Even after confirming that this was completely different from before, I still couldn't fully cast aside my suspicion, so I released that hand and turned to look at Jigor who was nearby.
Having returned to his tit form, Jigor noticed my gaze and hurriedly answered.
[I can see the head servant and the two unpleasant knights too!]
[What are you talking about?]
Nesi, who I didn't know was there, raised her head and interjected at Jigor's cry. She had been hidden behind me, but if even Nesi was present, this really must be Zenon.
I found myself unconsciously relieved, when Zenon, who had been standing bewildered, suddenly looked at Samuel standing before him. After alternately looking at me and Samuel, he narrowed his eyes.
"Surely Lady Aneli didn't see something as well?"
"Did you also see something?"
"No. I thought this holy knight was claiming to have seen something... I naturally assumed he was mocking me, so I was sneering at him."
Samuel, who would normally have coldly pointed out Zenon's finger-pointing, now stood silently. His stiffly hardened expression was familiar, but with faint creases between his brows, he looked rather serious.
When I approached, Samuel narrowed his eyes and looked at me. Then he glanced at Jigor flying around me and sighed.
"What did you see, Sir?"
At my question, Samuel hesitated before slowly parting his lips.
"Before that, I'd like to ask. Did you happen to come down to the underground?"
"No. I was in the chapel."
At my immediate answer, Samuel clicked his tongue low.
"I met you in the underground. You asked me the location of the chapel."
"...I did?"
"Yes."
There wasn't a trace of playfulness in his answer. Staring at Samuel in bewilderment, I rubbed my suddenly chilling neck and looked around.
When I first arrived here, I simply thought it was old, but looking around again now, it was quite desolate.
What, so there really are ghosts here?
I unconsciously rubbed my forearm when Zenon quietly interjected with a question.
"What exactly did you see, Lady Aneli?"
"I saw you."
"Me?"
"You were whining about ghosts appearing and asking me to hold your hand because you were scared."
Zenon, who had been bewildered by the mention of seeing him, gaped.
"You fell for that?"
"You normally can't stand ghosts, you know."
Zenon, who seemed about to retort with an aggrieved expression, soon recalled his own disgraceful behavior and avoided my gaze with an embarrassed face.
After clearing his throat and deliberately composing his expression, he asked in a much softened voice.
"...Did you hold my hand?"
"Yes."
"So you rejected... Huh? Really?"
"Yes. That's why I confirmed it the moment I met you."
Zenon's eyes opened impossibly wide. Was that really so surprising?
"It's now certain that there's something strange about this place."
Samuel interjected in a cold voice and looked around the lobby. I also carefully surveyed the surroundings following him. Other than encountering that strange entity moments ago, the scenery was unchanged.
"Did the ghost attack you?"
"Hmm, it didn't seem to have any intention to attack. But if we stayed together for long, who knows what might have happened. Sir?"
"It didn't show any threatening signs to me either."
While I was sharing experiences with Samuel, Zenon, who had been spacing out, belatedly came to his senses and cut in.
"It might not be a ghost."
When I turned around with my arms crossed, he explained with a very serious face.
"Places where real ghosts appear are much more gloomy, desolate, and cold than this. If anything, ghosts would appear in that Crow Forest we went to before."
It was a completely unconvincing argument.
Perhaps seeing my deflated expression, Zenon quickly waved his hand and added.
"Of course, setting aside such illogical speculation. While this is a strange place, rather than ghosts... it's a place imbued with some kind of magical power."
"Magic?"
"Yes. While Nesi and I were checking inside, we discovered a strange stone statue. Power similar to mana was flowing from it. We also confirmed external inscriptions."
A monastery and magic—an unexpected combination. Moreover, hadn't this monastery been abandoned for quite a long time?
"If it's mana, it's mana. What's with 'power similar to mana'?"
"Actually, I want to know that too. It's a type I've never seen before. I suspect it might be ancient magic, and if so, this would be a tremendous discovery."
"Just because you don't know it doesn't make it ancient magic."
Given that he had received safety training before, it seemed he had studied hard at the Magic Tower, but there was no way Zenon knew all magic. Unless he became the Tower Lord.
I had responded considering various possibilities, but Zenon answered in a provoked tone.
"That is definitely a type unconfirmed at the Magic Tower!"
"Right. So you're saying you can't identify it in the end?"
Whether ancient magic or unconfirmed magic, not knowing is the same thing.
At my point, Zenon couldn't bring himself to deny it and swallowed a low groan.
