Chapter 229
Benny sat on the dome of the church, looking at the horizon, seemingly gazing at something inexplicably.
Strange colors mixed together and became clouds.
"It's quite rare for you not to sleep in today, my lord. I've been entrusted to make you breakfast. Please see if my cooking suits your taste?" Ghost Duke said in a strange, drawn-out tone, "Today's breakfast is..."
“I’ve told you more than once that this way of speaking infuriates me,” Benny said, frowning.
"That's good. Last time you corrected the way I spoke, you used that sword to cut me up, didn't you?" Ghost Duke said with a grin. "It's a great honor for me that you're speaking to me so kindly this time, my lord."
"Stop pushing my patience to the limit."
"Ha! I managed to anger the Honorable One and still survive, it seems I've gained some status in the world!" Ghost Duke looked very happy. He brought over a plate containing golden, round objects: "This time it's fried shrimp. I never expected such big shrimp. I also used a little of the oil I used to fry dough sticks yesterday. As expected, food fried in oil that's been used once tastes the best."
"That's right."
"Ahhh, I'm so glad to hear you praise me! I'm so happy! It's the best to be praised by a cute girl with no emotions! It's the best!" Ghost Duke exaggeratedly cheered. "I still hope you can say some other compliments!"
"I've already complimented you, so please stop talking to me like that."
"No problem!" Ghost Duke made an OK sign: "After three months of pestering, you finally don't hate me anymore."
"You mean not cursing at you or stabbing you a few times means I don't dislike you???" Benny looked like she'd seen a madwoman.
"The only thing I have that I'm good at is being annoying." Ghost Duke gave a thumbs up: "I've truly inherited that pervert's skills."
He said this with such pride, as if it were something to be proud of.
“I do see the shadow of a benevolent person in you. You two are both perverts. I might set you up when I have time. You two are a match made in heaven.”
"If I could win over a cute girl like that, I'd be incredibly lucky. But I've already lived two lives, so I might even be reborn again. If I could trade three lifetimes of being single for her verbally agreeing to be my girlfriend, that would be an absolute steal." Ghost Duke spouted nonsense without a care in the world.
Having lived for a thousand years, he had come to the conclusion that he was a worthless and useless person. Although he repeatedly emphasized this, frankly speaking, no one truly wants to believe that they are a useless person.
So whenever Ghost Lord has even the slightest expectation for himself, he immediately negates it.
You can't hold onto any hope, or it will only bring you pain. Trusting yourself brings nothing but pain the next time you're chopped into dumpling filling.
Yes, I'm just a worthless person. I can't do anything; all I know how to do is draw and write. These are things that can only earn me a living in peacetime, so they're inherently useless.
“Honestly, this is delicious.” Benny said hesitantly. She looked at Ghost Duke, who was sitting there, looking as dejected as a stone, and suddenly felt a little sorry for him: “With this skill, you don’t need to be so self-deprecating.”
"Actually, only nobles like you can get to eat here. Speaking of which, if it weren't for the good fortune of meeting Ren'ai, I might not even have had the chance to show off yet." Ghost Duke picked up a fried shrimp and said, "Besides, the only reason I'm a good cook is because you guys haven't studied cooking much. Any random old chef would be much better than me... If you ever have the chance to go to other worlds, I believe that cute girls are definitely luckier than this otaku. You'll end up in some very happy places."
"Really? What you're saying is just as incomprehensible as the Benevolent One said." Benny was too lazy to continue chatting with this guy. "Speaking of which, won't the Benevolent One be angry if you keep going like this?"
“She has already discovered that I am useless. I can’t even do a good job of cleaning, no matter how hard I try.” Ghost Duke’s expression was a little conflicted: “After all, think about it, I can wipe off the dust, but piecing together cracked stones without leaving a trace... please spare me, I really can’t repair a completely collapsed house to look brand new.”
He only just learned that the cleaning here includes, but is not limited to, completely eliminating and repairing damaged items.
"Oh? So you can cook too?" Benny hesitated for a moment. "But seriously, I heard that Benevolent One hired someone else to cook?"
“I only need to explain how to do it once, and that guy can do it better than me. I demonstrated these few fried shrimp for today, and then that was it.” Ghost Duke said, resting his head on his hand, “How am I supposed to control the hot oil to complete the reaction at the ideal temperature and state? I’m just an ordinary human being.”
"Really...?" Benny suddenly felt a little embarrassed, because it seemed that this guy had no irreplaceable qualities other than spouting nonsense.
Well, I guess the benevolent ones also valued his unique, unparalleled quirks?
Just kidding, maybe it's because of this guy's unique thought process.
I don't know, anyway, this guy is on the side of the Benevolent Ones, so it has nothing to do with me.
"Speaking of which, Ark might be the main character. If we have to pick a main character, it would be someone named Twelve."
Benny paused, then turned to look at Ghost Duke, who was sitting there gazing into the distance.
"What?"
"Sorry, I was just kidding." Ghost Duke hesitated for a moment before saying, "I suddenly realized that my brainwaves are quite compatible with the guy who writes destiny."
“Why are you bringing up Ark?” Benny frowned. “He’s dead.”
"Dead? Not necessarily. You know very well that guy wouldn't die so easily." Ghost Duke looked at her. "You've been hiding the fact that he's still alive from the church, haven't you?"
The atmosphere that had just calmed down instantly collapsed, the dome of the entire church began to crack, and the ground began to shake irregularly.
“It’s because there are guys like you everywhere here that we have this strange rule of smoothing out cracks in stones with your hands as a standard for servants.” Ghost Duke hesitated for a moment before saying, “You also know how to snap my neck and pull out my cervical vertebrae to kill me.”
