Chapter 52: Reversed Situation

After picking me up, the strange butler happily brushed the dust from my dull form, doing so with such politeness that it seemed as though it were tending to an honored guest.

Seeing me being picked up, confusion appeared in Marcus’ eyes, but his uncontrollable laughter prevented him from doing anything about it.

"Hey..! Haha, that’s our companion!"

The smile on the butler’s face stretched all the way to its ears, creating a sight that was rather terrifying to me...

It seemed that, contrary to the other workers, the butler I had controlled was affected by [Euphoria]’s power in a somewhat different manner.

In any case, that was a good thing, as it was still necessary for the final part of my plan.

— The time has finally come to bring our plans to their conclusion, my great lord. I shall now attend to the final matter, and before long, this hotel shall be made to acknowledge the authority of a proper master it has so long been deprived of.

It whispered in my ear in a strangely devoted tone as it carefully placed me on the ground beside itself.

’I just want to get out of here safely without the possibility of dying...’

I thought to myself in fear due to how eerie this butler was acting...

The butler took a few steps forward, moving away from me before turning its attention towards the gathered workers, who were still prostrating themselves before [Euphoria].

Its smile remained firmly in place as it suddenly began to shout.

— All of you, wretched, incompetent mutts You have failed to provide a comfortable, happy, and relaxing space for the great being [Euphoria]. Instead, you have permitted a collection of lowly miscreants to wreak havoc upon this sacred establishment, even allowing them to set its very halls ablaze.

— Tell me, then, what purpose do you serve within these walls if you are incapable of fulfilling even the most basic responsibilities entrusted to you?

The workers remained on the ground, their bodies trembling as they listened to the butler’s words.

— You have brought shame upon this hotel. You have failed your master, failed your duties, and failed to preserve the happiness that was meant to be offered here. And thus, I hereby impose upon you your final punishment.

— K i l l y o u r s e l v e s.

Splat! Splat! Slash! Smash!

The heads of the maids and butlers were crushed against the floor.

A lot of them used their own strength to repeatedly smash their heads against the ground, while others tore at their throats with their nails.

The sounds of their bodies striking the floor sounded throughout the hotel, one after another, as they carried out the butler’s punishment without the slightest hesitation.

The being known as [Euphoria] simply continued to laugh, even directing its smile towards the strange butler as though it were amused and pleased by the unfolding scene.

It reached out a hand towards the strange butler, seemingly inviting it to stand beside her and join in her wondrous laughter.

It appeared to regard the strange butler with approval, as though it were delighted to see a being that had developed its own ideologies and beliefs, ones that happened to align so well with its own preferences.

The strange butler, however, merely smiled as it began to laugh as well.

— Hahaha, my heart no longer belongs to you, Lady [Euphoria]. You, who have claimed countless lives throughout your existence... Let my new master show you death as well.

As the strange butler uttered those words, the sound of bones and flesh morphing began to emerge from beside it, as I slowly returned to my human form.

The sound was strange and uncomfortable, but I had grown accustomed to it by now.

My small doll body gradually transformed, my limbs stretching as my human form took shape.

The fitted suit I had been wearing before soon returned to its proper form, and before long, I found myself standing beside the butler once again.

Marcus and the others who witnessed this could only stare in confusion.

I, however, merely straightened my suit and tie as I prepared to carry out the final part of my plan to deal with this troublesome being known as [Euphoria].

[Therein, exists a method by which one may summon a supernatural being, provided that one understands the means by which such an entity may be called forth.]

That’s right.

[To accomplish this, one must first conduct a ritual specifically suited to the nature of the supernatural being in question. Its requirements must be met, its peculiarities must be observed, and the offering must be one that it would find worthy of acknowledgment.]

Indeed. It was the same as how [Euphoria] required the sacrifices of happy and well-content people.

[Then, by invoking its True Name, one may address the being, speak of its existence, and make one’s intentions known. And if one’s words prove sufficiently intriguing, perhaps, just perhaps, the being itself may find it worthwhile to entertain the summoner.]

I obviously knew that I had no real power capable of dealing with this strange being known as [Euphoria].

The only abilities I possessed were the ability to view certain future-telling colors and transform into a doll...

But why should I have to deal with an obviously powerful being all by myself?

Forming a strange prayer gesture with my hands, I began to chant.

"I, Moon, request your presence."

"Through the sacrifices of the many workers who have willingly taken their own lives to end their sorrow, through their unjust deaths and the unjust lives they were forced to endure, and through the blood they have spilled under the oppression of the world around them, I offer these sacrifices to you."

"Their lives were filled with suffering. Their duties bound them to this place, and the happiness they were promised was nothing more than a lie. Now, let their deaths become the offering that calls you forth."

"I beseech you, hear my request. I offer these sacrifices in exchange for your presence."

That’s right. In the original, it was the citizens who were used as sacrifices by the workers of this hotel to summon [Euphoria].

But in the plan I had conceived...

I was going to use the workers as the sacrifices instead.

"[Patriarch of Suicide], I beseech your help in exchange for these sacrifices. Kill the being known as [Euphoria]."