Chapter 54: A Lesson in Ownership
"Not easy to take?"
But hadn't he already taken it?
Yotsuya Miko was still puzzling over Haruto's words when a scream from beyond the awning ripped through the air, answering her unspoken question with brutal clarity.
Out in the downpour, the man with the broken eyebrow—despite not having been touched by a single drop of rainwater—had his face twisted into a hideous mask of agony. It was as if every nerve in his body was being set alight.
A moment later, having bitten through several of his own teeth, he abandoned all caution. No longer caring if the rain was corrosive, he began to swing the magnificent parasol in his hand with frantic, desperate force, trying to turn and run back to the shelter.
As he stumbled closer, his movements growing more violent and erratic, Miko finally saw the source of his torment. Her pupils constricted in horror.
Withered.
The hand gripping the parasol's handle was completely withered. It looked like two sun-bleached branches, dry and brittle. Worse, the decay was visibly crawling up his arm, yet he couldn't seem to let go of the umbrella.
At the same time, several drops of viscous, oily rainwater landed silently in his hair. A hair-raising sizzle echoed as the drops stuck fast to his scalp.
The man shrieked, flailing his arms. His hair, his skin... even his facial features began to blur, melting away like wax held to a flame.
Even though everyone present was a veteran who had survived multiple instances, the sight of his gruesome death throes sent a wave of nausea through the crowd.
Clatter...
A rectangular object broke free and hit the ground with a dry, hollow sound.
It was his hand.
One of his hands had finally torn away from the umbrella's handle. Whether from the sheer force of his swinging or because the rainwater had already corroded the withered limb, his arm had snapped cleanly off at the elbow.
There was no blood.
The cross-section of the break was like a dried-out branch, the blood vessels within clearly visible but utterly devoid of life.
"Let go of me! Let go of me, now! Please... please let me go..."
Before he could finish his plea, his head dissolved into a puddle of bloody slurry. His body's outline blurred, and with a final, soft slump, he collapsed to the ground.
Almost at the exact moment he fell, the parasol slipped from his grasp. It rolled across the wet ground, coming to a gentle stop just inside the dry area beneath the awning.
Everyone was frozen in terror. The person standing closest to the parasol scrambled backward, his face ashen.
Looking at the spot where the man with the broken eyebrow had been, now just a spreading pool of corpse-water without a single solid trace remaining, they all felt an icy chill creep into their bones.
The parasol lay quietly on the ground. It remained as magnificent as ever, its surface pristine and clean, as if it had never been out in the rain, as if it had never been touched by anyone at all.
"My sister still has the same twisted sense of humor as always," Haruto remarked with a shrug. He walked forward at a leisurely pace, bent down, and picked it up.
"Yukari is quite the clean freak," he explained, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. "She doesn't like other people touching her things."
He spoke casually as he carefully wiped down the handle. After ensuring it was spotless, Haruto offered the parasol back to Yotsuya Miko. She just shrank back, shaking her head vehemently.
"How about... Haruto-san, you take Sister Kaguya over first, then come back for me?"
"That works."
Haruto tucked Yakumo Yukari's parasol back into a gap, then opened another umbrella and stepped into the rain with Kaguya. As they approached the castle, the crowd of players under the awning instinctively parted, giving them a wide berth.
It was obvious his little display had thoroughly intimidated them.
This was for the best. Haruto was more than happy to be left alone.
Just as he was about to head back to retrieve Miko, he paused, a flicker of interest in his eyes. He seemed to have heard something.
He and Kaguya turned to look toward the massive castle gate at the same time. Seeing this, the other players guessed that the so-called butler was about to arrive and held their breath in anticipation.
Yet, after a long moment, only dead silence emanated from within. Just as confusion began to set in, the faint sound of footsteps finally echoed from inside the castle.
Tap... tap... tap...
The footsteps were steady and measured, growing from a distant echo to a clear presence just behind the gate. Finally, with a low groan, the heavy doors were pushed open.
"My deepest apologies for the late welcome. I have only just learned that the master has invited such distinguished guests."
