Chapter 1

An Inescapable Suspicion: Suppose You Found Someone Standing Over a Dead Body Holding a Weapon

Azami Military Academy. House of learning, where young hopefuls trained day and night.

On a break from training, Riho came over to Lloyd to chat. Riho had narrow, crafty eyes and a bulky mithril arm that totally didn’t match her slim build; everything about her screamed villain.

When a girl like her sat down next to a gentle-looking kid like Lloyd, it pretty much looked like she was there to mug him.

“Yo, Lloyd, got a question for you.”

“Oh, sure. What?” He put a bookmark in the novel he was in the middle of and looked up.

“Sorry, you were reading?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve read it so many times… This scene in particular is so good, I’ve basically memorized it.”

Riho glanced at the book’s cover and saw some sort of soldier wielding an ancient weapon in battle. It was a hardcover, but Lloyd had read it so many times, the corners were frayed.

“That about a soldier traveling the world and fighting evil armies?”

“This book inspired me to become a soldier. It’s basically my bible. Possibly a childish bible…”

Riho was prone to making fun of comments like that, but Lloyd’s open smile and earnest delivery did a number on her. Rubbing her flushed cheeks to hide her embarrassment, she decided to get to the point.

“So, uh, we’ve got this holiday coming up, right? Would you be free to join me on a thing?”

She seemed a little shy, but the invitation was awkward for Lloyd in a totally different way.

“Sorry, uh, I already have a job lined up.”

“A job? Monster exterminating, or…?”

“No, no, if I tried to help exterminate monsters, I’d just get in everyone’s way.”

“Right…”

Riho bit her tongue. This boy’s chronically low self-esteem wasn’t really improving, and the contrast between his perception of himself and his actual abilities was dizzying, seeing as he could take out your average army and just about any monster.

But Riho let his comment pass. What else was there to be said at this point?

“So what’s the job?”

“I haven’t been told that much, but helping in the kitchen at some big inn.”

No one would deny this kid had the makings of a great housewife. Riho had seen firsthand what he could do in a kitchen.

“Oh, that makes sense,” she said, disappointed. “And here I figured I could teach you what grown-ups do for fun.”

Suddenly, there was a chill in the air, and a blond girl appeared behind her.

“Why, hello, everyone,” the girl growled.

Her name was Selen Hemein. Formerly known as the Cursed Belt Princess, she’d been something of an urban legend back home. But the belt cursed to never come off had been defeated by Lloyd’s power, making her scary obsessed with him.

Whenever they got a day off, she’d show up to cheerily pressure Lloyd into a date…but not this time.

“What’s up, m’lady? You’re usually wide-eyed, begging Lloyd to go out with you… Trying a new approach?” Riho guessed.

“No…I’ve actually been summoned back home.”

“And that’s got you this depressed?”

Selen frantically mussed her own hair. “A real holiday! All my plans for a romantic trip to the hot springs with Sir Lloyd, totally destroyed! No consideration for the work I put into planning—for nothing!”

The belt at her hips was writhing around with this emotional outburst. The cursed belt was now an artifact she controlled at will, which meant there was no telling what it would do if she got upset.

“Did she run these plans by you, Lloyd?”

“No, first I’ve heard of them.”

“M’lady…seems like you’re the one with no consideration.”

Selen had crumpled into a teary mess and wasn’t listening. “Aah, what if they tell me I can’t come back?!”

“Heh-heh-heh, then we’ll finally have some peace and quiet around here.”

“I’ve prepared for the worst! I ordered some bottle bombs to take with me so I can turn the place into a sea of fire at the first sign of trouble.”

“That definitely sounds like your worst idea yet.”

“Sorry. It’s all because I took this job… I appreciate your invitation, but I doubt I can take you up on it.”

Lloyd’s kindness provoked an even more dramatic reaction from Selen. Apparently, his words were the only ones her ears could hear.

“You appreciate the invite? That means you’ll definitely say yes next time! And that means we’re as good as married!”

Selen’s brain was already churning out more sweet dreams. While she was busy with her mental gymnastics, Riho shook her head.

“A leap too far, m’lady. Marriage isn’t in the cards.”

“No, Riho, your vibe has changed in a subtle but ominous way, so I need to arrange a shotgun wedding before that threat manifests.”

Thanks to the events at the Student Sorcery Tournament, Riho had started looking at Lloyd in a different light. She denied it, but…

“H-hey! D-don’t joke about…”

Red-faced. Spluttering. Her weak response was a dead giveaway.

“You have changed, Riho. It’s like you’re cuter now,” Lloyd said, dealing the finishing blow without the slightest clue what effect it would have.

“L-Lloyd, you—!”

“This calls for drastic measures,” Selen hissed, radiating hostility. But before she could act on it…

“Mm.”

…someone suddenly put Lloyd in a headlock.

“Ph-Phyllo!”

It was Phyllo Quinone, a martial artist who’d enlisted quite recently. Never very talkative, she was a tall blonde with a model’s build whose physical strength rivaled Lloyd’s. She was prone to causing property damage at a moment’s notice.

Without so much as the twitch of an eyebrow, she wrapped her arms around Lloyd, squeezing him tight against her chest.

“What are you doing?!”

“What’s the big idea?!”

“I can’t see my master during the holidays…so I’m getting my fill of him now.”

“Your fill of what?! And how long have you been listening?”

“‘Asking Lloyd out is nerve-racking, but I’d better do it before Selen asks him. Well, it’s not a date, just…strengthening our bonds. Not in a datey way, but…’”

“That’s what I said to myself right after class ended!” Riho yelped. How closely had Phyllo been following her?

Then she realized Selen was glaring at her balefully.

“Rihoooo…you were totally trying to pull one over on me! You wanted a date with Sir Lloyd?!”

“No! And he already turned me down, anyway. So it doesn’t count!”

“I’m helping my sister with her job over the holiday, so I can’t hang out… So sad.”

A rare display of emotion from Phyllo, who sounded so dejected that all the girls hung their heads. Everyone was mad for Lloyd, huh?

Just as all the girls looked ready to head to a wake, a boisterous man barreled in behind them. Over six feet tall, Allan was the total warrior package and had appointed himself Lloyd’s student.

“Tough luck, mercenary! But don’t worry. The best path to a date is to ask repeatedly until you finally wear them down.”

“Why are you acting like you know what you’re talking about…? And I wasn’t asking him on a date! Just trying to show him how adults have fun!”

“So you were attempting to instill your vices in him?! Sir Lloyd, don’t you ever go anywhere with this lady. There’s no telling what trouble it could lead to.”

Riho shrugged Allan off. “Big talk, buddy. I was planning on taking him to the favorite pastime of the idle rich: a little equestrian sporting. Train his eye to the aesthetics of the thing.”

She meant the racetrack, clearly. Allan just shook his head.

“Really, gambling? Good thing you took that job, Lloyd. I have plans myself, so I wouldn’t have been around to protect you.”

“What plans do you have, Allan?” Lloyd asked.

“Heh-heh.” The big man grinned. “I know, as your student, I should be helping you with whatever work you’ve taken…but this was a duty I couldn’t shirk. Sad but true.”

His nostrils flared. He clearly wanted them to ask what duty he was referring to.

“Got it. Creepy. Please leave.”

“That’s just mean! Aren’t you at all curious?!”

“Sure, that smirk is real curious. Curious how you have the nerve to show it in public.”

“That’s less curious than callous! You could at least feign interest in my affairs!”

“Um,” Lloyd said dutifully. This was a student who demanded a lot from his master. “So what are you doing over the holidays?”

“Glad you asked, Lloyd!” Allan said, seizing his moment. He pulled himself up to his full height, expression confident. “You see, I’m meeting a potential bride.”

“Creepy. Please leave,” Riho said again.

“No interest in my affairs at all, huh?” Allan sulked, looking very sad. “Nope, nope, I can’t let everything some tomboy says get under my skin. Not when I’m such a catch, I’ve got women personally asking for my hand.”

