Okay, let’s go! Rescue operation: initiate!
I looked out from the helt of the Living Mail armor I was wearing. The ghost in this thing has already passed on, so it’s a flawless disguise... a heavy one, but still flawless!
In any case, I could see the kitchen where the Ghost Chef, a special D-rank evolution of the Ghost-line, was busy preparing the soup that he was gonna throw Figaro the Small Fengfeng (the little, fat chicken-friend of Lily’s) and Trip the Phoenix Hatchling (Lily’s feathery friend #2) into.
It doesn’t seem like he’s paying any attention after I entered the room. He must be thinking that I’m here to fetch so food or sothing (not that I can understand why ghosts need to eat). Then, while acting occupied with so crates, I used [Liquid Control] on the soup the Chef was stirring...
*SPLASH!!*
"GYAAAAA!!!" - Ghost Chef
The ectoplasmic cook shouted in pure agony as gallons of scorching hot, chicken-less soup was forced into his mouth. The Ghost Chef fled from the kitchen with a face that seed to be from hell (he kinda is).
That’s what you get for being a ghost that can still taste food despite being dead!
I walked to the cages where Polaris and the two birds were kept after seeing the cook disappear into the horizon... or more like rounded the corner, at least. Good enough.
*Craaank...*
Wow, that’s so damn rusty cages. This whole place is either top or bottom-tier and nothing in-between.
*Peck, peck, peck, peck!!*
Ouch, ouch, stop that!
I removed my helt to show it was and-
*Peckpeckpeckpeckpeckpeckpeck!!!!*
Yeah, not a good idea!! Stop that, I’m gonna die! My stats are so low now that even so pecking is enough to kill , you damn birds!! Can’t you forget your grudges even in this situation!? Soone! Heeeelp eeee~!!!
---
Ow...owie... that stupid bird... it took almost five minutes before it stopped... it should learn sothing from the chicken. That guy only pecked for ten seconds...
I escaped the kitchen with so HP remaining, which got the birds and Polaris to follow after . So, we all escaped, I guess? We’re now looking for the others. Lily and Alf should be here at least. If their abilities are gone as well, then we’re in trouble.
Not that I’ve had any luck finding them. This place is HUGE! Definitely a Dungeon. The size alone is telling that. And I have to travel through it with only so murderous birds and a lazy bear cub as my allies and close to no combat abilities myself? Why’s this ga set on Maniac-difficulty!?
That the huge area is also creating more open spaces without any enemies is sothing that irks the wrong way. Decide whether you wanna be of help or not, you stupid Dungeon!!
I hate my luck... and here I found another open door. There was one more after the kitchen, but that led to another wardrobe room like the first one I found. Didn’t find my stuff there either.
And this new room is... a casino? It looks fancier than the ones I placed in the hub areas, or as I like to call them, the "open to public" areas. Lots of lights, ga tables, even slot machines! Did I end up in Las Vegas?
The animals are taking a fancy to the flashy environnt, but what about the ghosts? Aren’t there any guards here?
I wanted to scout the place, but my skills in that departnt are gone, so I don’t have the confidence to do so. I’m no expert in stuff like that after all. All this ti I’ve brute-forced my way through every problem with my skills and by improving my stats through level-ups. Having to survive through my own abilities is a completely new concept for .
Then I saw soone ssing with so cards at one of the tables...Noire? It’s Noire, right? I recognize those black wings, but that outfit... why the heck a bunny girl?? Who!? Just who could think of dressing poor Noire with one of the most bust-emphasizing outfits in the world? Who!?
Even the birds and the bear can’t stand watching the poor angel. The outfit looks like it could slip any second... what’s this? Tears? So even I have so kindness left in ~. Why in the world’s she wearing such a mismatched outfit? Did she hit her head or sothing?
