Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 339 - Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (10)

Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (10)

 

“…?”

 

“…?”

 

The rat and I both stared at each other with strange expressions.

 

“What did you just do?”

 

“What do you mean…?”

 

I asked while looking at the number floating above the rat’s head.

 

Could spirits see that too?

 

But even after looking above its own head, the rat showed no reaction to the number and said,

 

“I don’t know, but my body feels kind of light? I’m usually exhausted from all the overtime work….”

 

“Overtime…?”

 

But you guys are nocturnal.

 

I decided to stop trying to keep up with this conversation and just go with the flow.

 

“What’s your name? Do spirits not have names?”

 

I couldn’t keep calling it a rat forever.

 

Especially when there were so many rats here.

 

“…I don’t have one.”

 

“Then let’s call you Gray.”

 

“…Why a name like that…!”

 

“You don’t like it? Then since you’re a rat, how about Squeaky?”

 

“…Gray is fine.”

 

Gray said solemnly.

 

I nodded, then lifted Gray up.

 

“So, then—does that mean our deal is on?”

 

At my question, Gray pouted in my hand.

 

“Well… I normally… don’t make deals with humans….”

 

I let out a small laugh at the sight of his tiny hands rubbing his face. Gray flared up in anger.

 

“Wh-Why are you laughing?”

 

“Nothing. Now that I look at you, I realize—you’re that one. The one whose tail I stepped on.”

 

I said as I gently touched Gray’s tail.

 

“Sorry about that. It must’ve hurt.”

 

“…!”

 

Affinity 2%

 

Gray’s eyes went wide.

 

Suddenly, it scampered up my arm, climbed onto my shoulder, and clutched the hem of my knit tightly.

 

“W-what are you doing?!”

 

“What do you think I’m doing?”

 

“Y-you keep….”

 

Even without seeing it, I could feel its tail twisting and knotting.

 

“…smiling weirdly.”

 

Me?

 

Was I smiling weirdly?

 

I was puzzled, but one thing became clear.

 

It looked like this one would accept my proposal.

 

* * *

 

As the voices calling for me from the first floor grew louder, I hid Gray inside my clothes and went back out.

 

The moment Han Woohyun saw me, he scanned my face. 

 

“Drunk?”

 

“No. Not really.”

 

“If you’re tired, go up first. I’ll clean up here and then head up.”

 

I shook my head at Han Woohyun’s suggestion. 

 

“Well… you see. It’s not that I’m drunk, it’s more that….”

 

Leaning in close to Han Woohyun’s ear, I whispered softly.

 

“I’m hiding something.”

 

“Hiding something?”

 

Feeling Gray moving around inside my blouson, I muttered,

 

“It’s somewhere in here….”

 

I took Han Woohyun’s hand and brought it to my chest, trying to let him feel Gray there.

 

“No, wait—”

 

That was when it happened.

 

Gray suddenly scurried around to my back.

 

‘This… shy little thing.’

 

As that thought crossed my mind—

 

Han Woohyun’s face flushed.

 

A blush spread from his cheekbones all the way to the tips of his ears.

 

Crack.

 

I heard the sound of his jaw clenching. Anyone listening might’ve thought he’d cracked a tooth.

 

Only then did I realize that I’d basically placed his hand against my chest.

 

He muttered,

 

“This is… what you were hiding?”

 

“No. It’s not like that.”

 

“….”

 

Looking up at Han Woohyun—whose face clearly showed he’d misunderstood the meaning of my actions—I shook my head.

 

As if I’d really be doing something that perverted in a public place.

 

I was just about to say that—

 

When Gray climbed up my back and popped out onto my shoulder.

 

Han Woohyun’s eyes widened.

 

“Wait—there’s something on your shoulder—”

 

“Wait. Don’t kill it.”

 

Seeing Han Woohyun about to swat Gray on instinct, I hurriedly stopped him.

 

“Y-you’re trying to kill me?!”

 

A terrified Gray stomped its feet in rage.

 

But that only seemed to convince Han Woohyun further that he needed to get it off me.

 

He reached out and scooped Gray right up.

 

“Is it some kind of monster?”

 

As Han Woohyun lifted it by the scruff, Gray flailed wildly.

 

“P-put me down!”

 

“Okay. Just put it down for now, Woohyun. That thing is a food-service spirit. Remember I said I was hiding something earlier.”

 

Han Woohyun flinched and looked at me.

 

“The thing you were hiding wasn’t… something else?”

 

What else would it be?!

