Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101.

“….”

Seme understood Rawi’s confusion.

‘From beginning to end, it had been nothing but strange.’

Even with a blade lodged in his throat, he had calmly sent the Elevator up. Such composure with a knife still embedded in his neck—how was that possible?

Did one trust someone who orchestrated ‘sacrifice’ with such theatrical flair? Or was all of this merely a calculated performance?

Yet even reasonable doubt felt uncomfortable to entertain.

‘It would have been the first time.’

Seme watched Rawi, head cradled in his own hands.

‘Witnessing someone cast themselves aside for another.’

Rawi had less experience than Seme. Even Seme found such ‘help’ unsettling. So this was a ‘precious experience’ one could scarcely boast about anywhere.

“….”
“….”

That ideal thing—something he thought he might never encounter in a lifetime, something he believed he could never receive. Was this not the moment he glimpsed that treasure, however briefly, however illusory?

‘To not be drawn to it would be a lie.’

Lee Yeon-woo was far too suspicious. There were too many incongruities, too many secrets, and an almost sickening perfection. He seemed most fitting when cast as part of this very performance.

So it was not trust.

“…Let me rest for a moment.”
“…What about you, senior?”
“I have too much on my mind.”
“I do too.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

It was something I wanted to believe in.

If a being like Lee Yeon-woo truly existed.

It would be far too wonderful….

* * *

“―Hello there, my friend the Captain!”

As the middle-aged man waved his hand, the Traffic Police Officer who had been blinking nodded.

Beep!
“You’re still a man of few words, and is there anything fun happening these days? There must be something~?”
Beep beep….
“That’s right, that’s exactly what I mean.”

The man showed a sad expression and displayed a photo from his phone.

“This is my Nephew, you see? Quite handsome and well-built, right? But the brat says he’s embarrassed to be seen with me and wants to live independently~ How much do you think this old man has been hurt?”
“….”
“Just listen a bit more. What can I do about it, right? I thought, go ahead and roll around in the dirt once, but then this rascal just vanished without a word. Poof! I have no way of knowing if he sank into the earth or flew into the sky….”
“….”
“Almost there, so I looked into it a bit, and you know what Haeyoung Master said? Five years ago, some artifact or Labyrinth appeared, and it’s been causing quite the commotion lately~”

Only then did the Captain turn to look at the man.

“The Foundation’s Labyrinth conversion project was successful.”
“Oh boy, here we go again with this one.”

I’m not sure if all Taro Card holders are like this, but with so much on their minds, they often skip over logical progressions entirely.

The man rested his chin on his thumb and rolled his eyes to the side.

“Let me see, let me see~… The Foundation, I know them well too. I heard the cornered leadership of the Foundation attempted a massive Labyrinth conversion by sacrificing their entire headquarters as an offering…. True to form for a villain’s gathering, there was internal strife, and the incident concluded when the energy ran rampant and they destroyed themselves.”

So.

“The Labyrinth that devoured our nephew is connected to the Foundation?”
“Will you be filing a request with the Jakyeongdan?”
“Of course that’s why I came?”

The man who spoke thus muttered to himself alone.

“But why Korea of all places? Those guys’ headquarters were in Europe.”
Beep—
“Well, well, I’m already forgotten. Right, I’m heading out, go.”

As the Captain resumed her work, the man turned away with a grumble. After walking about three steps, he realized something was amiss.

“…??”

Wait a minute,
I didn’t pay the divination fee?

“You’re telling me this… you are? Without even a bowl of soup?”
Beep.
“Soon either you die or I die?”
Beep.
“Damn it, what kind of person doesn’t understand a word?”

The man’s expression grew deeply displeased.

“What in the world is all this….”

Has the Korean Peninsula fallen under a curse?

* * *

“….”

Though I had said I would abandon my spotless career.

“Hello?”
“…I’m not entirely sure.”

Even though I had resolved to be faithful as a Hotel manager, I couldn’t figure out the specifics of how to actually do it.

“Most importantly, can I even pull it off in front of people watching?”
“Pardon?”
“There’s been a misunderstanding—I’m actually someone who cares deeply about others’ perceptions.”
“No?”

Leaning against the Elevator as it ascended smoothly, Lee Yeon-woo fell into contemplation.

‘This Hotel doesn’t release The Human Guest until a minimum threshold of nightmares has accumulated.’

It was the same when it was a Game. There wasn’t a specific function for it—the structure itself simply had no way to release The Human Guest before a certain quantity of nightmares manifested.

‘As if it didn’t even handle such things in the first place.’

So Lee Yeon-woo had seized upon the objective of ‘frightening The Human Guest.’ Once nightmares accumulated, the option to release them would present itself.

But.

“…”
“No.”
“…I hadn’t said anything.”
“No.”
“I was simply contemplating a few matters, wasn’t I?”
“No.”
“This is troublesome.”

