Inside the Nearl family's living room.
Schnitz, Yolanta, and Maria were all sitting on the sofa, with Wang Fei sitting alone on the opposite side, feeling awkward.
'Why is the atmosphere so intense...' he couldn't help but think, looking up at Schnitz, his adoptive father whom he hadn't seen in a long time, who was now staring at him silently.
"You... are really Maria's friend, aren't you?" Schnitz, sitting opposite him, asked with a terrifyingly serious expression.
This made Wang Fei feel a little anxious.
'Th-that expression... Don't tell me Father Schnitz misunderstands and thinks I'm some young punk trying to take his daughter away.'
Wang Fei tried to answer honestly by typing a message on his phone.
"Yes, sir. I am truly Maria's friend."
After hearing that confirmation and glancing at Maria's neutral expression, Schnitz's face began to soften, changing into the bright smile of a typical kind uncle.
"Is that so... so you're just friends!" Schnitz laughed before speaking to him cheerfully.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Schnitz, Maria's father. You can call me Uncle Schnitz."
"Nice to meet you too, Uncle Schnitz."
Wang Fei breathed a sigh of relief (despite not having a body) for clearing up the misunderstanding. But before he could feel relieved for long, Maria, who was sitting next to Schnitz, suddenly whispered excitedly to her father.
"But maybe one day he could become part of our family..."
"!!" At that, both Yolanta and Schnitz's eyes went wide.
Yolanta looked surprised to hear her daughter say that. In contrast, Schnitz suddenly stood up, turned around, and took a sword that was decorating the wall, strapping it to his waist.
"I see you're wearing armor like a knight... so why don't we have a little practice spar?"
"Perhaps we can get to know each other better... my dear son-in-law," Schnitz turned and smiled at him. It was an incredibly gentle smile, if you ignored the demonic murderous aura behind him.
'Maria, why do you have to get your brother into deadly trouble...'
. . .
Rewind to several hours earlier.
"Eh!! Mr. Ghost, you have amnesia?!" Maria's eyes widened after hearing his story.
"Yes. I can't even remember my own name."
Wang Fei had made up a lie for Maria, claiming he had amnesia and couldn't remember anything about himself. He vaguely recalled that the reason he was in the armor was due to an experiment by some organization. He couldn't remember the organization's name, only that he had some memories related to the Nearl family. He wanted to ask her to help him by letting him meet them, in hopes that he might regain some of his memories.
Of course, although Wang Fei's story had many flaws, the young girl in front of him believed him completely without any suspicion.
"You can count on me, Mr. Ghost!! As a knight... uh, I mean... a future new knight! I will help you get justice!"
Although Maria seemed like an innocent and pure young girl, she wasn't foolish enough to easily believe a story from a stranger. The reason she believed him so wholeheartedly was that she felt an inexplicable bond with him, as if she had known him for a very long time. This made her trust him completely from the moment they started talking, and she decided to easily tell him about her own troubles, things that even Uncle Vogel and the others had never known.
Even now, she herself didn't know why…
"By the way, when you said you felt a connection to the Nearl family, is it because you knew someone in my family before?"
"I'm not sure myself... but after hearing the name Nearl, my spirit trembled in a way it never has before, as if I had some deep connection with them," Wang Fei decided to tell her half the truth, letting her piece together the rest.
If Maria wasn't too dense, she would probably guess that his identity must be related to Grandpa Kirill, and perhaps she would think he was one of the comrades-in-arms who fought alongside the Knight-Primarch.
"Hmm... a connection, you say?" Maria thought hard, before her eyes widened as if she had an idea.
"C-could it be!!"
Seeing this, Wang Fei grinned widely (despite having no mouth).
'Excellent!! As expected of my sister! She figured it out so quickl—'
But before Wang Fei could finish his praise, he was cut short by Maria's answer.
"Maybe you're Margaret's ex-boyfriend!"
'What!! Margaret had a boyfriend!!!'
Wang Fei was so shocked he shot up and shook Maria by the shoulders. Forgetting he couldn't speak, all Maria saw was his body frantically shaking her, which left her utterly stunned.
"Mr. Ghost... don't tell me you really are Margaret's ex-boyfriend!" Maria had only thrown out her assumption as a joke, but after seeing his strong reaction, her eyes lit up as she stared at him.
Realizing he had overreacted, Wang Fei cleared his throat softly (though it made no sound) to cover his embarrassment, then sat back down and typed a message on his phone.
