My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 32

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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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“Ranon, it’s time to eat. Wake up.”

The child rubbed his eyes and got up from his spot. The room with pure white bedding stretching on both sides, rather than the colorful bedding children would normally use, looked somewhat eerie.

“Did you eat while I was sleeping?”

“Yes, I ate twice.”

Mary found it strange that Ranon always asked how many meals had passed whenever he woke up and ate, but since there was no reason to hide it, she answered honestly.

“Thank you, Mary.”

Ranon patted the head of the child who didn’t even reach his shoulder.

The children of Ainoa Orphanage were trapped in this shadowy basement with the Orphanage Director. Without windows, it was hard to tell, but assuming three meals a day, at least ten days had passed. If they were only given two meals a day, much more time would have gone by.

“Since you missed two meals, they said you must eat this time. Let’s hurry.”

Ranon followed Mary’s lead toward the meal.

It was amusing that despite being captives, they were living comfortably with regular meals, but what could he do about their kind kidnapper providing food every time? It even seemed like the meals were more abundant than when they lived at the orphanage.

As he walked holding Mary’s hand, Mary suddenly stopped and tugged his arm. Sensing she had something to say, Ranon bent down and the child whispered in his ear.

“Ranon, are we being sold?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Yulma said so. That feeding us well and keeping us clean is because they’re going to sell us. Is it true?”

What kind of thing to say to a child. Though Ranon felt displeased with Yulma, he couldn’t deny what Mary had said. Even to Ranon, it looked like they were being well-maintained to be sold off.

“I don’t know.”

“There are things even Ranon doesn’t know!”

That was because no matter how mature Ranon was, he was still only fourteen. The oldest child at the orphanage was sixteen, and when they got older, they would usually leave the orphanage to become independent like Daisy.

“And I heard footsteps from upstairs earlier.”

“Footsteps?”

“Yes. The Orphanage Director said it was probably Troy and told us to be quiet.”

“I see.”

Soon they arrived at the room used as a dining room. The sight of everyone gathered eating looked like the usual scene, but the fact that there wasn’t a single sound of laughter despite so many young children made them face reality.

“You’re here, Ranon.”

“…Yes.”

The director pushed a meal toward Ranon. It seemed like he had set it aside in advance to give to Ranon when he came. Well, he had missed two meals after all.

Ranon took the meal the director offered and carefully asked while reading the mood.

“Director. Are we going to be sold now?”

“Oh, child…”

The director sighed as if looking at something pitiful, but didn’t reveal the truth. Ranon couldn’t even pester for the facts out of fear.

The meal time ended quickly, and the children followed the director back to the room with the bedding. Since they arrived late, Ranon and Mary, who were the slowest to eat, stood at the very back.

“Ranon!”

“Yeah?”

“Shh.”

Mary’s steps gradually slowed, then she led Ranon in a different direction. Ranon quietly followed Mary while keeping an eye on the person at the front.

Mary led Ranon to a narrow room. Inside the room sat a man in a chair, his entire body wrapped in iron chains and his eyes covered with a black veil.

“Mary. The director told us not to pay attention to this place.”

“But that man kept refusing to eat.”

“They would have taken care of it.”

“No. I heard him shouting ‘I won’t eat!'”

Mary said that’s why she brought some of her food, rummaging through her pocket. It was bread with her handprints still on it. She had taken it from on top of the soup, so it was soggy.

If Yulma had seen that, she would have thrown it away saying it was dirty. Mary headed straight for the man with bread he wouldn’t eat anyway.

“Mister. Aren’t you hungry?”

“…I’m hungry, so get lost.”

Mary didn’t seem hurt by those words and shoved the bread into the man’s mouth. The man spat out the bread and dry-heaved.

“It tasted like garbage…”

“My bread…”

Mary picked up the bread again and put it in her pocket. What was she saving it for? Maybe as a weapon? Ranon briefly thought that if the bread hardened in that state, it would be suitable as a weapon.

Now that she had tried putting bread in his mouth once, it seemed like they could go back, but Mary settled down right next to the man.

“What’s your name, mister? I’m Mary. Ranon is Ranon.”

Making introductions with a man chained up in a gloomy basement – a child’s friendliness was truly incomprehensible.

Ranon thought the man obviously wouldn’t answer the question. However, after a long while, the man quietly spoke.

“…Melek.”

