"Are we really solving a case like this?" Where are the enemies? Who did my hammer fall on? Why is everything so boring!?" she complained, stamping her feet and making the floor creak.
"Stop doing that! Can't you see this house is old?" Séraphine warned, noticing the cracks forming in the wooden floor and the increasingly loud creaking.
After spending some time at Séraphine's agency, the group decided to go to the location of the case they had to resolve. After all, it was only natural for a witch who was also a detective.
"Ghosts! We're dealing with ghosts! Exorcising a ghost is so boring!" the blonde continued, complaining loudly. Francisca hit her on the back of the head, silencing the warrior.
"Finally, you shut up," said the redhead before rubbing her temples. Élodie's outburst, echoing in the abandoned house, had given her a headache.
"You didn't have to hit me..." Élodie muttered, her head down as she rubbed the spot where she had been hit.
"You shouldn't have done that! You made me fall!" Sasha growled. She had previously been sitting on Élodie's head and was now floating calmly in the air without going to sit on another girl.
"Even though I hate ghosts, solving cases involving them brings in a lot of money, and I love money," Séraphine replied to Élodie's complaints, making her pout.
"It always takes a lot of energy to hurt them, and the only method of exorcism I'm good at is physical. Rituals, although anyone can perform them, are a bit worrying because of their randomness," she muttered, head down. Then she realized her three companions were looking at her.
"Élodie, do you know how to perform rituals?" Sasha asked, echoing the thoughts of the witch and the question.
"I lack key knowledge, which doesn't mean I don't know anything. I decided to learn about rituals on my own in the army, and most of the time they have been useful to me," the blonde replied simply, as if the subject were of little importance to her.
"You're a ritualist! I've only mastered a few because my curse causes annoying things to happen and ruins most of the rituals I perform," said Séraphine with a hint of envy in her voice. A thought crossed her mind.
"When I overcome my curse, I will explore rituals and do my best to master them," the witch promised herself. She felt optimistic about the future after being free of her curse.
Explaining this matter to Élodie made her feel relaxed in a way she hadn't in a long time. She usually avoided discussing her curse, not daring to imagine life beyond it. She just endured, waiting for the seven years to pass.
But now, she was planning her future course of action! However, she had to put those thoughts aside. She focused on the present because she needed to earn money by solving cases like the one she was currently working on.
"As an alchemist, I had to perform the rituals whether I liked it or not. But perhaps because I disliked them, they hardly ever worked for me, even when I did them perfectly," Francisca added, sharing information about her own situation, which made Élodie laugh.
"HAHAHA! Rituals are that special! You should know that, right? A ritual is practically direct communication with nature itself, no matter what kind of nature it is.
I don't really understand the world Séraphine spoke of, but I'm sure there are rituals related to it. Nature has no mind, but it does have instinct, so mentality and emotions greatly affect the ritual process.
You're right. Your dislike caused the ritual to fail," said Élodie, explaining her understanding of ritualism, a purely metaphysical subject. This greatly displeased Francisca, who crossed her arms and refused to continue the conversation.
"Fairies cannot perform rituals of a very dark or negative nature. Otherwise, we are perfectly fine. We rarely have any problems." Sensing the alchemist's bad mood, Sasha decided to join the conversation, which excited the redhead.
"You have to come to my workshop and help me! There are many ideas I've always wanted to carry out, but because of the less scientific aspects of alchemy, I haven't been able to do so."
Francisca asked excitedly and got quite close to the fairy. This caused Sasha to touch her chin before nodding.
"As long as you give me the remuneration I deserve, I'm fine with it," the fairy agreed. Francisca extended her hands and gently caught Sasha, bringing her up to her head and letting her rest there.
"Then let's work as a team to deal with the group of ghosts that has made this place its home." After seeing that things were clear, Séraphine declared the start of their mission. Coincidence or not, a strange wind blew through the room, causing the four of them to shiver a little.
"It seems those things don't like our intrusion," joked Élodie, gripping her hammer tightly because she didn't feel comfortable in a house inhabited by ghosts.
"They don't rest in peace, and most of the time, they don't want to be disturbed. We're practically barging into their territory. But legally, this isn't their home, right?" Francisca asked aloud, knowing the ghosts were listening and would react accordingly.
Sure enough, before the redhead could finish her sentence, a cracked vase floated up and shot toward her. Élodie intercepted it in midair and smashed it with a kick. However, it was clear that this would not be the only attempt by these beings to harm them.
"Stop provoking them like that! Get ready. I'll make them appear completely... I'm going to hate this," Séraphine declared before bringing her palms together. This allowed her to channel hot aether through her body and unleash a special spell.
