What do you mean 'why were we fighting'? You're a wandering ghost. I came here to exorcise you... Lumian suddenly paused mid-sentence.
Wait…
He looked at her hand resting on his shoulder and inwardly scared himself.
She's touching me, a ghost is touching me. He slowly looked back up at the red-haired woman, his thoughts racing.
Quin frowned at him, clearly displeased. "Young sir," she said, her tone carrying mild annoyance, "think about it properly. A woman—no, a young ghost—was simply minding her own business, enjoying her peace…"
"And then you suddenly barged in, started chanting, throwing things, and shooting at me in the middle of the night."
Why won't I do that? You also attacked me, no, you were even enjoying it... Lumian said Inwardly with a twitch of his cheek.
...
Quin seemed to think for a long while, her expression shifting slightly as if she was trying to organize her thoughts, before she suddenly smiled.
"Introducing myself, my name is Quin Pirch."
Lumian paused at that name. Pirch… wasn't that the surname connected to this estate? He didn't speak it out loud, but the thought lingered in his mind as he looked at her more carefully.
Quin extended her hand toward him, and after a brief hesitation, Lumian reached out and shook it. Her hand felt… real. That alone made his thoughts even more complicated.
She smiled lightly and turned away as if everything was normal. "Would you mind a glass of water, or maybe milk?"
Lumian shook his head. "No. I only want one thing, which is for you to leave. This is Chamberlain property. If the Chamberlain notices I didn't exorcise you, he would probably send someone else."
Hearing that, Quin turned back and looked at him with clear confusion, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Why would they send me away?" she asked, her tone carrying genuine puzzlement. "I literally own this house."
Lumian went silent.
That statement, combined with her name, the way she behaved, and the fact that she could physically interact with him... everything started aligning in his mind.
It finally clicked.
...
Yes… that explains it. She must be an old relative of this family.
But normally, when a sorcerer dies, they carry their Order's power with them, yet they can no longer advance. So why… why is this ghost able to touch me like a normal human?
Lumian looked at Quin, confusion clear in his eyes.
At that moment, Quin suddenly raised a hand to her head, her expression twisting as if something inside her was unstable. She swayed slightly, her body unsteady, before collapsing to the floor.
Wait… what just happened?
Without hesitation, Lumian stepped forward and bent down, lifting her carefully.
...
Meanwhile, within her dream—
She found herself standing on a massive ship, surrounded by a violent ocean storm. Towering waves rose and fell like living walls, crashing against the vessel as thunder roared across the sky.
She stood tall at the center of it all, dressed in golden sailor attire, a matching hat resting firmly on her head. There was a natural confidence in her posture, as if she belonged to the storm itself.
For a moment, everything seemed control. She smiled as she remained on the wheel.
But suddenly, the water began to ripple, and under the dark and stormy night, a big wave begun to rise.
Quin who was on the wheel stared at this scene in terror, her eyes widened.
In the next instant, she abruptly woke up.
"No… no… no!!"
Back in the room, Lumian, who had been sitting beside her, turned immediately at her voice.
Quin's face was filled with raw fear as she suddenly threw herself forward and hugged him tightly.
"No… I don't want to go back there… I was forced into it… I died…"
Her voice trembled.
After a few seconds, she abruptly released him and looked around, her expression shifting again, as if she had remembered something important.
"I forgot my main goal… I'm so stupid…"
She tried to stand, but before she could, Lumian—still trying to process everything—spoke up.
"Wait… madam ghost… I thought you were James' lover?"
...
"Me… wait… I was Admiral Natty… I was also Quin." Quin paused for a moment, her expression flickering as if two different thoughts were clashing within her, then suddenly disappeared without another word.
Lumian remained where he was, staring at the empty space she had just occupied, his face filled with complete bewilderment.
Wait… did she just say Admiral?According to Skywalker history, admirals were titles given to angels of the sea—those who were at least Phase 4.
Wait… could it be that this admiral died, but had a last wish and didn't fully die, instead becoming something half-dead? Maybe that's why she can't remember… her memories haven't fully returned yet... Lumian inwardly guessed.
He couldn't help but ask himself another question.
Is that why she's a narcissist?
He facepalmed. …No, that's definitely not the main issue here.
At this point, he didn't even know how to react. He simply let out a small chuckle and was about to leave, when he suddenly realized something.
He still had to wait for the Chamberlain and his family to return.
Otherwise… no payment.
With that, Lumian reclined on the seat. He wasn't ready to sleep, as he still feared the presence of the ghost Quin somewhere in the house.
Amid the quiet and stillness of the night, Lumian rested his head against the couch and continued thinking.
Wait… that lady… "Admiral" is a title for the Angels of the Sea. She should belong to the Abyssal Current Order… so how does she also have control over abilities from the Indulgence Order?
...
That means she has two Orders... Lumian raised his eyes slightly in surprise at that thought. If what he saw was true, then it went against everything he had been taught.
So… sorcerers can actually hold two Orders? Hmm, I actually never thought of that, I thought one can only hold a Order.
He recalled their earlier fight, replaying every detail carefully, and suddenly realized something else.
If she was truly that powerful… why didn't she just kill him?
Hmm… maybe she doesn't have proper control over her powers. That would make sense, especially if her memories haven't fully returned yet.
The more he thought about it, the more his earlier conclusion solidified.
Yes, she's a half-dead existence, Not fully alive, not completely gone.
What further supported his theory was the language she had used earlier. He remembered it clearly, it wasn't something ordinary.
It was the ancient language of Pteron… a language tied to higher existences, and more specifically connected to the Angel of Will, Aurelian.
That alone wasn't something a normal wandering spirit should have access to.
