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Chapter 36
Suriel and Selir sat on the sofa, their faces pale.
The fleeting murderous intent that Halloway had sent was real.
Selir, who had been sitting quietly, muttered in disbelief.
“…How could this happen? How could Halloway—”
“To be precise, it wasn’t just you. He aimed it at both you and Suriel.”
“Do you think he’s joking?”
Selir’s sharp words cut through the air, and Dilaph merely shrugged.
It seemed the shock of being targeted by Halloway had even brought tears to Selir’s eyes.
It was understandable—this had never happened before.
And, of all people, it was them.
Feeling humiliated by being outmatched by a mere human, Selir bit her lip tightly.
Watching Selir teeter on the edge, Suriel spoke up.
“It’s fine. We can just rebuild the collection later.”
It was better to give up than to antagonize Halloway.
Especially recalling Evelyn’s smug attitude when she waved the young Halloway around as if daring someone to challenge her, Suriel shivered involuntarily.
“It’s best not to mess with that scary woman, just as Dilaph said. Even though she’s young, did you see how she waved Halloway around? She completely lost it.”
“Exactly! She totally lost it! No, she went crazy!”
Dilaph’s words even got tangled up in his own surprise.
No one would act like that, even in such a situation, no matter how young they looked.
“Doesn’t everyone already know about her? Why suddenly wave Halloway around?”
Selir doubted, unable to believe it, but Dilaph and Suriel recalled Evelyn’s past behavior.
Suddenly striking someone on the cheek, appearing with nunchaku, shouting strange kiai, and beating people without mercy…
Her actions had already proven to be unpredictable.
So, if Evelyn suddenly waved Halloway around, it wouldn’t be strange at all.
Suriel shrugged.
“Doubt it.”
“She’s always like that. Even the boss doesn’t really notice anything strange,” Dilaph said.
Suriel and Extenron nodded.
Selir glared at Extenron, who shrank back, sensing her gaze.
Dilaph clicked his tongue and said to Selir,
“Don’t take it out on Extenron.”
Selir, irritated by being corrected, narrowed her eyes at Dilaph.
“What’s it to you?”
Breaking eye contact with Dilaph, Selir asked Suriel,
“You’re not going again?”
“Halloway will kill anyway. We just need to collect his fingers and hair then.”
For now, they remained cautious, but the longer they stayed here, the more the negative energy of the demons would consume them.
Additionally, they would gradually be worn down by the ever-increasing monsters.
In such a situation, even without the demons interfering, conflicts would naturally arise, leading them to distrust each other until death.
That’s how it had always been.
“What if Halloway changes his mind?”
Dilaph, Suriel, and Extenron looked at Selir strangely.
Selir finally realized what she had said and frowned in irritation.
“Right… that would never happen.”
It wouldn’t change. There had been no exceptions in all the long years.
“But we can’t just watch.”
Selir nervously bit her nails, determined to eliminate Evelyn on her own if necessary.
This time, without Halloway noticing.
Even if she died and claimed it was an accident, Halloway wouldn’t be especially angry.
It was clear that Halloway was upset because someone else had snatched his intended prey.
“Exactly. That’s it.”
That much was certain.
[The current hotel difficulty rises to ‘Better to Be a Little Cautious’.]
The difficulty was entirely arbitrary.
Thanks to finding a potion, their wounds had healed completely, and they now stood in front of the infirmary.
Click, click-click.
Cletta clicked her tongue as she turned the doorknob.
“The door’s locked.”
“I have the key.”
I pulled out a golden key from my pocket, supposedly for the infirmary on the third floor.
Moran’s face showed surprise and curiosity.
“Where did you get it?”
“From that staff member’s monster pouch earlier. It was shiny, so I reached for it—it turned out to be a key. Not sure if it’s for the infirmary, though.”
[Halloway is observing you closely.]
[Due to a sharp drop in favorability, Halloway is beginning to view you negatively.]
[If you fail to maintain your expression even slightly, Halloway’s danger gauge will rapidly rise above 50.]
[If the danger gauge exceeds 50: your skin could be flayed.]
Expression failure…?
I steadied my wavering pupils and inserted the key.
Click.
“Oh? It opened.”
It seemed he didn’t even realize this key was for the infirmary.
Yet he didn’t immediately enter, just holding the doorknob hesitantly.
“What are you doing, Evelyn?”
“Are you not opening it?”
“Should I?”
It wasn’t because we couldn’t open it.
I looked at the three of them, slightly scared, and asked,
“Aren’t you afraid? This is the infirmary… in this scary place.”