This served to calm the aggrieved souls, commonly known as ghosts, and even affected resentful ghosts, an evolution of this particular type of being. She was accustomed to this spell due to her line of work. She had dealt with many ghosts since arriving in Blume.
Previously, she had to be cautious when performing it because mistakes could result in terrible consequences, including physical and mental damage. It turned her into a magnet for spectral entities for a while. Séraphine experienced this firsthand when she used it for the first time on one of her early jobs.
Needless to say, the witch didn't enjoy waking up next to a ghost who constantly watched her. But now, with companions, she didn't have to do all the work. That's what rituals were for!
As the boiling blue energy covered Séraphine's body and beads of sweat spilled down her forehead, Élodie and Francisca began creating a ritual circle on the ground using Sasha's fairy dust.
"This ritual is simple to create but difficult to execute because ghosts act on pure instinct. This ritual gives them a little lucidity.
Only when they are aware of their state can we act. We can either talk to them or directly exorcise them. For the latter, we must spill a few drops of blood for the ritual to work.
"Of course, Mother Light's power is perfect for dispatching them, but we can't always count on a nun. So, unless you want to resort to violence, we have to prick our fingers." Élodie began chatting with Francisca as she drew on the floor.
"What if it's resentment?" asked Francisca, intrigued by the topic because it was well known that methods used for normal ghosts hardly worked on their more powerful counterparts.
"It calms them down! These beings are intelligent and capable of causing a lot of damage, but they're overwhelmed by negative emotions. This is like a sedative for them.
It doesn't weaken them. It just stops them from trying to steal your body heat, throw you into the air, or suck the life out of you," replied Élodie, standing up with a hand on her hip. She was happy with the result she had achieved.
"Hey, Séraphine, how are you doing?" When Séraphine looked up, she didn't expect to see the witch surrounded by a dozen translucent beings floating several inches in the air.
The temperature in the room dropped at an alarming rate. This was not the coldness brought on by corrosive spiritual energy, but a real phenomenon because ghosts absorb heat from the environment.
The humidity condensed into frost. Séraphine, covered in aether, did not feel the cold, yet she shivered nonetheless. Although she was a brave woman, being surrounded by potentially aggressive entities made her feel uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the fluctuations in her spell had calmed these spectral beings. They all stared at the witch with their empty, lifeless eyes as if appreciating something.
"Yes... You know, my aether is running low. Can you start the ritual?" she asked, her lips chapped from the continuous use of her energy. Her vision had become blurry, and her head was throbbing.
"Go ahead. You're the expert," said Francisca, stepping aside. However, she held a vial of black, bubbling liquid in her hand, her own countermeasure in case something went wrong.
"Okay," said Élodie. She bit her thumb, but showed no sign of pain. Blood dripped from her fingertip onto the floor, right in the center of the ritual circle. The circle emitted a golden glow and released a pulse that affected the surrounding ghosts.
Something that could be called "the spark of consciousness" appeared in the holes that these beings had for eyes. Each one trembled as if suddenly adapting to its state.
"So... am I sleeping like Dad that day?" asked the ghost of a little girl in a pink dress whose face was covered in horrifying blue veins.
"Yes, little one. It's time for you to reunite with Dad, don't you think?" Séraphine, who had stopped casting magic, endured the headache she was experiencing as she crouched down in front of the young ghost.
At that moment, her hand turned blue. Enduring the uncomfortable heat, she brought her hand toward the girl's head. It was a spell she had created while exploring and researching the Immaterial; it allowed her to touch things that normally could not be touched.
She stroked the ghost's hair, and the ghost closed her eyes, feeling comforted. Any negative emotions she might have had due to her condition seemed to disappear with that touch.
"It's okay. But you know, you have something black on your body, and your eyes shine like fireflies. You're funny," said the girl, smiling, before beginning to emit particles of light. Her body completely disintegrated, leaving only white dust on the wooden floor.
Séraphine usually avoided getting emotionally involved in her work, but the ghost's words touched her deeply this time. She smiled as she ran her hands over her face, wiping the raindrops that had seeped through the roof of the dilapidated house from her cheeks.
"Perhaps, like her, you should move on, don't you think?" Élodie seized the moment and approached the witch, placing her hand on her shoulder. She turned her attention to the group of ghosts who had been silently observing the brunette.
Each spectral entity began to glow, just like the ghost girl. However, before fading away completely, each one opened its mouth with difficulty and let out a single word.
"Thank you."
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
Since their first mission as an adventure group went so well, the four girls wanted to do more together. So, for two whole weeks, they took the time to carry out missions every three days.
