Chapter: 629
Bishi was born into a noble family, but it wasn’t one with significant power.
As a child, Bishi didn’t even realize she was a noble and played with peasant kids.
Even when she eventually stepped into the social scene and recognized her noble status, her attitude didn’t change.
Chatting with other nobles only made her acutely aware of her family’s small stature, leaving her no room to flaunt her nose.
Still, Bishi didn’t hate her hometown. It held her friends, her caring parents, and happy memories with her little brother.
“When will I see my brother again?”
Sitting alone in a barren field, she murmured her wish, but Adri couldn’t respond. She knew it was impossible to bring back a soul that’s already departed.
The magic that summoned souls could only call those who hadn’t crossed over.
You can’t forcefully call back someone who is satisfied with their life and has moved on.
That’s beyond what those who remain on this earth can do.
“Should I ask Lady Allen? Maybe I can grow like the others.”
– Don’t worry. Bishi is growing at a perfectly good pace.
“But…”
– Necromancy is dangerous magic. You never know what might happen if you rush in.
“…I guess you’re right.”
Someday, she’d have to tell Bishi the truth.
But today wasn’t that day. Bishi wasn’t ready to accept it yet.
“Bishi! Where are you!?”
“What’s going on?”
Hearing an urgent voice from afar, Bishi dusted herself off and raised her voice.
“What!?”
“What do you mean ‘what!’ Come here quickly!”
“Then what’s the matter!?”
Grumbling, as Bishi headed toward her mother’s call, she spotted Lucy Allen, arms crossed, and Joy Partlan, scanning the area with sharp eyes, making her freeze in place.
What are those two doing here? There’s nothing fun in this backwater village!
– I know you’re flustered, but shouldn’t you help your mother? Her face is pale.
Ah, right!
I might be used to meeting those two at the Academy, but my mother isn’t!
If she sees the notoriously fierce Ducal Young Lady Partlan and the infamous Lady Allen standing next to her, she might faint!
Panicking, Bishi controlled her breath nearby and forced herself to act noble while greeting them.
“Ducal Young Lady Partlan, Lady Allen. What brings you to such a humble place?”
“Seriously? Why should I care about your stinky backwater?”
Bishi’s mom twitched at the harsh words that anyone would consider bullying.
“Wait! Mom! No! I didn’t mean that!”
“Oh my, dear…!”
“Lucy, don’t say any more; it’ll just create misunderstandings.”
Joy stopped Lucy with a word and, though she didn’t really have to, politely bowed her head in apology before speaking.
“As I mentioned earlier, we have something only your daughter can do. Your daughter has helped us multiple times at the Academy, proving her competence. I assure you, there’s nothing to worry about regarding your family’s honor.”
When the sole young lady of the Partlan family invoked her family’s honor, Bishi’s mom couldn’t refuse her despite throwing her hands up, showing a hint of relief.
“We need to discuss something among ourselves, though.”
“Understood! I had something to do outside anyway!”
After Bishi’s mom left, she quickly noticed magic that blocked sound being deployed, hinting that this situation was going to be dangerous like last time.
“You have questions for Adri, right?”
“Yes. Is she around?”
“She’s next to me.”
– Hello, Ducal Young Lady Partlan.
Upon suddenly revealing herself, Adri bowed her head, prompting Joy to shift slightly and steady her breath.
– Did you come looking for me because it’s related to black magic?
“Exactly.”
“Be glad. This matter falls squarely in the realm of creepy old hag expertise.”
The two were curious about the possibility of transferring a soul.
Can you transfer one person’s soul into another’s body?
If so, how do you deal with it to prevent that from happening?
– Transferring a soul is indeed possible. You’ve often heard of possession, right?
Possession is a basic concept in necromancy. It’s not just about bestowing a soul onto a corpse; it also includes bestowing it upon nearby tools or objects to turn the battlefield into the necromancer’s domain.
– However, inserting a soul into a living body is a challenging task. If you compare a human body to a castle, the possessing soul is the attacking side, and the person defending is the protective side. Without significant differences, taking over the body is impossible.
– Even if you manage to take over the body, the issues don’t end there. The body fights to expel the intruder. If you lose the initiative even once, it’s game over.
– So typically, when attempting possession, you either turn the target into a corpse and keep it intact until the soul’s traces fade or find a way to get them to agree somehow.
After hearing all of Adri’s explanations, Joy furrowed her brow without realizing it.
Adri’s words assume there’s a will to seize a body. If you’re forcibly inserting an unwilling soul, possession becomes much harder.
Especially when the targets this time are the First Prince and the Third Prince. It’s impossible to execute a one-sided possession.
Then why did the First Queen let them go so easily?
Shouldn’t she have tried some trick to keep one of them?
Why hasn’t she taken action until now?
“Old hag, can a soul be possessed if its traces are completely gone even if it’s sloppily done?”
