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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/DropShotEpee on 2024-10-17 20:23:11+00:00.

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To their credit, both of the weird Olympians appeared to – at least outwardly – interact without too much awkwardness. Lune was more than happy to let them discuss the Ghost with each other; he really didn’t want to have to match those two’s energy.

“So…no point wasting more time, yeah?” Ash shifted uncomfortably and gestured at a large house just beyond a hill. “That’s the Velford family’s manor. Thing overlooks the entire damn town.”

Caster shaded his eyes with his hand. “Huh. Doesn’t really…fit with everything else.”

“No kidding.” The Gunslinger scratched the side of her neck, then shrugged. “Think it was built back when the town was booming from mining, but when they ran out of gold to dig…whole place went to shit. But those rich fucks were already rich fucks by that point, and managed the fortune well, too. They did all sorts of investments…still do, really. Here, though, they are known for breeding and training race horses now - the fancy expensive kind. Imagine, uh, the ferraris of horses or something. Probably close enough to the truth.”

She paused for a moment, then sighed.

“Ahh, gotcha, that really, really sucks huh?” Caster’s smile didn’t even falter. “So, you super hate those guys yea? Any specific reason or is this an eat the rich sorta bit? Nothing wrong with that, by the way, just curious.”

Lune chose to focus on the binoculars he pulled out from his backpack rather than look either person in the eye. I don’t understand how he can simply ask something that bluntly…imagining doing that is enough to make me anxious.

“Hate is a strong word…” She paused thoughtfully. Then, with blank confidence added, “But a good one! Fuck those idiots!”

Immediately after, Ash gave a sudden start, as if her words just now had somehow offended herself. “Well, not everyone,” she clarified. “Lisa is great…nothing wrong with her.”

Was there anything sinful about the family or was this merely small town politics? Not really a pressing question, but something Lune wanted to find out later.  Also on that list was why and how an Olympian lived in a small town without proper training facilities.

Perhaps Ash took up residence elsewhere while practicing and came here when not competing. Another possibility, given the ride down the mountain earlier, was that she used Object Manipulation to unconsciously cheat her way to victory – same difference. 

“Lisa…is she your friend?” Caster asked. He barely waited for her to nod before adding, “So, that’s why you are so down with us showing up out of nowhere and talking about weird supernatural stuff yeah? Because you think your buddy could die?”

“I don’t think she could die.” Ash’s face turned dark. “I know she’s going to die. Her family has been dropping like flies, you know? Three deaths since the bighead Heir-to-the-Throne died.” She gestured at the large manor off in the distance. “If those walls could talk…”

They’d probably scream. Lune took this moment to get in between the two Olympians. “Three deaths, huh? Any chance they were natural?”

Ash shook her head. “Not unless breaking your skull open and being strangled to death are natural.”

Lune wrote this down on his notepad. “I imagine I know the answer considering how oddly accepting you’ve been about Ghosts and Haunted Blood but…isn’t it possible there’s a human murderer?”

“I mean, I’ve read enough mystery books to think nothing is downright impossible but…” Ash shrugged. “We’re talking ‘no footprints in the snow, no witnesses’ for all of those. Sounds kind of weird…especially since you just convinced me all this supernatural shit is real.”

Caster nodded in agreement. “Yeah, looking like the culprit is a Ghost.”

This logic didn’t quite sit right with Lune. Why were those two, who hadn’t been raised with understanding of Hauntings at all, so eager to accept that the murderer wasn’t just a human? Ash, at least, had been somewhat exposed to it, even if she knew it by other names. But Caster…

Well, maybe he was just an idiot.

Honestly that would answer half my concerns.

“Let’s make the best of what we got.” Lune sighed and watched two sets of eyes fixate on him. “Ash, you said you were friends with one of them, didn’t you?”

“Since childhood, for better or worse.”

I will not unpack that. She’s baiting for a question. No reason to indulge her, unless it’s relevant to the case. “Then she might cooperate with us. Let’s gather some info.”

Ash scoffed at him. “You think I haven’t done that already?”

“I’m sure you did your best. There’s a chance you failed to ask the right questions, though,” Lune answered, too bluntly.

