We spent some time playing around in Aqua Marina, then lounged around in our rooms for a bit.

    Perhaps because we had eaten a late lunch, the sun had already set, yet none of us felt particularly hungry.

    After relaxing in our respective groups for a while, we dressed up properly and headed to a French restaurant that Alice had already reserved in advance for dinner.

    “It was so delicious. It really lives up to the reputation of being the country of gastronomy.”

    “Yeah, it was definitely different. Although the portions were a bit small... I might have to grab a late-night snack later.”

    “Thinking about snacks right after dinner... I mean, I get it, but still.”

    Maybe it was because the restaurant was run by a famous chef often featured on TV.

    The appearance and taste of the dishes were among the best I had ever experienced.

    Who would’ve thought a dish that looked like a rolled-up piece of paper could have such a complex flavor? Honestly, I was surprised when I put it in my mouth. The world of fine dining runs deep.

    That said, considering we had a couple of big eaters who ate far more than the average adult male, it seemed like those two weren’t entirely full. As for me, it was just right.

    “Shall we look around some more while we’re out? There are still tons of places in this hotel we haven’t explored yet!”

    Alice spun around with a bright smile as she led the way, brimming with excitement. From her expression, it felt like she was determined to let loose and enjoy herself to the fullest.

    Thinking back on her childhood, she probably never got to travel with close friends, so it wasn’t strange to see her this excited.

    However, Raven seemed to have other plans. He spoke in a slightly serious tone that stood in contrast to her enthusiasm.

    “Ah, sorry. I have someone I need to meet right now... I’ll have to go off on my own for a bit.”

    “Wha... Really?”

    “Yeah. I’ll see you later. If anything urgent comes up, contact me.”

    “Ah, wait! Hold on!”

    Alice quickly grabbed his shoulder as he started walking away without hesitation. But as Raven turned around, looking at her as if to ask “What is it?” Alice hesitated, seeming unsure of what to say.

    Perhaps she grabbed him instinctively, but once she had, she didn’t know how to continue. In the end, she muttered reluctantly, like a puppy caught in the rain.

    “Ugh, um... Take care....”

    “Yeah. Take care of the others for me.”

    Raven chuckled softly and then turned away, walking down the hallway in the opposite direction.

    Alice, apparently not expecting him to suddenly have plans, looked visibly flustered.

    Still, it wasn’t like we were left completely alone. From six people, we were now down to five. Alice tried to mask her disappointment by forcing an awkward smile.

    “Haha, well, there he goes. Um, does anyone else...?”

    “Ah, actually, could we go off on our own too? There’s somewhere we’d like to visit together, just the two of us....”

    “Ahem, excuse us.”

    “Oh no, it’s fine! Don’t worry about it. I’ll look after Sabrina, so go ahead! Have fun!”

    Reine linked arms with David and departed from the group. They had been looking for a chance to be alone for a while now.

    Well, it’s hard to blame an official couple for wanting some time to themselves.

    And so, with the three adults gone, the only ones left were Alice, Sabrina, and me.

    A group of three minors, at least in the eyes of society. Was it really okay for us to roam around without a guardian?

    Well, Alice was tall enough to stand out even among other women, and her demeanor was fairly mature. Despite her youthful face, she could easily pass as a full-fledged adult.

    “Everyone’s left... I wanted us all to hang out together.”

    Alice mumbled to herself in the now noticeably emptier hallway, her disappointment clear in her tone. If she had ears, they’d probably be drooping by now. She must have wanted to create memories with everyone during this rare trip.

    Still, if even one person is missing, it loses its meaning, doesn’t it? That’s probably why she sent the others off without much hesitation.

    But even so, a dispirited Alice wasn’t like her at all.

    After exchanging glances with Sabrina, I moved to Alice’s side and gently took her hand.

    “...!”

    “Big sis, is there a fun spot you know of? I’m not sure where to go.”

    “Oh, uh, yeah! There are tons! I’ll show you!”

    With me holding her right hand and Sabrina calmly taking her left, Alice’s drooping spirits seemed to lift. Her once-weak eyebrows perked back up with energy, as if nothing had happened.

    After all, we still had three days at this hotel. It wasn’t like today was our only chance to explore.

    I squeezed her hand reassuringly and matched her stride as she led us forward.

    Thankfully, the hotel was full of more attractions than I expected. Wandering around and taking in the sights seemed to cheer Alice up completely, bringing her back to her usual self.

    “A full-sized aquarium inside a building like this... How strong must it be to hold all that weight?”

    “Hmm, I wonder if we could catch one of those fish and turn it into sashimi?”

    “...”

    There was no way we could eat the ornamental fish in the aquarium. I looked at Alice quietly, half in disbelief at her somewhat serious suggestion.

    Realizing what she had said, she quickly turned her gaze toward the tank, muttering that it was just a joke.

