328-Wandering ghost




 Geordal Capital Georheise.
 In front of that cathedral, we descended from the sky.

 Since you can't transmigrate to the underground directly, we had to transmigrate to the Ledenor Plains east of Midhayze and then fly to Geordal after digging through the underground.

 The one who greeted me was Bishop Milan.
 I had informed him of my errand beforehand via a "thought communication" (leaks).

 He led me to the choir hall.
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''Gorloana-sama, I have allowed Demon King Anos to pass through.

 As Milan said this, the grand main gate slowly opened.
 From inside emerged a neutral-looking man, Pope Gorloana.

'I'm sorry to interrupt your prayers,'

'No. You said you had something you wanted to ask Viaflair.

And I need the help of the Book of Tracks.

 Gorloana nodded.

'Let's go to the prison first, shall we?

 Following Gorloana, we walk through the cathedral.
 Eventually, the stairs leading to the basement came into view and the dragon's cry began to echo.

 Gorloana descended those stairs.

'How's he doing?'

''I guess I've let go of my sanity. I was holding Cerise's neck and muttering something delirious all day long. I tried to talk to her a few times, but she wouldn't respond as if she was trying to answer me.

Hmmm, I don't think I'll be able to listen to Cerys then.

 Sasha says, annoyed.

'What, I suppose I should bring him back to his senses. 'That's easy,'

"...to take Cerise's head off? You say you'll give it back to me if I agree to talk to you?

 Then Milan said.

'I tried that, too, but all he did was scream at me to give it back like a madman, and it was like he wasn't talking. I couldn't even ask her to pay for the crime of trying to bring down the canopy, but she couldn't help it by the way she was acting. Maybe she was just being manipulated by that man, Cerise, for good.

'Hmm. It's pathetic.

 Gorloana stops in front of an exceptionally sturdy-looking door.

'It's back here,'

 As he drew a magic circle, the door slowly opened.
 Following behind Gorloana, who was leading the way, we entered the room.

''Eh...?''

 Sasha blurted out in surprise.
 Misha blinked with a snap.

 Half of the room was a cage, with only a lump of ashes left in it.
 There was no sign of Viaflare or Celis's head.

''What is this...? It can't be....

 Bishop Milan turned his evil eye to the prison, as if he was dismayed.

''I've received reports that it was as usual when I had him check this morning.... Besides, having lost the power of the High Dragon, Viaflare shouldn't have any means of getting out of here.

 The Diordal Cathedral is manned by priests and holy knights.
 Even if they broke through the prison, it would be extremely difficult to get out.

''........Is the congregation you had them check out not suspicious?''

 Arcana asks. 'A plausible idea.

'They are all genuine Geordalists, and only I and Lady Gorloana have the keys to this prison. How could anyone open it with all the force they could muster?

 The cage has a number of magic circles painted on it.
 They create a barrier that separates the inside of the prison from the outside.

'It's not impossible to break the prison. Someone must have come to help.

 I said, and Misha nodded her head.

'Who...?'

''Yeah, right. I taught the forbidden soldiers that there was a High Dragon nesting in their bodies, and honestly, I don't think anyone is likely to side with Viaflare...

 In the cage, I turned my evil eye on him.

"Gorloana, can you tell me what happened here? Can you check for signs of the past?

'Now that there is no trace god, the power of the Book of Traces is limited. If we can identify a connection to the traces of the past that we wish to examine, I believe we can trace it back and recreate the events of the past.

Hmm. Then it's easy.

 I point to the space between the bars.

'At this one point, there is a mark where the space was once distorted and returned. It's possible that some kind of magic was used to rescue Via Flare.

Yes, sir.

 Gorloana takes the Book of Traces out of the magic circle and stares at the one point I pointed at and opens it gravely.

'The past becomes a trace, inscribed in the book left by my God. Oh, this is the miracle of the great traces of God. The past is inscribed in this book and I will not go back to it. The second movement of the Book of Traces, "Traces of Ziaraff.

 The image of Viafrere floats in the cage, hovering over the cage. She is holding Cerys' head in her chest, muttering to herself.

