Chapter 2: The Haunted Mansion and Unspoken Truths

“Ethan, Ethan!”

Scott, slightly plump with an adorable face, who self-proclaimed to be ‘the darling of all the neighborhood’s older sisters,’ dashed over, panting, and called out to Ethan.

Ethan had just returned from delivering trays laden with food to the shop across the street. He smoothed out his crumpling expression, forcing a polite smile at Scott, who looked even more exhausted than he did despite having done the running.

“What is it, Scott?”

“You went to that haunted mansion again, didn’t you?”

“Scott, it’s just an empty house. Someone lived there only a year ago.”

“But ever since Mr. Henry, who lived there, passed away, strange noises have been coming from it for the past two months. Aunt Mary from the bakery heard them, and so did Grandpa Bake…”

“Aunt Mary probably didn’t hear them directly. She’s quite fond of spreading rumors, so she likely heard it from someone, then passed it on, and it kept circulating.”

“And Grandpa Bake, with his old age, can barely hear anything—what could he possibly have heard? If he told Aunt Mary about ghosts at the mansion, that’s unreliable. And if Aunt Mary spread that rumor, that’s equally untrustworthy.”

Scott stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Ethan’s face as the words flowed effortlessly from him. While Aunt Mary and Grandpa Bake weren’t the only ones who had heard the rumors, Ethan’s logic seemed undeniably sound.

“Oh, right. My mind’s a mess. Ethan! That’s not what I came to tell you. You won’t be able to visit that mansion anymore, you know?”

Ethan, who had been stealthily trying to return to the shop while Scott was dazed, finally paid attention when Scott, regaining his wits, shouted that there was more to tell.

“What are you talking about? Has that huge mansion actually been sold? It’s been empty for a year!”

The place they spoke of was an old-fashioned mansion, utterly out of place in such a rural village. Mr. Henry, the man who had lived there, rarely interacted with the villagers.

Even when he did appear, he was always surrounded by numerous bodyguards, making it rare for anyone to have truly spoken with him.

Scott glanced around furtively, as if to ensure no one was listening, then lowered his voice as if divulging a great secret.

“Well, it seems Mr. Henry, who lived in that mansion, was actually a Guide.”

“…What?!”

Seeing Ethan’s interest, Scott, feeling a little excited, began to recount what he had heard.

“Hey, this is truly reliable information. Even though most of the people working at the mansion were outsiders, some were from the village. Uncle Hans, who supplied their groceries, supposedly overheard men in sharp suits talking.”

“He’s always been a subject of gossip in the village. Since he doesn’t attend the Center but owns such a grand mansion, people wondered if he was a wealthy businessman or a matched Guide to a noble Esper.”

“I’ve never heard anything like that from Uncle Hans.”

Ethan’s blue eyes darkened. The place his mother and the elders had opened the sky to send him to was indeed the village where the Han clan resided, yet everything was different.

The secret village of ‘Neruan,’ a part of the Nesjito Federation, had become a rural village in the Aitoolian Empire, a former enemy nation.

While tranquil, it was well-connected to the outside world, and a mere hour’s drive led to a respectable city hall and a bustling downtown.

In essence, the war that was supposed to end with Nesjito’s victory had concluded with Aitoolia’s triumph, transforming the world into the Aitoolian Empire, fifty years later. It was the same, yet profoundly different.

“Ah, that’s just a rumor from over three years ago. For a rumor to spread, people need to see the person, but he was nowhere to be found, so it died down. Instead, a different rumor spread like wildfire, didn’t it?”

Scott, with eyes that seemed to say, ‘It’s all because of you,’ scanned Ethan as he spoke. However, when Ethan’s gaze sharpened, Scott quickly straightened his posture.

Uncle Hans, the owner of the grocery store, had lived his entire life as a bachelor.

He was a D-rank physical Esper. A D-rank Esper’s power was limited to their own body and wasn’t considered extraordinary, making it more of a useful ability for daily life.

Running his grocery store, he effortlessly carried loads several times his own weight. While robots could replace the simple task of lifting heavy objects, they lacked the delicate precision needed to adjust the spacing of groceries, preventing them from bumping into each other.

