Eight in the evening. Luna, Owl, Raios, and Curse are gathered in front of a certain building.
“Silver, I was thinking we’d stay at this inn tonight……. How does that——sound?”
Owl asks with a slightly guilty expression——
“Um……here, you mean……?”
——and Luna asks back with a strained smile.
Looming before them is a large Western-style manor.
The roof paint is peeling, the window glass is shattered, ivy crawls up cracked walls, and the trees around it sway in an unsettling way——a first-rate haunted house, fit to be displayed anywhere.
Any person with normal nerves would not even consider staying here.
“……I’m sorry. Truly, from the bottom of my heart. I never imagined Logress would have this little for accommodations……this is entirely our fault for not researching properly.”
Owl offers no excuses and apologizes honestly.
After buying the large haul of difficult books at the used bookshop, they had been purchasing tomorrow’s supplies while searching for a place to sleep tonight——which had proven considerably difficult.
There were simply too few inns to begin with, and the decent ones were all fully booked.
After walking the streets relentlessly, the one they had finally found was this utterly haunted manor.
Owl had already made contact with the innkeeper and confirmed it was open and had plenty of available rooms——but.
Whether they would actually stay here or not is the decision being made out front.
“In my line of work, I’ve stayed at all kinds of inns……”
“That’s a strong one……. Isn’t camping outside safer at this point?”
Even Raios and Curse, Holy Knights hardened by a demanding profession and trained to sleep anywhere under any conditions, are showing reluctance. It is that bad.
“I understand everyone’s feelings, but……the desert at night is extremely dangerous. Honestly, camping is not something I can recommend. Even at this level of accommodation, I think we should take it.”
Owl’s assessment is correct.
The Tamur Desert at night is, in reality, an extremely dangerous place.
Sub-zero temperatures, widely distributed toxic creatures, nocturnal magic beasts——if accommodation can be secured, however meager, the wise move is to take it without complaining.
“That’s true enough……if it’s a choice between camping and this, I’d rather stay here (I absolutely want to have a bath……. And more than anything, unless they give me a separate room, I can’t take off this armor……)”
With Luna’s backing, Raios and Curse both accept, and it is decided they will be staying at ‘Grave,’ the hauntingly inn-like haunted manor.
“Right, let’s go.”
Owl leads the way through the front entrance to find a dim reception area, where a stooped old woman is standing.
“Sorry to bother you again. We’re the ones from before——four people, one night, two rooms please.”
“Sure, that’ll be 30,000 gol per person.”
“30,000 gol!? Isn’t that a bit much……?”
At 30,000 gol, you could probably get a mid-class inn even in the capital.
For a haunted manor in the middle of the desert, 30,000 gol per person is more than a little aggressive.
“Heh heh heh, if you don’t like it, sleep outside. It gets very cold around here, let’s hope you don’t freeze to death.”
“Hahhh……you run quite a business, ma’am.”
“Oh my, flattery won’t get you anything from me.”
“Honestly, it can’t be helped……”
With no better option, Owl reluctantly pays the quoted price——120,000 gol.
“Oh, Owl-san, let me cover my own——”
“——Don’t worry about the money, Silver. The whole problem started with our poor research. Besides, accommodation costs come out of expenses.”
This assignment is treated as an emergency quest, and all associated costs——transportation, lodging, potions——would be covered entirely by the Kingdom of Elgia.
Unnecessary spending is not permitted, of course, but a situation like this one is unavoidable.
“Heh heh heh, much appreciated. ——Here you go, a little extra. Use the room with the best view.”
“Why, thank you. (‘Extra.’ With every room empty anyway——what a sharp old woman.)”
Owl takes the key the old woman tosses him and looks at the floor map.
“Our rooms are……ah, top floor. Ma’am, could I borrow a lantern?”
“Of course you can——rental fee is 5,000 gol.”
“You really do run a tight operation……”
“Heh heh heh, much appreciated.”
After that, they make their way down the dim hallway guided by the lantern’s feeble flame.
The floorboards creak and groan with every step——
(Ah……this feels like it might have ghosts……)
——and our Saint is trembling in small, rapid shivers.
As has been mentioned, she is deathly——literally deathly——bad with ghosts and their ilk.
“Hahhh, honestly……what a greedy old woman.”
