That Time a Shut-in for 300 Years Continued to Make Antiques , but All of It Turned out to Be Cheat-Level Magic Tools - Chapter 9

“‘Here we are,'” Mei was led into the room by a person with cat ears, as she recalled a memory from the past, which she then shared with Mei.

“Yes, thank you. Could you handle this, Mei?”

“Of course, here’s the tip.”

“What? Oh no, we don’t need tips here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, therefore—”

“I apologize for this. This one is a demi-human and somewhat unfamiliar with human societal norms. Hehe, but I will gladly take it.”

As the conversation continued, a burly, hairy man reached out and snatched the tip that cat ears was attempting to return.

“…That tip was given to the girl, who are you?”

“Ah, my apologies. I am one of the co-owners of this inn. Well, I am also in charge of the kitchen, hehe.”

While rubbing the back of his head, the man spoke. His years seemed comparable to those of the lower-level innkeeper. They might even be a couple.

The man was hairy, with a thick beard framing his mouth. His arms were robust, and he had a sturdy build. If encountered in the forest, one could mistake him for a gorilla.

“Master, but we normally don’t take tips—”

“Hehe, let’s just leave it at that. Enjoy your stay, and you, come here for a moment.”

Although the person with cat ears seemed to have more to say, the man interrupted and pulled the girl out of the room without listening further.

Hmm, it’s not really something for me to be concerned about, but still.

“Should we take a look?”

“Observation bug, Stalking Bug, right, Master?”

Exactly. From my infinite storage ring, I retrieved a tiny magical device the size of an insect. It was equipped with a special magical lens that could connect to my appraisal glasses, the Search Lens.

This device allowed me to view whatever the bug saw directly through my glasses and even record the footage. Quite a useful gadget.

I then created a small gap in the door and released the bug. Those two seemed to have headed further inside.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing, you demi-human slave!”

“I’m very sorry, Master. But we’ve never received tips at this inn before…”

“That’s because all the previous guests were a bunch of paupers! It’s because you only bring in such types! Since guests like those are giving tips, you should just quietly accept them! Better yet, be clever and ask for more! This is why demi-humans are useless. Keeping a useless stray cat like you, you eat well but contribute nothing!”

“…My apologies.”

“Hmph! You’ll skip dinner tonight!”

So that’s how it is. Judging by this, the treatment of slaves appears to have not improved over the centuries. It’s somewhat shocking how little has changed.

Moreover, skipping a meal over something so minor… The innkeeper’s claim of providing meals seems questionable. If adequate food were provided, she wouldn’t be so thin. The living conditions for the slave also seem dire.

Perhaps the cat-eared individual was naive, thinking that since she had not received tips from previous guests, it wouldn’t be right to accept them now.

Yet, such notions of fairness don’t often hold in the world of commerce, where the norm is to take from those who can afford to give.

She may have a good heart, but a bit of cunning is necessary to navigate the world more effectively.

“Honestly, it’s not commendable, but perhaps it’s not our place to interfere…”

Then, I checked the room again. It was a double room with only one bed, suggesting it was meant for two to share, as double beds are not standard in this class of inn.

There was no toilet or bath in the room; such facilities are shared on each floor. Mei had informed me that only more expensive inns offer private facilities.

“Well, that’s not really an issue.”

I found an appropriate wall and extracted a Subspace Creation Room Plate from my bracelet.

After setting the design number, I attached the plate to the wall. As long as there was magical energy, the plate could be affixed anywhere.

Suddenly, a door materialized on the previously blank wall.

This plate had a pre-made blueprint converted into Myph particles and recorded. Each blueprint was numbered, allowing the creation of a room in subspace according to the design.

Thus, by affixing the plate, a room could be instantly created anywhere. This door would then serve as the entrance to the room.

“Shall we enter, Mei?”

“Yes, Master.”

I wondered if it had turned out well according to the blueprint. I’ve created numerous magical devices over the centuries, but after initial tests, I often get engrossed in new creations, and before I know it, centuries have passed.

Indeed, it has been quite some time since I last used this magical device. Stepping inside as I opened the door…

“It seems to be fine.”

Upon entering, what greeted me was a spacious entrance hall. The ceiling soared high in an atrium design, adding to the overall openness and grandiosity of the structure.

This was designed after a noble’s mansion I had visited long ago, and indeed, it turned out just as I had envisioned. From the open landing, staircases stretched to the left and right, each curving gently.