“What? You think you’re better than me at this?” Why exactly this idea seemed to offend her wasn’t obvious. Probably because it wasn’t rational. But it did offend her.

The Holder Clan had taught him from an early age how to defuse accusations of arrogance, lest he be challenged to a duel he could not win. “I’m not claiming to be more competent than you, if that’s what you’re thinking. My Ghost though…he’s good at this sort of thing. Very good. You’d probably do better than me if you had the same Ghost. I’m just lucky I have the best tools for the job.” He glanced at the car and back at the manor again. “Anyhow, time to get moving.”

“Agreed,” Caster muttered, barely suppressing a sigh. “I’m so goddamn tired that standing hurts…let’s finish this up and sleep, yeah?”

Lune agreed and shortly thereafter the trio started for the supposed haunted site. Truthfully, it wasn’t sleep that prodded him forward – he could burn RB for that. Something else was bugging him.

The circumstances of those murders, combined with the strong residual of Haunted Blood sounded an awful lot like a textbook haunting…which was why the Heavenly City not demanding someone to investigate was odd.

Borna had mentioned mysterious deaths and asked him to look into it, but this was information his Master had acquired through his own means. The Gods had been very quiet about this one, from the sounds of it.

Why hadn’t they issued an official mission? 

Ah, he thought, the Haunted Blood stirring in the air. That’s why. It’s because they did…privately. Which raised more questions and demanded his attention, before commanding him to do something. “Actually,” Lune said, suddenly stopping. “I need to call Master Borna and report back to him. Mind getting started without me? For time’s sake.”

“Huh?” Caster crossed his arms. “What happened to your Ghost being good for questioning people? Feels kinda stupid not to bring the guy who can detect lies to—”

“I know,” Lune cut in. “Believe me, I really don’t want to but…I trust you can handle the initial talks.” He forced a smile. “Just…give me a bit, alright? My Haunting and I will catch up in no time.”

“But–”

“Please,” he insisted. 

They held their gaze at each other for a few moments, Caster’s eyes filled with an inquiring concern, and Lune’s with a manufactured cheerfulness ill-fitting for his usual darkness. Without a doubt, the Swordsman could tell something was wrong.

“Got it,” Caster said, with an artificial grin of his own. “We’ll get started then — don’t take too long or I’m telling Borna you saddled me with all the busywork.”

But he still decided to ask no further questions and go along with the wordless plea.

Lune was as thankful as he was surprised by that. People didn’t usually trust him. You might be a little simple-minded, but…

“Hey hang on,” Ash protested. “The deal was for both of you guys to work on this–isn’t this guy as new to the whole Ghost shit as I am? You can’t just–”

“I’ll be right there,” the Hunter promised.

After a short minute of half-muttered deserving protests and unearned charismatic trust, Caster managed to convince Ash to go along with it. Her reluctance was palpable, but despite her apparent flippancy she appeared more concerned about the murders than Lune’s seeming hypocrisy.

They moved, their silhouettes dwindling as they crested the hill, until the towering manor beyond dwarved their figures. Lune stood still, alone now with the chilling breeze, watching as the white mist that neared snow cut them off from the horizon. 

The weather is getting worse…suppose that’s good. It means people are less likely to have seen that insane driving from earlier. It also meant it was in their best interest to finish this as soon as possible. Thankfully, Caster appeared to have helped the mission move forward for once.

Lune knew this was an unfair statement. True, the swordsman often made his life a living hell, but he did make things easier too…albeit less frequently. Surely that  counted for something, right?  He turned around and scanned the half-melted snow. Maybe I oughta tell him that later.

Though…supposed that requires me to survive this first.

“Come out now,” Lune barked out. “Say what you will about my skill as a Hunter, but detection is my specialty. You knew I’d find you.”

The familiar stranger stepped into view with all the casual grace of a cat. 

Niko Kerys walked carrying an aura like an unpaid bar tab: inescapable, inevitable, and indisputably everyone’s problem. Power shimmered faintly in the air around him, the kind that sang of danger.

“Hiding? Fr…

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