The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Chapter 87

Meanwhile, Aden, who had overheard the news, had a look of puzzlement in his eyes.

‘A daughter? Did Marcus have a daughter?’

It was something he had never heard of in his previous life.

Why?

“Elise, Saintess.”

Marcus called out to Elise with a trembling voice…

Thud.

Marcus fell to his knees in front of Elise and cried out earnestly.

“My daughter has been suffering from a long-term illness! I’ve searched everywhere for a cure, and now the only hope left is the blessing of the saint. I will do anything, please help! Please save my daughter!”

It was an intimidating sight, as if he could crush a person’s head with his palm like squeezing fruit juice.

Seeing such a man kneeling submissively like a servant made Elise uncomfortable.

“A, ah, mister. Please stand up for now…”

“Please, I beg you!”

“Eek, wait a moment! Don’t shove your face in! Ah, Aden oppa, help!”

When Marcus’s tear-streaked and snot-covered fierce face got too close, Elise, horrified, desperately tried to push his face away while calling out for Aden.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Aden struck the back of Marcus’s head with his fist, causing his face to slam into the floor.

“Let’s calm down for a moment, okay?”

“I, I apologize…”

After a brief moment of thought, Aden nodded.

“First, let’s go and check her condition. Then we’ll see if it can be treated with divine power.”

“Yes! Mister, you heard him?”

“Th-thank you! I will definitely repay this favor! Huhuh.”

Marcus shed tears.

The sight of such a burly man, who looked like he wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed, sniveling and begging was quite unseemly.

But it also showed how much he cherished his daughter.

Marcus and Aden’s group quickly followed an employee to the room where his daughter, Charlotte, was.

“Charlotte!”

The head of the Medala Guild burst into the room, which was wide open.

Aden, who followed behind, felt a familiar scent tickle his nose.

‘Winter lily tobacco leaves…’

A herb Cassie once smoked to relieve the pain of mana depletion syndrome and to calm her mind.

The scent of winter lily tobacco leaves burned here and there, filling the room with its fragrance.

“Daddy’s here, Charlotte! Please, wake up!”

A girl who appeared to be about seven or eight years old was sweating profusely and groaning in bed.

Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily, clearly burning with fever.

Elise approached the suffering child and cast a holy spell.

A golden holy light seeped into Charlotte’s body.

“Why…?”

However, Elise was soon bewildered.

While the child’s complexion indeed improved as the holy power infused her, that was all.

“Ugh… ugh…”

As Elise withdrew the holy power, Charlotte’s fever surged again, and she began to groan in pain.

“Lord, please heal this child!”

Elise tried casting the holy spell again…

“Please heal her!”

She infused holy power once more…

“Please…!”

But it only provided temporary relief; the child continued to suffer from high fever and pain.

Elise muttered in disbelief.

“She’s not getting better…?”

Elise’s holy spell was ineffective.

It was the first time Elise had encountered such a situation since becoming a saint.

“This… this can’t be! One more time…!”

“Elise, Saintess, that’s enough.”

Marcus stopped Elise, who was about to cast another spell.

He then took a small vial from his pocket and carefully poured its contents into his daughter’s mouth.

Shortly after, the fever in the child’s body subsided, and her breathing became regular.

The fever that couldn’t be reduced even by the saint’s healing was lowered by a single medicine.

Aden asked him.

“Guild Leader Marcus, what is that…?”

“It’s a fever reducer I managed to obtain with great difficulty. It’s only a temporary measure, though.”

The guild leader’s expression wasn’t good as he answered.

“It’s not a fundamental cure, so the seizures will occur again.”

Seeing his daughter’s face finally relax in sleep, he sat weakly in a chair.

“My daughter… has been suffering from an unknown illness for about a year now.”

He began to tell his story to Aden and the others.

Charlotte was a cherished daughter he had raised with great care, especially after the death of his beloved wife.

But about a year ago, she started to suffer from unexplained high fevers, hallucinations, and delusions.

Even as the leader of a major guild, he couldn’t find out what this mysterious illness was.

No matter what medicine or herb he gave her, she wasn’t cured; the best they could do was temporary relief through the blessings of a priest.

“Then I finally learned of this medicine through the Umbra Guild, which allowed me to get through the worst of it.”

He didn’t know how the medicine was made, but it was the only thing that alleviated Charlotte’s symptoms.

So he had been buying it at an exorbitant price each time, despite the financial strain it placed on the guild.

Though the guild’s operations were being financially hit, he was willing to bear it for his daughter’s sake.

However, since this medicine wasn’t a fundamental solution, he continued to search for a way to cure his daughter’s illness.

The only thing that showed any improvement was the healing power of a high-ranking priest.

“So I thought that maybe the holy power of a saint-level priest could possibly cure her. But… it seems not.”

But he hadn’t expected even the power of a saint to fail.

This realization twisted Marcus’s face with sorrow.

The thought of his young daughter having to live her life in such pain made his heart feel like it was being ripped apart.

“I’m sorry… for not being able to help.”

