I didn't know how to respond; my emotions were in utter disarray.

Was this sincere? Then why did he kill me? It made no sense, and it left me deeply troubled.

But whether it was the truth or a lie, regardless of his motives, he had genuinely kept the diary until now, choosing neither to forget nor escape it. I felt a faint glimmer of happiness.

I said, "What kind of friend was that person?"
"Ha, it's strange to say, but someone a bit like you. I don't mean anything else by it—but the first time I saw you, I inexplicably felt you were very similar... even though we hadn't even spoken yet."

What's this? This is completely dodging the question. Just answer honestly—"a great guy" or "a jerk."

"How interesting. Where is this friend now?"
"He's gone."
"Died by the hands of demons?"
"Sorry, I can't say."

At least he wasn't lying. That's good. I composed myself and said, "That was presumptuous of me. What are your plans for this afternoon? Please allow me to help you as an apology."

Gray flashed that annoying smile again.
"Then I'll trouble you. I need to first sort through the tribunal records related to Nekros, then go to the Church of the Star God to get some holy water effective against her."

Oh, so he even knows about that. Whatever, intelligence doesn't matter now.

I replied, "Understood. Also, I have one more request."
"I'm afraid I can't make Adam change his mind."
"No. Please let me join the labyrinth exploration team as well."

I'll tolerate him for a while, until Nekros is dealt with.

While sorting through the materials, the sky gradually turned orange-red. Books were once again scattered all over the floor.

The tribunal records were surprisingly all cases involving spirits and faith. Frankly, not very useful for preparation, but they made interesting stories.

A frail noble maiden fell in love with a young master from a rival family. Her family obstructed the relationship, and she eventually withered away and died. A few months later, she appeared at the young master's wedding, exchanged hearts with every guest, then decayed. Later, mages investigating found Nekros's unique runes on her and the guests' remains.

A circus elephant was executed for injuring people. Nekros suddenly appeared and took the body. A week later, a headless elephant carrying a flock of singing parrots crossed the street, caused a plague, and collapsed inside the circus.

A famine occurred in a certain region. An elderly farmer was cannibalized by his family. After the famine ended, the family members struck it rich and used the money to host a feast for the entire village. A few days later, a merchant caravan visited the village but found no one. In the village center, they discovered a decaying corpse lying on a large platter. Examination revealed the corpse was assembled from body parts of over 150 humans of different ages and genders. Needless to say, Nekros's unique runes were found on it.

There were about forty to fifty such peculiar cases, spread over more than 400 years, with increasing scale and growing strangeness.

Nekros would attach herself to dying people/animals, form a contract, then not act directly, letting the resurrected being cause widespread death.

Gray and I also dug up Mordresar's family tree and the chronicles of his homeland in the demon continent. We found that in his youth, he had experienced a city massacre where all his family members died. He himself seemed to have escaped, surviving as the last scion of nobility. However, it's highly likely he actually died then and was resurrected by Nekros.

From these records, it seems Nekros has been actively pursuing the so-called Three-Eyes Ritual to obtain a perfect body but has been unsatisfied with the results, hence constantly changing contractors.

I only knew about her abilities and her habit of switching contractors before, not what she actually did. Now she seems like a somewhat insane individual. Scary.

Another noteworthy point: the most recent suspected Nekros-related event happened just half a year ago, in a city near Silverleaf Town.

One afternoon, after prayers, the clergy at a church in Starfall City prepared to go out and distribute food as usual but found the church doors wouldn't open and the windows had turned black. Moreover, the priests, nuns, and believers inside began disappearing one by one. If this continued, it would likely have become another mass death tragedy. However, Gray happened to be chatting at the church that day. He worked with the clergy to handle the anomaly. After the treasure vault holding scriptures and sacred artifacts was destroyed, all the priests died, and only one nun survived, he successfully broke the barrier, saving the praying believers and that last nun. During the incident, he encountered a spirit suspected to be Nekros. But she was solely focused on killing the clergy and fled upon seeing him, avoiding direct combat. As a result, by the time he escaped, he still hadn't figured out Nekros's skill set, indirectly forcing me to take the blame for this spirit now.

And he calls himself a genius mage... This guy really isn't good at practical combat and panics without teammates.

I placed the records in my hand back in order and said to Gray, "Which one should we look at next?"
"That was the last one just now. You work very efficiently, and your organized notes are exceptionally concise. A great help."
"Your idea were clear. Next is going to the Church of the Star God for holy water, right?"

Gray's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Disgusting fellow.

"If only Adam could learn from you. Wait a moment. I've met the priest of that church a few times. I need to bring a bottle of wine as a gift."

Saying this, Gray clapped his hands in the air. Dozens of wine bottles flew out from a room on the second floor, arranging themselves in a matrix before him.

This guy really did set up a wine cellar in the tower. Last time, I should have thrown him into the wine cellar first before fighting, to discourage him from casting.

"Twelve-year-old... a bit too precious. This one might seem disrespectful to the gods..."

Gray's gaze wandered among the bottles as he muttered assessments, clearly choosing which bottle suited a gift. Feeling a bit bored, I asked, "Are you a follower of the God of Stars and Memory?"

That's the full title of the Star God. A deity who helps people remember the past and find their future path.

Gray replied, "No, I'm not. But I occasionally visit the church. Partly out of interest, partly because there's someone there I'd like to see.
"You remember, right? In the Starfall City church incident, one nun survived. Afterward, she also came to Silverleaf Town and continues serving as a nun at the church here."

A good opportunity. Time to let Gray experience what it's like having a love-struck person spouting nonsense beside him.

"Is she your lover?"
Gray selected a bottle of wine and answered, "How could that be? She was deeply traumatized by the incident. I just go to check on her recovery. After the incident, I haven't even exchanged a single word with her."
"But you're her savior, aren't you?"
"Ha. Miss Spirit, most people are fickle and ungrateful. Whether she even remembers me now is questionable.
"Rare progress like yours and Adam's should be cherished."

He actually turned the tables. Damn it. Adam must have told Gray about how we met.

I can't take it anymore; I need to set the record straight.

"I apologize, but you seem to have been misunderstanding. Adam and I are not lovers.
"You're familiar with him. You should be able to tell that child has considerable pride and isn't keen on getting close to someone like me, a so-called benefactor."

Gray suddenly stared at me wide-eyed. Wh-what?

He curled the corner of his mouth into a frivolous smile.
"Miss Spirit, you and my old friend are foolish in exactly the same way."

Maybe I should just reveal my identity and fight him.