Chapter 111 - Disbelief in the study
Scarlett and the others stood before an old wooden door. It was located at the end of a narrow stairway hidden away in the mansion’s central wing. In the game, the natural way of progressing to the next section of this dungeon was through the main lobby, but that was the annoying way to go about things.
She pulled out the key she’d taken from the Custodian, placing it into the door’s keyhole. The mechanism inside clicked, and the door slid open.
Taking the servants’ entrance would save them several unnecessary fights.
Along with the others, she stepped through into a dim hallway that stretched forward a dozen or so meters. A thick wool carpet ran along the floor up to a point where the hallway split in two. What was probably most notable about this place—compared to the part of the mansion they’d just been in—was that there weren’t any paintings hanging off the walls. From a game-design perspective, that made sense. There were other threats to deal with here. The reason for it in this world, however, was unclear.
“Where are we going now, Scarlett?” Leon asked as they began moving down the hallway. The knight and Fynn took the lead, with Shin in the rear. “Your knowledge of this place’s layout is intimate enough, so I assume you have something in mind.”
She studied the man’s back. “I have learned enough in my research to have a general idea of the mansion’s structure, yes; however, there is still much that I do not know. As for what our current objective is, that would be the study.”
“The study?”
“Yes. The workplace of Lord Abelard, the master of this mansion. That would make for a suitable location to investigate, would it not?”
He glanced back at her. “…Sounds like a wise choice, yes. But what are we investigating? What’s your goal after that?”
She raised a brow at him. “I will have to ask you to be more specific. Are you inquiring over what my overarching purpose in visiting this mansion is? Because I thought I made that abundantly clear in our conversation with Lord and Lady Withersworth.”
For some reason, that earned her a surprised look from the man. “If anything, that made it even more unclear.” He shook his head. “But no, I’m talking about what we’re doing after we find the study.”
She eyed him for a moment. “I suppose you will have to wait and see for yourself.”