Section 3: Ghost Apartment (1/2)

Huh? What's up, Master?

？！

Hey, why the long face!? C'mon, cheer up.

Say, how 'bout a quick round of gamblin' before we go fight that Swimsuit Swordmaster?

...The hell do you think you're doing?

？！

We already finished the draft, so how 'bout we go swimming in the ocean today?

Come on, don't space out on me. I've still got plenty of errands for you to run.

But hey, once you're done with those, we can all kick back and celebrate in sty

What is wrong, Fujimaru? You look pale.

Hehehe. How terribly adorable.

Oh?

I guess this is it then. How very overprotective of you.

I'll just leave a veeery important hint here for you before I go then. Hehehe.

...Am I in? Good, there you are.

？！

Just a nasty little prank.

This is the line between dreams and reality. Believe me, it wasn't easy getting here...

At any rate, this latest Singularity is a terrible fit for me.

Or perhaps I should say, it fits me too well...

Regardless, I won't be able to help you anymore.

This may be a minute Singularity, but it's also the most twisted, demented place I've ever seen.

Focus on surviving. Collecting records will help you.

Of what happened in this place.

You will find them everywhere you need to look. If you have the time, I suggest searching the inside of this cottage as well.

？！

This Singularity has already spawned. There is no avoiding it now.

But knowing you, you should still be able to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Beware your dreams.

Do not succumb to fear.

And

Damn, we're out of time! The interference is cropping up here sooner than I expected!

Remember, the key word is "fear"!

This Singularity is

？！

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Fou?

？！

Good morning, Master.

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Thank you again for all your help with that incident last nighter, or rather, earlier this morning.

Breakfast is all ready, so I hope you'll come join us once you're dressed.

？！

Morning, Master.

Goood morning! Huh? Where's Yu Mei-ren?

Still sulking in bed, from the looks of it.

I don't know what happened, but it sounds like she really did die.

Anyway, Prince of Lan Ling's up there consoling her now, so I'm sure she'll show her face sooner or later.

Hm? What was that noise outside?

I think I'll go take a look.

Hungry? Would you prefer a Western-style breakfast, or a Japanese-style one?

Japanese, please!

You got it.

May I interrupt for a moment?

Oh? What's up, Murasaki?

I'm not sure what happenedperhaps the battle last night got them worked upbut it looks like the local Demonic Beasts are a bit restless.

I believe I should be able to handle them myself, but

Don't be silly. We're not going to make you fight by yourself while we sit back and have breakfast.

In fact, this should make for a good morning workout. It'll be like radio calisthenics.

？！

Ooh, ooh, I wanna do radio calisthenics, too!

Uh, it was just an analogy. I don't think we even get radio reception out here...

All right, let's do this!

Hey, hang on a minute, Emiya.

Huh?

You're supposed to get a stamp card filled out after doing radio calisthenics, right? Where do we get one of those?

Ask Master for one after we're done fighting!

All done! Oh man, I really worked up an appetite!

All right, let's head back to the cottage. ...Uh-oh. I think I forgot to make rice.

You what!?

Emiyaaa!?

Um... How's bread and miso soup sound?

I mean, I like both those things, but they don't go together! At all!

？！

Hm? Is something wrong, Master?

？！

Tch. I must have pushed my luck too far...

But...what is going on with this mountain?

It feels like there's something fundamentally contradictory at the heart of it...

...My mind's starting to stagnate. This is bad. I think...I need to rest a little...

Welcome back.

？！

Hey, I can't lay around feeling sorry for myself all day.

Nope. I was dead as a doornail.

？！

Oh well. I came back to life after a while, as usual.

Hahahaha. I must say, I have no earthly idea how your Spirit Origin works.

Though actually, it was weird. That attack shouldn't've been enough to kill me.

A little thing like an axe to the head isn't usually enough to kill me.

...but for some reason, this time it was...

Good morning, everyone. That was quite the day we had yesterday, wasn't it?

I'll say. So, what's the plan for today?

I spoke with Emiya, and we decided to try venturing outside.

Hmm, is that so? Okay, I'm going to go take a walk.

That does seem like a good plan.

As a general rule of thumb, we could use the morning to recuperate and prepare, then begin our investigation proper at noon.

