Chapter 28

“Old house, old house, give me a new body in return for my old one...”


“Old house, old house, give me a new soul in return for my old one...”


“Old house, old house...”

A girl’s clear, ringing voice breaks the stillness of the dead dawn. This is the time of transformation, a liminal moment that divides life and death—those who awaken begin their day, while those who cannot remain in eternal rest.

Which side do I belong to, I wonder? Am I among the living or the dead? Could I dare choose the former, pleading that I still have an unfulfilled dream?

To find out, I try moving my fingers. The scrape of granite beneath my nails brings a sharp intake of breath from the singing girl.

“Huh?”

“...”

“Well, that’s unexpected.”

“...”

“Hmm... What should I do?”

The girl pauses, seemingly deliberating, then mutters to herself as if making a decision.

“Alright.”

“...”

“Let’s ask first.”

With a faint groan, she halts her steps. At that exact moment, everything around me stops as well, the vibration of the earth faintly resonating through my shoulders.

It’s then I realize I’m being dragged, encased in a massive stone coffin. A violent fit of coughing overtakes me.

“Cough! H-hack...!”

“Oppaya.”

“Cough, cough... Hah...!”

“Oppaya?”

The bloodied phlegm I cough up sends waves of agony crashing through my head. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I finally manage to spit out what feels like stone dust—debris from the coffin I’m entombed in.

As I struggle, a small fist taps my forehead. Reflexively, I open my eyes and, for the first time, meet the girl’s face. I utter the first word that comes to mind.

“...Goblin?”

“How rude. I just told you to call me Oppaya, not human or goblin.”

“What... are you even doing?”

“Gathering recyclables.”

“Recyclables? What does that even—”

The bizarre choice of words throws me off, but what shocks me more is the fact that we’re holding a coherent conversation. Goblins, known as one of the weakest among the demonkin, are infamous for their lack of intelligence.

Perhaps I’m mistaken, I think to myself, but no—she’s undeniably a goblin. Green skin, pointy ears, and childlike features. The only thing that sets her apart is her long, flowing hair, which makes her vaguely resemble a human. Still, she bears every other hallmark of her kind.

As I continue staring, the girl speaks again, her words strange and unsettling.

“Hey, Oppaya. Can I have your soul?”

“What?”

“When you die, can I have your soul? Is that okay?”

“That’s... not going to happen.”

“Then I’ll ask again after you’re dead. You’ll die soon anyway.”

Do I really look that close to death? A bitter laugh escapes me as I grope at my back, trying to recall my last memory. My fingers don’t find the hilt of a sword but instead encounter the rough, thorny texture of vines wrapped tightly around a wound.

“This...”

“I took your sword. If you want it back, just ask.”

“That’s... not the issue.”

“Then what? The wound? It was like that when I found you.”

Her response prompts me to examine the injury more closely. The thorny vines entwining my back feel unnaturally organic. It must have originated from the blade the princess stabbed me with that day.

I’m not entirely sure, but pulling the vines out seems dangerous. Worse, I have no idea how far they extend. The girl watches my hesitation and poses another question.

“So, do you feel like you’re about to die?”

“No. If anything, this makes me think I won’t die anytime soon.”

“But it’s a witch’s curse. You won’t be able to lift it now that there are no witches left.”

“...”

“And curses aren’t exactly good for your health.”

Her words hit a nerve. Even if they weren’t true, I’d have no way to refute them. Instead of responding, I force myself to my feet. Ignoring the ache in my muscles, I rise, taking in the desolate surroundings for the first time.

My gaze lands on the stone coffin I was just in. For some reason, the sight fills me with a strange sense of déjà vu.

“...Where are we?”

“South of the kingdom’s territory.”

“South where?”

“Near Harbit, maybe?”

“How near?”

“I dunno. I don’t care.”

So this is the limit of a goblin’s intellect. Sighing softly, I lower my gaze. The girl, standing no higher than my waist, peers up at me.

She’s so small, yet strapped to her back is a staff longer than she is tall. My eyes narrow at the faint white glow emanating from the staff, and I instinctively frown.

“That’s... a necromancer’s staff.”

“I told you, I’m collecting souls.”

“But all the necromancers were wiped out.”

“Yeah, the hero killed every human necromancer. So, I’m the only one left.”

“A Goblin Necromancer?”

“A goblin necromancer?”

“That’s what everyone says. But isn’t it strange? Humans aren’t the ones with the most excess souls—it’s us goblins.”

This conversation defied all logic, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was trapped in some cryptic riddle. Meanwhile, the girl, apparently bored with our exchange, began tugging at my sleeve impatiently.

“Hey, more importantly, give me your soul. I really want it.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“You’re going to die soon anyway. So just give it to me.”

“No.”

“Ughhh... but I really want it...”

