Chapter 349
Chapter 349: This is Certain. (2)
“Can’t you go out?”
“Right, there’s nowhere to go… I don’t plan on leaving either… and this child has no intention of letting me go… Gurrr…”
Count Mobray wore a solemn expression.
I can’t fully trust the words of a malevolent spirit, but the weight of my son’s unwillingness to release it bore down heavily on my chest.
Does he truly not want to return to normal because of me?
Is there really no way to rid my son of that vile spirit?
‘Even Divine Power and Magic couldn’t touch that malevolent being. What in the world is that thing?’
Despite summoning wizards and attempting all sorts of methods, no solution came.
Count Mobray had even once brought a black mage, captured from another territory, hoping for a cure. But that black mage confessed he had no idea what kind of demon Edwyn had contracted with or what symptoms he displayed.
Summoning priests was out of the question. They were more likely to suggest burning it away.
Calling them would be pointless. If it were something they could solve, it would have been resolved with Divine Healing when the initial symptoms appeared.
Even as a last resort, Edwyn refused the option of exchanging bodies.
Edwyn flicked his tongue as if he had no interest in obtaining a new body.
“Let me go. Then I’ll behave myself. How about it? It’s too stifling here, and your son seems uncomfortable too.”
“No, that can’t be.”
“Gurrr… How dare you imprison a being as great as I…”
“You seem far too insignificant to be a great being.”
If you were truly great, you wouldn’t be trapped like this.
Long ago, you would have burst forth from your prison, spewing magic everywhere.
Since neither Magic nor Divine Power could exert any influence, I had no idea what kind of entity it was.
The black mage we captured speculated roughly like this.
—Perhaps the soul itself is of high rank but has lost its power in the human realm. It might be that nothing affects it due to its high rank.
Count Mobray shook his head as he mulled over the black mage’s words.
What relevance do such words have now? I don’t even know the reason for this situation, let alone how to expel it.
A malevolent spirit doesn’t just attach itself to anyone. If it were that easy, the world would be overflowing with people like Edwyn.
It requires very strict and complex conditions; unfortunately, my son was just the kind-hearted and weak one among them.
“Keep a close watch. Make sure the meals are served on time.”
Leaving those words with the soldier guarding the door, Count Mobray turned away.
“Already leaving? You could at least take a bit more time to see your son’s face, right?”
Count Mobray left the room without a word, wearing a pained expression.
There was absolutely no way to cure my son. I could only hide him away to prevent the spread of rumors while barely preserving his life.
When Count Mobray returned to his seat with a gloomy expression, a knight approached him to deliver a report.
“A nobleman has come to see you, my Lord.”
“Who is it? I told everyone I’m not meeting anyone.”
“It’s Baron Dugly from the East.”
Count Mobray cocked his head at the unfamiliar name.
“From the East? Baron Dugly? I don’t know such a person.”
“He introduced himself as an exorcist.”
“Exorcist…?”
While priests might be excusable, most so-called exorcists were merely frauds. The true counter to black magic is Divine Power.
Sometimes, genuine shamans could be found in certain regions, but exorcists were mainly figures that ordinary, foolish people believed in.
“Yes. He said he came to solve the problems your lordship is facing.”
“Problems?”
“Yes, he mentioned he could treat young Edwyn’s… mental illness.”
At those words, Count Mobray’s expression stiffened. Are rumors of such afflictions spreading even to nobles in the East?
In this age, a person afflicted with mental illness was commonly said to be possessed by a malevolent spirit.
Of course, if it were a true malevolent spirit, it wouldn’t withstand Divine Power, so any noble capable of summoning priests would know the difference.
“Hmm… He calls himself an exorcist while claiming he can treat mental illness? Does he know something?”
Count Mobray rested his chin in thought for a moment.
Many people had witnessed Edwyn’s initial symptoms. Although tightly controlled, it was possible that it had become rumors by then.
I could overlook rumors of mental illness. However, the gossip about being possessed by a malevolent spirit was intolerable. If such rumors are out, I must eliminate anyone who knows about it.
“Let him in.”
Moments later, Ghislaine and Arel entered. The butler beside Count Mobray gently spoke.
“Please allow me to formally introduce him.”
Arel quickly pulled out a note, eager to redeem his earlier mistake.
