59 – S2. Resentment Toward the Stars -2
[Good morning!]
In the corridor, as Nieore was about to raise a whiteboard he encountered Bennett, he paused, looking at his tired face.
The detective’s pupils quickly scanned Bennett’s whole body. And the conclusion reached was that he stayed up all night preparing for danger. Nieore swept the whiteboard with the edge of his coat and quickly wrote a new sentence.
[Should I have chosen a night shift⋯⋯?]
Bennett waved his hand in a negative gesture. Neither the saint nor Nieore found it satisfactory. In the end, the frustrated one had to take the initiative.
“No, it’s okay. Did you sleep well over there?”
[Yes. I slept well! Though the saint was murmuring like having a nightmare⋯⋯.]
“Considering the person who walks around in that attire, I thought she would have thicker nerves. Is she prone to nightmares⋯⋯?”
It was an unexpected aspect. Since she carried herself as if she didn’t care about other people’s gazes, it seemed like she could comfortably lie down and sleep. As Bennett pondered, this time Nieore inquired about his well-being.
[Did anything happen at night?]
“There was something. Your help happened to be needed.”
Bennett gestured for Nieore to follow. Holding the whiteboard to his chest, Nieore followed with hesitant steps. They arrived at a worn-out room in the far corner of the mansion’s second floor.
Bennett turned the doorknob first, pushing the door carefully with his shoulder as if there might be an assailant inside. However, there was no one inside.
The man must have a reason to be on guard. Niole concentrated and surveyed the room. It seemed like a long-unused space, with thick layers of dust settled around. And all sorts of odds and ends.
Metal buckets rolling around, a set of tools lying around. It seemed to have been a storage room.
In a space barely enough for one person to lie down in the corner, there were traces where the dust had been swept away. Judging by the marks, it was probably Bennett’s. Did he sleep here?
[Did you sleep here? There are many other rooms…]
“It’s a position in case of a potential attack. More importantly, what happened last night.”
Bennett forcefully opened the stiff window. Creak. Along with the unpleasant sound, dust on the window fell down.
Beyond the window, the backyard of the mansion was visible at a glance. Red anemones bloomed delicately, decorating a small garden, and the hillside led down to the city below.
At first glance, it was a peaceful scene, but Niole saw ominous signs. Depressed footprints, cigarette butts left burning, traces of a person sitting in one place for a long time.
From Noble mtl dot com
Niole said with a pursed mouth. Surveillance?
“Yeah, unidentified individuals were monitoring the mansion.”
Bennett raised one arm on the window frame, looking down at the backyard, and began to tell the story of what happened last night.
—–
#1: Unsettling Movements of the Night
Late at night. In the complete darkness covered by the deep black beyond the pale blue world, Bennett couldn’t sleep.
Knowing that kindness in the world is as rare as happiness.
What could be the old man Abraham’s purpose? It would be great if it was genuinely pure kindness, but what if he had some schemes in mind? Lying on the floor while maintaining vigilance, a time for the body to rest but the mind to sharpen.
Tap, tap.
Bennett heard a sound. A small sound. A sound audible only in the silence so profound that even the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard.
He carefully rose from his seat and looked beyond the window where the sound came from. Below, there were shadows of people. Two of them.
They were silently watching the mansion. Doing nothing, just silently watching. Without trying to hide themselves, they smoked cigarettes while keeping an eye on the surroundings.
Bennett contemplated several hypotheses. Loan sharks, debt collectors, robbers, police… However, the clues were lacking, and it was too dark to gather any visual information.
If it were Niora, would it have been different?
Without being able to identify the identities of these suspicious individuals, he waited, spying on them in the darkness. A quiet night, with occasional rustling sounds. As the sun began to rise, the watchers descended the hill and disappeared.
Confirming their retreat, Bennett also relaxed his shoulders. As the tension eased, fatigue suddenly overwhelmed him. However, there was still a lingering unease in a corner of his heart, and the sun was already up.
