Which Wizard's Hotel (4)

“Is that…truly the case, Your Majesty?”

The young Greek was visibly shaken. His long eyebrows trembled, which was quite unlike him, and the dimples he inherited from his father deepened.

“Don’t delve too deeply into it. If he wishes to reveal it, he will. But everything I said is true. The background that allowed Berna Greek to win was entirely orchestrated by him, whether intentional or not.”

On his way to El’s invitation, the young Greek recalled his conversation with the Emperor.

‘Master never showed any signs…’

Rather, he had received advice. And thanks to that advice, he understood Berna’s heart more deeply.

‘Having my eyes covered only makes me think more.’

A mysterious place, even with his eyes covered. He didn’t bother asking. If they weren’t telling, asking was pointless.

The only thing the young Greek could discern was that when the blindfold was removed, there was thick fog all around him.

And before his eyes, after the blindfold was removed, stood a massive iron gate, exuding grandeur.

“Mother. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But where is this…?”

Berna blinked as she rubbed her right forearm with her left hand, perhaps feeling a slight chill from the fog.

A moment later, the iron gate creaked open automatically, and Elena, who had brought them there, gestured for them to enter.

“Please, go in, My Lord.”

As the young Greek and Berna stepped forward as instructed, the gate closed with a loud bang.

To some, it was the sound heralding the beginning of hell.

To others, it was the sound signaling the start of paradise.

Of course, unaware of the meaning, the young Greek and Berna simply flinched at the loud noise.

That sight was very reminiscent of how they had been constantly harassed and demoralized by the nobles in the Capital.

“This way, please.”

Elena, focused on her duty, continued to guide the two of them.

“Welcome.”

It was El who greeted them. The situation was different from when Guiltimond had visited the hotel.

When Guiltimond had come, he was greeted by Rurin’s kicks and Sereina’s fists.

“This guy, does he have a lot of jewels? Can I really keep them?”

Next to El, Sereina’s eyes sparkled as she looked over the promissory note that Guiltimond had written.

She was currently wearing a Palenque costume. Her red hair had become a red comb like a rooster’s.

The concept of this hotel is costumes.

There’s no particular reason. It’s just costumes.

Of course, there’s no way a dragon would quietly wear a Palenque outfit. You could say it was the result of losing a massive bet involving costumes.

Moreover, Sereina didn’t seem to care much. She was just excited about adding more jewels to her lair in the Milliorek Mountains.

“Thank you for the invitation, Master. But where exactly is this place? The ceiling is so high!”

Looking up at the massive chandelier hanging from the five-story-high ceiling, the young Greek rubbed his neck as if it hurt and asked. El responded with a smile.

“Don’t worry about such things, just enjoy yourself. Sereina, stop looking at that and hand over the key.”

“Got it. Got it. Room 205?”

“Are you asking for a beating?”

“Oh, uh, Room 305!”

Serena shook her rooster comb back and forth and handed over the key.

“Oh, you guys are here! I won’t lose to you anymore!”

At that moment, Rurin, dressed in a dragon costume, appeared from the second-floor elevator and pointed at Berna.

“Hello!”

Though she didn’t show it, Berna, who had a favorable impression of Rurin for handling Loriana, kept bowing her head in greeting.

“Sereina, show them the way. Rurin is busy with something else right now.”

“Hmm, what a bother.”

Elena had disappeared at some point. Sereina, left alone, gestured for the two to follow her, as if she had no choice.

“This way, please. Hoho.”

She didn’t act recklessly like Rurin. These were human nobles. Like Elena, she pretended to show respect as she began leading them.

“Oh, is it not these stairs?”

Then, feeling El’s fierce gaze, she quickly changed direction.

Instead of heading for the enchanted stairs, she moved toward the elevator.

“What is this?”

“It’s something that takes you directly to the third floor. You’re never supposed to use the stairs here. Got it? Hoohoo.”

Sereina spoke in a stern tone and opened the elevator door.

The elevator carrying the two of them and the dragon swiftly arrived on the third floor.

The boy didn’t really feel like they had arrived on the third floor.

After getting off the elevator, he checked the lobby below and scratched his cheek in surprise.

The central lobby was open and tall, with facilities situated inside.

“(Is this magic?)”

Berna, with a very curious expression, mouthed the words to her son.

“(It must be.)”

The young Greek shared the same thought as Berna. This was definitely magic. So, surprised once again, he mouthed his response to his mother.

Then he followed Sereina.

“This is it. Room 305. Have a pleasant stay.”

Leaving words that sounded just like real hotel staff, Sereina disappeared.

The boy and Berna looked at each other again before stepping into the hotel room. And once more, their eyes widened in amazement.

‘So many surprises today?’

He had vowed not to be surprised by anything after seeing the elevator, but the interior of the room was beyond anything he could ignore.

A super luxurious royal suite room. The Lord’s castle was luxurious in its own right, but this was even more opulent than a palace.

No, it was a room with a structure he had never seen before.

Walls made of marble, floors crafted from the finest wood.

A chandelier plated in pure gold.

It was only natural that the modern interior design created by El felt so novel to the young Greek and Berna.

“Mother! Look at this! There’s a cold water bottle!”

