Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 98

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

Chapter 98.

The main gate of a modest cabin building with a wooden sign reading “Haeyoung Agency.”

“Well, well, well?”

A middle-aged man greeted the Sturdy Elder with a warm smile, spreading both arms wide.

“Look at our master coming out to greet us~? Come here, let me give you a proper embrace, shall we?”
“I would prefer you did not.”
“Ah, come now, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, and you’re being so cold about it.”
“I have prepared what you were likely to request.”
“Ooh….”

The man accepted the documents and studied the Elder.

“This isn’t some setup, is it? You can trust me, right?”
“That’s quite a lot of trust to ask for….”

She rolled her eyes, glancing at the gun barrel pressed against her temple.

“You’re being rather prickly, aren’t you?”

At that, the man’s expression turned genuinely aggrieved.

“Do I look like I’m not being prickly right now? I trusted our master and left the child by the water’s edge, and wouldn’t you know it—the kid fell into the river.”
“I thought you didn’t care much, given how neglectful you’ve been, so I didn’t think twice about leaving something precious by the water’s edge….”
“How was I supposed to know? I’ve never raised a child before~….”

He lowered the gun and scratched his head with the barrel.

“Artists are the type who need to taste something to know if it’s shit or paste.”
“So you let them eat it.”
“How was I supposed to know eating a little bit of that would make them disappear?”
“If you’re going to raise a child in the Gap, you should put in more effort.”
“My, you certainly have a lot of good advice today.”

Bang!!
Crack――!!

“Sorry about taking the penalty fee….”

The Young Man’s eyes narrowed into a smile.

“Then how about I just take one arm?”
“….”

Thud, thunk….
The Elder stared at his own arm, now hollow from a single bullet.

“I thought you’d tear off half.”
“You showed such sincerity coming out to meet me with the documents right at the Main Gate—a human should know how to repay kindness, right~”
“Then let’s take our time reviewing the contents.”

The Elder nodded.

“I’ve recorded the movements leading up to the disappearance and the Labyrinth’s trends over the past five years.”
“Huh? That’s not thin for something like that?”
“I’ve prioritized readability by focusing on highly relevant materials, but if you’d like, I can provide access to records from the past decade. Of course, it’s limited to one month.”
“Ah, look at you being so meticulous, really—stretch it out a bit more for me~”
“Considering you’re letting me off with just one arm, I’ll extend it to three months.”
“Huh? You really mean it? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“We’ve been doing business for a long time.”
“That’s true.”

The Young Man shrugged with satisfaction.

“Exactly five years, you say? That’s quite specific. What’s the situation these days?”
“We’ve confirmed that an investigator from the Cultural Response Bureau has been dispatched.”
“Oh my, so it’s real then. Our precious nephew, how did things come to this….”
“Will you search for him directly, sir?”
“Why else would I have come to chat with the Master?”
“I do not recommend it.”

Papers scattered in the breeze—whoosh.
Documents tumbling across the floor.

“Here,”

Tap.
The Elder pointed to a specific location.

“Do you see it.”
“Goodness, why are there so many Dokkaebi in this tiny patch of land?”
“There appears to be a fundamental cause we haven’t yet identified… but look at the next page.”
“Let me see~”

The Young Man’s eyes widened.

“Ah.”
“Precisely.”

The Elder nodded.

“We’ve confirmed that The Demon has interfered with South Korea’s supernatural affairs.”
“The Demon? You mean that one, the one who starts with L and ends with P… that venerable religious sect… what’s it called, ugh, I can’t even say the name, it’s so frustrating.”

The Young Man continued.

“Anyway, the one who’s been traveling the Western world making a living through music, right.”
“The most famous Demon, fallen angel, and current recording artist on Earth. That would be correct.”
“Why would such a busy fellow turn his attention to Korea, on the opposite side of the globe?”
“Technically speaking, it’s more like one-third of the way around, to be precise.”
“Is that really what matters right now, Master??”