Owl grumbles——
“She certainly has an entrepreneurial spirit. Someone like that will live a very long time.”
Raios agrees——
“But this place……depending on how you look at it, it has a kind of charm, doesn’t it? If you stop thinking of it as an ‘inn’ and think of it as a ‘haunted house,’ it starts to feel kind of fun!”
Curse, easy-going and quick to adapt, has already made peace with the haunted manor.
A little while after that——a lull comes in the conversation.
“[Everyone]: ……”
They are moving along without much to say——when, unusually, it is Curse who brings up a topic with Luna.
“Speaking of which, Silver-san——do you know the story of the ‘Desert Water Spirit’?”
“The Desert Water Spirit……? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.”
At Luna’s response, Curse smiles with a mysterious air.
“——Just between us, this oasis city is actually cursed, you know.”
“……Huh……?”
“This is a story from over a hundred years ago, when the spring first welled up in the oasis city of Logress——back then, nomadic desert tribes were gathering to this city, and among them was a girl with blue hair. She was beloved by the water spirit, and they say there was always water nearby wherever she went. Some say it was that girl who called the oasis spring into being.”
Curse tells the story with a smooth, practiced manner.
“The girl used the water spirit’s power to share water with people cheaply, and lived a humble but happy life. But one day, a greedy couple who had their eye on the water spirit’s power captured her and locked her in a cage……. Having succeeded in monopolizing the water, the couple sold it at high prices and amassed great wealth. And all the while, the girl was beaten and kicked, with the water wrung out of her. Apparently the more they hurt her, the more the water spirit wept great tears, and water would gush forth in great quantities.”
“Th-that’s……terrible……”
Luna, with more empathy than most, is drawn deeply into Curse’s story.
“The couple’s violence kept escalating——and finally they went too far. They misjudged their own strength and killed the girl……. Now, what do you suppose happened that night?”
“What on earth——what happened……!?”
“The beautiful oasis spring turned red as blood. The couple, believing it was the water spirit’s curse, abandoned everything and fled. Since the enemy was a water spirit, they kept their distance from every form of ‘water.’ But——it was impossible. A living creature cannot escape from water. On a quietly, steadily raining night, they were finally found. A terrifyingly cold voice rose from the puddle at their feet——’Found you.’ The following day, the couple’s bodies were found floating in the spring of Logress……”
“……”
Luna swallows hard.
“The spirit of the girl beloved by the water spirit still watches over the water in this city even now. After all, the water here is, in the literal sense, her ‘water of life,’ drawn from all that suffering. She keeps watch, to see if it’s being treated with care, to see if it’s being wasted. So when you use the water in this city, never forget to feel grateful, never waste it. Because once you hear those words——it’s all over……’Found you.‘”
Curse raises his voice to try to frighten them——but Luna’s response was not what he expected.
“Ha ha ha, there’s no such thing as a water spirit’s curse.”
“……Huh? Silver-san, you’re completely fine with ghost stories and things like that?”
Answering that question are Owl and Raios.
“Hahhh……only children in their early years would be scared by a story like that.”
“To begin with, ‘The Desert Water Spirit’ is not a ghost story. It’s one of the well-known parables from this region, meant to teach children ‘the importance of water in the desert.'”
“D-don’t go and ruin it like that……! There was a bit of a silence and I was just trying to be considerate!”
Before long, they arrive at the top floor.
“——Silver, here’s your key.”
Owl says this and tosses the key over.
“The three of us are in this triple room, and you’re in that single over there.”
“Ha ha ha, thank you very much.”
Luna laughs cheerfully and expresses her thanks.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Night, Silver.”
“Cheers, see you tomorrow.”
“Ha ha ha, see you tomorrow!”
Laughing unusually brightly, Luna makes her way to her room with slightly stiff footsteps——and locks the front door firmly.
The moment she does——
“Ha……haha……, ha, ha, ha……”
She folds at the knees, bracing both hands against the floor.
(Th-that……you absolute idiot……. Why would you tell a scary story right at the last minute……!?)
The Saint is, in the most literal sense, deathly bad with ghosts and their ilk.
She had managed to laugh it off earlier to maintain ‘Silver’s character’——but.
She had really wanted to scream and dive under the blankets.
