As Seol settled into a sofa opposite Seras, their conversation commenced.

"To think I’d unintentionally invite someone so renowned in this area into my humble manor. It makes me quite nervous."

“You don’t need to concern yourself so much. I’m also at fault for coming here unannounced.”

“Even so, a guest is a guest.”

Flap flap…

Seol had to focus to not lose track of the conversation as he was simultaneously controlling nearly 10 crows to search through the Gatiff manor.

Meooow…

Seol glanced at the cats in the reception room, basking in the sunlight as they stretched.

There were a little over five of them, clearly Seras's pets.

Seras, seeing Seol’s gaze, quickly added on.

“Are you uncomfortable around them?”

“Huh?”

“They are my beloved pets.”

“Ah, I’m fine with them.”

"Still, I apologize. Some people do feel uneasy around them on their first visit.”

Seol took his time, observing each of the colorful cats.

‘...They also faintly have that same smell. Could it be because of her?’

Seol quickly paid them no mind.

After all, he didn’t come here for the cats.

Flap flap…

Seol's crows used their beaks and talons to go through various doors in the manor. As they continued to spread out, he mentally mapped the information they gathered.

- Kuku… You seem to be focused on things other than your conversation with her.

‘Why don’t you keep your mouth shut if you know?’

- I doubt she could ever imagine you doing something like this behind her back.

As Ur noted, Seras Gatiff appeared oblivious to the situation, simply continuing to pet her cat.

Meow…

"Okay, okay…" Seras said to her cats before turning to Seol. "Oh! By the way, what was the reason for the commotion earlier?"

Essentially, she was asking Seol why he was causing such a mess in front of her manor.

As it was customary for a guest to properly state the reason for their visit, Seol told her the truth.

“Did someone named ‘Jo Gyeongtaek’ visit this manor yesterday?”

“Jo Gyeongtaek…”

Seol knew that Gyeongtaek actively used his real name instead of his nickname.

In fact, quite a number of people operated under their real names instead, as their nicknames were rather odd.

"Yes, he did," answered Seras. "I invited him to a meal to thank him for successfully completing a request I made of him before."

“...And?”

Flap flap…

There was no way Seras would tell Seol the truth. As such, he focused more on exploring the manor with his crows to find traces of Gyeongtaek himself.

Flutter…

Seol then received a reaction from a crow he sent to the annex, not the main building.

‘...So it’s in that direction.’

As Seol couldn’t find anything suspicious in the main building, he made all of the crows head toward the annex.

Flap flap…

As Seol’s crows began darting through the garden, the gardener, noticing them, tilted his head in confusion.

"Why are there so many crows…?"

Meanwhile, Seras, unaware of the crows, continued her conversation with Seol.

"After our meal, he stayed for a while before leaving in the evening. I’ve prepared a guest room and a bed for him just in case, but he refused."

“I see, but…”

Seol looked directly into her eyes.

"I'm also aware that it wasn't just him who was invited."

“......”

Seras went silent for a second before responding.

"Ah... you're referring to his party members, I see. Yes, I do remember inviting them for meals multiple times before, as well. They've also complimented my refreshments. It actually made me so happy that I've invited them multiple times since then."

She then glanced at the table.

The only cookies that had been eaten so far were the ones she herself had eaten.

“Are you… not going to try my snacks?”

“I don’t enjoy snacks, so no.”

“But…”

“I am not here as a guest today.”

“......”

At first glance, it might seem like Seol was threatening her.

However, considering that people went missing here, it would have been even more unusual if Seol didn’t take any action.

Seras let out a long sigh.

“Haaah… I heard you have a connection to Earl Brispin, is that correct?”

“It is.”

Seol wondered why she had suddenly asked that.

“I, too, frequently confer with Earl Brispin. I should mention that it is quite troublesome if you suddenly visit my manor without any prior word for personal business.”

"...Now that I think about it, you’re right."

Pretending to agree, Seol subtly glanced at the back of her hand.