This only made Riho’s eyes narrow still further. “Pfft, you sure are letting this potential bride go to your head, Allan.”

“Ha! Say what you like. Nobody makes these formal requests because they like your face—it’s proof they’ve deemed you worthy of their hand.”

“With that kind of worth, who needs money? Share some of your happiness with me,” Riho said, swiping his wallet.

“Hey! Back up! That’s not right!”

“What? You’re a worthy man! You don’t need a pretty face or a loaded wallet.”

“That doesn’t mean you can empty my wallet into yours!”

Both kinds of worth were important.

As Riho rifled through Allan’s wallet, Selen and Phyllo peered over her shoulders.

“Oh, there’s a four-leaf clover in here.”

“Like a little girl.”

“Knock that off!” Allan turned beet red. Despite his beefy exterior, he did have his feminine side.

“I think he’s been a bit too cocky lately, so we should turn this into a three-leaf clover.”

“God, don’t! Do you have any idea how long I was crawling around the riverbank looking for that?!”

Ignoring his desperate grabs, Riho turned to Lloyd.

“So, Lloyd, tell me your favorite numbers. For future reference.”

“You’re gonna take my wallet to the racetrack?!”

“Um…four, three, and seven?”

“Going for the trifecta?”

“Lloyd! Don’t answer her! Although it was really nice of you to do so!”

Allan’s cries echoed through the room, but the other students barely glanced their way. Torturing Allan had become a routine part of their day.

At the time, the five of them had no way of knowing that their disparate plans for the holidays would bring them together in the most surprising fashion…

At her shop on the East Side—where Lloyd currently resided—Marie was enjoying a cup of tea.

Marie was a bespectacled fifteen-year-old wearing a pointy hat and a black dress with elaborate embellishments, both of which made her look very witchlike. She gave the impression of being somewhat older than her actual age; she’d lived through her share of hardship, conveying the illusion of maturity.

The East Side was like Detroit without RoboCop, or Gotham without Batman. In postapocalyptic terms, this was the kind of world where a dude with a Mohawk would go after a civilian, and the civilian would come back the next day with a posse to get revenge. Basically, it was a warmhearted community, in the sense that your heart never stopped racing enough to cool down. It would turn any girl into a tough cookie.

And that wasn’t all. Marie’s troubles kept piling up. Largely because—

“Marie! I came to play!”

“Pfft! Argh, Master! Stop bursting out of the closet without warning!”

—of this black-haired pigtailed pip-squeak, Alka, Marie’s master and the chief of Kunlun, the village of superhumans. Her youthful appearance was frozen for all of time—in other words, she was your classic loli grandma.

Since Lloyd had begun living here, she’d started teleporting over, demanding food, sexually harassing the boy, or placing curses on Marie—a regular reign of tyranny. Sort of the exact opposite of a zashiki-warashi, or a childlike spirit quietly residing on family property.

“Gimme some tea, Marie. Extra sugar, loads of milk.”

Marie reluctantly put the kettle back on.

“We talked about this!” she complained. “You’re bad for the heart, so please call ahead!”

“Never mind that! The military school holidays start the day after tomorrow! He should be coming home… No, as the human representatives of the village, Lloyd and I should go to some hot springs and…”

Alka had spread out the official school schedule—something she absolutely should not have had—on the table and was drawing red circles on it, locking down Lloyd’s time off.

“How did you even get that…?”

Alka just shot her a look. “I saw you being weirdly cheery the last few days and figured something was up, so I swiped it from the school.”

“…………”

A cold sweat formed on Marie’s brow.

“I figure you were assuming you’d be able to spend loads of time with Lloyd over the holidays and are planning something sad like inviting him shopping and pretending it’s a date.”

“………………”

Sweat was now dripping off Marie’s chin.

“And you’ve been scouting locations you thought could generate the right mood! I heard you muttering, ‘Lots of couples stroll through the park in the evening; it’ll be perfect.’”

“Stop watching my every move! Don’t you have anything better to do?!”

“I do! I’ve got mountains of work on my desk! During their busiest moments, people nevertheless find themselves spontaneously cleaning! Same thing!”

“You’re stalking him with the mindset of a middle school student cramming for exams!” Said the girl who’d been scouting locations for imaginary dates. She’d turned bright red.

And with uncanny timing, Lloyd got home.

“Hello… Oh, Chief, you’re he—”

“Welcome back, Lloyd! Ohhh, you’ve grown so big!” Alka dove headlong into his chest before he could even finish.

“Big? We just saw each other!”

“Nonsense! It only takes three days for a man to change beyond recognition! So I need to see all those changes close-up!”

Her carnal ambitions weren’t even thinly disguised. Marie picked her up like a cat and dragged her away.

“Look at you… You’re just a criminal now. First, you turn me into your server, and now you’re forcing me to perform physical labor.”

“Some server you are, serving an empty room all da— Augh!”

Marie dumped Alka unceremoniously on the floor. Perhaps that comment had cut a bit too close.

“A good server looks after the unwanted customers, too,” she snapped, dusting off her hands. Then she settled into a chair, looking exhausted, wheezing like a retiree. She was that worn out.

Lloyd gave her a worried look. “You seem tired, Marie,” he suggested. “Should I give you a massage?”

Faced with this unassuming concern, his gentle voice, his earnest expression, his pure expression of kindness…

“Really? Please!” Marie squeaked like an excited child.

“Eh-heh-heh…I’m glad it makes you happy. I’m almost as good at massages as I am at cooking and cleaning!”

He began rubbing Marie’s shoulders immediately. Slow, then fast, then slow again, his fingers danced like a piano player’s. Feeling like classical music was washing into her body through her shoulders, Marie closed her eyes, oblivious to the drool dribbling down her chin.

“Oh…that feels wonderful… I see… You really are good at this…”

“Yes,” Lloyd said brightly. “This massage has been certified by Chief Alka herself!”

Marie’s eyes snapped open in horror.

An instant later, his fingertips ran past her collarbone in the wrong direction…toward all the wrong places.

“Whoa, stop! Not there!” Marie leaped up before he could go any further.

“Huh? Wh-what’s wrong?”

“I need a minute! That was getting a little too sexua— No, I mean, it was great! I just need more time! And like, prior consent!”

But Lloyd’s expression was pure innocence. Just a healthy young boy! There wasn’t a trace of ulterior motives.

And yet his fingers had… This was all too much for Marie.

Then Alka stopped wriggling around on the floor and shot to her feet, arms crossed.

“Yes, Lloyd, that massage can’t be used willy-nilly! Not without my express permission—nay, not on anyone but me! That’s the reason I taught it to you.”

Marie’s eyes glinted, and she grabbed a fistful of Alka’s clothes, hoisting her into the air.

“What did you teach Lloyd?! This one really is a crime! A felony!”

Dangling in the air, Alka gave Marie an apologetic look.

“Listen, Marie.” Her face broke into a grin. “Teaching stuff to innocent boys…is what this long life is for! Tee-hee!”

She had never looked more punchable.

“Don’t brag about it! At least make excuses! Demonstrate some shred of regret!”

Marie was clearly in the right here, but Lloyd just looked confused.

“Um, so you really don’t want a massage?”

Marie’s morals were immediately shaken.

A devil and an angel began arguing internally.

ANGEL

“This is not how you want to get closer to him!”

DEVIL

“But it felt, like, totally amazing having his fingers sliding in, right? You totally gotta!”

ANGEL

“That’s just using his innocence to move things along. It would never lead to a lasting relationship with Lloydie. A quiet deep freeze would settle in and never be thawed.”

DEVIL

“But like, it was amaaaazing! It felt so good! Like, hawt.”

ANGEL

“It certainly felt good, and it was real hawt, but…”

DEVIL

“No more excuses! You’re too funny! Just go with what feels good, baby!”

ANGEL

“And in that instant, you’ll be as bad as her!”

