Chapter 784: Ghostly Journey (10)

The moment the Guide’s Ring was revealed, the multitude of Hundred Ghosts ceased all activity and approached in unison.

Their communication, as they guided the boat as if by prearrangement, contained no emotion whatsoever.

It was as if guiding Lennok and the boat he was on was their absolute priority.

The procession of ghosts moved in unison, abandoning all other passengers on the dark river.

Lennok felt the intense gazes overtly pouring down from all sides and fell into thought.

‘They definitely reacted to the Guide’s Ring, but it doesn’t feel like an entirely positive sign…’

It was an abnormal situation where the Hundred Ghosts’ unusual behavior had completely disrupted the entire inspection process.

Considering how it had unnecessarily drawn attention, it was likely that this situation itself would not benefit Lennok in the long run.

Yet, despite this, Lennok’s reaction was exceedingly calm.

The Shrine Maiden seemed to sense this too, gazing intently at Lennok, who had entrusted the boat to the Hundred Ghosts’ decision without resistance.

“Sir. Did you, by any chance, expect things to turn out this way from the beginning?”

“If the ring’s presence allows me to contact Yorta’s leadership, things will be much easier.”

Lennok leaned against a deck pillar and replied.

“If there’s room for negotiation, I might even be able to enter the Memorial Tower directly through a deal.”

From the moment he acquired the Guide’s Ring with Sabrina’s help, Lennok had surmised that it was quite an important artifact to Yorta.

If this ring was indeed one of Yorta’s lost relics or treasures, as Lennok suspected…

Then it was only natural that they would seek to discuss Lennok’s treatment upon entering Yorta with it.

If he could meet with the leaders who governed all of Yorta right now, Lennok might be able to achieve his objective quickly.

That was why Lennok had secretly hoped to attract attention during the inspection process.

The Shrine Maiden immediately understood Lennok’s answer, but she shook her head as if unconvinced.

“Even if you were fortunate enough to meet Yorta’s leadership directly, wouldn’t the chances of a proper negotiation be low?”

“It doesn’t matter. In the worst case, just getting their information will be enough.”

Lennok said, and chuckled softly.

“Once I confirm who the ruler of this city is, I can always find a way.”

“Hmm…”

The Shrine Maiden, who had been looking at Lennok with an unreadable expression, eventually nodded as if understanding.

“A fitting answer for a wizard of Pandemonium. I understand.”

“Not something I particularly want to hear from a cult’s pawn.”

As Lennok and the Shrine Maiden disparaged each other’s affiliations, the Hundred Ghosts had, before they knew it, begun pulling the boat deeper into the river.

—Goooooooh…!!

Beyond the endlessly deepening, darkening river, a massive, faintly glowing drawbridge came into view.

The entire drawbridge was rusted and covered in moss and barnacles, as if it had been submerged for a very long time.

Thick chains creaked and swayed, then shifted course for Lennok’s small boat, sweeping aside the river water.

WHOOSH!

The small boat, following the rapidly receding waters of the Headrain River, moved downwards.

“…Wait.”

Lennok’s expression stiffened slightly the moment he noticed something was wrong.

Seeing Lennok rapidly activating his magic to scan his surroundings, the Shrine Maiden spoke.

“You seem to have noticed. We are not heading towards the center of Yorta right now.”

“The water level is excessively low.”

Lennok murmured.

“Considering the principles of the Myriad Ghosts’ Night Parade, the important levels should be located at a relatively high altitude.”

Through his conversation with Madrich Onnion, Lennok knew what kind of phenomenon the Myriad Ghosts’ Night Parade conceptually was.

It was a grand spectacle of a night parade, guiding souls and endlessly piling that very procession atop the Memorial Tower.

But that also meant that for the night parade, the wave of souls had to be endlessly piled towards the sky.

Considering that the Memorial Tower in Yorta was a structure built to fulfill such a role, the city’s core levels should have been located at a high altitude.

