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“A-A ship?”

The wooden texture I touched felt damp, its surface overrun with moss. Even the limited area illuminated by the flame gave the impression of something ancient—something that truly lived up to the name of a “ghost ship.”

“……Alright, let’s climb aboard!”

Staying waist-deep in the water wasn’t doing me any favors, and this ship, eerie as it was, offered a better alternative. Plus, I couldn’t keep the baby submerged like this for long. Somewhere solid to assess the situation properly was a must.

Master would probably make the same call—or so I convinced myself.

“E-Excuse the intrusion… No answer, huh?”

I announced myself on reflex and climbed onto the ship.

This must have been the deck—or what was left of it. The planks were rotting, riddled with holes and cracks. If I wasn’t careful, I’d fall right through.

“Geez… isn’t there a sturdier spot somewhere…”
“——Ah… welcome.”

A muffled, elderly voice echoed across the empty deck.

Startled, I turned toward the source. Suddenly, a portion of the deck was bathed in light, as though illuminated by an invisible spotlight. Sitting in that light, perched on an armchair, was an old man staring directly at me.

“Well met, child of man. Come closer. There is something I must tell you.”
“S-Sir, are you someone who also got eaten by the dragon!?”
“No, I am the dragon. Or rather… I was. I am already dead.”

The old man rocked his chair gently and rolled up his sleeve. His withered arm was discolored, resembling decay, with scales sprouting there.

“T-That arm…”
“Merely a reflection of my body’s state. This form exists only so I may… cough… speak to you.”
“A-Are you alright!?”

The old man coughed violently, spewing green blood from his mouth. Panicking, I rushed to steady him as his body threatened to slip from the chair—but my hands passed through him like he wasn’t there.

“T-There is no physical presence here. This is but the lingering will and magic I left behind… before succumbing to the vile curse.”
“So… you’re a dragon ghost?”
“Call it what you will. Time is short. The power shielding you won’t last much longer.”
“You’re the one protecting me?”
“Indeed. Without it, you would have been claimed by the ghost ship already… like that infant.”

He gestured toward the baby in my arms.

Even in the brighter light of this space, the baby remained entirely black, as though coated in shadow. I rubbed at its skin with my sleeve, but the darkness wouldn’t budge.

“Uh… um… do we have time for you to explain about this baby?”
“Of course. That is why I called you here.”

The old man tapped the armrest of his chair with trembling fingers, and the light that had been confined to a small area suddenly expanded, illuminating the entire deck.

For the first time, I could see the deck’s entirety. The floorboards were overgrown with something—it was hard to tell if it was mold or moss. Gaping holes were scattered across the surface. And then there were the countless human bones, lying amidst pools of blood that hadn’t yet dried.

“Eek…?!”
“Those are the remains of those absorbed by this ship. You must first understand the origin of this vessel.”
“The origin of this… ghost ship? And what exactly am I supposed to do after hearing that?”
“There isn’t time. First, you must see it for yourself.”
“Wait, see what? What do you—ahh!?”

The old man struck the armrest again, and the floor beneath me abruptly gave way.

I fell straight down, landing on my rear with a painful thud. He could’ve warned me first!

“Geez, what was that for! Wait… the baby! Where’s the baby!?”

The infant I had been cradling was gone. Had I dropped it during the fall? I frantically scanned my surroundings, but all I could see was a small, storage-like room. The baby was nowhere in sight.

Why hadn’t I marked it with a finger spell earlier? While I was busy nursing my sore tailbone, it must’ve disappeared.

“B-Baby!? Where are you!?”

I called, my voice quivering. I opened the room’s only door.

The instant I did, a wave of stench hit me—an overwhelming, nauseating smell of rot. It was a smell I recognized from the events in Elnath: the unmistakable, unforgettable stench of decaying human flesh I never wanted to smell ever again.

Beyond the door, the sight awaiting me was horrifying—a room packed to the brim with ‘people.’

“Wh-what… is this…?”
“Humans, like yourself.”
“That’s not what I’m asking! What’s going on here!? Explain this!”

Due to the cruel scene, I reflexively snapped, shouting at the unseen old man’s voice echoing through the air.

The bodies lying on the floor were emaciated to the brink of death, their skeletal forms barely clinging to life. At least half of them were already dead, their decomposition filling the air with the unbearable stench.

“This is a projection of the ghost ship’s past. Your outrage changes nothing.”
“But… why? Why are these people suffering like this? What could possibly justify this?”
“Likely, they were sinners. Gathered to build this ghost ship.”

The old man’s voice remained calm, his tone devoid of hesitation or empathy. His detached indifference felt alien, as though it underscored that he was not, and never had been, human.

“The curse began here. Watch closely——and make sure to carry what you learn back with you.”

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