(ANGEL pointed at Alka.)

DEVIL

“…My bad.”

Not the most articulate devil, huh?

But Marie certainly didn’t want to be like Alka! This one thought allowed her to withstand Lloyd’s temptation and redirect him to his next task.

“A-argh…Lloyd, shouldn’t you get changed?”

“Oh, right. That reminds me…I picked up a holiday job, so I’ll be out for the next three days.”

All her holiday plans instantly crumbled. Marie’s mind went blank. Her hand went limp, letting go of Alka’s clothes.

“Oof!”

After the brief thrill of free fall, Alka landed face-first on the floor.

“Um, Lloyd…? What job?”

“Oh, Chrome asked me to help out a former boss of his.”

“I’ll have to kill him—I mean, how does that take the whole holiday?”

There was a stiffness to Marie’s smile that Lloyd found unsettling.

“Uh…I heard it’s a really big place and needs a lot of cleaning.”

“Can’t he do his own cleaning? Geez…”

Marie could have been talking about herself. Left to her own devices, she’d pile up dishes and pots like a puzzle game.

“Oh, also, because I’m a good cook, he wants me cooking for him.”

“Can’t he make his own food? How old is this guy?”

This time, it was Alka scowling… Marie might as well have been talking about her. Alive for over a century, yet she was still unable to cook anything edible. The same mindset that allowed her to use Excalibur as a carving knife made any other culinary outcome impossible.

But Lloyd hung in there gamely. “But if he needs help, I can’t just ignore it… That’s not the kind of soldier I want to be.”

Lloyd had come to Azami to be a “good soldier” like the one in his favorite novel.

“Er…so I’m gonna head straight there after school tomorrow.”

Knowing his motivations only too well, neither Alka nor Marie could argue further.

“Hmm…then I reckon I’ll just have to show up while you’re working and say hello.”

“Just a short trip! Might be a nice change of pace.”

They might not be able to stop him, but both were hell-bent on joining him.

They turned to get ready—oh, they already had clothes set aside and just needed a deck of cards. Cards were only useful once in a blue moon, which was what made it so tough to find them when they were needed most.

In the blink of an eye, two suitcases were ready to go, piled on the floor.

Both women grinned triumphantly.

Lloyd gave them an apologetic look. “Sorry,” he said. “I know you’re worried about me, but I’d really prefer you not come…”

This shocking pronouncement drained the color from both their faces.

“Er…Lloyd? You mean that?” Marie asked.

“Do you hate me now, Lloyd?!” Alka accused.

“That’s not it. I just look at everyone around me and know I’ve got to do more on my own. And if you’re both there, I know I’ll just rely on you again. So…sorry.”

On the outside, the pair seemed massively overprotective, when in reality they were just really hung up on him.

With his opinion expressed, Lloyd bowed his head and went to his room.

“Marie! Why didn’t you argue with him?”

“How can I, when he’s clearly thinking so hard about his future?”

Marie scratched her cheek, and Alka collapsed to the floor, despondent.

“How did it come to this?! And here I thought I’d finally get a chance to heal my weary bones by flirting with him all day and night in some deserted field!”

“I’m so glad I didn’t try to convince him to let us go now…”

Alka turned on her. “You’ve got to think of a reason for us to tag along! Doesn’t matter what! Do it, or I’ll tell everyone you’re the princess! You’ll be driven out of the East Side!”

“That’s unfair! Don’t do that. Think of something yourself!”

That was right—Marie was technically the country’s princess. There had been an attempted coup, and she’d been forced to hide here. Even now that peace had been restored, she continued running her shop, supporting the realm from the shadows.

Though that was mostly just so she had an excuse to keep living with Lloyd…

“Argh…all my plans, dashed!” Alka wailed.

“Grin and bear it. Even though Lloyd has so little confidence, he’s finally trying to be independent. This is a good thing! I thought he was getting a little more manly…”

“He certainly seems more reliable than he did back home. Mwa-ha-ha.”

A rapturous look spread across Alka’s face, and a strand of drool landed on the floor. Mood swings were a characteristic trait of the kid-sized grandma.

Lloyd finished changing and emerged, ready to get dinner started.

“It’s just yesterday’s leftover curry, I’m afraid. Oh, and, Marie, I know I’ll be gone a few days, but you can’t just eat canned food the whole time. I’ll make a few things tomorrow to tide you over.”

“Oh, okay.”

“And make sure you wash the dishes when you’re done. Even if you don’t have time, at least rinse them. If food dries on them, it’s really hard to get off.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Then I’ll get dinner ready, so can you wipe the table?”

With those motherly orders, Lloyd headed into the kitchen.

“Which of you needs to be more independent, again?”

“……”

Marie wiped the table down in silence, forced to admit she might be worse than Lloyd had ever been.

The Reiyoukaku Hotel was by a large lake at the midpoint of the merchant road connecting Rokujou, which lay on the western end of the continent, to Azami, in the east. It had once been a major lumber site, and the sides of the mountains were covered in cypress trees planted in eye-catching geometric patterns. A hidden gem for travelers, it had the same appeal as a hidden view of a city lit up at night.

As the lumber industry left, tourism increased. Shops and meal halls meant for lumberjacks began selling souvenirs and offering fine dining.

But the local inns were ill-suited to tourism, providing plain lodgings for workers and offering little for loaded tourists to drop money on.

Coba had spied an opening. Confident it would be a success, he’d built a luxury hotel, and his gamble was paying off in spades. They had a broad range of middle- and upper-class guests, and the hotel was even used for meetings of government officials or major merchants.

And with these important guests arriving for the big holiday, the string of victims turning up comatose could threaten the hotel’s very survival.

“The coma thing is bad, but first and foremost, the hotel has to function properly…”

Standing at the hotel’s entrance, Coba stared out at the cypress forests, reflecting on the past.

When the venture had first opened, he’d underestimated the challenges running it would pose, facing problem after problem. All kinds of troubles, everything from picky eaters to lousy drunks… But he’d overcome them all, finally making a success of it. It wouldn’t do to start skimping now.

“Everyone’s on edge, thanks to the incidents…but with that boy here, I think we might just pull it off.”

Coba’s thought were on Lloyd, the boy with the gentle smile. His skill in the kitchen was unimpeachable, but his physical prowess was even more impressive. And this superhuman had taken the job right away, no questions asked. Which actually suggested he might be worryingly naïve…

Coba folded his arms, watching the road in front of the hotel, his eyes turned toward Azami. It was evening, and the sun was already low in the sky, its glow reflecting off the skin of his head.

Yes…evening, the source of Coba’s concern.

Is he really coming today?

Coba had told Lloyd it would be fine if couldn’t make it till the following morning, but Lloyd had just said, “I’ll head over after school wraps up for the day. Should be there by evening.”

He’d made it sound simple.

Coba had laughed, assuming he was joking, but Chrome had replied, “Don’t be surprised if he is.” His tone had been so grim, Coba was left utterly confused.

He still found it hard to believe. And this left him with a suspicious glint in his eyes, like a cop carrying the ransom money, waiting for the kidnappers to arrive. The hotel sat on the crest of a hill, so he commanded a considerable view—and there was not a soul to be seen.

Still…that boy may be incredible, but I must have misheard him. Even on horseback, it’s a half-day’s ride.

There must have been some kind of mistake. Or it was a joke. Coba gave up and turned on his heel…

“Sorry I’m late!”

“Eek!”

Lloyd was standing right behind him. Coba let out an uncharacteristic shriek, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

“Uh…are you okay?” Lloyd frowned, looking concerned.

“Y-yeah…but why are you coming from behind the hotel?”

It was hard enough to sneak up on a former guard. But why he’d come from that direction was even more baffling.

“School wrapped up a little late,” Lloyd explained. “So I took a shortcut through the forest.”