Elise apologized with a dejected expression.

Elise had only been a saint for a few months, but during that time, those who received her healing were cured so easily.

She had easily dispelled the curse placed by the cult leader and healed even the gravest injuries sustained during the construction of the church branch with just a wave of her hand.

The fact that her holy power didn’t work was somewhat shocking to Elise.

“It’s not your fault, Elise. You did your best.”

“That’s right, little saint. It’s not your fault.”

Bali Priest and Cassie consoled Elise.

Aden calmly advised.

“Elise, you’re a saint, not a god.”

And a saint is human.

A mere human cannot do everything.

“Never forget that.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Elise nodded slightly, feeling somewhat comforted by Aden’s words.

Meanwhile, Aden pondered over the current situation.

‘I didn’t know the Medala Guild Leader had a daughter.’

He didn’t know why at first, but now he had an idea.

‘This child probably doesn’t have much time left.’

Aden likely didn’t know of her existence because she died at a young age.

‘A disease that even the saint’s holy power cannot cure? Is that possible?’

The holy power of a saint or saintess was a divine authority granted by the gods.

It could purify even the most powerful diseases or curses.

Yet, Charlotte’s condition hadn’t improved despite receiving the saint’s healing, suggesting two possibilities.

‘The first possibility is that the curse afflicting her is stronger than Elise’s abilities.’

But this was unlikely.

If the curse were that powerful, Aden would have sensed it like with the Kertel cult leader.

So that possibility was dismissed.

‘The second possibility is… this is her healed state.’

In other words, the child’s suffering wasn’t due to an illness.

But this was a completely new idea, so he couldn’t be certain.

At that moment.

-Aden Alvireo.

Curse’s voice echoed.

-Summon the shield.

‘What?’

-I need to check something. Hurry and bring it out.

Initially wary of what Curse might be planning, Aden, after careful consideration, decided there was no harm in following its request.

-Invoking the bound weapon, ‘Banshee’s Spirit Shield.’

A translucent silver shield materialized on Aden’s right hand as it glowed.

“Prince Remes, that is…?”

“Aden, why are you…?”

Those unaware of Aden’s spirit weapon looked surprised, while those who had seen it before wondered why he was summoning it now.

Hwaaaa!

Light emanated from the Banshee’s Spirit Shield, filling the room.

Then a change occurred.

-Kikik!

-Kekekekeke!

-Kikikikik!

Chilling, eerie laughter echoed, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

Dozens of gray, shapeless entities swirled around the guild leader’s daughter, laughing.

The room instantly filled with a cold, eerie air.

The guild leader was horrified at the sight.

“N-no, what are those…!”

Aden recognized them immediately, his eyes narrowing.

“Specters and wraiths.”

Specters and wraiths were remnants left behind by spirits and the dead.

They typically targeted the mentally weak or those with low life force.

These creatures drained the life out of weak humans, much like leeches.

The Banshee’s Spirit Shield, being a remnant of a Banshee, revealed these otherwise invisible entities.

‘This is serious…’

It was rare for even two or three wraiths to attach themselves to one person, but Charlotte was surrounded by over thirty of them.

Although Aden also had specters of the monsters and villains he killed clinging to him, they were bound to him by Baalzebul.

These couldn’t harm Aden due to his strong willpower.

But it

was abnormal for so many specters and wraiths to cling to an ordinary child.

-Now I understand.

Curse provided the explanation.

-This child has an extraordinarily high affinity for spirits. It’s remarkable for a human.

Spirit affinity was the degree to which a human could form contracts with spirits, a rare talent.

The higher the affinity, the more powerful the spirits they could contract with, becoming exceptional spirit summoners.

However, it wasn’t solely a blessing.

-Humans with high spirit affinity are also coveted prey for specters and wraiths. This child has a remarkably high affinity for her age.

This explained why Charlotte was tormented by so many evil spirits, suffering due to their presence.

‘So Elise’s holy power didn’t work because…?’

-It’s not an ailment or a disability; it’s her ‘constitution’ that attracts wraiths.

Holy power couldn’t change a person’s innate constitution.

Elise prayed to heal an illness, but since there was no illness, no change occurred.

Specters only momentarily withdrew when infused with holy power, returning as soon as it faded.

Now Aden understood why the guild leader’s daughter was suffering.

“By the way.”

-Kikik!

-Kekekeke!

“Shut up, you’re noisy.”

The negative, sinister laughter of the specters and wraiths was highly annoying.

“Elise.”

“Y-yes, what is it?”

Elise, who had been dazed by the sudden appearance of the specters and wraiths, snapped out of it, startled.

“These guys are the ones tormenting Charlotte.”

Aden casually pointed at the specters and wraiths.

A sly smile played on his lips.

“And specters and wraiths are weak against holy power.”

“…!”

Indeed, holy power couldn’t change a constitution.

However, it could purify specters, who were negative entities belonging to the dark.

And with the Banshee’s Spirit Shield revealing their forms, the solution was simple.

“Blow them away, Saintess.”

Just obliterate them all.