The manor was relatively large and it was surrounded by five foot wall with an iron gate. Zecruix could see the second floor of the manor from outside.

It was half an hour after he left the inn and reached here. True to the description, the air here felt ominous although after a minute of appraising the manor, it was fairly normal.

Zecruix looked at his surrounding and noticed there were few people passing by. It was an isolated location of a sort.

Now the question was how to get inside.

“Hey, what are you doing standing there?”

As Zecruix was thinking, someone called him out from the behind.

He turned around and there were three girls and one, blond-haired man standing.

Three of them looked like guards from their leather attires and the weapons that they were carrying while the one girl, who looked in her early teen, was wearing a dress and a shawl on her shoulders. On her left hand, she was carrying a full basket filled with assorted vegetable and foods. She was hiding behind one of the women, a tall blond haired woman who tied her hair in a ponytail. In fact she was taller than Zecruix.

All of them were staring with a wary expression at Zecruix.

“You’re a robber? Come here to survey a way to break in is it?! Not if I kill you first!”

The other girl, a blond haired too but shorter than Zecruix, with a furious expression tried to charge forward but she was pulled back by the taller woman.

“Just wait, Jellika. If you go and beat up someone who just happened to stand in front of the manor, our reputation will plummet.”

“Let me go, Volkara!”

The struggling woman, Jellika tried to set herself free from the grip of the taller woman, Volkana. The man who standing with a bit distance from the three to the left, was quietly watching Zecruix.

“Now, if you really are just happened to be here standing then please move or if you have any business, you may state them to me.”

Volkara stated coldly. Zecruix, as he was shaking a little bit, looked doubtful as whether he should lie his way out or tell them the truth. After a few seconds of thinking, he decided to tell the truth.

He lifted up his right arm and pulled the sleeve. With that, the demonhunter crest that was on his arm was visible.

The three guards narrowed their eyes with a discontent look while the girl who was still hiding and clinging behind Volkara, gasped audibly.

“There is nothing demonic about this manor…”

Volkara said it in a low, threatening tone.

Zecruix inwardly flinched but he managed to keep his shaking out of sight. He then pulled up the sleeve and put his arm down.

“S-still, as a Demonhunter, I sensed an unnatural circulation of magick on this manor. It’s my obligation to investigate and sooner or later, it’s only a matter before somebody else would notice and employ my service about this place because there are rumours after all.”

It was quite a veiled blackmail coming from Zecruix. Even he felt shocked of what he had just said.

Volkara gave a sharp glare at Zecruix but after a few seconds, she loosened her expression and exhale visibly. She turned around slightly and lowered herself to whisper something to the girl who was clinging behind her.

The teenage girl cupped her ear and after a few seconds, she hesitantly nodded.

“Fine, Demonhunter, We allow you to be inside but you will be under our supervision. Thus, you are not permitted any actions without our consent.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Zecruix, in order to make up for his blackmail, showed an apologetic expression and obediently bowed.

“Koschel, open the gate.”

The man that was on the group who had been quiet the whole time, grunted and walked passed by Zecruix.

He took out a key from his left pocket and unlocked the gate. It opened with creaky sound.

All of them started walking passed Zecruix.

Volkara stopped and gestured to Zecruix by tilting her head.

“Come on in. Let’s not waste any more time.”

--

The interior of the manor looked quite old but well-maintained and cleaned. There was only one stair up visible from the entrance of the manor and two entrances into the kitchen and what seems to be the living room. The rest of the space was filled with assortment of furniture’s and paintings.

Zecruix was looking around, using a Sense attuned in exorcising artus. The flow of the unnatural magick was even stronger here than outside. For someone like him, it was slightly suffocating.

“Follow me; I’ll show you around the manor and tell me where this unnatural magick is. Jellika, bring the young lady to her room and Koschel, cook the breakfast.”

Volkara issued orders like an army sergeant. The two other guards nodded and went to their task. After that, Volkara started walking.

Zecruix doggedly followed behind.

After they went upstairs, Volkara led him to left side of the hallway and then she stopped at the first room of that hallway to her right side.

“This is the master of the manor’s room. He is currently busy, so we can’t enter now.”

Volkara warned Zecruix with a strict tone but for Zecruix, he felt the strongest presence of the unnatural magick was leading to this room. He founded the source, now all he need is a way to enter this room.