Her response trailed off, frustration evident in her tone. I, too, was at a loss on how to deal with this illogical creature. But for now, she was my only lead in this strange place, so I decided to probe her for more information. Leaning slightly toward her, I asked:

“You can’t expect to get something for nothing. So tell me—why do you want my soul so badly?”

“Because your soul sparkles. It’s the prettiest one I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s... not something I’ve heard before.”

“Of course not. Only necromancers notice these things. By the way, who are you? Why is your soul so beautiful?”

“I’m Alpheus.”

The moment I answered, the girl froze, her mouth falling open in shock. Her round, astonished eyes grew even wider as she stammered,

“The hero?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Really? The hero?”

“I’m not a fan of the title, but yeah...”

“AAAAHHHH!”

The girl suddenly shrieked and leapt into the stone coffin, burying her head as deep as she could while trembling uncontrollably.

“No! Stay away! Don’t hurt me!”

“Wait, what’s going on?”

“You’re a hero! Heroes always hurt necromancers!”

“Ah... I see.”

It seemed there was some misunderstanding. Realizing what she was afraid of, I tried to calm her down.

“Listen, I’m not that hero. I’m the one who slew the evil dragon.”

“What? But that hero married the princess and lives in the royal castle.”

“...I didn’t marry anyone. And as you can see, I’m here, not in the castle. I don’t know how to prove it, but I’m not the person you think I am.”

“Huh. That’s... different from what I’ve heard...”

Still skeptical, she cautiously poked her head out of the coffin, her wide eyes peeking over the edge. I crouched down in front of her, trying to piece together the situation.

“You seem to know something. Has there been any news from the royal palace? What day is it today?”

“I don’t know about dates. But I heard the king is really sick. And the princess too. That means the hero couldn’t have left the castle, right?”

“Really sick...?”

“Yeah, they won’t let anyone in. They’re worried other people might get sick too.”

How much time had passed since that day?

There were a few things I could infer. The princess’s curse was still active, and the king’s condition hadn’t improved. It seemed the aftermath of that day was still lingering.

But considering we were near Harbit, there might be a delay in the flow of information. I wasn’t about to overlook that possibility and asked,

“When did you hear this? Did a messenger bring the news?”

“No messengers come here. The professor told me. And the professor knows everything, faster than any messenger.”

“The professor?”

“Yeah. The professor knows everything and is super kind.”

“Did the professor mention anything about the queen?”

I asked almost desperately. The girl tilted her head curiously.

“Why are you asking about the queen?”

“Well, that’s...”

“If you’re really the hero, shouldn’t you be more curious about the princess?”
“...”
Her wide, innocent eyes reflected my disheveled appearance—clothes stained with dried blood and dirt, much like my state two years ago when I emerged from the labyrinth.

Had I come full circle after all this time? Lost in thought, I murmured a familiar phrase, one that felt oddly fitting.

“I have to rescue the queen trapped in the tower.”

“The queen?”

“She’s trapped by the witch’s curse. I need to save her.”

“Oh, so there’s still a witch left?”

“There was. I didn’t know at the time.”

“Maybe the witch is a goblin too?”

Her whimsical remark was met with a flat stare. To pull her back to reality, I tapped on the stone coffin.

“More importantly, where’s the nearest village? Could you at least point me in the right direction?”

“Only if you give me your soul.”

“No. I’m not giving you my soul. I’m in a hurry, so let’s talk about that later.”

“You’re going to rescue the queen?”

“Yes.”

“Then you really are a hero...”

Still doubtful, the girl shook her head dramatically, as if trying to process her thoughts. After a while, she squeezed her eyes shut and declared,

“Thinking too hard makes my head hurt...”

“Then just tell me how to get to the nearest village. We can talk about my soul later.”

“But what if you don’t come back? I’ll lose out.”

“I’m a hero. I’ll keep my word and come back.”

“Well, if you’re a hero, I guess I can believe you... but still...”

Despite my attempts to reason with her, she continued pouting. Finally, she sighed and said,
“Fine. I’ll ask the professor. The professor knows everything. Follow me, Oppaya. We’ll figure it out after talking to the professor.”

“I don’t have time to—”

“You’ve got nowhere else to go. Plus, the professor can explain your wound. The professor knows everything.”

She had a point. No matter how urgent my mission, I needed a place to recover and assess the situation. And the strange wound on my back was a pressing concern.

Still, I couldn’t blindly follow her. Trusting a goblin wasn’t easy, so I cautiously asked,
“Fine. But can you tell me more about this professor first?”

“They’re super smart. They know everything. If you ask, they’ll answer.”

“You already said that. I want to know more details about the professor.”

“The professor is the professor.”

“...Alright. Do they have a name?”

My patience wearing thin, I asked as gently as possible. But her answer caught me completely off guard.

“Jorfe.”

“What?”

“Jorphe. That’s the professor’s name.”

The unexpected name made me bite my lip in thought. The girl, noticing my reaction, tilted her head curiously.

“Do you... know who that is?”

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