I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – The Realization of a Ghost

I can feel my entire body getting drenched.
T h i s was co p i e d f r o m k i n gm t l. o r g

The ghost’s expression changed to something indescribable. Urged by me, the ghost, still dazed, began to slowly recount her name and her story. Before long, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of weeping – no, it was the sound of Julianna crying.

“Wahhh, I *hic* loved him so much..!”
T h is w a s c o pi ed f r om k i n gm tl . o r g
“He really is a terrible person.”
“Hic, he even, he even said we would get married!”

A ghost, when its anger subsides, begins to lament. If you provide a space for them, they tend to pour out their emotions even more dramatically. After they’ve let it all out, they generally become somewhat docile.

“Wahhhhh…!”
“There, there; eat this and calm down.”
“Hup, *sniff*…”

While Julianna was pouring her heart out, I repeatedly opened and closed a drawer until I finally found some cookies, which I put into her mouth. Then, with tears soaking the cookies, she started to munch away.

“Now you have to forget about that trash and start anew. How much longer are you going to harbor resentment and hatred toward others?”
“Hnn, *sniffle* you’re right…”
“You didn’t dream of becoming someone like that, did you? Right?”
“Gulp, yes… I wanted to be someone who could protect someone precious… *sob*, but he…!”

At the moment Julianna’s eyes began to sparkle, about to get trapped in those hateful memories again, I waved my hand.

“Oh dear, that person isn’t precious anymore and not even alive.”
“*Snort*, you’re right…”
“So, forget about that garbage and set a better goal for yourself.”
“Sh-should I? Will I be able to?”
“Hey, what can’t you do? The strongest mercenary Julianna is right here, isn’t she?”

I put on a tone that said ‘come on’, which made Julianna, who had been wilting, suddenly lift her head and assert herself.

“That’s right… I was once called the mightiest mercenary!”
“See? So stop that weak talk and from now on, try to obtain what you really want!”
“Okay, I will!”

“Alright, eat this and from now on, no more mischief, and live a good life, okay?”

As she nodded and accepted the cookie, I watched Julianna gobble it down with a laugh.

‘That settles it.’
This w a s c o p i e d f r o m king m t l .o r g

Promises to the dead are very important.

Promises hinting at death like “I have something to tell you after this is finished. I will tell you later” lead to a strong likelihood of remaining as a restless spirit if made before dying.

While living humans can easily break promises, it’s nearly impossible for ghosts. Thus, as soon as Julianna took the cookie I offered, she became incapable of harming others.

“The things I wanted… what I truly…”

She appeared lost in thought, mumbling to herself. I left her be and got up from my seat.
Th i s w as c opi e d fro m k i n g m t l .o rg

It was polite to give her space at such a time.

‘I should give the remaining cookies to Mia.’

Thinking of Mia, who didn’t seem well, I left the kitchen with the remaining cookies on a plate.

***

“Yeah, I -… Huh?”

Julianna finally realized what she truly wanted and sought to tell Lian about it. Yet, all she found in the kitchen was silence.

“Ah…”

It appeared that having been a ghost for such a long time, she hadn’t realized how much time had actually passed.
T h i s w as c o pi ed f r o m ki n g m tl . or g

Julianna silently stared at the teacup before her.

Th i s wa s c o p ied f r o m k i n gm t l . o r g
“Weird person.”

She was a vengeful spirit bound by a dark sorcerer within a book, a curse. More of a monster than a human, she managed to maintain her sanity and ‘think’, all thanks to Lian.

“At first I thought I was dying…”

Just hearing that odd question about geospatial coordinates made her vision spin at an indiscernible speed, and her body was tossed about like a leaf in a typhoon.

When it hit her that she might be extinguished, she could finally look straight at her own existence.

Like how humans see their life flash before their eyes right before death.

Breaking free from the bloodlust to look squarely at her existence didn’t change anything. She watched something flash past her eyes too fast to see, and she felt herself growing distant from the world.

The feeling of being rejected by the world sent her spiraling into exhilaration beyond annihilation.

Just as her recently recovered consciousness was about to be consumed by fear, her body, tethered like it was flung from a height, suddenly stopped in its wild flight.

“Huh? Aaaah!”

As though she was being reeled back in on a string, she started returning the way she came.

Bang!

When she regained her senses, she was back in the original library. The book where she was sealed appeared as though someone had thrown it against the wall, slowly sliding down.