Having found a safe haven, even after resting, it would be good to ask the saint for a fatigue recovery spell today.
—–
“……”
Niora calmly observed and pointed to the scratched mark on the lower part of the window frame.
“A rope, I think.”
“A rope?”
“Yes. Tied to the end of the rope… to a heavy object, like that bucket for carrying water. It’s hanging down, so you can climb down.”
“It’s not a height that would require a rope… Right, I remember hearing that most people here can’t use magic.”
However, this information alone was not particularly significant. There was no reason for Abraham to leave the stairs and use a rope, and without lowering the rope from the inside, people from outside couldn’t climb up either.
“And… a tapping sound?”
“Yes.”
“Could it be this?”
Tap.
Niora raised her fingernail and tapped the glass window. A similar sound was heard. In admiration, Bennett flicked his finger.
“That sound is correct. How did you know?”
“Well, there was a scratch here. Right here.”
Nioré looks up and points to a part of the glass window. There was a slight, shiny scratch as if it had been marked by something sharp and solid. It was only after Venet turned his head in different directions that he was able to spot it.
“I have something to check. Can you help me? Hold onto my waist, please.”
“My waist?”
Nioré pressed their buttocks against the window frame and sat down, leaning their upper body backwards.
Venet tried to wrap their arms around Nioré’s waist… but realized that unnecessary contact would occur due to Nioré’s distinctive body structure. Instead, Venet safely grabbed their collar.
“……”
Nioré’s expression became gloomy.
Hold on a second. Nioré leaned out of the window, exposing their upper body, and observed the exterior wall of the mansion. There were signs of it being broken and shattered. Traces that seemed to have been made by several hooks. If it was a hook used by a person, there would be no reason to hang it in a place like this.
So, the only thing that came to mind was a monster. It must have had strong claws capable of digging into the brick outer wall, and it was speculated that it probably had wings.
Flap, flap.
As Nioré gestured for Venet to pull them, Venet pulled them inside while still holding onto their collar. Nioré straightened their disheveled clothes and wrote a conclusion on the whiteboard.
“It seems like a wyvern or something similar. Hanging upside down like this, it must have been waiting on top of the window.”
“If a wild wyvern appeared, then it’s understandable why Abraham would accept outsiders. With his old body, it would be difficult for him to catch a monster.”
If they had been powerless civilians, they would have been terrified by the existence of a terrifying monster they had never seen before… But Venet and Nioré were academy students in a fantasy world, so they let out a sigh of relief as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. Violence, combat, and monsters were natural to them.
That’s why they had underestimated the danger of the upcoming events.
The appearance of something that should not exist was a clear sign. Like a small spark in the mountains that eventually turns into a raging wildfire. The encroachment of darkness that started to invade reality meant the descent of a much larger existence.
“Let’s go back.”
“Yes. Are you going to catch the wyvern?”
“We’ll have to negotiate properly about that, won’t we? I won’t provide free service. If he wants extermination, Abraham will have to pay the price.”
[Still, they were kind enough to show me kindness…]
“If that’s the case, don’t try to handle it alone… No, don’t try to handle it alone at all. Take me and the saint with you without fail.”
Benedict advised Neo with justice shining in his eyes, then returned to the corridor.
—–
“Oh, there you are.”
“You’re awake.”
Saint Tara yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. She was wearing a fresh dress she had found after meticulously searching through the sinister wardrobe last night.
Although it was slightly small in size, it was a world of difference in terms of exposure compared to the custom-made saint’s attire, which could be mistaken for having been stolen. As she wore it neatly, as if she were looking at someone else, Benedict added a word.
“It looks much better when you wear it properly.”
“…..Whatever others wear!”
“Even if you compliment me…”
“Forget it, let’s go. The landlord grandfather prepared breakfast, so we should go down.”