He scratched his head with the barrel of his gun.

“It was probably intentional, wasn’t it? The Religious Demon Sect tends to plan for such distant futures~….”
“We cannot know the Dokkaebi’s true intentions, but the Resonance Bureau has determined it to be a courteous approach. Most importantly, a domestic performance in Korea within the next year has been confirmed.”
“Hm.”

The Young Man spoke.

“Please tell me it’s not true.”
“The timing of your nephew’s disappearance coincides precisely with the mysterious involvement of the Demon whose name begins with L and ends with R.”
“I asked you to say it wasn’t true, you heartless person… Can’t you just give me this one?”

The Young Man’s expression grew deeply despondent.

“At this rate, I might even be able to get back the gun I gave you.”

If he had truly fallen victim to a Dokkaebi, there was a high probability he wouldn’t even find any remains.

“What could my boy possibly have had that was so remarkable~”
“He was simply unlucky.”
“So the men of this household really do need a proper exorcism performed~”
“Would you like an introduction?”
“Never mind, never mind. My Elder Brother absolutely hates that sort of thing.”
“I suspected as much.”

Artists are creatures who struggle with socialization.

Unless their household environment provided abundance, artists born into families lacking emotional or financial stability typically maintain poor family relationships. They often become excessively sensitive to ‘superstition’ in particular.

The ‘teacher’ before me belonged to such a background.

….

…Though I also believe statistics show that artists are often born with fundamentally fractured character.

“If you wish, I can guide you to the path leading to the Mist Flower Cathedral.”
“I know our Master is a busy person, so I couldn’t possibly ask that. I’ll find my own way.”
“However, given that a Religious Demon Sect’s mystery is involved, the likelihood of him being in that Labyrinth is low.”
“That’s probably the case~ The future looks pitch black—I don’t even know where to start searching~”

Click.
The man resting his chin against the gun barrel sank into thought, his expression blank.

“….”

It would be difficult for someone like me to make contact with demons managed by various governments.

‘Even if it were possible, the chances of things unfolding in the direction I want are nonexistent.’

But that doesn’t mean wandering around alone would solve anything either. If he really was dragged into the Labyrinth and is still alive, I need to pull him out before he’s offered up—the sooner the better.

‘Even with the best luck, he can hold out for maybe a day or two.’

As his teacher, I could vouch for my student’s mental fortitude, and as his uncle, for my Nephew’s resilience, but….

“….”

I didn’t trust it much.

“Hmm….”

There’s no helping it.

“Should I do some legwork?”
“Do you have any particular ideas in mind?”
“That thing, you know—that thing.”

What I need in a situation like this is obviously connections.

“I should report Mia missing to the police, shouldn’t I?”

Remarkably, there existed something like that in the Gap.

“These matters should be left to the professionals, after all.”
“Is there anything else you require?”
“No, no, that’s enough. I’m satisfied with what you’ve found.”

He flipped through the documents.

“So what exactly is the problem with this tiny country?”
“I’ve heard the Resonance Bureau is investigating it urgently.”
“They’ve poured in manpower and still don’t know? Good grief. I’m going crazy.”
“I suspect something has emerged that provokes the Dokkaebi.”
“…Something that provokes them…?”

It hadn’t been discovered for five years?

“Hmm… I haven’t heard anything particularly interesting.”
“There’s talk that Baeksan is conducting an investigation.”
“Of course our master knows how to do business.”

Once he obtained the relevant information, he’d be thinking of buying it. And information like this always needed someone to point it out before people could see what it really was.

A thriving business was a thriving business, regardless of who owned it.

“Let me see, let me see~”

He murmured while still holding the gun barrel against his chin.

“Baeksan, Baeksan… isn’t that too big an outfit for a freelancer like me?”
“For a Labyrinth under a corporation, it’s rather passive. A simple investigation shouldn’t cause any harm.”
“It just feels like the job’s getting too big~ I’m getting scared, you know.”
“The Labyrinth, the corporation, and the agencies have only begun moving within the past few months.”
“And the origin of that movement traces back to something that started five years ago?”