However, the Ten Ghosts guiding Lennok’s small boat were not raising its altitude; instead, they were lowering the river’s water level and guiding him beneath it.

The moment Lennok felt a hint of foreboding at that fact and gripped the bow of the boat.

WHOOSH!

Before his eyes, the deep black river water parted on both sides, fully revealing the landscape beyond the waterway.

A vast cavern, entirely filled with river water.

In the center stood a black altar, and about a dozen ethereal beings stood upon it, looking down.

It was as if Lennok, standing on the boat, was looking up at a judgment chamber built upon the water.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

THUD!

Upon a jet-black throne at the center of the altar, a young boy sat, looking down at Lennok.

“Welcome to the Grand Judgment Chamber of Yorta’s Memorial Tower, Underground Level 1.”

“…”

The boy’s form wavered faintly as if melting into thin air, rippling like a ghost.

The boy, positioned high above, looking down at Lennok, and the seven ethereal beings standing around him.

It was a chilling space, prepared not to welcome a noble guest, but as if to pass judgment on a criminal.

The moment Lennok instantly realized something was wrong and sharply lifted his gaze.

“So you are the human who brought the Guide’s Ghost.”

The boy’s ghost said in a chilling voice.

“I never thought that ring would return to Yorta at this point in time.”

“…”

“I was certain it was in a place of no return when last observed. The affairs of the mundane world truly change quickly.”

Could it be that he had never expected the Guide’s Ring to return to Yorta?

It was a sudden remark without any greeting, but Lennok immediately understood what the boy’s words implied.

Indeed, the ring had been hidden within a very powerful personal vault: Gillian’s Fortress, inside Gyro’s Coffer.

If Lennok hadn’t forcibly sought it out and retrieved it, it might still be forgotten day by day in the fortress’s underground.

“Well, enough with the trivial chatter, just take it out for now.”

Seeing Lennok’s silence, the boy, nonchalantly leaning back on his throne, nodded his head.

“I’m curious to see how much the soul of the Guide, who once led the night parade, has fallen.”

“…”

“Are you not even going to answer?”

Seeing the boy scoff, Lennok quickly began to rack his brain.

The boy’s ghost undoubtedly seemed to hold the greatest authority in this judgment chamber.

The seven ethereal beings arrayed on either side of him were likely Inquisitors, present to assist the boy in his judgment.

The problem was that the difficulty of his plan would differ drastically depending on the treatment Lennok received.

If the boy tried to banish Lennok here, that itself wouldn’t matter.

He could change his identity and return, or find another way instead of crossing the Headrain River.

The biggest problem would be if the boy decided to kill Lennok right here.

At this point, having crossed so far into the river, evading Yorta officials and escaping would be difficult.

Now that he had started, he would either have to kill all the surrounding Hundred Ghosts and witnesses, or find another opportunity.

The moment Lennok thought this and slowly toyed with the ring.

SHING!

Dozens of Hundred Ghosts, all at once, began to surround Lennok, their scythes aimed at his neck.

It was a violent reaction, as if they would sever his head right there if he didn’t activate the ring.

The Hundred Ghosts glared at Lennok and spoke.

“Take… it… out…”

“Verify…”

A resolute will to confirm the Guide’s Ring here, no matter what.

Realizing this was not something he could gloss over, Lennok shook his head.

It wasn’t impossible to kill all the Hundred Ghosts here and forcibly enter Yorta, but…

“…Alright then.”

As long as he didn’t know what kind of environment Yorta’s interior was, a hasty decision would likely turn into a bad move.

Thinking this, Lennok slowly activated the Guide’s Ring.

FLASH!

A faint, whitish human form appeared above the ring’s gem.

The seemingly featureless Guide’s Ghost, and several other ghosts walking behind it.

“…”

The fact that showing the Guide’s Ring would allow him to proceed to Yorta was certain.

He had never worried about that itself.

