Volume 2 - CH 3.5

As they climbed the stairs and made their way to their respective rooms, Kazuya heard loud voices coming from the end of the hallway.

He came to the door and knocked.

I believe this is Alan’s room.

There was an answer, so he peered in and found Alan, Derek, Raoul, and a woman he didn’t recognize inside.

The four of them were dealing cards, playing poker. Derek seemed to be an easy target for the woman and kept losing to her. Alan and Raoul were watching their friend with a grin as he whined about his losses. When Alan gave him a tip for fun, Raoul smirked, curling up his big body. They didn’t care what happened to Derek’s wallet, it seemed.

“Where have you been?” the stranger asked.

Kazuya stared at her, bewildered. She was a young woman with fiery red hair kept in dolly curls, big and puffy like cotton candy. Her eyes, however, were a familiar, lonely bluish-gray.

Through the square-cut bosom of her simple white summer dress peeked a magnificent chest, so large and round that it could have been mistaken for a pair of buttocks. The same reddish freckles on her cheeks dotted her cleavage, forming a lovely floral pattern.

When the woman saw Kazuya’s frown, she said, “Come on, now. It’s me!” She grabbed a nearby sheet and wrapped it around her head.

“Wait, Mildred?!”

The face and bluish-gray eyes definitely belonged to the nun. But her vibe had completely changed, as if she were a different person. Changing from a stuffy habit to regular clothes highlighted her jovial and cheerful nature. Mildred threw her head back and guffawed.

Flailing her arms, she said, “I can’t believe you couldn’t recognize me just because my hairstyle changed. What a silly boy.”

The three young men laughed. Kazuya blushed.

Kazuya and Victorique also settled into the room. The six guests shared what they had been up to since their arrival. The young men had stayed in their rooms playing poker all night because of the bad weather and the creepy villagers. Mildred joined them halfway, and they were just getting into the swing of things.

“We were chased by a wolf,” Kazuya said.

When he told them about their escape from the cemetery, Mildred’s face contorted in fear, but the three young men were rejoicing.

“Fascinating!” Alan exclaimed, tugging at his beard.

Derek started laughing, while Raoul grinned silently.

“It’s not fascinating,” Kazuya snapped.

“The village chief was fussing about wolves.”

“He did…”

“Let’s be careful too, yeah?” Alan said.

Derek laughed again. Only Raoul curled up in fear. The old chair he was sitting in creaked.

Alan looked at Mildred. “By the way, Sister. What happened to the phone?”

Mildred shook her head.

“What’s this about a phone?” Kazuya asked.

“She told the village chief she wanted to make a phone call. He said there was electricity, so she thought maybe there was a phone.”

“Speaking of which, you also used the phone at the inn last night,” Kazuya said.

Mildred cleared her throat, ending the conversation.

Victorique, who had been silent, suddenly asked, “So there really is electricity here.”

“That’s right!” Kazuya said, finally realizing it. “They live deep in the mountains with no interaction with the outside world, so why do they have electricity?”

Alan grinned. “Yes. Surprisingly, the lamps in this manor are not powered by oil or gas. They run on electricity. True, we’re deep in the mountains, but the lack of human settlement makes construction of facilities easier. It would cost a lot, though! I hear the tourist destinations in the Swiss mountains are getting more advanced.”

“But this place is—”

“No. It’s not a tourist destination.” Alan nodded, then looked at Victorique. “You sounded like you knew.”

“To a certain extent, yes.” Victorique gave a nod.

All of them stared at her. The room suddenly turned quiet. Only Victorique remained calm and collected.

Her small lips parted. “Sergius said that they lived almost self-sufficiently. Do you really think that’s possible? What about iron? Can they make tea and wine on their own? Impossible. Sergius also mentioned that Theodore stashed away gold coins, and that he himself had given Cordelia one when he banished her. That means they have the same currency as the outside world, and they’re aware of its value.”

“Ah…”

Kazuya and Alan nodded at the same time.

“They probably have some contact with the outside world,” Victorique continued. “Even if most of the villagers never step out of this place, the village chief at least has some knowledge and information. That’s how they were able to put up the ad in the newspaper. Besides, the driver of the carriage we rode in was afraid of the village, but he seemed to be familiar with the path up the mountain. I’m sure he’s been delivering their supplies all this time—their tea, wine, newspapers, magazines.” Abruptly, she stopped.

