Chapter 14
Since I already knew the location of the old castle, getting there wasn’t an issue.
However, I deliberately chose a slightly longer route, and whenever we passed by local delicacies from our village, I handed them to her, telling her to try them.
"I need to find the creator of the Black Armor as soon as possible! I don’t have time to waste on snacks!"
"But it's delicious, right?"
"...Pack me one more."
I felt pleased, as the sight of her nibbling on food reminded me of a gluttonous hamster that had once monopolized all the affection in the research lab during my past life.
By the time we reached the old castle, having taken our time, the sun was beginning to set.
"The sun is going down."
"Yeah, the days have been getting shorter lately."
[You deliberately stalled until it got dark to make searching the castle more difficult, didn’t you? Master, your cunning is truly admirable!]
Shut up.
"Oh no, it's too dark now. Searching the castle might be difficult. How about waiting until tomorrow?"
"No. It’s fine. I brought a lantern, so there's no need to worry about the night. Now, let's go! Is the castle far from here?"
But as soon as we arrived in front of the castle, El's face turned pale.
"I-Is this the old castle?"
Ever since my family moved to our current estate, no one had lived here, let alone maintained the place.
Moreover, since it was an ancient structure to begin with, now that night had fallen, it had become a desolate ruin, completely devoid of light.
"What’s wrong? Are you scared now that we’re here?"
"What are you talking about! Isn’t this even better? A castle at night feels like it holds some kind of secret!"
"This castle has been abandoned for a long time with no proper repairs. Especially at this late hour, an accident could easily happen inside…"
"If it’s structurally unstable, it wouldn’t matter whether we come during the day or at night."
She was trying to act tough, but her voice trembled slightly. Still, she stood with her arms crossed, boldly facing the castle.
It seemed she had no intention of turning back.
This stubborn little brat needed to be taught a lesson.
Calmly, I explained the dangers of wandering around an abandoned castle at night.
The risks, even with me here, of a young girl moving through such a place.
She blinked at me, her eyes round with curiosity.
"Is this village really that dangerous? From what I know, it's so peaceful that people complain about how boring it is…"
"Who’s spreading such slander! Our village has its own unique charm!"
"And what exactly is that charm?"
"…"
What was our village’s unique charm? A noisy father? Beautiful mountains and clean air?
When I failed to come up with an answer, the brat covered her mouth with her hand, eyes curved in a teasing smile.
This little brat—was she mocking me when I was just trying to look out for her?
[Master, your blood pressure and heart rate are rising…]
‘Shut up.’
Both this kid and that thing were underestimating me too much.
I had done my part.
From here on, whatever happened was on her.
"Fine. Let’s go inside. Just remember—whatever happens in there, it’s not my responsibility."
"That sounds like you're implying something dangerous will happen inside."
"Who knows."
With a subtle hint that she could still back out, I stepped into the castle.
The inside of the castle was just as dark and eerie as it looked from the outside—perfect for something to jump out at us at any moment.
"Here. I brought two lanterns, so I’ll give you one."
"I won’t refuse."
However, upon receiving the lantern, she frowned.
Rather than an actual lantern, it looked more like a decorative ornament shaped like one.
Despite running on magic, its design resembles a kerosene lamp, and its brightness is barely less than that of a torch!
"Hehehe, I chose this specifically for exploring old castles. Doesn't it have a nice atmosphere?"
"...Not at all! This thing is terribly inefficient!"
[Isn't design and the atmosphere it creates also a form of efficiency?]
'Design is not efficiency!'
[But carrying around a lightsaber-shaped lantern while exploring an old castle would look weird and ridiculous, wouldn't it?]
A vision of myself entering a castle holding a lightsaber-shaped lantern appeared in my mind.
Not bad. A lightsaber-shaped lantern? Now that's a dream come true.
"Come on, let's go. What's with all the hesitation?"
"Who's hesitating? I'll take the lead. Follow me."
I stepped forward ahead of the cheeky little brat.
Walking through the entrance, we ventured deeper inside.
Having someone behind me made me feel a little more at ease, but the corridors of this damn castle were incredibly dark.
The only natural light came from the moon and stars seeping through dusty windows at intervals. Without this cheap excuse for a lantern, I wouldn’t be able to see a thing.
What the hell am I even doing here?
Where does this path lead?
Existential thoughts and countless questions raced through my mind, accompanied by a strong urge to leave this place immediately.
[You got paid.]
"..."
[You got paid a lot.]
That’s right. I was paid. And paid handsomely at that.
Since I accepted the money, it's only natural to fulfill the client's request.
Honestly, if I were to backstab them, I’d rather do it myself. But considering how generously they handed over their money, it’d be a waste to ruin this relationship.
Yes. It's all about the money.
Why I'm here, where I'm going, what I'm doing—none of that matters.
The only thing that matters is the money.
Clunk!
"Uwaaahhh!!"
But the sudden loud noise made me bolt without a second thought.
It wasn't out of fear. It was merely an instinctive retreat, a survival response.
Money or not, this was beyond my control—it was a matter of primal instinct.
"W-Where do you think you’re going, leaving me behind?!"
