Chapter 53 - A Threat of Solitude

"Is it true?" Marquis Rennar Bennet asked as soon as Arthur entered his bedroom.

Arthur's eyelids fluttered as he looked at the marquis. "Is what true?"

"I told the old man ya could give him a new body." Kyren proudly replied.

Arthur glared at Kyren. He had intended to use that information as a bargaining chip, yet Kyren had so freely given it away. There was still too much he didn't understand about how ghosts worked on Nithe, so Arthur was hesitant to give away information about his abilities.

What if ghosts were some natural process, and Kyren was just too stupid to figure out what to do next? What if there was a way for the ghosts to interact with the world, leaking Arthur's secrets? What if Arthur wasn't the only one who could see and hear them?

He didn't have any answers, so making assumptions could prove deadly. Of course, he didn't have a choice with Kyren since he refused to leave Arthur's side when he found out Arthur could see him. But that didn't mean every ghost he met would be as friendly as Kyren.

There was a genuine risk of being haunted. If a somewhat intelligent ghost wanted something from Arthur, all they'd need to do is endlessly shout in his ear until Arthur's will shattered from sleep deprivation. He had no power over the ghosts, nor could he choose to tune them out if they demanded to be heard.

Theoretically, that all changed once he granted them a body. Since Arthur's undead were controlled by him, it stood to reason that by planting a spirit inside one, Arthur would still maintain some degree of control over them. However, until that happened, he was vulnerable.

Arthur rubbed his eyes and took a seat on his bed. "I can. However, nothing in this world is free or without consequence."

Marquis Bennet eyed him with suspicion. "How old are you, boy? Am I expected to believe you can cast magic even the gods cannot?"

"Heh. Don't let the kid's looks fool ya. He's much older than he looks and craftier than he seems." Kyren blurted out before Arthur could respond.

Arthur clenched his jaw and ground his teeth. "Kyren, please stop talking."

"What's the problem, kid? Who's he gonna tell? The moon? We're the only ones who can see him, so there's no point tip-toeing around it." Kyren mocked.

Arthur held his tongue. He didn't want to deny Kyren's words and give the marquis any ideas for fear of Arthur speaking the ideas into existence.

Marquis Bennet looked on with a puzzled expression. "What does he mean?"

"The kid remembers his past life in another world. Some place called E-arth or something. I thought he was making shit up at first too, but there ain't any other explanation that makes sense.

I've been following him for years, and while other kids his age were playing around in the mud, he was sitting in some stuffy library crafting spells. So if he was lying this whole time, he would've cracked by now." Kyren explained as if he was selling Arthur to the man.

Marquis Bennet rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "Just because he can craft a few simple spells doesn't mean he experienced another life. It's preposterous. You've been tricked."

Kyren laughed in his usual boisterous manner. "If raising the dead is a simple spell, then the gods can only be called amateurs. I've seen him do it with my own eyes, old man. The kid's the real deal."

Marquis Bennet scoffed. "Then why are you still floating around like that?"

Arthur cut in before Kyren leaked any more information. "Because my previous world didn't have Aetherin or magic, everyone was as powerless as the common people of Nithe. Despite that, we had machines that shared a language with a similar structure to how Aetherin is written.

Unfortunately, the similarities end in the language's structure, so while it acts as a boon to my understanding of Aetherin, it doesn't help me understand the meaning of each individual character.

As you know, I am the son of Edward Revan, and the Revan's collection of spells is paltry at best and nonexistent at worst. For that reason, I've had little opportunity to study complete spells, so my comprehension of Aetherin is lacking.

I've already successfully raised the dead as a mindless puppet, and once I can find the correct phrasing related to spirits, then I will be able to bind your spirit to a new one."

"You're aware that this sounds ridiculous, yes?" Marquis Bennet asked incredulously.

Arthur shrugged. "You're free to believe what you want. Kyren here spent years searching for answers until he finally met me. You've only recently passed, so you lack the same desperation he endured."

"Hey! I wasn't desperate! I was just excited to be able to talk to someone again!" Kyren shouted, attempting to shield his ego from the truth.

Marquis Bennet appeared unfazed. "Show me then."

"I can show you in due time, but whether you decide to work with me or not is entirely up to you. You're free to leave and search for your own answers on how to escape your predicament. I won't try to stop you, and should you find yourself as lost as Kyren, you can find me in the Bernish territory of Helagaust." Arthur bluffed.