Good morning, everyone!

Um, excuse me everyone, but could you all come outside?

I think...we may have something of an emergency.

!!!

Do you see that?

It looks like another building, and it's much taller than the cottage.

Was that building always there?

I don't believe so, no.

What do you think we should do, Sigurd?

Is it a castle? ...No. A tower? ...No, not that either. It's a more modern building.

Still, no matter what type of building it is, I am certain we would remember something so distinctive.

Got a minute?

We just discovered a house over there that didn't exist yesterday, either. Just popped up all of a sudden.

We'd probably better look into it, huh?

？！

That so? I see Red Mantle's still as hardworking as ever.

Oh, come to think of it, I wanted to talk to you, Sigurd.

Something I can do for you?

You know where those Valkyrie friends of yours got off to?

...Hmm.

My beloved and I saw them last night, but I have yet to see them this morning.

Got it.

Um... Did they say something to you? Whatever it was, I hope they weren't too pushy about it.

Nah, they just asked me to teach them some moves with the spear.

And since I got some time to kill right now, I figured, why not.

Oh, I see! Thank you so much!

I would be honored to have the Child of Light teach my sisters personally! I'll be sure to tell them you said yes.

Would you? Thanks. Just let 'em know I'll be hanging out around here whenever they're ready.

I will.

I think I'll have breakfast before I go see about this new building.

What will you do, Master?

？！

Hmm. I can understand your concern, seeing as she's already died once.

All right, understood.

She headed off towards the woods. You should still be able to catch up to her if you hustle.

？！

Hm? Oh, it's you. What's up?

You want to join me for some forest therapy? ...Well, okay.

Just don't expect it to be fun.

You'll have fun just watching me? Ugh, don't be a creep.

(Yaaawn...) Man, I'm still sleepy. Maybe my death hit me harder than I thought.

？！

What's up with you? ...Yeah, okay, if you're willing, why not?

Ahhh... That's it. That's the spot.

You know, you're not half bad. Though of course, you can't compare to that mysterious masseuse from the Enma-tei.

Ahhh... Forests are great, aren't they?

Too bad this one's so cursey.

？！

You know, curses, grudges, negative emotions, the whole thing. I swear, you humans make such a huge impact on your environment it's absurd.

Word of advice: keep your hatred and jealously and garbage like that to a minimum, all right?

And whatever you do, don't make someone who looks up to you commit suicide by drinking poisoned wine. I still don't get how that isn't just plain murder.

？！

Good. I hope not.

... ...

But hey, don't get me wrong.

I'm not saying you should never hate anyone, or that you should be some kind of saint or something.

I mean human history is pretty much made up entirely of that kinda stuff, right?

So if that's the way it's always been, then it's okay. ...At least for now.

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Hold it. What do you mean, "sometimes"?

I am always an incredible, insightful senpai!

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Yeah? Okay, later then.

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Oh, hello, Master.

May I ask what you're doing here, just staring off into space?

I see.

While it has certainly been a lot of fun staying inside all morning playing video games...

...perhaps we should try some activities that take better advantage of our being in the mountains?

？！

We may be staying in a cottage now, but traditionally, mountains have been cut off from human communities.

As such, out of the three essentialsclothing, food, and shelterthe latter two are an especially crucial part of living on one.

Well, I suppose those priorities may change if one were to somehow find one's self on a mountain stark naked...

But since that is not the case for us, I think we should focus on securing food and shelter. First, we can chop down some trees...

...On second thought, that may be somewhat difficult. Let us start by making a roof out of branches instead!

Since it is not very cold out here right now, being summer and all, a simple lean-to should suffice for our survival shelter needs.

Of course, in other environments, other kinds of shelter are needed to provide more protection from the elements.

There is a world of difference between, say, the jungle and the desert, after all, both in terms of available resources and safety.

Fortunately for us, this mountain is fairly standard as far as survival environments go, so the shelter we need here should be relatively easy to make.

If we were in the desert, we would have to find some way to escape the heat of the sun's rays.

I'm told that digging a hole in the ground and crawling into it is a good way to do that.

At any rate, while we would normally ask the campground manager before building a new shelter on the property...

