Failed Possession Chapter-97

## Ch-97.

—

Five days had passed, and Lacy had shed the wheelchair—but she had not fully recovered. Moving her body vigorously was still difficult.

So she chose not to rise from the bed to greet Yuri.

She could have gotten up, but she wanted to exaggerate her illness a little longer.

After all, the last time she had seen him, she had been retching uncontrollably in front of him.

“You’re leaving today, right?”

Lacy deliberately softened her gaze and thinned her voice. The acting was so excessive she looked like a terminal patient on the verge of death.

“Why are you like that?”

It did not work on Yuri.

He looked at her half-lidded eyes and feigned hoarse voice with visible exasperation.

“…Ahem.”

Reading the subtle emotion in his gaze, Lacy’s ears flushed red. She cleared her throat several times, straightened the shoulders she had intentionally slumped, and firmed her eyes again.

“You’re leaving today, right?”

She returned to her original question as if nothing had happened.

Yuri decided not to point it out further.

“Yes.”

“That must be nice. I think I’ll need a few more days of rest. I have matters in the city.”

“Matters? Weren’t you here for the exposition?”

The exhibition hall had been destroyed and was being rebuilt, so perhaps it would be held again next year—but this year’s event was over.

“The exposition was one reason. But this season is also when many mages gather. It’s rare for us to assemble otherwise.”

“Ah, that… dung sack—”

Yuri almost said it carelessly but shut his mouth.

“With Fabian?”

“He’s one of them. If you came along too, it would be quite fun.”

“Is it a gathering of Possessors?”

At the sudden question, Lacy frowned.

“No.”

Fabian was a Possessor—but not all the mages she associated with were.

“Are you a Possessor, Yuri?”

“No.”

“How long do you plan not to be?”

“I don’t know. But to you, I’ll continue not to be.”

If his guess was correct, Lacy was THOR123.

Honestly, Yuri had been pleased to see her. The debates he had shared with Thor had always been enjoyable.

But had Thor felt the same?

Yuri had never once lost to Thor.

He did not consider that wrong. But even in “healthy discussion,” losing one-sidedly could breed irritation.

If there was fault in that relationship, it lay with Thor—who had obsessively clung to orthodox lightning magic centered on Dercia, yet poked his nose into everything while pretending expertise. The problem was the one who spoke without knowing—not Yuri, who corrected him.

If resentment had built up?

In truth, rather than fearing that, Yuri simply wanted to tease her.

The real-life Thor seemed like a rather entertaining punching bag.

“Why am I the only one you deny it to?”

“Because I’m not.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means I’m not.”

As Lacy’s shoulders trembled in frustration, a letter was suddenly held out to her.

She stared at it, then glanced up at Yuri.

“I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me?”

“I admire your courage. But… we don’t know each other well enough.”

“What?”

“I appreciate your confession, but we need time to understand one another. First, you should admit you’re a Possessor—”

“Are you insane?”

Yuri looked horrified and shook the letter.

“This isn’t a love letter.”

“…What?”

“And it’s not for you.”

Lacy blinked. Then her face turned red.

She trembled slightly before hastily composing herself.

“It was an American joke.”

“Ameri…can? What’s that?”

Even now?

She glared at him, then sighed and accepted the letter.

“Then what is this?”

“Please give it to Elena.”

He had nearly stayed up all night writing it.

The envelope was not thick—because he had written and crumpled countless drafts.

Whatever he wrote inevitably turned into excuses and justifications.

So in the end—

He simply wrote what he wanted to say.

“….”

Lacy alternated her gaze between the letter and Yuri.

Deliver it to Elena.

A simple request—but it weighed heavily.

It would affect Elena somehow.

But how?

That was impossible to predict.

Elena was unstable right now.

Lacy herself would have to explain upon returning to Lutran.

That meeting Yuri in Alderan had been coincidence. That there was no private relationship.

If she did not clarify, Elena might misunderstand.

Especially if the misunderstanding involved Possessors—

She did not even want to imagine it.

“Alright.”

After deliberating, Lacy nodded.

She would not ask about the contents.

Nor would she secretly read it.

“Anything else to pass along?”

“I wrote everything I wanted to say.”

Yuri smiled faintly.

“Tell her… I’ll be waiting.”

Waiting for what?

A reply?

Looking at his forced smile, Lacy could not bring herself to ask.

“…Okay.”

She set the letter aside and let out a quiet sigh.

“I don’t know when we’ll meet again. Stay safe until then.”

“You too.”

“Heaven-Filling Downpour.”

“Why do you do this?”

Her surprise attack failed.

—

—

## Alderan Airship Port

The Maybeld airship was already prepared for departure.

It was smaller than merchant or passenger vessels—but still larger than the low-cost airplanes Yuri had once ridden in Korea.

As expected of a Maybeld vessel, the interior was luxurious.

Looking around at the well-appointed cabin, Yuri once again thought—

Money was the best.

“I spoke quite a bit with the young Sword Dragon.”

Eleia was already drinking, though they had not yet departed.

