Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 137

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

Chapter 137.

A sharp, deafening sound jolted Seme awake.

Reflexively, I reached behind my back, but my hand grasped only empty air. The familiar weight of the blade that had always rested in my grip was gone. The chill of emptiness sharpened my dulled senses in an instant. My brow furrowed as I surveyed my surroundings.

I was inside an Elevator.

‘…An Elevator?’

I traced through my memories. The telephone ringing in the Living Room. The thought that it might concern the contract. I had picked up the receiver, and then darkness had consumed everything.

The trajectory of power was different from the Hotel’s usual tricks. This was unmistakably the work of the Lover of Dawn.

‘If that’s the case, Lee Yeon-woo likely has no memory of this.’

My gaze shifted to the floor indicator. Only the number ’25’ glowed with an eerie light. The Rooftop. The place Lee Yeon-woo had warned me never to ascend to.

I tried pressing the other buttons, but the machine remained silent. The vibration of the ascending Elevator traveled through my feet, undeniable and relentless. I had to accept the reality: I was being offered as a sacrifice.

‘Stay calm.’

I took a deep breath and began piecing together fragments of memory. Lee Yeon-woo had surely given me instructions for a situation like this. But before my thoughts could coalesce,

“….”

Ding—
The doors opened.

A thick stench of blood washed over me.

* * *

….
….

“I will be consumed by the Lover of Dawn.”
“Ah, yes. Yes?”
“To make that happen, I’ll need to provoke the Lover of Dawn—or rather, the White Raven—using every clue I’ve gathered so far.”
“No, wait a moment.”

Seme, despite his mercenary background, knew a thing or two about the classical Labyrinth that had existed since the sixteenth century—the White Raven. Yet even he could not comprehend Lee Yeon-woo’s words.

“Is there truly a reason you must do this?”
“If things continue as they are, I will be destroyed by the White Raven.”

He continued.

“That’s what has been repeating within this Hotel over the past several years in your absence. Though I have no memory of it, the records speak clearly.”

His voice, as always, was dry and measured.

“Before, when I died at the hands of a Hotel guest, there were no penalties beyond time and resources. I believed the physical problems that arose afterward had been recently improved…”

Seme didn’t understand, but “before” referred to the tutorial period, and “recently” meant the synchronization that occurred after the chase with the Tasteless Guest following the tutorial.

“After bringing you up from the basement, I confirmed that changes have occurred within me.”
“Changes… that sounds rather ominous.”
“When I die, I will merge completely with the Hotel General Manager.”
“What do you—”
“At that point, you cannot expect the personality of Lee Yeon-woo to remain.”

He added that this appeared to be a result of the Hotel’s intervention during its improvement process.

“Since this is unwelcome news, I’ve taken care to isolate you from the Lover of Dawn while doing my best to prevent death from finding you. But as things stand, it disadvantages us all.”

Lee Yeon-woo grouped Seme and Rawi together with the word “us.”

“Now that the White Raven has entered the Hotel’s rules under the name Lover of Dawn, I too find it difficult to exert coercive force against that person.”
“…Then it seems dangerous.”
“Yes, as things are, it will only be a war of attrition where my memories are gnawed away, eventually hitting a wall regardless. Even if I don’t die, I will cease to be who I am now.”
“That’s bad news for us as well.”
“It’s better than becoming the Hotel General Manager outright, but there’s a real possibility I’ll forget my memories of you or my personality will deteriorate. We can’t afford to drag this out much longer.”

Seme, whose lips had been trembling, spoke.

“…You’re being unusually kind with your explanations today….”
“Well, of course.”

He seemed to laugh as he spoke—a dry, murky laugh, as devoid of moisture as fallen leaves.

“I couldn’t very well keep my mouth shut at this point.”
“….”
“Being in this Hotel, words just seem to flow endlessly.”
“…It’s because you’re alone.”

When a person is trapped alone in the Labyrinth, it happens. Either they speak far too much, or they fall silent entirely. Lee Yeon-woo was remarkably rare—one might say he’d gone mad beautifully.

“There’s no one beside you to share in the noise.”
“That’s true as well.”

Having said this, Lee Yeon-woo fixed his gaze upon Seme.

“But there is a method.”
“That… this contract?”
“It would be a matter of employment rights, though that’s not entirely wrong either. However, the method I’m referring to is separate from that. There’s no need to be bound to this Hotel from the start, wouldn’t you agree?”

He said he would drag things out as long as he could. And when he truly reached an unforeseen limit, he had a ‘method’ to create just enough leeway for Seme to sign the contract.

“I’ll turn the White Raven’s instincts against itself.”
“Instincts? Like wandering about at dawn…?”
“It has a preference for consuming its targeted object of attachment.”

Seme fell silent before asking.