- They have a black rose tattoo on the back of their hand. It was impossible to tell their gender through their voice, and they weren’t too big either. They smelled like medicine. I remember all of those perfectly. I have also left that person’s scent in this letter.

‘She doesn’t have the rose tattoo.’

So, does that mean Seras Gatiff wasn't the one who pushed Malacus into hell?

Then, was Gyeongtaek’s disappearance after visiting this manor just a coincidence? And was her having a scent similar to the one that Malacus left behind also just a coincidence?

‘No, there’s definitely something more.’

Meoooow!

A white cat jumped onto Seras’s lap.

The cat coyly cried as it snuggled against Seras before fixing its gaze directly on Seol.

Its emerald eyes almost seemed to be urging Seol to leave, as if to stop annoying Seras any further.

Seras quickly comforted the cat.

“Okay, yeah. I understand.”

While the cat captured Seras's attention, Seol also received some good news.

Flap flap…

‘...Found it!’

Seol’s crows had managed to find traces of something hidden in the annex, prompting him to quickly stand up.

“I apologize. I must have been mistaken.”

“It’s quite alright,” answered Seras. “I’m sure you were just worried that something happened to someone close to you. I would have done the same thing.”

“Thank you for allowing me in.”

"It was nothing, really. Jurie, please guide our guest to the exit.”

“Yes, this way.”

Step… step…

As Seol followed the attendant out, Seras let out a long sigh of relief.

“Fuu… He’s finally gone.”

Meoooow…

“It’s fine now.”

Who could she be talking to?

But then…

Transform…

The white cat leaped from her lap and transformed mid-air, turning into a human.

“Nyaaaaa… I hate it. I don’t like it at all. Being suspected is awful.”

“Th-that is why I said that getting ourselves involved with transferees would be…”

Despite having turned into a human, the woman still retained her cat ears and tail, along with her cat eyes.

The cat that Seras had been holding onto was, in truth, a beastman.

“Would be…?”

“It…”

“Seras… stay in line. I, your master, will make all the decisions.”

“......”

“And my will is essentially the same as theirs. I’ve made deals with them for a long, long time. I’m sure you understand what I’m trying to say, right?”

“That if I go against you… I’d die.”

Fwip…

The beastwoman quickly grabbed Seras’s chin.

“Then why are you acting like that when you know it so well? It’s almost like you’re trying to make me want to cut you.”

“I’m sorry… he just seemed to be extremely suspicious, so…”

As the beastwoman’s hand ran down the side of Seras’s face, it revealed a black rose tattoo on the back of her hand.

"It’s fine. Your acting was passable, so I doubt he’d come back for a while. You’re quite good at deceiving others. Maybe it’s from your mother."

“...He didn’t realize anything, right?”

“Realize what?”

“That we’re related to the missing transferees. We’ve already taken so many…”

"Ah, hold it right there. I understand your fear, but there's no need to worry. He's left, and even if he's suspicious, what can he really do? Even if he noticed something, how else can he investigate besides trying to interrogate you? He doesn't even know where his brother is... In fact, he might choose to keep his distance, thinking that getting closer would only make things worse."

“You… are right.”

"All you need to do is follow my instructions. Keep ensnaring good transferees into your spiderweb, just as your mother hunted adventurers in the past."

Despite nodding in response, Seras's body continued to tremble, though not because of the beastwoman in front of her.

"Yes, but... I'm still so worried. Not only because of his fame, but his eyes... they were terrifying."

"In the end, it's just one transferee. There's nothing humans can do on their own. I doubt he'd even be able to jump over the Gatiff manor's walls.”

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Around that time, Seol slipped past House Gatiff’s condescending gatekeeper and scouted the surroundings.

After checking all sides, Seol reached a conclusion.

“Hm… let’s jump the wall.”

- There’s no choice, let’s commit crimes.

- I can hear Agony smiling from here!

- ???: Kukuku… your end is near.

Ur, Seol's powerful summon, agreed with his basic plan.

- Kuku… it may seem foolish, but it is also the fastest method. I couldn’t sense any magical barriers or alarms either… not that it would matter with me by your side. But to think it would be this flimsy… was their weak gatekeeper really that trustworthy?

