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“So, this is the rumored haunted mansion, huh?”
“Well, more like a trash mansion than a haunted one, isn’t it?”

It was mid-afternoon, and at the end of a road off the main street stood a mansion slightly larger than the surrounding houses. However, it was hard to argue that it received any maintenance. Scrap metal spilled out from windows and entrances, their purpose unclear.

The interior’s condition was beyond guessing; even Momo would find this work daunting.

“Master, I don’t think we can finish this today…”
“Well, with your horsepower, we might just make it.”
“B-But… labor laws… Wait, they don’t exist in this world…!”

Well, the task at hand wasn’t urgent, but the longer it took, the worse the daily wage efficiency became. It pained me greatly, but I’d have to make Momo work like a horse. It was tough to do this as her master.

“Anyway, let’s talk to the client first. I want to hear about the haunted mansion situation.”
“Yes, they should be at the inn across the street…”
“—Oh, are you the ones who took the job!?”

Just then, a young man emerged from the inn, perfect timing. His clothes, likely intended for disposal, were stained with oil and dust, and iron scraps spilled out from the hemp bag he carried. He must have been cleaning alone even before we took the job. …Which means the mansion was probably even worse off before.

“Oh, thank goodness… My back is at its limit… Um, are you the only one who took the job, miss?”
“Yes, it’s just me and my master! We’ll do our best!”

Upon hearing it was only girls and children, his disappointment was palpable. I couldn’t blame him; if I were him and saw this lineup for heavy-lifting support, I’d despair too.

“Don’t worry, Momo may look petite, but she’s as strong as a hundred men. But before anything else, there’s something I’d like to confirm.”
“Confirm… Oh, you mean about the ghost rumors?”

It seemed the rumors had already reached the ears of those involved, making the conversation swift.

“The rumors we heard were about seeing floating spirit balls and glowing figures in the windows. Any idea?”
“That’s just gossip. I clean here every day, and I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s such a nuisance!”

With the state this place is in, adding ghost stories to the mix would deter anyone from approaching. It would be incredibly troublesome for the client who wanted this place cleaned up fast.

“Master… Are there really ghosts?”
“Undead do exist, but they rarely show up in towns.”

It’s not uncommon for corpses to be imbued with magic, becoming ghouls or skeletons. However, it typically happens to bodies discarded without proper burial rites, something unheard of in towns with churches.

“Anyway, I just want to clean up this junk my father left behind! Then we can sell this house…”
“I’ll make an effort to fulfill the quest, but what’s with this mountain of iron scrap?”
“Oh, that’s supposed to be something related to magicology. My father was obsessed with it in his lifetime… Do you know what it is?”
“Oh, a flip phone!”

Upon seeing what the young man took out from the bag, Momo reacted. To me, it looked like a tin toy with glass panels, but her reaction suggested it was something from the Outlanders.

“It’s supposed to be a study for replicating artifacts from Outlanders and ancient times, but I didn’t really understand it.”
“Really, I can’t even press the buttons, and it won’t turn on…”
“Well, since there’s all sorts of stuff lying around, maybe there’s some treasure hidden among them. Feel free to take it if you want.”
“Are you sure? There might be some heirlooms or mementos hidden in there.”
“It’s fine, I’ve already collected anything valuable.”
“W-what should we do if we find a ghost…?”
“Haha, that’s highly unlikely in a town like this. Unless something extraordinary happens, of course.”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“Alright, I’ll handle the sorting. Bring out as much as you can, Momo!”
“Waah, you’re so rough with your disciple!”

I carried out piles of belongings repeatedly, bringing them out, then going back in for more, a cycle of endless work.

Outside, my master checked what I brought out, sorting them into ‘keep’ and ‘discard’ piles. There was an overwhelming amount of items deemed unnecessary, but I suppose that’s just how cleaning goes.

“But magicology, huh? So that’s a thing…”

Among the collected items, there were several that even I could recognize: a television, a faucet, headphones, a rice cooker, a fan… or things resembling them at least. They all looked similar but slightly different, and none of them worked properly.

“I wonder if the people in this house were studying Earth all this time…”

Some of them were broken and revealed their insides, but there were no mechanical parts or circuits. Most of them had something like jewels as their core, carved with patterns and characters so small it would hurt to read them.

Perhaps they were attempts to replicate the mechanisms described to them by Outlanders like me.

“Hey, Momo, your hands stopped!”
“Oh, sorry!”

I mustn’t get distracted. The quest at hand comes first.

With the first floor mostly sorted out, I hurried upstairs with my master’s urging… That’s when it happened.

“……Huh?”

It suddenly felt chilly, even for a place accustomed to snow. The temperature was noticeably colder, and the air felt different. I couldn’t quite put it into words, but something felt off. I felt that I shouldn’t continue beyond this point alone.

“M-Master… Something’s wron—”

I tried to call out for help from my master waiting outside, but no sound came out. My voice trembled, becoming hoarse and feeble, with only white breath coming out of my mouth.

“…Wh…at’s… happening…?”

It’s cold. So cold, cold, cold. I can’t stop shaking. It’s strange. Why did it suddenly get so cold? It’s definitely not right, but my feet and hands are frozen, refusing to move. I couldn’t even descend on the stairs and my unresponsive body collapsed.

“…H-ha…AAaAAaa…”
“Eek…!”

I felt something’s breath on my neck from right beside me.

A ghost? But my master said it was impossible. Then what could it be? I’m scared. I don’t understand. It’s cold. I don’t want this. It felt like something invisible was gradually draining my body heat—

“M-Mas…ter… hel…”
“…Pierce, Flame Arrow.”

Amidst the terrifying cold, a warm light grazed overhead, piercing through that something. Suddenly, warmth returned to my body, and even though I still couldn’t move, small, slender arms pulled me close.

“…Hey, whose disciple are you trying to mess with here, huh?”
“M…Masterr…!!”