As I followed Smith,
I saw a magnificent, sparkling chandelier hanging in the central lobby of the Mansion, where the staircase leading to the second floor was located.
I had only ever seen one in movies or comics.
This was my first time seeing one in real life.
Perhaps noticing the other guests staring at it, Smith gave an awkward smile and said,
“I received it as a gift from a friend when I bought this Mansion.
He said a Mansion absolutely had to have a chandelier.”
Well, I had to admit, it would feel a little disappointing without one.
Still, perhaps because I had never seen a chandelier that didn’t fall, it made me feel strangely uneasy.
…Especially in a situation like this, where we were in a supposedly haunted house.
I took my eyes off the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and walked around underneath it.
I absolutely wasn’t going to walk beneath that chandelier.
When we arrived at the dining room, bread, soup, salad, and meat dishes had been prepared on the table.
It was 5:30 p.m.
It was a little early for dinner, but I had gotten somewhat hungry on the way here, so I didn’t mind.
Smith looked around the dining room and asked the Maid,
“Where’s Emily?”
“Miss Emily said she wasn’t feeling well, so she’ll be eating separately in her room.”
“…I see.”
Smith nodded weakly, and for some reason, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
…I don’t smell.
Anyway, we finished the meal quickly…
To be honest, I didn’t want to finish quickly.
I wanted to eat properly for my health.
But the reason we had been invited here was Exorcism, so at an appropriate moment, the guests put down their utensils and focused their attention on Smith, who was setting the mood with a shadow cast over his face.
“I’ve been wondering how to bring this up… but I will assume that by coming to this house, you’ve all chosen to believe me.”
Pastor Go Juwon, Shaman Park Minhee, and Kim Yohan, a young man who simply had good energy.
Self-proclaimed investigators of psychic phenomena.
Smith’s disciple, Kim Suhyeon, briefly showed an expression of dissatisfaction at his master’s decision to call in these mysterious people.
But he didn’t interrupt Smith.
“It started with small things.
A room where the lights suddenly went out despite having been turned on.
Or, at night, the sound of someone walking down the hallway, creaking with every step….”
As I listened to Smith’s account,
I discreetly glanced at Ellie.
A pretty young Nun with black hair.
Judging by her appearance and the way her name was written, she was probably a foreigner.
Unlike me and the other guests, Smith had genuinely welcomed her.
Perhaps he had called someone close to the family whom he trusted in order to ease his anxiety.
Judging by their conversation earlier, it seemed that Ellie was her daughter, and since the person concerned couldn’t come, Ellie had come in her place.
“…I suppose simply hearing me say this doesn’t make it feel real to you.”
Smith, his face filled with concern, told us what he wanted.
“So I’d like you to stay in the Mansion for the day, freely look around and investigate anything unusual… and speak with Emily one by one.”
It was certainly better to see things for ourselves than to keep listening to explanations.
But before that, there was something I needed to do.
After the meal, the Pastor stayed with Smith to talk further, showing sympathy and flattering him, while the Shaman left to look around the house.
I approached the Maid and asked where my assigned room was.
“Could you tell me where I’ll be staying tonight?
I need to organize my luggage, and I’ve worked up a bit of a sweat, so I’d like to wash up.”
The thing I needed to do was— feed Grizzly and purify my body.
***
Ellie was worried about Emily, so she knocked on Emily’s bedroom door and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Emily, it’s Ellie.
I was worried because you didn’t come to the dining room.
Can I come in?”
Ellie felt a strange anxiety, troubled by a feeling she couldn’t quite explain.
Apart from her pale face, Emily looked like herself.
Yet for some reason, during their earlier meeting, she hadn’t made eye contact with Ellie at all, nor had she spoken to her.
Ellie hoped she was simply worrying for no reason….
But considering that Emily had called her the last time they spoke and tearfully asked for help, something felt strange.
Emily’s faint voice came from inside the room.
Her voice was weak but peaceful.
“Ellie, I’m sorry.
Meeting so many people made me nervous… and I don’t feel very well either, so I’ll rest for a while.”
Ellie hesitated for a moment at Emily’s words.
But for now, she decided to leave.
Ellie smiled gently and spoke in a reassuring voice before walking away.
“Emily, if you need help, just tell me anytime.”
“…Okay.”
And inside Emily’s room—
“…Yes.
I’m fine.
I’m just a little tired.
I don’t feel well.
I’ll be alone for a while.
…Yes, I’m scared.
Save me.
It’s been a long time, Ellie.”
The blonde girl, Emily, lay blankly on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with hollow eyes.
Only her lips moved as she repeated the words like a doll.
Then, from underneath the bed, a long arm resembling a deformed, emaciated, withered branch shot out.
It grabbed the meat dish sitting on a plate and dragged it beneath the bed.
With a grotesque appearance that showed only the mouth, as if its entire form were covered in shadow, it stuffed the meat into its unnaturally elongated mouth and chewed irritably.
Chomp, chomp—chomp, chomp—
Stupid Painter.
