“Of course in 1587, Hideyoshi sent that letter to Coelho, the vice provincial of the Jesuit Order at the time, which basically said, ‘Fuck off with your slave-trading bullshit!’ And even Portugal enacted a law in 1595 that banned putting Chinese and Japanese nationals on the slave trade market...” Miyoshi trailed off.

  “So you’re implying this location would’ve been the perfect place to gather a bunch of women from a poor farming village to sell on the down-low?”

  “Maybe... But maybe it’s just my imagination running wild. Besides, do you even remember what we came here to do, Kei?”

  “Huh? Did we actually have something we were supposed to do on this trip?”

  “We’re on summer vacation! You’re supposed to get out there and enjoy yourself, jeez!”

  “Whah...?”

  “You’ve got ten minutes to get ready and meet us down in the lobby!”

  And so, against my will, I was dragged out onto the white sandy beach in the scorching summer sun.

  Annotations

  A photo stand-in panel that depicted the Three Azai Sisters: This panel was in that location a good while back, but I have no idea whether it still is. Maybe so?

  A photo stand-in panel that lets you pretend you’re a giant pudding: This panel was at the Marlowe pudding shop in front of Hayama Elementary School. The shop closed on July 25, 2019 after relocating elsewhere. The pudding panel...was not relocated with them. (It has since been moved, apparently.)

  Implying they’ve even been around five hundred years: Rennyo lived in the 1400s. The world’s largest pair of chopsticks, however, were created in 2009.

  Sign that says “Turn left 500 meters back”: This sign actually exists. What in tarnation?!

  Tomari Disposal Facility: This place really is standing there on the outskirts of a deserted village. At first I thought it was just a really funky-shaped building, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was modeled after a small fishing boat. As for the warning lights, at first I wondered if they signified some kind of nuclear activity, but considering how shoddy the place looked, that was highly unlikely. It would’ve been really scary if so! In actuality, it appears to be a rural fishery wastewater facility—a term that calls forth some pretty wild mental images in itself. Good job!

  ***

  “For crying out loud...”

  I changed into my swimsuit, threw on my hoodie, and was about to head back down to the lobby when a thought stopped in my tracks at the top of the stairs. Should I really be hanging around out there in an outfit like this? Just then, I heard a few of the hotel staff come out of a door next to the stairwell, chatting with each other.

  “That sure came out of the blue. Tomorrow night, right?”

  “Yeah. I sure hope we’ll be ready in time.”

  “What really matters is that we finish all our prep work by the day after tomorrow...”

  The men’s voices gradually faded away into the distance.

  “I wonder what’s going on the day after tomorrow?” I murmured to myself. And what came out of the blue? The four of us barging in suddenly, maybe?

  Feeling a bit guilty for causing them somewhat of an inconvenience by taking advantage of the invite to stay there before they were officially open, I went to meet up with Miyoshi in the lobby. From there, we were told we could get to the beach by heading down a white stone stairway along the cliffside.

  “Wow. These stairs would be a nightmare for older people and small children.”

  The narrow stairway was carved out of the cliffside rock, and there was a token white rope to use as a handrail, but considering how dizzyingly high up we were and how steep the angle of descent was, it was of small comfort.

  “Sounds like you’re already giving this place their very first guest feedback, Kei!”

  “I’m doing nothing of the sort! I’m just worried about Saito and Mitsurugi—”

  Just as I was trying to explain, I saw two figures waving at us from down on the beach.

  I blinked. “Huh? Weren’t they still in the hotel when we came out here?”

  “Apparently there’s also an elevator that comes down to the bottom.”

  It took me a moment to find my words.

  “Tell me, Miyoshi. Why exactly are we risking our lives taking the stairs?”

  “I mean, the view’s so amazing! It’s just like the hotels in Taormina!”

  “You’ve never even been to Sicily! Sure, a stairway made of white stone might bring images like that to mind, but I doubt the ones over there are quite this high up...” I grumbled weakly, my shoulders drooping in defeat.