Consequently, his grocery store didn’t sell ingredients roughly chopped for cube-shaped foods, but rather high-quality, fresh produce.

Although he could have easily used his power for nefarious purposes, he was, in any case, an Esper who had registered his information with the government and received guiding at the Center two or three times a month.

Even setting aside the condition that he couldn’t act recklessly once officially registered with the government, he was a good person who would step in to help the village whenever his strength was needed.

As the only Esper in the village, he was a local celebrity. He didn’t age easily, and women constantly pursued him, yet he remained a bachelor with no interest in romance whatsoever.

Then, suddenly and out of the blue, he brought a youthful young man home and introduced him as his nephew.

It was a natural progression for all sorts of new rumors to circulate, overshadowing the old ones. While Mr. Henry, who might have been a Guide, was a distant figure, Ethan and Uncle Hans were individuals one could encounter on the street at any moment.

Scott cast a sidelong glance at Ethan. Among the rumors circulating at the time, primarily spread by the chatty older women, the most active one suggested that Hans had always preferred men, hence his lack of interest in women, and that he had finally brought his partner home.

This was plausible, as the nephew he brought home possessed an exceptionally beautiful face and an overall mysterious aura. Uncle Hans, a ruggedly handsome man, and Ethan, with his delicate beauty, shared no resemblance whatsoever to be considered uncle and nephew.

That illusion, however, shattered the moment Ethan opened his mouth.

“What, Uncle Hans and I are ‘doing it’? I’ve heard that so many times it’s not even fresh anymore. Don’t you have anything different?”

“Ugh, hey. Your expressions…”

If only he kept his mouth shut, he would be a beauty to make even celebrities weep. When he and Uncle Hans became entangled in such rumors, Ethan reportedly sought out Aunt Mary, whom he hadn’t even properly greeted yet, and said:

‘What if I’m Uncle Hans’s illegitimate child? What if my mother was a soldier, or there were unavoidable, secret circumstances, Aunt Mary?’

He had uttered words worse than the malicious rumors, delivered them meaningfully yet naturally, leaving Aunt Mary speechless. Rumors? Who would dare spread gossip about an illegitimate child with a secret, whose mother might even be a soldier?

Looking back now, it seemed he had just blurted it out without much thought. Still, bringing up the Esper Guide Research Center and the military, both pillars of power, was a sensitive matter.

Furthermore, when Uncle Hans, who could have clearly quelled the rumors, showed no reaction, the gossip that had been wildly growing in the small village quickly died down, curling its tail and disappearing sooner than expected.

“So, what’s the point of what you were saying? I get that Mr. Henry might have been a Guide. Uncle Hans might not have told me because it’s old news anyway.”

Ethan spoke nonchalantly. Scott snorted, then finally unveiled what he considered the climax of his story.

“They’ve received an order to supply groceries to the mansion for a month, starting tomorrow. That means people will be moving into the mansion soon. It seems the rumor that the mansion was some important person’s villa was true after all.”

“Anyway, Ethan, you can’t go there anymore. Starting tomorrow, the staff will begin moving in. The owner will arrive in a week, so there’ll be a lot to prepare.”

“…Well, it was just a place to get some fresh air anyway. I’m going back to work.”

“Hey, didn’t Uncle Hans say he’d pay for your academy tuition? Why do you work so much? Just take it.”

Ethan grinned playfully.

“If I don’t work, people will say I’m living off Uncle Hans’s money as payment for ‘doing it’ with him.”

“Hey!!”

“I’ll head in now.”

“Wait, just a moment! Ethan, you remember your promise for tomorrow, right? To come with me to the Center!”

Ethan didn’t look back, merely waving a hand dismissively to signal his understanding. Seeing so many people voluntarily going to the Center for examinations, he thought the government’s advertisements—claiming registered Guides would receive a pension large enough to live comfortably for life—must be quite effective.

Ethan let the incessant advertisements wash over him. Although he wasn’t sure if this was the world he had come from, the name Aitoolia still strongly evoked the image of an enemy nation for him.

