The change in Dad's expression was drastic. And I realized now that my expectations had been a bit emotional and distorted.

　I hadn't expected it to be a touching reunion. But when I thought about it, what would it feel like to have a son who had just died come back?
　On top of that, my son had died after years of suffering from a strange disease, and I hadn't even visited him in the years before his death. I don't hold any grudge against him for that fact, but he doesn't know that.

　And the dead in this world are sometimes the ones who are motivated by deep resentment against the living.

　If my dead son suddenly came to visit me in the middle of the night, even a man with the title of Baron would not be in his right mind.

　When my father first saw me peeking out of the dark window, his eyes widened, he was stunned, and then the blood quickly drained from his face.
　The stern man I thought he was was was not there. I sensed a hint of fear in his expression, and I felt a sense of clarity.
　I wasn't shocked. Maybe the undead body had altered my mind a little. Since I was desensitized to pain, it was not surprising that I was desensitized to mental shock.

　Baron Fomet was better off for not panicking and screaming. I was calm enough to think about that.

　I knocked on the window a few times, and Rudolph Fomet, perhaps calmed down a little, fearfully came near the window.
　He looked as if he was having a nightmare. He saw me cowering against the window, studied my face closely, and called out my name in a shaky voice.

"No, you idiot, ............ you can't. Rielle--you're supposed to be dead.


　I feel like I haven't been called that in a long time. It's been a while since anyone called my name, maybe years.
　Rielle Fomet. That was my name before I died. And a name that will probably never be used.

　As if to confirm it, Rudo says.

"I'm cremated and mourned. Rielle ......, you've been dead for a year.

...... Oh, Dad. It's not like I don't know you're dead. I came here to ask you a favor. Let me in.

　I didn't feel any resentment in front of him. I suppose I should be happy about that.
　Maybe it's because of Senri. I already have a new love in my life.

　The color of his face returned a little, as if he had regained his composure at my lack of emotion.

"Do you hate ...... me?

　A low, stifled voice. It showed the anxiety and regret that was in this father.
　I'll say it again, there are no hard feelings. It was short-lived, but I was certainly given many things by the man in front of me.

　He didn't come to visit me, but he didn't abandon me when I had no chance of recovery.
　He never stopped caring for me, and provided me with many books if I wanted them. I'm sure it cost him a lot of money, especially among his seven children.

　That's what kept me calm after I died. It's not because I'm kind but because he raised me that way that I'm not motivated by vindictiveness.

　And if he cremated me, then ...... it looks like someone somewhere has replaced my body and sold it off.
　Well, it doesn't really matter now.

　My head was starting to spin for survival.

　Don't hate your circumstances. That's one of the things my dad taught me.
　Think and act before you resent. These may seem like difficult words to give to a child with a strange disease who was less than ten years old, but since they kept me alive, I should listen to the words of my elders.

　I look up at the black eyes that resemble my old ones, eyes that have turned blood red.

"I don't hate you. Dad, you don't have to come into my room if you're scared, just listen to me.

...... Oh, it's ...... such a night. ............ Come on in.

　Dad was still pale, but with a small sigh, he opened the window and invited me in.



§ § § §


"...... gone, huh?

　After watching his son jump out of the window and disappear into the darkness, Rudou sank back into his chair with a thud.
　A strong feeling of emptiness and fatigue washed over him.

　He was a terrible son.
　So goes Rudolph Fomet's assessment of his son, Riel.

　The illness that had struck when he was barely ten had taken everything from him.
　Cause unknown. A disease that could never be cured by magic or by calling any good doctor. It is not well researched because there are so few cases, and those who do die of weakness within a few years. There were zero exceptions.

　The name given to the disease was given purely because the body and the soul seemed to be falling toward death--dead soul disease.

　Not contagious and unlikely to be inherited. I could only think it was bad luck. There were times when I was tormented as to why my son had to suffer such hardship.

　But my son never whined. He could not walk right away, and the pain must have been rampant throughout his body, but he never let out a single word of resentment. There must have been a lot of emotions going through his mind, but he rarely expressed them.
　His spirit was so strong that the doctor in charge of his care praised him.



　And yet, it didn't take long for that inherently admirable quality to become creepy.
　His eyes never gave up in the face of death. A year, two years, three years had passed since he had heard that he was going to die, and he still hadn't died.

