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The Ancient Castle at High NoonAuthor: Nomura Kodō

Original Title	古城の真昼
Author	野村胡堂
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the heart of 1920s Tokyo, a circle of jaded aristocrats, artists, and eccentrics gather at an exclusive café as the self-proclaimed "Unnamed Club," united by their shared ennui. When journalist Hachiya Buntarou proposes a daring expedition to uncover a legendary treasure buried in the ruins of Tamaki Castle—linked to a 10th-century rebellion and guarded by centuries of unsolved riddles—the thrill-starved group seizes the chance for adventure. But danger looms: two grisly murders have occurred at the site on previous summer solstices, and rumors swirl of the phantom thief Judge Saburou’s interest in the hoard. As tensions rise, secrets unravel—including the true identity of Mitchyan, the club’s enigmatic waitress, who claims lineage to the castle’s disgraced former lords. Amid crumbling stone monuments and hidden traps, alliances fracture, and long-buried betrayals surface under the scorching noon sun. With police swarming the ruins and time running out, the quest for gold becomes a deadly game where history’s shadows threaten to consume them all.