BCHG Chapter 57

…What is this? Bringing me to their side? What does that even mean?

 

As my head spun, the detective continued speaking. “We can’t quite figure out what it means yet, but I thought there might be some connection between this missing person case and you, Miss Mia.”

 

“No, I… wasn’t even that close with Toby to begin with…”

 

The detective stared at me in silence, but there was no trust in his eyes. My heart started pounding. Could he really be suspecting me of being the culprit behind his disappearance?

 

At that moment, I heard Isaac pick up his teacup beside me.

 

“As Mia said, the two weren’t that particularly close. That’s probably when the letter mentioned bringing her to their side.”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

“Wouldn’t it be better to find the recipient of that letter instead?”

 

“We thought so too, which is why we visited the post office, but we didn’t find any significant clues. That’s why we’ve come to see Miss Mia….”

 

The detective sighed lightly after staring at me again. He gulped down his tea like it was water and spoke.

 

“Alright. We’ll look further into the post office for now, but if anything comes to mind, please let us know, Miss Mia.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

And with that, the detective left, looking slightly disappointed. Even after he was gone, the contents of the letter kept lingering in my mind.

 

As I was lost in thought, Isaac, who was next to me, spoke up. “You must have been quite surprised.”

 

“…Yes. Why would they send such a letter…?”

 

Whose side could they possibly be talking about? And why me, of all people…? As I wondered, a message window suddenly appeared in front of me.

 

[Isaac’s affection has increased by 30]

[Current Isaac’s affection: 39]

 

…Huh? Why is his affection going up all of a sudden? And by 30 points at once?

 

As I looked at Isaac, he seemed to be smiling in a strange way. It was a smile I couldn’t quite understand.

 

* * *

After the detective left, Isaac told Mia he wanted to be alone, sending her off. The recent events had clearly rattled him as well.

 

Mia is not connected to those guys?

 

From what was written in the letter Toby had sent to them, Mia seemed unrelated to them. As he realized this, a mix of emotions washed over him. Amidst the confusion, there was also a sense of relief, which surprised him even more.

 

Why am I so relieved?

 

The idea that he no longer had to treat her as an enemy, monitor her, or try to win her over—just having her by his side—brought him comfort. Spending time with her had provided him with some sense of peace.

 

But why did she say that? That she’s the cat named Mia…

 

Could it really be true? Could she really be that Mia? If so…

 

If it wasn’t those guys, the only one who could know about the cat Mia would be the cat itself.

 

In that case, Isaac couldn’t leave things as they were. Mia had to stay by his side. That was Isaac’s only wish.

 

* * *

After finishing my day, I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Lately, I had been overwhelmed with so much chaos that by the end of the day, I was mentally exhausted. Today was no different.

 

Toby tried to recruit me to his side… but whose side, exactly?

 

I suddenly recalled when Isaac had killed Toby. He was a murderer, but he had a clear reason for killing. Also, when Isaac tried to kill me, he asked if I was sent by ‘them’…

 

Could it be that Toby was one of ‘them’? The thought crossed my mind, but there was no way to confirm it.

 

“Sigh…”

 

For now, I had to prepare for the night that was about to come. Like always, I put the collar around my wrist and waited for midnight.

 

[The night grows deep.]

[The time of darkness has arrived.]

 

It seems I’m being summoned tonight. When I closed my eyes and opened them again, my vision had lowered, and I was inside the dim mansion. If Lian had been summoned too, we would be clearing the third floor today…

 

As I wandered around, I spotted Lian nearby.

 

“Meow!”

 

“Ah, Mia!” He ran toward me as if he was glad to see me, but there was a determination on his face along with the happiness. “We’re heading up to the third floor today, right?”

 

“Mew!”

 

I thought about joining Isaac and regrouping later, but since I was going to transform into a human today, I didn’t go to meet him.

 

Huff… I hope today goes well.

