Cozy Isekai Craftsman, ch 16

Joe fell into step behind Sheriff Lucas, the familiar streets of the town passing by in a blur. They were headed to Old Lady Corden's house, a place Joe had visited before and knew well. He hardly needed Lucas to guide him there.

It had only been a few weeks since Joe had last visited the old woman's house. But even then, he had been struck by the clutter and grime that had accumulated over the years. So, using his unique abilities, he had set to work, cleaning every nook and cranny until the house shone like new.

To his surprise, Old Lady Corden had been more than grateful, thanking him profusely because her old body couldn’t keep up with the house since her husband passed and the children moved out. She had even slipped him extra copper coins, a sum that had proved invaluable to Joe. With the money, he had been able to pay off a fine for public indecency that Sheriff Lucas had slapped him with, much to the amusement of the lawman himself.

"Why doesn’t Grace take care of the ghost? Doesn't sorcery magic deal with spirits and stuff?" Joe asked Lucas.

"Officer Grace went back to her university for testing," Lucas said. “And I would call for a priest from one of the nearby cities, but they’re dealing with some issues of their own right now I’m not quite at liberty to get into.”

"I thought she had already graduated. Why would she need to go back for testing?" Joe asked.

"She did graduate, but you have to go back to your university or an affiliated one to raise your grade. Currently, she is a Grade G sorcerer. She's trying to raise it to a Grade F," Lucas explained. “She’ll be away for a while.”

"Oh, wow. So, it all goes all the way to...Grade A sorcery?" Joe trailed off.

"Technically, to the public it does, but there are a few S Class sorcerers," Lucas replied.

As they walked, Joe's mind drifted to memories of the Korean webtoons he used to read on his original planet. He thought about the S Class hunters, a rank that always bothered him since it felt like an unnecessary addition to an already complete alphabet. But he kept those thoughts to himself, knowing that it would only lead to a convoluted explanation.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Lucas marched forward, seemingly focused on the job at hand. Joe noticed that the lawman seemed relaxed, waving to a few neighbors as they passed by. But despite his casual demeanor, Lucas's eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, ever vigilant for any potential threats. It was the kind of instinct someone only developed after years of fighting or serving as a bodyguard.

Joe couldn't help but wonder about the sheriff's past. He was curious about the scars that crisscrossed Lucas's arms and why he chose to wield a saber instead of a normal straight sword like most of the guards of the city. But he knew better than to pry. If Lucas didn't want to share his history, then it wasn't Joe's place to push.

For now, Joe was content just being friends with the sheriff and walking beside him on this sunny day.

They arrived at Mrs. Cordon's house. She was an old lady who had a bad back and was staying at her daughter's house down the street while dealing with this whole ghost issue.

"Here we are. Apparently, this ghost was causing a lot of noise," Lucas said.

"Are ghosts dangerous?" Joe asked.

Thomas was the one who spoke up from his pendant. "Most of the time? No. Because ghosts are different from spirits. They're just memories of the people who are left behind."

Joe asked, "Aren't you a ghost, though?"

Thomas shook his head. "I don't know. I can't tell if I'm the original Thomas or if I am a memory of him. I still think and feel," he said. His voice trailed off, a clear sign he didn’t wish to talk about it anymore.

Joe didn't want to push the subject any further. It seemed a little touchy. He asked Thomas, "Well, how do we deal with ghosts?"

"Usually, you use an incantation provided by a sorcerer or have it exorcized by a priest," Thomas replied, pointedly at Lucas. “I thought several generations after establishing this Lockwood, we could afford at least multiple sorcerers. I guess I overestimated those who would succeed the town in my absence.”

Lucas put his arms up in exasperation. "Again, we're still a small town, and because of that, we only have one sorcerer. I can’t believe I’m arguing with a tiny painting. Right now, Joe is our best shot."

"What about Emily? Wasn't she able to control spirits with her hammer?" Joe asked.

"That weapon controls spirits, not ghosts. Thomas just told you that spirits aren't the same as ghosts," Lucas said.

"Oh," Joe replied. "Well, darn. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. You know how my powers work. How am I supposed to interact with a ghost?"

Lucas rolled his eyes and pointed to the pendant on Joe's chest. "Exhibit A," he said, looking down at the locket.

"Oh yeah, you're right. I already have interacted with a ghost," Joe said, feeling like an idiot.

Lucas looked at him like he was an idiot. "See what I mean? I can't believe I had to spell it out for you like this. Somehow, you were able to transfer the presence of one ghost in a painting to that little necklace,," Lucas said. “Do you still have that broken soul crystal? You could use that.”

Joe pulled it out of his pocket. "It still has some power left in it. Hopefully I can still use it."

Thomas piped up, "If it's too much for you to handle. Transfer it in here with me. I'll beat it up. I learned fisticuffs from my father. He was a continental champion."

"That's cool," Joe replied. "But hopefully, it doesn't have to come to that."

