Chapter 59
[Good morning!]
Just as Niolle was about to lift the whiteboard high upon encountering Bennett in the hallway, she hesitated when she saw the dark circles under his eyes.
The detective’s gaze quickly swept over Bennett from head to toe. The conclusion was that he had pulled an all-nighter to be prepared for any danger. Niolle wiped the whiteboard with the hem of her skirt and wrote a new sentence before lifting it again.
[Should we have designated a night watch…?]
Bennett waved his hand dismissively. Neither the Saintess nor Niolle could be relied upon in this case, so it would ultimately fall to him to take action.
“No, it’s fine. Did you sleep well?”
[Yes. I slept well! Although the Saintess groaned as if she were having nightmares… But that’s something else…!]
Looking at her outfit, I thought she wouldn’t be too fussy about sleep. But it seems she’s particular about where she rests.
This unexpected side of her surprised him. Given that the Saintess tended to act as if she didn’t care about what others thought, he had expected her to snore loudly while sprawled out anywhere. As Bennett fell into thought, Niolle decided to ask him a question.
[Did anything unusual happen last night?]
“There was something. I needed your help, actually.”
Bennett gestured for Niolle to follow him. Clutching the whiteboard tightly to her chest, Niolle hurried after him. They arrived at an old, run-down room located in the furthest corner of the mansion’s second floor.
Bennett turned the doorknob first and carefully pushed the door open with his shoulder, as if anticipating an attacker inside. But the room was empty.
There must be a reason for his caution. Niolle summoned her concentration and scanned the interior. It seemed this room hadn’t been used for a long time, as it was covered in thick dust and various sorts of clutter.
Tin buckets were rolling around, and a set of tools was clustered in one spot. It appeared to have been used as a storeroom.
In the corner, there was a patch of dust swept away, just large enough for a single person to lie down. Judging by the traces, it was likely Bennett’s doing. Did he sleep here?
[Did you sleep here? There are plenty of other rooms…]
“It’s a position prepared for the possibility of an unexpected ambush. More importantly, what happened last night.”
Bennett forcefully opened a stiff window that seemed like it hadn’t been used in ages. Creeeak. With that unpleasant noise, dust came cascading down.
Beyond the window, the mansion’s backyard was visible. Purposely blooming red anemones decorated the little garden, while a hill path led down to the city below.
At first glance, it was a peaceful scene, but Niolle could see ominous signs. Pressed footprints, burnt cigarette butts, signs of someone having lingered in one spot for too long.
Niolle whispered the word, “Surveillance?”
“Correct, there are unidentified individuals watching the mansion.”
Bennett leaned one arm on the windowsill, gazing down at the backyard as he began recounting what happened the previous night.
===============================================================
#1: Unrest in the Dead of Night
Late at night, when the world was cloaked in complete darkness, far beyond the dim blue, Bennett found himself unable to sleep.
He was aware that goodwill in this world was as rare as happiness itself.
What was the purpose of that old man named Abraham? If it was truly goodwill, that would be great, but if not, what trickery could he be scheming? Lying on the ground, while his body rested, his mind remained sharp and vigilant through the night.
Tap Tap.
Bennett heard a sound. A soft sound. The kind you could only catch in the silence thick enough to amplify the act of swallowing.
He carefully got up and peeked through the window from where the noise came. There were shadows of people down below. Not just one, but two.
They were just standing there quietly, observing the mansion. Not doing anything else at all. They made no effort to hide, merely stood there smoking cigarettes.
Bennett generated several hypotheses. Loan sharks, debt collectors, robbers, policemen… but there were insufficient clues and not enough visual information due to the darkness.
Would it have been any different if Niolle were here?
He couldn’t identify the suspicious individuals, merely keeping an eye on them from the shadows. The night passed quietly except for the occasional rustling sound. As dawn broke, the watchers descended the hill and vanished.
After confirming their retreat, Bennett relaxed his shoulders, feeling the fatigue that had come late. However, he still held onto unease, knowing the sun had risen.
