I came back to the house. I purchas

I came back to the house.

I purchased a large number of lamps to light all of the rooms.

I crushed all the possibilities that I hadn't considered when I first came.

I also examined the fireplace.

I stuck my head inside to have a thorough look.


"Hmm, did it change..."


I finished searching the fireplace while knocking down some soot and spiders' webs.

Then, I noticed the cause of my discomfort yesterday.

The floor wasn't stained with soot.

As if something had done the cleaning, everything was neatly wiped clean.

When I think back, the cloth that had been sown to the doll's feet was black.

Each and every night it might have been cleaning the house with that cloth.

No, the house would be stained by using such cloth. Black is rather...

Oh, by any chance, that cloth, was it a magic tool?

No, let's put that on hold.


Now then, upper floor, ground floor, basement.

...The basement is still suspicious.


I brought a few lamps into the basement.

Since they could use up the oxygen, I left the door open.

I considered the possibility of something being hidden in the middle of the stairs, so I examined that as well.


In the deserted space of the basement, I arranged the lamps.

[Look! It's amazing, it's bright like the afternoon] is what a person from a fairy-tale might say.


"When it's this bright, I can tell just by looking."


The edge of the basement.

The wall which was made with a wooden board.

I didn't see it clearly when we were using only one or two lamps in the dark, but with this much light I could see clearly.

The corner of the wall, it had a dark square.


It is a hidden door.


I'm sure you wouldn't be able to tell it was there in just a bit of light when it was first made, but thanks to the passage of time, the part which opens and closes got dirty, and it rose to the surface.

On the ground as well, the portion where it opens and shuts is clearly carved out.


"All right, let's enter at once!"


Cliff was excitedly moving to open the door.

In preparation for an attack, I looked ahead to the door with foresight eye.

But, Cliff stopped moving immediately.


"What is it?"

"I don't know how to open it."


Since he said so, I also took a look.

There isn't a dent that is common among things such as sliding doors, nor is there a doorknob.

Even though that's the case, it's not like we can push it open either.


"Shishō, shall I break it?"


Zanoba's proposal, but I shake my head.

Although I could repair it, I don't really want to break it.


"Hmm ......"


I look at the ground.

The trace of the door opening and closing is left there.

It is certain that it opens. The door opens on this side.


"Nothing."


And, I noticed that one trace was slightly different.

The trace which opened the door begins with the third piece of board of the left.

A piece of the dark wood door slips off.


And there a little storage drawer opened.

The ninja village that I visited on a field trip during my elementary school days.

There was a hidden door there.


I remember the feeling and try to push the left edge.

A [Giii], sound let out.

However, it does not open. Heavy.


"Zanoba, try pressing here."

"Um."


I let Zanoba push it.

And then, the door made a [kiririkiki] sort of creaking sound as it rose and opened.

The sound in the middle of the night, was this sound?

On the interior side of the hidden door there was a doorknob. Probably to make closing it from the inside easy.


"I do not think there's a trap.... but there might be something, so please be careful."


I went inside while saying so and lighted up the inside with a lamp.

The possibility of a trap or a surprise attack ended as imaginary fears.


There was a small room.

One desk, a single wooden pedestal.

That's all.


On the desk, several books and ink pots were placed.

As for the pot, the cover is broken, and the contents have evaporated.


On the pedestal side I'm not sure what words would be good to describe it.

It might be similar to a coffin.

It's like a lump of wood the size of that.

I have the feeling that the surface is dented in the form of the doll.


After looking closely, in the place where the head goes... in the part where the eyes would set there are transparent stones embedded.

I felt intuitively that the doll in question had slept here. Most likely, that doll lays down here and recharges