Chapter 53 - An Undead

Behind the house, actually behind Ladur's house, I saw a small building with a well in it. A separate bathroom.

This reminds me of my childhood, I never thought in the city of Elves would be the same, or maybe because the city is on the border? I don't know, since the world changes I usually only bathe in rivers or lakes, which is arguably better, at least for women not afraid of being seen by someone.

When I entered the bathroom, I only saw a well and a bathtub with a wooden dipper, no need to expect 'water flowing from above' even the toilet wasn't there. I was curious about how they resolved the 'nature call' problem.

Forget it, anyway I don't need it, and if later I get a 'call of nature' I just need to go to the river.

Using the water in the bathtub, I began to wash away some parts of my body such as my hands and feet and face, trying to clean up the blood and mud stains that were stuck there.

After finishing I want to come back soon, but when I turn around I am immediately stunned.

There were no strange events or magic changes to the environment, I just saw a man who stood hunched beside Ladur's house, staring into Ladur's house from behind a glass window without moving.

Even if it is daytime even though the view will feel strange, especially now it is still midnight.

Stalker? Was the first thing I thought of. But it wasn't until I tried to pay attention to the man's appearance once more, although it wasn't very clear I could still vaguely see the man's strange appearance.

Clothes filled with blood stains that have dried, messy and even in some parts seen a few tears.

The characteristics of the body also look abnormal, a thin body, dry skin and wrinkles as if it lacks nutrition.

And what made me feel the most strange, the aura of death that emanated from that man.

When I intend to examine it more closely, suddenly the man's figure disappears into the empty air, as if he had never been there since the beginning.

What happened? Illusion? No, even if I'm mentally exhausted, I'm sure I'm not hallucinating or seeing illusions,

But if it's not an illusion then what did I see?

There are several possibilities that I can think of right now, such as invisibility, wind magic and also ... ghosts.

The first two, just from where I know it has the lowest possibility, there has never been a power system in this fantasy world that deals with those two things.

Ghosts, although it is impossible to form perfectly without triggered by external factors, at least I've seen cases related.

I remember Ladur gaining power through the path of the god of death, which basically exists in a power system with ghosts.

But why did the ghost come here?

No, wait ... didn't Ladur's sister say, that her father had quietly returned home in the middle of the night?

Ladur's father who secretly returned home, a ghost, and a necromancer who gave Ladur strength, somehow I felt it was all interrelated.

Of course there is also the possibility of coincidence but I can't ignore that great possibility.

Although I know this problem is not related to me, just in case I'll try to find out later.

First ask Ladur's sister.

****************

After returning from the back of the house I began to help the little girl, following her instructions which were quite easy to understand, to make a snack mixture that I did not understand at all.

"Do it like this uncle, you press like this then roll, and this then this"

Several times the girl corrected me if I was wrong, of course I did according to her words but mostly I just kept quiet.

But now might be the right time, let's get started.

"By the way, little girl I want to ask you about something I'm curious about, before when I just came here and knocked on the door, you said you thought it was your father, but why do you think so?"

At first glance it is not strange, but if you think as a whole it is not possible she thinks that it is only because 'he thinks only his father will come in the middle of the night', a world with illegal weapons (magic) and monsters everywhere, given how mature the girl's mentality this, there was no way she would just let go of his guard.

There must be another reason.

"This might sound strange, but ... I just feel uncle's smell, the same as when my father came"

That was indeed a strange reason, especially for a girl of her age.

Back to the topic, when talking about smells in a case like this, the intended smell must be a more special smell and not a fairly common smell like sweat or smell because I haven't bathed.

If I look at him in this conclusion, the only thing I think about is the smell of blood but if this girl's nose has a special sensitivity it might become a virtual smell like death and slaughter.

Hey what kind of father would always come home in the middle of the night with that kind of smell?

But ... if the conclusion up to this point is true, this smell has strengthened my guess. Undead as a creature that should exist in the underworld will always give the smell of death.

Unfortunately I can't confirm it directly, especially if it's the last. Virtual smell has an abstract concept that is difficult for me if I have to explain it to ordinary people, even if this girl's nose is more sensitive than most people, she won't be able to recognize and distinguish virtual smells.

Go to the next question, but first create a natural conversation first.

"I smell? No way, I always smell good you know "

The initial intention I want to joke, like making a small joke, it's just that for some reason I even get a strange look from this little girl in front of me.

"Please forget my words earlier"

"Pfff ..."

Hey, She laughed, why laugh? Was my joke successful? Somehow his brain is lagging, and only responding now, like that?

"This uncle is quite strange, huh?"

"..." I felt I had just been ridiculed.

"At least I'm not as strange as someone who always goes home in the middle of the night, secretly meets his daughter, but doesn't meet other family members"

"Haha ... uncle might be right, even though mom always misses him every night, but father always forbids me to tell mom and brother"

Binggo

It was true that the person did not want other family members to know. Is it because of this reason too, why he had just peeked out the window instead of going inside the house as usual.

But if you follow this conclusion, it means that he also does not want others to know and not just limited to family members who must not know

"But you told me"

"No problem, after all, father only forbade me to tell my mother and brother, and not forbid me to tell uncle"

Seeing those expressions and words, did she just fool his father with puns? Once again actually how old is this girl.

"But even if I tell them they won't believe it"

I do not understand why Father Ladur acts like that? Does he not want other family members to know that he has become a creature of the underworld? However it has been confirmed or not, there are still differences.

While I was still thinking, I suddenly felt the presence of someone, who kept approaching from inside the house.

When I looked away, I saw Ladur standing transfixed between the living room and the hallway.

He stood with his mouth open and closed as if he was having a hard time saying something, all kinds of expressions I could read on his face, surprised, angry, confused, surprised, and also happy, mixed together to form strange expressions.

"Sedhulur ... Yuzuru ... what are you doing?"

In the end only those ambiguous words that came out of Ladur's mouth.

"Older brother!! I ... I ... can explain "

Somehow the atmosphere felt incorrect, seeing their expressions and conversations, this looked more like the drama of a lover who was being caught cheating because of an affair, than a brother who caught his sister staying up late in the middle of the night

They keep staring at each other.

Maybe I should go and not interfere, after all it's their family's problem, it's not polite if I keep bothering.

And because Ladur was awake, maybe I could take a shower now.

Under the gaze of the two people who had lost the ability to speak, I stood up from the sofa and walked towards Ladur.

"Ladur, today I want to take a bath and sleep in your house, no problem right? "

My words are a little strange, but I don't care, the most important thing I mean has been conveyed.

"Ah ... yes, no problem"