Episode 68

We were walking side by side through the town. There were soldiers nearby.

The soldiers were serving as our guards.

That’s because Alicia isn’t hiding her face right now. Inevitably, when she walks through the streets she attracts attention.

Once we have a shop, there will be no need to hide Alicia’s or my identities anymore.

The first shop we’re going to is that notorious haunted property.

“Still, Alicia being afraid of ghosts, huh.”

“I, I’m not scared.”

“Then it should be fine, right?”

When I said that teasingly, Alicia puffed out her cheeks and then lowered her face.

“Being scared of them… i-is that bad?”

Hearing Alicia squeeze out those words shyly, I felt a dizzying sensation.

Because she was just too cute.

“…No, it’s totally fine though.”

“If that’s the case, that’s fine… but Faik, why are you okay with it? Aren’t you kind of scared?”

“I’ve never really thought it was scary. I mean, I’ve never seen one… so I think they don’t exist.”

“I haven’t seen one either, so I end up thinking they might be real…”

I see, so that’s the difference there.

As I was surprised by the difference between her and me, Alicia’s expression grew serious.

“Ugh… Faik, your heart is attracted to the haunted property…?”

I had to nod my head to that question.

Because it had the best conditions, after all.

“…Yeah. Judging from the materials we were given, isn’t it still the best? Alicia you were keen on it too until you heard it was haunted, right?”

“That’s true, but… still, ghosts—”

That’s exactly it. I just need to somehow get Alicia to be convinced.

For now, if she finds out there’s no danger from ghosts, she should become enthusiastic too.

“Hey, Refy, what do you think? Is the ghost thing true?”

I asked Refy, who had come along.

She put a hand to her chin and wore a pensive expression.

“Well. I don’t believe in ghosts either, but I’ve heard various bad rumors about that property. Until all those rumors are definitively disproven, I think it’s better to avoid deliberately taking on a dangerous property.”

Those were Refy’s words, who had come with us.

Bad rumors, huh.

“Are there issues besides the ghosts showing up?”

“Yes. I don’t remember them exactly, but I heard things like people who saw this ghost had their sanity ruined, or that late at night you wake up and your midnight snack had disappeared. I heard various things from big to small. I think some parts have been embellished.”

Wasn’t the midnight snack disappearing just someone eating it without permission?

Still, it seems certain that this isn’t just an empty property.

Before long, we arrived in front of the target property.

I immediately took a look at the entire shop.

It was a bit old, but had an ordinary exterior. And that age wasn’t a bad thing. It had the imposing feel of an old-established shop.

“This is the place, right?”

“Yeah. It’s my first time seeing it, but it’s ominous…”

No, that’s definitely just you being influenced by the prior information.

I looked carefully, but for now I didn’t particularly feel it was ominous.

I was about to go inside to check, but next to me Alicia was trembling.

“Alicia… if you’re scared, it’s okay to wait here, you know?”

If I looked closely, her body seemed to be shaking. She looked very cute like that, but I couldn’t force her to come along.

It would be terrible if she became ill because of this.

“I-I’m fine… I can g-go anytime, okay?”

I wonder if that’s really true? I was uneasy, but she seemed completely determined to come along.

Should anything happen, I’d make her my top priority.

As I thought that and headed for the door to insert the key, it happened.

A sound came from inside.