The Immortal Had a Guardian Spirit Chapter 13

No, it’s normal for it to hurt originally, but it hurts more than usual. He clutched his mysteriously aching insides and vomited blood again.

Was it because the guardian spirit hadn’t come out ‘through a summons’? It didn’t seem like that was the whole reason…

‘…Ah, I was slammed into the ground defenseless.’

There had been no room to soften the impact because he was shielding the child.

He’d ignored it since nothing seemed broken, but now that he looked, he seemed to have internal injuries. No wonder it felt like blood had burst from his mouth back then; it wasn’t just his imagination.

‘Internal injuries are annoying too.’

Just as annoying as getting a wound on the face.

Because whenever blood pooled beyond a certain point inside, it would flow back up. There was a high chance of causing needless misunderstandings. Even if he swallowed what flowed back up, since his physical body’s time had stopped, he’d have to expel it someday anyway…

‘…Ah, whatever.’

It wasn’t urgent right now, so there was probably no need to worry about it immediately.

He roughly wiped his mouth and turned toward ‘Didi.’ Toward the eyes clearly filled with bewilderment and worry, Raven grinned as if nothing had happened.

He heard the irritable flapping of black wings above his head but cleanly ignored it.

“Now then, I suppose it’s time for a chat.”

“…”

“Won’t you tell me how you ended up here all alone?”

“…”

“Didi?”

“…Ah.”

The child, who had been repeating the question while vacantly alternating her gaze between Raven’s mouth and the blood-spattered floor, only snapped to attention after hearing the question once more and launched into her answer along with thanks for saving her.

The story was nothing special. It was the kind of common tale he’d encountered quite often in this long life.

“You were kidnapped, and while being moved, a gate opened, and the kidnappers abandoned you and ran away… Things turned out absurdly, huh. You must have had a hard time.”

“Yeees…”

He didn’t bother asking the reason for the kidnapping.

A few reasons why a noble family’s child would be kidnapped came to mind without even having to rack his brain.

The work of some idiots demanding ransom, getting caught up in a family power struggle, or if not that, a succession dispute for the position of family head… something like that.

Given she hid her name and family, it must be one of the latter two scenarios.

“Um… benefactor.”

“…Benefactor?”

What’s with that cringeworthy title? The corner of Raven’s mouth twitched.

“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t know your name…”

“I don’t have a name, just call me Raven.”

“Yes, Mr. Raven. And the name of that person from earlier is…”

“That person, who… Ah.”

Who else could it be besides me?

“My guardian spirit?”

“It was a guardian spirit?”

“Yeah. His name is…”

Raven, who had been hesitating, subtly turned his head to the side as if avoiding her gaze.

“I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.”

…That damned name of his.

It wasn’t a new question, and it was one he’d occasionally heard whenever he saved people or closed gates through his guardian spirit, but this time, that reaction stung painfully.

If he’d known this would happen, he shouldn’t have let it go just because he was reluctant to reveal his name; he should have pressed him for it long ago.

Even if he lost the bet because he couldn’t find it within the time limit, he resolved not to let it slide and to definitely find out. Raven pressed his lips firmly shut.

“…”

“…”

“…I heard that you are a Spellcaster and a Combatant, Mr. Raven.”

As if reading the awkward atmosphere, the child, who had been gauging his mood, subtly changed the subject. Raven, who had suddenly been shown consideration by a child, gave a bitter smile.

“The guardian spirit must have told you. That’s right.”

“I heard that even if Spellcasters summon souls, they usually accept them into their own bodies to fight…”

That’s certainly true. Because it’s virtually impossible to manifest a soul in a state possessing its own physical body. My situation is an exception.

Will she think it’s suspicious? She bears the signs of quite an education in her way of speaking, so as expected of a noble, she’ll likely start with suspicion. No, given the situation, she’ll probably try to use it.

Knowing better than anyone that goodwill might not be returned with goodwill, he was ready to handle whatever reaction came, but a bright voice continued.

