Chapter 103: Abandoned Castle and The Ghost

While making a [Gacha-gacha] sound and brandishing the sword over its head, the armor draws near to my direction.

「Oh Light Drill, sacred shining spear, Shining Javelin」

The spear of light goes through the armor, and through the wall as it is. The armor is smashed in pieces, and its splinters are scattered in vicinity.

"You... the thieves invading my castle, to incur divine punishment... Kill.... Kill….. Get out from this castle unless you want to die...! "

Out of nowhere the voice resounds in the room. Or rather, it is surprisingly a kind evil spirit for saying "get out unless you want to die" or something. Saying it like that, in general, isn't it common where it won't listen to anything and there is no use to talk to it?

「If we obediently get out, the danger won't befall us, right?」

"That's right… if you go out, nothing will happen..."

「I refuse」

With those words, I continue shooting into the walls with the spear of light similar to earlier. A big hole opens on the wall while making a rattling sound, and the rain falling with a [zaa-zaa] sound outside became completely visible.

"Kohaku, Sango, Kuroyou, tell everyone to take shelter outside. I will fight the ghost myself"

"As you will. Leave the lady-sama's to us "

"Here as well, roger that~"

While I was sending a telepathic communication to Kohaku and company, I fire off the spear of light again. It was able to hit as far as the neighboring room's wall at once. Since I purposely avoid shooting the main pillar, there is no need to worry about something like the ceiling collapsing, I think.

"Yo~, Youuuu ! Wh~, what are you doooing !?"

「I will destroy it and make it into rubble anyway, so there won't be problems」

"Th~, that sort of.... Destroy this castle! ? It will be troubling….. N~, No, Stooooop ! Curse, the curse will kill you !"

Somehow it is strange. Considering that it is an evil spirit, there is no intensity at all. There is nothing that indicates that it is fighting back from a while ago.

「Oi, ghost. Are you really a ghost?」

"*Gulp*. Th~, that's right ! I became a ghost, who clings to this castle !"

It made a *gulp" just now. Is it usual. (implied that ghosts don't 'gulp')

「In other words, if this castle is destroyed entirely, you will surely disappear」

"Quite sooooo ! Ah, it~, it's different. It is different ! Even if you destroy it, I will not disappear, I~, I won't~ ! !"

Your character crumbles down completely, you know? Even Elsie, who was afraid since before, is looking with a blank face now.

「Oi, ghost. Who are you? If you explain properly, we will hear you out, you know? But if you don't answer, there won't be any more discussion, and this castle will turn into a mountain of rubble 」

"..."

The ghost doesn't reply. Though I don't know who that person is, it is certain that it inhabits this castle. I surely thought that there is a room for discussion.

「Since there is nothing or anything to talk about, this castle will then become rubble...」

"Aaaa~ ! Wa~, wait-wait ! I understand, I understand! I will explain it properly so please go to the direction of the landing stairs'..."

「Landing stairs?」

After going out from room of the feudal lord which became tattered, we return to the landing stairs, which we passed by some time ago. The painting was full of ornaments with the woman wearing the same as usual emerald green dress. We once again look at this woman who stood up from the chair. ….. As I thought, hers are big.

「...Are?」

「What's wrong?」

No, this portrait.... . That's right, there is no way that's the wife of the murdered feudal lord. It is similar to the portrait earlier and the feudal lord has also changed three times. I wouldn't have placed things like a portrait of the wife of the previous feudal lord. Besides, this woman on the picture... Wasn't she [sitting] on the chair earlier ! ?

The moment I realized this, the woman inside the picture came to life, scratched the picture frame with her hand, and came out to [this side] while stepping over it.

"Unsho… ~tto"

「Eh, eh, A person came out from the picture ! ? gh~gh~, ghost ! ?」

Elsie once again clung to me. Honestly, rather than experiencing a soft and pleasant feeling, it is more on the painful side, so I would like you to stop soon...

"I am not a ghost ~yoo. I am a magic creature ~desuu. This [picture frame] is my real body, and this body is a phantom ~desuu"

Magic creature ? You are saying you are a life form brought forth by magic? Something that gained temporary life by means of magic, does the same thing apply to a homunculus or a golem as well? Still, a frame?

「I see. Certainly, it can't be helped that you are mistaken with as a ghost. So? Why did you try to chase us out?」

"That's because before, I was troubled with people like thieves coming here and laying waste to this place ~desuu. My real body is this picture frame, so I would be completely annihilated if it was destroyed, so..."

That reminds me, thieves were nesting here a few times making it their hideout or something…..Did she drive them out ?

「And, was it you as well who killed the feudal lords one by one?」

"It, it is different ~desuyou ! I didn't kill them ! The first person, who was originally sick, suddenly died in the dead of the night. The second person accidentally fell from his horse ~desuu. The third person, that feudal lord and his wife started a lover's quarrel, and he was stabbed ~desuu. That's what happened."

And with these words, she points at place where Elsie is. Elsie then draws back with retreating steps while raising a small [Hii ! ?] scream.

So all murdered feudal lords were not killed by a ghost, weren't they.

"After that, no one came here. Occasionally, thieves came in and started destroying the interior of the castle for fun, so I was also worrying if the [picture frame] would probably be destroyed...."

「And acting as a furious ghost, you drove them out」

The woman from the [picture frame] bows her head with deep nod.

