So many, so many traces of activity that the floor itself was infused with the smell.
But when the smell became too strong, it also instilled a sense of fear.
Humans don't fear food, but the situation before them wasn't that simple. It's like people don't fear braised pork, but a large group of strong adult wild boars might be a different story.
This feeling of knowing there was a large amount of food in this place made sweat start to break out on Kazuma's head.
And if they just thought about it, they'd realize that these things were quite reasonable here. Firstly, the increasingly developed technology meant that traditional small fishing villages suitable for these creatures were becoming fewer and fewer. If they didn't want to return to the sea but instead stay in human cities to carry out their plans, the source of food couldn't be scarce. So, a well-located place, with few long-term residents but no shortage of food and opportunities to encounter high-level individuals, was undoubtedly a good choice.
Discarding their overly conspicuous white nurse coats in the night, the two preemptively took out the small-caliber pistols they had acquired from Totsuki Academy security and loaded them.
They began to explore into the night.
In the spring night, the chirping of insects was not yet in full swing, but the sound of birds was incessant.
As a resort facility, one could see buildings still lit up in the distance just by looking up. However, even though they were not far apart, the woodland still gave a feeling of being isolated from the world.
There was no need to search specifically; they only needed to find a water source.
Soon, the two discovered a small stream.
This stream seemed to be introduced from outside the resort, only passing through the middle of the resort.
It was no more than 20 meters wide, and they only needed to cross the arched bridge, adorned with flowers, over the stream to reach the other side.
Under the bridge, the gurgling sound of the stream flowing through the archway was audible, and the two also stopped not far from the stream.
"I think since there are so many monsters, they must need to eat. Here, they should be rummaging through the kitchen waste bins, right? And they can't be active during the day, so we just need to wait by the water source."
Kazuma explained his plan to Keli.
"Good strategy, but I'd like to make a slight modification."
"Modify what?" Kazuma was a little confused.
"We'll wait while telling dark jokes."
"You bastard..."
...
"Do you know why Batman wears a mask to conceal his identity but still shows his chin?"
"Pfft!"
Kazuma couldn't hold back from the start; he didn't even need Keli to give the punchline, he thought of it himself.
"Excuse me, why are Japanese people often very disappointed after going to Paris?"
Keli continued.
"Paris Syndrome, I know that one. Many people think it's a city of romance, but in reality, it's an old city where people relieve themselves anywhere and everywhere."
Kazuma replied in a low voice.
"No, it's because they found the streets of Paris full of unleashed farm tools."
"Cough, cough, cough! Stop talking, if you say any more and I can't hold back my laughter, we'll be exposed."
Kazuma couldn't take it anymore, repeatedly waving his hands in surrender.
"Do you know under which emperor's reign in Japan the people of the capital finally didn't have to starve? It was the Five-Star Emperor MacAr..."
Keli and Kazuma's low conversation abruptly stopped, as both discovered a light shining from not far away.
The light flickered slightly, as if the user's hand was not very steady, causing the light to move up and down.
The two immediately crouched down, looking through the grass at the source of the flickering light.
It was several people.
They were carrying things, and as they approached, Keli's nose caught a scent.
The scent came from one of them, but the others did not have that smell.
These people walked in silence. As they approached Keli and Kazuma's position, the two noticed that they were carrying stacks of shelves.
And as they got closer, one could also smell a distinct fishy odor.
They did not discover the two hidden in the grass and walked all the way to the stream.
"An Sa An Bo..."
Upon reaching the riverbank, the person emitting the scent made a strange, low, and penetrating sound.
And as he made the sound, the people around him began to dump the items they were carrying into the stream.
It was fish guts and some scraps.
Kazuma was half right; the other party indeed needed to forage, but the way they foraged wasn't by rummaging through trash cans, but by having someone pour things into the water.
Keli recalled Ryouzan Etsuya mentioning that the priest was a very handsome person.
And he speculated that the person was likely working there or was a long-term guest staying at the resort.
So that meant, among that row of five people, it was very likely that one of them was the priest they spoke of.
So Keli pressed down on Kazuma, who had subtly nudged him, asking if they should act now. He shook his head slightly, indicating that they could follow those people.
The visibility from the grass wasn't clear, but they could still hear some strange sounds coming from the water.
Those sounds were all too familiar to the two; they were the sounds of large, wet fish gills opening and closing in the air.
About ten minutes later, those people seemed to have done something else on the bank, then walked back with the empty boxes.
After they had gone far, the two quietly stood up from the grass and carefully walked along the somewhat strange scent.
Fortunately, as an island, Japan still had a slight spring night breeze, and the rustling of grass and leaves covered the occasional sound of the two stepping on branches.
There was no need to get too close; the other party held flashlights, and there were five of them, making them very conspicuous in the night.
A moment later, witnessing those people enter a building, Keli and Kazuma emerged from the woodland.
Patting off the dirt from their clothes, the two walked around to the side of the building.
The other party seemed to have entered through a small door.
The two went forward and pushed, only to find it was a back door that required a key to open. The door couldn't be opened from this side, so they went around to the main entrance.
The two found that the building was still lit up at this time, with a glowing sign made of resin hanging above it, reading "Specialty Fish Restaurant."
They didn't choose to contact Nekiri Senzaemon to call the person who was supposed to meet them. Seeing that the hall was still lit, the two directly entered through the main entrance.
Even at night, through the window, one could still see diligent chefs standing there, and even in the empty hall, a Service Staff was explaining dishes to the only table of guests.
Upon seeing the two arrive, the person bowed slightly to the remaining table of guests and walked over in a few steps.
"There are still people here so late at night."
At that table, a black-haired young man, looking somewhat strangely at the two who were dusty and didn't look like they were on vacation, seemed to say something to the Service Staff. The Service Staff looked troubled for a moment but then still led the two to the back kitchen.
Being led through the back kitchen and the staff corridor, behind this themed restaurant was a row of staff lounge.
The two walked past a row of doorplates and finally stopped at the place where the scent lingered, pointing at a door and motioning for the Service Staff to call the person out.
"Keiko, Keiko, are you asleep? The culinary consultant invited by the Headmaster needs to see you."
The Service Staff knocked on the door with some difficulty and soon heard a response from inside.
"Coming."
However, that answer made Keli and Kazuma frown.
Why was it a female voice?
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