If he had been starving for over thirty meals, he should be hungry, yet he spat out bread and was making introductions in a similar situation – he seemed quite carefree too. But Ranon didn’t want to bring up that topic and make Mary realize their situation.

Instead of stopping the two, Ranon began keeping watch. They might come to get them knowing they were short on headcount.

“Does Melek know why we’re here?”

“Yes, I know very well.”

“Even Ranon didn’t know.”

Mary gave a thumbs up saying Melek was smart, then awkwardly lowered her hand realizing his vision was blocked.

Mary stared at Melek intently. Seeing how smart he was, he must be a noble young master like Yulma said, right? Yulma said Melek was tied up so tightly because the person who would sell for the highest price shouldn’t be allowed to escape.

“Are we being sold?”

“Something like that.”

“Something like that? Then is Yulma wrong?”

Melek, who had no intention of answering, gestured with his chin as if telling them to leave, but Mary misunderstood and thought he was telling her to come closer. When Mary approached, Melek sighed. It seemed he needed to scare her to keep her from coming near.

“That kid called Yulma has good instincts but lacks imagination.”

“What!”

Mary was shocked in a very small voice at the fact that Yulma, the smartest and coolest kid at the orphanage, had something he lacked.

“You’re all going to be eaten by monsters. That’s why they’re taking such good care of you. A good-looking pig tastes better too.”

“Eaten…? Pig…?”

Mary imagined herself becoming a pig, being roasted instead of bacon and eaten by monsters, then rubbed both shoulders as she got goosebumps. She hadn’t felt it was real when told they’d be sold, but now she was scared hearing they’d be eaten – truly childlike.

Ranon took care of Mary who was in shock. Because faint footsteps could be heard from the end of the corridor.

“Mary, I hear footsteps. Let’s go quickly!”

“But we’re going to be eaten.”

“That’s nonsense.”

Mary, with tears welling up, took Ranon’s hand. Footsteps? Could it be the monster Melek mentioned coming to eat us? Mary, who had been quietly following while only looking at her feet, soon bumped into Ranon’s back.

“Ouch. Ranon, why did you stop? I bumped into you.”

Mary was scolding Ranon while holding her forehead, then saw a huge shadow standing right in front of them and buried her head, holding her breath. What Melek said was real. Now Ranon and I are going to become bacon?

Mary, who had been trembling, was greatly relieved by the familiar voice that followed.

“Ranon, Mary. Why are you here? I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

The person who came to get the children was the director.

When the director scolded them and extended his hand, Mary would have taken that hand if Ranon hadn’t pulled her back. Mary understood that Ranon must have been very scared thinking a monster had appeared and patted Ranon. Really, Ranon, it’s not a monster but the director.

“Let’s go back now.”

The director glanced at Melek then pulled the children’s arms to get them out of there.

‘Finally, they’re gone.’

Melek swallowed while listening to the children’s footsteps fading away.

He was really too hungry. He was so famished he felt like he might die. When the child put her hand in his mouth, he almost bit down and chewed it.

“Children are off-limits? For a demon? Then I’ll make it so you have no choice but to accept children as offerings.”

They had definitely let the children loose on purpose. With a being that aroused curiosity just by looking at him so close to the children, everyone pretended not to care but still approached Melek and talked to him.

Melek’s chains only looked impressive but had no restraining power at all. They covered his eyes so he wouldn’t recognize they were children and left his mouth free so he could devour them anytime. They were telling him to eat whenever he was hungry. Really, who was the demon here?

***

Alright! Now let’s try to find them!

Would it be faster to find Troy and pinpoint the location rather than looking for the kidnapped kids? There probably aren’t just one or two places doing human trafficking in this vast empire, and since this is a story tied to Daisy, Troy must be the key needed for the plot progression. The problem is how to find Troy.

Criminals leave traces of themselves, so should I go to the orphanage first? Ah, I’ll find Troy’s belongings and have Jelly smell them, then track by scent!

Seeing how well Daisy was found, it would be good to rely on Jelly’s sense of smell.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Can you find Troy?”

“Even I can’t do that.”

I guess not… That’s a bit disappointing. Well, this is an episode involving Daisy, so it wouldn’t look very cool if Jelly solved the case by sniffing around.

But then how am I supposed to win her favor? Look, Daisy seems disappointed too.

“You too… now that I look at you, you seem quite ordinary.”

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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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