Volume 3 Chapter 34 Even In Something Like Conan, Hearing 'part I!' Is A Bit Of A Letdown
"The ghost's true identity... That's something I really don't want to hear."
Cedric gave a wry smile, and Randy nodded back with a similar expression. Originally, after that discussion, they planned to report everything to their instructor and the national research agency through Annabelle without thinking too much about it...
"By the way, how are ghosts usually treated?"
Randy's question snapped everyone back to reality. They started to wonder if it was really a good idea to report this. After all, the church's definition of ghosts and wraiths is widely accepted.
That definition is... ghosts are the souls of non-believers who don't believe in the goddess. Or, ghosts are souls that did bad things while alive and were cast out of heaven by the goddess.
The church uses this definition for their own purposes, and while it's generally believed, the second definition can actually encourage people to do good deeds.
On top of that, Liz's comment was also a big deal.
"If this definition is true, doesn't that mean bad people could create ghosts?"
It's not impossible. Thinking about that made everyone stay quiet for now, realizing this wasn't a topic to share lightly.
"You guys can't handle this topic... I see. Can you tell me why you brought it to me?"
"One reason is that we need to use this camera... or rather, the photos it takes, as important material."
"To create ghosts?"
Cedric, still smiling wryly, watched as Randy nodded silently. This wild idea made Cedric look up at the ceiling in disbelief. In today's world, no one would think of using ghosts as materials.
That would be an act against the church and, more importantly, a disrespect to souls. Just that information made Cedric realize that the photo he saw earlier was a huge bombshell.
"By the way, it can be replaced with something other than ghosts... I mean, the essence of ghosts──."
"Stop. That information is pretty risky."
Randy shrugged and laughed at Cedric, who was covering his face with one hand.
"Let's hear the other reason first."
Cedric looked worn out, but he didn't expect the next bombshell coming.
"Well, I was thinking maybe we could take down the church."
Without any shame, Randy said this, causing Miranda to spit out the coffee she had in her mouth.
"Cough, cough... Sir Randolph, that's a bit too direct, don't you think?"
"Oh come on... it's just a metaphor."
Randy smiled back, but Cedric and Miranda didn't believe him. The truth is, Randy really thought that if used right, they could take it down.
"Well, I mean, we could at least clear out the rotten ones at the top."
Randy said this with a quiet laugh, and Liz sighed, saying, "You have a bad look on your face."
"I see. The current church leadership is indeed corrupt. But you should be able to think of a way, right?"
Cedric showed a serious expression for the first time, looking at Randy with a mix of evaluation and caution. It was clear that he hadn't figured out Randy's true intentions yet.
"I can think of something, but I bet Sir Cedric would be better at it."
Randy replied with a smile, but Cedric kept his probing gaze.
"And──."
Randy finished his cold coffee and looked straight at Cedric.
"The kingdom will eventually get this information."
Cedric stared at Randy in silence for a while, then sighed deeply, saying, "That makes sense."
"The archbishop's daughter, Lady Annabelle Ridley, right?"
"Yeah."
Randy nodded, and Cedric leaned back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling.
Annabelle is a good friend, but she has nothing to do with the kingdom's and Marquis family's issues. Asking her to stop reporting to the kingdom because she might become an enemy of the Marquis family would be completely wrong.
Now, they're thinking about how to get the church involved and have asked her to wait for the announcement, but she was also part of solving the mystery with Randy and the others. She has the right to present that mystery to a proper research organization.
Unlike the corrupt leaders of the church, pure-hearted Annabelle was really angry about the current situation where they gain followers with "wrong information." She's a bit hesitant about how big this is, but it feels like she might eventually storm into the church's upper ranks with this achievement.
Randy thinks it would be better for Annabelle to submit the findings to the country instead of doing something drastic. After that, it's up to the country to decide what to do.
Even if the kingdom gets the information, that's fine.
Still, seeing Randy's confident expression made Cedric sigh again and say, "I see..."
"You think I can use the information well, even considering it might reach the kingdom... right?"
"Well, it's more like──."
Randy hesitated a bit, but he kept quiet about what he wanted to say and only answered the question.
"If it's Sir Cedric, I'm not just thinking you can use it well; I'm sure you will."
Randy shrugged, and Cedric leaned forward, as if to say, "With you saying that, I guess I have to listen." His silent but expressive attitude made Randy start to share the secrets they uncovered about the ghost.
The definition of a ghost.
How they appear.
The usefulness of magic tainted by miasma.