“Ugh…”

Julianna, who had returned from a perilous adventure due to the comedic filter, was filled with extreme anger. But it wasn’t the blind fury of before.

“That damn guy..!”

T h i s w as c op i ed f r o m king m tl . o r g
The anger was directed at Lian, who had caused her terrible ordeal; it wasn’t just the murderous intent to kill someone.

“I won’t let this go!”

The overwhelming fear distorted into anger, which drove her wild. Julianna floated her physical embodiment, the book, out of the library.

She activated the invisibility feature, designed to avoid detection by ordinary people, and flew towards where she sensed Lian.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of revenge.

“Actually, I was born in the back alleys -..”

She hadn’t intended to vent her frustrations while sipping tea. But for some reason, in front of this boy named Lian, her emotions would unexpectedly bounce around, and she would end up crying like a fool.

Moreover, Lian treated her as if she were a ‘living person’. This melted the coldness in her heart that had solidified.

Her soul, bound by curses and resentment, regained freedom and with it, clear reason.

It felt like waking from a long dream.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d fr o m k i n g m tl.or g
Julianna broke away from her thoughts and recalled what she genuinely wanted.

‘I can’t atone for those who have already died… but at least I want to help those who have resolved to protect someone precious.’

With her conclusion reached, her course of action became clear. She went into the book and floated it in the air.

“Let’s help that girl, Lian, who wanted to protect him.”

That was the best choice she could make. The book, now invisible in the air, flew toward where she sensed Noah.

Noah, who had followed Jess, now sat in her own quarters.

“I can do it!”
Th is w a s c o p ied f r o m k i ng m t l. o r g

Every time Noah tried to offer even a bit of help, Jess would straighten her tail in defiance, pushing Noah away, leaving Noah no choice but to entrust Pia with the back end and sneak out of the dining room.

Back in her room, Noah was deep in thought.

‘…It will be hard to go back to the library today.’

It wouldn’t be hard to re-enter, but it hadn’t been half a day since Lian had dragged her out, saying she wasn’t allowed to enter.

If Lian found out she had sneaked back into the library only half a day after he told her not to, he would surely be disappointed in her. That thought made her hesitate.

‘..I don’t want to be hated.’

Noah buried her face in her knees, lost in her thoughts.

‘How should I become stronger? Is there really no other way but to resort to such cruel methods?’

Cruel and terrible methods that assured power flickered before her eyes. Noah did not want that kind of power.

‘..Is this a naïve thought?’

She wanted to save him. She wanted to protect Nero. That feeling was genuine. She believed she could endure any pain, but she did not wish to harm another life for such reasons.

‘I’m such a fool.’

She felt like an idiot for her indecision. The gloom settled in, and her previously sparkling eyes dulled.

Thud.

“..?”

Just then, something lightly fell onto Noah’s foot. She lifted her head from her knees to see what it was that had fallen.

“…!?”

The white book lay before her.

Swoosh.

The book unfolded on its own, even though Noah hadn’t opened it. Quickly, pages flipped until the white ghost, Julianna, jumped out.

“Ahh…”

Noah watched, dumbfounded, as if in a dream.

“You wanted power, didn’t you?”

Julianna spoke with a slightly mischievous smile, different from before.

“I’ll give you the power to protect someone precious. Will you make a contract with me?”

Noah, unconsciously nodding at Julianna’s sincere tone and smile, was met with a frown from her.

“You nod without even hearing the terms of the contract? Haah… I have a lot to teach you.”

And so, Noah had found a mentor.

***

Mia’s mansion, once used by nobles, had many unused places. One of them was the indoor training hall.

Noah used the training hall without hesitation because Mia didn’t mind whether she used it or not.

“Haa, ha…”

Noah was running, sweating profusely in the vast hall.

‘She’s working hard.’

I looked on fondly as Noah trained tirelessly with determination and Julianna at her side, endlessly providing clues for more training.

‘Just like a character from the original story -…’

Suddenly, a cold sweat began to pour down.

‘The original story…’

I could feel my entire body getting drenched.

‘Ah….’

I had forgotten.

Thump, my knees gave out, and I found myself falling to the ground.

“I forgot about the protagonist…!”

Th i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k in gm t l . o r g
IMPORTANT NOTE: From the first, Lian thought Noah is a boy, not a girl. The ghost knows Noah is a girl. So from now I’ll refer Noah as a girl even in Lian’s POV. But in reality, Lian still thought Noah is a boy. (changing she and he often misleads to typos, so I prefer to use one.)