"What the fuck…"
Ryuga mumbled, unable to believe what he was seeing. But it was right there in front of him. There was no way to deny it. That was the reality.
Shaking his head, he raised his right arm. "Wait, wait, wait. So, you're telling me that when you searched the place… it was spotless. Fuck…"
"See… I-I don't know what to say. But something is really off here. How could something like this happen? Perhaps—"
Ryuga immediately shot him a glare, already knowing what Naoya-san was about to say.
"Don't you dare say it. This isn't some supernatural act, it's just cleaning. The place was cleaned."
"Yeah, I get it. But looking at the implications, how could such a big place be cleaned so thoroughly and in such a short amount of time?"
Even Ryuga couldn't refute that. Cleaning the master bedroom alone would have been a monumental task, one that required time and effort.
Still, there had to be an explanation, something he wasn't seeing yet.
"Wait a minute…"
Naoya-san's ears perked up. "What is it? Did you figure something out?"
"Precisely that. Do you remember I told you about a person who called out to Hina when she was on the ground floor?"
"Yeah, I remember. You brushed it off, thinking it was some random homeless guy. Even the police didn't find anyone there."
"Yeah… Now that I think about it, a normal person wouldn't choose to live inside a haunted mansion. No matter how desperate they are. Well, it's not a certainty, but most wouldn't.
"But what I'm thinking is… what if it wasn't just one homeless person, but a group of them? What if this group of squatters cleaned the room before the police arrived?"
"But why would they want to do that?"
"Actually, it's pretty simple. They need the mansion to live. And if they want to live there without trouble, the easiest way to do that is to make the place inaccessible. If they curate the mansion and popularize it as a haunted place, nobody would go there, and they could stay without much trouble."
His points seemed extremely plausible. They explained both the cause and the reason. If there was a large group of squatters living there, it was reasonable for them to clean the place within minutes or at most, half an hour.
Still, there was one missing piece of the puzzle.
"But why did the body change too?"
"What?"
"I said the body was preserved. It was bruise-free, the skin was alive, the organs were stable, and most importantly, there was no stench."
That question drew another reaction from Ryuga. His eyes trembled again as he ran a hand through his hair and let out a wry laugh.
"D-did these squatters kill someone to make the place seem more authentic?"
The mere thought was grim. Yes, they were desperate people, but for desperation to reach a level where they'd kill another person… that was just vile.
Yet, none of this truly surprised Ryuga. It was human nature. No matter how much a person preaches about humanity, kindness, or benevolence, at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, humans always reveal their darkest side.
A side so vile that one could no longer recognize them as their former selves. And one couldn't even blame them. After all, life was survival, and everyone wanted to survive.
What concerned Ryuga the most was that he and his friends had spent an entire night in such a place.
They had spent the night with murderers, and Hina had been mere inches away from becoming a victim.
The implications were clear. Naoya-san seemed to understand the storm of thoughts swirling in Ryuga's mind. He gently rubbed his back, offering quiet reassurance.
"Don't worry, no harm done, no harm taken. All that matters is that you and your friends are safe. The police will handle the matter with the squatters. You just focus on the case at hand."
"Kk, will do just that."
Just as their conversation ended, Mr. Kurodo, his wife, and their son entered the living room carrying snacks, tea, and drinks.
Mrs. Kurodo, a middle-aged woman with pale skin and formal attire, greeted the duo warmly.
Beside her stood their son, Kurodo Renji—a medium-statured boy with neatly styled black hair, fair skin, sharp black eyes, and a slender frame. He gave them a polite wave.
Ryuga and Naoya-san stood to greet them in return. Afterward, everyone settled down to eat.
Mr. Kurodo began first. "Uh, Mr. Naoya, this is my son, Renji. He's a shy and kind boy, yet all these things keep happening to him. You can see how skinny he is. He almost looks like a twig."
That remark earned him a sharp back elbow from his wife. He let out a muffled shriek of pain but managed to keep it under control.
Mrs. Kurodo ignored him and smiled at their guests. "Hahaha, my husband likes to joke around. He has a very jolly nature… but what he said isn't wrong either. My boy has really lost his luster. I just hope you two can help him get better. And don't worry about the cost, if he recovers, we'll spend as much as we need to."
Concern filled her voice, and her hopeful gaze carried a weight of expectations that felt almost suffocating.
'Such a kind person, haah. And it's always the kind ones who end up getting conned. What a pity.'
Ryuga's eyes drifted toward the supposed main character of the scene, the black-haired boy, Renji. He was described as kind and shy.
'Well, I don't know if he's kind or shy, but he sure as hell is one hell of a con artist.'