He had no choice but to display some goodwill, even if it meant losing the marquis. The man's death was too recent, and he lacked the same sense of urgency Kyren had. If Arthur tried desperately to convince him, it would likely have the inverse effect.

Marquis Bennet stared at Arthur in silence as he mulled about in his thoughts. "Assuming I believed you, what is it you want in exchange?"

"Before that, shouldn't we speak about what you get out of the exchange?" Arthur rebutted.

Marquis Bennet's eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

"If you believe I can give your old life back, you are mistaken. That life is over. Marquis Rennar Bennet died last night, and he will stay dead as far as the world is concerned. Your reappearance to the world would bring about my end once it was inevitably traced back to me. So I won't allow it until I'm ready.

Instead, I offer the opportunity to interact with the world again by my side. You may find that opportunity trivial now, but what about after a year? Will it be trivial after a decade of not being able to feel the sun's warmth on your skin? And if so, what about a century without having the ability to speak to another being, living or otherwise?

There are plenty of people who prefer solitude, but no one can endure the severity of isolation that lies before you—no one. I'm not sure what will happen to you when your mind inevitably fractures, but it's not a fate I'd wish upon anyone. Nor is it one I'd like to witness.

You ask me what I want from you in exchange? The answer to that should be evident from my words. I need your spells and any insights into Aetherin. With it, I may be able to complete my spell and grant you and Kyren new bodies.

After it's completed, you will remain by my side until I can sufficiently protect myself from the repercussions your existence would bring about. Only at that time will you be free to act on your own and reclaim any semblance of your old life."

"The kid's right, old man. Nothing can prepare ya for what it's like being like this." Kyren added as Marquis Bennet searched his thoughts in silence.

After a moment, Marquis Bennet squinted his eyes at Arthur. "You still haven't told me what's in it for you. Why would you waste so much time crafting a spell to give two dead strangers new bodies? Are my spells worth so much to warrant such an act? I think not."

"The spell I'm crafting isn't only for the two of you. While I'm still unsure about the mechanism that allowed your spirits to remain on Nithe, my experience after death was far more traumatic. I have no intention of experiencing it again, and my spell may offer me the solution." Arthur replied honestly.

"May?" Marquis Bennet asked.

"What I seek isn't a method to live a hundred years or even a thousand. Instead, I want to—or better yet, I must find a way to avoid death entirely. Nothing short of absolute immortality will suffice, and it remains to be seen whether or not my spell will be able to achieve that result." Arthur replied.

Marquis Bennet paced around the room for a while as Arthur's fatigue grew. He didn't appear ready to accept the proposal, and Arthur needed rest, so he decided to give the marquis some time to think it over.

However, as he opened his mouth to speak, Marquis Bennet stopped his pacing and spoke first. "How would I even give you my spells? I can't write them down as I am now."

"Very slowly." Arthur smiled. "It will likely take months, possibly years, but it's not impossible. I take it from your words that you can read and write in Aetherin, yes?"

More likely than not, writing down all of the marquis' spells would take years, but Arthur didn't want to alarm him with such a timeframe. The problem lay in Aetherin's nearly indistinguishable characters and their ambiguous meanings that often changed depending on who was asked.

So for Arthur to gain the marquis' spells, he'd need to sit with an open Aetherin dictionary and have Marquis Bennet point out each and every character to avoid mistakes. It was an extremely tedious and time-consuming task, made worse by the fact that he couldn't dedicate much time to it, considering the war.

"Of course I can. What kind of fool reaches the ninth circle without learning Aetherin." Marquis Bennet scoffed. "I want your word that my house's magic will not be spread to others. If you can swear upon that and help House Bennet in the future, I will do as you say."

Arthur glanced toward the red-faced Kyren before shaking his head in disappointment. "I swear I will not distribute the spells you impart on me to another soul without your permission. I will also make a reasonable effort to befriend your house. However, if I use your spells to derive new ones, I hope you won't find fault with me for spreading it to those I deem worthy."

"That's fine." Marquis Bennet nodded. "When shall we start?"

"Unlike the two of you, I am not immune to the effects of exhaustion. So, for now, watch over the tent with Kyren while I get some sleep. We'll talk more when I wake." Arthur replied before taking off his boots and tucking himself into bed.

There were still many things Arthur wanted to ask him, but nothing was so urgent that it couldn't be put off until later. The only question that troubled Arthur's mind was the cause of the marquis' death but hours had passed since then, and the likelihood of an enemy attacking the Ollerinian camp shrank with each passing moment.

Arthur closed his eyes as Kyren and Marquis Bennet left the room, and sleep soon followed.

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