"I'm not sure... but maybe not. I just feel like I've heard that name before. Perhaps I was an acquaintance of hers."
"Ehh~ Really?" Maria gave a sly smile, letting Wang Fei know she definitely didn't believe him. If they were just acquaintances, he wouldn't have reacted so strongly. That's what Maria thought.
"Ouch... where am I?"
Luckily, just then, Vogel, who had been unconscious for a while, came to and was groaning from the back seat.
Wang Fei and Maria looked at each other and exchanged a signal before they both walked to the car door where Vogel was.
"Hmm? Maria, did I doze off—" Vogel, seeing Maria, vaguely began to remember what he was doing here. But after seeing another figure walking with her, his previous memories came flooding back.
"Y-you evil spirit! Get away from Maria!!"
Vogel reached for the knife at his waist but found it was gone. He decided to fight bare-handed, quickly getting up from the seat and lunging forward.
But he was blocked by Maria.
"Uncle Vogel, calm down! Mr. Ghost is not a threat anymore!! I've already taken care of him!"
"Taken care of him? What do you mean, Maria?" Vogel stopped, a look of confusion on his face.
Maria then told Vogel the story she and Mr. Ghost had concocted. After Uncle Vogel passed out, she fought Mr. Ghost and defeated him with her sacred power, which purified the evil spirit within him. But because Mr. Ghost still had lingering attachments, his spirit couldn't pass on to the afterlife. He asked Maria to help him by restoring his memories so he could let go of his worries and depart peacefully.
The reason Mr. Ghost lost his memory might have been because Maria's purification was too strong, or because he had lost his physical body for too long, his spirit was now very weak. And she, as a future knight, wanted to help him find his lost memories. She already had a clue that Mr. Ghost was familiar with the Nearl family and might be able to regain his memories if he talked to them.
After listening, Vogel narrowed his eyes in disbelief.
"I've heard many times that evil spirits can be vanquished by holy light, but... for a spirit to maintain its form in an object without losing its personality, I've never heard of that before."
It was clear that Vogel didn't believe Wang Fei one bit. But because the person explaining was Maria, he remained calm and didn't act. However, if the other party tried anything tricky, he would deal with him immediately.
Seeing that reaction, Wang Fei was pleased. It was clear that this Uncle Vogel genuinely cared for Maria and was reasonably suspicious, unlike his dear sister. He decided to play his trump card to make the other man believe him.
"I'm not sure, but perhaps it's because of this that my spirit hasn't dissipated."
Wang Fei typed on the phone, then used his free hand to conjure a tiny, marble-sized ball of light, greatly astonishing both Maria and Vogel.
Before, in the junkyard, he might not have been able to create even a tiny flicker of light. But because his spirit had been slightly restored by being near Maria, he could now use the sacred light power that was characteristic of a Unicus. He had also absorbed a small part of Ray's identity (currently, Wang Fei still felt he was Wang Fei, not Ray from the simulated world), causing his memories, which had been like a dream, to become clearer.
"I-I can feel it! Though it's faint, that power is undoubtedly the sacred light of the Pegasi! D-don't tell me you are the spirit of a former Silverlance warrior!!" Vogel had fought in many wars as a knight. Although he didn't participate in the same war as the Knight-Primarch due to his injuries, he was present for the legendary Battle of the Dawn of Kazimierz. The image of the Silverlance Pegasi army demonstrating their power in that battle to aid Sir Kirill was still etched in his heart.
'Awesome, Uncle!! Now Maria will definitely realize that I was once part of the Knight-Primarch's army!'
"Silverlance... that name feels very familiar..." Wang Fei nodded while typing out a supplementary message.
Maria, upon hearing this, looked very excited.
"That's amazing, Mr. Ghost!! If that's the case! Maybe you and my sister have a chance!"
"Your sister?" Vogel looked confused at Maria's words.
'Wait, you still haven't given up on that idea?!'
. . .
After that, the three of them decided to continue their discussion at a bar, which was the secret base of Vogel's comrades.
On the way, as Vogel listened to Wang Fei's explanation that he was in the armor due to an experiment by a mysterious organization, he began to piece things together.
"Hmm... it's possible that the organization that experimented on Sir Silverlance might be the Chamber of Commerce," Vogel murmured. After learning that the other was the spirit of a Silverlance knight, a group respected by all knights, Vogel's respect for him grew immensely.