– In theory, yes. A castle without an owner defaults to the invading side as the owner, right? However, it’s quicker for a body to decompose than to completely erase the traces of a soul, so it’s all just theory.
“Then it’s like that.”
Only then did Joy grasp the First Queen’s intentions.
If she were to harness the Authority of Evil God Agra, other variables would mean nothing.
If Agra has the Authority of the End, it could even pronounce death on the soul that was lingering in the body!
The Authority of the End is such an all-encompassing power!
It’s tough to predict how far this power could extend!
In blunt terms, it’s even possible to erase our memories and make us forget everything!
The more Joy thought about it, the more she felt like she was falling into a pit.
The despair contained in the name of a god is so monumental.
The reason we were able to win against the Evil God of Darkness was that Lord Erginius blocked his powers.
If we had to face all his powers, we would have had no hope of winning.
“…Maybe the First Queen is waiting for us to come.”
“Isn’t that just it? She’s a delusional psychopath. She wouldn’t think she could fail.”
“Then what shall we do?”
If they drag their feet and the First Queen gains control over the Evil God’s powers, they’ll lose.
However, charging in wouldn’t guarantee victory either. Silently dealing with it is obviously impossible. Countless lives would be lost for sure.
“Can I ask one thing? Why is the First Queen being mentioned?”
Joy pondered whether she should tell Bishi about this.
She’s just a girl who happens to have a powerful spirit as a friend.
There are too many parts where she falls short of being a hero.
If she gets involved in this mess, she’d end up in the same situation as her friend.
“The delusional queen has gotten herself a new profession.”
Just when Joy was about to zip her lips after deep contemplation, Lucy spoke up.
“Lucy!? Who are you!”
“She’s the same age as us, you know? Even a sloppy person has to pull their weight.”
Just as Joy tried to assuage her urgency, she noticed the seriousness in Lucy’s eyes and fell silent.
Up until now, Lucy has always valued others more than herself. If she couldn’t protect her friend, she wouldn’t even bring it up.
“At least let me explain first.”
“If you want attention, do as you please.”
Sighing deeply, Joy succinctly explained the current situation.
Though Bishi and Adri questioned the sense in it, Joy calmly persuaded them.
Before long, both recognized how horrible the current situation in the kingdom was.
– Why are you telling us this?
Unlike before, Adri’s voice was now filled with caution. Nevertheless, Lucy shrugged it off.
“Old hag, next question.”
– First, answer my question.
“Is it possible to seize control of a soul?”
*
Of course, Lady the First Queen must have taken precautions against purifications and banishments.
We have two people on our side who can handle the Divine Grace of God.
However, the defenses against fellow black magicians would be relatively lax.
If Adri, being the Apostle of God, could even say spiteful things in front of my divine power, she could definitely seize control of the soul and return its self.
– No, I can’t.
“Isn’t that an obvious lie? Do you even have a plan to deceive?”
– Regardless, I can’t do it.
“Are you just chickening out?”
– Yes, I am. I’m scared. So I can’t do it.
The reason Adri was backing off was obviously because she worried about Bishi.
So no matter how much they press her, bring up events from the past, or propose decent suggestions, it wouldn’t matter.
As long as she wishes to protect Bishi, convincing Adri is impossible.
“Even a lonely old hag won’t be living off of the noble a side forever, right?”
– I must reiterate. I am not…
“I can provide the old hag with a suitable doll.”
If all quests related to Bishi in the game are cleared, Adri could acquire a body.
It’s a tedious process, but given the state of the country, it shouldn’t be impossible to find it for her.
Adri is a ghost. More than anyone, she longs for a body.
Though she tries to turn a blind eye, that yearning must be enormous.
– I don’t need it.
Yet she still refuses.
Why?
Because she fears for Bishi’s safety. Her precious friend means more to her than her own desires.
“No, I do need it.”
But this friendship runs both ways.
Bishi values her friend’s dreams more than her own safety.
– Bishi! This isn’t something you should casually get involved in!
“I know, but you see… That’s a precious proposal for you.”
– Even so, it’s meaningless if I die! This isn’t the same as what happened in the forest last time! I might not be able to protect you!
“If that moment comes, then Lucy would die first.”
Joy responded to Adri’s scream, mustering a forced smile and turning to the others.
“Right?”
“Pffhahaha! Of course! I wouldn’t let you sloppy people overshadow me!”
I will never let you die.
Even if I must die first.
Standing in front of everyone with the shield means just that.
“Adri, Bishi, please help us. Lucy choosing you means we all need you to make us laugh.”
As Joy respectfully bowed her head, Bishi asked for a moment to talk.
After we headed outside, Bishi and Adri emerged a while later, clearly having argued, but the conclusion that came out was Bishi’s will.
“What do I need to do?”
The first button for the assault on the First Queen has been set.
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