How a Nuisance Character Survives a Horror Game – Chapter 50

Author: B0ucha

Even after the earthquake stopped, no one moved first.

Moran looked toward the ceiling and hesitantly asked,

“……The building isn’t going to collapse, right?”

“I don’t think so.”

Cletta comforted the frightened Moran.

Then pointed toward the cracks created by the earthquake.

They were disappearing.

The floor was regenerating through demonic energy.

“I have a very bad feeling about this.”

Werner.

We’ve decided that the bad thing has already happened.

“For now, we probably shouldn’t separate. But Sir Werner still needs to find a weapon, so we’ll have to step out briefly.”

We had entered the midgame.

But the monsters wouldn’t immediately begin wandering everywhere.

For the moment, it probably wasn’t catastrophically dangerous.

The map didn’t display weapons either, so I had no advice to offer.

Cletta looked at each of us.

Then began listing who would remain.

“Evelyn, Moran, Lady Cynthia, Holloway……”

Halfway through, Cletta rubbed his face and muttered worriedly,

“If only there were a few more people who could actually fight……”

He was worried about bringing everyone along because it was dangerous.

But leaving us behind by ourselves also made him nervous.

Alhulf timidly raised a hand.

“I-I can stay.”

“You?”

Cletta looked deeply skeptical.

Like a loser, Alhulf pointed toward me.

“L-Lady Evelyn is strong……. She hits things really hard……”

“I can’t do much without nunchaku. Bring me some.”

“Pfft.”

Holloway and Cynthia both began suppressing laughter.

What?

Why are you laughing?

I didn’t say anything funny.

I glared at their twitching mouths and gestured toward Cletta.

“Just go with Sir Werner. We’ll be fine here. Especially don’t bring Alhulf with you. He has an incredible talent for pissing people off.”

“…….”

Cletta chuckled.

Then put his hand on top of my head.

“We’ll be back soon, so don’t cause trouble.”

“I told you not to touch my head.”

You bastard.

Are you going to take responsibility if Holloway’s Jealousy rises?!

I slapped Cletta’s hand away with all my strength.

I successfully prevented Holloway’s Jealousy from increasing.

Proud.

***

What am I supposed to do about the remaining story fragments?

I still needed to unlock rooms too……

And find another weapon.

The ring alone made me uneasy.

Part of me wanted another quest to appear.

At the same time, part of me desperately hoped none would.

Who could possibly understand these contradictory feelings?

“Evelyn, are you feeling sick?”

I was sitting on the sofa with Holloway facing me on my lap.

My face was buried against his shoulder.

I hadn’t moved for a while.

Apparently Cynthia became worried.

“No. I just like sitting like this.”

He’s annoying as hell, but Holloway likes physical contact.

And his Affection is still going up bit by bit.

“Big sis likes me.”

“Yeah. Of course.”

[All emotional values increased by 2%.]

“If you’re hurt, make sure you tell me.”

Who’s worrying about whom?

Cynthia tried patting the back of my head.

Holloway almost bit her.

She quickly withdrew her hand.

What an impressive amount of Possessiveness for one child.

Do you really like your comedian that much?

The instant I find the gate, I’m leaving without even looking back.

“Um, when did you two become so close?”

Moran asked curiously.

Cynthia answered with her usual sharpness.

“She saved my life. She’s my benefactor. Do you have a problem?”

“Ah……. Benefactor.”

Moran rolled the word around in her mouth.

Then her voice relaxed slightly.

“I see. If she saved your life, then I understand calling her your benefactor. Unlike Friedel, she really did save you……. I’m glad, Lady Cynthia.”

“Why did Friedel’s name suddenly come up?”

Because I’m the person who let Friedel die.

“Ah……. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Moran sounded embarrassed.

I tried raising my head from Holloway’s shoulder.

Holloway grabbed the back of my head and pushed it firmly down again.

“Holloway?”

“There’s no reason to deliberately look at something ugly.”

“Me……? Is there a mirror in front of me?”

Even if you think that, is it really okay to say it directly?

Holloway sighed and pinched my cheek.

“Do you think I mean you?”

[Holloway thinks you are unbelievably oblivious.]

If I possessed social awareness, I probably would’ve died to you already.

“Miss Evelyn, may I say something? If you don’t want me to, I’ll stay quiet.”

“You can say it. You were going to say I let Friedel die, right?”

“Y-Yes?!”

Alhulf cried out in shock.

Still hugging Holloway, I warned him,

“Be careful. I’ll do the same to Alhulf!”

“Eek!”

Yes!

Scared him.

I grinned in satisfaction.

Holloway rubbed the edge of my ear and laughed.

“Having fun?”

“It’s fun.”

“I agree. It is fun……”

His muttered voice faded like smoke.

For some reason, it sounded unusually lonely.

I lightly patted his back.

Then Cynthia casually replied,

“There must have been a reason.”

“……Pardon?”

Apparently Moran hadn’t expected that.

“Wasn’t Friedel the man who shoved you aside in the lobby? I can perfectly imagine him trying the same thing with Evelyn and getting what he deserved.”

