Free Web NovelChapter 17: The Wraith Beside Him [2]
"Young sir, we’ll be reaching Thornhaven in about five minutes!"
Mikael’s eyes stirred slowly, dragged from sleep by the carriage driver’s booming voice.
He blinked, wincing at the relentless pulsing ache that kept throbbing behind his eyes due to the essence overload.
The daylight spilled from the window, casting a warm glow across his tired-looking face.
"Mhm... yeah, thanks."
He called back at the driver, his voice still thick with drowsiness.
He sat upright on his seat, yawning as he felt dampness over all his lips.
He lifted his fingers, touching his lips as he felt the cool dampness of saliva.
’Drool....? Again....?’
He quickly wiped that away with the back of his ruined jacket sleeve, grimacing.
It was quite weird. freewebnøvel.com
He never had the habit of drooling in his sleep in his previous life as Zen.
Not even once.
But for some unknown reason, it kept happening with him from the last month he had spent in Liren’s memories.
At first, he thought it was just one, but now it kept happening daily.
Was that something original Mikael used to do in his sleep?
Was he gradually taking on original Mikael’s mannerisms... his habits, without realizing it?
’This isn’t good.’
That was also part of the reason he didn’t actively want to sort out the fragmented memories he had inherited from the original Mikael.
He was afraid... afraid that he would lose his original self.
He felt a stare on him as he glanced sideways.
Liren sat beside him perfectly poised, watching him with a natural, unblinking expression that somehow made the whole thing more embarrassing.
"Ahem."
Mikael cleared his throat and asked...
"Why didn’t you wake me up? We already arrived."
"You look tired and were sleeping so soundly."
She paused, her eyes scanning, drifting across his sleepy, handsome face in great fascination.
"You don’t need to feel embarrassed around me. I also used to drool when I was little, and wet the bed until I was seven."
"...."
Mikael’s eye twitched.
’That isn’t how you comfort someone, Miss Liren.’
’Her conversation skills had really deteriorated.’
But it was expected after living alone in the Spirit World for this long.
He sighed and decided to change the subject before she could offer any more childhood confessions to comfort him.
He turned towards the carriage window.
Outside, the Thornhaven city unspooled beyond the glass -- the tall facades of pale stone, wrought-iron streetlamps, the bustle of carts and figures weaving through the streets.
The wheels trundled slowly over the cobblestones as Mikael tilted his head back, squinting up at the already high and glaring sun overhead.
"Looks like it’s already afternoon."
Liren leaned forward towards him, the cool, rosy scent drifting past as she peered out from his side of the window, her shoulders brushing lightly against his arms.
"Is this the city? Thornhaven?"
"Yes."
He had told her about it back then, during their time together in the trail.
When he’d run out of things to say, and the silence had grown too heavy, he would talk about the Astralspire Magic Academy, the developed cities like Thornhaven, all the magical equipment and wonders.... anything to fill the emptiness with words.
"The architecture feels a lot different..."
Mikael followed her gaze out towards the Victorian architecture.
"Yes, it’s nothing like before. Magic and engineering have come a long way since your time. Wait until you see the academy, you’ll be surprised."
She nodded, gazing out the window with the fascination of a child.
While she lost herself in the view, Mikael leaned forward and rapped his knuckles against the carriage panel.
The driver’s hatch slid open a crack.
"The Silver Rabbit Inn, on Gravetender’s Row. Do you know it?"
"Aye, young sir. I have come to Thornhaven City many times. I’ll have you there in a few minutes."
The hatch clicked shut, and Mikael settled back against his seat.
After some time,
The carriage rocked gently as it navigated the final turn, and the wheels rolled to a halt.
Through the window, he caught sight of a hanging sign—Silver Rabbit Inn— which was swaying in the afternoon breeze.
He turned to Liren, who was still watching the streets, her pale eyes tracking a group of cloaked adventurers passing by.
"Um... Can you... hide yourself just in case?"
Even though ordinary people and low-ranking awakeners couldn’t see her, he couldn’t be so sure about high-tier awakeners.
And Thornhaven was a city that housed two powerful churches — ’The Lady of Night and Darkness, Sableth’, and ’The Lord of Light, Aethon’.
The last thing he needed was for some high-ranking cleric to sense Liren’s presence.