 It's the past of this prison, reflected by the Book of Traces.

 In the corner, the headless body of Cerys appears.
 It must have been kept fresh by magic.

'....he will come for you....he will come for you....

 Her eyes could hardly be described as normal; she was caught up in only one thought.
 From the outside, it was as if she had gone mad.

'Even so, do you still desire love? As usual, poor woman!

 Via Flare turned around in a huff.
 A black haze had appeared on the other side of the cage.

 Gradually, the haze took on the shape of a human figure, and then a demon race with six horns and a large eye patch appeared.
 They were the Curse King Kaihiram and the Underworld King Iges.

 Yeges thrust the Red Blood Demon Spear Dichid Atem carelessly into the cage.
 The tip of the spear disappeared and it stabbed into Via Flare.



 There is no wound. If she was swallowed up with Ceris' whole head in the other space, the next moment, Viaflare appeared outside the cage.

''........I've come to pick you up.......?''

 Viaflair asks, as if he were afraid.

'Bordinos is calling you, isn't he? Isn't that right?

Bordinos won't be here.

 The Dark Lord assured him unequivocally.

'No, he won't. He'll be back, I promised him so.'

"There are promises in this world that cannot be fulfilled. It is foolish to wait for those who will not return. Forget about the dead and live a new life.

 Viaflare shook her head from side to side.

'I said I would see you again. Bordinos, you know, he doesn't lie to me.

 The Dark Lord let out a single sigh.
 His sharp ship's eyes seemed to soften slightly.

''This world where ghosts who cannot live in the present wander about will not last.

 When Kaihiram enveloped Via Flare in a black haze, it quickly disappeared.
 At the same time, that haze began to cover the feet of the Curse King and the Dark Lord, both of them.

'Kaihiram. This is enough for you.

 Yggeth pierces the cage again with his crimson spear.

 When the tip of the spear pierces the body of Ceris, who was lying there, the burns it and turns it into ashes.

'Ghosts, along with their ghosts, are the ones that disappear into the past.

 At the Dark Lord's words, however, Caihiram returned the arrogant look.

'Shut up. I don't owe you anything.'

 Pointing to his face as he approached close to Ygeth, Caihiram said in a pressing tone.

'I told you that I would follow you to the ends of hell and pay you back.

 The Dark Lord closed up for a moment.
 Then he blurted out.

'They're all selfish idiots around me.

 A black haze enveloped the two men.
 Just then, the two figures blurred as if they were mixed with noise and suddenly disappeared.

 The Book of Traces had ceased to be effective.

''It seems that the traces can only be traced back so far.

 Gorloana says.
 Immediately, Bishop Milan bowed to me and the Pope.

''Well, I am truly sorry. Our security was supposed to be in place, but it was as if we failed to notice the intruder.'

'I do not blame you. And I didn't expect anyone to try to help Viaflair in the first place.

 Gorloana says.
 ''And it won't be much of a blow to you if you let Via Flare escape.

''I'm sorry for the Demon King, but...''

'What? With the Curse King and the Underworld, there are only more dead people, whether they realize it or not.

 Then, as if in horror, Milan bowed his head again.

'But why would the Dark Lord help Viaflea?

 Sasha ponders with a curious look on her face.

'Well. Looks like he's got his own agenda, though.

 I held my hand over the cage and released the wards on it.
 I open the barred door with and enter.

"Gorloana, can you do one more thing while you're at it?

 I stare at the ashes at my feet.

"This is the sign of Cerise. I want to see what he did 2,000 years ago.

'The further away we get from now, the more the object of the trail will be blurred. The focus might be on someone other than Ceris, and we can't go back and fixate on exactly when.

I'm fine.

 Gorloana nodded and opened the Book of Traces again.

'The past becomes a trace, inscribed in the book that my God has left behind. Oh, this is the miracle of the great trace god. The past is inscribed in the Book of Traces, the second book of traces. The Book of Traces, second movement, "Traces of Ziaraff.

 Just as the Book of Traces seemed to glow, another view drifted by, covering the prison in front of us.

 The past was appearing before us--