"Don't get the wrong idea. These are just instruments that might be needed to catch those thieves. Definitely not for any other shady business."
"After all, only a sufficiently painful lesson will stop them from making the same mistake again."
Rin explained righteously and sternly, though he did feel a small sense of relief inside.
At the very least, that so-called 'Sage' only pulled out some steel rods, whips, handcuffs, and the like—not anything more dangerous.
Too sinful!
Suika and Yuugi shot him a sideways glance. Clearly, they didn't believe a single punctuation mark of his nonsense.
This has got to be a BDSM dungeon for the punished!
The big and little pair didn't dare linger any longer and tiptoed toward the door, faces tense—
"Ahem, the room's not that important. We should check the wine cellar in the back. We need to confirm whether there's any chance of someone sneaking in!"
"A treasure vault this important must not be compromised by any suspicious characters!"
"…Are you two talking about yourselves?"
Rin gave the two of them an exasperated glare but still hurried to catch up.
The wine cellar door was only a few meters away from the guard room, but within those few meters was a web of deadly traps.
Under their wide-eyed stares, the moment they took a single step forward, six or seven traps triggered at once.
Had their reactions been just a beat slower, they'd probably be neatly packed up and sent straight to the guard room beds.
Suika was silent for a long while before giving Yuugi a light pat on the waist.
"You'd better be more careful from now on. From the looks of it, aside from Marisa, you're the most dangerous one."
"You too, aren't you?"
"That's different. In the boss's eyes, you're probably the most appetizing. A perfect match for those instruments in there."
"..." Yuugi wanted to refute her, but after comparing their respective… assets, cold sweat slowly began to bead on her forehead.
Looks like it's still up to Marisa to feed herself to the tiger and keep the boss full!
"You two better stop yourself. I can hear everything loud and clear." Rin frowned, before knocking both of them on the head.
After dragging them to the side, he began disabling the mechanisms according to the instruction manual.
As Rin placed his hand on the wall, a dense array of magical glyphs instantly lit up, casting a prison-like glow across the space.
As if verifying the identity of the entrant, a wave of unseen energy swept through the room, followed by several blood-red lines crisscrossing like spiderwebs.
But just as quickly as they appeared, the lights vanished—as if all defenses had been fully disarmed.
Gulp~
The big and little duo swallowed hard, cowering behind Rin out of instinct.
"Let's go. It's all disarmed now." Rin called out and stepped forward to push open the heavy door.
With a low mechanical rumble from within, the instant the door opened, a rich aroma of alcohol surged out like a tidal wave.
Bathed in its fragrance, Suika and Yuugi nearly lost their minds.
If not for the lingering fear of the traps and those instruments in the guard room, they'd have charged in and gone on a drunken rampage.
As bright lights gradually illuminated the vast wine cellar, they saw that the towering shelves were stuffed full with all sorts of fine liquors provided by the Sage.
The deeper they went, the more precious the alcohol.
And on the final shelf stood none other than the legendary Drunken Dreams, with a few empty slots left beside it—clearly reserved for future additions.
Oh ho, they actually sent another bottle.
Rin's eyes lit up. He could enjoy one himself and use the other as bait.
Just as the starstruck duo were about to wander off, he yanked them back—
"Alright, you've seen it. Time to go."
"Already?!"
"Boss, since we're here, aren't you even gonna crack open a few dozen jars?"
Suika and Yuugi both looked at him like he was insane.
So much exquisite wine right in front of you, and you can resist the temptation?!
"What are you thinking? There's still plenty to prepare for tonight's banquet. No way we're drinking here now. You two also need to help, so no overindulging."
Rin casually stuffed two bottles into their arms before dragging the reluctant duo out.
As the heavy doors closed behind them, tears of sorrow nearly shot from their mouths.
"Boss! I strongly volunteer to guard this place! I'll be dedicated and never leave my post, even for a whole day!"
Suika clung to Rin's arm, pleading desperately.
This vault was far too precious—how could she not stay up all night guarding it?!
Yuugi echoed her sentiment fiercely, her eyes still glued to the door as if her very soul had been left inside.
"Save it. Leaving you here would be like asking you to steal from yourself. Honestly, even Marisa is more trustworthy than you two."
"Marisa? If she's the one guarding the place, it'll really turn into a punishment chamber!"
"Boss, you're still young! Don't fall to the dark side like this!"
"Exactly! You should spend your youth living thrilling chapters of life, not stuck in a non-stop love war with Marisa in here!"
"It's an insult to life itself!"
"We're different though—we're ghosts. We have all the time in the world. Sacrificing a bit to guard this place is no big deal!"
The two of them begged and pleaded, metaphorical abacuses clattering across Rin's face.
But he remained unmoved, dragging the struggling pair out one slow step at a time.
Back in the living room, the others all froze at the pitiful wails echoing their way.
They were only gone for a short while… what the hell happened to those two?
Were they broken?
Hearing the approaching cries, Patchouli grew nervous and hurriedly dispelled the magic she was using to secretly search the cabinets.
What a shame. If Rin had just taken a few more minutes, she could've nabbed the Drunken Dreams!
Biting her lip, Patchouli forcibly suppressed her restless heart and calmly continued chewing her food like nothing had happened.
She not only had to keep an eye on Rin, but also monitor Reimu and Yukari's movements—both were dangerously capable opponents.
Even if they didn't get the liquor, it'd be no big deal. But if she slipped up, she might end up totally exposed and helpless!
"Patchy, why do you look so absent-minded today? Something bothering you?"
Just then, a curious voice floated over, startling her so much she visibly jumped.
She turned her head to find Sakuya's puzzled face. After a brief moment of hesitation, Patchouli cautiously asked—
"Sakuya, could you do me a favor?"
"What kind of favor?"
"Could you… sneak out the boss's Wasted Dreams for me…?"
"Absolutely not. No way. Goodbye!"