I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game

Chapter 92

Flashback: Carol and Jack O'Lantern

"Hey~ Carol! Want to see the awesome poem I wrote?"

Jack O'Lantern, one of the entities I was managing.

For some reason, it's been talking to me ever since we first met.

Well, the more information I have about the entity I'm managing, the better, so I humored him.

Since there's nothing to do before Alice's birth, which Mephistopheles predicted, it's okay to use him as a way to kill time.

It's okay, but...

"Haa... Jack O'Lantern? Please don't forget that our relationship is that of a containment entity and a manager?"

No matter what, this pumpkin guy, calling me 7 times a day is a bit much!

And he refuses the other employees because he says it's no fun if I don't come in person... My head hurts.

"Okay, okay, okay! So don't be shy and read it~!"

Jack O'Lantern shoved the paper at me as he said that.

As we talked, I naturally started sharing my hobbies and past, and when I told him that I had written poetry before, he started showing me his poems out of the blue.

Most of them were just crude jokes, but some of them were actually decent poems.

Of course, they were really hard to understand.

I realized later that they weren't meant to be understood in the first place, but were just meant to tease the person who was struggling by saying, "Actually, it didn't mean anything~" at the end.

'...That part was pretty funny. To be honest.'

I read the poem, hiding my expectations with a blank face.

"Hmm... Uh? This time, it's not a pun right from the start...?"

My face hardened as I read the sentences.

Because this wasn't just poetry.

A list of words that metaphorically expressed love.

This... Is no different from a love letter.

I held back my shock and asked Jack O'Lantern.

"Mr. Jack O'Lantern... Is this a love confession...?"

This crazy pumpkin head spread his arms wide and spoke like a passionate minstrel.

He's already bigger than me, a woman, so it makes him even more intimidating.

"This body! This is the first confession this body made since I was born! I think I've been very affectionate with you all this time, but what do you think?! How about having a serious relationship with this body?!"

I got goosebumps and took a small step back.

Then I spoke to Jack O'Lantern bluntly.

"I told you I had Alice. And more than anything, I originally..."

"Originally?"

...Oh no. This is honestly not something I should tell anyone.

Yes. It was a secret that only I and Mephistopheles knew.

It's one of those things that becomes harder to talk about the more you think about it.

But somehow I felt like I could tell this pumpkin.

Is it because we talked the most and shared the most hobbies in this branch?

Anyway, I started to wonder how Jack O'Lantern would react if he heard this secret.

I raised my voice ominously.

"I was a man."

There was silence for a moment.

For about 20 seconds.

I couldn't even hear a breath.

Jack O'Lantern was the first to speak.

"...? Ah... Hahahaha! That was the funniest joke ever, Carol! You really got me good this time! This is definitely your charming point!"

"..."

As I continued to stay silent, Jack O'Lantern asked again.

"Was it real?"

"Yes."

"Damn it!!!!"

Jack threw the lantern he had been so fond of to the ground in anger.

Then, realizing what he'd done, he immediately dove to retrieve it, managing to grab it just in time.

But since he didn't execute a proper landing, his pumpkin head smashed directly into the hard floor.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Jack O'Lantern screamed and rolled on the ground...

A true slapstick comedian if I ever saw one.

"...Pfft!"

"You bitch!! You've never laughed at any of my jokes before, but you're laughing at this!"

I couldn't hold it in any longer, regardless of whether Jack O'Lantern was talking or not, and burst out laughing.

"Ahahahaha! Jack O'Lantern! That's the funniest thing you've ever done! Puhahahahaha!"

Jack O'Lantern's prank was strangely violent and cruel, so it wasn't all that funny from my perspective.

There's an old saying in a foreign country that says "No tree can withstand being struck ten times", and it seems like that's true, because I couldn't help but burst out laughing this time.¹

As I continued to laugh, Jack O'Lantern trembled and let out a sigh.

"Urgh..."

As I looked at him curiously, Jack O'Lantern suddenly reached out his hand as if asking for a handshake.

