Back at the Nearl family manor.
'Finally, I'm safe.'
Wang Fei, having narrowly escaped a duel with Father Czin thanks to Mother Yolanta's help, had retreated to the manor's living room with Maria instead. The room held many family heirlooms she wanted him to see, hoping to restore his memories.
Before that, the young girl couldn't help but ask him.
"Mr. Ghost... why do you have to disguise your face?" Maria didn't ask because she disliked his current face, but simply because she felt that if he used his original face to approach her family, they might learn something about him.
When Wang Fei heard this, he turned to her with a smile. Thanks to his spiritual state having been considerably restored by the "resentment" value from before, he could now show emotions on his face.
"That might be true, but Maria, you must not forget that the Nearl family isn't the only group keeping an eye on this manor."
"Mr. Ghost, do you mean... the Chamber of Commerce Council is also watching this place?" Maria asked with concern. Although she wasn't very skilled in politics, she couldn't help but feel worried, as if she were being threatened by those people.
'Though I actually mean the National Security Commission... it's better not to tell her this.'
Since his grandfather worked there, it wouldn't be good to tell Maria that he was suspicious of the very agency his grandfather controlled.
"That's right. So you need to be careful about this too, Maria. When you're with me, just act normally. If you can, you can call me Mr. Wang Fei."
"Mr. Wang Fei... is that your original name, Mr. Ghost?"
"You could say that. Actually, it's a name that just popped into my head," Wang Fei answered with some difficulty. He didn't want to lie to her any more than he already had, which was why he had unconsciously blurted out his real name when he was with Mother Yolanta.
But never mind that, because right now, what he was truly interested in was the living room they were currently in.
Wang Fei looked at the family's display shelves. Swords, armor, even trophies and medals of achievement from the family's past were all gathered here in one place.
'It doesn't seem to have changed much.'
At first, he thought the place would have changed a lot after so many years, but compared to the image in his memory, it was almost exactly the same.
But that thought changed when Wang Fei saw a display case standing in the middle of the room.
'That's...'
When he walked closer to look, Wang Fei was surprised to find that inside the display case was a beautiful longsword, hung alongside a gorgeous suit of golden armor, so clean and pristine it looked as if it had been meticulously cared for.
Wang Fei stared at the two objects for a long time. He knew they were just fakes created by a craftsman... but seeing them made his heart, which should have stopped beating long ago, begin to tremble.
'Uncle Mlynar, you still kept it.'
Wang Fei looked at the sword and armor before him that had once been his. Although they looked like the holy sword and armor, they weren't real, merely imitations created by an amateur craftsman.
On a whim, wanting to sneak away from a formal event to hang out with Margaret and the others, he had commissioned craftsmen to create a fake suit of armor and a holy sword. He then placed them in his study to fool Mlynar, who would come to check.
He felt both warmth and a tightness in his chest. When he saw the words on the brown wooden plaque below, his legs, once full of strength, suddenly felt weak in a way they never had before.
In memory of a brave older brother. In memory of a diligent younger brother. In memory of an excellent son. In memory of a gentle son. In memory of a respected nephew. In memory of the Knight-Primarch who never faltered before anything.
Rest in peace, Ray Nearl. We hope we all meet again, somewhere on this star of Terra.
"..."
The palm of Wang Fei's hand, touching the plaque, trembled for a moment as he felt an immense flood of emotion pour from his palm directly into his body. It was a feeling full of love from every member of his family, packed into those words, sent directly to his soul.
This caused his spiritual power, which was already in a state of recovery, to be restored to an unimaginable degree. His pale eyes, once clouded with a chilling coldness, now shone as if they had just received a new light of life.
'Your soul fragment has been massively restored by the power of the sacred blessing of the Kuranta (Pegasus).'
'Soul Fragment, Level ???, has evolved into Living Spirit, Normal Level.'
'Living Spirit, Normal Level: A spirit on the path between virtue and evil. Can temporarily manifest a human body through the use of spiritual power. Can slightly control the body or move objects in a transparent state. As a Living Spirit, you will have a better connection to both Sacred Power and Negative Power.'
Even though Wang Fei saw the messages before him, he paid them no mind. Right now, his focus was solely on the plaque in front of him.
The young man looked at it with a mix of feelings—joy, sorrow, and pride—as if he had just received the love from his family that he had longed for.
'It seems even things handwritten by family members can help restore my spiritual power.'
'The first line must be from Maria. The second is probably from Zofia. The third and fourth must be from Mom and Dad. The next must be from Uncle Mlynar, and the second to last must be from Grandpa. As for the last message... he thought it was probably from Margaret, his sister.'
