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After we quickly picked me up a cheap notebook and magic pen at the general store we headed to the event location.

The Red Roof Inn, like the tavern, had some tables and chairs set up in the lobby area. The difference was the quantity. There were only fifteen small tables with three chairs set around each. I assumed that they set it up by teams and limited the amount that could enter each night. If I’d known I would have had us come earlier. At this point, two-thirds of the tables already had adventurers sitting at them while peering cautiously at their competition.

We grabbed a table and waited.

I took in the decor of the inn. Everything was dark. Dark wood, dark green potted plants, dark bottles behind the small bar. Waiters wearing dark charcoal clothes. And within that darkness was also hints of old. A thin crack in the table where we sat. Dirt trapped in the spaces between wood planks. Worn areas where hundreds of thousands of people had placed their hands on and rubbed away what was once a flat and smooth surface. Even the floor had telltale areas that dropped down, showing where people had walked before.

Something soft hit my back so I turned to glare at the joker who hit me.

Fuck. Across the room sat Rion Cho, Whitedove, and of all people, that weirdo Mossthorn.

It figured that they’d show up here. I just hoped they wouldn’t get in our way... Yeah, that was a pointless hope, everyone here was planning on getting in everyone’s way.

Rion waved happily. I waved back with all the pleasure I got at seeing him.. which was with no pleasure. None. Then he pointed down and I noticed the piece of paper. What the hell did he think this was? School?

With a sigh, I picked up the crumpled ball and flattened it on the table.

We’re here to make sure you’re not doing anything stupid! Remember, you need to be smart. Or else.

Yes, yes, yes. I know, I know. The urge to crush the paper, eat it and start yelling about freedom nearly overwhelmed me but I managed to hold back on those self-destructive feelings and merely tossed the paper into my inventory. I would rip it up later.

Eventually, more people came in, but we saw no sign of our partner in this group of three. He didn’t get lost did he? Maybe he looked into something too deep and got killed? Naw, I was thinking too much. Right?

A very tall man glided out from the back room of the inn. He wore an all-black robe with flowery patterns on it and even deeper black inner robes and other accents. His high cheekbones and long face made him seem a little odd and stretched. He even had long ebony hair that reached the floor and tall ears. His pale skin was even more tinged with light blue than the guy in that bed and breakfast.

“Welcome, everyone, to the Red Roof Inn. I am Devgars Whiterabbitsbane and I am the inn’s main host.” He bowed. “I’m sure you’re all here for the event so I’ll begin by explaining.... some things.

“This Inn is an important landmark of the Blue Grey Outpost. It’s been here since its inception. And while it’s changed hands, been updated every now and then, and repaired, it has never been entirely torn down. But, because it’s been here for so long, inevitably there will be some... repairs that need to happen.”

Okay. Dude. You didn’t need to pause before repairs. Now you’re just making it sound suggestive.

“You’ll find that the repairs and that the inn itself is... a bit different. Pay no attention to these differences. They are normal.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

... If you say it like that... Are you trying to make us think that there is something up with this inn?

“As you do your repairs we also ask that you solve the mystery of what is killing off our customers so we can get back to... normal business.”

Okay, now I know he’s just fucking with us. Or pulling off a creepy Shatner.

“Each of the teams here will be given a list of places you’ll need to go, what assets you need to repair, a very loose map of how to get there, as well as tickets to gain access to the tool dispensary in the center garden courtyard. Which is the only area within the inn that allows you to commit acts of violence. Everywhere else, violence is locked, though you will be able to use dodge and other such nonviolent skills. This is because it is your job to repair the inn and not destroy it with senseless fighting.

“By the way, the map is only a loose sketch of just the places you need to go because we like to keep our privacy. Well, as much as possible. And the Vermillion Joy clan has enemies who might want our little business to fail. This is also why, in certain instances, you’ll lose some of your memory if you don’t succeed.”

He paused for a really long and awkward amount of time. I somehow got the feeling that this guy had a low charisma like myself. Or a high charisma for all things fascinatingly weird and creepy.

Then he clapped his hands once startling many of us. “With that said, our friendly, joyful waiters will hand out your Maps, List, and Tickets.”

A small team of waiters with overly enormous smiles plastered on their faces walked out from a backroom, each with two silver and red serving trays. They left one on a table for each of the teams. Of course, the smart teams quickly hid theirs instead of looking at where they needed to go. When our platter landed in front of us I tried grabbing the clues but Eldin, who managed to arrive without us noticing, got to them first. He then sent me, and I assumed Lore as well, a private message with the information on it just in case one of us died early.

Repair Targets and Locations:

1. Repair the antique stove inside the kitchen. -We’d like to start using it again as our chefs have reached a sufficient level.

2. Mop the floor in the kitchen while you’re there.

3. Repair the pipe in the magi-machine in the leftmost room of the first basement.

4. Replace the cog in the wall of the office on the third floor. -Pay no mind to any screaming you hear. It is not real.

5. Go into the attic and use the paint there to repaint the walls. -Keep your light dim when you do this or suffer. We’ve been told that the paint’s color is very blinding.

... I didn’t know what exactly was suspicious about these repairs but, there was something suspicious about these repairs. I mean, other than the obvious. Like, why was there a cog in a wall? What was a magi-machine? Why were we mopping the floor when there were fucking employees who could do it?

The next thing Eldin did was hand us the map. “Memorize this in case one of us gets killed.”

“Instead of only one person, wouldn't it be more likely that our whole team would wipe?” Lore asked while looking over the parchment. Next, he passed it to me.

There was not a lot of information on the map. The building itself was like a thin donut attached to an organic-looking lobby and shop area.

For our first task, we would need to head to the kitchen located in the back of the lobby area. Then I reviewed the other parts of the map, but they were a little confusing, what with all the secret stairs and hidden entrances mentioned.

Once I memorized it, I grimaced and slid it back to Eldin.

“Okay, so do we start by going into the kitchen?”

“Nope. We start by collecting our tools first.”

“Tools, huh?”

That was when I noticed that everyone seemed to head towards the doors that led to the donut area; likely going after the tools as well.

“Wouldn’t it be better to, maybe do the floor cleaning task first before we get tools to avoid the crowd?”

Eldin glanced at me and shook his head. “The last time I came here, someone lit the kiosk on fire. It burned to the ground. The only people who managed to get tools were the ones who reached them first.”

“If that’s the case, then why aren’t we hurrying to be first?”

“Are you sure you’re here to help me and not trying to get us all killed?”

I rolled my eyes. He was the one who said we couldn't wait.