Chapter 42: The haunted mansion
2154 Words
Stepping inside the adventurers guild. We find the guild empty. It is very unusual because. Most of the adventurer guild is packed with huge dudes and noisy middle adventure men who like drinking hard drinks. Having a spacious path to walk along, I don’t dislike it.
We immediately went to the quest bulletin board and looked for the quest. Surprisingly, the monster-hunting quest is all taken.
“What is happening? Is there a shortage of quests?”
I murmured.
“I apologize, miss adventurer. The guild doesn’t have enough quests for everyone. Every adventurer is busy and working hard to earn more money for the upcoming winter season. The winter season is harsh. And one of the most dangerous seasons. Most of the adventurers prepared to stay at their home during that time.”
I see that’s the reason why no one is inside this guild. The winter season is very cold and it is hard to get up in bed. I would like to lie down and keep being lazy in winter. That dream was impossible for me because I’m a traveler hopping from town to town.
I don’t even have a place I can call home.
Having no quest to take is no good if we don’t get any earnings for today. We’re sleeping outside on the streets. I did sleep in the streets. I’m used to it. But Shaymi is the one I’m worried about. I don’t want her to experience poverty.
“Is there anything left for us? Even if it's a low-class quest?”
“There is some quest that revolves around helping people in this city.”
“ That’s great. We’ll gladly take one.”
“Most of them are not high-paying. Even if you take five of them, you’ll only earn 100 silver. Looking at you, you’re a traveler and need to pay an Inn fee. The innings fee in this city is 150 silver. It's not even enough to cover one person.”
I’m on the verge of crying.
“A-Are you okay?”
“I’m currently broke if I don’t work today. I and Shaymi will sleep in the streets tomorrow.”
“Stop crying… There is a quest that pays a lot, but all people who tried to complete the quest horribly failed. After the quest, they are all frightened and leave the city immediately.”
“I’ll take it!”
I responded.
“Are you sure?! This is a quest about exorcising an evil ghost.”
“An evil ghost.”
Shaymi and I look at each other and put our interest in the guild girl talking.
“In the center of the northern end of the city, you’ll see a mansion on the top of a hill. That is the mansion lived by the evil ghost. Three years ago, the land was sold to the current mayor. Now the mayor wants to create a commercial structure on the mansion. The problem was the mayor wasn’t able to chase out the ghost. The ghost is powerful. She can bend reality inside the mansion. The mansion was destroyed by a magical explosion before, but the next day, the mansion reappeared standing again as nothing happened. The mayor put a huge reward on anyone who could chase out the ghost living in the mansion.”
“The story feels creepy. We’ll have to stiffen our backs to finish the quest.”
“Are you serious about this?”
“Sure, we can just back out if something bad happens. By the way, how much is the reward for this quest?”
“About a million gold coins.”
“Million?!”
My eyes were about to fall in surprise.
“ A million gold… I wonder how much fried chicken I can eat with that?”
“That’s your question?”
Shaymi looks skeptical of Hanayuki.
“I don’t really believe in ghosts… It must be a wizard hiding in the mansion living there for free and pretending to be a ghost.”
“ Your imagination is definitely wild. But I can be sure of you that it was a ghost. Here is the quest poster. Take a look at it.”
I took the quest poster and didn’t hesitate to hand over the quest to the receptionist. After being approved, we immediately went outside the guild, going to the said location.
While walking…
*Growl~* 2x
Our stomach roars. Since we lost our food last night, we have been unable to eat anything since morning. Feeding ourselves is very important. With an empty stomach, we can’t do anything right. We had better satisfy our stomachs first before going to the hunted mansion.
Flustered, Shaymi looked at me. Seems like she is being shy, telling me that she is hungry. Based on what kind of girl she is. Of course, she’s thinking that.
While walking, we stumble upon a stall selling freshly baked bread. It wasn’t that expensive and it's stuffed.
“You must be a traveler. Here, take this. It was butter. You can put it on the bread to make it tastier.”
“Thank you so much, ma’am.”
Putting butter on the big piece of bread. Shaymi and I made big mouths and took a huge bite.
“So tasty.” 2x
The bread doesn’t have any filling inside of it, but the taste it has alone is enough for me to feel delighted. Adding butter just made it tastier. Usually, I eat lots of food, but this bread is enough to make me feel stuffed.
“Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.”
After finishing the bread, Shaymi and I went to our destination. The destination is the hunted mansion. The sky was cleared out in the sky. The weather is nice and birds can be seen playing in the sky. In contrast to the hunted mansion. The mansion has dark stormy clouds rotating around it. Thunderstorms and heavy pouring rain.
“Let's go inside Hanayuki.”
“Eh? Aren’t you scared?”
“This is my first real quest and I’m quite excited about finishing it. In the amusement park, we have this kind of attraction, a hunted mansion. We dressed as creepy monsters and scared each other.”
Shaymi said with a smile.
Monsters are already scary. Shaymi is very special in having this kind of perspective.
That makes sense why she is not frightened of the hunted house. The house gives off an unusual aura. I can detect magic using my sensors, but I can’t sense anything. My sensors were jammed.
