Chapter 17

clatter

Only the soft clinking of mirrors being stepped on echoed faintly.

The group was moving forward cautiously and slowly.

“This is a bit strange……”

Daniel muttered as he looked around.

Hamel agreed with him.

No matter the lack of windows, the interior of the Dressing room was too dark.

Even the lamp’s light seemed blocked by something and couldn’t shine beyond a short distance.

Just as Hamel’s tension rose further.

thud

Something snagged at his feet.

He reflexively moved to strike it.

Hamel realized it was a person’s hand.

A white hand.

He lowered the lamp and shone it; the owner of the hand came into view.

“……That is.”

A woman in a maid’s outfit lay collapsed.

No, perhaps it should be called a mannequin.

“The same as the ones on the first floor.”

Daniel, watching from behind, muttered.

Hamel nodded and touched the mannequin’s hand.

A smooth, cold texture.

It was wax.

Like the Exorcist priest’s head they’d seen on the first floor, it was a mannequin.

But rather than solving questions, it made things more complicated.

‘Is this really a mannequin?’

With a surprised expression and an awkward posture.

It looked far too human to be a mere mannequin.

Suppressing his unease, Hamel stood and walked further inward.

Again, shards of broken mirror clinked underfoot.

Of course, being a Dressing room, it made sense there were many mirrors.

But the continuous sound of broken mirror underfoot was still somewhat eerie.

‘Mirrors…….’

Hamel suddenly remembered the phrase written on the door.

“Sir Daniel. Have you ever seen an intact mirror here?”

“No, nothing but broken ones…….”

Just as Daniel was about to shake his head and answer.

A gust of wind blew from somewhere, and at the same time.

whoosh

The flames of the lamps the group held went out.

Every single one, without exception.

“…….”

Hamel quickly raised his sword.

A draft couldn’t have extinguished the flame trapped in glass.

This was clearly the work of demons.

‘The one doing this is…….’

Hamel frowned and scanned the surroundings.

ssssskt

As expected, he saw faint lights moving on the ceiling.

Light Eater.

A demon that hides in darkness and steals human fire and light.

‘Hmm.’

Hamel calmly followed the light with his eyes.

Fortunately, it wasn’t an especially difficult opponent.

Hidden in darkness it was invisible, but it had a fatal weakness.

After it absorbed light, it emitted a dim glow like this.

Hamel spoke to Daniel, who was right behind him.

“Enemy on the ceiling. I’ll handle it, cover me.”

“…….”

“Sir Daniel?”

Even when Hamel repeated the question, Daniel didn’t answer.

The room was as silent as death.

Gritting his teeth, Hamel quietly reached out, feeling toward where Daniel had been.

tap

Something brushed his fingertips.

The cold, solid feel of the helmet Daniel had been wearing.

Hamel lifted Daniel’s visor and reached inside the helmet.

A cold, smooth texture.

It was definitely wax.

For a moment all color drained from Hamel’s face.

“Everyone close your eyes and run out of the door!”

“Huh? Yes!”

“Hurry!”

The others, though flustered, followed Hamel’s command.

No one asked why, partly because of the urgency in Hamel’s voice.

thud

“Ugh!”

Moving with eyes shut in the dark was by no means easy.

They kept bumping into and tripping over things.

But there was no other way.

If they didn’t close their eyes, they might meet ‘it’ gaze at any time.

Hamel gritted his teeth.

ssssskt

As if that weren’t enough, he heard the Light Eater trailing closely behind him.

A cold sweat ran across his body.

How close was it?

Could he face it with his eyes closed?

What if he opened his eyes for a moment and then closed them again?

All sorts of possibilities and doubts flashed through his mind.

The sound of something crawling on the ceiling grew nearer.

It was time to make a decision.

Hamel gripped his sword, lost in thought.

“Meaowwwww!”

A tearing cat cry sounded ahead.

Then the sound that had come so close to Hamel suddenly stopped.

‘……!’

Before Hamel could fully register what it meant, the door clattered open.

“Everyone this way!”

The bishop’s voice came from nearby.

How long had they run like that?

whoosh

Light poured in past their closed eyelids.

Hamel snapped his eyes open.

He was now at the entrance of the Dressing room.

In other words, standing in the corridor.

“What is all this?”

The bishop asked Hamel in bewilderment.

Antonio stood holding the door, as if waiting for Daniel who had not yet emerged.

Hamel wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke.

“Antonio. Close the door. Do not look inside.”

“Eh? But Sir Daniel is still…….”

“Sir Daniel cannot come out.”

“……?”

At Hamel’s words the party fell silent as if doused with cold water.

After a moment, Hamel approached Antonio and shut the door in his place.

Antonio, unable even to think of resisting, stared blankly at Hamel.

“So that means…… Sir Daniel was afflicted?”

“…….”

When Hamel did not answer, Antonio slumped down.

“That can’t be…….”

Hamel looked down at him for a moment and said softly.

“There are two demons inside: Light Eater and Beholder.”

