What Changed in Pond, and What Didn’t – Part 06

“There are books here.”

Rows of old books sat on the shelf, untouched for who knows how long. These were the only things Hikaru cared about in this place.

When Lavia had lived here, the only thing she trusted were these books, and they remained in the mansion to this day.

“I don’t really care who gets their hands on this mansion, but I don’t want it burned or neglected because it was haunted. It would destroy the books. Lavia would be heartbroken.”

“I see.”

Even through the mask, Hikaru could tell that Paula’s eyes sparkled with joy. He felt a little embarrassed.

“L-Let’s just make sure the books are okay for now.”

He pulled a few books from the shelf, inspecting them. They appeared to be in good condition. There were adventure stories, classics detailing the kingdom’s history, and books sharing the teachings of the Church.

“They seem fine.”

He returned the books to their places. Lavia had likely read them over and over, yet it was clear they had been treated with care—no dog-eared pages, no creases, no stains.

“All right, everything’s good.” Hikaru glanced toward the door. “Now it’s time to hunt some ghosts.”

He had gathered information from both the Adventurers Guild through Freya and the Thieves Guild via Kelbeck.

He wanted to understand the threat posed by the ghost here before jumping into action. It was always better to be cautious. Though he’d braved the flying Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas, Hikaru was, by nature, careful.

“They say they hear screams every night. And there are reports of a pale light floating around the mansion.”

“The Count’s spirit haunts the place. I sent someone who knew what he looked like, and they confirmed it.”

Hikaru could clearly sense it with his Mana Detection. A ghost up ahead. It was Count Morgstadt.

“That room.”

And he was the one who killed him.

“He’s in there.”

They quickly made their way to the Count’s room.

Hikaru opened the door. It creaked faintly. The last time he had entered, the door opened without a sound. He wondered what had changed.

The room was dark, but it looked almost exactly the same as before. A sturdy desk straight ahead, a reception table, and a couch.

He didn’t have time to carefully inspect the room back then, so there could have been changes, but Hikaru couldn’t tell.

In the center of the room stood a pale ghost. The stout silhouette was unmistakable. Count Morgstadt.

His eyes held pure darkness, and Hikaru couldn’t make out the emotions that flickered within them.

The ghost let out a moan that sounded like the wind howling. Paula clutched Hikaru’s clothes tightly.

“It’s okay. It can’t harm us. Go ahead and purify it.”

“O-Okay.”

The ghost stood still, unmoving. For some reason, Hikaru had the unsettling feeling that it was watching him.

Paula began chanting softly, “O God who art in heaven, extend your loving hand to the wandering souls upon this earth. Guide this soul to your sacred embrace, to you, the mother and father of all life.”

Golden light surrounded Paula, and several glowing orbs gathered in her outstretched hand.

“O wounded and weary soul, the time of rest has come. Leave behind all sorrow, all suffering that binds you. Bid farewell to this life, and walk towards the light of the next.”

The orbs floated gently toward the ghost, swirling around it. With this, the ghost would be purified. Its soul would ascend, and this mansion would be nothing more than a vacant house.

That’s weird. Hikaru sensed something off. Didn’t they say the ghost of Count Morgstadt was seen flying around the mansion? Why is it so calm now?

Realization hit. The ghost was staring directly at him. It knew exactly who he was. It had known from the beginning that the one who killed it had come to the mansion.

The light turned into a pillar that climbed higher and higher, piercing through the ceiling.

Hikaru could see the ghost’s face clearly now. Count Morgstadt wore a solemn expression, his eyes filled with quiet anger. He turned his neck to glance at an empty wall.

What… What is he trying to say?

The ghost began to dissipate into light, rising toward the sky. Count Morgstadt—the spirit—was gone. As the light faded, the room returned to its dim, quiet state.

“Phew. I think that should do it. Lord Hikaru?”

“Ah, yeah… yeah.”

What was that about? The ghost was looking at him with anger. Was it trying to say something?

Since Hikaru and Paula entered the mansion, the ghost had been calm. They had lit a magic lamp, so it must have known exactly where they were. It also recognized Hikaru. Waiting for them to come to this room?

“There’s no point in thinking about it. Let’s go.”

“O-Okay.”

Paula seemed a little confused, given how lost Hikaru seemed in his thoughts, but they left the room.

Hikaru stopped. “Why was it looking at the wall?”

“Huh?”

“Before Count Morgstadt disappeared, he was staring at the wall. Why? If he resented me, he should have been glaring at me until the end.”

“Was he? I was focusing on the spell, so I didn’t notice.”