They’d probably brand him as possessed by an evil spirit on the spot, and that was a headache he didn’t need right now.
He did have a plan for dealing with the church if it came to that, but he wanted to secure his admission into the academy first.
Then deal with the other stuff.
’It is always better to be cautious.’
Liren turned to him, her expression as calm as ever. She considered his words for a brief moment, then nodded once.
"I should also rest now. This form... it takes a lot of energy from me."
So, her physical appearance didn’t burn his essence, but her energy, or probably her essence, did.
But to summon her in the battle, his own essence was the price.
That was quite interesting.
She then leaned in extremely close to him, her face mere inches from his own as her figure began to dissolve into the dark blue smoke peeling from her silhouette.
It coiled around the carriage interior and streamed towards him, seeping directly into his chest, right where his core resided.
A faint blush crept across Mikael’s cheeks.
’She’s dangerous.’
Was she doing that on purpose?
There was no need to lean in that close.
He patted his sternum where Liren had vanished in his core.
It wasn’t like this in the game.
Contracted spirits always retreated to the spirit world after lending their power in battle.
Maybe it depends on Spirit’s preferences. Or maybe it was the perk of his unique class.
He shook his head, filing the thought away, and stepped out of the carriage.
****
Once inside his rented room,
Mikael drew a long bath and lowered himself into the steaming water with a quiet exhale.
He scrubbed away all the dried blood and dirt with slow, deliberate care, letting the heat loosen the ache of his muscles.
As he rinsed off the last of the soap, he paused, studying his own reflection in the rippling surface.
His skin was unmarked, with no bruises, no cuts, or signs of injury.
That healing magic was quite astonishing.
Back in his old world, injuries like those would have taken more than a month to heal and would have left nasty scars.
’I wonder what the Rank of that healer was to cast such a spell.’
He dried off and pulled on the fresh, clean set of clothes.
He ordered a simple lunch that was brought up to his room.
It wasn’t anything special... just a couple of fresh bread and a bowl of vegetable stew.
But he was already far too hungry that even this humble meal tasted far better than it was supposed to.
He was halfway through the bowl, his spoon poised above the bowl, when a knock sounded at the door.
Knock! Knock!
Mikael set his spoon down with a soft clink as he wiped his hands on the napkin.
’Did Jeanne arrive already?’
He suppressed a groan.
He had been thinking about getting a few more hours of sleep before he had to drag himself to Princess Elara’s birthday banquet.
’Haa.... There goes my precious sleep.’
He pushed back his chair, crossed the room, and opened the door.
Standing in the dim hallway was a middle-aged man with a broad frame and short, neatly combed dark blue hair.
He wore a long black Victorian coat with the insignia of a howling wolf embroidered on the left breast — the Morwell family insignia.
Mikael’s fragmented memories clicked into place as he recognized him.
He was Mr. Dyre.
A Tier 3 Knight in charge of service to House Morwell.
He was also, supposedly, the man assigned to ensure Mikael’s safety until he gained admission to the Astralspire Academy.
Mikael frowned.
Where had the man been all this time?
"Mr. Dyre, where were you th--"
Before the words could fully leave his mouth, a rush of cold air pulsed against his chest.
Dark blue smoke billowed outward from his core as it coiled and twisted into a solid form that materialized in the air in front of him.
Liren hovered between Mikael and the knight, her pale eyes fixed on the doorway.
"Mikael... Stay Back."
"Huh?"
"What’s going on, Liren?"
His eyes suddenly paused on Mr. Dyre’s eyes.
They were glassy and vacant like a dead man.
The knight took a step forward as the skin of his face began to peel away.
Mikael’s eyes widened, and he quickly leaped back.
The knight’s peeled skin began to slough along his jaw.
It curled away in thick, greasy strips, revealing the glistening, greyish-red muscles beneath.
The flesh slackened, sliding off his bones as thin, yellowish fluid oozed from the fissures, and the thick stench of decay bloomed in the entire hallway.
The knight continued to step forward as the cartilage of his nose collapsed inward with a muted, gristly pop, and the entire face began to droop as a wax mask.
Spash! Splash!
His eyes lost their grip in their sockets and splatted onto the floorboard.
His legs lost all muscle as he fell forward on his face in front of Mikael’s legs.
******
