{Case 1: Where am I?}
{Case time limit: 1 day}
{Case Description:
{Find out information relevant to the surrounding location you are in.}
{Reward:???}
{Penalty:???}
{Good Luck!}
-------------
Arriving at the restaurant, Chikao was greeted with a warm atmosphere of many people eating, talking, and some even laughing. Big lights shined from the ceiling of the roof, illuminating everyone and everything in the room. The big, wooden tables with many people sitting around held laughter and joy to those sitting with others.
Some tall wooden mugs lay on their sides, disregarded by the big groups of loudly talking people with some half standing up and half sitting down. Huge barrels of alcohol and other liquids were stacked in the corners, and some of the top barrels had spilling drips out of its faucet.
Although the size of the restaurant/bar wasn't too big due to the surrounding wooden stairs that led somewhere that Chikao didn't know where to, it only made the dining area stand out, shining brightly.
[Well isn't this pretty?]
'For once in my life, I can actually agree with you.'
Chikao thought without hesitation while still looking at the sight in front of him.
[...]
Interrupting the dazed-out detective, a tall male with semi-long silver hair knocked into the distracted male's shoulder.
"Hey! Don't stand in the middle of the doorway!"
"Rai! Don't be rude!"
The smaller green-haired male behind him said as he poked out from behind the tall man. Due to the obvious height difference, the small male was poking out below the taller shoulders, the smaller one barely able to be considered a foot shorter.
"Shut up Akinobu."
The tall silver-haired male strode past Chikao and Ayuka, not paying any mind to their regard. Unlike the tall male who was arrogant, the smaller male was the complete opposite.
"I'm so sorry!"
The smaller male shouted hurriedly as he put his hands together and towards his face while closing his eyes for a mid-second under his light green hair, afterward chasing towards the person he entered with.
Although Chikao wasn't that much taller than the shorter male, his actions made his presence as small as possible. The small fidgeting and not being able to make eye contact made that inference apparent.
'What a weird pair of people.'
Ayuka nudged Chikao.
"What are you doing? You're blocking the entrance." Ayuka said calmly while not fully turning towards him.
"Oh yeah. Sorry about that."
Chikao said while getting out of the way of another group of incoming customers.
"Follow me," Ayuka said as she walked over to a bar counter located on the far right of the room.
Having nowhere to go, Chikao decided to follow the red-haired girl and sat down on one of the many wooden stools.
Ayuka then started to grab a green glass bottle and opened it about to pour it into a wine glass, but paused before asking.
"I forgot to ask, you look quite young. Are you able to drink alcohol?"
"Umm,"
'I guess I'll have to force it out of the only person, oh wait. Is the system even a person? Nevermind. The only thing that actually knows something about me.'
[Rude much]
'Just give me an answer'
[How about no]
'You god damned asshole' Chikao looked to the side and gave the system a 'are you fucking kidding me' look.
At the same time, Ayuka cleared her throat to get the, for some reason, always distracted male's attention forcing the quote-on-quote conversation to be put on hold.
"So...?" Ayuka asked once again while raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'm good," Ayuka held the same expression as before so Chikao also added. "I can't handle alcohol."
"Alright. Suit yourself." Ayuka said while turning to put away the wine glass and the green bottle of alcohol.
[Poor you]
'What' Chikao snapped in his thoughts while reading the blue screen in front of him and resting his head on the palm of his hand.
[You used to be such a heavy drinker]
'Really!' Chikao unattached his head from his hand with a widened expression.
[Just kidding!]
The blue screen glowed even brighter than before in Chikao's face and in a sense, felt like the system was mocking Chikao.
'You're so lucky I can't strangle you to death right now.' He now returned to his original position from before with a grim expression instead of a neutral one.
[You wish you had the strength the strangle me] The already annoyed male scoffed at this remark.
'I'll use my anger as fuel for my strength.'
[You could never]
Interrupting the lame excuse of a conversation and more like a death threat message, Ayuka placed a plain mug filled with a clear carbonated liquid and started to work on another drink which Chikao assumed was for herself. Chikao looked down towards the previously placed bottle and grabbed it, ready to drink when he was yet again interrupted.
"So how come you didn't have an identification card?"
Chikao blinked once and looked to where Ayuka stood, still making another drink.
"Huh."
"I have to agree with Taro, it was quite suspicious," Ayuka said as she continued to make her next drink, not looking at him.
"I just don't have one," Chikao repeated, this time sounding a little more agitated than previously.
"..." Ayuka didn't respond and just kept making her drink; this time pouring in the green bottle of alcohol that flowed out of the bottle smoothly.
'She doesn't believe me, does she?'
