Detective and Myth II

Noir's clenched his teeth, trying to suppress his emotion.

"Say again?"

The officer, who offered him a free ride back then, bent his body forward at a perfect 90-degree angle.

"I'm deeply sorry, Mr. Detective! I can't take you to Shelton Village right now. At least not tonight."

Noir crossed his hands, asserting his dominance and expressing his disappointment.

"And why is that?"

"My colleagues said the road to Shelton Village is dangerous at night... I'm not confident I can bring you safely if that's true."

"Dangerous? Are plunderers settled around those roads?"

The officer scratched his cheeks, unsure how to answer.

"I'm not sure... they said that not only plunderers live there, but also a creature of night."

Noir raised an eyebrow.

"A creature of night...?"

"Yes. You must have heard about it since your job is a Detective, right?"

'No, I don't!'

"I know they're teasing me with an eerie story, but I can't help but trust their words this time. Even my instinct tells me so..."

'I don't care about that! I want to know what the creature of night is?!'

That was what Noir wanted to say but couldn't. It was like the officer said. A Detective should have known about that.

If he were to say he didn't know, his credibility would be questioned. Well, he could always say it was his first commission. But he was afraid that would also impact the attitude of the officers toward him.

He didn't know whether a Detective was a job that people looked in high regard or was it only applied to the more experienced one. What about the first-timer like Noir? Would they still respect him if they knew the truth?

"What about you settle here for tonight, and then we can go to Shelton Village at dawn?"

That would be ideal.

Rather than risking traveling alone in the middle of the night, it would be better to wait for tomorrow and get a free ride.

Left without choice, Noir decided to settle for tonight.

"Great! Then, if you're looking for an inn, I suggest you take the Copper Steam Inn. It's cheap, but the facility isn't inferior to the expensive ones in this city. And you can get a discount if you let the owner know you're a Detective."

The officer paused to take a breath.

"People respect you guys, regardless of your experience in that field. In the first place, getting approved as an official Detective by the Empire is difficult."

With those words, Noir knew a Detective was treated with respect everywhere they went. His worry disappeared instantly.

'Looks like I don't need to be worried, then.'

After that, Noir went to the Copper Steam Inn.

Since he didn't know where it was, he had to ask the local's help.

The city was so massive. Fortunately, most city roads were straight paths. Its district structures were also simple.

When Noir saw the city from above, he noticed it had four gates.

The larger roads were constructed straight from the gates and would become an intersection in the middle of the city. They also had a lot of forks or smaller roads that explored each district.

Noir arrived after an hour of walking from where the airship was parked to the opposite direction where the inn was located.

'Huff...'

Opening the door to the inn, Noir stepped inside and strode to the owner behind the table.

The dinner's common area was filled with guests. They gathered, sharing stories, enjoying meals, and playing some games.

Witnessing the scene in the inn reminded Noir of a fantasy book he had read when he was a child.

Turning his attention to the owner, Noir asked if there was any room left for him.

Because of the people gathered in the common area, he doubted there was any. But luckily, the owner said there were three rooms left.

Without wasting time, Noir paid for a room and dinner. He also didn't waste the tips the officer told him.

When Noir showed his Detective license card, the owner softened up and gave him a discount.

The owner passed Noir his room's key.

"Your room is on the third floor. The third door from the stairs."

Getting his room's key from the owner, he headed for his room immediately.

"Oh, and... do you want to eat in your room or here in the common area with other people, sir?"

"I'll come back here after putting my things in my room."

"Alright."

Arriving in his room, Noir put his handy suitcase and the luggage under the bed, then let himself fall on the bed.

"Ahh... this is heaven..."

After exhausting himself, even an inn bed felt like a cloud.

He spent a few minutes on the bed, allowing his body and stamina to recover. After that, he got to his feet and walked toward the door.

Passing by a standing mirror, Noir stopped.

He looked at himself.

Even though the test premise had put his name on the description, the body he possessed wasn't him at all. It wasn't even his adult or future form.

It was a different person.

He had silver hair like Argent and blue eyes that reminded him of the ocean. Judging by his face, he looked in his mid-twenties.

Noir squinted his eyes toward his reflection.

'No wonder he feels familiar... It looks like the Sovereign.'

After thinking like that, the Rapture kicked in, or he was maybe overthinking it.

At that moment, his stomach growled, saving him from the hypnotize of the Rapture.

'Even if that's the case, it's only a simulated world. Moreover, filling my stomach comes first. As the saying goes, 'You can't think clearly if your stomach is empty.' So, let's get to the common area and have dinner.'

Noir went to the common area and sat on the empty table. Shortly after, his dinner set arrived.

As he ate, Noir accidentally heard the conversation at the table across from him.

"Have you heard the rumor?"

"What rumor?"

"The creature of night is haunting the Shelton Village..."

At that moment, the objective window was updated.

Ding!

//You have accidentally heard the rumor about Shelton Village. The second objective has been unlocked.

Objectives:

Reach Shelton Village in one piece (Ongoing)

Gather information about Shelton Village (Ongoing)

???

???//

Smirking, Noir muttered.

"Ah... hearing rumors when you're staying at the inn. What a common fantasy's plot progression."