Kidnapped the Saintess of the Hero Party

35 – 【Sion. What’s so frightening? I’m here.】

The mission requester was the Archmage Daraan.

Daraan was the actual owner of the mansion; the rest were just temporary residents.

After revealing this fact, the Black Rabbit mentioned having business and left first.

“Is it okay for us to handle this on our own?”

Lucia asked, but Lucion had no specific solution.

“I guess the Black Rabbit didn’t think we could resolve it in a short time.”

The Black Rabbit is a busy creature.

By the way, I don’t even know the structure of the house.

“There.”

The guide had changed from a butler to a maid. The butler, claiming to be busy, delegated the work to the maid.

Although I asked her to take good care of the young master, in reality, if she can handle it with just words, it means she has practically given up.

‘She really doesn’t seem to have any expectations.’

Could Durahan really be without an answer? If not, how much?

Lucion asked the maid.

“By any chance, is this mission not the first for us?”

The maid, who was standing somewhat next to the door, approached the table in response to Lucion’s question. Then she explained in a soft voice.

“Indeed, it’s the first time for adventurers.”

“And others?”

Even to Lucion, who was using informal speech, the maid continued to show respect. Lucion, unaware of it, was now just a member of the Black Claw Guild, even if he was a lord in his past life.

In response to Lucion’s natural command, the maid, hiding her uncomfortable feelings, answered.

“There were quite a few famous priests, psychotherapists, Red Matouju, trainers, and sports directors.”

“I see.”

As the grandson of the Archmage, the scale was different. Mobilizing even Matouju from other regions for treatment.

Even so, not coming out from the corner, not properly receiving treatment.

‘Maybe I touched a wrong nerve.’

Mages are a tribe that is originally confined to conducting research. Even Matouju Darahan, who is confined, is not visible, so it’s not surprising that the grandson isn’t visible.

Other mages usually say, ‘They must be researching something,’ and just move on.

It is unclear whether the Duhran, who does not require treatment, is undergoing abuse under the name of treatment.

Certainly, I have to meet him in person. I have to hear it directly from Duhran’s mouth. I don’t know if he’ll believe me, but I can’t just leave it as it is.

“He’s inside this building.”

“Yes. He’s in his own room.”

“Do you know what he’s doing?”

The tone of a superior that doesn’t match his age.

Momentarily feeling awkward around him.

The maid suggested to Lucion with a brief hesitation.

“I don’t know. Would you like to see for yourself?”

“Yeah.”

#

What was expected was entering Duhran’s room.

It wasn’t.

I didn’t know that seeing it firsthand would be like this.

“This is… Isn’t it too much?”

Darahann is a mage dealing with artifacts.

He had been observing as Lucion approached Panathia from a distance.

Similarly, Duhran was also watching.

What is he up to?

“It’s the orders of the Matap Lord… And Duhran’s parents also grew up in the same situation.”

“Damn household.”

It’s not meant for documenting the growth process.

Sure, you might want to keep an eye on your own child. But parents who actually do that are rare. Living together with trust. Even the children can’t believe in that.

‘Durahan… A sorcerer who can’t trust people, is that it?’

On such a theme, raising disciples so excellently.

I wished for Durahan’s recovery.

I hoped Durahan would step out into the world and see the light.

But really,

Why?

The more I thought about it, the more my head ached.

Lucia, who grimaced while looking at the screen, pointed at a spot with her finger.

“That thing.”

It was a candle oddly placed.

Durahan’s room was quite well organized.

Durahan was sitting at the desk, writing, and according to the documents, Durahan spent most of the time sitting at the desk. It seemed like studying, but it wasn’t.

He was just steadily and repeatedly writing magical formulas.

Maybe it was some kind of code. Matopju read through the formulas, but it wasn’t anything like that.

Matopju didn’t even think that someone else could solve the problem that even the genius of the era, the black mage Durahan himself, couldn’t solve.

There was no outward embellishment either. Very ordinary. Neat clothes, and the room was so clean that not even a speck of dust seemed to come out.

