Chapter 58
When you open your eyes, you find yourself in a shabby back alley at night.
Despite the moon clearly hanging in the sky, the shadows were so thick that it was hard to distinguish objects. This was because hastily constructed buildings and obstacles were blocking the moonlight.
Looking up, you could see dirty rags hanging on laundry lines stretched between the buildings. The windows of the surrounding structures were either broken or boarded up with wooden planks. Puddles of filthy water lay on the ground, and rats scurried about.
It was a deplorable environment.
If someone were to live in such a place, what kind of fate would await them? Even without having experienced it firsthand, just having enough observation skills would lead to the answer—not particularly hard to deduce.
Glimmers of moonlight briefly shone on the asphalt, revealing vomit stuck to the ground, rolling bottles of alcohol, someone’s broken molar, and dried, blackened bloodstains. Clear signs of violence were apparent. Most likely from looting.
The impoverished would tear the meager flesh from the bones of their equally destitute peers to sustain themselves. If one died, another would survive. Chewing on a piece of rancid meat that offered no substance would leave a foul stench lingering in the mouth.
Thus, people quickly turn into mere beasts.
You. Bennett was well-acquainted with this grim structure of the world. The shapes of the buildings may differ, but the damp smell of despair pervading this place felt identical to others. He wrinkled his nose, masking his dark thoughts.
“Is this… another world?”
With that casual remark, the two who had been blankly surveying their surroundings tossed out their own comments.
“It’s less bizarre than I thought… I even prepared Divine Magic just in case I got motion sickness.”
[This place is somewhat eerie.]
Eerie, indeed, but beyond the windows covered with wooden boards, genuine nightmares that were all too conceivable could be lurking.
Feeling as if he was the only one experiencing a dramatic moment, Bennett absently fiddled with the hilt of his sword. It seemed Tara and Niolle had never lived in such filthy conditions.
You have already accessed information about this world through a report.
However, the sensations you experienced, the oppressive air filling your lungs, imparted a stark reality that could not be conveyed through mere words. After all, picturing the feeling of stepping on phlegm or the odor of decay is nearly impossible with written descriptions.
Between the world depicted in the text and the reality, there lay a substantial void. A void you all needed to fill as you pressed forward.
Bennett took his first step beyond that void.
He picked up a broken molar from the ground while surveying the area.
“With this dried blood, it doesn’t seem to be a recent event, but I can tell that violence occurs frequently here. We need to get out.”
[But where do we go?]
“You did read the report, right? There’s a base established by the investigator. Let’s head there.”
At this reasonable suggestion, Niolle vigorously nodded. In this strange, new world where everything was unfamiliar, the contents of the report were their only reliable beacon.
“201 Carter Street, East Shopping Mall, 2nd Floor.”
As Saintess Tara roughly guessed the direction and was about to stride forward confidently, Bennett raised his hand to stop her.
“…What?”
“There’s something we need to resolve urgently.”
[Did you spot someone suspicious?]
Niolle quickly scanned the surroundings, looking for any hidden goblins. Bennett gestured that it wasn’t that and pointed at Saintess Tara.
The Saintess wore a bewildered expression.
“Me?”
“Your outfit. Were you really intending to walk around like that?”
A shock akin to lightning jolted through her. So accustomed to her fashion, Saintess Tara had completely overlooked her attire and widened her eyes. Come to think of it, that’s true.
Even in the kindest terms, roaming the streets in such a lewd outfit would mostly attract negative attention. She reacted out of embarrassment.
“Shut up! It’s none of your business how I dress!”
“I’m sure you realize that could put us all at risk.”
[It is a bit too revealing…]
“Okay, okay! I get it!”
The trio’s first mission in this strange world quickly turned into finding Tara some decent clothes.
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Since you couldn’t walk around crowded places with a scantily clad Saintess, you needed to brainstorm ways to acquire clothes in the vicinity.
Bennett proposed subduing a vagrant to snag their clothes.
Saintess Tara scolded him, wondering how he could even think of wearing a vagrant’s clothing, but when Niolle gently pointed out, [Even the clothing of a poor person would have more fabric than the Saintess’s current outfit], she fell silent.
Niolle then suggested, “How about we take those dirty rags hanging up there and patch something together?” Tara’s expression turned thoroughly displeased.
