The cruise ship docked at the pier of Goresi Island. Allen disembarked with all manner of documents and analysis files, while Epherene staggered off the ship carrying a magitech machine on her back.
“Gggghhhhhh… shiiiiit…”
Hauling an unidentified machine weighing dozens of kilograms on her back, Epherene hated the world.
But there was nothing to be done. Devices sensitive to mana could not be assisted by magic.
“I heard another team arrived on the island separately.”
Muttering so, Ihelm plucked a leaf from a nearby tree. He waved it lightly and looked at Epherene.
“Hey, Leaf. You’re here too.”
“…Don’t talk to me. I’m tired, you know?”
Ihelm nodded, then began chewing the leaf. He even plucked another and handed it to his disciple.
For no particular reason, Epherene felt offended.
“Why are you chewing that?”
“Mm, you don’t know? Trees are the plants that purify mana best. A tree that has absorbed sufficient mana is called a magic tree (魔木). It depends on the species, but most of them can clear your head just by chewing them. Of course, on the continent, they cut them down before they’re fully grown and make weapons, staffs, and whatnot out of them…”
Ihelm pointed at Deculein’s staff ahead of them.
“That bastard’s staff is made from a magic tree too. Magic trees are precious, so when we leave later, pick out a good one and take it with you. You can’t keep casting magic barehanded forever, can you?”
At those words, Epherene briefly imagined herself brandishing a splendid staff with a flourish, deploying and manifesting magic.
“Hmm…”
It didn’t seem too bad. But Ihelm smirked.
“Pfft. Simple-minded little thing.”
“What did you say?”
In any case, after walking for a while, they arrived at their destination. It was a castle called “Ghost Castle.”
At the entrance, the Imperial support team was waiting.
“Greetings. Professor Deculein, Lord Ihelm. It is an honor to meet you. I am Hesrok.”
The man in charge, who introduced himself as Hesrok, extended his hand. Deculein merely looked at it and did not take it. Ihelm, with a faint smile, shook his hand instead.
“Good to meet you. Nothing unusual going on?”
“Yes. Everything is fine. The results of the various surveys and investigations are inside this castle. I will guide you.”
“…Hmm. You set the base camp in this castle?”
Ihelm asked with a slightly reluctant expression. Hesrok nodded as if it were nothing.
“Yes. Outside is actually more dangerous. Mana storms rage without warning.”
“Well, I suppose… it is an island of ghosts listed even in textbooks. Let’s go.”
The group followed Hesrok into the castle.
Step—
The moment they took a single step inside, the air changed completely.
“It feels kind of eerie…”
Allen muttered. Just as he said, the air inside was strangely cool.
Epherene and Allen clung close to Deculein’s back and advanced hesitantly.
“This is the lodging area.”
After passing through a long corridor, they finally reached the reception room on the first floor.
Epherene looked around.
First, there were several beds placed in the open hall. There were no doors or partition walls either.
In other words, there were no “closed spaces.”
Ihelm asked.
“Everyone stays together?”
“Yes. It is a communal lodging. Nightmares occur rather frequently, so we wake one another up. The principle is groups of three. You all happened to come in just the right numbers.”
It had not been intentional, but by coincidence, Deculein’s group had three people, and Ihelm’s group also had three.
Hesrok said,
“As much as possible, please do not leave the first and second floors, and do not close any doors. I will provide a detailed explanation tomorrow morning, but this castle itself is a magical space…”
Epherene glanced at Deculein. His face was full of displeasure, as if communal living were deeply unacceptable to him.
“Also, an adventurer party is present in this castle.”
“An adventurer party?”
Ihelm furrowed his brow. Hesrok nodded.
“Yes.”
“Which adventurer party?”
“The Red Garnet Adventurer Party.”
At that, everyone’s eyes widened. It was no wonder; the prestige of the Red Garnet Adventurer Party was famous throughout the continent.