The note read ‘How to introduce you to Count Mobray’ written by Claude.
When Claude created a cover identity, he had heard that Ghislaine would pretend to be an exorcist treating the Count’s heir’s mental illness.
Thus, he penned the introduction according to that setup.
Arel glanced at the note and proclaimed:
“This is the master of mental illness treatment for the past 16 years… The expert, ‘Madness’ Dugly, Baron!”
“…….”
An awkward silence enveloped the room. Ghislaine shot a glance at Arel and whispered.
“Who wrote that for you? Claude? Belinda?”
“The, Chief Officer did…”
Ghislaine squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Unlike the others, this guy would definitely not be fooled by just a few hits. His determination was commendable.
A surge of triumph bubbled up within him. Upon returning, he would need to exert a little more effort.
“Okay, got it.”
Having readied himself, Ghislaine stepped forward to reveal his name to Count Mobray. Without delay, he dove straight into the main topic before the other party could ask too many questions.
“I’ve heard some rumors regarding your heir, Edwyn. I’m here to try my hand at treatment.”
Count Mobray glared at Ghislaine with a chilling gaze.
“Rumors… I don’t know where you heard them, but why has an exorcist come? Does an exorcist also treat mental illness?”
“That’s correct.”
“How do you propose to treat it?”
“Usually, it is often due to being possessed by a malevolent spirit.”
“What?”
As Count Mobray frowned, the knights and soldiers surrounding them also drew closer to their weapons.
Edwyn’s symptoms were a closely guarded secret of the territory. Rumors must never leak.
Mental illness could be plausible. Initially, many priests and servants had seen Edwyn, and rumors were inevitable.
However, after the situation worsened, we thoroughly controlled the rumors. And yet, here comes someone mentioning malevolent spirits; it was clear something had leaked.
As Count Mobray slowly raised his hand, the soldiers around him closed in.
Arel, tense, reached for his sword. Only Ghislaine maintained a serene expression.
Count Mobray’s voice sank low as he inquired.
“Where did you hear this?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“And?”
“What matters is that I can treat it.”
“You claim you can treat it? Do you happen to know Divine Power and Magic?”
“No. But I am quite familiar with those symptoms.”
“Go on.”
“His eyes have turned black, and his actions resemble that of a mad beast, not to mention he is exuding magic, right? Clearly, he is possessed by a malevolent spirit.”
At those words, Count Mobray and those around him widened their eyes. It was far too accurate.
But they were even more shocked by Ghislaine’s next statement.
“I’ve already expelled it once.”
“D-Did you really say you’ve expelled it?”
“That’s correct. That’s how I know the symptoms.”
Count Mobray questioned with a hint of skepticism.
“Do you know what its true nature is?”
Then Ghislaine’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light as he replied.
“It is an entity linked to me. That’s why I’ve tracked it down here. I can share no more. You must decide. If you refuse, I will leave.”
Count Mobray fell into deep contemplation with a serious expression. He could not entirely rule out the possibility that this guy was a fraud.
However, he couldn’t simply tell him to leave either. He knew far too much about the symptoms. Moreover, the claim of tracking the malevolent spirit sounded plausible.
In any case, there was no other method. I was even considering searching for a saint.
Even if he were a fraud, I had no choice but to trust him. It was like a desperate father grabbing at straws.
If he failed to heal Edwyn, the only option left would be to kill him to keep the rumors at bay.
Count Mobray spoke in a steely tone.
“How long do you think it will take?”
“It will take a few days. The exorcism ritual is quite demanding, dangerous, and strenuous.”
“What will you need?”
“Nothing beyond the tools I brought with me.”
That only fueled more suspicion. But with no way to uncover the truth, Count Mobray nodded.
“If you fail, I won’t send you off nicely.”
“That’s something I can withstand.”
“Very well, I’ll entrust it to you.”
Count Mobray moved immediately, taking Ghislaine and Arel along.
To ensure they couldn’t escape, the Count’s soldiers closely followed behind.
Seeing this, Arel nervously fidgeted with his sword. His palms were sweaty, making the handle slippery.
‘Stay calm, my lord will surely succeed.’
From how it sounded, it felt like they were headed to catch some kind of demon. He needed to remain alert if he wanted to aid in any way.
