NPC - 17

Chapter 17 - [Why Are You Here?]

The protagonist of this game, Ain Claudio.

He was standing right in front of me. I had only ever looked at his back while playing. That was probably why I instinctively felt he was trustworthy just by looking at him from behind.

But my awe was short-lived, quickly replaced by a shock like a bolt of lightning striking my brain.

'Wait a minute! Why is Ain here?!'

Since this is an open-world game with a high degree of freedom, it makes sense that he could be here. It's not entirely impossible. But not much time has passed since the prologue events, and his family's estate is quite far from here.

Unless he sprinted here via the shortest route without a wink of sleep the moment the game started, it makes no sense.

'But why go through the trouble?'

There's no one here for him to ask for help. In fact, this area is within a hostile faction's territory. Is he using the "hiding in plain sight" tactic? According to the storyline, he isn't supposed to come anywhere near here until the latter half of the game.

"There he is!"

"……!"

My curiosity aside, I was currently in a crisis. However, my legs, having already tasted a brief rest, refused to run any further. They practically screamed for a comfortable break.

Even if I whipped my legs into a sprint, I'd be caught in no time. I bit my lip hard. I had already been rejected once, but I'd ask for help one last time. If he rejected me again, I'd have no choice but to face them myself.

"Those men are trying to kidnap me!"

"……."

Immediately after shouting, I gripped my bow and drew an arrow.

'Huh?'

I hadn't expected anything, but Ain actually moved. He glanced slightly over his shoulder.

"H-Hey! No~ That's not it! That boy ran off with our money!"

"Y-Yeah! We're just trying to get back the money we lent him!"

"You just mind your own business and keep walking, buddy."

It was just a simple glance, yet they panicked and began spouting ridiculous excuses.

"That's a lie! They're kidnappers!"

The men and I ended up in a standoff with Ain caught in the middle. Ain merely stared at the men, neither drawing his sword nor saying a word.

'I guess it's because it's still the early game.'

The early-game Ain is... how should I put it? Extremely gloomy. Having just gone through that traumatic event, he harbors a deep distrust of humans and shows little to no interest in his surroundings. Does that apply even to someone getting kidnapped right in front of him? He did tell me to 'resolve my own problems,' after all.

"……."

For now, I just needed to shake them off as best as I could and run to the village entrance. I didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of town. The guards were probably already on their way after hearing the commotion, and I'd surely bump into them while escaping.

Like proper guards, they side with and help the person being attacked. However, if two parties are actively fighting, they arrest both of them.

'Alright. The game's guards are practically invincible.'

It's not that they can't be killed, but you'd have to chug multiple potions and struggle immensely just to take down a single one.

I absolutely did not want to be thrown in jail. I'd rather just go home. Having formulated a relatively flawless plan, I was slowly backing away step by step when it happened.

"You lot... are you by any chance the Camel Bandits?"

Ain, suddenly turning completely around, addressed the thugs. The men flinched, but quickly puffed themselves up and shouted in boastful voices.

"That's right! We are the infamous Camel Bandits!"

"If you know what's good for you, step aside!"

"You got a death wish?"

'Was there an event like this?'

Seeing how naturally the conversation flowed, as if this were a common occurrence, it seemed like this was one of the events triggered in this town. ...Not that I had ever seen it.

"Perfect timing. I just received a request to eliminate you."

"...Gah?"

"W-What did you say?"

Startled by the sudden declaration, the bandits snapped their mouths shut.

'W-Was there a quest like that?'

I couldn't really remember either. No, the name "Camel Bandits" did sound familiar... but I couldn't be sure if I had heard it while playing the game or in my current life.

Clack!

"Good thing I don't have to go looking for you."

Uttering chilling words, Ain drew his sword. The long, deep-blue blade looked deadly, and the hilt was embedded with a dark-red gemstone radiating a mysterious glow. The claw-like ornament wrapping around the gem was the most extravagant and meticulously crafted part of the weapon.

'Is that the ancestral sword of the Claudio family?'

It was an incredibly useful sword in the early game, and an item you couldn't drop or discard even when it became obsolete after obtaining a stronger weapon. At first, it just seems like a random sword he brought from home, but as the story progresses, it's revealed to be a treasured family heirloom passed down through generations.

Ain raised his sword, facing off against the bandits, and I halted my backward retreat.

'But wait...'

I tilted my head, staring at Ain's all-too-familiar back.

'What level is this guy right now?'

Since they were named bandits, their level couldn't be that low. On the other hand, there was no way the protagonist could be overpowered this early in the story.

If the level gap is too large, it can't be overcome with mere player skills. Furthermore, I wasn't the one controlling Ain right now.

"……."

I quietly raised my bow. It seemed I couldn't just stand by and watch this fight unfold.

"Tch!"

"These little punks..."

Catching sight of me raising my bow, the bandits flared up in anger. They probably found it laughable that the prey who had been running away was suddenly trying to fight back. Wow, they are completely looking down on me, aren't they?

"Ooh... a fight?"

"They finally throwing down?"

