Chapter 15

My eyes are reflecting a moment from the past.

A strange phenomenon visible only because this research institute exists outside of time.

A fragment of the past when the Central Research Institute had just been established.

Back when the Object was classified at a national level.

When researchers secretly studied, bureaucrats collected Objects, and the media distorted information.

It was 30 years ago—a time when only government researchers could access that knowledge.

She had said it once:

“Director, don’t look so serious! The Object must have appeared to grant wishes. It’s like a gift from some benevolent fairy trying to help humanity. If we keep wishing hard enough, I believe a happy world will surely come!”

She wasn’t a researcher, nor an elite, nor even a bureaucrat.

Just a woman caught up in the chaos of the Object.

Even after being paralyzed from the waist down by a poltergeist incident, she still spouted such ridiculous optimism.

“I can’t ask her again… but I want to.”

“Why is the Object so cruel?”

“Could you give the same answer now as back then?”

The woman in the vision was smiling brightly.

“If the Object grants wishes, then perhaps humanity’s desires are truly this grotesque.”

As I sent away the apparition of a woman who once existed in this director’s office, I waited for another vision.

A glimpse of a future scene taking place right here in this office.

The future everyone at the institute hopes for.

Though I don’t know when exactly, it’s certain that the day will come.

***

An awkward standoff with the Yellow Man.

While the man was extremely tense, I had no reason to be—but this kind of atmosphere is always uncomfortable regardless.

I dispersed my ghosting and stepped onto solid ground.

The man and woman were startled by my sudden appearance mid-air, but their reactions afterward were quite different.

The man grew more cautious and tense, while the woman visibly relaxed her guard.

Most people feel fear upon seeing me due to unsettling rumors, but there are some who inexplicably feel drawn to me instead. This woman seemed to be one of those types.

Squatting down to meet her gaze, she grinned and slowly approached.

“????”

The man looked seriously confused by her behavior, wearing an expression akin to ‘Why is she acting so recklessly all of a sudden?’ But the woman paid him no mind, focusing solely on getting my attention.

Though her actions reminded me of someone encountering a curious wild animal, I found myself involuntarily stepping closer anyway.

“Senior! He’s coming over here!”

“…”

The woman sounded excited, while the man seemed at a loss for words. She appeared far too engrossed to notice his unease.

Does she rarely experience joy? Even just slowly approaching me made her chest seem to burn with excitement.

“Hmm, do you remember that the Gray Reaper is classified as a Special Hazard Level Object?”

“…”

Her hand trembled as it slowly extended toward me. Her expression was so serious it was almost frightening—like something that would terrify any wild animal into fleeing.

Her slow approach was starting to irritate me, and her trembling hands made me feel sorry for her, so I simply reached out and grabbed hers.

“Waah!!”

She screamed in surprise, trying to pull away, but then quickly tightened her grip on my hand.

“I’m holding your hand!”

“Don’t clutch so hard!”

“And doesn’t it smell nice?”

Before long, she had pulled me into her embrace and was exclaiming in delight.

Well, she might be loud, but if she provides fuel for the fire, I’ll count it as dinner.

***

My head hurts.

Why? Because my junior detective started spouting nonsense.

“Senior! Let’s sneak this thing back to the detective agency! It seems harmless, right?”

The junior was waving the Gray Reaper’s hand around enthusiastically.

Looking at how completely unconcerned he is about the Reaper’s terrifying reputation makes me wonder if he’s really my subordinate.

Of course, I’ve adjusted my perspective slightly.

Through my monocle, the Reaper looked extremely dangerous, but “the Gray Reaper isn’t actually dangerous,” I concluded.

The downside of my monocle is that it only reveals part of an Object’s abilities. Perhaps there’s something within the Gray Reaper’s unknown powers that counteracts its fearsome reputation.

Ultimately, my initial judgment was correct: most incidents involving the Gray Reaper are likely misunderstandings.

“Yeah, sure. Do whatever you want with the Reaper. But shouldn’t we focus on escaping first?”

“Ah! That’s true. Escape first!”

“The first condition for escape is surviving three days. Fortunately, our situation has improved significantly. Surviving three days should be easier than expected.”

