Chapter 88 - Chapter 87: The Cursed House 1
The third day of the third week of the third month of Water.
The morning after Kaerya and Trys-san got into a brawl.
Mika stood before a small manor located within the capital city.
"Hmm, indeed, I can sense the presence of the 'Unclean Ones.' I cannot confirm it from here, but there are likely quite a few inside the manor."
"...I hate Wraiths. I cannot punch them."
For some reason, Kaerya and Trys-san were standing there with faces as if this were perfectly natural.
Mika glared at the two of them.
"...Um, it's rude to say this, but why are both of you here?"
Yesterday, when Mika accepted the request for "Curse Identification and Exclusion," Trys-san had volunteered to accompany him.
"You have never seen an 'Unclean One,' have you? That is why you accepted such a request so easily?"
Trys-san apparently used to be with the Church and had considerable combat experience against 'Unclean Ones.'
Seeing Mika recklessly accept such a request, she apparently felt she could not just leave him be.
Indeed, Mika had never fought an 'Unclean One' before.
However, he accepted this request specifically to verify combat methods, so to be honest, it was difficult to act with someone watching.
So, he had declined her offer, but...
"No matter how much you tell me not to treat you like a child, stopping someone from doing something reckless is only natural. It has nothing to do with being an adult or a child."
She said that and refused to listen.
Mika looked up at Kaerya, who was standing guard next to him.
Kaerya stood firmly, looking at the manor.
Her usual style: a bright red bikini armor with a Battle Axe on her back.
(...It is still quite cold in the morning, yet she is still in bikini armor. I really don't know what this person is thinking.)
Kaerya had not offered to accompany him yesterday like Trys-san had.
However, when Mika arrived at the manor this morning, she was already there.
As soon as she saw Mika, she tried to pick him up, but Mika quickly dodged.
(Kaerya has taken a strange liking to me. I don't really know why.)
Yesterday, to avoid the two of them fighting, I told them to "pick me up," and apparently, she took a liking to that.
I didn't think she would actually bring me along like this, so I am depressed from the morning.
"I am here for a request! If you are going to get in the way, go home!"
When he said that, the two fell silent, but they still did not move from the spot.
Mika sighed, "Haaah...", and used the key entrusted to him by the Guild to open the gate.
(What a hassle... Please, don't start a fight somewhere like this.)
Thinking such things, Mika entered the grounds of the cursed house.
Curse Identification and Exclusion.
Yesterday, I spoke with the information officer, and it seems such requests are not that common.
About ten per year, it seems.
The success rate for these requests is extremely low. At best, two or three per year.
And half of them are withdrawn later.
Why?
Because the Client gives up, thinking it was useless to send out anyway.
Only two or three requests result in the cause of the curse being identified and excluded as requested.
Five requests are withdrawn because it is concluded that the land or house itself is cursed, making exclusion difficult, or the cause cannot be identified at all.
The rest are requests that continue but are left unfulfilled.
These unfulfilled requests pile up, and currently, the Guild in the capital alone holds over one hundred such cases.
Chirensta said that the "Great Secret Book of the Saint" also sees requests piling up, and it seems these curse-related requests are treated similarly.
Curses cannot be lifted.
This is common knowledge in this world, and Clients are not saying "Please lift the curse."
They are merely betting on a slim hope, saying, "If it is something that can be excluded, please exclude it."
Adventurers take back what they think is cursed, and have it appraised by an Appraisal Shop Owner designated by the Client.
If the Appraisal Shop Owner has the Skill [Appraisal], they can tell if it is cursed. If that Appraisal Shop Owner agrees, "This is correct," then the request is considered fulfilled.
(If the Appraisal Shop Owner is in on it, they can fake it however they want...)
Even if the adventurer brings back the true cursed object, if the designated Appraisal Shop Owner says, "This is not it," the request fails.
After that, if the Client withdraws the request, they can achieve the goal of "Curse Exclusion" for practically nothing.
If the Client and the Appraisal Shop Owner are in on it, they can do whatever they want.
However, the Guild is prepared for such situations, and the reward is fully prepaid.
If the Client tries to cheat, the Guild conducts its own [Appraisal] or sends someone to investigate the site.
The Guild knows there are ways to fake anything, so it seems they have thought this through properly.
Before passing through the gate, Mika expanded his Magic Range.
He had already manifested [Physical Enhancement] when leaving the dormitory, so preparations were complete.
He really wanted to use Big Ear, but since there were companions besides himself, he wasn't sure if it would be useful.
