The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 39

START CHECKING FROM HERE.

SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE WEALTH.

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, I'LL GO DOWN WITH YOU.

HOW CAN I BELIEVE YOUR WORDS?

I'VE HEARD THE RUMORS,

THAT POLICE OFFICERS WENT DOWN INTO THIS BASEMENT AND COLLAPSED ONE AFTER ANOTHER.

THEY SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A WITCH AND YOU CAST SOME STRANGE SPELL.

A WITCH?

DO YOU REALLY THINK I'M A WITCH?

YOU'VE WATCHED ME GROW UP SINCE WE WERE KIDS.

SURELY EVEN AN IDIOT LIKE YOU KNOWS HOW ABSURD THAT SOUNDS.

IF THAT'S NOT IT...

ARE YOU SCARED?

IS SHE LIKE THIS JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP CALLING HER A WITCH?

THE AIR FEELS A BIT DIFFERENT DOWN HERE, TOO....

BUT WHAT GIVES YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO DRAG A BUNCH OF GROWN MEN DOWN HERE?

AREN'T YOU SCARED?

NOT AT ALL.

ACTUALLY, YOU SEE...

I REALLY AM A WITCH.

GAH...!

WAIT,

THE AIR HERE IS...!

UGH...!

THEY'RE SOLDIERS, I SUPPOSE, SO THEY'RE LASTING QUITE A WHILE.

THE POLICE OFFICERS COLLAPSED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

SHALL WE GO DOWN FURTHER?

WE NEED TO GO FIND PROOF THAT I'M A WITCH.

YOU...!

DAMN IT...

IS ANYONE IN THERE?!

HMPH!!

MMPH!!

HMPH!!

HMMM!!

MMPH!!

A PADDY WAGON...?

HMMM!! MMPH!!

MMPH!!

HMM!

MMPH!

DID THEY GET AMBUSHED BY SHAPER'S CREW?

THERE'S ONLY ONE PROPER OFFICER,

AND THE REST ARE INVESTIGATORS FROM DIVISION 3...

SINCE A SINGLE OFFICER EFFECTIVELY HAD TO TAKE ON FOUR SOLDIERS,

THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD WIN.

Cowards.

I'LL UNTIE YOU, JUST A MOMENT.

UGH...

Hah... AN INVESTIGATOR FROM DIVISION 3 WENT TO REQUEST REINFORCEMENTS,

SO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WILL BE DEPLOYED SOON.

I'M SORRY, THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF OUR OVERSIGHT.

SINCE IT'S NEW YEAR'S, PERSONNEL WERE CONCENTRATED

WHERE THEY WERE NEEDED MOST, SO IT COULDN'T BE HELPED.

WE SHOULD CHECK ON YOUR CONDITION TOO, MISS APRIL.

EVEN IF YOU LOOK FINE ON THE OUTSIDE, YOUR BODY MIGHT NOT BE DOING WELL.

ALRIGHT, LET’S HEAD TOWARD THE PORCH.

FORTUNATELY,

IT SEEMS THERE ARE NO MAJOR ISSUES.

...THE MEDICAL CHECKUP IS JUST AN EXCUSE, ISN’T IT?

YOU JUST WANT TO FIND OUT

WHY I’M COMPLETELY FINE INSIDE THE FOG, DON’T YOU?

YOU'RE A SCIENTIST, NOT A DOCTOR ANYWAY.

Ah.

THAT IS TRUE.

KRITZ, WAS IT?

SHE'S AN INVESTIGATOR DISPATCHED TO SURVEY THE ESTATE'S LAND,

BUT SEEING HOW UNIQUELY FIXATED SHE IS ON MY BODY,

SHE SEEMS MORE DRIVEN BY SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY THAN OFFICIAL DUTY...

IF WE FIND OUT WHY YOU’RE UNAFFECTED BY THE FOG, MISS...

AT THE SAME TIME, IT WILL REVEAL WHY THE FOG IS HARMFUL.

THAT’S WHY I NEED YOUR HELP!!

PLEASE, LET ME RESEARCH IT...!

IF THAT’S YOUR INTENTION, I CERTAINLY HAVE NO MIND TO HELP.

HOWEVER,

IS THAT CURIOSITY A QUESTION FROM A SCIENTIST?

OR IS IT A QUESTION FROM A DIVISION 3 POLICE OFFICER?

I WILL ONLY HELP YOU IF IT STEMS STRICTLY

FROM A SCIENTIST'S CURIOSITY.

THEREFORE, I NEED PROOF THAT YOU WON'T SIDE WITH THE POLICE.

PROOF...?

...I THINK,

FEJIN'S BEHAVIOR IS STRANGE.

THAT GUY ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TO ME AT ALL.

THE FEJIN DIEUS I KNOW WOULD BY NOW

HAVE TORN THE BASEMENT COMPLETELY APART TO FIGURE OUT

HOW GAS LAMPS STAY LIT WITHOUT GAS,

AND WHY PEOPLE COLLAPSE IN THE BASEMENT

JUST LIKE WHEN THE FOG OCCURS.

THE FACT THAT HE'S DOING NOTHING... LEAVES ONLY ONE CONCLUSION.

HE ALREADY KNOWS WHY THE GAS LAMPS STAY LIT.

THAT'S THE ONLY ANSWER.

AS FOR ME...

I'M JUST A REGULAR INVESTIGATOR, SO I DON'T KNOW THE SUPERINTENDENT'S INTENTIONS, BUT.

I WILL FIND OUT AS MUCH AS I CAN TO GET AN ANSWER.

AS A SCIENTIST.

VERY WELL.

THEN I'LL BE TAKING MY LEAVE.

IT'S STRANGE.

WITHIN THE POLICE FORCE,

THERE WERE RUMORS THAT THE TWO OF THEM HAD MUTUAL FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER...

IS IT REALLY IMPOSSIBLE,

BECAUSE OF FAMILY MATTERS AFTER ALL?