“You mean… eating…?”
“That’s correct, but let’s leave it at that.”
“Y-yes, perhaps so.”

Certainly, the Labyrinth had no shortage of creatures that devoured people. ‘Consumption’ was essentially a form of feeding, after all. The Labyrinth possessed an inherent nature—it endlessly consumed concepts smaller than itself.

‘Even so, a human-shaped Labyrinth tearing into a person with its mouth would appear quite different.’

Even in the Gap-world, such things were avoided, and it made my stomach churn slightly. Lee Yeon-woo spoke.

“Didn’t you see it last time as well?”
“I’m not sure I can call what I saw ‘seeing,’ given that I wasn’t in my right mind.”

At least Rawi seemed to have witnessed it properly.

“I heard that he demanded Lee Yeon-woo’s body. Rawi tore out even his heart—you have no idea how much he pulled at his own hair over it. And the guy’s already short-tempered.”
“He seems quite resourceful.”
“He does have some manual dexterity.”

My Junior was certainly talented in his own way.

“But it appears that was his nature… I didn’t realize it.”
“After examining the memories, it does seem to be the case.”
“I never thought I’d find myself thinking this, but Blood Magic is really quite convenient…”
“When used properly, it certainly has its advantages.”
“Though you must have your own share of difficulties with it.”

It’s not without reason that it’s an avoided discipline.

‘I’ve heard that the technique of investing a part of oneself to read another’s memories is quite advanced.’

I find myself newly appreciating the caliber of the person sitting before me.

“Then what’s the method to turn that against her?”
“I’ve been feeding on you intermittently until now.”
“Don’t talk about it like you’re giving nutritional snacks to a child.”
“I do have considerable nutritional value, after all.”
“Don’t.”

Lee Yeon-woo shrugged.

“If the situation becomes truly irreversible, then I offer my entire body.”
“….”

It’s not just radical—it’s horrifying.

“…So that’s what you meant earlier.”

That I would be consumed by the Lover of Dawn. That I would need to provoke her for that. That I would be destroyed by the Labyrinth anyway at this rate.

“And you also said that afterward, you would become completely assimilated with the Hotel General Manager.”
“That’s the greatest weakness of this plan.”
“So what happens then?”

Would I be bound to this Hotel forever?

“If the Hotel General Manager truly overlays me….”
“I didn’t mention this before, Seme.”

He spoke with a faint smile.

“I can leave this Hotel.”
“…What?”
“It seems you’ve misunderstood.”

Because of that misunderstanding, I even tried to kill Lee Yeon-woo.

“Ultimately, my feet are still bound to this place, so even if I step outside for a moment, I cannot truly escape forever.”
“But you just said you could leave…?”
“To put it simply, I’ve reached a state where outings are possible. And precisely because of that, Lee Yeon-woo cannot completely disappear from this Hotel either.”
“…So in the end….”
“Whether I can truly escape from this place and whether a person named Lee Yeon-woo can persist are entirely different matters.”

Lee Yeon-woo added:

“I’ve already made it so. Even though there was a process of assimilating with this Hotel, whether by fortune or willpower… I still remain.”

That brought me such relief.

“…So you’ll return again?”
“That’s certainly what will happen.”
“Even if you become the Hotel General Manager, you’ll still be….”
“I’ll return to my original self.”

Lee Yeon-woo continued:

“It won’t happen just by breathing, but if I meet certain conditions, it can be done. I’ve already devised a plan for that aspect as well.”
“Didn’t people around you ever say you seem obsessed with planning?”
“I hear it from time to time.”

Seme reproached himself.

‘I find myself relieved at the sight of a shackled Dokkaebi.’

If Lee Yeon-woo’s words were true, the Dokkaebi would not disappear. Unlike the usual offerings within the Labyrinth, it would not be ‘taxidermied alive’. It would truly remain alive, bound eternally to this Hotel.

Yet for that single fact alone, Seme felt a strange gratitude welling up.

His stomach churned.

“…So you’re saying you’ll make it consume not just portions, but the entire body, unlike before.”
“Since Seme and Rawi came up, I’ve been feeding it consistently, but that alone cannot control the Lover of Dawn. Thus, I determined that this level of consumption would be necessary.”
“Control for what purpose?”
“At minimum, to create a single opening through which you—or more precisely, Rawi—might escape alive.”

Lee Yeon-woo continued.

“The White Raven devours candidates presumed to be the Caretaker, and those who love in ways it favors become its retainers. It transforms them into white birds, merging them with myself….”
“…Forgive me, but what did you say just now? It sounded like three characters or so. My ears are ringing. My head is spinning. This is typical contamination syndrome. What exactly did you say.”
“With each passing day, I feel myself drifting further from humanity. My apologies—just because I can endure it doesn’t mean Seme can.”