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a ramrod-straight posture, dressed in the immaculate black-and-white uniform of a traditional butler.
"To leave invited guests stranded in the wind and rain is already a breach of etiquette. But to allow their sleeves to be drenched and their appearances disheveled is an insult to the dignity of both the master and the guests."
A cold, clear voice rang out. Kaguya's entire demeanor had shifted in an instant. Her posture became regal, her expression aloof, and her words dripped with the stern reproach of a noble addressing a servant.
Haruto was slightly taken aback, giving Kaguya an odd look. He wasn't worried, but he couldn't help but complain in his heart, 'Seriously? You're putting on airs now?'
This scene, however, sent a jolt of pure terror through the other players.
They were also annoyed about being forced to wait in the rain for half an hour, but to confront the butler directly?
Even if this butler wasn't a ghost, he was clearly a crucial NPC for this instance. If they angered him and he decided to make things difficult for everyone, this game would be over before it even began.
In that moment, they all had the same frantic thought—they had to say something, anything, to smooth things over.
But before anyone could speak, Kaguya's gaze swept over the drenched players still huddled under the shelter, and she spoke again.
"As a butler, you uphold not merely your personal decorum, but the face of your master and this entire castle. This is not a harsh demand; it is simply the rule. Even if the master did not inform you in advance, you should always be prepared for unforeseen arrivals. Given that this is your first offense and there were extenuating circumstances, this lady and her companions will not pursue the matter further."
Everyone's eyes widened even more. How could she be so bold? They all stared nervously at the butler, waiting for the slightest hint of displeasure so they could immediately jump in and de-escalate.
A sharp light glinted in the butler's eyes, but it vanished in a heartbeat. The apology on his face only grew more sincere as he bowed deeply once more.
"You are absolutely right, my lady. It was my lack of consideration that has neglected our distinguished guests. Thank you very much for your understanding."
With that, he turned and produced a huge black umbrella from just inside the doorway. He stepped briskly into the rain and, in two quick trips, escorted the remaining players from the shelter to the castle entrance.
Once everyone was safely under the porch, the butler faced Kaguya and Haruto again, his posture even more respectful than before.
"The wind and rain are troublesome. Please, follow me inside, distinguished guests. Refreshments have been prepared, and we await your arrival."
He stepped aside, executing a flawless 'please' gesture.
The group stepped into the castle.
While the exterior had been a pristine white, the interior was its complete opposite—a grand, gothic space styled in oppressive black and dark, blood-red tones. The first floor was a vast main hall with only a few doors, which appeared to lead to a kitchen and storage areas.
The butler led them all to the second floor and bowed.
"Please rest for a while, distinguished guests. You may bathe and change your clothes. I shall go and prepare dinner. At the Hour of Xu, I will return to invite you all to dine."
After the butler descended the stairs, the players began to explore the second floor.
There were staircases at the front and back. A long, imposing dining table occupied the central area, with two corridors extending to the left and right, forming a square layout. There were eight rooms in total, four on each side. Each one was quite spacious, easily large enough to accommodate three or four people.
Without exchanging a word with the others, Haruto led Kaguya and Miko straight to the room at the very end of the left corridor.
The room's layout was simple, divided into three areas: a sleeping area, a washing and bathing area, and a space that resembled a balcony.
Calling it a balcony was generous. It was more like a small platform protruding slightly from a massive floor-to-ceiling window, enclosed by a symbolic railing.
The three of them didn't bother to change or wash up. The clock on the wall already pointed to 6:50. According to the butler, they would be called for dinner at the Hour of Xu—the hour of the Dog. With only ten minutes left, there clearly wasn't enough time for them to take turns bathing.
"Haruto-san, should we...?"
Yotsuya Miko turned to discuss their next move, only to stop dead in her tracks, stunned.
The other two were already sprawled out on the large, white bed like a pair of lazy cats, utterly without a care in the world. One was flipping through a manga he'd pulled from thin air, while the other was sipping a canned beverage, looking for all the world like they were on a casual vacation.
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