The Corpse That Lurks on Moonlit Nights

"Lexie, can you give me a few minutes?"

"What's wrong?" asked Lady Roxy.

"Look over there. I'm worried that boy might be lost."

"Of course! Let's go."

Lady Roxy's sense of justice strikes again. If a person was in trouble, she could

never leave them to it. As she approached the boy, she walked with the air of a

holy knight. Even in her disguise, it was overwhelming; she unconsciously

parted the crowd before her. I followed close behind.

"Are you lost, little one?" asked Lady Roxy. "Where are your mother and

father?"

The boy remained silent.

"There's nothing to fear. It's okay. I'm here to help!"

The boy burst into tears, and the more Lady Roxy talked, the more he cried. It

was her aura, really: the aura of a holy knight. It was too much for the boy, who

couldn't handle the pressure of being confronted by someone so strong, even if

that person was a beautiful young girl like Lady Roxy. What the boy needed now

wasn't the dignified and honorable air of a divine protector but the entirely

ordinary air of a commoner like me.

"Hey," I said, "did you lose your parents somewhere?"

The boy stared at me suspiciously, then nodded. "I came here shopping with

my mother…and I got lost."

"Well, how about I help you look for her?"

"You'd do that for me?"

"Absolutely. Why, just the other day, I helped a lost girl get home. We'll find

your mother in no time!"

"Wow, thanks!"

The boy at last dried his nose on his shirt. We had his trust now. I was about

to ask him where he'd last seen his mother when Lady Roxy grabbed my sleeve.

She wore a dissatisfied expression—like I'd just cheated her of something.

"I wish kids liked me that easily."

"Well, I mean…I'm pretty much just a big kid, so the icebreaking is easy…"

"Is that really it?"

"Probably, yeah."

But if I were forced to call it like I really saw it, I'd say that Lady Roxy maybe

needed to loosen up a little. If she didn't, people would always be on guard with

her. Kids were especially sensitive to that kind of thing. I knew part of the

difficulty came from Lady Roxy's rank and upbringing, but it wasn't my place to

comment on that.

"In any case," I said, "let's look for the kid's mother. It's only going to get

harder when the sun goes down."

"Yes, you're right. Of course. But later I will have you teach me your technique

for winning children's hearts."

"Sure. Just don't go too hard on me, please."

I felt like the answer Lady Roxy wanted was already in front of her. If she

wanted to make friends with our new companion, it would just take time. Her

sincerity would show in her words and actions. They might even bond before

we found the boy's mother.

Lady Roxy reached for the boy's hand, but he slipped from her grasp. In the

next instant, he appeared next to me and took my hand instead.

"Fay…that's not fair…" Lady Roxy muttered.

"Don't blame me," I said.

Thus, I found myself placating a sulky Lady Roxy while I asked the boy where

he'd lost his mother. The problem was that it was hard to lock down a location.

"It was somewhere over there, where all the people are," he said, but "over

there" didn't yield much, in the end. I got the feeling it was going to be tough

getting a clear answer out of such a little kid.

I was at a loss, but Lady Roxy smiled like she knew something I didn't. "He's

still young," she said, "which means he can't have gone too far. And judging by

what he said, I don't think he's been lost all that long."

"That makes sense," I replied.

"I think he wandered off somewhere in the crowd along this main street. I'm

certain his mother is looking for him, too, so if we take him up and down the

road, there's a good chance we'll bump into her."

"Lexie, you're a genius!"

Lady Roxy giggled. Feeling useful seemed to make her happy, and her

expression relaxed. At the same time, the boy thoughtfully watched our

exchange. He seemed hopeful he really would find his mother, and he slipped

his free hand into Lady Roxy's. With me on his left and Lady Roxy on his right,

we almost looked like a family. Well, probably more like three siblings.

"Fay, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Uh, yes. Sorry. Okay, let's go find your mother!"

"Yay!" the boy cried.

It was the cusp of evening, and the streets were quieter than at midday, but

they were still bustling. I gripped the boy's hand firmly; I didn't want him to get

lost a second time. The boy told us his mother's name, and we called it out as

we walked. We spent a whole two hours like that, but we didn't find her.

"Mama! Mamaaa!"

The boy had been so energetic before, but he began to flag. After all, he'd

been looking for his mother even before we found him. He had a lot of stamina

in that little body of his.

But what to do now? Perhaps his mother wasn't on this street anymore. If she

thought he'd strayed, she might be searching for him off the main road. If that

were the case, we'd never find her by sticking in the same place.

"What should we do?" I asked Lady Roxy.

"There's still time before sundown. Let's continue the search for a little

longer, Fay."

Her words made me rethink my approach. The boy was the most anxious and

uneasy of all of us. If we didn't plan on helping him to the end, why had we

even talked to him in the first place?

I ruffled his hair. "Let's try walking down the street once more. I'm sure we'll

find your mother this time."

"Okay…"

Lady Roxy frowned at me, and I wished she hadn't. I could read the look in her

eyes: Why are you saying you're sure?! What do we do if we don't find her?!

But there was no other way to keep our little friend motivated. I had to say

something . And I could tell it worked, because the boy's thoughts flowed

through his hand into my brain thanks to my Telepathy. A spark of his hope had

rekindled.

We pulled him along until we heard the sound of a rumbling stomach. Lady

Roxy glared disapprovingly in my direction. How could you be hungry at a time

like this?!

But it wasn't me, and that meant only one other person could be the cause of

the rumbling.

"I'm starving," the boy said, releasing my hand to clutch his stomach.

Lady Roxy and I shared a glance; it was time to put the search on hold. We

had to think of it like a battle. Food was energy, and we would rapidly become

ineffective on empty stomachs. Gluttony had taught me that only too well.

"If you're hungry," Lady Roxy said, "let's get some food, and then we'll look

for your mother. Would you like something to eat?"

"Um…is that…okay? Really?"

The boy looked overjoyed. He was probably even hungrier than we knew.

Lady Roxy smiled and offered some options, but couldn't commit to anything by

herself. She tried asking the boy for his opinion, but he kept saying he'd eat

anything. He was clearly being polite. Soon, Lady Roxy was at the end of her

rope, and she turned to me for help. Once again, it was up to me to cross the

profound gap between holy knights and commoners.

I considered the boy's clothes. They were shabby, all patchwork, and too big

for him. He was definitely from a poor family—not so different from myself only

a few weeks ago. I knew exactly what he wanted.

"Let's go get you some tasty meat, shall we?" I said.

"Yay!"

The boy grabbed both my hands out of sheer delight, and the two of us sang a

song of the feast that lay ahead. Roxy watched with a chuckle until my stomach

rumbled its approval, at which point she and the boy both burst out laughing.

"Looks like we've got more than one empty stomach on our hands," Lady

Roxy said.

"We're the same, mister!" laughed the boy.

"Yeah," I said. "I guess we are."

I felt the boy's thoughts through Telepathy, and he was the happiest he'd

been so far. He would be even happier after food. The question now was where

to find it.

Lady Roxy and I scanned the area. We ruled out eating indoors on the off

chance the boy's mother passed by while we were feeding him. That meant a

barbecue skewer stall would be ideal. Luckily, we'd passed one earlier in our

search.

"How about that one over there?" I suggested.

"Okay!" The boy pulled me along excitedly.

I let myself be dragged as Lady Roxy whispered in my ear. "You really saved

me there with your culinary input. Thank you!"

"Don't thank me. Getting food was your idea."

"But you're the one who gave the idea real shape!"

I felt my face go red at Lady Roxy's gentle words of praise. I'd never been

complimented growing up, so it inevitably made me feel awkward and

embarrassed. Lady Roxy left me with the boy and went on ahead to make sure

it was open. She didn't need to, in my opinion; as far as I remembered, the stall

did business all-year round. There was no way it would be closed today.

As expected, the stall was overflowing with the delicious smell of grilled meat

when the boy and I caught up. It wasn't quite dinner time, so the line wasn't

very long. Lady Roxy was already waiting and she waved.

"Fay! Over here."

It was the first time I'd ever seen her wave so enthusiastically. She was always

so modest, and her hands rarely moved far from her chest. I wondered whether

her townsperson disguise also offered her a physical release of sorts.

I waved back in response. "We'll be right there!"

"Miss!" the boy shouted.