…Does that mean she has been in contact with an angel? Or is it something left behind from her past as an Admiral?
He couldn't be certain.
Letting out a slow breath, Lumian sat upright.
Apparently, Mrs. Quin… wasn't just some random person.
She was something far more complicated—and far more dangerous.
After some time passed, the tension in the house gradually faded. The long night finally began to give way, as the first signs of morning crept in.
At some point, without even realizing it, Lumian had fallen asleep.
...
After about thirty minutes, the sound of the door opening echoed through the house.
A man stepped in—white hair, full white beard, and a rigid posture that carried quiet authority.
It was Chamberlain Clement.
He paused at the entrance and looked around carefully before his gaze settled on Lumian, who was sleeping on the couch peacefully, a hint of irritation visible in his eyes. Without saying anything, he began walking through the room, inspecting his furniture and appliances one after another.
Lumian remained sleeping, oblivious to the scene around him.
After finishing his inspection, Clement returned and stopped right in front of him. He gave a light cough.
"Ahem."
Hearing that, Lumian was slightly startled. He quickly stood up and scratched the back of his head.
"Chamberlain, you're back. I thought you would return later in the morning… wait…"
He pulled out his phone and checked the time.
"…It's 5. That means it's already morning. What a beautiful morning this is turning out to be."
Chamberlain Clement's mouth twitched slightly, but he forced a polite smile. "Yes… indeed, a beautiful morning. And I can see you've done a good job."
He let out a small sigh and took out his phone.
"Please, provide your account details."
Lumian immediately brightened and gave his most genuine smile, quickly reciting the necessary information.
A moment later, the transfer was completed.
Lumian's phone buzzed.
At the same time, his heart practically buzzed with joy.
Chamberlain Clement's lips curved slightly, though it looked more strained than pleased.
"…You may leave now."
Lumian nodded with a smile and began to walk past him, ready to leave.
But just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.
Turning slightly, he asked casually,
"Honourable Chamberlain… do you happen to know Admiral Natty?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the Chamberlain's eyes widened.
...
"Come here, you punk," Clement said in an angry tone, turning back sharply. "Where did you hear that name from… I knew it. You've been searching here. You've gone to our library!"
Hearing that, Lumian was slightly taken aback.
"Sir, no, I never did that."
He didn't want to mention anything about fighting a ghost, so instead he quickly thought of another explanation and spoke calmly.
"Chamberlain, remember I'm a sorcerer. When exorcising the ghost, I learned that it knew something about the Admiral, but I couldn't extract the information clearly."
Wow… I'm even surprised at myself. What a good lie I just came up with in seconds... Lumian added inwardly, feeling slightly satisfied.
The Chamberlain seemed to relax a little, letting out a slow breath of relief. He stepped closer to Lumian, who was still near the door, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Admiral Natty is our great-great-grandmother," he said more quietly now. "The most dangerous sailor of the six seas."
"I personally don't believe in those tales… but my grandparents always insisted it was true. And lately… I've started to believe it too, because of the strange things happening around us."
He paused, and suddenly look at Lumian with fright and seriousness.
"Did you know what I heard?" He leaned in closer and said with a voice, almost a whisper.
"They say she was a god killer."
...
A god killer…?
Lumian's thoughts raced. Could that explain it? Is that how she obtained both the Indulgence Order and the Abyssal Current Order? Does that mean she actually killed gods and took their powers…?
Is something like that even possible?
Seeing the stunned look on Lumian's face, Clement continued:
"They said she killed the Loop One, the Angel of the Sun, the Oldest One, and even the Tree of Life…"
He paused slightly. "And she was about to kill the God of Rivers… when she suddenly disappeared."
Now, that explains this situation. The God of Rivers, was the one who killed her... but thinking of it, she still around, that means she has a wish that she hasn't fulfilled yet... and she also mentioned something about her goal.
Clement suddenly leaned forward again, his curiosity returning.
"So tell me, punk… what exactly did you hear about her?"
Sir… please, I'm not a punk, Lumian complained inwardly, though he didn't dare say it aloud.
Instead, he replied calmly,
"Mr. Chamberlain Clement, as I said earlier… I don't have any concrete information."
Clement stared at him for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand.
He let out a deep sigh and turned away.
"Please leave my house."
Lumian didn't hesitate this time. He stepped out immediately.
Since there were no taxis nearby, he arranged for a public one and quickly got inside.
...
The car purred softly as it began to move away from the garden. Lumian leaned back slightly, turning his gaze toward the window. The estate grounds looked quiet—too quiet—completely devoid of any presence, as though nothing had happened there just hours ago.
Looking ahead, near a short shrub, Lumian noticed the ghost Quin, standing there.
She stood under the faint glow of the moonlight, completely still, as though lost in deep thought.
What... Lumian was momentarily stunned. She hasn't left yet.
The realization hit him harder than expected. His eyes stayed fixed on her, unable to look away. There was something strangely unsettling about the way she stood there—calm, silent, almost human, yet completely out of place.
For a brief moment, he considered saying something, doing something—but the car had already begun to pull away from the estate. The distance widened, and just like that, the opportunity slipped from his grasp.
After a few seconds, Lumian finally exhaled and forced himself to look away. He leaned back into his seat, trying to relax, though his thoughts were far from settled.
Reaching into his pocket, he brought out his phone. The screen lit up, revealing a message from Lury.
"Lumian, I know this might be your first exorcism, but when you get your payment as a private sorcerer, please remember 20 percent of that money belongs to the faculty. Get back safe, alright."
Lumian stared at the message for a moment.
Then his mouth twitched.
So I'm basically giving the faculty back 15 pounds…