Na: Noire "*****"
Race: Fallen Nehushtan | Gender: Female
Level: LOCKED
Karma Value: -177
Main Class: Shadow Dancer Lv.50
Sub Class: Gambler Lv.50
Sub Class: Illusionist Lv.50
Skills: 32 (LOCKED)
Titles: LOCKED
Blessings: 0
Skill Points: LOCKED
Condition:
Mystery of Managand Manor: [Locks all skills, titles, levels, and classes until the mystery of the Managand Manor is solved], [Adds the Shadow Dancer, Gambler, and Illusionist Classes until the mystery of the Managand Manor is solved].
Order of Managand: [Has to act according to the setting of the Quest: Mystery of Managand Manor]
HP: 350/350 MP: 400/400 SP: 302/340
STR: 300 VIT: 270 MAG: 380
RES: 450 SPD: 400 DEX: 480
INT: 85 LUC: 95
Not you too!! And this seems... worse than my situation, at least. She got more skills and classes, but this "Orders of Managand"... isn’t this like when I was clearing so of the Quests in the castle hidden in the Water-Knot? My body moved against my will. The sa thing must be happening here, just on a larger scale. Poor Noire.
Let’s focus on the important points. For example, I got to know that there is a Quest that’s the possible culprit for the theft of my classes and skills. The question is why it did so. The reasons for "how" it did it is beyond to even think of, so I gotta focus on the reason, not the thod.
As for Noire...
"Welco, dear... patron? My na is Belle-" - Noire
Did soone co...ah, it’s that Phantom butler. What’s he doing-
*Smack!*
What the-!? That... lousy...
"HEY! What’s the big idea, you ectoplasmic jerk-in-a-suit!?" - Garami
I stord out from behind the slot machine I’d used as cover and started to shout at that ghostly bastard after seeing him give Noire a supernatural slap on the face. Who wouldn’t!?
"Oh, it’s the miss from before. Please excuse , I need to capture this perpetrator."
"And what’s she supposed to be guilty of!? Bad clothing? Because I tell you, this girl’s got enough style to fuel a fashion show on her own! Get the guy that forced her into that mismatch of an outfit instead!" - Garami
"...Oh, so she is a friend of yours? I’m deeply sorry. I had no idea that she was not part of this by her own will."
"You better be..., wait a sec, part of what?" - Garami
The butler pulled out a scroll from his pocket... which is actually pretty surreal, considering he’s a ghost. Let’s see...
Quest: Mystery of Managand Manor
Quest giver: Louis Lutenford Managand
Quest Description:
Fulfill the last will of the late master of the Managand Manor and solve the mystery that led to his early death.
Quest Content:
Obtain the five pieces of evidence from the five suspects that are hiding in the manor.
In the main hall, reveal the secret of the night when Louis Lutenford Managand died with the culprit present.
Rewards:
The inheritance of Louis Lutenfor Managand.
Okay, I didn’t expect to find the Quest this fast... let’s wrap that pitiful angel up like a burrito and hand her over to the authorities.
"My head...WHO DID THIS!? Who’s the funny guy that wants to pick a fight with Noire, the most loyal servant of Filyn Belial!?" - Noire
And she’s awake. Tsk. Looks like she’s back to normal.
"Mind taking this talk sowhere else? Hopefully, sowhere we can dress up that pitiful thing." - Garami
"My thoughts exactly."
Oh, this butler’s starting to grow on .
---
We moved to the closest wardrobe room I discovered before stumbling over the casino and let Noire change into sothing resembling a female ranger. There, the butler, whose na’s Jeeves Hamlingter by the way, started to tell his story.
"After I was freed by lady Garami here from my picturesque prison, I started to search for the master of the mansion, who, at the ti when I was... ’alive’, was master Louis Lutenford Managand. Even his ancestor or the new owner of the mansion would be fine, but as a true gentleman and butler, I needed to officially ask for my leave as the butler of this mansion." - Jeeves
"What if there was no owner by now?" - Garami
I an, this place has been recorded as a Dungeon for four hundred years, so the chance of an ancestor of this Managand-guy still living here’s pretty low.