We joined Lady Roxy in line. There were only three people in front of us, so

we'd get our skewers quickly. Meat fragrance wafted deliciously in the air, and

my stomach rumbled once more.

"Mister, your stomach's grumbling again!"

"Unbelievable," said Lady Roxy. "Fay here is quite the glutton. Ha ha!"

The boy and Lady Roxy laughed together. I didn't think it was that funny. As

we waited, my stomach continued to rumble.

Eventually, we made it to the front of the line.

"Welcome. What can I get for you?"

We ordered one skewer each. The trouble was deciding on flavors. There was

the standard gravy-sauce skewer, the simple spicy-salt skewer, and the herbroasted skewer. It was an agony to choose between. Then Lady Roxy made a

genius suggestion.

"Why don't we each get a different one and share?"

"That's a great idea."

"Yay! I agree!"

"One of each, please," I said to the man at the stall.

"Coming right up! Here you go!"

I took the three skewers, and then it hit me. I didn't have the money to pay.

But Lady Roxy swooped in to handle the transaction as if she knew exactly what

I was thinking.

"Thanks, Lexie."

She glanced around and leaned in to whisper. "It's fine. I am your master,

after all. I ought to provide for you, yes?"

We moved to the side of the stall to eat. I had the standard-sauce skewer, the

boy had the spicy-salt one, and Lady Roxy had the herb-roasted one. They all

looked mouthwateringly delectable.

"Let's eat!"

The skewer was melt-in-your-mouth soft, and the sauce perfectly enhanced

the meat's natural flavor. It was no wonder the stall was so popular. The boy

blissfully chewed away at his own skewer. The tears welling in his eyes told me

everything I needed to know about its taste. However, Lady Roxy still hadn't

tried hers.

"What's wrong, Lexie?"

"It's just…I've never eaten anything that wasn't on a plate before… I don't…I

don't really know how."

Lady Roxy wasn't used to ripping straight into her food teeth-first. She

might've found it embarrassing. The skewer was a far cry from the refined

cuisine holy knights were accustomed to. After all, it was common grub for

common folk. The food stalls here generally aimed to hit three points: quick,

cheap, and delicious. A sophisticated, elegant meal this was not.

"Well," I said, "you just…you open your mouth wide and bite off a chunk.

That's all there is to it."

"I guess… Well, I guess I'll try my best, then…"

Lady Roxy shyly turned away from the two of us and started nibbling. It took

her a moment, but after working out a plan of attack, she got her first bite.

The boy and I watched intently.

"Hm? This is…this is most delicious," she said, turning back to us as she took

more bites from her skewer. "The meat is so tender, and the roasted herbs drift

over the tongue. I might go so far as to say this is superb. Let me have one more

mouthful…"

"Uh, Lexie…? Did you forget we're all sharing?"

"Oh! Excuse me," she said, poking out her tongue apologetically. "I guess I

was the glutton this time."

She pointed her skewer at me expectantly. "Here, have some."

"Um…I can eat it myself, Lexie. You don't have to hold it for me."

"You don't want me to hold it?"

"Ah, it's not that, it's just…"

"Well, go on, then. Have some!"

Lady Roxy held the skewer ever closer. Now I had no choice. I took a bite—

and it was amazing. Exactly as she had described. The roasted herbs spread in a

refreshing flash of flavor through my mouth, which was followed by the rich

aftertaste of succulent meat.

"This is amazing," I said.

"It is, isn't it?" Lady Roxy giggled.

I tilted my head in confusion at her laughter. Perhaps there was meat on my

face? I wiped at my mouth as Lady Roxy chuckled.

"No, no, it's not that, Fay. It's just that you look so pleased when you eat.

Seeing it up close… Hee hee!"

"Do I really look that happy?"

"You do. But I'd like to make sure one more time!" Lady Roxy playfully thrust

the skewer toward my mouth again.

"Wait, I'm not ready!"

"No waiting! Eat!"

Suddenly, I felt an uncomfortable gaze from nearby. The young boy was

staring at us in utter upset. Brought back to reality, I cleared my throat.

"You can't just feed me, Lexie," I said. "Share some of your skewer with our

friend."

"Uh…yes. Of course, yes."