The only thing was that the light in the room wasn’t bright; it was softly lit, and there were no shadows anywhere in the room. The shadows in the room were only created by his own body.

“I am in this state even at night.”

Maintaining the same brightness of the lighting during the day and at night. That’s what it means.

“Are you afraid of shadows… the darkness?”

“According to the therapist I visited, yes. That seems to be the case.”

That falls within the realm of understanding. Everyone is afraid of darkness, afraid of the unknown. Fear of the unseen is just a basic instinct that everyone possesses. It’s just a matter of degree.

“Could it be that you have a lot of fears?”

Lucia asked, and Lucion nodded.

“That seems to be the case. Maybe it’s too scary to come out.”

They saw a demon.

They don’t trust people.

They keep the lights on in the room.

From this, we can infer that something frightening happened while the lights were off. It is connected to both humans and demons.

And they say their parents aren’t really their parents.

At first, I thought it didn’t make sense, but I can’t think of anything else.

“They were not really my parents. They weren’t.”

Whether it was abuse or some other event, they felt fear from their parents to the extent they saw them as demons. That became the reason they were confined to the room.

“Did you have fights with your parents? What was your relationship like?”

“We had one big fight once. Then, I got slapped!”

The maid made a gesture.

“Since then, Lady Gaga has not met Dura Han.”

“Is that so.”

But if it were just a simple trauma, there’s no way a psychologist couldn’t treat it. There’s something more.

“Maybe what we’ve been brought into is to create a peer, someone who might tell us adventure stories.”

Lucion shifted his thoughts. From being the therapist tasked with treatment to an employee hired by Dara.

Then everything makes sense neatly.

“If treatment isn’t possible. They simply sent us because their grandson, who has no friends, is pitiful.” Like that.

There’s only one correct answer.

“We’ll have to meet eventually.”

“You’ve thought it through.”

Only then does the maid smile.

“They aren’t inherently flawed individuals…. But still…”

“But still?”

“When entering the room, please take off your cloak.”

“Huh?”

“You tend to have seizures when you see a cloak.”

Lucion paused for a moment.

The saying ‘a bolt from the blue’ came to mind only figuratively.

Suddenly, a light dawned on his mind.

‘To be afraid of a cloak… is.’

There are those who fear the cloak.

Not a widespread phobia like certain others in the world.

It is the fear experienced by those on the battlefield.

A fear akin to hearing the wheels of a tank.

When it appears.

Death passes by.

“Lucia.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s meet again tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“I’m a bit tired today. You too, you must be tired after the exam, right?”

“Uh… yeah.”

Strength entered Lucia’s hand, held by Lucion.

Lucia looked at Lucion’s profile, but Lucion couldn’t take his eyes off the screen. He seemed angry, or maybe scared.

Lucion had never seen such a range of emotions in Lucia’s eyes before.

“Sigh… well.”

Lucia stretched.

Watching her, Lucion earnestly spoke to the maid.

“You can come again tomorrow, right?”

“Of course.”

Is time pressing?

In the face of the terror of death, the flow of time held little significance.

Upon returning to the inn, Lucion embraced Lucia.

“Huh? Lucion?”

Startled, Lucia tried to push Lucion away, but Lucion’s condition was far from normal.

“I won’t lose you.”

“Huh? What are you talking about, Lucion?”

Lucia tried to raise her head to see Lucion’s face, but he held her so tightly that she couldn’t lift her head.

“It’s uncomfortable, Lucion.”

“Just a moment. Just stay like this for a moment.”

Lucion was trembling.

Even Lucia was taken aback by Lucion’s unprecedented appearance.

Soon, as if comforting a child, Lucia faced Lucion, patted his back.

【Sion. What are you so afraid of? I’m here.】

As if it were a lie, Lucion’s trembling stopped.

Instead, his breath halted.

Then Lucion breathed again.

When he released Lucia from his embrace, tears had welled up in Lucion’s eyes.

“This time, I won’t lose you.”

“Yeah, okay.”

What did he see and feel in that mansion?

So afraid, so…

“If you look at it that way… It’s a bit overwhelming.”

Was he staring at me so intensely?