I was given the key to a mansion that was said to be haunted, and when I left the adventurer's guild, I headed towards the haunted mansion.
My legs were heavy.
Unwilling to go.
I wanted to go home, cover myself with a futon, and slept while hugging Kumayaru and Kumakyu.
It was a mistake to try to work at the adventurer's guild after such a long time.
Maybe I made a mistake in trying to work seriously once in a while.
Maybe God was punishing me for working so diligently.
You shouldn't work. A reclusive life suits you. I could almost hear it.
I guess I'll pretend I went to a haunted house and pretend the ghost wasn't there.
As I was walking while thinking about this, someone spoke to me.
"Are you going somewhere even if you pretend to be?" (Noa)
"……Noa!?" (Yuna)
It was Noa who spoke to me.
"Why is Noa here?" (Yuna)
"Walking and shopping. It's also a learning experience for me to see what's going on in the city that my father rules. My father always says that it's important to see things with your own eyes, because there are things that you can't understand just by looking at the numbers on a piece of paper." (Noa)
Maybe he was telling her to remind himself about the orphanage.
"So, Yuna-san, are you pretending to go somewhere?" (Noa)
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" (Yuna)
"You said it out loud." (Noa)
It seemed like I was saying it out loud.
"There's a place I don't want to go to, but I have to go." (Yuna)
"So, you pretended to go. By the way, where were you planning on going?" (Noa)
I told Noa about the request I accepted at the Adventurer's Guild.
"Is it a ghost? I'd like to see it." (Noa)
Noa said with her eyes shining.
There was a horror fan here.
She was incompatible with me.
"It's a ghost. Aren't you scared?" (Yuna)
"It's a little scary, though. I've never seen one before, so I'd like to see it. If I can talk to a ghost and it wants help, I'd like to help." (Noa)
Wow, she's such a kind child.
Or maybe these ghosts weren't scary?
However, both the guild master and Rulina-san were scared and didn't want to go to the haunted mansion to check it out.
"I've heard that ghosts will appear if you have any lingering regrets. If you eliminate those regrets, I'm sure the ghost will disappear." (Noa)
"As for me, I don’t want to meet a ghost, whether it’s a bad ghost or a good ghost." (Yuna)
I wished it were the ghost of a cute girl like the ones you saw in manga or novels. I didn't want to meet a ghost whose face was mushy after being killed, a knight with a grudge, or a young lady. I didn't think such ghosts could communicate with each other. That was what inexperience was like.
My body trembled.
"Hehe, even Yuna-san scared of something." (Noa)
"There are a lot of scary things. I hate ghosts and even insects." (Yuna)
"Yuna-san is also a normal girl." (Noa)
"No, I'm just a normal girl." (Yuna)
"Okay. I'll go with you." (Noa)
Noah laughed and said, "I'm just an ordinary girl."
"Noah? Are you serious? There might be ghosts." (Yuna)
"Maybe it's someone's magic, right?" (Noa)
"That was just an excuse for me to refuse, but there’s a good chance there really is a ghost." (Yuna)
If anything, maybe that was more likely.
After all, this was a different world. It was not strange that there were ghosts.
"In that case, let's run away." (Noa)
Unable to refuse Noa's proposal, I headed to the haunted mansion with her.
I couldn't help it because I was scared when I was alone. I wanted someone to talk to. If something were to happen, I could just take Noa and run away as fast as I could.
"Here it is." (Yuna)
A magnificent mansion was standing in front of us.
It was not as big as the lord Cliff's house, but it was quite a splendid mansion.
"Are you sure you're going?" (Yuna)
"Of course, since we've come this far." (Noa)
I gave up, opened the gate, and entered the ground.
The garden was overgrown with grass, showing that it had not been tended to for a long time.
The sickly young lady who lived in this house might have passed away.
So, there was a possibility that it was the ghost of a sickly beautiful girl who was suffering and was crying out, "Help me."
If you make a wish like "I wanted to see the outside world before I die" or "I just wanted to touch a bear just once," you would become a Buddha.
"Yuna-san, let's go." (Noa)
While I was escaping reality by having strange fantasies, Noa pulled my hand.
"Wait a minute, I’ll take safety measures." (Yuna)
"What safety measure?" (Noa)
When I let go of Noa's hand, I held the bear puppet in front of me and summoned Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
"That's Kumayuru-chan and Kumakyu-chan." (Noa)
Noa met them the other day, but she was happily hugging Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
I checked with Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
"Kumakyu, Kumakyu. Are you okay with ghost?" (Yuna)
"Kuu~n" (Both kuma)
Kumayuru and Kumakyu shook their heads while crying sadly.
"Maybe you're scared?" (Yuna)
"Kuu~n" (Both Kuma)
They looked a little sad.
"Even though you're a bear?" (Yuna)
"Kuu~n" (Both Kuma)
The bears looked like it didn't matter.
"They say you look like your owner, and that's true. But if anything happens, I'll protect you, so it's okay." (Yuna)
While saying that, I hugged Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
"No, I am the ones who will protect you." (Yuna)
For now, I asked Kumayuru and Kumakyu to immediately take us and run away if something happened.
We passed through a courtyard and arrived at a grand entrance. Then I inserted the key and turned it. The key came off with a clank. I opened the door slowly.
