2nd floor.

Go Yeongeun now confidently asked the guide machine,

“Did guests who completed their tour go downstairs from the 2nd floor to head home?”

Nod.

"...!"

It's over.

This essentially gave us the answer we were looking for.

'If the exit is above the basement and below the 2nd floor...'

That only leaves the 1st floor.

"Then we just need to go to the 1st floor and ask about the entrance...!"

"Let's hurry!"

"Yes!"

For once, Baek Saheon and Go Yeongeun were in agreement.

'To think the entrance was actually on the 1st floor like in modern buildings. What a coincidence that it matches up like this.'

A wave of exhaustion hit me, considering how we’d taken the long way around, but the excitement of finally finding an exit overrode it and I increased my pace. 

Now we just need to find the exit and tell the managers waiting on the terrace, and everything will be set.

“– Oh my, is your exhibition tour over? What a shame. I don't think we've properly explored even five halls yet…”

Haha. If we look around any longer, your friend's eyes, nose and mouth might disappear.

I could pass out before that even happens!

'We're barely holding on now with three people huddled together holding a light.'

I gave a reassuring pat to the pocket holding Braun, then moved on.

Go Yeongeun's steps grew more confident as she held the candle.

That determination didn't waver even when we met the guide machine on the 1st floor. It seems her desire to leave quickly overwhelmed all fear.

"Hello!"

Once again, the machine responded politely, influenced by the candle, and Go Yeongeun took a deep breath before making her request forcefully.

"Please guide us to the entrance!"

But…

......

Silence.

The machine stood motionless.

"...?"

There was no response.

"N-No way."

Go Yeongeun looked at the candle with a pale face. She seemed worried that perhaps the candle wasn't working.

The candle was shining perfectly fine.

After checking a few more times, Go Yeongeun spoke again with a trembling voice.

"Please... guide us to the entrance."

Silence again.

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere turned ice cold.

'Damn it.'

I opened my mouth.

"...Goral."

"Y-Yes..."

"Ask like this."

I said a familiar phrase, and as Go Yeongeun repeated it, her eyes darkened with dread.

“Did guests who completed their tour go downstairs from this floor… to head home?” ...If so, please nod."

Nod.

"...!!"

The guide machine's testimony contradicted itself.

"Why..."

Go Yeongeun swallowed.

"The machine in the basement clearly said people leaving went up...!"

"That's right."

A chill ran down my spine.

'What on earth is going on?'

This doesn't add up, does it?

The one in the basement urged us to go upstairs, but the one here is telling us to go downstairs.

Even if there were multiple exits nearby, this doesn't make sense. The signals are completely contradictory.

'I thought it was strange that there were so few survivors in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> for an exit that's obviously on the 1st floor.'

"Instead of wasting time saying the same useless things, why don't we go to the basement and ask directly? The candle is still burning, so let’s not waste it."

"...Ah."

At Baek Saheon's urging, we set off to find the stairs to the basement.

That journey down to the basement somehow felt long and heavy...

And the result was.

Nod.

"Go up? Damn it..."

We got the exact same response as when I had asked before.

According to the guide machine, guests who finished their tour on the basement 1st floor definitely went up.

"..."

"..."

Even Baek Saheon fell silent now.

Everyone’s heads were a mess.

"Um."

Go Yeongeun hung her head low.

"Actually... maybe there's no such thing as an exit?"

"...!"

"There are lots of urban legends like that, right? Places that just deceive and torment you, making you suffer more by giving false hope..."

She's right.

But not this time.

"There's definitely an exit."

This wasn't just because I had read the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.

"Remember? Didn't we receive a briefing manual before entering?"

Even though the information was corrupted and turned into an exhibition invitation.

"People who successfully escaped through the exit were the ones who created survival records, and that’s how it was registered in Daydream Inc. as a darkness."

"Ah...!"

Go Yeongeun lifted her head.

"Yeah, you're right."

Then after taking a deep breath, she continued in a much clearer voice.

"Phew! I'm sorry. At times like this, we shouldn't get caught up in emotions. There must be a correct answer."

"Yes."

