Sigrid

Morris, puzzled by Sigrid’s behavior, was walking when he met Alkerto.

“Good morning.”

But Alkerto seemed not to hear, lost in thought. Morris lightly smacked his back and said:

“Wake up.”

“Ugh, ow, ah― Morris. When did you get here?”

“Just now. What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just― Hey, did you see Sigrid?”

“Yeah, just now. Why?”

“Doesn’t she seem different?”

At Alkerto’s cautious question, Morris nodded.

“She did seem a bit strange. She said something about having a dream.”

“A dream?”

As Alkerto looked puzzled, Morris narrowed his eyes and asked:

“Why do you think so?”

“Well, just now… she said she took a vacation.”

“What?! Sig? A vacation?”

“Yeah.”

Alkerto rubbed his chin. And that confession just now. It was unbelievable coming from Sigrid Ankertna, who could be described as the epitome of stiffness, taciturnity, and inflexibility. He never imagined she would envy him. He thought she despised him, if anything. And that expression she showed after his words.

‘Is she unexpectedly cute?’

Morris, trying to lift his flattened hair at the back, said:

“She’s been really weird since yesterday.”

“Yesterday?”

“Yeah, since last night…….”

“What happened last night?”

“I don’t know, she got caught during curfew and seemed really off.”

“Caught during curfew?”

It was unthinkable for her to break the law, so Alkerto made a strange face. Morris muttered, tapping his head:

“Something seems off here… Maybe she was affected by magic… And suddenly taking a long vacation…”

“But there’s no particular reason for a magician to target her, is there?”

“That’s true.”

“I fought with Sigrid before.”

Alkerto looked puzzled at Morris’s words.

“Don’t you fight all the time?”

“Yeah. But that time, we fought because Sigrid was about to cut off the wrist of a pickpocket right on the spot.”

“That’s just like her.”

“It was a scrawny little kid. She grabbed them without hesitation and drew her sword… I ended up crossing swords with Sigrid trying to stop her.”

Morris frowned. The memory of that time came back vividly.

In the meantime, the kid escaped as intended, and Sigrid, outraged, shouted at Morris that he was an accomplice for protecting a criminal and reported him to the guard. The guard, flustered, fined Morris a small amount. Normally, this would create distance between people. But Sigrid was just as strict with herself. She didn’t excuse her own mistakes.

And when she thought something was wrong, she wouldn’t back down no matter who it was. She had saved lower-ranking knights from unfair treatment by superiors several times. Although she suffered tremendous disadvantages in personnel transfers because of it, Sigrid didn’t even bat an eye.

She applied the same standards to herself and others, and that’s why people maintained relationships with her. Of course, there were some who absolutely couldn’t, but Morris wasn’t one of them.

“Really.”

Alkerto brushed his hair back.

“Well, we’ll see.”

“I guess so.”

They both shrugged.

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Sigrid checked her bank balance. After years of living an ascetic, frugal life, the money in her account had somehow grown considerably.

First, let’s move.

Sigrid decided. To change one’s life, one must change one’s lifestyle, and the best way to change lifestyle is to change the environment. If she moves and changes her base―if the most basic things like food, clothing, and shelter change―her life will change. That’s what Sigrid thought.

‘Should I buy a small house in the 2nd District, or a country house on the outskirts of the capital?’

Sigrid groaned as she pondered this modest dilemma. She didn’t actually need to go to the Knight Order every day. It’s not like there was work every day, she only needed to go when summoned.

‘Should I go for the outskirts?’

The truth was, she wanted a garden. Some female knights would gather at cafes or have tea parties in gardens, and while she acted like she ‘disliked’ it on the surface, she secretly admired it a little. Seeing some public opinions criticizing female knights as extravagant, she tried to prove that she wasn’t ‘that kind of female knight’. She despised things like liking pretty tea sets, feminine attire, or makeup as unbecoming of a knight.

Naturally, she wasn’t on good terms with other female knights.

‘But not now.’

Let’s go with the country house on the outskirts after all.

Having decided, Sigrid went to find a real estate agent. Entering the commercial district in the 2nd District, she was surrounded by bustling noise. The shopping street was neatly decorated, and the roads were wide enough for carriages to pass through. She entered a shop with a sign that read ‘Marigold Real Estate’, where a female owner with tightly pulled-back brown hair attended to her.

“Welcome.”

“I’d like to see some properties.”

At Sigrid’s words, Marigold smiled brightly and offered her a seat. Sitting on an old but well-maintained sofa and receiving a cup of coffee, Marigold began to ask questions in earnest.

“Are you looking to live alone?”

“Yes, I’m currently serving in the 2nd Knight Order.”

“Ah, so you’re a knight. Then, I have some nice properties in the 2nd or 1st District―”

“No, I’d like to choose a country house on the outskirts.”

“Oh my? A country house? Won’t that be inconvenient for commuting?”

“Yes, but I want to have a garden.”