I was told it had been abandoned, but the inside was cleaner than I expected.
Then, just to confirm, I tried using my detection skill.
Ghosts might be demons.
However, there was no reaction from humans, let alone monsters.
The lines where people hide and use wind magic to surprise them also disappeared.
"So, where are the ghosts?" (Noa)
Came to think of it, I heard that it was in the mansion, but I didn't ask which room it would appear in. I wondered if it would appear regardless of the room.
"I don't know, so let's just walk somewhere." (Yuna)
"Okay!" (Noa)
Why are you replying so happily?
"Also, you can't leave without permission. Kumayuru and Kumakyu, if Noa tried to go somewhere without permission, please stop her." (Yuna)
"Kuu~n" (Both Kuma)
"I don't go anywhere on my own." (Noa)
However, when children found something that interests them, they tended to wander off.
"What is that?" (Noa)
Noa ran out from where she was speaking.
When I followed Noa, I saw a picture on the wall. It was a picture of a fat man.
I wondered who he was. I felt the urge to punch him.
"I've seen this person at my house several times." (Noa)
Well, it's such a big mansion. It wouldn't be strange if he had something to do with Cliff.
"But recently, I haven’t seen him anymore." (Noa)
It was not this person's ghost.
My pretense of being a sickly beautiful girl was crumbling.
No, I didn't know yet. This person's daughter might be a cute girl.
It was also possible that the dragonfly gave birth to the hawk.
Then, Noa and I checked the room, but nothing that looked like a ghost appeared.
"Maybe it doesn't come out because it's afraid of bears?" (Yuna)
"Kuu~n" (Both Kuma)
Were Kumayuru and Kumakyu thanked to us? It made me happy.
"Then, if you unsummon Kumayuru-chan and Kumakyu-chan, maybe they'll come back." (Noa)
"Kuu~n" (Both Kuma)
Kumayuru and Kumakyu cried sadly.
"I won't unsummon them. If the ghost doesn't exist, all I have to do is report that it's gone." (Yuna)
Once I reported that I had properly investigated the mansion and no ghost had appeared, my job was over.
As long as that fact existed, there should be no reason to complain.
"Besides, considering Noa’s safety, I refuse to unsummon Kumayuru and Kumakyu. If I unsummon Kumayuru and Kumakyu, I will have Noa go home." (Yuna)
"Uh, I understand." (Noa)
Noah nodded obediently. After confirming the first floor, we went up to the second floor and continued our search.
"But they really aren't there. I guess it's better to come at night. I hear that ghosts appear at night." (Noa)
"I'll never come at night." (Yuna)
"But" (Noa)
"Some people said it appeared during the day, so there's no problem even during the day." (Yuna)
It was not a big mansion like some Western-style mansion, but I wouldn't want to come here at night. There might be zombies. Going to a haunted place at night was a punishment.
"Kumayuru-chan, let's go into this room." (Noa)
Noa entered the room with Kumayuru. I followed along with Kumakyu and entered the room.
"Hear my voice."
Yeah?
I thought I heard something.
"Please, help me"
Also, I thought I heard something.
"Noa, can you hear something?" (Yuna)
"...? I can't hear anything...but maybe you heard something!?" (Noa)
"No, I can't hear it." (Yuna)
I shook my head and denied it.
It was probably just my imagination.
Yeah, I couldn't hear it.
I told myself.
"Can you hear my voice?"
"I can't hear you." (Yuna)
I replied by mistake.
"Do you hear me?"
Not good.
"Noa, it seems like there’s nothing, so let’s go home now." (Yuna)
I was not the owner of the voice I heard, but I tricked myself into thinking I was speaking to Noah.
"We haven't seen all the rooms yet." (Noa)
"This is all I've seen, it's enough." (Yuna)
It was nowhere to be seen.
Only voices could be heard.
I tried using my detection skill again. It was possible that they came in while we were exploring the mansion.
However, the mansion only had our reactions.
"Yuna-san, the curtains are shaking!" (Noa)
When I looked in the direction Noa was pointing, I saw the curtains swinging. The window shouldn't be open.
"Maybe it's a ghost?" (Noa)
I could hear voices even though my detection skills weren't responding, and the curtains were shaking even though the window wasn't open.
Was it really a ghost?
When I looked at the curtain, something was shining.
"A light?" (Yuna)
Maybe a human soul?
"Yuna-san, what light?" (Noa)
"Can't Noa see it? That light" (Yuna)
A blue-white light flickered near the curtains.
It was different from the light created by magic.
I might be able to create one, but it was not the time to think about it.
"Noa, get out of the room!" (Yuna)
"Okay" (Noa)
Noa saw my expression and answered immediately without even asking.
When we tried to leave the room, the door closed on its own.
The light was moving to the front of the door.
"Wait, don’t go. Listen to my story."
This was bad, it might be better to use magic to break the walls and windows and escape.
If they complained, I could make amends later.
Right now, my priority was to escape from this mansion and ensure my safety.
When I tried to use magic, the light became stronger and the human soul changed into a human form.
There was a fairy that I saw for the first time after coming to this world.
Author's Note
Noa was a strong child.
Maybe she just doesn't know anything about fear.
That's why she was a fairy.