...given that this is an emergency, and there is no one around to ask anyway, I think we shall be "in the clear," so to speak.

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Right!

Well, well. Whatcha all up to over here?

Sure looks like y'all're havin' fun. Y'know, I got some time to kill in case y'all want some help.

Billy the Kid...

Nnn... You are a thief, are you not?

I prefer the term "outlaw," if ya don't mind my sayin' so.

Whatever you choose to call yourself, you are still resolutely a criminal...

...but, I suppose it is all right.

Hey, thanks. Mighty kind o' ya. I doubt Qin Liangyu'd be half as merciful if she were in your shoes.

Hehehe.

Oh, I am not so sure. I suspect she may be more willing to compromise than I am.

At any rate, let us begin building our new shelter!

Yeehaw!

While a lean-to is a good start, we will still need proper walls to keep out the wind.

No matter how warm an environment may seem during the day, it can still become deathly chill in an instant at night.

So we will begin by gathering fallen leaves and using them in conjunction with branches to build our shelter's frame.

Man, this sure takes me back. This is the exact type of shelter me an' my fellow outlaws used to make back in the day.

We must also be careful to leave enough space in our shelter for proper ventilation.

Wilderness survival is, at its heart, about one's ingenuity in working with what one has and can find.

A good shelter should meet several conditions.

For example, it must have good ventilation, dry floors, and it must not pose a danger if it should fall apart.

This should be doable if we are able to get a little creative with the roof and frame.

Right y'are.

For example, in modern days, ya might just happen to have yourself a tarp even when you're out on a mountain...

...And that tarp'll be a perfect roof for keepin' out the wind and rain and such.

Yes, exactly!

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Not at all. It is my pleasure.

All right, now that our shelter is finished, let us rest inside for a bit and enjoy some friendly conversation.

Well then I got a little somethin' for y'all, assumin' o'course that y'all like harmonica music.

If ya got any requests, I'm happy to hear 'em. Can't promise I'll be able to play 'em, but I'll do my darndest.

Hi, Senpai. Did you enjoy your morning out?

I see, I see.

So you did forest therapy with Yu Mei-ren, and built a shelter with Tomoe...

That sounds like a wonderful outdoor experience! I wish I could have joined you.

Perhaps you can do so tomorrow. For the time being, we have another objective to fulfill.

I spent the whole morning fortifying the cottage's defenses...

...with help from Thrúd, Hildr, and Ortlinde.

Heh. I knew you would have everything well in hand, my beloved.

As for me, I went over to that new building to observe it from a closer, though still safe distance.

I did not see anything suspicious. Indeed, I saw no sign whatsoever of human presence.

But, there is no denying the strange and unusual air about it.

Hehehe. Well of course there'd be something strange about an apartment building way up in the mountains like this.

？！

I think I can show you the way there, so I'll go with you.

What do you mean?

My parental guardian lives in that building.

Though I couldn't go back there yesterday, since I couldn't see it.

？！

I do now. I met him after I was summoned here as a Servant.

Even though I don't have any memories of my human self, or any of being Yaobikuni...

...he said no child should be out in the mountains alone...

...and that I should come with him if I had nowhere else to go, since he had plenty of rooms to spare.

He sort of just declared himself my guardian, even though I never asked.

But it would've been too much trouble to turn him down, so I took him up on his offer and stayed there for a while.

I think today you'd call it a safe house, maybe? All I know for sure is that the room he gave me was a real dump.

I see... So you'd never met this person before?

No. As far as I know, I've never seen him in my life.

As I keep telling you, I don't remember anything from my old lives whatsoever.

Speaking purely from a risk assessment factor, I must ask: Are you sure you can trust this man?

No, on second thought, I should probably first ask if he is human or Servant.

Hmm. I can't say for sure one way or the other.

He's very sickly and delicate, so he doesn't seem like he could do any fighting.

So I can't really imagine he's a Servant...

...but neither can I imagine a local living in such a decrepit ruin of a building.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, what IS he, anyway?

Still, I'm positive he's not dangerous.

Though I don't know if you can trust him.

I am not entirely sure what to make of her assessment...

In my experience, those who are most open and straightforward are also the ones you can most reliably trust.

For example, an earnest and forthright warrior who shines as brightly as the morning sun!