Silence descended in the room.

Mildred, who had been busy flipping through cards and pondering, raised her head. “I thought it was strange, so I asked that weird maid. She said they have a sponsor of some sorts.”

“A sponsor?” Kazuya said.

“Yup. What was their name again? Right, a guy named Brian. Brian Roscoe. Apparently, he’s a descendant of a villager who left the village. They don’t know much about him except that he’s a rich young man. He found out about the village about ten years ago and gave them funds. Quite the madman, huh? Imagine going through all the trouble of installing electricity for a village located deep in the mountains.”

“…I see.” Victorique nodded. When she noticed Kazuya’s inquisitive look, she added, “I’ve always wondered why they put up an ad calling for their descendants. Perhaps they wanted to find other sponsors like Brian Roscoe.”

“Makes sense…”

“That is why when I introduced myself, Sergius was fixated on my noble blood. He then silenced the villagers who objected because I was Cordelia’s daughter, and invited us to the manor.”

“Wait, you’re nobility? Are you rich?” Mildred asked with a bright face.

Victorique’s eyes narrowed significantly. “I don’t have anything to my name.”

“Oh.” Mildred tossed her losing cards onto the table.

Victorique looked at Kazuya like she wanted to say something, so he brought his face closer to hers.

“Ten years ago, a descendant, Brian Roscoe, came to the village,” she whispered so only he could hear. “He came for some purpose.”

“To install electricity, right?”

“Someone entered Cordelia’s house, took something, and left a picture of an adult Cordelia. It was someone who visited the village within the last twenty years. In which case, it could only be the man named Brian Roscoe. But who is he? Where did he meet Cordelia, and why? What’s his purpose? What did he take from under that floorboard?”

“Hmm…”

“Ten years ago was when the Great War started. It was a bit too hectic a time to install electricity deep in the mountains.”

Victorique closed her mouth tight. She seemed reluctant to say any more. Kazuya couldn’t tell what went on behind her dark eyes.

Playtime was coming to an end.

Raoul stood up and eyed everyone. “W-Want to listen to some radio?”

“…Radio?” Kazuya said.

“I brought one,” Derek said proudly. “I heard there was electricity, so I hooked it up. Since we’re deep in the mountains, it might not pick things up clearly, though.”

“Did you have a radio in your luggage?” Kazuya asked.

Derek approached the square radio on top of a chest. There was an old statue of Mary and a decorative compass beside it. Derek fiddled with the radio intently.

As he turned the dial, the radio emitted a grating noise. The sound of a trumpet mingled with it. Carefully, Derek turned the knob in search of the sound. Eventually, the noise vanished.

Cheerful music began to play. It was choppy, but still discernible. Derek turned up the volume. A high trumpet sounded. He looked up with a smile.

“How’s that?” Derek said.

Kazuya also smiled. The lively music dispelled the village’s eerie atmosphere, lifting his mood. Alan whistled. The shy Raoul started shaking his shoulders.

Mildred stood up and whistled, imitating Alan.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” she said. “This should drive away the gloom. Come on, dance!”

“Are you really a nun?” Derek muttered.

Mildred pulled Raoul’s arm, and they began dancing together. The music gradually became louder.

Mildred footsteps were loud as she danced. She seemed jovial. When she twirled around, her red hair billowed.

Kazuya was staring at them blankly. He started feeling uncomfortable.

It felt like the walls were receding, growing larger, and the entire room was shaking.

There was a jarring sound.

The higher volume meant the noise was loud as well. Puzzled, Derek fiddled with the radio. It started producing a rattling sound, and stopped.

“Huh?”

The room fell silent, and everyone looked at each other.

Derek messed around with the radio. But it wouldn’t play any more.

“Is it broken?” Alan asked.

Derek’s shoulders quivered. “No way. It’s the latest type.” Frustrated, he flipped the radio over and twiddled it.

The sun was setting outside, and the room was suddenly dim.

Everyone glanced at each other in silence. Mildred plopped down on a seat.

Victorique yawned and stretched. She then stood up and walked out of the room.

Kazuya quickly rose to his feet. “Are you going back to your room?”

“Yes. I have to unpack my luggage.”

“Okay. I’m heading back to my room as well.”

“No. You will be in my room unpacking my stuff.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes, really.”

They exited the room, closing the door behind them.

Mildred stared at the door, fear clouding her bluish-gray eyes.