“If it’s the Beholder, then it’s a Watcher. A high-ranking demon……,”

The senior priest’s face, already grave at the news Daniel had been afflicted, twisted further.

Beholder is a particularly rare species among higher-ranking demons.

They’re rarely seen because they mainly dwell deep in dungeons or caves and seldom appear outside.

“It wields the power of wax.”

“Then, Sir Daniel…….”

“Yes. He likely didn’t even realize it happened.”

Hamel nodded.

If you meet its gaze even once you turn to wax, so there’s no way to respond.

However, if you know its nature, there is a way to counter it.

That is—

“Using mirrors.”

Hamel flicked the mirror shards stuck to his boot.

Beholder can turn to wax only those who meet its direct gaze.

That means you can avoid its power by not making direct eye contact.

‘Collect the broken mirrors.’

The advice left at the door had been true.

Hamel belatedly regretted his rash judgment and bit his lip.

But even if they’d gathered mirror shards, the result might not have differed much.

Because that advice had left out one crucial point.

“Also, it’s accompanied by a Light Eater.”

Because the Light Eater darkened the surroundings, mirrors would have been useless.

In the dark you can’t risk opening your eyes, not knowing when you’d meet its gaze.

Open your eyes and Beholder will strike; keep them shut and you can’t deal with the Light Eater.

Hamel sighed at the cruel, no-win combination.

Then he drew everyone’s attention once more.

“I have an idea. First, as advised, let’s gather mirror shards from other rooms.”

“……Understood.”

Antonio answered, exhausted and gaunt-faced.

The others also looked deeply somber.

The news about Daniel had badly dampened morale.

Hamel hesitated, then, seeming to have no choice, spoke.

“We can still save him.”

“……!”

The group’s intense gazes turned to Hamel.

‘Did I say too much…….’

He felt a twinge of regret, but the words were already out.

“Thirty minutes. If the workshop’s seal is lifted within that time…… Sir Daniel can be brought back.”

The Beholder’s power works only within its habitat.

There have been a few accounts of people hauling the petrified out and breaking the spell safely.

That time limit is known to be roughly thirty minutes.

This mansion’s workshop was now effectively a dungeon.

If they could clear the workshop, there’s a good chance Beholder’s power would be lifted.

“However, you must not rush.”

Hamel said firmly.

He had seen too many die when people rushed to save comrades.

When you get impatient, your field of vision narrows.

That’s why Hamel had been reluctant to speak of this possibility unless necessary.

“Yep! Leave it to me.”

Antonio nodded several times.

Seeing his overenthusiasm made Hamel already somewhat regretful, but he said nothing.

At least it was better than the earlier listless state.

Then Hamel asked what he’d been curious about.

“Did you deliberately let the cat loose?”

“Eh? What do you mean…… huh?”

The cat he had been carrying was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

“Meow.”

At that moment the cat, as if having been hiding, suddenly appeared and rubbed its head against Hamel’s leg.

Hamel paused for a moment, then lightly patted the cat’s head.

“Thank you. You saved us.”

Cats are renowned for their keen intuition.

Today witches often keep them as familiars or for demon summoning, so they’re viewed warily, but in the past it was the opposite.

Their eyes pierce the dark and can see things not of this world.

They protected their owners from impious things and warned them, beasts that chased away evil spirits.

Hamel, who normally shudders at cats because of witches, was in this case the one who owed a favor.

‘As the priest said, perhaps there’s no such thing as never,’

Having had his life saved by the cat, Hamel thanked it and stood.

He took enough breaths.

It was time to head to the laboratory.

Hamel and the group walked through the ruined interior of the laboratory.

Glass that had once been flasks clinked under their boots.

What caught their eyes was…….

None other than sealed demons.

‘So that’s where all those demons came from.’

Hamel, sprinkling holy water over his eyes, narrowed them.

Traces of demons were visible everywhere.

It was clear they had been unleashed here.

In fact, there were three or four devices with only the seal remnants left, having been opened.

Even the number of demons still sealed up added up to around a dozen species.

‘If a bit more time had passed, the mansion would have…….’

It would have surely become something unimaginable.

‘Why on earth did Father collect demons?’

Collecting demons is taboo, against imperial law and the will of the order.

It’s a grave crime that can cost one their title and even lead to execution.

What could the lord have been thinking to amass demons like this?

Hamel shook off the unanswerable question and told the group.

“There doesn’t seem to be any immediate danger inside. Please search the place.”

The interior was larger than expected, and the party scattered to look for mirrors.

But Hamel frowned as he disposed of the sealed demons one by one.

There was no need to leave trouble for later.

Then David called Hamel.

“Hamel. Come here for a moment.”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Hamel broke the last sealed jar with his sword and went to him.

“This is……”

Hamel murmured as he looked at a fallen corpse.

The robe embroidered with the family crest meant he had been the laboratory’s mage.

He held a blood-soaked book to his chest.

Hamel carefully pulled it out and flipped through the pages.

Pages were packed with obscure research notes.

As he turned a page, something fell out of the book with a soft thud.

It was a hand mirror, broken and left half intact.