Chapter 128

Since it wasn’t just one or two uncomfortable incidents that occurred after Abington spoke first, Clarisse responded with a somewhat uneasy expression. 

 

“Why?” 

 

“If Miss Grezekaia goes away, won’t I be left alone?” 

 

“Yes, please remember to turn off the lights when you leave.”

 

“Do you really think I called Miss Grezekaia because it was annoying?!” 

 

Wasn’t it?!

 

Clarisse was very surprised and opened her eyes wide. 

 

“Then why are you doing this? Please speak quickly, I’m sleepy.”

 

He looked around for a moment.

 

“Oh, um… Have you heard the rumor? The ghost of memorization in the study room!”

 

“…Yes?” 

 

“Don’t make me say it twice. Don’t they say they’ll come to you if they think you’re talking about them?”

 

He looked around again.

 

For some reason, Clarisse also ended up looking around the study room with him.

 

A long table, chairs arranged neatly, and portraits hanging on the wall.

 

The familiar surroundings, which she had always looked around comfortably, suddenly felt eerie. 

 

“D, don’t say such nonsense!”

 

“What do you mean by nonsense! There is a victim!”

 

“Victim?”

 

Abington nodded slowly.

 

“That was three days ago.”

 

And then he suddenly started talking seriously without asking.

 

“I stayed in the study room until the last day and studied.”

 

“B, but?” 

 

“However…” 

 

He started shaking all over.

 

“When I came, it was morning.”

 

“…Yes?” 

 

What is it?

 

Isn’t this just a story about falling asleep in the study room?

 

“W, wait a minute! As a representative of the test takers, there’s no way I could fall asleep while studying, right?”

 

“If you want to think that way, I won’t stop you.”

 

“Look at this, look at this!”

 

Then Abington crawled over the table and held out a workbook in front of Clarisse.

 

“It solved my problem book!”

 

“….?” 

 

“So, when I came to my senses, the ghost had entered my body and solved five pages of math problems for me. And when I checked, all the answers were correct!”

 

Isn’t it funny how he always seems to meet the ghost that resembles him the most?  

 

“In some ways, I am thankful for the ghost.”

 

“What’s there to be grateful for? I don’t remember anything, and look at this!”

 

As she checked the page he held out, Clarisse’s pupils vibrated as well.

 

In the last chapter, they compiled only the most wickedly difficult questions, gathering them from among the thickest compilation of past exam question books.

 

It seems they’ve solved every single one of those so-called “Don’t waste your time solving these if they appear on the exam, just guess and move on” questions!

 

“Can you believe it now?”

 

Clarisse nodded vigorously. There’s no way Abington could solve such problems.

 

“So you shouldn’t leave me alone. Otherwise, I’ll lose study time to the ghost again!”

 

“O, okay. Just for one hour, right?”

 

“What a great friendship!” 

 

He crawled across the table again and went back to his seat.

 

Clarisse also took out her books and notes to start studying.

 

After about 5 minutes.

 

Feeling something strange, she raised her head and saw Abington dozing off.

 

“What, I knew this would happen!”

 

Clarisse put down her pen with a loud thud. But he didn’t even flinch. 

 

“Ah really!”

 

Clarisse ran to the other side of the desk. 

 

“Go to your room and sleep! If you doze off here…” 

 

Clarisse, who was about to say that a ghost was coming, got goosebumps all over her body.

 

She wonders if the reason Abington began to doze off was due to the influence of the ghost.

 

She crept back and hesitantly picked up her bag and books that were lined up on her desk without even putting them away.

 

Tak.

 

But was it too hasty? A nearby chair leg accidentally kicked by her foot made a loud noise that echoed throughout the study room.

 

“….!” 

 

Surprised, Clarisse turned to Abington.

 

His head began to gradually raise as if he had heard a sound.

 

“…Hik!!” 

 

The moment she makes eye contact with him as if his pupils are dilated. 

 

Clarisse ran out of the study room without looking back.

 

Abington is possessed by a ghost! There’s no doubt about it!”

 

* * * 

 

The next morning.

 

Clarisse, who had been suffering from a nightmare, woke up with a rough face and saw Abington coming up the stairs. 

 

Clarisse flinched and tried to run back to her room, but Abington, who had discovered her, was a little faster. 

 

“You saw it, right? Did you see it?!”

 

He stuttered as he once again took out the workbook he had in his arms again.

 

“Just now, I came to my senses and found that I have solved another difficult problem.”

 

They squatted in the hallway for a moment and looked at the answers written by the ghost, line by line. At first glance, it didn’t seem wrong.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Soon Noah came between them. He glanced at the problem the two were analyzing and said.

 

“I think you solved it well.”

 

Clarisse and Abington looked at Noah in shock.

 

“…Why are you doing this?”

 

“You know, Noah. Calm down and listen carefully.”

 

Clarisse calmed him down before explaining this terrifying incident.

 

“I think Girl need to calm down, but what on earth is going on?”

 

“Do you know who solved this problem?”

 

“Didn’t the two of you solve it by squatting in the hallway?”