“Uh…”

Was there a shortcut? Coba looked where Lloyd was pointing. He saw nothing but dense forest, tall mountains, steep cliffs…the most impassible landscape imaginable. That region was teeming with monsters, and Rokujou had declared it a danger zone. The road had been specifically built all the way over here to avoid the monsters in those mountains.

Lloyd looked a little embarrassed.

“Seemed like following the road would be a little roundabout, so I just made a beeline right here…”

Coba pictured the map of the terrain between Azami and the hotel. As the crow flies, a straight line could technically be drawn between the two points…but there were at least four mountains in the way.

Coba balled up that map and threw it away.

“I see! Well done. Welcome to my hotel! Welcome to Reiyoukaku!”

He decided not to think about it.

Lloyd bowed low. “Yes, sir! Lloyd Belladonna, reporting for duty!”

Lloyd’s good manners helped Coba settle down. But…

I may have summoned a real monster here…

Coba saw more than a few monster hairs and cypress needles stuck to the boy’s clothes.

Sensing a little awkwardness between them, Lloyd followed Coba as his new boss gave him a tour.

Surrounded by the bounty of nature and bathed in the light of the setting sun, the exterior of the elegant hotel promised an escape from the dreariness of everyday life. At the entrance was an area large enough to accommodate several carriages at once, yet not a speck of dirt anywhere. Rows of sweet-smelling flowers ensured that the odor of the horses didn’t linger.

Inside, the lobby had been built to rival any theater, eliciting gasps from guests. As cramped as the big city was, Lloyd had rarely seen any interiors this open. The ceilings soared, giving it a luxurious feel, and there were plenty of seats around for guests to relax.

The entrance and front desk were manned by experienced-looking staff, greeting guests with smiles like they were welcoming family members back home.

The carpet was of a knot density so fine, trying to count them would be futile; there were paintings with artists’ signatures more dazzling than the subjects themselves and vases that would clearly spell financial ruin if you shattered them. The sight would meet the approval of nobility who had spent a lifetime staring at such splendors.

“Wow! This is just… Wow! I’ve only read about places like this in books!”

The sheer grandeur of it all was making Lloyd act his age.

“Well, as the owner, I’m certainly glad to hear it.”

“A-are you sure you want a country bumpkin working here?”

“Don’t worry! Just follow my lead and listen to what your coworkers tell you. You’ve got the cooking and social skills already; it’ll work out just fine. You okay starting work dressed like that?”

“Oh yeah! I’ll listen carefully! I won’t let you down!”

Coba couldn’t help but smile. Then he led his new employee toward the baths.

Down a few corridors, Lloyd felt a chill in the air. A large, imposing bath spread before his eyes.

He first saw a magnificent fountain carved from a natural rock formation, filled with warm water to rinse your hands and feet. The ceiling was at least twice as high as that of your average room, with recessed skylights to let the steam escape.

Then came the main bath. It was so big, you could swim in it. The statue of a lion at the center made Lloyd feel like he’d stumbled across a ruin.

“This is incredible! I’ve never seen a bath like… Mm?”

At the lion’s feet sat a woman with a mop, reading a magazine. She had medium-length, wavy reddish hair. The ends were in little curls that shone like she treated them with perfumed oils. Her eyes were downcast, but her lips and cheeks bore a touch of makeup, and her brows were clearly well maintained. Lloyd’s first impression was that she took great care in her appearance.

She wore a cream-colored dress and a white apron, like a maid…but did not seem inclined to do any actual cleaning.

“…Hmm,” she said. “Everyone’s wearing white, are they?”

Oblivious to their arrival, she was completely absorbed in her reading. From what she’d said, Lloyd assumed it was a fashion magazine.

“Um…?” Lloyd said, looking to Coba for an explanation.

Coba slapped his bald head and strode rapidly toward her.

“Hey! Kikyou! No slacking!”

Coba’s roar echoed through the bath. Kikyou hastily tucked her magazine inside her shirt and picked up the mop.

“Oh…ah-ha-ha… Fancy meeting you here, Owner!”

She only looked guilty for a fraction of a second before instantly pretending she’d been working the whole time.

“No reading magazines!”

“Magazines? What on earth are you talking about?”

“The one down your shirt!”

“I-I’m a growing girl!”

She thumped the bulge in her shirt. That was accompanied by a suspiciously magazine-like rustle.

“………”

“………”

There was more rustling as the magazine fell to the ground. Coba picked it up and crumpled it into a ball.

“Geez. I said to polish things! I take my eyes off you for one second…”

“But I am polished! Ah-ha-ha.”

She pointed at the fashion magazine in his hand. He threw it on the floor.

“I didn’t ask you to look more polished! I said polish the bath with your mop!”

Kikyou assumed a grave expression.

“But, Coba…”

“What?”

“Have you ever considered the feelings of a mop, being plunged headfirst into this filth?”

“Have you ever considered the feelings of an employer forced to hear that crap from his employees?”

The endless stream of excuses was finally wearing Coba down.

He turned listlessly to Lloyd and pointed a finger in Kikyou’s direction.

“This is Kikyou. She’s been around the block and knows her stuff if you can get her to focus for a minute…”

Kikyou seemed to notice Lloyd for the first time. She gave him a little wave and a smile. Not really the face of someone being scolded.

“Hi there! I’m Kikyou, currently recruiting cute boyfriends. Nice meeting you, kid.”

“Uh…I’m Lloyd. I’m only here for the holidays, but I’m looking forward to working with you!”

Lloyd opted for a slightly more traditional greeting.

Kikyou folded her arms, nodding.

“Well, well, you’ve got your feet on the ground. I look forward to seeing what you become in like…five years?”

“I hope he doesn’t learn the wrong lessons from you… Do your bit and show him the ropes. I’ll be in the kitchen checking the pantry. Lloyd, if she starts slacking, kick her ass.”

Coba stormed away, shaking his head.

“Man, the owner’s got it tough. All that responsibility, and he’s got to keep tabs on everyone under him… Best path in life is to avoid becoming important, live free, and take the roads most thrilling.”

“Um…” Lloyd almost pointed out that she was the reason he had it tough but thought better of it.

Whether she was conscious of his unspoken opinion or not, Kikyou gave Lloyd a hearty smack on the shoulders.

“Don’t be so stiff, kid! First-name basis here, okay?”

“Uh, sure.”

She picked her magazine up off the floor, smoothing it out. “Have fun cleaning the bath!”

Kikyou wasted no time delegating her job to him.

“Uh…you want me to do all of it?”

Lloyd hadn’t expected this and failed to hide his shock.

“Lloyd, in moments like this, you know what a real hotelman would say?” Kikyou struck a dramatic pose. “‘Please, sit down! I’m totally capable of handling this easy job on my own!’”

She finished with an emphatic thumbs-up. Then she gestured for Lloyd to do the same.

“Come on!”

“Uh, right… I’m totally capable of handling this easy job on my own!”

“Yes! Brilliant! You have a future as a hotelman!”

“I—I do?”

“Yep, yep. A true hotelman would work himself to the bone for the guests. Particularly new staff! Every action you take must assist the guests or veteran staff!”

“G-good to know!”

“Mm-hmm. Have fun with the cleaniiing!”

“L-leave it to me!”

Kikyou sat back down and began reading her magazine again.

“…Wait…Lloyd, you can’t just take me at my word here. You should definitely argue with…”

Feeling like she’d gone a bit too far, Kikyou looked back up…

“All done!” Lloyd announced happily.

“Ah-ha-ha, good one,” she said, rattled. “Didn’t take you for a prankster…uh…”

Her eyes narrowed as she looked around. The tiles gleamed like they’d been freshly installed.

With her mouth hanging open, Kikyou got up and ran a finger along the edge of the bath. It made a nice squeak. No residue.

“Uh, huh? How? What?” she spluttered.

“S-something wrong? I miss a spot?” Lloyd took this entirely the wrong way. “S-sorry!” he yelped. “I thought I got everything… Oh, the skylights! I’ll go wipe those now.”

