Bab 27: Chapter 27 - Resurrection

"To see if she's been possessed in her home and herself?"

In a cafe, Middendorffi and Eli sat side by side, looking across at the young girl, "We can only look for unusual foreign objects; we can't confirm if she has pathology herself."

"I understand." The girl sighed, "But my aunt isn't cooperating with the psychiatrist at all, and my youngest uncle is already preparing to send her to a mental hospital for mandatory treatment. Before I do that, I want to make sure that it's true that there are no other external causes that are hurting her."

Middendorffi said, "Normally, people would just think it's a mental problem and wouldn't think of strange forces. What made you think of getting it looked at?"

"This ...," the girl said after hesitating, "If I tell the truth, please don't be too offended by the two mages."

"No need to call 'mage'." Middendorffi said, "Speak."

The girl said, "Actually, it's that jerk cousin of mine; ever since my aunt became like that, my cousin had to hire one of those crooks from the outside to come home to see geomancy. He used it to ask the family for money many times, and my grandpa spoilt him, so he gave it. He even went to my grandpa's house with that mage! He made a mess in the house, and I couldn't stand to see it anymore. He's the only boy in our generation; everyone in the family pampers and goes along with him. But even if he wastes money, he lets that liar go crazy in the house, saying that demons haunt my aunt and have to go on austerities, drink holy water, and donate a lot of money to get rid of the plague, so what is this if not a lie?!"

She finished all this with quite a bit of righteous indignation and seeing that neither Middendorffi nor Eli was moved, she had to continue to add, "In fact, I'm saying all this to the two ... teachers because I'd like to ask you to be sympathetic, and if you could pretend to be friends and go to check it out first. In your line of work, asking two teachers to look simultaneously is a big no-no. I can't help it; I don't want to start a fight with that cousin immediately. First, I want you two to confirm if there is an evil spirit.

"If there is, please resolve it between the two of you; if there isn't, then don't blame me for 'defeating magic with magic'. I'll have to tear out his true colours!"

Middendorffi calmly asked, "This cousin you speak of, what is his relationship to your brother-in-law's family?"

The girl said, "He is the son of my aunt and uncle and the brother of the dead cousin. But they have the same father and mother, and now this aunt is my little uncle's second marriage. I even suspect that he is now deliberately screwing his stepmother just to get rid of her too!"

Middendorffi said, "So they're family?"

"... Yes." The girl frowned, "I don't suppose the teacher thinks I'm meddling, do you?"

"We only get paid to do things." Middendorffi said, "You can organise the trip. We won't introduce ourselves; whoever you say we are, that's who we are."

"Thank you, thank you!" The girl hurriedly thanked, "I'll make the arrangements and send it to the teacher as soon as it's ready. The teacher can talk to me if anything needs to be changed."

"You're welcome."

***

Middendorffi and Eli had just got home when they realised a new message had come in.

"Oh, a message from that Sally." Middendorffi unlocked her phone before Eli and tapped the message, "... Three hundred?"

Eli has also just learned to transfer money on their mobile phone. Not long ago, this skill was considerably generous, close to him to see his mobile phone page. "Did not say that the custom is to give cash? How do I transfer money to you on the mobile phone?"

"Write 'carriage fee', but also said 'hard teacher today run this trip, the scene a moment to forget, really sorry'." Middendorffi said, "Did she think we were going to be reimbursed for all the travelling expenses for a trip around?"

"I don't know the rules in this world, anyway." Eli said, "But isn't it just as well that she's willing to transfer it to you on her mobile phone? You don't like having to always run to the bank to deposit money, do you?"

"As well." Middendorffi responded, transferring a hundred and fifty to Eli in person, "You remember to collect it within 24 hours."

Eli also pulls out his phone in person, "I'll collect it now."

Middendorffi added, "Since we're taking this job, let's review the material she sent earlier. Seems like 'collectors' have that process."

Eli laughed silently at his adorable one-liner, "Good."

***

This time, the job was private, still bridged through Creato's father in the middle.

The client's name was Sally, and the accident was at her brother-in-law's house. It was said that her brother-in-law's youngest daughter - her cousin - had died in an accident, and the aunt had been devastated ever since. I do not know where the aunt heard, or purely suffering from a severe mental illness, in any case, she locked herself in the room, a bunch of strange things back, but also said that he saw the dead daughter ... and brought her daughter to let her see the "gods"! The "god" told her that if she wanted to see her daughter again, she could do so.

The god told her that if she wanted to resurrect her daughter, she had to die once.

The expression "die once" was used because the god promised to revive the aunt three days after her death. Everything would be complete When the cousin and the aunt were alive.