“You must be an outstanding Spellcaster, Mr. Raven!”

For a moment, his green eyes widened slightly.

“…”

“…Are you… not…?”

“No, I am.”

…This is a bit cute.

Raven grinned and ruffled the child’s hair as if messing it up. With a pleased snicker, a mischievous voice settled down.

“There’s probably only one Spellcaster in all of humanity better than me.”

“As I thought! That’s why you had such an unusual guardian spirit! Seeing him, he seemed like someone who was an Awakened in life!”

“…An Awakened?”

An Awakened… isn’t that the term for those who suddenly, at some point, display abilities that transcend the level of ordinary humans? Those whose nearly all talents surpass the average human level, commonly called ‘those who absorbed fragments of talent.’

Their talents are realms that an ordinary human might graze with their fingertips even after working themselves to death.

He knew his guardian spirit was exceptional, but he was at that level?

‘…I’ve gained one more useful clue for finding his name.’

To think he’d only find this out now, after all this time together. I really am an idiot.

He should have known if he’d ever seen his guardian spirit properly engage in battle. Raven, who had swept his hand over his eyes with an uncomfortable face, asked curtly.

“Is he really that skilled?”

“Huh? Yes… Furthermore, he seemed adept at protective combat as well.”

“Ah, that I know.”

Because even though he’s already dead, he said he’d kept learning and practicing how to fight protectively ever since.

With an indifferent face, he twitched his index finger, tapping it against his thigh. The child, who had been quietly watching Raven, carefully opened her mouth with a face full of hesitation.

“…Um, I, perhaps…”

“Hm?”

“No, never mind. I was rude.”

“What’s rude about it? More importantly, shall we go somewhere safe to talk about the rest? There’s an inn nearby.”

Only idle chitchat had been exchanged, but Raven noticed that the child had something to say to him. And that it was something that would be of no help to him whatsoever.

The conversation going back and forth without a main point was likely groundwork for the main topic, a way to gather information. It was probably a request for help related to her own situation.

If he tried to leave now, she would surely follow. He’d tried to shake off one kid, but it seemed like another was about to attach itself. What could he do? He couldn’t abandon a child on the roadside, so he had no choice but to return to the inn.

Just telling her the way and leaving as if fleeing felt a bit wrong too, given that it was now the dark of night. He felt he should at least drop her off somewhere safe. Raven let out a sigh and turned his steps back the way he came.

In turn, he saw Dan, who had been standing far off, turning his body toward the inn. Above his head, the crow flapped its wings annoyingly.

∞ ∞ ∞

Dan and Raven moved keeping their distance, as if they didn’t know each other. In a way, it was only natural, since they weren’t on terms to have a conversation.

Only the voice of the girl called ‘Didi,’ occasionally speaking, and Raven answering her pushed away the silence of the night for a while, until Dan arrived at the inn first.

Jingle.

As he opened the door and entered, the lady sitting at the counter checked his face, then stood up with a welcoming expression. Questions mixed with a bit of worry and meddling poured out.

“You’re back? I was worried when you suddenly rushed out. Did something urgent happen?”

Shake, shake.

After a brief pause at the informal speech hitting him so quickly, despite not having known her long, Dan shook his head.

How she interpreted that moment’s hesitation, the lady, who paused as well, smiled apologetically and patted his shoulder with a thump. Dan’s body swayed briefly from the unexpectedly strong force.

“Oh dear, alright. I was being thoughtless, wasn’t I? Everyone has their personal circumstances.”

“…”

“You probably haven’t even shaken off your travel fatigue, and suddenly running out… how tired you must be? Go on upstairs and rest.”

He nodded and stepped onto the stairs.

Jingle. He heard the door open behind him but didn’t bother to look back. It was obvious who would be entering right after him at this late hour with so few people coming and going.

…That is, if not for the inn lady’s remark.

“Welcome. Looking for a room?”

“…!?”