“I see―”

Marigold nodded and asked:

“Then, how about District 14 in the 2nd District?”

“District 14?”

“Yes, it’s a newly renovated area with small gardens attached. It also ensures personal privacy.”

“But it sounds expensive.”

“Are you not considering monthly rent?”

“No, monthly rent is a bit…….”

“Then this one is cheap!”

Marigold smiled brightly and handed over some documents. It was a building in District 14 of the 2nd District, at half the usual market price. While this was within Sigrid’s budget, she was puzzled.

“Why is this so cheap?”

“Well, you see―”

Marigold quietly looked at the young female knight before her. Feeling that she shouldn’t lie to this neat, but somehow doll-like faced woman, Marigold spoke honestly.

“There was a murder case.”

“A murder?”

“Yes, the head of the household killed his entire family and committed suicide. The building had a lot of mortgages and went to auction, but unfortunately, no buyers came forward…….”

Sigrid nodded.

“Could I see it in person?”

At those words, Marigold hesitated.

“Well, the house hasn’t been cleaned, so it’s in bad condition…….”

“Then all the more reason to see it.”

At Sigrid’s words, Marigold nodded, thinking this time she might actually sell this house.

“Alright, I’ll give you the address.”

Sigrid was amazed from the entrance when she visited the house Marigold had directed her to. It was completely different from the houses on either side. The rusty iron gate and overgrown weeds seemed to mar even the scenery of the neighboring houses. Carefully opening the creaking iron gate and passing through the knee-high weeds, she opened the front door to be hit by the stench of rotten blood.

Sigrid frowned. While she was used to corpses, she still disliked this smell. Looking around to see where the smell was coming from, she found that blood had seeped into the wooden floor, causing the odor.

‘I’ll have to replace the entire wooden floor. It might still smell even after that.’

The glass windows were also broken, perhaps from stones thrown from outside. It felt eerie that the furniture and dishes were left intact. It seemed the house hadn’t been touched since the murder. The kitchen smelled of rotting food. Going upstairs, the baby’s crib in the child’s room was covered in blood, with flies buzzing around.

‘Is this how they usually manage properties?’

Shouldn’t they at least clean up the murder scene if they want to sell it?

Feeling puzzled, Sigrid examined the structure. The frame seemed sturdy, and the interior layout was decent, being basically a house for the middle class. As she was leaving the baby’s room, she began to hear a faint sound of a baby crying from behind her.

‘Ah―’

Sigrid finally understood. It’s a ‘haunted’ house. She put her ear to the door and listened. The sound was definitely coming from inside the room. But when she opened the door, the sound stopped abruptly.

“Perhaps……”

Sigrid tilted her head and slowly gathered Aura. A sphere of light began to grow in her hand. What started as small as a firefly soon became as big as a fist, then as large as a head. However, without a core, it couldn’t stabilize, its surface rippling like a rain-spattered puddle.

Then Sigrid released the compressed Aura in one breath. A flash of light and a wave of heat spread throughout the room. Sparkling particles of light filled the room, flickering before slowly disappearing. When Sigrid left the room, the crying sound was no longer heard.

‘Seems it worked.’

Sigrid had once heard a magician talk about a theory that ghosts are Aura created by people’s negative emotions. The idea was that you could drive out ghosts by purifying the surroundings with warm Aura. Who knew it would be true?

Sigrid returned to the office, and Marigold, who had been waiting, examined her expression and asked:

“How was it?”

“It’s haunted, isn’t it?”

At Sigrid’s words, Marigold’s face fell. That was the biggest reason the house wouldn’t sell. Whenever they tried to clear out the items inside, ghosts would appear and interfere, leaving the house in a mess. The neighbors on both sides had complained about their property values dropping, but there wasn’t much that could be done.

“If you can lower the price a bit more, I’ll buy it. From what I saw, the floors need to be replaced, and the furniture needs to be cleared out.”

“But it’s already half price, ma’am.”

As Marigold smiled with a troubled expression, Sigrid thought for a moment and said:

“Then how about we deduct the cost of cleaning, replacing the wooden floors, and the windows?”

After some negotiation, Sigrid acquired the house for about forty percent of the market price. Marigold was honestly relieved to have sold the haunted house. It had been a headache; bought cheaply at auction but unsellable due to the ghosts.

Sigrid paid the deposit on the spot, signed the contract, and received the keys. As she left, receiving Marigold’s farewell, she felt dazed herself.

‘Is it really okay to buy a house like this?’

She suddenly felt afraid. Although she had decided to change her entire lifestyle, wasn’t this decision too impulsive?

She had bought it for less than half the market price, but the house wasn’t cheap by any means, and this had wiped out half of her savings. Fiddling with the bronze key in her hand, Sigrid shook her head.

‘No, I decided to change. I did well. It’s fine. And even if I made a mistake, it doesn’t matter. What’s wrong with living wrongly?’

Hadn’t she thought she was living well, only to end up dead?

