Me,Rose and Miss Pearl were standing infront of the old Unut Mansion.
Since the surrounding area was clear and the elevated ground exposed us to the chilly fall air, the cold wind made us shiver.
Together, we were looking at the entrance of the mansion, which was wide open for some reason.

Rose started to speak,
"Alright, you go inside and check if Angel is there or not!" She pointed at me and then to the mansion.
"What's wrong? Scared of ghosts?"
"No, you idiot. I am just cautious; that building is old. What if something falls on my head?"
"Who knows? Maybe it will knock some sense into you?" I said with a smirk.
"If getting hit on the head by something was supposed to make you more intelligent, you would have been a genius by now."

While we were arguing, Miss Pearl had started walking toward the entrance of the mansion.

"You two, stop arguing, and let's search for Angel."

She then moved her hand to the handle of the door, but before she could even hold it, the door swung open. I saw a silhouette of a man coming out of the mansion.

"Huh? What are you all doing here?" he said.

Looking closer, I noticed who it was.

"Hope!"

Miss Pearl took a step back and put some space between them.

"We are looking for my daughter. Have you seen her?"
"You mean her?"

A girl jumped out from the darkness of the mansion.

"Mommy!" Angel jumped and hugged her mother.

Miss Pearl checked if Angel had any wounds, and after finding none, she sighed out of relief.

"Angel, why did you run off like that?"
"I am sorry, I won't do it again."

While Miss Pearl was giving Angel an earful, I noticed that Hope was waving at me.
What was he doing here anyway?
Collecting wood for that boat? Heh.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting close to him.
"You need to help me."
"About what? If it's about building that boat, forget it."
"No, not that," he said, waving his hand from left to right.
"What is it then?"
"We need to search this mansion."
"For wood?"
"What do you mean woo- Yeah, Yeah, for the wood."
"Alright, I won't fall for that. What is it that you are hiding?"
"It really is for the wood; we can make use of the planks."
"Indeed, I can smash one in your face till you tell the truth."
"Look, I just misheard you when you said wood, and I was confused. Then, I realized you said wood mid-sentence."
"What did you think I was saying?"
"Never mind that. Are you going to help me or not?"
"What do you need my help with? You can handle that much yourself, can't you?"
"This mansion is old and can collapse at any time. If that happens, I need someone to help get me out or call for help."
"Yeah, you do. Too bad there is no one like that around. See you then." I turned my back and was about to leave.

He quickly ran in front of me to stop me.

"C'mon, I know that you don't like me. The quicker I build that, the earlier I go."
"Maybe I want you to stay and suffer."
"Don't be like that,I am going to bring help once I built that boat."
"Yeah,I am not taking that you said yourself that you don't have the intention of calling for help earlier today."
"I never said that."
"Yes,you did?"
"No,I only said that 'A warior knows when to avoid danger' and there is nothing wrong with running away from a battle you know that you can't win."
"I thought soldiers weren't suppose to run away and stand their ground protecting the cause no mather what."
"Heh! what good will a dead soldier do? trust me I will do more good when I am alive rather than dead."

I sighed.

"I'll call Rose as well in that case."
"Why?"
"If we're going to collect wood, the more hands, the better, right?"
"Yes, I guess you're right."

Besides, I'll have backup in case this guy tries something.
If what Miss Pearl said is true, this guy has defeated 15 people in a sword battle.
He doesn't have a weapon on him right now, but he's still dangerous.
And I know he doesn't like me, so he might try something.
I might be too weak against him, but if Rose is with me, my chances will improve.
Rose is a girl, but she's had my back in fights since we were kids.
But the fact that this guy didn't even flinch when I mentioned bringing someone bothers me.

"I'll go and call her, then you wait here."
"Sure."

I walked next to Rose and informed her about the situation, and she agreed to come along.
After getting her to follow me, we walked alongside Miss Pearl and Angel to let them know what we were going to do.

