Chapter 324: The Box |
Saul didn’t interrupt Sander, listening quietly to the man’s entire account.
Once Sander finished his last word, Saul rose from his seat.
“In that case, let’s head over now.”
“Huh?” Sander was caught off guard.
“Milord?” The attendant hurried forward. He had originally planned to offer a word of dissuasion, but upon seeing Saul’s expression, he quickly changed his tone. “Please allow us to accompany you. If you approve of the house, we can help tidy it up.”
“No need,” Saul refused the suggestion for company.
Judging from Sander’s mental state and the strange aura clinging to him, this man was clearly in some trouble.
The others hadn’t seen it—likely because the wraith had already latched onto Sander and was ignoring everyone else.
Some wraiths were quite “specialized” when it came to harming people. They typically wouldn’t switch targets until their current victim was dead.
That seemed to be the lifelong pursuit of many deranged souls.
A wraith with awareness would contain no small amount of soul fragments, and with Saul’s recent expenditures, he wouldn’t mind stocking up.
Of course, what mattered even more was that house Sander had mentioned—it happened to meet all of Saul’s requirements.
He brought Sander to the lakeside cottage using the tower’s carriage.
This place was even closer to the Wizard Tower than the frontier town, hidden in the forest and difficult to find. No one knew who had built a house in such a secluded place.
The structure was made mostly of wood, using local materials, but Saul noticed magic-shaped stone in a few corners.
“Seems the original builder was a wizard too. Maybe a wizard apprentice who wanted to live in seclusion away from town.”
Saul walked to the front door and waited as Sander, trembling, climbed down from the carriage.
The mushroom driver’s pace was incredibly fast—what normally took half a day had been reduced to two hours.
Never having experienced a life-or-death carriage ride before, Sander had gone pale with fear, but because he was seated opposite a wizard, he didn’t dare let out a scream.
The moment he stepped off, the previously wilted Sander immediately straightened up, putting on the posture of a noble.
His clothes were of decent quality, just old. With no servants in sight and no personal carriage despite living this far out, he looked every bit the fallen noble.
“This is the place, milord.” Sander stepped up to help Saul open the door—only to see the lock click open by itself.
Startled, he almost cried out, “A ghost!” But Saul had already walked in casually.
Only then did Sander remember that, according to rumors, wizards didn’t need keys to open doors.
He stared at the open doorway and the dark, gloomy hall beyond, hesitating.
Sunlight spilled onto the old wooden floor, casting a faint line between light and shadow—
As if marking the divide between life and death.
Sander clearly didn’t want to enter this haunted house. Saul’s figure was already merging with the darkness ahead.
Coming into a haunted house with a wizard hadn’t made him feel safer. If anything, he felt less alive—like the very “human warmth” surrounding Saul had faded during the carriage ride.
Sander’s pallor was half from fear of the speed, half from the oppressive aura of the wizard.
He could’ve just waited outside until Saul confirmed the place was safe, then come in to sign the rental or sale agreement.
But something flickered in his eyes. Whatever he thought of made him clench his courage and take a step inside.
By that time, Saul had already explored the first floor and was heading upstairs.
The long-neglected stairs creaked underfoot from years of exposure to lakeside dampness.
Saul had found no soul fragments or wraiths on the first floor. Just as the inn’s attendant had said—it had been thoroughly cleaned.
But according to Sander, the wraith here had already been able to affect physical objects. That meant it had formed and gained some awareness. Ordinary folk could only handle corrupted soul fragments. Dealing with an aware wraith required a wizard.
Given how clean the house was, it didn’t match the appearance of a haunted place at all.
As Saul reached the second floor, he heard footsteps below.
“Is Sander just coming in now?” he glanced down and saw a sneaky figure tiptoeing forward. Saul smiled faintly and continued inspecting the rooms.
The second floor was divided into three rooms—two small, one large.
Oddly, the bed was installed in the smallest room. Each room had only a tiny air window, as if the original builder preferred darkness and loathed the sun.
The largest room was nearly empty, except for a wardrobe missing half a door.
But when Saul crouched to take a closer look, he found worn traces on the floor.
“There used to be many cabinets and desks here… like a mentor’s laboratory.”
He stood up and waved his hands gently. The accumulated dust swirled and was drawn out through the air vent.
With the dust gone, the outlines of old furniture became more distinct.
“This layout’s a lot like Mentor Kaz’s lab. That confirms it—the builder was a wizard apprentice.”
Saul was pleased. He was already planning to set up his own lab following the same layout.
“I wonder if the previous owner intended this as a temporary base outside the tower, like me—or if he was a student expelled from the Wizard Tower, forced to live here.”
Just now, Saul’s magic had opened the window, letting in fresh air.
The humid smell of fibers mingled with distant chirps of unknown insects and birds. The place had a rustic, pastoral charm.
He stepped to the window and looked outside—only to find, to his surprise, that from this angle, he could see the spire of the Wizard Tower.
“Perfect. That confirms it—he was kicked out.”
Having finished the tour, Saul left the room and descended the old stairs.
The sound startled Sander in the hall below, who rushed over with a forced smile.
Saul noted he’d just emerged from another room—likely searching for his luggage. Despite his fear of ghosts, he’d still gone in to look. That meant the luggage held something precious.
“Milord, did you see any ghosts?” Sander asked, voice trembling.
“No. Every room is perfectly clean,” Saul replied with a shake of the head.
“But… but I really did see a ghost here, milord. I wouldn’t dare lie to you!” Sander said urgently.
“I know.” Saul’s eyes drifted to the man’s neck.
That gray, rotting hand was still wrapped around it.
From the way it clung, it looked like the owner of the hand had once tried to strangle Sander from behind.
“M-Maybe the ghost ran away when it saw you, milord…” Sander’s gaze darted around. “Did you happen to see a large wicker box upstairs?”
He gestured as he spoke.
From his motions, that box must be quite big.
Big enough… to fit a person.
(End of Chapter)
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