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The former emperor’s command caused the knight’s face to harden.

“An intruder…?” he muttered, quickly adopting a defensive stance, his eyes scanning the room with intense scrutiny. If an intruder had indeed managed to breach the area while he was on guard, it would be a severe dereliction of duty, an offense he could scarcely escape punishment for. The only way to redeem himself would be to capture the intruder and present them, kneeling, before the former emperor.

“But what can he do?”

After all, I’m a ghost!

Since being reborn as Reshia, I had lived a relatively virtuous life. Opportunities to indulge in my former dark mage’s mischievous tricks were few and far between. But now, with no need to worry about my reputation, I could playfully torment my targets to my heart’s content.

Of course, someone might question, *Did you really live virtuously?* or *Did you even care about your reputation?* But hey, in my own way, I had been a good person.

Feeling rather proud of myself as I reminisced, I nodded contentedly.

No matter what anyone said, I had lived a good life.

‘And today’s the day I get my reward for that, huh?’

Grinning mischievously, I kicked the former emperor’s backside once again.

“Ugh!”

A dull thud echoed through the room, followed by a stifled groan from the former emperor. The knight, startled by the noise and the emperor’s reaction, whirled around, clearly bewildered. It was obvious from the emperor’s pained response that he had been struck by someone, yet nothing was visible, leaving the knight utterly confused.

“Your Majesty…?” he called hesitantly.

“What are you standing around for?! Find the intruder at once! Someone dares to attack me!”

“Uh…”

The knight’s eyes darted around nervously.

“Could it be that Your Majesty was dreaming during a nap…?”

Despite his sharp senses, the knight found no trace of an intruder, leading him to suspect that perhaps the former emperor was not in his right mind.

“What did you say?”

The former emperor, now seething with rage, pointed a trembling finger at the knight.

“Are you saying I’m spouting nonsense?”

“That’s not it, Your Majesty, it’s just that… despite searching thoroughly, I can’t find any signs of an intruder…”

“So, you’re implying that I’m senile, hallucinating attacks that didn’t happen?”

The emperor’s hand shook with anger, and he looked as though he might slap the knight across the face. But it seemed even that act was beyond his strength.

‘He really has… aged.’

The former emperor I remembered was a younger man, the one who had been forced to abdicate the throne to Kirke and was subsequently exiled. Back then, he had been full of vigor and commanded respect. Now, the proud emperor had transformed into an old man with graying hair. His large frame was still imposing, but the fierce, leonine presence he once wielded had long since faded.

He was a toothless predator.

Perhaps this is the most accurate way to describe the former emperor: a once powerful figure now clinging desperately to the remnants of his past glory, unable to let go of his greed.

‘Pathetic, truly pathetic,’ I thought. I made a mental note to never let myself become such a pitiful figure in old age.

As I clicked my tongue in disapproval, I sensed some commotion at the entrance of the former emperor’s room. It seemed someone had rushed in to handle the situation caused by the earlier disturbance.

“Your Majesty, please calm down.”

‘What?’

I had been casually watching the former emperor’s pitiful display when a familiar voice snapped me to attention. I turned my head in shock.

‘Hazen?’

It was indeed Hazen. Once my student, Hazen was the very one I had been falsely accused of murdering, a crime that had tarnished my name with the stigma of being a murderer! Since my reincarnation as Reshia, I hadn’t seen him again, except for a strange encounter at the royal palace.

But now, here he was, standing right beside the former emperor. 

‘Am I seeing things?’ I rubbed my eyes vigorously, but the scene before me remained unchanged. Hazen was truly there, calmly soothing the former emperor.

“What has angered you so much, Your Majesty?” Hazen asked.

“That insolent knight treated me like a senile old fool,” the emperor grumbled.

“What? There’s no way you could be senile, Your Majesty. Look how hale and hearty you are! Thanks to my healing powers, you are younger and healthier than ever.”

Hazen skillfully guided the emperor towards a mirror, all the while signaling the knight with a subtle nod. The knight, clearly relieved to be off the hook, gave a slight bow of gratitude to Hazen before hastily retreating from the room.