If that were the case….

“It’s either a Water Ghost,”
“or a Labyrinth.”
“….”
“Hmm….”

The man removed the gun from his chin and tilted his head slowly.

“…That bastard really is intriguing.”

In that moment, all thoughts of his nephew vanished. He couldn’t help it—he was an Artist, after all.

‘It makes one curious.’

What kind of creature could it be? What sort of Labyrinth? Did it have a name? An age? Did intelligence exist within it? If so, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that it was a Dokkaebi.

And if The Demon—that synonym for evil itself—was involved, then even more so….

“Oh my.”
“Did you perceive it?”
“So you are interested. Well, what shall we do about this.”

The Young Man was at a loss, hearing hymns resonating not from his ears but from within his brain itself.

“What in the world has my Nephew gotten himself tangled up in…?”

Thanks to this, I had gained a glimmer of hope that my still-incompetent student might yet be alive. But if things continued like this, even survival wouldn’t truly be survival.

“Tsk, I told him if he’s going to fail anyway, he should just die when he has the leisure for it, but the stubborn brat wouldn’t listen. He never heeds a word his elders say. That one’s been yellow-bellied from the start.”
“You care for him quite deeply.”
“I never expected another artist would emerge from this family.”
“And….”

The Elder rolled his eyes and continued.

“This is a gesture of goodwill toward a long-term client.”
“Good, goodwill. I like that sort of thing.”
“The Witch’s whereabouts have become unclear.”
“Hm? The Witch?”

The Young Man asked, sounding puzzled.

“You mean the White Raven across the sea?”
“You understand correctly, sir.”
“That romantic? What is it, she likes pretty stages….”
“She appears frequently in Labyrinths related to flowers or fire.”
“Well, just because she likes women doesn’t mean she neglected her studies.”
“She tears men apart quite well too.”
“I know that much myself, though~?”

Her primary stage was Germany.

“Whereabouts, movements—that’s all Europe’s responsibility anyway. Or did his tastes change? Or did he declare war on the East? Even if he’s a Dokkaebi, he shouldn’t stray far from his homeland under normal circumstances, would he?”

A Dokkaebi, even one evolved beyond its origins, rarely ventures far from the Territory where it was first born. Age changes nothing. They instinctively avoid crossing major rivers or seas.

Deep waters where the bottom cannot be seen—even the most ancient spirits avoid such places.

“Besides, Europe is surrounded by sea on three sides….”
“Based on our investigation, the disappearance is estimated to have occurred four years ago.”
“Ah….”

Five years and four years—not so different. He wiped his face like washing it clean.

“Surely you don’t mean that bastard came to Korea…?”
“I wanted to convey that the possibility cannot be entirely ruled out.”
“Spirits really are my poison~”
“I held no expectations.”
“You’re really dampening my mood.”

A fallen angel, and now an ancient Dokkaebi joining the fray. This was absurd—all I wanted was to see my nephew’s face one more time before my head exploded, yet the difficulty kept climbing.

“Both of them, really….”
“I recommend you do not act alone.”
“Of course, but they’re not all gathered in one place, are they?”
“Such a tasteless joke….”
“Why not? It’s amusing.”

It would certainly be a catastrophe.

“It’s impossible from the start, anyway.”

A Dokkaebi is a Labyrinth with genuine ‘consciousness’.

They could never gather in one place. It was the same principle as saying that if two or more star systems physically overlapped, a universe-wide catastrophe would occur.

Perhaps the Dokkaebi understood this themselves. And since even Labyrinths without consciousness instinctively sensed it, they naturally maintained distance. Unless a Dokkaebi was exceptionally aggressive, they recognized the advantage in separation.

“….”
“Well, then….”

He tucked the gun into his coat and grinned with easy confidence.

“Take care of yourself, Master.”