 

After using the transformation stone, I turned back into a human. Lian looked at me with his usual fascinated expression.

 

“Shall we go?”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

I grabbed the lantern and followed Lian to the staircase leading to the third floor. As we walked, he glanced at me and spoke.

 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? Isn’t it dangerous? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay on the second floor?”

 

“I’ll be fine.”

 

It’s better to clear this area as a pair. Plus, I have the protection stone, so even if I die…

 

I reassured myself and signaled to Lian with a glance, and he inserted the key into the lock.

 

Clunk. With the sound of the key turning, the door opened. We pushed the heavy door and stepped inside, finding a large hall. It was the exact space I’d seen in the game.

 

I took a deep breath and moved to a relatively safer spot. And then, the door on the opposite side opened.

 

Something wearing a dress approached through the open door. At first glance, it looked like a normal person, but it was crawling on the floor, nearly as big as a small truck. It had multiple black arms attached to its upper body, using them to crawl toward us like an insect. Its face was nothing but several mouths.

 

The sound of clicking teeth echoed as it stared at Lian with those tooth-filled mouths. Lian stood there, gripping his sword tightly with both hands.

 

Squash! The creature charged at Lian, trying to crush him with its body.

 

In the game, I could never dodge that and always ended up dying… But Lian’s movements were astonishing. He dodged the creature’s attack and drove his sword into what seemed like its neck.

 

A chorus of screams pierced my ears as the creature thrashed violently. Lian avoided its attacks and slashed at one of its arms, causing black blood to splatter everywhere. The creature tried once again to grab him with its numerous arms, but it was no use. Lian pulled out his sword and slashed its side repeatedly.

 

Slash! Slash!

 

As I watched, my tension began to ease. Lian’s skills were even more impressive than I had expected. At this rate, we should be able to take it down without any trouble…!

 

Lian dodged its attacks, stabbing it whenever he saw an opening. The floor was gradually turning black, and the sound of squelching filled the air. Then, suddenly.

 

“…!”

 

Lian slipped on the floor and lost his balance. Though he quickly regained his footing, that brief moment was enough for the creature to seize its chance.

 

Kiiiiiik!

 

Its long arms moved like boneless snakes. They coiled around Lian in an instant, lifting him into the air. It was trying to squeeze him to death. He had to get free…!

 

“Ah, Aaaah…!” A scream escaped Lian’s mouth. He was usually so unflappable, never one to scream in surprise.

 

Hearing that scream sent a chill down my spine. Stay calm, Mia. This is why we came together, remember…!

 

Holding the lantern, I began running frantically toward the creature. The closer I got, the stronger the stench of blood became. I could hear the menacing clicking of its teeth.

 

The blood pooling on the floor splashed against my legs as I ran. The closer I got, the more horrifying it looked. I fought the urge to close my eyes and look away, instead hurling the object in my hand at the creature.

 

Clang! The lantern hit the creature directly, shattering on impact. The oil inside splattered everywhere, and the flames from the wick quickly spread.

 

Whoosh…! The old dress caught fire instantly. The flames were small but enough to startle the creature. It thrashed, loosening its grip on Lian.

 

Fire was the creature’s weakness. It wouldn’t deal much damage, but…!

 

Lian took advantage of the moment to twist his body and slip free. While the creature was distracted, trying to put out the flames, Lian stepped on one of its arms and climbed onto its back.

 

Slash! Slash! He swung his sword wildly. Blood poured out and splattered everywhere, but the fire continued to burn.

 

As the creature let out a piercing scream and thrashed about, Lian’s sword flashed. Good, at this rate…!

 

Kiiiii…

 

Then, from the far side of the hallway, another strange sound echoed. Turning quickly, I saw another mutant creature similar to the one Lian was fighting. While the one Lian was facing wore a dress, this strange one was dressed in a tattered, decaying tailcoat. I couldn’t help but be horrified by its appearance.

 

What is this? This wasn’t in the original game…!

 

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