Upon arriving at the tower, an ominous aura filled the air. The higher they ascended, the stronger that presence became.
Ghislaine, wearing a serious expression, spoke to Count Mobray.
“This treatment is not for just anyone. A misstep could endanger Edwyn’s life.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“This is a malevolent spirit that neither priests nor mages can drive out. My unique exorcism ritual is required. If something goes awry, it might transfer to someone else. That would lead to an even worse situation. It could very well end in Edwyn’s death.”
At Ghislaine’s words, the expressions of everyone darkened. Ghislaine continued without hesitation.
“No one is to be present in the tower. Only I and my disciple will enter to expel the malevolent spirit.”
“W-What about meals?”
“My disciple will go to fetch them, so just prepare them below.”
Count Mobray pondered for a moment before nodding.
Though slightly anxious, he had no choice but to trust him for the time being.
Ghislaine told the butler of the Mobray household who followed behind.
“Hand me my items.”
“Is… is that really necessary?”
“Yes, it’s part of the tools used in my exorcism ritual.”
When Ghislaine arrived, he had brought several items in a large bag. Naturally, he had no choice but to reveal what was inside during the inspection process.
Upon hearing Ghislaine’s request for his belongings, the butler wore a somewhat troubled expression, unsure why those items were necessary.
“Quickly, give it to me. It’s my own personal arsenal for exorcism, something you wouldn’t understand.”
With Ghislaine urging him, the butler reluctantly handed over the bag.
As he was about to leave, the butler bowed slightly.
“Myself and the servants will wait below, so feel free to call if you need anything.”
“Understood.”
Ghislaine emphasized once more.
“Absolutely, absolutely no one is to be let into the tower. Understood? Otherwise, the endeavor will fail.”
“Y-Yes, I understand.”
With that, all soldiers and servants in the tower withdrew, leaving only Ghislaine and Arel behind.
Ghislaine turned to Arel and said.
“Let’s go in. You mustn’t be surprised by anything you see, understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
Arel nodded with a determined expression. He had never fought against these supernatural beings before.
Battling the evil entities of the underworld was typically the role of heroes and saints. Just being able to stand alongside the lord in such a grand venture was an honor in itself.
Creeeak!
The thick iron doors creaked open, and Ghislaine and Arel finally entered the room where Edwyn was locked away.
“Grrr…”
Upon hearing someone enter, Edwyn immediately let out a threatening growl. A terrifyingly strong magic aura emanated from his body.
Bang!
Arel instinctively drew his sword, but Ghislaine raised a hand to stop him and said,
“Edwyn.”
Edwyn also looked at Ghislaine and asked.
“Grr, who are you?”
“I’m here to treat you.”
“Are you a priest? I am a great being whose Divine Power does not affect me.”
“No, I’m not a priest.”
“Then you dare claim you will treat me? Do you believe you can expel me from here?”
“Certainly, I know exactly how.”
“Grrrr…”
Edwyn let out a beast-like laugh. How dare someone know who he is and still claim expulsion?
Regardless of that, Ghislaine placed the bag down to one side and shook his head.
“Then let’s commence the ritual, shall we?”
“No matter what ritual you perform… you cannot expel me… Killing this body would be faster.”
Edwyn continued to scoff at Ghislaine. The entity inside him certainly could not be expelled with a normal ritual.
However, he couldn’t truly kill that body. After all, it was the only heir of the House of Count Mobray.
That’s why they were keeping this situation secret while just locking him away like this.
While Edwyn glared, Ghislaine crouched down and began pulling the tools from his bag.
Arel, tense, held his sword aimed at Edwyn, unable to let his guard down in case of a surprise attack from that horrifying magic.
Then, Arel caught a glimpse of the strange items that Ghislaine was retrieving from the bag, and his mind went blank in surprise.
“What is…?”
Odd-looking things were starting to come out of the bag.
Arel forgot about the malevolent spirit right before his eyes and asked without realizing.
“W-What’s that, my Lord?”
“This? It’s my exorcism tools.”
“Is that really exorcism equipment?”
Ghislaine calmly nodded as he replied.
“Yeah, there’s nothing surer for exorcism than this.”
From the bag, out came tools like hammers and clubs, perfectly suited for hitting someone.