It was like we'd forgotten the whole reason we bought the skewers in the first

place: because our young friend was hungry. We spent the rest of our time

swapping skewers between all three of us as we ate. Afterwards, with a slightly

fuller stomach, the boy looked like he had some of his energy back.

"Mister, miss… Let's go find my mother."

"That's the spirit!"

"Yes," Lady Roxy added, "Let's do our best!"

We went back to scouring the main street, searching for the boy's mother.

For another two hours, we searched everywhere we could, but we never found

her.

We were doing the best we could, but at this rate…I didn't know what to

expect anymore.

***

"Mama…"

The boy's hope hung by a thread as he called his mother in a voice little more

than a whisper. Lady Roxy and I tried to encourage him, but he was less and less

responsive.

The sun was setting, and if we didn't find his mother by nightfall, we'd have to

call off our search. I shot Lady Roxy a glance while the boy wasn't looking, and

she nodded silently, reading my eyes. Our best course of action now would be

to take the boy back to Hart Manor for the evening. Lady Roxy's look of resolve

relieved me. I could see she'd considered this option from the start.

The boy pulled at my hand weakly. "I'm tired, mister," he said. "I can't walk

anymore."

He'd reached the limits of his energy. I scooped him up to carry on my back.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't you worry about it," I said. "There's a fountain up ahead. Let's head

over there and take a break."

"Okay."

The fountain was in the middle of the town square at the end of the main

street. It constantly sprayed water pumped from streams deep belowground.

Sometimes I drank from it when I was thirsty, since the water was so pure and

clean.

The three of us sat on the fountain's edge and listened to the bubbling while

Lady Roxy and I tried to determine how we should explain our concerns to the

boy. He seemed to read from the awkward silence that something was going

on.

"It's getting dark out, so why don't we look for your mother again

tomorrow?" I asked. "I know I said that I was sure we'd find her, but we didn't.

I'm sorry."

"No, I'm glad you guys were here. If I was all alone…I wouldn't know what to

do."

The rest was up to Lady Roxy. Hart Manor was her home, and if we were

taking the boy there for the evening, it wasn't my place to tell him.

"You can stay with me tonight," she said to the boy. "We'll make sure you feel

right at home."

The boy thought about it for a time. He was nervous, and it was

understandable. He'd only met us earlier that afternoon. We were still

strangers to him. But we couldn't leave him alone on the streets, not if those

kidnappers were lurking around.

Eventually, the boy gave a tired answer. "Okay."

Even so, he remained seated at the fountain. While he was unable to move,

we waited with him without saying a word. Though our intentions were good,

we weren't going to force him to come with us until he was ready.

The boy turned his face toward the sky, like it might be his last time to see it,

and he cried out for his mother. It was a helpless plea at the end of a long, long

search, a message that could never hope to reach its destination.

And yet…

"Son?! Son!"

A woman's voice cried out from behind us, repeating over and over.

"Mama!"

The boy's eyes opened wide and he took off, running straight into the arms of

the woman who was no doubt his mother.

Seeing them reunited, I couldn't help but be warmed—even on the brink of

despair, there had always been a chance of success. There was always reason to

hope!

Lady Roxy and I smiled in a quiet moment of celebration.

"All's well that ends well, huh?" I said.

"Yes. I was really worried for a bit, but it seems to have all worked out."

At that moment, Lady Roxy's left hand brushed my own, and inarticulable

feelings flowed into my thoughts. They were too warm, too kind for a person

like myself. I didn't deserve them.

After a time, the mother and son relaxed their hold on each other, relieved,

and the boy started telling his mother something as he pointed in our direction.

Wasn't hard to guess what he was talking about. When he finished, his mother

came over to us.

"It seems you two looked after my little one when he got lost. I can't thank

you enough."

"Mister, miss, thank you!" the boy chimed in.

"Just don't get lost again, okay?" I said.

"And don't stray too far from your mother, please," Lady Roxy added.

"Okay."

According to the boy's mother, she had been delivering some goods to a

merchant when her son vanished. He left her sight for a mere instant, and then

he was gone. Panicked, she ran everywhere searching for him, first on the main

street, then through its connected backstreets. She'd been scouring entirely

different alleys than we had, which explained why we had never crossed paths.