 

“Noah is a wizard, so you won’t believe this unrealistic story, but this is evidence that the study room’s memorization ghost borrowed Mr. Belleville’s body.” 

 

Instead of answering, Noah slightly adjusted his mask.

 

“I, I know! You’re trying to say that ghosts don’t exist, right?”

 

When Clarisse asked with a tearful face, Noah answered as if it was obvious. 

 

“There are definitely ghosts. Even now…” 

 

Noah looked back at Abington.

 

Startled, he carefully looked behind his shoulder, then got up from his seat and ran away screaming.

 

“…He’s gone.”

 

“W, what should I do if you play a prank like that!”

 

“Did you feel like it was a joke?”

 

“….!”

 

“What people call ghosts are ultimately just thoughts of nature. The places with nothing and those with its existence are distinctly different in terms of power waves, so if you know how to handle a bit of magic, you can directly feel its presence.” 

 

“S, so what Noah said is…” 

 

He nodded.

 

“The ghost of memorization in the study room definitely exists.”

 

* * *

 

“Mr. Belleville, are you okay?”

 

In the afternoon, Clarisse became worried about Abington, who was confined to his room, so she went to visit him. 

 

“…Miss Grezekaia! Hngg!” 

 

Abington was covered in tears.

 

“W, what’s going on?” 

 

When Clarisse asked with concern, he quickly nodded. 

 

“Look at this, look at this!”

 

He dragged Clarisse to the room and showed her the notes. 

 

Several problems were written at the top of the note. At the bottom, there was a nice explanation about this.

 

“…Is this a wrong answer note?”

 

“It’s a summary of what I don’t know. But when I woke up, there was this kind of explanation written on it.”

 

“Yes?” 

 

“Oh my goodness, now I don’t have to waste time in the library looking for stuff. All I have to do is leave the questions and go to sleep.” 

 

He whimpered.

 

“I’m so happy that I can’t stop crying.”

 

He looked at Clarisse warily, as if he had almost forgotten. 

 

“If you think that my abilities are tempting, and if you plan to stay in the study room until late, it would be best to stop right away. Do you understand? This ghost is mine.”

 

“….” 

 

Clarisse quietly turned around and came out.

 

As expected, she shouldn’t be talking to Abington. 

 

* * *

 

A week later, exam day.

 

Abington was strange. His pupils were oddly dilated as he took the test. 

 

After the exam, Abington returned to his usual routine, sat down in the middle of the study room, and began grading the exam questions.

 

At first, no one paid him any attention. However, the amazing sight of him continuously making circles began to attract onlookers. 

 

After finishing his marking, he stood up, lifting his test paper above his head. 

 

“Where is Eugenie McLeod!”

 

And that too with a very courageous spirit.

 

Just then, Eugenie, who was sitting nearby, frowned and raised her head.

 

He held out a test paper full of circles in front of her.

 

“See? “Do you see this?”

 

Eugenie, who was staring at the test paper he held out, answered quietly.

 

“Ah. This is wrong.”

 

“…Huh? Huh?” 

 

Abington was startled, so he quickly took the test and checked again the side she was looking at.

 

“I got everything right!”

 

When he answered irritably, Eugenie had already grabbed her bag and risen from her seat.

 

“You, are you displeased with me taking first place? Are you jealous of me?”

 

“It’s not even worth answering.”

 

“What’s the use of acting tough like that? Huh? If it’s like today, I’ll be the one in the news for getting a perfect score on the civil service exam!”

 

It seemed like he was planning to use the ghostly power of memorization to help him pass the civil service exam. 

 

“…It would be better to stop.”

 

Eugenie sighed heavily and went back to her room.

 

“Hmph, I guess she’s going to struggle with jealousy.”

 

Clarisse, who was watching this situation, spoke carefully.

 

“You know.” 

 

“Why, is there a problem you don’t know about?” 

 

“No, I don’t have any questions.”

 

“If you want to congratulate me, then do it after I get a perfect score on the civil service exam.” 

 

It wasn’t like that.

 

Before Clarisse had time to speak again, Abington disappeared somewhere, holding a test paper full of circles.

 

“…I tried to tell you that someone else’s name was on it.”

 

“I hope you wrote the correct name on the answer sheet.”

 

There wasn’t much hope in Noah’s voice when he said that.

 

So, when the results of this test were announced.

 

At the top were written the names of Eugenie, Noah, and a person no one knew.

 

Considering that Abington fainted when he discovered this, perhaps he didn’t know until today that his name wasn’t written correctly?

 

And a few days later.

 

Clarisse, who happened to be passing by Abington’s door, was startled.

 

“…Miss Grezekaia. Ugh!” 

 

Abington suddenly opened the door and as soon as he saw her, he burst into tears again. 

 

Clarisse took a step back, using past lessons as a mirror. 

 

“Now I won’t say a word about Mr. Belleville’s story! Every time I end up losing!”

 

But he didn’t care and spread the notebook he was holding in front of her.

 

“Look at this, look at this!”

 

“Ah really…!”