So, he decided to use it only if necessary.
The manor was of considerable size.
A mansion slightly smaller than the dormitories in Sarbengeal.
Large for a general house, but small for a manor, a rather ambiguous size.
Still, for a mansion housing a single family, it would be considered luxurious.
There is a garden immediately after passing through the gate, but it is somewhat overgrown.
Weeds have grown, and there were several traces of the ground having been dug up.
The building did not give the impression of being particularly rotten.
It seems this manor has been abandoned for only about a year.
Until then, people lived there normally, but one day, Wraiths suddenly appeared.
Before the family noticed the Wraiths, the servants employed at the manor had died, and they are believed to be victims of the Wraiths.
Initially, they consulted the Church and attempted to subdue the Wraiths, but no matter how many times they subdued them, more kept gathering.
It seems the family then left the manor and evacuated, but they apparently came to the Guild to consult on how to normalize the manor somehow.
They had placed a request a few months ago, but it failed, and this time they are trying again with an increased reward.
Mika looked around, but did not feel anything special.
Unless he touched it, he could not tell if a curse was present, but if the land or house were cursed, would he be able to sense it?
He crouched down and touched the ground with his finger, but felt nothing.
He walked through the garden to the entrance and touched the door, but still felt nothing.
"What are you doing?"
Trys-san, who had silently followed behind, asked.
Mika held back a sigh and looked up at Trys-san.
"It is appreciated that you are worried, but I accepted this request to try various things myself. Of course, I aim to fulfill the request, but fundamentally, I am feeling my way to see what I can do and how far I can go."
This is a different type of request from those he has accepted so far.
It would not be surprising if he ended up running away without being able to do anything at all.
"If you are worried, just watch silently. But if you are going to get in the way, go home. Even if you get hurt, that is valuable experience. Even if you barely escape, that is also experience. Did you come to hinder my growth through experience?"
At Mika's words, Trys-san's expression darkened for a moment, but she slowly took a deep breath to calm herself.
(...I deliberately phrased it to make her angry, but surprisingly, she is rational? She was so aggressive with Kaerya.)
Kaerya was nodding vigorously, humming and hawing.
Probably, she was not nodding after understanding Mika's words.
Mika had said strongly, thinking it was fine even if she got angry and left, but Trys-san seemed to have succeeded in suppressing her emotions.
"...If that is your wish, I will comply. Is that alright?"
Trys-san looked at Mika with eyes that conveyed strong will.
Probably, if she judged it too dangerous, she would intervene without listening to what Mika said.
She would follow Mika until the emergency came.
She was telling herself to endure until then.
That was the look in her eyes.
(How considerate can one person be? There is a limit to being nice.)
She should just leave this stranger to do whatever they want, but Trys-san does not do that.
She goes out of her way to bring herself to a dangerous place.
Mika walked around the perimeter of the manor.
Kaerya and Trys-san silently followed behind Mika.
The back of the building was not exposed to the sun, so the ground soil was damp, and weeds were growing.
Aside from being somewhat overgrown, there was nothing particularly concerning, and they returned to the front of the entrance.
Mika used the key to open the manor's entrance door and gently opened it.
Making a small gap and peeking inside,
"Eek!?"
Mika jumped back in surprise and took a defensive stance.
In front of him was a Wraith sitting cross-legged.
When Mika peeked through the gap in the door, the Wraith was also peeking at Mika through the gap.
Their eyes met perfectly with the Wraith's glowing red eyes.
Even with his Magic Range expanded, unless he consciously spread his magic, he could not see beyond the door. He had been careless.
Kaerya and Trys-san were watching Mika silently.
Probably, it felt like watching a cat pester something interesting and jump around in surprise on its own.
Being seen jumping around in exaggerated surprise made him feel somewhat embarrassed.
The Wraith continued to look at Mika, but it did not seem to come out.
"...Why isn't it coming out?"
Mika took a deep breath to calm his heart.
"Wraiths tend to dislike sunlight. It is not that they absolutely never go outside, but normally they do not come out during the day."
Trys-san answered Mika's mutter.
It seemed she was taking a stance of just answering because she was asked.
Even with a cold expression, she answered dutifully.
"Oh, is that so..."
Mika did not hate Trys-san, so he thanked her for the information.
(If it is not absolute, but basically they do not come out, maybe I should try something.)
Mika returned to the front of the door and observed the Wraith staring at him through the gap.
(There is a red light in what looks like a socket. Is that the eye? The body is naturally transparent, but how do they maintain this state in the first place?)