She placed her greatsword aside, sank into a large lounge sofa, and uncorked the bottle.

“But come to think of it, isn’t this the first time we’ve truly spoken?”

She drank deeply before turning her gaze to Yuri and Haryeong.

“It’s about a week to Guangxi. Rather than waste time doing nothing, wouldn’t it be more fun to talk? Or—do you not wish to befriend a Possessor?”

She smiled mischievously.

Yuri shrugged and sat opposite her.

“To befriend the Martial Zenith, Catastrophic Tempest—an honor.”

“Flatterer. You met Full-Moon Play before, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t like that bastard. We’re both Possessors, sure—but because of his antics, I get lumped in as a lunatic too.”

The airship rumbled and began to move.

Eleia leaned deeper into the sofa.

“It’s not just Full-Moon Play. Radiant Heaven Sovereign and Frenzied Slaughter Saber—those two aren’t sane either. I get that they grouped them under ‘Four Disasters’ on suspicion of being Possessors. But compared to those three, I’m perfectly normal.”

“Are Radiant Heaven Sovereign and Frenzied Slaughter Saber Possessors as well?”

“Who knows. Unless you’re insane like Full-Moon Play, you don’t go around bragging about being one. If you ask, they deny it indignantly. But… Radiant Heaven Sovereign probably is.”

She drained more than half the bottle in moments and looked out the window.

The city was already shrinking below.

Haryeong, who had ridden an airship before, was pressed against the window.

Estor was the same.

“I heard that after defeating the Blood-Clad Demon General of the Demonic Cult in a life-and-death duel, you disappeared. Why are you with the Maybeld family?”

“Maybeld is my birth family.”

The answer stunned Yuri—

And even Haryeong and Estor turned sharply.

Eleia, however, merely wore a bored expression and drained the remaining liquor.

“To be precise, it wasn’t me—
it was this body’s birth family.”

“What does that mean…?”

“This body is Alnair Maybeld’s half-sister.”

Yuri recalled Alnair’s appearance when they had bid farewell—sharp features, lean frame, sun-darkened skin.

Comparing that image with Eleia—

‘Green eyes.’

Eleia caught Yuri’s wordless expression and chuckled.

“The former head of the family—this body’s father—was far too fond of women. He built a lavish annex like a palace and kept dozens of concubines there. This body’s mother was one of them.”

Haryeong had returned from the window and was now seated beside Yuri. Her face was stiff as stone.

“Well, it seems the former head was careful about contraception. But this body’s mother dreamed too much.”

If she bore him a child, perhaps she would become special among the concubines.

“The former head and the legal wife drew a clear line on that matter. Any concubine who became pregnant could no longer remain in the annex. As you know, the Maybelds have wealth to spare. This body’s mother was given immense property and guaranteed continued support—and sent away.”

A concubine’s child was not permitted to bear the Maybeld surname, nor to reside in the Maybeld estate.

“Before possession, this body’s life had no hardship. Though barred from the estate, she received enough wealth to spend lavishly for life, with monthly stipends never ceasing. As an adult, her only concern was her naturally monstrous strength. Such strength is unnecessary for a wealthy young lady.”

Her mother, who had once harbored ambition to approach the center of Maybeld power, eventually accepted reality. No matter how well she raised her daughter, she would never return to the estate. If she pushed her luck further, the wealth would be confiscated—support cut off—or worse, her life taken.

She wished only for her daughter’s happiness.

To marry well. To have grandchildren.
A future most people take for granted.

That ordinary future never came.

Into the body of her only daughter—

came someone else.

“I couldn’t hide it long.”

A fresh bottle of liquor floated over to Eleia.

“I’m not good at acting. I tried—but by the third day, she had no choice but to notice. The way she looked at me… it wasn’t how one looks at a daughter.”

At first, she must have thought it impossible.

But gradually she realized.
The body was her daughter’s.

But what inhabited it was not.

The tone of voice had changed. The behavior. Everything felt wrong.

Perhaps she could have deceived others.

But not the mother who had borne her and raised her her entire life.

“On the sixth day, she came into my room. With a knife.”

The obvious question was asked.

Who are you?
Why are you imitating my daughter?
Where have you hidden her?

Eleia’s mother would have known about Possessors. But she did not want to acknowledge it.

To acknowledge it meant admitting her daughter’s soul was gone.

So she insisted—
someone had hidden her daughter and was impersonating her.

“Did you kill her?”

Haryeong spoke.

Her face—though expressionless as ever—held unreadable turmoil in her eyes.

“I’m not that much of a monster.”

Eleia finished her second bottle.

“She wanted to kill me. But I couldn’t. Do you know what it’s like to be a Possessor? When you possess someone, their memories come with you.”

She tapped her temple.

“Not my memories—the body’s memories. It’s strange. No emotion at first. Just memories… But when those memories connect to mine, emotions follow.”

“….”

“Maybe it differs from person to person. I knew she wasn’t my mother. But I couldn’t treat her as merely an enemy trying to kill me. Maybe the body itself refused. So I ran.”

“…Emotion.”

Haryeong murmured faintly.