Wang Fei stared at the plaque for so long that Maria, who was nearby, started to notice. She walked over to him and spoke with pride.
"It's amazing, isn't it! That's the armor my brother used when he first became the Knight-Primarch!"
She had no idea she was mistaken, thinking he was interested in the items in the display case.
When Wang Fei heard her, he wanted to type out that she was mistaken, but then he happened to meet the young girl's sparkling eyes.
It was as if she were telling him... go ahead and ask whatever you want!
This made the soft-hearted young man unable to crush his sister's good intentions, so he typed out a question.
"Are these the holy sword and armor that the Knight-Primarch used?"
The young girl, as if she had been waiting for that question, didn't hesitate to nod and begin her explanation.
"That's right! This sword and armor are what my brother used when he became the Knight-Primarch! They're our family's treasure! I've even been training hard with a sword because my brother is my idol! Even though I know I'm not very talented in this, I won't give up! One day, I'll become a strong sword wielder like my brother and my master!"
'It seems she doesn't know the things in this display case are fakes.'
The real holy sword should be on the stone pedestal in the tournament arena, and his holy armor probably disintegrated upon his death. But when Wang Fei looked at Maria's excited profile, he didn't want to say anything to ruin her feelings.
He reached out his hand to pat the girl's head and spoke softly to encourage her.
"If it's you, Maria, you can definitely do it," Wang Fei said, knowing his voice wouldn't come out. Still, he just wanted to say it to make himself feel better.
"Eh?"
But for some reason, after he said that, Maria's excited face changed to one of startled shock as she turned to look at him.
"D-did you just speak to me, Mr. Wang Fei?"
Wang Fei was shocked too, so much so that he unconsciously let his hand fall from her head.
'Did you hear me?' Wang Fei spoke while pointing at himself, but Maria remained still and showed no reaction. This let him know she hadn't heard him, before he quickly typed a message on his phone.
"Did you hear my voice just now?"
Maria nodded quickly.
"Yes! I heard your voice very clearly just now, Mr. Wang Fei! Your voice is very gentle!" Maria said excitedly, as if she wanted to hear that voice again.
'Could it be because I was touching her just now?'
Curious, Wang Fei was about to type out a question.
"I want to try something. Maria, can you hold my ha—" Before Wang Fei could finish typing, Maria ran over and hugged his arm.
"I think the reason I heard your voice is because we were touching! So, Mr. Ghost, try talking again!"
"Just holding hands would have been enough..." Wang Fei couldn't help but grumble softly. She was so quick-witted about things like this, but when it came to important matters, she forgot so easily. Could it be that this kid was actually smart but just pretended to be dense?
"But this way is faster, isn't it? Oh! I can really hear your voice, Mr. Wang Fei!"
"You can really hear me?" Wang Fei said, surprised. Although he thought there was a chance, he didn't think it would actually work.
'Could it be because I leveled up from a Soul Fragment to a Living Spirit... it allows me to communicate with her through physical contact?'
It was just like a plot from a romantic comedy movie from his old world.
"Yes, yes!" Maria nodded repeatedly upon hearing him, then smiled happily.
"I can hear your voice clearly! I never knew spirits could communicate through touch. This needs to be recorded in the Kazimierz National Library's database!"
Hearing this, Wang Fei couldn't help but laugh and tease her.
"First of all, Maria, the national library doesn't record things about ghosts and spirits. And second... what kind of spirit would let themselves be touched so easily, if not a kind and handsome spirit like me?"
"Oh... so you're the narcissistic type, Mr. Wang Fei! I'm a little shocked!" Maria made an unexpectedly shocked face, while Wang Fei replied confidently, pointing a thumb at himself.
"It's called self-confidence!!"
"..."
"...Hee."
"Haha!" Then they both fell silent for a long moment before bursting into laughter at the same time.
"Haha, you're so funny, Mr. Wang Fei! At first, I thought you'd be scarier," Maria was the first to speak after wiping tears of laughter from her face.
"Not at all, Maria, you weren't mistaken. This big brother is actually a very scary person, especially to all the single ladies out there. Because this brother's charm is too strong, it makes their hearts scream, you see."
"It's your narcissism that makes you the funniest, Mr. Wang Fei!!"
"Haha, you're exaggerating."
"But you have to be careful, Mr. Ghost, because my older sister doesn't like flirts. So she might get angry if you talk like that."
"Yes, yes, this brother will be careful not to talk like that to—"
But suddenly, Wang Fei's voice stopped. He whipped his head around to look at the young girl's smiling face.
"You little brat! I told you I don't have feelings for your sister!!" Wang Fei reached out and pinched the girl's cheek, annoyed.
