The ensuing scene could only be described as "gruesome."
The human limbs embedded in the Corruption's body scattered and shattered under the halberd's cuts, while the knight armor sank deeper into severe fatigue-induced wear from high-intensity, high-load combat.
Not enough... My current attack methods aren't sufficient to kill this demon. Its power grows as the night deepens.
The armor on the knight's left arm emitted a sound like fabric tearing—the sound of the leather beneath the plates snapping. Besides that, the rivets at its joints were gradually loosening.
The strategy of accumulating damage had been confirmed as ineffective; the demon's regeneration speed was beyond imagination. The weapon in its hand bore no enchantment or blessing, just ordinary steel. And this body, increasingly close to collapse...
Once dragged into a war of attrition, the one who would ultimately fall would undoubtedly be itself.
But right now, it didn't even have a decent weapon on it. How could it seek a method to subdue the enemy in one strike?
...No, that method indeed existed.
The reason it could currently possess and drive this suit of armor relied on that blessing sigil, therefore it must possess psychic properties.
Just at this moment, the Corruption, wrapped in an increasingly bloated and swollen body, surged toward the knight armor in an unavoidable manner. Its limbs tightly entangled most of the other's body, frantically and gleefully dismantling the armor.
This annoying iron shell was finally going to die, and it would finally get to enjoy her...
The exhilarating feeling of imminent gratification made the Corruption even more frenzied, causing its body to tremble violently like a beating heart.
Suddenly, the knight armor raised its still-intact right arm, fingers clenched tightly into a fist.
Thud!
The next moment, this fist smashed heavily into the Corruption's "head," crushing its mouthparts directly, scattering pale human teeth across the floor.
"Hiss—"
Its already shattered mouthparts issued a near-insane shriek, immediately followed by an extremely powerful iron hand gripping it tightly, making escape impossible.
The reason the knight had allowed it to get close was precisely to wait for that moment of zero-distance contact. It forcefully shoved its fist into the other's maw, deep into the dissolving throat, then stirred with all its might.
In an instant, the Corruption felt unprecedented fear.
It could sense its body becoming sluggish and weak; the healing of wounds was being prevented by an indescribable, great power. It was a blazing light the color of molten gold, yet carrying a deep chill of icy emptiness...
What did that iron shell do?
The Corruption felt its body rapidly corroding and dissolving but was completely powerless to stop it.
Even with its heart filled with despair and unwillingness, struggling with its last ounce of strength... it was ultimately completely eroded away in that blazing light, turning into a pool of dried, burnt putrid blood.
Under that bizarre and unfathomable power, the Corruption unresistingly met its end.
As the victor, the knight armor was now also in tatters.
Large sections of the armor had peeled off and shattered, and nearly half its body had been damaged in the Corruption's counterattack. Most importantly, it had exhausted the last of the power sustaining its existence.
The knight's tightly clenched fingers slowly opened. A golden sigil lay in its palm.
Clap, clap, clap.
Gentle applause sent crisp echoes through the corridor.
"Sir Knight, well done. I never expected you could still defeat a stronger opponent in this state."
Fran clapped her hands, walking lightly toward the fallen knight, simultaneously offering sincere praise.
The knight armor lying on the ground remained silent, not giving even the slightest reaction.
It had already exhausted the psychic energy sustaining its existence in that last strike, now reverting to an utterly ordinary suit of armor.
"Hmm... Let me guess, preparing to feign death and ambush, right?"
Fran didn't approach directly. Instead, she lightly raised her wrist. [Hand Reaches the Moon] immediately shot out a cable-like black biomatter, wrapped around the golden sigil in the knight's palm, and retracted it extremely swiftly.
Almost simultaneously, the knight armor lying on the ground thrust its halberd forward into empty air!
A tearing sound through the air erupted. But as before, there was no feeling of hitting flesh... After all, the doctor stood very cautiously over eight meters away.