Perhaps because winter was approaching and causing some dangerous people to calm down, there were no major cases like those of Howard Stone or Miriam. However, that did not mean the other events were not dangerous or problematic.
One of the cases they had to solve was a classic: finding evidence of infidelity. This time, a man suspected that his wife was cheating on him and plotting to kill him.
Séraphine initially accepted the case only for the large sum of money, but Élodie threw herself into it, feeling sorry for the man. It soon became clear that the client was half right, but that's where the case became complicated.
It was the client who intended to kill his partner! Yes, his wife was unfaithful, but apart from this reprehensible behavior, which had legal implications, she did not deserve to die, much less at the hands of her husband.
The client ended up in jail. Luckily for Séraphine, though, she was able to get paid. If there was one thing the witch was sure of, it was that she always had to get paid.
Currently, the quartet is dealing with their most recent case, working directly with the city police. Élodie is acting as the liaison for a jewelry theft case.
The jewelry was extremely expensive, causing a huge stir in Blume when the theft occurred. Part of the story that became known was so incredible that some film producers are planning to turn it into a movie.
The only known detail is that the alleged employee was one of the criminals in disguise. They knocked the woman out in her home, imitated her in great detail, and gained access to the contents of the security vault.
They had most likely been monitoring her constantly. One of the criminals may have even approached the employee as a friend or lover to gather information about her and the auction house.
But we don't need her to wake up. We can solve this ourselves, right?" Séraphine asked her companions after recounting what had happened. They were riding in the car driven by Francisca, and as always, Séraphine had her feet up on the dashboard.
"Of course. Fairy dust is so versatile. Or is it because you're a Fairy Queen, Sasha?" asked Élodie. She was sitting in the backseat with one leg crossed over the other, showing off a new black bracelet on her left wrist.
The fairy she addressed was resting on her head, smiling as she played with a handful of fairy dust, making it sparkle.
"It's really just me being creative. The dust is a byproduct of our bodies and aether, so why not expand its uses? I never thought my idea would work. I never expected it could capture the scent of one of the criminals!" Sasha's nose twitched; she was completely proud of her feat.
"There was enough for the police dogs to find their hideout. Luckily, we asked the officers not to arrest them. They're Resonant! Don't they know that any capable Resonant can easily get money? Why steal?" wondered Francisca, who couldn't understand why someone capable would waste so much time and effort on a task with little return.
In Shattercrown, it would be impossible to sell those jewels. In other countries? If they aren't arrested for doing so and someone actually buys them, their value will decrease because of their origin.
Furthermore, these thieves will only increase security at similar sites with valuable items. They would also have to compete with other thieves who would undoubtedly imitate them to make quick money. This would muddy the waters, causing them all to earn less than expected.
"Who knows? Maybe they're one of those legendary thieves. You know, like the Warriors in Shattercrown or the Knights in the Iron Continent countries," suggested Élodie with a sparkle of interest in her blue eyes.
"Oh, like the samurai friend of Séraphine's that we met the other day? Someone from somewhere else came here to commit misdeeds," added Sasha, making the blonde clap her hands.
"Yes, like Nanami! Maybe the purpose isn't to steal the jewels themselves but to make a statement or even provoke someone.
I can already imagine it: two sides facing off in a series of elaborate thefts to prove their worth to a third party who must choose a victor." The warrior spoke of the scenario she was imagining with great excitement, causing Séraphine to turn and look at her.
"Sometimes things are much simpler and more boring. Do you remember that case where we helped a woman find out if someone was breaking into her house to eat her food? Do you remember all the things you imagined? Now, tell me how that case turned out," the witch asked with narrowed eyes and an evil smile, causing Élodie to lower her head with a slight blush of embarrassment.
"That woman is a sleepwalker. She was the one wreaking havoc in her kitchen every night. But the truth is, it would have been better if a spy had found that stealing food from the client was the best way to survive," the blonde whispered in response, unconvinced by the boring outcome of that particular assignment.
"When there are multiple explanations for a phenomenon, the simplest is usually the most accurate. Although funny, your ideas are complicated, and sometimes reality is boring.
Just by looking at the dark circles under her eyes, I could tell she wasn't sleeping properly. The first thing I thought was that she was sleepwalking, and it turned out to be true," Séraphine said, contradicting what Élodie had said. This caused her to blush, puff out her cheeks, and pout as she crossed her arms.
"Real life is boring! Couldn't it be like those stories where something interesting always happens? Where something interesting always happens, event after event," commented the police officer.
The witch clicked her tongue loudly, showing her displeasure at those words.
"You're right that life is boring, but what if it were like a story? There would be no rest or peace! Whenever you wanted to take a break, something would happen to put you on edge.