It may seem contradictory, but there must be something we haven't thought of yet...

As we were lost in thought,

"Hey."

Baek Saheon looked at me with an odd expression and asked.

"Your doll."

"Braun?"

"Yeah. Braun... what does it say?"

“– I'm waiting for my friend's brilliant answer!”

Of course, he wasn't asking because he thought Braun was really talking, but because he thought I was a lunatic who conversed with dolls...

'I get that you want to hear a different idea.'

I deliberately stared at Baek Saheon for a moment before speaking.

"How could a doll talk?"

"..."

"Think before you speak."

Baek Saheon clenched his fist!

"But throwing out ideas isn't a bad suggestion in itself."

"...!"

"Goral, do you have any ideas?"

"Ah, well..."

"Try to be as positive as possible. Assume there's definitely an exit nearby."

"Then... a secret space?"

Go Yeongeun furrowed her brow.

"Like how there might be an attic above the top floor, maybe there's another space between the basement and ground floor? Like a parking lot..."

I've never read about that kind of secret space in this exhibition hall.

Of course, it's possible. There's a clear difference between experiencing something directly and reading about it.

Sometimes you can't match up what you know with what you see.

'I didn't even realize the windows were actually doors to the terrace.'

But... the exit should be in a more obvious location than that.

'Conceptually, it's strange for the main entrance to be in a secret space.'

So, the exit is in plain sight, but we just haven't noticed it.

Due to preconceptions, ways of thinking, cultural factors...

"...!"

Wait a second.

"R-Roe Deer?"

I jumped to my feet.

Looking down at Baek Saheon who stared at me in surprise, and Go Yeongeun who couldn't turn around due to the candle's effect.

"Do you have enough energy left to go up and down the stairs a few more times?"

"What?"

"I-I do, but."

"Then let's move."

"Huh?"

I stood up.

"We need to go up to the top floor."

"...??"

We’re back at the stairs.

"...We just go up, right?"

"Yes."

We started walking.

But instead of just climbing until the next floor appeared, I counted.

One floor.

Two floors.

Three floors...

Until no more stairs appeared.

"Huff…"

"Whew..."

I looked up.

"This is the top."

We had climbed to the very top of this massive mansion.

We encountered guide machines about three times on the way up, and each time my fellow new hires asked them questions, the answers were the same.

Both of them must be thinking,

‘Why are we climbing up when the guides are asking us to go down?'

The answer to that question was on the top floor itself.

"Goral, how many floors do you think we climbed?"

"Huh? Well... Oh?"

"..."

"Wait a minute. If I counted correctly..."

"Six floors."

Baek Saheon said.

"This is the 6th floor, not the 7th!"

That's right.

"Didn't you say this mansion had 7 floors?!"

– This historic mansion is comprised of seven floors above ground… and 7,221 floors below ground.

This time it contradicts Braun's explanation.

But Braun is a "good friend" so he doesn't lie.

So... if everything is true, then...

"..."

I see.

"You lied about the 7th floor on pur—"

I interrupted Baek Saheon.

"Goral, did you know?"

"Hey!"

There are many ghost stories like this too.

A situation that logically leads to the correct answer for some people, but illogically doesn't produce an answer for others.

Due to cultural and environmental differences.

Ghost stories that thrill you with that creepiness.

It's a different type, but just like how I found the clown picture before because I knew the difference between clowns and pierrot, it's like that darkness from before.

Environmental knowledge.

"The way floors are counted in buildings differs depending on the culture."

"...Huh?"

"In the US, and East Asian countries including Korea where we live, floor numbers start from 1."

However…

"But in other cultures, they use a slightly different system."

The reason why the stairs from the ground floor to the basement 1st floor felt especially long…

It wasn't just our perception.

"They start from floor 0."

"...!"

The floor is sometimes called the Ground Floor.

"This mansion probably does have 7 floors above ground. From floor 0 to floor 6…"

I looked down the stairs.

"Now we just need to go to the 1st floor and ask for directions to floor 0."

And that's what we did.

* * *

– Please guide us to floor 0.