"Eh! Ut ou idn't ou ay ou ike y iter! (Eh! But didn't you say you liked my sister?)"
"When did I ever say tha—"
But as Wang Fei was scolding Maria, he suddenly felt a faint killing intent from somewhere in the room.
'The door—no, there's more?'
Glancing behind him, Wang Fei immediately looked up at the ceiling. He quickly pulled Maria's body behind him while reaching for the sword he had borrowed from Uncle Vogel.
"Hee hee... you noticed me, did you?"
Suddenly, a sweet, enchanting voice came from the spot he was looking at, and the figure of a pink-haired girl leaped down from that spot.
"Pardon my rudeness. I hope you're not angry that I was eavesdropping."
The girl with that voice gave him a smile. The small ears on her head were shaped like those of the Sankta. The clothes she wore were light armor covered by a thick, sloppily worn hood.
Looking at the smile on the girl's face, Wang Fei felt something strange. Unlike Maria's smile, this girl's smile seemed unnatural, like the indifferent smiles that nobles often used.
'That symbol... a knight from the National Security Commission?' Wang Fei noticed the insignia of the Kazimierz National Security Commission adorning her armor.
But just as Wang Fei was about to ask her purpose, Maria, who was hiding behind him, peeked out curiously. Her face then broke into a smile when she saw the girl.
"Oh, it's Senomy!"
"Lady Maria~ I've finally found you," the girl, upon seeing Maria, waved back brightly.
From the unnatural smile at first, her face instantly became warm the moment she saw Maria.
"Is she an acquaintance of yours, Maria? / Can you give me a brief rundown on her?" Wang Fei typed and spoke to Maria at the same time. Even though they were touching and he could ask her directly, speaking without a sound while with someone else might arouse suspicion.
Besides, doing it this way allowed him to secretly ask her questions he wanted to know.
Maria, who was still hugging his arm, seemed to have the wits for it. She nodded and replied.
"Yes! This is Senomy, my best friend from my old school! She's currently working as a guard knight for my Nearl family! And Senomy, this is Mr. Wang Fei. He's an acquaintance of mine, and uh... a narcissist who's falling in love with my older sister!!"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Wang Fei."
"Was that last sentence necessary? And I told you, I'm not in love with Margaret!" Wang Fei secretly pinched Maria's cheek.
Meanwhile, Senomy, seeing their intimate behavior, gave a subtle nod before walking over to them and apologizing politely.
"So you are an acquaintance of Lady Maria. I must sincerely apologize for my rude behavior earlier," the girl apologized sincerely, bowing her head before introducing herself in a knightly manner.
"I am Senomy, codename Gravel. A Fourth Class Knight from the Kazimierz National Security Commission. I have only recently started working as a guard knight. If I have shown any inappropriate reactions, please forgive me."
"Senomy~ I told you, you don't have to be so formal with me when we're alone. We're best friends!" Maria couldn't help but complain to her best friend, seeing that she was being too polite.
"And don't worry about Mr. Wang Fei saying anything. He's a very laid-back person."
"Right! Mr. Wang Fei?"
Seeing Maria signal him, he nodded in agreement before typing a message.
"As Maria said, Gravel, you can speak normally."
"Well... normally I would, but my master is here right now, so I can't do that," Gravel said with a troubled expression, looking away from Maria slightly with a guilty feeling.
"Eh?" The moment Maria heard the word "master," she froze solid. Soon, they both heard a sigh from behind them at the same time.
"To not even notice me when I'm standing this close. You're still rusty, Maria."
"!!"
When Maria turned around, she saw the figure of a young man about her father's age, staring at her with an emotionless expression. The clothes he wore were a blue shirt, covered by a brown leather coat. His right arm was covered by a golden gauntlet bearing the Nearl family crest.
'He's still using the sword I bought for him.' Wang Fei also noticed that at Uncle Mlynar's waist was a sword in a beautiful white sheath bearing the Knight-Primarch's crest. That sword was the gift he had given his uncle when he had just received the position of his assistant.
"U-Uncle Mlynar!" Maria called out his name with an exaggeratedly shocked expression.
Wang Fei's train of thought was derailed by her words.
'Uncle Mlynar? Maria... do you know how many years younger Uncle Mlynar is than our dad?'
Even though he thought that, if Wang Fei could speak right now, he would have burst out laughing seeing him being called an uncle. Still, he couldn't deny that his Uncle Mlynar now looked about as old as his father.
'It must be because of the under-the-table work or that constant scowl that he's aged so much, even though it's only been 6 years.'
As if the other man could sense Wang Fei's thoughts, Mlynar's eyes glanced his way.