Ihelm asked again,
“You mean Ganesha is here?”
“Yes. The Imperial Family hired them. There are more enemies on this island than you might think.”
Hesrok warned them once more.
“So please do not leave the first and second floors, and if possible, remain only on the first floor. The principle is groups of three and communal residence.”
As soon as that request ended, Deculein spoke.
“I will go up to the second floor.”
“Pardon?”
Hesrok blinked and asked again. Deculein repeated himself.
“I will stay alone.”
Communal residence. To him, it was a punishment no different from a death sentence.
……
Meanwhile, someone watching them from another space within the castle wore a faint smile.
“That professor came too~”
Professor Deculein. She had not expected to meet him again in a place like this.
Was this what one called a fate ordained by the god of coincidence…?
Ganesha let out a deep sigh, then turned back to the children.
“Lia. How is Carlos?”
“…Yes. He’s all right, for now.”
Lia was nursing Carlos, who was burning with fever.
It had been five days since they came to this island. Carlos’s fever, which had flared up on the third day, showed no sign of abating.
Ganesha asked worriedly,
“Shouldn’t we just go back?”
“No.”
Lia shook her head firmly.
“If we run away here because we’re afraid, then it ends there.”
In truth, she knew. Carlos. This child with blue hair was an extremely dangerous “Named.”
That was why, long ago, she had even thought of killing him herself. Before he grew any more, before he became any more dangerous.
However, as time passed, affection had accumulated, and accordingly, she came to harbor a slightly gentler plan.
Carlos was dangerous. No, precisely because he was dangerous, he was a talent who would be useful in later quests. Therefore, if I guide him correctly, this child will be able to survive happily. He will be able to become a great help to this world…
“…Carlos will be able to overcome it.”
But if he could not overcome it. If he ran away because he was afraid, because it was difficult.
There would no longer be a happy ending.
She would have no choice but to kill this small, young child with her own hands.
“Okay. Do that. For some reason, Lia, you seem more grown-up than I am.”
Ganesha stroked Lia’s hair. She found this child, so mature beyond her years, admirable and reliable.
“But things are going to get a little complicated. Those Altar bastards came too.”
Lia snapped her head up.
“The Altar?”
“Yeah. Some very troublesome guys.”
Kala, known in the world as an “Authority,” and the armed group centered around her younger brother, Jackal.
Whether those bastards were in a cooperative relationship with the Altar or had been assigned to the Altar, she did not yet know, but it was certain that they were formidable enemies.
“If even you call them troublesome, Ganesha…”
“Don’t worry. They’re weaker than me.”
Ganesha smiled brightly and reassured Lia. Then she pointed at Leo, who was asleep with the most peaceful face in the world.
“Let’s wake Leo up now. He’ll be having a nightmare soon.”
* * *
“Will you truly be all right?”
I had come up to the second floor. Those who ignored the first rule of horror films—“do not act alone”—were quite wise, but for me, it was impossible by nature.
“I will be fine.”
“Yes. Just in case, please leave the door open.”
After giving a polite bow, Hesrok went down the stairs.
I looked around the interior alone. More than eerie or chilly, the first thought that came to mind was that it was filthy.
I combined 「Psychokinesis」 and 「Cleanse」 to clean every corner thoroughly.
“……”
Then I closed my eyes.
As I have said before, my new trait, 「Encryption」, functions like an inventory.
If I store a specific object in my mind as a mana code, then decode it and “materialize” it when needed—
Sssssss…
Mana condensed like particles and reconstructed the objects. A desk, drawers, a bed, a chair, books, a fountain pen, a blanket, pillows, and so on. The furniture I had brought from the Yukline mansion slowly took shape.
“Hmm.”
As a result, a neat and modern room was completed.
“Good.”
I sat in the chair and looked out the window. Rain and wind, accompanied by lightning, were raging.
Ruuumble—!