The junior wore a puzzled look. “Huh? Why did the situation suddenly improve? Nothing seems different.”

“That’s because we now have the Gray Reaper under control.”

“??”

Seeing his innocent face brought another headache rushing in.

“Do you know why the institute hasn’t released the Hungry Ghost yet?”

“Yes! Probably because losing skilled personnel like researchers would cause massive losses for the Central Research Institute, right?”

“Then why aren’t they letting the researchers escape? They could release the Hungry Ghost immediately after everyone escapes, couldn’t they?”

The junior replied with an annoyed tone. “Heheh. If they let everyone escape, the Gray Reaper could slip away among them. Isn’t that obvious?”

I smacked the junior’s head with my cane in frustration.

“So, that’s why things are better now. As long as we don’t know where the Gray Reaper is, they can’t let the researchers escape.”

“Huh? But the Gray Reaper already passed through isolation before. Why does the institute assume it can’t escape?”

“Hmm… I don’t know why they judged that way. Still, the fact that the Gray Reaper hasn’t tried escaping suggests something, doesn’t it? No one stays in such a dreary place willingly.”

Judging by the Reaper’s restless glances, it seems like it would leave as soon as it loses interest. Yet, since it’s still here, maybe the lab’s outer walls function similarly to the isolation chamber?

“Ahh…”

One major issue remained.

“Yes? Did you call me?”

“Now your role becomes crucial. Can you keep the Reaper entertained?”

We need to capture the Gray Reaper’s attention using its ghosting ability to prevent it from leaving.

***

Three days have passed since meeting the detective duo.

It turned out to be unexpectedly enjoyable. Thanks to their relentless efforts, I never got bored.

Surprisingly, the stories told by the male detective were the most entertaining.

Though exaggerated, his tales of detective work were fascinating when woven together.

However, I felt no spark of attraction or repulsion toward him. He clearly has no particular feelings toward me.

On the other hand, the female side leaned more toward doll play. While not particularly fun, her excessive friendliness produced the opposite effect compared to the detective.

“It’ll be three days soon.”

“Thanks for everything these past few days.”

During these three days, they worked hard not just playing with me but also doing many other tasks.

The woman, being temporary staff, had to periodically report for duty.

The man busied himself avoiding periodic searches, erasing traces, and ensuring I stayed off surveillance cameras.

Fortunately, the woman, being a staff member, could smuggle food and water, which would otherwise have been much harder without her.

The woman stood beside the detective, arms full of documents, while the man checked his pocket watch, timing carefully.

Placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder, he tapped his cane twice on the floor.

Nothing happened despite his repeated attempts.

“It’s not working.”

“What do we do now?”

Whatever plan they had appears to have failed.

***

Three days have passed. My junior seemed to enjoy the ordeal carefree, though it was rather exhausting. Thankfully, the Reaper’s interest in my stories helped.

Now, escape means completing the case.

Beside me stood my junior, arms filled with documents. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I tapped my cane twice on the floor.

“It’s not working.”

“What do we do now?”

No matter how many times I tried, the teleportation Object refused to move me to my desired location. Though I’ve never heard of Objects malfunctioning, something must be interfering.

Glancing at the Gray Reaper, who sat puffing cheeks like a hamster while munching snacks, I wondered aloud.

“The Object’s acting up. We need Plan B.”

“Wow! There’s a Plan B?”

“Nope. We’ll have to make one.”

Lighting my pipe, I repeated earnestly:

“Watson, did you discover anything useful here?”

The smoke swirling from my pipe dyed the air red, reminiscent of Watson’s gas lamp.

And suddenly, Watson’s gas lamp appeared in my hand.

“Eek, are you really going to use that? Feels kinda sketchy…”

Ignoring the junior’s usual concerns, I asked Watson:

“Watson, someone is blocking my movement. Any idea why?”

[Director’s Office]

The smoke formed bloody-red letters.

Hmm, there’s an Object in the Director’s Office preventing my teleportation. Guess I’ll have to check it out.

With practiced ease, I extinguished the gas lamp flame. Somewhere in the distance, a giggling sound echoed faintly.