"A corpse of bones and skin... so many?"

　Ray asks the guards with a disgusting look on his face.
　I'm not particularly disgusted with corpses, but it's still not interesting to hear that there are a lot of corpses that die in such an unusual way.

"That's right. ... Usually, bodies that starve to death are like that."

　Nevertheless, the guards never seemed to think that the body they had seen was just a dead body from starvation.
　In the first place, it's strange to hire such a skilled bodyguard to protect the dead from starvation.
　At least the two Ray fought were clearly better than the guards, and at the same time anyone who killed and stuck a captured opponent in his study would certainly be better than the guards.
　It's obviously uncomfortable to have such a skill -- only in comparison to the guards -- and to have such a body protected by bones and skin.

"And if it were a corpse that had normally been starved to death, it might well be that there was some trace left of trying to eat the fellow that was with him, but the corpse was... beautiful."

　mutter with indescribable subtle expressions, perhaps remembering the state of the corpse I saw.

"Anyway, I've found a place like that. I've come here in a hurry to let everyone know."

　The words melt away the lingering doubts about the man in front of them.
　They did this because they couldn't find a dead body that was just skin and bones, and they couldn't decide what to do by themselves.

(However, there is a high possibility that some of the guards are connected to the other side. If that's the case, I don't think we can trust them completely.)

　Given the high possibility that the security guard's information was circulating over there, it was impossible to completely erase the possibility.

"I know why, but what shall I do here?"

　As he spoke, Ray turned his gaze to a security guard examining the switch on the wall.
　Ray originally came back to this study with the guards to have them check the switch on the wall.
　That is why I hesitated whether I should go to the corpse here or not."

"There's probably no trap. ... Of course, I wouldn't say never."

　Just at that moment the guard who was checking the switch on the wall says so.

"Then press the switch or go to look at the dead body... what do you do?"

　Ray opens his mouth after a moment's reflection on such a question that comes out of the guard'

"Why don't you press the switch first? Maybe it's a hidden passageway, but maybe it's a key to open the place where you put things away."

　The guards who heard Ray's words...especially the guards who were looking at the switch on the wall, look very disgusted.
　I'm looking it up myself, and I think there's probably no trap, but only as far as I've looked it up.
　It's not just my main job, but my ability is just one‐hour, so I don't have the confidence to say it's all right.
　That's the idea... but I'll deny it at once.
　Even if you don't press the switch under the current circumstances, you're sure to end up pressing it.
　and that he was the most knowledgeable trapper in the house.

"Okay, let's press it."

　Eventually, he tells them, and the guard looks around at everyone there, discreetly.
　Then make sure no one opposes pressing the switch, and then gently reach for the switch.
　Everyone, including Ray, is ready to deal with anything as soon as possible...the next moment the switch clicks into the wall.
　But there is no sign of anything happening.
　I thought something would happen the moment I hit the switch, but in a few seconds I looked around like I was out of sync...

"Well, after all, nothing..."

　The moment one of the guards says so, a part of the study wall... specifically, the place where the sea was painted falls back.

"Oh"

　Strangely enough, everyone, including Ray, is surprised to see the scene.
　There was a slight time lag between the switch press and the device working, and furthermore, the rays were in a hurry, which was probably the reason for the alarm.

"I never thought that picture was a device... ...and what's in it?"

　Whispering, Ray looks at the space in which the painting fell and was created.
　It's not like a hidden door, a hidden passage, a hidden staircase, a hidden room... it's like a hidden shelf.
　On the hidden shelves are several tools, including some documents.

"Do you think this is a hit?"
"Well, I don't know if you don't look into it carefully, but I think it'll be some clue. Anyway, Ray. Let's put this in your item box and head for the body."

　Ray, too, has no objection to the remark, and for the time being puts everything on the shelf in the mistling.
　Some of them seemed to be magic items, which attracted Ray's interest, but now he should have prioritized examining the corpse.

(I wonder if he was lucky or bad that it wasn't a hidden door or something like that)

　If there was something like a hidden door here, it would have taken a long time to find out where it was beyond.
　If that happens, there is no doubt that the guards who have been left behind will be in danger.
　It is certain, at least, that there will be one person defending this mansion.

"Then shall we go? ... But you didn't get attacked often. I think you were really lucky."

　A guard examining the switch on the wall says admiringly to a guard who came to inform him of the dead bones and skins.
　The guard who was told just smiled bitterly.
　They had never been attacked, so they probably thought it was OK, but they realized they lacked a sense of crisis.
　It is, however, partly because he saw a large number of corpses left with bones and skin alone, he thought this would be a great clue to the matter.

