TFR 416

Hos-pi-ta-li-ty [Part 2]

Emma's beloved tailless whip scorpions could enter the carriage. The carriage the magicians were in belonged to the Rothschild Company, and it was of the same model as the one the tailless whip scorpions rode in Imperial Japan. After all, they had lived in it for two months during their stay in Imperial Japan, so for the tailless whip scorpions, opening and closing the carriage door was so simple that they could do it even with their eyes shut.

ker-chak creeeak...

"Huh?"

In the darkness, the magicians heard the door—their supposed iron wall of defense—opening, heartlessly breaking their hope. Then, that something that made the scary rustling sound came inside the carriage.

You guessed it right. It was none other than the good-natured tailless whip scorpions who liked taking care of others.

rustle rustle? rustle rustle? rustle?

(Guests? Are you feeling cold? Or maybe you're hungry?)

"EEK!"

rustle rustle? 

(Um, if you don't mind, would you like to eat this bat I picked up earlier?)

thud!

The tailless whip scorpions threw their vaunted hospitality meal, the bat in the cave, into the carriage.

"AAGGGHH!"

However, the magicians shrieked at the sound of something falling toward them and the approaching rustling beings.

rustle rustle? rustle!

(Huh? Our guests are being tied up!)

The tailless whip scorpions noticed that the guests they should be entertaining were bound.

"Save me, I won't do it again. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't come here, please, don't get closer."

The magicians bowed their heads and apologized earnestly at the looming fear.

rustle!

(How could such a thing... We'll set you free right away!)

With a compassionate heart, the tailless whip scorpions worried about their guests.

"Don't come, don't get closer, stop, STAY AWAAAY!"

The magicians became panicked because no matter how much they apologized, the rustling sound kept coming closer and closer.

The tailless whip scorpions noticed the threads binding the guests.

rustle rustle...!

(Oh, this is Violet-senpai's thread...!)

rustle...

(This... We can't cut this...)

rustle rustle?

(Should we call Mr. & Mrs. Cats over?)

rustle?

(Should we?)

rustle!

(Ah!)

rustle rustle...

(The guests are sleeping...)

The magicians reached their limit. They were so terrified that they fainted.

"Absurd! You can't treat me like this!"

Joanna, the only person still conscious, had astonishment written all over her face.

russstle rustle!

(Ah, one person is awake!)

rustle, rustle!

(Dear Guest, is there anything we can assist you with?)

rustle rustle!

(Would you like me to give your shoulders a massage?)

"S-STOP! DON'T COME CLOSER, DON'T TOUCH ME, DON'T GROPE MEEE!"

rustle rustle!

(Your muscles are quite stiff, Dear Guest.)

"I-I'm a magician, just so you know! Even if you're allowed to do this... Ah, stop, don't, help— I'm sorryyy!"

thunk...

In the end, even Joanna fainted.

rustle rustle?

(Huh? Did she fall asleep?)

rustle, rustle...

(Well, it's late, after all.)

rustle rustle?

(Hey, they are shaking?)

rustle?

(Are they feeling cold?)

rustle rustle!

(Let's sleep together next to them!)

rustle!

(Nice idea!)

For Joanna and the magicians, this marked the beginning of hell.

After having a nightmare, they would wake up to find they were surrounded by tailless whip scorpions, who had been protecting them closely and were moving about with a rustling sound to take care of them.

Overstimulated by the horror, Joanna and the magicians fainted once again.

When they woke up again, it was yet another meeting with the tailless whip scorpions...

That was truly an endless hell that would repeat infinitely until Joshua came to pick them up.

After finally being released from hell, the magicians vowed in their hearts that they would never allow themselves to experience such a thing again and would respond promptly to all interrogations without lying, which felt somewhat anticlimactic to the Kingdom's side.

Joshua later commented,

"But, I mean, I did try to show consideration in my own way. Like, I arranged to put the entire carriage inside the cave so they couldn't see the tailless whip scorpions' appearance, you know?"

That was a superb arrangement that halted just at the threshold, barely before Joanna and the magicians became deranged by the horrors of hell.