The night passed on...
Noir woke up from his bed energetically. He was thankful and glad that he didn't have a hangover after drinking a couple of bottles last night.
He was never a good drinker. He could get drunk after one shot. Maybe because it was not his body, he could somehow tolerate the alcohol.
What a way to enjoy a drink.
Of course, he wasn't only drinking. In fact, he did that because he wanted information from the people in the inn.
He thought that by doing so, they would open up to him. At least, that was how it worked in the book he read.
True to the unreliable source, Noir gained valuable information from them.
However, it wasn't enough to complete the objective as it was still labeled with 'Ongoing.'
'At least I got something.'
Firstly, he learned what the creature of night was. According to the locals and travelers, it was a wandering demon. They called it Shuua.
Secondly, the reason why Shuua haunted Shelton Village. The rumor said that it was because of weirdos doing stupid things in the middle of the night.
It was after Noir heard about that rumor the third objective was unlocked.
//Objectives:
Reach Shelton Village in one piece (Ongoing)
Gather information about Shelton Village (Ongoing)
Investigate the weirdos in Shelton Village (Ongoing)
???//
Other than those, Noir learned a lot about Shelton Village in general. It was a seaside village. However, it didn't have a port because the water around there was dangerous for ships to hail and dock.
Even so, the people there had to risk it if they wanted to live. If not, where else could they earn money?
'But, how the hell do I keep unlocking objectives when I haven't completed even one?!'
Usually, the objective would be unlocked if the previous one had been completed. But it seemed that wasn't the case for Noir, and he didn't know why.
'Well, whatever...'
Noir dressed up, took all his belongings and went downstairs.
The common area was empty. The guests must have been sleeping in their rooms still. But the owner was already standing behind the counter.
"Oh, sir. Do you want to have breakfast first?"
Noir stared at the door.
'That officer said he would pick me up at the inn. But it looks like he hasn't come here yet.'
Looking at the owner, Noir was about to say something until the door was opened.
"Oh, Mr. Detective. You're already up?"
Noticing Noir was talking to the owner, the officer continued after grasping the situation.
"I'll wait here. Take your time, sir."
Shaking his head, Noir turned at the owner and passed a few coins.
"Maybe I'll have something that I can eat while traveling."
As he waited for his food, Noir sat and talked to the officer.
"By the way, how long will it take to get to Shelton from here?"
"We'll be using a bike, so around an hour, I think."
"I see."
Noir put his hand under his chin.
'Well... if they can build an airship, a bike is nothing. And it makes more sense than a robot.'
Noir sighed. He still couldn't believe this world had a robot. A mecha-like. One with a cockpit and such.
A moment later, the waitress appeared with Noir's food. Receiving the food, Noir and the officer left the inn.
As soon as they were outside, Noir found a bike parked right in front of the inn. It had a cruiser-like design but steampunk-ish... brown, gears, etc.
"Let's go!"
...
At first, they rode in silence because Noir was eating his bread and roasted meat.
The world was still dark. It was 5 AM, after all. But that didn't stop them from traveling through the quiet, empty road.
Finishing his breakfast, Noir just observed the surroundings. There were nothing but trees and morning fog.
And the further they went, the thicker the forest and the fog were.
It felt a bit mystical and eerie. No wonder it made most people afraid to travel at night.
Fortunately, the rest of the trip was uneventful.
The rumored plunderers seemed like they were still sleeping. Because Noir didn't encounter or see them on the road.
After some time, Noir saw the village gate.
It was 6 AM when they arrived.
The village was quiet, much like a ghost town. It was probably because the villagers were still asleep.
"Well then, Mr. Detective, I wish you good luck."
After dropping Noir at the village gate, the officer turned around and disappeared from Noir's vision.
'I guess I'll meet with my commissioner first.'
Turning around, Noir walked deeper into the village.
Ding!
The system notification rang in his head, and a window popped up, letting him know about his progress.
//"You have arrived at Shelton Village safely. Well done, Detective!"
Objectives:
Reach Shelton Village in one piece (Completed)
Gather information about Shelton Village (Ongoing)
Investigate the weirdos in Shelton Village (Ongoing)
???//
'Finally...'
Noir kept walking, occasionally passing by a villager as the village slowly entered the productive phase. He asked them for the location of his commissioner.
5 minutes later, he arrived in front of the commissioner's house.
Knocking on the door, Noir waited as he heard noises coming from inside.
"Waiiiit! Comiing!"
"Huh?"
Noir's eyebrow arched, and his ears twitched. He didn't hear it wrong, did he?
That voice was...
The door opened, but there was no one behind it. Not until Noir looked down and found a little girl.
"Who are you, mister?"
The voice belonged to that little girl?!
'Is my commissioner this little girl...?'
Noir shook his head. That couldn't be.
Smiling, Noir tipped his hat.
"Hello, little miss. I'm Detective Noir Teundre. Is your parent inside?"
The little girl's eyes widened and glittered like a star.
"Oh! Mister Detective! You finally arrived!!"
"Haha. Yes. So, where is your parent? I need to talk about business with them, haha."
The little girl tilted her head.
"My parents aren't home, mister."
"Oh? Is that so? Are they going to market?"
She shook her head slowly.
"No. They're dead."
At that moment, Noir froze like a statue. He kept his smile intact. In fact, it got sharper.
The look on his face was screaming, "Of course! It's a common Detective troupe! I already expected this!"