  Carefully inching our way down the cliffside, we eventually managed to make it to the bottom, where the butler-ish man from before was waiting for us.

  “Not many of our guests choose to use the stairs. How did you fare?” he asked courteously.

  “Well enough to make it down, I guess...”

  “Excellent. I do hope you enjoy yourselves thoroughly at our private beach. Note that dinner will be served at 4:30, so please make sure to return to the hotel a bit ahead of time.”

  “At 4:30?” I couldn’t help but repeat back. Unless I had misheard, that was ridiculously early. It was like a return to olden times when daylight was precious and people had no choice but to go to bed when the sun set.

  “Correct. We invite our guests to enjoy the stunning sunset from the terrace as they partake of their meals.”

  Okay, that makes sense enough. What doesn’t, though, is the fact that sunset for this time of year is after 6:30 p.m. Even if they make a huge production out of dinner, I’m pretty sure starting at six would be perfectly adequate...

  “I do recommend using the elevator on your return trip.”

  Glancing up at the stairway, I suppressed a sigh, wondering who on this earth would have the brass balls to choose that route on purpose.

  “Duly noted.”

  I happened to glance up at the hotel right after that, and saw what looked like someone with shining golden hair and a red dress suddenly slip out of sight. Are there other people besides us staying here?

  “Excuse me, are there other guests at the hotel right now?” I asked the butler.

  “Nobody at all. Miss Saito has the facility booked for private use for your entire stay.”

  “What? But I just saw someone up there...”

  Hearing that, the butler looked up at the building, then back to us. “Part of our staff, I’d presume,” he responded rather quickly. “Oh, before I forget, all hotel employees depart at 6:30, so feel free to spend your evenings at your own leisure.”

  “Huh? There’s no staff at night? I thought this was a full-service condo hotel?”

  “We’re terribly sorry for any inconvenience that might cause. Please enjoy your stay.” Before we could say anything more, the man departed and headed over to the elevator, leaving behind just one maid who was under a beach umbrella next to the reclining chairs preparing some beverages.

  “The sun doesn’t set until between 6:40 and 6:50 around here, Kei. Don’t sunset dinners normally last until the sun actually sets and the outdoor lights start coming on?”

  “I always thought that was the whole point,” I concurred.

  “It’s almost like they don’t want to be here at night.”

  “You’ve been acting a little weird today, Miyoshi. I think you’ve got a case of Hieda-itis.”

  “Hieda-itis? Come on, all kinds of weird stuff has been happening, don’t you agree?”

  “So you seriously think the ghost of some four-hundred-year-old shipwrecked woman is living in the mansion up there?”

  “Ghosts and apparitions aren’t real.”

  “We’ve actually seen ghosts before.”

  “Monsters in a dungeon don’t count,” Miyoshi insisted.

  “Hmm? What’s the deal, you two?”

  When I turned around to see who was talking, I found myself instantly captivated by the two beautiful flowers standing there. Saito had on a bold, large-patterned bikini, putting her healthy body freely on display, while Mitsurugi was wearing a white bikini covered by a long sarong. One of her pale legs was peeking out from the side opening of the sarong. It was truly a dazzling sight.

  “Whuh? O-Oh, hey...”

  “So how do I look, Coach?” Saito asked, turning around and striking a catwalk pose.

  “Um, well, quite nice, I suppose.”

  “What do you mean you suppose?” She let out a chipper chuckle.

  Ignoring her, I turned to Mitsurugi.

  “But, uh, aren’t you worried about getting sunburned?”

  Coming right up behind me, Saito peeked her head out from my side and gave me an amused sidelong glance. “Oh my. Are you offering to rub sunscreen oil all over Haru’s body?”

  “Whoa! Er—I mean, why’d you have to make it sound so racy? Of course I’m not offering!”

  “Of course you’re not,” she shot back.

  “I mean, you’re welcome to do my back, if you really want...” Mitsurugi murmured in a shy tone.

  “Cut it out!” I exclaimed, to both of their amusement. They teased me mercilessly for the rest of the afternoon.

