Chapter 375

Words : 2400 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

“Hmm.” “W-what is this?” Everyone in the group was startled by the suddenly appearing corpse. Rudger examined the corpse’s condition before shifting his gaze to the distant corridor. “There are more corpses.” It wasn’t just one corpse. The bodies of dead people could be seen scattered throughout the long corridor. The total number of corpses was ten. From this number, it was clear which team had entered this mansion of secrets. “Were they caught up in the mansion’s mysterious phenomena?” As Rudger muttered this, Sempas spoke up. “No. I’ve never heard of such a case.” “I-I think so too.” Even Roina agreed with Sempas’ words. “While mysterious phenomena do occur in the mansion, usually when something happens here, it just disappears like a mirage. Corpses never remain like this.” “Then these corpses here are not simply due to mysterious phenomena, correct?” If not mysterious phenomena, what could have killed those magicians? The answer was simpler than expected. Murder. In this mansion of secrets, humans had killed humans. Of course, they couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that this too was a result of mysterious phenomena. Since they didn’t know what could happen in this place, it could be the first observation of an unusual phenomenon. However, everyone present instinctively sensed that this was a murder case. “W-what should we do? To think there’s a murderer inside the mansion!” “...Why is a 6th Circle magician getting so scared?” At Lexer grade, even if a murderer’s grandfather showed up, he would be the one getting scared. Ignoring the flustered Roina, Rudger approached the corpse to examine its condition. “What are you trying to do?” “I’m trying to examine the cause of how this happened.” “A-are you going to perform an autopsy right now?” “Nothing that elaborate, but...” It would be enough if he could find any clues. If dangerous individuals were mixed inside the mansion, that alone would be an unpleasant matter. ‘The blood hasn’t discolored. Since they only entered the mansion a short while ago, it mustn’t have been too long.’ But thinking about it, it was strange. How could 10 people die when they hadn’t been in the mansion for very long? “This was a planned murder.” “Planned?” “They haven’t been here long, yet this happened. Look.” Rudger pointed to the other corpses. “There are no signs of battle. Most were killed one-sidedly. Moreover, this wasn’t done by one person. This was carried out organizedly by multiple people. This was absolutely not spontaneous.” Specifically, the corpses were damaged in three distinct ways. Bodies slashed by countless sharp blades. Bodies scorched by intense heat. And bodies that died with blackened skin without wounds, foaming at the mouth. “There might not be just three, but at minimum, the main killing acts can be narrowed down to three people. Furthermore, they are quite skilled. Even if they used surprise attacks or other cowardly methods, these victims didn’t stand a chance. Are there any people you can think of who would be capable of this here?” Rudger’s gaze turned to Sempas and Roina but both shook their heads. Sempas, who was like a mad dog, and Roina, who lacked social skills, didn’t know much about other magicians. Rudger finally stared at Limrei. “What are you looking at!” “Are there any people you suspect?” “No!” Limrei became angry. “To begin with, there are over 200 people who entered here. And most are magicians. Who could do something like this, you ask? All of them could!” “Wouldn’t the list of suspects narrow significantly if we focus on combat magicians?” “Aigh! You fool! Think about it. Not all combat magicians know how to fight in the first place. Even those focused solely on academic research know how to use magic. Do you know what that means? It means killing people is nothing if they put their mind to it.” Limrei’s opinion was also correct so Rudger asked something else instead. “Do you know of any teams that filled their maximum capacity of 20 people?” “Why that!” “These people were betrayed by their own team.” At those words, Sempas and Roina, who had been quiet, were surprised. Unexpectedly, Limrei neither showed surprise nor shouted that it was nonsense. Instead, he asked with a slightly heavier look in his eyes. “Why do you think that?” “Look at the corpses. There are ten of them. A group composed entirely of magicians was taken down without any significant resistance. Obviously, it wasn’t a head-on confrontation.” “They could have been ambushed.” “Wouldn’t they have prepared for ambushes