I knew it.
Whenever monsters show up, they always lock the doors first……
I pressed my back tightly against the wall.
No matter how often I experienced it, having terror close in from both directions always made my heart clench.
“If only I had a weapon……”
I could burn those monsters and run immediately.
Cletta drew his sword and positioned himself as though protecting Moran and me.
Lucky bastard.
His weapon probably doesn’t lose durability no matter how much he uses it.
Finally, the monsters emerged clearly.
Which meant they had gotten close enough for us to see them.
We fell silent at the sheer number.
Every monster wore a neat suit—
and, for no apparent reason, a maid headband.
What kind of fashion sense is that?
Their hair was tangled into thick clumps.
Gray skin and blue veins branching across them like spiderwebs made them look extremely ill.
They wore high-heeled shoes.
Yet they walked with their ankles bent at impossible angles.
I was speechless.
―Gue…… est……
―We will…… guide you…… to your room……
Please keep that terrifying service to yourselves.
―Guest, we will guide you to your room.
―Guest, we will guide you to your room.
“No, thank you.”
So please go away.
Compared to the monsters I’d encountered before, they seemed relatively polite.
That was the only reason I answered.
―Guest, we will guide you to your room.
“We don’t need it.”
Then Holloway buried his face deeply against my stomach.
“What’s wrong, Holloway? Are you scared?”
As if.
“Yes……”
Is he genuinely scared?
His voice is trembling……?
Are those monsters actually dangerous?
[Holloway is dying of laughter.]
Get out.
Turns out he was trembling because he was suppressing laughter.
Should I at least be grateful he isn’t laughing openly……?
“Evelyn, every time you answer them, the monsters stop moving.”
“What?”
Now that he mentioned it, they hadn’t approached beyond a certain distance.
―Guest.
―We will guide you to your room.
How many times are they going to repeat the same thing……?
“Evelyn.”
Cletta called me.
The unspoken meaning was clear.
Answer them.
“You do it. Why do you keep making me?”
This bastard wants me to do it because he thinks something weird will happen.
“Hmm. No, thank you.”
Cletta answered politely.
Apparently his excessive politeness disgusted the maid monsters so badly that bizarre substances began pouring from their mouths.
―GUEEEEEGH!
SPLAT! SPLAT……!
“You must’ve seriously disgusted them.”
“…….”
“M-Miss Evelyyyyn……. This isn’t the time to say that! We need to run!”
“But where?”
“…….”
Whenever anything happened, these monsters blocked every possible escape route.
So now all we could do was stand there obediently and wait for them to excitedly approach.
“Cletta, you have a sword. Handle the monsters on that side.”
“You’ll take the ones on the other side?”
“What are you talking about? Once you cut through yours, I’m sprinting in that direction.”
How am I supposed to fight those things with nothing?
Use common sense.
“Ah……”
Cletta scratched his head awkwardly.
“Then one……”
―Guest, guest, guest, guest, guest.
―We will, will, will, will……
What a disgustingly long echo, echo, echo.
I joked, but Moran looked close to fainting from the atmosphere.
Humans were helpless before the fear of the unknown.
The black liquid the maid monster had vomited began writhing.
Then it steadily expanded.
Eventually—
another monster identical to the maid emerged from it.
Cletta and I exchanged looks.
We should’ve escaped while there were fewer.
Too late for regrets now.
We agreed to run the instant we reached three.
“One, two……”
―WE WILL GUIDE YOU!
Snap.
Snap, snap.
CRACK, snap, snap, snap, snap—CRUNCH!
The maid monsters charged while twisting their ankles.
Their mouths split wide open.
Rows of tightly packed teeth looked sharp enough to tear through our soft flesh effortlessly.
[Shout immediately!]
W-What am I supposed to shout?!
[Please guide me!]
―Gue…… st!
The monster charged us with its jaws open.
Cletta barely blocked it with his sword.
Creeeak……!
“Ugh, damn it!”
Cletta was gradually pushed backward.
―To your room……!
The monster’s face drew closer.
I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed,
“Aaaaaagh! Please guide me! Hurry up and do it!”
Fine!
Let me see what kind of amazing room you’re so desperate to show me!
[Restricted Room No. 3, Third-Floor Infirmary ‘If You’re Sick, Never Come’ has been unlocked!]
The maid monsters abruptly froze.
[Holloway unconsciously protects you.]
[10 seconds remaining until Holloway realizes this and releases his power.]
I immediately grabbed Holloway’s and Moran’s hands and tried slipping between the maid monsters surrounding us.
Flash.
Something glinted sharply enough to catch my eye.
I turned toward it.
Two keys hung from one maid’s waist.
I stretched out and snatched them.
[Obtained ‘Silver Key’!]
[Silver Key
Feature: Key to an infirmary drawer on Floor ??.]
[Obtained ‘Gold Key’!]
[Gold Key
Feature: Key to the third-floor infirmary.]
An infirmary drawer?
Either way, apparently I had to visit the infirmary……
Suppressing my uneasiness, I shouted toward Cletta.
“Hurry, Cletta!”
For some reason, I had unlocked a room called ‘If You’re Sick, Never Come.’
I was currently injured.
There was no telling what would happen if I entered it like this.
So before investigating that room, I needed to heal my ass first.
[Suriel watches you slip away smoothly.]
Where?