"Miss Pearl, Hope wants to build a boat to call for help. We are going to help him collect some wood from the mansion."
"From the mansion? Isn't the mansion quite old? I don't believe that you can make use of the planks there."
"Oh, you didn't realize?"
"Didn't realize what?"
"Take a look at the tiling in the mansion," I said, pointing inside the mansion.

We walked towards the door and looked inside through the door without going in.

"So what I am suppose to see here?" Miss Pearl asked?
"The walls and some of the furniture are collapsing or decaying, but the tiles are fine."
"Now that you mention it, they look quite clean and firm!"
"Indeed, this mansion was abandoned 24 years ago, isn't that so? So there is nothing wrong with loose or dusty planks, right? But even some of the wooden furniture is fine."

Rose interfered,
"You seem to know the reason why."
"That I do. The wood used here is really rare and special. It has intense durability that can last even for centuries."
"That's interesting."
"They won't mold, won't get loose, won't rot, and for some reason, pests stay away from this wood."
"Are you trying to sell it to us?"
"Buy now for only 999 gold coins."
"How many planks are you going to give for that price?"
"A quarter of a plank."
"This is clearly a robbery."
"Indeed, it's probably even more expensive than that you are getting it of cheap."

Miss Pearl put her right hand to her mouth,
"Ahem!"
"Back to the topic, these planks have the greatest buoyancy out of any wood. If we are building a boat, there is no better choice."
"That's interesting."
"Furthermore, considering the construction of the house, they used whole-size planks as tiles, which means they are thick enough to carry a boat all right."
"But didn't you say that they were expensive why would they do something like that?"
"To show off is the only reason I can think of."
"Is that so then-"

Before Miss Pearl finished her sentence, Angel jumped in front of us,
"You are going to get into this mansion?"
"Yes, we are going to build a boat, so we need to collect some wood from it."
"You really shouldn't; it's dark and scary in there!"
"That's fine; I am sure all the ghosts have run away after seeing Big Sister Rose."
"But what if Lady Unut learns about this? Wouldn't she be angry?"
"Well, if she 'learns,' she might, but even then, the times are calling for desperate measures."
"I really don't think you should go in there. Please, listen to me."

Miss Pearl gently tugs on Angel's ear and scolds,
"Hey! What did I tell you about interrupting when the adults are talking?"

She then turns to me and says,
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to take Angel back with me. You have my permission to continue."

Angel reluctantly allows herself to be pulled away by her arm, all the while shouting,
"I'm telling you, don't go in there!"

We watch them as they leave, her voice is slowly fading away.

"She really didn't want us to go in there for some reason," I said to Rose, but she didn't reply as she was lost in thought.
So I asked,
"Is something wrong?"

"How do you know about those planks?" Rose finally responded.
"Well, I saw some being sold inside the city. There were lots of types of wood and lumber that I had never seen before so I asked around, and I also read some books about them."
"So how does Hope know about those woods?"

Silence followed, and Rose's question made me realize my oversight.
She was right; there was no way Hope could have knowledge about trees or woods.
I doubted he even knew how to read, so how could someone like him be familiar with them?
What were the chances that he had been in a situation where he had to build a boat and had come across those woods?
"A warrior knows when to evade danger," I remembered him saying this earlier.
It was entirely possible that he had found himself in such a situation.
It wasn't difficult to imagine him running away from potential danger.

"For the time being, we should keep this to ourselves, but let's stay vigilant. He's not armed, but we don't know what he's capable of."

She nods in agreement, and we then approach Hope, who is sitting on the stairs of the mansion, waiting.

