Alka freshened up in his hotel room, eating the breakfast brought by the waiter. A newspaper accompanied it.
There’s even such a thing as a newspaper? he thought. Yet ships are wooden sailboats, and they use oil lamps. What a strange world.
Alka flipped through it casually. It was mostly about the Blood Gold Alliance, which had almost nothing to do with him. Having just arrived in the outside world, he didn’t even understand what most of the information meant.
"The great pirate, Prayer for the Dead, is cruising the seas with his crew."
A great pirate? Alka mused. Important enough to be featured in the newspaper as a warning to others. This pirate must be quite strong.
Alka shook his head, put the newspaper on the table, picked up the top hat from the clothes rack by the door, and went out.
「He arrived on the street.」
Only a night had passed. Except for the city gate, where a wanted notice was still posted and barricades were set up, there were no longer any patrols on the road; things had returned to normal.
It seems I really haven’t been exposed, Alka thought. Of course, I mustn’t relax my vigilance.
Thinking of this, Alka couldn’t help but touch the slight stubble on his upper lip. Adjusting his top hat, he walked towards the place he had seen the previous day.
「After passing a few streets.」
He came to a street where luxury shops were fewer, replaced by more stores selling daily necessities. This area was likely inhabited by city locals. He went straight to a villa with a small courtyard near the city wall.
Pedestrians became sparse around here; everyone seemed willing to take a detour to avoid passing by this spot. Alka looked at the villa in front of him. It was three stories tall, built with off-white stones, its walls and roof adorned with small, decorative sculptures. Transparent windows were neatly set into the walls, though the curtains inside were drawn. A small courtyard encircled the villa. It looked very exquisite. If no one mentioned it, you wouldn’t know this villa was rumored to be haunted.
A notice was posted beside the outer gate, stating that the villa was available for rent at a low price. He had already noticed this when passing by the previous day. After glancing at it, he proceeded towards the address mentioned on the notice for the rental.
The address was less than 100 meters away, another villa with a small courtyard. Alka walked over to its iron gate and gently shook it twice. The lock clattered, making a crisp sound.
Soon, a woman in casual home attire walked out. Seeing Alka by the iron gate, she approached with a hint of perplexity.
"Sir, may I ask what you need?" she inquired.
Alka adjusted his top hat and nodded slightly. He then pointed to the Haunted Villa not far away.
"Excuse me, does that villa belong to you? I’d like to rent it for a month."
Seeing the villa Alka pointed to, the woman’s face visibly stiffened. She opened her mouth, then seemed to choose her words carefully.
"Well... Sir, are you aware of the situation with that villa? It’s just that..."
Alka smiled and tapped the floor with the Civilization Staff in his hand, interrupting the woman.
"Don’t worry, Madam. Of course, I’ve looked into it. I just want to experience it for myself."
As he spoke, he took a handkerchief from his left breast pocket, unfolded it, and waved it in front of the woman. With another gentle wave, a rose appeared in his hand. He placed it on the head of his Civilization Staff; when he let go, the flower seemed to have grown there. Alka extended the Civilization Staff towards her.
This simple yet rapid series of tricks made the woman flush slightly, and she couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the rose. The rose then scattered, transforming into a shower of petals—far more than a single flower could produce—that drifted towards her on the wind, carrying a faint fragrance.
Only then did Alka truly smile. "As you can see, Madam," he said, "I am a Magician. I wish to experience that villa for myself. It might provide me with some unique inspiration."
"You are quite the gentleman, and your performance was truly excellent! If you get the chance, please do invite me."
"Of course. This is a beautiful city, and I am planning to host a Magic show here sometime soon."
Alka chatted pleasantly with the woman for a while longer.
He rented the Haunted Villa for a month for the price of two Silver Snakes. Perhaps it was due to Alka’s recent performance and his somewhat distinguished speech and attire, or perhaps because the Haunted Villa was indeed difficult to rent out, but the woman readily waived his deposit. After they signed a simple contract, she handed the key to Alka.
She told Alka to go alone, assuring him that apart from a little dust, everything inside was in good condition and usable. It seemed the villa had indeed left a significant impression on the woman; she wasn’t even willing to go near it.
Before long, Alka arrived at the Haunted Villa’s gate with the key. He unlocked the outer gate, pushed it open, and walked in.
The few pedestrians nearby saw Alka’s actions and stared at him as if they had seen a ghost, then quickly hurried away. Their gazes towards Alka were filled with pity. Residents not far away also noticed that the Haunted Villa had a new tenant.
"How long will he last?" one wondered aloud.
"One night, I think. At most one night. He doesn’t look like a brave person," another replied.
A neighbor turned to the landlady, "What about you? How long do you think he’ll last? After all, he rented it from you."
The woman who had rented the villa to Alka—the landlady—was speaking with her neighbors. "I think this gentleman is quite capable," she said. "He’s a Magician; maybe he’ll manage to stay without any trouble."
They all displayed the expected nosiness towards someone daring enough to enter the Haunted Villa, and they eagerly placed bets on how long Alka would endure inside.
Meanwhile, Alka, with a hint of trepidation in his heart, inserted the key into the main door’s lock and opened it. Since the curtains inside the house were all drawn and no one had entered for some time, a faint cloud of dust drifted out.
He picked up the lantern hanging by the doorframe, twisted the knob at its base, and lit it. Carrying the lit lantern, he walked inside. A thin layer of dust covered the floor.
First, he opened all the curtains by the windows, letting sunlight stream in. Soon, the entire house warmed up. Just inside was a living room and, partially sectioned off from it, a dining room. The decor was very simple and cozy. Apart from the light layer of dust, it seemed to have no connection to a haunted house.
Alka explored the villa, opening all the remaining curtains. Then, he picked up the cleaning tools the landlady had prepared for him and began to dust. This also gave him a chance to observe the entire villa more thoroughly, looking for where the treasure might be hidden and gathering information in the process.