I can’t feel anything inside.
In any case, I don’t believe in ghosts. I won’t believe it until I see one.
“Hanayuki, your feet are trembling.”
“I’m not…n-not trembling… I-It’s just you’re imagination. Let's go inside and finish this quest quickly.”
I steel my mind and body. I can’t lose my collar in front of Shaymi. I should protect my image as a strong big sister character in her mind.
There is nothing to be cared about. I have already fought many creepy monsters and demons. A ghost… If it's real, it won’t be a problem. I’ll protect Shaymi at all costs.
Shaymi held my hands.
“.…”
She didn’t say anything afterward.
The shaking of my body was lessened when she held my hand. I smiled, looked at her, and took a deep breath.
This is not the time to be chicken out.
I pushed the door. A creaking sound of the old wooden door was heard. Inside the mansion, it was as dark as I expected. On the tip of my index finger, I ignited a lighting ball to light up outside the path.
“There is nothing here… The house is rather clean.”
“Yeah, not a spider web could be seen.”
We took another step forward and investigated the living room. There is a huge piano. Antique sets of sofas, tables, vases, and others could be seen all around. A huge picture portrait hangs on the giant wall. Looking at it were two rich-looking people and in the middle…”
“ Their faces were gone… The one in the middle had its entire body erased with a sharp object. The picture is cut down intentionally.”
The chilly wind blows and made the door slam. *Slam!*
I flinched for a second and turned around.
“That was uncalled for… But I’m not afraid. Are you okay, Shaymi?”
I turned my head to my side. I was shocked to find out that the one holding my left hand wasn’t Shaymi. A doll that was the same as Shaymi was holding my hand.
Frightened, I immediately threw the doll away.
Without even noticing, I had already lost Shaymi. I can’t sense a magical presence inside this mansion.
“That hurts… That hurts… That hurts…”
The doll muttered and stood up.
“I want to play… All I want is to play.”
The doll appeared right in front of my face. Its head was very close. My instinct to fight was awakened. I curled my fist and delivered a lightning punch to his face.
The doll exploded after receiving my fist.
“Where is Shaymi?”
“Play with us… Play with us…”
Other dolls arrived. The doll I just destroyed has its body resemble back to its normal state. changed into an angry one.
“Meanie! Meanie! Meanie!”
“...”
“All I wanted was to play! All I wanted was to play! Why hurt me? Why hurt me?”
“I have no time playing with you to bring back Shaymi.”
Behind my back, dolls grab my body tightly. They keep on piling up, putting me down on the floor.
“Lightning discharge!”
I shouted and lightning exploded around my body. The doll's doll was toasted. I got up and went straight to the angry doll. Attempting to grab it with my hand.
My body stopped mid-air.
“?!”
I’m levitating?
My body was lifted to the ceiling, slamming, rocking my body hard. From the high ceiling, my body dived down to the floor at maximum speed.
“Gaaaah!”
My nose is bleeding.
“It's fun! It's fun! Become our playmate. We promise eternal happiness.”
“Lightning speed!”
Before I activated… My body was then pushed down by unknown force. Pressing my body hard to the floor. The floor cracked down and extreme felt all over my body.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
I screamed in pain.
The floor was destroyed, resulting in me falling into the mansion's basement.
What kind of place is this?
“Hanayuki?”
Someone called my name. Lifting my head, I saw Eula standing in front of me smiling.
“Eula…”
The princess is still alive. I have never seen her body dead. Probably she is alive and her death is fake.
I’m deeply happy to see her.
“Please play with them.”
“Why are you here? You’re still alive? I guess that’s not important right now. Eula has to help me… I have to save my friend.”
“Play with them… Play with them…”
She murmured.
“Eula?”
“Play with them… Play with them… Play with them… Play with them… Play with them… Play with them… Play with them…”
Eula’s head spins at 360 degrees.
The next time, she turned her glance on me, she was missing her eyes and her mouth opened wide. She ran in my direction with a kitchen knife in her hand.
“Hhabsdhbqauidqkdbwehdb.”
“Lightning punch!”
I punched Eula’s face immediately. Tears came flowing the moment I saw Eula’s face was destroyed in front of me.
“...”
This is not fun anymore.
“Play with us.”
A zap of lightning surrounded my body. Lightning speed was activated. I turned my glare on the angry doll.
“No, I’m going to kill all of you.”
“Play with us.”
Death bodies come back to life, all of them surrounding me.
“Hanayuki!”
“Hanayuki!”
“Hanayuki!”
Rasp and Berry held my two feet. Behind my back, Cake appeared while holding my body. Their faces and bodies burned. Looking at the faces of these dead people. I immediately recognized them.
“ These are the people I killed and people died in front of me.”
But why is Eula one of them?
Eula stood up and walked closer. She held my face with her blood-stained hands.
“It's unfair… Unfair… Hanayuki is evil. Why are you happy? Hanayuki doesn’t deserve happiness. Play with us in hell. Play with us in hell. Let's suffer together for eternity.”
A door appeared. Opening up and blazing flames came roaring. Dead souls screaming pain was heard. The agony and despair.
This is hell’s door.
- Writer