There could be dissected specimens, syringes, and all sorts of terrifying things.
Moreover, it was supposed to have patients.
Could they even be human?
[Halloway stops staring at you intently.]
This acting… impressive.
He seemed adept enough to maintain his expression even in social situations now.
I opened the door slightly and peeked in.
It was too dark to see clearly.
Stepping in cautiously, my foot hit something—a lamp.
[Obtained ‘Lamp’!]
[Lamp Feature: Allows you to see ahead.]
I didn’t understand why it was phrased like that; it’s just a lamp.
I stepped back into the hallway and lit it with a candle.
The infirmary was dimly illuminated.
Blood, darkened to brown, splattered on the walls; examination sheets and shift schedules were scattered around.
Broken syringes and doctor’s coats hung on chairs.
Up to this point, I led as if I were the squad leader, with Moran, Cletta, and Halloway following closely behind.
There was a medical bed by the window with the curtains drawn.
Suddenly, a blood-stained curtain shook.
“Eek…!”
Moran, shocked by the blood, grabbed Cletta’s arm. Cletta calmed her down.
“It’s okay, Moran.”
“Sis…”
“Come here.”
I held Halloway as we approached the bed.
Moran, trembling, asked,
“Do we have to go there?”
“We don’t know what’s inside…”
I didn’t want to go either, but the quest required it.
With no weapons, even finding something small would make me feel safer.
“Moran, stay with Cletta. I’ll check quickly. Halloway, if you’re scared, you can stay with Moran.”
“No, I want to be with you.”
Cletta grabbed him.
“You stay with Moran. I’ll go with Evelyn. We don’t know what might appear.”
Ignoring Cletta’s instructions, I took Halloway to the bed. Taking a deep breath, I said,
“Open the curtain a bit.”
“…”
“Just kidding.”
Though joking, I grabbed the curtain. It swayed violently in the wind.
Where was the wind coming from?
“Hold the curtain still, sis!”
Ah… my hand was shaking.
Sighing, Halloway grabbed my sleeve and pulled me back.
“Step aside. I’ll open it.”
I stepped back and crossed my arms, sternly saying,
“Can’t make a child do it.”
[Halloway laughs at the mismatch between your actions and words.]
[You look a little cute.]
[Favorability +0.2]
[Attachment +0.5]
[Possessiveness +2%]
Favorability rises so slowly… Will it even reach 20%?
It seemed it would take time.
Without any preparation, Halloway boldly drew back the curtain.
From behind, Moran screamed,
“Eeeek!”
I flinched, and Halloway smirked.
There was nothing on the bed. Expecting a patient, I saw the usual blood-soaked bedding.
Moran panicked.
“Blood… blood!”
“It’s normal here now,” I replied calmly, pointing to the other curtain.
“…Sis, really.”
[Halloway doesn’t understand why you keep doing cute things.]
I, getting cute approval from a little brat.
Why doesn’t my favorability increase?
“Step back… you’re already too close…”
“My body is precious,” I said, making Halloway chuckle.
He opened the curtain fully. There lay Werner, lying perfectly straight as if a prince in Sleeping Beauty.
Looking at his face, fully revealed on the medical bed, Moran warned,
“Don’t get too close, sis!”
I sighed—expected something dramatic, but it was just Werner.
My tense body relaxed.
“Sir Werner… did you eat a poisoned apple…?”
“That’s… a serious problem!” Moran approached, panicking.
“It’s not that bad. A trusted person’s kiss will wake him.”
Originally, it was supposed to be a loved one.
“The person you trust…”
Among those present, only Cletta qualified. Moran trusted but did not rely on him, so our eyes turned to Cletta.
Caught off guard, Cletta pointed at herself in confusion.
“I’m supposed to kiss him?”
“Kiss him, kiss him!”
“Ki… kiss him. Sir Werner has to wake up!”
Moran even placed her hand on Cletta’s head and sighed.
“Evelyn is playing tricks. Don’t fall for it. How would she even know?”
The lie was exposed.
Halloway and Cletta’s incompetence attracted a child’s gaze.
[Halloway and Cletta are amazed at your brazen lying without batting an eye.]
Didn’t that just say it was a lie?
“Evelyn! You can’t tell such lies!”
“Why not?”
Moran stammered, clearly not expecting me to question her.
“Uh… because there are people like me who get fooled…”
“But I’m utterly selfish, with zero empathy! Whether people believe me or not doesn’t matter—I can’t survive without lying!”
[Your shamelessness leaves the three speechless.]