Stupid old man.
Bringing fresh sacrifices into the Mansion had gone according to plan.
But…
Two troublesome humans had gotten involved.
A woman blessed by divine protection.
A man who gave off a foul smell.
But it didn’t matter.
The curse had already begun the moment they entered this place.
Creak… creak…
The sound of teeth colliding and scraping against one another produced a grotesque laugh from beneath the bed.
***
Yohan looked around the guest room he had been assigned and was impressed.
‘Wow… it looks like a hotel room.
It’s way better than my studio apartment.’
There was even a bathroom and shower inside the room.
There was a bathtub, too.
That was fortunate, since he needed it for the ritual he was about to perform.
First, I took the meat and milk out of the icebox and prepared Grizzly’s food before giving him an order.
“If necessary, I’ll send you a signal through the Grimoire.
Don’t let anyone discover you, and don’t make the first move.
Walk around the Mansion and see if there’s anything strange.”
I also had to perform a purification ritual, and rather than wandering around myself for no reason,
I thought it would be better to send Grizzly out first to conduct a simple reconnaissance and confirm that the place was safe.
To be honest, I had always wanted to try sending a Familiar out to scout, just like some wizard from a fantasy story.
Apparently understanding my command,
Chomp, chomp—!
Grizzly happily devoured his food, licked the milk from around his mouth with one sweep of his tongue, and answered energetically.
“Gyaa—!”
“Good.”
I patted Grizzly on the head, gathered the Grimoire and the necessary items, and entered the bathroom.
There was still no definite evidence that this Mansion was possessed by an evil spirit.
But since I had been hired by Smith, who claimed to have personally experienced psychic phenomena, I intended to properly investigate and prepare for anything, if only to satisfy the customer.
…Emily’s reaction when she encountered me was bothering me, too.
According to Smith, the phenomena Emily had experienced included nightmares, sleep paralysis, a feeling of fear in empty spaces, hallucinations, and auditory hallucinations.
Perhaps simply entering this Mansion would be enough for me to experience the same phenomena.
That was why I needed to purify my body.
The first method of washing oneself taught by the Grimoire.
…It sounds like someone telling me to wash up before going to an idol concert.
Anyway, I first prepared warm water in the bathtub and got in while reciting an Incantation.
“Water, which is a creation.
I shall purify you.
By the power of the One who created you and gathered you into one place to reveal the land, the schemes of the enemy shall be pierced.”
“The impurity and defilement of evil spirits shall be cleansed and will no longer cause harm.
By the virtue of Almighty God, who rules to the ends of the world.
Amen.”
As I washed my body with water, I continued reciting the mysterious names.
“Mertalia, Musalia, Dophalia, Onemalia, Zitanseia, Goldapaira, Dedulsaira.”
I repeated them throughout the washing.
When I finished, I got out of the bathtub and sprinkled Holy Water over my body with the Holy Water container.
“Lord, cleanse me with Hyssop.
Make me whiter than snow.”
Finally, I sprinkled a little salt into the bathwater and bathed once more.
After that, I could simply enjoy my bath, shampoo my hair, and use body wash.
In the bathroom filled with warm steam, Yohan leisurely soaked in the water and relaxed.
***
Invisible Vampire.
Following his master Yohan’s command, Grizzly silently walked through the Mansion’s hallways in his enormous transparent body, surveying his surroundings.
There wasn’t anything particularly strange like the things his master had mentioned.
As he continued exploring the Mansion, Grizzly entered the kitchen.
“Gya?
Gya… Gyaa…!”
Grizzly’s mouth opened wide in surprise and admiration.
To put it in his master’s words—
It was a fucking huge refrigerator!
“Gyaa…!”
At the appearance of a box emitting cold air that was much larger than the one in his master’s house, Grizzly reached out his paw.
.
.
.
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
At the dull sound of something repeatedly opening and closing, Smith, Pastor Go Juwon, Kim Suhyeon, the new Maid who had been pouring tea, and Shaman Park Minhee, who had been looking around the Mansion, gathered in front of the kitchen with puzzled expressions.
“…What is that sound?”
“Could it be something malfunctioning?”
Then, when they checked inside the kitchen, everyone’s eyes froze.
“…..!!”
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
Thud—clack!
An incomprehensible phenomenon.
The refrigerator door was opening and closing all by itself.
Their anxiety turned into terror, and an instinctive scream burst from the Maid’s mouth.
“Kyyaaaaaaaaaaah—!”
Grizzly happily opened and closed the refrigerator door.
Faced with the horrifyingly obvious sight, Smith’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.
“Ah… God… God….”
It was the moment when those who had been half-doubtful became convinced that Smith wasn’t insane.
This Mansion really was haunted.
…And at that very moment, Yohan—
He was soaking in a warm bath, relieving his fatigue.
“Ahhh, that’s nice and hot.
Is this what they call a staycation?
Once I save up some money, it might not be a bad idea to try this sometime.”
That was what he thought.