“Er, no, not the—”

How had he scrubbed the entire place so fast? Before she could ask, her eyes bore witness to the unbelievable.

The mop gleamed magically, and Lloyd jumped all the way to the ceiling—two stories high—and caught the frame of the window.

“—skylight…?” she finished, her voice sinking into a whimper.

He wiped it once, and the entire room was enveloped in a blinding light. Even from this distance, she could tell it was now spotless.

“Hmm.” Lloyd jumped back down like this was nothing and began polishing the baths again. “I’ll give the bath another quick wipe-down to make sure I didn’t miss anything else!”

He proceeded to wipe down not only the bath, but also every inch of the room housing it. Even the inside of the lion’s mouth. This all happened very, very quickly. The bath sparkled without even a speck of mold, like it had just been built. Kikyou’s eyes locked onto the glowing light surrounding his mop.

“…Uh, how are you doing this? What is that?”

“Um, a little household wisdom.”

This household wisdom was actually a form of sigil magic involving ancient runes. Runes were a series of magical symbols that could be combined with magic to do just about anything, from disenchanting to teleporting to bringing down meteors.

What Lloyd had just used was a disenchant rune. Its side effect involved the removal of any dirt at all—which felt like sort of a waste. It was kind of like buying an expensive orange from a high-end fruit store and then using it to make a battery in a science experiment. Or buying a cut of tuna, deboning it, and then not even bothering to eat it.

“Okay, fine, but…how’d you move like that?”

“Huh? This is how I normally move.”

Moving from one end of this giant bathroom to the other in a second flat, he’d traveled so fast, he’d become a blur. Kikyou had rubbed her eyes to the point that her eyeshadow was smeared.

“Like hell you did! You were zipping all over the place! That’s no kinda normal!”

As she grappled with this impossibility, Coba appeared behind her.

“Lloyd, do you have a minute? Wow! This place is spotless!” Coba had to shield his eyes from the gleam.

“Oh, Owner! I just finished cleaning.”

“It’s been less than ten minutes… Well done, Lloyd! I see I was right to put my faith in you.” Coba beamed.

Lloyd’s smile was not as broad. “Oh, this is nothing. I just did the usual thing.”

“No, no! Oh, sorry, there’s something I could use a hand with. We’ve got room service uniforms in the staff room in back. Could you change into one of those?”

“Right away!”

Lloyd bowed his head and scrambled off.

Coba grinned after him. Kikyou, meanwhile, had no expression at all.

“Who is that kid?!” she snapped. “He cleaned the bath in seconds! He jumped all the way to the skylight! How is that possible?”

Her urgent tone was a far cry from her usual slacker drawl, and Coba looked momentarily guilty.

“That’s a secret,” he said impishly.

“…No! That’s not fair! Also, please don’t make that expression ever again.”

“If you slack off, Lloyd will give you an earful! You finish up here and then go clean the stables. Do it right!”

With a sidelong glance at the stunned look on her face, Coba left the room.

“Um, are these the right clothes?”

Lloyd had finished changing and was waiting for Coba to catch up.

With a stiff collar, gold cuff links, and white gloves completing the ensemble, the uniform had a touch of military dress to it, befitting an upscale hotel.

“Oh, there you are! That looks pretty good! I’m sure you’ll feel more comfortable in it soon.”

Coba himself was in a black suit. The sheer bulk of the man’s muscles was enough to make any suit look ill-fitting.

“Th-thanks. So what’s this next job?”

Coba’s expression clouded, and he slapped his head again.

“Right…you see, there’s this important local lord coming. He was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but he’s already here! Could you bring him something to eat?”

“Er…me? You’re sure?”

“Yeah! You know how to deal with customers. Don’t worry. Seems like this lord has a distaste for soldiers, myself included…but I’m the owner, so I just have to grin and bear it.”

For a moment, Coba looked like a child being scolded.

“O-oh dear…”

“It’s rough, Lloyd. He lives close by and stays here often… Rumor has it he’s got his heart set on one of our staff or something. People have spotted them talking together any number of times.”

“Well, that sounds romantic… In that case, he could stand to be a little nicer to you.”

Coba nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve seen them talking myself, but…it seemed less like a love affair and more like a boss and an employee…but never mind that! You just act natural and keep smiling!”

Coba’s own smile was incredibly forced.

Then he thumped his fists together and inhaled deeply. It seemed more like some sort of karate breathing exercise than anything else.

“…Whew. I wonder how he knew I used to be a soldier?”

Probably your every move, Lloyd thought, his smile somewhat strained.

In less than an hour, the kitchen had completed a number of dishes.

A Caesar salad with a generous heap of thick-cut, expensive cheese.

Roasted pheasant in red wine sauce.

Both would be served with a vintage bottle of wine from the cellars, so old you could see they’d had to wipe the dust off…and so forth.

Tantalizing scents and the sheer extravagance—Lloyd gulped for two different reasons altogether.

He placed the food on a two-tiered cart and followed Coba to the penthouse suite.

“Careful with it, and remember to smile.”

“Yes, sir.”

The silverware rattled as they approached. A middle-aged man with a broad forehead stepped forward from his post at the door—he looked like some sort of secretary. The bespectacled man was a bit too thin and had a perpetually exhausted expression. “What is it?” he asked.

“We’ve brought Lord Threonine’s meal.”

“This way,” the secretary droned listlessly.

Inside the door was yet another hall, which led to the back. It opened onto a room with a massive glass window giving a breathtaking view of the lake. Standing before it, his back to them, was a very large man.

He had his hands clasped behind his back and was gazing at the view—yet his guard was up, and it was clear that if you approached him carelessly, your life would be cut short.

He seems less like a nobleman than a soldier, Lloyd thought.

The secretary called to him. “Sir, your meal is ready.”

“Mm.”

Even his grunt was dignified. He turned toward them. He had short but unruly hair, a strong nose, and rough-hewn features, and he walked like a commander on the battlefield.

“Lord Threonine, it’s a pleasure to have you back with us,” Coba said, bowing.

Threonine just snorted. He really did seem to dislike soldiers.

“We appreciate your prompt arrival. Did you finish work early?” Coba asked, gamely trying to make small talk.

“Something like that,” Threonine grunted, shooting him a piercing glance. “You sound like you don’t want me here.”

“N-not at all, your lordship!”

Starting to sweat, Coba glanced at Lloyd, directing him to start serving the meal.

Lloyd obliged, looking only a little nervous. Threonine grabbed the bottle of wine and poured himself a glass.

“Sir, allow me to do that!” his secretary insisted, but Threonine silenced him with a look.

“We’re not in a meeting here. Allow me to decide for myself how much I feel like drinking.”

“Certainly, sir. I was just thinking the same thing!”

The secretary nodded vigorously, mussing his few remaining hairs.

Having filled his glass to the brim, Threonine rose to his feet, stared at the scenery, and drained the glass.

“The sight of these cypresses certainly makes the wine go down easy.”

“They are magnificent, sir! Likely to be declared a cultural treasure! You clearly have an eye for quality.”

The secretary leaped at his chance to praise his employer, who just looked annoyed.

“Silence. No need to respond when I’m talking to myself.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

Watching the secretary deflate, Coba felt a moment of pity. “Sir,” he called to the man, “thank you for your kinds words. Those cypresses have helped make this a popular spot for sightseeing.”

“Sightseeing…” Threonine sighed. Then he turned abruptly to Lloyd. “Boy, what do you make of them?”

“Ack!” Lloyd squeaked, snapping to attention.

“No need to stress. Just give me your honest impression.”

Despite the luxuriousness of the penthouse, the intensity radiating off the man made his question feel like an interrogation. Coba was looking nervously from Lloyd to his guest.

“Well, I think they’re pretty,” Lloyd offered. A safe bet.

Coba shot him an approving look.

“Hmm…”

A trace of sadness passed over Threonine.

“But it does seem like a shame,” Lloyd added. “To turn that into an attraction, I mean.”

