My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 159

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Ah… So Rafaela was something like a hostage too. Bishop Marik is truly a cunning man.

“Even if he’s a cast-out child, he’s still Duke Baal’s son, isn’t he? He must have thought keeping him at the Rohanson Estate would surely be useful.”

There were exactly three ducal houses in the Empire. First was the Hosaquin ducal house, founding contributors who had now faded in reputation; second was Duke Baal, Rafaela’s mother. The last was Mayfield, who had been a foreign king before being incorporated into the Empire and granted a dukedom.

It seems he plans to purge the Hosaquin ducal house by tying them to me, and send away the Baal ducal house by tying them to Rafaela. He appears to be steadily preparing to destroy two of the Empire’s only three ducal families. Mayfield is so remote and treated almost like a foreign country that there’s probably no need to bother with them, so he’ll leave them alive.

Put Tenebray on the throne and swallow up the ducal houses too, and the Empire would simply fall into Bishop Marik’s grasp. As expected of a mastermind, his skills were no joke.

“Looking at that sight, it seems Bishop Marik is making prophecies.”

Rafaela giggled as she looked at the knights who had been dealt with by Pudding, as if trying to lighten the mood.

The knights weren’t collapsed like before, but standing perfectly upright without a single deviation. Anyone seeing them might praise the Holy Knights’ discipline as artistry and give them a thumbs up. Of course, they hadn’t regained consciousness – Pudding was using telekinesis to make them stand as if they were upright. She had made them look presentable on the surface in case someone walking around discovered the knights collapsed and reported it to the Temple.

Rafaela took her eyes off the knights and changed the subject as if to lighten the mood.

“By the way, that was impressive earlier, wasn’t it? I’m not even a member of Rohanson, but I bowed my head along with everyone, you know?”

Wait, when did you bow your head… Well, it would have been awkward to stand alone in that situation. That’s how crowd psychology works.

***

Though it was somewhat awkward to say given my antagonistic relationship with Bishop Marik, holy water was truly an amazing healing kit. With such good efficacy, it’s no wonder Bishop Marik finds it easy to stir up religious fervor by persecuting heretics.

As had worked at the ducal house, thanks to using holy water, the people of the Rohanson Estate calmed down considerably and their complaints subsided. There were even some who hesitantly offered me words of gratitude.

I should have felt good receiving thanks, but it only made me more troubled. It was because of my worries about how to handle the estate’s people.

I had just planned to quietly visit, hear the full story, confirm everyone was safe, and then quietly disappear… But now I can’t just leave alone. Everyone would think I abandoned them and ran away.

And when the knights woke up, they would obviously blame the estate people for using sorcery, claiming they had briefly fainted because of Pudding. Already hanging by a thread for being called demon minions, and now using suspicious magic too? Leaving them here would be no different from telling them to die.

So I’d have to move all these people… But where exactly should I move them? I didn’t think I could find an answer alone, so I called Kanna and Daisy. Rafaela, whom I hadn’t called, was somehow included too.

“Please consider me the Captain’s representative.”

Since she claimed to be Gabriel’s representative, I couldn’t refuse. So including Rafaela, we devised countermeasures.

“Should we hide them in the mountains?”

“The location seems unsuitable for hiding a large group.”

“How about going to some remote village and asking them to hide us?”

“Suspicious villagers would go report to the Temple.”

“It’s bothersome, so should we just kill them all?”

“…Pudding.”

It seems Pudding’s mercy ended with bringing holy water. Annoyed that I was worrying about unnecessary things, Pudding voiced her complaints.

Sigh. It would be nice if there was an underground bunker or something. Of course, there’s no way such a thing exists in Rohan, so it was just nonsense.

With Gabriel injured too, the only places I could ask for help now were the ducal house or the Toten Estate. But the problem is that Bishop Marik probably knows this too. If I secretly moved people, Bishop Marik might lead knights to attack. That would only increase the damage unnecessarily.

When no conclusion was reached, Pudding clung to me, apparently tired of the dragging situation.

“I think dealing with that rat bastard should come before the humans. I don’t like that thing daring to wear Evangeline’s face, and who knows what it’ll do next? Next time it might not end with just setting fires.”

I understood why Pudding was worried. Through this experience, the rat would have learned very well that it could torment me by causing reckless trouble. If it caused another incident when even the Rohanson Estate was hard to handle, it might become uncontrollable then.

“You may consider people’s lives light, but Evangeline doesn’t think so.”

