I sat there, not looking.
To look at something is to acknowledge its existence.
And to acknowledge something that cannot be sensed is the first step toward madness.
I am not insane.
At least, I hope I am not.
"Are you pretending you can't see me?"
I heard nothing.
No.
I heard nothing at all.
Yes, it was quiet.
No one was speaking to me.
I sat down and opened the small journal I kept beside my bed.
My desk was always untidy. There was little point in cleaning it when I barely spent any time here.
I began to write.
How I escaped the prison.
How I met the priest.
How I died.
How I struggled.
How I returned.
I wrote everything.
"Ah… quite an interesting adventure you have there."
It did not speak.
I continued writing.
When I finished, I lay down on my bed to rest.
Beside me, nothing sat.
Yes.
The room was empty.
No one was there.
No one.
"I suppose I shouldn't expect hospitality from someone who won't even acknowledge me, hm? Hehe… I'll just do everything myself, then."
I closed my eyes.
The sound of water filling a cup reached my ears.
But no one was in the room.
So no one could have poured water.
Then it must be the rain outside.
A reasonable explanation.
Indeed.
"This room is quite filthy, if I do say so myself. I might just trip and fall, you kn—waah!"
Wet.
Water.
It felt like water had splashed all over me.
Instinctively, I rose from the bed.
But why did I move?
If there was no one there.
No one was there.
N o o n e w a s t h e r e.
"You acknowledged me."
My body froze.
It refused to move.
"I am not someone you should ignore, you know. Not even the king dared to ignore me."
I remained silent.
What words could exist in a moment like this?
What words could possibly matter?
"You hurt six of my customers, you know? Six of them, you fucking bitch. But that's all in the past now, sir. All in the past."
My breathing grew heavy.
It felt as though something invisible was dragging me inward.
"I don't understand what you're talking about. I don't know you, and I don't know your customers. Please, just let me go."
"Oh, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself. Usually, when I enter a customer's home, introductions have already been handled. But this time someone was especially rude and refused to acknowledge me, so it must have slipped my mind. Hehe."
Something touched my chin.
Soft fingers lifted my face, caressing me as one would pet an animal.
"I am Noir.
The merchant.
I sell divinity in a bottle. For the low price of your sanity, you can ascend this miserable world, become more than you are, become pure.
And those six customers?
The four knights you killed, the noble, and the priest of the prison."
"I didn't know they were your customers. And they attacked me first. Can you really blame me?"
"Ah, sir, I am not blaming you. I am not even angry. They were my customers, yes, but I couldn't care less about stingy people who refuse to buy expensive products.
I am not here for revenge.
I am here for you."
His fingers tightened slightly.
"Yes, you. The perfect person. If you take my product, you'll be able to perform miracles. You might even achieve your dream.
You want this nightmare to end, don't you?
Take it. And you'll become a god!
HAHAHAHA!"
His laughter echoed through the room.
He was a madman.
Or perhaps the closest thing to a sane man in this world.
"…I can't accept your product. I don't want to become a god. I'm not interested."
I forced the words out.
"Oh. Oh… oh?"
His eyes lit up.
"I see. You enjoy it, don't you? Ah, how could I miss it? How could I?
You enjoy the pain.
Is that why you took over this body? Hmm? Tell me. I'm curious."
I didn't want to speak.
I didn't want to answer.
I didn't want to acknowledge the truth he sought.
But my mouth moved.
"I can't attain godhood. It's impossible for me. And even if I could, it would be meaningless. This body rejects this world.
I am merely a catalyst—
something it summoned to reach the dream it carries within itself."
"I see… fascinating."
He stared at me with open interest.
"The soul of an undead.
The body of a man who abandoned the kingdom.
And a beating heart.
Interesting indeed."
I could not move.
Then he smiled.
"Well then, how about information instead? I can't leave without selling you something. It's simply not in my nature.
So tell me—
You want to end this nightmare, don't you?
I'm sure the heavens are growing bored reading your story by now.
So how about it?
Shall I tell you how to enter the castle?"