Then Lee Yeon-woo had Seme consume some of his flesh, and clarity returned.

“Ah… what was I just saying? I can’t remember how far I got.”
“Don’t try to recall it. It’s better you simply listen to the rest of my explanation.”

He spoke.

“I also considered temporarily storing Seme within the Wet Person’s body as an alternative.”
“Isn’t that treating me rather carelessly just because I have water attributes.”
“It is indeed a violation of rights, and I feared that in such a case, the existence called ‘Seme’ might disappear entirely. It’s safer to obtain control of the White Raven instead, allowing you to remain at least as a separate entity.”

For the sake of self-preservation.

“I bear responsibility for leading you all here, so I wish to send everyone out safely, but since that’s impossible, you must work toward a future through this contract, and help ensure Rawi escapes this Hotel safely first.”

Then,

“I will secure a favorable position in my contract with the Lover of Dawn and bring Seme under my direct authority.”
“…I fear I alone will struggle with that. If I take the form of a bird, even movement will become difficult….”
“In due time, I will encounter his companions who come seeking Rawi. Seme, you need only guide them so they do not lose their way.”

This was the first step toward everything.

“For that purpose, I will provoke the White Raven. By shaking that person’s inner world through the process, and dying in the attempt to become the Hotel General Manager, you, Seme….”
“I understand.”

What I must do going forward.

“Once Lee Yeon-woo secures a favorable position in his relationship with the White Raven, he will be able to claim ownership of me—even if I remain preserved in the form of a white bird.”
“Then I will search for a way to restore Seme to your original form.”

He spoke with a transparent gaze.

“I am not a good person.”

It seemed almost like an awkward smile.

“You may not understand it yet… but I am not such a good person.”
“Why do you say such things?”
“I am the foundation upon which the Hotel General Manager stands.”

He added, “Though it would be more accurate to say I am mixed in various ways, so calling it a ‘foundation’ is somewhat different, but still—”

“Simply put, my true nature will be laid bare.”
“How remarkable must this nature be.”
“I wanted to disappoint you beforehand, lest you be too shocked later.”
“It troubles me that I do not seem likely to be disappointed.”
“I speak this with genuine concern.”

It was far too composed a tone for a confession.

“I am selfish and arrogant. During my time in this Hotel, I have become even more so, but my very nature is incapable of kindness—I am a terrible person. Only by chiseling away what I was born with could I become someone fit for this world.”

It was strange what he said.

“What does it even mean to be someone suited for this world?”
“At the very least, one would need to be pro-human in nature, wouldn’t they?”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily required.”

Now that Lee Yeon-woo had become a Dokkaebi, what did such things matter? Even the Dokkaebi—of which only one or two supposedly remained in Korea—didn’t particularly favor humans. If anything, they leaned toward indifference.

But Lee Yeon-woo’s thoughts seemed to differ somewhat.

“You’ve evaluated me so highly that you’d save me even at the cost of your own life. That’s what you’ve shown me, Seme.”
“So… are you concerned?”
“To be honest, yes.”
“I truly don’t understand why you’re suddenly saying such things.”
“As I mentioned before, the first purpose was preventative in nature,”

he continued.

“The second significance lies in introducing you to the roommate you’ll be living with for some time.”
“An introduction….”
“It won’t be long.”

The day when that ‘limit’ would be reached was drawing near.

“It would be wise to prepare yourself mentally.”
“Should we do it tomorrow night, then?”

By the window where the moonlight of early dawn streamed in, Seme asked whether they might meet the hawk sooner, but he declined.

“Let’s wait just a little longer.”

Lee Yeon-woo continued as Seme gazed at the paper.

“We may yet find a better way than this.”

Seme’s eyes shifted from the paper to the notebook he’d handed over. It was filled with neat, precise handwriting. Seme realized it contained organized information, including details about the White Raven and various other matters.

‘So that’s what it was—what Rawi and those people asked me to help guide them through.’

Then Lee Yeon-woo extended his hand in a gesture of invitation.

“So it would be better if you kept these, Seme.”
“If I lost them in a moment of absent-mindedness, it would be quite the problem either way.”
“Of course, I’m confident in my ability to safeguard them, but my memories will surely be read.”
“In that case, there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Yes.”

Then I added,

“I apologize that this is the only method available.”
“Not at all.”

Seme lifted his head from the documents written in neat handwriting and smiled.

“Rather, it’s more than generous.”

For a mere sorcerer living by stealing his brother’s body and life—it was far more than he deserved.

“You really are a good person, aren’t you….”

Silence followed until Rawi arrived.

….
….

* * *

Yet I never expected it would come to this.

“Seme.”
“….”
“Seme.”

Drip,
blood fell from the torn throat.

“Play with me.”

…The Monster played with dolls.

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