Exhausted from her fruitless quest, the boy's mother dragged herself to the

fountain in the town square to quench her thirst…just as we arrived to take our

break. Coincidence had brought mother and son back together, though I also

wanted to believe the pull of their emotions had drawn them to the same place.

As his mother showered us in thanks, the boy started to give in to exhaustion,

falling asleep in her arms. We saw the two off on their path home, and at last, a

load lifted from our shoulders. Trying to help a lost kid only to fail to find their

parents would have felt pretty awful. Having to stretch the search to the next

day wouldn't have felt a lot better.

Had I been acting out of character recently? Perhaps, being stronger than

before, I was getting carried away. Or perhaps strength afforded me the luxury

of generosity.

In any case, I was grateful Lady Roxy had been with me. I might have been

fine approaching the boy on my own, but I would have been clueless about

what to do if we couldn't find his mother. It was reassuring to know Lady Roxy

would have looked after him at Hart Manor.

Lady Roxy gazed for a long time at the path the boy and his mother walked,

even after they faded into the distance. She was statuesque, and her eyes were

glassy. A single tear dropped from her cheek, reflecting rays of light from the

setting sun. Noticing my gaze, she turned and smiled.

"All's well that ends well," she echoed.

But I couldn't say anything. Her figure in that moment captured my heart. I

was embarrassed. Entranced. I had forgotten how to breathe, and I was certain

my face was glowing red. I prayed that the setting sun's colors hid it. It wouldn't

do for a servant like me to get caught looking at his master like this.

"What's wrong, Fay?"

"I-It's nothing. But if we don't get home soon, the head servant is going to be

furious."

"And we'll face her together, won't we?"

"Ah…"

I wanted to say no, but one look at Lady Roxy's face, and it didn't seem to

matter anymore. After all, I'd roped her into helping that lost boy. If her

secretary chewed her out for being late on top of sneaking away, half the

responsibility was squarely mine.

"Yes," I said. "We'll face her together."

"Very good. Well, let's head home."

Lady Roxy led the way with a confident, dignified gait. She could wear

whatever she wanted, but she was still a holy knight through and through.

So we returned together: me and Lady Roxy, my master who deserved love

and respect. She was a clever, determined, compassionate person, and from

the bottom of my heart, I was glad to serve her. We'd been through a lot that

day, and for me, it had been unforgettable.

"Fay," she said, "what is it? You look so happy all of a sudden."

"It's a secret."

"But surely you can tell me, at least."

"That's the one thing I can't do."

"Fay!"

Lady Roxy's cheeks puffed up as she tried to get me to talk, but I pushed on

toward home with a silent smile. All the way, I wished these days would last

forever.

***

My night hunts continued. Each time, I showed myself to a few adventurers.

As a result, word began to spread from eyewitness accounts that somewhere in

the fields was a lich, a monster of great evil. It was said that liches wore black

hooded robes made of ragged cloth, and their bodies were fleshless bones. It

was a perfect match for my disguise.

On this particular night, the sky was empty of clouds. Perfect weather for an

evening hunt. Experienced parties of ambitious adventurers were out in the

Goblin Grasslands and the Hobgoblin Forest. Among them was me, the evil lich,

gliding through the Goblin Grasslands by the light of the moon.

When I found a goblin, I beheaded it, and if an adventurer happened by, I

allowed them a momentary glimpse of my silhouette. By doing so, I gradually

made my existence a lurking nightmare for adventurers. And I was getting

worse.

After I killed my tenth goblin, I took a break and heard a scream from the

bushes.

"It's the lich! The Corpse! Everyone get out of here!"

The cry came from a rugged, tough-looking adventurer, who turned pale

white and fled upon seeing my skull mask.

People had recently taken to calling me the Corpse, likely on account of how I

was most often spotted alone on a mountain of goblin corpses. Adventurers

were growing fearful that the Corpse, a lich with a taste for goblins, would soon

move on to people. This followed the lore; your typical lich was known to have

a great fondness for human victims.

At my local bar, an adventurer sitting next to me had said the Corpse was an

unusual beast, but it would inevitably turn its attention to humans. He'd told

me this with trepidation painted across his features as he drowned his sorrows

in drink.