Displeased that Pudding’s argument seemed to disregard human lives, Rafaela sarcastically retorted. No, don’t misunderstand, Rafaela. Pudding is just a bit sensitive from adolescence. And she just has clear priorities. Before I could make excuses, it seemed like a fight was about to break out between them.

Of course, our soft-hearted Pudding backed down.

“The Sun’s followers don’t know that Evangeline came to the estate, so they won’t lay hands on these people yet. Besides, Bishop Marik must have had reasons for keeping them alive.”

As she said, if they were related to heresy, he would mercilessly massacre entire families, yet uniquely spared only our estate’s people. Since there was a reason for not killing them immediately, he wouldn’t suddenly change his mind and try to kill the estate people.

“Then why did Bishop Marik spare us?”

“Daisy. What was the estate’s atmosphere like after Bishop Marik left?”

Before I visited the estate to clear up misunderstandings, I had become the demon who set fire to the estate and killed the household. Even the people killed by Holy Knights were said to have died under the pretext that evil energy had transferred to Evangeline.

At Pudding’s question, Daisy nodded as if understanding the meaning and answered.

“It wasn’t an atmosphere of loyalty and gratitude to Evangeline like now.”

Daisy answered while looking at the estate people. Pudding nodded.

“Right. Even now it’s only like this because Evangeline visited the estate and bestowed holy water, but what do you think it would have been like otherwise?”

“They would have been at the forefront of testifying that Evangeline was a demon…”

Bishop Marik would have wanted the estate people to testify to false rumors as if they were true, like Kokia did, to protect their own safety. Thanks to the Butler’s speech and holy water, I could breathe a sigh of relief for now.

I must convey my gratitude after rescuing Jelly. At least it’s fortunate that casualties were reduced because Jelly sacrificed himself to save people.

“It’s beneficial for Bishop Marik to keep the Rohanson people alive. They have value as hostages and are convenient for pinning crimes on.”

He could threaten me by saying he’d kill the estate people, or after killing them, blame it on me being a heretic worshipper and thus executing those who followed me.

In this situation, if I used teleportation to evacuate the estate people? Rumors would spread that Evangeline used sorcery to make people disappear, or that they disappeared after being used as sacrifices.

Damn it, he’s designed it so he can use it however is convenient for him.

“See. Now you understand? There are reasons he kept them alive, so they won’t die immediately. Now you have no complaints about catching that rat bastard first, right?”

As Pudding finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

“How about the Baal territory?”

Rafaela seems uncomfortable with just leaving the people be. Rafaela, are you determined to destroy your family as Bishop Marik wishes?

“We cannot cause such trouble.”

I rejected Rafaela’s proposal without hesitation.

“I’d rather ask my grandfather for help.”

If I’m going to a territory, I’d rather hide in the Hosaquin territory. That seemed like the best option. Should I deal with that rat bastard and demand a hiding place for people as payment from the Duke? Still, as one of only three dukes in the Empire, he probably knows secret places that Bishop Marik doesn’t.

“And Sir Rafaela should return to Duke Baal.”

“There’s no one suitable to guard the Rohanson Estate. Since Bishop Marik ordered me to remain, I’ll stay and guard the estate.”

I advised him out of fear he might really destroy his family, but he shook his head while glancing at Daisy with a carefree expression. Romance in this situation? Well, maybe because it’s this situation. This is Rohan after all, damn it.

Anyway, it was decided to return to the Hosaquin ducal house and catch that rat bastard.

Though anxious, I had to leave the people at the estate and return to the ducal residence with Pudding. Kanna remained at the estate, saying her presence as my close aide would ease people’s anxiety. It seemed she also wanted to atone for Hena’s sins.

Since I had teleported from the Duke’s office, I returned to the office again. The floor was clean, as if everything I had scattered while doing flower divination had been cleared away.

The Duke, who had been sitting and doing paperwork as usual, welcomed me.

“You’re late.”

“The situation got a bit complicated. Has Rico returned?”

I sat down and asked about Rico’s whereabouts.

“No. I ordered them to bring Ricoradka to me immediately if spotted, but there’s been no news, so she hasn’t returned to the ducal residence.”

I don’t know where that demon who lives and dies for Agera is wandering around instead of coming home. I wanted to catch her immediately if she was here, but she’s not coming back quickly. Time is urgent and I don’t know when that rat bastard will return, so I can’t just wait indefinitely.

“Grandfather, I think we need to use some method to catch the ‘rat.'”

“Why do you bother asking my opinion?”

“Because the method is one you won’t welcome, Grandfather.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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