The warrior ghost's kneeling not only left Hop stunned, but even the usually calm and composed Elusa was taken aback.
His clasped arms dropped unconsciously, his normally spirited eyes widened in rare shock and bewilderment, and Elusa even glanced left and right instinctively to confirm that the ghost was indeed kneeling before her.
"You... are calling me?"
Elusa's tone was full of disbelief; although she held the title "Fairy Queen," it was merely a name and had nothing to do with a true queen who wielded real power and authority.
The warrior ghost lifted its head, its translucent face alight with excitement, and repeated it; the vague ancient words still rang clearly to Elusa's ears.
"I will never forget your visage and radiance, my lady Queen."
At that moment, more ghosts were drawn by the commotion and slowly gathered together.
At first they drifted numbly and slowly, but when they saw the crimson-haired figure standing before the warrior ghost in the twilight, they changed.
The murmurs and screeches abruptly ceased.
Then one, two, ten... more and more ghosts—whether armored soldiers, nobles in fine robes, or commoners in simple clothes—knelt down toward Elusa like a tide.
The entire street was instantly filled with semi‑transparent, faintly glowing souls that crawled across the ground, creating a spectacular yet eerie sight.
Hop snapped out of his initial shock, stroked his chin, and examined the scene with interest, unable to resist a joke: "Whoa... Elusa, looking at this, maybe you were a real queen centuries ago—any chance you're waking up some past‑life memories?"
"Hop, this isn't the time for jokes."
Elusa furrowed her brows, glared at Hop, then turned back to the kneeling warrior ghost: "Get up. I'm not your queen; you've got the wrong person."
Yet the warrior ghost didn't rise; it bowed its head even lower, its voice choked with remorse: "My lady Queen... I... we deserve a thousand deaths..."
As soon as the warrior ghost finished speaking, the surrounding ghosts began to echo.
"My lady Queen... forgive us..."
"Grant us mercy..."
"We should not have betrayed you..."
"Spare us..."
"..."
The cacophonous murmurs coalesced into a clear, painful resonance; even Hop, who didn't understand the ghostly tongue, could vaguely sense the meaning behind their words.
They were confessing.
A collective confession to Elusa.
Though Hop couldn't grasp the specifics, the bizarre sight made him drop his joking demeanor; he gently tapped Elusa's arm and whispered:
"Something feels off; these ghosts seem to bear a heavy guilt toward you."
Hearing Hop, Elusa finally came to herself, inhaled deeply, forced herself to stay calm, and gave Hop a brief translation of the ghosts' words.
"You're saying these ghosts betrayed their 'queen' in life, and their overwhelming remorse bound them after death as restless spirits."
Hop pondered; regardless, the ghosts sprang to life as soon as Elusa arrived, and she could understand them—there must be some connection.
Could it be that Elusa's past life was indeed the queen of these ghosts?
Does this world have a reincarnation system?
Elusa's gaze swept over the street‑filled ghosts, and she asked gravely, "Betrayal? What did you do to... your queen?"
The leading warrior ghost lifted its head again, its ethereal eyes seeming to overflow with endless remorse, and it rasped:
"We believed the lies of the Grand General and the ministers, thinking you had truly become a dragon, so we watched helplessly as they imprisoned and tormented you..."
"Even when you were paraded and humiliated... we..."
The warrior ghost bowed its head, unwilling to look at Elusa any longer.
Hop and Elusa's expressions darkened; though the warrior ghost gave no details, the fragments allowed them to imagine the queen's tragic fate.
Betrayers are never welcome anywhere.
Hop gave Elusa a gentle tug, signaling her to leave with him.
Yet Elusa seemed oblivious to Hop's gesture; her fist had tightened at some point, and she felt an inexplicable sorrow for the queen she had never met.
Is it because they are both women?
Elusa didn't know; she only knew she wasn't that ancient queen and had no right to forgive those who harmed her.
Watching countless ghosts still kneeling, begging for forgiveness, Elusa suddenly felt revulsion and said, "Hop, let's go back."
As Elusa turned to leave, the ghosts panicked; one ghost screamed in terror, "Your Majesty Elin, you cannot... ah—"
Before it could finish, the ghost let out a piercing scream.
The soul‑shattering howl echoed over the town, waking the long‑tormented locals from their shallow sleep.
In decades, it was the first time they'd heard ghosts make such a shrill sound.
The sudden change spurred curiosity; some brave souls stepped outside, only to be frightened back by the neatly kneeling ghosts lining the street.
Only the innkeeper and visiting historians realized these events were linked to Hop and Elusa.
Hop fashioned two pairs of earplugs for himself and Elusa, and just as he wondered how to stop the annoying wail, the scream abruptly ceased.
Strangely, whether it was the ghost that had just screamed or the warrior ghost that had spoken with Elusa, all the ghosts at once became vacant‑eyed and expressionless, muttering incomprehensible murmurs as they rose and continued aimlessly wandering the town.
The scene was as if nothing had happened just moments ago.
Elusa and Hop exchanged a glance. "You felt it, didn't you? The magical surge that just passed through the ghosts."
Hop nodded. A powerful wave of magic had surged within the ghosts, then they fell into an unconscious state; it was clear someone was manipulating them from behind the scenes.
Yet it was thanks to that ghost's final cry.
At least now they know the ancient queen's name was Elin; they should return and ask the historians for more useful information.
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