Following the path the 1st floor guide machine led us to, we surprisingly found a staircase of a whole different pattern on the opposite side of the main hall.

A massive double spiral staircase.

And if we follow either side of that spiral down... of course, we could go to the bronze-colored basement 1st floor exhibition hall, just like when we went down before.

But we could also choose to stop halfway and open a huge door.

And so I opened that door.

Creeeeak.

A grand and elegant space filled with silver light spread out before us.

It wasn't an exhibition hall.

It was... the lobby.

"...!!"

Floor 0, functioned solely as a lobby without exhibits, so there was no need to create a passage from the regular stairs that connected the exhibition halls.

We had finally entered that floor through the most orthodox route.

And right in front of our eyes, a stained glass door...

"...The main entrance."

Though we couldn't see outside due to the bright light flooding in, it was certain.

We had finally found the exit.

"We're saved!!"

"Haaaa..."

Shouts and sighs of relief echoed through the lobby.

Along with cries of joy.

"Roe Deer! Your deduction was right! Right again! Waaaaaah!! Let's get out of here right now!"

Really. I sincerely want to scream with joy and run out right away, but...

"I need to find the superiors and leave with them.”

"Ah, right!! Then... you'll need the candle."

After gauging how much of the candle was left, Go Yeongeun boldly declared

"...Let's go together quickly!"

"Yes. Thank you."

Really, truly, thank you...

I've already used up all my energy just wandering around here alone looking for you, my colleagues...

And so Miss Go Yeongeun made a choice befitting her character.

Of course, Baek Saheon did too.

Meaning he immediately headed straight for the door without any hesitation.

"Do what you want. I'm leaving!"

Suit yourself.

I stared blankly at Baek Saheon.

'I should observe what effect or reaction occurs when exiting through the door.'

But Baek Saheon hesitated.

"..."

"..."

And slowly backed away from the entrance.

'...?'

Why?

"I thought you were leaving?"

"...After confirming someone else leaves first."

Well then.

'It would be more convenient in many ways if he just left.'

Feeling slightly disappointed, I glanced at Baek Saheon and turned away.

“– Hahaha... This is quite an amusing situation, Roe Deer!”

I don't find it very funny, but it's comforting that someone does...

“– Now you have to go tell your ordinary superiors the location of the exit, is that right?”

That's right.

'Though they're not particularly ordinary people...'

I don't know how many times I've roamed this mansion... My legs feel like they're about to fall off, but let's hurry.

“– Just a moment. Do your legs hurt, my friend?”

“– Oh, then it seems it's time to introduce my new ability.”

...Huh?

'New ability?'

“– That's right! Thanks to the wonderful bath my dear friend gifted me, I'll show you my rejuvenated power…”

“– Now then, please take me out of your pocket.”

The tone was slightly boastful, but strangely, there was also a hint of gratitude in the peculiar way of speaking.

Anyway, I took the plushie out of my pocket as instructed.

"Roe Deer?"

"Please wait a moment."

“– That's right. You won't have to wait long! A true host is always prepared... Like this!”

Snap!

A dull snapping sound rang out from the plushie’s fingerless hand.

And I...

Somehow, I felt like something had 'opened up' in my chest and mouth.

A sense of resonance.

A strange feeling like a vast space had been created…

[Ah.]

"...!!"

"Y-Your voice..."

I closed my mouth.

The vibrations coming through my vocal cords resonated throughout the entire lobby.

“– Not bad at all.”

“– In my show, any guest can comfortably and accurately convey their words to the audience and viewers without raising their voice.”

That's...

'A microphone?'

“– Ah, what a common way to put it!”

“– Roe Deer, you, my dear friend's words will be clearly transmitted to everyone... as long as they're in the same ‘studio.’”

“– In terms of this space, let's see. As long as they're on the 'same floor'!”

Good heavens.

He really has become more capable.

“– You flatter me.”

I was amazed.

'But unfortunately, this ability doesn't seem suitable for the current situation.'

“– Pardon?”

We're only trying to call the managers waiting on the terrace, but if everyone on that floor can hear...

"..."

“– Friend?”

Wait a second.

That might not be a bad thing, actually.