Chapter 55

When we returned to the old school building, it was bathed in the evening sun, and its silence seemed to amplify the terror lurking within. We decided to split into two groups to explore the building more carefully. The party consisted of Prince Zach, Magilka, and me, Safina Tütte. I was with these two simply because they didn't want to be separated from me. Senior Alice joined the prince and the others to ensure his safety, while we were to search the first floor and they the second.

(I've learned the light spell, and I have sacred magic if things get really bad, so I should be fine. I'm not afraid of anything anymore.)

Despite setting up what felt like a death flag, we entered the old school building. Inside, it was as quiet as ever, with a slightly chilly atmosphere. The dimness of the interior, enhanced by the twilight, made the depths of the rooms appear dark, and my fear began to grow, making me feel increasingly uneasy.

(If we had come at midnight, I would have been completely out of it.)

I was grateful to be exploring while it was still somewhat light and we continued down the hallway.

(There doesn't seem to be anything suspicious or ritual-like here. We should probably search the rooms instead of the hallway.)

As I casually opened a nearby door and peered inside, a pale face fell from the ceiling. It was hazy, and the scenery behind it was faintly visible. The figure had black, sunken eyes and, in an inverted position, emitted a strange, indescribable sound, blowing it directly at me.

"Ughhhhhh!"

As the realization hit my brain, I let out a strange scream and jumped back so hard that I nearly stuck to the wall behind me.

"Miss!"

"Lady Mary!"

The sudden movement startled the two people beside me. After looking at me, their gaze naturally shifted to the room, and they both turned pale and retreated to the same position as me.

"Raa! Rararara! Lightttt!"

I drew my sword and used it as a wand to cast a light spell. The tip of the sword glowed with magical light, and as the light entered the open room, the ghost let out an eerie groan and fled somewhere.

"I... I'm so scared."

After holding my breath, I exhaled deeply, confirming that the ghost was gone and that the danger had passed. I let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall behind me.

Crack!

The moment I touched the wall, a cracking sound was heard. No, it was more like the activation of my attack magic resistance skill. At the same time, the solidness of the wall that should have supported me disappeared, and I fell backward.

"Huh? Kyaaaaa!"

"Lady Mary!"

As I screamed and was about to fall into the dark space, someone grabbed my hand, preventing me from falling.

"Ahhh... I'm sorry! One hand wasn't enough!"

Safina, who had grabbed my hand, let out a pitiful cry and, along with me, lost her balance and fell.

"Lady! Lady Safina!"

Tütte, who had been about to fall as well, instinctively grabbed Safina's arm to support us.

"Heavy!"

"Don't say heavy (Don't say that, please!)"

Tütte's extremely rude comment made Safina and me reflexively retort. This caused Tütte to inadvertently loosen her grip, and as a result, the three of us fell into the darkness together.

Sliding down the stairs, I shielded the two of them and opened my eyes. The stairs were steep but not too long, and it was dark but not completely pitch-black. I quickly assessed the situation.

(This is... a hidden door. And it was constantly generating illusions and perception-blocking magic. No one has ever noticed it, so it must be a highly advanced spell... It must have been classified as an attack magic, so when I touched it, its effect temporarily disappeared. I probably shattered the barrier magic that was set up as a wall.)

With this rough understanding, I noticed the two of them stirring above me on the narrow space under the stairs.

"Me, Lady Mary, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm completely fine."

Thanks to my physical attack resistance skill, I was unharmed. Tütte, who knew this, was initially worried but quickly relaxed and stood up. I helped Safina to her feet and then stood up myself, looking at Tütte.

"By the way, Tütte, didn't you say something unforgivable about being heavy just now?"

As a lady, I couldn't let this slide, so I narrowed my eyes at her. She broke out in a cold sweat and turned her face away from my gaze.

"W-What are you talking about, Lady? Is this a hidden door? I'll go get the others."

With that, Tütte hurriedly climbed back up the stairs. Once she was gone, Safina began to look around nervously.

"Indeed... What is this place? It seems to be a staircase leading to a basement."

"Let's not go any further until the others arrive. Come on, let's go back, let's go back."

Better safe than sorry, I pretended not to see the door at the end and pushed Safina back to where we came from.

"I didn't notice a hidden staircase here at all."

When the party on the second floor, summoned by Tütte, arrived and heard the situation, Senior Alice looked at the wall in amazement. The wall now appeared normal, as if its effect had been restored.

"You found it well, considering such a thing. You're truly remarkable, Lady Mary."

"Really, how did you find it? No one has ever noticed it before."

"Um, well... It was just a coincidence. I wasn't even looking for it. It was just a fluke, hehehe."

Impressed, Zach and Senior Alice asked me, and I forced a smile, emphasizing the coincidence and laughing it off. Realizing I wouldn't give a clear answer, Zach didn't press further and, placing his hand on the wall, showed that his fingers could penetrate it, though it was just an illusion.

(I completely shattered the barrier magic. Well, it's too much trouble to explain, so I'll keep quiet.)

"If we had the old school building's blueprints, we could have found this easily. After many renovations and modifications, the management became so lax that no one knew what was where."

Magilka said regretfully, and the prince comforted her.

"So, what do we do now? Should we call a teacher?"

Zach, without addressing anyone in particular, asked about the next steps.

"I'd like to go down to the basement if possible. We're prepared for the barrier, and relying too much on the Grandmaster would be embarrassing for me as a Class Master."

Senior Alice adjusted the leather bag on her back and stood in front of the wall.

"By the way, who could have set up such a mechanism?"

In the tense atmosphere, Safina asked a question that made everyone pause.

"The stairs leading to the basement, according to Lady Mary's description, seem to be well-paved and solid, so they were probably part of the original old school building. However, who could have hidden them like this..."

Prince Zach answered Safina's question, but his response was not clear. Not having asked the prince, Safina hurriedly bowed in apology, and the prince returned a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Such advanced magical equipment doesn't seem like something a student could create. Perhaps a teacher from the school...?"

Magilka's reasoning was a bit forced, and her words were hesitant.

"Come to think of it, wasn't the teacher sent by the church? According to Lady Mary, Lord Legaria mentioned having a dispute with a teacher in this old school building. Could this be related?"

Zach's sudden recollection made the prince and Magilka look at him in surprise.

(These types who don't think much usually make crucial statements at the most important moments.)

I looked at Zach, who was looking around with a "What?" expression, half in exasperation.

"That's right. I also heard that among the teachers managing this old school building, there was one who was sent by the church at the time."

Senior Alice added another bombshell.

"Anyway, I'll go down and check. I don't want anything to happen to the rest of you, so please stay here."

Adjusting her leather bag again, Senior Alice interrupted the conversation and resumed her action.

(She seems a bit anxious, but maybe it's just my imagination.)

Watching her, I had this thought, but I interpreted it as her sense of duty as a Class Master pushing her to resolve the situation, and I stopped thinking too deeply about it. As we watched, Senior Alice stood in front of the wall, examined the area, and a few minutes later, after muttering a spell, the wall disappeared, revealing an entrance to the basement.

"Once you know the location, it's easy to dispel."

With that, Senior Alice descended the stairs without hesitation.

Thank you for reading this far.