"Oh... Ray. I'm sorry, but I'll order the dead body in the hallway in the item box. I didn't really want to do that, but I don't think it tastes good to leave it here."

　The guard, a little clumsy, left the room without showing any sign of concern, and stored the bodies there in a mistling... and was led to where the bodies were located by a guard who had come for them.





"Wow..."

　As soon as I saw the pile of bodies, one of the guards muttered in an involuntary tone.
　I had heard that there were so many dead bodies, bones and skin, that I had heard... but honestly, I guess I didn't expect that much.
　Ray is also only surprised to see what he sees in front of him.
　I even get the impression that the disorderly pile of bones and skin of corpses simply keeps unwanted loads together without disturbing them...
　No, it must have been that way to the person who actually created the scene.

"That's quite a bit more..."

　The guardsman who came with Ray only muttered dumbfounded at what was spreading before him.
　In fact, dozens... of bodies that could reach a hundred, so Ray and his guards can only be surprised.

"You can see that we decided that we were out of control.

　It's a guard who came to the study to call for Ray and his men.
　When I first heard the story, I didn't think it exaggerated, but I understood the reason for doing so by looking at this scene.

"It's a little strange that there are so many dead bodies, but they don't smell at all. ... Maybe it's because they're just bones and skins."
"What do you think is going on with the internal organs?"
"Well, it's not normal,"

　Not all of the odors that float from the corpse are the odors of the internal organs... but it is also true that they account for a large proportion.
　However, the bodies piled up in disorder in front of him are bones and skins, and, if not very much, do not appear to have internal organs in them.
　That's probably why even with so many bodies, there's no smell of decaying or stinking.
　...and of course, the rest of the body is completely dry with bones and skin as if they had starved to death, so it doesn't smell bad.

"But this corpse is obviously strange. It should take a long time, if you think of it, for it to dry up like this. With so many people gone, it could have been a disturbance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."
"Red cloth, I suppose,"

　Ray says so, as if to follow in the words of the guard.I've heard that many red cloths have been taken, so it's not hard to get to that prediction.
　At the same time, however, the question remains: what was the idea of turning red cloth into such a corpse... let alone less than half a year after red cloth became active.
　But it was obviously funny that... that it would be a dead body like a mummy.

"Any magic items, magic, skills, or anything like that that that could speed up time goes by the way.
"...all these numbers? What do you need to do that'said he.

　The guards are talking to each other, but Ray doesn't know why they actually did this.
　If you ask me if I can do this for killing time or entertainment...

(Having a hobby of finding pleasure in killing people in a particular way... or something like that? I can't say that there aren't people like that, but looking at the appearance of the dead makes me feel uncomfortable.)

　Wanting to identify the body more closely, Ray calls out to the remaining guards.

"I'd like to check the body for a moment, would you mind?"
"Oh... if possible, don't touch the corpse. As you can see, the bones and skin of this corpse are very dry. If you touch the corpse badly, you can collapse."

　Ray doubts what the guards say when they see a pile of dead bodies.

"Wait a minute, then, how did you do when you piled up this corpse?"

　Yes, if the corpse may collapse if touched carelessly, it is only natural to wonder how such fragile bodies were carried to this point and stacked up in this way.
　Perhaps the guards felt Ray's doubts, but they looked at the bodies piled up in disorder and opened their mouths.

"I understand what Ray means, but I don't know how this corpse came to be. That's the possibility that it's a dead body until it's piled up here, and then it's the way it is, isn't it?"
"Well, Ray is more familiar with those symptoms... in this case, is it a phenomenon?"

　As a security guard, Ray is a notorious adventurer who goes to various places and does all sorts of requests.
　If so, it's natural for the guards to think that they know something they don't know.
　But Ray shakes his head at such a guard's words.

"I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything. ... Well, if I use magic well, I think I can do something about it."

　Ray, for example, is a wizard specializing in the magic of fire.
　If you use the magic of fire well, you may be able to quickly dry a corpse or something like that.
　But it's only because Ray can do it, and if the wizard around him can do it... it's not impossible, but it's impossible to do it that hard.

"I see. Then, do you think there are magic items like that?"
"If you ask me if I have one, I don't think it's strange. But why do you go out of your way to imitate it?"
"Maybe not to spread the odour of the corpse to the surroundings. If the odour drifts, people may know that there are many corpses in this house."

　The opinion was convincing, but considering the size of this mansion and the location of this room, it is unlikely that odors would flow outside.
　At the same time, Ray wondered if it was not to smell outside the house, but to keep the house clean.