“Oh? Why, exactly? They’re a cultural treasure! How is that a shame?” A smile appeared on Threonine’s lips, and he moved closer to Lloyd.

“Well, it’s difficult to get them spaced evenly and to grow straight. And they’ve even been pruned to eliminate knots. To do nothing more but look at them…it just seems like a waste.”

“Oh? You know about pruning for knots?”

Threonine was getting steadily more enthusiastic, to the astonishment of his secretary and Coba.

“Yes, I’m from pretty deep in the boonies, so the village woodcutter taught me a thing or two.”

Incidentally, in Lloyd’s hometown of Kunlun, lumber generally came from a plant monster called a treant. Killing a monster that attacked with its roots and drained the life out of you wasn’t easy.

“I see, I see! You know a lumberjack’s pain, then! Before my family started getting all these medals, we made our fortune in lumber.”

“I see.”

“And my ancestors taught me the wonders of the lumber industry. It’s in my bones! These hills may well be declared cultural treasures, but the beauty here is functional. If this is turned into a tourist attraction, its essence will be lost! I’m pleased to meet someone who shares my opinion at last.”

He drained a second glassful of wine, let out a boozy sigh, and turned to the cypress forest again.

“And…if they’re turned into a cultural treasure, I can’t continue my investigation.”

“Into what?” Coba asked. This had sounded significant.

But the wine was starting to take its toll, and Threonine didn’t seem to hear him. He cast off his momentary despondency with a hearty laugh and took his seat.

“Bwa-ha-ha! Sorry, sorry! I’m bringing the room down! Aah, nobody understands the true beauty of that forest. No one understands the mountains and the trees. Everyone’s just absorbed in how ‘lovely’ and ‘beautiful’ it is. Hearing that makes me cringe! But I like you, boy! Have a drink.”

“Er, I’m on duty…and underage…”

“How modest! Like I was when I was your age! Bwa-ha-ha!”

It was obvious the two of them had nothing in common, but Lloyd just smiled his way through it.

“I’ve got a dumb son about your age… He’s big enough, but that’s about his only good quality. He seems to have got Azami fooled somehow, but… Oh, where are my manners? Have a seat!” Threonine turned to his secretary. “Hey! Get this boy a chair!” he snapped.

“Oh, e-excuse me! I was just about to! Here, boy. Please, have a seat.”

Before he could protest, Lloyd found himself sitting down. He looked at Coba, searching for help.

“Go right ahead, Lloyd! Hotel staff serve at the whim of our guests,” Coba said, smiling broadly. The perfect chance to improve Threonine’s opinion of his hotel.

Working for a hotel must be hard…

Lloyd had no choice but to dine with the man.

Asked about his childhood, Lloyd told a few anecdotes about Kunlun. To him, they were totally ordinary events…but they, too, had a surprising effect on Threonine.

“My word! I never took you for such a comedian! That sounds more like a demon lord than a monster!”

“Uh…huh? A demon lord? But it was so weak!”

By the time he was finally released, Lloyd was thoroughly exhausted.

Coba and Lloyd left Threonine’s room. Once they were back in the kitchen, they both sighed.

Coba slung his arm around Lloyd’s shoulders. “Lloyd,” he bellowed. “Thank you so much! You’re the first person who ever got that man in a good mood.”

“All I did was talk about home…and I ended up eating his food…”

He’d eaten, but he’d been far too nervous to taste a thing. This only made Lloyd feel even more guilty.

“That’s totally fine! You earned it! Not everyone can sustain a conversation while dropping uproarious jokes about meeting dwarves or crossing mountains to shop!”

“Uh, those weren’t jokes…”

Lloyd was confused by the way his true stories kept getting peals of laughter. But at this point, the other staff and cooks were gathering around them.

“Owner! You actually got that local lord in a good mood?”

“That really scowly one?”

“I thought he had it in for Azami in general!”

“Yes!” Coba nodded. “All thanks to the newbie, Lloyd! He got the man laughing so hard—and was even allowed to dine with him!”

The crowd let out an impressed “Ooh.” Threonine must have left a very bad impression.

“Well, if he mellows out, that would be a huge relief.”

“If he hates us so much, why does he come all the time? Spite?”

“You’re the hotel’s savior, boy! On my shoulders!”

“Erp?! Um, hey!”

“Not enough room here! Ha-ha-ha!”

Lloyd was getting increasingly flustered.

“But all I did was eat with him! I mean, I took his meal! Isn’t there any more work I could do?”

“…Lloyd…you’re such a good boy…”

His earnestness got everyone right in the heart!

Tears ran down Coba’s chiseled features, and with a broad smile, he gave Lloyd his next assignments.

“All right, then! Clean the restaurant! Prep breakfast for tomorrow! Check and replace the light stones! Clean the lounge! There’s a ton of work to do! You ready?”

“Yes, sir!”

“That’s what I like to hear!”

Beaming, Coba began patting Lloyd’s head with the sort of force that could cause a concussion.

“Ah! Hey, I’m not a chiiiiild!”

The rest of the staff roared with laughter.

This pleased Coba—he felt the mood had motivated everyone. But then he remembered something and looked around, frowning.

“…Where’s Kikyou? She slacking off again? For Pete’s sake.”

I really might have to take action there, Coba thought…but he put it aside for now, focusing on rubbing Lloyd’s head.

Meanwhile, a stray word from one of the staff reminded Lloyd of something.

Threonine said something about an investigation… I wonder what that’s about?

Smoothing his ruffled hair, he concluded there was no point dwelling on it and turned his attention to his next task.

Late that night, in the Lena Suite, where Threonine was staying…

The lights were dimmed, allowing the moonlight to stream in through the windows.

“Are you retiring for the evening, sir?” asked the secretary.

“Mm,” Threonine said, admiring the cypress forest again. “After that enjoyable meal, I’ve worn myself out and will be going to bed early.”

“Very well, sir! I imagined you would be! Yes, yes, that boy was…”

“I just said I was tired.”

“Er, yes, my apologies…” The secretary cringed, comb-over drooping. He bowed before taking his leave.

Threonine made sure he was gone, then turned his gaze back to the window. “…You can come out now,” he called softly.

The curtains rustled, revealing a faint shadow.

“Good evening, Lord Threonine.”

White blouse, reddish hair. It was Kikyou, bathed in moonlight.

With his eyes fixed firmly on the distant forest, Threonine spoke slowly. “Well? Have you found out what’s behind these unconscious victims?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“With all I’m paying you? The owner of this place visited the Azami Military Academy recently. Did that lead to anything?”

Kikyou winced at the mention of money. “Seems like he was just gathering additional staff for the holiday weekend.”

“Hmm…I suppose he would know how to cover his tracks,” Threonine spat, brow furrowed.

“This is just my gut feeling,” Kikyou said, “but I don’t think Coba Lamin is involved in these incidents.”

“But he’s a former soldier of Azami! They were the ones pushing for war with Jiou. With the princess missing and the king’s condition unclear, there’s no one keeping the military in check. We have to assume they’re behind this mess, both to raise funds and to produce you-know-what.”

Threonine certainly seemed sure, but Kikyou just scratched her cheek.

“I dunno…he just doesn’t seem like the type,” she said. In her mind, Coba was a harmless old codger, despite his battle-scarred exterior.

“Best to keep a clear mind,” Threonine growled. “With all that’s going on…”

Kikyou looked grave. “If someone really is breeding monsters near the hotel…and illegally cultivating treants…”

“Treants command a formidable price. One false move, though, and they’ll disrupt the entire ecosystem, turning the place into a forest of death no man can venture near. I told you how fast they can spread, right?”

“Yes…when I accepted this job, you made it very clear how dangerous they are.”

Treants were particularly dangerous for three main reasons: They were indistinguishable from ordinary trees, their roots could drain the life out of a man, and they propagated like crazy.