"Are you done yet? I don't have all day," Hope grumbles.
"Oh, please leave whenever you like. We can build the boat on our own and send someone more trustworthy to call for help."
"Yeah, I'm not going to waste time arguing with you. But do tell me, why doesn't a fishing village like this have boats of some sort?"
"Since the village was established, we were too busy clearing the forest to create trading routes, so we never had the chance to build boats," I explain.
"Clearing the forest? When was this village established?" Hope asks, puzzled.
"About 30 years ago. Why do you ask?"
"YOU'VE BEEN CUTTING TREES FOR 30 YEARS!?" Hope exclaims.
"Yes, slowly but surely, we are making progress."
"I don't understand. In 30 years, there shouldn't be a tree left in this place."
"That would have been the case under normal circumstances, but this forest regenerates itself," I explain.
"Huh?"
"You heard me. This forest regenerates itself, so we have to keep cutting the same places over and over again until we create the road."
"So you're telling me that when you cut down a tree, another tree grows in its place?"
"Yes, but it takes a day or two for it to regrow. In the meantime, we continue cutting trees a bit farther ahead. With this approach, we will eventually be able to create the trading roads."
"Won't trees grow over the road?"
"They will, but we have no choice but to keep maintaining it over time."
"Why the heck would someone even build a village here then?"
"It was the order of one of the descendants from Unut's family. The first elder had no choice."

He looks at me with disgust on his face.
I sigh,
"Do you have any other questions about the village, or should we get to work soon?"
"No, and I don't even want to learn more."
"Right, let's start by looking for something that we can use to remove the tiling."
"Don't you have something with you? Aren't you a carpenter or something?"
"I don't carry my tools with me all day long; they are at home."

But this is a mansion; there should be some tools we can use.
If not, I'll have to walk back home to get my tools.
Upon looking around, I spotted a shack right next to the mansion.
There might be something in there that we can use.
I called for Rose and Hope to check what was inside.

"You think we can find something here?" Hope asked.

I nodded. "Well, it's worth looking, at least."

After saying that, I tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked."

"Step aside!" Hope shouted with a smile on his face.

As soon as he said that, he started running towards the door, and I was standing right between them.
I quickly jumped back, and soon we heard a loud crack.
The maniac kicked the door open.

"Now we can enter," he said with a smirk on his face.
"Good thing it didn't collapse," said Rose as she entered without hesitation.

I followed her and started to look around to find something that could pry the tiles loose.

"It seems like we've come to the right place," I remarked.

Upon entering, I saw all sorts of tools lying around.
It didn't take me long to find a lengthy wedge-shaped iron.
This will do the job.

"I found what we need. Let's go to the mansion," I said.
"Great, now let's get out of this dusty place," Rose said, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.

We exited the shack and headed to the mansion.
Unlike the shack, there wasn't much dust inside, but overgrown plants and bugs were all over the walls.
Some furniture and paintings had been collapsed to the ground.
Two staircases led upstairs, but both had been blocked by fallen furniture.
It's no wonder they collapsed, considering the recent earthquakes and animals coming in and out.
n the middle of the stairs, there was a door that likely led to a hall behind it.
To my left a table stood and on top of it... plates?
It's strange; why would there be plates here? Did the Unut family leave this place after having dinner?
I wonder what made them hurry so much that they left without cleaning the table.
Regardless of the general state of this place, the tiles were clean and sturdy.

"Hmmm, there is furniture all over the place. We should check the other areas to salvage," said Rose.
"I'm not sure about that. Sure, the floor tiles are sturdy, but I can't say the same about the ceiling; it could collapse at any moment."
"We have to move the furniture, then. They sure look heavy."
"That's the safest choice."

Upon hearing this, Hope jumped in,
"Why not check the other rooms as well? That would be faster."
"But it's dangerous in there. 'A warrior knows when to evade danger,' right?"
"Yes, that is true, but... I—yes... I don't have much time. We should hurry. It would be faster to just remove some tiles from an empty room, right?"
"What's wrong with going somewhere? Or do you have a reason that you want to check the other rooms for?" I looked at him with suspicion.

I could see that he was sweating.
Just as I thought, he's hiding his true motive for coming to this place; the tiles are just a cover.
I signaled Rose to stay close to me, to which she responded with a nod.

"Hey, why did you think that you can use wooden tiles to build a boat?"
"Huh? Didn't you say that we can use them?"
"Did I say that now?"
"Then why did you even agree to come here?"
"Maybe I was just testing you?"

I gripped the iron firmly in my hand and pointed it at him.
He clearly lied about wanting to salvage the planks for the boat.
I don't know why he lured us here, but it can't be good.
So it's better if I attack first and ask questions later!

