How a Nuisance Character Survives in a Horror Game Chapter 65

 

I glanced up at him while fidgeting with my hand, which he grabbed.

 

I couldn’t read his thoughts as he looked like a child, and his true self was true to him.

 

One thing I could tell was that his feelings toward me weren’t all that bad, judging by the temperature that touched my hand.

 

I dragged Holloway into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor.

 

Honestly, I thought he was going to ask why I was going, yet he just glanced at me.

 

I felt like I was going to die from that pressure.

 

The overwhelming feeling of pressure that I felt even when he was still kept me from babbling carelessly.

 

When I took my staring gaze away, Holloway asked.

 

“Are you done exploring?”

 

I smiled awkwardly.

 

“Did you get anything?”

 

“…Unrealistic appearance?”

 

He chuckled once at me, who was obsessed with lookism.

 

The awkward silence continued, and as the alarm sounded that we had arrived at the 5th floor, I quickly dragged his hand down.

 

“You don’t have to act like a kid.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“No.”

 

A smile spread across his face as he watched me deny it right away.

 

The atmosphere relaxed a little. When I smiled faintly, he lightly touched my cheek.

 

I touched my cheek, feeling the lingering sensation of his hand.

 

The moment I arrived in front of the ‘How About a Game?’ room, one of the unlocked restricted rooms, I ran into Ectenron, who was walking across from me.

 

Why do I meet him so often…

 

“Hm?”

 

Ectenron tilted his head and looked back and forth between me and Holloway.

 

For a moment, he blinked as if he didn’t understand the situation, but then he was startled and took a half step away.

 

“Uh, uh…!”

 

Yes, it’s Holloway, whom you trust and rely on so much. Are you surprised to see him in his true form?

 

“Uh, uh…”

 

Ectenron, who couldn’t speak properly because of the muzzle, stuttered and then quickly took it off as if he remembered it.

 

Then he stuttered with a dazed face.

 

“H-How… No, why…?”

 

“Why?”

 

Holloway followed suit.

 

I get scared whenever he does that. Ectenron must have felt the same way, because his large shoulders flinched.

 

“I asked a pointless question…”

 

Hey, are you such an easy man for you to give up? Huh?!

 

Just like me.

 

I looked away from Ectenron and carefully opened the casino door to do my job.

 

Fortunately, unlike the chaos from the party, this time it was fine.

 

Except for the fact that it was a little dark.

 

Since there was no separate inventory for the system, I lost the lamp I got while running away from the evil spirits.

 

So I tried to tear down the candlestick stuck on the wall.

 

“…”

 

I can’t reach it.

 

Does anyone know why it’s so high up?

 

I looked at Holloway and said.

 

“I want that.”

 

“Purple Princess wants it, so I have to give it to her.”

 

“W-W-W-Why are you saying that now?”

 

I was so flustered that I don’t know how many times I fumbled.

 

Holloway didn’t even care about me and just lightly extended his arm and handed me the candlestick.

 

[You’ve acquired the ‘Forced-Torn Candlestick’!]

 

[Forced-Torn Candlestick

 

Characteristic: The candle might not shine as brightly because it was forcibly torn.]

 

What is it. Why would the candle have a will.

 

According to its characteristic, the candle that was bright became a little dim.

 

I’ll return you to your original state once I’m done using you, so stop sulking.

 

I lightly stroked the candlestick. And just as I was about to go inside.

 

“Purple Princess…?”

 

“Put on the muzzle.”

 

And don’t say anything.

 

At my firm words, Ectenron quietly put the muzzle back on and followed behind me.

 

What, why are you following me?

 

[Ectenron wants to accompany you.]

 

Why.

 

[Ectenron wants to find out what Purple Princess is.]

 

I can’t live because it’s so shameful.

 

But I couldn’t tell him to go.

 

Right now, I had to collect stories, and to do that, I had to raise the demons’ favorability rating.

 

Then there was no need to send Ectenron, whom I met by chance, away.

 

Ectenron didn’t seem to have any negative feelings toward me either.

 

Without telling him to go, I went inside holding the candlestick.

 

The high arched ceiling and dark orange lights flashed, and the broken game machine spun and stopped repeatedly.

 

Broken roulettes, chips, and dice were scattered on the floor.

 

The casino, which was strewn with broken cues and billiard balls, chairs with one leg broken, and tables shattered, was quiet.

 

I wish I could search the casino and get a critical hit and talk about everything at once…

 

But that won’t happen.

 

I tried to pull away from Holloway’s hand, but he wouldn’t let go.

 

“Let go for a moment.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“…”

 

Yes, you said.

 

Why won’t you let go?

 

Ah, how uncomfortable…!

 

The moment I stepped into the casino with a candlestick, crying and eating mustard.

 

[Sub Quest occurs!]

 

[Sub Quest <I Feel Something>

 

Objective: Find 2 items.

 

Time limit: Unlimited

 

Clear reward: Cross Shuriken]

 

Items?

 

This is the first time I’ve been told what to do in such detail, so I was confused.

 

Items? What kind of items?