[They say silence is the best response]
'Who's side are you on?'
[Your side, obviously]
'Whatever you say' Chikao thought sarcastically as he rolled his eyes at who knows where at this point.
Sitting in awkward silence, Chikao sips the drink he had been holding for quite some time.
"...So you're not from here?"
"I'm from here."
[...]
'What now?'
[Oh, nothing]
"Which area?" This time Ayuka looked out of the corner of her eye at Chikao.
'Hey System! A little help here!'
[Are you actually asking me to help you for once]
Chikao could feel his teeth grinding together, trying to keep the same expression from before.
'Just. Help. Me. Out.'
[Fine, Fine]
[Say you lived with your family in the woods or something]
[I don't know]
"Fine, you got me." Chikao tried to say in a defeated tone, but it came out as just a comment. Not too convincing, but it worked.
"Really?" Ayuka said with a shocked expression, turning around to face Chikao as quickly as light.
"Umm...Yeah..?" Although he obviously was trying to convince Ayuka, she was already convinced.
"How did you get into the barrier?" Ayuka said as she grabbed Chikao's front of the shirt.
'Shit! What do I say now?' Chikao avoided making eye contact and started to look frantically for any blue light screens.
[Do a bluff or something]
'What am I supposed to say? How about you tell me something and I'll-'
"-tell you how I got past the barrier and in addition, you give me a room to stay in," Chikao said out loud and actually said what he was thinking to Ayuka.
"Deal," Ayuka said without any hesitation whatsoever.
"Okay maybe take out the room," Chikao paused. "Wait. Really?"
Ayuka whispered something breaking eye contact which to Chikao sounded something like "You don't know how long I've wanted to leave this barrier."
Saying that Ayuka tightened her grip once more and then removed her hands from Chikao to go over to a locked desk. Finally freed, Chikao sighed in relief and allowed his head and face to relax to think of what to say next.
"Soooo," Chikao held the o for a little longer, unsure of what to say next. "I got a room?"
"As long as you keep your end of the deal, yes," Ayuka said as she unlocked the drawer and threw up the keys to re-grab it in midair. "But you better not be lying," Ayuka added as she tightened the grasp on the keys and gave Chikao a stern expression making Chikao shutter a bit.
"How come you can't go outside the barrier though?" Chikao asked to get away from the awkward silence.
"Do you live under a rock?" Standing up straight next to the counter, Ayuka asked while dangling the keys from her pointer finger and then flexing all of her fingers into a fist to grab the keys tightly. "No one's seen the outside world for over a century. Being stuck in the same place for the rest of your life means that everything you say or do stays forever. If you're in a bad place, you're most likely stuck there because there is no such thing as getting a new chance or something. If you're at the bottom, you stay at the bottom." Ayuka said, putting the keys down in front of Chikao.
"..."
Keeping her hand on the key, Ayuka continued. "Meals come with the room. Your room is number 9 located near the left top corner from the door, second floor. Make sure you find a way to get me out of the barrier or you lose the room, and possibly your head." Ayuka said sharply while walking off to do who knows what, leaving Chikao to gulp and the thought of Ayuka slicing off his head.
[Well she seems great]
'Easy for you say.'
[Hey]
[At least you got the room]
[And a bit of info]
'True,' Chikao thought, but then added. 'Wait so does that mean I get a second place if I get more information because I already got a room?' Chikao mood lightened a bit.
[Well since you already got your room]
[You could try and go for the extra prize]
'Which is...?' Chikao leaned forward a bit more on his chair.
[It's not much, but if you complete case 1, then you will be able to get a randomized gift]
Chikao had to keep looking at screens left to right and all over which was giving him a slight headache. 'Such as...?'
[Well it varies from money to potions]
'Money?'
[Do you only care about money?]
'I mean,' Chikao looked to the side without moving his head and then looked back at the bright screens. 'Money runs the world.'
[I am seriously concerned about how you were before you lost your memories if you remembered that instead of your name]
Chikao shrugged the system comment off and decided it was time to head off. Taking a long, last sip of the drink that Ayuka prepared for Chikao, Chikao got up and headed to the big wooden door.
'So to get the money, I gotta ask people for information about this place.'
[Are you seriously doing this only because of the money?]
'I mean, does it matter?'
[You right]
Chikao then looked away from his side where the blue screen was and towards the door, opening it to reveal a bright outside world that Chikao then walked out to.
---------------
{Case 1: Where am I?}
{Case time limit: 1 day}
{Case Description:
{Find out information relevant to the surrounding location you are in.}
{Reward: Radomized reward.}
{Penalty:???}
{Good Luck!}