Home/I Saved the Villain and Fell Asleep/ch 43

Chapter 43

My heart pounded. I tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't budge.

"Ka-Kali. You can't leave my side. Got it? First one person disappears, then another—and I'm left alone in this mansion—that's a horror cliché!"

"Magic doesn't work on the Duke. You know that, right?"

"I know. But still!"

What am I supposed to do about being scared!

No matter how much I pounded on the door and tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. Should I wait here for Dad? Or search the second floor?

"We need to find the caster."

"The caster?"

"If that's magic, then someone is casting it."

The moment Dad vanished, the laughter I'd mistaken for wind grew louder. I clung half to Kali and swung my club around.

Just show yourself! I'll smash you to pieces!

"Kyaaa!!!!"

Just as I thought that, something flashed past my eyes. A grey-skinned woman in a torn, tattered dress with straggly hair.

She passed by so fast I didn't even have time to swing my club. I didn't want to get knocked out wandering the hallway, so I dragged Kali up the stairs.

"Haaaa! It's magic. That's magic. It's magic that disappears when I hit it."

"What's so scary?"

Kali asked, watching me walk unsteadily, trembling.

"What's scary?! It's a ghost!"

"It's magic. Even if it were a real ghost, you've seen a house-sized snake and watched people die—are you scared of ghosts?"

"But it's a ghost?! A ghost!"

"So what."

"If it were a person, I could punch them—but you can't punch a ghost!"

"If it's made of magic, you can just hit it."

Thanks to our circular, absurd conversation, I felt a little less scared. I kept spouting nonsense while gripping Kali's hand tightly.

I could feel Kali's strong grip squeezing my hand back. Ignoring the slight flutter in my heart, I looked up at the ceiling and shouted.

"Irein!! Senté!! Where are you?"

"Over here!"

The voice that answered wasn't a man's—it was a high-pitched woman's voice. I was losing my mind!!

As we stepped out of the hallway toward the stairs, this time I actually saw translucent white cloths floating through the air. No hands or feet were visible—just white cloth fluttering.

You know, like when you drape a white sheet over someone. Those ghost-like things recklessly charged at us, so I screamed and swung my club wildly.

"Kali!! Ack!! Kali!! Are you still next to me?!"

"I'm here, so calm down!! You're making it more chaotic! All that strength and no control!"

Even though they were ghosts, I felt impact. I could sense the feeling of disrupting mana.

I cracked my eyes open and looked ahead—now a swarm of things, whether ghosts or specters, were gathered.

Maybe because the ghosts disappeared every time I swung my club, they hesitated and kept their distance.

"O-okay. Now they're not coming closer! You! Come a little closer. I'll show you—pow!"

I thrust the menacing-looking club forward and swung it, and the gathered ghosts retreated. My pounding heart finally began to settle.

So those really are magic, aren't they?

"What are you doing!! Stop it!! You're scaring the kids!!"

"What?"

It wasn't Dad, Irein, or Senté's voice. It definitely wasn't Kali's either. But this was clearly a human voice, not a ghost's.

I looked around for the owner of the voice, but it was too dark to see a human figure.

Flames flickered from Kali's hand. As the hallway brightened slightly, Kali pointed to a corner.

"There."

When I looked, a long black shape began to writhe. Not a ghost—was a monster coming out now?

Two pale hands emerged from the black shape, pushing aside the straggly hair covering its face. The man who straightened up, having apparently been crouching there, was surprisingly tall.

"Who are you...?"

Startled by my question, the man pressed himself against the wall and crept closer.

"This is my house! Get out! Get out! I'll curse you!!"

"Huh? Your house? Do you have proof?"

"Proof?"

"Do you have the deed? The deed proving it's yours. Don't tell me you don't? So you've been living here without owning it? Do you know what that's called? Trespassing."

With a distinct form and a clear voice, it was obvious the figure was human. I wasn't scared of humans at all.

