Chapter 19: Sorcerer Mansion
Riko flinched, mouth parting slightly.
"W-What? Why? are we not friends?"
Yuki leaned back as her eyes narrowed. She had come to a simple conclusion—she couldn't trust Riko anymore. And it all stemmed from her hyper-fixation on overanalyzing details, the kind most people would shrug off without thinking. But lately, she'd reached this point where even the smallest awkward gesture felt loaded with malice.
"You said your mana got drained from making those magic portals, right?"
Riko gave a hesitant nod. "Y-Yeah, That's righ—"
"But back when we were captured by those bandits, you still had mana didn't you?"
Riko's eyes widened, as sweat started forming on her forehead.
But Yuki continued with her eyes still hollow.
"So, tell me why didn't you remove Sasaki's magic collar, while knowing how powerful he was? You instead kept him and his receptionist suppressed."
"I—wait, that's not It let me explai—"
Yuki raised her index finger and said :
"It's simple," she whispered. "You wanted us to be captured… You left the magic collar on him purposely, holding him back from using magic when you knew he was the only one who could've stopped them. And then you waited… waited until the limo went off the cliff to finally save us. Just so you could play the hero."
Yuki's voice stayed calm.
"You thought I'd forgive you didn't you? That everything would be solved just because you saved us?!"
This analysis of hers made perfect, horrible sense. That's what scared her the most. It was the simple fact that Yuki had believed these thoughts that were planted by her paranoia trait. In the end, all it took was that single drop of doubt to settle everything in her mind.
The gondola came to a sudden stop. Yuki stepped out, leaving Riko speechless and in shock as she lowered her gaze.
***
A large crowd had gathered around the black gate of the Sorcerer Mansion.
Dozens of villagers, dressed in worn-out rags and brown cloaks, were holding signs made from scrap wood. They all stood pressed against the gate, faces full of frustration. Two guards in silver armor stood in front of it, each wearing a polished knight's helmet that looked like it belonged in some fantasy movie.
The Sorcerer King didn't slow down as he made his way to the crowd.
As they approached, his voice boomed over the hilltop wind.
"All of you, hear me! Have you forgotten my words so soon? I shall bring forth the evidence that my family bears no guilt in these disappearances. I only need two days to prove my family's innocence. Until then leave the grounds of my estate."
The villagers however kept murmuring, a few shouting things she couldn't make out.
Sasaki leaned in slightly, just enough for the Sorcerer King to hear.
"Well, this is bad, I wonder how you'll convince these poor villagers that you and your family aren't behind these awful disappearances. Hmm… I wonder how?" He said it with a mocking tone.
A vein bulged from the Sorcerer King's forehead as he turned to glare at Sasaki, eyes cold.
Sasaki held up his hands as he smiled. "Okay, okay, I understand—no need to be angry at me."
Cameras flashed behind the crowd.
A tall news van sat parked to the side, with a large white logo on the side: GNN—Global National News.
One of the reporters stepped forward. A woman in a beige coat, short curly brown hair bouncing as she raised her mic toward the Sorcerer King.
"Sorcerer King, sir—who are these people behind you? Are they here to assist with the investigation?"
The Sorcerer King ignored her.
With a small motion of his hand, the two knights uncrossed their spears and stepped aside, opening a path through the black gate. Yuki followed behind him, along with Riko, Sasaki, and Sayuri, slipping past the tense crowd and into the open space beyond the gate.
However, the reporter lady from GNN kept yelling, as she was being held back by the two knights.
"Please, give us something, anything to report to the public!'"
The crowd didn't stop shouting. If anything, their cries got louder.
A village woman near the front gate fell to her knees, begging.
Yuki kept her head low, trying not to listen. But something about it got under her skin.
Have the disappearances gotten worse here? Or maybe it's just easier to blame a family of known sorcerers… especially a rich one?
She stepped forward, eyes locked on the brown door of the mansion.
And then it happened.
A scream tore through the air from behind them.
Everyone turned their heads.
Behind the black gate, where the reporter had been standing just now, was a pile of clothes—with her beige coat and microphone scattered across the dirt.
The woman was gone.
Yuki's eyes widened.
Did she disappear just now?!
It reminded her of how Kenji Igaguri vanished that day.
The crowd scattered almost immediately. People backed away in all directions, bumping into one another. Within seconds, they were gone—retreating down the hill, probably running straight back to their homes.
The Sorcerer King looked unbothered at the reporter lady disappearing, as he opened the large door of the mansion.
Yuki's thoughts spiraled as she couldn't think straight.
Why is he so calm? Is it because he's the one causing the disappearances? That's it, right? But no... it makes no sense. I need proof…
***
Every few steps, her eyes wandered.
The floor looked like it was made out of gold. A deep red carpet stretched straight across it, leading all the way to the back of the entrance hall where a wide, spiral staircase curled upward. Each corner of the mansion had something ridiculous to look at, from statues of the Sorcerer King in different poses to chandeliers hanging in every corner.
On the left side of the entrance hall was a glass case that had a framed painting of what seems to be a perfect replica of the Mona Lisa.
What?! Riko's family is that type of rich? No wonder the villagers down the hill were pissed. If I were them, I'd also probably blame this family on the disappearances. She thought, trying not to stare too long.
As they walked further inside, there was a kitchen, a full-scale kitchen to be exact. It had rows of steel counters, and polished marble flooring.
Then someone stepped into view.
A tall man, dressed in a sharp black jacket, stood near the kitchen entrance. He wore a monocle over his right brown eye and black gloves on both hands. He also had short black hair that seemed to shine under the kitchen lights.
Yuki slowed her steps as she caught sight of him.
That's probably the butler, of course they'd have one.
"Welcome back, Sorcerer King, sir. I trust your visit to the Lady's farm brought you some measure of peace."
The Sorcerer King grabbed his stylized blade from his back and handed it over to the butler.
"Thank you, Nicholas. The trip served its purpose. However, I now have matters to attend to. See that our guests are given rooms and provided with fresh clothing. We shall dine once they've had time to prepare."
Nicholas, with his middle-aged grin, bowed as he looked straight at Yuki, then shifted his gaze back to the Sorcerer King.
"Of course, sir. I shall have it done at once. Your will is my command, my King."