I had imagined several scenarios, but Coco rejected them all. It meant that nothing I could conjure fell within the threshold of ‘minimum nightmare.’

Even so, as someone who had once been an ordinary law-abiding citizen, I found myself utterly bewildered.

‘What kind of showmanship would satisfy this Hotel?’

And before that—what even constitutes a ‘nightmare’?

“…When I think back to the Game, simply staying didn’t cause The Human Guest’s nightmares to grow. The more horror elements and Monster Guests they encountered, the larger it became….”
“Yes.”
“During Director Lee Sun-hae’s time, The Human Guests got tangled up with Monster Guests quite thoroughly. They got caught up in events too. Looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem to differ much from the standards within the Game.”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Judging by that reaction, there really is a difference after all. Well, since Monster Guests have changed, there’s no reason The Human Guests wouldn’t change either.”

It might not be solely a matter of The Human Guest. Director Lee Sun-hae’s group had been so intensely entangled like a storm that recalling that time didn’t provide much help.

‘I feel sorry for those who suffered through it.’

Lee Yeon-woo, lost in thought, murmured as if questioning the Hotel.

“Would it work if I just made them encounter frightening elements more frequently…?”
“….”
“Really, this isn’t helping at all.”

I turned my gaze away from the ‘Hotel,’ which naturally offered no response.

“I need to know the standard so I can maintain my own boundaries.”

If only it were possible, I wanted to send The Human Guest back unharmed in body and mind. But the situation didn’t allow for it. It wasn’t a matter of difficulty—it was impossible.

Still, I didn’t want to torment them arbitrarily. Lee Yeon-woo was no sadist. Seeing others suffer would surely weigh on my own emotions.

“Ugh.”
“That’s certainly better than letting them die, but if possible, wouldn’t it be better for both me and The Human Guest if this ended with as little suffering as possible?”
“Ughh….”
“I won’t listen to protests without logic.”

But really, how far?

“Would the level of fear from a Haunted House be…?”
“Yes?”
“Does that not count as a nightmare either?”
“Yes.”
“This is difficult….”

I wiped the corner of my mouth.

“I’ve only studied criminal psychology in that regard.”
“Pardon?”

As a general education subject.

“But I can’t apply what I learned there to my current situation. It’s not particularly relevant to where I am now, either. Unless I were to switch careers and become a police officer, how could I possibly use experience writing psychological analysis reports on serial killers who’ve murdered dozens of people anywhere in my future career?”
“….”

In response to Coco’s silence, Lee Yeon-woo answered immediately.

“I won’t use it.”
“Ugh.”
“I must be insane.”
“Ugh….”

Leaving the dejected Coco behind, I continued.

“I think something like a horror game or horror film would be appropriate.”
“Uuuugh.”
“Where does this whining come from?”

No, let me calm down.

“….”

I calmed down.

“…I’ve only fixed my emotional recognition circuits; the lost big data hasn’t returned. So my temperament becomes easily irritable. And there are limits to overcoming that irritability through reason alone.”
“Yes.”
“Unless it’s a logical counterargument I can accept, I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from speaking. I’m asking this sincerely, for both our sakes.”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Thank you.”

My knowledge existed at opposite extremes. Either as harmless as a haunted house attraction, or as brutal as serious crime. Either way, it was difficult to apply to the current situation.

So wouldn’t something in the middle—like a horror film—be appropriate?

‘Perfect for evoking raw fear while being fiction, thus causing no actual harm….’

There was someone I had thought of.

“….”

Director Lee Sun-hae.

“It was good that I kept that business card.”
“Yes? Yes.”
“As soon as the internet is installed in this Hotel, I should study horror films first. I should also listen to some educational content in that field. Back then, I thought it wasn’t my path and avoided it, but now I find myself regretting it.”
“Yes.”
“Still, the films by the duo of Director Lee Sun-hae and Writer Hong Kyung-yeon are particularly famous for their realistic horror. It will certainly be a great help in managing this Hotel.”
“Yes….”
“To be so disappointed.”

A monster was indeed a monster.

“No?”

What was there to deny?

“But if things continue like this, it will truly be bleak. If I fail to maintain proper boundaries and someone dies, a serious crime like murder will be added to my already colorful criminal record.”
“No.”
“I often feel it while living, but my knowledge is insufficient. Even though I’ve played this Game for years, to be so lacking as a person….”

Even if I reference horror films, they should be more frightening than the Haunted House experience. So which film should I reference? Though Director Lee Sun-hae’s films are scary, they’re at least watchable with eyes open.

There was definitely something worth referencing among the films I’d seen before.

“….”

…No, that won’t do.

‘That won’t work.’

This won’t do.

“It’s possible.”
“Your vocabulary only improves in moments like these.”
“It’s possible!”
“It’s not.”
“Kill it!”
“Coco, please.”

I had an iron stomach. Strong enough to rank first anywhere I went. Gore, explicit content—there were plenty of people who called me in for those R-rated films. It wasn’t particularly my taste, but watching them posed no problem.