Cynthia added that anyone who survived by using other people’s lives as collateral deserved to die.

Moran sounded flustered by the unexpected reaction.

“Ah……. But hurting another person is wrong.”

“If you keep that mindset here, you’ll be the one who gets hurt instead.”

She’s right.

The refreshing sense of relief made me raise my head and give Cynthia my precious thumbs-up.

Then I withdrew it.

Moran’s words had been quietly scraping at my nerves.

She opened and closed her lips.

Then smiled.

“Still, I think it’s important that someone keeps believing that even here. I want us all to leave together somehow.”

“Even after Alhulf pushed you?”

I was genuinely curious.

Moran answered without the slightest hesitation.

“Of course. Alhulf only did it because he was scared.”

“Lady Morannnn……”

“Then Alhulf can stay with Moran from now on.”

I smiled innocently.

Holloway suddenly pulled my hair.

The grip forced me to meet his eyes.

“Ow……”

He said nothing.

Only smiled like an angel.

Moran gave a polite smile.

“We’ll be traveling together anyway, Miss Evelyn.”

Will we really?

We’re going to be separated over and over again.

Even if we don’t want to.

Whether we choose it or not.

“I’m a child.”

“The moment you knowingly use being a child to your advantage, you’re not a child anymore.”

At my response, Holloway placed his index finger over his lips, telling me to be quiet.

Then he complained to Cletta.

“I’ve been sleeping with big sis this whole time!”

“Why do you need to sleep with her when we’re here? Come here.”

“Big siiis……”

Goodbye, Holloway.

I pretended to wipe away tears and turned away.

How did we end up in this situation?

Werner and Cletta had found weapons and returned quickly.

And all of us were mentally and physically exhausted.

Even under these circumstances, we had managed to shower.

No matter how frightening the situation was, hygiene still mattered.

Otherwise how is romance ever supposed to happen?

Werner volunteered to stand the first watch.

So the women would sleep first.

In other words—

the group separated into men and women.

Holloway hesitated over which side he belonged with.

Eventually, Cletta dragged him away by the hand.

Now only the women remained.

We each climbed into bed.

The room had one queen-sized bed and one single bed.

Cynthia and I shared the queen.

Moran slept alone.

By rank, Cynthia should’ve had a bed to herself.

But she insisted on sleeping with me……

The moment I lay down, my eyelids became impossibly heavy.

Just as I began drifting off—

Click.

The door opened.

Holloway poked his face inside.

I’m exhausted.

Why are you here?

I hid my thoughts and smiled sweetly.

“What is it, Holloway?”

“Hmm. Nothing.”

[Holloway opens the door to check whether you are still there.]

[After confirming that the ‘comedian’ is safe, Holloway sighs in relief.]

My eyebrow twitched at the consecutive windows.

“……Are you crazy?”

“You’re asking if I’m crazy?”

“No. I’m asking if Sir Werner is crazy.”

The criticism suddenly landed on Werner, who was standing watch.

He looked dumbfounded.

“Why are you suddenly asking that about me?”

Because you’re easy to bully.

Because you’re easy.

Holloway’s mood apparently improved.

He waved energetically at me.

“Good night, big sis! Don’t disappear again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hahaha.”

When I answered him formally, Holloway laughed happily.

Then he closed the door and left.

Cynthia alternated her gaze between me and the place Holloway had disappeared.

“It’s difficult to get close to that little boy. How did you become that close?”

“Who says we’re close?”

I’m the one pathetically clinging to him one-sidedly.

“Do you know what Holloway was like after you disappeared?”

Cynthia tightly wrapped both arms around mine.

What?

Let go.

I tried pulling free.

Cynthia didn’t budge.

Being overpowered by Cynthia too made me experience an overwhelming sense of existential crisis.

Am I really this weak?

Is it finally time to admit that everything I’ve accomplished was because of items?

“His expression disappeared in an instant. It was frightening……. He searched for you like a maniac. Even though he’s a child, keeping up with him while he ran was unbelievably difficult.”

The more amazing part is that after seeing that, you still recognize him as a child.

“Really? I think it was difficult because you were badly injured.”

I wanted to ask whether she didn’t find it suspicious.

But Moran was here.

I had to be careful.

That girl would tell everyone everything.

“That was probably part of it……. But anyway, you know how desperate a child is after losing their guardian. According to Cletta, the poor thing got on the ship because he needed to earn money, then ended up suffering through all this……. Maybe that’s why he acts more mature than other children.”

Cynthia yawned softly.

She said it made sense that Holloway would become attached to the only person here he had opened his heart to.

All these circumstances overlapped.

So even situations that should’ve made Holloway suspicious became explainable.

Fine.

Better that than them suspecting him.

If they became suspicious and avoided him, they might actually die first.

Judging by how Holloway still didn’t want to reveal his true form to me, he probably felt the same about the others.

So it was better that everyone continued seeing him as a child.

“Anyway, he’s still a child. He’s frightened, so treat him well.”

“Yeah, sure……”

No.