“That’s why I find you disgusting.” Benny took a deep breath to calm herself down and slowly lowered her hands from Ghost Duke’s neck.
"You stopped before going all out this time, which means you've improved your resistance to taunts."
“I have no intention of winning against someone like you,” Benny said softly. “Something like you shouldn’t be considered an opponent.”
She stood up and then vanished from the spot in an instant.
Without any skill or magic, he simply relied on pure force to increase his speed.
"You're really eager to get away from me." Ghost Duke muttered softly, "As expected, everyone hates a scoundrel."
He brushed the dust off the fried shrimp and ate them in small bites.
Without realizing it, I ended up here.
He looked at his clothes; he had worn out twenty-seven monk robes since he started working. As for now, this robe had survived only because Benny had shown mercy.
It's so quiet. He almost regretted coming up to find Benny. Because when he actually sat down here, he felt his heart suddenly calm down.
It was a rare, sunny day. I'd love to say that, but as a central church located within a safe zone, there's absolutely no need to mention it.
As a safe zone, this is how it is every day. Quiet, breezy, no disasters. Occasionally there's a little rain, but it's never heavy.
Speaking of which, after watching disaster movies for almost eight hundred years, the style has suddenly changed to something refreshing.
Life is unpredictable.
But isn't it only at times like these that things can turn around?
"Ha, ha, ha ha." Ghost Duke suddenly laughed, laughing so happily that he lay on the rock and laughed unrestrainedly.
Is God just playing with him? What a quiet afternoon, full of hope for a bright future.
All of this depends on the fact that the guy behind the scenes who decides everyone's fate with just a few words has to be so kind! If he didn't have that kind of development, all his current leisurely life would be for nothing.
Ghost Duke remembers liking to use this kind of rhythm when writing novels: first, he would arrange a major event to suddenly stabilize the chaotic situation, restoring the constantly disordered rhythm to a state of calm.
Then, amidst the calm, a glimmer of hope is introduced, a slight change is added. And as time continues to unfold, a point of shattering is suddenly introduced.
And someone who fantasizes about simply living a peaceful life will realize how foolish they are.
It seems I really am on the same wavelength as this guy. I wonder what he's thinking about now to make me despair?
That's well done. How can someone with no hope talk about despair? He's treating me so well, probably so he can continue to deal with me next?
Perhaps I really did offend someone, which is why someone is willing to do anything to deal with me.
Ghost Lord jumped off the church; the building, which was several tens of meters high, was far too tall for him.
But all he wanted to hear was the sound of the wind and the pounding of his own heart filled with fear.
I'm afraid of heights and spiders. But being afraid is useless. I can't overcome it; what can be overcome isn't really fear.
But Ghost Lord was confident that he could endure whatever might happen. Whether his body would be shattered or he would have to endure a long period of loneliness, it was all just what he had already experienced.
It's as if you've become accustomed to falling from a great height.
He instinctively closed his eyes, preparing to receive the impact, and silently counted down in his mind.
"At least be kind to your clothes. If you ruin them again, you'll have to wear linen next time." The voice, which he had only recently become familiar with, suddenly rang out, startling Ghost Duke into opening his eyes.
He floated in the air, a powerful updraft relieved his momentum, and then his feet touched the ground.
Ghost Duke thought he hadn't landed properly and instinctively struggled, which almost caused him to fall.
But he was caught from behind and steadied, the girl's soft body preventing him from falling to the ground.
"Alright, I've saved this outfit." He turned around and looked at the Benevolent One dressed as a nun.
She still had that same smiling face; it seemed this girl expressed every emotion with a smile. She continued smiling, speaking the most venomous words in the softest voice: "If you ruin clothes like this again, I'll chop you into dumpling filling!"
"Sorry." Ghost Duke stared at her blankly for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
I've been working for this guy for a while now, and it seems that because she doesn't know what to do with me, she's been surprisingly gentle with me.
Looking at her at first glance, this girl looks a bit like the girl I first met and fell in love with when I first came to this world; at least they are both nuns.
Although this guy is hundreds of years older than me, we are both old monsters approaching a thousand years old. As long as our appearances don't change, we are really just numbers.
“You look very uneasy.” The Benevolent looked at Ghost Duke seriously. “It’s rare to see someone like you so uneasy. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you so uneasy.”
"Really?" Ghost Duke tried to play dumb, but was instead given a big hug.
The inexplicable sense of relief left him somewhat bewildered, a strange feeling, a little wronged, and an inexplicable urge to find a place to sob.
“You are indeed uneasy, even when I cut you little by little, you don’t feel uneasy.” The benevolent one said softly, “You are trembling, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of me? Strange fellow, I haven’t done anything to you right now.”
Ghost Duke didn't speak, he just stood there.
Please, don't let me show up and think things will be alright.
As he thought this, his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Suddenly, fear gripped him. He had been trying to reassure himself and convince himself that he had nothing to fear.
It's like that strange act of jumping down from above is to prove something to someone.
A strange feeling, as if someone was watching him from somewhere he couldn't reach, wanting to see him make a fool of himself out of fear... so he used this self-harming method to prove to the person watching him that he wasn't afraid to die.
Ultimately, it's because I'm afraid of something.
What is there to be afraid of? What do I have left to lose?
As Ghost Lord was thinking this, he suddenly felt his hand being grasped. He turned around and saw the Benevolent One smiling softly at him.
"This is the first time I've ever seen you tremble with fear," the compassionate one said softly. "It doesn't seem like you're afraid of me? Then what are you doing now?"
"I made it clear that we'd need to chat for a long time."
“Let’s talk slowly then. I don’t have anything to do today. Would you like to go for a walk together? You haven’t been outside the Central Church area before, have you?” the Benevolent One said. “That’s exactly what I was planning to do today.”
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