Chapter 323: The Haunted House

Saul didn’t answer the man right away. His gaze swept across the first-floor hall and found that many people were coming and going—some were being guided by individuals dressed in matching uniforms, while most moved about on their own.

During Saul’s brief observation, the man beside him—who seemed to be a hotel attendant—waited patiently in silence.

The man was slightly taller than Saul, and so when he spoke, he hunched over, tucking in his neck as he bowed slightly.

Saul didn’t mean to ignore him on purpose. After quickly surveying the surroundings, he followed the attendant’s lead into the main hall.

“I’m looking for a quiet, secluded house. Ideally on the outskirts, but no more than half a day’s journey from Outpost Town.”

The first-floor hall resembled a luxurious tavern in its décor, but a wide aisle had been cleared through the center for people to pass through.

A short-pile black carpet lay down the middle of this aisle.

When Saul stepped in, he was the only one walking on the carpet.

Even the man guiding him stuck close to the edge of it, not daring to step even half a centimeter onto it.

Fortunately, the hall was still bustling with activity when Saul entered. It didn’t suddenly fall silent due to his presence, or else he might’ve felt a bit awkward.

Although he didn’t care much for others’ stares, he also disliked being treated like some kind of rare treasure.

The attendant leaned slightly toward Saul, speaking in a low voice just loud enough for him to hear. “We have several options that match your request. Please, take a seat in one of our private rooms, and we’ll bring you the details shortly.”

He led Saul to a private booth at the very back of the hall.

Once Saul was seated, the man was about to call for refreshments.

“No need,” Saul stopped him. “I came here because I heard you could meet my request the fastest. How long until I see the listings?”

The smile on the attendant’s face faded. He bowed and replied, “Within three minutes.”

He gave another respectful bow and quickly stepped to the doorway, passing along Saul’s request to someone waiting outside.

At that moment, raised voices drifted in through the half-open door.

“…I told you, my luggage is still in that haunted house! You have to get it back for me!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sander. We’ve already sent people into the property you vacated. There was no sign of your belongings.”

“Impossible! I was just moving in when I saw the ghost—I hadn’t even unpacked yet! You sold me that place, so you have to take responsibility!”

“But Mr. Sander, we’ve already sent three teams into that house. You were present for the last inspection. You know there were no ghosts, and no luggage.”

“Then the ghost must’ve hidden it! I don’t care—you have to find my luggage! There’s something very important in there! If you’ve lost it, I’ll tell everyone you rent out haunted houses to out-of-towners!”

“We sympathize with your unfortunate experience, truly. But we also can’t rule out the possibility that someone took your belongings when you left the door open in a panic.”

“Someone else? Ha! The house you gave me is in the middle of the woods! There’s a lake nearby, and not a single neighbor’s rooftop in sight! And you think someone stole it?”

At this point, another voice, tinged with irritation, cut in.

“Mr. Sander, you specifically asked for a remote location no more than half a day from town, preferably near a lake for moonlit strolls! The house we gave you matched all your criteria perfectly!”

“But I didn’t ask for a haunted house!”

At first, the two voices were kept low, but a wizard’s senses are far sharper than an ordinary person’s, so Saul had no trouble catching every word.

Soon, though, the shouting grew louder—enough that everyone in the hall could probably hear.

Just then, the attendant returned with a stack of documents, but Saul raised his hand before he could present them.

“My lord, I’ll have them quieted immediately. If you wish, I can also bring them here to offer an apology—”

“I want the house that Mr. Sander returned. If the paperwork isn’t finalized, bring him in too.”

The attendant blinked but quickly adjusted his expression and bowed. “Of course, my lord.”

And so, within two minutes, Sander—looking nervous and uncomfortable—sat across from Saul.

He had also brought with him the unsigned termination agreement.

“My lord,” Sander cautiously raised his head, only to immediately drop his gaze when he met Saul’s eyes.

Saul didn’t shy away. His eyes swept over Sander’s entire appearance. This man, who seemed like a troublemaker at first glance, was actually a pretty boy.

And “pretty boy” was the perfect term.

Because whatever Sander had put on his face, it was just barely more natural than smearing it with flour.

Fortunately, he’d dabbed some blush onto his cheeks to give himself a more human tone—otherwise, even ghosts wouldn’t know which one of them should be scared.

He had shoulder-length, softly curled hair.

Judging by the lack of reaction from the attendants, Saul guessed this must be a regional fashion.

“You said the house you rented was haunted?” Saul asked.

“Yes, Lord Wizard,” Sander replied, eyes locked on Saul’s shoes.

“What kind of ghost?”

Sander wrung his fingers anxiously. “I—I didn’t see it directly.”

Fearing Saul would think he was lying, he hurried to add, “Even though I didn’t see it clearly, there was definitely a ghost in that house. The moment I walked in, the front door slammed shut behind me—I swear, my clothes weren’t caught on the knob, and there wasn’t a breeze!”

It was clear he’d been doubted many times already. He spoke quickly and added explanations along the way, afraid Saul would also take him for a liar.

“And while I was going upstairs, something grabbed my pant leg. I swear I didn’t trip! I saw a gray-white hand—its nails were pitch black! It even tore a hole in my pants!”

He then described his experience in one of the guest rooms on the first floor.

Talk of “watchful eyes,” “strange laughter,” and “windows that wouldn’t close no matter what.”

Saul noticed that one of the attendants by the door rolled his eyes.

But Saul knew this man—Sander—wasn’t lying.

When Saul narrowed his eyes and looked closely, he saw a decayed, maggot-infested gray arm hooked around Sander’s neck.

From the shape of the bones and flesh, it likely belonged to a girl or a slender boy.

But the arm’s elbow and wrist were buried deep in Sander’s curls, making it unclear whether a full body was hanging off his back.

One maggot, disturbed by Sander’s animated gestures, tumbled down into his collar—just as Sander raised his hand a few seconds later and casually scratched at his chest.

“My lord, I swear it’s all true. Please, believe me!”

After finishing his story, Sander finally looked up, his wide, sincere eyes fixed on the powerful wizard before him, desperate to be believed.

If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.