Section 8 "The Mayoiga and Its Visitors"

Welcome, chirp! Welcome to our inn, chirp!

Chirp chirp, so many guests! They just keep coming!

Fou fou fo fo fou chirp! Fou fou chirp fo fo fou!

Having all the rooms repaired made a big difference! This is all thanks to Master's hard work♡

Heh, don't be ridiculous. What you should be thanking is my perfectly on-point propaganda.

It doesn't matter how good the service is if there aren't any customers to serve.

That's why I made sure to have every sparrow on break go out and spread the word with testimonials like:

"Staying at the Enma-tei helped me win the lottery!" and "Thanks to the Enma-tei, I got a huge promotion!"

He had us spend our whole break making kawaraban flyers. Chirp, it was fun!

Kawaraban flyers... I wonder if these remote places use them like we use social media?

Does that mean you contacted Chaldea and told all the Servants there about the Enma-tei, Director Goredolf?

W-well, more or less. Of course, I plan on asking Chaldea for help, I just haven't got around to it yet.

And, well, I'm sure the Servants are already quite busy, and we still don't know just how much magical energy the Wandering Sea has to spare!

So the only ones who should come here are those with so much time and energy on their hands they're in danger of disappearing from boredom!

In fact, they should only come if they manage to infer our predicament on their end and decide to send help even without us saying anything!

...

...Do you believe me?

？！

Khh...! That unwavering trust only makes me feel worse...!

My, my, I never knew Heroic Spirits were so ostentatious. Or perhaps I should say, fashionable?

The Divine Spirits that visit the Enma-tei only care about rest, so they're always fickle in appearance.

But these...Servants, was it? They all positively glow with power.

Ooh, how wonderful! How exotic! How global!

There's so many gorgeous hotties of all shapes and sizes I just can't choose!

I'd feel like I've died and gone to heaven if I wasn't already at the Enma-tei! This is the best thing that's happened since I came here!

Hohoho. I can't say I agree with Chief Snake's choice of words, but I do agree that this is welcome.

That said...

...! Kyu... Kyuu kyu, kyu...!?

Cheep, look out! A wild dragonkin is attacking the Enma-tei, chirp!

You're kidding me! Oh no no no, I can't deal with dragons!

They're so territorial, and slimy, and hissy, and the way their tongues stretch out is just... (Shudders)

Don't you agree, Fujimaru!? Aren't dragons just the worst!?

Of course not♡ The things Chief Snake just listed are in fact some of my best qualities, after all♡

Oh Master, don't be silly. Chief Snake very clearly said "dragons."

？！

Everyone, hurry! That dragonkin ruffian is trying to stay in the inn without paying!

The sparrows outside are doing their best to stop it, but they're simply no match!

Oh yes, we do see that sort around here now and then.

Some evil spirits try to stay here whether they're welcome or not so they can get their old power back.

Normally, those who aren't qualified to be here wouldn't be able to cross the bridge, but now that the Enma-tei has grown so weak, well...

Senpai!

I have a feeling this opponent will be very formidable...! Please be careful out there, Master!

Leave it to me, Master! I'm always happy whenever we get to work together♡

？！

Owww! That hurrrts!

When I sensed a new resort and came to check it out, I never expected to be turned away at the door!

You don't want to put me up here? Fine! I wouldn't stay in your stupid violent hotel if you paid me!

I hope you choke on a hot spring egg and die!

What's the big idea? I finally get a chance to shine, and that's the sort of opponent they pair me with!?

What a fearsome dragon that Mysterious Visitor DX was... Wait. WAS she a dragon...?

Fou, fooou... (Special Translation: Sorry for all the trouble one of our Altrias caused...)

Good grief. I was afraid something like this might happen.

I commend your effort, but this is what happens when you're indiscriminate about who you invite.

Guests aren't supposed to be invited to the Enma-tei. They're supposed to find it themselves, after losing their way.

That is the very essence of a mayoiga. Yet despite that, you knowingly invited that...hooligan here.

I can only imagine how Madam Beni-Enma feels about all this.

I...

Oh don't be daft, you big ape. Of course she'll be thrilled to have so many more guests!

Besides, if we hadn't stepped in to help, this place would still be wasting away to nothing!

Is that what you want!?

Of course not. I love the Enma-tei as much as anyone.

But, unfortunately...its time has come and gone.

The gods no longer care for Earth. Humans no longer hold the mountains in awe.

It's only natural that the Enma-tei would also fade away. Much as it pains me to say, the times have left it behind.

Chaldea, you said your home was called? I envy what you have.

I never imagined there was still a place on Earth where humans and Heroic Spirits coexisted... Hohoho.

W-well, yes, it's true that Chaldea is a cutting-edge mythical place, so to speak, and as workshops go, it's considerably more modern than the Enma-tei...

But that still doesn't explain how this place got to such a sorry state.

I understand the Divine Spirits may have dwindled away as of late, but even so, it seems excessive.

It still has long-term guests such as yourself, and surely it still gets others from time to time.

Not to mention the offering box was full of gratitude when we arrived.

The Enma-tei may only be scraping by, but it's still exceptionally well-run.

So then, why has it declined to this degree?

Why have so many facilities been closed despite the staff's diligent maintenance?

Because that isn't the only problem the inn faces, of course.

It's sad... If it hadn't been for that incident five hundred years ago, things would be different now... (Sniff)

An incident? What are you talking about, Mr. Moneyed Monkey?

Alas, it was a terrible debacle. I can't even bring myself to say it.

Hoho, besides, I am but a humble, carefree guest. It is not my place to speak of the Enma-tei's failures.

That goes for the other guests, too. Even the notoriously chatty Chief Snake knows better than to say anything.

Still, you need not concern yourselves about it. There is nothing that can be done about this problem.

All you need to worry about is filling the Tribute Hall with gratitude, and saving yourselves.

You've already come this far, to the spirit world. No one could expect you to stick your necks out to solve someone else's problems.

The Enma-tei's problems are Madam Beni-Enma's to worry about, not yours.

？！

Ms. Beni-Enma's nothing if not earnest...

She would never try to make her problems into other people's.

Quite. The fact that she never mentioned this before simply means she didn't wish to speak of it.

No doubt trying to pry it out of her would only make her clam up more.

Our only choice is to coax the Enma-tei's story out of her as gently and naturally as possible.

Cursed Fionn mac Cumhaill. He must have already known it would come to this when he said we should start with work...

？！

That's true. Acting rashly won't help anything.

And since Beni-Enma told us go ahead and do whatever it is we need to do...

...let's try to do everything we can to make the Enma-tei even better!

Fou, fooou!