A sudden shout.
That voice belonged to the girl evil spirit who had been threatening us just moments ago.
“The hero has to finish rescuing the princess with a heartfelt kiss! And what’s this nonsense about carrying her on your back? Don’t you know how to properly hold a princess? You have zero charm!”
…?
While I stood there awkwardly with Yuli still on my back, unable to draw my sword, the girl evil spirit suddenly reappeared and said something strange.
“What…?”
“Hyek!”
At the sudden reappearance of the girl evil spirit, Yuli screamed in surprise once more.
“Oh… This isn’t right…”
However, the girl evil spirit didn’t attack us again. Instead, she seemed to be watching us cautiously.
Moreover, she didn’t have the horns, wings, or claws that she had when she was threatening us earlier.
In the meantime, I quickly set Yuli down on the floor and drew my sword.
“Tsk, now that I’ve been found out, there’s nothing I can do! Come on, fellow ghosts!”
Snap!
When the girl evil spirit snapped her finger in the air, the group of ghosts that had been blocking Selian, Anne, and Presia reappeared.
This time, however, instead of attacking, they formed a dome…
“The proper way to finish rescuing a princess is with a heartfelt kiss! You can’t leave until you kiss!”
And with that, they locked us inside.
I swung my sword at the edge of the semi-transparent dome, but it felt quite sturdy.
It seemed that sound was also cut off from the outside, as I couldn’t hear the three of them shouting something from the outside.
“Ki, kiss…?”
Yuli covered her mouth with both hands, wide-eyed, and spoke in a small voice, having obviously heard the evil spirit’s words.
Sitting on the ground, Yuli looked up at me, her eyes showing bewilderment. Her face started to turn red gradually.
“That’s… probably a prank by the evil spirit.”
Most likely, all those pranks in the room that trapped us while we were searching the basement were done by this evil spirit.
Even now, the sense of power coming from the evil spirit hovering above us was still present.
We probably couldn’t break through this dome with our own power. However, considering the previous rooms, there’s a good chance that if we follow what the girl evil spirit says—kiss…—then she’ll let us leave peacefully.
“By the way, while looking for Yuli, I was trapped in a strange room.”
I gave Yuli, who didn’t fully understand the situation, a rough explanation as best I could.
“So, if we kiss, we can leave?”
“Hmm… Yeah.”
Outside, they continued to try and rescue us, swinging swords and launching magic, but it had no effect.
“Huff… Haa… Alright! I’m ready! Come here quickly!”
Contrary to the situation, in the meantime, Yuli swiftly calmed herself and extended her arms toward me.
Glancing briefly at the girl evil spirit, she was lounging around like sitting on a chair, her arms crossed under her chin observing us.
Moreover, her smiling face was so annoying that it made me want to punch her.
…It feels like we’ve become spectacles, and while it’s unpleasant, there’s no other option.
Slowly, I approached Yuli and gently placed my hands on her shoulders.
Although I had already kissed Anne, this time the ghost specifically mentioned a “kiss,” so a peck probably won’t do.
Nevertheless, thanks to the many embarrassing situations we’ve been through before, I was able to slowly approach Yuli’s lips, heart pounding.
And just as our breaths could be felt and our lips were about to touch,
Shhriek!
A cutting sound echoed in the quiet interior of the dome.
Startled, I turned my head to see Selian slowly walking toward us, having cut through the dome’s wall.
“How… how did you break through the ghosts’ barrier…?”
As the girl evil spirit turned to Selian in surprise and said something, Selian also turned to look at the girl evil spirit in response.
“Hiiieek!”
But, merely by their gazes meeting, the girl evil spirit screamed in fear, sitting down and crawling backward on her hands and feet.
In the sudden situation when everyone else remained still, only Selian continued her steady steps toward the evil spirit.
And when Selian reached the girl evil spirit who was retreating.
…Even though the power that can be clearly felt is much greater from the girl evil spirit, for some reason, she was only trembling in front of Selian.
“Isn’t it okay to just leave, right?”
Rather than terrifying the girl evil spirit, Selian asked for permission in a calm voice.
Nod nod nod nod…
In response to Selian’s question, the girl evil spirit couldn’t answer and just frantically nodded up and down.
What exactly frightened that girl evil spirit?
This question was soon answered.
“El?”
“Yes, sir!”