After what felt like a long but short explanation about the ghost, Cedric and Miranda exchanged glances and then looked back at Randy.
"I see... no wonder it's hard to deal with."
Cedric let out a wry smile and sighed heavily, saying, "The church is going to be angry."
"Just to be clear, this is all just a hypothesis."
After finishing his explanation, Randy scratched his head as if he just remembered something.
"That's true. But if it's wrong, then──."
"It's correct."
Ellie suddenly jumped into the conversation.
"What's with the sudden comment?"
Randy frowned, and Ellie, letting out a big sigh, said, "I'm saying your hypothesis is correct." She leaned back on the sofa.
"You knew about this?"
Randy frowned again, and Ellie snorted, "Of course."
"Who do you think I am? I'm Lady Eleonora, the great magician from ancient times."
Randy grimaced at Ellie's smirk.
"If you knew, you should have said something."
"Idiot. There's no way I could just tell you something like this. Depending on how it's handled, it could be information that could destroy the country."
Ellie suddenly got serious and started talking about a past disaster.
It was an event where a small country beyond the empire was destroyed.
This event is recorded in the forbidden book, [The Undead Codex]. They say the cause of the small country's destruction overnight was the Undead King (Nosferatu).
The Undead King (Nosferatu). A being that rules all undead. An enemy of the goddess, a servant of the god of destruction, and the king of the world of eternal night. Cedric, Miranda, and even Rita and Harrison couldn't hide their surprise at hearing about a being that sounded like a fairy tale.
"Lady Eleonora, may I have permission to speak?"
"Is that Liz's brother? Go ahead."
Cedric bowed his head in gratitude to the imposing Ellie.
"You mentioned the Undead King (Nosferatu). Are you saying something like that can be created?"
Cedric was shocked, and Ellie sighed as if it was a hassle.
"That thing and the Void Walker are a bit special. Especially to create that thing, you need a lot of sacrifices... If I say that much, you can probably imagine what I mean."
With a not-so-amused expression, both Randy and Cedric were thinking the same thing. It likely involves not just fear and imagination but also the souls of people as a medium.
It's a malicious act that could rightly be called summoning a demon.
And Randy and Cedric's guess was correct. To bring that being into the world, a large number of souls are needed. In a place thick with miasma, hundreds of people must be killed. They call this purpose "the forbidden technique to summon the Undead King (Nosferatu)." One by one, they kill them in order.
Fear of the Undead King (Nosferatu).
Unfair death.
These feelings come one after another, building up quickly and growing bigger. They create a bad presence that appears through dark magic. This is what the Undead King (Nosferatu) is, born from the souls that fear it.
What's surprising is that this method is also a product of imagination and fear. The first person to define the Undead King wrote down forbidden techniques, claiming they were needed to summon it.
The fear and imagination around these forbidden techniques mix with the fear of dying, creating an energy that's way stronger than normal. When it absorbs the souls filled with fear, it becomes a monster created by human fear.
"This is a disgusting story."
"The world itself is crazy."
Ellie suddenly laughs, while Randy frowns, looking annoyed.
"So, why are you telling us this dangerous information?"
"Because you all found it out on your own. And──"
"And?"
Randy furrows his brow as Ellie looks straight at him.
"I want to make you think twice about handling this information."
Randy has never seen Ellie look so serious.
"This information could destroy a country if used wrong. Even in my time, it wasn't shared with anyone except a few powerful people. It's truly a deep abyss. Do you have the courage to look into that abyss?"
Someone in the room swallowed hard, feeling the intense vibe from Ellie.
"You stumbled upon this information by chance. I'll give you credit for that. But to handle it, people are just too weak and fragile."
Ellie lets out a big sigh, and her eyes are colder than ever.
"Do you understand? This is not something you can handle."
Her icy words made the temperature in the room drop. Rita was shaking from the overwhelming presence. But of course, it was Randy who broke the tense atmosphere.
"What's up? Are you worried about us?"
Randy snorts, and Ellie raises her eyebrows, saying, "This is not the time for jokes."
"I'm not joking. I'm dead serious."
Randy leans in closer to Ellie and continues.
"If you're worried, just say it."
"Who would worry about you──."
Ellie frowns as Randy gets even closer.
"I appreciate the concern, but trust me a little. Since Liz mentioned the possibility, I've been thinking about how to deal with it."
Randy grins, and Ellie raises her eyebrows, intrigued.
"Then tell me. What's your plan?"
Ellie presses Randy, but he leans in too, not backing down.
"I'll announce it to the whole world. 'The ghost's true identity is just imagination!'"
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