  ***

  The dinner we had on the terrace was made using local ingredients, and it was honestly quite exquisite, despite the fact that it was served absurdly early. We hadn’t done much of anything for lunch either, so the timing ended up working out in our favor. Once it got past 6:30, our server brought us some after-dinner tea and sake, then gave us a polite bow.

  “Please, talk among yourselves until sunset.”

  Soon after, the butler fellow came over and took the server’s place.

  “We will be taking our leave now. Feel free to use the hotel facilities and supplies as you please, but once the sun has set, we recommend staying inside your rooms at all times.”

  “I’m sorry, did you say we shouldn’t leave our rooms? Is there some special reason for that?” I asked, incredulous.

  “Oh, no, nothing at all. Housekeeping will take care of any tidying up in the morning, so you’re welcome to leave any messes as is.”

  “What? What do you mean—”

  “Now, I shall see you in the morning.”

  “Wait—”

  The man hurried away from the terrace as if he hadn’t heard our protests, then disappeared back into the hotel.

  “So what do you think about all this?” I asked Miyoshi.

  “Some foreign companies have very limited business hours. Maybe it’s something along those lines?”

  “Doesn’t this feel a little extreme, though?”

  “Yeah, it really does. To me it felt like they were trying to hightail it out of here before the ghosts started roaming around.”

  “What?! Don’t even joke around about that, Miyoshi!” Saito whimpered.

  I’m with Saito. Summertime or not, I have no interest in hanging out with actual ghosts.

  From our viewing location on the terrace, the sunset was a deep bloodred. There was no denying it was absolutely beautiful—but when the afterglow began to fade, a mass of dark clouds suddenly started rolling in from the south. Seeing that it was liable to start pouring soon, we hurriedly put all our tableware on the cart, moved it under the roof, and headed back to the lobby.

  When we arrived, the place was already deserted, and the darkness of night filled the windows. The shrill chirping of the cicadas ceased entirely, and silence descended upon us, accentuated only by the faint sounds of the waves lapping against the cliffside and the occasional rumble of distant thunder.

  “Do you think everyone really left?” I wondered out loud.

  I started walking around the lobby area, which was lit only by emergency lights. Finding a few light switches next to one of the couches, I went ahead and flipped them on. A soft, warm glow banished the darkness around the seating area.

  “Well, we all have toilets and baths in our rooms, so it shouldn’t be that big a deal,” Miyoshi said with a shrug.

  “I mean, I guess...” I murmured. Usually people staying at a hotel wouldn’t try to get in touch with the staff in the middle of the night. At most, people might occasionally want to make use of room service after hours. Still, emergencies did sometimes happen. Who was supposed to be in charge if a fire broke out or something? “Shouldn’t they at least have one full-time staff member...?” It was just too weird.

  Perplexed, I happened to look up, and noticed there was a side room connected to a part of the lobby. Above the open entryway were the words “Local History Archives.” Apparently some of the documents stored at the shrine were on display there, and people could even physically look through a portion of them.

  “Whoa. I wonder if they’re replicas?” It would be way too risky from a preservation standpoint to let just anyone thumb through original papers from over four hundred years ago. If anyone got them dirty or damaged them, that was it—there was no fixing them.

  “I dunno, they look pretty old to me!” Miyoshi observed, flipping through the pages of a book she had already picked up. “It’s a perfect way to stave off the boredom!”

  There were no TVs in the hotel yet, apparently. Not counting certain places where their entire selling point was a lack of any modern frills, every hotel should’ve at least been equipped with some kind of monitors to watch movies or other kinds of entertainment. Naturally we couldn’t pick up any 1seg mobile broadcasts either.

  “Hey Miyoshi!” Saito called out. “They have a wine cellar!”

  “Ooh, really?” Miyoshi perked up instantly.

  “Hold it right there,” I interrupted. “We really shouldn’t just go opening their wines willy-nilly.”

  “What? But they said to use the hotel facilities and supplies as we please!”

