145. The Strange Manor

 

* * *

 

…It’s strange, isn’t it, Extra-sama?

<It is strange, Emi.>

I, the wild child beautiful young girl Emi-chan aged 8, had been aimlessly wandering this vast snowy plain.

What suddenly appeared before me was a manor with an outward appearance that could only be described as “strange.”

First, the roof was bright red. Bright crimson red. Additionally, the window frames and other key areas were also painted red.

The walls were coated yellow, with red polka dot patterns drawn here and there.

With only pure white snow piled up around it, its outward appearance stood out bizarrely.

<Ah, while this outward appearance certainly stands out, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is called the Sancolic style, an architectural style that explosively boomed across this continent around 300 years ago. Even now, you can occasionally see historic buildings in this style.>

Eeh!?

So this manor is a historic building?

Though it still looks relatively new?

<It’s probably been well-maintained. But more than that, Emi, the reason I called it strange is this manor’s location condition.>

Location?

…In the middle of this vast snowy plain with nothing around, the fact that only this manor is here is what’s strange?

<Yes, that’s right, Emi… Could it be this manor is perhaps a villa owned by royalty… no, maybe an extremely wealthy person?>

Hah? Why would it be that?

<For a manor to be located in such an inaccessible environment. There’s a possibility the owner possesses a teleportation magic circle.>

Teleportation magic circle?

<It allows instantly traveling between distant locations… To put it simply, it’s like a warp device created through magic. That’s a teleportation magic circle.>

Heeh! What a convenient thing!

But why would having one mean the owner is royalty or incredibly wealthy?

<Because it’s an extremely rare item. It’s said to be nearly impossible to create with current human technology. Any teleportation magic circles remaining in this world are either “god-made magic circles” bestowed to humans by gods, or relics from the era when the ancient magic civilization flourished. Either way, they’re exceptionally rare, not something ordinary commoners could readily possess or use.>

Whoa, the ancient magic civilization!?

What’s that!? What’s that!?

<Well, I’ll tell you about that later. But since we’ve encountered this manor, why don’t we pay it a visit? I’m getting rather cold.>

Yeah, it’s cold.

I agree on that point.

While I’ve become stronger and am bundled up in the fluffy wolf pelts I hunted in bulk before, it’s not an unbearable cold.

But still, Extra-sama…

If I cheerfully barged into that manor going “Excuse me~!” what do you think would happen?

<…The lights are on, so it doesn’t seem abandoned or vacant… There would likely be an uproar.>

Yeah.

Because of my black hair and black eyes.

Because I’m an accursed child…

<No, even before that, your current appearance is extreme. If you showed up looking like that, you’d probably get called the “Blood-Stained Furball Man” and be treated as a monster.>

Ahaha, calling such a beautiful young girl that, what are you saying, Extra-sama?

I’ll blow you away, you know.

Well, no I won’t actually blow you away!

Anyway, putting aside the jokes.

I can’t just enter the manor as I am now.

It would cause an unnecessary commotion.

<Then what will you do?>

I turn my face sideways.

Over there is a relatively small building with the same bright red roof and yellow walls as the manor.

Probably a storehouse.

I’ll visit inside this storehouse for now to take a break.

<Eh-, let’s just invade the manor? It’ll definitely be warmer in there.>

It’s fine, it’s fine.

Avoiding any unnecessary troubles is best.

<What’s wrong with causing an uproar? You could just kill anyone who makes a fuss!>

Your ideas are scary, Extra-sama!

Honestly, you’re always trying to make me into the enemy of humanity~…

<But wouldn’t being warm be better~…>

Yes yes, patience patience.

Let’s quickly get inside the storehouse!

Squelching through the snow, I move in front of the storehouse door.

While slightly smaller than the manor, the storehouse is still a considerably large building.

The metal door is large and rather imposing too.

Anyway, I’ll have to excuse myself inside~!

Eeh!

…Zu, zu, zuzuzu… Bakin!! …Gigigigigi…

With a bit of force from me, the metal door slowly creaked open with a low rumbling sound.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem locked.

<That “Bakin!!” sound, wasn’t that the lock breaking?>

…Extra-sama, did you really think that?

…Well, what’s done is done!

I’ll just secretly hunt a large monster or something later as an apology gift.

Now then, putting that aside.

Let me just excuse myself inside~!

…Gigigigigi…

I enter the storehouse and close the door behind me.

This stone-constructed storehouse has a stark interior of stone floors and stone walls, contrary to its gaudy outward appearance.

Light pouring in through the windows near the ceiling illuminates the storehouse’s empty interior.

<…There’s nothing here. I thought it might have food or something stored in it.>

That’s true, Extra-sama.

Well, the door was rather imposing for an ordinary storehouse just used for storing provisions.

I wonder what purpose this storehouse serves?

…Hn?

<What’s wrong, Emi?>

Yeah, I thought I saw something glint in the corner of the storehouse over there.

Crouching down near it, there was a small ore fragment about the size of a soybean lying there.

Picking it up for a closer look, the faintly reddish ore sparkled under the ceiling light.

<Ah, this is a magic ore. While I don’t know the exact type…>

Magic ore?

<Ore that has undergone mana transformation from exposure to ley line influences or the like, infusing it with magic power. It gets used as material for various magic tools and such.>

Heeeh.

So if there are fragments lying around, does that mean this was originally a storehouse meant to store these magic ores?

<Hmm, maybe, but…>

It makes me wonder why a villa located in such a remote snowy mountain would need that kind of storehouse.

<The mystery deepens… Does this mean my deductive powers will be put to the test going forward…!?>

If so, struggling would be inevitable, huh.

<What did you say!?>

Ahaha, just kidding, Extra-sama!

I’m counting on you!

But well, I’m just borrowing this storehouse as a resting spot, so whether it’s for what purpose or what that manor is doesn’t really matter, does it?

<Eh-, but I’m curious.>

Well then… yoishoo.

I sit down, leaning my back against the stone storehouse wall and closing my eyes.

Concentrating.

Focusing my awareness toward the manor.

Thanks to my long life in the wilds and undergoing mana transformation, I’ve acquired super fantasy hearing senses.

If I concentrate like this…

“…please”

“…Understood, then…”

“…The cleaning again…”

See? I can even eavesdrop on the conversations inside the neighboring manor from within this storehouse!

As expected of a fantasy other world!!

<While it’s certainly a fantasy other world, only a select few can likely do that. As always, I’m amazed by your superhuman abilities.>

In any case, Extra-sama.

Since I’ll be resting here anyway, why don’t we eavesdrop on what’s happening inside the manor to satisfy our curiosity?

<I see. By secretly listening to their conversations, you’re saying our questions might be resolved?>

Exactly.

Well, it’s just to kill time, so if we don’t understand, we don’t have to force it.

And so.

Extra-sama and I began secretly eavesdropping on the conversations inside the manor.

…It was in the very next moment that a shrill, hysterical scream rang out from within the manor.