Harun stood before the old door. Even though he had braced himself, his body told a different story—chills crept down his spine all the same.
He pulled out a slightly rusted iron key. A heavy click echoed as he turned it in the lock.
"This is it," Harun said without any preamble, slowly pushing the door open.
The moment it parted, a strange aura washed over them.
Al's eyes sharpened, but he saw nothing. For now, it was just an uncomfortable sensation—an instinctive unease.
He couldn't tell what might happen once he stepped fully inside.
Harun moved first, though he didn't really go in. One foot remained outside as he leaned forward, reaching for the switch and turning on a dim light.
Watching that, Al was mildly surprised. So even an elegant butler could be scared of ghosts. Still, he didn't think much of it.
The first floor was finally revealed. The room was dim, but clear enough to show its condition.
Dust and cobwebs clung to every surface. The floorboards creaked softly underfoot. The air reeked of damp wood, mixed with the faded sting of old mothballs.
Broken crates and discarded planks were scattered in the corners. It looked far more like an abandoned shed than what used to be a cat house.
Harun quickly stepped back out and gestured for Al to enter.
Al walked in without hesitation, showing no fear at all.
Harun couldn't help feeling a little envious. He hadn't expected the young man before him to be this bold.
Sensing Harun's gaze, Al merely shook his head. His attention stayed on the room as he carefully observed it for a moment, then turned back toward Harun.
"This is better than I expected," he said calmly. "In that case, let's head up to the second floor."
The moment Al mentioned the second floor, Harun panicked.
"Th-the second floor? Do I… have to… go with you? But, young master… that… the second floor…" he stammered, unable to finish his sentence properly.
Al could only sigh at the sight. He wanted to scold Harun, but right now he felt too lazy for that. All he wanted was to clean the place and get some rest.
Crossing his arms, he muttered,
"I really don't get it. You're an elegant butler with the calm face of a religious practitioner, yet you're scared of ghosts."
In the end, he simply waved his hand.
"Forget it. No need. I'll do it myself," he said lazily. "Just tell me—where are the cleaning tools? I'd like to clean it myself."
Harun didn't respond right away. His eyes widened slightly, tense, as if something deep in his thoughts had been stirred.
On one hand, he felt a bit offended. On the other, there was guilt. He knew he should be the one obeying his master.
Yet hearing Al volunteer felt like a strange relief—not because of laziness, but because he still hadn't fully grown accustomed to Al's presence in this household.
He gazed at Al quietly, his eyes subtly distant despite the polite smile on his lips.
"I'm sorry, young master. Next time, I will serve you better," Harun said firmly.
"As for the cleaning tools, they're in the storage room behind the kitchen, near the service staircase. The staff knows the place," he finally added.
"The sleeping arrangements are kept there as well. You may take whatever you need. As for the rest of the installations, we'll handle them tomorrow morning."
"All right. Thank you," Al replied briefly, not wanting to drag the conversation out.
Harun nodded.
"I apologize once again, young master," he added softly.
"Normally, I prepare everything for the young masters… but since you expressed a desire to clean it yourself, I assumed you wished to begin building independence."
His words sounded professional, but there was a subtle note of reluctance beneath them—not rude, but unmistakable.
Al merely nodded.
"No problem. I'm more used to doing things myself than being served. Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't be too comfortable taking orders from me anyway. I understand."
Harun's eyes widened slightly.
He knows?
This kid… he's sharper than I thought. Is he going to confront me about it? The thought sent a flicker of panic through him.
Al, seeing Harun's stunned silence, smiled lightly and gave his shoulder a casual pat.
"Relax. I'm not the kind to make a fuss over something this small."
Harun exhaled quietly. Maybe there wouldn't be a problem after all.
But then...
"However…" Al continued, his tone casual, yet edged with steel.
"...I don't want something like this to happen again. Whether it's from other servants—or especially from you, who should understand your position better."
His eyes sharpened.
"...You'd better decide soon who your master is."
Harun froze, eyes wide. A cold sweat broke on his skin. He didn't fully understand what the boy meant.
"You may go," Al added, breaking Harun's stunned silence.
Harun snapped out of it, stumbled slightly, then bowed politely.
"Th-Then I'll excuse myself. If you need anything, just call a servant. But… male servants only."
Al blinked at that, eyes wide, mouth slightly open in disbelief.