For a single visit, the results were quite satisfactory.

Whether I was included in this Demon’s song or not, the fact that he didn’t blow my head off right then and there suggests he’s willing to wait and see. If luck is on my side, I might even manage to ask about my Nephew.

As I trudged through the mist-shrouded streets, I couldn’t help but feel bewildered.

“….”

What in the world is that man up to?

‘For word to reach even a small Brokerage Office like this, something must have definitely happened while I was away resting. And now a venerable Demon and the Major Corporation Baeksan have gotten involved.’

Did someone discover some catnip forest that drives Dokkaebi mad?

‘That would certainly be thrilling.’

How entertaining.

The Young Man laughed to himself without restraint.

Seeing how everyone was whispering behind closed doors, it seemed a superstar capable of driving both supporters and detractors into a frenzy had been born. Whatever the case, if it was a being he could actually communicate with, that would be most delightful.

The man with a cigarette between his lips tilted his head with a sly smile.

“Though that’s probably impossible, isn’t it~?”

What the Water Ghost and the Labyrinth had in common was this: people couldn’t communicate with them.

* * *

The Elder, left alone.

“….”
“miserere….”
“…illumina….”

She hummed softly through her lips for a moment,

“…illumina mortuos.”

Then, with a wet crack,
his head exploded.

“….”

All that remained was a corpse standing before the main gate of the Haeyoung Agency.

* * *

“….”

He really doesn’t listen to a word anyone says.

Lee Yeon-woo looked down dryly at the Wet Person, who had suddenly driven a blade deep into his shoulder.

“…ha….”

The absurdity of it drew a laugh from me. As I looked at my own shoulder, pierced by the blade, I continued speaking with a smile I couldn’t quite suppress.

“Quite the enthusiastic welcome, my friend.”
“….”
“On such an auspicious occasion… I had no idea it was your custom to plant a blade instead of candles atop the cake. If you were going to brandish a weapon, you might have at least had the courtesy to find a proper venue. Not in front of the young guests, making such an ugly spectacle.”
“….”
“For instance, a secluded, empty room would have sufficed. That would have put my mind at ease as well. But alas, if this continues, my Hotel’s reputation will suffer alongside it.”
“….”
“And you don’t even have the maturity for it….”

After delivering his measured rebuke, Lee Yeon-woo lowered his gaze wearily and added,

“How discourteous.”

The conclusion came quickly.

‘Mere petulance.’

Lee Yeon-woo’s eyes curved into a smile. It was always like this.

The Wet Person truly had a childish side. One might call him an adult trapped in a child’s body. His actions were brutal, but at his core, he was remarkably pure.

“…!”
“Yes, I’m listening.”

Tap, tap, tap.
The Wet Person protested while jabbing repeatedly.

“…! …!!”
“I haven’t found a way out yet.”
“…!!”
“I’ll make you macarons.”
“…!!!”
“It’s difficult for me to die right this instant.”

When will this end? He won’t stay still. I’ll kill you, I swear it. Furious, he stabbed Lee Yeon-woo’s back repeatedly with his blade—a petulant seven-year-old if there ever was one.

‘Of course, an actual seven-year-old wouldn’t wield a knife like this.’

Coco, now serving as his coat, was being stabbed alongside him. The strikes seemed harmless enough, yet Lee Yeon-woo felt apologetic. He didn’t understand why he should feel sorry when someone else was doing the stabbing.

After a brief moment passed.

“Just two days. Give me two days.”

Lee Yeon-woo, now drenched in blood, attempted negotiation with an impassive expression.

“I know you’re being remarkably patient for someone like you, but I have quite a backlog of work myself. My condition lately is far from ideal to handle all of your temperament.”

By now, he was no longer mere water but closer to acorn jelly in consistency. Yet without special measures, remaining solely in the Hunting Ground would leave Lee Yeon-woo far too fragile. The limitations of utilizing the system were the culprit.