As the emperor, who had been seething with anger, caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, his demeanor quickly shifted to one of smug satisfaction. He even reached out to touch his face, seemingly pleased with what he saw.

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve become young and strong again.”

The emperor’s murmured words, spoken as if under a spell, were far from convincing. To anyone else, he appeared every bit the frail, aged man he truly was. But to the emperor, staring into the mirror, it seemed he genuinely believed he had regained his youth and vigor.

I stood there, utterly dumbfounded, staring at Hazen. I couldn’t begin to guess what he was up to or what his endgame might be.

“This is all thanks to you, Saint of the Countryside,” the emperor said, his tone dripping with gratitude.

“It’s not my doing, Your Majesty. It’s the blessing of the gods upon you,” Hazen replied smoothly, the two of them exchanging words of mutual praise.

In their conversation, I caught onto something important: the emperor was referring to Hazen as the “Saint of the Countryside.” Hazen, the man now lauded as a saint with the support and adoration of the people, had taken on this title. 

I had been suspicious of the “Saint of the Countryside” from the moment the rumors began circulating, but I never imagined it would be Hazen. And more surprising was how effortlessly Hazen manipulated the former emperor, treating him like an obedient lapdog.

As the emperor remained entranced by his reflection, Hazen leaned in close and whispered something in his ear.

.”Your Majesty, you haven’t forgotten that maintaining this youth requires strong holy power, have you?” Hazen’s voice was smooth, almost too polite, as he reminded the former emperor of the necessary steps.

“How could I forget something so important? Rest assured, I remember,” the emperor snapped, his eyes flashing with irritation as if daring Hazen to doubt him. Hazen, ever the opportunist, bowed his head with a sly smile.

“I wasn’t doubting you, Your Majesty. It’s just that we need ‘that’ sacrifice I mentioned before….”

“Ah, the sacrifice,” the emperor muttered, his anger subsiding almost instantly. His expression darkened, a sign of the inner conflict he was experiencing. Hazen, ever observant, seized the moment.

“As expected of a true ruler, Your Majesty. Taking a life weighs heavily on your heart, doesn’t it? If you’ve changed your mind, we can always stop the ritual…”

“Stop it?!” The emperor’s voice rose, a mix of fear and determination. He seemed afraid that Hazen might reconsider. “Sacrifice for the greater good is always necessary. This empire needs a true ruler, and Kirke is not fit for that role.”

“Exactly. Only Your Majesty has the qualities of a true ruler. The great deity has assured me of this,” Hazen responded, feeding the emperor’s ego.

“The deity….” The mention of divine approval brought a smile back to the emperor’s face. But then, as if remembering something troubling, he looked at Hazen with concern.

“Come to think of it, something strange happened earlier. I wonder if a vile demon is trying to sabotage our plans.”

“Something strange?” Hazen’s voice was laced with curiosity and a hint of caution.

“Yes. I was sitting here, reading ‘that document,’ when suddenly the paper floated up into the air and disappeared.” 

The emperor described the moment I had taken the document as if it had simply vanished into thin air.

“Moreover, some strange force attacked me…” The emperor hesitated, seemingly unwilling to admit he had been beaten and left sprawled on the floor.

Hazen listened carefully, his eyes narrowing as he began to survey the room with a cautious, calculating gaze, quite different from the knight’s earlier frantic search.

‘Not that it matters; he can’t see a soul like me,’ I thought smugly, waving my hand in Hazen’s direction, taunting him with a gesture he would never notice.

But then, something unexpected happened.

‘Wait… what?’

Hazen’s gaze locked directly onto where I was floating. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but when I moved around the room, his eyes followed me with unnerving precision.

‘Can he see me?’

My eyes widened in shock, and before I could react, Hazen reached out in my direction.

‘Gah!’

I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact. In that moment, I felt a sudden sensation, as if my entire body was being pulled downward, sinking into the floor.