With what his mother and the elders had left behind, he intended to live a normal life. He had no intention of being swayed into registering as a national Guide, not even a tiny bit.

‘What a shame, though.’

The mansion was spacious and quiet, perfect for releasing his gwi. He, the very source of the ‘haunted mansion’ rumors, lamented the loss of a good hideout, even though it wasn’t his own home.

****

Clink.

After dinner, Ethan gracefully took the teacup offered by the domestic robot, tipping it to drink with a fluid elegance. Uncle Hans, sitting opposite him and watching, subtly shook his head.

Three years had passed since Ethan was found by the lake near the so-called haunted mansion. He had stated his age as twenty at the time, making him twenty-three now. He was exactly twenty years younger than Hans, who was forty-three.

Though Hans didn’t think of Ethan in ‘that’ way, he sometimes found himself disgusted by his own impulses to hug or touch Ethan.

‘I must have overexerted myself today.’

Ethan noticed the slight tremor in Hans’s hand holding the teacup but pretended not to, asking, “…Are you alright, Uncle Hans?”

Most ordinary people possess a faint trace of Guide ki, even if they haven’t awakened or registered with the Center. It’s akin to the basic natural energy found in plants on the earth.

Naturally, these energies have different compatibilities. When an Esper encounters an ordinary person with whom they have good compatibility, they can receive a temporary guiding effect.

However, the amount is usually very slight—like pouring only 200ml of milk for an Esper who needs a ton of guiding.

Hans wasn’t such a high-rank Esper that he needed that much guiding. He would manage by mingling among ordinary people, and only when he felt like he was gasping for air would he visit the Center for guiding.

“…I’m fine. Just had a lot to worry about today.”

“Don’t overdo it.”

Hans let out a self-deprecating laugh at the slow pat on his shoulder. The tremor in his hand had stopped.

As an Esper, Hans didn’t sense Ethan was a Guide. He had a lot of casual physical contact with Ethan, but he didn’t feel the same things he did from the Guides at the Center.

However, it was clear that Ethan was an ordinary person with whom he had exceptional compatibility.

If other ordinary people’s guiding was less than a bottle of milk, Ethan’s casual touch felt like receiving a high-quality boost, like glucose candy or chocolate for someone in extreme fatigue, instantly flowing over.

Hans thought it was probably his innate Esper instincts that led him to bring Ethan, who had no proper memories besides his name and age, into his home.

‘It might have been better if this child were a Guide.’

He smiled bitterly, recalling the Center’s matched Guide who always made him feel humiliated.

“I’m planning to go to the Center tomorrow.”

“That’s great!” Ethan said, then made a request. “Would you mind taking us? Scott said he’s going to get a Guide assessment at the Center, and I really don’t want to take the tram.”

“It’s an hour by car, but with the tram, I’d have to transfer.”

Hans pushed himself up from where he leaned against his chair at Ethan’s words.

“Scott became an adult a long time ago, yet he still can’t let go of that delusion, can he?”

“People can still awaken after adulthood… though it’s a very small number…”

“Yes, do you think Scott from our village will be among that tiny minority? He didn’t awaken as a Guide during his secondary sexual characteristics, and he’s been to the Center for tests every year until he became an adult. It seems he still won’t quietly go alone, even though no one wants to go with him anymore. Especially since he’s bothering you, Ethan.”

Ethan shrugged, putting the remaining cookies from the plate into a small pouch.

“They say you absolutely need a friend by your side to hug you when you’re judged a Guide.”

Hans let out a deep sigh.

“The government only advertises the good sides of being a Guide, so the child has gotten strange ideas. Being a Guide isn’t all that great.”

‘Oh, I know that very well. You know it too, Uncle Hans.’

Hans saw Ethan nod and gather his pouch, then stopped him.

“People are moving into the mansion starting tomorrow, so don’t go there anymore. If it’s just the lake you like, you don’t need to go to the property itself.”

“I’ll go somewhere else starting tomorrow.”