The lack of sleep might have been bearable if they could find a safe haven later. Until then, he planned to ask the Saintess for a spell to recover from fatigue.
===============================================================
After an observational pause, Niolle pointed to a scratch on the bottom of the window frame.
[I think it’s a rope.]
“A rope?”
[Yes. A rope tied to something heavy, maybe filling that bucket with water, and lowered. It’s like dangling it down so someone could climb down.]
“It seems like that height wouldn’t require a rope… Right, most humans can’t use mana here.”
However, this information alone didn’t stand out. There wasn’t a clear reason why Abraham would use a rope in lieu of the stairs; if no one inside was lowering a rope, then outsiders couldn’t climb up either.
[And what about the tap tap noise?]
“Right.”
[Could it be this?]
Tap Tap.
Niolle tapped the window with her fingernail, producing a similar sound. Bennett snapped his fingers in admiration.
“That’s exactly the sound! How did you know?”
[Well, there were these scratches here.]
Niolle pointed at a part of the window. It looked as though something sharp and hard had poked it, leaving a slight indent that glimmered. Bennett only managed to notice it after checking it from different angles.
[I need to check something. Can you help me? Hold my waist, please.]
“Your waist?”
Niolle sat on the windowsill, leaning backward with her upper body.
Bennett was about to wrap his arms around Niolle’s waist but realized that due to her distinctive body position, any contact could be unnecessary and awkward. Instead, he decided to safely grab her by the scruff of her collar.
…
Niolle’s expression crinkled slightly.
Yet it was only temporary. Peering out the window, Niolle inspected the mansion’s exterior. There were signs of damage and scratches, as if hooks had been embedded in the wall. If these were hooks used by people, there wouldn’t be any reason to hang them there.
Thus, all he could think of was a monster. Something with claws strong enough to dig into the brick wall smoothly, and likely possessing wings as well.
Flap Flap.
As if asking to be pulled back in, she began to flap her arms. Bennett, still grasping the scruff, pulled her back inside. Niolle fixed her clothing and wrote down her conclusion on the whiteboard.
[It resembles a gargoyle or wyvern type. It looks like it was hanging upside down, waiting above the window.]
“A wild gargoyle has appeared? Then that explains why Abraham accepted an outsider. An old man can hardly capture a monster after all.”
If it had been an ordinary, powerless person, they would be terrified of the existence of such a fearsome monster they had never faced.
But for Bennett and Niolle, being students in a fantasy world, they sighed in relief as if it were nothing at all. For them, violence, combat, and monsters were just ordinary occurrences.
Thus, they mistakenly underestimated the looming danger of the upcoming event. The appearance of something that shouldn’t exist was a clear omen. Just like how a small spark on a mountain can culminate into a wildfire consuming the entire forest; the darkness encroaching their reality signaled a much larger being’s descent.
“Let’s return.”
[Yes. Are you planning to catch the gargoyle?]
“Shouldn’t we negotiate that properly? I don’t intend to offer free labor. If Abraham wants it dealt with, he’ll need to pay up.”
[But still, he was kind enough to house us…]
“Then you go catch it by yourself… No, no. Seriously don’t try to tackle this alone. You must take me and the Saintess with you.”
Bennett cautioned as he noticed Niolle’s eyes sparkling with a sense of justice while they made their way back to the hallway.
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“What’s this? I was wondering where you went.”
“Ah, you’re awake.”
Saintess Tara yawned lazily, covering her mouth with one hand. She was dressed in a fresh one-piece dress she had found after thoroughly rummaging through Isaac’s wardrobe the previous night.
While it was slightly on the snug side, it was a world apart from her custom Saintess attire, which had been altered in such a way that it could easily be mistaken as the result of having been robbed. Seeing her dressed normally made things feel so different that Bennett couldn’t help but add a comment.
“You look much better now that you’re dressed modestly.”
“What I wear is none of your business!”
“You could at least appreciate the compliment…”
“Forget it. Let’s go. The old gentleman of the house prepared breakfast, and he asked us to come down.”