This time, Selian approached me and Yuli and called my name.
Even though she was clearly smiling as usual, there was an inexplicable chill in her voice that called out my nickname.
It felt even colder than when the temperature dropped earlier due to the ghosts.
“Shall we return?”
Nod nod nod nod…
I too, enveloped by an unknown fear, could only helplessly nod like the girl evil spirit.
“Then, let me carry Yuli.”
“No, I’m fi-…”
Yuli tried to refuse Selian’s offer, but still not able to use her legs, she inevitably had to let Selian carry her.
“Huh, wait! Take us too!”
Just as we were about to leave after successfully rescuing Yuli and finishing our task, the girl evil spirit, who had been trembling in the corner for quite some time, shouted out.
“That… but…”
With everyone’s attention turning toward her, the girl evil spirit hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I’ve had enough of the basement. There are no more friends visiting here now… I’m bored, you see!”
“Be careful. If that spirit attacks with full power…”
“I’m not an evil spirit!”
Interrupting Presia’s caution, the girl evil spirit interjected.
“Evil spirit, evil spirit, always ‘evil spirit’! Have you ever seen an evil spirit as pretty as me? Aren’t our ghost friends adorable too?”
Pointing “tch” at the dozens of evil spirits who had returned from the dome shape to human form.
The dozens of evil spirits were each acting shyly by scratching the back of their heads or twisting their bodies.
…With just this appearance, it was clear enough that they weren’t evil spirits.
Well, even if corrected from “evil spirit” to “ghost,” it doesn’t give them a reason to come with us.
“But, you’re ghosts, right? You’re probably weak to sunlight, and it’s hard to leave here, aren’t you?”
Most ghosts are considered bound to a particular place anyway.
It’s either because an entity died with an unfortunate story in the area, or in this case, a cluster of negative energy created a new ghost.
“No worries! This friend will help us!”
With a sudden burst of sound, the girl ghost disappeared and reappeared behind Selian, next to Yuli.
“Since we have a super high empathy link with this friend. As long as we’re close to her, we can keep our form too!”
“Hi-i-i-iek!”
No sooner had the girl ghost placed her hands on Yuli’s shoulders than Yuli screamed and clung tightly to Selian.
Her grip on Selian’s neck was so strong that despite the size difference, Selian began to gag and struggled in pain.
“Hey, hey. Let’s make a contract, a contract! Take us with you!”
“Huuu. I really don’t want to.”
Yuli began crying again and soaked Selian’s back with tears.
Although it might be pitiful for the ghosts, if Yuli is scared like this, there’s no way she’d make any contract with them.
However, the girl ghost persistently continued to convince her, taking it as a last chance.
“You’re the first person who can handle all of us. Come on, stop crying and let’s make a contract.”
“I’ll… I’ll never…”
As the girl ghost pulled away from Yuli’s words, all the ghostly figures seemed to retreat. Perhaps due to that empathetic force, they appeared to obey Yuli well.
But despite this, the girl ghost remained stubbornly by Yuli’s side.
“That’s enough…”
When I was about to step in because I couldn’t bear watching it any longer, the girl ghost spoke up again.
“Did you see our power earlier? You can utilize it fully even outside! If you get into trouble, we’ll help.”
“Huuu… Power… Really?”
“It’s true! It might not be as strong as in this basement due to its unique properties, but we aren’t weak outside either. We should be quite formidable against most foes.”
“Then…?”
“Yuri, don’t believe it too easily. What if the ghosts are lying?”
“Probably not a lie. If they’re not evil spirits, these neutral ghosts could be considered a kind of spirit. At least, that’s figuratively speaking.”
“That’s right! Have you ever seen such a kind ghost? We may like playing pranks a little, but we aren’t bad ghosts!”
The girl ghost passionately defended herself.
Did her desperate defense completely convince Yuri? Yuri grinned and addressed the ghost.
“Phuehehe. Alright. You must’ve been lonely up until now. Let’s go together from now on.”
“Th-then? No takebacks, mind you? If you lie, I might really turn into a real evil spirit, you know?”
“Yes, it’s a contract. My name is Yuli Atillea. What’s yours?”
U-U-U-Um…
Finally getting the contract she wanted, but when Yuri asked for her name, the girl ghost hung her head and looked crestfallen.