"What's that? You want to fight?" he said with confidence.
"Do you? You are outnumbered and not armed."
"Heh! What can a puny guy and a little girl do against me?"
"We'll see about that!"

After saying that, I sprinted towards him and swung the iron at his face.

*Swish*

But the hit didn't connect.
He leaned to dodge the attack with a swift movement.
He pulled his arm back to punch me in the gut, but Rose was quicker.
She got behind him and held onto both of his arms.

"Good job, Rose!" I shouted as I pulled the iron back to swing again.

This time, I won't miss!
I swung the iron with all my might.
But I felt a pain in my stomach while I was still in the middle of swinging.
He kicked me, causing me to stop and bend over for a moment.
Before Rose could react, he headbutted her in the face with the back of his head.
She let go of him and fell backward, blood streaming from her nose.

"You bastard!" I swung the iron once more.

*Swish*

Again, he dodged, then grabbed my collar and threw me against the door.

"Ugh!" I gasped and dropped the iron.

Before I could react, he kicked me along with the door into the hall behind.
I fell to the floor on top of the door.

*CRASH!*

A deafening noise reverberated through the mansion.
It was so loud it made my eyes water.
No, I was definitely not crying because of the pain of getting kicked in the gut twice.
Something big had collapsed.

"What the hell!?" He turned his back to see what had collapsed.

As I got up, holding my stomach, I noticed a small table.
He was distracted; it was my chance.
I grabbed the table with both hands and swung with all my might.

*CRACK*

The hit got connected.
Blood splattered from the back of his head as he fell.

*Thud*

He fell to the ground face-first.
He didn't move, and I didn't know if he died or fainted, nor did I care.
I walked over his body and looked for Rose, who was lying on the ground holding her nose with her hand.

"You okay?" I rushed over to her.
"Yeah, I don't think it's broken. It doesn't hurt much."
"Let me have a look."

She took her hand away from her nose and showed it to me.
I gently touched her nose to check if I could feel any broken bones, but luckily, it seemed fine.

"Can you move it?"
"You know that I can't."
"That's bad; it's broken!"
"Yeah, your brain is."
"Jokes aside, it looks fine. Let's see if there is something we can use to stop the bleeding."
"No need."

She grabbed her bag and pulled out some tissues from it.

"Ah, yeah, that works. Put pressure on your nose until the bleeding stops."

She did so and got up.

"Leaving this aside, we got stuck in here."
"What do you mean?"
"Take a look at the entrance."

I turned my back and saw that the entrance was now blocked by iron bars.

"How did that happen?"
"I don't know; the bars fell down when Hope kicked you inside there."
"Oh no, did the mansion have some sort of security system?"
"It seems so; even the stairs are now blocked by iron bars."
"So are the windows; we can't break through them."

I grabbed the iron from where I dropped it and struck the iron bars.

*CLANG*

Nope, that thing won't break.
It seems the iron bars came down from the ceiling.
They had been hidden there, impossible to see due to a lid that concealed them.
Windows were barred from the beginning, so whoever made them, for whatever reason, really didn't want anybody to get out.
Well, I guess it's understandable since this mansion belongs to nobles.

"No choice; we have to find another way to get out," said Rose.
"Luckily, the door that leads to the hall is not blocked by iron bars. Let's search from there."
"I wonder what caused the bars to fall."
"No idea, but that table bothers me."
"What's wrong with it?"
"There are plates, spoons, forks, and knives on it, but there is no chair around the table."
"Heh, maybe the Unut family left the place in a hurry but took their chairs along with them."

I am not sure which one is funnier, the joke she made or her voice.
She sounds muffled because she is holding her nose with her hand to stop the bleeding.

"You are right; it's a long road. They need something to sit on when they are tired."
"Tired from riding a cart, that is."
"Oh, look, a painting of Lady Unut." She shows me a painting hanging on the wall behind the table.

I couldn't see well from all the way next to the entrance wall, so I decided to get closer.
I walked towards the dining table, and the planks on the floor creaked with each step I took.

