TFBHG — Chapter 3

So what was a Forced Quest exactly? It meant the system would toss us onto a random mission without preparation.

“Um, excuse me for interrupting…”

I had no choice but to cut Victor off mid-sentence. Besides, everyone had already accepted Nini as part of the group.

“You’re not all forgetting what kind of situation we’re in, right? We don’t know what might happen while we’re wasting time here.”

“Ahem. Miss Kate is right. This isn’t the time to fight.”

Victor, embarrassed, coughed and agreed with me.

“She’s got a point. Instead of hanging around this rundown cabin, wouldn’t it be better to move somewhere safer?”

Luke, who seemed to catch my drift, chimed in. He wasn’t wrong, but no one wanted to make a hasty decision. We all just looked at each other.

That’s when Nini raised his hand.

“I know a place we could go.”

“You do? Didn’t you say you lost your memory?”

“I said I lost memories of myself, not everything.”

“Alright. How about we let Nini show us the way? Any objections?”

Victor, playing the responsible leader again, took the initiative. Then, the others agreed.

I had to intervene before we rushed on.

“Wait. Shouldn’t we check if there’s anything useful around first?”

I brought it up as casually as I could—aiming for that starter pack.

“But… is it okay to rummage through someone else’s house without permission?”

Jamie, seriously. Can’t you read the room?

“No! This isn’t the time to worry about that!”

“W-why are you yelling at me suddenly?!”

“Because it’s frustrating. So frustrating.”

Thanks to Luke raising his voice for me, I no longer had to waste time convincing anyone. While everyone split up to rummage through wardrobes and drawers, I got down on my stomach and peeked under the bed.

There it is!

I smiled, triumphant at the sight of a bag. Then, a face appeared from the opposite side.

“Holy shi—!”

I’d been completely off guard, so the curse shot out of my mouth on reflex.

“Oh, sorry.”

I recognized Nini and apologized right away.

“It’s okay. I startled you, didn’t I?”

“I thought you were a ghost.”

Feeling sheepish, I stretched out a hand and pulled the bag toward me, then sat down on the floor beside the bed to check what was inside. It held a mini lantern, emergency rations, a small pouch, and a first aid kit.

Tch. Lame. They could’ve at least given me 30 gold. But wait… where’s the map?

There should be one. Torn and barely legible, sure, but it marked the early quest areas.

I started digging through the bag again, wondering if there was a hidden compartment I’d missed.

Then I felt an intense, unblinking stare.

“…What? You got something to say to me?”

“How did you know where to look?”

“…What?”

“How did you know there’d be a bag hidden?”

“…”

What the hell? The system wasn’t always this petty. Why is it doing this to me?

“Sis?”

While I hesitated, Nini called me again.

This is crazy! If I answer, I’d sound completely off my rocker.

There was no avoiding it.

I glanced around to confirm that everyone else was too busy to notice, then lowered my voice so only Nini could hear.

“Isn’t it obvious there’d be a bag under the bed?”

“But why are you whispering?”

“…Now’s not the time to question. Go. Look around, too. See if you can find anything useful.”

I deflected, dodging Nini’s sharp question. But as I squirmed away from the conversation, he just stared at me, then stood up and held out his hand.

“What? You want me to grab it?”

Without thinking too hard, I took Nini’s hand, and he pulled me up with embarrassing ease.

Looking up close, in terms of physique alone, Nini was closer to an adult than a child.

As I stood there blinking in surprise, Nini spoke again.

“There probably isn’t anything else worth taking here.”

“And how would you know that?”

To be honest, Nini was right. The location of certain items was pre-set.

Of course, throwaway, one-time-use items were scattered here and there, but the real value of this cabin ended with providing the starter pack.

“I searched before anyone got here. I just thought it was interesting how you found that bag right away, even though I missed it.”

“Oh, really? You should’ve said so.”

So that’s why he looked so puzzled earlier.

Once I heard his explanation, everything fell into place.

“Anyway, let’s go, sis. We’re running out of time.”

As if in response to his words, the system screen flashed into my vision with a loud alert. There wasn’t much time left.

But… aren’t his words too loaded?

“We’re running out of time?” He sounded like someone who knew exactly what was going to happen.

I was now certain.

Nini wasn’t your average NPC.

“Hurry, sis.”

“Got it.”

At Nini’s urging, I called out to the others.

“Everyone! I think we’re done here.”

“Haa… Nothing but dust in there. Gross.”

Rose grumbled as she emerged from the back room.

“I know, right? Nothing useful—wait, what’s that?”

Jamie pointed at the bag in my hand, intrigued.

“I found a bag with a few useful things inside.”

Everyone had a different reaction to the same bag. Fascinating.

Just then, the ominous BGM hummed in my ears again.

I see… this was the game’s way of sending a warning.

The countdown had begun.

“We’re done here, so let’s get going.”

I tried to sound as calm as possible.

“Agreed. Nini, just as you said, please lead the way.”

At Victor’s words, Nini took the lead. Thankfully, we all left the cabin with several seconds to spare, narrowly avoiding the forced quest.

“Um, Nini,” Jamie asked, voice trembling as she brought up the rear. “Are you sure you know where we’re going?”

I could guess why she was asking. Even though the sun hadn’t set, it already felt like the darkness had swallowed everything around us. A dense fog rolled in again, making the path ahead hard to see.

Moreover, an unsettling feeling hung in the air, as if the village were empty.

It would be a miracle if anyone lived in a place like this.

“Is this place… a ruin?”

“No,” Nini replied coolly, responding to Luke, who frowned at the surroundings.

“When the darkness falls, people simply don’t come outside.”

“What? Why?”

“If you’re unlucky, you’ll end up getting devoured by the curse.”

“Pffft—!”

Luke let out a mocking laugh, amused by Nini’s comment.

“You believe in superstitions? Adorable. You really are just a kid.”

It wasn’t just Luke; everyone else looked just as skeptical.

But it’s true.

Only I knew Nini was telling the truth.

“Alright then. Want to test if I’m mistaken?”

For a split second, Nini’s expression—still blank as ever—took on a chilling edge. Everyone immediately dropped their smirks.

“Ah, I was just joking.”

Who jokes with a face like that?

Thanks to him, the atmosphere sank even lower.

“Shall we get going?”

Without a care for our expressions, Nini turned around and started walking. His pace was so brisk that the distance between us grew in seconds.

“L-let’s catch up!”

Jamie spoke, but didn’t move a step. She hoped someone else would go first.

We didn’t have time to waste, so I opened the bag and pulled out the mini lantern. Twisting the top, a dim light flickered on, illuminating the foggy surroundings just enough.

Without a word, I held up the lantern and started walking, and soon I heard footsteps behind me as the others followed.

Where exactly are we going?

I stared at the back of Nini’s head. In situations like this, going to a safe zone was the right move…

Which would be a problem.

But if we didn’t make our way to the next quest location, it could interfere with the game’s progression.

We had to reach the manor no matter what, before the start of the Hundred Nights.

At the very least, a map would give me some justification for choosing a direction. But since I didn’t have that luxury, I had to ask Nini instead.

“Hey, Nini. Where are we going exactly?”

“You probably wouldn’t know even if I told you, sis.”

Oh? Look at this little brat.

“Still, there’s a difference between knowing and not knowing.”

Nini didn’t stop walking, but he turned his head slightly to glance at me.

“Just curious… Do you have a specific destination in mind?”

That was… a weird question. He knew well I was an outsider.