“I’m sure he was looking at the wall.”

They returned to the room. The wall was smooth, made of neatly fitted stone panels. The craftsmanship was so fine that the seams were nearly invisible, except for the patterns in the stone.

When Hikaru touched it, the wall felt ice-cold.

He scanned the wall with his Mana Detection, but got nothing. There was nothing unusual about it. Still, Hikaru formed a fist and knocked on it.

After testing several spots, one area sounded different. Crouching down, Hikaru noticed a narrow crack at eye level. The stone pattern aligned so perfectly that unless someone knew to look for it, they would never have noticed.

With a bit of force, Hikaru pushed on the stone, and a small panel, about the size of his palm, clicked open.

“Is that what I think it is?!”

“Looks like a hidden shelf.”

Hikaru assumed it held something very important—perhaps a huge diamond or the key to a safe—but contrary to his expectations, what he found was a stack of papers.

---

“His Majesty and I share the same opinion, but the Grand Chamberlain is a hindrance. If the invasion of the Empire succeeds, my position will be secure. If we placed the girl in the vanguard and had her use magic, no ordinary army would stand a chance. She would essentially be a walking siege weapon.”

“Can she be controlled? Difficult or not, it must be done. She seems starved for affection, so dangling her mother as bait should suffice. If that doesn’t work, we’ll drug her. I’ll make the arrangements for the drugs.”

“A note from His Majesty. I’ll keep it for the record.”

After returning to the inn, Hikaru flipped through the notes. Paula was already asleep in the next room. This wasn’t a cheap hotel, but the luxurious Grand Hotel Pond. After coming back late at night, a comfortable bed was necessary for a good rest until morning, so he had chosen this place.

The notes from Count Morgstadt contained several details about Lavia, all of them infuriating. It was clear he saw her merely as a tool for war. Hikaru had tried to find information about Lavia’s mother, hoping for something useful, but there was nothing, only that she had passed away.

I doubt Lavia wants to know about it, anyway.

The fire crackled in the hearth as he burned unnecessary papers. Count Morgstadt had written down highly classified information, including directives from the previous king. He had clearly outlined plans to start a war using Lavia.

“Idiots.”

Papers fluttered into the flames and were consumed.

“Hm?”

He paused to read the next note.

“Why does His Majesty obsess over the Quinbrand Empire? We have a history with them, to be sure, but it shouldn’t warrant such obsession. Our kingdom has more fertile land, and in twenty years, the difference in national strength will be insurmountable.”

The Quinbrand Empire lay to the north of the Kingdom of Ponsonia, where winters were long and summer daylight short. The kingdom could harvest a wider variety of crops, and in greater quantities.

“One reason is probably His Majesty’s health. He likely wants to achieve the feat of defeating the Empire while he’s still alive. Utterly ridiculous.”

The contemptuous remarks peppered across the notes suggested the Count didn’t hold the previous king in high regard.

To Hikaru, however, they were all the same.

“Another reason might be a mysterious force in the Empire.”

Yawning, Hikaru’s attention was drawn back to the writing.

“Oh? Mysterious force?” He continued reading.

“It’s just a rumor, but all the old nobles knew about it. There’s a faction, separate from the Empire’s nobility, that holds hidden influence over the Empire. And those individuals are the ones who elevated the Man Gnomes to the throne.”

It suddenly clicked.

“The Man Gnome village.”

Indeed, if there were people who could gather information across the continent and control the flow of magical energy, they would certainly be seen as a mysterious force.

The actual village of Man Gnomes, however, was humble to the extreme, not seeking wealth, and had completely vanished from the public eye.

Still, their influence was real, and some nobles had noticed their existence, labeling them as a mysterious entity of sorts.

“What does the king know?”

That was the last note.

Hikaru tossed the final sheet into the fire.

Did the previous king know something about the Man Gnomes? It was possible.

Count Morgstadt might have been trying to expand his influence, or maybe not.

The inhabitants of the Man Gnome village had all fallen into a coma, severing contact with the Quinbrand Empire. Yet there had been no action from the Empire. Were they indifferent to the village, or was there another reason? There might be, or there might not.

“But so what?”

Hikaru stood up and crawled into bed.

He had already decided to stop getting involved in the larger developments in this world. In fact, if he wasn’t dragged into it, he wouldn’t lift a finger. Meeting Lavia was enough happiness for him, and as long as there were no issues with the Four Eastern Stars, he was ready to consider this the end. He just wanted to live a leisurely life from now on.

Count Morgstadt’s notes burned to ash faster than Hikaru could fall asleep.