Teehee. No, my guardian is pretty much the opposite of that.

I do think that crusty eccentric will trust you though, at least as long as I'm with you.

Especially since I cleaned up all the trash in the rooms, made him coffee, and cooked him real meals.

Sure, he may never have thanked me...

...but I just know for suuure that he's grateful!

I guess we may not be able to say much about this guardian figure until we meet him for ourselves...

Still, this doesn't change the fact that there's now a strange new apartment building we should probably investigate. What would you like to do, Master?

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Understood. Then let's get going.

Teehee. I'll lead the way, okay?

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Yes, it is. We could easily end up lost if we are not careful.

I'm using runes to record our route, so we shouldn't have any problem getting back to the cottage...

...but we should still keep our guard up, as there's no telling what else may happen.

I should have known you would also be beautiful when you're being wary, Beloved.

C-cut it out, Beloved!

Hahaha. It's a good thing I have Guts, or I would have been dead right there.

...Um, Mash? Is...it okay for her to hurt him like that?

O-oh, yes.

Sigurd knows that's just how Brynhild shows her love, and he's okay with that, so...

Oh, I see. So that's love, huh?

It is a rather unusual and, ah, extreme way of demonstrating affection, but yes.

Now I understand. You can't have love without pain. I learned something today!

Hey, I think I see something.

Is that the place? Damn, they must have cut every corner they could in building this place.

It does seem a little bit, um, behind on its upkeep...

？！

Is that really where your guardian lives?

I know it's hard to believe. I don't understand it, either.

He said that while the service might be nonexistent, at least there were plenty of rooms to go around...

...and he likes staying in different rooms each day depending on what kind of mood he's in.

So even I don't know where he is right now. We might have to check every room until we find him.

That's all right. We came here hoping to find a clue about how to resolve our predicament, so we'll need to investigate all of this building's rooms anyway, no matter how troublesome that may prove.

I guess you're right... We may as well start on the first floor and check every nook and cranny from there.

Ugh, I hate that kind of tedious work.

Well, complaining about it will not make it any less tedious. Come! We have work to do!

Not even the corridors get much sunlight, do they? What a gloomy building. Hmm...

Okay, this room first!

I hope you are all ready for whatever may be inside!

Why're you so happy about this?

Ah.

Was it that obvious?

Well, you see, this building happens to look exactly like one from a horror game I played a while ago.

I was just remembering the tension and excitement I felt before opening a new door in that game.

Nothing compares to the tension of knowing you must press on even as you are dangerously low on resources.

So, you're excited at the prospect of tediously going through every damn room in this building?

Yes, I am!

The hunt for items you need is one of the best parts of those sorts of games!

Worrying about things such as having enough healing items, stocking up on ammo...

...and finding the items needed to proceed to the next event...

...are all part of the unique mixture of unease and anticipation that make the genre so exciting.

Though, of course

...it is exciting precisely because there could be genuine dangers waiting for you!

I guess we're not out of the ghostbusting woods yet... Let's take care of them!

So far, there have been nothing but ghosts inside every room we've checked. Are you certain your guardian is here, Lily?

Yes, I'm certain. He says the ghosts have never harmed him, and that they at least let him work in peace, unlike the living.

Apparently, he originally came here to stay in the hotel, but decided on this apartment building instead.

So there's a hotel nearby as well? Hmm...

He's very sensitive to what other people do around him, so he probably avoided the hotel on purpose.

Well, there certainly don't seem to be any other people in this building, so I suppose I can see the sense in that...

Still, with this many enemies, it's going to take some time to search every room...

Hmm... Master, I suggest we split up to cover more ground.

If one of us should come across a clue, or this guardian figure, that person can let everyone else know.

Fortunately, this place is so quiet that we need only raise our voices a bit to communicate.

Um, isn't it dangerous for all of us to go off on our own?

Hmm, good point. We should probably stick to no more than two groups.

We certainly shouldn't risk reducing our forces on Master's side too much.

In that case, I think it may be best if I and one more form the other group, since I am the one who suggested this.

Then I'll go with you, Sigurd.

Of course, Beloved. That's exactly what I had in mind. I trust you're all right with that, Master?