The magical lighting fixtures were working perfectly, with the chandelier hanging from the ceiling casting a bright light that warmly enveloped the entire entrance.

“Hmm, this feels right.”

“…But isn’t this a bit too spacious?”

“Do you think so? I suppose it’s better than being too cramped.”

Mei surveyed the entrance briefly before commenting, though the previous room had indeed felt overly constricted.

“Alright, let’s proceed with checking the other rooms. Follow me, Mei.”

“Understood.”

Together with Mei, I began inspecting each room. The noble’s mansion that inspired this design originally had an excessive 150 rooms, but I had scaled it down to a more manageable 15 rooms in this design. Among these were a study and a laboratory for developing magical devices.

Naturally, there was also a kitchen for cooking, a washroom for essentials, and a bathroom for cleaning—arguably, these were the most crucial facilities.

While Mei and I were making our rounds,

“Master, have you concealed the entrance door?”

“…Ah—”

Her reminder made me realize I hadn’t even locked it. Although it likely wasn’t a major issue, the magical device could lock the door from the inside or even hide it in subspace, making it invisible from the outside.

However, this required operation via a switch next to the door, which I had overlooked. I went back with Mei and adjusted the switch to render the door invisible from the outside.

Now that was settled, it was time to reinspect the interior.

◇◆◇

Side Cat Ears

Again I’ve been scolded by Master… I can never seem to earn his approval. I thought refusing the tip was the right thing, in case someone else would complain if they heard I accepted it. But it seems that was an unnecessary worry.

Besides, this means going without food for three days… I do get three cups of water a day, but I’m truly starting to feel hungry.

However, succumbing to weakness here would only earn me more anger. I must keep working.

Oh, I remember I hadn’t informed the recent guests about the meal arrangements… I was called away by Master and completely forgot.

Food… no, no, I shouldn’t let my mind wander. It only makes my stomach rumble. I need to stay inconspicuous.

The guest’s name was Edson, if I recall correctly from the register. I knocked on the room where he and another person were staying.

No response? They just entered the room moments ago, but have they already gone somewhere else?

Hmm? But the door seems to be unlocked.

“Excuse me…”

I looked around inside the room, but no one was there. Wait, a door? Why is there a door on the room’s wall? This is supposed to be a single room; there aren’t supposed to be multiple rooms within a single space in this inn…

Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the door on the wall…

“Huh?”

I couldn’t help but let out a surprised noise. What’s going on here?

Beyond the door was an incredibly spacious room… I was utterly astonished.

A hidden room? Impossible. This room was definitely larger than the inn itself, and even the ceilings were higher.

Nothing made sense anymore. My thoughts couldn’t catch up. This isn’t a dream, right? I pinch my ear. It hurts, definitely not a dream!

Then, I heard footsteps. Us Bistia have good ears.

I decided to leave the room and run.

“Hey you! Don’t run in the hallway!”

It was the voice of the lady of the house. She had come up the stairs and spotted me.

“Do your actions have to match your wild nature too?”

“I’m sorry, but something strange is in the room!”

“Something strange?”

“Yes, actually…”

I explained to the lady what I had seen in the room. She looked down at me with a skeptical frown.

“Are you trying to make a fool out of me?”

“No, it’s true…”

As I pleaded, she huffed and headed towards Edson and the maid’s room.

“Hurry up and follow. You’re so slow!”

“I’m sorry…”

The lady knocked on Edson and the maid’s room.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but may we enter?”

“Please do.”

She signaled with her eyes, and I followed her into the room.

The lady quickly surveyed the room, but the door that had been on the wall was gone. Why? How?

“Um, what seems to be the problem?”

“No, this child claimed to have seen something strange in the room, and I thought maybe a previous guest left something behind.”

“Is that so? It seems there’s nothing unusual.”

“Indeed. It must have been a mistake. Excuse us, let’s go!”

The lady glared at me fiercely and urged me out.

And then—

“This idiot! What door are you talking about?”

“But it was really there!”

“How do you explain that there was nothing there just now?”

“I… That is—”

Just then, my stomach growled. Of all the times…

“Oh, I see. So that’s what it is. You’re holding a grudge because we skipped your meal, trying to make a sarcastic remark in such a roundabout way. Are you saying you saw a hallucination because you’re too hungry?”

“No, that’s not—”

The lady took out a wooden stick, used for discipline, and raised it to strike me. I instinctively cringed…

“May I ask, did you really see a door?”

Suddenly, a voice reached my ears. The lady’s hand, poised to strike, halted. Was that the voice of the guest?