Lucas said, "So you'll take care of it.”

Joe sighed. "I'll try. I can't promise anything. I've never had to deal with a ghost outside of an object like this before. Thomas was inside of a painting, trapped there. I don’t know if my power will work on a ghost that’s just flying around of its own accord.”

Lucas waved at him while walking away. "You'll figure it out. I trust you. Report to my office when it’s done. Think of this as a repayment for helping you fix the house."

It was the kind of statement someone said when they were too busy dealing with their own stuff.

Joe couldn't help but feel grateful that the sheriff had put his faith in him. After all, it was a perfect way to repay Lucas for helping him patch up the front wall of the old mansion. With a sense of purpose, he stepped through the open and unlocked front door. Inside, he felt the cool air wrap around him like a blanket. His fingers ran along the wall as he used his unique ability to sense the room as a whole, not just individual pieces.

Summoning the property window took a fierce exertion of his will. But when it appeared, he began to scroll through the list with rapt attention, searching for any signs of a ghostly presence. As he focused on the task at hand, he barely noticed when Thomas appeared behind him.

"Anything interesting?" Thomas inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Joe's eyes remained fixed on the property window, scanning every inch of the list. "Not yet," he said with a hint of disappointment. "It's a pretty long list since it encompasses everything in the room. But I'll keep looking."

"I wish I could read that and figure that out for you," Thomas said.

The thought occurred to his mind. "When was the last time you were able to read something?"

Thomas thought about it for a second and then said, "One of Ava's ancestors used to hold up books for me to read and flip the pages. It was pretty tiring to do that for him, but he was a good lad."

"Wow, sounds like you had a pretty interesting and nice family," Joe replied.

"I did, and I'm glad that you reintroduced me to the ones remaining," Thomas said.

Joe walked around the room, trying to find signs of a ghost. He asked Thomas, "Do ghosts leave behind anything like ectoplasm?"

"Echo what? I don't know what that is," Thomas replied.

Joe sighed. "Okay." He went to another room, the kitchen, scrolling down its properties on the property list of his ability. He did find something odd that he hadn't noticed before. It might have been there before, but he wasn't trying to look for any signs of a ghost.

He said to Thomas, "I think I found something."

Thomas asked, "What?"

Joe responded, "Sulfur. I don't think Mrs. Corden is running around using sulfur to add to her food, right?"

Thomas hummed silently and thought. He said, "It could be a demon, but most likely not."

Joe asked, "What makes you say that?"

Thomas said, "Demons are territorial, and if it was a demon, it would attack whoever was nearby right away. Mrs. Cordon wouldn't be here if that was the case, and most likely, with your weak, scrawny little body, neither would you."

Joe slapped the locket and said, "Hey, are we done making fun of my scrawny little body?"

Thomas laughed and said, "It only hurts if it's true."

Joe promised him, "I'm going to find a way to make you feel things again so I can punch you in the face." Thomas was quiet after that. Something sounded from above, the sound of scuttling or footsteps maybe. Joe looked upward, and Thomas said, "Sounds like it came from the second floor."

Joe said, "Yeah." He knew where the staircase was and walked up slowly. He asked, "Are you sure ghosts can't hurt me?"

Thomas said, "Yes, they can only interact with inanimate objects at a slight level, think the pressure of a feather."

Joe said, "So they can't pick up a sword hanging on a mantle and slice me with it?" He thought about all the horror movies that he watched on his original planet and how powerful ghosts seemed to be, but apparently, on this planet, that wasn't the case.

Thomas said, "No, ghosts are incredibly weak, and not just physically but weak-willed as well. If you're able to talk to them, and they understand you, there's a high likelihood that you can resolve whatever mental malady forced them to stay here."

Joseph made his way up the creaky staircase, ascending to the second floor with a sense of purpose. Thomas was a font of knowledge when it came to all things supernatural, second only to the goddess Quinn herself. The man in the locket had assured Joe that ghosts posed no threat to him. With that knowledge in mind, Joe pushed aside any lingering apprehension.

Reaching the second floor hallway, he ran his hand along the rough surface of the wall. As he moved towards somebody's window, he felt a sudden jolt of energy run through him. His eyes widened as he saw the unmistakable sign of sulfur, but this time with a new twist: sulfur plus five. The sound that had been haunting him returned once more, but this time it seemed to be coming from above him, on the ceiling.

Thomas said, "You know, I saw a window outside that was above this place, above this room, and didn't say anything because I thought it was decorative."

Joe said, "There might be an attic, but I don't see any seams.

Joe's fingers brushed against the rough surface of the wall as he scanned the property list once more. His eyes narrowed as he searched for any clue that might lead him to the mansion's attic. But when nothing appeared, he knew it was time to take matters into his own hands.

Reaching out, he grasped the broom by its wooden handle. With a careful touch, he lifted it up and poked it towards the ceiling, being mindful not to leave any marks or cause any damage to the aging structure. With his unique ability, he knew that even if he did make a mess, he could clean it up with ease and store the debris in one of his pebbles.

