episode_0026

When the butler reached a dead end by going back through the memories of this world, his longing for life had subsided from his first memory.

Well, why is that?

The desire for survival that a human being should have just never arose.

There must have been something broken somewhere. Like a pocket watch with an important gear missing. Like a clock hand that has stopped moving forever.

When he was a student living in modern society, he would have been just a moderately timid boy. But at some point, when he regained consciousness in this mansion, his will to live seemed to have been lost.

That’s why I’m happy.

That I had finally encountered the being who left a scar on me, and that I could put an end to my long life just by surrendering to the situation.

I’m so incredibly excited…

Instead of turning around and running away, I took a step forward.

It was only right that I should throw myself into the face of such a monster.

“Butler!!!”

“Ugh…!”

Tadah!

I take a sharp step back. I didn’t have even the slightest intention of doing so, but I ended up taking a step back almost out of instinct.

“Let’s run away and think about it, butler, okay!?”

“… Yes.”

Asher ran, holding his hand tightly. The aggressive approach was refreshing. He might have been confused by the strangeness he had observed for the first time.

‘I… why…’

Am I being led as she tells me to?

It would be easy to shake off Asher’s hand and be pierced by the monster’s sword. It would be a minor feat that could be accomplished immediately.

Because it was difficult to find the reason, I couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

“Butler, are you okay? Are you sick?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Well, that would be good…”

As he ran away, Asher leisurely checked on the butler’s condition. It was the complete opposite of when he was on the first floor, where he was being chased to the point of being out of breath.

The butler’s attitude was also the complete opposite.

This is in conflict with the actions of deliberately putting his hand in Haley’s mouth to kill her.

‘…Why. I…’

Of course, there are things that have not changed.

A face that seemed to have thrown away its life, with no trace of tension whatsoever. The facial muscles were so stiff that it seemed as if winter streams were flowing through its veins.

“Ashe.”

“Huh?”

“…”

“Why, what is it! Does the wound really hurt? It doesn’t look that deep, but was it a poisoned sword?!”

“… No, it’s not.”

I think I vaguely understand it.

It must be some unworn bit of humanity that is pulling me along with Ashe.

It seems difficult to leave Ashe alone, who worries so much that she distorts her beautiful features over a single scratch.

I feel guilty about ignoring the disobedient brat and getting comfortable on my own.

That’s probably the right kind of mindset.

‘… Not yet, not yet…’

If you want a spare to replace Ashe, Arsent remains.

So somehow, even if it takes more time, we will be able to achieve our goal.

That’s probably it.

◇

“Whew…”

At the moment when the monster’s presence had completely disappeared, Asher carefully took a deep breath, pushing away the cold sweat with the back of his hand.

“Wow, I’m really scared. What the hell is that? If I hadn’t experienced Hailey, I would have died of a heart attack. Definitely!”

Asher asked the butler for consent.

“You too, butler?”

Of course, that’s not true.

“That’s just it. In the end, it looks like a human corpse.”

“That’s scary!”

“Aha.”

The butler tilts his head, wondering if he is not scared.

Strictly speaking, he was also a ghost. He was in a state where he couldn’t even see his own image in the mirror.

Although it took shape and was active only within the interior of the mansion… it was unknown what would happen if it went outside.

“Ahem, anyway, butler. This time, is there any hint or something?”

“I’ll tell you now.”

=====

I lived a worthless life.

A life trampled by the world’s peace and justice.

A life where nothing is left behind, and no one remembers it.

A life where you have to bury your betrayed heart with blood and tears.

Ah, fortunately, the noble lady gave me a chance.

He also informed me.

We, who have been toyed with under countless happinesses and enduring eras, have the right to revenge.

I hope that at the end of revenge, there will be someone who remembers us…

-Reward: Gift Box

-Special Reward: Star Fragment

=====

The butler repeated the message that was being printed to Asher, word for word.

“What the heck is this? You didn’t even ask me to find something like last time?”

Asher was seriously worried.

“… This time, should I really fight and kill him? No, rather, can I kill something that’s already dead?”

