Chapter 264: You Are Like Sand (5)

The wind called for more wind. Although strong enough to snap branches, it couldn't breach the shield and split around it instead. I examined the tombstone as though it were a forgotten relic. As expected, it was damaged, the engraved name just as unreadable as before. The ragged wind circled the headstone over and over.

I glanced around, wondering if there was anything special about this burial site. With Lv. 5 Occult Knowledge, maybe I could see something others couldn't. Yet the mountains, rivers, rocks, and trees revealed no hidden patterns.

It was neither sacred nor cursed. No blood sacrifice, no trace of sorcery, no sign of astronomy or foreign energy. Just an unremarkable, unclaimed grave—eerily bland in its emptiness.

[Skill: Spell Insight Lv. 3 activated.]

Isaac had once been trapped here while searching for my true name. Hence, I expected something to come up.

[No traces found.]

"..."

Well, if there had been something, Isaac would've found it first.

I examined the underbrush, untouched by the faintest sliver of moonlight. It was the same spot where I'd fought the two human hunters with hammers and crossbows. They were nowhere to be seen.

No sign of tracking. No scent of a hunt, blood, or bodily fluids. No indication of struggle. Yet, it carried no sense of aftermath. I considered whether I'd woken up too early, but the thunder patterns, broken branches, and torn earth all told me I'd woken at the exact same time as before.

"..."

The only one missing was Rubia. What happened to her that she vanished here? I couldn't even begin to guess.

RUMBLE! CRACK!

Lightning struck. Thunder echoed through my bones. I stepped onto the wet earth. Even with my full weight, the mud refused to solidify. My feet sank deep.

Rain had washed the dirt down, and the mounded graves were quickly smothered in soggy muck. The corpses inside wouldn't care. These were unclaimed graves, forgotten by everyone—except maybe Rubia.

What happened to her? I was just beginning to consider going to Erast to check myself when, from several hundred meters away, I heard an unnatural sound. It didn't come from the rain, wind, or insects.

Drip. Drip. Dripdripdrip...

Raindrops bouncing off something man-made, sliding down smooth, artificial surfaces.

An umbrella...?

Then, I heard footsteps drawing closer. The hunters? I quickly activated my Detection skill and heard human voices. There were three of them. One elderly man whose voice I vaguely remembered, and a woman's voice I didn't recognize.

"Miss, are you sure this is the right path? There are other ways to get help. You have powerful connections through your family..."

"Honestly, I agree. Suddenly resorting to necromancy is..."

They were both doubtful.

Then, a voice I could never forget cut between them. "No. I'm certain."

A voice I could pick out instantly among thousands of cries. A voice I wouldn't even mistake even with thunder crashing right beside me.

Rubia hadn't disappeared. She was slowly approaching my spot from below.

The old man asked, "Even if, by some miracle, everything turns out just as you say... What could a mere Skeleton Soldier possibly do?"

I hadn't seen him, but I was sure I'd heard him before.

Rubia cut him off firmly. "No more debate. If anyone wants to turn back, they're free to go."

"Oh come on, you know that's not happening."

"

Ahem

. I'm here too. With what little time I have left, I've chosen to follow you."

"I know. But this, at least, is something I must do my way."

"Of course. Whatever you choose, we'll follow..."

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

What was going on? Every other time Rubia came here, she was drenched, slipping, struggling to climb alone. Now, she wasn't struggling at all. Her breathing was steady, with attendants at her side.

The distance quickly closed.

Dripdripdrip...

It was a sight I'd never seen before. The rightful heir to the territory of Erast walked under the shelter of a large umbrella, flanked by two retainers. She strode without hesitation, her eyes locked on my grave. Her steps didn't waver in the slightest. Even a child visiting their parents' tomb once a year wouldn't be in such a rush.

Squelch.

Mud splashed around her boots, but she didn't care. Instead of her old, tattered gray robe or lackluster traveling dress, she was dressed in sleek, jet-black evening attire. It seemed fit for movement, yet elegant.

She stood next to my grave. I watched quietly from a slope near the place where she'd dropped and killed Precher's horse. At her waist was no toy dagger, but a finely crafted and bedecked sword.

Just from her posture alone, I could tell that she'd trained to the point where she could effortlessly stab a rogue through the neck. Seeing her again made me want to rush over just to make sure she was really there. However, things were completely different now. I decided to watch for the time being.

"

Uhm...

Miss? Is this the right place?"

Fwoosh!

The old man beside her raised a torch toward my grave. The flickering light cast an uneasy glow on the empty hole I'd just climbed out of. Had I stayed a bit longer, would she attempt to wake me herself?

The confidence she had just moments ago faltered. Her gaze wavered as she looked into the empty grave. She was shaken.

"This is it... I'm sure this is it..."

The two attendants exchanged glances and shook their heads quietly.