Ninetiana had taught him that monsters and magic beasts prefer places where magic power accumulates.
He also heard in class that monsters and magic beasts mutate as a result of taking in too much magic power into their bodies.
However, these 'Undead-type' monsters are beings that deviate from such laws.
To be blunt, I know almost nothing about them.
The Church defines these 'Undead-type' monsters as 'Unclean Ones' and teaches the Divine Miracle for extermination.
Those are the Divine Miracles called [Exorcism] and [Purification].
It was written in a document he read in the library before.
[Exorcism] is a specialized Divine Miracle for exterminating 'Unclean Ones,' and [Purification] is a Divine Miracle originally for purifying 'places' or 'objects.'
Both seem to be Divine Miracles that are extremely effective against 'Undead-types.'
(By the way, monsters and magic beasts have magic stones inside them, right? ...No?)
Since the whole body is transparent, if there were magic stones inside, they should be visible, but there were no magic stones in sight.
Is this also an exception for 'Undead-types'?
"Well, let's consider how to defeat them first."
"Eh!?"
At Mika's mutter, Trys-san made a surprised face.
"Considering how to defeat them... right now!? You don't have a way to defeat them!?"
Of course there wouldn't be.
In the first place, this was his first time seeing a ghost.
In his original world, he thought ghosts did not exist.
Naturally, he could not have any idea how to defeat them.
"I cannot overlook this. Go to the Guild immediately and have them cancel the order. The Guild considers failure in these requests 'natural,' so there is no penalty even if you fail a little, so don't worry."
Trys-san tried to grab Mika's shoulder to stop his reckless action.
Mika, who had sensed that movement with his Magic Range, easily dodged.
"Kaerya, hold Trys-san."
When Mika said that, Kaerya smiled with a ferocious face.
With a speed unimaginable from her large body, she stood behind Trys-san, embracing her with both arms like tree trunks and lifting her up.
It was not facing each other, but a bear hug from behind.
"Huh!? Y-you stupid gorilla! Let go!"
Trys-san was pinned by Kaerya's arms and could not move.
"The gorilla cannot understand words, you always say that, right? So, I cannot understand your words. As you say."
Kaerya was squeezing Trys-san with a happy expression.
Even though she did not seem to be putting in much force, it must be in his imagination that he could hear the sound effect of bones cracking.
"Don't let her get hurt. Be careful with the force."
"Understood."
"I didn't say understood! Just let go!"
Trys-san struggled desperately, but the squeezing arms did not budge.
Even if Mika enhanced himself five times, it would be impossible to break free.
"Well then."
Mika turned toward the door.
The Wraith was watching Mika and the others' farce with a stare.
Since it was a monster, he had imagined it would be more ferocious, but it was surprisingly well-behaved.
Mika was thinking, "Well, if I try something first, it should be this," when—
"Radiant light that shines brilliantly and illuminates the entire world. O Great God of Light, your great subordinate deity, the God of Purification, clear and pure. Hear my prayer, and please guide the lost child into your pure hands. Return the ugly ones who disturb the truth to their proper form."
"Ah."
In front of Mika's eyes, the Wraith that had been looking at them through the gap was enveloped in sparkling white light and disappeared while making a slight writhing motion.
Turning around, Trys-san was looking at Mika with a desperate expression.
It seems Trys-san had manifested a Divine Miracle.
"I am giving you bad advice! Stop this request immediately! 'Unclean Ones' are far more dangerous than you think!"
Even though Trys-san's movements were sealed by Kaerya, she tried to convey the danger to Mika.
Mika scratched his cheek.
"I told you to go home if you were going to get in the way, right?"
"Yes, I will go. With you."
It seems Trys-san was seriously trying to stop Mika.
Was it a sense of justice or something else?
It was a wonderful virtue, but it was somewhat troublesome right now.
Mika stood in front of Trys-san.
"Also, how many more times can you cast it?"
"...What?"
Was that [Exorcism]? Or [Purification]? Either way, it uses a considerable amount of magic power, right? How many more times can you cast it?"
"............"
Trys-san did not answer Mika's question.
"If you open that door fully and lure the Wraiths using me as bait, can you drain your magic power whether you want to or not? If you faint from magic exhaustion, there will be no need to restrain you... How about this plan?"
Trys-san's eyes widened at Mika's wicked plan.
"...Stop thinking such foolish things."
"If you don't want to do foolish things, watch quietly."
Mika and Trys-san glared at each other.
Mika was not playing around.