As the last wisp of remnant spirit dissipated, finally, the ghostly blue light in the eye slits of the knight's visor completely dimmed and extinguished.
"Not even willing to communicate a single sentence? Am I that hateful?"
Fran gave a slight pout, then used a handkerchief to clean the golden sigil before placing it back in her medical kit.
Although the knight had held this sigil and punched it into the Corruption's body, the sigil itself remained clean and bright as new, seemingly untouched by any filth.
"Delayed for so long, Themis must be getting a bit impatient, right?"
Completing this final task, Fran gradually stepped into the depths of the corridor, her figure slowly merging into the deep shadows cast by the candlelight.
...
Earlier, Fran had asked Themis and Davis to wait briefly in her guest bedroom.
After all, she had to guide the knight and the Corruption into a direct confrontation. This was a complex and risky process requiring prolonged concealment; having others follow would only add many complications.
Besides, in a solo state, she had no reservations and could escape more easily.
"Dr. Fran hasn't returned for so long... Could something have happened?"
Davis looked somewhat worriedly at Themis beside him. The lawyer was currently holding a fairy tale book, The Nightingale and the Rose, she had taken from the room's bookshelf, reading it absentmindedly, seeming quite at leisure.
"No."
She answered Davis's question with absolute certainty.
"Even facing those two in her current state, Teacher Fran can escape easily. There won't be any danger."
"I see..."
It must be said, Themis's resolute tone and overflowing confidence made Davis feel considerably more at ease.
But he wasn't actually clear where this lawyer lady's confidence in Fran came from. After all, she seemed not to have used any mystical powers the entire time... choosing to solve most situations by shooting.
But being able to be Themis's teacher, Dr. Fran's methods probably far exceeded what he had seen...
"I'm back."
Fran knocked and opened the door, then walked in with a relaxed expression.
Now, the strange influence that had enveloped her had completely dissipated. She had also reverted from the young girl state back to her original physician appearance.
"Phew... This form is much more comfortable. That summer-style dress was really quite cold."
Fran adjusted the lapels of her doctor's coat, tightening the tie of her inner waistcoat as well.
"Ah, Teacher, you felt cold earlier? You could have worn my overcoat..."
Themis stepped forward, her expression carrying some concern.
"Don't worry, it was just a bit of physical discomfort. Hmm... Themis, are you worried I might catch a cold?"
Fran's amber eyes held a trace of amusement.
Davis, who had been watching the dollhouse the whole time, was more concerned with serious matters. He had seen the ceramic figurines representing those two monsters shatter together earlier and asked her about the specifics with considerable curiosity.
"Dr. Fran, the Corruption and the knight outside... What happened to them?"
"Both taken care of."
Fran answered quite casually.
This almost offhand "both taken care of" left Davis speechless for a moment.
Reason told him Dr. Fran probably used the conflict between the two, then cleaned up the aftermath... But even so, it was by no means easy.
If he were the one executing it, he'd likely have died from some mistake midway...
Just then, Fran took out that little girl's diary from earlier.
The moment the Corruption monster perished, the icy spiritual influence transferred from her body to this book, and those previously torn, incomplete pages were also restored.
Embracing a spirit of sharing, she opened the now no longer incomplete book pages and showed them to the two.
[Old Calendar, January 25th. The weather is getting colder and colder.]
[I always feel like Daddy looks at me strangely... He seems to come to my room more and more often. I don't know why, but Mommy and Daddy have been arguing a lot lately. Later, Mommy always wore gloves, but I saw what seemed like bruises under her sleeves.]
[Old Calendar, March 4th. Why does Mommy keep lying in bed with her eyes closed, not answering me... She loves me the most, no matter when, she always hugs me when she sees me... Daddy says she's just asleep. But why won't she wake up?]
This page of paper showed some dotted wrinkles, as if stained by tears that later dried.
The handwriting in the later part of the diary became messy and no longer dated.