"The Chamber of Commerce? You mean the Kazimierz Chamber of Commerce? Are they bad people, Uncle Vogel?" Hearing the name, it wasn't strange for Maria to be curious. They were one of the agencies directly under the National Council and were responsible for the current growth and fame of the Kazimierz Major.
Although her grandfather often complained that they were unjust and tainted the honor of knights, as an ordinary 18-year-old girl who didn't know the darkness of Kazimierz well, she still saw the Chamber of Commerce as a charitable organization from the news and newspapers, one that often helped nameless knights with potential, building them up to become famous.
Though there had been some bad news about them several times, all of it was quickly forgotten because the sources of that information disappeared without a trace and couldn't be investigated, leading people to believe it was just baseless rumors.
"Maria, just saying they're evil is an understatement. You could say the Chamber of Commerce is so damn despicable there isn't a single good part to be found. The news about many knights in the Major League disappearing or committing suicide, it's all their doing," Vogel said coldly.
Many of his close friends and comrades-in-arms had mysteriously disappeared because they had unintentionally interfered with their interests. Even he, who didn't participate in the Major League, was targeted because his current boss was involved in producing armor for the young woman who won the 20th Kazimierz competition 6 years ago, causing them a huge loss of profit. Although his boss and her lover were lucky enough to escape with the help of the Nearl family and that champion from Kjerag, it came at the cost of him and his close friend, Kovaf, having to live in hiding, unable to open their smithy to do business for the rest of their lives.
Of course, they could have moved to follow their boss to Kjerag to start anew, but because they both wanted to repay the Nearl family's kindness in helping their boss, Vogel and Kovaf decided to stay here to continue helping the Nearl family.
"That's why I told you, Maria, competing in the Major League is very dangerous... especially this season, with those Snowyheel bastards involved. Those damn people have crippled who knows how many competing knights. If you join and get caught in the crossfire, I wouldn't be able to face Zofia and Hilde."
But Maria didn't seem worried at all. She patted her chest loudly and shouted confidently.
"Don't worry, Uncle Vogel!! I've been well-trained by my master! I guarantee I won't lose easily to anyone!!"
"It's because you're so confident that I'm worried," Vogel sighed. Perhaps because she trusted her skills or her power too much, Vogel couldn't help but worry more about this girl. Even though she was trained directly by a former Kazimierz champion, Maria was only 12 at the time.
"..." Although Wang Fei hadn't fully absorbed Ray's identity, he knew his sister's habits well. When she and Margaret were worried, their ears would twitch slightly. He noticed her ears trembled gently when she heard the name Hilde.
Wang Fei had never heard that name before but guessed it was someone who meant a lot to Maria. But since he wasn't in a position to ask, Wang Fei chose to keep the name in his heart.
Not long after, their car drove into the main city and parked in front of a small bar named "Scarly Martin," located a little away from the residential area.
"We're here," Vogel said to Wang Fei before getting out of the car and heading to the bar's entrance.
"Let's go, Mr. Ghost!" Maria said to him before opening her door.
Wang Fei looked around through the car window. Seeing no cameras or drones nearby, he slowly got out of the car and followed them.
Creak! "Marcin! Is Kovaf here?!" Vogel pushed open the door, which had a sign that said "Closed," and shouted towards the counter where a middle-aged Liberi bartender was wiping a wine glass.
"He's in the back. By the way, did you and little Maria go to the scrapyard again? Find anything good?" Marcin, a one-eyed Liberi bartender with a mechanical arm, asked with a smile, before hearing Maria's reply as she jumped in after.
"Something great! I guarantee Uncle Marcin will be stunned!!"
"Ho ho, if little Maria says so, I guess I'll have to get my hopes up. Hmm?" Marcin, noticing the person in armor who followed them in, looked surprised for a moment.
Vogel, seeing his expression, answered without waiting to be asked.
"He's our guest... let's talk about the rest inside."
Seeing Vogel's serious expression, Marcin didn't ask any more questions. He nodded, put down the wine glass, and led the three of them to the back of the shop, through a small bar door.
Behind the bar, where a kitchen or a wine cellar should have been like in the movies, what Wang Fei saw was a large smithy. A large, middle-aged bear was currently sitting on a sofa playing on his phone with a disgruntled look.
"Hey! Kovaf! Been waiting long?"
Hearing Vogel's shout, the large bear quickly looked up from the sofa and shouted back in displeasure.
