Sister, I Hit You Because There Was a Ghost Behind You - Chapter 74

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74. The Sea Serpent’s Crest and the New Prey
The path back to the inn was hushed and subdued, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy of the Night Market.
The bundles of silk and jewels that had filled both my hands had all been stowed away in my spatial pocket, yet the white handkerchief still clutched in Demian’s grip maintained an oppressive, weighty presence.
The moment we arrived at the highest guest room of the Pearl of the Sea Inn where we were staying, I had the ominous object placed upon the marble table in the center of the Reception Room.
“Demian, would you mind releasing the barrier on the handkerchief for a moment? I believe I need to examine this creature’s true form.”
In response to my request, Demian alternated his gaze between the silver dagger and me, his expression growing stern as he spoke.
“Violetta, the dark magic dwelling within this object is far more potent and viscous than one might expect. I fear it could cause harm to your body, so would it not be wiser for me to incinerate it completely with holy power?”
“He’s right. Vermin-like energy like that doesn’t deserve to live. If you can’t manage it, I’ll grind it to dust in a heartbeat.”
Kairik too bared his sharp fangs and extended his claws menacingly.
Both of them were being overprotective out of affection for me, yet my instincts as an exorcist screamed that this silver dagger was an absolutely magnificent source of profit.
“I appreciate both of your loyalty, but cutting off the tail means losing the body. Don’t worry about me. If it acts up, I’ll tame it with my hammer.”
I smiled gently but firmly and nodded toward Demian.
Realizing he couldn’t break my stubbornness, he released a short sigh and untied the knot of the handkerchief.
The moment the holy aura dissipated, the suppressed black magic erupted like a viper, as if it had been waiting for this very opportunity.
The acrid stench of blood threatened to contaminate the room’s pristine air in an instant.
“How dare you release your power without your master’s permission.”
I flicked the azure mana I had already condensed at my fingertips with a light gesture.
With a sharp crackling sound, the dark magic that had been swelling to consume the entire chamber was instantly slammed to the floor. The viscous resentment I perceived through my spirit sight trembled pitifully beneath my overwhelming aura, as if begging for mercy.
“Oh, that mana control just now was quite excellent. You’re truly worthy of being my master.”
Kairik approached the table with interest, his lips curling upward. He sniffed persistently at the lingering aura on the silver dagger.
“The stench is absolutely vile. This hasn’t just tasted one or two people’s blood. It’s a disgusting reek accumulated over a very long time, layered with the blood and terror of dozens upon dozens of victims.”
“Dozens, you say? Then this isn’t merely a cursed object—it’s a medium for large-scale dark magic.”
Demian’s eyes grew cold and sharp.
I picked up the now-docile silver dagger and examined it carefully from every angle.
Its rusted and scarred exterior was thorough camouflage. As I traced my fingertips across the cold metal surface, the residual dark magic clinging to the blade’s edge writhed like living insects.
I concentrated my mana into my spirit sight and peered into the abyss of that repulsive aura.
My vision blurred momentarily, and a vision of a damp, dark Underground Dungeon with the sound of waves crashing echoed through my mind.
The clang of iron chains, someone’s suppressed screams, and the scent of blood saltier and fishier than seawater. Though it was but a fleeting vision, the weight of despair contained within it was far from light.
“Violetta, harmful energy could seep into your body. Please do not strain your spirit sight.”
As I frowned slightly, Demian hurried over and gently wrapped his hand around my wrist.
The warm, refreshing holy power flowing from his palm coursed through my veins, cleansing away the yin energy that had nearly transferred from the silver dagger.
“I’m fine, Demian. I merely glimpsed the origins of where this object came from. It’s a curse tool carefully crafted by a rather skilled dark sorcerer. The weight distribution alone differs from the silver daggers ordinary noble ladies carry for self-defense. It’s been designed specifically to sever someone’s life force and absorb their agony—a weapon meant for slaughter.”
At my composed analysis, Kairik let out a derisive snort and thrust his head over the table.