"If I had remaining mana to utilize, I could have checked immediately, but unfortunately for now I can only sense it. But by tomorrow, or the day after at the latest, I can identify the statue's nature."
"Why is magic placed in a monastery?"
"Well, I don't know that either."
"Wasn't it an attack type?"
"Judging only from the revealed inscriptions, it's similar to protective magic. Or... since two people saw something, it could be illusion magic. Though it wasn't any illusion magic formula I know."
"Can you hold an illusion's hand?"
"That's..."
Zenon's lips, which had been answering without hesitation, snapped shut. Even he must have thought 'contact' was strange.
Illusion magic is, as the name suggests, merely a shadow fabricated to make something without substance appear real.
You cannot hold a shadow's hand. But moments ago, I had held the cold hand of 'something disguised as Zenon.'
Feeling the illusion of coldness remaining in the hand I had held, I clenched and unclenched my fist for no reason.
"Anyway, it's not dangerous, right?"
"Probably... yes. That was my assessment when I saw it. Besides, Lady Aneli's subordinates were gathered there too?"
If the Durahans were gathered there, perhaps it was something connected to their past? And that unidentified entity that appeared before me as well?
If so, couldn't we learn information through that ghost or whatever it was?
I was weighing various possibilities in my mind when Samuel, who had been silently listening to our conversation, suddenly asked.
"Where did you discover that stone statue?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Perhaps upstairs?"
"That's true, but..."
At Zenon's answer, Samuel furrowed his brow. With an unreadable expression, he glanced at the ceiling and urged me.
"If it's not dangerous, I think we should go check."
Since the Durahans were supposedly there anyway, it would be good to see their condition directly.
"Yes, let's check."
When I agreed, Samuel stepped forward to lead. Without asking Zenon for directions, he walked as if he knew everything.
Finding Samuel curious, I watched him when Zenon quietly lowered his voice and whispered.
"It's not really a ghost, right?"
"You said it was magic."
"No, I think that, but hearing the story... a bit..."
Seeing him making a tearful face while glancing around, Nesi, who had been walking leisurely, growled and scolded.
[Walk with your shoulders back and confidently!]
"See, even Nesi is scared."
Goodness, Nesi and Zenon still weren't communicating at all.
Looking pityingly at Nesi who was stomping her feet in frustration, I sighed seeing Zenon's increasingly pale complexion.
Just moments ago he was asserting there were no ghosts, but now that he discovered the possibility, he gets scared in an instant.
No wonder I fell for it earlier. That thing mimicked Zenon so perfectly.
"How do you hold a ghost's hand."
"That's true too."
"So it's probably a monster, or unidentified magic."
Even if not illusion magic, it could be magic applied differently. Or if not that, it could be a peculiar monster.
Even Pallides is a Durahan that knows how to transform into a human. ...Even without a neck.
"Well..."
Even at my answer, Zenon's expression didn't improve. With a dubious face, he hesitated before shivering and shaking his head.
"Anyway, don't be fooled if it appears again. No matter how scared I am, I won't ask to hold hands."
He urged as if it were a great resolution, then added slyly.
"Unless you're scared and want to hold my hand."
"That's even less likely."
"Well, who knows. Lady Aneli must have at least one thing she's afraid of."
That was truly a ridiculous thing to say. Being surprised by sudden situations might happen, but fear and terror were emotions quite distant from me. At least since my resurrection.
"I've even been on the execution platform, what is there to be afraid of."
At my extremely reasonable answer, Zenon faltered as if struck. Then soon he insisted stubbornly.
"You might unexpectedly be afraid of trivial things."
"As if."
Sneering and turning my gaze away, I saw the stairs we had reached.
While we had our trivial conversation, the distance from Samuel had grown quite far. Samuel, who had been walking hurriedly ahead as if possessed by something, had already reached the stairs and was striding away alone.
[Boss, everyone seems to be gathered!]
Jigor cried gladly and flew upward, and I too hurried my steps to catch up with them.
"It's over there!"
Upon reaching the second floor, a large door connected to a hall was visible directly ahead. The door was wide open, and Samuel stood before it, staring intently inside.
"Sir, aren't you going in?"
Faint confusion showed on his profile.
"Sir Samuel?"
"That power."
What he was looking at was the stone statue surrounded by Durahans. The very one Zenon had mentioned.
"It's divine power."
...I thought that was power similar to mana.
"Since when did magic and divine power come to mean the same thing?"