？！

First, let us agree on a time and place to meet in case something unexpected should happen.

...All right, that should do it. Then from here on, we'll be going our separate ways. Good luck.

Um, excuse me.

I couldn't speak up earlier, since you lovebirds never gave me a chance...

...but I don't think going off on your own is a very good idea right no

I guess I was too late... Darn.

You need not worry! Lord Sigurd is a world-famous dragon slayer, and Lady Brynhild is a great Valkyrie.

Between the two of them, I doubt there are any monsters or spirits who would stand a chance.

...Or is there something else that worries you?

Uh-oh. Did we forget to save or something?

No, it saves automatically, so we should be fine there. Anyway, if they end up running into trouble, well, maybe that'll be interesting, too.

(Fidgeting)

Beloved.

Y-yes?

I-if you're wondering about the ghosts, I-I believe we already defeated them all...

I-is something wrong, Beloved?

Not at all. I was just thinking how...nice it is to be alone together in a quiet place like this.

!

...It really is, isn't it?

It's almost like looking up at the stars in the sky, in a world where there's no one else but you and I...

I need no starry sky, Beloved. I could gaze into your amethyst eyes all day and night...

...is more what I had in mind.

I-I see... I suppose you do have a point there...

You probably already know this, Master...

...but such steamy scenes are quite common in B horror films...

...just before the lovebirds are brutally murdered!

I don't know if we have to worry about that. It's still the middle of the day, after all...

Hmm... I'm not sure if the day-night rules apply to that sort of situation.

The audience's anger may be strong enough to result in the couple being murdered anyway.

I didn't bring it up earlier because I thought it was common sense and didn't bear mentioning.

Oh. Now that you mention it, I guess that is a really common time for the killer to show up in a movie like that.

Then...aren't they in danger!?

Hehehe. Know no fear, know no fear.

Well, it's time to meet and share our findings, and we're at the place we chose, but...

？！

What the hell's their problem? Who do they think they are?

They think I wouldn't want to spend time alone with Lord Xiang Yu in a quiet place like this? Of course I would!

The sheer gall! Unbelievable!

Um, that's not what we're worried about, Yu Mei-ren. The worst case would be that they...

Well, the only thing we can do now is go looking for them ourselves...

But we should also leave a note for them here, in case they arrive after we leave.

Okay, there! Now come on! We still have to fill out the rest of the map!

Aaaaaah! They're all covered in blooooood!

Yup, they're totally dead. I can tell from my own recent brush with it.

Ahh, ahhh, ahhhh...

This is...terrible...

What happened here, Brynhild!?

I... Ahh, I... I...

I guess the two of them going off on their own really did bring the killer down on them!

It just goes to show that even things with only a one percent chance of happening can and do happen...

However, I am still alive!!!

Nothing to worry about here!

？！

Why!? How!?

Phew. It's a good thing I have Guts, or I'd have died then and there.

Oh, Sigurd! Sigurd! Thank goodness!

What in the world happened in here? Did the enemy attack you?

...

I don't know. I do have the impression that something happened here, but I have no recollection of what.

Whatever it was, I'm sure it couldn't have been serious. After all, I'm still alive.

So please, pay no mind to the fact that I'm wiping blood from my beloved's hands even as I speak.

This certainly isn't an effort to conceal evidence or anything like that, haha. As they say, there is nothing to see here!

(From all the blood on that Valkyrie chick's hands, it looks like she stabbed him. So...)

(Wouldn't that make her the would-be killer?)

(Eh, whatever. Besides, I get the feeling this happens all the time with them.)

Oh, Sigurd! I...!

As long as you're safe... there's nothing else in this world I need...

Would you lot keep it down? You're irritating the shit out of me.

Cripes, you must be bored out of your skulls to come make this much noise in a shithole like this.

If you just want to be loud, you should go to the ocean. And when I say ocean, I don't mean the beach.

I mean you should go listen to waves and make asses of yourselves at the edge of a nice steep cliff, so that when you fall off, the world will be rid of you.

It'll be the thrill of your tragically shortened lives, but don't take my word for it. Hell, if you live to tell the tale, I might even listen.

？！

That sounded like it came from the next room over.

So THAT'S where he was.

