Chapter 648: Setting Out for the Site

“Listen carefully, Rosalia and Lelie. If you eat too much chocolate, tooth-decay bugs may eat your teeth. Then you would need very painful treatment.”

“Treatment?”

“Yes. They might even have to pull the tooth out.”

The colour drained from both their faces. The warning had worked exceptionally well. They would probably restrain themselves now.

I had expected chocolate to be popular, but I had failed to consider people’s teeth. That was a mistake.

“Isn’t there a magic potion that treats teeth?”

“There might be one that exterminates tooth-decay bugs, but it would taste absolutely terrible.”

I should be able to make it by modifying a potion that killed insects. Still, I did not want its existence to become an excuse to eat unlimited chocolate, so I issued my warning in advance.

“I-I see. What a pity.”

“We shall brush our teeth carefully.”

They understood. Excellent. The family’s teeth were safe.

After dinner, Lionel spoke to me again.

“We intend to depart for the site tomorrow morning.”

“Then I shall go to the training ground as soon as I collect Lady Fabienne. She will remain here, so you need not worry.”

“Understood. We shall proceed accordingly.”

As Lionel left, a thought occurred to me.

“Nero, if this is too much, you may stay behind with Lady Fabienne.”

“I shall be fine. I could never miss the opportunity to witness your valour.”

Nero spoke with tremendous enthusiasm. As the foremost of Julius’s believers, mere ghosts were no deterrent. Impressive.

He would probably insist on following me even if I went to fight a dragon.

That night, I used our communication rings to tell Lady Fabienne about the following day’s ghost hunt.

She would not visit the site, but keeping her informed was important. The more precious and familiar someone was, the more carefully one ought to share information with them.

“Lord Julius, will you truly be safe?”

“Yes. If the Holy Droplets fail, I shall eliminate everything with purification magic.”

“Of course. You can use purification magic. Then perhaps it will be all right?”

Her voice still sounded uncertain. Even after watching me purify the enormous black tree, she could not entirely set aside her fear.

She would have to trust me. I reassured her once more and ended the conversation.

Come to think of it, we could now communicate through the spirit’s blessing too. Perhaps I should use that in future. It would be wise to practise while I had the chance.

The next morning, we began moving as soon as I collected Lady Fabienne.

“Please continue developing the skin lotion.”

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

“But if you are uncertain about its safety, promise that you will not use it before I return.”

“I promise.”

Lady Fabienne possessed Appraisal, but it was less precise than mine. I trusted her completely; I was merely overprotective and prone to worry.

Perhaps I should have made today a day off for her. Yet that might have suggested that I did not trust her. It was a delicate problem.

“Then I am leaving.”

“I pray for your success.”

With Lady Fabienne seeing us off, we left the compounding room and went to the training ground. Preparations were already complete.

Roughly ten armoured knights checked their weapons beside a covered carriage.

“Have I kept you waiting?”

“Not at all. We are performing our final inspection. As a precaution, we have also prepared silver weapons.”

Lionel showed me a silver sword. I had never seen one before, but its uses were clearly limited. It looked extremely expensive; chipping its blade in combat would be heartbreaking.

It was so beautiful that it might serve better as a decoration.

Once our preparations were complete, we departed. If the journey remained on schedule, we would eat lunch in a village near the site, then proceed to the place where the ghosts gathered.

“Lionel, do you know why the ghosts are there?”

“A frontier village once stood nearby, before I was born. Its development failed.”

“Then monsters destroyed it?”

“Most likely. It appears the victims’ resentment remains.”

That explained why no one had wanted to eliminate them. House Heine had probably ordered the village’s construction, and public knowledge of the disaster would damage the house’s reputation. That must be why the ghosts had been left alone.

As a representative of House Heine, I would make sure their souls were properly purified.