*Creak*

*Creak*

*CREAK* *CREAK*

I got closer to the table from the opposite side of the painting.

"Oh, she has ginger hair and green eyes just like me." I said as I leaned over the table to see it better.
"Now that you mention it, she does look like you a bit."

*Rustle*

A rustle was heard in the room, as if something were being pulled away
Upon turning our heads towards the source, we noticed that Hope wasn't where we had left him.

"What was that?" exclaimed Rose.
"Did he wake up?"
"We should have tied him up."
"Let's try to negotiate with him; it's not the right time to fight."
"You are right."

We proceeded slowly and carefully towards the hall, which was the only way he could have gone without us noticing.
As we passed through the door, we heard something once again.

*Scratch* *Scratch* *Scratch*

A constant noise of something scratching against something.

"Now what?"
"Is he trying to scare us?"
"Is he using some sort of psychological warfare tactic?"
"Well, it's working."

The noise was emanating from one of the rooms that the hall opened up to.

"I'll go first. Follow me, but stay a bit far away," I said.

"Okay," she nodded.

By doing this, he wouldn't be able to attack both of us simultaneously.
If he's trying to lure us in, there must be some sort of trap he's prepared.
With caution, I slowly approached the door, ready to defend at any moment, holding the iron.

"It's pitch black in here," I said.
"Here, there is a lantern. Hold on, let me light it," she said as she pulled the flint and steel from her bag.

She then lit it and handed it to me.

"Thanks. Now, let's see what's in there."

I held the lantern towards the room to light my way.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"
"What's wrong?"
"No! Don't come. Stay there."

WHAT IN THE HELL WAS I SEEING?
Hope's body floated upside down without a head.
Blood flowed through his torso, and his body moved strangely, as if trying to write like a pencil.

"Aughh!" I vomited right next to the door.
"Hey, are you okay?" Rose asked in panic.

*Thud*

I lifted my head and noticed that Hope's lifeless body had fallen.

"BASEMENT" was written in blood on the ground.

"That's it; I'm coming over there!"
"No, Don- *Cough*"

She approached and saw what I had seen.

"WHAT THE?!" She screamed in fear and fell backward.

I closed the door of the room.

"I told you not to come."
"What happened there?" She asked, her voice trembling.
"I don't know. Hope's body floated upside down and wrote 'Basement' with the blood coming from his neck."
"'Basement'? What does that even mean?"
"I think it wants us to go to the basement."
"What do you mean by 'it'?"
"Whoever made Hope float some sort of invincible power."
"No, no, no! We need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"Agreed, let's go-"

*CRASH*

Suddenly, the door I had closed was forcefully punched from the inside, leaving a huge hole in the upper half of the door.
Hope's lifeless head slowly flew out of the hole, and as if his body was still there, he turned left and floated towards the other end of the corridor, dropping blood from below.
We were only able to watch in silence as this grotesque situation unfolded.
When it reached the end, it suddenly dropped and rolled out of our sight.
Rose and I looked into each other's eyes in fear.
I managed to step forward with my shaky legs.
I followed the blood trail and reached the end of the corridor.
There, I saw the stairs leading downstairs, and Hope's head was lying on the ground below.
Rose quickly followed me from behind.

"Is this a message for us? To not run away?"

I descended the stairs one by one and reached all the way down where a door greeted me.

*Gulp*

I ignored Hope's lifeless head and opened the door to the unknown.
I found myself in a room with shelves full of green liquids and organs in jars.

"Are all of these the Waters Of Regeneration?" Rose asked.
"Seems like it."

As we ventured further with caution, we came across a prison cell.
Inside, a little girl was sleeping on a bed – a girl we knew very well.

"Angel! What is she doing here?"
"We sent her home with her mother, didn't we?"
"We did, I am sure of it. Did she somehow come back?"
"That's impossible. The entrance is blocked, remember? Besides, Miss Pearl wouldn't let her go anywhere after she ran off today."
"If the Angel here is real, then... Who did we send with Miss Pearl?"

Angel murmured in her sleep,
"No, Pickle, you can't eat the pickles; grandpa will be mad."