　It wasn't that he didn't want the money to take care of her. Baron Fomet's family was not particularly wealthy, and it cost a lot of money to have a mage from the big city come and perform restorative magic on him regularly, but that didn't matter.

　He just looked like a monster, the way his son was fighting the disease. And perhaps that was the view of not only Rudoh, but all those who cared for him and watched him for a long time. The doctor who had called his son's continued life a miracle soon changed his mind. The visits stopped.

　It was impossible. The sight of his son, surrounded by the dense atmosphere of death and still struggling against it, was too horrible and abnormal for ordinary people to see.

　When Rudou heard that he was dead, the first emotion he felt was intense relief.
　He was relieved that his son was finally at peace, and he mourned him. It was not that she disliked her son. I loved him just as much as any other child. But he was too strong for me to hold on to those feelings.


　And yet, through some conspiracy, Riel was brought back from the dead. This time as a true monster.

　The son who peeked out the window looked nothing like he did before. His body had grown a little, but that was it.

　He hadn't spoken a word of resentment against Rudou, who could have been taken to have abandoned him, and his gentle temperament hadn't changed. That's why I knew exactly what was wrong with him.

　I thought I mourned him. It is customary in the Fomet domain - and elsewhere as well - to cremate and mourn the dead unless there is a good reason not to.
　Of course, Rudoh did. I saw with my own eyes that my son was cremated and placed in a tomb of ashes and bones. But if what Riel said is true, someone must have switched the bodies along the way. It's not impossible, since he didn't see the body all the way to the point where it was carried and burned.

　It is a terrible crime. We definitely need to find out who is behind this.

　But before that, how to answer Riel's request ...... was pending, and in the room where his son had left, Rudoh's head was in his hands.

　It's a strange fate. It's not every day that a person is stricken with the deadly disease of the soul, but to become undead with your memories intact?
　However, it is said that the undead strongly reflect the temperament they had before their death. Riel's obsession with life was so unusual that it was not surprising that he retained his memories.

　And the boy who actually appeared was his son himself.

　Even if he dies, Riel is still my son. As a parent, I have my thoughts.
　His request was not a difficult one to fulfill. Rudho was a lord, albeit a local one. It would not be difficult for him to set up a secret hideout and deliver supplies. He could impose a gag order, if not a perfect one.

　But the problem is that covering up the undead is a mortal sin.
　The undead are a target to be cleansed. Because of their nature to gather the power of death and grow exponentially stronger, if left unchecked, they can become irreversible.
　If the cover-up is discovered, even a nobleman will not get away with it. What's more, it seems that his son already has a tracker.

　Rudolph Fomet's first priority as the head of Baron Fomet's family is the survival of the family. The Fomet family has been handed down from generation to generation, and he cannot let it die out in his generation. The fate of the family rests on his shoulders.

　After a night of worrying, he could not come to a conclusion even after the sun came up.

　If you use common sense, you should immediately contact the Knights of the End.
　An undead is an undead, no matter how much of a son he may be, and no one would blame Rudoh for contacting them. They might even take pity on him. "How unfortunate that your son fell into the hands of a necromancer.

　But that was indeed my son. At one time I was terrified by his horrible obsession with life, but as a father I know. That was definitely my child. The son I couldn't save once came to me for help.

　It's stupid. Too risky. But I'm sure he understands that. And yet he relied on you.

　Can you really say you're his father if you abandon him?
　Will I be able to live proudly as a member of the nobility?

　After a deep and searing struggle, he decided.

　I still can't leave him in the territory. It's too dangerous.
　But we can at least lend them money and supplies. It's reluctant, but it'll help his son.

　Then we can pretend we didn't know. The undead are not supposed to negotiate with people.
　As for the servants, anyone who prevents my son's soul from resting will be dealt with in the name of the baron. Buying and selling corpses is a serious crime, especially selling off the body of a nobleman's son.

　Just as I was about to make my decision and call out for someone, the door opened without a knock.

　A man in black with a big black dog appeared at the door.


"My deepest sympathies, Baron Fomet. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in your life. It's not just superstition. ......


　Who are you?　I'm not sure how you got in here.
　Before you can scream, the man with the disturbing eyes smiles deeply.





"Your troubles are mine to solve. You will be paid, of course, but I am Cainus. This dog is Arbatos. He's a tracker who won't quit.