Dan’s head whipped around.

There was Raven, standing calmly with the child perched on one arm, and the lady treating him like a first-time guest.

“What circumstances brought you all the way here at this late hour? With a child in tow, no less.”

What on earth… Dan’s eyes wavered with confusion.

‘Why doesn’t she remember him?’

There was no way a person sociable enough to act friendly to him, who couldn’t even speak, would pretend not to know Raven.

Did the lady have amnesia or something? Even so, it was absurd that someone who remembered him wouldn’t remember Raven. His eyes aside—though he hated to admit it—that face would be harder to forget.

In fact, hadn’t she been staring at his back as if spellbound when Raven first took a room earlier in the day?

At this point, he was curious about Raven’s reaction. The time on the room he’d paid for hadn’t run out yet; how would he handle this? Dan’s gaze moved to the man standing before her.

“…”

The black-haired man with strange green eyes lowered his gaze briefly, then lifted it again. He swept up his disheveled bangs, untied and let down his messy hair, and smiled brightly at the woman before him. His somewhat sharp eyes softened and folded, like fine sugar melting upon touching water.

“What’s this, sister? You don’t remember me?”

“Huh, huh?”

“I’ve stayed here before in the past too, I’m a little hurt. After you told me to definitely stop by again.”

“I-is that so? That’s strange. There’s no way I’d easily forget a handsome young man like you…”

A natural response without any bewilderment, hurt, or anger at her having forgotten him before a day had even passed.

And no wonder, as this was a familiar situation Raven had experienced countless times. It could even be seen as a natural phenomenon. …Though he hadn’t expected her to forget this quickly.

[■■ entrusts his name to Death until the day this contract ends.]

This was also part of the terms of the contract with Death.

A clause that could be dismissed as insignificant, and indeed it was so at the time, but now he knew.

A name is proof of existence and evidence of worth.

To hand that over to Death means to be remembered by no one.

Over the resignation that had grown familiar through experiencing the same situation countless times, he layered a sly smile and thought.

‘How long has it been since I left this person’s field of vision?’

He hadn’t shown himself before her since taking the room and going in, so it had been longer than he thought… but still, it hadn’t even been 24 hours.

This lady was the type that couldn’t hold out long. Below his gracefully curved eyelids, dry eyes rolled indifferently.

‘It can’t be helped.’

There was no choice but to book the room again.

The money wasn’t particularly regrettable, but the problem was, in the current situation where he’d given his coin purse to Dan, he’d already used his remaining mana stones to book the room. Originally, he should have replenished mana stones when the gate opened a little while ago, but he’d been distracted by the child and the guardian spirit and failed to do so. What could he do?

‘The only option is to coax her.’

Having quickly grasped the situation, Raven immediately began to utilize the ‘useful face’ that even the guardian spirit acknowledged to its fullest. Having done this more than once or twice, his handling was adept.

“A handsome young man, she says. While I’m happy to hear it…”

He set the child down beside him and naturally continued the conversation, as if truly dealing with an old acquaintance.

“Trying to flatter me now is useless.”

“No, it’s not flattery, really…”

“Sister.”

He stepped one pace closer to narrow the distance, and slowly reached out his hand to lift hers. His thumb, lightly grazing her calloused nails, rose slightly and slowly rubbed her knuckles, thickened by rough work.

Such hard work has seeped into these pretty hands. Raven murmured this almost inaudibly, adding that they were still beautiful, then raised his head. His green eyes, filled to the brim with disappointment, seemed to meet hers before dropping down again.

“Did you really forget me?”

“…”

“Really…?”

“W-well…”

Actions and words that would have been deemed those of a madman if done by anyone else.

But they say a pretty face is its own justification, and not for nothing. The lady, who had been looking at the pitifully moist, drooping green eyes with a wavering gaze, eventually shut her eyes tightly.

“…Now that I think about it, I feel like I might remember…”

Announcing the success of Raven’s memory manipulation.