Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: #1 Mansion Exploration
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By the time I came to my senses, I had already heard that the morning's training session was over.
Sure enough, a sense of satisfaction lingered inside me from having steadily learned something.
I didn't remember well what kind of training it was, though...
"I've got some business to attend to. From here on, my maid will take over."
"Yes~♪ Then, Lady Ryeong, please follow me~♪"
The maid who arrived promptly at his call tried to lead me away just like that.
I nearly followed her absentmindedly, but only then did I realize my own condition.
There was a strange smell around my mouth, and at some point, the underwear I thought I was wearing had come off, leaving me completely naked.
Startled, I instinctively hugged my body like a girl and plopped down right there.
"Kyaa?! W-Wait! Why am I naked... F-First, let me put some clothes on...!"
"Huh? What are you talking about? Lady Ryeong, you're so strange. You're fully dressed, aren't you?"
What was she saying?
No matter how I looked, I was naked. My breasts, my butt, my private parts—all exposed...!
'Why am I in this state...!'
I looked around for the clothes I had taken off. There was the tracksuit I remembered removing earlier, hanging on the back of the sofa.
"No. 「Lady Ryeong is fully dressed」."
The maid told me to look carefully again.
That couldn't be. My tracksuit was right there, taken off.
But when I checked my body once more, sure enough, I was wearing clothes, just as she said.
The plain, unsexy red tracksuit I always wore. Underneath, I definitely had underwear on. That's how it felt.
'Jeez... Was I mistaken again? Why do I keep doing this since morning?'
Seeing things that aren't there, mistaking clothes for nakedness.
Recalling what I'd just done made my face burn hot. Making a fuss about being naked when fully clothed. And screaming like a girl on top of that.
"Apparently, some people see hallucinations because of the fog outside. Maybe Lady Ryeong is experiencing that too."
Was that it?
Fog that could affect even a first-rate Special Grade Exorcist like me and induce hallucinations... It might be more dangerous than I'd thought.
In any case, embarrassed by my shameful display, I hurriedly left the office with the maid.
The maid said she was handling the afternoon training.
And while we should normally start right away, preparations would take a bit more time, so we'd have to wait.
"By the time you've had lunch, everything should be ready."
That left some time free, but I didn't head back to my room.
It was because of a separate request from the Chairman.
-Since you're an exorcist, could you take on a request for me?
-Sometimes I get the feeling there's something in this mansion. Of course, I don't know what it is myself.
-Even just during breaks in your training would be fine, so I'd like you to investigate inside the mansion. And if any yokai show up, exterminate them too. Naturally, I'll pay appropriate compensation separately.
There was no reason to refuse such a request. And as I'd felt with the training fee, the Chairman seemed incredibly generous, offering an enormous sum as the request fee.
I didn't know the full details yet, but it was blatantly excessive for a mansion investigation reward.
On top of that, he promised payment regardless of whether any actual subjugation occurred.
Truly spending worthy of the Chairman title.
'Generous is good, but... isn't it too much?'
'Suspicious after all... Something fishy, I guess.'
People who give money are good people.
But those who give excessively large amounts always have ulterior motives. Almost 100% of the time, I believe.
The Chairman was suspicious. Better not trust him rashly.
"Neither the Chairman nor I have lived in this mansion long. Before that, it was practically abandoned. We only cleaned the rooms and areas needed for immediate use, but there are plenty of rooms we don't even know what's inside."
As we left the office, the maid stuck close to my side, guiding me through the mansion.
"Sometimes employees or guests disappear. I'd like to think they just left due to personal circumstances or quietly departed... B-But, there's really nothing there, right? The mansion is safe, isn't it?"
"...No. It seems like there is something."
"Eeeek?! R-Really?! For real?! D-Don't scare me~~~!"
Unfortunately, it wasn't a joke meant to frighten her.
Indeed, an eerily thick Lustful Energy permeated the mansion.
Such energy easily accumulates in long-abandoned houses or ruins. Yokai are then drawn to it.
'Sure enough, not an illusion. I can sense Yokai Power.'
As I checked each spot where Lustful Energy had built up, I clearly detected Yokai Power... yokai traces.
But learning anything beyond that was difficult.
Yokai that have lingered long in one space are inherently hard to detect.
Their traces seep deeply into every corner from sitting there so long.
If the yokai themselves are hiding or disguising to avoid outside detection, tracking becomes even harder.