 

She tried to look at the note because it seemed like the answer was written by a ghost…

 

The note he held out was full of questions, but there were no answers.

 

“There has been no answer since the results were announced. Heuk!” 

 

At that time, Noah and Valentine appeared behind Clarisse and snatched Abington’s notebook.

 

“I’ll take a look.”

 

“Is this the ghost note?”

 

Every time Noah turned a page, Valentine, who had his arms crossed, looked at it with interest.

 

“Hey, this… even if I were a ghost, I’d want to get rid of it. You should have asked a bit more gently.”

 

“A, at least I got a little help with the bare minimum of my questions!”

 

It was an unconvincing answer. The proof was that on the front of the note it was written ‘Answers from ghost memorization, Volume 26.’

 

Noah folded the notebook and handed it back to Abington.

 

“Anyway, you did a good job.”

 

“G, good…job?” 

 

Abington asked, holding the note dearly.

 

“It looks like the ghost was satisfied with the excellent results and left.”

 

“L, left? No, it can’t be. Call it back. There are still so many exams left to take…!”

 

“But if you write your name like that again, it won’t give you Mr. Belleville’s grades.” 

 

He responded as if there was no problem despite Clarisse’s accurate point.

 

“So I was planning to apply for a name change!”

 

“Changing even the last name for that reason is not allowed.”

 

Of course, it was immediately denied by Valentine.

 

“No…way.” 

 

Abington knelt down in the hallway.

 

“…Miss Grezekaia. Ugh!” 

 

“Why do you call me and cry every day!”

 

Clarisse shouted at him, but he called out to her again, sobbing loudly.

 

So, for a few days, there was a rumor going around in the monastery that Clarisse couldn’t stand it anymore and ended up kicking Abington. 

 

The ghost of memorization in the study room, which had been talked about in the monastery for nearly 50 years, no longer appeared.

 

* * *

 

“Can you tell me about the northern walls of Sheridan?”

 

It was the evening after the Abington ghost disturbance that Eugenie, who once said, ‘I will visit her to discuss my concerns,’ actually came to see Clarisse. 

 

“The northern wall?”

 

Clarisse invited her to sit on her bed and sat down right next to her.

 

“…Yes.” 

 

Eugenie somehow seemed a little more intimidated than usual.

 

“Hmm, what should I say?”

 

Clarisse was curious as to why Eugenie was asking about the North Wall, but she decided to answer her question for now.

 

“The walls are not as beautiful as the walls of the royal capital. The blackened bricks are also covered in moss that survived the northern cold.”

 

Eugenie just nodded quietly at Clarisse’s words.

 

“Still, I feel proud of the wall that has protected humans from the northern monsters for a long time. It’s almost as if… they’re alive. I really admire that passionate beauty.”

 

“I heard it’s going to snow a lot.”

 

“That goes anywhere in Sheridan. But as Miss McLeod said, the northern wall is even more so. According to the records of snowstorms drawn on the wall, it’s as easy as stepping over a person’s height, you know?” 

 

“It’s a place with a lot of hardship.”

 

“Yes, especially for those who guard that area. When there’s a lot of snowfall, everyone, regardless of rank, has to sweep the snow with brooms to avoid being isolated.” 

 

“Do the knights clear the snow too?”

 

“Yes, Duke Sheridan was also sweeping the snow when I was there. Everyone in Sheridan learns how to clear snow.”

 

Clarisse smiled a little, unable to hide how proud she felt.

 

“I see. If so…It doesn’t seem like a difficult place.” 

 

“Yes, they also set off fireworks when the New Year begins. You have no idea how special it is to see light bursting into the beautiful northern night sky.”

 

Eugenie nodded slowly, looking at Clarisse’s sparkling eyes. 

 

“Thank you for telling me. I felt… a little relieved.”

 

“If that’s the case, then it’s fortunate. Oh, Noah would probably know more about the northern wall than me. Should we invite him over?” 

 

When Clarisse showed signs of getting up from her seat, Eugenie quickly grabbed her hand.

 

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I feel better just talking with Miss Grezekaia….”

 

Talking with just the two of us is better?

 

Clarisse’s words lingered like echoes in her ears. 

 

‘That, that’s practically a confession…! Oh, what am I thinking?’

 

Clarisse was quick to shake off her delusions as her desire for her same-sex friend dawned on her. 

 

“It may have been sudden, but thank you for answering without asking about the circumstances.”

 

“No, not at all. Any talk about Sheridan is always welcome. If you get the chance later, I recommend visiting the northern wall. It’s really magnificent…” 

 

Clarisse’s story stopped there because Eugenie’s complexion gradually worsened.

 

‘Did I make a mistake…?’

 

As she was just looking at her out of concern, Eugenie apologized, stroking her long blonde hair.

 

“I’m sorry about that.”

 

Unlike usual, she muttered a little and continued talking slowly.

 

“Suddenly… the reason I ask you like this… it’s just…” 

 

Clarisse quietly nodded her head and waited.

 

“My father was a knight…I was curious because it seemed like he died there. That… when the golem collapsed.”