I strode toward the man in the corner. His bold demeanor vanished, and he started retreating, flustered. A few brave ghosts flew through the air to protect him.

"Those are your magic, aren't they?"

"Th-they're not magic! They're real ghosts that only listen to me! Don't you feel creepy right now? Don't you have goosebumps? You'll be cursed soon!! You harassed my kids!!"

His tone was childlike, but his height was enormous—the contrast was jarring.

"Seriously, you're impossible to reason with. Didn't you see me get rid of those ghosts earlier? I'll wipe them all out."

Just then, a welcome sound rang loudly from the first floor. Bibi had found his way to us on his own, and he was barking excitedly, having sensed there were snacks here.

"Bibi! Come here. Let's have a snack! Bibi, there are tons of snacks here!! Bibi! Snack! Snack!"

When I called Bibi in a booming voice, he came bounding up the stairs, leaped into the air, and snatched a white cloth floating midair.

He slurped it down like a vacuum cleaner.

"Aaah! A dog!! No! Stop! Ack!! You're eating ghosts! Stop eating them! That's not food! Hey, what are you doing! Stop him!"

The man, who had tripped over his own clothes, scrambled to chase Bibi, but there was no way he could catch him.

I slung my club over my shoulder and spoke to the man.

"Shall we have a little chat?"

"Ah, no! Angela, no!! You cute puppy, please stop!"

Bibi, instead of the floating ghosts, was now gnawing on the hem of a ghost standing on the ground. It looked familiar—it was the ghost I'd seen right after Dad disappeared.

"Bibi, stop eating and come here."

I reached out and called him, and Bibi came running with a wiggly butt. The man, who had been clutching the greyish ghost tightly, pushed back the robe covering his head.

He was a man with a hollow, pale complexion, as if he'd crumble in the sunlight.

...He is human, right?

"He looks like he'd actually die if you touched him."

Kali muttered indifferently. I agree—he has no color at all; he looks like he'd collapse any moment.

"Huh?"

Then, light began to pour into the dark mansion. No one had lit a fire—it was a very familiar silver magic circle covering the entire floor.

The ghosts floating in the area covered by the magic circle began to disappear one by one. The man panicked and swung his arms through the air trying to catch them, but the vanished ghosts didn't reappear.

"Angela! Ack!! Angela!!"

When even the woman called Angela disappeared, the man started tearing at his own hair.

"Hey."

"What is this...! Angela has never disappeared before!"

"Well, this is the Peace Zone right now."

"Peace Zone? What's that...? Whatever it is, give Angela back! Give back my, my ghosts!!"

"You threatened us with magic, so we used magic in return. How about it? Feeling ready to talk now?"

I waved the prepared documents in front of the man's face. When he saw what appeared to be the deed to this mansion, he was shocked—then dropped his shoulders in resignation.

"Whew..."

I heard a long exhale beside me. Kali was frowning, holding his forehead with one hand.

"Kali, what's wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?"

"...I feel sick. Nauseous."

"What?"

"This magic circle."

Kali looked down at Dad's magic circle. Anyone standing within it couldn't use mana.

As long as you don't try to force magic, it's fine—but others say it makes you feel nauseous and fearful, like your mana has vanished.

Since my unique magic is a magical tool, I don't feel it directly.

Supporting Kali with one hand, I dragged the dazed man along. When we reached the first floor, Dad, Irein, and Senté were waiting.

"Hari, your screams were quite impressive."

"Screams? What screams? I never did that. Are you confusing them with the ghosts' screams? That wasn't me."

I turned my head away, pretending not to know.

"Dad! Are you okay? You disappeared suddenly—I was so startled!"

"Hmm, it was nothing."

"Is that man the caster?"

"Yeah. Seems like it."

We sat on a worn-out sofa and watched the man. He kept biting his nails, his round eyes wide and anxious as he looked around.

"Your name?"

Dad crossed one leg and placed his hand on his knee, beginning to interrogate the man.

"Col, ton. It's Colton... sir."

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