(L-let’s calm down……. It’s fine, there’s no such thing as a water spirit’s curse. Besides, that story is a parable, not a ghost story at all! For now, let’s take a deep breath. I think in these situations you’re supposed to……hoo hee hoo, hoo hee hoo……)
Having managed to calm herself somewhat, Luna uses the <Flame> spell to light a nearby candle.
The reasonably spacious room is furnished with the bare minimum——a bed, a desk and chair, a sofa.
(……Maybe I could use <Otherworld Gate> to go back to the dormitory……)
She gets as far as that thought——then shakes her head vigorously.
(No, everyone else is putting up with it and staying here. It wouldn’t be right to go sneaking off on my own……)
An admirably principled Saint.
(Anyway……sand has gotten into the gaps in the armor, and I’ve sweated a bit, so I need to have a bath.)
She uses <Dimensional Storage> to put the plate armor away into subspace, and in its place takes out towels and nightclothes.
She moves to the dressing area, undresses, and enters the bathroom with towel in hand, cautiously.
“……It’s actually fairly clean……”
The bathroom is well-scrubbed, and the basic equipment——washer, heater and the like——is all there.
She sits down on the bath chair, reaches for the washer——and her hand stops dead.
(……It’s alright to use the water……right……?)
According to the ghost story Curse had performed——’The Desert Water Spirit’——the spirit of the girl beloved by the water spirit is still watching over this city’s water even now, keeping an eye out to see whether it is being wasted.
“I-it’s fine, it’s fine! Washing my hair isn’t wasteful at all!”
Having made this declaration of her own innocence, Luna takes the washer and begins scrubbing away at her hair.
“N-not sca-ry at alll……. Not even a little-bit-sca-ary……”
She tries to forget the story by singing an original composition, ‘Not Scary,’ to herself.
She is executing this brave strategy when she suddenly senses something’s presence.
(……! J-just now, I felt like there was something behind me……?)
Of course, it is just her imagination.
It is simply the thing that happens——when you are shampooing and suddenly, irrationally, become unable to shake the feeling that something is behind you.
But once this kind of unpleasant sensation takes hold, it lodges itself in your consciousness until the very moment you step out of the bath, and there is nothing to be done.
(Ugh……Ro, Sarko-san, Wendy-san, Tama……!)
She thinks of her trusted friends——of happy memories past——and scrubs away at her hair.
Having survived the ordeal of the shampoo, she washes the rest of herself quickly and drops into the bath with a plop.
“Mmmmnhh……”
This is the safety zone. She can finally breathe.
Warm water heats her all the way through, dissolving the day’s fatigue.
Ten minutes later——climbing out of the bath and moving to the dressing area, Luna realizes her nightclothes are not there.
(……Oh. I left my change of clothes sitting on the bed.)
Having toweled off the bare minimum, she wraps a bath towel around herself and heads out to the main room.
The next instant, knock knock knock——a loud knocking sounds.
“Hyaaa……!?”
A critical hit to her completely lowered guard.
A high-pitched shriek escapes Luna.
“Silver, you there? (Did I just hear a woman’s voice?)”
“R-Raios-san……(Oh no, he heard me! He’s going to figure out Silver is a woman……!)”
“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but……I just heard a woman’s voice, didn’t I?”
“……(He definitely heard it……!)”
“Silver, don’t tell me you——”
If it were known that Silver, Proxy of the Saint, is actually a woman——the equation Silver = Saint would immediately suggest itself.
(This is bad, this is bad, I really did it……!)
Luna grips her head in both hands and braces herself for ‘the worst possible outcome’——
“——Were you in <Transmission> with the Saint!?”
“……Huh……?”
The answer that came out of Raios’s mouth was somewhere to the upper-left of expectations.
(……Ah, right. Raios-san is a hole-in-the-palm.)
Raios Reinhart is a man of staggering obliviousness.
Both eyes holes-in-the-palm, head empty, answers come out sideways——and on top of it all, the man himself believes he is sharp. The most problematic possible type.
But this time, that obliviousness saved her.
And so Luna decides to ride his misunderstanding with everything she has.
“Phew……if you heard, then there’s no hiding it.”
“S-so then, as I thought……!?”