Sniff sniff. At Tara’s words, Neo cautiously sniffed the air. It was the scent of a basic breakfast: fried eggs, bacon, and warmed bread. As she followed the smell and went down to the first floor, the saint followed behind, and Benedict followed last.
On the long wooden table in the living room on the first floor, there was a meal prepared for the number of people. When Abraham saw Tara coming down, he stiffened for a moment, then smiled kindly and approached her.
“Did you sleep well? It would have been better if there were more beds…”
“No, Professor Abraham. Thanks to you, I slept well.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed, and pure joy sparkled in his pupils. It had been over a year since they had breakfast together, and the atmosphere was not this peaceful.
“It’s a relief. I prepared breakfast… I hope you like it.”
“It looks really delicious!”
A warm and cheerful atmosphere.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
It felt as though flowers were fluttering between the Holy Maiden Tara and Abraham. It hadn’t even been a day since they met, but was it too overly warm? Beneath the concern of potential toxicity in the cuisine, Bennett carefully sliced and tasted.
Niole joined in with an affectionate atmosphere, expressing himself physically, throwing double peace signs and the like since he couldn’t speak. So much to worry about, yet it seemed there was nothing to worry about. From the absence of any tingling sensation on the tongue, it appeared there was no potent poison.
Abraham, observing Bennett shadow boxing alone with a somewhat preoccupied look, might have seen him as a reserved and short-spoken young man. The old man spoke with concern.
“Your complexion doesn’t look good. Could it be that bacon isn’t to your liking? If the seasoning is off, I can sprinkle some pepper.”
“⋯ No, it’s sufficient.”
“You seem burdened with thoughts. If it’s because you’re concerned and don’t have a proper place to stay, you’re welcome to stay here a bit longer. This house is too spacious for an old man to live alone.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Is he like Alekson? No, it’s too early to judge. Bennett organized his thoughts. While the walking scanner Niole had an optimistic mindset, if he detected strange and dangerous signs, he would naturally be cautious.
If she believes in her abilities, the old man Abraham would likely believe in her too. Maintaining a friendly relationship would be a good idea. So, Bennett took a chance for a deal.
“There seems to be hidden business nearby.”
“⋯Do you believe in such groundless things? Occult?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯??”
What’s with that look?
Abraham’s expression was subtle—sadness, embarrassment, worry. Regardless of the emotions, the important point was that he seemed to be regarding Bennett as someone with peculiar beliefs, as if there were no possibility of monsters existing.
The report mentioned that only a few individuals handle magic, and it’s tightly regulated socially. They knew of its existence but didn’t realize society was so restrictive.
Derived from magic—did they not know about anything related to it?
Even the Holy Maiden Tara deciphered the ambiguous emotional spectrum quickly and made a swift decision. Cut ties. Tara executed an emergency evasion with a gesture signaling, ‘There’s just that one weird person.’
“Yes, occult? Bennett likes weird things. Last time, it was something about a cursed sword. But don’t worry too much. He’s a good… good? Because he’s young.”
“I have no intention of debating personal beliefs, but one must distinguish between reality and fantasy. I speak for your sake; don’t take it too seriously.”
“Yes⋯⋯.”
In an instant, Bennett, who had become a delusional patient, bowed his head. What he had read in the report and the details of this place seemed to differ significantly. To blend in without arousing suspicion⋯⋯ knowledge was required.
And the conclusion was that obtaining that knowledge naturally and with minimal risk meant staying at Abraham’s house. Bennett, having made his judgment, said,
“I’d like to stay a bit longer. Elder. I’ll pay an appropriate fee later on⋯⋯.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just being together is enjoyable. When this large house is filled with static, it feels like being thrown into the middle of the universe. I want to avoid that feeling. So, feel free to stay for a while, Professor Abraham!”
In response to Bennett’s signal of “let’s stay a bit longer here,” Tara also joined in with a wide smile. And so, the trio ended up staying at Abraham’s house.