 

Feeling my face grow even hotter, I smacked Han Woohyun’s hand and snatched Gray back.

 

Gray looked up at me, utterly dumbfounded.

 

“Your face is red… Why is your face red?”

 

“…Y-you don’t need to know.”

 

There is a world of humans that spirits—who have no need for biological reproduction—simply wouldn’t understand. 

 

Seeing me talk to Gray, Han Woohyun narrowed his eyes.

 

Pointing at Gray, he asked,

 

“So this means it’s like Geumdong or Toto? The ones at the hotel?”

 

“Probably.”

 

“Then why does it look like that? They’re usually human-shaped.”

 

“Because we are higher spirits than humans, you brat!” 

 

Gray shouted at Han Woohyun from my hand, kicking at the air.

 

The sight was so pathetic it felt almost cute. 

 

Han Woohyun, however, seemed to find it annoying rather than cute, and grabbed Gray by the scruff again.

 

Immediately, Gray yelled,

 

“I made a mistake! You’re more advanced! So please put me down…!”

 

Timid.

 

And cute.

 

I snatched Gray back from the suspicious-looking Han Woohyun once more. This time, I held it carefully with both hands so it wouldn’t be taken away again.

 

“…That was inside your jacket?” 

 

Han Woohyun asked with a displeased expression.

 

“Yeah. But more importantly, this one is the master who made all the wine we drank. So I want to let it hear the guests’ reactions—do you think there’s a way?”

 

“Master?”

 

Han Woohyun frowned deeply.

 

He clearly didn’t believe it.

 

Which made sense.

 

A world covered in dungeons and gates was one thing.

 

But talking rats living in a thousand-year-old castle and making wine was an entirely different matter.

 

Would Han Woohyun believe something this far removed from common sense?

 

If it were the Han Woohyun I knew, the answer was simple.

 

“…So this is a way to check ‘that,’ right?”

 

He looked down at me seriously as he asked.

 

That’s right.

 

Han Woohyun would believe me.

 

Not because my story was convincing—

 

But because he trusted me.

 

Just like always.

 

And the “that” he was referring to was the quest.

 

I nodded.

 

Han Woohyun then said he’d go into the dining room first and make space for the rat.

 

“I’ll draw their attention. While I do that, put it down.”

 

Soon, Han Woo-hyun entered the dining room first. Following his signal, I stepped inside naturally.

 

The guests asked where I’d gone and said they were worried.

 

I gave a vague answer and moved toward the rattan basket Han Woohyun pointed out.

 

It was positioned where the dining table was clearly visible, but out of easy reach of people’s hands.

 

While I did that, Han Woohyun naturally drew the guests’ attention.

 

“How’s the wine?”

 

“It’s incredible.”

 

“Why is this wine so unbelievably good?”

 

“I want to take a few bottles back to London. Is that possible?”

 

“Well… I don’t actually sell it, so….”

 

I returned to my seat and quietly watched the number rise above the perforated rattan basket.

 

Affinity 3%

 

Spirits really are the type whose job satisfaction directly equals life satisfaction.

 

I smiled softly at the thought. 

 

“We’ll have to ask the owner when he returns.”

 

“Don’t you have the owner’s number? I’ve been messaging them through Air C&C.”

 

Air C&C?

 

At that, I looked at the screen Lloyd showed me.

 

A chat window was open.

 

It seemed guests and hosts could exchange messages and questions directly.

 

Host: SereneNorthernFrenchCoast……

 

You will be greeted by our staff at check-in.

 

Check-in 15:00 / Check-out 11:00

Late check-out incurs an additional fee.

Maximum occupancy: 3 guests.

 

I glanced at the chat and frowned slightly.

 

What? That’s surprisingly normal.

 

I expected to see some strange directives written there too, but there was nothing of the sort. The host’s profile even featured a photo of someone in a floral shirt posing with an elderly woman. 

 

“Can I send messages even if I’m not the one who booked?”

 

“Of course.”

 

At that, I pulled out my phone, downloaded Air C&C, and sent a message to the castle owner.

 

Guest Junghyo

 

Is the winery owner doing okay?

 

‘Will I get an answer……?’

 

For some reason, I didn’t think I’d get a reply right away. It was just a feeling. The owner of this castle seemed like the type of wanderer who could disappear at any moment without it being strange. 

 

But then—

 

Host: SereneNorthernFrenchCoast……

 

Do you need to make a reservation >_<?!

 

…What is with this cheerfulness?