“…”
“That’s impossible. I was born here and have always stayed here with my kind.”
Her voice sounded very melancholy, not just as a ghost.
“Then… can I give you a name?”
“My name…?”
“Will it be unpleasant…?”
“No! I’m just surprised. I didn’t think anyone would offer to give me a name…”
Her voice trembled, revealing genuine surprise.
“Selin, can you put me down now?”
“Will it be okay?”
“Yes. I’ve calmed down now.”
Apparently having regained her strength in her legs, Yuli got down from Selian’s back and faced the girl ghost.
Then she reached out and gently held the translucent hands of the ghost girl.
“From now on, your name is Linne. Linne Atillea. I’ll be your family. From now on, we’ll be each other’s older and younger siblings and friends.”
“Linne… Atillea…”
“If it doesn’t suit you…?”
Whirr whirr
The girl ghost, now named Linne, violently shook her head.
“No! I’m so… so happy. Yes! Linne. I’m Linne Atillea now! Yuli’s family and friend, Linne Atillea!”
With Linne’s words, a faint light enveloped the two who held each other’s hands.
After a while, the light that had enveloped the one person and one ghost disappeared.
However, in contrast to before, Linne’s body became much more substantial.
Though still semi-transparent, it was now difficult to notice her ethereal nature unless you looked closely.
“Yuli!”
Linne caught Yuli as she suddenly collapsed.
Yuli smiled at Linne and said:
“Hehe… Somehow, I feel a bit tired.”
“It’s probably due to the contract.”
Approaching Yuli, Presia began to explain.
“Even just making a contract while invoking names binds the souls. Not only that, but since one party even gave their name outright, it’s impressive that this only left her feeling tired. It must be due to that empathetic affinity Linne mentioned earlier.”
Well, roughly.
“U-UUUM”
After finishing the contract with Linne, the ghost group approached Yuli, indicating their desire for names as well by getting close.
“Hiiieeek!”
Unlike the now familiar Linne, Yuli screamed again and clung to Linne, still finding the ghosts scary.
Look, Yuli? Linne is the same kind of ghost as them.
“You won’t be able to give them names with your current abilities. Maybe when you become stronger later.”
“Then… will these ghost members have to stay here?”
Even while being scared, Yuli worried about the ghosts.
The ghosts seemed saddened by this and were slumped in disappointment.
“Well, that said, I think I should be able to help. While I can’t give names, simple contracts can be facilitated with my help, which shouldn’t be too difficult.”
However, once Presia offered positive words, the ghosts immediately cheered up and started hugging each other.
In the end, with Presia’s assistance, Yuli managed to contract with all 99 ghosts, excluding Linne.
There really are a hundred of them, which makes them appear more numerous.
“It’s entirely up to you whether you can give them names in the future. Strive harder.”
“How… should I do it?”
With Presia’s help, honorifics naturally came to Yuli’s lips.
“Hmm. That’s not my expertise. But learning necromancy or contract magic might help?”
“Magic…”
“By the way, if we just return like this, won’t the dorm or academy be thrown into chaos?”
While Yuli quietly pondered, Anne suddenly brought up a topic.
Indeed, thinking about it, if this many ghosts follow Yuli around, there’s a significant chance of causing a commotion.
Even if we try to convince them that Yuli has safely contracted with these ghosts, there will likely be people who fear Yuli as well as others who might be problematic just because of the presence of ghosts themselves.
“That part, don’t worry!”
When everyone was lost in thought—Yuli, Presia, Anne, Selian, and myself—Linne shouted confidently.
“Ghost members! Stealth mode, activate!”
Snap!
Linne snapped her finger toward the air like before.
In response, the ghosts’ forms faded beyond semi-transparency, completely disappearing.
Their presence could not even be sensed anymore.
Oh, this is a skill I’d want to learn if I were an assassin.
“Hehe… This will do. Though I can do it too! But, it’s like hiding inside Yuli’s body, so we can’t move too far away!”
“Then all problems are solved. It’s very late. Let’s return.”
While the precise time was unclear, we could somewhat feel that a considerable amount of time had passed.
Thus, we returned to the dormitory together with Linne and the ghost members as our new friends.
“UUUUUNG”
“Hiieeek!”
…Still, despite making a contract, Yuli continues to be startled by each ghost member individually. It truly reminds me of how she usually acts.