Sniff Sniff. Hearing Tara’s words, Niolle cautiously sniffed the air. Fried eggs, bacon, and toasted bread filled the room with the aroma of a classic breakfast. Following the scent, she made her way to the first floor, with the Saintess trailing behind and Bennett last in line.
At the long wooden table in the first-floor living room, meals were neatly prepared for everyone according to their number. Abraham, seeing Tara coming down, stiffened for a moment and then smiled warmly as he greeted her.
“Did you sleep well? It would’ve been nicer if there had been more beds…”
“No, Professor Abraham. Thanks to you, I slept well.”
The corners of the old man’s eyes crinkled, and pure joy sparkled in his pupils. It had been over a year since he had breakfast with his daughter, and the atmosphere certainly wasn’t so peaceful before.
“I’m glad to hear that. I prepared breakfast, I hope you enjoy it.”
“It looks really delicious!”
A warm and friendly atmosphere filled the room.
…
It felt as if flowers were dancing in the air between Tara and Abraham. They’d known each other for hardly a day, yet wasn’t this overly familiar? Bennett cautiously sampled the food, wary of any potential poison.
Niolle joined in the cheerful vibe, expressing her enjoyment with enthusiastic thumbs up, even though she wasn’t saying a word. Did she not have any worries despite everything? The absence of any tingling sensation on his tongue indicated that there were no immediate poisons, at least.
Abraham seemed to view Bennett—who was gloomily shadowboxing alone—as a shy young man with a light appetite. The old man expressed his concerns.
“You don’t look too healthy. Is bacon not your taste? If the seasoning’s off, I can sprinkle some pepper for you.”
“…No, it’s plenty enough.”
“You seem to be deep in thought. If you’re worrying about not having a proper place to stay, you’re welcome to stay here longer. This house is far too big for just an old man like me.”
…
Was this similar to Alexon’s case? No, it was too soon to assume anything. Bennett gathered his thoughts. The walking scanner Niolle had an optimistic outlook, but if she sensed something strange or dangerous, she would certainly be wary.
If he could trust her abilities, he could also trust Old Man Abraham. Therefore, maintaining a friendly relationship would be beneficial. Bennett broached the subject.
“It seems like there might be a gargoyle hiding nearby.”
“Do you also believe in such foolishness? The occult?”
??
What’s with that look?
Abraham’s expression was complex. Putting aside the mixture of sorrow, discomfort, and concern, the important point was that Bennett appeared to him as someone with eccentric beliefs. As if he thought monsters could not possibly exist.
The reports had indicated that mana was handled only by a select few and that magic was looked down upon. Thus, he thought people knew it existed but that society suppressed it.
But were they completely unaware of everything derived from magic?
Saintess Tara quickly perceived the odd atmosphere and recognized it as a potential threat. She made a hasty decision to cut ties with Bennett.
“What? Occ-ult? Bennett has a penchant for the strange. A while back it was something about a Demonic Sword or so. But you don’t need to worry too much. He’s just… a good kid, after all.”
“I have no intention to meddle in one’s beliefs, but distinguishing between reality and delusion is essential. I’m saying this for your own good, so please don’t take it too harshly.”
“Yes…”
In a heartbeat, Bennett felt he had been branded as a delusional individual, bowing his head. There seemed to be a significant gap between the knowledge he had acquired from reports and the current reality. To blend in without raising suspicion… he would need to accumulate knowledge.
And the most natural, low-risk method to acquire that knowledge was to stay at Abraham’s home. Having reached this conclusion, Bennett spoke.
“I would like to impose on your hospitality a little longer, Elder. I promise to repay this in due time…”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Just having company is enough to bring me joy. A house this big filled only with silence feels like being cast into the depths of space. I’d like to avoid feeling like that.”
“Then I’ll stay a while longer, Professor Abraham!”
With Bennett signaling his desire to stay longer, Tara joined in with a beaming smile. As such, the trio came to occupy Abraham’s home.
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