It would be horrible to live in a book, play, or movie! Many things happen in those works to make an impact on the viewer. You can't just be happy. What if a viewer doesn't like it when the characters are just calm?
You could lose everything you love just to entertain that being," said Séraphine in a deep, dark tone of voice. She looked subtly at the car ceiling. Although her eyes did not shine as usual, there was coldness in them.
Although she thought that what Élodie said was silly, she couldn't help but relate it to what she currently knew. The real world is not a play, but there are spectators.
There were spiritual beings whose power was so immense that it was better not to mention their names in real life. There were also entities from that same world who occasionally acted on this plane, such as the Inferos.
How about we go deeper? Those strange creatures with terrifying eyes that watch everything from behind the veil, preventing normal people from perceiving them.
She herself had spectators. The most direct example was Musu, who had made it clear that she was always watching her closely, no matter the circumstances.
Furthermore, if Séraphine took the cat's words seriously, then even her teacher, Lady Osmond, was watching her. It seems that a certain unmentionable entity from the spiritual world has recently been added to those paying attention to her life.
'I just hope they don't make my life more eventful just because they want to see more interesting things,' Séraphine thought, turning her attention back to the conversation in the car. After she spoke, the conversation died down a bit before changing course.
"We can't keep one of those jewels, Francisca!" exclaimed Élodie, causing the redhead to roll her eyes dramatically.
"They won't notice! We can say it was already sold or something. Aren't you interested?" the alchemist asked in a low voice, as if she were a creature of the night tempting someone.
"It's illegal. Besides, we can claim the reward, which is enough for me." The police officer stood firm on this point, causing Francisca to turn around and glance at her before focusing on the road again.
"An incorruptible officer? Well, not everyone can be fun. Séraphine, if you could take one of those jewels with no consequences, it would be yours. No one would know or notice its absence. Even if they did, they would point the finger at someone else.
Would you do it?" the redhead asked, causing Séraphine to hesitate before nodding.
"If there are no consequences, why not?" That opens up another debate, though: Would people commit immoral and unethical acts just because there are no legal consequences? Or would their conscience limit their actions?" It seemed that the witch was in the mood to debate profound issues, so she steered the conversation down another rabbit hole.
"Well, that would depend on personal experience. I know almost everyone would do it if there were no consequences, like eating without paying. Hell, I would!" said Élodie with a small smile, but her expression soon turned serious.
"But when it comes to serious things like killing, harassing, or abusing another being, I don't think everyone would do that. We are social beings who inevitably tend toward stability in our environment.
Why would anyone want to kill if there were no consequences for their actions? Yes, without a doubt! Along with other harmful and downright aberrant things. But it wouldn't be the majority of the population; it would be just a small number, but a loud one because of how scandalous they are." Her words were largely based on her experience in the military and her relatively short time as a police officer.
In the army, every soldier has the right to kill if given the order. Some choose to do so out of obligation but actively seek not to comply unless their lives are at risk.
Others accept it as their duty. They don't care or get excited; if anything, they find amusement in putting their lives at risk, as she did. But some did love killing, chaos, and destruction.
Even when they were her colleagues and were just normal people, not Resonants, she felt a deep fear toward them. They were few and far between, but they caused rumors in the outside world, giving the army a reputation as 'cruel killers.'
Interestingly, this phenomenon was not unique to her country but occurred all over the world. However, she often saw fear, disgust, and repudiation on people's faces when she said she was an army veteran.
"Can't you stop talking about such complicated topics?' My head hurts!" Sasha complained as she flew toward Séraphine's hat. She wanted to use its softness to relax and calm the headache caused by the girls' words.
"I understand your points. As long as no one is harmed, either directly or indirectly, and everything is lawful and without consequence, I suppose some things can be done while others cannot. Is that right?" asked Francisca. Élodie and Séraphine looked at each other for a few seconds before nodding.
"Something like that. You have to draw lines, even if they are very fine and low. A person without ethical or moral limits... how is that any different from an unconscious monster?" the witch replied, using her own existence as an example.
Her moral bar and ethics were slightly lower and more flexible than those of others, but there were limits she would not cross for any reason. Would she take a stolen jewel for herself if there were no consequences? She would!
Kill a person just for the sake of killing them? Never! She only killed when she had permission from the Tower to act in certain cases, such as against dangerous criminals, sectarians, cultists, and corrupt beings who posed a threat to Shattercrown society.
In that sense, she was a pretty decent person. As for taking things without permission, even though she was greedy for money, she wouldn't steal from the needy. She even made some donations herself, though it hurt her every time she parted with her money.