"What's going on? What's going on?"

At that moment, as if a spectacle had just been announced, people began to gather around one by one. They didn't lift a finger to help when I was in danger.

Every single one of them had a look of amusement on their faces, ready for a show. Some were even holding a drink in one hand, treating our fight as bar entertainment.

"Hey, there! What do you think you're doing!"

"Drop your weapons!"

"……!"

Right before our battle could begin, the invincible city guards arrived.

"Tch."

"You just wait!"

"We won't forget this!"

"Halt right there!"

The gang of bandits fled, and the guards naturally chased after them. As a rule of thumb in these types of fights, whoever runs away first when the guards show up is the bad guy.

"Phew..."

I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't know how strong Ain currently was, but taking on a whole bandit group would have been tough for him.

'Anyway... time to head back.'

Peddlers or not, it was time for me to go home. It would be best to come back when the guards had forgotten about me. If I returned before then, I might get arrested.

I tapped the back of Ain, who was still facing away from me. As he turned to look at me with an expressionless face, I bowed my head.

"Thank you for your help. I'll be on my way now."

"Wait."

"Gah?!"

As I turned to leave, Ain grabbed me by the scruff of the neck.

It annoyed me slightly that my tracks were halted so easily. Derek was like this too, and now this guy... Why are they so stupidly strong?

"Where are you going?"

"Pardon?"

For a moment, I had no idea what he meant. Was he asking me where he should go? Did he somehow know that I knew the game's story? But how? Just because he's the protagonist?

"Your home. Where is it?"

But it was a pointless worry. He was asking where my house was. Still, the question remained: why?

"Uh... it's in the neighboring village."

"Lead the way."

"...Huh?"

Despite telling me to lead the way, he confidently started striding ahead of me. And surprisingly, he was heading in the exact right direction. A protagonist's intuition is pretty terrifying.

"I can go by myself."

I came here alone, after all.

"Those men might ambush you on your way back to retaliate."

"I don't think they'll be back that soon."

Since the guards were just chasing them, they wouldn't have the spare presence of mind to tail me. They might have even been arrested. Unlike his initial, hurtfully cold response, Ain was now giving off the vibe that he was determined to persuade me.

He glanced at me sideways.

"You shouldn't make your parents worry."

"……!"

"They must be waiting for you, right?"

I tried to reply, but my lips wouldn't part, as if they were glued shut. If anyone else had said that, I might have responded with a sarcastic remark about minding my own business.

But coming from someone who had just lost his entire family, those words carried an incredibly heavy weight.

"……."

"……."

A heavy silence fell over us, making even the air feel oppressive. Ain's gaze was still fixed on me. Just as it started to feel slightly uncomfortable...

"My younger brother."

"...Pardon?"

He suddenly spoke.

"You look like my younger brother."

"!!"

That's impossible. True to a protagonist's lineage, Ain's family members were all exceptionally attractive. If Derek was "beautiful," Ain was sculpturally handsome. Furthermore, unlike me, he had dark golden hair and green eyes.

Whereas I just had plain brown hair.

'Wait, if he doesn't mean physical traits...'

If he meant our "vibes" were similar, could it be...

'Did the developers just recycle the character models?!'

It's entirely possible that a character with very little screen time and an ordinary NPC shared the same base model. But is that how it translates to reality? It felt like a hidden, behind-the-scenes game setting was being thrust right in my face.

No wonder the sub-quest I was supposed to give him was so strange. The protagonist defeats an overwhelmingly tough Field Boss Monster, all in exchange for a simple potion that he had no idea was actually incredible? 

'Was it all just because I look like his brother?'

If he puts it like that, it makes it impossible to refuse.

"Then... just until we reach my house."

"Let's go."

It felt surreal to be traveling with the protagonist for something completely unrelated to a quest or an event. Especially since I wasn't even a companion NPC meant to join his party.

This time, I took the lead. The presence of Ain trailing a step behind me like an escort knight was intensely uncomfortable. True to his early-game character, his aura was gloomy, the air around him felt sharp, and he wore an expression of someone completely weary of the world.

"……."

"……."

An awkward silence settled over us once again, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing in the surroundings.

I clutched the bottle of powder in my hand and gave it a gentle shake. It felt like a waste to use an expensive stealth item when I had an escort knight right behind me, but wouldn't it be better to arrive at the village quickly and without interruptions?

To think I'd meet him before I even had the potion prepared.

'It's a bit... of a waste.'

Just as I placed my fingers on the bottle's stopper...

Screeeech!

Before I could even use the stealth powder, a monster popped out. Once a battle starts, using the item feels like even more of a waste. In the end, I shoved the bottle back into my pocket.

Gripping my bow, I glared forward. The creature that had appeared before us was a massive bird. It would be troublesome if it started whipping up winds, but a bow was the perfect counter to an airborne enemy. Just as I was about to nock an arrow, Ain stepped in front of me.

"!?"

"Step back."

Was it because I had played the game too much? Despite knowing his level had to be low right now, his broad back felt incredibly reassuring.