The first light of dawn filtered through the windows. Seraphina lay on her side in a lateral position as she stared at Aric's sleeping form,
How strange. she thought as she studied his face.
Vayne always looked like an asshole. The air around him, the stupid smug look. But now… he looks softer.
It must be because of Aric. I wonder what went wrong in Earth for the wife to not stick around with him.
He...seems like a good man.
She sighed softly as she continued looking at him,
Even in sleep, there is something inherently kind about him. What the hell am I even saying?
I shouldn't be having these thoughts about another man! AHHH!
But then again... how does one even distinguish between a soul that doesn't deserve to be trapped in that body? I'm staring at him like some lovesick fool.
Enough, Seraphina!
Aric slowly woke up as his eyelids were fluttering open. He blinked at her with sleepy confusion,
"Uh…hi?" he said awkwardly, his voice rough with sleep. "Why...are you looking at me like that?"
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, masking her earlier thoughts with indifference.
"Like what?"
"Like…you're trying to figure out whether I'm secretly plotting world domination or just really bad at pretending to be normal."
She rolled her eyes, "Maybe both."
Aric groaned, rubbing his face with both hands,
Ugh, it's not good for me to keep waking up to someone who belongs in a damn fashion magazine.
At that exact moment, a soft ping echoed inside his mind, and Ivy came into existence at his notification screen.
She was wearing what could barely be called a maid outfit—thin ribbons of fabric, thigh-high stockings, and an apron that left very little to the imagination.
[Good morning, 'Master'.] Ivy said sweetly, winking playfully.
Aric's brain short-circuited for a second,
WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT!?
Ivy grinned mischievously, twirling a strand of her hair with her finger.
[Oh, please.] she teased, deliberately ignoring his question,
[You're practically melting under her gaze already. Admit it, you're flustered.]
I know, Ivy. Aric shot back mentally,
I don't need your commentary right now. And seriously. WHY the maid outfit!?
Ivy pouted theatrically, [What? I felt like it. For fun obviously. Besides, you've been too tense lately. I figured you needed a little... visual stimulation to jumpstart your brain.]
Do you have to keep waking me up in the most outrageous outfits!?Yesterday you woke me up wearing a damn virgin killer sweater! Then the other day you were dressed like a full-on gyaru!
Are you seriously just doing it for the love of the game!?
Ivy shrugged with a smug smile,
[Exactly. Gotta keep life exciting somehow. Besides... you never know when you'll need 'emergency morale boosts'.]
Aric facepalmed internally, Why is my guide like this?
Ivy beamed proudly, [Love you too, boss.]
"Are you okay?" Seraphina asked, interrupting his mental squabble,
"You look like you're having an existential crisis."
"I'm fine..." he muttered, "Just… tired."
Seraphina sat up slowly and reached for the black vial and stack of documents Evelyn had given her last night, placing them carefully on the bed.
Aric frowned, his attention shifting to the ominous objects. "What's this?"
"This," Seraphina said while holding up the vial, "is apparently Sebastian's idea of fun. Evelyn found it last night."
Aric took the vial and examined it closely. The liquid inside seemed impossibly dark, almost consuming the light around it.
It looks like goop.
"What do you think it is?"
"No idea." Seraphina admitted, "But it feels… wrong. Like it's alive somehow. And these…"
She handed him the stack of papers, "…are proof that Sebastian's been laundering money for years. Merchants, nobles, all tied together by bribes and shady deals."
Aric skimmed through the documents,
"So he's been sabotaging Ashwick's recovery this whole time. Why? What does he gain from it?"
"That's the question, isn't it? Evelyn also mentioned something else. She said the house he was supposed to be in felt… unnatural. Evil, even. And get this, one of Sebastian's former lackeys attacked her. When she questioned him, he claimed they were 'done' with Sebastian."
Aric stopped flipping the pages when he heard that, "Done with him? As in… dead?"
Seraphina shook her head. "No. At least, Evelyn doesn't think so. But whatever's going on, it's bigger than Sebastian now."
Aric's mind processed her words,
Evil house… sounds like the typical haunted house trope but I'm in another world... Ivy, is there such a thing as demon races here?
[Of course there are demons.] Ivy replied promptly,
[They're not all evil, though. Just like humans, their morality varies widely. Some are genuinely decent beings; others lean toward chaos and destruction. Stereotypes exist, sure, but they're not universal truths. Maybe like...80% but hey, not universal truths.]
So they function like any other race? Normal lives, jobs, families?
[More or less. Most demons live outside human territories because, well, humans tend to freak out whenever they see horns or glowing eyes. They prefer environments rich in mana—places like volcanic regions or cursed forests.]
[Some work as mercenaries, others as scholars or artisans. There's even a thriving market for demonic craftsmanship. You'd be surprised how many nobles secretly commission enchanted weapons or jewelry from demons.]
But the ones causing trouble—are they different?
[Not different exactly but ambition tends to twist things. Demons who crave power or dominance often dabble in forbidden magic. Summoning rituals, blood pacts, dark artifacts. Those are the types humans usually encounter. Which is why demons get such a bad reputation in the first place.]
Aric glanced at the black vial again. Could this be connected to demons? If Sebastian's working or worked with them, that might explain the weird energy Evelyn sensed.