[He takes aim at you.]
……W-Wait.
I immediately lifted Holloway above my head.
I don’t know what you’re aiming with, but look!
The Lion King—
No.
Behold your boss and friend, Holloway!
I used Holloway as a hostage.
You have everything required to become the finest hostage in existence, Holloway.
“Big sis, what are you doing……?”
[Holloway feels humiliated.]
[Holloway’s pride has been damaged.]
[All values decreased by 5%.]
The values rise by amounts smaller than ant droppings, but they fall this much?!
Was lifting him once really such a terrible crime?!
What even is this pride?!
[Suriel lowers his bow.]
[Suriel curses, ‘Fuck, she notices things way too quickly.’]
That language is harsh……
“Big sis, put me down.”
“Isn’t this fun?”
“……Put me down.”
I’d like to.
But we still haven’t escaped Suriel’s line of sight.
Then I paused.
To reduce Suriel’s desire to kill me, I inevitably had to confront him.
Then instead of running away, shouldn’t I somehow persuade him?
Surely this wouldn’t be the last danger factor.
[Suriel has appeared!]
A suddenly appearing window displayed the most useless information imaginable.
[What you must do to calm Suriel’s heart:
- Give him a thumbs-up. (Cut off your thumb, wrap it nicely, and gift it to him.
◟(ᵔ ̮ ᵔ)͜ ]
Get lost.
[2. Give him your hair. (Shave it completely with clippers and hand it all over.
⎝⎛ ⎞⎠ ♥♥‿ )
- Make Holloway say, ‘Stop it. (ꐦ ¯ ¯ )’]
I’m not particularly attached to my hair……
Honestly, number 3 seemed easy too.
[※Warnings apply.]
[If you select option 1: Your thumb disappears.
If you select option 2: Holloway abandons you. (All values decrease by at least 15%.)
If you select option 3: Upon hearing Holloway order ‘Stop it,’ Suriel will stop trying to kill you.]
Anyone can see that number 3 is easiest.
……But Holloway.
What exactly is my hair to you?
Is my entire identity contained in my hair?
Am I really that dependent on my hair for my looks?
No!
I’m decently attractive!
This was obviously a question with only one correct answer.
It felt like the system was saying:
Press 3.
You can figure out the rest yourself.
I pressed number 3.
Then I immediately shook Holloway like a rattle.
“Big sis, what are you doing?! I’m dizzy!”
“Come on! Say it! What do I need to do?!”
“Stop it!”
Success?
Success?!
[That is not ‘Stop it.’ There are no angry horns like the emoticon.]
Fuck.
Then I’ll shake harder!
[All values decreased by 5%.]
[Affection: 19.5%
Attachment: 19.01%
Possessiveness: 16.2%]
So the more I shake him, the more my values get shaken out too……
I had almost reached 30%……
Still, at least it wasn’t the 15% or more decrease from option 2.
I decided to comfort myself with that.
Affection could always rise again.
These days, raising Holloway’s values had become relatively easy anyway.
They kept falling, but I genuinely couldn’t think of another method.
[Holloway becomes increasingly irritated because you refuse to stop.]
[Holloway is displeased with you.]
[Due to Holloway’s negative emotions toward you, as of this moment it will become difficult for all values to reach 20%!]
N-No!
I thought that only applied near 30%?!
Apparently Holloway hated being lifted and shaken so much that he slammed the door to his heart shut.
This is all Suriel’s fault……!
But I couldn’t put Holloway down either.
I was practically in tears when Holloway’s expression became cold.
His gaze toward me was frightening.
“S-Sorry……”
He didn’t answer my apology.
His gaze remained on me briefly.
Then he looked toward Suriel and warned in a low voice,
“Stop it.”
[Holloway senses Suriel’s murderous intent directed toward you.]
[He unconsciously sends hostility in an attempt to protect you.]
S-So he still protects me unconsciously.
Is that fortunate or not?
[Suriel flinches and retreats.]
[Congratulations! ☆٩(｡•ω<｡)و Hotel Difficulty has decreased to ‘Calm for Now.’]
I gained my life and lost Holloway’s affection……
What kind of balance is this……
Ding.
[Sub Quest ]
Give me time to be sad!
[Objective: Enter the third-floor infirmary and check on the patient!
Clear Reward: Morning Star!]
Morning Star?
A weapon with a round iron ball covered in spikes attached to a handle?
I found it.
My beloved weapon!
All the motivation I had lost instantly returned.
Holloway’s affection would probably rise again eventually if I kept trying.
[Failure: You will receive the curse of a vengeful spirit.]
I started heading immediately toward the infirmary—
then stopped.
For the first time, failure didn’t explicitly mean death.
But isn’t receiving the curse of a vengeful spirit basically another way of dying?
My lament about what I had possibly done to deserve being cursed was considerably shorter these days.
Whatever.
First, I needed to heal my wounds.
“My butt feels like it’s about to fall off, so let’s find a potion first.”
Moran glanced toward my backside with pity.
“Big sis, shouldn’t you put me down first?”
Ah.
Right.
I lowered Holloway to the floor and repeatedly apologized.
“Ah……. Sorry. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t play this kind of joke again.”
He smiled while delivering the terrifying warning.
“It isn’t fun. Understand?”
“Y-Yeah……”
“Good.”
I’m scared.
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