「In the first place you, who created you?」

"I am one of the magic living things created by a professor from the period of an ancient civilization ~desuu. Ah, speaking of the professor, she is a woman, an eccentric one, but is an amazing genius...."

「.... Wait a minute」

Professor, woman, eccentric, genius. When I line up so many unpleasant keywords, only the grinning laughter of that fellow floats in my mind.

「... the name of that professor?」

"Professor Regina Babylon ~desuu"

「That rascal!」

Though seriously speaking, she is not a rascal ! But it is her again ! Why is that professor spreading trouble around ! Moreover, what is the meaning of manipulating everything so that it comes to me ! ? Aaah, enough already ! !

...… No-no, calm down. Let's sort out the current situation.

「I understood that you are an existence created by professor Babylon. So, why are you here?」

"Ettoo, for a long time, I was put away in the storehouse floating in the sky. But because its manager-san is a clutzy person, one day…. N~to, was it about 320 years ago, that person unintentionally broke the storehouse 's wall, you see. That time, I, in addition to many other pieces of magic tools, fell to the ground. Luckily, the storehouse was floating at very low altitude. And since there was a snowy mountain underneath it, everything ended without me breaking apart…. "

「… that storehouse you say, is that the [Warehouse]?」

"Areee ? Do you know it well ? "

It happened again. During that time the [Jewel of immortality], the [Imbibe Demon's bracelet], the [Bracelet of defense] and other things have fallen as well. The main culprit of it all is the clutzy manager, isn't she…. At all costs I have to find her and grant divine punishment. It seems like the [Warehouse] is still flying. It is likely that sooner or later we will go there as well.

"Since being just a [picture frame] doesn't give me much magical power, I was picked up by mountain climber, and was handled as a mere antique. I came here with the flow ~desuu. At that time, I was finally been able to use magic when the feudal lord placed the picture of his dead wife. I strolled quietly in the middle of the night with this appearance when gradually that feudal lord became strange.... "

That's it. If the ghost of dead loved wife-san appeared night after night. Wouldn't you become strange as well?

"Eventually, he began a strange research. Just when I thought that the people inside the castle started to gradually go away, people from the Knight Order came to attack, and the feudal lord was executed. After that, the new feudal lord came. Wondering what kind of person he was, I went to see his face at midnight when he suddenly stopped moving and died. The next feudal-lord jumped out off the horse when he saw me and did not return as well. The last feudal lord was accused by his wife with things like [Cheater! Bringing woman here!] and was stabbed ~desuu. "

「That's」

「Elsie, don't」

I stopped Elsie's words, who tried to say something. I too reached a conjecture that this fellow is the source of everything. The first feudal lord was bewildered by the phantom of his deceased wife and went mad. The next feudal lord had a heart attack when he was shocked with his weakened body. The next one fell from the horse while trying to run away after seeing a ghost. And the last one was accused by his wife when she misunderstood that this fellow was his adulterous lover.

.... This is too nasty. Moreover, the person in question is not aware of that herself.

"Is something wrong?"

「No….. With this the story is sorted out, but I will still demolish this castle」

"Eeeee ! ? You are cruel ~desuu ! ?"

「Please hear me out until the end. I will instead offer you a better place to stay. With this, you will be safe and will be able to live freely. So how about it? 」

"Really? In that case there is nothing to complain about..."

Alright, negotiations completed. I have her return inside the picture at once, and unfasten the frame. That reminds me, with the exception of the first feudal lord, the picture was not properly thrown away. Usually, I don't think you would place something like a decorated picture of the wife of the previous feudal lord.

"Sometimes, the picture was almost thrown away. But since the painter who drew this was a famous person, and since its value somehow rises, it was left as it is one way or another."

I see. So its value as a work of art was high. In that case, should I remove this picture and sell it? I don't want to keep holding on to something like a picture of the murdered feudal lord's wife as well. If there was a different picture inserted in it instead, I think there won't be problems.

When we returned to the entrance hall, everyone has gathered there. For the time being I roughly explain the circumstances, and reveal ghost's true colors. Although it is a legacy of an ancient civilization, it is extremely troublesome. But it cannot be helped even if I say so now.

After sorting out the problem, I open the [Gate], and move the whole castle to Brunhild. As one would expect, I was slightly uneasy since it was my first time moving something this big. But there were no problems.

After that, I went to the [Workshop] and talked with Rosetta. It seems the materials are lacking. Mainly the things like glass, cloth of sorts, and small amount of lumber. About that, even if they are necessary expenses, is there no choice but to pay up with my own money? Glass for instance. It is somehow possible to take it from the wooden scrap storehouse that looks usable to some extent. But for things like fabric, I guess using brand new one is better. Even if it is disassembled and reconstructed, there seems to be limits to it.

「If you have those materials with you, have them sent to the [Workshop] little by little. And while reconstructing the castle based on the data, it will then be assembled on the actual spot~dearimasuyo. Speaking of which, where will it be placed ~dearimasuka? 」

Of course for a castle, I pointed to the center of the country; thus, in the middle of it. Brunhild's terrain doesn't have much highs and lows. Therefore, it will certainly be possible to easily cultivate it. But currently, there are no such plans with the exception of building a castle. So even if it is placed in the middle, it won't become a hindrance, I think. If problems arise, it will be fine if I move the whole castle again.

Since it will be completed approximately on the third day only if the materials are provided, should I go for it and try to gather the leftover (materials) ?