Sigrid thought that living according to one’s heart wasn’t easy either. Because―

‘I don’t even know my own heart.’

Having always suppressed her desires, it was difficult to look into her heart, understand her desires, and find out what she wanted.

‘A house……huh……’

As she walked, twirling the key, Sigrid’s eyes caught the sign of a clothing shop. Behind the glass window hung illustrations of women in glamorous dresses. Sigrid swallowed hard and strode into the shop, pushing the door open forcefully.

“Welcome.”

“Welcome.”

The clerks greeted cheerfully in unison. Etoile looked Sigrid up and down and asked with a smile:

“How may I help you? Would you like to see our new dresses? Or―”

Sigrid’s eyes scanned the hanging fabrics and half-draped dresses. In truth, she had no idea what she should buy. So Sigrid decided to put aside her pride and speak honestly.

“I only have my uniform and two shirts. I’ve never paid attention to my attire, so I don’t know what clothes to buy… but I want to expand my wardrobe a bit.”

At those words, Etoile said “Ah,” and smiled, seating Sigrid. She looked at Sigrid with sparkling eyes and asked:

“I see you’re wearing a uniform, so you must be a knight?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then― I suppose pants would be more comfortable than dresses for you. But you said you only have ordinary shirts, right? Where did you purchase them?”

“They’re the basic shirts issued by the Imperial Palace.”

“Oh, my―”

Etoile lamented. The knight before her lacked the frailty and slenderness typically seen in noble ladies, but she possessed no less elasticity and a deer-like gracefulness.

This is quite a good raw gem.

Etoile felt a spark ignite somewhere in her heart.

“Then let’s start by fitting you for shirts. Um, what’s your budget?”

In truth, Sigrid had no idea about clothing prices. Everything she bought was cheap.

“I’m not sure about the price range, could you explain a bit?”

“Of course.”

Etoile brought several large catalogs. Showing the samples of fabric attached to them, Etoile said:

“Usually, this 150 thread count cotton is considered high-end. Feel it, isn’t the texture lovely despite being cotton? If we go up a bit, look at this one with a slight sheen. Yes, yes, smooth, isn’t it? This is mixed with about thirty percent silk. And oh, you have a good eye. That’s 300 thread count. It’s expensive, but it feels wonderful when worn.”

Etoile enthusiastically explained the fabrics and prices, and Sigrid swallowed hard at the prices beyond her imagination. Were clothes always this expensive? Moreover, the price skyrocketed depending on the material of the buttons. Sigrid’s hands trembled.

I can’t buy this!

She wanted to run out of the place. But she desperately held herself back.

‘I decided to change my lifestyle.’

But… but… this price…

Etoile, noticing Sigrid’s expression while talking, quickly pulled back the expensive catalogs and opened a slightly cheaper one.

“These are nice too.”

It was cheaper than before, but still expensive. However, she couldn’t leave without buying anything. Besides, this was her first time shopping like this, and Sigrid was barely resisting falling completely for Etoile’s sales pitch. She ordered two shirts and one pair of pants. After taking measurements several times, reviewing the cutting, and choosing designs from the collar to the buttons to the cuffs, Sigrid paid the deposit and left the clothing shop.

‘I’m dizzy…….’

It was an experience she didn’t want to go through twice. She would need to buy a new cloak, hat, gloves, and boots to match the clothes, but she didn’t have the courage to go shopping for those now.

‘I’ll buy them next time, next time.’

With that decision, Sigrid returned to her small, old room. After informing the landlord that she would be moving out, she sat on a shabby wooden chair and slumped over her desk.

‘This is comfortable.’

That house, the garden, the glamorous clothing shop were all too uncomfortable.

How comfortable is it to just drink cheap tea, lie on a bed that smells of flea powder, and rotate between two worn-out sets of clothes? Sigrid felt the urge to cancel everything, the house and all. But she had already taken her vacation and paid the deposit.

Sigrid, accustomed to passively following orders, found it very difficult and painful to do something proactively on her own.

‘It’s okay, you can do it. You can do it, Sigrid.’

She encouraged herself, changed into her nightclothes, and went straight to bed, exhausted. Thinking that today was even harder than training.

The next morning, as if she had an alarm clock built into her body, Sigrid woke up at the same time as the rooster’s crow. She was about to wash up and change into her uniform when she remembered she was on vacation. She sighed, hung the uniform back up, and changed into different clothes. Then she leisurely headed towards her new house in the 2nd District.

‘My house.’

Finding the phrase oddly strange, Sigrid gave a bitter smile.

Upon arriving at the house, Sigrid purified the entire place. Without an Aura Core, this alone was exhausting, and she quickly devoured the bread and water she had brought. But she felt satisfied, sensing the air becoming clearer. Then she went to find Marigold to request cleaning workers. Marigold seemed worried that the cleaners might run away again. Sigrid shook her head and said:

“It won’t happen again.”

“It won’t?”

“No.”