Welcome to the Ghost Story Hotel - Veritas Hotel Additional Rules
1. Due to unavoidable circumstances, the hotel's usage rules have been added or modified. We ask all guests to take note.
2. Due to bizarre phenomena, the minimum group size for hotel activities has been changed from 2 to 3 people. Guests unable to form groups of 3 are kindly requested to proceed to the front desk immediately upon receiving this notice for check-out. The full amount paid by guests checking out due to group size issues will be refunded.
3. Anomalies are occurring with the hotel clocks. Not only the clocks provided in the rooms, but personal timepieces may also occasionally show incorrect times. For the peace of mind of anxious guests, we are allowing check-out even before the end of the stay period. The hotel bears no responsibility for incidents caused by failing to keep proper time.
4. Monsters disguised as your fellow guests have begun roaming. Even if encountered outside your room and they appear to be colleagues, friends, or lovers, suspect them.
5. We prioritize the safety of our esteemed guests above all else. At present, we deem extending your stay extremely dangerous. Therefore, extensions for existing guests are now impossible.
6. These additions or changes to the rules take effect from breakfast time this morning and remain valid until further notice from the hotel staff. We would be grateful if you avoid any confusion, mistakes, or accidents.
In other words, yesterday Asha had violated rule 6 of the hotel's usage guidelines by opening the room door and stepping out alone. All sorts of bizarre noises echoed from beyond the room, followed by screams ringing out several times, which had made me worry for a moment.
But Asha returned casually brushing off her hands with a pat-pat, her cheeks splattered only with what looked like monster bodily fluids—some viscous slime. If anything, she'd even complained that monsters popping out everywhere was getting stale. She seemed genuinely disappointed that nothing new had appeared, looking utterly at peace, so I just let it go.
And then.
The next day, when we opened the delivered envelope, there was no introductory page with the usual "emergency notice" greeting—just the Veritas Hotel's additional usage rules plopped right there at the door.
"Hm, it's pissed, huh?"
"If I were the hotel owner, I'd have kicked her out ages ago."
"That's true."
Skipping even the bare minimum courtesy and apology to deliver only the additional rules—yeah, the hotel staff must be pretty heated about it. And yet, they were still delivering these updates.
I set the read rules paper down on the table with a thud and addressed my companions.
"From now on, no matter where we go, we'll always stick with Asha. Honestly, at this point, we can't properly handle dangerous situations on our own."
Asha herself was curled up on my lap like a cat staking her claim, purring with a low grrr. I stroked her head and continued.
"As for the clocks... they might be off sometimes, so we'll only move around at truly safe times. Skipping breakfast will probably be easiest."
"““Ughhh... our precious food...”””
I gave a wry smile to the three kids, who slumped over in disappointment at my words. But no matter how I thought about it, the moment right after waking up in the morning was the easiest time to fool, so it was an unavoidable decision.
"And for monsters disguised as us—no big deal. When leaving the room, we'll always state our destination and stick only to that spot."
I said that and stretched. These seemed like enough rules for us to set right away, matching the new and changed hotel guidelines.
Horn, the moment I finished speaking, smacked his lips with a regretful tch and muttered.
"Hm... our happy vacation's finally over."
"Not being able to use the billiards hall or other entertainment doesn't make it an unhappy vacation, old man."
"I finally found something fun after so long, you punk. It's been like 300 years, at least. Hm..."
Honestly, meals made in the room's kitchen were plenty, and entertainment was just a hobby we'd miss but not desperately. Even in this chaotic situation, holing up in the room still meant a peaceful, leisurely break.
Still, seeing Horn look so wistful was a bit bittersweet—right in the middle of that thought.
"Well... can't be helped. In that case, once our stay ends, let's head to the workshop."
"Why?"
"Gonna buy a billiards table. Then we won't get bored camping anymore, right?"
Horn nodded firmly, as if resolved. But really, going to the workshop just for a billiards table? And even if we loaded that massive thing onto the carriage somehow, there'd be no room left for people.
"Horn... sorry, but something that big won't fit on the carriage."
"Then buy a bigger, pricier carriage at the workshop. Simple solution."
"You crazy dwarf geezer."
"What'd you say, punk?"
Like that money grows on trees if you dig? We just bickered as always.
A day or two more passed, and the hotel interior had grown much quieter. The notice allowing check-out before the fixed period must have scared people off, even if their stays weren't up. After all, the hotel had first changed their own rule that check-out had to wait two weeks no matter what.
Naturally, for humans, one small reward like "truth" mattered less than their own lives.
I thought that while sipping tea in the hotel lobby with Asha and Aberly.
"No more guests left at all."
"I actually like the quiet better, Ain."
"Haha... yeah, nobody wants to die, after all..."
There were still a few heading to the restaurant, but we three were the only ones in the lobby having tea. Oh, of course—Horn and the three kids had come down from the second floor together and gone straight to eat.
No way was I sending the kids off alone, so the old man was tagging along like a nanny.
Anyway.
After finishing my tea, I turned to Aberly.
"Aberly, how's the new reagent?"
"Haha... sorry. Still no progress."
The clinical trial for the ash suppressant, started upon entering the hotel, had already dragged on for over ten days, but Aberly shook his head regretfully.
"Material shortage?"
"Hm... materials are running low, but honestly, without exact benchmarks for the formula, it's hard to say. Asha falling asleep might just be a side effect—not proof the drug's working."
I'd never once thought creating something new for the world would be easy. The times I'd pushed Aberly were just because... this madman would go "Aja aja! F, fighting...!" then inevitably spit out "Ta-da, it, it failed..." and act all annoying.
"It's tough, huh."
"Maybe I started all wrong. I assumed ash was a disease and mixed neutralizing suppressants... hm. I'll try a different approach."
That's why I didn't mind even when he explained so earnestly now. He was so absorbed in his work that, without realizing it, he spoke fluently and professionally.
"Count on you."
"Haha... y-yes. I'll, I'll do my best..."
Of course, him scratching his head right after wasn't exactly cool.
As we chatted over tea like that, Horn and the kids approached.
"Punk, time to head up. Food's done."
"Huaa... new plate record..."
"“Nue... so full...””
The twins patted their bulging bellies, Eileen clutched her mouth like she might puke and mumbled, and Horn kept going smack-smack for some reason. I naturally asked,
"What color are my panties today?"
"What the hell, you nutjob."
The kids' faces twisted in confusion like they'd heard something weird, and Horn straight-up cursed.
"C'mon, quick. What color are my panties today?"
"Argh! Black, you punk!"
As I pressed him, Horn spat curses and yelled black.
But.
"Wrong, you monster fucker. I said tell me when it's no panties!"
"W-wait. I forgot. Old age lately..."
He backpedaled in panic, trying to explain.
"Then die!"
I thrust my sword into the chest of the Horn-masked monster.
"Keh, kehuk... keruk..."
Quick, simple, and zero chance of losing an argument—the best method.
As I sliced the Horn monster in half, Asha's magic crushed the kid-masked ones. We'd split up intending to handle our tasks and return straight to the room. No one said to come to the lobby after eating.
After killing the monsters and shaking the fluids off my sword, Asha's voice came from behind.
"Ain."
I turned to see Asha staring piercingly, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Yeah, what?"
"You really not wearing panties?"
She swallowed hard, eyes dropping to my crotch—kinda scary, even.
"N-no. That was just, uh, today's, p-password...?"
"Ah... I see..."
I had to stammer back like Aberly to Asha, who sipped her tea looking disappointed.