"You're the one who made that fool shout earlier, aren't you... What's your name, and what is your purpose for being here?"
'The fool he's talking about must be Father Czin...' Wang Fei was typing a message.
But at that moment, Maria spoke up for him.
"Uncle Mlynar, this person is Mr. Wan—"
"Was I speaking to you, Maria?"
Before Maria could finish, she was cut off by Mlynar's icy tone.
"S-sorry, Uncle," Maria, being scolded, looked dejected.
Seeing her like that, Wang Fei, who was typing, stopped his hands.
He couldn't help but feel displeased. Even if it was Uncle Mlynar, he wouldn't let him scold his little sister when she hadn't done anything wrong.
So, he deleted his old message and typed a new one.
"Shouldn't the etiquette of an introduction begin with the questioner, Sir Knight?"
Hearing that, Mlynar's light-colored eyes began to narrow. Maria's eyes widened in shock, and she tried to tug on his sleeve to warn him, but Wang Fei turned to her and spoke gently.
"Don't worry. Leave this to your big brother."
"Leave this to me."
Maria's eyes widened as she saw his profile overlap with the profile of her brother, who was smiling as he faced a group of bandits that were about to attack them. Even though she could barely remember his face, the brave smile of her brother on that day had never faded from her heart. That event was the starting point that made her want to follow in her brother's footsteps and become a respectable knight like him.
The moment she recalled that memory, her heart began to race for no reason. All the worry she had before started to fade, replaced by a feeling similar to when her older sister hugged her—a warm feeling that nothing could replace.
Maria's hands began to hug his arm tightly, and her actions were all under the observation of Senomy and Mlynar.
Mlynar's eye twitched faintly when he saw his niece hugging the arm of some strange man.
He tried to control the explosion of emotion within him before sighing and speaking.
"It seems that time has made me forget the most basic etiquette of a knight."
"My name is Mlynar Nearl. Currently, I am just a common civil servant... your turn."
"My name is Wang Fei. Just a former knight," Wang Fei typed in response. He chose not to act like a knight because right now, neither he nor the other man were knights anymore.
"Wang Fei. That name... you must be from Yan. But I don't recall any former knights from Yan being on the list of recent travelers," Mlynar said, not hiding his suspicion, before walking straight up to confront Wang Fei and asking him the same question as before.
"I'll ask again. Who are you, and what is your purpose for being here?"
'Not bad pressure.'
The killing intent of a Knight Commander might make a high-ranking knight or a general tremble, but unfortunately... he was a spirit now, so that kind of thing wouldn't work on him.
"If I said I came to see Sir Kirill to discuss some business, would you believe me?"
"Of course..." Mlynar nodded before lowering his hand to touch the hilt of his sword.
'Of course not,' Wang Fei knew immediately that the other man didn't believe him.
"I'm just a former knight with a bit of skill."
"We'll see," Mlynar said, before making a move to draw his sword, intending to intimidate the other party.
"Get out. And don't get involve—"
BOOM!!! But before Mlynar could finish speaking, his eyes flew wide open, and he quickly raised his sword to narrowly block an incoming fist.
Mlynar managed to block it, but his body was forced back several meters by the heavy impact from that single punch.
"U-Uncle!" Maria was stunned when she saw the scene.
"!!" Gravel, seeing things were going badly, quickly drew her daggers, ready for a fight. But judging from her trembling hands, the young girl probably didn't expect him to do something like this either.
'Just as I thought. My spiritual power has recovered a great deal just from a single touch of Uncle Mlynar's sword, which has been near me for many years.'
'But... this still isn't enough.'
Because of the earlier change in his spiritual state, his current body could now use about twenty percent of Ray's abilities. It also awakened some of Ray's personality within him. Fortunately, the awakened personality wasn't much different from Wang Fei's original personality, so he didn't need to get used to it at all.
Mlynar, having regained his footing, his previously cold eyes began to turn annoyed. His body began to radiate a golden light, as if he were being wrapped in golden armor.
"You coward! Where is your knightly honor!" Mlynar cursed while pointing his sword at him.
Wang Fei typed his response honestly, even though it was no longer necessary...
"I told you, I'm just a former knight. Besides, you're the one who drew your sword first."
"..." Mlynar said nothing, but judging from the vein popping on his temple, this matter was definitely not going to end peacefully.
'But that's fine. I'd like to see just how much my spiritual power will recover if I fight a member of the Nearl family.'
He didn't know if it was because of the personality he had acquired, but it made him feel like provoking the other party. He beckoned tauntingly at Mlynar.
"Come on. Or would you like me to make the first move?"