If they got in the way, they needed to be eliminated.
This was a request Mika had officially accepted.
The one openly getting in the way was Trys-san.
No matter how noble the reasons were listed, ignoring the person who accepted the request saying "Do not interfere" was a serious violation.
"Kaerya, you can let go."
Mika called out to Kaerya.
Although told he could let go, Kaerya did not let go with an unhappy expression.
"Kaerya."
When Mika called her name again, she reluctantly let go of Trys-san.
Trys-san took some distance from Kaerya and lightly loosened her body while on guard.
Mika smiled at such Trys-san.
"Please do not interfere anymore. I do not want to encounter unnecessary danger either. Please do not let me execute the plan I mentioned earlier."
Mika used himself as bait to seal Trys-san's interference.
Of course, he had no intention of actually doing that.
But if he did not make her think he was serious, Trys-san would interfere again.
Trys-san looked at Mika with a bitter expression, but said nothing more.
If she still interfered, he would have to either execute the plan from earlier or cooperate with Kaerya to eliminate Trys-san.
(Well, let's get back to the verification... But before that.)
Mika closed his eyes and repeatedly chanted the Divine Miracle spell Trys-san had used earlier in his head.
(I got a Divine Miracle in an unexpected place. I don't know if it was [Exorcism] or [Purification], but it works well on Undead, right? I must not forget it.)
He smirked.
However, the downside of Divine Miracles is that they require long incantations.
He would like to find an easier way to defeat them for daily use if possible.
Mika returned to the front of the entrance and peeked inside through the gap.
The Wraith that had been there a moment ago had disappeared, but there were several Wraiths in the entrance.
Mika opened the door a little more.
"Well then, first the usual... O vast source of life, Great God of Water. O your great subordinate deity, the God of Healing, who fills with moisture. Hear my prayer, and take the wounded into your arms. The warmth of life, the powerful breath to stand up again."
"Huh!?"
"Ooh?"
Mika used the Divine Miracle [Heal] on a nearby Wraith.
It seems Kaerya and Trys-san were surprised and raised their voices, not knowing Mika could use Divine Miracles.
Yellow, pale particles of light floated and enveloped the Wraith, but there was no particular reaction.
(Healing magic dealing damage to Undead is a fairly standard setting, but does it not work in this world... What a pity.)
This also requires a long incantation, so it is not suitable for daily use, but he had to try it first, or he would not be able to sleep at night.
Mika was bothered by the two behind him watching, but he tried [Fireball], [Stone Bullet], [Air Cutter], and others one after another.
Since he was just testing if there was any effect, he kept the power to the minimum.
When he made the [Fireball] float and hit it, there was a slight reaction.
But there was no reaction to anything else.
(All of them are unsatisfactory. In this case, it seems I need to develop some new magic.)
However, Mika, who did not believe in the existence of ghosts or spirits in the first place, had no idea how to defeat these 'Undead-types'.
While Mika was thinking "Hmm...", Trys-san spoke up.
"...Can you use Divine Miracles? Just who are you...?"
He heard that Yunressa had told him about Mika, but it seems she did not mention that he attends the Academy.
Since it would be troublesome to be surprised one by one from now on, he decided to explain a little while checking the situation inside.
"I attend the Magic Academy in the capital. I have been attending for over two years, including local academies. ...Did you really think a mere child became a D-Rank?"
This was not limited to Divine Miracles.
But because he had some means of fighting, he defeated magic beasts and ranked up.
"My Divine Miracles seem to be a little different, so I am currently studying the correct Divine Miracles. So, I did not really want to show them to people."
He added that what he just showed was also a Divine Miracle, just in case.
And that he really did not want to be seen.
"I do not trust people who follow me without permission and talk freely about what they see today."
However, Mika was not trying to keep it secret absolutely.
Rumors would spread sooner or later.
He looked at Kaerya and Trys-san.
Both had serious expressions.
"If you want to tell people, you can tell them. I will simply stop trusting you. That is all."
When Mika said that, Kaerya straightened her posture and placed her right fist against the center of her chest.
"I vow. I will not tell anyone."
That was probably Kaerya's own oath.
She was taking a promise with such a child seriously.
Trys-san also made a gesture of prayer and vowed "Silence."
It seems this included not just a promise with Mika, but a promise with the gods.
"Well, you do not have to take it so dramatically. It will get out to others sooner or later. Just keep quiet until then."
Mika said it casually, but the two kept their serious expressions.
He did not know how effective this gag order would be, but Mika decided to continue further verification.