Seol then saw a few options.

[[You have a feeling that Seras Gatiff has a connection to Malacus. However, there is nothing you can do with just a hunch. What do you do?]

1. Return to the gatekeeper and draw his attention.

2. Investigate the Gatiff manor with Earl Brispin.

3. Sneak into the manor at night.

4. Look into rumors about the Gatiff manor.

……]

Seol, considering that waiting until nightfall would be a waste of time, first sent his crows over the wall to scout it out before leaping over it in a single jump.

Fft!

Fwooosh…

Despite its explosiveness, the only sound it made was a small rustle that a gentle breeze would make.

Seol quickly headed to the annex, avoiding the guards.

‘Is it normally unused?’

Seol, sensing no presence within, speculated that it was likely a guest room.

Fwoosh…

The way the crows went in was too small for Seol to fit through.

As such, he chose a window that would likely attract the least attention and broke it to enter.

Crack…

Seol did his best to make little to no sound.

Fwip!

Fwooosh!

After entering the annex, Seol quickly ran to the door his crows spotted earlier.

An ominous door stood in the way to the basement area.

Not only did it bear an eerie pattern, but it also seemed as if forcing it open would produce a loud noise.

‘...What should I do about this lock?’

- Fufufu… watch carefully.

Ur summoned himself from the Shadow Space and placed his hand on the door.

“Let me show my true worth.”

[Ur, the Sealed’s Wizardry activates.]

[Ur, the Sealed, deciphers the unidentified spell.]

[Spell deciphering in progress.]

[The spell has been successfully deciphered.]

[Ur, the Sealed, confirms the spell 'Magic Circle: Housekeeping Dog'.]

[Ur, the Sealed, confirms the spell 'Magic Circle: Dramatic'.]

……

- Woah… he looks like an expert lol!

- Let’s gooooo

- Dababy: Let’s gooooooo

- So what is Wizardry exactly?

- I don’t… know? I think only Ur knows.

"Hm... I thought it was rather weak, but... it's slightly better than I anticipated. Still, it's so dull it makes me want to yawn. They likely placed their faith in these spells rather than the guards. After all, this is something that would take weaklings days to dispel, but..."

Ur began to laugh.

[Devour Magic activates.]

Gulp…

[Ur, the Sealed, is consuming Magic Circle: Housekeeping Dog.]

[Ur, the Sealed, is consuming Magic Circle: Dramatic.]

As Ur's Adam's apple moved up and down, the magic circles on the door slowly began to fade away.

- Leave magic circles to me! Spirit man!

- He said they were pretty good = I’m better than a pretty good guy, so praise me.

“For me, it only takes seconds.”

After saying that, Ur took subtle glances at Seol.

It was clear he was desperate for something.

Seol, catching on, said a word.

“...Incredible.”

"Kuhuhu... don't praise me too much. It’s embarrassing as a wizard to be praised for something as minuscule as this.”

“Got it.”

“......”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

- That’s it?

- Praise me more!

- He doesn’t give empty praises, though!

- At least Snowman was nice enough to praise him in the first place!

In truth, Seol was completely in awe of Ur’s skill.

Though Jamad and the Twin Knights were clearly helpful, Seol has had to handle everything magic-related by himself until now.

‘He… definitely will be a huge help.’

Though Seol had yet to test Ur out in combat, his knowledge and skills were more than enough already.

“Then…”

Creaaaak…

As Seol opened the door, complete darkness welcomed him, accompanied by messages signaling that the circumstances had changed.

[You have received additional information on Hidden Adventure 'Stockholm Syndrome'.]

[The conditions for the Sudden Adventure have been met.]

[Sudden Adventure ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ is now active.]

[This Adventure is very dangerous.]

[Because this Adventure is a Linked Adventure, you cannot choose your next Adventure.]

[You have skipped your Rest.]

[You begin your next Adventure.]

……

Seol’s eyes quickly adapted to the darkness.