"Okay, okay. Let's just be friends. Please take care of me in the future."

"What is this all of a sudden... We're in a relationship between a containment entity and a manager."

Awkward.

But still... I couldn't refuse that handshake.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I clasped his hand.

...

POV Switch - Alice

"Alice! It's heading your way!"

As soon as Kyeong-min spoke to me, a giant bat-shaped demon appeared across the trees.

I came here after hearing a ghost story that said, "Giant animals appearing behind military bases" but I never thought there would be a demon here.

"Yeah. I know. But this time, you catch it."

"But it's too fast?!"

This bat demon was definitely fast.

It was dodging all the chains summoned by Kyeong-min's artifact.

From my perspective, it wasn't so fast that I couldn't hit it, but from Kyeong-min's perspective, the target was too fast.

Kyeong-min's chains had always been used for restraint and control.

How should he deal with an opponent who runs away in an instant at high speed?

"Chains aren't just for control or restraint. Try thinking outside the box. Solving riddles is how we get through challenges, right?"

Kyeong-min seemed to think for a moment, then suddenly summoned a chain from a tree.

While I held the bat demon in place, Kyeong-min tied the book to his stomach and grabbed the summoned chain.

And then...

"...Ahhhhh!"

He unsummoned the chain!

The chains pop out very quickly when they are summoned.

It's enough to briefly stun an opponent who gets hit in the head with it!

What if it's unsummoned while he held it?

The chains would pull him.

"That's it!"

"Are you sure this is safe?!"

Kyeong-min soared through the air from the recoil.

And once again, he summoned and unsummoned the chains and chased the demon like a spider hero from a comic book and movie.

However, Kyeong-min was shaking because he was not good at controlling his speed.

Well, it was like bungee jumping without safety equipment, so it was bound to be scary...

Ah, this needs to be made "fun".

It's my job to make children happy.

I gently hugged Kyeong-min from behind.

Kyeong-min was surprised and flinched.

I had to make him relax.

"Hmm? You don't trust me? Kyeong-min is such a scaredy-cat~!"

Kyeong-min's face turned red with anger as he heard me whisper "Scared~ Scared~" in his ear.

"Why do you always provoke me!"

"Oh."

'The speed at which the Chain Magic was summoned has noticeably decreased. So is that even possible?'

A faster casting time meant he could use the chains more frequently and maintain a stable stance.

Though, the movement speed increases, so it becomes more dangerous!

With the increased speed, he almost caught up with the bat demon.

But then, he slowed down abruptly.

"Urgh!"

This is because there was a large tree right in front of the bat demon, and he almost collided with it.

"Good job. You have to distinguish between crisis and opportunity. You will have to handle various anomalies so that you can respond to more diverse situations later. However, you have to master at least one skill properly to prevent unnecessary mistakes."

Kyeong-min grabbed the chain.

"Let's try again. Don't be discouraged because your goal is far away. Now, slow down."

Kyeong-min catches his breath and flies again.

"Relax your body... Like you're on an amusement park ride.... You can control yourself. Trust me."

It seemed like Kyeong-min's body was glowing for a moment, but was it just my imagination?

Anyway, Kyeong-min controlled his speed and fear and caught up with the bat demon.

"Gy... Aaa!!!"

He restrained the bat demon with chains.

I was worried about Kyeong-min who fell from the air, so I went to see him beating the restrained bat demon.

"Stay still!"

-Crack!

The bat's neck snapped back.

Was Kyeong-min always this strong?

Setting aside my curiosity, I approached him. Kyeong-min smiled proudly.

"Haa... How did it go? Did I pass?"

"Yeah. Pass!"

Since I decided to go on an adventure with the kids.

The kids needed to get stronger.

To deal with real monsters that don't have gimmicks, they need to be able to respond to various situations.

Not to mention the Rulers.

Well, it's not like brute force is the only way to win.

"Okay, now let's go see what happened to the deer demon on Ha-rim's side."

Just then, Ha-rim called at the perfect time.

"Hello? How's it going there?"

"It was a bit hard, but we caught him for now! Suho was complaining about not knowing how to deal with the type that just charges and runs away."

They caught it!

But since Suho had a hard time, I could guess what happened.

Suho had a natural talent as a tanker.

Blocking attacks that can be blocked, and deflecting attacks that can be deflected.

And if that doesn't work, the ability to somehow withstand the enemy by avoiding them is what makes him a true tank.

If Suho was an enemy, he would be a very annoying type.

But against a demon like the deer, which flees the moment you try to deflect, or charges head-on with brute force, his usual tactics wouldn't work.

Or maybe he tried to leap with his shield and failed to catch it.

"I see... Hmm. I'll have to give him some advice later."

I went towards the children while thinking about what advice to give to Suho.

"Yay! It's Alice!"

Eun-jeong ran over and hugged me.

As I patted Eun-jeong, several people in military uniforms appeared and collected the deer and bat demon.

"Who are those people?"

"They're the retrieval team. We have to hand the demons over to the Institution anyway."

The Institution gave me convenience in exchange for my favor.

Before, they didn't give me this much freedom, but now they give me freedom to act like I'm a worker going to and from work.

Of course, they don't really impose any restrictions on the children either.

When I asked one of the staff, they said the kids are no longer treated as ordinary civilians.

"Looks like you're not treated as ordinary people anymore. The proof is this temporary agent ID."

I handed out temporary agent IDs to the children.

But why is the Institution treating me so well?

Honestly, this kind of preferential treatment is unheard of.

Carol has been very considerate to me, but there must be some hidden agenda from the higher-ups...

Could it be that I'm essential to their goals?

"Awesome!"

Each of the IDs had the children's names written on it, and there was a small sentence underneath that said, "Don't touch Alice's children".

"So, we're in charge of Alice now?"

"Huh?"

"Alice. Following containment procedures, you should give me a piggyback ride right now."

I gave Eun-jeong a piggyback ride and headed down the mountain with the kids.

While we were going down, Ha-rim asked me.

"By the way, Alice. Last time, you told us there were many monsters."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Aside from those guys, aren't there any who bother Alice?"

The ones who bother me...

"Bothers... Well, aside from the Rulers, maybe the guys from the Cathedral."

"The Cathedral?"

"A group of priests who use divine power. Since divine power works on both demons and anomalous monsters, they work with the Institution to hunt them."

"Such a thing really exists."

At that time, Kyeong-min asked me.

"...I understand that it works on demons, but why does it work on anomalous monsters?"

That's right.

It was strange when I heard it.

Why does it work?

Given the clear code distinction between demons and anomalous monsters, there seems to be a definitive criterion for separating them...

I gave my opinion.

"It may be a prejudice that divine power only works on demons. Even now, flames are used as a symbol of purification, but just because fire is divine doesn't mean we won't burn."

Though it's definitely more lethal to monsters than to humans!

"I see... Or maybe there's something in common between demons and anomalous monsters?"

"Wait a minute."

Suho interrupted Kyeong-min and me in the middle of our conversation and asked a question.

"Wait a minute, does Sister Maria belong to the Cathedral too?"

"According to what I heard from the Institution, yes."

"So she's an enemy? The nun?"

Even if she knows I'm a devil, I doubt Maria would be hostile toward me.

Maria is a pure-hearted woman.

Her prejudice against demons has diminished a lot since she spent time with me, and she even said she wanted to reconcile with her friend, the Red Devil.

I wonder if they reconciled well.

"I don't know. But you have to ask the person in question. I haven't been able to contact James, who has contact with Maria, recently, so it's really hard to know."

I'd like to meet her again, but she's still busy...

"But isn't there a devil you need to meet first, Alice?"

"Whoa?!"

Suddenly, a boy in green clothes jumped out and blocked our path.

I've met this kid before.

This guy is...

"It's me! Jack!!!"

Jack came up to me, saying that he was happy to see me and that I did a good job last time.

The kids started to take interest because it was their first time seeing Jack.

"Who's this kid? He looks like he's our age?"

"Jack. He's Jack, the devil from Jack and the Beanstalk. He's like me."

"Wow, is this kid a devil too? Where are his wings?"

Ha-rim turned around behind Jack and touched his shoulder, and Jack yelped in surprise and leapt nearly three meters into the air.

"Oh, what is this kid! Do you want to see the wings of this body?"

Jack was flustered, but he didn't seem to hate it, so he tried hard to fly with both arms.

He floated for a moment and then fell to the ground.

Jack said with a sullen expression.

"Urgh. I don't have wings... Not all devils have wings."

"So Jack. Why are you here?"

"Why else? Alice, I came to invite you to a tea party."

Jack took out an invitation.

If you tear it, you can go to where the Little Mermaid is.

It was about time to meet her again anyway.

"Hmm... Okay. I've got things to discuss too."

"Okay, then~"

"Wait, can these kids come too?"

"I don't know! But it probably doesn't matter!"

Jack tore the invitation.

The sea foam enveloped us and we fell into the deep, dark sea.

I felt a little bit of a sense of loss, sadness, and paradoxical love on my skin.

We passed through the void and entered Ariel's domain, where idol music played softly in the background.

For some reason, Ariel was wrapped in bandages.

She seemed to be badly injured.

"...Oh my. Alice. You came. I have a lot to talk to you about..."

Ariel looked at me with a relaxed expression.

However, she didn't seem to be able to look at the children behind me with ease.

Ariel asked.

"Who are they?"

"They're my kids. And my friends."

"...That's not what I meant."

Ariel gestured to Jack.

And then whispered to him.

"Jack, please, when you bring someone, can't you tell me before you bring them? Why do you keep changing the plan...!"

"When have I ever stuck to a plan? Why don't you get used to it? And it's not like they're going to cause any trouble."

"Haa... You have to be moderate in being shameless! Plans have to be delicate. No matter how simple or unimportant they are. Do you know how many times I almost got caught by the Institution because of you?! If it weren't for me, you would've died!"

"Yet you always help me~ So what's the big deal?"

"This guy!"

Watching their bickering, I thought these two really get along well.

As I watched the scene happily, the kids started muttering.

"They kinda remind me of Alice."

"Maybe their personalities are similar?"

Where on earth are we similar?

"Ahem! Ahem!"

When I coughed, Ariel finally looked at me.

Ariel said to me with a displeased expression.

"Ah... Yeah. Anyway, welcome back, Alice. But your kids are an exception. This is a place where only the devils of stories can come."

No way, kicking us out already?

At that moment, Ha-rim took out some snacks from her bag and handed them to Ariel.

"We brought treats. Would that help?"

"Then just this once."

It worked.

"Jack? Please arrange some chairs for the kids to sit on. There are only 7 there."

"Yay~"

Jack grabbed some chairs and went off somewhere.

Probably the tea party room.

We followed Jack and Ariel to the tea room.

Ariel said before opening the door and going in.

"Okay. Alice, We got a lot to talk about. Before that, I have someone to show you."

The door opened and a guest was sitting on the chair.

Most of the mechanical parts were missing, but I could tell who she was right away.

"Pinocchio...?"

"I told you we'd see each other soon, Alice."

"Whoohoohoo~ That's right! I was surprised when the person who never cooperated suddenly decided to join the tea party."

She looked much more human now and seemed at peace.

She must have found something after meeting Cassie.

"It seems like you're not hostile anymore?"

"I owe you a debt."

"Hahaha, that's good. Did Peter Pan come?"

"Well, I'm not sure. He's so free-spirited. Like me, he might be creating something somewhere for his own goals."

It would be nice if Peter Pan became an ally, though he's unpredictable.

We'll probably meet him again someday.

"Okay. It's good that there are more people. Then I'll explain why I called you all this time."

After the kids and I sat down and Jack started eating his snacks, Ariel sat in the center seat and started talking.

"..."

"I got some information about Mephistopheles."