"And that is why a butler is such a respectful occupation. We need to stay true to our morals even then." - Jeeves
"You’re seriously starting to remind of soone I know." - Garami
"And? The reason for knocking out? I am thankful for coming back to my senses, but that slap still hurts!" complained Noire, who had been given the breakdown on what I had experienced until now.
"That is due to the Quest that I discovered in the shape of this scroll when I arrived at the mansion’s main hall. It did not take long to figure out that these ’suspects’ would be strangers to the mansion, so I simply followed the suspicious ’sll’ that led to that strange room." - Jeeves
Prolly so ghost-related search skill he must have gotten from turning into a Phantom.
"You didn’t know about the casino?" - Garami
"No, and I have cleaned this mansion for several decades... when I was alive. The number of areas seems to have increased as well..." - Jeeves
"Gotta be because the mansion turned into a Dungeon. The Dungeon itself could have adapted to the Quest given by your late master. So it prepared areas for those suspects or whatever." - Garami
"We did see a whole citadel turn into a Dungeon once... do you have any idea of who those five are? And why did I have to act the role of one of them?" - Noire
"It’s prolly the fault of the Quest. It needed five people to play the part, so it makes the Dungeon-invaders play that part. Groups of five or less had been kicked out imdiately from the Dungeon before. Prolly because there’s no one capable of taking the ’detective’-role in this play." - Garami
aning that the other four idiots are bound to be roleplaying right as we speak. Geez...
"I think lady Garami’s hypothesis is correct. Furthermore, the last thing I can rember before I was freed my lady Garami is that I was opening the door for one of the master’s guests." - Jeeves
"You were gonna have a party?" - Garami
"Yes, the master’s birthday party. He had invited five friends from across the continent... back in those days." - Jeeves
"...And those five were?" - Garami
"Let think... there was the famous gambler Belladonna Brigannia, the archeologist Hal O’Carnell, the monster hunter Jack Skallater, then..." - Jeeves
"Whatever. You can talk on the way. The point is, we need to get sothing from the other four who are trapped in the mansion, right? Then let’s go already!" - Noire
"...Forgot to turn off the oven?" - Garami
"No, but the faster we clear this stupid mystery, the faster we can get our stuff back!" - Noire
That’s... true. And now I get her panic. It’s "that". No wonder...
"Okay, but first, what about the so-called ’piece of evidence’? Isn’t it important for the Quest?" - Garami
"...Did I have sothing like that?" - Noire
Greaaat. Now we gotta go back to the casino and look for-
"You must an this," said the butler while revealing a ring that he had in his pockets. It looks expensive, with a huge erald and all.
"Lady Noire dropped this when I attacked her before. The foul ’sll’ I ntioned before originated from this, so would it not be the evidence we are looking for?" - Jeeves
"...Yup. This is it." - Garami
Not that I’m certain, but a simple ring that repels the effect of [Identification] gotta be suspicious. Plus, Noire stopped acting like she was brainwashed after she got knocked out, is what I thought, but losing this ring may have been the real reason. She’s got all her skills and classes back as well.
This prolly ans that the others will stay brainwashed until we can snag their piece of evidence. Just my luck...
"Alright, butler, wanna team up with us?" - Garami
"Hmm? Why do you ask?" - Jeeves
"Noire here is strong against the undead, but we got no ans to find those ’pieces of evidence’. If you’re such a loyal guy to the forr master, then help us with this ss of a Quest-" - Garami
"No, what I ant was ’why do you ask that at this point?’? You are the one chosen by my master’s will to solve this mystery. Not giving my assistance will be to tarnish my master’s na." - Jeeves
Huh, he has so good points there... I’m the one chosen? Or...
In any case, this simplifies things... I’ll make Noire have a Turn Undead ready in case this guy turns on us.
Then, off you go! Huh, I gotta go too? But I’m a weak and helpless detective~... fiiiine. But you guys have to be the muscles here! Like, for real!
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