Only how important this ring was to Yorta.

And the situation where he couldn’t know how the fact that the Shrine Maiden’s soul was contained within that ring would be perceived by them.

Amidst the taut tension, Lennok quietly observed the reactions around him.

—

—

The Hundred Ghosts, not taking their eyes off the Guide’s form the moment it appeared.

They blankly raised their distorted faces under their hoods, too absorbed in watching the pure white radiance.

“…Hmm.”

The Guide silently looked around at the Hundred Ghosts, then merely chuckled lightly as if understanding.

For a moment, their gazes seemed to meet, but then the Guide instantly retreated back into the ring and vanished.

As Lennok’s eyes followed the Guide’s rapidly vanishing form, the boy, who had been observing while leaning on his throne, murmured.

“Long ago, he was clearly the prophet who guided us all, but now he is merely the legacy of a traitor.”

Not a prophet, but a traitor. Did this mean the Guide’s soul was no longer welcome in Yorta?

“The soul trapped within that ring is both a meritorious contributor and a sinner who has repeatedly made great contributions and grave mistakes to this city.”

The boy said languidly.

“Therefore, from my position, judging the spirits of the deceased, I must both commend his return and, conversely, punish him.”

“…”

“Normally, I would immediately hold him accountable for his sins, and even the ring’s owner would be subjected to the death penalty, but…”

The boy murmured, looking at Lennok with an unreadable expression.

Following the boy, the Hundred Ghosts all turned to Lennok and began to emit chilling moans.

A cold and damp murderous intent, as if they would once again press their scythes against Lennok’s throat.

The moment Lennok, instead of reacting to the ghosts’ imposing aura, quietly tilted his head.

“I believe that while objects might hold guilt, people do not.”

The boy changed his expression completely, smiling as he said.

“I’m not inclined to take that ring back now, nor am I inclined to abandon it. So, human, let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“If the fact that the Guide’s soul has returned to the city becomes known, the old spirits sleeping in the Memorial Tower will awaken.”

The boy said.

“As a large-scale night parade is approaching for the first time in a while, I don’t want a commotion in the tower. So, how about you keep the ring until the night parade is over?”

“…I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”

Lennok stepped forward to the bow and retorted.

“If this is about the ring’s whereabouts and its disposition, it’s naturally my property. Did you call me here just to decide that?”

“That’s right.”

The boy nodded.

“The problem is, if we postpone the ring’s valuation, then all the procedures you went through while crossing the river must be nullified.”

“What?”

“Not only that amusing-looking boat you came on, but also the spiritual records of the rituals and items used in the inspection must be erased.”

“…”

“As you know, Yorta is a water city built on the Headrain River, designed so that one can move throughout the entire city using boats. If you accept this proposal, you’ll have to acquire a new boat and ritual items.”

So that was why the process of offering tributes and creating boats at the dock seemed unusually complicated.

If an environment was set up inside Yorta where one had to continuously travel by boat, it would make sense.

The fact that the shape of the boat differed slightly with each offering might also have been a measure to indicate a guest’s status within the city.

But what first caught his attention was the boy’s proposal itself to Lennok.

To hide the record of him entering with the Guide’s Ring, did he mean to nullify all the inspections Lennok had passed through so far?

Contrary to the seemingly trivial proposal, it appeared quite grand and elaborate to erase his tracks.

That was probably because, unlike what the boy was saying, there was a reason why the Guide’s Ring should not reveal its presence in the city at this point.

Lennok, intuiting this, tilted his head askew with his arms crossed.

“No? Why should I do that?”

“…”

“Enough. Register the ring and legitimately determine its assigned level and authority. Your circumstances are none of my business.”

“No, that’s…”

The Shrine Maiden, who had been observing their conversation, asked as if dumbfounded.

“Sir, is that truly the right answer at this moment?”

“…”

From the Shrine Maiden’s perspective, Lennok’s brazen defiance in front of the boy might be incomprehensible.