The barkeep had said that because the Corpse only appeared in the middle of

night, it wasn't having an adverse impact on trade. However, he was anxious;

rumor was that the situation might change if word of the Corpse spread outside

the kingdom. If trade were delayed, it would incite inflation, which would make

running the bar difficult.

My heart pitied the barkeep and his predicament, but I needed to wait on

movement from the holy knights.

Just as the pieces started to fall into place, I was faced with work I couldn't

avoid. Lady Roxy was heading back to the Hart family estate, and as she had

promised, she wanted to take me with her. Just a little more work, a little more

time, and I would have had Hado Vlerick within my grasp.

It was a great pity.

***

"You look rather despondent, Fay. Are you not looking forward to visiting the

estate?"

Lady Roxy pouted slightly at me. I should have been excited to be alone in a

horse and carriage with her, and yet my mind was elsewhere. I was dwelling on

how my plans to trap Hado Vlerick were now on hold, but I had to shake off the

frustration. Lady Roxy was looking forward to heading home, and I didn't want

to spoil her mood.

"No, it's not that," I said. "I've definitely been looking forward to this!"

"Really?" She peered at me with suspicion in her eyes. But you haven't looked

the least bit excited so far, they said.

"Really! I mean, it's harvest season, right? And that means we'll get to pick

grapes together, right? I can't wait!"

"Oh, you remembered."

"Of course!"

Every year, when Lady Roxy returned home to the estate, she joined the

villagers of the estate for the harvest. This was one of only a few events during

which Lady Roxy could interact honestly with common folk. I could tell how

important this was to her from the moment she boarded the horse and

carriage; she was a bundle of joy and excitement.

The Hart family estate was located before a ravine in the mountains north of

Seifort. It was autumn now, but the geography brought harsh seasonal changes

to the Hart territory, and in winter, snow blanketed the land. However, the

locals had worked over many generations to develop the soil. As a result, the

estate now boasted rich, fertile farmland. Not only were they able to stockpile

enough produce to endure the winter, they shipped large quantities to the

kingdom, too. The Hart family took great pride in this ability to provide for

Seifort.

"From what you've told me so far," I said, "I can tell it's an amazing place. I

bet the food's delicious, too!"

Lady Roxy giggled. "Always so quick when it comes to food, aren't you? Yes,

it's nice to have such fertile lands, but this season also brings monsters, I'm

afraid. Around this time of year, they enter our estate to steal from the fields.

One of the reasons I come back is to fend them off."

"Monsters…" I said, furrowing my brow. "They really are everywhere, aren't

they?"

Lady Roxy covered her giggle with a hand. "Yes, they're forever troublesome.

But if we drive them out now, they won't return until next year. And I am a holy

knight, you know. They won't cause me much trouble."

"As expected of a holy knight, I suppose," I said. "By the way, what monsters

are we talking here?"

"Kobolds."

Kobolds… Dog-like monsters that walked on two legs, built much larger than

the average human. They were a level up from goblins, and I'd heard that, even

among adventurers, only experienced individuals could hunt them. Kobolds ran

in packs, and when under attack, they howled for reinforcements. They also

had a keen sense of smell, which meant hiding in the grass would get you

nowhere; they'd sniff you out. They were also persistent and stubborn, which

made them formidable foes indeed.

Just thinking about them made my stomach rumble.

"Fay, what's wrong?" asked Lady Roxy. "You're hungry again? Why, we just

ate."

Recently, this had happened a lot in front of Lady Roxy. It was mortifying, but

also a sign that my Gluttony hungered. It was tired of goblins, and so it urged

me, in its own way, to feed on the taste of a new kind of soul.

I gave a wry grin in reply. "Sorry, Lady Roxy. We ate so much, and yet…I'm

hungry all over again."

"You really do have quite the appetite, don't you, Fay? But it's a good thing, I

think. Not long until we reach the estate now, so I hope you can survive until

then."

Lady Roxy turned to the window and stared outside. Fields stretched clear to

the foot of the mountain; they were lined with vines dripping with fresh violet

grapes. The carriage carried us ever further, toward a mansion easily as colossal

as Hart Manor.