Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 342 - Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (13)

Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (13)

 

Of course, even after that, Lloyd and Olivia’s relationship remained nothing more than close friends—with the added qualifier of “members of the same club.”

 

Olivia continued chasing after mysteries that did not exist in this world, intangible and elusive, and Lloyd continued chasing after Olivia.

 

That was all.

 

Naturally, it was because of Olivia that they had come to explore Liber’s old castle this time.

 

‘It says here that this place was once the Liber Monastery, built a thousand years ago. Apparently, a French king who first commissioned the construction of the Liber Monastery left these words.’

 

Olivia had selected this as the folklore club’s tenth expedition site and showed them old records about the Liber Monastery.

 

These words were written there,

 

…Under the protection of the guardian deity of…, this castle is built upon the sea. Within these walls, the shackles of time shall be undone, and all memories shall be eternal.

 

Though parts were erased, it essentially meant the same thing—build a splendid, dazzling castle.

 

While the members buzzed with excitement, each offering their own interpretations, Lloyd watched the light gleaming in Olivia’s eyes.

 

Lloyd knew Olivia’s ideal type.

 

A mysterious man.

 

A mysterious man, of all things!

 

The moment he heard those words, Lloyd nearly bit his tongue.

 

Olivia was the only woman who knew that Lloyd had wet the bed until he was ten, who knew the name of the actress on the cover of the inappropriate magazine he secretly read at sixteen, and that at eighteen he had accidentally shared his first kiss backstage at a play with Stacy, who had played the maid.

 

To her, Lloyd held nothing mysterious at all.

 

After hearing about Olivia’s ideal type, Lloyd had taken to his bed for several days.

 

But lying sick changed nothing.

 

The countless stories that had accumulated between them over nearly a decade could not simply vanish.

 

Lloyd made up his mind.

 

He would use this trip to France as an opportunity to change Olivia’s ideal type.

 

From a “mysterious man” to just “me, Lloyd.”

 

However, the trip to France they embarked upon was full of strange variables. 

 

First, under pressure from the folklore club members, they booked rooms at Liber Castle.

 

They said it was booked through Air C&C, but no matter how he looked at it, the room in person was not the room in the pictures.

 

‘…It’s filthy…’ 

 

From the spiderwebs visible everywhere in the room to the limestone walls that gave off an eerie vibe, and even the furniture that looked as if it were haunted. 

 

The images of the rooms he had seen on AirCnC gave the impression of an elegant castle from a medieval fantasy, but the actual rooms felt like a dungeon from a gaming fantasy.

 

‘If I’d known it would be like this, I would have insisted on finding a decent room somehow…’

 

Truthfully, Liber Castle had never been Lloyd’s first choice.

 

Even if they were exploring the castle, that did not mean they had to sleep there.

 

There was a seaside villa nearby with a wide garden and ocean view, and several old but well-kept hotels.

 

‘But this place…’

 

It was the worst possible option.

 

This was his first trip with Olivia.

 

Granted, they were with a bunch of eccentrics draped in old-fashioned cameras trying to snap a spirit photo, but still.

 

It was their first trip.

 

He had wanted a lodging that was a bit more comfortable than this.

 

He had imagined that after the exploration, they could have an intimate dinner, and late at night when the other members were asleep, the two of them could share a glass of wine and have a deeper conversation.

 

He could reveal the mysterious side he kept hidden within…

 

‘A-A rat!’

 

But a place where rats leaped out first thing in the morning made it impossible to charm anyone.

 

Above all, it was difficult to even move around outside the castle late at night, so far from sharing wine, they hadn’t even been able to properly meet each other’s eyes.

 

If there was any consolation, it was that there had been a small event.

 

“H-Hunter Lee Junghyo?”

 

Hunter Lee Junghyo.

 

A world-renowned Ranker who ran the famous hunter retreat known as the Dungeon Hotel.

 

Her calm impression and jet-black hair felt similar to the glimpses he’d caught of her on the internet.

 

But dressed in a comfortable knit and a blouson, paired with tight black jeans, she looked far more casual and approachable than expected.

 

‘And she speaks so kindly…’

 

Lloyd, who had a history of secretly joining “Holy Holic,” used to collect ghost stories regarding Hunter Lee Junghyo with more interest than any other rumors. 