[It's possible. Forbidden magic often leaves traces similar to what you described. My guess? Someone or something is using Sebastian as a pawn. Whether he knows it or not remains to be seen.]
"I'll investigate today." Aric declared firmly, setting the vial down on the bed.
Seraphina's eyes widened in alarm, "What? No way, Aric! Are you insane? If Evelyn of all people is scared enough to back off, that means whatever's in there is dangerous."
Aric raised an eyebrow, "Wait, wait… are you actually worried about me?"
Seraphina sputtered, "W-worried?! Don't flatter yourself! I'm just saying it's reckless. You don't know what you're dealing with!"
"Oh, come on." Aric countered, "Ghosts don't exist. Trust me—I grew up on Earth. We debunked that stuff centuries ago. And besides…I'm not exactly helpless. I was a soldier, remember? Trained for war. This isn't my first rodeo."
Seraphina crossed her arms over her chest, clearly unimpressed,
"That's exactly why you shouldn't go! War doesn't prepare you for… whatever the hell this is. Magic, demons, cursed houses—this isn't your battlefield, Aric. You can't just charge in like some hero and expect everything to be fine."
Aric chuckled softly, "You underestimate me. I've handled worse. Even if it's demons or magic or whatever, I'll figure it out. I've got instincts and they're pretty damn good."
Seraphina let out an exasperated sigh,
"Fine, say you do go. Who's going to keep working on the reconstruction effort while you're busy playing investigator? Huh? The entire town depends on you right now, Aric. Or have you forgotten that?"
Aric hesitated for a moment,
Hmmmm, how do I persuade her...She has been here for a month and while she's usually composed, I remember her saying she liked dark chocolate cakes...and I never saw her eat any sweets either.
Cakes are usually sweet, so that's why dark chocolate works better. If I'm going to bribe her...it should be with something sweet.
He swung himself off the bed and manifested a chocolate bar—a rich, creamy milk chocolate wrapped neatly in foil and held it out to her.
"One day won't hurt, right? Besides, you're more than capable of handling things here. Everyone loves you. They'll follow your lead without question."
Seraphina stared at the chocolate bar,
Is that… chocolate?
She hadn't had real sweets in over a month since being in Ashwick,
What the hell? Why are you giving me this when I'm craving it the most?
Are you a mind-reader or something, Aric?
Finally, she snatched it from his hand with a huff,
"One day." she muttered as she took a bite.
"Deal."
Aric got ready and left the inn in pure black clothes. Seraphina took another bite of the chocolate bar, half of it already gone and let out a soft sigh.
"Evelyn." she called out, knowing she wouldn't be far.
"Yes, milady?" Evelyn said as she appeared at the door. She bowed her head slightly.
Seraphina chewed on her chocolate, "I assume you heard us. Are you not curious why I called him Aric?"
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, "I assumed it was some quirk of his amnesia. But now that you mention it… there's more to it, isn't there?"
Seraphina nodded. "There's another soul inside Vayne's body. Not just fragments or some memory confusion. An entirely different person. He says he's from a place called Earth, wherever that is. And… to be honest, I still don't fully believe it yet."
"But everything about him—the way he speaks, the way he treats people...you've noticed it too, haven't you?
Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line, "So you're saying…Vayne is gone?"
"I don't think Vayne is completely gone." Seraphina admitted,
"But Aric…he's here now. More present than Vayne ever was. He's not perfect, but he's kind. He's selfless."
She paused, then added pointedly, "Which is why I let him go just now. To show him that I trust him. But make no mistake, I'm still cautious. I wouldn't want anything to happen to a man who just wants to help."
Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest, "You're playing a dangerous game, milady. Especially when we have no idea what's waiting for him at that house."
"I know." Seraphina replied firmly. "Which is why I'm entrusting you with this."
With a wave of her hand, dark armour shimmered into existence, forged from her own mana.
Evelyn took it and tested its weight and durability. "This will definitely help...but even so, I don't think I could protect him if push comes to shove. Whatever I felt last night… it wasn't ordinary. Only you would stand a chance against whatever's in that house."
Seraphina shook her head, "You give yourself too little credit, Evelyn. You've never gone all-out, have you? Your mastery over ice rivals grandmasters. Don't underestimate your strength."
"But listen carefully, Evelyn. Your only duty today is to ensure Aric survives. Protecting him is your priority. Not fighting whatever is in that house. If things escalate beyond control, your mission is to escape with him. Do you understand?"
Evelyn straightened up, "Understood, milady. Escape first, questions later."
"Good." Seraphina finished the last bite of chocolate.
Evelyn slid each piece on and as the final clasp clicked into place, she turned to the door,
"I'll be going now, milady."
Seraphina crumpled the chocolate wrapper, "Just remember the mission."
"I will." Evelyn said as she walked away.
- Sebastian's house -
[Anyway, you still haven't admitted white chocolate is better.]
Aric scoffed under his breath. "Because it's not. It's not even chocolate. It's just sugar pretending to be something else."
[Blasphemy. You Earth people have no taste. White chocolate is divine. Smooth. Sweet. Refined.]
"Refined?" Aric whispered back, stepping over what looked like a half-burnt summoning circle.
"It tastes like guilt disguised in candy form. Milk chocolate's where it's at."
A sudden creak echoed and both of them fell silent.
[...Okay,] Ivy muttered, [that wasn't me.]