Garden Of Poison-Chapter 260: Escaped soul

The longer Emily stared at the empty coffin, the dizzier she felt. She had sensed that something was amiss when she heard the voices, but she couldn’t see the people to whom the voices belonged.

"Should we report this to the magistrate, King Raylen?" one of the servants asked in worry, as they suspected that a grave robbery had taken place.

Raylen surveyed their surroundings, sensing no one but them in the area. As snow continued to fall from the sky, he responded, "That won’t be needed." In a single leap, he jumped into the empty coffin and laid down within it, though it became apparent that its length was insufficient to accommodate his full frame.

"What are you doing?" Emily inquired, feeling a little anxious at the sight of him lying in the coffin.

"Checking if Julia didn’t like the coffin," Raylen responded, turning his head to the side. He then stood up and climbed out of the grave. He said, "The coffin smells fresh."

"Which means she never had the chance to rot..." Emily murmured, wondering how this could be possible. The young woman was supposed to be dead. She had seen Julia’s body. She had noticed the cold and empty shell before her.

"Close the coffin and place it the way it was before when the grave was dug out," Raylen ordered the servants while they walked to the side where a large tree stood. Taking shelter under it, the gears in the Archdemon’s head began to turn.

Emily asked him, "Is it possible for someone to return from the dead?" After a brief pause, she continued, "What if she was one of the souls that was taken from—" She halted mid-sentence, realising the implications. "Julia couldn’t have gone to Hell."

"I would have agreed with you before, but right now, I am not so sure, Princess," Raylen replied to her. "But there is a way to verify it."

Once they saw that the grave had been restored to its original state, Raylen took Emily to the church they had previously visited. The one that was abandoned. Before entering, the Archdemon snapped his fingers, and the very next second, Balor materialised from thin air before them. The imp appeared visibly uncomfortable because of its proximity to the church, feeling its skin burn.

"Master Raylen. Mistress," the imp offered its greetings with a deep bow.

"Balor, find out if Julia, that is, the princess’s maid’s soul, is in Hell. Quick," Raylen ordered, and the imp nodded before vanishing in a thin puff of smoke.

"What are we doing here, Ray?" Emily inquired, her curiosity piqued as she watched Raylen snap his fingers once more. This time, the torches ignited, bathing the church in light.

"It is easier to gather information in Hell than it is in Heaven," Raylen explained as he walked to the front and began making markings with a stick. "There’s only one person available to speak to and gain answers from. You need specific things or specific places if you want to summon and talk to them. I will need your blood for the ritual, as it is neutral—neither good nor bad."

Emily walked towards the circle he had drawn on the ground, and she raised her hand towards him. Raylen carefully drew only a single drop of blood, which he allowed to fall inside the circle. The flames within the torches grew bigger, almost as if wanting to engulf the walls surrounding them.

A man appeared at the centre of the circle, his short silver hair contrasting against his pale skin. His grey eyes narrowed upon seeing the Archdemon.

"Raylen."

"Good to see you, Shach." Raylen offered a bright smile, which caused the bridging angel to stare intently.

"I wish I could say the same. I hope you aren’t here to bargain for a soul as well. Not that the people you want belong to Heaven." Shach’s eyebrows furrowed as his grey eyes shifted behind Raylen, catching sight of a young woman.

Raylen chuckled at the Angel’s words and introduced, "Shach, meet my soulmate, Emily Blackthorn. Emily, this is the angel who acts as a bridge between the living realm and Heaven."

Emily offered Shach a slight bow, while the Angel stared and asked, "A Blackthorn?"

"She is Dante’s sister. You remember Dante," Raylen added with a smile, and Shach’s eyebrows subtly furrowed in response.

Of course he did, thought Shach. All these archdemons from Hell always tried to swindle their way to gain something. However, he was surprised to hear that the Devil’s son had chosen to bond with an earthling, and his eyes fell back on the woman. Considering she was a Blackthorn, there must have been something about her for Raylen to bind himself to her.

"What have you summoned me for?" Shach asked the Archdemon.

"Emily’s maid died, and there seems to be a little confusion. We simply wanted to know if she is in Heaven. Just a little query," Raylen replied with a polite and charming smile.

"Please," Emily added, gaining Shach’s attention.

Taking a deep breath, Shach closed his eyes, and Emily heard whispers surrounding them. When he reopened his eyes, he replied, "Her soul isn’t in Heaven."

"Mas—ah—aster!" Balor had returned, and upon spotting the heavenly being, who was as strong as its master, it quickly hid behind one of the benches.

"If that is all, I should retire," Shach remarked to them, but not before saying, "Congratulations to both of you. May you both find the peace that you seek within each other," and with those words, he vanished in the blink of an eye.

"What did you find out, Balor?" Raylen demanded, prompting the imp to step away from the bench.

"The maid’s soul hasn’t entered Hell, Master," the imp answered.

"Looks like we are going to Hell sooner than expected for burying a person alive," Raylen remarked with sarcasm, clicking his tongue.

What happened to Julia? Emily anxiously asked in her mind.

"Master, there is also something else," the imp spoke cautiously this time. "Your mother’s soul is missing from Hell."