirely.
—You sure… it’s not?
—…Shhh. Someone might… hear us!
—…Who’s even gonn—
His hearing, far sharper than a human’s, picked up the voices without effort—even ones he hadn’t intended to catch. Unintentionally, he overheard the hushed conversation of the man and woman who had disappeared around the corner.
It wasn’t pleasant. He tried to let it go in one ear and out the other—until the word “Duke” came up.
—Isn’t it because of the Duke? They say he’s cursed. None of this happened before he showed up…
For some reason, those words came through loud and clear.
Something inside him crumbled. Rationally, he understood. They were frightened, trying to pin the blame on anything they could.
But still—
How can they say that so easily?
His chest burned with rage. The resentment and quiet fear packed into that one sentence ignited something in Ries.
Was it a crime to suffer from a curse passed down through blood? Just for being “cursed,” without even understanding how deeply ignorance could wound someone, people turned their cruelty toward Justyn without hesitation.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
Clenching his jaw, he darted down the hallway. Behind him, he heard Melissa cry out in alarm, but he didn’t stop.
Down the hall, around the corner—and there they were. The two who’d been exchanging that grating conversation. Startled by his sudden appearance, the two humans trembled in place.
And in front of them, Ries stomped down one bold paw.
“Nyaaagh!”
Protecting him, that’s MY job!
***
So, what happened next, you’re wondering?
He set out himself to catch the “ghost.” In the dead of night, no less.
Ries thought back to Justyn, who had seen him off with eyes full of worry right until the end.
“I don’t feel right letting you go alone at this hour… but if I come along, I’ll only get in the way. Please, be careful out there.”
He’d added strict instructions—watch your step in the dark, stay close to Ketir, don’t come back too late.
The only thing was…
I’m not going alone.
He had Ketir, Melissa, and even the two servants who had begged for the ghost to be dealt with. That said, the atmosphere was far from friendly.
“M-Melissa, I said I was sorry…”
“To me?”
“Ugh…”
Even when they first gathered that night—actually, even earlier—Melissa had been glaring daggers, and the ones on the receiving end shrank like pill bugs under her gaze.
Soon, a desperate look turned Ries’ way. But without hesitation, he looked away.
That’s karma.
A few hours ago, when they agreed to help the pair…
Melissa, suspicious after Ries suddenly darted off, had confronted them. The two already-nervous servants had buckled under her knightly intensity and confessed what they’d been talking about just before.
“Ries is a Spirit Beast. And he adores the Duke. What do you think made him rush all the way over here like that?”
The sheer terror on their faces had been unforgettable. That was exactly when Melissa’s expression had hardened.
Now their eyes, searching for a savior, turned to Ketir. But he, too, showed no intention of shielding them from Melissa’s wrath.
…Not that he could’ve, really.
“Huff… haa… huff… haa… Calm down, Ketir Ribote. There are no ghosts. No ghosts, so calm dow—ah, dammit. I can’t calm down.”
Muttering to himself nonstop with tightly shut eyes and clasped hands, he was clearly panicking. The final touch? The clove of raw garlic clutched reverently in his hands.
…What is that for?
Did he hear somewhere that garlic was good for repelling ghosts?
Ries briefly considered whether he ought to set Ketir straight. The whole ghost-hunting thing was just a staged act—to stop the spread of nasty rumors about Justyn. There wasn’t going to be a real ghost.
But there was no way to explain that. Ries glanced down at his paw, the limb embedded with six pads, then shot Ketir a single pitying look.
Even if he were in his right mind, it’s not like Ketir would’ve defended those two.
He looked furious, too.
He hadn’t said it outright, but even Ketir’s glare had been sharp back then, backing up Melissa’s pressure without a word.
“W-We’ll show you where the ghost’s been seen most often…”
In the end, the two cowed servants began leading the way. Quieter was better, anyway.
Following behind, Ries refocused on their mission: to pretend to exorcise the “blue fireball ghost” that had recently become the talk of the staff. And for that, there was one essential piece of the puzzle.
He glanced down to check what was clamped in his mouth. There dangled Sefiut, limp as a noodle, grumbling nonstop.
―Damn it. I’m gonna stink like spit again.
Chomp. Ries bit down a little harder. For the record, he brushed his teeth diligently, thank you very much.
“Hm? Did anyone else just hear a voice?”
But that short complaint was instantly extinguished—thanks to one member of the group with unnaturally good hearing. Knights really were something else.
“Don’t say creepy things like that.”
“I swear it came from nearby… Alright, alright, I’ll drop it.”
Melissa glanced around suspiciously, but finding nothing unusual, let it go. Meanwhile, Ketir, who had jumped at the unexpected voice, took one look at Ries and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Whew…”
It was the look of a man who’d just found a new, foolproof ghost detector—and had every intention of putting it to use.
Should he be offended? Maybe. Ries mulled it over as they continued walking.
“T-This is the place!”
“I saw it here too.”
They arrived at the kitchen. In the darkness, the space looked particularly eerie. Melissa shined her lantern around inside, but nothing stood out.
“…Seems like nothing’s here.”
“Hmm. Should we check somewhere else…”
Relief and disappointment played across their faces. Ketir relaxed, while Melissa bit down her frustration.
Melissa gave Barton and Ria a look, silently urging them to guide them to another location. But Ries had no intention of dragging this out unnecessarily.
He stepped forward.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Ries? Is something in there?”
Melissa moved to follow, but he flicked her away with a hind leg. If she got too close and saw too much, this little act would fall apart fast.
The air around the group tightened with tension. The Spirit Beast acting strangely could only mean one thing: something was in there. Melissa, who believed she could slash ghosts to bits, looked ready for action—but the other three were trembling in unison.
Perfect. Just keep playing along.
Ries sniffed the air, deliberately moving through the kitchen with slow, theatrical steps. He pawed at various spots, adding a little flair to make the scene more dramatic.
Finally, he found a spot just barely out of view—an ideal blind spot.
Ries slipped Sefiut into the corner and then raised his voice, loud and proud.
“Myaoooong!!!”
FWASH!
A bright blue light burst forth in front of him.