“Hmph, humans are truly a damp and troublesome lot. We beasts simply tear out the throat of anyone who displeases us on the spot, but humans always resort to stuffing curses into these sordid objects and striking from behind. The scent clinging to this hilt—it reeks of something absolutely vile, like rotten mud from a fetid seabed.”
Kairik’s crimson eyes gleamed like a predator who had spotted prey.
I listened to his words while carefully wiping the handle’s end with a thin shawl.
Beneath the cleverly concealed metal ornament, a faint crest had been engraved.
“A coiled sea serpent. This is the crest of one of the prominent families ruling Solea.”
At my words, Demian immediately searched his memory and responded.
“A sea serpent would be the crest of Count Cortez, the family that controls southern trade. However, they have long been renowned for their deep faith and leading charitable endeavors….”
Demian Lyart’s brows furrowed deeply.
To him, a Holy Knight of the Cult, the Cortez Family was known as a steadfast patron of the Southern Region and a paragon of noble benevolence.
His confusion was hardly surprising.
I tapped the table lightly with my fan, my gaze settling on the pastries that had grown cold.
“The brighter the light, the darker the shadow it casts, wouldn’t you say? If they were masquerading as saints in public while secretly crafting these abominable curse artifacts to drain people’s blood behind closed doors, the pieces fit together perfectly, don’t they? Gathering people under the guise of aiding the poor—what better environment to make them disappear without a trace?”
My reasoning cast a heavy pall over the room.
The horrifying hypothesis that dozens, perhaps hundreds of lives had been sacrificed as offerings in the basement of that hypocritical family.
“Revolting creatures. Your Cult’s eyes aren’t worth much either, it seems. Supporting such garbage as patrons.”
At Kairik’s scathing remark, Demian Lyart could only bite his lip, unable to mount a defense.
Blue veins bulged across his clenched fists. As a knight sworn to protect the sacred, the realization that he had been deceived and allowed evil to persist was clearly a profound shock.
“The deepest sewers always lurk beneath the most radiant saint’s image, Demian. It appears Solea’s glittering facade concealed quite the horrifying drainage system.”
I tossed the silver dagger onto the table with a cold laugh.
The cursed artifact that had circulated in the Night Market as worthless junk, the malevolent magic saturated with dozens of lives, and the crest of the Southern Region’s highest-ranking nobility—every piece pointed to a single truth.
Someone was nurturing a colossal evil beneath this resort.
“What shall we do? Shall I contact the Cult immediately and summon the Heretic Inquisition and the Southern Knight Order?”
Demian Lyart asked in a resolute voice, but I waved my hand dismissively and opened my fan.
“No. If the Cult gets involved, paperwork will drag on endlessly and my hazard pay will be slashed from every direction. Since I’ve come all this way to this sweet resort, I thought I’d thoroughly plunder the hypocritical nobles’ black market coffers.”
At my worldly declaration, Demian Lyart blinked, momentarily at a loss for words, but soon offered a resigned, gentle smile.
“If such is Violetta’s will, I shall gladly become your blade and purify that sewer.”
“Ha! No need to call those Cult monks! Tomorrow I’ll crush those sea serpents’ or loaches’ lairs and burn the entire territory to ash!”
Kairik clenched his fists, radiating savage bloodlust. I nodded with satisfaction, observing the formidable and lethal momentum of both men.
“Well then, let’s rest well tonight for tomorrow’s glorious hunt. Ah, Demian—would you seal that silver dagger once more with your barrier? I’d rather not catch the scent of blood while I sleep.”
“As you command. May you have a peaceful night, my noble master.”
“If anything frightening appears in your dreams, call my name anytime. I’ll break down the door and hold you.”
Receiving the contrasting yet utterly devoted farewells of both men, I made my way to the bedchamber.
My peaceful vacation of indulging in generous gold and beautiful seas had ended after just one day, but my mood was not displeased.
After all, an exorcist’s purse grows all the plumper the larger the Greed Demons become.
The sound of Solea’s waves breaking beyond the window seemed unusually cheerful tonight.

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