The Inside of the Mansion

"Something is seriously wrong here. That worm-like thing has traces of laws."

George continued to hold his dagger in his right hand while staring at the fountain.

"Traces of laws? Is that dangerous?" Hester hesitantly asked. From George's reaction, something was not right with the castle mansion.

"Anything from attacks to spells with traces of laws amplifies whatever effects it has. An attack with law traces amplifies the power of it to a terrifying degree. An area of effect healing spell with law traces drastically amplifies the healing speed and how far it can go. Anything with law traces can be very powerful."

George did not hold back on explaining and continued:

"There's no way for this anomaly to possess law traces. That is something only a danger two can manipulate, but that is only traces compared to the full control a danger one anomaly can wield."

"A-Are you suggesting this is a danger two now?!" Hester's face turned pale again as his legs started shaking. A danger five seemed scary enough, but a danger two sounded unfathomable.

"It's not an impossibility." George unconsciously rubbed his beard in thought. "Most anomalies are stuck at the level they were constructed at, but some intelligent ones possess the ability to grow stronger by eating others. Even more rare are some that do that and disguise as the original to make other intelligent anomalies think they are weak."

"Another way to make non-intelligent normal anomalies grow is by an outsider feeding them, but I doubt most people would know the way without having sufficient knowledge of how they work. Even I don't know how, but I think it involves their central core or something."

"What should we do? Do we still have to enter?" Hester clung to his sword like a baby.

"Naturally if we wish to leave. Regardless of the anomaly being a danger five or a danger two, we still have to go in and get the key. I don't feel like wasting too much time. We're already behind schedule." George carefully walked around the fountain and approached the front entrance.

Hester avoided looking into the fountain and closely followed behind George.

George was being cautious upon realizing something was wrong. He had to prepare for any attacks or traps. With Hester being involved, there was an even bigger incentive.

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The two carefully approached the double wooden door entrance.

The royal-like doors towered over them. There was an iron knock hook attached to the doors which is commonly used for knocking before doorbells.

Naturally, George did not use the metal hooks for knocking.

He carefully peered inside through the high quality glass frame lining the double door. It was hard to see though since the glass is purposefully designed to be warped with many colors infused into it.

"Um, how dangerous are danger twos?" Whispered Hester behind George.

"I'm not gonna explain much since we're short on time, but they are still very powerful and not to be messed with. With some basic manipulation over a few laws, they can overwhelm even an S-rank adventurer. A few of them can move and have some basic intelligence."

George whispered this to him while carefully grabbed the doorknob.

He tried to turn it but it seemed to be knocked.

*sizzle*

A hissing sound came from his hand as steam rose.

Upon taking his hand off, George looked at his left hand which was red and forming many blisters.

"A-Are you okay?" Hester gasped in fear upon seeing the state of his hand.

"Nothing much." George's iris' glowed a faint red again but without the aura. The hand rapidly healed and the blisters disappeared as if nothing had happened.

The mystery of George increased in Hester's mind.

"H-How did you do that?"

"It's a secret. More importantly, that trap is much stronger than before. It would normally not be able to burn me." George maintained his glowing iris' and the dagger in his right hand released a faint demonic shimmer around its body.

With a swipe, the dagger dug into the door like it was butter.

George cut around the door handle in a circular fashion. The door handle fell off and he caught it with his other hand before it hit the ground. He gently placed in on the ground before peering inside the hole he made.

The interior was pitch black, so nothing could be seen aside from the faint light from the door hole hitting a patch of floor a few feet away. The patch of floor was wooden.

"Hester, place yourself against the right wall beside this door with a hole a few feet away." George whispered to him, still peering inside.

Hester obeyed his instructions and moved to the right wall a few feet away.

"I'm gonna open this door wide and hug the wall you are currently hugging, alright?"

"Y-Yes." His hand holding the sword was shaking.

"One... two... three..."

George grabbed the hole in the door and pulled on it. The door swung wide open while he hugged the wall at the same time. High tension filled the air as the door made a loud creaking sound.

Nothing happened. Silence followed afterward.

Hester released the breath he was holding and tried to breathe.

"Just making sure nothing jumps out." George moved from behind the opened door and peeked inside.

The light from the outside illumination a portion of the hall inside.

Seeing no enemies or creatures, George casually walked inside unlike the caution from before.

"G-George, why are you walking in like that?" Hester refused to walk in.

"Just follow behind me. You'll be safe with me here. We don't have time to waste." George motioned for him to come in with impatience on his face.

Hester gritted his teeth but slowly walked in with unsteady steps.

*bam!*

The door abruptly slammed shut as the doorknob reappeared on the door.

"Ah!" Hester yelled at the sound and fell over as the hall went pitch black. The only light became George's glowing demonic iris' in the darkness.

Then suddenly, light filled the room as the candles on a beautiful chandelier lit one by one. What followed was the tall metal candelabras and the short ones atop stands.

The lighting revealed the standard architecture of what a medieval mansion would have befitting of a rich noble lord.

Strange paintings of unknown figures lined the wall, and mysterious items and vases sat atop stands. High class furniture like seats sat against the walls as well.

Two sets of stairs with polished dark wooden railing lined both sides of the wall at the end of the hall, going to a top floor in a curved fashion. A double door sat between the two stairs leading to another unknown room.

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Notes:

Candelabras - a large branched candlestick or holder for several candles or lamps.