Chapter 45: Marcus’ Luck

"Hm... I’m rather hungry for some pufferfish! Ah, what was that dish called again? Fugu, was it? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for!"

Marcus smiled as he gave his "maid" the order.

After the maid left to prepare his meal, Marcus began inspecting the room for possible exits. He looked around for a window, a balcony, and even a ventilation shaft.

Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any...

He had initially tried opening the door and leaving, only to discover that the supernatural maid assigned to him was rather insistent about keeping him inside.

It had refused to let him leave, regardless of how politely he asked.

That had given Marcus a rather bad feeling about this place.

Worse still, he could feel himself slowly growing attached to the room.

It was a strange sensation, almost as though the longer he stayed the more reluctant he became to leave.

His instincts were telling him that remaining here was a terrible idea.

After losing F-299, the purple owl, F-5’s budget had been reduced. They no longer had enough privileges to rent communication devices, leaving Marcus with no way to contact the others.

To make matters worse, there was no signal inside this Supernatural Space...

’I’ll have to meet up with the others. But I should find our Supernatural companion first. At the very least, that would save us from having to make any more budget cuts.’

Creak.

The door opened as the maid assigned to him walked inside, carrying a tray of food.

— Your meal is ready, sir. I hope it is to your satisfaction.

Marcus put on a polite smile.

"Thank you. Would you mind tasting it for me first? There are certain foods that don’t agree with my stomach, so I’d like to make sure it’s safe to eat."

— Certainly, sir. I would be delighted to assist.

The maid placed the tray on the table before picking up the utensils. Without the slightest hesitation, she took several bites of the pufferfish dish.

She chewed slowly, swallowed, and even took another bite before setting the utensils down.

— It is quite delicious, sir. I can assure you that the meal is perfectly suitable for consumption.

"That’s good to hear, thank you for going through the trouble. Just leave it there for now, I’ll have it once it’s cooled down a little."

— Of course, sir. Please enjoy your meal at your leisure.

Marcus nodded, watching as the maid stepped back.

The maid set the tray on the table and stepped aside.

Marcus wasn’t particularly impatient.

He knew better than to try fighting the supernatural creature in front of him without proper equipment. If he couldn’t overpower it directly, he would have to find another way.

The fugu he’d requested was no ordinary dish. Pufferfish could contain tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin capable of disrupting the nerves responsible for controlling muscle movement.

In humans, severe poisoning could cause progressive paralysis and, in the worst cases, respiratory failure.

Of course, he had no idea whether the toxin would work on a supernatural entity, but it didn’t risk him anything to try, thus he waited.

A few minutes passed.

Thud!

The maid suddenly collapsed onto the floor.

— Oh my... It appears I am having some difficulty moving.

She tried to push herself up with her arms, but her limbs barely responded.

Seeing this, Marcus didn’t waste another second. He immediately dashed toward the door.

’I’ll find the others first. Then we can come up with a feasible plan to seal this place!’

However, the moment he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with a faceless man dressed in a butler’s uniform.

The only visible feature on the man’s otherwise smooth face was his mouth.

Marcus froze.

’...Of course. My constitution’s strange luck has to bring me trouble at a time like this.’

He was just about to come up with an excuse when the butler spoke first.

— It appears that the maid assigned to you has failed to provide satisfactory service, sir.

The butler glanced past Marcus and toward the maid lying on the floor.

— Has she been unable to meet your expectations? If so, I would be more than happy to take over her duties.

— Oh, no! Please don’t misunderstand! I’m perfectly capable of serving him! I simply seem to be having a little trouble moving...

— Spare me your excuses.

The butler’s voice remained perfectly composed, but there was something distinctly unpleasant about the way he addressed the maid.

— Your incompetence has inconvenienced our guest and driven him to consider leaving his room. Such conduct is unacceptable for someone entrusted with serving the guests of this establishment.

The butler tilted its head slightly, its gaze lingering on the maid sprawled across the floor as though silently judging her in disapproval.

— You have failed to fulfill your duties to the being known as [Euphoria]. I shall take over your responsibilities from this moment onward.

At the mention of [Euphoria], the maid immediately went still.

Her body began trembling against the floor.

— N-No... Please, don’t! I can still serve! I promise I’ll do better! I’ll attend to the guest properly! Please, just give me another chance!

— There is no need for further excuses.

The butler looked down at her.

— You have proven yourself unfit for your position. As such, I shall issue your final instruction.

The butler smiled in satisfaction as he uttered out his next words.

— Take responsibility for your failure. Kill yourself.

— ...Yes, sir.

The maid’s trembling abruptly stopped.

Without another word, she slowly raised one hand toward her head.

Marcus’s expression stiffened as he watched the odd exchange between the two supernatural entities.

A moment later, an explosive cracking sound rang through the room.

The maid’s head burst apart, sending flesh across the floor as her body collapsed completely.

Looking at the butler standing before him, Marcus couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

It seemed this one was far more dangerous than the maid...

— Shall we be on our way, sir? You appear rather tense. I sincerely hope there isn’t anything about your accommodations that has displeased you. If there is, please do inform me. I would hate to see another one of our guests become dissatisfied with their stay.

The butler paused his words before his mouth curled into a faint smile.

— Come along, sir. There is another room on the floor above us. I’m certain you’ll find it much more to your liking.