A roar like a beast’s cry. Gusts of wind forming a spiral shape. As I gazed steadily at the rather violent scenery, suddenly—
A thought came to me.
Training.
I immediately went outside the castle. I stood in the middle of the wind wrapping around like a storm and the torrential rain pouring down madly.
However, my body did not get wet. Not even the smallest hem of my clothing was stained by the rainwater. It was all blocked by 「Psychokinesis」.
Swaaaaaaaaaa——!
The loud sound of rain beat against my ears. Within it, I began “Memorize.” I activated the Psychokinesis circuits engraved throughout my entire body to the utmost.
Gooooooo…
My blood vessels heated violet, and the mana that had started moving opened new circuits for the formula.
The goal was 「Intermediate Psychokinesis」.
To other mages, it might be a realm of “only that much,” but not to me.
The difference in output between beginner and intermediate was, at the very least, hundreds of times. Memorize, which used the entire body, advanced into a magic of an entirely different dimension each time its grade rose by one level.
Crack-crack-crack-crack——
I felt mana digging into my muscles. It was pain as if every muscle bundle were being torn apart, but it was bearable.
I felt a high fever rising around my neck. The smell of burning flesh pierced the tip of my nose. It was nothing less than the agony of being burned alive.
Blood flowed from between my clenched teeth. Capillaries burst, dyeing my entire body purple. The mana circulating violently through my blood vessels strayed from its path and shattered bone, but the body of Iron Man repeated destruction and healing.
And then, at some point while I was driving myself almost like torture—
……
The rain stopped.
Not even the pattering sound could be heard.
The pain remained, but the world was quiet.
I opened my closed eyes. I lifted my head.
“……”
The falling rain, those straight lines that had been descending as if to shatter the earth, were all flowing backward into the sky. They rose slowly and touched the clouds.
A phenomenon that clearly defied the laws of nature. As I simply admired that mystery filling the firmament, a system alarm of a single sentence appeared on my retina.
[ Memorize Complete: Intermediate Psychokinesis ]
“……Not bad.”
This much was satisfying enough.
* * *
Epherene unpacked her luggage into a drawer, placed her thesis papers on the desk, then lay down on the bed. If all those actions were expressed in sound, it would be thud—! thump—! flop—.
“……”
She stared blankly up at the ceiling. Sleep was creeping in, but she was afraid of nightmares. Of course, there were plenty of people to wake her up…
Yet again and again, a certain voice flickered in her mind.
—In my world, Professor isn’t there… so please make sure Professor stays in your world for a long time.
Those words given to her by her future self, words she had forgotten until now.
She did not know when or where Deculein would die. But it would certainly not be a natural death in the distant future. Perhaps it might be as soon as next year…
“…Auuugh.”
Epherene shook her head and drove the thought away. There was no need to think about such things when she had come here to work. It would only get in the way, and even if Deculein died, what did that have to do with her… not really…
“Eiiit!”
She sprang to her feet and headed for the kitchen. She had not walked far before an appetizing smell drifted over.
“…Oh.”
Bubbling— soup boiled, and sizzling— fish cooked.
“Um, hello.”
“Ah~ yes. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Ahaha… it smells good. But, um, how did you obtain food?”
Gulp— Epherene swallowed and approached the team member in charge of cooking.
His name was West. He was a male mage in his mid-to-late thirties with a gentle impression.
“Fishing and hunting, what else? The ingredients on this island are actually far better than those on the continent. Since it’s a space rich in mana, the fish are incredibly fresh and delicious. That’s one of the few advantages. The food is good, and the reward is astronomical, so we endure.”
“Ah~ that makes sense… slurp. Ah, why am I drooling? Slurp.”
West opened the refrigerator. The moment he did, Epherene flinched in surprise. There was a “room” inside the refrigerator.
She did not know where it was, but it was truly a room. One filled only with cobwebs and dust.
“What is this…?”
“This happens often. It’s why we broke the doors.”
“Pardon?”
