Early the next morning, Dier noticed an extra person beside him.
It was Robin.
He glanced at the other bed where Hina was sound asleep hugging Perona.
Three people together would have been too crowded.
Dier stretched slightly, not harboring any particular thoughts in his mind.
Though his body was twelve years old, his soul carried the consciousness of a proper adult.
If an adult had inappropriate thoughts about a ten-year-old girl, that would be way too illegal.
He threw off the covers, grabbed his toiletries from the bathroom, and tiptoed out of the room.
Then with a loud bang, he barged into the neighboring room where Gunpowder and the other two were staying.
Toothbrush in hand, he began his morning routine without a care for the three occupants.
Due to the island's rowdy atmosphere where tourists often screamed in fright on the streets, the inn's soundproofing was excellent - no need to worry about disturbing the neighbors.
By the time he finished washing up, Gunpowder's trio were still snoring loudly, completely undisturbed.
Casually taking Vlad's mask and Gunpowder's wallet, Dier headed downstairs.
First, buy some breakfast, then ask Perona about Mr.1.
"Boss, give me three hundred buns."
"Coming right up!"
The proprietor was a Pig-Head Person wearing an apron, specializing in Horror Meat Buns - essentially just pork buns.
After a short wait, the pig-headed owner quickly packed three hundred buns into a burlap sack.
Dier carried the sack back to the inn.
He was still wearing the mask, making it inconvenient to eat outside.
When he returned to the room, Robin and Hina were teaching Perona how to brush her teeth.
The girl had no idea how to use a toothbrush or similar items.
"Perfect timing, I brought breakfast."
Dier set down the sack and immediately started eating without waiting.
By the time the three women finished washing up, only twenty buns remained of the original three hundred.
He unwrapped the cloth from his left hand - the wound had begun healing slightly.
The buns were small, nowhere near as filling as a proper meal.
Dier planned to find a proper restaurant for dinner.
Times had changed - he, or rather Gunpowder, was now a wealthy man.
On Hunter Island, the treasures accumulated by the old King over three hundred years had all ended up in Bege's Body Space.
Though the shortsighted old King had been content with his small territory, generating modest annual income, three centuries of accumulation still amounted to an enormous fortune.
Dier didn't know the exact value, but he knew Gunpowder and Boren each carried ten million Belly in spending money.
More than enough for a lavish feast.
Wiping drool from the corner of his mouth, Dier got down to business:
"Perona, do you know a man with a shaved head and thick lips?"
Last night Perona had been too busy clinging to his leg and crying to notice Mr.1's appearance.
To give her a better idea, Dier pulled Hina up:
"About her height, looks particularly fierce."
Mouth full of bun, Perona mumbled thoughtfully:
"Don't know him, but I've seen him."
"Just yesterday at noon."
"Oh~"
Dier casually snatched the half-eaten bun from Hina's hand and popped it into his mouth, asking curiously:
"What exactly happened?"
"Well, around noon yesterday..."
The day before yesterday at noon, Mr.1 arrived at the cemetery for some unknown reason, as if searching for something.
Perona happened to be wandering around the graveyard by possessing a Negative Hollow and spotted Mr.1.
Delighted to see a normal person for once, Perona decided to offer him a blessing.
She then controlled the Negative Hollow to pass through Mr.1's body.
"Is that really considered a blessing? Hina is confused," Hina remarked.
Perona lifted her little head proudly and explained:
"The monsters on the island all say encountering a Phantom brings good luck."
"Sister Hina, let me give you a blessing too."
As she spoke, she was about to summon a Phantom to pass through Hina's body, startling the latter so much that she quickly hid behind Dier.
"Perona, from now on, you're not allowed to casually use your abilities to 'bless' others!" Dier said sternly. He had no desire to end up lying on the ground, muttering about wanting to be a flea in his next life or something equally absurd.
"Huh? Why not?"
"Well..."
Faced with Perona's questioning, Dier couldn't immediately think of a suitable answer.
Should he say her Phantoms don't actually bring good luck?
That might be a bit too harsh.
In the end, he could only resort to the classic adult response:
"You'll understand when you're older."
"Oh~ Okay."
Perona nodded vaguely, picking up a steamed bun and nibbling on it before continuing her earlier story:
"I thought that guy was human, but turns out he was a monster too!"
"After I 'blessed' him, his arms suddenly turned into blades, and he chased my Phantom around, hacking at it. He destroyed so many tombstones along the way—"
"And he even cut through the bananas I was planning to take tonight!"
She angrily took a big bite of the bun, as if avenging the lost bananas.
Dier rubbed his chin, realizing Mr.1's movements aligned suspiciously with their own.
Both parties had taken the same passenger ship—Dier disembarked at Mist Island, while Mr.1 headed straight for Ghost Island.
Upon arrival, Mr.1 immediately went to the cemetery and encountered the Negative Hollow.
Dier's group had been delayed on Mist Island and only began their search of the cemetery the following morning.
They were there to find the old King's confidant.
So Mr.1 must have also entered the cemetery searching for something.
After arriving on Ghost Island, he likely heard rumors about the cemetery Phantoms and went to investigate.
Instead, he ran into the Negative Hollow and undoubtedly made a fool of himself.
Later, in a fit of rage, he chased the Phantom around, further convinced the cemetery was hiding something. He returned last night and happened to catch Dier coaxing Perona.
Perona had tried attacking with a Negative Hollow, allowing Mr.1 to confirm she was the master behind the Phantoms.
When Perona, threatened by Dier with a stuffed bear, had no choice but to dismiss the Phantoms, Mr.1—who had been hiding behind a tombstone—rushed out to subdue her, only to be stopped by Dier.
But since he failed to finish the job in one strike, he didn't linger and immediately retreated from the battlefield.
After all, Perona's ability could instantly incapacitate him—if she regained her wits, he wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
"Compared to Perona, who's been stealing offerings for two years, the missing Vlad is more likely to be his target," Dier mused, narrowing his eyes.
But regardless of Mr.1's target, Dier decided it was time to relocate today.
He turned to the three girls and announced:
"We're checking out at noon today. We'll move to a hotel near the port."
Bam! Bam! Bam!!
"Boss!!"
Boren's urgent shout suddenly came from outside the door.
"That kid's condition is wrong, come take a look quickly!!"
Hearing this, Dier immediately opened the door and followed Boren to the adjacent room.
On the floor, Vlad was writhing in pain, the sutures on his forehead glowing faintly.
Gunpowder was struggling to restrain his out-of-control right arm.
An arm covered in red fur, like a beast's claw.
So the sutures really can transform?!