On what appeared to be an inn, a frivolous-looking adventurer, seemingly in his mid-twenties, walked down the stairs with a carefree expression.
"Yo, owner"
A woman who appeared to be in her early thirties, with red hair and sharp features—seemingly the owner of the inn—stared back at the frivolous adventurer with clear annoyance.
"... what is it?"
"Ah~ I just heard some loud noise in one of the rooms on the 2nd floor"
The innkeeper wore a frown, and her annoyed expression deepened into one of extreme irritation as if remembering something unpleasant.
"Huh? So what of it? Isn't that just you being noisy?"
"C'mon forgive me already ~ that won't happen again, but this time, it wasn't me"
The frivolous-looking adventurer's carefree expression slowly turned slightly serious.
"Y'know, it's that girl you've been worrying about just a few days ago"
The expression of the red-haired innkeeper shook visibly as the annoyance gradually left, and her face hardened—her eyes clouded with concern.
"... Okay, let's check on her."
Seemingly satisfied with the reaction he got from the innkeeper, the frivolous adventurer's expression shifted into one of mischief.
"See~ it doesn't hurt to listen first before yelling at me, haha—wait, huh? What do you mean by 'we'?"
The innkeeper's cold smile made her sharp features even more striking, her eyes visible with irritation.
"... You know that I've been having worries with that, yet— you started the conversation as if you're talking in a manner just to annoy me... and now you're asking?"
Her face and voice were as cold as ice, yet her eyes burned with great annoyance at his attempts to tease her.
"...ugh"
The expression of the frivolous adventurer crumpled.
"... Alright ma'am"
The innkeeper let out a wide smile.
"Good, now shut your trap before I actually start to kick your ass"
The frivolous adventurer wanted to retort in a playful manner, but he found himself too enamored by the smile of the red-haired innkeeper.
***
The two of them had headed upstairs, the Innkeeper in the front with the adventurer closely following behind her as they walked through the hallway of the 2nd floor.
"...How many days was it even already since that girl last came out?"
"...A week."
The male adventurer let out a puzzled expression.
"...Isn't this being too early then? Surely, that girl must have some food or something in there... right?"
The Innkeeper answered in silence.
"Hey, hey are you telling me that the girl wants to end her own life or something?"
Yet, his question was answered again in silence.
Her face and voice were full of concern, and the frivolous adventurer's expression hardened.
They quickly arrived at the entrance of the room. The room was located at the farthest end of the hallway—isolated, and a small window sat just beside the door, letting in faint sunlight that spilled across the floor.
Then the red-haired innkeeper knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock
"Young miss, I'm the owner of this building—if you remember."
Her voice was composed and calm, not too loud, just enough to be heard inside the room, as if she had done this countless times.
"I know I have no business telling you this since you've paid for the room for a month, but... You haven't come out for an entire week. Also, my companion here mentioned hearing some noise coming from your room."
"Yeah, my room's just beside this one. I heard something slam."
The male adventurer said without a hint of enthusiasm, seemingly just wanting to get it over with.
"To make sure nothing is wrong... If you don't show yourself up in around 10 minutes, I'll have no choice but to open it myself"
Then a voice—tense yet managing to remain soft, composed yet carrying a calm sharpness—replied through the door.
"I'm fine, there's no need for you to worry"
The innkeeper was caught off guard—she had expected to have no response and expected the need to force herself in. Her composure faltered slightly, and her next words came out rushed, revealing a glimpse of her true emotions.
"I know that...I may be overstepping my boundaries, young miss, but I noticed that you haven't come out there for an entire week already... So I would be relieved if you would at least show us your face."
No immediate response was heard, as if puzzled by her response. So the innkeeper quickly tried to come up with a follow-up, but her words jumbled.
"N-no! I'm sorry it's ju–"
Then the voice of the girl inside the room interrupted her mumbling—what once carried a hint of tension now sounded slightly more at ease.
"Sighs... I understand your intentions, but please understand that you are making a quite unreasonable demand. So, I believe it should be fine if I also do the same thing in exchange."
The innkeeper was startled, while the frivolous adventurer thought about the girl being cheeky but quickly dismissed the thought.
"Wh- what is it? As long as it's within reasonable territory,"
"One single lesser healing potion. Don't worry, I'll pay for it for 3 three golds, even more if you so desire."
"No, it's fine... there's no need to bribe me for it, just 1 gold is enough."
"Then, please just knock on the door when you have it at hand."
"It's fine, my companion here is an adventurer, he should have one right now."
The innkeeper signaled to the frivolous adventurer to bring out a potion, as if his thoughts weren't even considered.
"Sigh, there should be a convenience fee for this..."
The innkeeper smiled at the frivolous adventurer as he handed over the potion, making him pause before saying more, and instead quietly mumbled:
"As long as you're happy... sure."
