Transmigrated as a Ghost

Wrapping up their small celebration party for defeating a dungeon boss monster everyone began to go their separate ways.

Yet as Marcus and Lilia made it to the main guild floor, someone they knew came up to them in a hurry.

"Ma- friend Irene, I am glad I managed to catch you."

Looking over to his right Marcus saw Mrazivý who had made a beeline for him and had almost called him the wrong name barely catching herself at the last moment.

And following right behind her were her guardian knight and the mage Diana.

"Hey Mraz, you seem to have come over here in a hurry so did you need something from me."

Nodding her head Mrazivý said, "Actually I was hoping if you would come with me tomorrow to the viceroy's spring festival party. I do not know anyone here and it would be nice to have a friend to go with. "

"Yeah, I do not mind but what about your party members, can they not go with you." Marcus asked curiously.

Shaking her head Mrazivý said, "No only nobles will be allowed to attend this party, so the only one who can go with me is Diana. So will you do it, it would mean a lot to me."

'Eh why not.' Marcus though as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, sounds like fun. It has been a bit since we have been able to hang out in non-life and death situations, Ah and could Lilia come with us as well."

A relived smile appeared on Mrazivý's face when she heard this and she said, "Thank you, and sure Lilia can come since she is your sister. The party is in the evening but the festival itself starts early so we will come and pick the two of you up just after breakfast, so where might you be staying."

After giving Mrazivý the details about the inn they were staying at, Marcus and her parted ways each of them going back to their respective lodgings.

"I hope you are okay going to the festival tomorrow, Lilia. If you just want to stay back and rest, feel free to, there is no pressure on you to attend if you do not want to."

"No, I think it will be fun to go around a festival with you and the princess, though I am not sure if I want to go to the viceroy's party. I am still not very good with etiquette." 

Nodding his head Marcus told Lilia that she could do whatever she felt like and that she did not have to decide right this instance.

Getting back to their inn, the owner who was a large man and a retired adventure and was normally in the back was actually out front.

"Ah so you two are back. I was starting to think that you both might be ghosts seeing as how little time you actually spend in the rooms you have rented." The inn's owner said with a jovial smile on his face, obviously pleased with his joke.

Unfortunately, since Marcus actually was a ghost, for just an instance had fear course through him thinking he had been found out.

Luckily, he quickly realized that the owner was joking and calmed down before letting out an awkward laugh.

"Yeah, we have actually been taking extended trips into the dungeon that is why we have only been staying here every now and then."

Hearing this the owner's eyes seemed to look off into the distance as if he was remembering and incredibly painful memory.

"Well, I am glad that you are back now. Just try to be careful, the dungeon is dangerous and unpredictable, and death can be waiting around any corner."

After giving that last warning the owner went into the back most likely to get back to work.

With their short encounter with the inn's owner over, Marcus and Lilia made their way back up to their room and after washing up got into their beds and went to sleep.

When the next morning arrived, Marcus got up very early just as the sun was coming up and left heading towards a certain location.

Arriving in front of the Cobalt Forge, Marcus found that the doors were open and when he went inside, he found that Edzard along with a couple of his apprentices were working on something.

"Sorry we are closed come back in a few hou-… oh Irene come on in."

As Edzard noticed someone coming in he began to say that the place was closed but when he noticed it was Marcus a smile appeared on his face, and he beckoned him in.

"So, what can I do for you today." Edzard asked as he continued to swing his hammer on the project in front of him.

Putting on his best smile Marcus said, "I was hoping to make something really quick if that was possible.

Nodding his head Edzard said, "Sure go ahead and make yourself at home."

With Edzard's permission Marcus went back into the private room he had worked in before and took out a few different materials.

Getting to work Marcus quickly hammered out and shaped an item he had made before, though this time he was improving it and actually using celestial platinum in its enchanting.

'There we go. Now I have a six hair changing clips.'

Putting five of the clips into his item box Marcus took the other one and affixed it to his own hair and was quite happy with the results.

Unlike the one he had given to the duchess, this new batch could change someone's hair color to just about anything on the spectrum and had several different hairstyles programmed in.

