[That evening, you and Baobhan Sith exchanged contact information.]
[You can now contact Baobhan Sith anytime and invite her out.]
[You did not let this rare opportunity slip by. You plan to invite her out as much as possible.]
Based on previous case analyses, the most efficient way to deepen a relationship and acquire skills is to encounter special events. For instance, helping Babbage assemble his body or the Queen's Game at the mixer—these hard-to-come-by special events are the most likely to trigger skill acquisition.
[You began scouting for information, hoping to find non-daily activities within the school environment.]
[Just as you were searching fruitlessly, Tristan excitedly returned with a flyer for a haunted house.]
[Boldly written on it were the words: "The Most Desperate Test of Courage: The Academy City's Scariest Haunted House, Scared the Entire Chaldea into Wetting Themselves!"]
"Hoh, scared the entire Chaldea into wetting themselves? Director Lev is back from the dead, is he?"
Ei wasn't very interested. Although the flyer's style certainly reeked of a strong, non-daily atmosphere, he wasn't particularly brave, and losing face in front of a girl would be a major embarrassment.
"Wait, Sir Ei, look at the back," Tristan prompted.
He flipped the flyer over and saw another line of text: "Every successful haunted house finisher can claim a generous prize of 500 QP!"
QP was enough for him to treat the two Round Table Knights in his dorm to two barbecue dinners, or enough to snag the deluxe edition of the upcoming Black Monkey game. The prize money was so substantial that it made him worry.
"But such a rich prize suggests the difficulty of this test of courage is insane. This money won't be easy to earn..."
"No matter. Fortune favors the bold!" Tristan declared resolutely. "If you're not going, so be it. Gawain and I are determined to claim this money. Walking through that haunted house is the equivalent of two or three days of part-time work!"
"What if it's genuinely terrifying?"
"No need to fear," Gawain analyzed logically. "Strictly speaking, we Servants are all considered ghosts, but you don't seem afraid of us."
"...Wait a second."
Ei thought Gawain actually made a lot of sense.
A special event, money to be earned, and maybe even a Suspension Bridge Effect—it fit the ideal date location perfectly.
He thought for a moment and decided to send Baobhan Sith a haunted house date invitation.
A moment later, Baobhan Sith replied.
Baobhan Sith: "Fodder, has your brain fermented and swollen? Why would I ever accompany you on such a tedious activity!"
As expected, the wording was venomous and merciless.
Ei quickly sent a follow-up: "Don't you want to know how I usually interact with your mother?"
Baobhan Sith: "..."
Baobhan Sith: "Do you think that just by mentioning my mother, I'm especially easy to trick?"
[...]
[Thirty minutes later, you assembled at the main entrance of the haunted house.]
[Upon reaching the haunted house entrance, you immediately understood how difficult that 500 QP would be to earn.]
[The haunted house was converted from a Chaldea Academy abandoned school building, exuding a desolate, forgotten, and miserable atmosphere. Although it looked outwardly normal, chilling winds blew in gusts, and all previous participants had failed to complete the course. They fled, screaming their souls out.]
[This haunted house truly seems to be cursed.]
[And Baobhan Sith, despite her verbal resistance, ultimately showed up obediently.]
"..."
Baobhan Sith's attire tonight was notably low-key and elegant. She wore no flamboyant makeup or elaborate red dress, opting instead for a well-tailored dark dress, her red hair braided, and a pair of round-rimmed glasses, giving her a quiet and intellectual appearance. Without all the vibrant embellishments, she actually looked like a girl next door.
Only her high heels remained conspicuously luxurious.
"You called me out for this...? Don't you know my time is precious?" she said with annoyance.
"My apologies, but I might desperately need your help shortly." Ei turned and pointed to the Servants frantically fleeing the haunted house. These people looked like they regretted not being born with two more pairs of legs, completely devoid of any Servant dignity.
He couldn't blame their lack of courage, as the haunted house seemed to gather all the horrors in the world. Chilling gusts of wind made them shiver, and the sounds of ghostly wails echoed intermittently—whether it was the cold wind blowing through cracks in the wall or actual people screaming, it was unclear.
The sight made Ei honestly regret coming here.
But he couldn't back out now. It was all for Baobhan Sith's skill set and the QP prize money.
"...Whatever is in this haunted house might be extremely terrifying. We really need your skill set. Please, come with us. Here's five dollars."
"Five dollars won't hire me!" Baobhan Sith snapped, then sighed in defeat. "Fine. Since we're partners, I'll briefly assist you. Don't make a habit of it."
Hmm, she was surprisingly easy to persuade.
"Sir Ei, what exactly did you do? Baobhan Sith actually came just like that?" Gawain looked at the red-haired girl with disbelief.
"Nothing much, just a mutually beneficial partnership—"
"Heroes of the Argo, advance! The Glorious Ship that Tears the Sky!"
Before Ei could explain, he saw a group of Greece Class students bravely charge into the haunted house.
Leading the charge was Jason himself, who swaggered into the haunted house, surrounded by Heracles and others. He had absolutely no fear of being scared by anything in the haunted house, as his crew members looked far more terrifying than any ghost.
Especially the brawny, ferocious Heracles, who provided infinite security for his teammates.
They looked like they were already on a triumphant return, even before fully entering the haunted house door.
"Today, we'll claim all the prize money! Not a single cent will be left for outsiders! Wealth, fame, and glory—they all belong to the Ship Argo! Heracles, clear the path for us!!!"
"ROAR!!!!" Heracles let out a mighty roar.
Good heavens! With a roar like that, forget about being afraid of ghosts—even ghosts would be scared to death of such a formidable and brave Heracles and would find another route! Ei couldn't help but think.
But there was no time to dwell on that. If they didn't enter the haunted house soon, the prize money would be completely snatched up by those Greece Class guys.
No choice but to brace himself and go in.
Today, he was going to see what this haunted house that terrified countless Servants was really all about!
"Baobhan Sith, let's go quickly." Ei turned and said to her.
"Just so you know... the Suspension Bridge Effect won't work on me," Baobhan Sith muttered quietly.