The carriage jerked to a violent halt.
"Who the fuck are you?!"Noki roared, rubbing his head where he'd slammed into the carriage wall. "You wanna die blocking the road like this?!"
Edrew pulled his hood lower, shadows swallowing his face.
More white-robed figures emerged, fanning out behind the first—their pristine garments fluttering like ghostly banners.
"Boss... who are these people?" Noki whispered, suddenly nervous. "Priests? Did I just curse at holy men?!"
Edrew ignored him, steering the horses aside to pass—
Then she spoke.
"Shin..."
A voice that had haunted his dreams.
The lead figure lowered her hood, revealing Siris—her sapphire eyes now hardened, her white knight's mantle marking her as the Church's blade.
Edrew ignored Siris, snapping the reins to move forward—
"Booosssuuuu~" Tia cooed, floating upside-down in front of his face. "What a juicy backstory you've got!"
Noki joined in, grinning like an idiot. The two even high-fived, their eyes sparkling with gossip-fueled glee.
But before the carriage could pick up speed—
"I bore your child, Shin!" Siris shouted, voice cracking. "She's two years old!"
SCREECH—!
The horses halted so abruptly, Noki nearly flew off the roof.
Edrew sat frozen, sweat dripping down his temple. Behind him, Noki and Tia's jaws hit the floor—literally, in Tia's case, as she phased through the carriage floor in shock.
"Spicy... spicy... SPICY!" they chanted in unison, imaginary "drama goggles" materializing on their faces.
Edrew's eye twitched.
Since when did they—?! His mind raced. Was it that time in the library? Or the garden? Damn it, I was too busy brooding to notice!
He flipped off the sky with a snarl.
"That bastard soul—what kind of isekai degenerate was he?! Who does that before marriage?!" A vein bulged on his forehead. "And in MY body, you animal!"
DING!
A translucent window materialized before Edrew's face—uninvited, unwelcome.
<< QUEST ALERT >>
▸ Failed... Failed...
▸ Player Undetected...
▸ System Rebooting...
<< NEW DIRECTIVE >>
▸ Guardian Quest: Protect Siris' Daughter
▸ Reward: None (Original Player Already Max-Statted)
▸ Revised Reward: 1,000 Gold Coins(Exchangeable for Legendary Artifacts)
▸ Failure Condition: Death
Edrew stared. "Oh, now you show up? After years? With this bullshit quest?"
He swiped at the window—his hand phased through. "I'm not your 'player' anymore. Your chosen one fried himself with a rainbow nuke."
The system blithely continued:
<< FINAL RECORDING: 30 MINUTES PRE-DEATH >>
▸ "Take care of them... please..."
Edrew's eye twitched. "Did you die and become this stupid pop-up? Why bother?!"
With a groan, he dismounted the carriage—then bowed deeply to Siris, his hood shadowing his face.
Edrew lowered his hood.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd—his face was identical to the late Shin the Archmage's.
"Hello, miss," he said smoothly. "I'm just a corpse collector. Don't mistake me for that hero who died saving the world."
His tone was light, but his grip on the reins tightened. "Congratulations on your child. Need help with anything?"
Siris stepped closer, her hands trembling as she cupped his face. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Edrew couldn't bear it. Gently, he pried her fingers away. "Why so sad? Does my face... remind you of someone?"
She shook her head silently, but the lie was palpable.
"Then meet my daughter," she whispered. "Just once. Let her see you."
Edrew's mercenary mask slid back into place. "Hmm. What's the pay?"
"1,000 platinum coins," Siris offered. "Enough for months of work. Just show her your face—that's all."
"Deal." He flashed a smile.
Siris froze.
That smile—
It was Shin's.
The carriage rolled up to a sprawling estate—its gates as imposing as Edrew remembered.
"Noki," he tossed a coin pouch, "go shopping. Be back by nightfall."*
"Yessir!" Noki saluted, eyeing the mansion. "Damn, Boss... you sure you're just a corpse collector?"*
Edrew didn't answer.
Stepping inside was like walking into a ghost of his past. The halls were unchanged—same polished floors, same portraits—but the air hung heavy with absence.
Servants bowed as Siris led him to the guest parlor. "Wait here. I'll bring her."
Edrew gave a thumbs-up, but his mind drifted.
Memories flickered: *Him as a spirit, hovering in this very room, watching his body—stolen by another soul—laugh with Siris on that very couch.
Now, dust coated the furniture. The peonies by the window—a gift from "Shin"—had wilted.
A flick of his fingers. A whisper of green-tinged mana.
The flowers shivered back to life, petals unfurling in vibrant pinks.
There. Edrew leaned back. Now it's perfect.
Siris returned to the guest room—alone.
"She's... not ready," she murmured, lingering by the door. "She's only nearly three, but her mind—it's older. Faster. She won't open the door for anyone."
Edrew chuckled. "Hoho, what kind of little genius did you raise? Which room's hers?"*
"Upstairs. But she won't—"
"Who said anything about using the door?"*
His gaze flicked to the corridor window—wide open.
"Don't worry, Miss Siris. A job's a job." With a surge of magic, he levitated upward.
Siris gasped. "I didn't know he was a mage..."Then, softly: "But perhaps... this is for the best."
As she turned to leave, her eyes caught the revived peonies—vibrant once more.
A bittersweet smile touched her lips.
"Only Shin ever watered those... That's why I let them wither."
The room was dark, save for the pale light from the open window.
There, hunched on a chair too large for her, sat a small figure—a girl with dull eyes and ashen cheeks, staring listlessly at the clouds.
Then—a shadow blotted out the sun.
"Hello, kid."
The window slammed shut with a thud.
"Tch—whose attitude did you inherit? "Edrew muttered. "Your parents were sunshine incarnate."
The girl flopped onto her bed, eyes squeezed tight—as if shutting out the world could erase him.
"Sleep well, kid."
Her eyes flew open. Edrew was lying beside her.
"Why won't you leave?" she hissed. "Go away, ghost."
A grin split Edrew's face. "Oho~! So you can see souls!" He poked her cheek. "Then tell me—why assume I'm one?"
She turned away, burying her face in the pillow.
With exaggerated care, he took her tiny hand in his. Warm. Solid.
"See? No ghost could do this." His voice softened. "I'm... an old friend of your parents. Just wanted to check on you."