Haunted Manor

Is this really the place...?

This is it, Ethan. Carriage drivers say they avoid this road at night because of a ghost they see in the window.

Looks empty to me.

That's why it's called a haunted house. No one lives here.

Hmm... I can feel something... There's a strong presence nearby.

Morgana. You're not scared?

S-Scared? Me? I'm the Fairy Queen! Spiritual entities don't scare me...!

Your voice is trembling just a little...

S-Should we go in now, Ethan?

Elizabeth... wouldn't it be better to come during the day? I can handle the scary part, but I can't see a thing in this darkness.

Ghosts don't appear during the day. If we want to catch it in the act, it has to be at night...

Who's the genius who accepted this request? Especially with people who are clearly bad at handling this stuff...

J-Just hurry up and go inside already! If we miss the ghost, we don't get paid!

...It was you, huh.

Sigh... Fine. Let's go. It's not like we've ever been picky about jobs.

U-Um... Ethan?

...?

Bedi still hasn't pulled herself together... Maybe we should rest for a bit before going in.

Bedivere?

I-I'm not scared! I-I've... I've been reborn through the World Tree... Aahuuuggh!

I-I'm sorry! I was wrong! Hic! Huuu...!

Ghosts really are scary...

...

It's old, but definitely a big mansion... Must've belonged to some high-ranking noble.

They say the ghost that appears is a young woman... Maybe she was part of the family that lived here.

S-So... let's not freak out too much and investigate calmly... okay?

Uh... Elizabeth? You seem the most freaked out right now. You okay?

I'm used to this kind of stuff now... I can handle it...

Y-Yeah! And Bedivere, how are you doing back there? You're keeping up, right?

If you're scared, you can hold Elizabeth's hand, okay...?

...Bedivere?

Elizabeth?

Clatter.

WAAAH! What the hell is this skeleton thing?!

Ethan!

M-Morgana...?

Why are you standing there with that dumb look?! They're monsters! Hurry up and take them down!

You show up all cool and dramatic just to hide behind me and yell?! What am I, your familiar? Ethan-mon?

H-Hurry!

We made it out alive!

Phew... Where the heck did those things even come from?

If it's not ghosts, there's nothing to be afraid of. Let's catch our breath, then head back in, Morgana.

...Morgana?

WAAAH!!

Ethan!

E-Ethan!!

Elizabeth! Bedivere! What happened to you two?

W-We thought we were following you, but then the hallway filled with skeletons...

I barely managed to get the princess out... hic...

What the hell is wrong with this mansion?

Where's Morgana?

Probably got separated like you two. We'll have to go rescue her.

Eek! W-We're going back in there?!

What, Bedivere? I thought you'd grown up a bit... Was I wrong?

I-It's not that I'm scared... It's just... the princess might get hurt, that's all! I-I'm totally fine... hic!

This time, let's tie ourselves together with rope so we don't get separated. Stay sharp!

Uuugh...

You okay, Morgana?

E-Ethan...

A shadowy hand... It pulled me in...! A hand just like yours! So dark and creepy...!

...Should I just leave her behind this time?

P-Please calm down, Ethan.

Ethan! I sense a strong energy coming from upstairs... Maybe the one who kidnapped Morgana is still there!

We were going to head up there anyway. Time to find out what this "ghost" really is.

That's a Grim Reaper...! It must've been the one controlling the skeletons.

Ethan, be careful. That thing is radiating pure evil...!

How dare it flaunt its magic in front of me... Let's crush it, Ethan!

No option where you fight it yourself?

I can't just blow up the house.

To think something dared imprison me, the Fairy Queen...! I won't let that thing get away with it!

Looks like ghost-hunting turned into monster-slaying. Honestly, I prefer it this way.

Yeah. This is more our style.

We'll have to take down that Grim Reaper before we can report that there's no ghost. I'll lead the charge, Princess!

Hehe, Bedi's fired up.

Let's do this! Time to end this cursed monster mansion!

So it was all the Grim Reaper's doing...

If I'd known that, I would've just gone in swinging from the start.

Pfft! You mean you, Ethan? The one who stuttered in fear? Don't make me laugh.

Still better than you, who completely lost it when the Lich grabbed you.

Maybe the ghost people saw was actually the Grim Reaper's illusion magic.

It's called the reaper of souls for a reason. A monster that lures human souls...

Even if it was a misunderstanding, the fear people felt was real...

But now, no one else will have to suffer.

Yeah. Thanks to everyone's effort.

Well of course... Everything works out when I'm around.

...You're good at taking credit for giving orders.

Ethan! Behind where the Grim Reaper stood, there's a portrait hanging there...!

Huh? You're right.

She's really pretty.

She is... She kinda looks like a princess. The white dress suits her.

Heh! I still think the princess is prettier and cooler though.

B-Bedi...

Hmm...

What is it?

The portrait. At that angle... it'd be visible from the window, wouldn't it?

Now that you mention it...

Yeah... A suspicious painting that always faces outward, with the presence of Grim Reaper's dark magic... It'd be easy to mistake that for a ghost from the road.

It would look like a ghost for sure.

Even I would've screamed if I saw that in the dark.

And if anyone tried investigating... they'd end up monster food...

What a tragedy...

At least we solved it.

Let's head back. We cleared the place, but I've had goosebumps the whole time. It's freezing in here...

Me too... my skin might end up permanently bumpy at this rate.

Let's go. You all worked hard, so drinks are on me, hehe!

Waa! Princess, you're the best!

E-Ethan!

Elizabeth? Why are you in such a rush this early in the morning?

Something terrible happened...!

Terrible?

It's about that mansion where we fought the monsters...

Princess! Ethan! Good mor...

There was no painting! Nothing at all!

W-What...!?

T-The portrait we saw of that girl... what was that, then...?

Ah! Bedivere fainted!

Bedi! Wake up! Bedi!