“Oh my, is it like a freezer?”

The boy opened the small refrigerator and exclaimed in surprise.

There’s no rule that says this hotel must exist in this world. So there’s no rule that it wouldn’t have electricity.

A hotel where everything is kept secret.

“Cookies…!”

Meanwhile, Berna’s eyes sparkled as she discovered the desserts. The large cabinet was filled with luxurious desserts that seemed impossible to finish.

“The bed! Mother, this is amazing too!”

“Really? Just wait a moment.”

Berna, already chewing on a cookie, told him to wait.

And so, Berna and the young Greek spent some time enjoying the hotel room.

They only stopped when there was a knock at the door.

“Yes!”

Berna, who was nearby, put down the premium wine aged in an oak cask and ran to the door. Standing before her were the small, bright-eyed boys, Linte and Mate, who bowed their heads in greeting.

“My Lord. It’s time for your next service.”

“Service?”

“It’s the grand bath service.”

“Really? Mother, they say it’s a bath.”

“If El prepared it, of course we should go.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Then, this way!”

Linte called out loudly to the two as they exited the room together. Berna paused to straighten the young Greek’s clothes as he got up from the soft bed.

“There, all set. Let’s go.”

“Yes, Mother.”

The young Greek nodded with a smile.

“Brother, is this the right way?”

“Yes, yes. I’m sure.”

“Oh, it seems right. We should check carefully, though. Getting lost would be bad.”

As the two seemed momentarily confused about the direction, a loud scream echoed from downstairs.

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

“What was that sound?”

The boy asked Linte.

“Oh, I’m not sure, but I think they said they were burning some trash. In the downstairs bath. But it has nothing to do with us.”

Mate, who was beside Linte, answered cheerfully.

“Really?”

The young Greek thought, ‘Well, I guess so’, and followed Linte and Mate. With so many strange things, the scream seemed like just another oddity.

“This way.”

At the entrance to the separate men’s and women’s changing rooms, Linte and Mate bowed and then hurried off as if they were busy.

“See you after the bath, Mother. They say it’s a big bath, so I’m curious.”

“Let’s do that!”

After parting from his mother, the young Greek entered the bathhouse, undressed, and opened the door leading inside.

At that moment, his jaw nearly dropped in shock.

Deciding that his resolution not to be surprised was now void.

A massive bath reflecting the sky.

And in front of it was the ocean. Waves crashing on the sand. The three-story-high bath was flowing downward.

Water cascaded down the boundary of the wall like a waterfall. Waves crashed below, and bamboo divided the sections, and from there, Berna’s voice could be heard.

“A-aren’t we going to fall too?”

“Just a moment!”

Berna, frightened by the flowing boundary, asked, and the young Greek carefully checked. The water was definitely flowing down, but something transparent was clearly preventing it from falling.

“Mother! It seems fine! Something’s blocking it!”

“R-really? Then what is that? Why is the lake so big?”

This time, Berna shouted in surprise at seeing the ocean for the first time in her life.

As a child, she had been confined to her room, and after marriage, she had only been to the Lord’s castle, Greek City, and the Capital. Seeing the ocean for the first time, Berna was overwhelmed by its vastness.

And the same was true for the young Greek.

“Mother! I think it’s the ocean! The ocean!”

“The ocean? This is the ocean?”

Berna, unable to believe that the ocean she had only heard of was right before her, kept exclaiming in wonder.

“So this is the ocean…”

A promise she had made with her husband came to mind.

He had told her that there was a vast world called the ocean in this world.

Berna had been amazed by that explanation, and her husband had always smiled and said they should go see it together.

Berna quietly covered her mouth and cried, afraid that the young Greek might notice.

There was no one to stop her tears from flowing. She was alone in the bath.

And a little while later.

Linte and Mate greeted the two as they emerged from their bath.

“Now that you’ve finished bathing, El is calling for you. Could you please follow us?”

“Really?”

Then of course, they had to go.

The two walked on and arrived at a large door.

“Welcome.”

El was standing in front of it. And then, Rurin, dressed in a dragon costume, charged at El with a headbutt.

“Yes, I’m here! I’m wearing clothes underneath! It’s hot, but since you don’t like it…huh?”

“No, not you…”

“Why not me? Who else do you have? I’m the only one for you!”

Rurin puffed her cheeks up in frustration over something strange. With her cheeks puffed out from the costume’s mouth part, she looked just like a doll.

“Please, the two of you, come inside. This is actually the main event.”

El ignored Rurin and opened the door before him. Even as Rurin tugged on his arm, fuming, he remained steadfast.

“Th-this is…”

“……”

The young Greek fell silent at the sight. And as soon as Berna saw the scene, she began to shed even thicker tears than she had in the bathhouse.

The vast ocean.

The emerald-green ocean and the pristine white sand.

And in front of it was a massive Regana.

It wasn’t just the Regana.

If it were only the Regana, Berna wouldn’t be crying like this.

In front of the Regana sat Count Greek, the boy’s father.

Of course, his eyes were still closed, and he showed no sign of moving.

“Play it for your husband. The Regana that was once so difficult for you to play – you can now. Because it was a performance that silenced all the nobles in the Capital.”

As El said this, he gently nudged Berna forward.