In truth, while the boy’s ethereal form maintained a youthful appearance, he was a considerably strong entity, powerful enough for even Lennok to sense his high potency.

At the very least, a Thousand Ghost.

Or an existence possessing authority and power beyond that.

However, Lennok intuitively knew that the offer the boy had thrown out, as if out of goodwill, was not made out of consideration for him.

If the boy himself judged that the Guide’s Ring needed to be hidden, he would instead throw out another proposal to secure it.

As expected, the boy, who had smiled with a troubled look, pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“Hmm… You’re quite clever, it seems. Looking at how you got in here, you didn’t seem particularly perceptive.”

“…”

Lennok’s act of dragging an Apostle’s corpse and hanging its head on the boat certainly wouldn’t have looked like the actions of someone perceptive.

As Lennok remained silent, unable to retort, the boy spoke.

“Alright. Then, as compensation for accepting this proposal, how about I prepare your ritual items for you instead?”

“What does that mean?”

“Using my authority to judge Yorta’s spirits, I can grant you an exception.”

The boy explained while Lennok pondered.

“Normally, it’s an exception for esteemed guests like diplomatic missions from other cities, but I’ll make an exception this time.”

“I don’t understand what you mean by ‘preparing ritual items.’”

Lennok replied with his arms crossed.

“Were the ritual items needed to pass inspection ever that easy to acquire in the first place?”

“Well, it’s not difficult. Strictly speaking, it’s just about calling forth a spiritual archetype from the Memorial Tower’s inspection records.”

The boy said, extending his hand towards Lennok.

“Not you yourself, but I will look upon the accomplishments your spirit has accumulated and manifest the most suitable ritual item.”

The entire vision of the judgment chamber warped greatly, and a phantasm of light seemed to surge towards Lennok.

WHOOOOSH…!!

A stream of spiritual light, clearly targeting Lennok himself.

If Lennok refused here, the boy’s proposal itself would be nullified.

‘An archetype from Yorta’s internal records…’

Lennok, after pondering, slightly relaxed his targeted resistance and accepted the flow, upon which the light immediately began to coalesce above the altar.

It was probably manifesting a ritual item suitable for Lennok, based on his accomplishments, onto that altar.

With his hand extended towards the altar, the boy calmly spoke to Lennok.

“However, the ritual item is so small, and boat passage must be acquired separately within Yorta… Hmm?”

At that moment, the boy’s nonchalant expression, which had been constant, turned sour.

The sudden reaction was so unexpected that even the other Inquisitors turned to look at the boy in unison.

“No, wait. This isn’t an archetype, it’s…”

The moment the boy murmured with a flustered expression.

CRASH!!!

The entire wall of the judgment chamber shattered, and beyond it, an enormous wave began to surge forth.

“Uwaaaah!!”

The Inquisitors standing beside the boy screamed in a flustered manner, and immediately after, a giant shadow smashed the altar and burst into the cavern.

CRUUUMBLE!!!

What had instantly smashed through the Yorta checkpoint and burst in, crossed the rippling water and stood directly before Lennok.

Gooooooh…!!

Lennok, too, confirmed the identity of the entity that had appeared as a result of the ritual item archetype summoning, and fell silent.

The boy, who had resettled himself on the shattered altar, murmured with a dumbfounded expression.

“Hmph, well, I’ll be… What exactly are you?”

“…”

“It seems we’ll have to start this conversation from the beginning.”

A massive, faintly teal-glowing dragon-bone structure.

A bizarre appearance with old chains hanging and swaying everywhere.

Its sudden appearance and overwhelming presence, suppressing the shockwave with its mere arrival.

It was the vast Military Spirit ship, grander than anything Lennok had ever seen before, though he had seen it once.

A colossal Ghost Ship, large enough to fill the rippling waters of the judgment chamber, trailed dense fog as it loomed over Lennok.