 

There’s a lot of junk scattered here.

 

Does the fact that I’m told to find items in the unlocked room mean that it wants me to personally check what items they are?

 

I quickly looked around the casino while holding Holloway’s hand.

 

If I stay too long, something might come out.

 

I handed Holloway the candlestick to catch the rolling cue.

 

“Hold it and shine a light on where I’m going.”

 

“Then what are you going to do for me?”

 

What can I do for you…

 

Even though I tried to ignore him, he didn’t accept the candlestick and just stared blankly.

 

Do you think I have no other choice but you?

 

“A candlestick for you.”

 

Ectenron, take it.

 

He hesitated as he tried to take the candlestick I suddenly offered him.

 

[Holloway makes a silent threat.]

 

“Don’t do it!”

 

“…”

 

I shouted without realizing it.

 

The problem was that I let my guard down because I thought Holloway knew everything.

 

Holloway looked down at me as I hastily closed my mouth, then quickly turned his head away.

 

…Is he sulking?

 

This is it!

 

I tried to pull my hand away, but failed miserably. I asked Ectenron to hide the foolishness I had just done.

 

“I’m Evelin. What’s your name?”

 

He lifted his muzzle slightly.

 

“Ectenron…”

 

“Right, Ectenron. Please hold this for a bit.”

 

He hesitated and then quickly took the candlestick, and I held the cue stick in my empty hand.

 

While I was quickly moving around, clearing away the scattered items, something sparkled at the bottom of the game console.

 

I went straight to it and tried to bend down, but Holloway and I held hands tightly.

 

“Can you let go for a moment?”

 

“…”

 

[Holloway felt somehow annoyed at you for not caring about him.]

 

I was also annoyed.

 

“Can you let go?”

 

I tried to be stubborn and use polite language on purpose. His eyes somehow sank low.

 

“I think there’s something down here, Holloway.”

 

I’m scared. Don’t make that face.

 

I spoke so kindly that my stubbornness seemed meaningless, and Holloway let go of my hand, as if he had decided to give in.

 

My life was a little in danger just now.

 

I crawled toward the game console and stretched my arms down.

 

As I felt around the floor, I grabbed something as soon as it came into my hand.

 

Holloway said something as he watched me.

 

“You could have just taken it out with the cue stick.”

 

“Didn’t anyone tell you to tell me that earlier?”

 

“Yes. I have no one to tell me that.”

 

I’m sorry…

 

It was best to change the subject, so I looked at the object in my hand.

 

It was a thick ring with a crest engraved on it. I was afraid to look at the crest properly, but I knew I shouldn’t look away.

 

[Holloway and Ectenron are watching you.]

 

It was the moment when it became clear that it was one of the crests of the families that had joined the Emperor.

 

He must be watching my reaction.

 

I tried my best to control my expression and looked closely at the crest.

 

Three waves…

 

This was the crest of the Akrotik family.

 

I mean, the family of Friedel, who died as soon as he entered.

 

I already knew this from Holloway, so I wasn’t that surprised.

 

[I acquired the ‘Seal Ring of the Viscount Akrotik Family’!]

 

[Seal Ring of the Viscount Akrotik Family

 

Characteristic: This is the seal ring of the Viscount Akrotik family that joined Albrecht, the first Emperor of Vallone.]

 

[Item Collection (1/2)]

 

At first, I thought it was a coincidence. I didn’t think much about it since they were characters from a horror game…

 

What if it wasn’t a coincidence?

 

From Cynthia to Friedel.

 

At this point, it wasn’t a coincidence, but they might have brought us here on purpose.

 

I felt like crying. Tears welled up in my eyes without me knowing it.

 

If it’s true, then I have nothing to say even if the demons annihilate us.

 

[Holloway and Ectenron tilt their heads, wondering what kind of reaction that is.]

 

[Holloway thinks that you are sad that Friedel is dead.]

 

That’s not it.

 

I took a bite of my nose and looked at the ring.

 

The demons don’t know our true identities, so they weren’t the ones who brought us here.

 

Then the only one who would do something like this would be the system.

 

But it only talks to me…. If it’s not the system, who else?

 

I took the ring anyway. If the remaining sentence is true for one of our group, then my hypothesis is true.

 

Then our family too…

 

I took a deep breath to keep myself from getting angry and picked up the cue.

 

Holloway strode up behind me and whispered near my ear.

 

“You have nothing to say?”

 

“What do I have to say?”

 

“You know who that seal ring is, don’t ya.”

 

Don’t speak informally…

 

To think that the informal language doesn’t make me happy. My heart was filled with fear, but what should I do?

 

“I know. It’s the crest of the Akrotik family. The family of the Friedel clan.”

 

“You have nothing to say, now that the evidence has been released?”

 

I don’t know what you want, but it’s best not to say anything right now.

 

Even if I say something without knowing anything, Holloway won’t get it.

 

“I’m still confused.”

 

“Hide it, but don’t lie.”

 

He warned me, cupping my cheek.

 

“If you want to save even your fragile life.”

 

…Can you check if his favorability rating has dropped?