  “I mean, they did... But if you end up opening something historically significant, you can’t exactly un-open it. Try to resist the urge.”

  “I seriously doubt they’d keep a bottle like that in the hotel cellar, but I promise I’ll give due consideration before opening anything—unless it’s, like, some amazingly unique bottle that I’d never get the chance to see again in my life. Anyway, be right back!”

  “Hold it! That’s exactly the type of bottle you should give the most due consideration to! Get back here!!!” As I watched Miyoshi dash off toward the kitchen with her arms stretched out behind her—tappity-tap sound effects practically visible—I put a hand to my face in frustration, wondering where she learned to run like a ninja.

  Giving up on her as a lost cause, I picked up what appeared to be the first volume of the shrine priest’s personal notes mentioned earlier by the butler fellow, and took it back to the lobby with me. When I got there, I saw Mitsurugi sitting alone on a couch.

  “Oh, you didn’t go down there with them?”

  “I didn’t want to get in the way of the pirates pillaging Treasure Island,” she said with a chuckle. I agreed wholeheartedly.

  It had been a while since the two of us had had a chance to chat. We rambled on for a while about things like her job, progress in the dungeon, and other various recent events. Then, after a while, our two pirate pals finally returned, looking particularly pleased.

  “Woo-hoo! We reeled in some big ones!” Miyoshi announced proudly.

  “Reeled in...?”

  “C’mon, we’re right next to the ocean, what else am I gonna say? There’s all kinds of Italian wine down there!”

  “Maybe it’s meant to be paired with the Italian-style food they were serving?”

  “They had Costa Russi, some Ceretto San Lorenzo... They were rather young vintages, though, so it feels like a bit of a waste to crack them open right now.”

  “You say that, but what exactly do you have in your hands there, Lupin?” Miyoshi was merrily holding up a bottle of wine in each hand, one red and one white.

  “What, these? Oh, well, Costa Russi is celebrated for its elegance, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to drink one little bottle...”

  “I see. What’s the other one with the blue ‘X’ mark?”

  “Oh, they had a 2009 Vistamare. A 2009! That’s a first-year vintage white wine from Ca’Marcanda! Ahhh, I wonder how different this one is compared to the current year variety?”

  “That’s not particularly old. Shouldn’t you have had plenty of opportunities to drink that one by now?”

  “Kei, Kei, Kei... Do you realize how many first-year vintages are issued per year? If you take all the different varietals and makers into account, you’d be out of fingers and toes to count in no time flat. If someone tried to drink every first-year vintage, they wouldn’t have room in their stomach to drink anything else! Look, even drinking an entire bottle of wine per day, you can only drink 365 bottles a year. That’s a max of 3,653 bottles in ten years, I’ll have you know! Oh, what am I gonna do...”

  “All right, take it easy...” It felt highly unnecessary for her to have taken leap years into account.

  “At any rate, these were wines I would’ve happily partaken of if I had come across them any other time, so it worked out in the end!”

  “Does that rule out anything? I seem to recall you buying a bottle of Bâtard-Montrachet or whatever it was called using my card.”

  “I came across it! I had to partake!”

  “You sure did, didn’t you.” Though I’m pretty sure chugging a bottle of wine a day for ten years straight is a recipe for instant alcoholism. Still, you might be able to get by using something like Super Recovery—and if you added in Status Ailment Resistance, you might be able to up your numbers to ten bottles a day... Crap. I’d better keep my mouth shut.

  “Those kinds of wines don’t necessarily always taste that great anyway.”

  “Oh, come on...” That was an awfully hot take, considering her own expensive tastes.

  “At any rate, what better place is there to have a bottle of Vistamare than right here?” Miyoshi concluded, pointing smugly out the window. All I could see outside was black, though. “Ah, the vast starry sky stretching out above the ocean at night. Truly a ‘vista mare’!”

  “Vista mare” was Italian for “ocean view.” I understood her logic, but we were faced with a harsh, stormy reality. And of course, right on cue, raindrops began to batter the window she had just pointed at—as if nature were trying to break her spirit.