After draining enough energy, they could suddenly explode in number, turning an entire region into a natural dungeon. For this reason, treant seeds were illegal—not just dealing in them, but possessing them at all. Actively cultivating them was even worse. If treants were found growing anywhere, there would be immediate extermination quests posted at all guilds.

“A vast, fertile forest is the perfect spot to hide a treant plot. And a hotel run by a retired soldier from the Azami warmongers… On top of it all, people are showing up comatose in the vicinity, and their symptoms are suspiciously similar to those of treant victims!”

Threonine scowled at his reflection in the glass.

“Certainly good reasons to suspect the owner,” Kikyou admitted.

“And oblivious to all this, people are turning this into a tourism hub… If they declare the forest a cultural treasure, it’ll be even more difficult to search for the treants. We need proof before that happens…”

Threonine rubbed his temples, like this was all giving him a headache.

“But I don’t think you need to investigate personally, your lordship. Couldn’t you leave that to the border police?”

“This whole region is under my rule, so I can hardly leave it be. Several of my family’s servants have fallen victim to it! That’s why I’ve been forced to haul that suck-up of a secretary around with me… No, none of that’s the real reason I’m here today.”

Kikyou leaned forward, intrigued. “May I ask what is?”

“A lord I consider a personal nemesis has been doing rather well for himself…apparently buying up the treant wood and turning a profit on it.”

“So he’s the culprit?!” Kikyou yelped.

Threonine scowled. “Dealing the wood itself isn’t illegal. When you defeat a treant, there are rare instances where quality wood is left behind…but the sheer volume they’re handling is clearly something else. It’s safe to assume these incidents must be connected to them.”

“Oh…” Kikyou’s eyes widened. “And you’ve got this meeting to discuss a potential marriage tomorrow! Is that why…?”

“Exactly. They chose this exact moment to propose a marriage to my son, Allan.”

Allan’s father, Threonine Toin Lidocaine, snorted derisively.

“I’ve got to turn this against them, squeeze information out of them, and prove Coba’s complicity. I’d never entertain such an offer otherwise… Do you have any idea how much these fools have damaged the reputation of the local lords? The nouveaux riches, propped up by unscrupulous trades, and…”

“Um, I think I get your point.”

Threonine was working himself up to an alarming degree. Kikyou regretting raising the matter at all.

“I hate to get my son mixed up in this…but the Lidocaine name was built by these mountains, and I will not have them sullied by treants.”

Threonine gazed out at the cypress forest like it was his childhood home. An uncomfortable gloom settled over him, and Kikyou hastily attempted to change the subject.

“Any reason you got here earlier than anticipated?”

“Mm, I got my hands on some valuable intel… A while back, a treant sapling was stolen from a monster research laboratory.”

“A sapling? Not a seed?”

“A treant sapling is already a monster…even worse than a seed. Once the sapling’s fully grown, it’ll scatter seeds, and then there’s no containing the population. And…”

“And what?”

“This is a particularly vile species of treant. The laboratory were calling it the Demon Lord’s Seedling.”

That name made Kikyou’s eyes go wide.

“The Demon Lord—in this day and age? You only hear that word in fables now. Like one day they just stopped appearing…”

They were still around! It was just that Kunlun villagers were dispatching them like any standard vermin.

“I dunno who stole it, but according to rumors, someone was peddling it in this very hotel.”

“And then people started turning up comatose…”

Threonine sighed. He looked out at the moon, his eyes narrowing. “If they’d told people the moment it was stolen, this could have been nipped in the bud…but these fools were only looking to protect themselves. If we can secure the sapling, we can avoid disaster and prove that illegal cultivation of treants is happening…but we’re running out of time.”

“And from the number of victims, this monster has gathered a considerable amount of life energy already.”

“Yes…and from what the lab says, this sapling doesn’t need to move itself—it can be parasitic, latching onto a person or animal to broaden its range.”

“So I’ve got an extra mission to locate whoever or whatever is under this thing’s control? Does that get me a raise?”

Perhaps this was a sign she understood the gravity of the situation. That was the most generous interpretation of her inquiry.

Threonine gave her a half-smile. “…If you find this carrier, smear this ointment on them. The scent of it will force the treant out. Can you do that?”

“I’ll certainly try.”

She took a sniff of the large white medicine bottle, made a face, and put it her pocket.

“You can even mix it in their food. It’ll slowly paralyze and eject the parasite. But rubbing it directly on them will have an immediate effect. Do whatever the situation requires.”

“…Right, so how do I tell if they’re infected? Searching blindly is a tall order.”

Threonine scowled. “I asked around, but apparently, there is no visual change. To keep the host alive, though, their physical abilities increase dramatically.”

“It does?”

“It’s like a fibrous root spreading through the body like muscles, strengthening the host enough to compete against other monsters… Securing the target may be difficult.”

Kikyou suddenly gasped.

“What?”

Lloyd’s face had floated into her mind. She remembered his inhuman movements when cleaning the bath.

“That boy… It must be him?!”

“Mm? You know who it is?”

“Y-yeah. I met a boy today who jumped impossibly high! And…”

“Something else strange about him?”

She also remembered how impish Coba had looked. His expression took on new meaning. It had bugged her at the time, but now?

“When I asked Coba about the boy, he said it was a secret—in a really loaded way.”

“I knew he was behind this! Damn the army of Azami…” Threonine’s hands balled into fists.

“But the boy… If he is infected by a treant, he doesn’t know it. He’s a good kid, totally normal.”

“Of course,” Threonine said, dismissing her doubt. “That man is a vanguard of those craven curs in Azami. He infected a total stranger with this treant so he could deny involvement even if it was discovered…which suggests the rest of the staff are in the clear. Coba’s behind it all…”

“So it is Coba,” Kikyou muttered. “Guess I’ve got no eye for character…”

She gave Threonine a confident smile.

“Well, I’m on it. Now that we’ve got a target, there are any number of ways to handle it.”

“Move carefully. Having this sapling as evidence will make an arrest far easier to arrange.”

“Don’t worry! I figured the need might arise, so I’ve been pretending to slack on the job. If I vanish unexpectedly, people will just think I’m at it again.”

Threonine frowned.

“…Pretending?”

“Entirely an act.”

“I seem to recall regularly asking for updates from you only for you to pretend you’d never received the request.”

“To fool the enemy, first fool your allies. The best performances are all rooted in a little truth.”

“Sounds like you just slacked off on work, then.”

Kikyou responded with an innocent whistle.

Threonine clutched his head. “Well, worker of odd jobs…as long as you get results, I don’t care how. You’re the only one I can rely on…”

“Yeah, that yes-man secretary can’t exactly handle this sort of thing… I can see why you hired me.”

“He’s capable enough when it comes to office work, but he’s…physically weak and tries to butter me up at the slightest provocation…not to mention insisting his receding hairline is just a large forehead. Fatal flaws…”

He seems ready to gripe until the sun rises, Kikyou thought. She quickly cut him off and made a hasty exit.

People called her the odd-jobs girl.

Kikyou hailed from the famous Rokujou Sorcery Academy. When she’d attended, its graduates had still been considered the cream of the crop.

Even at school, she’d stood out—and not because her magic was strong. It was because of her sheer energy.

Asked to get a magic ingredient, she’d throw herself into the task.

Asked to help with a magic experiment, she’d help research the chant with you.

Asked to hang out, she’d be there, no questions asked.

Asked what she wanted to be in the future, she didn’t just say mage—she’d say actress or writer or detective instead. She never held on to the same dream for more than a month at a time.

She did or wanted to do everything. In time, people started calling her the odd-jobs girl.

Since she could and would do just about anything, she happily accepted the name.

After graduating, she never took steady work—living up to her nickname, she made her living doing odd jobs.

If I’ve got a target, it’s time to take action.

She slipped quickly through the sleep-shrouded hotel. Her steps made no sound, and she navigated by the light of the moon…until she saw the kitchen still lit up.

If the lights are on at this hour…

From a safe distance, she scanned the kitchen’s interior and saw Lloyd standing there, sleeves rolled up.