Hearing the silver-haired brat’s voice meant they were keeping up, so I didn't need to worry.
But more importantly, where did that noise come from?
Was there something in this castle capable of making such a loud sound?
I quickly scanned my surroundings, but besides the brat, there was nothing in sight.
Thinking logically, even if there's nothing here, there are still windows, and wind could have knocked something over.
If I just take a moment to think rationally, it's nothing worth panicking over.
As that thought settled, my frantic footsteps came to an abrupt stop.
"Whew, that scared me."
[So, you were scared.]
"Yeah! I was scared out of my mind! Happy now?!"
[How adorable.]
"Shut up! I'll dismantle you!"
The real issue here is those damn rule-defying entities.
Curses that only work one way, invisible beings that reveal themselves at will, spirits that can interact with the physical world while remaining untouchable!
Why do such things even exist?!
Why create things that shouldn't exist in the first place?!
[So basically, you're scared of ghosts?]
"They are incomprehensible, law-defying, unknown entities!"
[Isn’t it kind of strange for someone who’s reincarnated to say that?]
"And an AI talking about spiritual beings is totally fine?"
[I believe in them.]
Huh. I had no comeback for that.
An AI that believes in spirits is one thing, but having experienced reincarnation myself, I can’t exactly deny the existence of souls either.
“Huff, huff, huff… H-how could you just leave me behind like that? Huff… That’s too much… my dear.”
The silver-haired little brat, who had arrived late, spoke while desperately trying to compose their expression, eyes brimming with tears.
Their body was even trembling.
‘So this kid was scared too!’ I instantly realized.
All that bravado from earlier? Just an act.
I wasn’t the only one afraid.
This kid was just as scared as I was!
They were completely terrified on the inside but putting on a tough front.
Even though that AI bastard had already seen through my fear, I refused to lose to this brat.
I quickly checked my condition.
Breathing? Normal.
Body? Not shaking.
Perfect.
I turned toward the little brat, who had caught up and was panting heavily, and quietly spoke.
“I only increased the distance for safety reasons when I heard a sound from a place where there should have been none.”
Flawless. My tone was exactly the same as usual.
“W-what nonsense is that?! Y-you ran away in fear, didn’t you?!”
“That’s impossible. Besides, you’re the one who looks absolutely terrified.”
“R-ridiculous! M-me? Scared?!”
They were trembling all over, tears welling up in their eyes—honestly, if they got any more scared, they might have a full-blown panic attack… or worse.
Stubborn little thing.
“Sure, if you say so.”
I shrugged and smirked.
Since they were the one paying me, I decided to let it slide.
“I-I told you, that’s not true!”
Ignoring the flustered brat, I glanced around.
Still eerie as ever.
“If you’re scared, we can just leave.”
“I’m not scared!”
“Then let’s keep going.”
“O-of course!”
The brat refused to back down and insisted on pressing forward.
Well, no choice then.
Guess we’ll keep going.
I stepped forward, leading the way.
El practically glued themselves to my side.
Wasn’t this a bit too close?
Not that I minded, though—having someone nearby was kind of reassuring, considering I was a bit nervous too.
We continued down the dark corridor.
-Kuhahaha!!
“H-HWAAAACK!!!”
“HYIIIIEEK!!!”
A sudden burst of laughter rang out, and both El and I shrieked, grabbing onto each other in terror.
Damn it!
That wasn’t just the wind.
Something was really here!
“Th-th-there’s something here!!”
“I-I know!!”
Still clutching each other, we frantically scanned our surroundings.
But… nothing?
[There’s a light over there.]
“H-HWAAAACK!!!”
“HYIIEEK!! W-why are you suddenly screaming?! That scared me!!”
“T-there!! A light!!”
“HYIIIEEEEKK!!”
El and I took turns screaming as we faced the faintly glowing light.
Why the hell was there a light in this decrepit castle?!
My mind went completely blank.
I couldn’t think at all.
-…kill…
-Krrr…
Was that… a voice?!
What the hell was going on?!
At that moment, one thought flashed through my mind.
‘Hey, you can detect what that light is, right?’
[Tch.]
T-this bastard?!
Why the hell did they just click their tongue?!
They already knew what it was, didn’t they?!
‘Tell me what it is!!’
[Multiple life signs detected. All human?]
…What?
Why are so many people inside this old castle?!
This is already a rural area with a low population—why would there be people in a place like this?!
Honestly, aside from the fact that it has castle walls, this place is barely worthy of being called a barony—it's practically just a village. My father is no different from a village chief!
Anyway, since they're human, there's nothing to be afraid of.
I pushed away the little kid I had been holding.
“H-Hiiik! W-Where are you going alone?!”
The child clung to me desperately, but I brushed them off and strode toward the light.
“W-Where are you going?!”
Still trembling with fear, the kid grabbed onto my clothes and followed closely behind me.
— "Ahh, a night without having to worry about the wife—this is heaven."
— "Where else would you find paradise if not here?"
As I got closer to the light, the voices became clearer.
At this point, my fear had completely faded, replaced by sheer curiosity about what kind of group this was.
Without hesitation, I swung open the door from which the light was spilling out.
And the scene that unfolded before my eyes was—