knowing what could happen in this mansion? Given that they don’t know how the mysterious phenomena might occur, everyone would have been on edge. If they met another team, they would have been cautious first. Yet they were still taken down. If it wasn’t a head-on fight or an ambush, there’s only one possibility.” Namely, they were killed by the companions they were moving with. “They trusted them because they were companions who entered together. They might have even been together in the nearby city the day before entering the mansion. That’s why they trusted them and thought it was okay to be together, without anticipating what outcome awaited them.” Rudger pictured the situation in his mind. “There were 20 of them in total. That is, they came with the maximum number that could enter the mansion. That’s why exactly half were split off. While 7 people naturally drew attention, the remaining 3 each dealt with them in their own way. Those 3 must have been the most skilled in this gathering. What do you think?” Limrei didn’t get angry even when Rudger gave him a provocative look. This was completely different from his usual attitude of getting irritated even when treated politely. Limrei smirked and nodded. “Yes. As expected of a teacher, you certainly explain things very logically.” “I can explain even more logically. Would you like me to?” “Aigh. You’re really trying to intimidate an old man. Enough.” “So does the Sage have any hunches about this?” “Do you think I keep track of all groups of 20? I don’t even glance at such things in the first place.” “That’s unfortunate.” “However.” Limrei started speaking while pointing at one corpse with the tip of his stone staff. The staff’s tip pointed to something in the corpse’s possession. “I know who this corpse belonged to.” “The face is severely damaged though.” The corpse had stab wounds from something like blades. Whether intentional or not, even the face was mutilated so it couldn’t be identified whose corpse it was. “Even a faceless corpse can tell a story. Do you see that silver necklace in their possession?” “Yes.” “This is a symbol. It’s like a military tag used by military magicians of the Delica Kingdom. However, ordinary soldiers usually can’t receive such items. You need to reach quite a high position to obtain one.” “Then could this corpse be...” “Yes. While I said I’m not interested, I remember who this person is.” “Belkart Benmark.” It was a name Rudger remembered too. He was one of the magicians that Arpa had pointed out as someone to watch. Moreover, he was also the magician who had subdued one of the three Cheshire Tigers that had caused multiple casualties, a magician of metal and lightning. Roina muttered in disbelief. “To think someone of that caliber would die so meaninglessly...” “Why are you so surprised? That’s how things go in this world.” Limrei didn’t seem to think much of a high-ranking magician’s death. “Circles don’t matter in actual combat. Unless you’re a legendary archmage, even 6th Circle magicians can die from unexpected attacks in reality.” “...” Roina was about to refute but closed her mouth. Hadn’t she experienced that situation Limrei spoke of not long ago? ‘That’s right. I was the same.’ Roina had continuously consumed vast amounts of mana to protect many people from the horde of chimeras that had pushed into the capital but eventually couldn’t hold on and faced death. If Roina had fought only for herself without caring about others, such a dangerous situation wouldn’t have occurred but such assumptions were meaningless. One thing was important. Anything could happen in actual combat. “Let alone with a surprise attack like this, even an excellent military magician can die so meaninglessly. Perhaps it shows how skilled the killer was too.” “T-then what do we do now? There are murderers roaming this mansion. Ten of them!” “Since we don’t know exactly who they are, we should avoid contact with other teams as much as possible.” “Shouldn’t we report this?” “If we could report it, that is.” Limrei left his words ambiguous. Roina was about to ask why, but seeing what happened belatedly, she closed her mouth. “The corpses...” The corpses that were there until just now had disappeared without a trace. Even the bloodstains on the carpet and walls were gone. “The mansion’s rule...” “You can’t stay still in the corridors for a certain time.” Sempas was the one who continued those words. “If you remain without minor movements for 5 minutes, you disappear from the mansion without a trace. Just like now.” Unless something significant happens, there’s no reason to stand completely still for 5 