“….”
“Even if I revive immediately, there would be a brief gap. More importantly, if I die here, I’ll awaken in the Hotel, and it will take considerable time to travel from the Elevator back here.”
“….”
“Don’t say such things… I know what you’ll do when I’m gone.”

Death itself was irrelevant. Being stabbed a few times or bitten as a form of venting made no difference. After all, with his improved convenience now, he could ensure he felt neither pain nor discomfort.

My only concern was what would happen to Mia and the others if I disappeared—they would have to deal with the Wet Person’s temperament.

“I’ll make you a crêpe cake.”
“….”
“And I can add candles if you’d like.”
“…!!”
“My, the way you were throwing such a tantrum, I thought you were some seven-year-old brat from the neighborhood. My mistake.”
“…! …!!”
“I wish you’d conduct yourself with a bit more maturity.”

There was no point in protesting when I’d been the one acting childish first.

‘Yet they’ll eat every last bite once I make it.’

In any case, I had agreed to serve the Wet Person a dessert upon my return.

But I had no way of knowing how much longer this would extend the Wet Person’s patience. Being a dual-natured monster guest, the Wet Person lacked conscience entirely—they could draw a blade and come at me whenever they pleased.

“….”

More than anything, I couldn’t be certain the Wet Person harbored no ulterior motives.

‘…There’s something off about their reaction.’

It was almost too consistent, one might say.

‘Their anger has already dissipated—this feels more like they’re throwing a fit because they want something.’

I didn’t bother pretending otherwise. Whatever the truth, it would only amount to the Wet Person acting their age poorly and venting irritation at me.

As far as I was concerned, there was no real loss in this arrangement.

‘I’m not sure what they want, but as long as they don’t attack innocent people, it doesn’t matter.’

Separate from the fact that I needed to escape this place as quickly as possible.

After all, the Wet Person’s true intentions likely connected to those students. They were a water ghost who drew satisfaction from the suffering and anguish of the living.

But for now….

“…?”
“Yes, I’m listening.”

Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all?

‘The students won’t feel much sympathy for the suffering of someone they’ve barely seen.’

That was precisely why I’d maintained distance all this time. From what I could tell when I emerged, they still seemed afraid of me. In that regard, I had little to worry about.

‘My body can simply be restored to its preserved state in the system. Unlike with the Tasteless Guest, there’s no risk of permanent damage from shedding a little blood now.’

If I could offset the students’ greatest trials and hardships with this, I was more than willing to bear the cost.

‘There’s no cheaper expenditure than this.’
[Huh?]
‘It’s perfectly rational calculation.’
[Huh?!]
‘This approach will make the charm offensive even more difficult, but rather than that—’

Trying to dry off the Wet Person now would be pointless; they wouldn’t listen anyway.

‘It would only backfire….’

Lee Yeon-woo looked down at the Wet Person with contempt.

“….”
“…?!”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

At that age, did they really want to do this to children?

‘Since there’s no actual harm done, I’ll let it pass this time.’

Lee Yeon-woo brushed his coat with his hand, dusting it off.

As his hand moved, the traces left by the blade’s puncture vanished. Coco had taken no damage, the blood had been absorbed, and the shirt had been restored by the Hotel’s power.

“So it’s confirmed that we’ll eventually have to head up to the Hotel.”
[Yes!]
“Like a wicked cat.”

Lee Yeon-woo gazed out at the sea shrouded in murky water mist, muttering the words as if grinding them between his teeth.

“Nothing ever goes right.”

* * *

…Though I never imagined things would go this wrong.

“…Yeon,”
“….”

With a blade lodged in his throat, Lee Yeon-woo’s brow furrowed. Rather than stemming the blood flowing from his neck with his hand, he pushed the students’ backs and spoke with the shape of his lips.

[Go up.]

I have something to discuss with this lesser creature.

Forcibly closing the Elevator doors, Lee Yeon-woo caught sight of the “lesser creature.”

It was, of course, the Wet Person.

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