Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 118

114. Happy Birthday

 

After taking a few turns like that, the situation gradually started to tilt towards us.

 

“What are you doing! Of course we should buy this land!” 

 

“What are you talking about? If you invest poorly when you don’t have much money left, it’s just speculation!” 

 

“Speculation…? Where did you hear that…?” 

 

Gildal began to spy brilliantly and luck began to follow me and the manager.

 

There was a bit of a crisis in the middle when I got into a riddle zone.

 

“Of all the fish, the fish with the highest educational level is…?!” 

 

What kind of question is this? 

 

The questions were randomly placed to increase fairness, but isn’t this more like nonsense than a riddle?

 

I thought of Aunt Misoon who likes old school gag.

 

If it’s Aunt, she will definitely be able to answer this question.

 

What is it…What is it …

 

“Ah! Mackerel!”

 

The reason because they are highly educated fish is…? 

 

“…That’s right!”

 

I got it right, but I don’t feel good about it.

 

Anyway.

 

Thanks to this, we were able to get out of the riddle zone in an instant and settle down in our new land. 

 

And while Gildal pretended that his hand had slipped a few times, he rolled the Juryeonggu incorrectly and came into our land several times and paid the lodging fee, quickly wasting the goblin team’s money.

 

“The ‘small hotel on the beach’ costs 300 nyang.”

 

And finally.

 

With only 230 nyang left over for the goblin team, the whole amount was spent on a hotel.

 

Bihyeong’s face was distorted. 

 

“This is cheating! Cheating!” 

 

Bihyeong glared at Gildal as if he were going to kill him.

 

“I absolutely cannot tolerate this! Please continue to play with me! Play with me!”

 

“…What cheating? If I were to be honest, it wasn’t our team that was at fault; it was your team’s fault.”

 

As I said that, I glanced at Gildal.

 

The sound of Bihyeong grinding his teeth clearly reached my ears. 

 

Because of that anger, I thought about whether I would refuse to win or lose.

 

Bihyeong clicked his tongue and said, 

 

“…I lost.”

 

I grinned.

 

As expected, if you don’t accept victory or defeat, you’re not a goblin.

 

Bihyeong sat down with a sullen expression, like a child who had a tantrum.

 

Still, he doesn’t grumble, so he’s a good kid. 

 

Thinking so, I held out my hand to him.

 

“Guest, it was a good match.”

 

“…Don’t pity me.”

 

“I don’t pity you, but how about trying to reduce your competitive spirit from now on?” 

 

Bihyeong stared at my outstretched hand, then gently grabbed it and stood up. 

 

“There’s nothing more fun than betting.”

 

Still, sometimes you need to do something less fun than betting. 

 

For example, having a leisurely cup of tea with an old friend.

 

I looked towards Gildal and said.

 

“I can’t make a bet every time, but I’ll give you more reservation tickets so you can come and see me every once in a while, guest. So sometimes, instead of making exciting bets, come and relax while enjoying delicious drinks and food.”

 

This way, Gildal will be able to spend more time away from Bihyeong.

 

Bihyeong didn’t seem to like it, but he seemed to like the reservation ticket, so he nodded.

 

“…Thank you.” 

 

Hearing all of the thanks from the goblin in my life is very moving.…

 

There’s something more important than that.

 

“Now tell me. Where have you seen that face?” 

 

I pointed to the goblin’s face.

 

Then Bihyeong covered his face with a mask that I didn’t know where it came from.

 

And when he took off the mask, Bihyeong’s face changed into a face that was familiar to me. 

 

A woman with a short haircut, a sharp jawline, and sharp eyes.

 

It was Aunt Heeyoung.

 

“This woman showed me this man’s face. And she said she was looking for this guy. She says that a long time ago, this man disappeared into a dimensional gap and could never be found.”

 

Disappeared through a dimensional gap?

 

I felt like my already twisted mind was becoming even more twisted. 

 

Dad didn’t disappear through a dimensional gap, he died while fighting a monster in a dungeon.

 

Although they never found his body…

 

People couldn’t find any traces of Dad anywhere in the dungeon that had already been cleared.

 

I thought that maybe Dad’s body disappeared in the process of clearing and regenerating the dungeon. 

 

Because all the items Aunt Misoon made were still in place. 

 

Was there something strange about Dad’s death?

 

Were Aunt Misoon, Uncle Minhyuk, and Uncle Junsoo lying to me? 

 

I thought back over the past 15 years in my head.

 

There were a lot of things that happened after Dad passed away.

 

Uncle Minhyuk, who took care of me like family. 

 

Aunt Misoon, who helped me with my vacation homework in the workshop during vacation.

 

Uncle Junsoo, who played with me as well as the twins every weekend.

 

Did they hide something from me?

 

Is it possible that I missed something because I was too young?

 

No.

 

It’s not like that. 

 

…It was someone else who was lying to me.

 

I looked at Bihyeong, who had the face of Aunt Heeyoung.

 

That person.

 

Hunter Moon Heeyoung is hiding something. 

 

There is something that is not revealed to Uncle Minhyuk, Aunt Misoon, and Uncle Junsoo.

 

Could it be that the reason Aunt Heeyoung is so obsessed with the rune monument that leads to this world is because she is looking for Dad? 

 

So does Aunt believe that Dad is really alive? 

 

Based on what?

 

I thought of Aunt’s title of ‘returner from another world’. 