“Yes, exactly as you deduced, Raios-san. Every night I communicate with the Saint like this, reporting in detail on the state of the world three hundred years on——on the state of humanity.”
“So that’s what it was……! I-I’m so sorry……! I didn’t know, but I’ve interrupted something sacred. I’ll withdraw immediately——please convey my apologies to the Saint!”
Even through a closed door, the sound of Raios bowing his head could be heard.
“No no, it was just finishing up, so please think nothing of it.”
“Are you quite sure……? Don’t give me a second thought. The Saint takes priority above all else.”
“I appreciate your concern. But I’m truly fine now, so there’s no problem.”
“I see. Then I’ll tell you why I came. ——I was just speaking with Owl-san, and we’ve settled on tomorrow’s plan of action. I wanted to share that with you.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Raios gives a small cough and delivers Owl’s message.
“First, we check out of this inn at six in the morning. After that, we walk through the desert for about an hour and infiltrate the Leonard Theocracy through a secret entrance. Tomorrow will likely get ‘quite rough,’ so please get a thorough rest tonight——that’s the message.”
“Yes, understood.”
“That’s all. Sorry for the interruption.”
The concise business communication is done, and Raios moves to return to his room——when Luna says “wait.”
“Raios-san.”
“Yes?”
“Um, about earlier……”
“The matter of your communication with the Saint?”
“……Yes. I know it’s a difficult thing to ask, but——if you could keep it between us……”
“——Understood.”
Raios answered without a single fraction of a second’s hesitation. Literally immediately.
“Huh?”
“Why do you look surprised? The matter just now——the Saint wishes it to be kept secret, doesn’t she? Then all I need to do is act in accordance with her wishes. I won’t report it to the kingdom’s upper ranks either. I give you my word.”
“I appreciate the sentiment very much, but……won’t that put you in a difficult position? Professionally?”
Raios is a Holy Knight, with an obligation to serve the kingdom.
A man in his position concealing important information related to the Saint seems, by any reasonable standard, inadvisable.
“Hmm……you don’t understand. The Reinhart family has for generations been a proud bloodline in the service of the Saint. The only one our loyalty belongs to, in this entire world, is the Saint alone. What she calls white is white, what she calls black is black. If the Saint wishes you to keep your communion private, then I swear on the pride of my family and my exorcism sword Rogrea to guard that secret absolutely.”
Raios’s eyes held not a single shadow of doubt.
He would, whatever torments were visited upon him, never reveal information about the Saint.
“I-I see. Thank you so much. (Come to think of it, Raios-san does have an extraordinary loyalty to the Saint……)”
“Is that everything?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll excuse myself——good night.”
“Yes, good night.”
Raios’s footsteps recede, and from the distance comes the sound of a door closing with a thud.
“Hahhhhh……that was terrifying……”
Luna exhales in relief.
It was fortunate that the one who heard the scream happened to be a hole-in-the-palm——but if this had been Owl or Curse instead——
“……Well, I think I’d have managed somehow……”
All things considered, this party lineup turned out to be a good draw, in the sense of ‘not going to have a Saint exposure.’
“Ha, fuah, heh-choo——!”
Having been in nothing but a bath towel for so long, she sneezes.
“Ugh, I need to change quickly.”
A little while after that, with her night preparations complete, Luna glances at the wall clock——the time is ten in the evening.
“It’s a bit early, but……we’re leaving at six tomorrow apparently, so maybe I’ll just go to sleep.”
Luna checks the lock on the door and window before bed——and feels uneasy about their sturdiness.
(Are these going to hold……?)
Both door and window look worryingly flimsy, the kind of thing that would shatter easily at the slightest impact.
“Just to be safe, I’ll reinforce them with magical energy.”
The door, the window, and the whole wall while she’s at it——she coats everything in a thick layer of magical energy.
“That should do it.”
With impenetrable defenses in place, Luna blows out the candle with a puff and wriggles into bed.
(Tomorrow we finally infiltrate the Leonard Theocracy. They said it’s underground beneath the desert——what kind of place will it be? I wonder if it’s like an underground dungeon……. Yawwwn……anyway, the Sacred Relic is the only thing I absolutely have to……get……)
Her eyelids slowly close, and the soft, comfortable sound of peaceful breathing fills the room.