"I agree with Séraphine. But is there anyone in the world without moral and ethical limits? I'm not referring to those who have been led to such depths because they were brainwashed or because their psyche was broken.
Rather, I'm referring to someone who was born that way. I'm not counting Rubin. He was a spiritual creature. I'm referring to this plane. "Can someone truly evil be born?" asked Élodie, who was interested in this topic.
"If such a person exists... I hope they are not a Resonant." Even cultists have something they value; sectarians have doctrines. Is a person evil from birth? How terrible it would be if they possessed superior power!" Francisca changed the subject, causing the vehicle to sink into a deep, reflective silence.
The four women tried to imagine such a being. Was someone like that in this world at the same time as them? They hoped they would never meet one! However, life sometimes resembled a play, giving the actors problems to make the show more interesting.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
How is something defined as evil? Are the negative consequences that something or someone has on others or the environment what defines it? Or was it the motive behind certain actions and events? Is evil even real?
Why don't we consider it evil when a predator devours its prey in front of its offspring? Why isn't it considered evil when a meteorite falls on a village by chance? Was winter evil for freezing to death those who had no shelter?
The concepts of good, evil, and neutrality were devised by intelligent creatures. In nature, there is nothing truly evil. Animals act on instinct, and simple gravity is not to blame for the planet occasionally attracting a space rock.
Even the glowing green rock that destroyed creatures' bodies with its invisible poison was not evil per se; it was only categorized as such because of its effects on conscious beings who could classify it based on its adverse effects on living entities.
Now that evil has been classified, is there anyone so evil that the concept falls short? Unfortunately, the world is quite large, and some extraordinary people, for better or worse, are born into it.
A woman knocked on the door of an establishment whose sign indicated that it was a funeral home. She had her head bowed and her battered hat hid her face, but her unkempt clothing, disheveled black hair, and trembling body led anyone to believe that she was a homeless woman seeking alms.
The door opened to reveal an elderly man with white hair, glasses, and a black suit that was slightly too tight around his belly. He had a calm expression, knowing that most of those who knocked on his door were experiencing grief over the death of a family member.
However, his face stiffened when he saw her: her eyes were completely black, with no white visible, as if her pupils had swallowed everything else.
Her somewhat tanned skin was covered with poorly stitched scars and keloid scars, which gave her face a creepy appearance. The worst part? Her smile, full of pointed teeth and cracked, bloodstained lips.
"Hehe... You took too long to open the door. Do you want to make the dead wait longer to receive their well-deserved rest?" She spoke in a hoarse voice before pushing the old man out of her way.
"Hey, don't be rude! I know losing someone close can make us act discourteously, but..." The man couldn't finish, though, when a thin sheet of metal slid across his throat, slitting it open and letting the blood flow like a fountain.
Unable to do anything but cover the wound, the old man collapsed to the floor. Everything blurred in his field of vision. The last thing he heard was the door to his shop slamming shut, preventing anyone outside from discovering what had happened by simply turning their head.
"Blah, blah, blah! They always want to lecture me! But, hey, at least this fly has stopped buzzing. Is there anything interesting to do here besides playing dolls with corpses?" The woman muttered this, twirling the pristine dagger in her hand. Then, her ears pricked up as she listened for footsteps.
"Dad, has a new customer arrived?" asked a young man approaching from a nearby hallway. The scarred woman smiled, which hurt her lips and stained them with blood again.
"Oh, fresh meat~," she sang before walking toward the man and appearing in front of him.
"Oh, sorry for my overreaction," explained the young man, who jumped back in surprise at the woman's unusual appearance.
"Don't worry. I'm used to it. I came to arrange a funeral," the woman replied casually. The man's eyes lit up. He moved closer to her, put his hand on her shoulder, and tried to guide her to the office.
"Good choice! Our funeral home has been in business for 50 years and was started by my father. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me whose funeral you're planning?" the young man asked, making the scarred woman smile even more.
"Oh, it's for an elderly man with a long-standing business. Would you like to participate?" she asked, making the man nod.
"Of course! My father has taught me quite a bit about the business, and..." He couldn't continue, though, when a dagger pierced his heart.
"Then why don't you share a coffin?" the woman whispered as he was consumed by death's embrace.
"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. How long has it been since you last killed? I've been holding out for so long that I almost forgot how it felt," she whispered, pulling the dagger out of his body and shaking it, spilling blood against a wall.
"It's time to start hunting again~ She won't mind, will she?~" Jackie began humming a song as she walked toward the exit of the establishment.
She wanted to spill more blood just for the pleasure of it. Once again, an utterly evil person had decided to terrorize beings who could not conceive of such an existence.