Book 4: Volume 3 Chapter 5, Tales of the Illusionary Inn

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

The party Azure Sky currently found themselves in a difficult situation on a certain Floor of Amamiya Tower. They had come to this floor to obtain request materials, but one companion had suffered fairly serious injury during battle.

 

The battle itself and subsequent material gathering had concluded, but administering first aid to their companion consumed surprising amounts of time. Even if they wanted to establish camp, they were currently at the battle site with considerable blood present, making prolonged stay inadvisable.

 

Even if they wanted to relocate, they would need to carry one companion, limiting travel distance. No safe area existed on the current Floor.

 

They needed to establish camp somewhere, but had to determine location carefully. However, just as the leader faced this decision, an inappropriate voice interrupted.

 

“What is wrong, everyone?”

 

A little girl appeared, rustling through the grass.

 

“What?” The area they occupied was fairly dangerous. No little girl should be present here.

 

Companions naturally went on guard, but the girl either did not notice or simply ignored them, turning her attention to the injured companion.

 

“Oh, she is hurt,” the girl observed, nodding a couple of times before continuing. “Would you like to come to my house?”

 

“What?” The leader was taken aback by the sudden words.

 

Perhaps taking advantage of the opportunity, or perhaps by coincidence, the girl approached the leader and tugged at his arm. Companions should have been on guard, but she was already closing in on them instantly.

 

Incidentally, her innocence completely lowered their guard. The leader, pulled along by the girl who said, “Let us go,” began moving. Others followed, drawn in by her.

 

Naturally, the injured companion was carried on another’s back. Eventually, not far from where the party had been, the girl stopped.

 

“Is this the place?” the leader asked.

 

“Yes! That is it!” the girl confirmed, nodding.

 

However, they could see only trees and grass, with no building of any kind visible. The leader thought perhaps he had been tricked.

 

Stories of monsters transforming into humans remained legendary, but no modern sightings had ever been heard. For this reason, the leader suspected night thieves or bandits rather than monsters.

 

Though he had never heard of bandits appearing on Amamiya Tower floors, definitively stating they did not exist proved impossible. Other members appeared to be thinking similarly.

 

Without seeming to pay attention to their surroundings, the girl continued walking, still holding onto the leader’s arm. Then, when they reached a certain point, they both disappeared.

 

“What happened?” one member panicked and tried to approach the group.

 

“Wait!” another member hurriedly stopped him.

 

Approaching carelessly might lead to unknown consequences. They wanted to know what was happening to the leader immediately, but decided against rash moves.

 

However, perhaps anticipating their dilemma, the same girl soon appeared from the same place. “Are you not coming? Your group leader is waiting over there.”

 

With that, she quickly disappeared again. The leader, meanwhile, remained hidden.

 

“Damn it,” one companion cursed.

 

“Wait, what are you doing?” another tried to stop him.

 

“What choice do we have? We are worried about the leader too.”

 

If the girl could have harmed the leader, she would have attacked initially. Believing this, one companion approached the spot where the girl had disappeared. Then, just like the leader, she vanished.

 

Seeing this, the remaining companions were forced to make a decision. The two who had gone ahead never returned. They did not even know why they had not returned.

 

However, remaining here forever was not an option.

 

“Let us go,” one declared, and the others looked resigned.

 

Perhaps making decisions at times like these distinguishes adventurers. Ultimately, everyone headed toward the spot where their companions had disappeared.

 

…

 

At the destination they reached, they found their leader and those who had gone ahead. The path they had taken was one-way, and only authorized users could return. The girl could return only because she had received permission.

 

Just as the girl had indicated, a large building stood at the point where they had arrived. When the girl saw them all together, she exclaimed, “This way!” and ran toward the building entrance.

 

One member following the girl spoke to the leader. “Have you ever heard of a safe area like this?”

 

“No, I have not,” the leader replied, shaking his head.

 

However, a building undoubtedly stood before them. There, what appeared to be the entrance the girl was approaching featured a piece of cloth hanging from it.

 

Anyone would have realized it was a curtain, but unfortunately, no one in the party possessed that knowledge. Anyone with deep religious faith would have recognized that the building was designed similarly to a temple.

 

The confused members of Azure Sky followed the girl’s lead and entered the building through the entrance. There, they met a beautiful woman.

 

The beautiful woman bowed to the group and said, “Welcome to our nameless inn.”

 

Everyone looked surprised at her words. The leader spoke on behalf of the group. “Is it an inn?”

 

“Yes, it is. It only recently opened, so not knowing is unsurprising. Besides, these children only allow people they like to stay here.”

 

He guessed that these children were girls, but looking around, he could see only one. However, just as the leader thought this, about ten children came swarming out from throughout the building.

 

Boys were among them. The others were surprised because they had not seen any sign of them, and the leader felt the same.

 

Hiding his inner shock, the leader asked a question he had been wondering about. “But if the children only allow people they like to stay here, does that not mean you not making much?”

 

The woman answered with a hearty laugh. “That is true. This is purely a hobby.”

 

Seeing the woman’s expression, the leader stopped being overly cautious. He did not know if it was the woman’s aura or the children still surrounding them, but something lowered their guard.

 

Observing their leader’s behavior, the others also relaxed somewhat. Naturally, they did not completely eliminate their vigilance.

 

The woman, whether noticing or not, smiled and continued. “So, would you like to stay the night? Your companion is injured, so I think it would be best to remain here.”

 

“Yes, I suppose so,” the leader decided to stay at the inn for the night.

 

They were bound to spend the night somewhere. He thought it would be better to stay somewhere with a roof.

 

After this, Azure Sky returned to town after two nights without incident. The reason they changed from one night to two was because their injured companion was not feeling well.

 

Incidentally, the food served at the inn was also excellent. They decided to take a different route back, but when Azure Sky visited the place they had passed on the way there, the girl did not appear.

 

Azure Sky’s experience started a rumor, and several parties subsequently appeared with similar experiences. The point from which one could reach the inn changed with each rumor and could not be pinpointed.

 

Eventually, it became known among adventurers as an inn where guests could stay at the proprietor’s whim. The inn came to be called the Inn of Illusions due to the mysterious nature of the journey to reach it and the fox statues and decorations inside.