The innkeeper smiled deepened at the reaction she got from the frivolous adventurer—seemingly in a good mood.
"...it's fine to come out now young miss."
A sigh escaped as the door slowly opened, revealing a girl with a beautiful appearance—relatively short in stature, fair white skin, deep dark eyes, and long black hair with a tint of violet. Draped around her body was a dark cape that fully covered her upper half and her arms hidden in the cape and in contrast was her long dark skirt. It was Nyx. Then the girl slowly opened her mouth.
"... I'm fine as you could see."
Nyx pointed it out, but remained completely still—even when she opened the door. Only a small portion of her hand reached out to unlatch it, the rest of her body unmoving.
The innkeeper's expression completely eased the moment she saw Nyx—healthy, without any sign of starvation or dehydration. But Nyx appeared to be squinting, as if her eyes had been exposed to something bright after a long time in the dark.
"Alright, I'll give the Potion as part of the deal."
The innkeeper handed the potion to Nyx, and Nyx, in turn, passed over the gold coin—though she didn't fully extend her arm. Only the tip of her right hand emerged. The innkeeper noticed and was slightly puzzled, but chose not to press the matter.
"... Then, seeing as you're completely fine. I'm very sorry for bothering you"
"No, it's fine. I understand why you may be worried. Rather, I appreciate the concern."
Nyx let out a gentle smile, genuinely appreciating the thought, which strongly tugged at the innkeeper's heart, stirring a bit of motherly instinct despite not even being one.
"I don't know if you're hungry, but seeing as you haven't left the room for an entire week... I just recently cooked. So if you are hungry—ah, of course, it's not free, ehem—then we're leaving now."
"Then, once I'm done with my business. I'll gladly take on the offer."
After a quick farewell, the two of them descended to the first floor. The innkeeper wore a seemingly satisfied expression, evident in her relieved smile, while the frivolous adventurer still had a puzzled look on his face.
"...Hey, that girl looked completely fine. Is it because she's cute or something? Also, you didn't answer my question earlier."
The innkeeper's expression wavered slightly, as if recalling something unpleasant.
"...It's just that when that girl first came to rent a room, her voice didn't carry any emotion... It's fine if there's no food or water—she looked like a Mage, so a week of isolation wouldn't be a big deal. But her eyes... they looked completely dead. As if there was no clarity in them at all."
That's why when the innkeeper saw Nyx's face just now, she felt relieved—not because she looked fine physically, but because she could finally see clarity in the girl's eyes.
***
After a few moments of the encounter, Nyx quickly stepped back into the room and locked the door behind her.
When Nyx was talking to the innkeeper, she deliberately held back from speaking—only when there was a visible threat did she start to respond. Upon hearing the innkeeper's concerns and demands, she quickly took advantage of the situation. Thanks to some acting, she managed to get a potion despite sounding suspicious, though she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"...It can't be helped. I had no choice, even if it meant begging for it."
She didn't actually beg, but to her, raising the price was her own way of begging. After all, in the game [Echoes of the Fallen Sun], a lesser Health potion was only priced at around 1 gold.
Nyx didn't even know what kind of circumstances the original Nyx had been in, and even suspicions of being abducted crossed her mind. There was practically no visibility of the outside from the room—while there were some small windows, the curtains completely blocked any light. Regardless, it all meant she couldn't help but stay cautious, and in the process of doing so, actually learned how to feel mana to some extent.
'... This is definitely because of that trait [Mana Sense], and considering its rank is relatively high at B rank. It's also the same time when I've started to feel something trickling beyond my physical body.'
Thanks to the earlier commotion, Nyx's anger was instantly replaced with tension. But now that the tension had faded, she remembered what had just recently happened. A sick, indescribable emotion welled up inside her.
"...What an awful skill to have. It might have some benefits, but still—what's the point in hating something that's not even alive?"
Nyx sighed and looked up at the description of the skill.
---
[Impulsive Desires] [S]
Type: Passive [Inactive]
Mana Requirement: N/A
Effect: Any emotions that reach a certain threshold will be greatly amplified, and corresponding stats will be greatly enhanced accordingly. Excessive amplification of negative thoughts may trigger [Mental Disruption], which may lead to [Mental Corruption].
---
Nyx's gaze shifted to the effect of the skill, her expression grim. She closed her eyes. She might not know the exact details of what happened, but the description of the skill was more than enough evidence of what had generally occurred. She quietly thought,
'...So this is why she's completely hidden in the entirety of the game... What the hell are they thinking when creating a character like this?"
Nyx leaned down her back in front of the door while biting her lip, she quietly sank into thought, the silence of the room so heavy it felt as if it were devouring her.
| Chapter 3 - The Hidden Heroine (3)