Oran Knight is out (2/3 chapters for today)
Mystery of Western-Style Mansion (1): A Small Adventure
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**Today’s Diary**
I kept the mysterious story about the western-style mansion Sonia and I heard yesterday a secret from everyone until we left the library. If we had caused a commotion and gotten kicked out of the library, it would have jeopardized Heinz and Hana’s chance of avoiding supplement classes. Copying Heinz and Hana’s notes would take at least three days, so getting banned from the library would be a problem.
By the time evening fell, I took the exhausted Heinz and Hana out of the library and finally brought up the unsettling conversation we had overheard earlier.
“Tomorrow’s a day off! We should definitely explore it! Who’s in?” (Lux)
Heinz and Hana were quick to raise their hands as well. However, right after that, Maria murmured, “Summer vacation, supplement classes…” and they gradually lowered her hand.
“I’m not good with ghosts, so I’ll be here to… um, watch over the two of you.” (Maria)
Maria said.
Ratt-kun also mentioned, “I’m not keen on ghosts either,” and said he’d stay with Maria to, not just monitor, but support Heinz and Hana. On the other hand, Rick-san and Frank were enthusiastic about the idea. Rick-san’s involvement was expected, but Frank’s interest was a bit surprising. I thought he might not believe in ghosts.
“Of course, I don’t believe in them. It just sounds interesting that there’s a mysterious mansion within the academy.” (Frank)
I was also curious about the mansion that wasn’t visible during our exploration. However, I wasn’t as nonchalant as Frank. Having spent many nights in the mountains, I was familiar with the unsettling presence of unknown things and old tales. So, I didn’t have the confidence to completely dismiss the idea of something being there.
Anyway, the plan was set. Sonia, Rick, Frank, and I would explore the mysterious western-style mansion.
—
After breakfast, I headed outside with Ratt-kun and Frank, bringing along the reluctant Heinz. The morning was refreshingly pleasant, with the battle between the warm sun and the cool breeze of the season making it felt really nice.
“Good morning!” (Sonia)
I waved back at Sonia, who greeted us energetically from a distance. Next to her was Hana, who looked as gloomy as Heinz, as if it were the end of the world. I approached and greeted them.
“Good morning. You’re early.” (Lux)
“Yeah, Hana got here early.” (Sonia)
“Wow, good job, Hana.” (Lux)
“Ugh, I didn’t want to come, but… summer vacation, degozaru…” (Hana)
Hana’s internal conflict seemed to have been resolved by the desire to go on vacation.
“Maria-chan and Rick-san don’t seem to be here yet. What should we do? Should we head to the library first?” (Sonia)
Ratt-kun responded to Sonia’s suggestion.
“Alright, I’ll take Heinz and Hana to the library and get started. You guys are going to explore the mansion today, right? Wait here for Rick-san. When he arrives, you can head out together. If Maria gets here first, just tell her we’ll be waiting at the library.” (Ratt)
Heinz and Hana, being dragged away by Ratt-kun, looked as mournful as calves being sold off.
Hang in there, guys.
We sat on the edge of the hallway between the dormitory and the school building, waiting for Rick-san and Maria. The academy was surprisingly quiet early in the holiday morning, and it felt a bit refreshing.
“…But, do you really think there’s a haunted mansion here?” (Frank)
Frank said in a relaxed tone.
“Well, the very existence of a western-style mansion within the academy seems suspicious.” (Lux)
I replied.
“Yeah, I feel like a mansion inside the academy is scarier than any ghost.” (Frank)
Frank responded.
“Maybe it used to be a training ground.” (Sonia)
Sonia suggested.
“But training for combat inside a mansion? What kind of situation would that be?” Frank laughed, and Sonia puffed out her cheeks in response.
Even if there were ghosts, I didn’t expect them to appear at such an early hour. To be honest, our real interest was the strange situation of having a western-style mansion inside the academy.
As I was absentmindedly thinking like that, a small girl came running towards us.
“Ah, it’s Maria! Hey!” (Sonia)
Sonia waved, and Maria, breathless, ran up to us.
“Sorry I’m late! Did I miss anything?” (Maria)
“No, we were just early. Rick-san hasn’t arrived yet either.” (Ratt)
As I was telling her that Ratt-kun was leading the other two, we spotted a large, muscular man walking leisurely from the distance.
“Oh, Rick’s here.” (Frank)
Frank said, standing up and brushing off the dust from his shorts.
After Maria caught her breath and we parted ways with her, we headed north, skirting around the side of the school building.
The academy was laid out with a large cross-shaped boulevard running through the center, dividing it into four major areas. Our school building was in the southeast block. To the north of the school, in the northeast area, are the old school building, the military building, and the research building. Aside from the military building, we students rarely visit the other buildings. Therefore, if you want to sound dramatic, the area there was the most suspicious.
After all, the area around the research building were restricted, where even students could be detained if they wander too much. So, generally, we don’t wander there unnecessarily. Of course, restricted areas were marked with warning tags, so unless someone was incredibly careless, it was usually not a big problem.
While waiting for Heinz and the others to finish studying in the library yesterday, Sonia and I quietly pinpointed possible locations for the mansion. If it were in a place visible from the main street, someone would likely know about it, so it was certainly somewhere deeper in the area. Additionally, while I might not be familiar with the surroundings, other members have frequently visited the military facilities, so the vicinity of those buildings was also unlikely. And another thing, since the two students who spread the rumor about the mansion were also students, it was unlikely to be near the research building. Unless, of course, those students overheard gossip from military personnel.
So, the most likely location was behind the old school building or further back. Behind the old school building, similar to the practical training area with combat scenarios, there was a dense forest. We generally avoid approaching the old school building unless absolutely necessary, making it the most suspicious place. When I suggested exploring behind the old school building, neither Rick-san nor Frank had any objections.
Now, whether we encounter something eerie or merely waste time, only time will tell. The small adventure on our holiday begins.
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