Fortunately, you discovered a better way to score clothing.
At the border between the slums and the outside, you stumbled upon a facility that collected trash sorted by type: paper, plastic, food waste, etc. Notably, a large green bin was labeled as follows:
“Clothing Bin.”
[There’s plenty of clothes here!]
“The condition seems pretty decent.”
“…Do I really have to wear clothes that someone else has thrown away?”
The Saintess grumbled, but it was at least better than sporting a vagrant’s outfit, so she reluctantly joined in searching through the clothing bin. The trio rummaging for garments looked rather pathetic.
Bennett held up a green dress and said, “We need to set a goal.”
[Didn’t we decide to look for jewelry?]
“That’s our ultimate goal. However, we need to strategize how to survive here and how to carry ourselves. Planning ahead is essential. First, we need to investigate the Order of the Silver Twilight. According to what we know, they’re the most threatening force around.”
As the Saintess picked up a hat, she replied. She was tempted to try it on because of the lovely ribbon, but upon discovering someone’s hair tangled inside, she threw it away with a shudder.
“Isn’t that too dangerous? I really don’t want to cross paths with fanatics.”
“For a Saintess, isn’t that an ironic statement?”
“I disapprove of things I dislike!”
[Ah, Saintess. How about this?]
Thump thump. Niolle tapped the whiteboard to draw attention and then lifted a peculiar garment with both hands. It was a black full-body tights made of a strange material.
“…Are you serious? Didn’t we just agree that I shouldn’t wear anything provocative while rummaging through garbage?”
“That outfit seems alright, though. It looks like it has a lot of room.”
“What on Earth does that mean?”
As Tara shot a fierce glare at him, Bennett quickly averted his gaze. He thought bringing up how loosely it could fit, especially over her chest, might lead to a brawl. So, wisely, he kept his mouth shut.
Click.
Just as they were selecting suitable clothing, suddenly, a bright light shone down. A conical beam enveloped the clothing-bin raiders.
“…”
“…”
The three froze on the spot. Tara felt embarrassed for being caught scavenging through garbage; Niolle was shocked, and Bennett worried it might be a hostile entity.
Bennett peered beyond the light. His eyes, accustomed to darkness, struggled against the sudden brightness, but… it appeared to be a person. Considering it could potentially be the guards, he pondered fleeing when
Niolle quickly scribbled on the whiteboard.
[180 cm, male, white-haired elderly man, seems to exercise but isn’t a trained fighter. He’s wearing reading glasses, likely has bad vision due to aging, and he appears to be a white-collar worker. He doesn’t seem impoverished. He’s dressed modestly but appears to eat well.]
“Are you some kind of walking, living Scan Magic…?”
Receiving praise from the Saintess, Niolle chuckled shyly. Based on her analysis, Bennett reduced his vigilance by three levels.
The elderly man also seemed taken aback by the sight of the trio rifling through the trash at night. After a considerable pause, he finally spoke.
“Have you been robbed?”
“…Excuse me?”
“The young lady over there and the fellow are dressed quite decently. Their fabric isn’t cheap, and their designs are refined. Meanwhile, the big lady’s outfit looks like some wicked robber has had their way with it. I can’t believe they cut it up like that—how ghastly.”
The corner of Bennett’s lips twitched slightly upward and then downward again. Observing this, Tara felt like arguing but stopped, aware it might just deepen her sadness.
The elderly man gazed at Tara’s face, now resembling a ripe apple thanks to her embarrassment, and wore a somewhat nostalgic expression before bowing his head slightly after a pause for a few coughs.
“Young folks, it seems you’ve encountered some trouble. Would you like to spend the night at my home? I have clothing that should fit the tall lady. You see, I have a daughter.”
Unexpected kindness, huh? Bennett’s mind began to race. The target wasn’t difficult to overpower. If Niolle’s analysis was accurate, it was unclear whether he was wealthy, but he certainly wasn’t poor. What to do here…
[He said he’ll help us!]
Niolle beamed and bowed at a 90-degree angle to the old man. Bennett wanted to etch into her tiny head the importance of being cautious of unfamiliar people, but
“Then we’ll take you up on that, Elder!”
Choosing freshly laundered clothes over those found in a trash bin, even the Saintess eagerly followed along, shifting the momentum. Bennett sighed deeply and trailed behind the two.