Eleia studied her briefly, then tossed aside the empty bottle.

“I don’t think I committed a sin. I didn’t choose to possess this body. But the face of the woman who entered my room with a knife keeps resurfacing. So I left Alderan and fled far away.”

She changed her name.

“Eleia Yudel” was the name she chose in this world.

Her former name—she discarded entirely.

“The monstrous strength that had troubled the original owner became my greatest asset. I considered learning magic—but since I had entered a body blessed with such strength, I decided to cultivate that instead. So I took up the greatsword.”

She wandered the western continent, honing her power. Entering rifts. Earning money.

“When I reached Fifth Rank, the incident happened.”

Eleia Yudel is a Possessor.

The rumor was spread by her body’s mother.

“She spent her entire fortune searching for her missing daughter—searching for me. Unfortunately, I never learned magic or martial arts to change my face. Eventually my trail was uncovered. Even if I had altered my appearance, I’d have been discovered. There are spells that track bloodlines.”

When she learned that her daughter lived under the name Eleia Yudel, she was forced to accept the truth she had resisted.

It was not an impostor.

It was a Possessor inhabiting her daughter’s body.

“After that, things were truly hard. I wasn’t as strong then. And that era was even more hostile toward Possessors. People attacked me from all sides. Even the War Church began pursuing me.”

So she fled to the Eastern Continent. Crossing the treacherous Central Sea discouraged pursuit.

“Luck, perhaps. Around that time, the Church of Order was expelled from Union. The Calamity Star of Order crippled much of the War Church’s leadership and strength.”

Thus, the War Church’s pursuit did not cross the sea.

“Still, the world knew I was a Possessor. Changing names wouldn’t help forever. So I chose to live openly as one. Fortunately, the Orthodox Heaven Alliance that rules the East does not execute Possessors outright. By opposing the Demonic Cult, I earned their goodwill.”

Years passed.

“I heard that woman killed herself.”

Clatter.

Haryeong abruptly stood.

“…I’m sorry.”

She sat back down, voice small.

Yuri did not know why her shoulders trembled.

Why she bit her lower lip.

But he knew—

it was not something to ask.

“It felt strange. She spread rumors and caused me to live hunted. Yet when I heard she died, I felt no relief. Nor overwhelming sorrow.”

“Guilt?”

Yuri murmured.

Eleia gave a short laugh.

“Yes. Guilt. That’s what I felt. From then on, killing Demonic Cultists became mixed with venting anger. Living like that, I earned the title Catastrophic Tempest. Became a Martial Zenith.”

The floating sensation ceased—the airship had reached cruising altitude.

Eleia continued, watching Haryeong.

“You asked why I’m with Maybeld. I’ve taken a long route to answer. It was Alnair who approached me.”

Her life-and-death duel with the Blood-Clad Demon General had not left her unscathed. Fully healing internal injuries while pursued by Demonic Cultists was difficult. At that moment, a Maybeld envoy arrived.

“Alnair already knew this body was his half-sister. He wanted to turn my desperate situation into an opportunity. I had no reason to refuse.”

And so Eleia returned to the Maybeld family—

the place her body’s mother once longed for.

Her biological father had died years earlier of illness.

Difficult to believe for such a powerful house—but under Alnair, Maybeld grew wealthier still.

The concubines’ annex was demolished without a trace, replaced with new buildings.

“As a Possessor… do you feel familial affection toward Alnair?”

“Of course not.”

Eleia snorted.

“This body never even met him before. Had we grown up as siblings, perhaps. But without such memories, how could I feel sibling affection?”

They did not share that bond.

“Yes, when we first met, that cunning bastard subtly emphasized ‘the same blood flows in us.’ He may not believe it himself.”

Alnair is a merchant.

If something can be used, even half-blood will do.

If the counterpart is a Martial Zenith, he would fabricate sibling affection if necessary.

“I have no sibling sentiment toward Alnair. Many share my blood, but that doesn’t make us family. He helped me. In return, I lend Maybeld my strength.”

Her gaze never left Haryeong.

Because she had seen something stirring there.

[You…]

The transmitted voice reached Haryeong, who hastily composed herself.

“This story has grown long.”

Eleia yawned and stood.

“We have a week. I’ll hear your stories tomorrow. I’ve drunk enough.”

Though she claimed sleep, she left the lounge carrying more bottles.

“…What should I do? I don’t have a story like Lady Eleia’s.”

Estor muttered.

“Talk about your failed first love.”

Yuri said, glancing at Haryeong.

She abruptly rose.

“Where are you going?”

“To train in my room.”

“Haryeong.”

Yuri tried to stop her—but she shook her head gently.

Soon only Yuri and Estor remained.

“…Hmm.”

Estor rubbed his fingers and looked at Yuri.

“Want to spar?”

“If we fall, we die.”

“Why would we fall?”

“You might lose control and break the airship.”

“Hmm…”

Before arguing, Estor glanced out the window.

The city was gone.

Below lay only clouds.

“…Let’s not.”

If they fell—

they would truly die.

Estor shuddered and answered.