“Zenos, are you really opening a clinic here?” Lily asked, warily looking around.
“That’s the plan,” Zenos replied.
The pair was walking through the streets that night after leaving the diner. Though it wasn’t that late yet, there were no voices around them—the only sound that reached their ears was the distant barking of a dog.
Dilapidated houses seemingly on the verge of collapse lined either side of the packed-dirt road.
“It’s so deserted,” the young girl remarked.
“Yeah. It’s a ghost town,” the healer explained.
At the heart of the capital of the Kingdom of Herzeth lay the palace, where the royal family lived. Around it was a special district where the aristocrats dwelled, which in turn was surrounded by the town where the ordinary citizens lived. Even further out from that was a continuous stretch of slums.
The deserted area where they currently found themselves was situated somewhere between the town and even the slums, and had been wiped out by a plague long ago.
“Why would you choose a place like this?” Lily asked.
“I wouldn’t be able to run an unlicensed business out in the open in the middle of town, you know,” Zenos replied.
“Right! You’re smart, Zenos.”
“And there’s also the simple matter of rent.”
He’d hardly received any money from Aston and had spent his “severance” on freeing Lily. While Zenos still had some of the unexpected coin he’d received from the lizardman, he was poor by birth and therefore couldn’t secure a proper real estate contract. This particular area, however, had numerous properties ripe for the taking.
The two went from building to building, inspecting each one until they found one that was still relatively intact.
“Now, shall we take a look inside?” Zenos asked.
“Okay...” Lily said apprehensively, gripping the healer’s sleeve.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared?”
“I mean, a ghost might come out...”
Ghosts weren’t simply folklore. There lingered remnants of a demon king, long since defeated, still affecting the world today, birthing creatures such as ghosts, zombies and ghouls.
“I know that monsters tend to spawn in places like this, where lots of people have died,” Lily said. “If we run into a wraith, we’re done for...”
“A wraith?” Zenos echoed.
“One of the highest forms of undead. They look human, but they can steal your life force with just a touch and turn you into their ghostly minion.”
“Huh.”
The door opened with a creak, and Zenos stepped inside, a frightened Lily in tow. Unsurprisingly, they were greeted by pitch darkness. The musty smell of mold assaulted their nostrils.
“Glow!” Lily chanted, holding out her hands. A soft light appeared, illuminating their surroundings.
“You can use magic, Lily?” Zenos asked.
“Only simple spells.”
That even a child could use magic was a testament to the vast magical power and talent of the elven race.
Illuminated by the faint light was a scene like a fading memory, frozen in time. Blackening, exposed beams. Decaying floorboards. Most of the steps on a staircase to the side were damaged.
Lily’s thin brows furrowed. “Wow, this place is...”
“Not bad,” Zenos said. “Not bad at all.”
“It’s not?”
“Yeah. I mean, it has a roof!” the healer said, grinning.
The young elf looked up at him with a concerned expression. “Okay, yes, it has a roof, but...is that enough?”
“See, when I was in my old party, I had to camp outside by myself. Having something to fend off the elements at all is a blessing. And these support beams look sturdy. With a little work, the place’s perfectly livable.”
“You’re so optimistic!”
“I’ve reached rock bottom. Can only go up from here.”
“Ahhhhh!!!” Lily screamed suddenly.
In the back of the dimly illuminated room stood a black-haired woman.
✦ ✦ ✦
She was dressed in unfamiliar attire, with jet-black robes and a cloth belt tied around her waist with a rope looped around the middle over the top of it. Her features were beautiful, but her eyes were veiled in profound darkness. An ominous aura emanated from her slightly translucent form, enveloping the surrounding area in a freezing chill.
“I smell your life force...” the woman murmured. “Give it... Give it to me...”
“Zenos!” Lily yelled. “It’s a wraith! There’s a wraith here!”
“Yeah,” Zenos said, disappointed. “Guess the place’s taken after all. I mean, this is the most comfortable building.”
“Um, how are you so casual about this?”
The creature’s lips curled upwards, and she rose into the air, ready to attack.
“Cure,” Zenos chanted.
“Gahhhh!!!” the wraith shrieked.
“Huh?” In the time it took Lily to blink, the wraith’s arms had vanished.
Holding out his right hand, Zenos coolly said, “I see. So this is what a wraith is, huh? In that case, I’ve defeated a hundred or so of them before.”
He knew that undead creatures were vulnerable to healing magic. Long ago, Aston, in a foul mood, had left Zenos behind in the deepest part of an underground labyrinth out of spite. There, he’d encountered a large number of them.
Lily’s jaw dropped, and she stared at him in disbelief. “I heard that you’re done for if you run into even just one wraith. You said you’ve killed a hundred?”
“Look, I’m sorry, but this is the best building,” Zenos told the wraith. “I promise we won’t get in the way, so do you mind if we borrow a room for a while?”
“What are you talking about?” the wraith demanded. “Hurry and give me your life—”
“Cure.”
“Gahhhh!!!”
“Oh. Sorry,” Zenos said. “You came at me. It was a reflex. I meant you no harm.”
“Ughhh...” The wraith’s face twisted in anger as she groaned.
Both of her arms had regenerated, and she raised them overhead. Her whole body swelled, releasing a stagnant black aura into the air.
“How dare you!” she hissed. “This is the first time a human has incurred the wrath of Carmilla, the Lich Queen! Come to me, my underlings! Show this foolish human the meaning of true torment!”
Through the cracks of the decrepit walls rose a horde of pale blue apparitions—likely the ghosts hiding in the ruined city—writhing as they gathered around her.
“Eep!” Lily squeaked. “Zenos!”
“Man, and here I was hoping to borrow a room the easy way,” Zenos said with a shrug as he held out both hands. “High Cure!”
Rings of light began to orbit Zenos, then shot outward in every direction. Faint cries of agony rang out as the ghosts summoned by the wraith vanished in seconds. The high-ranking undead, who had introduced herself as Carmilla, screamed in astonishment.
“Wh-What?!” she demanded. “What are you?!”
“A plain ol’ shadow healer,” Zenos said nonchalantly, joining his hands in a pleading gesture. “Look, I am very sorry. I just need a room to use as a clinic and a bedroom.”
At his words, the wraith shrank with a whoosh, floating up through the ceiling and disappearing into the second floor.
“D-Do what you will with the first floor!” she said. “But the second floor is mine!”
“Of course. Thank you,” Zenos told her, before turning to the young elven girl. “All’s well that ends well, right, Lily?”
“I’m not sure if I should be happy or sad...” the girl remarked.
And thus, Zenos successfully secured a property (resident wraith included).