STM 5

“The stable is behind the building, on the right… wait a moment. Please stay here and don’t go anywhere.”

I thought I heard Marvin’s name from downstairs, and he left me and went down. The moment I confirmed he was gone, I turned to the spirit that had followed beside me the whole time.

“Where’s your Petal?”

[When the sun blows warm breaths like this~ and the soft wind rises~ hop~ roll forward twice~ and you’ll reach her~~]

Was I expecting too much just hoping for a room number? I pointed at the nearby door.

“What number is on that door?”

[Numbers are boring~~ everything in the world goes from little to much~]

The spirit was illiterate. I sighed and changed my question.

“Then just stand in front of the right door and tell me which one it is…”

Thud, thud, thud…

Footsteps pounded up the stairs, and Marvin appeared with a pale face.

“The director has arrived. She wishes to meet you, Lord Lu. Please come down at once.”

***

Unlike the terrified Marvin, the director only checked my condition. She asked a few questions about my health like a proper doctor and ended with one.

“You seem to have found some stability here. How do you feel? Do you wish to return home?”

She looked to be in her fifties and smiled kindly, but I didn’t buy it. Lady, your eyes aren’t smiling.

“Why would I want to leave when it’s comfortable here?”

If I had said I wanted to leave, she would’ve used drugs to make my condition worse. Because I was their golden goose in the special room.

She raised her eyebrow as if my answer surprised her.

“That’s good to hear.”

The director smiled and stared at me. She seemed to be checking if I was lying, but after finding nothing, she placed her pen back into its holder.

“Nothing else you wish to discuss?”

“Nothing.”

“You still don’t see any spirits or fairies?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

She scrutinized me again.

“You used to get scared whenever spirits or fairies were mentioned, but now you’re not afraid at all?”

“That’s all thanks to the medicine. After taking it, I feel calm.”

I answered with my own guess before Mo could give me data. No matter how strong the drink Marvin gave me had been, it couldn’t have made me fall that deep into a pond. Something stronger had to be at work.

“I see. The medicine suits you well… you said you could feel the effect right away?”

I suddenly remembered Lu had only been here for three days, but I continued confidently.

“Yes. The medicine helps me sleep well too. Keep prescribing it.”

The director still looked doubtful, but she ended the meeting. Before I could step out, she gave warned me.

“No matter how comfortable our resort feels, this isn’t a place where you can wander whenever you like. From now on, you cannot leave your room outside permitted hours. Understand?”

I nodded politely, and as soon as the door closed behind me, I told Mo,

‘I need to get out of here today.’

[Should I look for a method?]

No need. The method’s simple. The resort just needs to open the doors themselves and let the locked guests out.

As soon as I returned to my room, I asked the spirit,

“That bell rings when monsters appear. It’s installed all over the building. Can you make it ring?”

[That scary bell~ why should I ring it~ please don’t~]

“Because that’ll open all the doors. They’ll think it’s an emergency and unlock everything. Then it’ll be easier to save your Petal.”

At the mention of Petal, the spirit’s face turned grave.

I frowned. Could it be that it couldn’t do it? The gobies I met in the pond could use wind power. I had hoped this one could too.

But the spirit stayed silent for the first time. It lowered its head and clasped its tiny hands together, looking timid.

Ah, maybe it really couldn’t even use wind.

“It’s fine. I’ll find another way.”

I said that to reassure it and walked to the window. Could I open this? As I checked the frame, the spirit fluttered around me nervously.

I focused on the window so I wouldn’t make it feel guilty. There were iron bars, but the wall was brick, not cement. If I cracked the gaps well, I could pull out the bars…

[Hyuuuk!]

What? I turned at the sound. The spirit flapped its small arms like wings and repeated the same sound.

[Hyuuuk!! Lord Hyuuuk!!]

“What?”

[If we ask Lord Hyuuuk, he can help~~~~~~~~~~~]

It sounded so excited that the wave marks stretched endlessly. I didn’t know who that was, but it must be someone who could control wind.

“Really? That’s good.”

[That’s good~ that’s good~ that’s good~ that’s good~ that’s good~ that’s good~]

…Let’s stick to one verse, please. But since it was flying happily around the room, I didn’t have the heart to stop it.

“Hurry and go. I’ll wait.”

The spirit waved its fingernail-sized hand and vanished in an instant.

And thirty minutes later, it kept its promise. The bell began to ring throughout the building.

***

Thud, thud.

Footsteps rushed across the wooden hallway, followed by click after click as locks released. My room door opened.

“Come out quickly! You must evacuate! Hurry!”

“Why? What happened?”

I stood still, pretending I knew nothing. The nurse shouted impatiently while checking outside.

“A monster has appeared. Please hurry to the underground shelter!”

“A monster? That’s serious.”

I followed him out of the room slowly and added in a loud voice.

“If we have to carry all these patients and run, that’ll really be a disaster.”

At the word “carry,” the nurse frowned and turned around.

“Carry them? They can walk, so of course they must escape on their own. Hurry.”

“But there must be patients who can’t walk, right? Ones who are lying in bed and can’t move at all, aren’t there?”

“Such patients…!”

As if he suddenly remembered someone, the nurse’s face turned pale.

“Damn it, Room 317…”

He cursed under his breath and looked up. I didn’t miss the chance to ask.

“So there really is a patient who can’t walk?”

At my question, he bit his lower lip and muttered to himself.

“Ah, that room can’t be entered without the director’s permission…”

Worrying about the director in the middle of a monster attack, seriously? I couldn’t believe it and shouted.

“Why are you standing there hesitating? You said a monster appeared, didn’t you? Go and open all the patient room doors. Don’t you know it’ll be worse if they die locked inside their rooms?”

If it were a normal situation, he’d have argued right away, but now the loud, terrifying ringing of the bell echoed without stopping.

“What are you waiting for? Move!”

As soon as he heard me, the nurse started to run. The hallway was already chaotic with patients and staff, so no one paid attention as I followed him up to the third floor. And just as I told him, the nurse released the lock to Room 317. Only the lock, though.

Creak.

I pushed the half-open door wider and checked the hallway. The footsteps still echoed through the building, but there was no one on the third floor.

It was finally time to rescue Petal. Hopefully Lu’s body could carry her.

“…She’s tall.”

Of course, things never go as I want.

The woman lying in bed looked to be in her mid-thirties, thin but at least a head taller than Lu. And her body was tied to the bed with leather straps.

Why would they restrain someone unconscious like this? At least I didn’t have to check if she was the one I was looking for.

[Our poor Petal~~ lying down like this~~ oh, what should I do~]

While I tried to undo the straps, I spoke reassuringly.

“She’ll recover when she wakes up.”

[Her face is so swollen~~ so wide~~ so wide~~ our Petal’s face is wide like a pumpkin leaf~]

Weren’t you worried about her health?

I ignored the incomprehensible spirit and finished untying all the straps, then barely managed to lift Petal onto my back. I tried to stand.

“Ugh.”

I barely rose halfway and dropped back onto the bed.

Wow, Lu’s body is pathetic. I already knew he lacked muscle, but this weak?

I took a deep breath and clenched my teeth, forcing strength into my legs again. Come on, carrying one person shouldn’t be this hard… huh?

“Ahh!”

This time I shouted louder and pushed myself up with all my strength. But the moment I stood, I almost fell forward. Ah!

I barely caught my balance, but I turned around in shock. Because I couldn’t feel any weight on my back.