 

Some said she possessed interpretive skills. Others whispered she was a spirit summoner.

 

Regardless, the gloomy atmosphere lifted slightly with the appearance of Hunter Lee Junghyo.

 

Though she had temporarily taken over management of the castle, she showed no displeasure at the filthy kitchen and served the members delicious food.

 

The food was indeed excellent. Though the pairing felt slightly off, the wine was delicious as well. 

 

As a fan of Holy Holic, it was a joy to meet the legendary paladin… no, the hotel owner. 

 

Still, Lloyd’s steps felt heavy as he returned to the hotel after their explorations.

 

A bed that looked as though bedbugs might crawl from it.

 

Windows that howled all night.

 

The dank aura of the castle as a whole.

 

He had no desire to return to that castle where he had spent the previous night practically wide awake.

 

Even now, he desperately wanted to grab Olivia’s hand and run away from that place.

 

But then—

 

“Lloyd. Doesn’t it make your heart race?”

 

Olivia leaned lightly against Lloyd’s shoulder while he gripped the steering wheel.

 

“Huh? H-huh? W-what does?”

 

My heart always races when I’m with you.

 

Lloyd swallowed the words.

 

Fortunately, she was pointing at the castle beyond the car window.

 

“We couldn’t explore it properly yesterday because things were so chaotic, but that castle. According to the writing we found in the air-raid shelter today, it seems true that members of the Paris Resistance hid and operated there. Don’t you think?”

 

“…Uh, yeah… right. I-I’m excited too!”

 

“Lloyd.”

 

“…Yeah?”

 

“I love that you’re into this stuff too. How do we match so well in taste?!”

 

At her words, Lloyd’s ears burned red.

 

I love that you’re into this too.

 

I love that you’re into it too.

 

I love you too.

 

I love you.

 

Her words rearranged themselves in his ears.

 

Lloyd tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

 

Soon, three cars pulled up in front of the castle.

 

Lloyd stepped out and walked around to open Olivia’s passenger door.

 

But Olivia had already swung it open herself, denying him the gesture.

 

The moment she stepped into the lobby, she tilted her head.

 

“…Something’s strange?”

 

Lloyd had been staring at her back, but at her words he finally took in the lobby.

 

“…?”

 

And one thought filled his mind.

 

‘It’s clean.’

 

The cobwebs in every corner were gone.

 

The shattered glass in one corner had vanished.

 

The old furniture gleamed faintly.

 

Now that it was tidied up, the old castle had transformed from a dungeon in a gaming fantasy into a magical castle from a medieval fantasy. 

 

It was a very subtle difference.

 

Once the dust and spiderwebs were cleared away, the old limestone walls became an interior that felt the weight of time.

 

As the windows, once like a murky fog, were polished to a shine, the blue sea visible beyond them now felt refreshing to the soul.

 

The old furniture that had seemed haunted instead gave the impression of well-maintained, high-end antiques.

 

Candlesticks and small ornaments had even been arranged about, enhancing the ambiance.

 

‘Were those things there before…?’

 

Lloyd looked puzzled.

 

Of course, they had not been.

 

“Guests from 305, 405, and 505. Did you have a comfortable trip?”

 

Junghyo greeted Lloyd, Olivia, and the rest, quietly observing their astonished expressions.

 

It had taken Junghyo a mere three minutes to clean the dust accumulated over a thousand years.

 

How did she do it?

 

Of course, it was thanks to her skills.

 

‘Because I have the Housekeeping skill.’

 

Since she hadn’t touched the layout of the castle at all, she wouldn’t be causing any trouble for the castle owner.

 

Of course, she had obtained permission via message just in case. 

 

Guest Junghyo

 

May I clean the castle a bit? I will only touch the guest rooms and shared spaces.

 

Host SereneNorthernFrenchCoast……

 

Do as you like~ Ah, but absolutely do not clean the basement! You know that, right?

 

The reply had been suspicious in tone.

 

How much did this man know about the secret of the basement?

 

Had he made some kind of contract with the spirits?

 

If so, then this man as well…

 

‘…is he not human?’