West closed the refrigerator door. Then, about three seconds later, he opened it again. This time, it was a normal refrigerator.
West took out vegetables for soup from inside.
“This castle is larger than the island itself. That’s why the spaces get all jumbled up.”
“Ah… Is it because of the mana stone mine?”
“This castle itself is a mana stone mine.”
“…?”
What did that mean? When Epherene widened her eyes, West pointed at the ceiling.
“Look up there.”
There was something like a protrusion there. Looking closely, it was a small mana stone. Epherene let out an exclamation.
“Ah~”
“There are things like that all over. Be careful when opening and closing doors. There are many others here besides us, you see. Not just ghosts, but real people. You know the saying, ‘People will go mine mana stones even if they’re in hell,’ right?”
West added, There are robbers from the actual hell in this castle—
At those words, Epherene grew quite tense.
“Ah. I see…”
──However.
Exactly sixteen minutes later.
“H-how can this be so delicious…”
After eating the second-most delicious fish in the world, her mood improved.
* * *
The next day. Early in the morning, after they had finished unpacking, Hesrock gathered everyone.
“…First, our objective is to stabilize this ‘Ghost Castle.’ We must resolve the discontinuity of space and the interference of the ghosts.”
The discontinuity of space meant that the castle’s “enclosed spaces” led to “random spaces.”
In other words, if one closed the door in a certain room, then when that door was opened again, the space beyond it would have changed.
“Do you have the results of your investigation?”
“Here they are.”
Hesrock held out dozens of documents. I read them all.
This was a method to increase the efficiency of 「Comprehension」.
If I possessed sufficient basic knowledge about this castle, the mana needed to 「Comprehend」 it would decrease exponentially.
“So, to put it simply, the living room and the rooms aren’t connected?”
At Epherene’s question, Hesrock nodded.
“Yes. That is correct. If you open a room door intending to go from inside the room to the living room, it will lead to some other space instead of the living room.”
“Aha~”
Epherene placed a finger on her chin and exclaimed. Having finished reading all of Hesrock’s investigation results, I rose from my seat.
Ihelm, who had been sitting crookedly, asked.
“Professor Deculein? What are you planning to do?”
“I intend to experience it firsthand.”
A magical space like this could only be easily 「Comprehended」 by experiencing and accepting it directly. Therefore, courage was needed to throw oneself into this “discontinuity of space.”
“Yes. There is a separate room prepared over there. It was made for research purposes.”
Hesrock pointed to a small room in the corner. With a slight nod, I walked straight over and opened the door.
Bang—!
“…”
Beyond it, there were people. A woman dressed in robes and a warrior in a martial uniform.
Among them, the warrior seemed to have been in the middle of combat, for he was poised to swing his sword.
“…Huh? What’s all this?”
Stopping his movement, he turned to look at me and spoke.
I recognized his face at once. The long hair grown down to his waist, the cursed blade apparent at a glance—Muramasa’s owner.
“Warrior Jackal.”
Then beside him, naturally, was his older sister, “Authority Carla.”
“Run!”
At that moment, a young voice rang out. I looked that way. Three children were running away.
Two on their own legs, one being carried on someone’s back.
“Goodness! Why, those little—!”
Jackal was startled and moved his blade, but the children had already vanished.
He glared and turned back to me.
“Damn it, I’d just about caught ’em! You! What kind of good-for-nothin’—”
“…It seems to be Deculein.”
A low voice called my name. It was Carla’s voice. At that, Jackal flinched, his eyes going round, then pointed the tip of his sword at me.
“Deculein? Aha~ So you’re—”
Slam—!
I closed the door.
Then I slowly turned back around and sat in the chair in the conference room.
“Now, let us think this through.”
I was maintaining my composure as much as possible, but this was an emergency. Of course, I was not afraid. It was simply that the difficulty level was rather high.
“How should we deal with those two?”
Jackal and Carla.
Those two were among the strongest in this world.