[Last night, there were shadows of feet outside the crack under my door.]
[I hid under the bed. Later, I saw the door open and someone walk in. His face... appeared next to the crack under the bed. It was Daddy. He smiled and said to me, 'Shh... next time, don't breathe so loudly.']
After reading the diary's contents, Themis's gaze sharpened, falling silent for a moment.
She originally thought the Countess's illness and death and the daughter's disappearance were the reasons Ferdinand Count fell into delusions.
But looking at it this way, perhaps his nightmare was something he created himself. However, the information currently known only suggests he was a pervert. Why Hanover Manor became like this still has no answer.
"Rather than speculating blindly, it's better to go see Count Ferdinand directly."
Fran put down the diary, clearly ready for the formal consultation. Treating Count Ferdinand was the top priority of this quarterly house call; she had to take it appropriately seriously.
Of course, as for how to deal with him after the treatment... leave it to Themis's judgment. She was just a passing doctor, with doing her job well as the top priority.
"Yes."
Themis gave a slight nod, dispelling the emotions that had welled up moments ago.
Based on the information obtained so far, Ferdinand was undoubtedly a monster wearing human skin. Cooking and eating his wife, making advances on his beloved daughter—the depravity of his actions approached the limits of what humans could reach.
But for a "judge," strong personal feelings would only affect the fairness of judgment. She had to discard them and understand the specific truth more deeply.
"So, we're going to the main hall to find Count Ferdinand next?"
Davis asked Fran.
Although it had been mentioned a few times before, he still wanted more direct confirmation.
"Correct. What's the matter, Mr. Folklorist, feeling scared?" Fran blinked, asking back with a touch of amusement.
"A little bit."
Regarding this, he admitted quite honestly.
"But... staying here alone would probably be even more dangerous. Like in those mystery novels, the ones who end up alone are always more likely to have something happen."
Although his words held a hint of jest, in reality, Davis felt more excitement than fear at this moment.
As a folklorist, it was inevitable to investigate and research eerie legends from various remote areas, thus unavoidably coming into contact with the shadows beneath the world of light. And Dr. Fran... was a guiding light allowing him to understand the mystical world more deeply.
That composure displayed amidst bizarre, secretive atmospheres and evil spirits... was truly something to aspire to.
"Don't worry, Davis. There won't be any danger."
Perceiving the underlying emotions in Davis, Fran reassured him.
——
Although it was now deep into the night, the entire manor was dark and difficult to see.
But Fran had memorized the architectural structure of the side hall and main hall beforehand, so she quickly arrived at the door to the Count's main bedroom.
It was a door crafted from ebony, inlaid with an unknown type of jade, with silver filigree carvings on the frame.
In the center of the door was a line of small, etched words.
Fran raised the candle lamp to carefully examine the writing and quickly confirmed... this was the final poem of the manor. Just as the original The Haunted House had six poems, the Hanover Manor short poems also had six.
Each of the five guest rooms had one, so the final one, without a doubt, appeared at the Count's main bedroom.
[Now guests step into the manor, through window frames crimson as blood, and see the shadowed demon wandering freely to a disharmonious melody.]
[Like a surging river flood, rushing past that pale, bleak door.]
[Clowns dance wildly, clad in filthy robes, swarming through.]
[Fawning laughter fills the ears, clamorous and noisy—yet no smiling faces are seen.]
[Mask of joy, forgery of utmost delight. The wearer speaks no words, sorrow brings no tears.]
"Finally collected them all."
Fran gently clapped her hands, her deep golden amber eyes curving slightly.
For information that could neatly form a complete set, she never hesitated to collect and complete it. And each time after completion, she felt an indescribable, immense sense of satisfaction...
It was like fitting the final piece into a puzzle's gap, collecting the fifth card of Exodia, or assembling dozens of unopened model plates into a complete Gundam... truly intoxicating.
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T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL