Chapter 16: The Exiled Young Girl's Regret
“My Lady…”
“Yes. That’s the result of what I did.”
When we arrived at our destination, what we saw were the ghastly, writhing greenish chunks of flesh, scattered and disintegrating.
Yes. That’s the fate of zombies created through necromancy.
Zombies that naturally arise disintegrate under sunlight and revive at night. However, zombies created through necromancy are imbued with dark magic, so they do not disintegrate even if exposed to sunlight.
Therefore, unless the necromancer releases them or they are purified by holy light magic, they will continue to suffer eternally.
If left as they are, the goblin’s soul would become defiled and unable to return to the cycle of reincarnation.
Even if the opponent was a goblin that attacked us, and even if we were nearly killed, there are still things that are right and wrong.
I immediately freed the soul from the zombie, the evidence of my sins, and sent it to the afterlife. The goblin zombie then crumbled and vanished without a trace.
Next, I gave instructions to the goblin skeletons I had brought with me. The wall broken by the goblins was still damaged, and if left like this, it would easily allow monsters and dangerous wild animals to intrude.
“G-1, G-2, G-3, guard this place so that monsters and animals cannot get in.”
Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter.
“G-4, clean up the goblin corpses and gather them in one place.”
Clink.
The skeletons immediately set about executing the orders.
“Marie, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Then we headed to the homes of Anton and Roland, who had died, to send their souls to the afterlife. However, their souls were already gone from this world.
So, we offered prayers for their bodies, which would soon be laid to rest, and then proceeded to the house of the final victim, Alice.
Upon entering the house, I found Maurice, severely injured from his fight with the goblins, lying on a bed, while the bodies laid out were surrounded by three children.
Alice’s soul was… still lingering here.
Yes, it makes sense. With three cute children and a new husband, she was so eager to start a new family. She couldn’t possibly be free of regrets.
But she can’t stay here. Souls of the deceased must move on to the afterlife.
“Maurice.”
“Yes…”
Maurice, though clearly in pain, responded firmly from the bed.
“I’m going to send Alice’s soul to the afterlife now. It will be the final farewell, but are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Um, you’re Peter, right?”
I addressed the oldest of Alice’s children—a boy of twelve, though physically, he might still seem like a child.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, but could you help Maurice sit up so he can say goodbye to his wifer?”
“……”
“You don’t want to see your mother wandering around like a zombie, do you?”
“……!”
Peter gasped quietly and bit his lip.
“Peter, I’m sorry. I know it’s hard, but…”
Hearing this from Maurice, Peter snapped out of his daze and immediately moved closer to Maurice.
“Uncle.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. Thank you.”
“Mm…”
Peter put his hand on Maurice’s back and helped him sit up. Though Maurice’s face was contorted with pain, he still focused intently on Alice’s body.
“Alright, I’m going to start.”
I activated the funeral magic to send Alice’s soul to the afterlife. It seemed that Maurice and the children could see her presence as they all gasped.
““Mom!””
The two younger children—Helena and Ted, ten and seven years old, a girl and a boy respectively—both cried out simultaneously.
“Mom…”
“Alice…”
Peter and Maurice also called out with pained expressions. It seemed that Alice’s soul noticed them, and she gave a sad yet very gentle smile.
Alice’s soul first went to Ted and Helena, making gestures as if to hug them while whispering something. Though they couldn’t hear the words, they must have felt her emotions clearly.
“Mom!”
“No! Don’t go!”
“Mom! Mom!”
The two children cried out loudly for a while, but gradually their voices grew quieter, eventually turning into soft sobs.
Next, Alice embraced Peter and whispered to him similarly, holding him for a short while.
Finally, she went to Maurice and embraced him in the same way.
As she did this, Alice’s soul gradually began to fade, and then…
She disappeared completely.
“…Mom? Mom!? Mooooooom!”
“Waaaaaah!”
Ted and Helena cried out loudly, and Peter and Maurice also sobbed deeply.
Touched by their mourning, I felt as if my heart was being torn apart.
I’m sorry.
If only I had handled things better.
If only I hadn’t made the wrong decisions…