"You bearded oaf! Why didn't you answer my call!!"
"Sorry, sorry... my phone broke. What's wrong with you? You don't look so good."
"It's that picture of the armor you sent me! Do you know what that thing is—holy shit!!" The giant bear, before he could finish, shot up from the sofa when he noticed the armored figure following them.
Vogel and Maria couldn't help but laugh at Kovaf's expression, before Vogel explained everything to Marcin and Kovaf.
After the two heard Wang Fei's story, they had different reactions.
"What? You're telling me there's a Silverlance spirit in this shabby armor?" Kovaf showed clear disbelief, walking around Wang Fei and inspecting him like a scientist looking at a supernatural phenomenon.
Marcin, who seemed the most composed, spoke seriously. "I've read books from my ancestors from Laterano. They say the souls of warriors who died protecting their country are invited to a land called heaven, a sanctuary of God. But spirits that remain on earth and cannot move on are because they are still bound by the sin called the chain of regret, unable to separate from emotion and reality. That is what keeps their spirits in the world of the living."
"Ah, ah... stories from those lightbulb heads. Don't tell me you actually believe that stuff, Marcin?" Kovaf said scornfully, not believing the legend one bit.
From his bearish race and his rude but sincere manner of speaking, anyone could tell he was from Ursus.
"Haha, it's just a legend from my ancestors... but if what he says is true, I think that legend can be used as a valid reference, right?" Marcin said, and Maria seemed to agree.
"I think so too, Uncle Marcin! So let's help Mr. Ghost get his memory back so he can pass on to the afterlife!"
"Sigh... well, if little Maria says so, I guess it can't be helped," Kovaf sighed while scratching the fur on his head. Because it was Maria, he agreed to help without complaining.
Wang Fei, seeing the relationship of the uncles taking care of their innocent niece, felt a sense of kinship with these people, while also feeling a bit of sympathy for them.
'It must be tiring taking care of this mischievous kid...'
"By the way, Kovaf? What were you going to say before?" Vogel, curious about his friend's earlier reaction, asked.
Hearing this, Kovaf held up his phone, which was as large as his paw.
"See for yourselves."
On the phone was a 3-minute video clip. After seeing it, Maria's face showed shock, because it was a clip she had seen hundreds of times before.
It was a clip of her older brother competing in the Kazimierz Major for the first time.
"Kovaf, why are you playing a clip of the Knight-Primarch?" Vogel asked, not understanding.
But Marcin, upon seeing the clip, seemed to notice something and exclaimed, "Ah!"
"I remember now! I thought I'd seen it somewhere before. So that's what it is!"
"What is it? Do you know something, Marcin?" Vogel looked confused, until an irritated Kovaf slapped him on the head and shouted.
"You idiot! Can't you see! The armor the Knight-Primarch is wearing, it has the same shape as the armored ghost you brought here, doesn't it!"
Maria and Vogel flinched at the words, before they both turned to look at Wang Fei in unison.
"?" Wang Fei was also surprised to hear this. He looked down at his own armored body. He hadn't noticed at first, since he wasn't in a human body anymore. But looking closely at the chest plate, he felt the design was very similar to the armor he used when he participated in the Kazimierz Major, only much more worn out.
"And also... this armor was designed by—" Before Kovaf could finish, the sound of a door bursting open from behind them rang out.
"Maria!! Are you in here!"
When everyone turned to the voice, they saw a blonde woman who looked like an older version of Maria standing at the door.
When Wang Fei saw her, a memory of a woman flashed in his mind.
'Zofia...'
Hearing the voice, Maria's face went pale. She quickly moved to hide behind Kovaf and tried to tiptoe to hide behind the sofa without being seen.
Grab! "Aah!!" But it seemed it was too late... because the woman who had opened the door had rushed in and grabbed her by the collar as soon as she saw her shadow.
Realizing she was caught, Maria tried to put on a brave face, turning to face her relative with a smile.
"A-Auntie Zofia! Wh-what a coincidence... I was... just on my way to see you... really."
But her uncontrollable voice stuttered, seeing that the other woman was giving her a wide smile, but her eyes weren't smiling at all.
"You still have the nerve to say that, you little rascal!!"
"Aahh!!! M-Mr. Ghost! Uncles! Help me!!"
The four of them looked at each other, then turned their backs and gave Maria a hand signal with the same meaning.
'Sorry... but I'm / we're staying out of this.'
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*See you next Saturday!*
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