minutes but corpses were different. Corpses don’t breathe or move. Naturally, the mansion’s mystery simply erased the corpses after 5 minutes had passed. “So that’s what they were aiming for.” Rudger muttered while looking at where the corpses had been. He had wondered why they acted right after entering, but they had reversed the mansion’s existing rule to their advantage. That way there would be no other witnesses. It was truly perfect destruction of evidence. “Arpa. Any traces?” Rudger asked Arpa. The corpses had disappeared just moments ago. Since Arpa hadn’t taken his eyes off the corpses until just now, he might have seen something. “Nothing. It’s completely gone.” But even Arpa, a special automaton, couldn’t penetrate the mansion’s mystery. Those sharp eyes were defeated by fragments of the mansion’s bizarre power. “Truly a haunted house.” “D-don’t say scary things! Mr. Rudger!” “...Why is a 6th Circle magician afraid of ghosts?” Even basic spirit magic would easily drive away ordinary spirits. “So what will you do now?” Limrei asked Rudger. While he naturally treated Rudger as the group’s leader, Rudger knew very well that this wasn’t out of respect but to pass on troublesome matters. “We keep moving. This wasn’t our purpose anyway.” “M-Mr. Rudger. But there were corpses! Corpses! There are murderers in this mansion!” “Yes. There are. Ten of them, in fact. But there’s no evidence they committed murder. The corpses are gone, and there are no witnesses.” “If we testify...” “What meaning does testimony have without evidence? Besides, the magicians won’t care much. Ten people died inside? They’ll rather be grateful since there are fewer competitors.” “T-that’s...” “I agree with Rudger Chelici’s words.” Sempas helped Rudger at a good timing. “We don’t know what the killers want yet. Perhaps they had some bad history with the 10 who died now. If we suddenly make a fuss in this situation, they might change their target to us. Of course, if they pick a fight, I won’t avoid it.” But the other companions wouldn’t. Sempas deliberately didn’t mention those following words. There is no evidence. The corpses have disappeared. All that remains are the testimonies of five people who saw the corpses. Of course, since all 5 are quite skilled individuals, the weight of their claims wouldn’t be light, but. Would other magicians even care? Rather, it would be like scratching where it doesn’t itch. “We ignore it and move on. That is my choice.” Limrei, Sempas, and Arpa nodded at Rudger’s words. Only Roina felt sorry about the people who died, but she didn’t express any words of objection. “Let’s start moving. If we stay too long, it’ll just get troublesome.” The group started walking again. However, the atmosphere was slightly different from before. Having seen the corpses, there was some tension. ‘Sudden deaths and ten murderers.’ Rudger doesn’t know the relationship between the dead and the killers but he didn’t think this happened spontaneously. ‘First Order Leslie said he was planning something during this Night of Mystery. And murders occurred in the mansion. Could that really be a coincidence?’ No way. In this mansion full of secrets, Leslie and the remnants of the Black Dawn Society are hiding now. The number is ten. Or it could be more. They couldn’t let their guard down even if they encountered a group that wasn’t ten people. While thinking this, Rudger discovered a frame hanging on one side of the corridor wall. Finding it was purely by chance. He was about to pass by without realizing, but stopped his steps after seeing the picture drawn in the frame. “This picture...” “Picture?” Limrei was the one who responded to Rudger’s muttering. “So you’ve discovered that.” “What is it?” “The transparent frame. It’s one of the phenomena in this mansion. They say it’s a frame that’s only visible to certain people’s eyes.” “This isn’t visible to other people’s eyes?” Everyone nodded simultaneously at Rudger’s question. Even Arpa was the same. “So what’s special about this frame?” “There’s a picture inside, right?” “Yes. It appears to be a portrait.” “Then that’s definitely a transparent frame. The transparent frame appears as a human portrait. And the person depicted in that portrait will die before long.” “Die?” Rudger asked Limrei like that. “I don’t know the details either. Just that such rumors have been circulating until now. Smoke doesn’t rise from a chimney for no reason. It rises because fuel is burning. At least I think it’s true.” “...I see.” Rudger looked at the frame again, a frame visible only to him. There, Limrei’s portrait was drawn.

Chapter 375

Comments (0)