Come on, everyone, let's head to the next room over. That was my guardian just now.

Oh, assuming Sigurd and Brynhild are okay, of course. Are you?

Of course. Never better. Come, Brynhild, let's be on our way.

Uh-oh, are you a little unsteady on your feet?

Here, you can lean on me. Don't be shy.

W-wait. You mustn't... (Blush)

(Oh for... Can't you at least wait till you get another room!? I'm still having to make do without Lord Xiang Yu here, you know!)

？！

I can't believe you just barged in like you own the place. You lot locals or something?

At first I thought you might be a bunch of bikers, but I guess you're actually just thieves.

Well, if you came here looking for valuables to steal, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

All I've got are reams of manuscript paper and notesthe kind you can find for pennies just about anywhere.

'Course, if you still want them that badly, I'm willing to let them go for well above market value.

？！

I'm home. Is anyone in need of assistance?

...So, they're friends of yours. Haven't I told you not to bring trouble back with you, Lily?

They really looked like they needed help, so I couldn't resist.

But never mind that. I can't believe you made such a huge mess again. I swear, you really are hopeless.

Why bother? The one good thing about staying in a decrepit old building like this is you don't have to clean it.

If one room gets too messy, I can just move to another. I've always been good at making studies.

Besides, I don't recall asking you to look after me.

If you managed to find some new guardians, you go right ahead and play with them from now on.

I can't do that. I've already started paying you back for your help.

So I'm going to stay here and be your secretary until your manuscript is done, whether you like it or not.

...Tch. I guess just accepting the payment was too much to hope for.

Fine, whatever. So, what's the story with the rest of you?

I have no intention of getting involved in whatever it is you're up to here, but I am somewhat curious about your backgrounds.

Whatever the topic, information is always valuable, so I can at least hear what you have to say.

？！

Chaldea, huh? And this Singularity place is the strange land we're in now, is it?

I've never heard of anything called Chaldea before, and yet oddly enough, it does sound familiar...

Maybe I'm actually a Servant from there, too.

But, unfortunately...

...I can't say one way or another, as I have no memories of anything from before I came here.

I've also made it a point not to trust or work with anyone else, just as a way to protect myself.

I'm sure I'll go back to my old self once you erase this Singularity.

Oh, and take your time with that. You can never have too much vacation time, after all.

As for me, I have no intention whatsoever of working as a Servant, so you can just call me "Busy Author."

？！

There you go. Now you know what a crusty, cantankerous man he is.

Still, he was doing mental fieldwork and such before all of you showed up, and I saw him investigating the land around here on his own...

...so he might be able to help you all out somehow.

I already told you, I'm not helping anyone.

If I help you, I'll make myself a target for whoever's opposing you.

I don't get to go on vacation very often, so I'd prefer to spend it in peace.

Right now, I just want to finish this damn assignment as soon as possible and go relax at the lodge by the lake.

By using the magical energy I gave you as a reward, right?

My guardian here likes to talk tough, but his Spirit Origin is laughably weak.

So I shared some of my magical energy with him just to make sure he didn't end up dying to one of those ghosts.

She practically forced it on me after saying she couldn't bear to see someone in need of assistance.

I'm no charity case. I believe in fair work for fair pay. That's why I'm here toiling away at this damn manuscript.

I...think I see? I'm still not entirely sure I understand...

Oh, don't worry. It's a simple case of he scratches my back, I scratch his.

By the way, how much progress have you made since I was last here?

......

It's been two full days! Surely you must have gotten SOMEwhere, right?

Fujimaru, I've changed my mind. I'm going to help you, though only a little.

Amnesia or not, I'm still a Servant. I'm happy to prioritize restoring humanity above everything else.

I have a good idea of what's going on here now thanks to everything you told me...

...and my author's intuition is telling me you should investigate any new places you discover.

I don't know much about movies, but they do have scripts like any other story, right?

Then the economy of storytelling says that every place in a movie must have some significance to it.

This world we're in now isn't some random background for stories of ordinary lives. It's been created specifically to act as a breeding ground for drama, right?

So don't take anything for granted, even things that seem commonplace or insignificant.

Those are the sorts of things that'll be used to resolvethat is, build tension for the final act of the story.