The aunt believed in this ridiculous oracle and began to prepare a formation to resurrect her daughter and herself. At first, the family thought she was having psychological problems and needed support, and after a few counselling sessions, they just let her go. Everyone thought that she would gradually recover after her saddest time had passed.

But three months after her daughter's death, not only did the aunt's condition not improve, but the delirium got worse. She also really began to prepare herself to face death. A large amount of sleeping pills, sharp knives, and a piece of rope used for who knows what were all taken away from her room were found. Even if her room was only on the villa's first floor, the windows were sealed so she wouldn't fall out headfirst.

In this case, Sally contacted Middendorffi through President Adams.

She used to be friends with Creato and had asked what was going on with Creato when she happened to meet President Adams, who didn't go into detail but mentioned the existence of Middendorffi and Eli. When Sally heard they were officially recommended and had fundamental skills, she considered commissioning them to see if her aunt's "oracle" was true.

"But according to what she said today, she wants to 'fight' that cousin, right?"

Middendorffi thought momentarily, "She was just trying to prove her cousin wrong. She also mentioned money and that she minded her grandfather giving her cousin money."

"Indeed, the more she says it's not about money, the more she cares about it. You're reading it right." Eli said, "You mind that? If you minded, you wouldn't have had to take the job."

"Don't mind. It's her business, not mine. And I don't get that ... 'It's a big no-no to see teachers from both families together' thing." Middendorffi paused and looked at him, "But if you mind ..."

"I don't mind either."

"Oh." Middendorffi hears that he's willing and doesn't press for a reason, continuing, "So if there really is something, are you going to step in and deal with it? We're unsure if that mage is competent; maybe he can eliminate demons and ghosts?"

"What do you think?" Eli asked, "Do you want me to step in?"

"I don't know." Middendorffi looked at him, "As long as it's not a sub-shadow that comes out of your brain like Suzanne's, it would certainly be a breeze for you. It's up to you if you're willing to swing that sword."

Eli said, "Is it because you're afraid I'll offend the mage?"

"Why should I be afraid?" Middendorffi asked genuinely rhetorically, "There is no need to be afraid of you offending anyone; they won't be more powerful than you."

Eli laughed, "I'm that powerful in your mind?"

Middendorffi returned without hesitation, "You're already awesome."

Eli looked into his eyes, savouring them darkly for a few moments, before he said, "Then I have an idea; listen to it or not?"

"Just say it."

"Since it's a mage, we can ask if he has a master or whatever he came from and then check with the 'collector'." Eli said, "If it's from the right source, we don't necessarily need to keep bothering here; just let him get on with it. Mortals fight; we don't make the mistake of going and gunning for them."

Middendorffi's focus is suddenly off, "... I'm mortal, too."

Eli paused momentarily, but instead of questioning how he was inexplicably focusing on this place, he returned, "You're a mortal like me, not like other mortals."

Middendorffi thought momentarily and figured he was saying that he could sense strange things and wasn't considered average. Middendorffi accepted this explanation and proceeded to say, "Then do as you say."

Eli asked, "You're not worried that you won't make any money if you do?"

"I'm not short of money." Middendorffi paused and then explained, "I don't need a lot of money in my life, and I don't seek much of a lavish standard of living. However, if you want ..."

"I don't need it either." Eli returned decisively, "Have you forgotten? The things that are really useful to me are in my storage space, and I don't seek the material conditions of this world."

Middendorffi struggled to comprehend and concluded, "Then we can do what we want and not do what we don't want. As long as we have money for rent and food, that's it."

With this kind of layabout + moonbat statement, Eli actually came back with a dry response.

"Fine, do it if you want to."

***

A few days later, Sally herself came to pick up Middendorffi and Eli.

She had asked the two to pretend to be interior designers, ready to design the décor of her new home, this time with herself to see the décor and furniture of her brother-in-law's house as a reference. Her brother-in-law agreed to the visit, but he was away at work, and there was a housekeeper at home to attend their party. The aunt was, of course, at home, but don't expect her to come out and make contact with people of her own accord.

With that, Middendorffi and Eli followed Sally into the three-storey cottage.

The place was really quite nicely decorated, and Sari probably did a lot of roomtour-like introductions to make it look more like she was there. Middendorffi and Eli don't really respond, look around with the introduction. The housekeeper did not follow them; after all, the people Sally brought, the housekeeper familiar with this is a relative, then busy with their work.

The group walked around like this until they came to the door of a room on the first floor.

"Oh, let me stop by and say hello to my aunt." No one else was here, but Sari still said to herself, then knocked on the door, "Auntie, I'm opening the door."

After saying that, she literally unscrewed the door to the room.

A stifling smell poured out from the dimly lit interior.