He prodded the broom upwards, feeling a sense of anticipation growing within him. And then, with a sudden thud, the broom hit something solid - something that seemed heavier than the old wooden beams that made up the ceiling. Joe couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. He had found something, and he knew that he was one step closer to solving the mystery of the mansion's attic.

"Uh-huh, I found it," he said, clicking it harder. Again. With the broom, something rattled.

Thomas yelled, "Jump back!"

Joe did as he was told and leaped back a few feet as stairs dropped from above, revealing an attic opening.

Joe said. "Whoa. Thanks for that.”

Thomas replied, "Thank me later. Let's figure out what's up there. I'm excited. It would be nice to talk to a fellow ghost. Maybe she's pretty and can keep me company."

Joe said, "You're a dirty old man."

Thomas replied, "Watch your mouth, boy, or I'll come out of this and haunt your dreams."

It was said jokingly, and Joe liked the banter. Even though he had never seen a ghost before and Thomas had assured him it wouldn't hurt him, he was still a little scared. He had been raised on horror movies with ghosts that could kill people.

He walked up the dusty attic stairs and reflexively cleaned them with omnibus pebbles. The attic stairs creaked, and when he got up there, he found a small room. It was incredibly small, and as Thomas had said, there was a window, but it was broken.

"The glass is on the inside," Thomas observed. "That means something broke through the window from the outside." Joe agreed. "It's probably a bird that smelled terrible in the room."

Joe put his hand on the attic floor and, among the attic's properties, he cleaned it into one of his pebbles and placed the pebble in his pocket. However, one property on the list stood out to him, even after he cleaned everything. It said "dried blood." He told Thomas, and Thomas speculated, "Maybe it was eating rats."

Joe said, "That explains the bad smell. It smells terrible here." Joe stepped off the staircase and walked around the attic. He hunched over, making sure not to hit his head on the ceiling. He looked around and in the back corner, he saw several dead animals. They were down to the bone and rotting. There were some stains nearby, which explained the dried blood.

Joe said, "Hey, you were right."

Thomas sniffed. "Of course, I was."

Joe's heart pounded in his chest as he followed the sound of rattling. His eyes scanned the dusty shelves that lined the sidewall, searching for the source of the noise. And then he saw it - a lone shelf had been pushed or pulled away from the wall, revealing a small alcove. Joe approached the opening cautiously, aware of the eerie silence that hung in the air.

As he peered into the alcove, Joe noticed a couple of dusty books sitting on the shelf. He made sure not to touch anything, using one of his pebbles to carefully clean the area instead. Suddenly, there was a sound - something that didn't sound like a human. Joe stepped back, his heart racing as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

With his back to the window, it was difficult to see anything. Joe held his breath, his fear slowly transforming into excitement. He was about to see a ghost - and he knew that it wouldn't harm him. The anticipation was almost too much to bear. He couldn't wait to share this incredible discovery with the others at the tavern.

A small figure no bigger than a large cat stepped out from behind the shelf. It was not a ghost, but Joe was not disappointed.

"A dog," Thomas explained. "That's not a ghost," he added.

Joe was not sad or disappointed. He stayed very still. He had experience with dogs in his past and he loved dogs. But this one looked a bit frightened. It looked like a poodle.

Thomas said excitedly, "Touch it."

Joe hesitated, "It might bite me. Plus, it looks scared."

Thomas asked, "How did it get through that window?"

Joe said, "A good question."

The dog barked at him, a tiny little bark, but it was full of grit. He was incredibly thin. Joe said, "Hey there, fella. I don't mean any harm."

He slowly walked forward, keeping his hand out front and one hand on one knee on the ground. His ex-girlfriend had taught him to look away from the dog as a sign that he felt safe enough around the dog to keep his eye off of them. He did as his ex-girlfriend taught him and then looked back at the dog.

The dog looked a little less scared but still incredibly cautious. Joe didn't approach it any further and waited silently for the dog to get closer. It was a long couple of minutes, but then the dog shook and finally took a single step. Joe wanted to keep quiet, but Thomas said, "Hey, it worked!"

The dog's eyes widened, and then they flared red. There was a smell of sulfur that exploded in the room, filling Joe's nose with a scent of rotten eggs. And then the dog yelped again. This time, black wings that looked like bat wings flapped open from its back.

Joe froze.

Thomas yelled, "Run, boy! You need to get out right now!"

Joe did as he was told and backed away, going down the staircase as fast as he could without tripping. The dog kept barking at them, over and over again. Joe stared at the dog, and

Thomas said, "What are you doing? You need to get out of the house right now!"

Joe listened and ran down the stairs and out of the house. He was a little out of breath and asked, "What was that about? Why did you tell me to leave?"

Thomas said, "That's not a normal dog. That's a hellhound."