At Ethan’s remark that he would go today, Hans shook his head as if he had a headache and retreated into his study. Ethan shouted through the closing study door:

“Don’t forget to give us a ride tomorrow!”

SLAM!

Ethan subtly curled the corner of his lips.

****

The small gate, reportedly used by the staff, remained broken. Although he wouldn’t be coming here tomorrow, Ethan had his reasons for passing through the mansion to reach the lakeside.

The place where he was found.

Carrying a large backpack, unsuitable for a stroll, Ethan trudged through the mansion’s garden. He stopped under a particularly large tree by the lake, took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and gradually relaxed.

Around him, faint specks of light, smaller than fireflies, began to float. They swelled as if carried by a gentle breeze, then bloomed from his body like wisps of faint light, encircling him in a shape that was beautiful, mysterious, and chilling.

If anyone had seen it, they might have created rumors of legendary fairies or true ghosts.

However.

Woof, woof woof!

Something unseen, yet accompanied by a cold chill, trampled through the bushes, barking in an overly excited voice as it ran off into the distance.

‘To have to walk dogs, something I never signed up for, for the rest of my life.’ Still, releasing the gwi made his body feel lighter.

Sob, sob, sob.

Ethan sighed at the sound that followed as if on cue. ‘My fate.’

“Samwol. We’re at the lake. Stop crying so much. Go play in the water.”

She, the gwi of the Third Elder, was a water ghost who had accumulated merit and become the guardian deity of the lake. She had even received the beautiful name Wolyeong (Moon Shadow) from the Third Elder of the Han clan.

She cried even more sorrowfully, as if due to Ethan calling her Samwol, and entered the lake.

“Give me snacks!”

‘Ugh, seriously.’

Ethan tossed the cookie pouch into the air. The pouch was snatched away at waist height and vanished, followed by crunching sounds and incessant nagging.

“I saw it, Hans’s eyes are really lecherous. You might get jumped by him.”

“Hey. What nonsense are you spouting, you tiny thing? You said you were a popular child gwi once upon a time. Last time, you saw Jane sweating profusely and said she was going to die soon, but it turned out she just had an upset stomach. Is your miraculous talent just seeing things and making wild guesses?”

Not all elders were accompanied by strong gwi. The elders were judged by how well they sensed, accepted, and communicated with their gwi, so their abilities varied widely.

From Ethan’s perspective, these gwi could be useless and annoying, yet impossible to get rid of. But what could he do? He lived because of their sacrifice. These gwi were like his remaining family.

Ethan had to live well on their behalf, for as long as his mother, father, and elders should have lived. That was his repayment. Yuwol, the gwi of the Sixth Elder, brazenly denied it while chewing cookies.

“I’m using my miraculous talent right now! This time it’s real.”

“…You’re just like Aunt Mary.”

“Hey! Don’t say such harsh things! Why doesn’t that old hag Mary just die already?”

In any case, the reality was that Ethan, saddled with all eight elders’ gwi, was working himself to the bone to feed gwi, not people.

Ethan, looking a little tired, pulled out a large chunk of meat from his backpack, stacked it, and waved his hand dismissively.

“If you don’t know, how would I? When you’re done with the snacks, go get Ilwol. It’s time to feed them.”

Ilwol was the puppy—no, the wolf—that had just run off.

He also had a bird-like gwi that liked shiny things, so he rummaged through his pouch again. Suddenly, the released ki sensed another person nearby and sharpened acutely. Palwol, his mother’s gwijang, the gwi of the Eighth Elder, stirred.

“…Palwol. If you come out, there’s no going back. Don’t come out.”

When he called out ‘Palwol,’ it flinched. ‘Sulking again, huh? You’d think I’d be used to it by now.’

Ethan, without a speck of thought about the impudence of calling the gwijang—who had terrorized Espers on battlefields alongside his mother—’Palwol,’ cautiously walked towards the presence.

Someone was sitting on a garden bench in the mansion he had passed, hunched over and stifling groans.

An Esper.

Realizing the person was an Esper, Ethan didn’t approach further, hiding himself where he wouldn’t be seen.