Aside from that...there's also this apartment building.

You still haven't finished investigating every room here, right? Then do that.

And take Little Miss Deadline there with you. And don't come back for at least five days.

That'll give me just enough time to procrastinate and then throw something together on day five.

Hang on, what did he just call me? That sounded rude.

？！

Oh, right. There is one thing I must ask of you, Lord Author.

Would you happen to know why we weren't able to see this apartment building until yesterday?

What? You couldn't?

...Hmm.

Maybe the building's owner had something to do with it? I certainly didn't.

Then again, maybe it would be more accurate to say I wasn't the target.

The fact that your organization is being attacked by abnormalities like that shows that someone among you is

...Never mind. It would definitely be overstepping to say anything more.

I'm getting back to work. Oh, but I do need a pick-me-up first.

Lily, as it turns out, I'm very much in need of assistance. I'd like a meal, as an additional reward.

I'd like at least a little satisfaction before I get back to the arduous toil that is writing.

Some freshly steamed fish would hit the spo No, on second thought, this is a resort, isn't it?

Steak, then. A nice, juicy filet mignon. Not that I can tell the cuts of beef apart!

Teehee. While I usually enjoy helping people in need of assistance...

...I'd be just as happy pretending this man doesn't even exist.

Hmm. What do you think, Master?

？！

So you want us to keep exploring this building, and to investigate that house that mysteriously appeared?

Understood. We will split up again, as before.

Would anyone like to join Brynhild and I while we explore the house?

...Oh, um, I can go along with you.

？！

I will, Master.

Then Master, myself, and Lady Yu Mei-ren will continue exploring this building.

I'll go with you, too. Just give me a quick moment to finish up here, please.

？！

No, that's okay. I kind of shaped and colored some canned chicken so it looks more or less like steak...

That should be enough to get him to focus on his writing for a while.

He gets about twice as foulmouthed whenever he's writing, so it's best to leave him alone anyway.

But I can't leave him alone too long or he'll end up starving, so I'll still come check on him once in a while.

I see. You two are a lot like a parent and child then, aren't you?

I do love people in need of assistance, but that doesn't mean I want to become his full-time maid.

Hmph. I've never had steak before, but I guess it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Anyway, Lily, you can go with these people if you want. Just be careful you don't get kidnapped.

You're still innocent about a lot of things in this world, so you need to watch out that you don't end up falling in with a bad crowd.

Nobody asked you, Mr. Sourpuss.

If I were you, I'd be more worried about going feral without me here to look after you.

Remember, if I see you try to jump out of a room without any clothes on again, I WILL call the cops.

Oh, while I'm at it, I also changed your toothbrush and washed your sheets.

Don't forget to put the latter back on yourself, okay?

Of course. I can get by fine on my own if I have to.

Fujimaru, was it? I'm counting on you to take care of Lily for me.

She's still too young to know right from wrong, so make sure she stays on the straight and narrow.

Teehee. Maybe I don't know right from wrong, but I can still recognize a hopeless masochist pig when I see one.

...What?

Oh, nothing.

Okay, Mr. Sourpuss, make sure you keep working. I'll come back to check on you once I've taken care of things here.

All right, let's go pay that house a visit.

You be careful too, Master. Oh, and...

？！

... ...

Never mind. I'm sure I'm just imagining things.

Okay, Master, see you later.

？！

Who knows? They do say the heart is as unpredictable as the autumn sky.

Though of course, it's summer now...

A-all right. It is time to get started!

We still need to explore every inch of this apartment building.

This should be fun! It will be like exploring every side path in a dungeon crawler!

Whatever you say. Come on, let's go!

Personally, I think this feels more like a Shinsengumi raid than crawling a through dungeon. Hehehe.

Oh drat. Even though she seems to be from the modern world, I do not think she understood my reference!

Nope, nothing here.

I do see signs that people once lived here, but they must be from at least thirty years ago.

It is as though time itself came to a halt here.

All except for the fact...

...that one of the dead spirits here is much tougher than it should be.

That's right. I just took a quick look at it, and I think its grudge is at least five hundred years old.

We have to help it move on. I don't think it's in need of assistance so much as it's just in pain.

All right, then let's kick its ass and be done with it.