 

Did Aunt find some clue in the dungeon from which Dad failed to return? 

 

She has a clue that there might be a door to this world?

 

Then why didn’t Aunt Heeyoung tell others about it?

 

‘…There are more than one or two strange things.’

 

“Then… You’ve never met that face in person?” 

 

I asked with a trembling voice.

 

Still, I have to check.

 

Maybe in the past… Has he ever met Dad? 

 

“Of course I’ve never met him. What I saw was just a picture. It was a painting that radiated strange power. Should I show it to you now?”

 

Painting?

 

He’s probably talking about photos.

 

“Do you have it now?”

 

At first, I wanted to throw away all Dad’s photos because it was hard to look at them, but as time went by, I wanted to see Dad’s photos.

 

…Especially sometimes, when I’m afraid I’ll forget Dad’s face.

 

“No, it’s not like that. When I saw that painting, I absorbed some of its energy.”

 

“What is the energy of the painting from earlier…”

 

“A well-drawn picture embraces the strong human resentment contained in the original picture. That’s why you have to be careful when asking a talented artist for a painting. It’s like giving a part of yourself. I absorbed some of the energy contained in it.” 

 

Bihyeong grinned as soon as he finished his words.

 

His bright yellow eyes were round, like the full moon, and then slowly narrowed.

 

‘….!’

 

I crumpled my face as I felt like the space containing me was collapsing.

 

I felt dizzy.

 

But that’s only for a moment.

 

When I came to my senses, there was me in front of my eyes.

 

It was me as a child.

 

A girl with pitch-black eyes, whose length only reached my waist, looked up at me and said.

 

“Can you take a picture?”

 

The girl held out a disposable film camera wrapped in paper.

 

Although I was shocked, I accepted the film camera.

 

I opened my mouth and spoke as if it were a set line.

 

“I think you two look really nice.”

 

You…two? 

 

I held the camera up to my eye and stared at the image coming through the lens.

 

Then I saw a man lifting me up as a child.

 

Lightly, like carrying a small kitten.

 

The man put me on his shoulder as a young child smiling excitedly, then took both of my hands and spread them wide.

 

“Today is my daughter’s birthday. My daughter’s name is Junghyo. Could you please say happy birthday to Junghyo?”

 

“….!” 

 

It’s Dad.

 

My Dad.

 

I wanted to open my mouth and call for Dad.

 

I knew this was all an illusion, but I still wanted to call him at least once. 

 

I just want to try it.

 

I haven’t done it for 15 years, so at least once.

 

For me, not for anyone else.

 

For me, who missed Dad for 15 years.

 

But the moment I opened my mouth, these words came out of my mouth.

 

“…Happy birthday, Junghyo.” 

 

Dad, who heard me, also said it with a big smile.

 

“Happy birthday, Junghyo.”

 

“Junghyo, happy birthday.” 

 

The hand that was on the shutter was tense.

 

If only I could stop time.

 

I desperately wanted it at that moment.

 

I wanted to stop time and walk to my Dad as the child who smiled brightly at the amusement park.

 

I wanted to see Dad’s bright smile up close.

 

I wanted to touch the corners of his mouth that gently turned up when he looked at me.

 

Naturally, I wanted to once again touch the hand that I believed would hold my hand for the rest of my life.

 

I wished I could talk to my Dad even if time stopped and he couldn’t hear it.

 

I…grew up well.

 

Thanks to you, Dad.

 

I love you.

 

And thank you. 

 

…I miss you.

 

Click.

 

The moment I took the picture, the camera disappeared from my hand, and the gorgeous amusement park in front of me disappeared.

 

My dad, my childhood, and my happiest times are gone.

 

The only one left there was me, at the age of 25.

 

All I could see was myself getting used to the feeling of emptiness.

 

In front of me, once again, Bihyeong was standing with Dad’s face.

 

“The deep energy of happiness flowed from these two people, so I was able to absorb that energy. Now that I look at it again, I realize that perhaps the reason for the strong resentment in this picture is not because of the painter’s abilities…I don’t know if it was because of the strong love that father and daughter have for each other.”

 

Bihyeong smiled softly and looked at me.

 

I collapsed on the spot, breathing heavily. 

 

I’m going crazy, really.

 

Because I felt like I knew very well why the goblin had come to visit me at that time of year.

 

The goblin didn’t just read strong resentment in this picture, or rather, in the photo. 

 

This guy was even able to embody the temperature, humidity, and time in this photo.

 

According to that estimate, today is April 29th.

 

I thought this was the perfect day to stimulate me.

 

In fact, I had completely forgotten about it.

 

It’s my birthday today.

 

…Damn it. 

 

‘Junghyo, happy birthday.’

 

I ended up wishing Dad a happy birthday. 

 

And at that moment, the quest window appeared.

 

But the window was a bit strange.

 

Strange scratched letters slowly appeared before me.

 

‘Happy Birthday to the Hotel Owner’ Quest

 

—Let’s find what the hotel owner is most looking for.

 

— ! Hint ! Search your desk drawer.

 

—Reward: 10,000p EXP, employee employment rights, 10,000p market gold

 

The reward column was particularly buzzing, and letters began to be added later.

 

—Reward: 10,000p EXP, employee employment rights, 10,000p market gold, 1 hotel invitation (NEW!)

 

Hotel…Invitation ticket?