[A week ago]
"You are the Goddess of what, by the way?"
I asked Cleenah while doing some push-ups on the ground.
"Hope something cheated like time or destruction."
[<It's better than that!>]
There was a moment of silence before she answered.
"Really? Then?"
I was a little excited when she said it was better. I mean, it meant that she had stronger power than time and destruction. Might be something amazing-
[<I am the Goddess of Beauty!>]
My smile vanished in a second.
That narcissistic Goddess.
Since the day I told her Ephera was better than her, she has kept pestering me about her beauty and charm as a woman.
And now she was daring to lie to me to change my perspective of her?
"A lying Goddess on top of being a useless Goddess? I really touched the jackpot, huh."
I said in a sarcastic tone.
[<I'm not lying! I'm not useless either!>]
"Yeah, yeah, I believe you."
I waved my hand.
[She isn't lying, Edward.]
"Even you, started to betray me, Jarvis? Did she promise you a kiss or something like that? Ah, the teenagers and their growing hormones."
[You are a teenager, Edward.]
"Anyway. Let's suppose I believe you are the Goddess of beauty Cleenah. Tell me, in what way your power of 'beauty' is stronger than time or destruction?"
I stood up and stretched my sore arms.
[<You didn't let me finish! I'm not only the Goddess of beauty but also the Goddess of the Banshees!>]
"..."
Banshees?
"...you mean these women ghosts?"
I shivered a little.
No.
I shivered a lot.
But I kept an impassive expression on the outside.
I couldn't let Cleenha and Jarvis notice that I had phasmophobia.
Indeed, I already started to sweat all over my body.
Thankfully, since I trained hard, I was already sweaty, thus helping me to conceal my fear.
[<Yeah! I can get them as allies. Indeed, I already have several thousand of them under my wing.>]
Cleenah said in a proud tone, but I didn't heed her words.
The only thing that entered my ears were the 'several thousands'.
[<Now. Listen me.>]
Several thousand…?
[<To get contracted to one of the spirits or banshees, you need to understand them and their feelings when they have died.>]
Several thousand women ghosts?
[They were people like you who lived but died in a ruthless or sad way. Their minds are corrupted and want only revenge by killing everyone.]
Killing everyone?
Like in those movies…?
[<To contract them, you need to save them from their end before it happens. In other words, you will 'time-travel' but not truly. Only your soul will.>]
Save the women ghost…?
[<Be careful you could die! That's why I can't give you my power to you right now. You're not strong enough in your mind. But once you are ready, I will do it. There will be no chance to back out after that. We'll be bounded forever, ahahaha.>]
Cleenah said in a teasing tone, but my brain didn't register her words at all.
I had frozen way before that.
***
The Sekrin town was a peaceful town in the territory of the Duke Falkrona. There, nearly five hundred people resided.
Everyone knew each other and would help each other in case of need. Crime happens rarely in this town and if it happened, it would be, in most of the cases, because of travelers.
Even if a problem arises, the inhabitants will solve the problem together thanks to a council they established. The council was led by the mayor of the town, who was also a great doctor.
The mayor was respected by everyone in the village. He has saved so many people's lives and has given lives to so many babies that nobody would insult him. They had their utmost trust in him, which also concerned his small family.
A loving wife and a lovely daughter.
The daughter was without doubt the most beautiful girl of the town and she had plenty of suitors. Even parents wanted to marry their son to the mayor's daughter to be in their family.
Eric Mumfor, the major and Mary Mumford's father, was glad that his daughter was so popular but didn't want to start searching a partner for her already. She was only fifteen years old and he wanted her to join a prestigious academy since she was talented in mana.
He saved money for several years to get a seat to pass the entrance exam of the [Royal Eden Academy]. He planned to tell her the good news on her birthday in a month.
Unfortunately he wouldn't have the occasion…
Yann.
A fifteen-years old youth was madly in love with Mary. He courted her on plenty of occasion but all his attempts ended in disappointment as Mary just smiled awkwardly before walking away.
One day, it escalated.
"Mary, I like you! Please go out with me!"
"Yann, I already told you, I'm not interested in romance…"
Mary, who was holding a basket filled with medicines her father asked her to buy, said. Since her father was currently treating someone, she wanted to hurry back to her house.
"..."
Yann who saw Mary turning around and walking off, became mad. It was now two years and he still couldn't attract her attention. All his friends mocked him for that.
"Mary!"
"!"
He stretched out his hand and grabbed Mary's hand.
"G-Get off me!"
Mary tried to shake his hand away but couldn't.
Just when she thought of using mana, Yann tore the sleeves of her kirtle revealing her shoulders.
-Thud
Mary fell on the ground and the bottles containing medicinal liquid, flowed on the sandy ground.
Mary looked up at Yann with brimming tears. She was clearly scared.
"M-Mary, no I-I"
When Yann tried to reach out to her, Mary crawled away before running to her house.
Contrary to what Yann thought Mary didn't tell anything to her parents but they discovered by themselves thanks to a child wo witnessed the scene. Yann wasn't driven out of the town but was punished with hard labour and his reputation hit rock bottom.
Yann, who had already few screws lose in his head chose to take revenge on the Mary. He met an expert in poison and managed to get Mary poisoned. The population who witnessed Mary's skin turning purple started to fear her. Eric put his daughter in her room but some people started to get infected by the same poison. People started to lose their calm and blamed Mary for being the primary cause behind that. She was said to be an heretic rejected by the sacred land of Eden.
Still, the majority supported the major and his daughter for all the good he had done for them but it didn't last long. Days passed and it reached a stage where half of the population became infected. The major and his wife spent countless night to find a remedy but in vain. They called for other doctors in nearby towns but they all refused by fear of being infected as well. Eric had already send a letter to the Falkrona Capital but there, they were already busy with other demands so it would definitely take time.
However. Time wasn't something they had unfortunately.
The residents started to even doubt the major and his wife as they weren't infected even being in the same house as their sick daughter. People started to throw pebbles, detroying windows. Other harassed them in night.
Mary was the most touched my that. She was hearing curse everydays and every hours. Her life turned into nightmare before she knew it.
One day.
The birthday of Mary came.
Mary didn't notice that and she would have never thought that her parents would want to celebrate it either. They called her at night.
"F-Father, mother?"
Mary's purplish face showed confusion when she saw candles lit in the living room. In their dining table was a cake with the number 16 drew on it.
"Sweatheart, in the times of sadness, we shoudn't forget happiness. It's important to be positive."
"Y-Yes."
"Dad, mom…"
Tears of happiness flowed like rivers from Mary's eyes blurring her vision. She hadn't noticed the horrified expression hidden beneath the smile of her parents.
Mary cut the cake and celebrated with her parents like a little girl. It had been a month since she laughed and smile that happily.
"Ah, I feel a little sleepy…"
Mary held her head.
"I'm sorry daughter."
Her father said.
"I-I can't watch this!"
Her mother ran away in tears.
Eric lifted his daughter and climbed down the stairs of his house.
"Father…?"
Mary could barely move her lips.
"It's okay, my little girl, it will be over."
Eric said with a tear-stained face.
He came out of the house and there were present most of the tows with torches.
Eric ignored them and headed toward a white coffin.
Near the coffin was a rectangular hole dug in the ground.
"You can rest now, sweetheart."