'Plus, now that I'm in this city... Yokai Power reactions practically everywhere. All my detection abilities are useless.'
In the end, the only method was searching room by room with my eyes. Attack anything suspicious on sight.
"You can't enter this room—it's the master's bedroom. Avoid that storage room too; it has important items. If you absolutely must go in, get the master's permission later."
Following the maid's guidance, I first focused on low-priority, mostly abandoned rooms.
No major breakthroughs, but I discovered several hidden traces of Yokai Power.
I asked the maid to fetch a sealable glass jar, cast a light spell on it, and collected the traces inside.
"Oh my... What are you doing?"
"Purifying the Yokai Power and collecting it while I'm at it. I can use it for tracking spells, or to create or strengthen talismans."
Answering her question, I sealed the lid.
Inside, the pitch-black Yokai Power sloshed around in liquid form.
Just from mere residual traces, and this much volume.
...It might be quite the big player.
'But... could this be...'
Most traces seemed from the same yokai, but some appeared to be from different ones.
By density, these were also high-class yokai power, not from common trash spirits.
Of course, multiple yokai inhabiting one space is common.
When a high-class yokai claims territory and Lustful Energy builds, lesser trash yokai swarm to it.
Whether to deal with such trash yokai is up to the high-class one. Sometimes left alone if bothersome, other times slaughtered en masse in brutality.
But when two or more high-class yokai vie for territory lordship, it's different.
Unlike trash spirits, only one can remain in such cases.
Various reasons exist, but the biggest is that it's the law among yokai.
One might say to wait for the two to clash, one to perish.
But that's mistaken.
The reason: the victor devours everything from the loser and grows vastly stronger.
Yokai Power, Lustful Energy—all consumed and made their own. Loss means annihilation risk, but victory brings massive gains.
Better to confront them while still weak than after they've powered up.
Best would be striking when they're fighting and depleted, but such perfect timing rarely happens.
'Not certain yet. ...Still, better stay cautious.'
Continuing the mansion search like that, I took the chance to chat idly with the accompanying maid.
The maid's name was Dom.
I'd already known from overhearing the Chairman call her several times.
Maid Dom was a woman with brown bobbed hair.
I'm not used to appraising women's looks, but even to my eyes, she was unmistakably a beauty.
A soft impression that, on closer look, exuded sensuality—a mature, comforting vibe.
Among the beauties I know, Manager Ji-hye ranks highest by far, but comparing the two was tough; they're different types.
Anyway. Now that I knew her name, it was easier to address her.
Can't keep calling "hey" or "miss" every time something comes up.
Dom had a very bright personality, clearly an extrovert type at a glance. Questions and topics never ceased; her mouth chattered nonstop.
Thanks to that, being alone together felt hardly awkward. For unsociable me, it was both grateful and a hassle.
'Still, better than awkward.'
However, at times she'd drop surprisingly lowbrow or vulgar wording and jokes unfitting her face.
Each time, I'd jolt in surprise.
'Do extroverts just toss this stuff around casually? Or is this how girls talk among themselves?'
"Lady Ryeong? What's wrong? Something the matter?"
"No... Nothing."
"Okaay. Then, picking up where I left off. Where was I? Ah, the story about my friend whose boyfriend busted her with her horse-cock dildo─"
I thought it felt off, but with almost no experience in girl talk, I couldn't judge if this was normal.
In the end, forcing stiff smiles and nods, I somehow pressed on with the investigation.
The mansion was so vast, and checking each room took time, so lunch arrived with barely any progress.
Afternoon and evening schedules awaited, so today's investigation ended there.
Still, it wasn't fruitless.
I discovered and exorcised one common trash-spirit yokai lurking inside, and from traces gathered during the search, filled about a quarter of the jar I carried.
...
The Chairman seemed busy, so I ate lunch alone. Without Dom beside me, it would've felt lonely.
"You're really amazing, Lady Ryeong. Taking out that gross monster with one punch."
"It was nothing special. More importantly, that yokai—even trash spirits—appears in groups, so more are surely hiding somewhere. We need more investigation. Be careful, Dom."
After finishing the solo meal, I followed Dom to the afternoon training room.
While I spaced out staring at the bowl, preparations had finished.
Arriving at the room led by Dom, I widened my eyes in shock at the sight inside.
"This is...?!"
Beyond the open door.
The revealed room was filled with bizarre, grotesque masses of flesh.