Thought so. Doing prep… He’s a real go-getter.

Restaurant prep meant getting all the ingredients ready: cutting vegetables to pile on salads, for example. Doing prep work in the evening saved time in the morning.

Figuring this was her chance, Kikyou readied herself to sneak up behind him…but the next thing she saw made her stop in her tracks.

…Hmm? That’s a lot of veggies and fish…

There was a heap of food in front of him: cabbage, carrots, all kinds of veggies, fish, shrimp, an entire market’s worth of seafood.

Before she could finish wondering what they were all for…

“And done,” Lloyd said.

Gently, he swung the knife in his hand

…And in the blink of an eye…all the ingredients were sliced. Not just sliced and diced. The fish were filleted; the shrimp shelled; the carrots peeled; the potatoes peeled (with their eyes removed) and turned into bite-sized cubes.

…What?

Kikyou’s jaw dropped. A wave of indescribable fear ran over her.

It was like she’d just found a crane weaving cloth with its wings. Sweat ran down her brow. She had a feeling she should never have seen this.

His carving knife was basically a multi-hit attack… How could she not be surprised? This was beyond shocking.

Lord Threonine said it raised physical skills, but…isn’t this taking it too far? If I’d been standing anywhere near him, I’d be dead… Treants are truly terrifying.

If she’d known treants had nothing to do with this and it was just Lloyd’s default state, her jaw would probably have dislocated.

Sneaking up on anyone who could do that with a knife was clearly suicide. Kikyou quickly changed tactics.

She grabbed a pot and a tea bag from the restaurant, plastered her best smile on her face, and called out, “Hard at work, huh? Prep?”

“Oh, Kikyou! Evening!”

Lloyd bowed his head low. Such good manners! Almost enough to make her forget about the whole multi-hit attack thing.

Kikyou relaxed a little.

He…really doesn’t seem to know he’s infected by a treant. Poor kid…

Because he wasn’t!

Lloyd washed the veggie scraps off his hands, then saw the pot she was holding.

“You here to make tea?”

“Mm, uh…yeah, I-I’m on night patrol… There’ve been people falling into comas lately… I figured I was due for a break, could use a cup of tea.”

The lie felt a little forced, but she was scrambling to cover. When she mentioned the incidents, Lloyd pounced.

“Th-that sounds awful! Comas?! This is a major problem!”

Kikyou put the pot on the fire, starting the water boiling. “Yeah,” she explained. “We keep finding staff lying on the roads or in the halls. No signs of injuries—like the life’s been drained out of them. At first, we thought it was just a monster, but…”

“If it’s not just a monster, then…you mean…”

“Yeah, it’s most likely human. Nobody’s seen any signs of a monster anywhere.”

Lloyd’s temperature was rising as fast as the pot.

“Well…as a cadet of Azami, I can’t let that stand.”

This phrase caught Kikyou off guard.

“Huh? Wait, you’re a soldier-in-training?”

He sure didn’t look it. Lloyd seemed well aware and looked sheepish.

“Er, uh, technically… I get that reaction a lot.”

“Oh, uh…sorry.”

“But my dream’s come true at last! I want to be a soldier like in my favorite novel, so I can’t stand by while something this bad is happening.”

The fervent look in his eyes left Kikyou scratching her cheek.

Is that why? Tricking this freshly enlisted boy, turning him into a treant nursery… What an awful thing to do.

That extra bit of information weirdly fit the puzzle, locking Coba in at the top of her suspect list. Kikyou was starting to see his friendly smile as the skill of an experienced con man.

If I tell him he’s unconsciously draining the life out of people…he’ll be really sad.

What he was doing was the exact opposite of what he’d dreamed. She wanted to free him from that. With that in mind, she started steeping the tea.

She also added the medicine to the pot, making sure he didn’t notice.

“…Here, made one for you!” she said, smiling. “Drink up!”

“Mm? You made me tea? You’re sure?”

“Yep! Chug away!”

“Th-thanks.”

Lloyd raised the cup to his lips, but before he could take a sip…

“Kikyou! There you are!”

Coba appeared in the door.

“C-Coba!” Lloyd spluttered, putting the cup down.

Kikyou was equally surprised. Coba was beet red, striding quickly toward her.

“I wondered why the lights were on! …Oh, Lloyd, it’s late, and we’re putting you to work properly tomorrow, so go get some rest. Thanks for finishing up.”

“Oh, sure! G-good night!”

Lloyd bowed, put the ingredients in the magically chilled cabinet, and left the kitchen.

“He did such a great job with the prep… What a wonderful boy. Meanwhile, you’ve been wandering all over the place, and now you’re making tea? Who do you think you are?”

Coba grabbed the teacup and took a gulp.

“Ah! Hey!”

“Hmph. No tea for you…blegh!”

The unspeakably awful flavor made him spit it out.

“Whasinnis?” he spluttered, almost unintelligibly. But since he was forty-five and bald, this wasn’t at all cute.

Coba’s actions had Kikyou swearing under her breath.

Dammit! He blocked me from freeing Lloyd!

She had leaped wildly to conclusions.

“…Ah, at least my tongue’s moving again. Kikyou! What the hell were you doing to Lloyd? If he drank this, he’d pass—”

Realization seemed to dawn. His eyes widened and then narrowed, glaring at Kikyou. It was a much fiercer glare than any he’d given her when he caught her slacking.

He’s on to me! No, more likely his suspicion turned to conviction. He knows I work for Threonine!

Leaping to further conclusions, Kikyou nimbly leaped backward, grinning.

“Sorry, Owner…I mean, Coba Lamin. Looks like the jig’s up, huh?”

“K-Kikyou?! You can’t mean—”

“Would never do to spell it out—so I’ll leave it to your imagination.”

And with that, she took a firm grip on the bottle with the salve in it and left the kitchen through the window.

Fortunately, Lloyd himself is unaware. I might still have a chance to smear this on him, and then your schemes are foiled, Coba Lamin! Kikyou thought as she raced through the night.

She needed to tell Threonine her findings, stat!

Coba watched her go. Left alone in the kitchen, he sighed, rubbing his eye.

“I never figured Kikyou was the one putting people in comas…”

Seemed like she’d left a bit too much to his imagination. Or rather, Coba had let his imagination run wild.

“Illegal treant cultivation, huh… With all his vitality, Lloyd’s a prime target. And Threonine’s been coming here regularly since the cases began…and knows a lot about the forest… I bet he’s probably aware of the best places to grow treants. With the hotel here now, they’ll never grow short on victims…”

Coba felt like Inspector Zenigata, moments after Lupin says, “See ya around, Pops.” Kikyou had gotten away clean, having done whatever she wanted, and he was left furious at himself for not realizing in time.

“That’s why Threonine mentioned investigating…and he must be opposed to the cultural treasure thing because that’ll make his operation harder. He and Kikyou were spotted talking several times… I figured he was just scolding her…”

An idea struck him.

“I thought it was weird she was so obvious about slacking off! That was all camouflage for her crimes! If she was always slacking, no one would suspect her if she was missing during an incident!”

That was just who she was. But everything seemed suspicious now.

“Right! This all started when Threonine started coming here! And this prospective bride comes from a family whose fortunes are on the rise from selling treant wood! That settles it! He’s the crook, and Kikyou’s his minion!”

Having connected all the dots, Coba furiously flexed the buttons off his shirt.

“So much to do… Tomorrow, I’ll get that bastard by the tail! Secretly, so as not to worry the other guests…”

Coba snorted, tightening his fists…and went back to his room.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was also pretty fired up.

“Lots of work to do for the hotel, but…people turning up in comas? No cadet I know would just stand by! Monsters are scary, but…even Kikyou was patrolling. I’ve got to do my part!”

He never suspected she thought he was the source of the problem.

With suspicions on top of misunderstandings on top of distrust, Lloyd’s first day at the hotel drew to a close.