Even while panicking, he still had time to slip that in. But that's understandable for now, he sighed inwardly.
Once Harun was gone, Al lingered at the doorway for a moment before fully stepping into the dim room.
Dust floated in the air, stirred by the evening breeze seeping through a cracked window.
Inside, he could feel the faint pulse of an energy he had sensed earlier in the day—subtle, ancient… and unmistakably abnormal.
He muttered softly to himself,
"A small, dusty house… and something's here."
His eyes narrowed—not in fear, but curiosity.
Stepping slowly toward a corner of the room, his mind began mapping out a plan—now his mission was no longer just about integration.
Even the mysterious things in this house needed attention.
He then took out his phone and recorded his additional objectives for his mission:
- Deal with the strange things in this house.
- Decipher the mystery behind that magical energy.
- Uncover the truth behind David and the dark magic that clung to him.
Once he was sure Harun was long gone and no footsteps echoed nearby, Al gently closed the old door behind him and pocketed his phone.
The creak of the hinges was the only sound, and silence soon returned.
He stood in the center of the room. Moonlight spilled through the window, merging with the soft glow of the lamp, casting floating dust particles into sharp relief.
The magical energy in the room now pulsed more clearly.
Al closed his eyes. Slowly, he knelt and placed one palm against the cool, slightly damp wooden floor.
This resonance… it's not wild energy. Not a disturbance. It's something embedded—deep.
He could feel it faintly coursing from beneath the earth.
It was old.
Buried.
Stable.
Like something slumbering beneath the ground—not a living being, but perhaps an artifact.
Something left behind by a previous generation… or maybe someone from this household had intentionally placed it here.
Al opened his eyes slowly. His gaze was calm, but focused.
He decided to try something.
(Elemental-Earth) Basic Magic : Earth Control.
He attempted to shift the ground beneath the building, forcing whatever lay buried there to rise to the surface. But—
"Hm?" Al's eyes widened. "My magic isn't working?"
He slowly straightened up and stared at the floor.
"Some kind of anti-magic barrier?" he muttered as he analyzed the situation. "I didn't expect it to be guarded this tightly. Whatever's down there must be important."
"And one thing's for sure—it's not the relic I'm looking for or anything like that. There's no resonance with my eyes. Still, it's clearly not something ordinary… and I need to find out what it is."
Letting out a sigh, he added,
"Looks like I'll have to do this the conventional way. Huff… this is going to be tiring."
He stretched his arms and grumbled under his breath.
"I don't know how important this thing is…" he murmured. "But for now, I'll leave it be. Stirring this place up while I'm being watched would be a pain."
He looked toward the window. Outside, faint silhouettes—dark shadows—stood around the estate, all facing one direction: This place.
He scanned the room.
"This space is wide enough—six or seven people could fit comfortably," he muttered. "But… it's not enough for the dozens of eyes trying to pierce into it."
Al smiled faintly and brought his hands together. A subtle pulse of magical energy shimmered around him, flowing to his palms.
He interlaced his fingers and whispered:
(Dark) Advance Magic : Illusion Barrier
Fwussshhh!
A wave of arcane energy swept outward, enveloping the small building.
It was a light illusion barrier—undetectable by most, enough to distort the perception of anyone watching from afar. But not from up close.
Luckily, no one would dare get that close.
"And now, the finishing touch," Al said calmly.
With one smooth motion, he raised his right hand. The air grew a little colder, a soft breeze sweeping gently through the room.
A silvery white light began to glow in his palm—subtle, not blinding, but enough to softly illuminate the space. With a lazy flick of his wrist—
Advance Magic : Clean Magic.
A quiet swirl of cleansing magic burst forth from his body, sweeping through the entire room in a single pulse.
Dust lifted, cobwebs vanished, and the dull wood gained a faint sheen. The damp air turned crisp, replaced by the fresh scent of mountain air at dawn.
No need for mops and brooms. Magic was far more efficient.
The floor now sparkled. A large fur rug lay neatly in the center—likely once used to keep David's childhood cat warm.
No bed. No pillow. Just one soft spot on the floor.
Looks good. Somehow… I wonder how they'd react if they knew I could clean this filthy area in just one night, he thought.
He let out a slow breath and glanced toward the iron staircase in the corner of the room.
"I can go up to the second floor now," he said lazily.