The benefits seemed to outweigh the risks. With the local’s assistance, they could glean details from the report that wouldn’t have been apparent otherwise. Besides, the old man didn’t appear to possess any combat skills.
Should things go sideways, a blade could always be drawn. That thought comforted Bennett.
On the way to the elderly man’s house.
Niolle wrote all sorts of questions on the whiteboard, which Tara read aloud, occasionally interjecting, leading to an engaging conversation.
They learned the old man’s name was Abraham. He lived in a mansion atop the hill, worked as an astronomer, and had a daughter with whom he reportedly had a strained relationship.
They also discovered that Abraham was a professor at Miskatonic University.
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“The inside is cleaner than I expected.”
Just as Tara remarked, Abraham’s mansion was large, spacious, and pristine. It wouldn’t have been easy for an elderly man to maintain such a grand residence. Hearing this, Abraham chuckled lightly and replied.
“I clean the visible areas daily to prepare for guests.”
[Impressive!]
“Tidiness is fundamental, don’t you think?”
The mansion was simply arranged. Wood crackled in the fireplace, and resting nearby were a poker and a rocking chair. Mounted on the wall was a deer head.
No other luxuries were evident. The mansion spanned two floors, with very short steps to make it easy for the old man to navigate.
Abraham smiled kindly beneath his bushy beard.
“It’s lively to have guests here. This home was only quiet with just an old man before. Please feel free to make yourselves comfortable. The guest room hasn’t been cleaned, so… feel free to use that one.”
The door Abraham pointed to had the name Isaac inscribed on it.
“Is this your daughter’s room?”
“Indeed. It seems she won’t be showing her face this year either, so feel free to use it. A room only gains meaning when someone occupies it, after all.”
Tara quietly nodded, opened the door to Isaac’s room, and entered. Niolle followed closely behind, and finally, Bennett.
“Wait a minute. Why are you coming in?”
“Must I truly discuss the possibilities of an attack and the importance of staying together?”
“But this isn’t right. It’s fine for Niolle to join as she’s a woman, but who’s to say you don’t have ulterior motives or lustful desires?”
Bennett did have ulterior motives, but they weren’t of that kind. He pressed his furrowing brow with his thumb, struggling to maintain his patience. Organizing his thoughts, he mused.
Yeah, even if something happens, an emergency return will kick in, so my life won’t be in danger. It’s too bad that Niolle, the Human Detector, isn’t with me, but it’s another story with the Saintess. Regardless of the situation, it’s none of my concern…
“If anything happens, at least scream.”
“Sure, you scream if something urgent comes up.”
Bennett slammed the door behind him as he stepped out.
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Hmm-mm, hmm-hmm…
While Saintess Tara hummed to herself and raided the wardrobe, Niolle carefully observed her surroundings. This was the room where Abraham’s daughter, Isaac, once lived. Traces of her presence lingered everywhere.
By examining the bed’s size and the degree to which its springs had been pressed, she could estimate the general body shape and weight. Press press. She pushed down on the bed to test the spring’s tension and concluded it was roughly around 50 kg in weight. The build seemed slender.
Smell. Nothing particularly noticeable stood out.
Cleanliness. It appeared Abraham maintained it daily. The spotless floor reflected the old man’s heartfelt patience while waiting for his daughter.
Bookshelf. A very telling clue. After all, one could gauge a person’s character through the types of books they owned.
Approximately 70% were related to astronomy, while around 30% were occult works dealing with magic and devils. Judging by the arrangement and height of the books, she guessed Isaac was about 170 cm tall. While contemplating this…
A particularly well-worn book caught Niolle’s eye, and she briefly opened it.
Since it was bound, she initially thought it was a book, only to realize it was a diary. Unsure if it was appropriate to snoop through someone else’s diary, Niolle quickly closed it.
However, a fleeting glimpse of a drawing clung mysteriously to her memory. A father and daughter peering through a telescope together. And in some dark place, a few round soap bubbles sketched. The meaning behind the drawing remained unclear…
What made it even harder to forget was a peculiar sensation. It was absurd, really—after all, it was definitely Niolle staring at the drawing. But inexplicably, it felt as if the drawing was gazing back at her.
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