Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 641: Investigation [2]

They were regarding me with looks as if I had lost my mind.

I wasn’t insane. Perhaps a little, but nowhere near certifiable.

With a sigh, I got to my feet and ambled toward the kitchen nook. The space was admittedly compact, yet it was kept with meticulous care. Reaching for the nearest cabinet, I swung it open and rummaged through its contents.

"...Ah."

A glimmer appeared in my eyes after a moment as I retrieved the instant coffee, subsequently emptying its contents into one of the mugs by the sink.

"I was on the verge of needing a strong cup of coffee."

Fortuitously, a spoon and hot water were also readily available, which I promptly poured into the mug before giving it a good stir. Leaning against the countertop, I cast my gaze back toward the assembled group who remained rooted at the entryway, their faces etched with astonishment as they observed me.

Not to mention the elderly gentleman, whose complexion had turned alarmingly pallid.

I lifted the mug.

"Thanks a bunch~"

"You⎯You⎯!"

It was at this juncture that he seemed to recover his vocal faculties, his hand ascending and descending in a gesture of accusation as he pointed at me, still sputtering the same indignant refrain, "You...! You!"

Frankly, I had no inclination to entertain his theatrics.

Extracting my phone, I initiated a specific audio file, and a peculiar melody began to permeate the air. Instantly, the atmosphere seemed to subtly shift, and the old man’s agitated hand lowered. I observed his features relax, his expression growing vacant as I continued to agitate the coffee within my mug.

"Your son, when did he go missing?"

"T-two days ago..."

Absorbing the response, I took a measured sip of the coffee. A touch too bitter, perhaps, but serviceable.

"How did he vanish? Were there any messages you received? Words he spoke to you, or anything that struck you as unusual?"

"...No, there wasn’t... there... Ah."

The elder man abruptly halted, drawing my attention back to him. I sensed, in that precise instant, that I had stumbled upon a crucial detail, lowering the mug in my hand.

"Continue."

The old man’s mouth worked silently for several moments, but under the subtle sway of the melody resonating in the room, words eventually spilled forth, "...A convention. He was planning to attend a convention. T-that's all the information I possess. That is truly everything... I know."

A convention?

I took another draught of the coffee, its warmth spreading through me as I contemplated his words. This development was certainly noteworthy. While it offered limited detail, it nonetheless presented a potential avenue of investigation. Shifting my focus back to the old man and observing the increasingly ashen hue of his face, I recognized that he had neared his breaking point.

Deactivating the audio recording, I finished the remaining coffee in one go.

"Ugh... scalding."

Setting the empty mug down, I proceeded towards the main exit. Moving past the gathered individuals, I perceptible their gazes intensified, sharper than any before. As I neared them, they instinctively parted, creating a path for my departure as I retrieved my phone once more, composing a message to my associates to apprise them of my findings.

"Hm?"

Halting my movement, I glanced back at the remaining group.

"What are you all still doing here? Why are you lingering in the old man’s residence? Our business here is concluded. While I did extend an invitation for you to make yourselves comfortable, there are limits to such hospitality. Tsk."

I gave a slight shake of my head.

"...I'm starting to feel rather indignant on the old man's behalf."

***

"What in the blazes... is he?"

Olive vocalized, his gaze fixed on the receding figure in the distance, the phantom echo of his deliberate footsteps resonating against the confined walls of the narrow passage. Even now, he remained utterly bewildered by the preceding events. This was an unprecedented encounter of its kind.

Glancing around at his companions, he was acutely aware that every one of them shared his profound confusion.

’I had an inkling he wasn’t entirely stable after the incident at the World Congress, but I chalked it up to the extraordinary circumstances. I never imagined it would manifest into such an extreme display.’

Oliver himself harbored ambitions of achieving Ranker status.

They were individuals he admired greatly, figures he aspired to emulate. This sentiment had always accompanied him whenever he was in the esteemed presence of such a personage. However, for the very first time, he experienced a distinctly different sensation.

It wasn't a matter of lacking the desire to be like him, but rather an insurmountable inability... to embody him.

He appeared simply...

"How did you manage to capture his attention?"

Oliver’s train of thought was interrupted by a query, and upon turning his head, his gaze met Cedrick’s, who was quietly observing Seth’s retreating form. Cedrick had maintained a notable silence throughout, a characteristic trait, but when Mil posed the question, Cedrick responded with uncharacteristic alacrity.

"I'm uncertain... He was the one who initiated contact with me."

"Indeed?"

"...Yes. However, I suspect it stems more from our familiarity with this particular locale."

"That is a plausible factor."

Oliver concurred, his focus returning to Seth’s diminishing silhouette as he finally rejoined the group. In a way, the situation was undeniably self-evident. Despite their elite standing within a King-Grade Guild, when contrasted with a Ranker of his caliber and the distinguished MVP of the recent World Congress, their comparative level was markedly inferior.

His operating frequency was on a whole different tier, a fact made abundantly clear by the recent turn of events and how effortlessly he managed to extract such vital information.

But still...

’How did he manage it? How was he able to get the old man to spill like that?’

The team had been canvassing from one residence to another, posing their inquiries, yet not a soul offered them any answers. Everywhere they turned, they were met with the same disdain, a sentiment rooted in the past calamity that had plunged the Western District into its current dire state.

And seeing as they couldn't compel innocent civilians to speak, their only recourse was to depart. Yet, within mere moments, he had managed to unearth some crucial leads.

This was truly...

Olive took a deliberate, calming breath before composing a text to the Team Leader, conveying the piece of intelligence he had obtained.

’For the moment, I’ll just ensure this news gets disseminated.’

With the message dispatched, he quickened his pace, trailing behind Seth as the group transitioned to a different sector. There were numerous other individuals of interest whom they had slated for interrogation.

The old man was merely one such figure, but the team understood that the task would only become increasingly arduous.

…Or at least, that was the initial presumption.

"So, you're indicating that your son also attended this convention? And you happened to overhear him mention that it's connected to the past events in the Western District?"

"Y-yes..."

"I understand."

Oliver and his companions observed the scene before them with a sense of bewilderment that bordered on numbness. They had already borne witness to Seth's capabilities during their initial encounter. However, with each subsequent interaction, their astonishment waned further as he methodically questioned each person of interest, progressively unearthing more and more details.

And now—

"Thank you kindly. The information you provided was immensely helpful to our cause."

Seth pocketed his phone, casting a glance back at the group. As he did, a subtle smile graced his lips and he sent a text to his own team.

"It appears that was the final individual requiring our questioning. We can now return to the compound. I imagine everyone is quite fatigued. Excellent work, all around."

Halting their movement, he shifted his gaze towards Cedrick, offering him a reassuring thumbs-up.

"…You performed admirably as well. Commendable effort."