“You can kill… ”

To be precise, I harbor a wish that I should be able to kill her. If I succeed in getting Ashe out of the mansion safely, I should be able to end this boring life.

“… Yes, you should be able to kill.”

“The expression is a little strange, butler?”

“It’s my imagination.”

He dismissed it succinctly and continued.

“But violence is not the solution. Judging from the case of the hunting dog, what this mansion wants is to appease the spirits.”

In other words, Asher was the girl chosen for the memorial service held at this mansion.

I originally thought that all the events that happened were coincidences, but with the experience on the first floor and Arsent’s appearance, I became convinced.

‘If coincidences overlap this much, it must be fate.’

Both Ashe and Arsent arrived at the mansion after a chase. Is it a coincidence that both of them threw themselves into the mansion?

Moreover, is it just a coincidence that the assassins chasing the sisters do not storm the mansion?

A mansion of this size is bound to attract attention.

Also, coincidentally, Arkaden was a family that was wiped out from history. In order to completely erase such a great family, the power of heaven is essential.

The imperial family that once ruled the great empire must be the clear sky of that era.

‘It wasn’t Ashe who came to find me… It was the mansion that called Ashe.’

Like insects lured by the sweet scent of a carnivorous plant, they set foot in a haunted house where bizarre phenomena occur.

Perhaps because the two sisters had royal blood.

“…We, who have been toyed with under countless happiness and the age of existence, have the right to revenge.”

The butler recited a line from the message to Asher.

“As you know, the history of Arkaden has been completely erased. So, the woman who just appeared… in the form of that figure, it would be reasonable to view her as an innocent victim of the erased history.”

“Ah, I see. I have to go in and out of the painting to figure out the identity of that ghost!”

“After destroying it, the next problem is…”

“Uh…”

In Haley’s case, she found out that the lost happiness was a scarf. The game ended when she found the scarf and returned it as requested.

So what about this time…?

There are no clear guidelines, so it’s hard to make a hasty decision.

Asher furrowed his brows and reviewed what he had found out.

“First of all, Hailey’s appearance was a hint. So let’s start with that this time too.”

Haley, whose only remaining intact part was her nose, actually distinguished objects by smell. That’s why she tracked Ashe by being aware of Maid A’s scent.

“Um… There was a sword stuck in his chest. The outfit was a dress that nobles would wear. Also… Um.”

Asher stuck out her lips like a duck’s pout.

“… No? It’s obvious that a ghost has a weird face. ”

“From what I can see, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about it.”

“Her skin is so incredibly pale, or something? She has no blood at all, have you seen that?”

“Um…”

As of now, it seems difficult to deduce the identity of the monster.

The butler recalled the monster’s characteristics in his own way. Ashe was also lost in thought, and a long silence followed.

After some time had passed, Asher squinted his eyes darkly.

“Uhhh… hmm, hmm, hmm…”

“Did something come to mind, Asher?”

“Euuum, I don’t know. I feel like I’m catching something… It’s like there’s a fog in my head that makes it seem like I can see beyond if I squint my eyes?”

Eventually she complained.

“Ah, really… I should remember this! For some reason, I don’t know why, but I feel a sense of foreboding. Where have I seen something similar? It’s too impressive a ghost to forget…”

Asher pounded his chest as if he was feeling suffocated. He was suffocating because he had drawn dots and dots, but he couldn’t draw a line connecting the dots.

“Sigh… Damn. As expected, there’s nothing I can eat raw.”

Asher took a sigh of relief and then met the butler’s eyes.

“Butler, this won’t work.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Yeah, I have to go see that girl I just met.”

“They will attack.”

“I have to fight it out. I’m not the same person I used to be… Then I might get another hint.”

“That’s…right, but.”

“Besides, you already said something. Maybe it could be resolved through conversation?”

In fact, this is an idea that is only possible if the brain is filled with happiness. The probability of it being solved in such a loose way is close to 0.

However, I didn’t object because I was impressed by the will to get hints by bumping into things.

“But Butler, let’s go our separate ways.”

“Huh?”

“Well, the butler is weak, right? I don’t have the confidence to fight while protecting the butler.”

“…”

The butler simply answered.

“Ah… Yes.”