    Still, I figured she might already be hungry again after the slightly underwhelming dinner earlier.

    That aside, the idea of eating those fish was odd—just looking at them, they didn’t seem remotely appetizing.

    After finishing our tour of the indoor aquarium, we stopped by the exit. Alice pulled out her device, presumably to check out where we should head next.

    “If we go upstairs from here, there’s a movie theater and a performance hall. It looks like there are shows going on now... Oh, how about we watch a movie?”

    “What kind of movies are playing?”

    “Let me check... Huh?! Th-this is...!”

    Alice’s eyes went wide in surprise as she scanned the list of movies playing. What on earth had she seen? Curious, I leaned over to check the titles.

    One of the current showings was an adult-oriented romance movie, its suggestive poster enough to make anyone do a double-take.

    Ugh, as for me, I wouldn’t mind, but showing this to Sabrina seemed... questionable at best.

    I sighed inwardly and nodded in reluctant understanding.

    I happened to meet Sabrina''s eyes, and she was nodding in agreement, just like me.

    Then, as if uninterested in romance movies—which didn’t seem like her type anyway—she asked Alice.

    "Movies don''t seem very fun... Is there anything else?"

    "Oh, um, yeah! There''s still a lot. Therapy or massages, a game center, an indoor golf course, a casino... Oh, but you two can''t enter the casino, huh."

    Seriously, this place has everything. Well, it made sense—calling this place just a hotel felt like an understatement with how massive it was.

    I shook my head in disbelief at Alice’s endless list of amenities. You could probably spend the entire trip just wandering around this hotel and still not experience everything.

    As I was thinking that, something caught my eye. Tugging on Alice''s sleeve, I gestured to her to get her attention.

    “...!”

    "Huh? What is it? Did you find something you want to do?"

    I nodded in response and pointed to a spot on the wall. There hung a poster advertising Enigma Auction, a rare goods auction starting tonight.

    “That’s....”

    “An auction?”

    According to the poster, there were only a handful of minutes left before it began. If we left now, we could likely make it just in time without having to wait around.

    What kind of extraordinary items would be up for auction to warrant hiring someone as skilled as Victor for security? Naturally, my curiosity was piqued.

    ***

    The Enigma Auction was held in one of the highest parts of the entertainment section of the hotel.

    Perhaps because of its altitude, the view from the windows was breathtaking, almost dizzying.

    It seemed like we weren’t the only ones drawn by the words "rare goods auction." The popularity of the event was evident from the crowd coming and going near the entrance.

    What stood out to me, though, was that some of the people leaving the auction hall were wearing masks.

    At first, I thought it was odd—what were they doing, holding a Halloween costume party indoors?

    But as we stepped inside, I quickly understood why.

    “Excuse me. This auction is exclusively for hotel guests. Could you please show your wristbands as proof of stay?”

    “Oh, here you go.”

    “Yes, you two as well... All verified. Now, please choose one from these.”

    When we presented the wristbands we had each received during check-in, the staff confirmed our status with a nod.

    Then, opening a box on the table, they revealed its contents to us.

    Inside were masks.

    They weren’t themed like the fox mask I was wearing, but were rather simple and monotone—black, white, and gray.

    “Um... Do we really have to wear these masks?”

    “Yes. To protect the privacy of our guests, wearing a mask is mandatory for entry. If you’re not wearing one inside, you may be escorted out.”

    “I see. Oh, by the way, is it okay to wear personal masks instead?”

    “Yes, as long as your face is fully covered, any type of mask is acceptable.”

    “...!”

    Phew, that was a relief. We were almost denied entry.

    To express my gratitude, I grabbed Alice’s fingers with both of my hands and gave them a little playful squeeze.

    She chuckled softly, saying it tickled, before selecting a plain white mask and putting it on.

    Of course, with her striking pink hair, it wasn’t like she’d blend in much anyway, but rules were rules.

    With our faces now hidden behind masks, we entered the auction hall.

    The dimly lit space was filled with an air of tension, almost oppressive in its atmosphere.

    It was hard to believe all these masked attendees were just regular hotel guests.

    Not wanting to get separated in the darkness, I quietly held Alice’s hand as I looked around. She soon found an empty spot that could fit three people and gently led us there.

    “Thank goodness. This is a good spot with a nice view.”

    “Yeah, and there’s something at each seat. It looks like it’s for placing bids.”

    “Haha... Not that we’ll be using it, though.”

    Each seat was equipped with a small electronic device—there was a pen, a touchscreen, and a button to place bids.

    If we had money, it might’ve been fun to participate, but since we came purely to spectate, it was a bit disappointing.

    I’m not sure how much time passed as we sat in our seats.

    The dim lights illuminating the surroundings grew fainter, while the stage at the center became brighter.

    A man in a mask stepped onto the stage. He appeared to be the auctioneer.