‘It’s fiction, after all.’

It’s not real.

‘But if it became reality, that would be different.’

I’d abandoned my spotless career, not my humanity. No matter how far gone I’d become, I wasn’t deranged enough to munch popcorn in front of a person being torn apart, as if I were still in a movie theater.

“Isn’t this an unreasonable task for someone who’s lived a straight path through science and reason?”
“No?”
“Don’t act as though you’ve found good material. I mean don’t apply the knowledge in my head to such unethical fields. That’s not something that actually happened.”
“No!”
“Our opinions still diverge.”

From the start.

“I can’t even be certain whether something merely cruel and frightening qualifies as a ‘Nightmare.'”
“Yes? Yes.”
“What would be the most rational approach?”

Accumulate less of my own sin, reduce the suffering of others.

‘But can I still send them out safely from this Hotel?’

Psychological trauma couldn’t be severe. Just because someone’s body remained intact didn’t mean everyone who returned whole from the battlefield survived to their final years.

‘They could destroy themselves.’

Eventually, once I claimed the ‘Nightmare,’ they’d forget—but I couldn’t be certain that forgetting would be permanent.

The human mind is crucial. It can destroy even a perfectly healthy body. So I hope the experience will be at a level from which they can recover.

“….”

…For example….

“…Losing the emotional big data is having a far greater impact than I imagined. Since I can’t even guess at others’ emotions, it’s become difficult to walk the line.”
“Yes!”
“Since things have come to this, I understand your opinion about boldly crossing the line. It seems we’re destined to disagree until the very end.”

Several thoughts came to mind, but Lee Yeon-woo couldn’t reach a final decision.

“For now, ensuring the safety of the two guests should take priority over ‘instilling fear.'”

The immediate concern was protecting the human guests.

Instilling fear, accumulating those damned ‘nightmares,’ and sending them out that way—it didn’t have to happen right now. Even if time was wasted, it wasn’t worth more than human lives.

“Let’s set aside studying hotel showmanship and carefully think things through with the remaining time.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve given orders to the staff, but I’m not sure if they’ll manage well. There were probably many monster guests in the Lobby—I hope it was fine. First, as soon as we go up, I’ll designate them as guests….”
“Yes.”
“I’ll need to be careful about room assignments too. Would it be safer if I posed as a guest and accompanied them?”

Lee Yeon-woo exhaled softly.

“…I’ll have to lie.”

I wish there were a better solution than this.

‘It’s because I’m lacking that I can’t think of anything better.’

It was regrettable.

“If I see those friends again, what should I talk about first?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Well, Coco, that’s not really your area of expertise, is it? Comforting humans for the sake of their peace of mind.”
“Yes.”
“Then shall we start by putting them in a room? The Guest Rooms are the safest place for human guests to stay in this Hotel anyway. They’ll need a proper place to rest too….”
“Yes!”
“I’m grateful you have a sense of self as a co-owner. At least I won’t have to tell you to neglect customer service.”
“Conscientious Coco.”
“I know.”

Lee Yeon-woo spoke with a shrug.

“I can only hope nothing went wrong in that brief time.”

They weren’t ordinary ‘students.’ They were capable friends with good judgment, so things should be fine. I kept monitoring the interface, and the Monster guests hadn’t shown any particularly problematic behavior.

‘Though there are things that do weigh on my mind….’
“….”

The Elevator, unusually sluggish today, came to a stop at the L Floor.

“….”

And so I stepped out of the Elevator.

Lee Yeon-woo was greeted by a multitude of Monster guests.

“―Oh, finally!”
“It’s been a while, Manager.”
“Monsieur, good evening, yes?”

“…?”

…Wait a moment.

Lee Yeon-woo looked once at the Monster kissing the back of his hand, once at the two Human Guests sitting on the Sofa watching him, and then again at the Monsters crowding before him.

“….”

Don’t do this.

‘The children are watching.’

* * *

“….”

I was greeted by the phantoms of countless Dokkaebi.

In an incomprehensible language, or in silence, they approached me. Some laughed, some waved their fans, some gazed wordlessly, and

some even showered kisses of reverence and respect upon the back of my hand.

“….”
“….”

I felt Rawi watching for my reaction, but Seme deliberately said nothing.

Lee Yeon-woo exchanged a brief conversation with a Dokkaebi and glanced toward us.

“…Ah.”
“…Senior.”
“Right.”

Rawi had clearly witnessed the same thing I had.

There was no need for the Water Mist’s aid to understand. Surrounded by monsters mimicking human form, the meaning in Lee Yeon-woo’s gaze was unmistakable.

“It was simply….”

Joy stained by exhaustion.

“….”

Relief that two mere mercenaries had survived,

and gratitude as well.

‘…Shouldn’t you be doing that?’

For a great many reasons, after all.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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