"He should be right here... He has to be here..."

Rubia's shoulders sagged. How could she be so sure I was in there? Her attendants, however, didn't seem surprised.

"Miss, should we head back now?"

"..."

Rubia stood in the rain, soaked to the bone, as if she'd melt into the storm.

One of the attendants quickly covered her with the umbrella again. "Miss!"

"In my dream... I clearly saw it..."

She stepped toward the grave again, but the other attendant stopped her. Even from the outside, she could see it was empty. No need to go down into the mud. She seemed pitiful.

I could guess what kind of dream she had. Rena had been the same. When I returned to the cave after raising her Affection to 60, I'd learned I remained in her dreams. Was the same thing happening to Rubia?

Status window.

Ding!

I calmly read through the floating blue window in front of me.

[Name: Rubia Ray]

[Affection: 11]

[Affection Cap: 50] (+)

[Scenario is currently in progress.]

[Initial adjustment granted based on achieved Affection (50).]

[Ruthless Vigil – This character waited for you until the very end and died doing so. Additional initial adjustment applied.]

A message that appeared so plainly in the air felt brutally heavy. Just thinking about Rubia waiting for me until her last breath made the air around me freeze. I forced myself to focus and kept scanning her status window.

[Lord Lv. 1] (+)

[Necromancer Lv. 2] (+)

[Archivist Lv. 3] (+)

[Health: 12] (+)

[Strength: 13] (+)

[Agility: 16] (+)

[Wisdom: 21] (+)

[The following traits have been enhanced:

— Gift for Language: Can acquire most languages rapidly. Even unknown tongues can be mastered if enough samples are present.

— Bearer of Goodwill: Unless someone is inherently malicious, those who face her feel an inexplicable sense of guilt. Even those who lean neutral are more likely to side with her.

— This trait stems not from appearance, but from an inherent aura. It applies regardless of gender, species, or relationship type. However, if her appearance is deliberately defiled or altered, the trait may be revoked depending on severity.]

How chilling. The system didn't even try to hide the implications. I scrolled further through Rubia's profile. Besides her previous skills, new ones had been added, including a Level 2 sword skill. Where had she learned that?

And the Lord class... I didn't know what qualified her for that, but one thing was clear: things had changed.

Shhhhhaaaaa...

Rubia stood before the empty grave, appearing lonelier than ever.

"Miss... perhaps we should return," said the woman beside her.

Sharp-featured, competent, she seemed like someone who noticed everything and acted accordingly. On the other side was an old man I recognized.

Magistrate Illia. A hardened man who was freed from prison by Rubia during the fall of Erast. It seemed Rubia's improved stats had begun shaping her surroundings. Men who should've been incarcerated now stood at her side, serving her.

Should I reveal myself now?

I hesitated. In the previous life, Rubia had been accused of demon worship and died because of me. These two might be her loyal aides now, but I wanted to avoid even the smallest risk. She claimed she came here to practice necromancy, but leaving behind an empty grave was one thing—actually seeing me was another. For ordinary people, the difference would be vast.

The old man stared at Rubia's solemn expression. "It'd be unwise to be away from the castle for too long. Who knows what that bastard Kirk might be plotting."

"

Haa.

.." Rubia sighed softly. "You're right. Let's go back."

Slowly, she trudged back to Erast. Did she actually live there now? It seemed like she'd just slipped out for a day, with her so-called uncle likely still inside the castle.

Could it be...

[Skill: Detection Lv. 7 activated.]

All I sensed was the rising rush of rainwater in the valley. There were no signs of pursuit or human presence around Rubia's party. For now, they seemed safe.

I quietly followed her, lost in thought. Until now, I thought Rubia had awakened me—that her clumsy necromancy had stirred me from the grave. Yet, this time, I had clearly awakened before she even arrived.

Was her presence truly unrelated to my return? I couldn't make sense of it at all. Didn't the status window list Rubia as my master, even granting me considerable benefits as a result?

Was it simply because I acknowledged her as my master?

Maybe my belief that she'd awakened me had influenced the system. If I had considered Isaac, or even Naneow Tropin my master would they've been registered instead?

The confusion spun through my thoughts. However, when I looked at Rubia, shoulders slumped and walking through the mud, that feeling was washed away by pity.

Should I reveal myself now? Ask her if she remembered me? If her memories and emotions lingered like Rena's, Rubia could come to me willingly, and depend on me entirely.

Still, that'd be irresponsible. I'd rather not reveal myself unless I could remove every obstacle from her path.

[Ruthless Vigil – This character waited for you until the very end and died doing so. Additional initial adjustment applied.]

The translucent blue letters made me hesitate even more. I had no intention of offering Rubia hollow hope. Only certainty, only results. For now, I stayed in the shadows, silently trailing them down the mountain.