'Now then I should hurry back before Mrazivý arrives.'

Coming out of the private work room Marcus thanked Edzard before leaving and quickly rushing back to the Towering Bear Inn.

Arriving a bit later than he would have liked, Marcus could only hope that Mrazivý had not arrived yet, but as he got closer, he saw that the blue haired princess was just entering the inn.

Running up Marcus walked through the doors just a few moments after them and in his haste alerted her guardian knight who whirled around his hand on his sword ready to defend Mrazivý.

Stopping in his tracks Marcus put up his hands and said, "Woah no need to be so on guard I was just trying to make sure I was on time."

Mrazivý's guardian knight seeing who it was took his hand off his sword and said while glaring at Marcus, "You are lucky that I looked before striking, next time you may not be so lucky."

With all the warmth of a blizzard, the disdain Mrazivý's knight felt for Marcus was basically palpable.

Of course, from his perspective Marcus acted far to overly familiar with the princess and he thought that he was just pretending to be her friend for political gain, or maybe even some more sinister reason.

"As much as it would be fun to watch you two fight it out, I think you should be at least a bit more amenable to my friend Sir Heward,"

Stepping in to alleviate the tensions, Mrazivý got in between the two of them and her knight's expression changed immediately as he said, "As you command your highness."

With the tensions having been swept under the rug Mrazivý turned to Marcus and said, "So what were you doing this early that caused you to be in such a rush."

A smirk appearing on his face Marcus simply reached his hand up to the hairclip in his hair and changed its color to the same royal blue as Mrazivý's.

Seeing this she let out a slight gasp before saying, "Wait is that the same hair clip that my aunt has been raving about."

A bit surprised to hear that the duchess had been talking up the trinket he had made her, Marcus nodded his head towards Mrazivý confirming her theory.

"How ever did you get one. From what I heard my aunt would not give out the name of who made it to anyone, saying it was made especially for her." Mrazivý said with intense curiosity.

However, she soon put the pieces together and said, "Wait, are you the one who made it?"

A proud expression on his face Marcus said, "Yep I spent quite a bit of time perfecting the enchantments, but you could say it was my first original product. Though the one I am currently wearing is actually a more advanced model than the one your aunt has."

Mrazivý looked longingly at the hair clip since its applications would be incredibly useful for her.

Her hair color was very distinct and was commonly associated with the royal family, but also, she was much more of a rough and tumble person and hated having to sit still while people did her hair up into different styles whenever she attended social events.

Seeing the look on her face Marcus said in a teasing manner, "Would you perhaps want one your highness."

Hearing the way Marcus was talking to her Mrazivý knew he was poking fun at her.

Putting on a noble face Mrazivý said, "Yes I would like to procure one from you, how much would it cost."

Shaking his head Marcus said, "Sorry they are not for sale even for royalty, though I am always willing to give one out as a gift to a friend who asks nicely."

Looking at the shameless and playful look on Marcus' face, Mrazivý began laughing, breaking the little play they had going on and said, "Okay Irene could I please have one if it is not too much trouble."

With a smile on his face Marcus opened his item box which did make Mrazivý's guardian knight tense up, but when he saw that all Marcus took out of the box was an identical hairclip to the one he was wearing he loosened back up.

"Here you go Mraz, I just made this one along with mine so it should work just as well. It may take a bit to get used to using it, so take a bit of time to explore the options it has."

Doing just that Mrazivý activated the enchantment and her hair color changed to blonde in just a few instances.

Unfortunately, at this point Marcus and Mrazivý's display had attracted the attention of everyone in the inn and a small crowd had begun to form around them.

"Your highness this area is becoming compromised, I believe it would be best if we went somewhere else more secure." The ever hypervigilant Sir Heward said

Looking around Marcus could see that around twenty people had been attracted to them and had formed almost a small circle.

"Okay how about we go to my room, that way we can pick up Lilia before going to the festival." Marcus proposed.

Agreeing with Marcus, Sir Heward along with Diana who had been quite up to this point kept to both sides of the princess as the four of them made their way to the stairs to Marcus' room.